Welcome to our Spring Issue! Hopefully by the time you read this there will be flowers emerging and the buzzing and tweeting of the season in evidence!

One of our writers asked me recently which ‘bit’ of the magazine is my favourite subject area. I don’t think I am supposed to have favourites. However, I do find the heritage side of the job really enthralling and it is so rewarding to look back through our catalogue of features since the very first issue and see all of the areas which have been explored in the magazine. This issue – and coming up later this year – we have plenty more local history. We begin that thread for 2025 with three articles…

The first is a history of the women of Hoar Oak Cottage, which has been put together for us by Bette Baldwin and Nicky Rowberry on behalf of the The Friends of Hoar Oak Cottage Community Group. The second takes Tony James out into the Bristol Channel with his ‘nautical specialist’ cap on, in search of the fading voices and old stories of the Watchet Hobblers. And the third, which marks the start of a series on Victorian Exmoor, has been diligently researched and written for us by Graeme Horn; he explores some of the history of our poorhouses, almshouses and workhouses.

Also, of course, we welcome all of your regular favourites, and some new faces, too, for our interviews. Victoria Eveleigh has written about Lee Abbey Farm and Lynmouth’s very own Salty Shanty Dog Jess. Tony James interviews the President of The Exmoor Society, Sir Andrew Burns KCMG, Sarah Eveleigh talks to George Tucker about Moorland Vets, Sophie James interviews Dan Rathbone at The Heritage Cure, Rosemary FitzGerald visits Gardener’s Delight in Barnstaple and Kalina Newman writes for us for the first time, with a piece on artist Jane Hood. We are also delighted to include an interview by Jen Warwick with Instagram celebrity Paul Lamb in this issue. I know that a number of Paul’s fans have ordered a copy of this issue just for that piece and I thank them – and him – for that and hope that you all enjoy the article and, indeed, the rest of our content. Welcome!

Please enjoy all this and much, much more on our pages and have a beautiful spring as we head towards warm sunshine!

Naomi, Hurley and all of the team