How the Duke of Cornwall stole a footpath and I rediscovered it

How the Duke of Cornwall stole a footpath and I rediscovered it

The Ramblers Association has launched a campaign to reclaim some of Britain’s lost footpaths before legislation comes into effect that turns them permanently into private land. The campaign was accompanied by the launch of a clever app which I had some fun with last weekend.

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Why I’m supporting the BMC’s Mend Our Mountains appeal

Why I’m supporting the BMC’s Mend Our Mountains appeal

The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) has just launched a new appeal, Mend Our Mountains, with the ambitious target of raising £1 million to repair footpaths in UK mountain areas. Here’s why I’m happy to dip my hand in my pocket for this worthwhile cause.

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Should outdoor and mountaineering writers talk about politics?

Should outdoor and mountaineering writers talk about politics?

If you write about a subject that appeals to people of all political beliefs, then you should avoid talking about politics. But what if politics touches on the things you care about deeply enough to write about – do you say nothing? The answer to this is surprisingly simple.

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Yippee! Our forests are safe, for now

Yippee! Our forests are safe, for now

Looking back at the Save Our Forests campaign Across the Middle East grassroots movements are toppling governments one after another like dominoes. Tunisia and Egypt are already down, and Libya and Yemen are next in line. Somewhat less momentously, but

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My response to that blasted Sell Our Forests consultation

My response to that blasted Sell Our Forests consultation

It’s not been the best of weather this weekend, but even so I may have preferred to spend it outdoors rather than sitting in front of a computer screen responding to a boring government consultation document. It’s a task I’ve

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How the sale of England’s forests drove me back into politics

How the sale of England’s forests drove me back into politics

As a digital communications professional who has worked in central government for much of the last three years, I’ve managed to remain deliciously apathetic to the world of politics. This may seem strange, for you would think a person whose

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Will the Coalition government protect the UK’s forests?

Will the Coalition government protect the UK’s forests?

As a keen walker who spends many weekends walking and enjoying the UK’s network of public footpaths, many of which pass through woodland, I’ve been following with interest discussion of the Coalition government’s proposals to sell off 150,000 hectares of

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