Born in Southampton, I and my siblings were brought, throughout our childhood, into the New Forest to walk and enjoy the open space.

In 1994 I moved to the remote Burley Rails Cottage with my late wife, Diane. Originally built as a woodman’s cottage, it is a unique place in which to live. On my return from an extended holiday to America in 2004 I realised just how unique, is this New Forest of ours and I decided to share with others some of the experiences I enjoy, daily.

My first article ‘From the Enclosure’ was published in the Burley village magazine and so began the series of short articles. The subject matter is varied; sometimes serious, always informative and often amusing.

I have been encouraged by my wife Tracy to share these articles with a wider audience during these difficult times when we are confined to our homes. For those of you who have spent time in the New Forest, I hope that the stories inspire memories and for those who have not been to this part of the world perhaps we will see you here in the future.

Every Tuesday evening we will publish the next article and in the meantime you can go online and buy Tracy’s homemade New Forest Shortbread to eat while reading the weekly Blog post.

Enjoy.