Country Diary in Wales, A

After 45 years of living near Aberystwyth I’m happily familiar with almost all of the wonderfully inspiring places that John Gilbey leads us through in this well produced book. The format is familiar as these are extracts from the Guardian’s well-loved and ever seductive Country Diary column. Photographs are a welcome extra, and are skilfully melded with the text for the armchair enjoyment of a countryside that is not readily accessible to every reader. Prose and picture capture the spirit of disparate places, mainly in the area within 40 miles of Aberystwyth, in Ceredigion, Powys and south Meirionnydd – places which are a tortuous road journey away from great centres of population. In gently soporific sentences the reader is lulled into listening mode. It’s as if you are accompanying this agreeable and unfussy companion on pleasant rambles through delectable countryside. You will soon become aware that your friendly guide has special qualities that very much enhance the experience. He is a naturalist, somewhat in the tradition of Gilbert White and William Condry. (The latter of these, author of The Snowdonia National Park [Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 47], wrote contributions for the Guardian’s Country Diary column for many years.) Gilbey’s style reminds me a little of Romany of the BBC, who, some 90 years ago, wandered the fields and woods with his dog, and described his walks on radio programmes and in books. His real name was George Bramwell Evens, a country vicar, and Gilbey’s precise grammatical sentences bring it all back! Out with Romany Again was published in the 1930s, and was one of the few books that we had in the house when I was nine or ten. This is not to say that Gilbey’s style is old fashioned – more, classically accurate and descriptive, with an eye for detail. Neither is it modernist, or at all oblique, but refreshingly no-nonsense and straightforward. One unique feature that I find strangely pleasing is that the page of text before a photograph is (deliberately or not?) written so that it seems complete in itself, but on turning the page the section is concluded more satisfactorily with some extra information. The photos themselves are numerous and clear, and certainly give the impression of having been taken on the day described. It makes me feel very lucky to live in an area that is so varied and attractive. I am able to see, through the eyes and the camera lens of a skilled observer, how mountains, moorlands, farmland and woods change with weather and the seasons. The book is a celebration of ‘standing and staring’ in the tradition of W. H. Davies (‘Leisure’, 1911). No doubt, like all of us, John Gilbey has cares, but he is wise enough to leave them behind when he sets off. A good example, perhaps to all of us! We simply relish the feeling of being out and about with him, quietly observing what is around us, and enjoying a pint of good ale at the end of a delightful and fulfilling day. -- Richard Hartnup @ www.gwales.com