IN a turbulent political year, Jon Snow, often presenting Channel 4 News live from the Palace of Westminster, has seemed like one of the few calm voices on the scene. Perhaps it’s because, unlike many covering the events, he’s never been a Parliamentary nerd, losing sight of the wider picture when disclosing the latest dodgy update from some undisclosed Government source.
He led an exciting life as a roving reporter before settling into his present role. His encounters with Idi Amin, Fidel Castro and Margaret Thatcher were recounted in his book Shooting History, things he now describes as ‘old news’. However, the early pages recall a picturesque childhood in the ‘green and rustic wastes’ of the Sussex Weald. He’s keener to talk about that and his memories of the setting are still vivid.
‘From my bedroom window in Ardingly, I could see the Balcombe viaduct on the London-Brighton railway line, about half a mile away,’ he says. ‘I’d watch the Brighton Belle in late evening bringing businessmen home, the little lamps shining on their tables. Between me and the viaduct was the most fabulous countryside, which meant I came to love trees both as a vista and then more intimately, because to go for any walk around there was to walk though woods of oak and ash.’
Denne historien er fra December 04, 2019-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra December 04, 2019-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
