Someone asked me why we moved to Exmoor? There are the obvious answers: the moor and sea are both within 20 minutes. The landscape is perfect for a landscape painter. I can ride my horses for hours on end without touching a road. It’s the nearest wilderness to the home counties. It was not until I read ‘the Shepherds Life’ by James Rebank that I was forced to think deeper. I can now relate to James Rebank’s sense of isolation, his daily battle with the elements and the feeling that he lives in the centre of his own world. This book is based on a balance of belonging, hard work and self awareness. He is as matter of fact about his story telling as he is about his life but somehow, like a tough farmer who shows love and care for his new born lambs he can make his words beautiful and inspirational like the landscape of his own Lake District.
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