I was on holidays in Scotland recently (with a brief sojourn in England’s Peak District of which more anon). I came home to this:

My contributor’s copy! What a pleasure and honour it is to be part of this collection published by Faber & Faber (under the Guardian Faber partnership). The book is a delight. It is organised month by month, and my intention is to read it in that way – although I’ve already dipped in and out and rushed through September into October. It is marvellous to read all the different voices and perspectives and subjects, and (pinching myself) to find myself in such august company. I’m not just saying it because I’m in it, but this is an important publication. I’d like to thank the Country Diary’s editor, Paul Fleckney, and Mo Hafeez. Commissioning Editor at Faber & Faber.

Pre its launch into the world (which is formally tomorrow, although you can still pre-order up to the end of today, as far as I’m aware), there was a meet-up to celebrate. Paul chose the Peak District as a reasonably central place (and convenient to almost nobody, as far as I could make out). As it happened, I was in Scotland over that period of time. This had advantage of allowing me to travel down by train (and do a little work on said trains), thus avoiding flying, which I am very happy about. (I’m doing my best to fly as little as possible for the rest of my life. So far, it’s been about five years without). About 20 of us showed up for a desultory ramble and get-together, and I really enjoyed putting faces to names and establishing more personal connections to my Country Diary colleagues.

Finally, because the regular contributions are the source of the book, here, somewhat late as I was away when this came out, is my latest. I’d like to thank Graham Day for all his help with sources and material, and the lovely group of botanists who introduced me to the tall sea lavender, Limonium procerum procerum, of the Lecale coast.