I agree with Dave - a good post Ginge, and many of the sentiments expressed are ones I agree with totally. If I see one more crisp packet or Ribena carton on the footpaths near our house I'll scream.

You made one interesting comment that caught my eye when you said:

"There is an atavistic connection with the land and the seasons that it would be hard to find in any other walk of life.".

It is this very connection that draws people to the countryside, and drew us to the Nine Ladies a week or so ago through the field of mad cows. I don't believe it's unique to people who work the land, but a deeply embedded part of the psyche of most people who live on our islands (and probably our planet).

I'm lucky enough to be able to walk through open countryside every day of my life - to feel the same atavistic connection with the land, but it wasn't always so and unfortunately I suspect I'll end up back in a town at some point. All these people who end up in the country at weekends and on bank holidays are looking to spark that connection but are not fortunate enough to be able to do so on a daily basis.

This loss of connection with the land is, in my opinion responsible for the pervading feeling of loss that seems to permeate society today. The loss of that sense of belonging to the land and that connection with the seasons and other natural cycles has left us with some sort of nihilist spiritual abyss in the country's collective soul - the frustration is not difficult to see on the streets of our towns and cities.

This is why townies sing songs of agriculture and the rural life, as well as chanteys and other song forms that relate to lifestyles many of us have lost contact with - but in many cases are only just disappearing from living memory - the contact is still strong. It's a way of re-affirming our roots with our ancestors, as is camping, hiking and standing around stone circles and other ancient monuments.