We talked with Countryfile presenter, author and journalist Tom Heap this month about his book Land Smart. It is an investigation into the challenges and trade-offs of land use. In the distant past, land use was pretty straightforward, it was for food and accommodation. Today required uses include carbon storage, energy storage, flood water, space for recreation, space for wildlife, as well as food, transport and business. After more than 25 years of reporting on countryside and the environment, Tom’s knowledge of the activities being undertaken to benefit our land use is extensive and fascinating. The best use of land is also the subject of a letter in our Share Your Thoughts section where—in light of plans for a new retirement village on land in Bridport—town councillor Anna Killick calls on Dorset Council to prioritise building for social rent in the town. She says it’s one of the hardest hit of Dorset towns when it comes to finding rentals. Also in this issue, Horatio Morpurgo talks about the Bibby Stockholm and its impact on the community in Portland. Used for asylum accommodation, the barge has attracted protest from many quarters, whilst the decision to close it—presented as part of a plan to reduce spending on the asylum system—was widely welcomed, but for different reasons. Tackling another social issue of a very different nature is singer Tony Christy. Diagnosed with dementia nearly three years ago, the star, whose hits included Las Vegas, I Did what I Did for Maria and (Is This the Way to) Amarillo is not hiding from his diagnosis and is fighting the stigma that goes with it. At 81 years of age his determination to use his voice and his public persona as a power for positive attitude is admirable.
