Richard Negus is a former soldier and horseman. He is now a professional hedgelayer, conservationist, and author. His writing champions the people, work, wildlife and beauty of the countryside, and can be found in publications including The Critic, Scribehound, The Daily Telegraph, Sunday Express and Country Life. Richard is recognised as one of the country's leading exponents and practitioners in rotational hedgerow management and rejuvenation. Fellow Countryside Writer, John Lewis-Stempel, describes him as "The hedgerow's one true champion". Words from the Hedge is a passionate evocation of the history, beauty and importance of our hedgerows by a craftsman who has been laying hedges for almost three decades and has the scars to prove it. Hedges are as old as civilisation and as emblematic of the British countryside as chalk streams, hay meadows and oak trees. But unlike woodland and rivers, farmland hedges remain on the periphery of the public consciousness, often going unnoticed and almost always underappreciated. Wielding his pen as deftly as he does a billhook, professional hedgelayer Richard Negus takes us on a journey that reveals these ribbons of thorn and barb are so much more than mere decoration or boundary markers. They are essential for much-needed wildlife recovery. And yet, no hedge is truly 'wild'; each one is a testament to generations of human skill and labour, requiring ongoing maintenance to survive and thrive. Written with vigour and humour, as well as rare insight and honesty, Words from the Hedge is a timely exploration of how we can use hedges to make the British countryside a place where nature has a home. Unreserved seating.