I've watched Adam Henson's media career with interest. I don't always catch Countryfile (though very much enjoy Farming Today on Radio 4!) but Adam has been a presenter for such a time that he feels a familiar and trusted figure. I have a distant personal connection, too, in that I visited the Cotswold Farm Park as a child. It was a modest destination in those days, and pioneering in its work preserving rare breeds. 

This book really does have something for everyone!

There are the personal recollections of farming and family life, then there are fascinating facts about Christmas traditions and folklore (I thought I knew everything there was to know about Christmas, but apparently not). There are details about adopting new farming methods and some of the challenges of looking after rare breeds. There's the story of the Suffolk Punch foals and there is a chapter about serious illness in the family, too.

It's an eclectic mix of personal stories, experiences and musings, collated in chapters thematically. They're amusing, entertaining, informative and moving and Adam writes as if he's in the room with us, confiding in us. It's an easy, soothing and enlightening read. 

As a fabulous Christmas gift, to yourself or another, this is the perfect book for a winter's afternoon, to read while sitting in front of the fire with hot tea and toast.