Kate Humble

If there is one thing that most of us aspire to, it is, simply, to be happy. And yet attaining happiness has become, it appears, anything but simple. Having stuff The Latest, The Newest, The Best Yet is all too often peddled as the sure fire route to happiness. So why then, in our consumer-driven society, is depression, stress and anxiety ever more common, affecting every strata of society and every age, even, worryingly, the very young? Why is it, when we have so much, that many of us still feel we are missing something and the rush of pleasure when we buy something new turns so quickly into a feeling of emptiness, or purposelessness, or guilt? So what is the route to real, deep, long lasting happiness? Could it be that our lives have just become overly crowded, that we've lost sight of the things the simple things that give a sense of achievement, a feeling of joy or excitement? That make us happy. Do we need to take a step back, reprioritise? Do we need to make our lives more simple?

A Year of Living Simply

** SHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE** ** SHORTLISTED FOR THE EDWARD STANFORD TRAVEL WRITING AWARD - TRAVEL MEMOIR OF THE YEAR ** A lovely, civilised and transporting read, that should have all of us stepping out to meet the world with fresh eyes.' - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall 'An enticing read that makes every walk Humble describes an adventure' - Ranulph Fiennes 'A beautiful and magnificent book. A paean to a simple act. I defy you to read this book and not be inspired to walk, march or hike - and as a result live a better life more connected with nature and the world around you.' - Simon Reeve 'A lovely book, fast-flowing yet at every turn giving the reader pause for thought. Kate Humble makes a delightful companion, her words full of sunshine and the raw pleasure she radiates as she encounters life in its many unexpected forms.' - Benedict Allen 'I've discovered that going for a daily walk has become as essential to me feeling good for the rest of the day as that first cup of tea. But I would argue that all I am doing is responding to a natural need we all have. Humans have always been migrants, the physiological urge to be nomadic is deep-rooted in all of us and perhaps because of that our brains are stimulated by walking. I solve all sorts of problems, formulate ideas, work things out to that gentle rhythm of self-propelled movement.' - Kate Humble Thinking on My Feet tells the story of Kate's walking year - shining a light on the benefits of this simple activity. Kate's inspiring narrative not only records her walks (and runs) throughout a single year, but also charts her feelings and impressions throughout - capturing the perspectives that only a journey on foot allows - and shares the outcomes: a problem solved, a mood lifted, an idea or opportunity borne. As she explores the reasons why we walk, whether for creative energy, challenge and pleasure, or therapeutic benefits, Kate's reflections and insights will encourage, motivate and spur readers into action. Also featured are Kate's walks with others who have discovered the magical, soothing effect of putting one foot in front of the other - the artist who walks to find inspiration for his next painting; the man who takes people battling with addiction to climb mountains; the woman who walked every footpath in Wales (3,700 miles) when she discovered she had cancer. This book will inspire you to change your perspective by applying walking to your daily endeavours. *PRAISE FOR THINKING ON MY FEET * 'A diary of sorts, charting a year of wonderful walks through the sun, wind and rain...each entry builds an image of her life in the great outdoors...it sounds idyllic to say the least.' - Sunday Express, S Magazine 'These are 365 days of inspiration to get out and, sometimes literally, smell the flowers.' - Wanderlust Magazine 'Humble's book about going for a walk can inspire absolutely anyone to make a change. Because all you have to do is step outside the front door.' - Waitrose Weekend 'Witty, enlightening and often startlingly profound' - Country Walking Magazine

The small joy of putting one foot in front of another

Thinking on My Feet

Gavin Maxwell

Mark Adlington

Ring of Bright Water

Simon King

Bill Oddie

Simon

Bill/humble

Kate/king

The perfect wildlife companion - everything you need to know about the countryside and the award-winning BBC TV show

Accompanies the BBC 2 TV Series

Springwatch

'Kate Humble dishes up home-cooked heaven' - Daily Mail Weekend A celebration of simple, seasonal home cooking full of flavour, comfort and joy. With more than 100 recipes from Kate Humble's kitchen table, this is food to share from breakfast time to the evening meal - for lazy days, busy weeknights or gatherings, and everything in between. Recipes include: SPRING A Ham Sandwich on Beer Bread with Piccalilli Spring Chicken with Wild Garlic & New Potatoes Rhubarb Vodka SUMMER Tomatoes with Steak & Wild Salsa Verde Elderflower Jellies Summer in a Teapot AUTUMN Beet Bourguignon Apple Crumble Ice Cream with Blackberry Ripple Butternut Tea Loaf WINTER A Soda Bread for Winter with Oats & Black Treacle Sausages in Red Wine Clementine Cake with an Orange & Pomegranate Salad

Recipes from the Farm

Home Cooked

In 2007, after twenty years of living in London, Kate Humble and her husband Ludo decided it was time to leave city life behind them. Three years later, now the owner of a Welsh smallholding, Kate hears that a nearby farm is to be broken up and sold off. Another farm lost; another opportunity for a young farmless farmer gone. Desperate to stop the sale, Kate contacts the council with an alternative plan - to keep the farm working and to run a rural skills and animal husbandry school alongside it. Against all odds, she succeeds. Here, in Humble By Nature, Kate shares with us a highly personal account of her journey from London town house to Welsh farm. Along the way we meet Bertie and Lawrence the donkeys, Myfanwy and Blackberry the pigs and goats Biscuit and Honey, not forgetting a dog called Badger and his unladylike sidekick Bella. And we are introduced to the tenant farmers Tim and Sarah, the locals who helped and some who didn't, and a whole host of newborn lambs. Full of the warmth and passion for the natural world that makes Kate such a sought after presenter, Humble By Nature is the story of two people prepared to follow their hearts and save a small part of Britain's farming heritage, whatever the consequences.

Humble by Nature

Martin McGill

This book introduces some 75 species of wetland birds to readers through the eyes of Kate Humble. As she freely admits herself, Kate is still learning her birds, so to find out more she contacted Martin McGill of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust to act as her guide. Their birdwatching sessions together form the basis of this book. As Kate learns the difference between a Canada Goose and a Barnacle Goose, which ducks dive and which ducks dabble, and how to tell apart those little brown jobs that warble from the reedbeds, so she passes on the information to the reader as she goes. The effect is not dissimilar to the Last Chance to See series, in which Mark Carwardine and Stephen Fry scour the world for endangered species. The difference between Canada Geese and Barnacle Geese? Just remember that the C-anada goose has a C-hin-strap. The Teal is the Ziggy Stardust of the duck world, while the Shoveler feeds as though it's dropped its contact lenses. Each species takes up approximately two pages, complete with photographs and illustrations to bring out the key identification and behavioural points. The birds are divided into simply titled groups - large waddling birds, little brown jobs, and so on. Other chapters in the book cover topics such as basic equipment, clothing, hide etiquette and more, each written for the beginner in Kate's style. WWT centres: Slimbridge (Glos), Arundel (Sussex), Wetland Centre (Barnes), Welney (Norfolk), Washington (Tyne & Wear), Caerlaverock (Dumfries), Martin Mere (Lancs), Llanelli (Wales), Castle Espie (N Ireland).

100 birds ... in just one day!

Watching Waterbirds with Kate Humble and Martin McGill

'There is one animal that is familiar to all of us, whoever we are, wherever we live' 'Even if we've never had direct contact with one, we will have seen one, or at the very least, heard one. For those of us who live in the western world it is more than likely that one sleeps in our house, possibly even on our bed. I'm talking of course, of the dog. Yet, this animal, which lives alongside five hundred million of us all over the world - as an invaluable partner and a trusted confidant - presents us with one great unsolved mystery: how did this relationship - the most complex and enduring of any between human and animal - start in the first place?' Kate Humble is a life-long animal lover. Now living on an idyllic farm in Wales, she has achieved her dream of surrounding herself with as many varieties as possible. But, as with many Brits, the dog has always held a special place in her heart. Here, she uses her journey with her sheepdog puppy Teg to frame her examination of this very special relationship. Written with warmth and love, and packed full of stories about rescue dogs, guide dogs, service dogs and medical dogs, this is a must-read for anyone with a four-legged friend.

The extraordinary partnership between humans and dogs

Friend for Life

For fans of Ben Fogle and dog lovers everywhere, this is Kate Humble's heartwarming exploration of the relationship between man and his best friend. There is one animal that is familiar to all of us, whoever we are, wherever we live. Even if we've never had direct contact with one, we will have seen one, or at the very least, heard one. For those of us who live in the western world it is more than likely that one sleeps in our house, possibly even on our bed. I'm talking of course, of the dog. Yet, this animal, which lives alongside five hundred million of us all over the world - as an invaluable partner and a trusted confidant - presents us with one great unsolved mystery: how did this relationship - the most complex and enduring of any between human and animal - start in the first place? Kate Humble is a life-long animal lover. Now living on an idyllic farm in Wales, she has achieved her dream of surrounding herself with as many varieties as possible. But, as with many Brits, the dog has always held a special place in her heart. Here, she uses her journey with her sheepdog puppy Teg to frame her examination of this very special relationship. Written with warmth and love, and packed full of stories about rescue dogs, guide dogs, service dogs and medical dogs, this is a must-read for anyone with a four-legged friend.

The Extraordinary Partnership Between Humans and Dogs

Friend For Life

'You'd have to have a heart of stone not to be touched by Kate's enthusiasm for her new way of life' - Daily Mail In 2007, after 20 years of living in London, Kate Humble and her husband Ludo decided it was time to leave city life behind them. Three years later, now the owner of a Welsh smallholding, Kate hears that a nearby farm is to be broken up and sold off. Another farm lost; another opportunity for a young farmless farmer gone. Desperate to stop the sale, Kate contacts the council with an alternative plan - to keep the farm working and to run a rural skills and animal husbandry school alongside it. Against all odds, she succeeds. Here, in Humble by Nature, Kate shares with us a highly personal account of her journey from London town house to Welsh farm. Along the way we meet Bertie and Lawrence the donkeys, Myfanwy and Blackberry the pigs and goats Biscuit and Honey, not forgetting a dog called Badger and his unladylike sidekick Bella. And we are introduced to the tenant farmers Tim and Sarah, the locals who helped and some who didn't, and a whole host of newborn lambs. Full of the warmth and passion for the natural world that makes Kate such a sought after presenter, Humble By Nature is the story of two people prepared to follow their hearts and save a small part of Britain's farming heritage, whatever the consequences.

Kate Humble

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