Ethnic minority people visiting the countryside

I have friends who live in rural Co. Durham.  When their grandson went for interviews at various universities in cities like Leeds and Manchester, he was surprised to see “so many black people”.  This set me wondering.  Have I grown so used to city life that I take it for granted that we are a multicultural society that includes black and Asian people?  How come an intelligent 17- year-old was surprised?  This has me baffled.  Do people who live in the countryside ever meet people from other backgrounds?  Don’t they see people of all colours when they look at the news etc. on Television?

A while ago I remember reading an article in The Guardian, stating that ‘ethnic minorities do not visit the countryside very often’.

[That article could also have said  ‘poor whites in cities do not visit the countryside very often’.  .  About twenty five years ago, our elder daughter was doing a dance project in a deprived area of Southampton.  It was about three miles away from the sea.  She discovered that many of the children there had not actually ever seen the sea! I found this amazing and depressing.]

The picture painted of no people from ethnic minorities ever venturing into the countryside may be exaggerated. I certainly have friends from ethnic minority groups who really enjoy visiting places all over Britain.

During Jah’s second summer with us, we visited many places in the English and Scottish countryside.

As a family we feel very fortunate that we have country cousins who are farmers in Herefordshire.  D. and I visited them at the end of our honeymoon.  It was a great thrill for us both, but especially for me.  I was twenty two years old and had never been on a farm before.  We now visit them most years and have done so with all our four children and our grandchildren.

Some of these cousins have an Open Working Farm, Shortwood – www.shortwoodfarm.co.uk

“About Shortwood Farm.

Set in 150 acres of glorious Herefordshire countryside, Shortwood Farm is a rural idyll, attracting visitors from all over the country. With its wide array of activities, countless educational benefits, and a truly personal approach, Shortwood really does cater for everybody.”

Shortwood is essentially a family farm.  The family members are always thrilled when a school group from Birmingham visit.  They love sharing the country with city children.  I know that there are City Farms in London, and many children love going to them.  They also do a wonderful job.

Below see a birthday party activity at Shortwood Farm – “feeding the pigs”!

When we went to Scotland we always camped (and Yes it did rain sometimes!!!)

For the first two years of being a family of six, we all fitted into this van with an attachment tent.  Later we bought a trailer tent.

Waking up in a field and so close to nature is a lovely summer experience.

Sometimes one wonders as a parent whether we have done the “right thing”.  Inevitably one doesn’t do everything “right”, but we felt that Jah’s presence in our family was good.

I don’t remember meeting any other mixed-race families on the campsites, but Sam was relaxed about this, now that he had his “little brother – the same colour as me”.