Launch of Wolds website

Peter Thompson has been a regular contributor to the Market Rasen Mail for many years - and most recently has turned his focus to write his occasional ‘countryman’s diary’ Wolds World.

Now, as well as continuing to write the column for the Mail, he has turned to technology to spread his love of the great outdoors even further.

Peter said: “My monthly column is based upon ‘Country Diary’ written for The Guardian by the late A Harry Griffin - my favourite writer - whose descriptive writing about the Lake District I try to emulate in the Wolds - but fail miserably!

“I do though love the Wolds landscape, with its wide skies, country churches, daffodil covered spring roadsides, and the fact that it remains relatively unknown as ‘walkers country’, beyond our local communities.”

Growing up in Brigg, where his father was a greengrocer, Peter was familiar with the neighbouring Lincolnshire Wolds.

However, it was when he took early retirement from teaching in 1994 that knowledge of this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty grew.

He said: “I was invited to go for an interview with the Grimsby Telegraph and an hour later, after meeting Peter Moore the paper’s long serving editor, I was on my way back to Caistor as their Wolds Correspondent.

“I look back on that day as the best mid-life career decision I made, in the context of changing times in education and enabling me to do what I could enjoy doing-writing.

“Over the next 20 years I got to know the Wolds well and there were some memorable events to cover, and famous people to meet - Freddie Flintoff, David Cameron, Princess Anne, Nobby Stiles, and A.P. McCoy to name but a few.

“A major disappointment came the December morning I had a phone call to meet up with Countryfile and Julia Bradbury.

“My dream job was to walk a hill with her - but when I arrived at North Kelsey, she wasn’t there. However, a young and engaging TV star called Matt Baker was.”

Peter’s new website - woldsnews.co.uk - will shine a spotlight on the stories of the Wolds and the people who live there.

His Wolds World series of articles will be catalogued on the site too.

Peter said: “The one thing I don’t want this site to be is about me, though I share my journey and my stories.

“I want it to be seen as a story about the Wolds, its landscape, its communities and its people.

“For the time being at least, the Wolds remains a hidden gem far from the madding crowd, a landscape to treasure.”

https://www.woldsnews.co.uk/