The British countryside has never had it so good

The editor at large of Country Life celebrates the rebirth of British rural culture over the last 40 years, and selects some of his favourite views

Life gets better and better. However damp and dismal the weather may be this Easter, don't let it colour your impression of the countryside. I know that for many people - particularly dairy farmers - life can seem a continual struggle, and the hedgehog is in decline. But let's lift our eyes. There's metaphorical sunshine too.

That lovely, colourful bird, the goldfinch, is far more numerous than a century ago. Within living memory, the marsh harrier was nearly extinct, but the other day I saw several pairs displaying and hunting over Hickling Broad. These are not straws in the wind. If I consider the world reflected by Country Life when I joined the staff in 1977 until I left it a few months ago, the story is one of dizzying improvement.