Scottish Country
This page deals largely, and quite naturally, with English country life. For the last three or four weeks the B.B.C., whose broadcasts from English villages are too often of the pub-and-yokel kind, has been distinguishing itself by some splendid relays from remoter parts of Scotland. The broad- casts of life in Mull, Ardgour and Fort Augustus were all first-rate. I was struck by several things : the steady rate of de-population In almost every district (from Ardgour came figures of two marriages, on the average, solemnised each year); the warm praise for the Forestry Commission, thanks to whom that de-population was in some part being checked ; and the intense pride of almost every speaker in his native country- side. Almost all of this was in direct contrast to English country life. And one other thing was still more iri contrast. In thousands of English villages and English country towns you can hear the English language mauled and mouthed until it loses every inflexion of dignity or beauty. From these remote places in the West of Scotland it was possible to hear English spoken by lorry-drivers, fishermen, crofters, lighthouse men, post-mistresses and in fact by everybody, with a perfection that was an absolute delight.
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