County Pride
All this agitation among the organisers of local government for the extinction of counties or robberies of bits of shires coincides with a notable and most welcome revival of county consciousness and pride. I must believe that this is a valuable influence in English social life. For example, in the small and inconspicuous county of Huntingdon folk-lore has perhaps been more fruitfully studied than anywhere in England, and as the county is entirely un-industrial the records are peculiarly valuable. If such head- quarters of folk-lore research as Glatton, Earith and Bluntisham were absorbed by another county the spiritual loss would be at least as great as if Hereford's famous birthplaces ceased to belong to Hereford. The latest addition to county magazines is the Bedfordshire Quarterly (Leagrave Press, Luton. 4s. 6d. a year), which has just reached its second number. Now this excellent magazine is not only preserving local history ; it is actively engaged in preserving the amenities of the county and ridding fair places of the ugly relics of war. An. article of botanical and indeed chemical interest concerns the growing of herbs, especially belladonna, henbane, foxglove and poppies in the Ampthill neighbourhood, an industry started by Allen's and May's presently to give their name to two famous firms.
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