6 FEBRUARY 1932, Page 15

A COUNTY SOCIETY.

The County of Hertfordshire—Lamb's "happy, homely Hertfordshire "—has just formed a "County Society" which is likely perhaps to find many imitators. County pride is very strong in England. Local patriotism is apt to concentrate on other units in Ireland, Scotland and Wales, but English people iike their shire, their county, and not less to-day when "The County," in its rather offensive social sense, has gone a little 'out of fashion. The more immediate cause, and indeed OCCEISiOft, of this new Hertfordshire Society is the threat to the county with which urban and rural ideals are very closely con- fronted. The Community Council and the local branch of the Connell -for-the Preservation of Rural England join hands for both defensive and instructive purposes. But it is more : every local patriot wants somewhere to dump his complaints and ask:for aid, especially in the form of advice. Such a Society should be of great main the Regional Planners, whose charter is to be debated at the opening of the coming-session of ,Parliament. The passing of the Bill will give opportunities for preservation' and conservation 'such as were not dreamed of :even five yeses ago.