Tower and Town, October 2024 (view the full edition)Rural Rags And RichesI remember my mother holding my nose as she spoon-fed me cabbage soup. I was four, maybe five at the time and, as you might expect, not entirely convinced by the bowl of beige, mushy liquid. However, it was all we had to eat that night so I gave it my best shot. I managed a whole mouthful before promptly throwing it back up. Although it must have been a horrible experience for my parents, we still joke about it to this day, though I'm not sure any of us could tell you why it's funny. Tight finances during my childhood also meant no flashy toys or expensive holidays - combine that with three restless kids stuck at home for the summer and you get frequent bus trips led by my stepdad, out into the Cornish wilderness where we would wander the woods and fields for hours. On one particularly adventurous trip I remember him wading through thigh-deep boggy waters, muttering under his breath as he rescued the three plastic whales my brother and I had thrown into the river moments before. This isn't a memory we laugh about. If anything I look back on it with a solemn sense of fondness, as a time I saw and understood my stepdad would wade through muck to rescue something precious to me. Poverty is something we rarely associate with the British countryside, and while rural deprivation shares many characteristics with its urban counterpart (food insecurity, unstable housing, mental health pressures), it also has its own unique set of challenges to overcome. Historic lack of investment in rural infrastructure has left the more remote parts of the UK playing catchup when it comes to digital connectivity, transport links and access to jobs. Difficulty accessing training in advanced skills means many rural workers are ill equipped to take advantage of the boom in remote working. Finally, throw into the mix the heady cocktail of low wages, seasonal work and higher costs of living (especially for transport and fuel) and you are faced with a significant hill to climb if you want to create a better future for your family. After six years working abroad, burnout and chronic illnesses in the family I find myself back in my home county with my own wife and children, facing many of these same challenges my parents faced decades before me. I do, however, consider myself privileged; I don't know that I would trade these gentle woodlands, lonely moors or windswept coastlines for anything. Plus, while the hill is hard to climb, there are paths to follow. Still, I am left wondering if my children will be forced to face the same obstacles twenty years from now, if they choose to remain in the place that is quickly becoming their home. With all our technological advancements and changes in the way we work, now more than ever we have an opportunity to completely transform the prospects of our rural inhabitants; if only we will reach out and take it. Daniel McCormack |