Ongoing challenges: For a resurgent rural in post-Brexit, post-Covid times

The collection’s chapters have certainly noted and made clear how the rural UK is being impacted significantly by the twin challenges of Brexit and Covid-19. Trying to collate some perspective on both is thus the subject of this chapter. One key term underpins, underlines, even undermines much of what can and will be said: ‘uncertainty’. The future is never pre-written, even seemingly permanent statues fall, and the unfolding consequences of both Brexit and Covid-19 both emphasise this strongly for the rural UK.The chapter engages with some of the emerging consequences Brexit has for the rural UK, inspired explicitly by both insights from the present book’s chapters and other studies and evidence. It overlays this ultimately still uncertain but seemingly bleak picture with a tentative initial summary of some of the social impacts on rural areas of Covid-19. This latter tale seemingly starts more brightly than that for Brexit but soon becomes overcast again. Nonetheless, the chapter’s concluding section seeks out the positive, it is a call for the UK rural to be actively and defiantly alive today, not a withdrawn and resentful reactionary space

Sedentary no longer seems apposite. Internal migration in an era of mobilities

In a world appearing to be getting progressively more mobile - which has been the case for some considerable time - 'mobility' almost becomes more social obligation than just lifestyle option. Yet, this societal development has huge ramifications, not least with equally emergent widespread reactions against migration. People, it seems, have been left feeling no longer at home in (local) community, a feeling not limited to international migration but with parallels in antipathy towards city migration to suburbs and rural areas, for example. To achieve a better understanding of such internal migration today, this chapter argues that it is vital to place it within the concept of an ‘era of mobilities’. To this end, this assessment of the messages coming through in previous chapters of this volume begins by introducing this era and its relationship to migration and by reflecting critically on how scholarship has traditionally, often implicitly, presented and understood migration. It then focuses in on the present status of internal migration and its links with mobilities more generally

Still surprises in store. Revisiting the ordinary in rural geography

Since at least the early 1990s, one of the most exciting and productive areas of work within rural geography, notably in Britain but also elsewhere, has been in «neglected rural geographies». Such work, influenced prominently by postmodernism and the «cultural turn», seeks to build up a fuller picture of the diversity and variety of lives and experiences found in rural areas today. The present paper, whilst being highly sympathetic to this work, argues that it must not lead to the neglect of the more «ordinary» in the countryside today, or what Chris Philo (1992) famously caricatured as «Mr Average». Although the lives and experiences of Mr Average may initially appear mundane, in the spirit of Henri Lefebvre's critical engagement with the everyday, we can often find within this ordinariness more engaging, even extraordinary truths. The paper develops this argument for the study of «ordinary rural geographies» by examining the ordinary, extraordinary, and extraordinary ordinary within counterurbanisation. However, as reiterated in the conclusion, it advocates the search for the extraordinary within the ordinary across the breadth of rural geography.Des de, com a mínim, a principis de la dècada de 1990, una de les àrees de recerca més interessants i productives de la geografia rural, especialment a la Gran Bretanya però també en altres llocs, ha estat la constituïda per les «geografies rurals oblidades». Aquesta recerca, influïda especialment pel postmodernisme i el «gir cultural», procura apropar-se a la diversitat i a la varietat de vides i experiències que avui en dia trobem a les àrees rurals. El present article, proper a aquests tipus de treballs, defensa que no cal menystenir el que és ordinari de la vida rural o, el que és el mateix, allò que Chris Philo (1992) ha anomenat irònicament «Mr Average». Encara que les vides i les experiències de Mr Average poden semblar mundanes a primer cop d'ull, segons l'esperit del compromís crític d'Henri Lefebvre amb allò que és quotidià, podem trobar sovint, dins d'aquesta ordinarietat, compromisos i veritats fins i tot extraordinaris. L'article desenvolupa aquest argument a favor de l'estudi de la geografies rurals ordinàries examinant allò que és ordinari, allò que és extraordinari i allò que és extraordinàriament ordinari dins el context de la contraurbanització. Tanmateix, i tal com l'autor reitera a les conclusions, es defensa la recerca de l'extraordinari dins del que és ordinari a través de les possibilitats que ofereix la geografia rural.Desde, por lo menos, a principios de la década de 1990, una de las áreas de investigación más interesantes y productivas de la geografía rural, especialmente en Gran Bretaña pero también en otros lugares, ha sido la constituida por las «geografías rurales olvidadas». Este ámbito de investigación, influido principalmente por el postmodernismo y el «giro cultural», intenta aproximarse a la diversidad y a la variedad de vidas y experiencias que hoy en día encontramos en las áreas rurales. El presente artículo, próximo a este tipo de trabajos, defiende que no podemos menospreciar aquello que es ordinario de la vida rural o, lo que es lo mismo, aquello que Chris Philo (1992) ha apellidado irónicamente «Mr Average». Aunque las vidas y las experiencias de Mr Average pueden parecer al principio mundanas, según el espíritu del compromiso crítico de Henri Lefebvre con aquello que es ordinario, podemos encontrar a menudo, dentro de esta ordinariedad, compromisos y verdades incluso extraordinarias. El artículo desarrolla este argumento a favor del estudio de las «geografías rurales ordinarias» examinando tanto lo que es ordinario como lo que es extraordinario y extraordinariamente ordinario en el contexto de la contraurbanización. Sin embargo, y tal como el autor reitera en las conclusiones, se aboga por la búsqueda de lo extraordinario en lo que es ordinario a través de las posibilidades que ofrece la geografía rural.Depuis au moins le début des années 1990, une des aires la plus intéressants et productives du travail dans la géographie rurale, notablement en Grande-Bretagne mais aussi ailleurs, a été dans des «géographies ruraux négligés». Ce travail, influencé de façon proéminente par le postmodernisme et le «tour culturel», cherche à construire en haut d'une image plus pleine de la diversité et variété de vies et expériences trouvées dans des régions rurales aujourd'hui. L'article, pendant qu'étant extrêmement prochain à ce travail, affirme que cela ne doit pas conduire à la négligence du plus «ordinaire» dans la campagne aujourd'hui, ou ce que Chris Philo (1992) caricaturait comme «Mr Average». Bien que les vies et les expériences de Mr Average puissent initialement paraître banales, dans l'esprit de l'engagement critique d'Henri Lefebvre avec le quotidien, nous pouvons souvent trouver dans ce qui est ordinaire plus d'engagement et des vérités même extraordinaires. L'article développe cet argument pour l'étude de «géographies ruraux ordinaires» en examinant l'ordinaire, l'extraordinaire, et l'extraordinaire ordinaire dans le contexte de la contre-urbanisation. Pourtant, et comme l'auteur réitère à la conclusion, on défense la recherche de l'extraordinaire dans ceux qui est ordinaire à travers des possibilités qui offre la géographie rurale

Ultrasonography in the diagnosis and management of cats with ureteral obstruction

This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of cats with azotaemia (serum creatinine >180 μmol/l) that had ultrasonography of the urinary tract, ultrasound images available for review and received treatment for azotaemia. Cats with pre-renal azotaemia or urethral obstruction were excluded. Associations between clinical and ultrasonographic results and the dependent variables ‘tentative diagnosis of ureteral obstruction’, ‘pyelography positive for ureteral obstruction’ and ‘death in hospital’ were tested using binary logistic regression

Towards a revanchist British rural in post‐COVID times? A challenge to those seeking a good countryside

The last decade has seen at least three still ongoing shocks impact strongly on rural Britain: Brexit, COVID-19 and the Russia–Ukraine war. This paper introduces all three of these after setting the scene prior to the 2016 Brexit vote by first summarising the seeming shift across rural Britain from productivism to post-productivism in the years after 1945. Each of the three sources of rural disruption are then described, but also argued to be building what is termed a ‘revanchist rural’. This development seeks to challenge many of the post-productivist attempts to diversify the countryside by restating a narrower conservative ‘traditional’ rural geography. It is also a rural vision largely in opposition to Mark Shucksmith's utopian Good Countryside, introduced in the final section. However, a revanchist rural is not the only option for the British countryside in 2023 and the paper goes on to note a broader revival of debate and interest in the rural in recent years. This has let loose a variety of currents, briefly noted, more in tune with the Good Countryside, such that the future for rural Britain in 2023, it is concluded, is very much still there for the making

Sustainability–differently

It is increasingly appreciated how all societies contain many \u27wicked problems\u27 or socio-cultural challenges that are multidimensional, hard to pindown and consequently extremely challenging to solve. Obtaining functional and inclusive societal organisation is not a simple matter of \u27doing it\u27 by subscribing to winning formulae as there are, for example, many choices to be made in the process. Moreover, given that conceptual frameworks always guide thoughts, judgments and actions, how we relate to \u27sustainability\u27 specifically becomes relevant if we aim to achieve a more liveable society. This journal issue expressly engages with the consequent need to recognise this complexity. It assembles a set of \u27brave\u27 takes on far-advanced problems bedevilling conventionally conceptualised paths towards sustainability. Arguing against oversimplification that comes from domination of polarising concepts and unquestioned practices and rhetorics, the aim is to foster explorations into new territories from which we may learn. Ultimately, the desire to deconstruct pernicious divisions and create new hybrid syntheses can progress sustainability

'Madchester Rave on': Placing the Fragments of Popular Music

Geographers have neglected popular music, in spite of its key role in cultural identity. Using the example of Manchester, we outline geography's role in forging a certain distinctiveness to the city's 'independent 'music. It is suggested that such musical fragments, which complement and contrast with the global aspirations of mainstream popular music, feed into the formation of postmodern 'neo-tribes'

Public Perceptions of Faecal Sludge Biochar and Biosolids Use in Agriculture

Full-scale pyrolysis of faecal sludge is a credible technology for the safe removal of pathogens and the concurrent creation of biochar, which has been shown to enhance crop productivity. Faecal sludge biochar has the potential to improve acidic, low nutrient soils and crop yield in developing nations more at risk of climate change and food insecurity. Little research has been conducted into public acceptance of faecal sludge biochar as a soil enhancer in agriculture. In this study of the public in Swansea, Wales, an online survey examines their awareness of, and comfort levels of eating food grown using biosolids, wood biochar and faecal sludge biochar. Our findings show that males were almost twice as likely than females to have a positive perception of biosolids (OR 1.91, p value 0.004) and faecal sludge biochar (OR 2.02, p value 0.03). Those in the oldest age group (65+) were almost five times more likely to have a positive view of faecal sludge biochar than the youngest age group (OR 4.88, p value 0.001). Deployment of faecal sludge biochar must overcome a “disgust effect” related to its human faecal origins. This factor must be centrally taken into account when implementing management and policy decisions regarding the land application of biosolids and faecal sludge biochar

'Madchester Rave on': Placing the Fragments of Popular Music

Geographers have neglected popular music, in spite of its key role in cultural identity. Using the example of Manchester, we outline geography's role in forging a certain distinctiveness to the city's 'independent 'music. It is suggested that such musical fragments, which complement and contrast with the global aspirations of mainstream popular music, feed into the formation of postmodern 'neo-tribes'