Country diary: Care is contagious - so I take my litter-picker to the old railway path | Josie George

Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire: This stretch of edge-land is bursting with cow parsley, brambles and buttercups that deserve to exist without our rubbishI have a new hobby. With a bin bag tied to the handle of my mobility scooter, I have taken to weaving along the old railway path that runs through the industrial estate where I live, litter-picker at the ready. The path joins pockets of protected land, marshes and pools that shelter among the urban sprawl. It is one of my favourite places.Right now, the hedgerow that grows on either side is thick with brambles beginning to flower. The cow parsley is making a last delicate display with its white firework flowers, and in the early summer heat, everything is sticky, lime and sycamore leaves slick with shine. The buttercups that grow on long stems are covered in ladybirds, and pollen from the feathery grasses tickles my nose as swifts shriek overhead. It is a glorious edge-place. Every time my family and I come here, we delight in our displaced slice of countryside, but "oh, isn't it a shame about all the litter", we'd always say. My new hobby is to do something about that. Continue reading...