This interview is part of a series on David Beckham's countryside champions, as featured in the October 22, 2025 edition of Country Life. Read part 1 with stockman Trevor Kirk , part 2 with milliner Barnaby Horn and part 3 with gardener Poppy Okotcha ..

'As a child, I loved to escape the confines of Walsall, where I lived with my family. The Girl Guides, which I joined at five, helped to feed my passion for the great outdoors, as did my parents, who would take me walking, camping and to a raft of National Trust properties.

'At the age of 18, I headed to the University of Reading to study zoology and, in my spare time, I became involved with a number of organisations with countryside links. The countryside brings me happiness and peace, but I’ve long been concerned by th

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