Battle of the double barrels

One of the categories in The Countryside Alliance's awards (I help judge some, but not this one) is the 'Rural Hero' award.

I hear this morning that it's shaping up to be a two-horse (no pun intended) race between Janet Street-Porter and Clarissa Dickson Wright.

The category, which is new this year, joins four others in these annual awards (Rural Enterprise, Local Food Retailer, Traditional Business and Best Village Shop/Post Office). 

The winners will be announced at a House of Lords reception next week.

"Through tv shows such as Clarissa and the Countryman, Clarissa has been a constant and fearless champion of the rural way of life, says the Countryside Alliance's Jill Grieve.

Meanwhile, Janet Street-Porter has "courageously supported British veal on the tv show The F Word and shown continued no-nonsense support of the food sector through her column in The Independent."

Also in with a shout are Hertfordshire farmer Ian Pigott who kickstarted the Open Farm Sunday initiative and Les Wake, the "popular young chairman of the Tockwith Show who has recently become Chairman of the Federation of Yorkshire Shows".

I wonder if Janet S-P will be at the presentation next week. Not that I'd dare talk to her - I've always found her faintly terryfying.