There are large rural areas of central and eastern Europe that remind me of how rural England in particular, used to be in terms of farming: small holdings, hedgerows, coppices and large sections of open pasture or simply rough ground.  The result is birds and butterflies in particular in the numbers of my childhood, making it a corner of the continent that has been high on my agenda for approaching fifteen years now. From the lakes of northern Greece, through the Rhodope mountains of southern Bulgaria, to the wetlands and tributaries of the Danube and grasslands of eastern Hungary the tapestry of colourful photography has unfolded over my years of time spent photographing there, with many good friendships forged in the process too.