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Mrs Light and I cannot agree about the best view in the Cotswolds.

Penny is captivated by both the climb up to Painswick Beacon and the view from it.

Not only does it encapsulate the three parts of our county, these being the high Cotswolds, the Forest of Dean and the Severn Vale, you can see across into Wales.

With its huge bend the Severn, often silver in the sunlight makes an emotive centre piece.

You know the estuary is close, but Welsh hills remind you of its source high in the North Wales hills.

Like so many Cotswold views it changes as the light does and on a showery day you can see showers sweeping in from the Bristol Channel, just as Irish pirates did when they captured a young lad and took him to Ireland as a slave.

He became St Patrick and we in Gloucestershire can claim him as our own.

Any self-respecting raider coming that way would have known the richest pickings could be found in our county.

My choice is different and some of you would not class it as a view at all.

It has two parts, when working in London I would drive back to the land we all love with anticipation and delight.

Just after leaving the Witney by-pass the view opens up.

You see Cotswold stone walls, open fields and in the distance the spine of Burford church.

The Windrush valley is the perfect welcome.

Then the car is parked in Burford and the High Street is revealed with interesting and individual shops.

The highlight however is yet to come.

Seek out Huffkins bakery and look in the window.

Greasy, glutinous lardy cakes take pride of place and there are other goodies around them.

Standing there I know I am at home.

At the moment Mrs Light and myself are somewhere between Bangkok and Hanoi and I am sure being thrilled with what we see but however impressive South East Asia is we know the Cotswolds cannot be beaten.