Love is most definitely in the air this issue as we go the whole hog with food to delight your loved one, friendship websites where country lovers and town dwellers can find their perfect mate and quirky gifts that spell out ‘I Love You’ in ways that a box of chocolates or some frilly knickers will never do. And there’s an all round feeling of wellbeing and celebration too as we embrace a host of international festivals and events that fall in the months of February and March, including the Chinese Year of the Tiger, Mothering Sunday, Shrove Tuesday and three Saint’s Days, of which St Valentine is perhaps the most anticipated.

Looking pretty in pink on our front cover is food writer, hotelier and Country House Rescuer, Ruth Watson. This is one impressive lady with a range of business interests and a knack for spotting holes in our hospitality industry. With her forthright but always fair approach, she has righted many wrongs in the hotel trade during her time on Five’s Hotel Inspector, and is planning to write a book about her experiences. Meanwhile she’s back on our screens helping more country entrepreneurs get their businesses on track. Read our interview with Ruth on page 38.

As ever, there are over 26 pages of gorgeous recipes suitable for the AGA (always accompanied by conventional cooking instructions), advice on green homes and gardens, beautiful bedrooms to retreat to, the latest food and interiors news, a super competition to win a weekend on London’s South Bank and bags more. For those who’ve often eyed our ‘At Home With’ interiors features and thought “that could be me”, we are also offering readers the chance to have their homes (replete with AGA!) professionally photographed across five pages of the next issue. If you have a home worthy of a glossy magazine spread, get in touch. We’d love to hear from you!

Happy reading,