JOHN CLARE FESTIVAL

That this House notes that 13 July marks the anniversary of the birth date of John Clare in 1793; congratulates the John Clare Society on itsfestival celebrating the life and work of this remarkable rural poet and chronicler of English rural life; and futher welcomes the restoration and opening of John Clare's house in Helpston, Cambridgeshire as a national centre for learning outside the classroom dedicated to ensuring a child's right to access the countryside.