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As the football hardman returns to his country roots, he listens to birdsong and shows both palpable grief and an obsession with hedgehogs. How endearing Vinnie Jones has spent his adult life being defined by two images. The first is a photograph taken on the pitch during his days as a professional footballer where, scowling with unconcealed menace, he reaches behind him and grabs Paul Gascoigne’s testicles as hard as he can. The second is a promotional photo for Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels where, scowling with unconcealed menace, he holds a pair of shotguns behind his head like a crucifix.Maybe now it’s time to add a third. A few moments into his new series Vinnie Jones: In the Country, we’re presented with the startling image of Jones standing in the middle of a bluebell-flanked copse, identifying birdsong. “It’s wonderful,” he whispers in an awestruck hush. Continue reading...