Tag Archives: England

Arts & Literature, Culture, Homes, Magazines, Previews, Reviews

Previews: Country Life Magazine – Nov 8, 2023

November 7, 2023 boomersdaily Leave a comment

Country Life Magazine – November 8, 2023: The latest issue features The King’s milestone celebration, Amie Elizabeth White reveals 75 fascinating things you may not know about Charles III; Exclusive access to St James’s Palace in London; the British passion for country-house portraits; the astonishing hidden gardens of bohemian Tangier in Morocco and more….

We can be rural heroes

Julie Harding meets a model, a comedian, a farmer, a hedge-layer and a former retail boss, all united in their praise for The King’s Royal Countryside Fund

A nursery palace

Simon Thurley chronicles the remarkable story of the modern home of the Court, as Country Life is afforded exclusive access to St James’s Palace in London

Elegy in a country churchyard

War memorials on British soil are a poignant means of ‘bringing home’ those who fell in foreign fields, reveals Andrew Green

A right royal ruff

The regal King Charles spaniel once won favour with the nobility — and owners are still falling for this loving and loyal breed, as Katy Birchall discovers

Martha Lytton Cobbold’s favourite painting

The Historic Houses president chooses a captivating work that proved to be an inspiration for her love of art and structure

Native breeds

Sheep are an instrinsic feature of the Welsh landscape — Kate Green introduces the breeds that populate the principality

Home is where the art is

Michael Prodger investigates the British passion for country-house portraits, a craze that started back in the 16th century and shows little sign of abating

Interiors

Arabella Youens marvels at the transformation of an Edwardian sitting room, as Giles Kime revels in the luxury of a daybed

Tangerine dreams

Kirsty Fergusson explores the astonishing hidden gardens of bohemian Tangier in Morocco

It’s only natural

Turning woodland finds into art is a labour of love for Jane Bevan, discovers Natasha Goodfellow

Still standing after all these years

A 188-year-old avenue of beech trees forms a guard of honour for Fiona Reynolds in Dorset

Turbot-charged

Nothing less than perfection will do for Tom Parker Bowles as he savours the most regal of fish

A bundle of energy

Could hydrogen-powered cars be the future? Jane Wheatley motors to Wales to investigate

The good stuff

Hetty Lintell seeks a bit of fluff from some feathery confections

Dare to be square

Mary Miers meets the talented craftspeople reinventing the ancient art of mosaic making

And much more

Arts & Literature, Documentaries, History, Television, Theater, Videos

Theater: ‘Simon Schama’s Shakespeare And Us’ (2023)

Video November 5, 2023 boomersdaily Leave a comment

BBC Select (November 4, 2023) – How much is the personality of England intertwined with the visions of Shakespeare? Acclaimed historian Simon Schama tries to get beneath the skin of the playwright and understand why his stories are so relevant today.

In this insightful documentary we are shown how Shakespeare knew the importance of not just reflecting the lives of the kings and queens who peppered his plays, but ordinary people too – including thieves, clowns and prostitutes.

Watch Simon Schama’s Shakespeare and Us on BBC Select in the US: https://bit.ly/49bpdiK and Canada: https://bit.ly/45WLLAX

Arts & Literature, Culture, Homes, Magazines, Previews, Reviews

Previews: Country Life Magazine – Nov 1, 2023

October 31, 2023 boomersdaily Leave a comment

Country Life Magazine – November 1, 2023: The new issue features the rural delights of Durslade Farm to the heart of Mayfair; The secret garden in Regent’s Park in London; Norman Foster, the architect who helped shape the capital; the historic American bars that offer a taste of the US on this side of the pond, and more…

London Life

Emma Love welcomes the rural delights of Durslade Farm to the heart of Mayfair
The secret garden in Regent’s Park, seasonal suggestions and Matthew Williamson’s London
Carla Passino meets Norman Foster, the architect who helped shape the capital
Robert Crossan visits the historic American bars that offer a taste of the US on this side of the pond

Nick Trend’s favourite painting

The art historian picks a steely-eyed painting that signalled the invention of the self-portrait

At Canaan’s Edge

Carla Carlisle ponders the story of the Promised Land and hopes that common sense prevails

A local revival

The future is bright for Lytham Hall after locals stepped in to save the house at the heart of the Lancashire estate, as John Martin Robinson discovers

A nightingale sang…

Tiffany Daneff visits a garden in Kent planted for wildlife and surrounded by new woodland

Native breeds

Kate Green admires the hardy Lincoln Red, a low-input rare breed that produces quality beef

Stranger things

From horn dancing to burning barrels and cheese rolling, Harry Pearson delves into weird and wonderful British folk festivals

You’re a dark horse

The black horse is a symbol of strength and courage. Celia Brayfield gallops through the history of the fabled steed

Kitchen garden cook

Melanie Johnson savours the turnip’s sweet and nutty flavour, perfect with scallops

Travel

Jo Rodgers follows in the foot-steps of the Durrells in Corfu
Welcoming, home-from-home villas
Pamela Goodman pedals off the beaten cycle path

Speak like a Georgian

Know your ‘fubbs’ from your ‘fizzle’ — Matthew Dennison investigates 18th-century slang

Arts & Literature, Books, Magazines, Previews, Reviews

Books: Literary Review Magazine – November 2023

October 30, 2023 boomersdaily Leave a comment

Literary Review – November 2023: The new issue features Sex, Satire & Revolution; The Race to the Future: The Adventure that Accelerated the Twentieth Century; Notes from the Atlantic Archipelago – The Britannias: An Island Quest; and more…

And It’s Go, Go, Go!

The Race to the Future: The Adventure that Accelerated the Twentieth Century

By Kassia St Clair

Cost, not a lack of courage, ensured that the entry field for the 1907 Peking to Paris car race was small. A massive two-thousand-franc deposit (equivalent to a professor’s annual salary) kept all but five of the aspiring contestants out of the race. That exclusion, as Kassia St Clair demonstrates in her captivating history of one of the most challenging endurance trials in the history of motoring, was precisely what the organisers intended.

Notes from the Atlantic Archipelago

The Britannias: An Island Quest

By Alice Albinia

In July 2023 Orkney Islands Council voted to explore alternative governmental arrangements for the archipelago. One option proposed by the council leader was for it to become a self-governing territory of Norway, the kingdom which lost control of Orkney to Scotland in 1468. The episode – in reality, a smart political stunt in a row over the Scottish government’s transport policy – attracted extraordinary international attention. In the UK press, it was treated with an uneven mixture of constitutional soul-searching and patronising amusement at the Passport to Pimlico-styleantics of the Orcadians.

Art, Arts & Literature, Exhibitions, Museums, Reviews, Tours, Videos

Exhibitions: Hans Holbein At The Court Of Henry VIII

October 30, 2023 boomersdaily Leave a comment

Royal Collection Trust (October 30, 2023) – Explore the art of the image-maker of the Tudor court in the Royal Collection. Watch the film to discover the importance of the drawings, paintings and miniatures in the Royal Collection.

Discover how Holbein rose to become Henry VIII’s court painter and find out more about the techniques he used. See a rare moment where Holbein’s preparatory drawing and finished painting were reunited. Hans Holbein was one of the most talented artists of the 16th century. 

From his arrival in England in search of work he rose to royal favor, chosen to paint the portraits of Henry VIII, his family and leading figures, among them Anne Boleyn and Sir Thomas More. By his death, Holbein’s work was as admired by his contemporaries as it is today. His portraits inspired the next generation of artists in their depictions of Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I.

Arts & Literature, Culture, Homes, Magazines, Previews, Reviews

Previews: Country Life Magazine – Oct 25, 2023

October 24, 2023 boomersdaily Leave a comment

Country Life Magazine – October25, 2023: The new issue features Native Breeds – celebrating the noble Shire horse; Taken by storm – artists from Rembrandt to J.M.W. Turner in the eye of the storm; Lighting-up time – Magical autumn colours make Leonardslee Gardens in West Sussex….

Native breeds

‘England’s past has been borne on his back’: Kate Green cele-brates the noble Shire horse, a gentle and patient servant

Taken by storm

Michael Prodger examines the artist in the eye of the storm, from a gale-tossed Rembrandt to a J. M. W. stomach-Turner

And still, as he lived, he wondered

More than a century after The Wind in the Willows was written, the exploits of Ratty, Mole and Toad continue to entertain, as Matthew Dennison discovers

In for a penny-farthing

Riding a Victorian high wheeler for 400 miles across war-torn Ukraine was a real eye-opener for adventurer Neil Laughton

Interiors

Kitchens can be so much more than mere functional spaces, as three leading interior designers reveal to Arabella Youens

Lighting-up time

Magical autumn colours make Leonardslee Gardens in West Sussex a place for all seasons, suggests Charles Quest-Riston

Jamie Hambro’s favourite painting

The Guide Dogs for the Blind chairman selects his favourite characterful animal painting

Medieval modernism

Mary Miers finds that the spirit of the Arts-and-Crafts Movement is alive and well as she visits Ballone Castle, a remarkable Scottish tower-house restoration

The whorled wide web

Simon Lester endeavours to untangle the natural wonder that is the spiderweb—gossamer thin, but stronger than steel

Scaling heart-attack hill

John Lewis-Stempel conquers the timeless Sussex Downs, before an October storm forces him to beat a hasty retreat

Luxury

Hetty Lintell explores bespoke eyewear, Penhaligon’s potions and remedies, and the life and legacy of Coco Chanel, Prof Tim Spector shares his favourite things, plus beautiful and practical navigation watches

Kitchen garden cook

Melanie Johnson welcomes pumpkins to her autumn kitchen

Arts & Literature, Culture, Homes, Magazines, Previews, Reviews

Previews: Country Life Magazine – Oct 18, 2023

October 17, 2023 boomersdaily Leave a comment

Country Life Magazine – October18, 2023: The latest issue features Norfolks – Little pockets of fun; The real Macnab – great adventures in the field; Britain’s loneliest trees; Beethoven’s Austria and Amsterdam’s canal life, and more…

I’m still standing

In memory of the Sycamore Gap tree, so callously cut down, we salute its fellow arboreal sentinels of Britain

Following in the footsteps of John Macnab

The Editor and The Judge set off across the Tulchan estate in pursuit of a stag, a brace of grouse and a salmon, in the spirit of John Buchan’s hero

Country Life International

Anna Tyzack uncovers Monaco’s unexpectedly magnificent restoration
Deborah Nicholls-Lee settles in to an Amsterdam canal house
Tom Parker Bowles gorges on Alpine cheese
Russell Higham explores the Austrian countryside that inspired Beethoven
Holly Kirkwood picks the best Caribbean properties
Mark Frary straps on his pads for a spot of cricket in the Windward Islands

Felix Francis’s favourite painting

The author picks a scene full of the thrill of the racecourse

Totally foxed

The rural people of Scotland are reeling under a prejudiced new law on hunting. Jamie Blackett despairs for the fox

The Englishness of English architecture

What makes a building English? Steven Brindle considers the answer, from soaring cathedral vaults to austere Palladian villas and rambling country piles

Native breeds

Kate Green luxuriates in the luscious locks of the Leicestershire Longwool

Come hell or high water

Few creatures face as difficult a journey as the salmon does to and from its spawning grounds. Simon Lester follows in its wake

Interiors

A dramatic kitchen and why it’s time to cuddle up in British wool

Plant theatre

Charles Quest-Ritson takes the well-worn path to the famed nursery of Larch Cottage in Cumbria

Having a field day

Behind hounds or on the marsh, casting for a salmon or stalking a stag, nothing stirs Adrian Dangar’s heart as fieldsports do

Kitchen garden cook

Melanie Johnson finds the perfect pairing for hazelnuts

Arts & Literature, Culture, Homes, Magazines, Previews, Reviews

Previews: Country Life Magazine – Oct 11, 2023

October 10, 2023 boomersdaily Leave a comment

Country Life Magazine – October11, 2023: The latest issue features the rise of the super cottage, autumn berries and how to win at conkers.

Conkering heroes

Simon Lester swings into the win-at-all-costs world of that old playground chestnut: conkers

Last call for the corncrake

This small and secretive bird is becoming ever-more rare, but there is hope, finds Vicky Liddell

Doing it by the book

Independent bookshops are thriving against the high-street odds. Catriona Gray selects a few of her favourites from the shelf

Interiors

Giles Kime picks 10 blasts from the past that are back in fashion, Eleanor Doughty marvels at Nels Crosthwaite Eyre’s light touch, Bee Osborn hails the rise of the super cottage and Amelia Thorpe visits a resurgent Pimlico Road

Nine centuries of service

In the second of two articles, John Goodall focuses on London’s St Bartholomew’s Hospital

Native breeds

The ‘picturesque’ New Forest pony is central to centuries-old grazing rights, finds Kate Green

Colour supplements

Fiery autumn tints catch the eye of Jane Powers in the secluded Cliff House Garden in Co Dublin

We reap what he sowed

Katherine Cole hails campaigner Miles Hadfield, who fought to save a host of historic gardens

Having a gourd time

Pumpkins and squashes have long been an inspiration to chefs and artists, reveals Lia Leendertz

The good stuff

Brown is the colour this season, so it’s chocs away for Hetty Lintell

Arts & Literature, Books, Magazines, Previews, Reviews

Books: Literary Review Magazine – October 2023

October 6, 2023 boomersdaily Leave a comment

Literary Review – October 2023: The new issue features How Bond Was Born; Impressions of Monet; Inequality through the Ages; Adam Smith the Socialist, and more…

Ian Fleming: The Complete Man

Becoming James Bond By Nicholas Shakespeare

Anthony Powell, two and a half years older than Ian Fleming, remembered him as ‘one of the few persons I have met to announce that he was going to make a lot of money out of writing novels, and actually contrive to do so’.

The Road to Giverny

Monet The Restless Vision /anglais: WULLSCHLAGER JACKIE: 9780241188309: Amazon.com: Books

Monet: The Restless Vision By Jackie Wullschläger

You long for sublime artists to be sublime people. Or, if they’re bad, to be magnificently so. Possessing ‘a vanity born of supreme egoism’, Claude Monet ‘believed his art conferred a right to good living’ and that ‘his welfare must be … the immediate concern of others’, writes Jackie Wullschläger, chief art critic of the Financial Times. With great honesty, Wullschläger records her subject’s wearisome scrounging letters and his propensity for petty and often pointless mendacity.

Arts & Literature, Culture, Homes, Magazines, Previews, Reviews

Previews: Country Life Magazine – October 4, 2023

October 3, 2023 boomersdaily Leave a comment

Country Life Magazine – October 4, 2023: The latest issue features the silvery spectacle of ethereal mist as it coats the countryside; Autumn’s beauty as a source of inspiration for artists from van Gogh and Monet to David Hockney, and more…