Country Life Magazine – December 27, 2023: The latest issue features ‘This Splendid Land’ – Landscapes, Landmarks, Houses and Gardens; The Art of Knot Tying; Winston Churchill’s interior-design tips; A unicorn in the garden – fantastic beasts tamed…
Long-standing Country Life contributor Charles Quest-Ritson is literally the man who wrote the book on roses — specifically The RHS encyclopedia of Roses — and back in June, he shared some tips on sharing and planting cuttings which proved enormously popular.
Prospect Magazine (January/February 2024) – The latest issue features ‘America’s Meltdown’ – Gaza, Ukraine and the Limits Of U.S. Power; Top Thinkers 2024; Bellincat – Putin’s Nemesis; Teaching Generation AI, and more…
Triumphant at the end of the Cold War, the United States pledged to lead humanity in a new world order. Two conflicts—in Gaza and in Ukraine—have exposed that it has never been weaker
The date of 7th October 2023 will go down in history as a turning point for the global role of the United States. The country’s promise both to defend and model democracy on the world stage has taken a huge hit, from which it is doubtful that it can recover. When the Ukraine War began in 2022, and the US responded with enormous military aid, the credibility of that promise had been briefly revived after the nightmare of Donald Trump’s presidency. Now it is smashed once again, joining the rubble of Gaza’s streets.
As a planet and a civilisation we are approaching tipping points—some frightening, others freeing—that will transform life as we know it. Here, we present our annual list of intellectuals—from priests and strategists to neuroscientists and historians—who will help us navigate the world in the year ahead
Country Life Magazine – December 13, 2023: The latest ‘Double Christmas’ issue features How the Bible’s nativity story has influenced artists; the beauty of the gardens of Rockcliffe in Gloucestershire; In literature at least, the fox will come out on top in almost every brush with confrontation, and more….
Away in a manger
Love, pain, power and hope are all embodied in the Nativity. Michael Prodger examines how the Bible story influenced our greatest artists
The Bishop of Winchester’s favourite painting
The Right Revd Philip Mounstephen chooses an arresting Caravaggio
On the night watch
As darkness falls, the wild things emerge from the shadows. John Lewis-Stempel embraces the night
Prodigy or eccentric?
John Goodall explores Bristol Cathedral, a building of international importance
When Christmas was cancelled
Always winter, never festive: Cromwell’s directive cast a pall, laments Ian Morton
Made with love
Cast your eyes down next time you’re in church to admire the hassock you kneel upon, urges the Revd Colin Heber-Percy
’Tis the season to be busy
There’s no rest for the farmer, the baker or the cheesemonger at this time of year. Ben Lerwill champions the people who make Christmas happen
So, this is Christmas
Queen Victoria would feel quite at home in any of our houses this season, believes John Mueller
It came upon a midnight clear
Come one, come all, says Kate Green, as the villagers gather once more at the big house
The Editor’s Christmas quiz
Pit your wits. The only prize is glory
Luxury
Christian Dior, David Gandy, dinky toys and Sir Chris Hoy’s favourite things
Cold comforts
Frost-dusted and fleece-wrapped, the beauty of the gardens of Rockcliffe in Gloucestershire enchant Tiffany Daneff
It’s a wonderful life
Carla Passino travels the world for Christmas traditions, from Swedish tomte to Japanese KFC
Christmas conundrums
Turkey or goose? Stocking or sack? Port or Sauternes? Giles Kime poses the big questions
Think outside the fox
Clever and agile, Vulpes vulpes is frequently on top in literature. Kate Green turns the pages
Back to black
The Périgord black truffle is worth the price for Tom Parker Bowles
The peel-good factor
The rich scents of citrus permeate Deborah Nicholls-Lee’s Christmas
Sugar, spice and all things nice
Carla Passino builds a gingerbread house
On top of the mirey, merey moor
John Lewis-Stempel tucks his chin into his scarf and sets off into the frozen wastes
Country Life Magazine – December 6, 2023: The latest issue features ‘George Harrison’s Garden’ – Friar Park rescued by the former Beatle; Folklore of the Rowan ‘Wizard’s’ tree; the best and worst gifts in classic literature and Travel – From the Caribbean to Concorde….
George Harrison’s garden: All things must pass
Charles Quest-Ritson visits Friar Park in Oxfordshire and marvels at the topiary garden rescued by former Beatle George Harrison
Native breeds
Kate Green meets the distinctive and much-loved Belted Galloway
Never knowingly undersold
Country Life advertisements in 1923 capture Britain’s evolution, as Melanie Bryan discovers
Neptune’s wooden angels
Harry Pearson takes to the high seas to chart the fascinating history of the figureheads that keep ships safe in stormy weather
A kind of tree magic
The rowan tree is a symbol of safety across the world — Aeneas Dennison delves into the folklore of the wizard’s tree
Native breeds
Kate Green meets the distinctive and much-loved Belted Galloway
Never knowingly undersold
Country Life advertisements in 1923 capture Britain’s evolution, as Melanie Bryan discovers
Neptune’s wooden angels
Harry Pearson takes to the high seas to chart the fascinating history of the figureheads that keep ships safe in stormy weather
And that’s an unwrap
From cursed jewels to diamond-encrusted tortoises, Felicity Day reads up on the best and worst gifts in classic literature
Travel
Lady Glenconner’s Mustique memories and much more, plus Rosie Paterson uncovers the real Barbados and Pamela Goodman goes supersonic
Melanie Vandenbrouck’s favourite painting
The gallery curator loses herself in an expressive, exuberant work
The life of a naturalist
Carla Carlisle reflects on the legacy of the Irish poet Seamus Heaney — ‘a truly good man’
Taking account of the past
Steven Brindle is full of praise for the refurbishment of Chartered Accountants’ Hall, an architectural jewel in the City of London
Not so jolly old Saint Nicholas
Ian Morton examines how Father Christmas was transformed from a sozzled figure riding a goat into the jolly fellow we know and love
Interiors
Pheasants, leopards, parrots and reindeer are all welcome at Melanie Johnson’s festive table
The good stuff
Editor Mark Hedges picks his favourite luxuries of 2023
London Life
The capital’s Christmas lights dazzle Emma Love (page 83), Gilly Hopper shares her must-see seasonal suggestions (page 86), Carla Passino views London in a new light with Sir John Soane (page 92) and Emma Hughes hails the survivors of the restaurant scene (page 98)
Travel
From the Caribbean to Concorde
A case of mistaken identity
Ian Morton looks at the merits of ground elder and ground ivy, an unloved and misnamed duo
Financial Times (November 19, 2023) – Lithium is the ‘new oil’ of the clean energy era, crucial to the production of batteries for electric vehicles. The FT investigates this booming industry – and the controversies surrounding it – on a journey from Chile to Norway and the UK.
Video timeline: 00:00 Lithium and the energy transition 01:13 Global lithium reserves 01:33 The process 03:03 The communities 04:05 Water reserves 05:29 The investors 07:40 Lithium supply and China 08:41 The policymakers 09:35 Cornish mining revival 12:16 The markets 15:28 Chile’s lithium policy 18:02 Direct lithium extraction 19:54 The indigenous perspective 22:58 Recycling batteries 25:30 The future
Country Life Magazine – November 15, 2023:The latest issue features the annual Georgian Group Architecture Awards; Horns of plenty – The Bull, monarch of the meadow has been a key mythological figure since ancient times; the sensitive restoration of Somerton Castle in Lincolnshire, a once-neglected medieval stronghold; the great thatching renaissance, and more…
Here’s to the Georgians
Imaginative restoration, from Stowe House to Stroud canal, is lauded in the annual Georgian Group Architectural Awards
No, you’re not going batty
Jane Wheatley investigates the development pitfalls of finding a pipistrelle on your property
Back to the strawing board
The art of thatching is enjoying a renaissance as architects are drawn to its eco credentials, as Sarah Langford discovers
Horns of plenty
The monarch of the meadow has been a key mythological figure since ancient times. Ian Morton takes the bull by the horns
The toast of the town
Jonathan Self finds comfort in every crunchy, buttery mouthful and asks: how do you like yours?
Buried treasures
Christopher Stocks goes under-ground to examine the centuries-long allure of glittering grottos
The great country-house revival
Director-general Ben Cowell celebrates Historic Houses and half a century of achievement
Sir David Hempleman-Adams’s favourite painting
The explorer chooses a work that demonstrates the beauty and colour of the natural world
Hebridean overtures
Jamie Blackett runs the gauntlet of the ‘Grand National’ in pursuit of ever-elusive South Uist snipe
From ruin to rebirth
Nicholas Cooper marvels at the sensitive restoration of Somerton Castle in Lincolnshire, a once-neglected medieval stronghold
Native breeds
Kate Green meets the docile and floppy-eared British Lop
The good stuff
Need a sparkling conversation starter? Hetty Lintell picks out a fistful of fabulous cocktail rings
Dressed to impress
The sartorial centre of Savile Row provided the perfect setting for our Gentleman’s Life party
Interiors
Painting a floor is a fun way to add colour and pattern to a room, finds Amelia Thorpe
A touch of glass
Victorian glasshouses are feats of engineering that deserve a new lease of life, says Lucy Denton
Big apple
Charles Quest-Ritson is wowed by the display of trained apples in the 18th-century walled garden at The Newt in Somerset
Kitchen garden cook
Melanie Johnson savours the sweet earthiness of a chestnut
Shakespeare, but not as we know it
Sir Kenneth Branagh’s Lear may be off beam, but Michael Billington is buoyed by a stirring portrayal of the Bard’s wife
DISCOVER BRITAIN MAGAZINE (OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023 – The latest issue features Eastern delights – From punting in Cambridge to crabbing in Norfolk; Bloody Mary – Where England’s first Queen was proclaimed; London pubs – Perfectly pulled pints; Holkham Hall – Behind the scenes on the vast estate, and more…
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
Prospect Magazine (December 2023)– The latest issue features Oh, the humanities! – History, literature, film studies; I still dream of peace – How Israel might emerge from the Gaza horror, and more…
The following words were written amid the storm of battle. Planes constantly circling in the sky, the bedroom turned into a shelter, the radio telling of new atrocities, the heart torn with fear as to the fate of missing persons. The days are now devoted to funerals and condolences, and the evenings to guarding our small community. I have participated in many demonstrations against the terrible folly of Benjamin Netanyahu, which found its outcome in the revenge and rage in Gaza on 7th October. Today, I try to be available for acts of support and solidarity with the victims on all sides. This beautiful land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea weeps bitterly, its two communities refusing to be comforted.
Boomers Daily 