In this issue

Take a bough
A single oak is home to myriad species, shelter to more and succour for others. John Lewis-Stempel looks at a day in the life of our noblest tree.

In a league of their own
From riding crocodiles to marrying stones, gold turbans to cold baths, the great British eccentric is a species apart, discovers Claire Jackson.

A monument to enthusiasm
In the second of two articles, Marcus Binney delves into the astonishing interiors of Fawley Hill in Buckinghamshire..

Eat cake

AMID the dispiriting news last week—that teachers are to go on strike, that the tragedy of Ukraine is relentless, that heating prices surge as it freezes outside and so on—came the pronouncement from the chairwoman of the Food Standards Agency that a cake lying temptingly on a shelf in an office is akin to passive smoking.

2 mins

Bonfire of the vanities

A BILL repealing all the remaining EU laws still on statute books by the end of the year has been described as ‘not democratic’, ‘inefficient, and possibly incompetent’ by critics. The Retained EU Law Bill was passed last Wednesday by 59 votes, despite efforts from MPs in both the Conservative party and Opposition to defeat it. The bill will likely face opposition in the House of Lords.

2 mins

Winds of change for King Charles

PROFITS from a wind-farm deal on the Crown Estate will be used ‘for the public good’ rather than go to the Sovereign Grant, The King has asked. It was announced last week that six new offshore-wind-energy lease agreements, worth £1 billion a year, have been agreed.

1 min

Dartmoor deal

A NEW agreement has been reached to allow wild camping to continue ‘with immediate effect,’ says the Dartmoor National Park Authority.

1 min

One-year reprieve for ENO

THE English National Opera (ENO) will receive £11.46 million from Arts Council England (ACE), it was announced last week, a few months after it was revealed that it would lose its £12.8 million annual grant from ACE unless it moved out of London.

1 min

It's time to unite

IN a nation where traditional political loyalties have become very weak, our political leaders seem increasingly out of touch when they argue about the things on which they fundamentally agree.

2 mins

A different approach to renewal

THE Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, opened its doors to the public just over 25 years ago, in October 1997. Since then, the museum’s signature building of limestone, titanium, and glass, by Frank Gehry, has become an internationally recognised symbol of the city.

2 mins

The Cruel Sea

IN 1952, Ealing Studios boss Michael Balcon acquired the film rights to The Cruel Sea, Nicholas Monsarrat's grimly realistic 1951 novel about Royal Navy convoys operating in U-boat-infested waters during the Battle of the Atlantic (1939-45).

2 mins

Water, water everywhere

After days of incessant January rain, the chicken paddock has turned into a quagmire, ghost ponds have resurfaced and a sheep has come close to drowning. But, even in a downpour, John Lewis-Stempel finds glimmers of beauty

4 mins

A monument to enthusiasm

Fawley Hill, Buckinghamshire, part II The home of Lady McAlpine and the late Sir William McAlpine In the second of two articles, Marcus Binney looks at a home filled with remarkable collections and striking interiors that reflect its creator's enthusiasms and interests

7 mins

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Country Life UK Magazine Description:

Country Life; architecture, gardens, countryside, property, the very best of British life Published by IPC Media. Country Life, the quintessential English magazine, is undoubtedly one of the biggest and instantly recognisable brands in the UK today. It has a unique core mix of contemporary country-related editorial and top end property advertising. Editorially, the magazine comments in-depth on a wide variety of subjects, such as architecture, the arts, gardens and gardening, travel, the countryside, field-sports and wildlife. With renowned columnists and superb photography Country Life delivers the very best of British life every week.