IT is not often that something becomes more beautiful when it’s dead, but dried flowers are an exception. Celebrated for their mortality, these aren’t so much blooms as skeletons, in a romantic sense. There is a new fashion for dried flowers around the home, but gone are the dusty and dowdy arrangements you might remember from old childhood drawing rooms. Fiona McLaughlin is doing it very differently indeed, as I discovered on visiting her shop, Fiona Fleur, on the aptly named Floral Street in Covent Garden, WC2. Here, she creates sculptural ensembles that are works of art.
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Seeing the best in Britain
In this anniversary issue, Simon Jenkins considers what COUNTRY LIFE does each week and why it matters so much.
The cow that went global
The shorthorn cow is coming into its own again. Jamie Blackett celebrates the 200th anniversary of the herdbook and the legacy of a dedicated farmer
In the footsteps of giants
After decades of thoughtful restoration, the gardens at Folly Farm offer a masterclass in maintaining an historic garden and simultaneously celebrating the best in contemporary planting, finds Tiffany Daneff
Strawberries taste good
A Chardin still life makes a record price in a good week for French and Italian art
Tradition and modernity
The imaginative extension of a farmhouse in the spirit of Lutyens and the Arts-and-Crafts Movement has created a delightful and humane family home, Jeremy Musson reports
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Britain's greatest masterpieces
Do you believe in cod?
Greedy and gormless, this is no sexy fish, but, on the plate, perfectly pearlescent cod is easily the equal of halibut or Dover sole, believes Tom Parker Bowles
Loyal toasts
Friends of COUNTRY LIFE tell Katy Birchall why they enjoy the magazine, from the riddle to rare breeds, fine architecture to Tottering-by-Gently
Another brick in the wall
One brick might be a humble entity, but put many in the right hands and you have a work of art. Jack Watkins examines the history of this seemingly simple building material
A front-row seat
COUNTRY LIFE has been commenting on the state of the nation for 125 years. Sometimes, the past seems wholly removed, but there are moments when it all seems startlingly familiar
FREE FOR ALL
JAZZ/FUSION GREAT JOHN McLAUGHLIN on his liberating new album, his recent run-in with the law and his spiritual connection to pretty much everything and everyone
JAZZ ODYSSEY
Freedom has been on a lot of people’s minds the past two years. Jazz-fusion pioneer John McLaughlin made it the topic of his latest solo album, Liberation Time.
THE DARK SIDE OF 'GOD'
Eric Clapton went from setting the standard for rock guitar to making ‘full-tilt’ racist rants to funding anti-vaxxers. Did this Sixties icon change? Or was he always like this?
New Balance and Olympian Sydney McLaughlin Team Up for Sleek Sneaker & Apparel Collection
New Balance has found its latest collaborator in Olympic track and field star Sydney McLaughlin.
Boy, 14, killed in ‘shocking act of violence'
A MURDER investigation has been launched into the death of a 14-year-old boy who was fatally injured at a railway station.
“I'M HERE NOW, THERE'S NO TURNING BACK”
HE’S STORMED SUPERCARS, BUT NOW SCOTT McLAUGHLIN FACES HIS TOUGHEST CHALLENGE YET: INDYCAR. CAN THE KIWI REALLY MAKE A NAME FOR HIMSELF IN THE USA?
Conquering Mt Contador
When Alberto Contador set a new Everesting world record last month, many suspected he had put it beyond reach. Then along came Ronan McLaughlin...
INDY STAR
Two-time Virgin Australia Supercars Championship winner Scott McLaughlin is set to move to North America on a full-time basis in 2021, facilitated by Team Penske and defying expectations with a switch to IndyCars.
LIKE A RED RAG TO A BULL
Triple Eight Race Engineering/Red Bull Holden Racing Team has had a stranglehold on the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship in the last dozen seasons, winning nine out of 12 teams’ championships. But since American motorsport giant Roger Penske teamed up with Ford hero Dick Johnson five years ago, the landscape has changed and set the scene for one of the most gripping Holden versus Ford team rivalries that will continue on into 2020 and set the tone for the championship.
The End Of The Road
After 24 consecutive seasons in the Australian Touring Car Championship/Virgin Australia Supercars Championship, Garry Rogers Motorsport will withdraw from the category at the end of 2019. The Victorian-based team leaves a legacy of developing a number of leading drivers, including this season’s record breaker.