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'We're not looking to make two dodos. We're looking to make thousands': Bringing the world's most famous bird back to life
Emma Hughes separates fact from fiction in the tale of the dodo.
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The Seaside Boarding House review: The cosy gourmet getaway on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast with a proper sense of place
Supremely comfortable rooms, sparklingly fresh seafood and scones for breakfast — what’s not to love?
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AI is now reaching into every corner of our lives — we can, and must, carefully choose how to engage with it
Emma Hughes, a key part of Country Life magazine's features team, is also a novelist. She reflects on the expanding reach of AI after finding out that her work had been 'scraped' in order to train Meta's new AI assistant, Llama 3.
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Forget Bond, the understated George Smiley is fiction's greatest spy
As a new exhibition in Oxford charts John le Carré’s legacy, Emma Hughes takes a closer look at his most enduring creation, George Smiley.
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Eccentric, awe-inspiring and a home-from-home for literary giants: Why the London Library is an institution like no other
The London Library is celebrating 180 years in St James’s Square.
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Guernsey's world-renowned dairy cows churn out the most delicious ice cream, but the best is only available to try on the island
With its glorious weather, endless beaches and world-famous dairy farms, it’s no wonder that Guernsey is an ice-cream hotspot.
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The 11 best restaurants in London for al fresco dining
There is no shortage of places to dine outside in London, from five-star hotels to canal-side picnic tables.
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Reading al fresco: The best places in London to get lost in the written word, according to the Country Life team
In London, north, east, south and west, there's a public place suitable for all performative acts of reading.
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Raffles London at The OWO hotel review: How eight years and £1.4 billion transformed the birthplace of Bond
But was it worth it? Emma Hughes checks in.
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Eat our local cheeses or lose our local cheeses, warns Neal's Yard Dairy
England has a rich tradition of fine local cheeses. Put down the cheddar, and protect some of our heritage dairy.
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The imperfect science of the perfect martini and where you can get one in London
Dirty, dry, with fries, gin or vodka. There's a lot to think about for such a simple cocktail.
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Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style: A whistle-stop history, from the Roman Baths to Hampstead Heath
Emma Hughes dives into swimming's hidden depths at the Design Museum's exhibit in London.
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How the humble potato became the most important part of Christmas lunch, and how you can make them crunchier than ever
We all aspire to cook roast potatoes with the elusive shatteringly crisp shell and cloud-like interior, salivates Emma Hughes, as she discovers the golden rules for serving up the crunchiest of spuds
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A huge bubbling, burping, living thing: The rise (and rise) of sourdough starters
‘We look after not only our recipes, but our starters themselves — the forces of nature that keep us all going’
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A game of two halves — how the sandwich went from humble fare to a country-wide lunchtime obsession
What started life as a way to eat and play cards at the same time (so the story goes) is now the lunch of choice for the working world.
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Perfect Coronation street party recipes, from Mary Berry's ultimate scones to Tom Parker Bowles' irresistible coronation chicken
Emma Hughes collects the best Platinum Jubilee street party recipes from some of Britain's best-loved chefs and food writers.
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27 things to do for free in Britain, from spectacular waterfalls to medieval libraries
'The best things in life are free,' declared by Coco Chanel — who then added that ‘the second best things are very, very expensive’. So let's stick with the best, from stargazing to birdwatching. Emma Hughes picks 27 free and almost-free ways to while away a day.
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Hangover cures from some of Britain's greatest writers
From Hemingway to Wodehouse, we reveal the hangover remedies of literary greats.
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Cocker Spaniels: The irresistible dogs with loyalty to melt the coldest of hearts
As the dog world prepares for Crufts 2020, we take a look at the breed of dog which has been crowned Best in Show more often than any other: the cocker spaniel.
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Four of the best cheeses for Christmas, as recommended by the cheesemonger celebrating its 225th birthday
As legendary cheesemonger Paxton & Whitfield celebrates its 225th birthday, its experts name four of their best-selling cheeses of all time — while Emma Hughes goes behind the scenes and discovers why this remarkable business has stood the test of time.
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5 drinks to try if you're bored of Pimm's
Swap your lukewarm party pitcher for one of these Continental aperitifs, says Emma Hughes.
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The British dishes that conquered the menus of the world
British food has often been the butt of jokes, but the reach — and popularity — of our island's food is more global than you might think.
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How to make perfect porridge
Porridge is as simple a dish as there is, yet there are dozens of ways to take it from good to great — or, as Goldilocks would have it, from a little too much of this or that to just right. Emma Hughes investigates the dish and speaks to three chefs to get their tips for perfect porridge.
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Crossbreed dogs: 15 of the best non-pedigree chums, from schnoodle to whoodle
The crossbreed is no longer considered an accident and dog owners are going crazy for these new versions. Emma Hughes sorts the schnoodle from the whoodle.
