A special shout-out must go to the brilliant Martin Fone — you can catch up on all his Curious Questions articles here — and Rosie Paterson and James Fisher for their lockdown blogs.
What did people use before toilet paper?
Credit: Toby Keel
The mania for the humble toilet roll that accompanied the coronavirus had our columnist Martin Fone musing on where it came from in the first place.
Jason Goodwin: The night I accidentally sent a friend to go dogging on a remote West Country hilltop
Credit: Getty
Oh, Jason. It could have happened to anyone.
How likely are you to be killed by a falling coconut?
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Martin Fone's Curious Questions blog was published just at the end of 2019, but kept people fascinated well into 2020.
How do you survive social isolation? A former Royal Navy submarine commander on the five things you need to do
Credit: Ryan Ramsey
For some people, the isolation of lockdown was second nature. James Fisher spoke to a Commander Ryan Ramsey, a former submarine skipper in the Royal Navy, to get his tips.
Seven astonishing books to read in 2020 which will change your understanding of the history of the world
Credit: Tim Mackintosh-Smith/Yale
Barnaby Rogerson chose these extraordinary tomes at 2019 turned to 2020.
The seven rules of cycling that no cyclist will ever tell you
Credit: Peter Cade via Getty Images
Our lockdown bloggers Rosie Paterson and James Fisher shared the truth about cycling, and wondered how it is that March was simultaneously 28 years and yet only two months ago.
How wise are owls
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The age-old image of the intelligent owl has persisted for centuries — but are they really the intellectuals of the avian world? Martin Fone investigated.
‘I’m fairly sure the elderly lady with excellent hair doesn’t usually winch her shopping up through a second floor window’
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Down and Out in Devon and London' was the working title for our blog series — and this one, lit up by ingenuity of an English village dweller, was one of the best.
Would Anne Brontë be more famous without her two sisters?
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To mark the forgotten Brontë’s 200th birthday, Charlotte Cory looked back at the life and works of this ‘runt of the literary litter’ and found she was by no means meek and mild.
10 sustainability myths busted, and six things you can do to make a real difference
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It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do a little — do what you can,’ wrote Sydney Smith some two centuries ago. That inspired Jonathan Self's list.
Curious Questions: Are cows actually super-intelligent?
Far from being ‘stupid’ or ‘silly cows’, cattle are clever and emotionally intelligent, with bags of personality, too, says John
Curious Questions: When does summer actually start?
You'd think it would be simple. It's anything but, as Martin Fone discovers.
Curious Questions: Which bird's song is loudest?
We tend to think of bird song as endearing and delicate — but there are birds out there who would put
Curious Questions: Why don't woodpeckers hurt their heads?
Woodpeckers submit their poor heads to punishment which would devastate most creatures, yet as far as we know they fly
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Who you gonna call to tell them about Country Life's Quiz of the Day, August 27, 2025Wednesday's quiz is out of this world, but also of this world.
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‘The closest that screenwriting has ever got to Shakespearean’: In an era of television slop, what should you be watching?Members of the Country Life team reveal what they’re watching — and rewatching — this autumn.
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Will Hosie: I'm bored of West End remakes — risky business should be the norm, not the anomalyIs the West End becoming a broken record?
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In our built heritage, is the truth stranger than fiction?Athena considers how our historic buildings are presented in an age of film and television.
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Will Hosie: In defence of gatekeeping and why we have to stop confusing TopJaw with proper critiqueModern audiences expect critics to keep up with the times, but it's always been their job to keep some places under wraps.
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Defanging the Gardens Trust will hurt our most precious landscapesThe Government has proposed to remove the Garden Trust's position as a statutory consultee in planning permissions for up to 1,700 historic landscapes and gardens in order to speed up building.
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Patrick Galbraith: 'The publishing company I had just begun working for went pop pretty spectacularly. Capitalism is a bucking bronco and occasionally you hit the ground'Our columnist discovers that being in your early 30s can be quite confusing.
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Art saved for the nation? Not enough, it would seemThe recent publication of a report on export control of art from the UK makes depressing reading.
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The quiet corner of Suffolk where the country pub is thriving — and why it mattersPubs are more than just a place for a drink, they are the heartbeat of rural communities. Agromenes celebrates their survival.
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Opinion: If we want to keep our architectural heritage, why do we tax those who repair it?It beggars belief that the state lists buildings in order to protect them — and then doesn’t contribute to their upkeep, says Country Life columnist Agromenes.
