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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Oh, my gourd, it’s Hallowe’en: How best to decorate your home with pumpkins, squashes and moreAs the feast of All Hallow’s Eve approaches, Debora Robertson advises how best to decorate your home with autumn's edible bounty.
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A Cotswolds property that's the strangest mix of old and new we've ever seen... and yet somehow, it all worksThe Gasworks is a house quite unlike anything you've seen before — or at least anything you've seen all in one place. Toby Keel takes a closer look.
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‘The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago; the second best time is now'Now is the time to firstly, hug a tree, and secondly, plant some more — in increasingly imaginative ways.
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Nôtre-Dame: An over-crowded Parisian triumphAthena visits the re-built French wonder, and is more than impressed by the restoration work that has been completed so far.
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Agromenes: Evolution, not revolution, is what we need for a green and sustainable futureThe short-term pain of a green transition will be worth it in the long run. What we need is some bold vision to get there.
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The proposed National Gallery extension is a ray of light in a stormy sectorThe announcement of a new wing for one of the nation's top art galleries 'is a transformative initiative undertaken through private philanthropy to clear and universal benefit. What is there not to celebrate?'
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Don't blame it on the sunshine, don't blame it on the moonlight, don't blame it on the good times, blame it on the batsBats and newts are an easy target, but can they actually be blamed for not building enough houses?
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Agromenes: Why is our tax money not being spent on British food?A Freedom of Information request reveals that many of our local councils and government departments aren't buying British-grown food. It's an insult to our farmers.
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Affordable, sustainable, rural: How a group of volunteers embarrassed the government and built some of the best new homes in the countryHazelmead has won almost every RIBA award going. The development on the outskirts of Bridport might be a springboard for a rural housing revolution, much like the Arts-and-Crafts movement more than a century ago.
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William Hanson: Why etiquette must evolve to suit modern lifeNoodle slurping and the left-handed taboo. The king of modern manners details the evolution of proper conduct in his latest book.
