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The quiet corner of Suffolk where the country pub is thriving — and why it matters
Pubs 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.
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Roger Morgan-Grenville: We need to reset our children's connection to nature — and it starts at school
Our schools can — and must — lead the way in teaching the next generation the incalculable value of the natural world.
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William Kendall: 'We need to build a lot more solar farms and some wind turbines, too'
The thought of losing of productive arable land to renewable-energy developments can be dispiriting and alarming, but informed local knowledge may be the key to their successful design.
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The profitability of agriculture underpins everything in the countryside. Confidence is at rock bottom
Weather, taxes and no subsidy. It's not a great time to be producing food in Britain. Agromenes sounds the alarm.
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The National Gallery rehang: 'It is a remarkable feat to hang more with the feeling of less', but the male gaze is still dominant
Almost everything on display at the National Gallery has been moved — and paintings never previously seen brought out — in one of the the biggest curatorial changes in the Gallery's history.
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Exploring the countryside is essential for our wellbeing, but Right to Roam is going backwards
Campaigners in England often point to Scotland as an example of how brilliantly Right to Roam works, but it's not all it's cracked up to be, says Patrick Galbraith.
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Minette Batters: 'It would be wrong to turn my back on the farming sector in its hour of need'
Minette Batters explains why she's taken a job at Defra, and bemoans the closure of the Sustainable Farming Incentive.
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Why it’s imperative that schoolchildren have access to art and design classes
The UK’s creative industries are worth £124.6 billion, but suitable classes are being stripped from the curriculum. Tristram Hunt, director of the V&A, outlines what the Museum is planning to do about it.
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The true story of St Valentine, his legend and legacy of love
Whatever the truth of the real St Valentine, the middle of February has been a favourite time for lovers since records began. We take a look at the curious history of St Valentine, and how an ancient martyr came to be remembered as a champion of romantic love.
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The dance more complex than the most elaborate mating ritual: Or, how to buy a new car
Jason Goodwin travels to East London to negotiate a good price on a Big Diesel Estate.
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Opinion: The countryside is too loud
Pollution as a result of engine noise is just as anti-social as other forms. Who knows what damage it is doing to wildlife.
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Joe Gibbs: 'There are many reasons why a chap might be found crawling across the floor of his London club of an evening. In my case, I was in search of a digital hearing aid'
Our columnist laments on not looking after his hearing properly in his youth, but also notes that being partially deaf has its uses.
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Athena: Perhaps the time has come to be more honest about the importance of beauty
When it comes to buildings of historical and architectural note, we don't love them simply because they are old, but because they are beautiful and engage our attention.
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Minette Batters: 'I naively believed we could help teach our fellow African farmers how to farm. How wrong I’ve been; we have so much to learn from them'
A rewarding trip to Kenya, planning a maiden speech in the Lords and hope for farming’s roadmap in 2025 and beyond.
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Patrick Galbraith: Lisbon, Voices of the Old Sea and some dodgy oysters
On a recent trip to Portugal, Patrick Galbraith was laid up with food poisoning. It allowed him time to reflect on tourism, tradition and the great travel writer Norman Lewis.
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Carla Carlisle: 'Writing a weekly column is like being married to a nymphomaniac'
In her last column for Country Life, our longest serving columnist reflects on what it means to write about herself and the world each week, and why she's decided to stop.
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The Country Life Christmas message by Revd Dr Colin Heber-Percy: ‘The most powerful person in the world’ is not an emperor, high priest or CEO, but a helpless baby in the arms of a loving mother
Revd Dr Colin Heber-Percy on how Christmas shows us that ‘the most powerful person in the world’ is not an emperor, or a high priest or the CEO of a tech company, but a helpless baby in the arms of a loving mother.
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'Conflict, back-stabbing, vendettas, false promises and the taking of malicious glee in others’ misfortune': Why Risk is exactly what Christmas is all about
Taking over the world might not seem the most festive of activities, but a game of Risk will see you through from First Night to the last of the leftovers.
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Jason Goodwin: 'When I was 18, I tried playing it cool. I believed next to nothing. I rolled my eyes at solemnity and ceremony. The business of shedding my cool has been years in the making'
Jason Goodwin on how seeing the world through the eyes of others makes him wonder why he spent years pretending not to be impressed.
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Athena: It shouldn't take a blazing fire for us to see the value in our places of worship
If major catastrophes have any advantages, it is that, by shocking us, they can focus attention and resources.
