-
'Although exams are important, they are a limited measure of talent and no guarantee of future success': Or, why you shouldn't take your A-Level results too seriously
Throughout history, the character, drive and tenacity of such prodigiously talented 18 year olds as Nelson, Elizabeth I and Brunel have come to define success, rather than exam results alone, contends Alice Loxton.
-
'Keep thy device clean': Country Life's Tech Commandments
We all use our phones too much. The least we can do is agree on a set of rules for modern etiquette in a digital age.
-
The Last Word: 'Portmeirion’s charm is rooted in eccentricity and this is why I love the place'
Pamela Goodman travels to north Wales in a rusty Land Rover Defender, where long walks, wild swimming and a visit to the 'eccentric' town of Portmeirion are on the cards.
-
To Oliver Walston: A visionary, a farmer and a friend
Carla Carlisle writes of her friend Oliver Walston, who was often known for 'thinking the unthinkable and saying the unsayable' in the agricultural world of East Anglia.
-
Curious Questions: Why do we still love pirate stories, 300 years on from Blackbeard?
Tales of swashbuckling pirates have entertained audiences for years, inspired by real-life British men and women, says Jack Watkins.
-
'We are in the midst of a sewage scandal and the natural world is paying the cost'
Country Life's leader article takes aim at the mess in the water industry.
-
Jason Goodwin: 'I slung my boots around my neck and squeezed the mud between my toes. Touching the earth with my feet — puddles, grass, leafmould — was curiously liberating'
Our Spectator columnist sheds his shoes and earths himself.
-
Curious Questions: Why is race walking an Olympic sport?
The history of the Olympics is full of curious events which only come to prominence once every four years. Martin Fone takes a look at one of the oddest: race walking, or pedestrianism.
-
Curious Questions: Where does the phrase 'daylight robbery' come from? It's literally about the theft of daylight
Martin Fone tells a tale of sunshine and tax — and where there is tax, there is tax avoidance... which in this case changed the face of Britain's growing cities.
-
Carla Carlisle: If Jeremy Clarkson was on the ballot, he'd win the farming vote easily
Our columnist from across the pond reflects on the turbulent state of politics, and retains hope for a more predictable future.
-
Curious Questions: Is there a way to win at rock, paper, scissors?
A completely fair game of chance, or an opportunity for those with an edge in human psychology to gain an advantage? Martin Fone looks at the enduringly simple game of rock, paper, scissors.
-
John Lewis-Stempel: 'Rewilding is a poor, pathetic box of tools for fixing the state of nature'
Turning the countryside into an eco-Disneyland ignores plenty of problems — most notably, where is our food going to come from?
-
Patrick Galbraith: We are a brilliant and terrible species who messed it up a long time ago — and that means we have to do things we don't want to
Our columnist laments the painful decisions on culling wild animals which he argues have to be taken if we're to manage the countryside and maintain biodiversity.
-
Minette Batters: The Peppering Project is a 'blueprint for delivering food and Nature security across the country in a way that rewilding on its own never will'
The ex-NFU president reflects on a recent visit to the pioneering nature-recovery project being undertaken by the Duke of Norfolk in West Sussex.
-
Curious Questions: Is being left-handed an advantage?
In days gone by, left-handed children were made to write with the ‘correct’ hand — but these days we understand that being left-handed is no barrier to greatness. In fact, there are endless examples of history's greatest musicians, artists and statesmen being left-handed. So much so that you'll start to wonder if it's actually an advantage.
-
10 ways to save the planet, according to Country Life
There are many practical ways in which we–individuals, groups and Government–can make a difference to our planet, both locally and nationally. As the General Election looms, we present 10 areas where improvement is badly needed.
-
Jonathan Self: Gossip, atheists, and the cheating husband caught on his own CCTV cameras
Heard it on the grapevine? Then you're simply making use of one of your great evolutionary advantages, says Jonathan Self.
