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Jason Goodwin: The Neolithic treasure I missed by 10 minutes
Jason Goodwin goes in search of treasure, but not the traditional gold and silver.
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Carla Carlisle: 'Seamus Heaney deserves a sainthood, as well as his Nobel Prize'
Carla Carlisle applauds The Letters of Seamus Heaney and shares how she couldn't wait until Christmas to devour the collection from the late Irish poet
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The stories behind the strangest phrases in English from being 'gone for a burton' to 'caught red-handed'
Learning a language is one thing, getting to grips with a pig in a poke is another altogether. Octavia Pollock explores some of our best idioms
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'Rain and cold wind might be uncomfortable, but they make you feel alive'
'There's no such thing as bad weather' isn't a questionable adage — it's a profound statement of optimism.
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Britain's great country house revival — and how it was boosted by the unintended consequence of a temporary tax measure
To celebrate the 50th birthday of Historic Houses, director-general Ben Cowell considers the unlikely importance of tax policy as a spur to its early development.
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Jason Goodwin: The century-old language learning course that teased and intrigued me beyond endurance
Learning Italian sends Jason Goodwin down a route he'd never have expected — and his life is all the richer for it.
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Carla Carlisle: 'What we are witnessing began in 1900BC with Abraham’s journey from Ur to Canaan'
Carla Carlisle shares her perspective on a war that truly feels Biblical.
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Patrick Galbraith: The best sport in life is free
Patrick Galbraith's trip to the Isle of Lewis shows him a new perspective on how to land a bird for your festive roast.
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'Owning a boat is like standing in a cold shower, ripping up tenners — but it's everything I dreamed it would be'
Joe Gibbs ignored the warnings and bought himself a boat. One year one, are the joys greater than the regrets?
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Jonathan Self: The lost art of hitch-hiking
A first encounter in decades with somebody hitching a ride prompts our columnist to look back on the days when hitch-hiking was entirely normal — and an incomparable way to get from A to Wherever.
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Jason Goodwin: A somewhat comprehensive agenda for fixing Britain, from turning off the internet to compulsory Natural Service for 18-year-olds
'I know they will thank me in the end,' says our columnist, with tongue in cheek — though who knows how firmly?
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Hadrian's Wall in an English summer: Wind, rain, and unforgettable beauty
Solitary daily pacing of Hadrian’s Wall, in the footsteps of Roman soldiers, brings back family memories for Fiona Reynolds.
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Ten reasons we love the Cotswolds
The Cotswolds, arguably England's most popular Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, has long been a favourite of ours at Country Life. Here are 10 reasons why we can't get enough of the place.
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Carla Carlisle: It's taken me years, but I finally understand my father's dying gift to me
Carla Carlisle on learning to slow down — and how little life might mean if we don't.
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Sir Keir Starmer: 'I want everyone in the countryside to know that I will roll up my sleeves and restore respect'
We invited Sir Keir Starmer, Leader of the Opposition, to set out the Labour Party's ideas for the countryside.
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Jonathan Self: The crisp sandwiches so good they were delicious even with a light coating of sand
A spell of time with a reduced sense of taste and smell proves a boon to Jonathan Self when it clears, giving him a new appreciation of some of life's joys.
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Joe Gibbs: How we found out the hard way that taking Jack Russells to a golden retriever festival is a BIG mistake
Joe Gibbs visits Retrieverfest, one of Britain's finest golden retriever festivals — and rues not taking a golden retriever.
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John Lewis-Stempel: 'Rewilding is half backwards-looking fantasy, half dystopian vision'
Those who make the case for rewilding ought to be careful — MUCH more careful — what they wish for, says award-winning nature writer John Lewis-Stempel.
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Curious Questions: Who invented the vending machine? (Clue: they've been around for 2,000 years)
Coming across a bizarre statistic prompts Martin Fone to look at the creation of the vending machine, unearthing an incredible tale.
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Patrick Galbraith: 'The man had a blood blister on his lip, a gold earring and a Jack Russell in a crate in a pushchair. "The wife’s," he said, noticing me looking at the dog'
Anyone who laments a lack of tolerance in the country ought to visit the Appleby Horse Fair, says Patrick Galbraith.
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Carla Carlisle: 'You don’t need a map to tell you that East Anglia and Russia are closer than they look'
'It was like a Tarantino movie where the bad chase the bad,' says our columnist Carla Carlisle as events in Russia consume her attention.
