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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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Jonathan Self: The rat who came to lunch in a fetching shade of Farrow & Ball
Jonathan Self tells the story of a rather friendly rodent who seems happy to ride his luck.
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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.
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Britain's Victorian seaside towns: A tale of sun, sand, affection, neglect, decay and regeneration
Country Life's cultural commentator Athena looks at the sad plight of Britain's seaside towns, but has hopes that things may be heading in the right direction.
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Jonathan Self: After 44 years and seven attempts, I am finally starting to get the hang of this parenting business
Jonathan Self has nailed it, just as his twins leave for university.
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Jason Goodwin: They've started measuring distances in minutes. But what of loitering and lingering? What of the flowers of the wayside and the hill views?
Jason Goodwin rages against the sign-erecting quangos who are helping tourists miss the point.
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Carla Carlisle on Martin Amis: The 'passionate, graceful, fierce' writer who scared us, challenged us, and brought us understanding
Carla Carlisle pays tribute to the late Martin Amis, who died last month.
