Comment & Opinion
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Joe Gibbs: The sisters in tweed who ran the iconic Campbell’s of Beauly
Joe Gibbs pays tribute to the late Miriam and Catriona, the formidable sisters who made Campbell's of Beauly famous.
By Joe Gibbs Published
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Carla Carlisle: Love doesn't mean never saying sorry — it means saying you’re sorry with some frequency
Carla takes aim at the shamelessness of those who lead the country into disaster and stroll off without a word of apology.
By Carla Carlisle Published
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What sort of man is King Charles III, and what sort of king will he be?
A brilliant conversationalist, a cracking host and, surprisingly, an excellent actor, Charles III genuinely cares for people and strives to make a difference to their lives. Anna Tyzack speaks to some of those who have crossed his path.
By Anna Tyzack Published
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Jason Goodwin: I bought a 4lb cheese wrapped in goat skin that looked like a Moomin and brought it 2,500 miles back home. What could go wrong?
Our intrepid columnist goes the extra mile to bring a cave-aged Turkish delicacy back to England — only to run in to a group of guests who give him the distinct impression that they'd rather he hadn't bothered.
By Jason Goodwin Published
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The sad decline of Cambridge Castle: 'How could this happen in one of our great university cities?'
Country Life's cultural columnist Athena bemoans the lack of care shown for what remains of one of the first Norman castles in England.
By Country Life Published
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Jason Goodwin: 'It is up to each of us to keep our heads, do what is right and avoid evil'
A timely pilgrimage to Westminster Abbey sees Jason muse on the notions of sovereignty that haven't changed since the days of Solomon.
By Jason Goodwin Published
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'I've seen a lot of change — but not as much as my grandmother. She lived through horsepower to seeing a man on the moon.'
Lucy Baring reports back from her mother's 90th birthday party, but not before negotiating a phone shop with no phone signal.
By Lucy Baring Published
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Curious Questions: Is there any such thing as coincidence?
Just when you were musing about the nature of coincidences, along comes Martin Fone to explain exactly what they are — and what they aren't.
By Martin Fone Published
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Carla Carlisle: The day I rescued The Queen
Carla Carlisle's friends and family back in America are convinced she's on personal terms with Her Majesty. She isn't — but there was that one time....
By Carla Carlisle Published
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Curious Questions: Can ancient technology of wind, water and hot springs help make a sustainable future?
The UK is switching on to a future of home-grown, greener power — and yet this future is drawing on the past. Jonathan Lee revisits the renewable revolution that started right here.
By Country Life Published
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Curious Questions: Why do the British love to queue?
After a summer of stoic queuing in planes, trains and automobiles, Country Life has identified five reasons why patient queueing is the British tradition that we secretly love to love.
By Country Life Published
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16 things which make Scotland the beautiful place we know and love
From highland cattle to Annie Lennox, we celebrate the very best that Scotland has to offer.
By Country Life Published
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Lucy Baring on the joy of a lost passport: 'I'll stay at home, enjoy the sweet peas in full throttle, read a thriller, drink cold wine and watch films that nobody else likes'
Lucy Baring loses her passport and finds a very different kind of holiday.
By Lucy Baring Published
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Curious Questions: When and why did we start bathing in the sea?
Despite the British love of seafaring, voluntarily taking a dip in the sea was almost unheard of until relatively recently. Martin Fone takes a look at how a bit of canny marketing helped change that.
By Martin Fone Published
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Jonathan Self: 'To be in a foreign country is thrilling. Everything is new. One is constantly on one’s mettle. It is like being a child again'
Jonathan Self's scuppered plans force him to reflect on how the joy of travel mixes with the delicious ambivalence of wanting to go home.
By Jonathan Self Published
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Is it ever okay to put ice in your wine? How can you fix a broken friendship? And which cutlery do you use for fish? — Country Life's agony aunt Mrs Hudson tells all
Each week, Country Life's agony aunt Mrs Hudson answers readers' queries on everything from house parties and cutlery conundrums to wild pets and affairs of the heart.
By Mrs Hudson Published
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Carla Carlisle: 'Nixon had a conscience. He experienced shame. I doubt if Trump does'
Carla Carlisle was a fledgling journalist when a piece of Watergate history came her way. Half a century later, she considers the parallels between Richard Nixon and Donald Trump.
By Carla Carlisle Published
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Jonathan Self: 'In Ireland, summer smells sweet, effervescent and damp. In Tuscany, one almost has to push one’s way through it'
Jonathan Self's recent move to Italy has brought a fresh challenge. Or rather, a hot and heavy one.
By Jonathan Self Published
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'Russia must be isolated. Utterly walled off,' said the Russian. 'When Putin falls, the new regime will be the same as the old'
Jason Goodwin heads east and meets an exiled Russian with an eye-opening perspective.
By Jason Goodwin Published
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Curious Questions: When did the first passenger jet take off?
'Nowadays we travel to all parts of the globe, often within a day and often without changing planes,' says Martin Fone, as he muses on the birth of commercial air travel exactly 70 years ago.
By Martin Fone Published
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'The monarchy is not a cold, rational, legal structure, but a living, vibrant, human creation with human weaknesses and human strengths'
The Queen's Platinum Jubilee has been and gone, but it's left an indelible memory and reminded Britain that it still has some things to be proud of, says our columnist Agromenes.
By Country Life Published