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Jason Goodwin's books of the year 2022
Our columnist Jason Goodwin shares the books that have entertained and enlightened him this year.
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'By the time I reached chapter seven I was nauseated by the sheer volume of stuff I owned'
Jonathan Self's chance encounter with a book shifts the way he sees his belongings... but how long will his urge to declutter last?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Carla Carlisle: Wallis Simpson's great gift to Britain? Swapping vain, impulsive Edward for the patience, steadiness and kindliness of George and Elizabeth
Carla Carlisle may be a free-born American, but she doffs her cap to the late Queen, the new King, and how Britain's centuries-old balancing act can trump the whims of political mood in a republic.
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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....
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The Duchess of Cornwall names her all-time favourite books
An avid reader, The Duchess of Cornwall has long promoted the importance of literacy via her patronages of the National Literacy Trust and BookAid International — among many other bodies — as well as her popular literary hub, The Reading Room. Here, she selects her three favourite books.
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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.
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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.
