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‘He approached death as the next part he was going to play’: Gregory Doran on life after the death of his husbandThe former artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare company set out on a worldwide search for all of Shakespeare’s first folios after his husband died four years ago. Lotte Brundle pulls up the curtain on his consuming passions.
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'The best letters feel necessary, as though the writer couldn’t not write them': Shaun Usher opens the envelope on 13 years of Letters LiveFrom humble beginnings at a book launch, to events across the world, James Fisher investigates the enduring appeal of the letter from its greatest curator.
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‘Vandalised, disembowelled and dismembered’: Artist Jack Milroy gives books a brutal treatment with beautiful resultsThe artist, now 87, once ate tinned sardines for 100 lunches in a row for his craft. He speaks to Lotte Brundle ahead of a new London exhibition.
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'You don't want to be cast out of Car Park One, do you? A snob's guide to Royal Ascot picnicsSophia Money-Coutts goes through the dos and don'ts of Royal Ascot.
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‘I have no concept of anyone who's like me. Now, that's either because I'm such an egomaniac that I am sort of completely self obsessed, or … because I haven’t watched enough films’: Monty Don’s consuming passionsMonty Don swerves questions with the abundant charisma that made him a ‘Gardener’s World’ darling.
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A tourist tax is a nice idea, but it is not an answer to a cultural crisisSomething needs to be done, but not this.
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'Who wouldn’t want a full head of hair like Paul Anthony Kelly as JFK Jr in "Love Story"?': A snob's guide to hair transplantsSophia Money-Coutt answers all of your pressing hairy questions, such as: should you get a transplant, and, what should you say to a friend who has clearly had one?
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The world has gone Lilliputian: The 21st-century renaissance of the dolls' houseA renewed interest in opulent dolls' houses is allowing artisans to indulge their wilder miniature flights of fancy.
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A snob's guide to out of office messagesHumorous out of office messages are a step too far for our resident modern etiquette columnist.
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These are a few of Dame Prue Leith's favourite thingsThe South African-born cook talks to Hetty Lintell.
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A glass act: This centuries-old craft is alive and wellFrom Venice to Netflix, blown glass as an art form still captures the imagination.
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‘Dialogue is an extension of feeling. If I don’t remember a line, it’s because I haven’t understood why I was saying it’: Claire Foy’s consuming passionsClaire Foy has played seminal British roles as both Elizabeth II in 'The Crown', and in 'A Very British Scandal'. In her latest film, she takes on one of our country's most beloved author's, Enid Blyton. Will Hosie meets her.
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John Goodall: Every attraction has a visitor threshold and pushing beyond it is destructiveThe Natural History Museum is officially the most visited UK museum but, this week's Athena asks, how much do visitor numbers matter?
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'Without wishing to sound like a terrible show-off, I’ve been in public with the odd famous person before': A snob's guide to approaching a celebrityUnless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard whisperings of a Chappell Roan encounter gone very wrong. Our resident modern etiquette expert, Sophia Money-Coutts, has some sage advice.
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Under the arches of the Grand Palais, Hermès proves it's the master of leatherPhotographs by Christope Taniere; videos by Louis Sheridan.
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'First, all the Georgian silver goes, and then all that furniture. Then, the Canalettos go': The anatomy of a country-house saleCountry-house sales used to be the preserve of Sotheby’s and Christie’s. Now the choice is far wider, Huon Mallalieu shares his top tips on where and how to disperse a collection.
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'If the Chelsea Flower Show is the glitzy public face of British gardening, then the country’s amateur flower shows encapsulate its older, gentler side'Christopher Stocks looks at the origins of the local flower show while Steven Desmond provides his advice on how to secure victory.
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Alphonse Mucha: The Czech artist who went from penurious obscurity to foundational figure of Art Nouveau movementAlthough most celebrated for his graphic work, Mucha also embraced sculpture and the decorative arts and designed everything from cutlery to textiles, stained-glass windows and jewellery.
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What is everyone talking about this week: Why eavesdropping is backEveryone seems desperate for everyone else to hear them. Hell, London's new builds are swapping out indoor pools for podcast studios. Let's all lean in, shall we?
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'Don't change a thing': 90 years of the Spitfire's soaring successToday only about 210 Spitfires survive, with 78 of those said to be airworthy — but that hasn't marred the legacy of the 90-year-old icon.
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Borders, identity, and the truth about Cornish independence, with Richard CollettRichard Collett has spent years travelling Britain to discover what our borders say about us. He joins James Fisher on the Country Life Podcast.
