Lifestyle
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Ford Ranger PHEV: The eco-pickup for campers, builders and post-apocalyptic survivalists
The Ranger PHEV might deviate from first principles, but it remains convincingly fit for purpose — and therefore highly desirable
By Jason Barlow Published
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From Queen bees to Queen Camilla, how one woman built a multi-million pound beauty empire out of bee venom
Deborah Mitchell's skincare range has generated quite a buzz among celebrities including HRH and Victoria Beckham.
By Jane Wheatley Published
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From James Bond to Centre Court, how terry towelling took the world by comfort
Terry towelling — whether it be clothing babies, adorning a poolside Bond or mopping tennis players’ brows — altered domestic life forever.
By Matthew Dennison Published
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Sophia Money-Coutts: If I’m sending a thank you card to a friend, do I really have to address it to ‘Mrs W Butler’ as if it’s 1928?
Sophia Money-Coutts is the new Debrett's and she's here every Wednesday to set some modern etiquette wrongs, right.
By Sophia Money-Coutts Published
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What everyone is talking about this week: This season's fashion is in an (Ivy) league of its own — just don't call it preppy
Week in, week out, Will Hosie rounds up the hottest topics on everyone's lips, in London and beyond.
By Will Hosie Published
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'She dismissed the twin bed as the invention of the Devil': A brief history of country-house sleeping etiquette
Forget the standard double: country-house sleeping layouts have undergone all sorts of intriguing (and eyebrow-raising) shifts throughout history, observes Melanie Cable-Alexander.
By Melanie Cable-Alexander Published
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Sophia Money-Coutts: Is it ok to ask for money towards a honeymoon fund, instead of a traditional wedding present?
If most wedding presents are converted into cash or vouchers anyway, maybe a monetary present is, at least, more upfront — albeit a tad tacky.
By Sophia Money-Coutts Published
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The cure for endless scrolling is a weekend away in this solitary 16th century castle on a Scottish beach
Saddell Castle in Kintyre has no mobile phone signal in places and, as such, is a brilliant place for a digital detox after its recent renovations.
By Lotte Brundle Published
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Mini Countryman John Cooper Works: Party at the front, business at the back
While a big Mini might be something of a contradiction, the Countryman is every bit as cheeky as its smaller cousin.
By James Fisher Published
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‘Everyone had dodgy magazines hidden under their beds and I had interior design magazines’: James Thurstan Waterworth's consuming passions
Interior designer James Thurstan Waterworth was the European design director at Soho House before he went on to open his own studio, Thurstan. He discusses his love of Tudor history, Andrew Scott and how a portrait of a chicken changed his life.
By Lotte Brundle Published
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Sophia Money-Coutts: Is there even any point in setting an out of office, these days?
Setting an out of office email only to reply anyway is a vicious cycle, writes our columnist.
By Sophia Money-Coutts Published
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The teeny tiny car that you absolutely don’t need, but will absolutely want this summer — and it has an inbuilt shower
The Fiat Topolino has been reimagined by French swimwear brand Vilebrequin just in time for the summer holidays.
By Rosie Paterson Published
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‘It only remains for our descendants to curse our impotence and laissez-faire’: Only four photographs of a storied London townhouse survive inside the Country Life archive — and it was brutally demolished not once, but twice
No. 32, Soho Square was demolished not once, but twice, despite warnings of doing so in Country Life.
By Melanie Bryan Published
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You can’t always rely on the Great British summer — but you can rely on its watches
British watchmakers have excelled themselves in recent months — releasing bright and beautiful timepieces that you'll want on your wrist through summer, and beyond.
By Chris Hall Published
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No strings attached: A brief history of swimwear, from heavy skirts of linen linked to women's drownings, to the skimpy two-piece named after a nuclear weapons site
From knee-length numbers to a scandalous suit denounced by the Pope, the colourful history of swimwear has been brought to life by a glamorous London exhibition.
By Deborah Nicholls-Lee Last updated
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Downtown Abbey is about to finish forever, and you're about to get a chance to see — and to buy — the costumes from the show
Downton Abbey's exquisite costumes and props are going on show at a free exhibition ahead of a sale being held by Bonhams later this summer.
By Lotte Brundle Published
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Brideshead Revisited (again): The 10 scene-stealing British country homes from film and television
What do an enigmatic Caped Crusader, a sopping-wet Mr Darcy and Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell have in common? Believe it or not, British country houses.
By Ben Lerwill Published
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Tuning in with the past: Monk music will ring out for the first time since the Dissolution after medieval manuscript is rediscovered
Buckland Abbey once thronged with monks who sang for hours every day. Now, some of their newly rediscovered medieval music will ring out once more.
By Annunciata Elwes Published
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Water you're waiting for? Britain's best heritage lidos were built to save swimmers from polluted seas full of potato peelings, oil and coal — and they're still in action today
The seaside lido continues to offer safe swimming for holidaymakers irrespective of the tide, but they're also architectural gems worthy of our admiration.
By Kathryn Ferry Published
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‘What a shame when a dinosaur disappears into the mansion of an oligarch rather than being displayed for all to enjoy’: The ethics of the dinosaur auction
Fancy a stegosaurus in your living room? You can buy one at auction. But the latest luxury good is a paleontologist's worst nightmare.
By Lotte Brundle Published
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‘There is probably no sport in the world which is so misunderstood’: 75 years of Formula 1 according to the Country Life archive
On the 75th anniversary of the first ever Formula 1 World Championship Grand Prix, held at Silverstone Circuit, Rosie Paterson delves into the Country Life archives to look at how the magazine once spoke about motorsport.
By Rosie Paterson Last updated


