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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The never-before-seen photographs of The House at Pooh Corner that were taken by Country Life when A. A. Milne and his son Christopher Robin called it home
Every Monday, Melanie Bryan, delves into the hidden depths of Country Life's extraordinary archive to bring you a long-forgotten story, photograph or advert.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Sophia Money-Coutts: Is it ever okay to throw your dog a birthday party?
Sir Lewis Hamilton did it, so why not throw a birthday party for your canine companion, Sophia Money-Coutts asks.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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West London's spent the last two decades as the laughing stock of the style set — here's how it got its groove back
The style set is returning to the very West London neighbourhoods it once made a habit of spurning, finds Will Hosie.
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Rogue sellers and puppy farmers are exploiting Government licensing loopholes at the expense of responsible dog breeders, says The Kennel Club
The Kennel Club launched a report in the House of Commons last week calling for an urgent review of current licensing regulations.
