Life & Style
How to live your best life, from timeless fashion, jewellery and watches, to cars, food and drink and dogs
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Country Life's luxury editor's Christmas gift ideas for leading ladies
The Country Life Christmas gift guide is back and it's bigger than ever. Here's what to buy your mother, wife, sister or girlfriend (or all four).
By Amie Elizabeth White Last updated
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‘Each one is different depending on what mood I’m in, how I'm feeling and how my energy is’ — meet the carver behind Westminster Hall's angel statues
Bespoke woodcarver William Barsley makes unique scale replicas of the angels that gaze over Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the palace of Westminster.
By Lotte Brundle Published
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If chess is 'the supreme board game', then it deserves to be played on boards like these
Chess sets and backgammon boards are a familiar sight on drawing-room tables, but one expert Highland woodworker is refashioning their forms in beautiful new ways.
By Mary Miers Published
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What is everyone talking about this week: Seasonal depression has struck many of us down, but a bigger problem lies in our misunderstanding of happiness
As winter beckons, many of us will lament the halcyon days where the sun shone all day and we weren't glued to our screens to escape. The grass is always greener...
By Will Hosie Published
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A slick looking off-roader that's a far cry from its rustic rural roots — Volvo EX30 Cross Country
The latest iteration of Volvo's Cross Country is flashy, fast and stylish. But is that what a Volvo Cross Country is supposed to be?
By Adam Hay-Nicholls Published
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The golden retriever: The world’s most likeable dog almost didn’t exist at all
They’ve been popping up everywhere this week — on the Tube, at Christmas parties and in the news — so it feels like the perfect moment to talk about the dog breed we’re lucky to have.
By Florence Allen Published
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‘I cannot bring myself to believe that Emily Brontë would be turning over in her grave at the idea of Jacob Elordi tightening breathless Barbie’s corset’: In defence of radical adaptations
A trailer for the upcoming adaptation of 'Wuthering Heights' has left half of Britain clutching their pearls. What's the fuss, questions Laura Kay, who argues in defence of radical adaptations of classic literature.
By Laura Kay Published
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In search of London’s earliest pint
Early houses — pubs open in the early hours to feed and water the market trade — have been a cornerstone of London for centuries. Yet, as Will Hosie finds, they aren’t stuck in the past.
By Will Hosie Published
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Wildhive Callow Hall hotel review: I felt like a squirrel preparing for hibernation and I loved it
The boutique treehouses at this Derbyshire getaway are the best way to unwind in nature and explore the Peak District, writes Lotte Brundle.
By Lotte Brundle Published
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Who buys flowers in the middle of the night? Boris Johnson, panicked brides, drunk people and London’s wealthiest inhabitants
Lotte Brundle visits the 24-hour central London florist where the flowers don’t sleep.
By Lotte Brundle Published
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A paprika-spiked goulash recipe to keep you warm as the nights draw in
The classifications of the Eastern European country’s rustic, paprika-spiked gulyás stews are as multitudinous as they are delicious, proclaims Tom Parker Bowles.
By Tom Parker Bowles Published
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Why you absolutely need an electric Bentley Blower furnished with Russian reindeer leather
A collaboration between Hedley Studios and The King's shoemaker George Cleverley has produced something rather remarkable. Jeremy Taylor goes for a drive.
By Jeremy Taylor Published
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Kilt status: A history of the iconic Scottish skirt, from wartime wrap to punk protest
Everything you need to know about the kilt — apart from what to wear underneath one.
By Amie Elizabeth White Published
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How fashions finest would dress an Airedale, Dalmatian, corgi and more if only they had the chance
We’ve matched some much-loved breeds to the designers that share their history, temperament and vibe — because why not. Illustrations by Tug Rice.
By Florence Allen Last updated
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How a floating salad farm fuelled two record-breaking rowers across the Pacific Ocean
Miriam Payne and Jess Rowe grew cabbages and radishes on their small boat while rowing more than 8000 miles from Peru to Australia.
By Lotte Brundle Published
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The Glovebox: Return of the Bentley Supersports, the ultimate rural Range Rover and the car collection fit for The King
A century after it was the first Bentley to top 100mph, the Supersports is back and looking better than ever.
By James Fisher Last updated
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What is everyone talking about this week: Is the Golden Age of fine dining over?
It currently costs a restaurant around £35 to procure a Dover sole, but they cannot list said fish for anymore than £45. So, does the current financial climate spell an end to fine dining?
By Will Hosie Published
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'The night smells like engine oil… and money': Singapore’s glittering night race paved the way for a new era of city-centre Grands Prix
It's the Las Vegas Grand Prix this weekend, but it and other city-centre Grand Prix would be nothing without trailblazing Singapore. Natasha Bird explains how the city state got it so right.
By Natasha Bird Published
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Better than Ozempic? 50 years of the Brompton bicycle
Owen Wilson, James May and most of the middle-aged men and condescending hipsters you know love them. As the iconic folding bike turns 50 Lotte Brundle hops on one with the company's CEO.
By Lotte Brundle Published
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No more froths, no more foams, no more tweezers. Classic dining is making a comeback. Thank god
From prawn cocktail and Arctic roll to starched tablecloths and ‘nicotine cream’ on the walls, it’s out with the new and in with the old in the restaurant world
By David Ellis Published
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Ho Ho House of Commons: A simple guide to the best Westminster gifts, featuring a duck that is also Big Ben, a cat called Attlee and an infamous jumper
The House of Common’s gift shop has got everything from a plushie of Attlee, the Speaker’s miserable looking cat, to a rubber duck that pays tribute to the mighty work of the Suffragettes.
By Lotte Brundle Published


