Curious Questions: What actually is a Blue Moon? And is it really blue?
It's a phrase which gets bandied around all the time, but what does a 'Blue Moon' actually consist of? And does it really look any bluer than a normal moon?
Out & About
-
Full moon over Resurrection Bay, Seward, Alaska... tinted with a little digital wizardry. Credit: Alamy Stock Photo -
The ultimate retirement home? Credit: Royal Hospital Chelsea Life at the Royal Hospital Chelsea: From pensioners pumping iron to ‘Chelsea Chests’
-
John Gosden racehorse trainer, Clarehaven Stables, Newmarket. Credit: Simon Buck/Country Life John Gosden: 'I don’t care how many winners I’ve trained; it’s the quality you remember'
Jack Watkins talks to the champion racehorse trainer on quality over quantity and preserving Newmarket.
-
Stanley, owned by Clemmie Fraser, at home at Waverton in the Cotswolds. Picture published in the 08.05.2019 issue of CLF Credit: Sarah Farnsworth / Country Life Dachshunds: The undisputed kings of their castles, no matter the size (or species) of the other residents
Kate MacDougall gets the lowdown on dachshunds and discovers why their tiny stature doesn’t impinge on a ‘sausage’ dog’s zest for life.
-
Credit: Steve Bjorck / Getty The £5 million expansion of the Broads National Park called a 'unique opportunity’ by Sir David Attenborough
Thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund and an incredible fundraising effort from the public, Carlton Marshes will be expanding by 348 acres over the next six months.
-
The Toyota Hilux Invincible. Credit: www.sebastienmauroy.com Toyota Hilux review: Forget three men in a boat — three men in a double-cab 4x4 pick-up truck is the true test
Our correspondent and two fishing friends find the refreshed Toyota Hi-Lux is more than a match for New Zealand’s rocky terrain and a mountain of gear.
-
Henley Royal Regatta. Credit: Alamy Curious Questions: How do you survive the Summer Season?
Potential faux pas abound in a British summer, but is it possible to find your way through to September unscathed? The answer is yes, says Rupert Uloth, so long as you always carry a brolly, know how to share a carriage with The Queen and own at least seven hats. Here are his tips.
-
Credit: Alamy Walking Exmoor: 'The views open out and there's just me, a lone figure in an immense, almost featureless landscape'
Fiona Reynolds walks in the footsteps of Lorna Doone and finds that there’s still a feeling of wilderness out on Exmoor.
-
Credit: Getty Saving Ratty: The sad plight of Britain's water voles
The loss and damage of their habitats has led to the decline of water voles, beloved by Britains since the rise of Ratty in Kenneth Grahame's classic stories.
-
Credit: Alamy Jason Goodwin: 'He looked at the window display and, suddenly, he shrieked "Elgar! That’s my bust!'"
Our Spectator columnist extolls the country adventure, reminiscing about how one taken by his friends inspired him to take one of his own to Winterborne Tomson.
-
Credit: Alamy Curious Questions: Why do we as a nation put so much faith in lucky charms?
Horatio Nelson had one, as did Capt Cook and flying ace Douglas Bader. The British Army has several. Jeremy Hobson explores the effect of horseshoes, rabbit’s feet, mascots and other lucky charms.
-
A family affair: the Earl Of Snowdon, Princess Margaret, Lady Sarah Armstrong-jones, The Queen, Queen Mother, Prince Andrew And Prince Philip At The Badminton Horse Trials in April 1973. Credit: Tim Graham/Getty Images 70 years of the Badminton Horse Trials: From the pig-sticking champions to the miracle champion who took four decades to win
The world's most famous horse trials is seventy years old this year. Kate Green looks at some of the most remarkable moments in its history.
-
Olivia Wilmot of Great Britain riding Cool Dancer clears the lake fence during the cross-country at the Badminton Horse Trials. Credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images Badminton 2019: The six best riders to follow, six best fences to watch and six best shopping stalls to visit
Badminton is one of the undisputed highlights of the year for anyone who loves horses – Kate Green shares her tips for anyone making it along to this wonderful event.
-
Lavender field at sunset. Credit: Nino Marcutti / Alamy 21 ways to let the joys of Nature calm your soul in troubled times
-
The view south from Dunwich Cliffs towards Sizewell B Nuclear Power Station. Credit: Alamy Fiona Reynolds: A walk on the Suffolk coast that brings home the true horror of the new plans for Sizewell
A few months after writing about a development at Otmoor, Fiona Reynolds visits the beautiful Suffolk coast — and can't quite believe how the proposed new work will tear up this idyllic landscape.
-
Credit: Picasa The Utterly Inessential Marathon Shopping List: The ulitmate survival kit, headphones to drown out the pain and a marathon where one can run with wine
This week on Utterly Inessential, we admire those who take part in one of the world's biggest fundraising events as much as we balk at the concept of entering ourselves.
-
Credit: Getty Military dogs: The non-judgmental companions who are capable of bravery far beyond the call of duty
Working in hostile and high-pressure environments across the globe, military working dogs build enviably strong relationships with their handlers, finds Madeleine Silver.
-
Credit: Getty Images The common garden plants that are deadly to dogs and cats – and what to do if they eat one
Many beautiful and common plants in the average English garden can prove fatal to household pets. Peter Green, a veterinary surgeon, gives his advice on some of the most common things to look out for.
-
Adare Manor in Limerick County, Ireland. Credit: LC Lambrecht Adare Manor: The golf course that dreams of being the Irish Augusta
Augusta National Golf Club is one of the sporting world's greatest treasures. It's also the model on which Adare Manor, near the charming Irish city of Limerick, is being recreated – and a very fine job they're doing, says Toby Keel.
-
Patrons watch play on the tenth green during the first round of the 2018 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Credit: Dave Cannon / Getty Images How Country Life started the career of the golf course architect who created Augusta National
Alister Mackenzie, the golf course architect who created Augusta National Golf Club, was a GP with an enthusiastic sideline in golf until he won a competition in Country Life. Roderick Easdale tells the extraordinary tale.
