Summer in the British countryside brings with it all sorts of unusual events and celebrations – and they don't get any more eccentric than the World Snail Racing Championships. James Fisher…
Out & About
The sheep-shearer: ‘If you tell people what you do, they often don’t know what it involves’
Sheep-shearers are a dying breed, but Ashley Story relishes the back-breaking work. He spoke to Tessa Waugh; portraits by Richard Cannon.
The Oxford of Inspector Morse: Dreaming spires, dead bodies… and lots and lots of pubs
The Oxford of Inspector Morse: Dreaming spires, dead bodies... and lots and lots of pubs.
The top ten British dog breeds that need saving and quickly
French bulldog wins top spot over labrador as some of the most quintessentially British breeds are pronounced 'vulnerable' by the KC. Matthew Dennison reports.
Ted Dexter: The Italian-born icon who brought dash and glamour to English cricket
Ted Dexter, the former England cricket captain and chairman of selectors, is still bursting with wit, wisdom and insight about the game he loves. He spoke to Jack Watkins.
In Focus: The hand-drawn maps from which JRR Tolkien launched Middle-earth
'I wisely started with a map and made the story fit,' JRR Tolkien once wrote. A new exhibition in Oxford – the writer's home for so many years – shows just…
Sporting life: How to make Test cricket great again
Fans and pundits alike have long discussed the Death of Test Cricket, but longest format still has plenty to give – and plenty to feel optimistic about. James Fisher explains
How a horse-mad Englishman pioneered the modern circus
Roll up, roll up! The tricks, flicks and show-stopping stunts of the modern circus owe their existence to the vision of Philip Astley, who marked out a circus ring 250…
Jason Goodwin: ‘Coleridge’s Ancient Mariner compels stunned sympathy, but I feel for the Wedding Guest’
Our columnist reflects on the ups and downs of the typical modern wedding.
The neon sign maker: ‘Piccadilly Circus was our answer to Vegas – now it’s all pixellated screens’
This week's Living National Treasure is Marcus Bracey, the man behind the neon signs that light up our cities. He spoke to Tessa Waugh; portraits by Richard Cannon.
We recreated Three Men in a Boat for the 21st century. Here’s what happened.
Re-creating Jerome K. Jerome’s Three Men in a Boat sounds terribly romantic, doesn’t it? Patrick Galbraith discovers the reality of a long skiff down the Thames.
Jason Goodwin: The day the Germans tried French and English in Scotland
Still-fresh memories of the recent World Cup spark happy recollections for Jason Goodwin of a multi-national day in the Hebrides.
Inside Haworth: The humble parsonage where the Brontë sisters changed literature
Some of our most enduring stories were conceived at Haworth – Jeremy Musson enjoys a literary pilgrimage.
Which breed makes the best gundog? The pros and cons of labradors, spaniels, terriers and more
Whether you own labradors, springers, cockers or a mix of all three, debate over which gundog is best has raged for centuries. Katy Birchall asks which breed works for you.
Four people who’ve made farming and conservation work in perfect harmony
Farmers are often blamed for damaging wildlife populations, but, here, four land managers whose passion for conservation is making a difference tell their success stories.
The Scyther: ‘We were up in arms about Poldark – his swing was all wrong’
Scything was almost forgotten until Aidan Turner’s turn in Poldark, but Nigel Adams says there’s still a place for it. He spoke to Tessa Waugh; portraits by Richard Cannon.…
Peter Phillips: ‘People go to things because they’re an “event” and that’s the point – it’s what you create around a sport that matters’
The son of HRH The Princess Royal and Capt Mark Phillips is now running the Festival of British Eventing, started by his parents almost 35 years ago. He spoke to…
Nature’s winners and losers of the long, hot summer of 2018
It’s been a funny old year: one day the Beast from the East, the next, the longest dry spell since 1976. As a result, there will be both winners and…
Swimming with your dog: ‘Like a cross between an Olympic diving final and the closing scene of Grease’
Swimming with your dog – yes, really – is here. And it can do you both a power of good, says Emma Hughes.