Today's the day you get to wake up with The King as your DJ
For those who missed the memo last Friday, His Majesty The King — yes, King Charles III — has produced a playlist of his favourite music, and today (March 10) is the day that it goes live. As of 6am, The King's playlist came to life on Apple Music's Apple 1 radio station, full of songs, in his words, 'that have brought me joy'.
Charles III: King, statesman, DJ. You'll be relieved to see that we resisted the temptation to photoshop in a pair of headphones and some vinyl decks.
Being brutally honest, we were a little surprised that His Majesty put his playlist out into the world via Apple Music rather than the BBC, but while Apple Music is paid-for, Apple 1 Radio is free to listen to around the world. All you'll need is an Apple account; if you don't have one, sign up here and get listening to the Royal records.
Land Rover of hope and glory
Charm, refreshing honesty and an old Land Rover. No wonder Tati Reed — aka @overintherover — blew up our Instagram page last week. See the post below, read James Fisher's cracking piece about Tati (and 'Blue Tit', her car) here.
Saving Devon's rivers at Agatha's place
Burgh Island (pictured at the top of the page) has been in our minds in recent days after its starring role in the BBC's Towards Zero, an adaptation of an Agatha Christie novel (Christie stayed on the island for large chunks of her life).
It'll be back in our minds again this week: the Burgh Island hotel is hosting an 'Island Assembly' this Thursday, 13th March, which will focus on tackling water pollution. Guest and speakers include local MP Caroline Voaden, Guy Singh Waston (Founder of Riverford) and Nick Bruce-White, CEO of Devon Wildlife Trust.
Our favourite picture of the last seven days...
...goes to this wonderful image of Siena, as featured in Mary Miers' lovely piece on the National Gallery's latest exhibition.
The view skyward from Siena's Palazzo Pubblico’s internal courtyard.
"I am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over our cities, we, too, will be remembered not for victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit."
John F Kennedy, with a sixty-year-old quote that simultaneously sheds light on the present, and makes you miss the days when more politicians were true statesmen.
Spike's house
Iconic 1950s comedian Spike Milligan (ask your parents/grandparents if you're not sure) was know for his offbeat, wacky and unsettling manner. So it seems fitting that his country house is just as unsettling: I genuinely grabbed for the arms of my chair on seeing this picture of the living room with its wonky beams.
It's up for rent now,, if you're of strong constitution and are looking for a lovely family home in East Sussex.
Impulse buy
The old William Morris adage about surrounding yourself with things that you know to be useful or believe to be beautiful now extends to radios, apparently. Hepburn Voice vintage-style radios are actually smart-speakers which have WiFi, bluetooth and Alexa built in. None of that is ground-breaking, but the nice thing is that in addition to working well, and costing about £50, they come in some lovely designs; our favourite is the Joules bee option, pictured here. Not so much a smart speaker, then, as a smarter speaker.
That's it — Dawn Chorus will be back on Wednesday
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The elegant country home of a motor racing daredevil who raced round the world in a 1936 Bentley and crashed a Range Rover into his own front porchPeasemore House, with its collection of barns, workshops, stables and more, is an ideal home from which to plan an adventure — something that was a passion of its present owners. Penny Churchill explains more.
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‘In my twenties I was asked by a newspaper to test out an orgasm machine. I said, "Absolutely"’: Elizabeth Day on her early career in journalism and consuming passionsThe author and journalist chats to Lotte Brundle.
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Sophia Money-Coutts: I can’t believe I’m saying this, but should dogs really be allowed in posh hotels?Dog lover, Sophia Money-Coutts, debates whether our canine companions should be able to accompany us to Five Star establishments.
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England and the 1966 World Cup — which was stolen and later recovered by a dog called PicklesIn celebration of the footballing talents of Country Life's guest editor Sir David Beckham, we look back at the summer of 1966, when the England national team was on top of the world.
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The Irish red and white setter: The rare beauty brought back from the brinkA history of Ireland’s original setter — the elegant, intelligent breed saved from extinction by devoted breeders and cherished as a symbol of the nation’s sporting heritage.
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A handy five minute guide to Frieze — and the things you really don’t want to missThe London art fair returns this week.
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The Lancashire heeler: A clever, compact and very rare terrier that was once described as having 'the same value as an ox'From cattle drover to companion, the Lancashire heeler is as versatile as it is rare.
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The English bull terrier is mischief meets muscleFrom the 19th-century show rings to the homes of artists, royals and rock stars, the English bull terrier is one of our most original and loveable dogs.
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How American political refugees, economic migrants and devoted Anglophiles are transforming LondonOne luxury restaurant, apartment and tennis court at a time.
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‘Sex, Money, Race, Religion’: Unlikely pair Philharmonia Orchestra and Gilbert & George collaborate on one-off concertThe artist duo once declared music to be ‘the enemy’, but this hasn’t stopped them from teaming up at the Royal Festival Hall for the orchestra’s 80th anniversary.
