Also this week is our annual Gentleman's Life supplement, which covers everything from skiing and watches to the Mini's dominance of the international rally circuit in the 1960s — as well as a piece on how to cook the perfect chips.
Here's what's in the issue itself:
HEDGES: Why we all need more hedges. Let’s get planting.
CARLA CARLISLE: Carla reflects on not being homesick for the South.
POPPIES: Common it may be, but the poppy has the power to uplift like few others.
BIRDS: Birds have long flown into the world’s cultural consciousness, from ancient Iran to modern laboratories, explains Alex Bond.
PARKIN: Bonfire Night wouldn’t taste the same without a slab of parkin, believes Debora Robertson.
MARSHMALLOWS: Katy Birchall on their unexpected gooey history.
LONDON LIFE: The capital’s famous front doors, a forest in Chelsea, living the high life in Highgate and Richard Gladwin’s favourite city corners.
MY FAVOURITE PAINTING: Jeremy Swift picks a paradoxical perspective painting.
THE FORTH BRIDGE: Jack Watkins admires an engineering marvel.
GILLING CASTLE: John Goodall examines little-known Gilling Castle, North Yorkshire.
INTERIORS: Fireplaces for cosy nights and why British stone is on the menu.
THE GOOD STUFF: Hetty Lintell on November’s birthstone, golden citrine.
GARDENS: The Italian home of Arabella Lennox-Boyd, Palazzo Parisi in Umbria, is a garden of delights.
FOOD: Kitchen garden cook Melanie Johnson serves swede.
And much more
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Merlins: Britain's smallest bird of prey is a 'swerving, zigzagging, 240mph weighted missile' that's gutsy enough to chase off a golden eagleSize doesn’t matter when it comes to the fighting spirit of the tiny merlin, a fierce parent and favoured hunting accessory of Mary, Queen of Scots.
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The greatest moment in the life of Jessie Owens: Country Life Quiz of the Day, June 13, 2025Breathtaking athleticism and Shakespeare's birthday are among the questions in the final quiz of the week.
