This week in Country Life we pay tribute to the splendid Sussex spaniel, a devoted and diligent dog, that now languishes on the vulnerable breeds list.

We also celebrate long-lasting appliances, from Roberts Radios to Kenwood Mixers; describe the context and story of the creation of the Arts-and-Crafts Stoneywell Cottage, Leicestershire; visit Il Biviere in Sicily, the garden created by Principessa Maria Carla Borghese; discover the courting rituals of the snail; reveal how to make hedgerow wines; explore the roots of Fives, an ancient game that tests the brain and is enjoying increased popularity; and we learn to cook with runner beans.

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