Out & About
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'As fun a dog as you’ll ever come across’, and a global icon — so why have smooth fox terriers become so rare?
Once so popular they were labelled the ‘English terrier’, numbers of smooth fox terriers have dwindled to worrying levels. Yet these smart and charming little dogs could rival the labrador if better known, devotees tell Flora Watkins.
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The unseen Queen, the ultimate Highland train and the three-bedroom wreck for sale at £695k
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Dawn Chorus: A Blue Plaque for Marc Bolan, holidaying in the Caribbean with Francis Ford Coppola and a history of the National Gallery in 25 pictures
Plus the best of the property pages, and how the railways will save the countryside.
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Everything you need to know about Hampstead: The real star of 'Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy'
From Protestant Dissenters to Dame Judi Dench, Hampstead has long been synonymous with liberal values and prosperity — which is what makes it different from other parts of London. Now, it's stealing hearts the world over in the latest Bridget Jones film.
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Tricks of the trade: London's best spots for second-hand sales
Need a mid-century desk? A frock from the 1960s? Here are five London markets that satisfy every taste.
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The silver screen, blockbusters and bombs: The curious terminology of films explained
What links the RAF, Jurassic Park and Jaws? More than you might think.
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In pictures: A celebration of British food and culture in New York
Find out what happened when Country Life, The Beaumont Mayfair and Tom Parker Bowles spent a night in New York. Photographs by Andrew Werner.
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Dawn Chorus: The Serpentine Pavilion names their 2025 designer, political activism comes to Margate and Rolls-Royce make nesting boxes for mice
Who has the Serpentine chosen to design their 2025 Pavilion, why are Rolls-Royce making nesting boxes for hazel dormice and how is the RHS Chelsea Flower Show honouring the Chelsea Pensioners at this year’s event? We answer all these burning questions in today’s Dawn Chorus.
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How to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen
2025 marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth. Here are exhibitions, events and more — happening across the UK — that mark the occasion.
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Unputdownable: 12 page turners to see you through the rest of the winter
From cookbooks to cricket, biographies to Sunday Times bestsellers, Country Life contributors name some of their favourite books from last year.
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'Dozens died, and during the 1683 Thames Frost Fair a party of skaters was caught by the wind and blown out to sea': The risky business of skating on thin ice
Now that we've successfully negotiated the ice skating season, spare a thought for those in the past who literally put their lives on the line to enjoy winter's most elegant pastime.
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'Sometimes, it’s about the journey, rather than the destination': The fascinating history of the double-decker bus
The first covered double-decker buses made their debut on the streets of the capital 100 years ago. Rob Crossan steps on board and goes up top to trace the evolution of a true London icon.
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Curious questions: How a horse on a treadmill almost defeated a steam locomotive
The wonderful tale of Thomas Brandreth's Cycloped and the first steam-powered railway.
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Don't fancy Dry January? Try our list of London's best bars instead
With lots of people off the sauce, why not head to our list of London's best bars and enjoy them while they're quiet.
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Highlights, delights and lowlights: The best (and worst) shows of 2024
Plus, what the famed theatre critic recommends going to see in January.
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Driving Land Rovers blindfolded, cricket in the corridors and sword-fights in suits of armour: The unusual games of the country house
Big houses and grand spaces leave lots of potential for some strange games. Melanie Cable-Alexander investigates.
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14 of the greatest movie posters in cinema
The right poster can evoke a film without words, stir nostalgia and entice viewers into cinemas.
