Lifestyle
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Mystifying Christmas presents suggestions that once appeared in the pages of Country Life
Every Monday, Melanie Bryan, delves into the hidden depths of Country Life's extraordinary archive to bring you a long-forgotten story, photograph or advert.
By Melanie Bryan Published
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To celebrate 100 years of the Rolls-Royce Phantom, we took it back to its roots
The world's most iconic luxury car is 100 years old. To celebrate a special birthday, Matthew MacConnell took it on a special journey.
By Matthew MacConnell Published
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What the Country Life team are asking Father Christmas for this year
We hope he has deep pockets.
By Rosie Paterson Published
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'It’s there in our bones, and in our bone marrow': Tom Parker Bowles on borscht, the national dish inspiring Ukraine
For Ukrainians, the fortifying, beetroot-based stew of borscht is more than a delicious dish — it’s full of familial and existential nourishment, says Tom Parker Bowles.
By Tom Parker Bowles Published
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The accidental Impressionist who captures country life on canvas
Painting a local cricket match, Sherree Valentine-Daines received an invitation that changed her career and led her to become artist-in-residence at Goodwood
By Carla Passino Published
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‘I have an obsession with having a good time’: Fred Siriex on his newfound love of gardening, moving to the UK and his consuming passions
Lotte Brundle chats to the French Maître d'hôtel, best known for bringing his charming hospitality to Channel 4’s First Dates and for his antics with Gordon Ramsay and Gino D'Acampo.
By Lotte Brundle Published
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‘Not to move at all is deeply slutty, in the old-fashioned sense of the word’: A snob’s guide to surviving Christmas Day
Christmas Day is a marathon, not a sprint.
By Sophia Money-Coutts Published
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A lifelong Londoner on how to beat the throngs and make the most of the city this Christmas
Too few people know how to do Christmas right, says Will Hosie. Here are his tips and tricks for navigating the capital this festive season.
By Will Hosie Published
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McLaren Special Operations — The secret Surrey skunkworks producing Britain's most bespoke supercars
There's owning a McLaren and then there's owning an MSO McLaren. James Fisher finds out what makes the bespoke division of Britain's premier supercar manufacturer so special.
By James Fisher Published
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Suit yourself: I’m a 49 year-old man-about-town and I’ve never owned a suit
When Hugh Smithson-Wright turned up to Country Life's annual Gentleman's Life party sans suit, it sparked a passionate conversation about why the formal fashion just isn't for everyone.
By Hugh Smithson-Wright Published
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Country Life's luxury editor's gift ideas for gentlemen
Christmas gift ideas for all of the men in your life, from fathers to husbands, to boyfriends to brothers.
By Amie Elizabeth White Last updated
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Sweet civilisation: What do you get when you ask architects to compete in a gingerbread competition?
The Gingerbread City is back in London’s Kings Cross. Lotte Brundle pays it a visit.
By Lotte Brundle Published
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Sophia Money-Coutts: A snob's guide to meeting your in-laws for the first time
There's little more daunting than meeting your (future) in-laws for the first time. Here's how to make the right kind of impression.
By Sophia Money-Coutts Published
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This machine is what happens when the Rolls-Royce of motorbikes and the most innovative of watchmakers join forces
Brough Superior and Richard Mille, two brands renowned for perfection, have created something that is exactly that.
By Simon De Burton Published
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Country Life's luxury editor's Christmas gift ideas for leading ladies
The Country Life Christmas gift guide is back and it's bigger than ever. Here's what to buy your mother, wife, sister or girlfriend (or all four).
By Amie Elizabeth White Last updated
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‘Each one is different depending on what mood I’m in, how I'm feeling and how my energy is’ — meet the carver behind Westminster Hall's angel statues
Bespoke woodcarver William Barsley makes unique scale replicas of the angels that gaze over Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the palace of Westminster.
By Lotte Brundle Published
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What is everyone talking about this week: Thanks to modern-day technology, people were far happier in the days when Nero was setting Rome ablaze
Was the ancient world's superior happiness down to its ‘superior production of art’?
By Will Hosie Published
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‘I cannot bring myself to believe that Emily Brontë would be turning over in her grave at the idea of Jacob Elordi tightening breathless Barbie’s corset’: In defence of radical adaptations
A trailer for the upcoming adaptation of 'Wuthering Heights' has left half of Britain clutching their pearls. What's the fuss, questions Laura Kay, who argues in defence of radical adaptations of classic literature.
By Laura Kay Published
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Mark Gatiss: ‘BBC Two turned down The League of Gentlemen six times’
The actor and writer tells Lotte Brundle about his latest Christmas ghost story, discovering Benedict Cumberbatch — and his consuming passions.
By Lotte Brundle Published
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Wildhive Callow Hall hotel review: I felt like a squirrel preparing for hibernation and I loved it
The boutique treehouses at this Derbyshire getaway are the best way to unwind in nature and explore the Peak District, writes Lotte Brundle.
By Lotte Brundle Published
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Who buys flowers in the middle of the night? Boris Johnson, panicked brides, drunk people and London’s wealthiest inhabitants
Lotte Brundle visits the 24-hour central London florist where the flowers don’t sleep.
By Lotte Brundle Published


