Comment & Opinion
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Carla Carlisle: It's taken me years, but I finally understand my father's dying gift to me
Carla Carlisle on learning to slow down — and how little life might mean if we don't.
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Sir Keir Starmer: 'I want everyone in the countryside to know that I will roll up my sleeves and restore respect'
We invited Sir Keir Starmer, Leader of the Opposition, to set out the Labour Party's ideas for the countryside.
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Jonathan Self: The crisp sandwiches so good they were delicious even with a light coating of sand
A spell of time with a reduced sense of taste and smell proves a boon to Jonathan Self when it clears, giving him a new appreciation of some of life's joys.
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Joe Gibbs: How we found out the hard way that taking Jack Russells to a golden retriever festival is a BIG mistake
Joe Gibbs visits Retrieverfest, one of Britain's finest golden retriever festivals — and rues not taking a golden retriever.
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Jonathan Self: The rat who came to lunch in a fetching shade of Farrow & Ball
Jonathan Self tells the story of a rather friendly rodent who seems happy to ride his luck.
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John Lewis-Stempel: 'Rewilding is half backwards-looking fantasy, half dystopian vision'
Those who make the case for rewilding ought to be careful — MUCH more careful — what they wish for, says award-winning nature writer John Lewis-Stempel.
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Curious Questions: Who invented the vending machine? (Clue: they've been around for 2,000 years)
Coming across a bizarre statistic prompts Martin Fone to look at the creation of the vending machine, unearthing an incredible tale.
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Patrick Galbraith: 'The man had a blood blister on his lip, a gold earring and a Jack Russell in a crate in a pushchair. "The wife’s," he said, noticing me looking at the dog'
Anyone who laments a lack of tolerance in the country ought to visit the Appleby Horse Fair, says Patrick Galbraith.
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Britain's Victorian seaside towns: A tale of sun, sand, affection, neglect, decay and regeneration
Country Life's cultural commentator Athena looks at the sad plight of Britain's seaside towns, but has hopes that things may be heading in the right direction.
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Jonathan Self: After 44 years and seven attempts, I am finally starting to get the hang of this parenting business
Jonathan Self has nailed it, just as his twins leave for university.
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Jason Goodwin: They've started measuring distances in minutes. But what of loitering and lingering? What of the flowers of the wayside and the hill views?
Jason Goodwin rages against the sign-erecting quangos who are helping tourists miss the point.
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Carla Carlisle on Martin Amis: The 'passionate, graceful, fierce' writer who scared us, challenged us, and brought us understanding
Carla Carlisle pays tribute to the late Martin Amis, who died last month.
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Jonathan Self: My 146-year-old timepiece is the antithesis of the smartwatches — and it's all the better for it
How lovely to have a beautiful watch to order your life, says Jonathan Self; but how much better to have no need of one at all.
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Opinion: Continuing feuds instead of seeking compromise is irresponsible. As we argue, British wildlife collapses
Dialogue, tolerance and trust are crucial to Nature restoration, so events that encourage an honest exchange of views among different camps, such as May's Why Moorlands Matter summit, mark the way forward.
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Our countryside is utterly magnificent — now is the time to find the will to save it
James Fisher reports back from the Future Countryside conference at Hatfield House.
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'The countryside faces either terrible harm or uplifting good. Which will it be? It really is up to us'
The countryside is for everyone and the problems facing it — and farming and the environment — will not be solved if the different factions continue to squabble, points out Julian Glover.
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Jason Goodwin: 'What makes a garden is serendipity. Two plants grow together and a stray seedling springs up between them'
Jason Goodwin's garden tours have kicked off, leaving him musing on things unplanned.
