Big boys' toys, trips & tips
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The penny-farthing rider who made a 400-mile trek across war-torn Ukraine
Is it still possible to use a penny-farthing today? The answer is an emphatic yes, at least if you're former Special Forces officer and adventurer Neil Laughton. He rode his Victorian high wheeler for 400 miles across war-torn Ukraine, doing everything from making pizza for local children to raising money for charity. Here he tells his tale.
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The 21st century sword maker: 'There’s something appealing about getting metal hot and smacking it with a hammer'
Practising ancient techniques to craft modern heirlooms, bladesmith Owen Bush handmakes both decorative and practical knives or weaponry, each with their own personalities, says Claire Jackson — with some of his swords celebrities in their own right. Photographs by Richard Cannon for Country Life.
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Six of the most beautiful green watches money can buy
Feel green with envy for the latest timepieces, with their fresh-faced dials ready for summer adventures. As chosen by Hetty Lintell; photograph by Paul Zak.
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10 perfect Christmas gifts for gadget lovers, from £25 to £3,694.99
Whether it's your eccentric uncle, your half-sibling with an exotic lifestyle or the person you've been married to for 23 years, it's not always easy picking presents for overgrown schoolboys. Lucky for you that Hetty Lintell and Toby Keel are here to help.
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26 miles of wine and cheese: The madness of the Marathon du Medoc, the world’s daftest (and booziest) running race
It’s been dubbed ‘the world’s most idiotic marathon’: a 26-mile run through vineyards, fuelled by wine and cheese. Emma Hughes finds out if she has the stomach for the legendary Marathon du Médoc.
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The mysterious billionaire's superyacht which shows the way forward for future travel at sea and on land
This astonishing superyacht has made headlines for its potential future owner and the ingenious, futuristic engines which propel it using clean energy.
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Take the Gentleman Test
Find out what makes a gentleman in this modern age, and take our quiz to find out whether you qualify...
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Curious Questions: Were the Wright Brothers actually beaten to it by a farmer from New Zealand?
History is full of tales of inventors being credited with breakthroughs that had actually been achieved by others. Martin Fone takes a look at whether we should add the Wright Brothers to the list of the pioneers who'd been beaten to the punch.
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Curious Questions: How did Abraham Lincoln come to be the only US president to hold a patent?
Statesman, lawyer, fearless leader – and part-time inventor. Martin Fone looks at one of Abraham Lincoln's lesser-known talents.
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How to use emojis: The Country Life guide
Back in 2015, we decreed that a gentleman should ‘know when to use an emoji’, but when exactly is that? And how? James Fisher presents his gentleman’s guide.
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Six gentlemen to watch in 2018 and beyond, as seen in Country Life
From the racing driver son of James Hunt to a man whose company could change the way we grow food in Britain, here are six young British gentlemen to watch, as featured in Country Life's frontispiece shoot. They spoke to Rosie Paterson.
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What it was like to ride the last steam train in Britain, by the passengers of the 'Fifteen Guinea Special'
It's exactly 50 years since the last passenger steam train in Britain made its way from Liverpool to Carlisle and back. Daniel Puddicombe spoke to some of those lucky few who were on board 1T57 back in 1968.
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Meet the man who builds his own Tiger Moths: Grace, glamour, romance – and hours of painstaking hard work
The Tiger Moth is the iconic biplane in which almost every British pilot was trained during the Second World War. Mark Palmer meets the man resurrecting these elegant old ladies of the sky, with photographs by Mark Williamson.
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We recreated Three Men in a Boat for the 21st century. Here's what happened.
Re-creating Jerome K. Jerome’s Three Men in a Boat sounds terribly romantic, doesn’t it? Patrick Galbraith discovers the reality of a long skiff down the Thames.
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James Martin's favourite things, from his vintage Mini Cooper to his bespoke oven
Chef, TV presenter and restauranteur James Martin loves life's little luxuries – and sometime the big luxuries too. He spoke to Hetty Lintell.
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The model ship maker: 'It's been my life's work - I wouldn’t swap anything for the pleasure it gives me'
Philip Reed has dedicated most of his life to building model ships; he explained why to Tessa Waugh. Portraits by Richard Cannon.
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Father's Day ideas that your dad will love, from shooting and driving to the ultimate carvery lesson
Guaranteed to put a smile on his face.
