Academy of Cheese level one course
An introduction to cheesemaking and tasting for enthusiasts. If you've ever wanted to master the cheeseboard, this is the place to start.
Priced at £195 from Paxton & Whitfield — click here to buy.
Photography Akademie workshops
From beginner lessons to a fully personalised programme, these workshops will help people level up their skills – give it to your partner and you'll have a professional photographer for the rest of your life!
Priced from £50 from leica — click here to buy.
Opera tickets
This special Country Life package includes two tickets for Grange Park, plus a programme and a bottle of Champagne – a wonderful gift for the Opera lover in your life, and for you too!
Priced at £350, Grange Park Opera — click here to buy.
Adopt a vine
This rather special gift is ideal for the wine enthusiast in your midst. They can follow the journey of their grapes from plant to bottle and receive six personalised bottles of the vine's vintage.
Priced at £135-£600, Cuvée Privée — click here to buy.
Annie Sloan workshops
Enjoy furniture-painting or lampshade-making, conveniently at different locations around the country. The perfect gift for someone who likes to upcycle old furniture.
Priced at about £70, Annie Sloan — click here to buy.
Highgrove garden tour
Discover Prince Charles's magnificent gardens and end your tour with champagne tea for two - a truly unique experience!
Priced at £155, Highgrove Gardens — click here to buy.
B Vibrant treatment
This 85-minute experience to energise, awaken and increase positivity includes sound therapy, breath work, exfoliation and massage
Priced at £170, Bamford — click here to buy.
Cooking course
From quick and simple suppers to artisan breadmaking, Daylesford Organics offer courses for beginner and experienced cooks alike – so if you're in the area (and your partner is a little lacking in the culinary department) then this may just be the one for you...
Prices start from £110, Daylesford Organics — click here to buy.
Country Life subscription
The world's best magazine (we're not biased, not at all) at just £6 for six issues.
Priced at £6, Country Life — click here to buy.
Truffle- and mushroom-hunting
Spend a day foraging for food with the experts - and we mean adorable dogs.
Priced at £100, Truffle and Mushroom Hunter — click here to buy.
Original holiday rental
Give a holiday to remember at Landmark Trust rentals such as Culloden Tower in Richmond, North Yorkshire
Priced at £541 for four nights (sleeps four), The Landmark Trust — click here to buy.
Christmas gift ideas for men
From fathers to brothers to lovers, we run through some smart ideas for Christmas presents for the men in your
Credit: Christmas Gift Guide 2023 — Image supplied by maker
Christmas gift ideas for ladies
From mothers and sisters to wives and girlfriends, these 12 gifts are sure to bring a smile to the face
Credit: McLaren / John Lewis
Christmas gift ideas for children
A collection of adorable gifts, perfect for that special toddler or precocious young person.
Credit: Aqua Vitae
A drink for all seasons: Five drinks for any given mood this Friday
Not sure what tipple tips your fancy tonight? Read our guide.
Christmas drinks gift guide: Best gin, best whisky, beer and more for the festive season
Whether you're keen to pour your own draft beer, drink Cotswolds whisky or enjoy a raft of different gins, we've
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'To exist in this world relies on the hands of others': Roger Powell and modern British bookbindingAn exhibition on the legendary bookbinder Roger Powell reveals not only his great skill, but serves to reconnect us with the joy, power and importance of real craftsmanship.
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Spam: The tinned meaty treat that brought a taste of the ‘hot-dog life of Hollywood’ to war-weary BritainCourtesy of our ‘special relationship’ with the US, Spam was a culinary phenomenon, says Mary Greene. So much so that in 1944, London’s Simpson’s, renowned for its roast beef, was offering creamed Spam casserole instead.
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Christmas gift ideas for childrenFrom adorable booties and cardigans to toys that will keep tiny tots entertained for hours.
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Seven perfect Christmas gifts for people who just love beautiful, functional thingsWilliam Morris famously said to have nothing in your house that you don't know to be useful or believe to be beautiful. These things do their best to hit both targets.
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Christmas gift ideas for ladiesFrom mothers and sisters to wives and girlfriends, these gifts are sure to bring a smile to the face of the special lady in your life.
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Christmas gift ideas for menFrom fathers to brothers to lovers, we run through some smart ideas for Christmas presents for the men in your life.
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The five most beautiful Advent Calendars of ChristmasThe best Advent calendars of 2024, as chosen by Flora Watkins.
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When England cancelled ChristmasNo feasting. No drinking. No celebrations. Ian Morton explores what the festive period was like when Oliver Cromwell’s Christmas clampdown gripped the nation.
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11 ways to do Christmas in right royal style, by A-list party planner Johnny RoxburghJohnny Roxburgh, one of Britain's top party planners, shares his tips on the best things to have at your own seasonal celebrations.
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The traditional British toy makers still crafting wooden tops, rocking-horses and teddy bearsFrom automata to wooden dogs with jointed legs, members of the British Toymakers Guild have crafted a cornucopia of intriguing playthings that are not only for children, says Claire Jackson.
