Reticulated python on the loose in Cambridge
No, it's not global warming gone mad — just a pet owner who has inadvertently unleashed a specimen of the world's longest snake onto the genteel streets of Cambridge. The snake in question is about 9ft long — but should it find a ready supply of students and tourists on which to feed, it could potentially grow to three or four times that size.
Picture of the Day: If you thought our weather has been crazy, wait till you see summertime in Mexico...
The city ofGuadalajara has was buried under 5ft of hail in a freak storm on Sunday. The accumulation of hail in the streets buried vehicles and damaged 200 homes; before it hit, the temperature had been 30 degrees and the skies had been clear.
What it's like to inherit a huge country mansion at the age of 12: 'There was a fair bit of ribbing at school'
The age, in years, of Simon Cunliffe-Lister when he inherited a £10 million estate. What 12-year-old hasn't dreamt of suddenly coming in to untold wealth, able to buy toys, sweets and anything else to escape the tedium of maths homework? Or to have a country house with great halls to be cycled and skateboarded along?
The schoolboy millionaire generated all sorts of headlines back in 1989; The Telegraph catches up with him 30 years later to see how it all worked out.
On-shore wind farms to take off again
The end of government subsidies for on-shore wind farms saw the numbers being built plummet. Yet in the years since that policy was enacted, it seems that voters now overwhelmingly accept the need for more of them, according to a report.
The spectacular wildlife that thrives as Britain warms
Extreme weather always creates winners and losers in nature, and a fascinating piece in The Guardian at the weekend took an in-depth look at some of the creatures who have moved north into a warming Britain in recent years.
Exotic birds are the most visible sign of the change, but insect life is thriving in particular: 'The small red-eyed damselfly – with eyes like tiny cherry tomatoes – had not even been recorded in the UK until 1999,' writes Stephen Moss. 'Yet since then, it has spread at a remarkable rate, and has reached Devon in the west and North Yorkshire in the north.'
Full story (The Guardian) or read more about the winners and losers of the summer of 2018 (Country Life)
'Trophy Hunting' firms targeting UK to drum up business
The idea of going on a 'trophy hunting' holiday — where the main purpose is to kill a lion, giraffe or some other wonder of the African savannah — seems like a notion that's at least a century out of date. In the case of 'canned hunting' — in which lions bred in captivity are kept in fenced-enclosures, specifically there to be shot by tourists — it seems unfathomably awful.
Yet it still goes on, and The Times reports that firms in South Africa operating these are specifically targeting the UK as there is no legislation to prevent hunters bringing their trophies back home. That may change soon: Sir Ranulph Fiennes is to address Parliament on the subject this week. 'Trophy hunting is calculated cruelty,” he said. “It is a crime against nature and should be a crime in law.'
And finally... Why do we say 'pinch, punch' on the first of the month?
Apparently it's something to do with witches: a pinch of salt to ward them off, and a punch on the nose should they come too close.
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Game, set, match: 12 of the world’s most beautiful tennis courtsFrom Italy to Indonesia, when it comes to hotel amenities, a picturesque tennis court will always trump a 24-hour gym. So, before you book your next holiday, take a look at our pick of the 12 best.
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Five frankly enormous mansions, including one with its own private swimming lake, as seen in Country LifeSometimes bigger really is better.
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The brilliant tractor tribute to the NHS from a group of Warwickshire farmersPeople around Britain have been paying tribute to the efforts of our NHS workers at the time of the coronavirus pandemic — but few have been as creative and clever as this one.
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London's iconic red bus at risk and 6,000 year old chewing gum gives clues into our DNA historyCuts to industry subsidies and an increase in fares has left bus use at its lowest point ever, while DNA extracted from ancient 'chewing gum' allows scientists to decipher the genetic code of a Stone Age woman.
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90-million-year-old 'swimming dinosaur' skeleton found by dogs out walking in Somerset, and the nonchalant moths who don't bother fleeing enemiesA superbly intact dinosaur skeleton — described as being 'museum quality' — has been discovered on a beach in Somerset.
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Battle to ban 4x4s from the idyllic Lake District spot bequeathed by Beatrix Potter, eagle fights octopus and the 'snail's pace' climate talksThis morning we look at Little Langdale's fight for peace, reflect on the climate change talks in Madrid and discover the soundtrack for Brexit.
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Country Life Today: How Greta Thunberg shifted the dial on climate change — and the backlash shows just how muchThis morning we ponder whether Greta Thunberg is the Joan of Arc for the environmental movement, look at a key election — one from 19 years ago — and ponder the marvel of 'dad tidying'.
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Country Life Today: Great news for those who love our great country pubs — the years of decline are overThere is a great sign of health in the pub industry, we look back at Edward VIII's abdication message and fret about Greenland's melting ice.
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Country Life Today: Spain accused of being 'a deplorable choice' for UN climate conferenceA no-holds-barred assault on the Spanish fishing industry, Banksy raising awareness of the homeless and the woes of the Christmas jumper are in today's news round-up.
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Country Life Today: 'This is perhaps the ultimate wake-up call from the uncontrolled experiment humanity is unleashing on the world’s oceans'In today's round up, we examine why oxygen loss is putting oceans at risk, discover that action to cut air pollution brings almost immediate benefits to human health and find out which bird's arrival marks the start of winter in Gloucestershire.
