If you think your home improvements are taking a long time...
...they have nothing on Lancing College, in West Sussex, which is finally set to finish work on its chapel an astonishing 151 years after it was begun.
'Work began on the neo-gothic structure — the tallest and arguably most imposing school chapel in the world — in 1868, some 20 years after the college was founded by Nathaniel Woodard, the parish priest,' reports The Times.
'Only £350,000 is left to raise, thanks to donations and legacies, and the building is due to be completed at the end of 2020 and rededicated in early 2021. It is hoped that the Archbishop of Canterbury will preside over the ceremony.'
First-ever cloned cow dies
Those worried about 'Franken-meat' will be relieved to hear that it was of old age: Kaga, who was born in 1998 at the Ishikawa research centre in Japan, was 21. She'd had a long, healthy life and even had calves of her own, as did her sister Noto, who died last year.
Old London Bridge, new insight
If you missed this at the weekend, make the time to read it: a fascinating look at the original London Bridge, the life which took place in and around it, and its curious final fate.
Yorkshire beach crowned one of the world’s best
Move over, Barbados. A Yorkshire beach has been voted by TripAdvisor as one of the top six family-friendly beaches in the world. The sandy, five-mile-long Filey Beach, which runs from Filey Brigg to the cliffs at Reighton, in North Yorkshire, shares the honour with Playa de Alcúdia, in Mallorca, Spain; Elafonisi Beach, in Crete, Greece; Siesta Beach, in Florida, USA; İztuzu Beach, in Dalyan, Turkey, and the world-famous Bondi Beach in Australia.
It's bad, but it could be worse
As we enter yet another week of claim, counter-claim, division and strife in Westminster, Country Life asked this weekend whether things have ever been worse. The answer turned out to be 'yes' — which is simultaneously encouraging and depressing.
On this day: King Harold killed at Battle of Hastings
The last successful invasion of the British Isles took place on this day in 1066, with William, Duke of Normandy, becoming William the Conqueror. English history - not to mention language. culture and outlook - would never be the same again.
Big cat caught in Gloucestershire
News that trackers have found a four-foot long, 25-pounds heavy Savannah cat hiding in West Country woodland appeared to provide vindication to rumours that big cats are stalking the British countryside.
However, the semi-wild moggie, which is a cross between an African wildcat and a domestic cat, is a beloved family pet that had gone missing from a Bristol home early last week.
Trackers had to use raw chicken as a lure to draw the massive animal out of the woods and into a cage. It has since been reunited with its owners.
Full story (Gloucestershire Live)
And finally... a new way to brush your teeth
Not entirely sure how clean this will get them, of course.
Credit: Alamy
Seven golden rules for selling a country house
With coronavirus now seemingly past its peak in Britain, we're tentatively beginning to look ahead to how life will get
Credit: Robert Smith
Jousting gallops into the 21st century with cutting-edge VAR technology
The ancient sport of jousting is being brought into the 21st century this summer as VAR technology is being used
The true story of Eton Mess – and how to make the perfect one
The question, it turns out, isn't 'why' it's called Eton Mess, but whether it's actually called 'Eton Mess' at all...
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Gaze over Cap Ferrat in this four-bedroom French villaIgnore the wind and the rain. Imagine yourself in this hillside home with some of the best views the Mediterranean can offer.
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The Airlander wants to save our skiesA new hybrid aircraft promises eco-friendly aviation. Designed and built in the UK, can it be the future of air travel?
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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.
