Life on the Scottish islands: 'If you can't keep up with the rats, you've come to the wrong place'
The Scotsman has a beautifully-produced long-read feature on what life is really like on the beautiful islands of Scotland. For years they've struggled with dwindling populations, but as modern life makes us increasingly mobile, that could all be changing.
Just don't expect it to be easy, as pointed out at the very start of the article:
'Kevin Byrne, who has lived and worked on the ten-mile-long, two-mile-wide Isle of Colonsay for the last 40 years, says he could always spot a newcomer in his days running the island hotel and bar.'“If they came in and answered the question ‘what brings you here’ with ‘I’ve come to get away from the rat race’ it was the kiss of death.'“The locals always used to say ‘if you can’t keep up with the rats you’ve come to the wrong place.’'“This isn’t a place where you can come and hope to do nothing and live off a few rabbits.”'
Novak Dog-ovic? Roger Fido-erer? We need a name for the who relieved himself on Centre Court ahead of the Wimbledon men's singles final
The excitement of being on Centre Court ahead of the Wimbledon men's singles final on Sunday seems to have got the better of a police sniffer dog carrying out a check. No doubt the black labrador's handler had a supply of plastic evidence bags on him to help clear up the mess...
'The pig is not a meat machine but a friend of nature'
The Guardian this weekend ran a fascinating interview with a Portuguese scientist-slash-farmer farmer who is resurrecting an old, and very holistic, approach to farming: bringing animals and agriculture back together. Alfredo Cunhal's plan is 'to create an oasis-style abundance on land where there is often no rain for nine months of the year and where temperatures can reach 49C'.'
'Animals are the key. They are important for the whole ecosystem, as well as part of the food chain. They must be balanced with the tree system. Pigs provide digestion, and are good for the soil, they disturb the ground and fertilise the land. The natural fertility cycles work better with them. The pig is not a meat machine but a friend of nature.'
How this stately home in Yorkshire went from wreck to perfection
The Daily Telegraph talks to TV presenter Sarah Beeny about how she and her husband saved Rise Hall, in Yorkshire. It was a massive gamble, she says, but 'you only live once, and what are you going to do on your deathbed if you’ve been careful and cautious?'
When the couple bought it, Rise Hall was a crumbling wreck; now it's in superb shape, and two new owners.
Stat of the Day
50,000,000
The amount, in US dollars, that will be donated to Extinction Rebellion from a group of the world's richest billionaires. The first, more modest, payment of $500,000 is already en-route, but '100 times that amount' is promised 'in the weeks and months ahead' by Trevor Neilson, an investor and philanthropist who counts the Kennedys, the Gettys, Bill Gates and Richard Branson among the people he has on speed dial.
And finally... Quote of the Day
'Come on Jos Butler - I will buy you wine for life if you win it for us from here.'
Former England captain Michael Vaughan makes a rash promise on Twitter just when all looked lost during Sunday's Cricket World Cup final. The rest is history...
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If the future of Ferrari is electric vehicles, then it is our future tooIt's widely believed that Ferrari will unveil its first electric car this year. It's the signal that the internal combustion era is coming to an end.
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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 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.
