That personal jetpack you thought you'd have by the year 2000 has finally arrived
The future promised by The Jetsons is finally here, thanks to Sam Rogers, a 23-year-old student at Loughborough. Sam's 50mph personal jetpack is currently taking the world by storm — not least because he made the thing largely using a 3D printer, rather than a prototype lab or factory costing millions. (The jetpack still cost a cool £340,000...)
It's not one for nervous drivers, though: the jetpack can reach 50mph and take its pilot up to 10,000ft...
'This is a problem that will take a lifetime – my lifetime, your children’s and their children’s lifetime – to solve’
In 2018, Country Life's Rosie Paterson gave up plastic for Lent. Just over a year later, she gave us an update on how it did — and in some cases didn't — affect her habits long-term.
'What we found in this case is shocking'
Pollution spilled into the rivers and onto the beaches of the south of England between 2010 and 2017 has led to a record £126 million penalty for Southern Water. The failures at the company's sewage treatment plants would have been bad enough, but the attempted cover-up has made things worse. Regulators found that the company 'manipulated its wastewater sampling process and misreported the performance of several sewage treatment sites,' according to a report in The Guardian.
Rachel Fletcher, chief executive of water industry regulator OFWAT, summed it up like this: 'What we found in this case is shocking. In all, it shows the company was being run with scant regard for its responsibilities to society and the environment.
'It was not just the poor operational performance but the coordinated efforts to hide and deceive customers of the fact that are so troubling.'
Holidays on Rockall
To most of us Rockall is just a name from the Shipping Forecast. To others, however, this rock in the Irish sea — the subject of a territorial dispute between Ireland and Scotland — is the hottest new tourist destination for 2019.
Trips are just about to start running, though you'll already need to be thinking about next year if you want to go. They sold out within days when they went on sale earlier this year.
Full story (The Times - subscription required) or read our things to know about the Shipping Forecast (Country Life)
Stat of the Day
1,946
The number of British villages where residents have to travel more than three miles to get to a doctor's surgery. The number has risen sharply (by 162) in the past two years alone as more and more surgeries close down and get sucked into larger medical centres. There's also a serious shortage of local doctors — we need 5,000 more, according to the Royal College of GPs.
Love Island for rhinos: How a dating game could help save our most endangered species
Zoos in Europe have long bred rare rhinos and shipped them to protected areas in Africa to rebuild dwindling populations. BBC Science correspondent Victoria Gill reports the fascinating details of how exactly that happens.
And finally... On This Day, the first ever Grand Prix
The world's first Grand Prix began on this day back in 1906, being contested over two days. The winner was Hungary's Ferenc Szisz in a Renault, much helped by his then-revolutionary wheels which could be swapped over in the event of a puncture; most of his competitors had to jack their cars up and replace their tyres with the wheels still in situ.
Read the winner's own account of the race (ESPN)
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Dawn Chorus: A Blue Plaque for Marc Bolan, holidaying in the Caribbean with Francis Ford Coppola and a history of the National Gallery in 25 picturesPlus the best of the property pages, and how the railways will save the countryside.
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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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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.
