The little weed that became a big business
The ultimate success story, a flower which most people consider to be a weed has turned itself into a multi-million-pound industry in the UK.
A far cry from when elderflower foraged for the odd jar of jam, fields in the East Midlands are awash with little white flowers grown to satisfy the UK's growing need for elderflower cordial and similar products.
Over the past few years, elderflower has filled a gap in the market that no one knew was there, providing an alcohol-free alternative to the ever-popular Prosecco.
Extreme sea level events predicted to rise to one a year by 2050
Events which used to occur once in a century are becoming more frequent, predicted to strike as often as once a year on some coasts in thirty years.
The latest report from The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change states that serious consequences are in store, whether we curb emissions or not. As half of the world's biggest cities and around 2 billion people live on coasts around the world, scientists expect rising sea levels to cause trillions in damage and lead to millions of migrants escaping the adverse conditions.
Stephenson’s Rocket on display in York
Today, Stephenson’s Rocket, the 1829 locomotive that powered the first inter-city railway journeys, goes on show at York’s National Railway Museum, as part of a new exhibition called 'Brass, Steel and Fire'.
The Rocket, which at one stage was Britain's most advanced engine, was last displayed twenty years ago and will now remain on view for at least ten years.
Cats do form strong bonds with their owners, just like their canine friends
Despite popular opinion classing dogs as Man's Best Friend and cats as satan with fur, new research now shows that our smaller furry friends do form the same bonds with their owners that their more-affectionate counterparts do.
Researchers at Oregon State University have discovered that cats actually rely on their owners for emotional stability. After being placed in an unfamiliar room with their caregiver for two minutes and then left alone for another two, around 65% of the cats monitored showed signs of being less stressed at the re-introduction of their caregiver.
And what is the cause of this? Insecurity, says Dr Kristyn Vitale, who led the research project. Far from being independent, 'your cat is depending on you to feel secure when they are stressed out' says Dr Vitale.
Mont Blanc glacier is about to collapse because of climate change
A glacier on the Italian side of Mont Blanc is close to breaking away. A vast mass of ice from the Planpincieux glacier on the Grandes Jorasses peak is sliding towards the valley below at a speed of 16-23in a day. Nearby roads have been closed and mountain chalets evacuated to protect the population.
The local mayor believes climate change is to blame, with rising temperatures making the mountain ‘particularly vulnerable’.
On this day…the Beatles released Abbey Road
The album, with its iconic cover, was issued on September 26, 1969, and became an instant success, even though some critics panned it at the time (it has since become regarded as one of the band’s best works).
Although Let It Be was released about six months later, most of it had been completed before Abbey Road, which was the last album the four Beatles recorded together — John Lennon announced he would leave the group six days before the album’s release, although the news was kept under wraps.
And finally…there’s ceramic in your phone
Say ceramics and the word conjures up images of decorative vases, sleek dinner plates and quaint teapots. But the material is finding a new lease on life in unexpected places — from cars to mobile phones, which have more than 600 ceramic components.
The industry is at the forefront of innovation, with ceramics already being used or poised to make their way into aerospace engines, heat management and, almost incredibly, prescription pain killers, where they could help reduce dependency.
Country Life Today: The £5 million masterpiece that hung for years on the wall of an elderly lady's kitchen
In today's news round-up there's an extraordinary auction find, worrying news for sheep farmers and a celebration of one of
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Nature and nurture in the gardens of Bramham ParkTim Richardson looks at the innovative and superbly maintained 18th-century landscape garden of Bramham Park in West Yorkshire, home of Nick and Rachel Lane Fox. Photographs by Paul Highnam.
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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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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.
