Almost half of UK women feel unable to enjoy countryside
A recent poll found that almost half of British women do not have time to explore the countryside or even walk in their local park.
This was despite 86 percent of the 2,000 women surveyed admitting they believed spending time in nature was a good way of relieving life’s pressures and worries.
The individuals involved in the poll attributed this outdoor sacrifice to poor work-life balance and time-consuming demands from family.
On this day...
On 25 October, 1400, Geoffrey Chaucer died. The Canterbury Tales author was widely seen as the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages. He was buried in Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey.
Fireworks shunned amid animal welfare concerns
Popular firework displays have been cancelled and their sale banned at a major retailer amid animal welfare concerns.
Displays in Devon and Sheffield have been axed in order to protect local horses from becoming injured when spooked by the disturbance.
Sainsbury's has also recently confirmed it will no longer sell fireworks across its 2,300 stores, although a spokesman declined to detail why the decision had been made, stating that it was commercially sensitive.
Last year, a petition to ban the public sale of fireworks to protect animals and those with a phobia gained more than 300,000 signatures.
And finally... Seal pups make their first appearance
The first Atlantic grey seal pups of the season have been spotted on the Farne Islands, just off the Northumberland coast.
Globally, the Atlantic grey seal is one of the rarest seal species and is a protected sea mammal and numbers are estimated to be around 300,000 with half living in British and Irish waters.
The Farnes is home to one of the largest colonies in England and last year seal pup numbers reached a record high of 2,737 — an increase of 57 per cent over the last five years.
The sighting of the first pup of the year triggers the start of the seal pup count by National Trust rangers on the islands, and they’ll be waiting to see if the upward trend continues.
Credit: Gill Kennett / Alamy Stock Photo
Grey seals: The doe-eyed ‘people of the sea’ who are full of surprises
Britain set for stupendous autumn colours thanks to 'perfect conditions' through the summer
Forestry England has predicted an impressive display of autumn colours that will start now and continue through to mid-November.
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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.
