Out & About

The cathedral choirmaster: 'The thing I love about the Christmas repertoire is the mix of modern and ancient'

Today's piece in our series on the people who make Christmas in the country sees Kate Green meet Tim Parsons at Wells Cathedral.

The gamekeeper: ‘I’ve lost count of the school plays that I made by the skin of my teeth’

Our series on the people who make Christmas in the country what it is continues as Paula Lester meets Andrew Holloway.

'We're accidentally getting a puppy for Christmas — and we need help!' Ben Randall on helping a dog cope with Christmas

Most family homes are never more lively and raucous than they are at Christmas, but dogs don't give birth to a schedule. Ben Randall helps a reader worried about how their new puppy will cope.

The cheetah playing hide-and-seek who's a Far Side cartoon come to life

A glorious cheetah has lit up our inbox this week — plus, can you help save the black poplar? And with the dust having settled, what does the budget really mean for country houses?

What to do when your dog is aggressive towards other dogs while out on a walk

A-list dog trainer Ben Randall tells the tale of tackling a tricky issue with a dog getting aggressive while out on its daily walk.

The Christmas Carol songbook that changed the sound of Christmas

What to do when your dog gets attacked by another dog out on a walk

Ben Randall deals with a reader's difficult situation as an ordinary walk took a turn for the worse.

What happened when Country Life put The Queen's Jack Russells on the Girls with Pearls page

After the sad news that one of Her Majesty The Queen's beloved Jack Russells died at the weekend, today's special edition of the Dawn Chorus looks back at the day that Beth and Bluebell took over Country Life magazine's famous Frontispiece page to become the first ever canine Girls in Pearls.

Queen Camilla says 'sad farewell' to her beloved Jack Russell, Beth

Her Majesty Queen Camilla's much-loved Jack Russell terrier Beth has died.

How to deal with an older dog starting to show some bad behaviour after many happy years

A-list dog trainer Ben Randall helps a reader whose ageing dog has started changing its behaviour — and not for the better.

Skate at Somerset House is the friendliest thing you'll ever do in London

Relying on the kindness of strangers is alive, well, and found in Skate at Somerset House on the Strand.

Zebras, lobsters, lions and Ronald Reagan's baby elephant: The strangest pets in history

These days nobody would dream of keeping a wild animal as a pet, but there was a time, not so long ago, when a gentleman could stroll into Harrods and buy an elephant or an alligator. Jonathan Self explores the era of the exotic menagerie.

Ben Randall: Ask Country Life's canine agony uncle a question about your dog

Over the past two years our award-winning dog trainer Ben Randall has been sharing his advice with Country Life readers.

The First World War, as seen through the unique Country Life Picture Archive

Country Life looks back at the First World War through the lens of the Country Life Archive. View images, read a selection of wartime articles, and also download war artist Muirhead Bone’s first catalogue of drawings, originally published in 1917.

How to look after a dog who's gone deaf, by A-list trainer Ben Randall

Ben Randall handles a query from a reader whose dog has lost her hearing.

What do you get the dog that has everything? A shepherd's hut with a heated towel rail

Plankbridge's latest hut is designed specifically for washing the dog. Because a clean hound is a happy hound.

You've got peemail: Why dogs sniff each other's urine

Ever wondered why your dog is so fond of sniffing another’s pee? 'The urine is the carrier service, the equivalent of Outlook or Gmail,' explains Laura Parker.

Seven true ghost stories from a century of Country Life

Over the course of Country Life's 125-year history, dozens of readers have shared their tales of ghosts. Here we've picked out seven of the most fascinating.

Curious Questions: Why do we carve pumpkins at Halloween?

The devilishly smiling image of Jack O'Lantern is inseparable from Halloween, but what's the story behind it? Martin Fone explains — and discovers that the festival many complain about as an American import has been this side of the Atlantic for centuries.

Give the dog a throne: the ridiculous homes we make for our four-legged friends

Devoted dog owners, past and present, have created a veritable 'Barkitectural Digest'. Flora Watkins pays tribute to some of the most palatial pet houses in the land