Out & About
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Bedlington terriers: The rare dog breed that conquered the coal mines and made it to Crufts
The Bedlington terrier originated in the mining towns of Northumberland, and while it might look like a lamb, it’s got the heart of a lion.
By Florence Allen Published
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'A world within a world… a community with an identity, a smoothly turning cog in the wheel of royal life': A look behind the stable doors of the Royal Mews
Home to carriages, coachmen and craftspeople, Buckingham Palace’s Royal Mews is a village in the heart of London. It celebrates its 200th anniversary this year.
By Matthew Dennison Published
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‘We couldn’t go around digging holes in existing graveyards for fear of exhuming a real body’: The man who brought The Thursday Murder Club to the big screen
Lotte Brundle caught up with James Merifield, the production designer behind the new Netflix film adaptation of the Richard Osman novel, to chat about the murder mystery.
By Lotte Brundle Last updated
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What everyone is talking about this week: The great porpoise panic
Week in, week out, Will Hosie rounds up the hottest topics on everyone's lips, in London and beyond.
By Will Hosie Published
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The otterhound — the story behind Britain's rarest breed of dog
Bred for centuries to hunt otters in icy rivers, these shaggy, web-footed hounds were once favoured by royalty. Today, fewer than 1,000 survive worldwide.
By Florence Allen Published
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One by one: The lone wolves of the animal kingdom
Mankind may be tribal and sociable by nature, yet the ‘bliss of solitude’ — a state previously reserved for hermits — is the key to achieving inner peace, says Laura Parker
By Laura Parker Published
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If there's no fish, there's no fishing, with Robin Philpott
The CEO of Farlows joins the Country Life Podcast.
By James Fisher Published
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Pugs in pearls: Nine times dogs stole the show on publishing’s most famous page
Every Monday, Melanie Bryan, delves into the hidden depths of Country Life's extraordinary archive to bring you a long-forgotten story, photograph or advert.
By Melanie Bryan Published
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The smooth collie: A working breed with beauty and brains
Once the go-to Scottish herding dog, the smooth collie is as elegant as it is dependable — a working breed with beauty and brains.
By Victoria Marston Published
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A new gilded age: Sir David Attenborough christens a rare golden eaglet
The first golden eagle to fledge from the nest of a translocated bird has been rewarded with a name selected by Sir David Attenborough.
By Rosie Paterson Published
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How Sir Walter Scott made the Dandie Dinmont terrier a legend
This week marked Sir Walter Scott’s birthday — and so it seemed the right moment to celebrate the terrier that owes its fame, and its name, to his pen.
By Victoria Marston Published
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'Two months to the Moon, three for rest and refreshment and two more for the return': The English stork success story
Long unseen on British shores, white stork chicks are hatching once again in the UK and a colony is now flourishing in West Sussex thanks to a pioneering restoration project.
By Jack Watkins Published
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How the acrobatic buzzard survived persecution to become one of Britain's best avian hunters
It may appear lethargic, but no one could argue with the hunting prowess of the common buzzard when it transforms into a surging missile intent on an unsuspecting victim.
By Mark Cocker Published
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From Lincoln to London, the crosses of Eleanor are a legacy of love
A grief-stricken Edward I built a legacy to love across the middle of England in memory of his adored Queen Consort, marked by 12 Eleanor Crosses. The historian Alice Loxton walks in the footsteps of the epic funerary procession.
By Alice Loxton Published
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Pier today, gone tomorrow: Blackpool pleasure pier up for sale
A product of Victorian entertainment, piers are synonymous with the British seaside. But they need our help to survive.
By Jack Watkins Published
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Sophia Money-Coutts: Can my dog sit with me at the table when I’m eating out?
'Admittedly, I did once offer Dennis a small piece of truffled arancini in a Mayfair restaurant, but I felt it was important that he try his first truffle.'
By Sophia Money-Coutts Published
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A hoover for goose droppings, a tree-planting battle with the Hilton, and a disgusting banana: Inside Buckingham Palace and its gardens
The summer tours of The King’s residence this year include two new state rooms and a peep inside his private gardens.
By Lotte Brundle Last updated
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'I really believe they increase productivity': If you want to get ahead, bring your dog to the office
Enhancing employee morale and increasing productivity is no longer reliant on outdated management techniques. The solution is simple, and on four legs.
By Sarah Todd Published
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‘She’s absolutely everything to me. She’s my future, my hope, my light’: How Labrador retrievers went from catching fish to saving lives
As International Assistance Dog Awareness Week comes to an end, we celebrate the Labrador retriever, one of the most cherished and versatile dog breeds.
By Florence Allen Published
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Reading al fresco: The best places in London to get lost in the written word, according to the Country Life team
In London, north, east, south and west, there's a public place suitable for all performative acts of reading.
By Country Life Published
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Marsh Harriers: The wetland-loving bird that defied the odds to reconquer British skies
Mark Cocker's first ever sighting of the bird was at Minsmere, Suffolk, in 1976 — and he's never forgotten it.
By Mark Cocker Published