Masterpiece
Percy Powell-Cotton’s wildlife dioramas still have the power to amaze, finds Jack Watkins
A lot on their plate
Bookplates are miniature works of art, avers John F. Mueller
One ring to rule them all
The ancient signet-ring tradition is thriving, says Jonathan Self, as he commissions his own
A taste of honey
Cursed aphids have their role, too: as food, notes Ian Morton
London Life
Walking in literary footsteps, the opening of secret gardens and a peacock called Kevin
Then and now
Melanie Bryan reveals what concerned Country Life, from credit cards to the destruction of country houses, in the 1950s
Happy and glorious
Carla Carlisle describes the day she rescued The Queen
Ronnie Archer-Morgan’s favourite painting
The antiques expert chooses a muse by a precocious talent
‘Lord of the town’
Thirsk Hall, North Yorkshire, is thriving in the hands of the family that built it, reveals Oliver Gerrish
Interiors
Libraries and the WOW!house
Rural charms
The garden of Westbrook House in Somerset blends perfectly into the agricultural landscape, believes Caroline Donald
Back with a bang
Tiffany Daneff is delighted by the return of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show to its spring slot
Kitchen garden cook
Melanie Johnson on artichokes
The good stuff
Hetty Lintell is in celebratory mood
If you can’t beat them, hire them
James Fisher assesses the England cricket team
Real artists eat lunch
Laura Gascoigne on Henry Moore
There’s life in the old chair yet
Matthew Dennison meets the man breathing life into old furniture
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The Country Life guide to Somerset: What to do, where to stay and how to eatSomerset is rich in natural beauty and history, but it is its wealth of small-scale food and drink producers, farmers and makers that really set it apart from the competition. Find out how to make the most of it all with our indispensable guide.
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How to make a gloomy city garden into a haven of colour and natureTiffany Daneff discovers how to transform a typically dark London back garden into a light-filled green haven that is always in use. Photographs by Clive Nichols.
