Country Life UK Magazine - December 04, 2024

In this issue

The Full English Why our homegrown style is back.

Caroline Moorehead’s favourite painting The author selects a portrait that shows the ‘very essence of what it was to be Sicilian.

A Christmas less ordinary

AT the risk of ‘indecency and tumultuous conduct’—the reasons given in 1813 for shutting down the Christmas market outside Canterbury Cathedral—the precincts of the Kent landmark abound with produce, merriment and song once more this year, for the first time in more than two centuries.

1 min

For idyllic lunches

A HIGHLANDS picnic cottage frequented by Queen Victoria when staying at Balmoral has been saved from Scotland’s Buildings at Risk Register.

1 min

Shades of grey

THE first grey-seal pup of winter has been born at Orford Ness in Suffolk, marking the fourth year of successful breeding at the site; the species first arrived there, post pandemic, in 2021, and now numbers some 400 adults.

1 min

The world turned upside down

THE day after my grandfather’s funeral, my grandmother sold the herd of cows.

4 mins

What to look for in winter

This is a season that few could genuinely love, yet as the leaves and flowers abandon us, the structure of the countryside is starkly revealed. John Wright takes the time to revel in form over flamboyance

6 mins

Putting in a Good Word

The home of the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers Established in 1403, the Stationers' Company was long responsible for regulating the printing industry. Lucy Denton looks at the history of this remarkable institution and its livery hall

8 mins

The rocky-pool horror show

An extreme and changeable environment, the seashore is home to horribly fascinating creatures with gruesome habits, so why is it our idea of a blissful holiday spot, asks John Lewis-Stempel

4 mins

The legacy Henry Cole and the Christmas card

SIR HENRY COLE (1808–82) was an innovative and influential civil servant.

1 min

Bowler me over

Much to the surprise of those who associate the bowler with post-war City types, the hat's origins are entirely rural, discovers Matthew Dennison

6 mins

A touch of frost

As the year draws to a close, look out for the winds blowing us into 2025

1 min

Piste de résistance

Scotland's last ski-maker blends high-tech materials with Caledonian timber to create 'truly Scottish', one-off pieces of art that can cope with any type of terrain

3 mins

Eyes wide shut

Sleep takes many shapes in art, whether sensual or drunken, deathly or full of nightmares, but it is rarely peaceful. Even slumbering babies can convey anxiety

6 mins

Last orders

As the country-house market winds down for Christmas, two historic properties—one of which was home to the singer Kate Bush-may catch the eye of London buyers looking to move to the country next year

5 mins

The generation game

For a young, growing family, moving in with, or adjacent to, the grandparents could be just the thing

3 mins

Paint the town red

Catriona Gray meets the young stars lighting up the London art scene, from auctioneers to artists and curators to historians

7 mins

Size matters

Architectural Plants in West Sussex is no ordinary nursery. Stupendous specimens of some of the world's most dramatic plants are on display

5 mins

Savour the moment

I HAVE a small table and some chairs a bleary-eyed stumble from the kitchen door that provide me with the perfect spot to enjoy an early, reviving coffee.

3 mins

Beyond the beach

Jewels of the natural world entrance the eyes of Steven King, as Jamaica's music moves his feet and heart together

5 mins

Food for thought

A SURE sign of winter in our household are evenings in front of the television.

2 mins

All gone to pot

Jars, whether elegant in their glazed simplicity or exquisitely painted, starred in London's Asian Art sales, including an exceptionally rare pair that belonged to China's answer to Henry VIII

3 mins

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Country Life UK Magazine Description:

Country Life; architecture, gardens, countryside, property, the very best of British life Published by IPC Media. Country Life, the quintessential English magazine, is undoubtedly one of the biggest and instantly recognisable brands in the UK today. It has a unique core mix of contemporary country-related editorial and top end property advertising. Editorially, the magazine comments in-depth on a wide variety of subjects, such as architecture, the arts, gardens and gardening, travel, the countryside, field-sports and wildlife. With renowned columnists and superb photography Country Life delivers the very best of British life every week.