Having It Both Ways

I WAS spoilt as a teenager. Our family garden was mostly on Chiltern chalk, but also took in a tract of sand that bracken and woodland had turned into ericaceous compost.

How Monaco Got Cool (Again)

Top talent from across the world is moving to Monaco for work and play

Battle Of The Balearics

Mallorca versus Menorca: which island is for you? Liz Rowlinson and Arabella Youens fight it out

This Train Don't Stop There Anymore

THE Landmark Trust, which has, since 1965, been rescuing buildings of historic or architectural merit and then renting them out as holiday lets, has opened its 199th building— a steam-railway cottage built in 1863 beside the Ffestiniog Railway.

The Right Way To Go

SORRY, pal. Wrong funeral.’ Having erupted into our grief, the kilted intruders —already stotious—erupted out again.

A Palladian Revival

In the second of two articles, Roger White explains how Scottish expertise and craftsmanship lie behind the remarkable and stylish revival of this outstanding property

Through A Glass Brightly

What do footballs, Ford Fiestas, Thomas the Tank Engine and Sainsbury’s have in common? They can be found in modern stained-glass windows throughout the land, reveals Harry Wallop.

Plus Ça Change

These two timeless houses have been passed from family to family

Cultivating An Island Life

The Dell Garden, Bressingham, Norfolk, George Plumptre explores the legacy of the great nurseryman Alan Bloom, via his remarkable Norfolk garden

My Chariot of Fire

My chariot of fire Owning a vintage car is like possessing fine art, going to your favourite restaurant and indulging in a luxurious holiday all at the same time. Charles Rangeley-Wilson talks to five owners about why their cars mean the world to them

Rallying to the Cause

Take a very old car and drive it to the ends of the Earth. The increasingly popular phenomenon of classic-car rallies is opening up a whole new world of adventure motoring, as dedicated participant Paddy Walker reveals

Under oak

Buying wine before it’s bottled has recently lost its attraction after the risks began to outweigh the promise. Harry Eyres looks at the en primeur market and finds that there might be light at the bottom of the barrel

Opposites attract Scottish house buyers

Whether you’re looking for a historic or contemporary property, there’s something for every taste north of the border

A Time And Place For Festive Splendour

Only exaggerated and dramatic seasonal decoration could have any impact upon Castle Howard’s decadent grandeur, in which Christmas is splendidly celebrated.

Meet The Real Rudolf

With sleigh bells ringing in her ears, Emma Hughes heads north to Scotland, where she discovers that reindeer aren’t just for Christmas

Beneath A Wild African Sky

Mark Hedges is moved by the unbridled beauty and bountiful wildlife of Zimbabwe and Zambia—and is out-fished by his son.

The Four Seasons

Over the next 24 pages, BSME Columnist of the Year and award-winning nature writer John Lewis-Stempel charts the changing year and we offer ways to enhance such pleasure in simple things

A Turkish Delight

EDINBURGH is very civilised and yet so jagged and wild. It’s even heftier when you see it through the window of a consular limousine. The Turks recently upgraded their diplomatic mission there to a Consul-Generalship and they’ve provided their Consul-General with a new consulate and a BMW driven by an affable Turkish close-protection officer with a slight Scots burr.

In Pursuit Of The Mitfords

A festive walk around Oxfordshire’s Asthall Manor conjures images of the famous ‘child hunts’

You Can Have It All

Those who long for a racy motor combined with the comfort and practicality of a 4x4 can tick all the boxes with Maserati’s new Levante

midwinter's gold rush

the buttercup-like flowers of winter aconites unfurl in the cold months, but spread their warmth with charm, finds steven desmond, and jacky hobbs meets an enthusiast who would like more gardeners to try them

send in the sows

armies of pigs, ponies, cattle and sheep are being deployed across the country to enhance woodland and even help rare natterjack toads. vicky liddell reports on the growing trend for ‘conservation grazing’

Confessions Of A Charmer

The actor on meeting Mick Jagger, turning down Chariots of Fire and a poodle puppy

Ain't Misbehaving

 THE pumpkins are eaten at last. Hallowe’en is fun, but the relentless procession of roasted gourds, ginger soups and American pie has led our household to re-dub it ‘Better-Not Squash’.

The Bear Necessities

From Aloysius to Winnie-the-Pooh, the attachment between a child and its bear can last a lifetime. Katy Birchall visits the British company bringing our teddies to life

Naughty But Spice

Nutmeg is the taste of Christmas, but it’s always had a wild side. Emma Hughes delves into its past

The Designer's Room

Guy Goodfellow has created a drawing room that’s ideal for large-scale entertaining

Of Mince Pies And Minced Spies

A refreshing take on a Dickens classic, dark dealings in Elizabethan England and a news anchorman who finally flips at a mad world

After the Snow Melts, the Fun Begins

MANY years ago, we had a National Collection of Primulas that we assembled under the auspices of Plant Heritage, an august horticultural organisation  that was, at that time, called the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens (NCCPG).

The Word's the Thing

Jeremy Taylor goes head to head with world Scrabble champion Brett Smitheram, who’s the closest thing to a walking dictionary