CATEGORIES
My favourite painting Claire German
Thomas Cromwell by Hans Holbein the Younger
Love in a time of depression
A revival of Lucy Prebble’s The Effect raises big questions and, if the rain holds off, a rousing outdoor musical should raise the spirits
The yolk's on them
The jury is out as to whether the humble Scotch egg is a snack or a ‘substantial meal’. Either way, this headline-stealing, hand-held hero is outrageously delicious
In the swim
Christopher Woodward dives into the history of the swimming pool and relishes some lengths in the best private pools in the country
The right tools for the job
ANYONE venturing into my office might presume that my desk is a disorganised mess. However, like most people with a cluttered desk, I know exactly where to find every last magazine, letter, invoice and newspaper cutting. It is the same with the garden tool shed: I know where every tool is, even the hand trowel that has, in fact, been left in the garden. I can put my hand immediately on a hose connector, ball of string or wire stretcher that lives in a crate, jumbled with dozens of other odds and sods that will be needed at some point during the season. To call the place a tool shed is a misnomer: it is the broken chair, old bicycle, log basket and bric-a-brac shed, with a bit of space for garden tools.
It's all in the genes
As well as honouring her family’s history of plant breeding, the artist and garden designer Caroline Thomson has created a remarkable garden
Scotland's A-listers take the stage
Some of Scotland’s most spectacular scenery provides a glorious backdrop to four historic country houses and estates that have recently come to the market
Divide and rule
A new Plain English design in Northumberland demonstrates the benefits of carving up a kitchen
Hoop, stock and barrel
Crafting wooden casks is an ancient art form that requires traditional makers to jump through hoops to construct vessels strong enough for the task of maturing precious Scotch whisky
Have your oatcake and eat it
Delicious with sweet or savoury toppings–or, for the purist, plain–oatcakes have long been a kitchen staple and not only for Scots
Heart of stone
Shrouded in myth and mystery, the unremarkable-looking Stone of Scone– the ancient symbol of Scottish sovereigns–still plays a significant role in the coronations of British monarchs
The ultimate walk of shame
Tired, hungry and demoralised, the Highlanders marched from Culloden to Nairn on the eve of the final and fateful confrontation of the Jacobite Rising. Some 300 years later, Joe Gibbs retraces their footsteps and considers what went wrong
Holding fast
Dunvegan Castle, Isle of Skye The seat of Clan MacLeod One of Scotland’s most celebrated and anciently occupied castles has undergone a decade of restoration and renovation.
Just save us all
We can combat climate change and achieve international peace, if only we could stop and listen to the very real progress being made
Feasts for the eyes
Although the art market is on its summer holidays, there are plenty of excellent exhibitions to visit, including one in France
Floral madeleines
COMFORT food’ is a term familiar to anyone who enjoys a good meal
Here we go round the mulberry tree
Familiar from the famous nursery rhyme, the mulberry tree is so prized for the silkworms that feed on its luscious fruit that, long ago, the Chinese would execute anyone exporting a specimen
Try something new
Foreign introductions are always tempting to grow–and so often disappoint– but, writes John Hoyland, the Australian baptisia is proving hardy and happy in a range of conditions here and becoming a new garden stalwart
Kings, cricket and villainy
It should come as no surprise that the homes of the ‘Garden of England’ hold such rich histories
Giving it large
Why bold pattern is a magic ingredient in a scheme
The designer's room
Nels Crosthwaite Eyre employed a dramatic wallpaper to inject pattern, scale and colour into a converted building in north London
A real fly by night
Once reviled as a creature of doom, the nightjar is an avian miracle that sits silently motionless by day and flies noiselessly at night. No wonder it is so hard to spot
A dramatic revival
The decaying shell of a medieval peel tower has undergone a near miraculous restoration and revival as a family home. Jeremy Musson reports
'Tis the silly season
More chirping and less tweeting would be bliss in August
And all that jazz
So much more than flappers and frivolity, the 1920s saw Britain blossom with an extraordinary creative confidence that transformed art, fashion, music and literature, as Claire Jackson discovers
Cream of the crop
From historic island residences to homes with commanding views, Holly Kirkwood has the pick of the best Guernsey properties for sale
Island of plenty
From crustaceans, scallops and shellfish to its legendary milk and cream, Guernsey has long been famous for the quality–and abundance– of its produce, reveals Oliver Berry
I say a little prayer for you
Designed as a miniature replica of the basilica at Lourdes, the seashell- and mosaic-decorated Little Chapel on Guernsey was at risk of collapse until a group of locals stepped in, as Arabella Youens discovers
The original poster boy
From the mauve sky of Waterloo Sunset to the pastoral Arcadia of rolling fields in God’s Own Country, Stephen Millership’s evocative travel scenes capture Great Britain’s soul. Andrew Liddle meets the man behind the art
No fin compares to you
From elusive angelsharks to chunky, sprinting shortfin makos and glow-in-the-dark velvet belly lanterns, Helen Scales gets up close and personal with the sharks that swim in British waters