CATEGORIES

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

Whatever Floats The Boat

The actress on river life, education and not being held hostage by acting.

Eastern promise

The Fens’ unique brand of dark magic has survived centuries of upheaval, as Clive Aslet discovers.

Monks Moving Into Modernity

The monks’ accommodation at Ampleforth Abbey (above), North Yorkshire, is undergoing a major renovation for the first time in 120 years.

Double Reflection

Matthew Dennison enjoys two exhibitions devoted to Degas that explore the artist’s thoughtful, reflective approach to his work–and his habit of revisiting favourite subjects.

A Shot In The Dark

Heading out with a gun in search of one for the pot on a dank November day, John Lewis-Stempel lets a pheasant get away, but bags a plump pigeon

‘I Have Such Respect For Their Bravery'

The founder of the Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch on supporting army veterans.

Enter The Empire Of The Wood Ant

Capable of squirting formic acid distances up to 12 times its body length, the wood ant’s strictly ordered world and thrifty efficiency is celebrated in the Bible and tales of totalitarianism, observes a spellbound David Profumo.

How To De-Feather Your Nest

Do you despair of your adult children, still squatting in their childhood rooms? Kit Hesketh-Harvey shares his wisdom on dealing with the boomerang generation.

‘From one woodpecker to another'

Ariane Bankes is delighted that a little–known contemporary of Bawden and Ravilious has been brought out of the shadows

Why I Lust After Woodland With Rhododendrons

AS a gardener, I cannot help but feel excited at the prospect of spring; a book I was given as a teenager proclaims in its rather simplistic and optimistic title: Every Spring is a New Beginning.