Gas-expelling fountain pens and sleeve guns are not exclusive to James Bond film sets. Producing special weapons became a serious business from 1940, as Mark Murray-Flutter explains. For more on…
Country House
How to grow early harvest potatoes
Our eagerness to enjoy new potatoes year-round has resulted in an often over-mature offering from the supermarket. Avoid disappointment by learning how to grow early harvest potatoes in pots, by…
Nick Orr, sporting artist
The work of Nick Orr encourages us to see familiar scenes in an entirely new way – a whole day’s shooting in a single feather for example, as Janet Menzies…
Julia Mitchell, sporting Diana
From cultivating land throughout hot, Italian summers as a child to chasing adventures across the globe, Julia Mitchell has learnt that nothing is more important to sporting life than companionship.…
The Lady Farmers 2020 naked charity calendar
It’s not just the shooting and hunting folk prepared to disrobe for a cracking cause. The farming crowd can be replied upon to raise funds the proper, country way. The…
How to replace a heavy duty zip
Never resign a favourite shooting coat to the bin, even if its zip has broken. Though they are rather fiddly, they are simple enough to fix. Learn how to replace…
Ashes to ashes: the devastation of ash dieback
Ash is the second most abundant tree in small woodlands after oak, used extensively by furniture makers and craftsmen, praised for the extensive biodiversity it can sustain and beloved by…
Things named after Queen Elizabeth II
From ocean liners to aircraft carriers, national parks, islands and a substantial chunk of Antarctica, things named after Queen Elizabeth II are not hard to come by – and not…
How to make a pond: reverse a century of loss
Make a pond in the garden and you will be doing far more than providing the dogs with a paddling pool. Over the last century, ponds have fallen into neglect…
Free range hens: home on the range
Free range hens ensure rich, golden yolks for breakfast – and they also help wild birds, bees and the environment, says Tim Field. For more on farming, learn about the…