The Lord Mayor’s Show, an 800-year-old pageant chronicled by Pepys, painted by Canaletto and the first outdoor event ever to be televised live, is a fixture of English life. So too are the City of London livery companies whose colourfully robed members comprise a key part of this show, and…
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Recipe: Blackcurrant sorbet with toasted brioche and clotted cream
A perfect summer pudding with rich colour and fresh taste. Sorbets are light and refreshing but still packed with flavour. (See Philippa’s recipe for blackcurrant clafoutis here.) Recipe for blackcurrant sorbet Serves 4 Ingredients 500g (171⁄2oz) blackcurrants 200ml (7fl oz) water 150g-200g (5oz-7oz) caster sugar Zest and juice 1 orange…
The history of estate tweeds
Shooting can attract the flashier type: those who arrive by helicopter, who shoot with a Fabbri Titanium gun and wear £350 alpaca socks. But if you really want to impress your host – or indeed your guests – there’s a classier way of showing off: turn up wearing your own…
British trained gundogs: the envy of the world
The first time I catch up with Charlie Thorburn, the gundog trainer to the 1%, he has just joined the M6 Toll and has been awake for a long time. Thorburn is on his way home to Perthshire from New York where he has been delivering a trio of fully…
How to make lavender sugar
A reader writes: Last year I dusted my mince pies with vanilla sugar, which I had made myself. Earlier this year I read an article saying that lavender sugar was also good, but I can’t find any information on the correct quantities. I assume you can use dried lavender? Could…
Risk assessments for your shoot
Risk assessments are now a vital part of any shoot, and it is incumbent upon us all to make what we do as safe as possible. Kevin Wissett-Warner, an independent rural management consultant who advises shoots across the south of England, gives his advice on how conduct a risk assessment.
Fruit trees and the “June drop”
Mike Swan reminisces about his early fruiting experiences and the tricky hand nature plays in the quest for the perfect set.
How to take an HPR shooting
Breaking into shooting is difficult in the best circumstances, and becomes even more so when you have an HPR. But old assumptions that they are noisy and hard mouthed are gradually dying out, says David Tomlinson. (Read more on HPR breeds here.) It’s no longer just labradors and spaniels in…
What to do with your working dog when you go on holiday?
Going on holiday should be relaxing, but planning what to do with the dog can be stressful. Janet Menzies packs up your troubles with various suggestions.
The Field Interview: Lady Glenconner
Even the walnut tree in the garden here has a venerability graced with a novel twist. “It is so old the holes are filled with polystyrene to stop water getting in,” explains Lady Glenconner, million-copy bestselling author, formerly lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret, wife of Mustique creator Colin Tennant and, before…









