Unsurprisingly for someone who has spent most of his life gripping a paintbrush, pen or gun, it’s with a firm handshake that William Garfit greets me on the doorstep to his studio: a treasure trove befitting such an artist and countryman. Paintings of rivers, coastlines and flowers adorn the walls…
Racing presenters roving the pre-parade ring are never happier than to spot Lucinda Russell. With corkscrew curly hair and time for everyone, no one exudes more enjoyment for their sport. A licensed trainer now for 30 years, with 1,095 winners to her name, Russell is one of only two Scots…
Patrick Grant goes through life at quite the clip. Brought up in Edinburgh, he played rugby for Scotland at under-18 and under-19 levels. An injury ended his career but not his love of adrenaline, and after graduating from the University of Leeds in materials science he worked in Vail as…
Perhaps it’s unsurprising that we start in the boot room: if anyone knows what your home says about you, it’s Phil Spencer. And this one is a peach, crammed with photographs, fishing rods and reminders of great days in the field. There’s a giant board filled with game cards; an…
Before I leave the Cotswold home of the eventer Harry Meade, he dashes up the stairs, three at a time, and returns clutching a vintage Pony Club manual. Inside are black-and-white photos of his late father, three-time Olympic gold medallist Richard Meade, illustrating how an eventer should correctly dress: the…
Asked to describe himself, Jimmy Doherty takes a big intake of breath. “I suppose I am a farmer, conservationist, TV presenter.” He gives a self-deprecating laugh that invites friendship. “Or maybe broadcaster sounds better?” Doherty, who is a youthful 50, first rose to prominence for his flyon- the-wall series in…
“We came to thrive over other species because we were able to hunt and cook and feed our brains,” says Thomas Straker. “That all stemmed from hunting. The most dialled in I ever am is when I’m out with a gun and a dog. Walking-up woodcock or trying to shoot…
James Murray, or Jim as he likes to be known, is a phenomenon. He’s a celebrated actor, a talented artist, a gifted angler and a conservationist and campaigner who is truly making a difference in the murky waters of river management. When he was recently awarded the MBE, along with…
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…
David Howden is regarded by many as the insurance world’s answer to Richard Branson. His dynamism has shaped Howden, the insurance company he helped found 30 years ago, into the empire it is today. However, it’s not the likes of Necker Island and taking to the skies that occupy him…
