Innholdsfortegnelse for 8-Aug-18 i Country Life

NEXT week sees the start of what could be a pivotal grouse-shooting season. In contrast to last year, when grouse were so numerous that the shot-game market for old and young birds was scandalously almost non-existent, this year’s counts look decidedly patchy. Days are already being cancelled and, in some cases, the whole shooting programme. The Beast from the East took its toll on many old and diseased birds whose lives had been extended by the use of medicated grit. This will be a blessing in disguise to the species in general, but will come as a shock to a generation of gamekeepers and moor owners that has taken the recent boon for granted now that massive population crashes, meted out by the strongyle worm, are a thing of the…

THE Heritage Lottery Fund has contributed £1.6 million to a National Trust plan to transform the historic site of Runnymede in Surrey, but the Trust is currently £300,000 short of its target of £2.1 million and is asking for public donations. Famed as the serene, reedy location beside the Thames where a beleaguered King John met his barons to sign the Magna Carta in 1215, the plan is to provide more interpretive material on the momentous event and the site’s other monuments, as well as walking trails. Not before time, access will be improved to the adjacent site at Ankerwycke, home of the Ankerwycke Yew, which, at at 2,500 years old, is the Trust’s oldest tree. Measuring some 31ft in girth, the yew is in the grounds of the ruined…

WE’VE just returned from a magical family trip to Dresden in Germany. To help tackle the sheer volume of its cultural treasures, we made some child-friendly diversions, leaving time in museum visits for the Elector of Saxony’s automata collection and the menagerie of huge porcelain animals in the Meissen factory. We needn’t have bothered. One child complained with increasing conviction at these supposed highlights and then showed a totally unexpected interest in an exhibition on Polish conceptualism (including some objects that might not otherwise have passed parental censorship). The other happily whiled away the time sketching any object that caught their eye. This would have been an unalloyed pleasure if they hadn’t kept sitting on the floor to do so, irrespective of the flow of visitors. The one object that…

Vivent les Français! I READ with interest your article ‘The great gundog debate’ and felt moved to correct an important omission—you make no reference to the Brittany (right). They’re excellent dogs for flushing, but can also point and retrieve very well. This is because, although they look like small, lightweight springers, they have pointer and setter blood in their heritage. They have boundless energy, can cope with any terrain, are very intelligent and are much the most common choice of gundog in their native France. Gillian Broadley, London A glass act MY friends and I were astonished recently at the Ninfield Music Festival to have our bottle of wine confiscated, together with the glasses and all the knives from our picnic basket—as demanded by the council in the name…

THERE’S a copy of the Andrew Festing painting Conversation Piece in one of Ted Dexter’s upstairs rooms. The work depicts great English post-Second World War cricketers, including Denis Compton and Alec Bedser, in the Lord’s Long Room. Sadly, Mr Dexter is the last one of the halcyon ensemble still alive. ‘I was from a slightly younger generation than the others,’ he points out, reflecting on the sitting. ‘I was only asked when someone dropped out at the last minute. I said: “But I don’t have an MCC blazer.” They told me: “Don’t worry. Just get down here”.’ The handsome, hawk-like profile is unmistakeable. In the 1960s, often branded cricket’s grey decade, Milan-born Mr Dexter brought a dash of glamour. He was an attacking all-rounder who captained England 30 times and…

WHAT a pity that the great Alfred Munnings, in painting My Wife, My Horse and Myself, was not inspired to add to the picture ‘My Dog’. So devoted were the Munningses to their Pekingese Black Knight that it was stuffed on its death and Lady Munnings continued to carry it about under her arm, lifeless but lifelike. Once upon a time, the Pekingese enjoyed considerable popularity as a breed. More recently, its perceived desirability has plummeted, eclipsed entirely by that of the shih tzu; Pekingese are as rare in Britain’s parks and gardens as a new novel on Waterstones’ bookshelves by the late peke-fancying Barbara Cartland. Canine fashion is nothing new. As long ago as the 1950s, short-story writer William Sansom could ask ‘Where have all the Sealyhams gone?’,…

THE Abbey of Kremsmünster in Upper Austria is an institution that traces its history back to the period in which the cultural and linguistic divisions of modern Europe were being forged. It was founded in 777 by Duke Tassilo of Bavaria, one of a small group of monasteries he is otherwise known to have established across his dominions. Such foundations were not only pious endeavours, but also the means by which territory could be exploited, administered and integrated. From this moment of foundation, there survives one extraordinary heirloom: the Chalice of Tassilo (see box, page 52). Of the early form of the monastery, nothing is securely known, although it stands in a region intensively developed during the Roman period (several Roman tombstones survive reused within the modern fabric). In 788,…

• Tracey Emin’s My Bed art installation, complete with discarded condoms and empty vodka bottles, was sold for £2.5 million in 2014 to Count Christian Duerckheim, who recently loaned it to Tate and its partner, the Turner Contemporary gallery in Miss Emin’s home town of Margate, Kent • Salvador Dalí would take his afternoon naps while holding a key in his hand, in the hope that the resulting clang of it hitting the floor would wake him up again • Elvis Presley had a custom-made round bed in a (hideous) shade of pale brown that, appropriately, given his love of junk food, looked uncannily like a hamburger and was christened thus by his daughter Lisa Marie • Few people hated sleep more than Edgar Allen Poe, who called it ‘little…

What are the current trends? We’re definitely seeing a return to a more Edwardian-style approach, with different spaces dedicated to specific tasks, such as pantries and larders, as well as flower rooms and sculleries. In the USA, there are even rooms dedicated to present-wrapping. In the past, some have combined boot rooms with laundry rooms, but where space allows, it’s better to separate them: I like to think of the boot room being the airlock between the outside and the inside of a house. A utility room should be free of mud and paws. Where do you start? This kind of space is like a fantasy room for many. Together with a boot room, it’s what city dwellers dream about having when they move to the country and enter some…

The apple crop comes mainly in October, but some worthwhile cultivars are at their best as early as August. In general, their flavour is good and their flesh refreshing. They should be eaten straight off the tree for maximum pleasure, as none of them will keep, which has done their commercial reputations no good. Among the favourites is Worcester Pearmain (right), always prettily blushed and juicy to the bite. An old favourite, long in decline, but still to be found here and there, is Beauty of Bath. If you can find Devonshire Quarrenden, purple, crisp and tasty, your joy will be complete.…

A consignment of drawings by Sir Quentin Blake—many, alternatives for much-loved illustrations—made £768,625 for his favourite charities. A record £50,000 was paid for Charlie, Willie Wonka and Grandpa Joe, in which he was asked to ‘imagine that Dahl’s characters have been invited to come and sit for their portrait; they are depicted, not quite as they appear in the illustrations, but more formally, treated as though they were real people—which, of course, to many of us they are’.…

• August 31 StringSound dementia-friendly concert, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 1.30pm. Tickets free, booking essential (0141–353 8000; www.glasgowconcerthalls.com) • September 28 and October 13 St Paul’s Knightsbridge, London SW1, 3pm, dementia-friendly concerts (40 minutes) promoted by Songhaven. Tickets free, booking essential (020–7201 9999; www.songhaven.co.uk) • November 17 Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, 1pm, dementia-friendly chamber-music concert, tickets £12.50 (0151–709 3789; www.liverpoolphil.com) • Turtle Key courses are at Chester University from September 5 and Hackney from October 5 (www.turtlekeyarts.org.uk/turtle-song) • Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s Cake Concerts (01202 644738; www.bsolive.com/boost) • Music for Life, Wigmore Hall, London W1 (020–7258 8246; www.wigmore-hall.org.uk) Lost Chord 01709 811160; www.lost-chord.co.uk Created Out of Mind www.createdoutofmind.org Creative Journeys (020–7520 1494; www.orchestraslive.org.uk)…

AT SCHOOL, we used to assemble once a week for Latin prayers. Pater Noster, qui es in coelis… We did it for no other reason than that it had always been done, which is still a reason, and we were conscious of pronouncing the words according to the medieval English practice, when qui rhymed with why and the c in sanctifecetur was soft. It didn’t improve my Latin, but perhaps it made me better at prayers. The point was not to understand the words so much as to collaborate in the act. We horsed around a bit, but, on the whole, we liked the rhyme and repetition, the monkish atmosphere and feeling that the words, however dimly understood, invoked something old and wise. It was like inhabiting, for a spectral…

THE Derbyshire Historic Building Trust is inviting nominations for its newly instituted awards this year, which aim to promote the preservation and conservation of Derbyshire’s heritage. There are a number of categories of award, including the restoration of a public building, restoration of a historic interior, restoration of a historic building in an urban setting, restoration of a historic garden or landscape, the best new building in the historic tradition and the best campaign to save historic architecture. Lady Sophia Topley will be presenting the Deborah Devonshire Award for Excellence, intended to celebrate a sustainable building in a historic setting. More information is available at www.derbyshirehistoricbuildingstrust.org.uk and the deadline for nominations is August 31.…

AFTER a year of topsy-turvy weather, from the Beast from the East to the summer heatwave set to last through August, things don’t look good for next year’s harvest. Dried-up soil has hindered the growth of carrots in the UK, for example, as well as our main carrot suppliers, Spain, France and the Netherlands, meaning we may have to import them from as far as Israel. Prices will rise significantly and next year’s carrot crop is estimated to be merely 70% of its usual size. It’s not only carrots. Last week, Defra Secretary Michael Gove met with the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA), charities and others at the NFU’s agricultural drought summit (Agromenes, page 35) to discuss the situation for British food production and the challenges…

As I write, heat and drought have continued almost unabated in southern England since early May. There hasn’t been a summer like this since 1976 (when, as luck would have it, I was in Brazil, where it was unseasonably cool and damp). Among other conundrums, this poses the question of what kind of red wine to drink when a powerful ‘beaker full of the warm south’ isn’t necessarily what you need. I have a solution in the form of an often scorned grape, Cinsault, not generally associated with quality, but increasingly favoured by winemakers seeking lighter and more delicate reds, as well as fresh rosés. Why you should be drinking it Cinsault (sometimes spelled Cinsaut) has a long history, mainly based in Languedoc-Roussillon. Its other great homeland is the…

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THE magnificent neo-Gothic Canadian Parliament buildings in Ottawa are on a scale to match our own at Westminster and, likewise, form part of a view that enjoys immediate national recognition. In this case, it’s the prospect across the River Ottawa, where the parliament buildings rise above cliffs in juxtaposition to Château Laurier, a spectacular hotel opened in 1912. The view of the two together across the river even appeared for a period on the Canadian dollar bill. By a strange coincidence, just as insensitive development along the River Thames threatens the setting of the Palace of Westminster, so does development in Ottawa threaten that of the Canadian Parliament. In the case of Ottawa, Athena hopes that the authorities can learn from London’s mistakes and act before irreparable damage is done.…

JOE KENNEDY once said when the shoe-shine boys start giving you stock tips, it’s time to get out of the market. In the absence of shoe-shiners, or even brogue-brushers, in rural Inverness-shire, my local market bellwether and financial adviser is John the Scrappie. In the recollection of his school contemporaries, John was the brightest boy in his year. He had the world at his feet—could have been Governor of the Bank of England back in the day—but all he ever wanted was to be a scrap dealer, which just goes to show how bright he really is. Like farmers, scrappies have a habit of looking dog-eared, but when did you last meet one on his uppers? One of life’s little pleasures used to be the wad of notes bulging…

Vulnerable Native Breeds Otterhound (24) Skye terrier (40) Glen of Imaal terrier (48) Field spaniel (50) Curly-coated retriever (53) Sussex spaniel (56) Smooth collie (60) Irish water spaniel (69) Irish red-and-white setter (70, COUNTRY LIFE, Town & Country, May 31, 2017) Smooth fox terrier (82) English black-and-tan toy terrier (84) Bloodhound (88) Norwich terrier (right, 91) King Charles spaniel (112) Lancashire heeler (119) Dandie Dinmont terrier (130, COUNTRY LIFE , August 26, 2015) Welsh Cardigan corgi (141) Kerry blue terrier (152) Manchester terrier (160) Mastiff (166) Sealyham terrier (167, COUNTRY LIFE, October 26, 2011) Bull terrier (189) Lakeland terrier (196, COUNTRY LIFE, July 26, 2017) Gordon setter (255) English setter (261, COUNTRY LIFE, August 30, 2012) Clumber spaniel (265, October 25, 2017) Deerhound (266) At Watch Soft-coated wheaten terrier (369)…

This large cup, which stands 10in high, is merely the greatest of many artistic treasures in the Abbey of Kremsmünster. The inscription on the base of the chalice names Duke Tassilo and his wife, Liutpirc, and must have been made before he was deposed by Charlemagne in 788. By long tradition, the chalice is supposed to have been made for the couple’s marriage in 768/69. It is still used on particular festivals by the community for celebrating Mass and also by the Pope for his principal Mass when he visits Austria. The community also uses it as a ballot box in abbatial elections, casting their votes into the cup.…

Clayburn fireclay sink, £964.80, Waterworks (020–7384 4000; www.waterworks.com) Brass tap, £39, The French House (020–7859 4939; www.thefrenchhouse.net) Housekeeper’s bucket in Khaki, £28, Labour and Wait (020–7729 6253; www.labourandwait.co.uk) Koppa tool box by Verso Design, £85, Skandium (020–7590 0030; www.skandium.com) Chilton ceiling dryer, £85, Garden Trading (01993 845559; www.gardentrading.co.uk) Utensil Silo by Vitra, £285, Heal’s (0333 212 1915 www.heals.com) Lucano 2 step ladder, £189, The Conran Shop (0344 848 4000; www.conranshop.co.uk) Somerton laundry basket, £98, Neptune (01793 427450; www.neptune.com) Wooden Ironing Board Summerill & Bishop, £279, Summerill & Bishop (020–7221 4566; www.summerillandbishop.com)…

Size 4.7 acres within 28 acres of parkland and woodland leading down to the River Font Climate ‘It’s the most beautiful and varied county, but it’s cold—dry, actually, by national standards—and with prevailing west winds. You can see the effects: a lot of the trees are slightly bent’ Soil Extremely heavy clay. Arabella Lennox-Boyd advised replacing the top 2ft with a mix of topsoil and compost, including spent mushroom compost Altitude 257ft Designer Lady Lennox-Boyd created the design for the gardens at Stanton Fence in 1997…

I DON’T have anything against Bedfordshire, but it hasn’t figured much in my walking life so far. If I had an image of the county, I’m afraid it was of intensive farming and lots of new housing: things I tend to avoid as I head for the hills, given a chance, or seek out untamed countryside. A few months ago, however, I was approached via COUNTRY LIFE by Nick Tusting, a resident of Carlton parish, who has devised the Eight Spires circular route through rural Bedfordshire. He suggested I try it and, after a look at the map, I was keen; I could see that this would reveal a Bedfordshire I didn’t know and would enjoy exploring. It didn’t take me long to discover that it’s a landscape with…

EINSTEIN was a gifted violinist, but whether this was cause or effect of his mathematical genius remains moot. However, anyone who sings or plays an instrument knows how intellectually stimulating, social and life-affirming it is and scientific research is now catching up with the received wisdom that performing at any level of competency is good for your brain. Last year, Katie Overy of the University of Edinburgh, a leading light in research, asked right-handed volunteers aged 18–30 to learn a new task with their left. After four weeks, aided by musical cues, the group all showed increased structural change in their arcuate fasciculus, which is responsible for the white matter linking the hearing and motor regions in the right side of the brain. In June, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology…

FOLLOWING last year’s Hedgehog Housing Census, the Hedgehog Street team—which involves the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and People’s Trust for Endangered Species—is offering advice on how to build the perfect haven for our prickly friends. Hedgehogs prefer homemade houses in shady spots; bedding (dry leaves and/ or straw) and water will encourage them. Pets won’t deter Mrs Tiggy-Winkle if conditions are right and she’s likely to rest during the day in the summer months and hibernate in winter. ‘Until now, we didn’t know what type of house was best,’ says Emily Wilson of Hedgehog Street. ‘These results tell us houses are helping hogs find a place to rest and even breed.’ Visit www.hedgehogstreet.org/housingcensus…

Exmoor The former royal hunting park has won an award from the Royal Forestry Society for its sustainable woodland management and the involvement of community groups Bara brith on the beach Airbnb has named Anglesey village Benllech the UK’s top staycation hotspot, with summer visitor numbers expected to soar by 350% Setting an example Ireland is set to become the first country in the world to end its support of fossil fuels; all coal, oil, gas and peat investments will be sold within the next five years…

THREE of the UK’s rarest horse breeds could become extinct in the next 10 years, warns the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST), which has launched a campaign to save them. A mere 240 Shire (above), 199 Clydesdale and 25 Suffolk pedigree foals were registered last year. As there were some 2.6 million heavy horses used in agriculture and trade at the dawn of the 20th century, the numbers are worryingly low. Although heavy horses are no longer needed in industry—or, indeed, war —these days, they still have important roles with the army and police, as well as in equine therapy and commercial logging, and their heritage is important. They are proving popular as riding horses, too, and have even been seen on the racetrack. ‘We, as a generation, are custodians…

AS my family will attest, I’m definitely not a morning person. As a child, I detested getting up early and my poor mum had to nag and cajole—as well as threaten to put a wet flannel on my face—to rouse me in time for me and my sister to catch the school bus from the bottom of the lane. We often had to sprint, but we always made it, albeit a little red-faced and out of breath. However, with lots of animals—dogs, chickens, rabbits and ponies—to look after, I soon learned to drag myself out of bed, although I never found it easy. Now, having just celebrated my 45th birthday, I realise that everything has changed. Far from hating having to rise at 6am—it was 4.30am when we were teaching…

MR LLOYD GEORGE has at least one gift which is not open to quibble and question. It is the art of finding the right phrase. No motto could have been more suitable for the nation at this moment than ‘Hold fast’. It associates the race at once with the British bulldog, who, even when blows are rained on him or his enemy is biting and rending with fury, maintains his grip. The ordinary collie will make a great show of fighting. The difference is that the bulldog will continually make his hold more deadly. That is just what the Empire needs to do at the present moment.…

Nick Davies is a field naturalist and professor of behavioural ecology at the University of Cambridge. His book Cuckoo: Cheating by Nature is published by Bloomsbury ‘The way Ghirlandaio has captured this tender moment seems to me miraculous and the sumptuous red garments enhance the warmth of their exchange. I adored my grandfather and this painting reminds me of his gentle nature and weathered features. Now I’m a grandfather myself, I know the adoration in the old man’s face, too. The view through the window reflects life’s journey from sunlit youth to the distant hills and echoes the contrast between the boy’s golden curls and the grandfather’s grey hair’ John McEwen comments on Portrait of an Old Man and a Boy GHIRLANDAIO (pronounced Gearlandie–o) is a nickname—a common occurrence…

Shropshire, £2 million Between the villages of Yockleton and Westbury, Stoney Stretton commands beautiful views of the Shropshire countryside. This elegant country house, which stretches to just over 7,000sq ft, provides an exceptional balance of both formal and informal rooms. There are seven bedrooms and many original features have been maintained, including a Jacobean staircase in the hall, which is thought to date back to 1635. Outside, there are formal gardens, fruit trees, a ‘pergoda’ and a Dutch barn. An array of ancillary buildings could be transformed into separate accommodation. Savills (01952 239500) North Yorkshire, £3 million Dating back to 1767, Grade II-listed Danby Hall, in the village of Danby Wiske, amid rolling countryside, is a magnificent example of late-18th-century architecture. The interiors of this impressive, 10-bedroom home preserve original…