Comment & Opinion

Jason Goodwin: 'Some empires take centuries to decay... others crumble like a sandcastle assaulted by the tide'

Our columnist laments the apparent beginning of the end of our current empire – but points out that it has ever been thus.

Curious Questions: Why is walking down the middle of the road called 'jaywalking'?

Jason Goodwin: 'His novels tend to involve a party of opinionated conversationalists descending on a remote country house to talk, drink, dispute and fall in love'

Jason Goodwin tells us about his latest collaboration with graphic designer Richard Adams: a bound and illustrated Christmas story for their family and friends.

The Country Life Christmas message, by the Lord Bishop of Winchester: Jesus comes into our lives, our celebrations, and can inspire change

The Rt Revd Tim Dakin, the Lord Bishop of Winchester, writes a special Christmas message for readers of Country Life.

Curious Questions: Why do we say 'Merry Christmas' instead of 'Happy Christmas'?

Have you ever stopped to wonder why we say 'Merry Christmas' when for every other occasion we use the word 'happy' instead'? Probably not, but now we've pointed it out the reason will bug you until you've read the answer.

Jason Goodwin: On parking, the genius of the Tube and lopping the naughty bits off statues

A day out in London sees Jason Goodwin having a run-in with a car wash, paying tribute to a 20th century genius and ending up a prisoner of modern technology.

Jason Goodwin: The dogs who bounded off down the drive one summery evening, never to be seen again

Our columnist tells a sad tale which brings to mind his own pain at losing a pair of dogs, who happily ran off playing one evening and never came back.

Jason Goodwin: On wardrobes, spontaneous combustion and burning Vladimir Putin

Our columnist takes his life into his own hands by witnessing the ceremonial destruction of Russian premier Vladimir Putin.

Jason Goodwin: 'Every housewife used to have a notebook in the kitchen, battered and splattered, its pages scribbled over'

Roped into a speaking at a literary festival at the 11th hour, Jason Goodwin reminisces about the old cookbooks his mother wrote and worked from, which are ever-increasingly falling out of style.

Jason Goodwin: 'It would seem that dirt isn’t merely survivable: it’s indispensable.'

Our Spectator columnist lampoons the modern practice of filtering the dirt and germs out of our day-to-day lives, cautioning against the consequences this may have on our immune systems.

Jason Goodwin: 'Nobody out there owns my darning data or knows how to harvest my stitching stats'

Our spectator columnist takes up a new skill to fight against the ravages of time - and the workings of your average British moth.

Jason Goodwin: 'The legal and democratic system that flourishes across a third of the world was hammered together on these shores'

Jason Goodwin reflects on the present's increasing ability to reflect on the past, whether through radio programs, photograph albums or just a good book.

The utterly inessential shopping list: Spooky shoes, the art of the tarte and a royally good sweatshirt

Forget about the big things. You can keep the necessities. Don't tell us about the must-haves. In a new series, Country Life's Alexandra Fraser takes a look at a few little luxuries which, in a world too full of strife and woe, will help ease your way through life with a smile on your face.

Online v high-street agents: Do the risks outweigh the value?

Online agents promise to sell your house for a fraction of high-street agents’ fees, but how does their service compare?

Jason Goodwin: 'Twice I’ve given chase to a fox with a bird in its jaws in broad daylight and won the bird back'

Our spectator columnist muses about the futility of bird ownership, given the large number of predators and their uncanny ability to break into the most fortified pen.

Jason Goodwin: The secret of Mona Lisa's smile? It's that smell coming from the kitchen

This week, our columnist reveals his secrets for creating a beautiful home-made cooking stock which will let you make all manner of wonderful dishes.

Jason Goodwin: 'At my finishing school, students might learn how to wash up and wire a plug

Our spectator columnist mules over the unfortunate truth that knowledge essential to adult life, such as how to file a tax return or wire a plug, is so missing from the curriculum of our schools.

Jason Goodwin: British vans, Czech shoes, and cars that leave their wheels behind as they pull away

Our columnist Jason Goodwin tells a tale of clapped-out cars, ancient vans and a Czech shoe magnate who turned the lift into his office.

Jason Goodwin: 'On our watch, the natural glories of our island have been atrociously depleted'

Our columnist Jason Goodwin laments the staggering decline of British wildlife and the depletion of our island's natural glories.

The London life or the country life: Who's right?

Ysenda Maxtone Graham discusses the age old debate which divides the nation in two.