Bored of being in the office? Well, this weekend is your chance to drop everything and jump on a train down to our gleaming coastline. Alexandra Fraser rounds up a few of the utterly inessential things that you should probably, potentially, but definitely not absolutely, bring with you.
It’s been dubbed ‘the world’s most idiotic marathon’: a 26-mile run through vineyards, fuelled by wine and cheese. Emma Hughes finds out if she has the stomach for the legendary Marathon du Médoc.
The world-famous Concours of Elegance is coming to Hampton Court Palace in September – and we've a ticket offer for Country Life readers.
Heritage railway trips offer a slice of 1930s glamour in an era, as Toby Keel found out on a trip on the Dartmouth Express.
We've rounded up all the utterly inessential products that you absolutely do not need (top hats for Ascot aside) to enjoy this summers season of festivals, shows and races. This week: Ascot.
There are many ways to show your Dad that you love and appreciate him. There's breakfast in bed, an offer to mow the lawn, a big hug and the offer of the last biscuit. On the other hand, there's a bunch of things that he probably doesn't want, definitely doesn't need, but we're sure he'll appreciate nonetheless. Happy Father's Day.
For the places that their famous cars cannot go, Rolls Royce have created the perfect dining companion, perfectly paired with the offerings of Jay-Z's own Champagne house.
Our correspondent and two fishing friends find the refreshed Toyota Hi-Lux is more than a match for New Zealand’s rocky terrain and a mountain of gear.
It might look like something from the ‘Looney Tunes’ cartoon series, but the new, smartened-up version of the pint-sized Fiat 500, the Abarth Rivale, is a hot hatchback.
No downstairs cloakroom is complete without a wooden loo seat. Jane Wheatley investigates why burr walnut is always preferable to plastic when it comes to sitting pretty.
We’ve all heard the hype about English gin and sparkling wine, but those with an eye on the future should look to whisky, says Rupert Ponsonby.
This week on Utterly Inessential we bring you a selection of products to browse while you consider what happens when people need neither a house nor alcohol they can actually, reasonably drink, and thus decide to sink enough money to buy the house which owns the estate on which my dream house sits on into a breakable bottle of whisky.
Fifty years ago, Concorde first took flight and became a British icon. It was ahead of its time then – and still would be today, reflects James Fisher.
Another week has gone by in which producers and purveyors of goods have asked themselves not 'what does the world need?' but a far greater question: 'What does the world absolutely not need, but still whimsically wish for?'
Learning how to drive on snow and ice could save your life. It's also bloody good fun, as Adam Hay-Nicholls discovered driving Jaguars in sub-zero conditions through the Swedish wilderness.
London's most famous bridge is 125 years old in 2019, but for all the marvellous facts there's only really one story anybody wants to hear. Is it true that a double decker bus once cleared the gap as the bridge was opening?
Over the past decade and a half the Bentley Continental GT has become the most-successful model in the company's history. As the Crewe-based firm hit their centenary, Toby Keel takes a look at the latest iteration of their flagship model.
