Archive
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How to save your plants, pots and soil from freezing weather
Save your plants, pots and soil from freezing weather. As colder weather beckons, now is the time to save your plants, tackle your soil, harvest the last of your summer veg and protect crops during winter. Don’t leave it until the ground’s
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The Kent-born adventurer with a true passion for hot air ballooning
Superman may have been the Man of Steel, but Henry Coxwell was the real-life gutsy hero with nerves of steel- and he also loved to fly. The very cool customer that was Henry Tracey Coxwell once shimmied up the rigging of a hot air balloon while
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The remarkable antique clothes that turn up in today’s auction houses
In the bustling world of auction houses, textiles often emerge as fascinating remnants of history, each piece carrying a unique story. From vintage high fashion designer pieces to rare children's clothing from the Georgian period, the variety is endless
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Why 2025 could see a major event at the Rollright Stones in the Cotswolds
Were the Rollright Stones in the Cotswolds a way of keeping track of the calendar thousands of years ago? Over the coming months, astronomers are expecting to see 'major lunar standstill'. In the eighth instalment of her bestselling Almanac, Lia Leendertz
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The life of John Wilson of Graythwaite
John Wilson (c. 1752–1812) is one of the more remarkable people in our county’s history. He is also one of the more elusive. A self-taught mathematical genius and musician who lived near Hawkshead, he garnered local interest in the decades after his
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Joseph Brereton: the founder of the ill-fated Norfolk County School
For no less than 121 years the successive rectors of Little Massingham were members of one family, the Breretons – the first was the son-in-law of the patron of the living, the owner of the Little Massingham estate. A good Trollopian-era arrangement
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The decorated sailor who became the Commander of Hampshire Sea Fencibles
The first Governor of New South Wales, which in turn foreshadowed the nation of Australia, Admiral Arthur Phillip was born in London but would find a home in Hampshire on more than one occasion, the last of which would also see him responsible for
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Southend's Victorian-era action man
Long before the buff and sculpted lifeguards of Baywatch were even an idea, Essex pier-keeper William Bradley was a tour de force in carrying out heroic rescues. The Victorian-era action man was forever leaping into the frozen waters of the estuary
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The renovation of a 18th century Grade II listed water mill
For centuries, mankind has fought to harness the power of nature and bring her stunning potential under its will. At Heron Corn Mill, Stuart Hobbs’ careful and considered working and weaving among antique beams and machines has won over the River Bela
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The archaeological discovery in Cheshire that made global headlines
Rachel Pugh was a young reporter on a free weekly paper in Wilmslow when she got the first tip-off of an archaeological discovery that made global headlines. Forty years on she is retelling the story she wasn’t credited for the first time around
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The first Cumbrian to become Britain’s Poet Laureate
I used to feel sorry for Robert Southey. He was an important writer and poet in his day. He was also the first Cumbrian to become Britain’s Poet Laureate. He is not widely read now, though. In fact, he is probably the least known of the Lake Poets
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Queen Victoria's African goddaughter who lived in Brighton
Saved from being ritually sacrificed in Africa as a child, Sarah Forbes Bonetta was rescued and presented to Queen Victoria who made the girl her ward and goddaughter. Here, as we celebrate Black History Month, we here how she married and lived in
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John Drax: the life of one of Dorset's eccentric characters
Driving to lunch with old friends near Sturminster Newton we took a detour to visit Holnest church. I knew the chances would be slim of finding any trace of what was once the county's most bizarre folly, the Byzantine mausoleum built in the churchyard
