Victoria Marston

Dec 25, 2024 | countrylife.co.uk | Victoria Marston

It's Christmas day. You've probably run out of things to talk about. Why not do this quiz to pass the time? Answers will be posted at 1:30pm tomorrow. 1) Which ITV television drama finally brought a national scandal to the full attention of the public?

Dec 24, 2024 | countrylife.co.uk | Victoria Marston

It's the season to be jolly... but it's also the season to kick back on the sofa and watch lots of films. These days, we tend to choose what to pick after an aimless 20 minutes scrolling through the menus on Netflix or Disney+, but it wasn’t always like this.

Oct 24, 2024 | countrylife.co.uk | Victoria Marston

Tis the season to roast sweet chestnuts. It’s one of Britain’s best-loved tree species and it’s naturalised in some areas, but the sweet chestnut tree —  Castanea sativa — isn’t a native, having arrived with the Romans.

Oct 2, 2024 | countrylife.co.uk | Victoria Marston

Thanks to escapees from private collections and zoos, hitchhikers and releases of inconvenient pets, followed by the breeding efforts of these resilient species, the British Isles are now home to all kinds of exotic fauna not at all native to these shores.

May 1, 2024 | countrylife.co.uk | Victoria Marston

With experts warning that regional accents could disappear within decades, our sometimes quaint and, often, bizarre dialect words are becoming ever-more precious. For such a small island, the UK contains a wealth of diversity.