A childhood pastime goes global

Held in Southwick, Northamptonshire, on the second Sunday of October each year, this competition has taken place since 1965. These days thousands come to watch in the grounds of the Shuckburgh Arms, w

Corn-dolly crafter Colette Hughes describes the bleak situations our ancestors faced. “Imagine,” she says. “It’s winter and your family is hungry and cold. It gets dark early, fresh food is in short s

PLACES TO GO, THINGS TO DO, IDEAS TO TRY

Many people associate clans with Scotland, but the word originated in Ireland in the early Middle Ages. It derives from the Irish clann, meaning children, and is used to describe a highly organised hi

Karen Youngs encounters squabbling herons and glimpses an elusive predator on a waterside walk

Halloween wasn’t always the big deal it is now, our columnist recalls