When Henry Jocelyn Seymour, the 9th Marquess of Hertford, celebrated his 60th birthday on July 6, the British peer also marked two other notable 60th anniversaries. Ragley Hall, the Warwickshire stately home he inherited from his father in 1991, will have been open to the public for 60 years this summer, and the estate will be hosting one of his favourite events, The Game Fair, … Continue reading The Lord Hertford Interview
BY JON ALEXANDER Comedy Writer Tim Dawson has recently announced his intention to stand as a councillor for the Conservatives in the upcoming local elections. For those not on Twitter you may not know the name Tim Dawson, but those of us in the know, he’s an up-and-coming young Conservative breathing new life into an arguably stale and uninspiring campaign. After launching himself into a … Continue reading The Tim Dawson Interview
BY JON ALEXANDER “We need more exclusives,” our go-getting Editor was demanding at a Country Squire dinner last summer. “Come on, people, let’s do something brilliant. Let’s publish something that no-one else is putting out. We only get one life. How about North Korea? Who’s up for it?” I admit that back then our Editor’s request was met with a long and stunned silence. “Have … Continue reading CSM Exclusive: North of the DMZ
When Country Squire’s Dominic Wightman arrives in deepest Herefordshire at Ernie Warrender’s sprawling country house in the middle of nowhere, he’s met by Ernie holding a high-power blowtorch. For a moment Dominic considers turning his car around. However, after meeting Ernie, Dominic soon changes his mind. “Come on in,” says the affable Mr Warrender with a huge smile as he welcomes the Country Squire Editor … Continue reading UKIP & Ernie
Tamsin Sutherland, (formerly Tarquin) aka. The infamousT is a rather mysterious character. Born the youngest of three sons to a then-world-famous orchestral conductor and who left school at 16 without any qualifications. From that moment on, Tamsin walked both the proverbial less-beaten path and the Wild Side. A journey that has seen Tamsin experience everything from being homeless to becoming the MD of her own … Continue reading Transinister
CSM INTERVIEWS Gill Erskine-Hill has been painting for 35 years in a variety of locations, being fortunate enough to live and work in Devon, Scotland, Norfolk and the Dordogne area of South West France. Following a move back to Devon, she is re-experiencing the beauty and diversity of this part of Britain and drawing inspiration from the people and landscape there. Most of Gill’s early work … Continue reading The Artist Gill Erskine-Hill
Country Squire Magazine’s Dom Wightman interviews Andrew Fitzsimmons, the talented stained glass artist. Born in 1978 at the start of the ‘punk era’ in London, Andrew spent his early childhood on Mersea Island, near Colchester. Andrew has one daughter, Lilly, who’s also an artist and he lives in Southend. Dom: How long have you been an artist? Andy: I come from an artistic family of, painters, … Continue reading The Stained Glass Artist
BY ANASTASIA CHOO It’s a warm sunny afternoon and I am sitting in an idyllic converted church chapel in the heart of the Hertfordshire countryside in the delightful company of singer and song writer Holly Rose. Holly was the lead singer of platinum selling band Semisane in South Africa in 2004 followed by a successful solo career in the UK and two outstanding album releases. … Continue reading The Holly Rose Interview
BY ANASTASIA CHOO Ask anyone what the word “tapestry” means and the chances are that they’ll talk about old and grandiose designs that are metres long and wide, which the aristocracy often used to keep out the draft. Nowadays the need for tapestries to keep out draughts in a large hall has disappeared but the weaving of tapestries did not die in medieval times and … Continue reading Interview with a Master Weaver
Tom Gallagher was an academic for over thirty years, specialising on conflicts of nationalism and ways of reducing their velocity. He is currently Emeritus Professor of Politics at the University of Bradford. He lives in Edinburgh and has written 14 single-authored books. Among the most recent was ‘Scotland Now: A Warning to the World (2015). Here Country Squire Magazine’s Dominic Wightman interviews Tom about his … Continue reading Tom Gallagher’s England Possessed
Professor Brendan Stone is certainly extraordinary. Now in his fifties, Brendan is a Senior Academic Fellow at The University of Sheffield. This is quite a turnaround for a man who at 14 became extremely mentally ill, at 19 was in a mental hospital, at 20 became a suicide survivor and at 23 became homeless. For two decades Brendan lived what he describes as a hard … Continue reading The Extraordinary Brendan Stone
BY JON ALEXANDER “He didn’t sound like a Fishfinger” was the message I sent to my friend on Facebook. Having just finished a telephone interview with Westmorland and Lonsdale’s newest Parliamentary Candidate – Mr Fishfinger – that was all I could think to say. He’d been ever so kind to give Country Squire Magazine this exclusive opportunity, so I did not hesitate in dropping him … Continue reading The Mr Fishfinger Interview
Country Squire’s rural homelessness campaign continues with an interview by the magazine’s Dominic Wightman of a homeless lady who currently lives day to day and hand to mouth in a tent with her dog. She’s bright, she’s eloquent, she’s brave and really she shouldn’t be homeless in 21st Century Britain; in the sixth richest country on earth. But she is. Why? What is going wrong … Continue reading Rural Homelessness Interview
Aged 18 and living in Iceland, Linda Petursdottir was chopping fish in a factory. Two weeks later she was Miss Iceland. A few months later she was Miss World. Almost three decades have passed during which Linda founded and ran one of Europe’s most successful ladies only spas, Badhusid, in Reykjavik, and continued her association with the Miss World pageant as an occasional judge. Here, Country Squire Magazine’s … Continue reading From Miss World to President?
Former law-student, bouncer, binman, pub landlord and now a busy comedian, Greg Cook’s deadpan style and mastery of the spoken word led John Plowman, head of BBC Comedy, to describe him as Les Dawson for the 21st century. Greg’s also an actor and has appeared in various TV shows including Coronation Street and Citizen Khan, as well as in films including Looking for Eric. Here … Continue reading The Greg Cook Interview: PC or Un-PC?
Since 1980 Michael Turner has travelled the world in Sir Francis Drake’s wake and footsteps, recording on slide film virtually all Drake’s movements. Michael’s journeys have resulted in the discovery and verification of Drake’s previously unidentified anchorages and places ashore. Michael’s research forms the first ever pictorial, topographical biography of one of History’s greatest seafarers. Michael has travelled to Panama in search of Drake’s coffin … Continue reading In Drake’s Wake
Professor Colin Talbot was born in Dover in 1952. Professor Talbot is currently Professor of Government in Politics in the School of Social Sciences at the University of Manchester. He has also been an adviser to UK Parliamentary Committees on HM Treasury and Public Administration. Colin is the author of The Paradoxical Primate (2004) and several other books. Here, Professor Talbot is interviewed by Country … Continue reading From Marxism to Social Democracy
INTERVIEWEE: BRADLEY NICKELL Here, Country Squire Magazine’s Dominic Wightman interviews American Detective and crime writer, Bradley Nickell. Out of high school, Bradley Nickell spent almost four years in the United States Air Force, working on the super-secret SR-71 and U2 spy planes. In the last two years of his military service, Bradley also worked as a Reserve Police Officer in Marysville, California. In 1992, Bradley … Continue reading American Detective: Bradley Nickell
INTERVIEWEE: ALLAN WARREN Allan Warren is a British portrait photographer based in Covent Garden, primarily known for his images of high society including stars of the screen, celebrities and royalty. Allan also happens to be a great character, raconteur and bon vivant. Allan has photographed Mae West, Salvador Dali, Prince Charles, Roger Moore, Joan Collins and many others. Here, in a transcript of their interview, his friend … Continue reading Star Shooter & Character: Allan Warren
INTERVIEWEE: ATMA SINGH Q: What role did you have when you worked in City Hall in London? Atma: I was lead Policy Adviser to the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, on Asian Affairs in the Mayor’s Office. In addition, I had responsibility for faith matters. Q: Why were you recruited? Atma: I had predicted the rise of Asian superpowers in China and India when all … Continue reading Livingstone Staff Celebrated 9/11
