Rupert
BY STEPHEN PAX LEONARD I reckon if you travelled the length and breadth of the land, you would be hard pushed to find many folk that wouldn’t rather like to give two-tier Keir the proverbial Foxtrot Oscar. He is much despised and for good reason. For me, one of the most objectionable things about him is that he appears as this ineffectual, weak-kneed puppet-like administrator … Continue reading Rupert
Would Jimmy Lai Have Been Any Better Off In Britain?
BY NOAH KHOGALI Justice doesn’t always die in front of a firing squad. For Jimmy Lai, a 78-year-old British citizen, the Chinese Communist Party simply sent over a certificate that ensures he will likely die alone in a prison cell. Before the trial even began, the state issued a “certificate” under the National Security Law. In one letter, it abolished the jury and replaced twelve … Continue reading Would Jimmy Lai Have Been Any Better Off In Britain?
The Perils of Voluntary Voting
BY DOMINIC WIGHTMAN Voluntary Voting Surrendered New York and Threatens Us All One can almost hear the ghost of Theodore Roosevelt, that great Bull Moose of American vigour, spinning in his grave at Oyster Bay. The news from across the Atlantic is not merely disappointing; it is a dire portent, a flashing red light on the dashboard of Western civilisation. New York City—the towering testament … Continue reading The Perils of Voluntary Voting
A Damned, Dirty Business
BY DENE BEBBINGTON During the heyday of ocean liners crossing the Atlantic captains were expected to schmooze passengers, as on cruise ships today. In that case, we may wonder why a man who called them “a load of bloody monkeys who are constantly chattering” ever wanted the position. William Turner (1856-1933) dreamt of earning a captainship and had fewer qualms about the worst case duty … Continue reading A Damned, Dirty Business
Understanding Filipino Rummy Game Tongits for 2026
Tongits is a Filipino rummy game distinguished by its blend of strategy, observation, and social interaction. Originating from rummy, it emphasizes cultural values such as patience and adaptability. With specific rules and regional variations, it continues to engage players while serving as a framework for learning decision-making skills and fostering communal experiences. Continue reading Understanding Filipino Rummy Game Tongits for 2026
The Parasite of Animal Rights
BY JOHN NASH Hunting’s Parasite. How animal rights ideology infiltrates conservation—and kills its host There is a danger, Dear Reader, that the people closest to the practical business of wildlife conservation fail to understand the political threat creeping quietly through our world. Gamekeepers, rangers, game managers, veterinarians, and landowners are, by necessity, grounded in reality. They deal with animals as animals—living, breeding, dying, competing—inside complex … Continue reading The Parasite of Animal Rights
An Epiphany Prayer
VICAR Dear Readers of Country Squire Magazine, I trust that You are well and ready to return to work tomorrow if You are required to. I trust that You had an excellent Christmas break and enjoyed the festive season. This week, with Epiphany almost upon us, let us look at Epiphany and what it represents: Epiphany Sunday is the Christian celebration of the moment Jesus was … Continue reading An Epiphany Prayer
Diversifying – Baavet
BY ALLISON LEE Roger Payne and his wife Lesley bought a traditional hill sheep and cattle farm in the Snowdonia National Park (Eryri) many years ago however, with just 60 acres they knew it wasn’t large enough to make a living from and therefore they had to think of alternatives to make money. Diversification came in a variety of ways such as converting barns into … Continue reading Diversifying – Baavet
Leipzig, Iran
BY PAUL T HORGAN Deng Xiao-Ping, The Butcher of Tiananmen Square, perhaps deserves some credit for the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe in the months following the massacre in the Chinese capital in June 1989. By coincidence this happened at roughly the same time as Ayatollah Khomeini died, but more on that later. Sending tanks to face pro-democracy protesters in Beijing, and slaughtering thousands, … Continue reading Leipzig, Iran
Happy 2026
BY THE EDITOR Dear Readers, A very Happy New Year to you all. As we step into 2026, I find myself reflecting on the journey we’ve shared and the path that lies ahead. This past year has reaffirmed the vital importance of unwavering advocacy for our rural communities. The Labour Party ‘government’ are rocking; December’s part-reversal on the farmer inheritance tax shows their increasing vulnerability … Continue reading Happy 2026
Once again, We are Living in Solzhenitsynesque Times
BY STEPHEN PAX LEONARD The Soviet dissident and intellectual, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, famously said: “to destroy a people, you must first sever their roots”. Solzhenitsyn spent eight years in a Gulag for criticising Stalin and knew a thing or two about ideology, hard labour and anti-Soviet propaganda. Today, in a different time, geography and ideology entirely, our own Prime Minister seems to be waging war on … Continue reading Once again, We are Living in Solzhenitsynesque Times
The Hare and the Duster
BY DOMINIC WIGHTMAN In the rolling paddocks of motoring, where sleek German thoroughbreds once pranced and pretentious 4x4s posed, there now stands a singular monument to humble triumph. It is not polished (except by downpours). It smells vaguely of hawk and less vaguely of fart. It is ex-gamekeeper turned falconer and CSM columnist, Gary Baxter’s Dacia Duster, which has just lolloped, unburdened by vanity, past … Continue reading The Hare and the Duster
A Curmudgeon’s Christmas Conversion
BY DAVID RICHARDS I had perfected the pre-emptive festive scowl. By the first week of November, as tinsel-tawdry displays metastasised across the high street, I retreated into a state of advanced curmudgeonliness—a seasonal affective disorder in reverse. To my finely-tuned cynicism, Christmas had crystallised into a triumvirate of modern miseries: a festival of consumerism so rampant it would make Saturnalia blush; an exercise in stress-management … Continue reading A Curmudgeon’s Christmas Conversion
A Prayer for the Already Resolved
VICAR Dear Readers of Country Squire Magazine, I trust that You are well and that You are not suffering too much from an excess of port and mince pies. This week, on a Sunday where many are looking ahead to the new year, and considering resolutions they hope will be long-lasting — resolutions that span health, generosity, habits that deepen life — there is no … Continue reading A Prayer for the Already Resolved
Chickens as Pets
BY ALLISON LEE It wasn’t all that long ago when keeping chickens as pets was seen as being rather eccentric, despite the fact that the bird was first domesticated around 8000 years ago and is now one of the most common and widespread domesticated animals in the world. Chickens do make good pets. They are social, friendly and are adept at forming bonds with humans. … Continue reading Chickens as Pets
Nuremberg
BY ROGER WATSON With a cast including Russell Crowe, Rami Malek, Michael Shannon and Richard E Grant you would expect Nuremberg (2025) to be good. And it is. The score of 70% on Rotten Tomatoes is less generous than it should be but that is from the panjandrums of the film critic industry. The score of 96% on the Popcornmeter of registered viewers seems nearer … Continue reading Nuremberg
The Race of the Swift
BY JOHN MUSGRAVE The race is on to save our country. And it starts in the stables of possibility this Christmas. Boxing Day 2025 looks like becoming a mass demonstration. Families plan to mobilise in support of farming and hunting on the Feast of Stephen. Up and down the land Boxing Day meets are set to attract record crowds. It’s a picture to gladden the … Continue reading The Race of the Swift
Happy Christmas
Dear Readers of Country Squire Magazine, Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Joyous New Year! As we reflect on the past year, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to each of you for your continued interest, which has made our magazine a thriving community. In particular I thank Deputy Editor James Bembridge and associate editor Sean Walsh for their steadfast support and constructive criticism. … Continue reading Happy Christmas
Grandfather Christmas
BY JOHN DREWRY The vampire, the werewolf and the witch were the primary facilitators of an annual December conference of monsters, devils and demons. The aim of their organisation had always been very clear – to inflict fear, pain and death upon humankind. But they faced an eternal conundrum – did they really exist? Each year they addressed this perennial problem. “Through many ages they … Continue reading Grandfather Christmas
On Aquinas and Puberty Blockers
BY SEAN WALSH Why are “puberty blockers” morally obscene? Aquinas would have the answer. We need to remind ourselves that the potential is as real as the actual. I’m not going to waste much time defending the self-evident truth that it is obscene to perform medical experiments on children. I mean no disrespect to the eugenicists who think otherwise, but these people are in need … Continue reading On Aquinas and Puberty Blockers