Gravel, Grit, and Glory: The Maddy Nutt Interview

Gravel Racing is a rapidly growing discipline in cycling that blends elements of road racing, mountain biking, and endurance riding. It takes place on unpaved roads—typically gravel, dirt, fire trails, or mixed-terrain routes—and has become popular for its adventurous, inclusive, and challenging nature. Races are held on a mix of surfaces—gravel roads, forest tracks, farm lanes, and even rough singletrack. Courses can range from smooth … Continue reading Gravel, Grit, and Glory: The Maddy Nutt Interview

countrysquiremagazineAugust 19, 2025August 18, 2025

economy, War

By Their Actions

BY ALEX STORY The Russian invasion of Ukraine has revealed a great deal. The West can bark but lost, seemingly, much of its teeth. The alliance, whatever that means, is strong on words but feeble in deeds. And it is, as the Good Book reminds us, “by their deeds” that “you shall know them”. We have wagged our finger at the Russian Bear with gusto, … Continue reading By Their Actions

countrysquiremagazineMarch 28, 2022March 28, 2022

Family, Technology

Live Life to the Full

BY ALEX STORY After a week away from home, I walk in. Not a sound. I take a few tentative steps into the flat. I open the door to the living room. There in total silence, my four children, each with their own devices, slouch on the sofa. They barely notice me. For a second, a pair of eyes zeroes in on me, only to … Continue reading Live Life to the Full

countrysquiremagazineSeptember 28, 2021September 28, 2021

Olympics

In Defence of Jürgen

BY RICHARD HAMILTON When did winning become a crime? I have never responded publicly before about articles I read in the news. Still, having read a story in the Daily Mail on 30th July 2021 titled ‘The Blame Game Begins’, I felt an overwhelming urge to stand up publicly and defend a coach I have known as an athlete for 28 years, Jurgen Grobler. As … Continue reading In Defence of Jürgen

countrysquiremagazineAugust 9, 2021August 8, 2021

Olympics

Learning from Defeats

BY ALEX STORY Rowing usually brings the nation good news. Over the last 40 years, even in dark times, such as the 1996 Atlanta Games, when Great Britain ranked 36th behind North Korea, Algeria and Ethiopia, the sport could be counted on to give us moments of intense pride. We have to go back to the 1980 Olympics to find a failure to win Gold … Continue reading Learning from Defeats

countrysquiremagazineAugust 2, 2021August 3, 2021

Health

The Pursuit of Happiness

BY ALEX STORY It is often said that the genius of America’s founding fathers was to have crystallised the essence of life on earth by defining three unalienable rights: “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. Had they declared that every man, woman and child had the right “to happiness” rather than its pursuit, their declaration would have been dismissed as a Utopian document of … Continue reading The Pursuit of Happiness

countrysquiremagazineApril 9, 2021April 9, 20211 Comment

Health

The Great Reset

BY ALEX STORY Sometimes the world moves in an unexpected direction. When it does, there isn’t much an individual can do about it. Indeed, 2020 will be remembered as the defining year of the 21st century. For many, the year started with resolutions, few of which lasted much beyond their pronouncements. However, soon, everything changed. Having heard the distant drums of another flu from China … Continue reading The Great Reset

countrysquiremagazineDecember 24, 2020December 23, 20201 Comment