Breaking news
Every April (and let’s hope it happens this year), people from the mayor’s office in the southern Spanish hill town of Vejer de la Frontera tramp its streets in search of residents who have let the facades of their homes get a bit, well, grubby. Those inhabitants whose walls fail to come up to snuff … Read more
Villages, halls, churches and pubs have all been listed as beneficiaries of the ‘transatlantic slavery economy’ by Historic England. A sweeping audit of pre-existing work linked rural communities to ‘money made in transatlantic slavery’ which ‘permeated English society for centuries’. Historic England, an arm of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport which is … Read more
China has locked down all rural areas of a district in its capital Beijing to battle its worst coronavirus crisis in six months. All villages in the Shunyi district of north-eastern Beijing with over 1.2million residents were put under isolation while officials carry out mass testing for the virus, the local government announced today. Meanwhile, … Read more
Hotspots that now sound even better: How audio tours can conjure up cities, castles and country villages and bring them to life wherever you are Sir Ian McKellen shares personal stories in the Theatreland Tour of London BBC newsreader Huw Edwards can be your lockdown guide to Cardiff Castle The official Quayside Adventure audio tour … Read more
Mirror, signal and one heck of a manoeuvre: Skilled hauliers negotiate huge 220ft rotor blades through tiny villages and narrow roads Haulier company P. Adams Schwertentransporte shared the astonishing images The Luxembourg transporters carried the 25-tonne blade through country lanes The blades are attached to a platform which can pivot according to the roads By … Read more
Prince Charles has praised a Surrey retirement village for its ‘indomitable community spirit and resilience’ during the coronavirus pandemic. The Prince of Wales, 72, said staff, volunteers and residents at Whiteley Homes Trust, in Walton on Thames, should be ‘truly proud’ of their efforts throughout the Covid-19 crisis. Speaking via video from Clarence House, Charles, who … Read more
Ancient Amazonians laid out their settlements in circles 700 years ago — with radiating mounds and roads as may have represented the cosmos — a study found. Experts led from Exeter used lidar-based sensing equipment mounted on helicopters to see below the canopy of the overlying rainforest in south Acre State, Brazil. The 35 mounded … Read more
A lingering odour haunts the streets of this sleepy village in southern France. It’s neither unpleasant nor overwhelming – wafts of air carry hints of the salty, full-bodied aroma of roquefort cheese, made in the place whose name it shares. The ribbon of a village snuggled at the base of a limestone plateau in the … Read more
As many as 151 houses will be built across two villages to raise £3million to refurbish a 14th Century castle. The homes are set for Gainford and Staindrop in County Durham to pay for the works at Raby Castle. Durham County Council approved the plans despite 51 letters of objection over the impact of so many … Read more
Women in matriarchal Chinese tribe where females inherit property, control finances and take as many lovers as they wish are healthier than those in male dominated villages The matriarchal Mosuo tribe in southwest China was the subject of a new study Researchers found women had lower blood pressure than in villages run by men Blood … Read more