Is it just us who thinks 2006 doesn’t seem that long ago?
Yet, incredibly, two decades have passed since this edition from April of that year.
Our cover story was dedicated to the life and service of the late Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire, who had passed away two years previously. A retrospective exhibition at Chatsworth House celebrated his life and interests.
We also paid a visit to North Lees Hall, believed to be Charlotte Bronte’s inspiration for Thornfield Hall in her classic novel Jane Eyre. Charlotte is known to have visited North Lees Hall – now owned and managed by the Peak District National Park Authority – while staying with her friend Ellen Nussey in Hathersage.
She describes many features of North Lees in the novel and even its fictional name appears to stem from its real counterpart. ‘Thorn’ is an anagram of ‘north’ and ‘field’ stems from the Anglo-Saxon word ‘leah’ – later ‘lee’ – meaning woodland glade or field.
Climate change, waste and recycling came under the spotlight as Rebecca Stark investigated the rubbish going into our wheelie bins – and found the UK lagging way behind our European counterparts in terms of how we disposed of our waste.
And, bringing a splash of spring colour, Mike Bramley introduced readers to the beauty and hardiness of Alpine plants.
