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The newest stories from The Fence — features, facts, fiction and more.
Over the Hill and Far Away
Every summer Barnard Castle hosts a special festival dedicated to the music of John Martyn: a moveable Graceland in the Teeside Hills.
9 October 2024
Down on the Farm
Deep in the dark heart of Bamford Country, mutiny brews. For the past two decades, Lady Carole has transformed the Cotswolds. But what do the locals really think of her?
7 October 2024
A Memorable Meal
A world-famous novelist once went for lunch in an Umbrian tavern. He's remembered it for the past fifty years. He recounts it for us now.
3 October 2024
The Buddha of Siberia
Today, Evgeny Lebedev sees himself as London's media mogul du jour. Once, he was just the nepo baby of former KGB agent, now here’s the definitive account of his lifelong journey to the heart of the fourth estate.
19 September 2024
Muscle Beach
Our correspondent marvels at gymnastic displays in Hackney.
17 September 2024
The White Whale
A failed art dealer recounts his dealings with one of the industry's trickiest and most enigmatic characters.
16 September 2024
At Auntie’s Knee
Do you pay your TV license? Course you don't. Nobody does. Particularly not the license pay vigilantes fighting the good cause - we meet them.
12 September 2024
Cleaner
A short story from cartel country.
12 September 2024
Beach Bums
In France? Sure. In Italy? Why not. But in chilly Blighty? Surely nobody could stand it. Some can. We uncover the naked truth behind Britain’s nudist beaches and their stern, shrivelled patrons.
12 September 2024
Nature’s Cruellest Mistake
Take even a cursory glance at the natural world and very soon you will find all sorts of creatures with ridiculously outsized capabilities to slay the planet’s one true custodian: us lot, humankind.
12 September 2024
Who Louis Should’ve Met
Rather than the worthy docs about mental health and alcoholism, here are the programmes that Monsieur Theroux should have seen through: the weekends away with the freaks, bad hats and oddballs that used to be his bread and butter before middle age and quiet respectability came…
12 September 2024
Proceed to Checkout
That Ninja creamy has been sitting in your basket for months now. And you're not really going to buy that ceremonial matcha bowl, are you? Probably not after reading our unfair stereotypes of what your Ebay searches say about your personality.
12 September 2024