The front cover presents to readers 'A Giant Snowball' by William Weekes, a winter scene which becomes the backdrop for the advent calendar. Each door conceals a Christmas carol paired with an evocative illustration, as depicted by Claire Mackie.
Mark Hedges, editor of Country Life, says “It is a delight to create this advent cover each year and we are proud of the ingenuity of these novel issues. This cover is a perfect way to commence this seasonal period and we enjoy sharing the lead up to Christmas with our readers in such an engaging way.”
This special issue has become a festive tradition for Country Life since the magazine first revealed the initiative in 2007, introducing this imaginative concept to the UK weekly magazine sector, say the publishers. Country Life has continued to collaborate with a range of corporations and designers to establish a charming collection of covers which last throughout the Christmas season and have become collectors’ editions.
The cover was printed by Ancient House Press, Ipswich and spot UV coated with the doors which were then die-cut into the cover, a method adopted for the creation of advent calendars. This technique has also been adopted for Country Life’s advent covers in previous years, creating a thicker, glossier cover which is then bound to the issue by printer Polestar Chantry, Wakefield.
The Christmas theme continues throughout the pages of this edition with seasonal features. Members of the Country Life editorial team advise readers on the best panettone to invest in this year with ‘The Great Panettone Taste-Off’, the Christmas tree business is explored in ‘The families branching out this Christmas’ and to serve those starting their Christmas shopping, ‘Present and Correct’ offers inspiration.
This edition is on sale 28 November 2012 with the cover price of £3.20.
