Money & Work / Tips & Advice
Slow seasons: How I spent 16 months journeying from the top to the bottom of England in a canal boat
From within sight of the Lake District to Surrey, an epic - and slow - journey along the length of England’s waterways. My home is a floating island on more than 2,000 miles of interconnected inland waterways in England and Wales. In my 17 metre narrowboat home, I...
Why walking is good for us
The benefits of walking for our physical wellbeing are well documented but a 30 minute daily walk can help reduce stress and anxiety too. How will I benefit physically from walking regularly? Walking at a brisk pace - making your heart beat faster, but where you are...
A new start after 60: I was hoping for a quiet retirement – but instead I became a firefighter
Craig Miller thought he would get away from the wildfires when he moved from California to upstate New York. Instead, at the age of 65, he found himself training to put them out. The Guardian reports that when Craig Miller moved from California to the Catskill...
Wellbeing that works: Happiness is a journey, not a destination
Maintaining happiness is a goal many strive for, and while it can seem elusive, there are practical steps you can take to cultivate a happier, more fulfilling life. Here’s a comprehensive guide to maintaining happiness: Practice Gratitude Daily Journalling: Write down...
Happy feet! 7 essential foot care tips for a blissful summer
As the summer sun shines bright, it’s time to kick off those shoes and let your feet breathe. Your feet deserve special attention during the summer months, as they are often exposed to sand, heat, and various outdoor activities. To keep your feet healthy, happy, and...
Seven ways to improve your balance
Lack of balance is associated with elderly people, but deterioration can start in your 20s. Here’s how to avoid the wobbles. Work on it, for the sake of your social lifeAgeing often leads to a loss of balance, which can result in an increased risk of falls. But, as a...
Do I really need to disclose all my health conditions when taking out travel insurance?
Filling out the form properly could save you tens of thousands of pounds, say the insurance experts. Silver Surfers reports that travel insurance complaints are at their highest since the pandemic, according to the Financial Ombudsman Service. The dispute resolution...
Eating at a slow pace: A new record at the world’s biggest snail-eating festival
Every spring, more than 200,000 visitors descend upon the Spanish city of Lleida for L'Aplec del Caragol - a cheerful celebration of the region's most beloved food: snails. You smell it long before you see it. Columns of smoke rise from the barbecues at L'Aplec del...
Just get up and go! The 11 coolest places to park your campervan in the UK
Dreaming about a summer spent in a campervan? Check out these dreamy campsites where you can park and pitch up in the UK. Whether you’re imagining trekking legendary highways and gorgeous coastal routes or working your way between blissful nature reserves and bustling...
One night I’m a murderer, the next my husband’s having an affair. Why do we have the dreams that we do?
We’ve stopped believing they’re messages from the gods. So what are dreams - and what purpose do they serve? Here’s what the science says: When my husband brought me a cup of tea in bed the other morning, I could barely muster a “thank you”. I was furious that he’d...
‘A nearby farmer took the whole herd’: How a couple turned a cowshed into a dream home for artists
A former dairy business now hosts a thriving artistic community - and a spectacular converted barn. Suzanne Blank Redstone and her husband, Peter Redstone, have lived on the same Devon farm, nestled in a tree-fringed valley a mile from the sea, for 50 years. The...
Where the wild things are: The untapped potential of our gardens, parks and balconies
Gardens could be part of the solution to the climate and biodiversity crisis. But what are we doing? Disappearing them beneath plastic and paving. In my 20s I lived in Manchester, on the sixth floor of a block of council flats just off the A57, or Mancunian (Mancy)...