Money & Work / Tips & Advice
How music classes and choirs benefit those with dementia
Music has an unparalleled ability to touch our souls, evoke emotions, and create lasting memories. It is a universal language that transcends cultural barriers and resonates deeply within us. Beyond its entertainment value, music has proven to be a powerful tool in...
Sustainability, wildlife and weeds: Highlights and trends from RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023
This year’s show gardens let nature do the talking, as gardening editor Hannah Stephenson discovers. Gardens featuring more weeds and less formality have taken centre stage at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, placing more emphasis on letting nature take control....
Wake up! It’s time for breakfast: The best cafés and restaurants to start your day
Surf shack, vegan café or city terrace? Here are the top 32 places for a tasty start to the day. Pellici’s Café, London E2A quintessential Italian post-war café with a primrose art deco façade and marquetry inside, Pellici’s is Grade II-listed. Have the Lot (Full...
A new start after 60: backpacking in the Himalayas, I found the courage to change my life
After two decades of work, work and more work, Ann Halloran decided it was time to leave her comfort zone. And it all began with a broken walking stick. The Guardian reports that one day last September, Ann Halloran made her way to her nearest bus stop in Hove, East...
The ocean: Why we need to respect Earth’s last great wilderness
There are plans to harness our seas to help tackle the effects of the climate emergency. But without understanding and respect a life support system for our planet could be trashed. The real payoff from the Apollo missions had nothing to do with the moon. The prize...
The perfect blend: How coffee farms in Costa Rica are mixing wildlife, agriculture and tourism
A new crop of farming co-ops are finding ways to safely open up untouched landscapes and exotic wildlife to visitors - and grow superb coffee. At the beginning I thought we were in a Bob Dylan song, one of his epic Latino ballads. We drove down gravel roads where the...
Short activity bouts ‘can help type 1 diabetes patients with blood sugar levels’
Researchers said taking breaks from sitting could help reduce risk of diabetes complications. Breaks from sitting with short bouts of activity can help people with type 1 diabetes better manage their blood sugar levels, early research suggests. This, in turn, can also...
Frequent gardening may be linked to improved wellbeing
Gardening two to three times a week leads to better wellbeing and lower stress levels, new research suggests. A new study indicates that people who garden every day have wellbeing scores 6.6% higher and stress levels 4.2% lower than people who do not garden at all....
The resilience secret: 13 ways to stay strong and active – from the man who runs a marathon a day
Every morning this year, Aaron Robinson has arisen before dawn and run 26 miles before work. He explains how to turn an intimidating exercise plan into a simple habit. By the time you read this, Aaron Robinson will - barring disaster - have run his 75th marathon in 75...
A new start after 60: I dreamt of paragliding for 30 years. When I took to the skies at 80 I felt completely free
Year after year, on holiday in Switzerland with her late husband, Margaret Thompson watched the paragliders and imagined joining them. When she did, it was heavenly. After their three children grew up and left home, Margaret Thompson and her husband, Kenneth,...
From festivals to glamping: 20 great UK campsites with a difference
With summer pop-ups, nature, water-sports and foodie options, these sites with a twist will appeal to even the most reluctant campers. For active people Rock climbing, ShropshireWild Contentment is a small, off-grid campsite in a meadow at the far end of a dairy farm...
Cockney boozers: Eight of the best pubs in London
The author of London's Best Pubs shares his eight favourite drinking spots in the capital, including the Lamb & Flag in Covent Garden and the Princess Louise in Holborn. Beyond the grand sweeping streets and gracious leafy parks, London is a city of more than...