business

“Hi mum,” the first message starts, “I’ve lost my phone.” It carries on with a tale of woe: for some reason the sender has also been locked out of his or her bank account. Luckily a friend is often on hand to help – it’s their phone that the message comes from, apparently – and … Read more

Large rooms need more – and bigger – furniture, so small rooms just need fewer, smaller pieces, right? Not entirely. In fact, there’s a lot more to creating a successful small space than that. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. When looking … Read more

Lucy, 41 As it takes Kyra a long time to climax, we usually have sex on the weekend – it takes up a Saturday morning Even though I’ve had more experience with women than Kyra, she has a higher sex drive than me. I’d happily have sex once a month, whereas Kyra wants it two or … Read more

One morning in March 1995, my father and I were having coffee at the kitchen table when somehow the conversation deviated to my brother Marshall. As always, I had questions. “He was tall for his age,” my father said, gazing at the memory of his estranged son, as if he was standing beside us in the kitchen. “At … Read more

Even Donald Trump knows that the price of concert tickets is too damn high. Recently, flanked by the preposterously dressed Maga rocker Kid Rock, the president signed an executive order to protect fans from “crazy prices” by cracking down on scalpers and hidden fees. “Make America Fun Again,” Kid Rock declared. It will take more … Read more

One minute the house is full – when I walk in the oldest one, and his friend, and the middle one, and my wife are all fussing over a manual juicer the oldest one has brought back from a car boot sale. “What’s going on?” I say. “We’re juicing,” says the oldest. There are 20 … Read more

Denise on Federico What were you hoping for?Someone drop-dead gorgeous – Matthew McConaughey. First impressions?He’s not Matthew McConaughey. What did you talk about?Theatre (I hope I gave him tips on staging his play next year). The excellence of British theatre and TV. The joy, for me, of being raised in London. Even though we didn’t … Read more

Spicy, salty, sweet and sour all at the same time, kimchi is perhaps the perfect condiment. This Korean staple is traditionally made by salting cabbage to preserve it and add crunch, then fermenting it in a pungent paste often made from glutinous rice porridge, gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes), onion and enough garlic to keep a … Read more

Born in Nigeria, Nikki Amuka-Bird, 49, studied at Lamda and began her career with the RSC. In 2017, she was Bafta nominated for her role in the BBC adaptation of Zadie’s Smith’s book NW. The same year, she played the lead in the Donmar’s production of Ibsen’s The Lady from the Sea. Her recent television work spans Armando Iannucci’s comedy … Read more

How often do you come across a beauty product that genuinely changes the game? Not just a nice-to-have, but something that actually works, solving a problem you’d given up on. The shampoo that really defrizzes. The foundation that lasts all day without creasing. The serum that calms, rather than irritates, sensitive skin. The Guardian’s journalism … Read more