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Kat on Matt What were you hoping for?Great food, a fun story and hopefully someone to explore London with. First impressions?Very friendly and warm. He’d also kindly saved the booth seat for me, which I appreciated. What did you talk about?Carbs. Copenhagen v London prices (I’m from Copenhagen). Beach holidays. Films we haven’t seen. Our … Read more
It’s all in the mind True (up to a point)The way stress manifests is very much bodily, centred around hormones such as cortisol and their effect on us. But this process is triggered by the brain (notably the amygdala and the hypothalamus) and the way our brains react to stress is often set in early … Read more
I’m a 40-year-old man and worried about my family. Since my sister (in her late 30s) became pregnant with her first child four years ago, there hasn’t been a period longer than a week without her and my mother getting into toxic fights. A couple of days ago, after my sister had resorted (yet again) … Read more
It is mid-afternoon – post-lunch but safely before the schools let out – and I am walking the dog in the direction of what my wife and I now call the Triangle parks. The Triangle parks are the result of a long road cutting diagonally across the regular grid of suburban streets, leaving two small, … Read more
‘I want to tell you something. I have a stage 4 brain tumour, and I don’t know how long I have left.” When fellow walker Peter utters these words to me at the Minack theatre in Porthcurno on Cornwall’s south coast, I half think he might be reading lines for a new play. Behind him, the … Read more
The prosecution: Bill I know Rita struggles with anxiety, but she only gave us an hour’s notice that she wasn’t coming My youngest daughter, Rita, is late for everything and known as the unreliable one in our family. Recently, she was inconsiderate, and I feel she needs to learn that actions have consequences. I had booked dinner for … Read more
Getting a puppy was my husband Justin’s idea. But the second I saw this beautiful Boston terrier, who had flown from his breeder in Arkansas to our home in Miami in March 2017, I fell in love. Clever, loving and stubborn, Lucas was so much more than a dog. He became my soulmate, and I couldn’t bear for … Read more
They are 450-year-old words of wisdom but they will ring true with anyone rooting around the fridge for late night comfort: “A surfyte of cheese doth bringe payne.” The warning for people to curb their enthusiasm is contained in the earliest-known book on cheese in English, a publication that academics say is both fascinating and … Read more
I often mention my veg patch’s clay soil in this column, and that’s because soil type affects what we grow and how. Getting to know your soil is an essential part of becoming a great grower of edible plants. Soil type is determined by the size of the soil’s particles which, in turn, determine its characteristics. … Read more
This outfit looks so classy, doesn’t it? Understated, but with an indefinable air of poshness. Effortless, but elevated. But did you spot the best part? It’s in the small print. The clothes are from Uniqlo and the shoes are from Zara. The look is expensive, but the clothes aren’t. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will … Read more