business

Lewis on Max What were you hoping for?To meet someone nice, and if it seems like there’s a mutual interest there, to try not to laugh it off, but go with it! First impressions?When the barman pointed Max to my table, I was quite happy. What did you talk about?Our dissociation with the wider queer … Read more

Our neighbourhood farmers’ market comes every Sunday, and brings with it a stunning range of seasonal fruit and veg, affordable fish, good-quality meat with cheap cuts galore, plus cheeses, breads and much more. For me, going there and chatting to and supporting the stallholders and farmers (many of whom I have now known for years) … Read more

Born in Canada, Charles Collingwood, 81, studied at Rada. He began his career in repertory theatre and moved into children’s television. He later worked on the 90s quizshow Telly Addicts and in Inspector Morse and Midsomer Murders. He is best known for playing Brian Aldridge in BBC Radio 4 drama The Archers, and this year … Read more

Plant milk is everywhere. Once a niche alternative, it now lines supermarket shelves in endless varieties – oat, almond, soya, hazelnut, coconut, rice, pea – and is often the product of choice in coffee shops. Whether for ethical, environmental or dietary reasons, more and more people are ditching dairy. But not all plant milks are … Read more

I have a cold, which has given me a fuzzy head, watering eyes and a determination to be very poor company. This is possibly why I find myself alone on a Friday morning, trying to remember why I came into the kitchen. Perhaps I wanted a coffee, I think. But I’m holding a coffee. The … Read more

For SpaceX, 2025 should have been the best year yet. Elon Musk, the founder of the private space company, is one of the most influential people in the Oval Office, and President Trump has endorsed his vision of sending humans to Mars. But so far, it has not been a great year for the rocket … Read more

The last time I dined in affluent Moseley, south Birmingham, a few years back and in quite a fancy establishment, a fight broke out mid-meal. It was more drunken argy-bargy than fisticuffs, but enough to count as floor entertainment. Sadly, no spats occurred on my recent visit to Satori, an enlightening Japanese restaurant in the … Read more

I’ve had a terrible run in with my mother-in-law and don’t know what to do about it. I’m married to her only son, whom she dotes on. We had reached a point where we got on, but our relationship has always been strained. I feel as though whoever married her son would never be good … Read more

Navigating a cost of living crisis in a world where we can tap and spend without a thought is changing the way we manage our personal finances. Whether asking our boss for a pay rise or negotiating splitting the bill with friends, we have to confront our discomfort about discussing money. But the emotional stakes … Read more

The prosecution: Alexis I’m afraid our friends who have kids will ostracise us because of Peter’s attitude My partner Peter and I have decided to be child-free since we got together nine years ago. We are both 36 and happy with our decision. But recently, a lot of our mates have had kids and Peter is struggling … Read more