BUSINESS

Comedian Rob Becket in 1988 and 2025Comedian Rob Becket in 1988 and 2025. Later photograph: Pål Hansen/The Guardian. Styling: Andie Redman. Archive image: courtesy of Rob Beckett Born in south London in 1986, Rob Beckett is a comedian and broadcaster. He started on the standup circuit in 2009, performing at the Edinburgh fringe in 2012 with his show Rob Beckett’s Summer Holiday. … Read more

There is a place in western Greece where, in a single day, you can frolic at an all-inclusive resort at breakfast time and then, after lunch, wade through an entrance to the underworld. This is Parga, built over a double-curve bay where the beaches are studded with tasteful tourist attractions, and inland the Acherontas River … Read more

Australian Anna Ryan-Punch was 15 when she received her first friendship book – a handmade and decorated pocket-sized booklet full of names and addresses of people looking for pen pals. Recipients were invited to add their details to the list, send a letter to other signatories and then pass the booklet on to someone new. … Read more

Last week I took my daughter to see the new Snow White film and on the train she told me how all the girls had been called into a special assembly. It was to tell them that makeup was strictly forbidden – some girls (she discreetly told me their names, vaguely scandalised) had started wearing … Read more

Nestled in a classic Haussmannian building in Paris’s 17th Arrondissement, Tiphaine Verdier’s apartment is a feast for the senses. This large duplex, perched on the top two floors, is not just a home but a canvas where colour and creativity collide. With a fearless approach to bold hues, Tiphaine has transformed what was once a … Read more

I’m a big chocolate lover, and Easter is as good a time as any to branch out, try something new and spend a few extra pounds on something special. While the wheel doesn’t need reinventing, it’s been particularly fun to see a lot more unconventional shapes popping up this year. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. … Read more

Doug, 35 It was like we’d pressed a reset button on our relationship When I met Maggie on a night out 10 years ago, I fancied her instantly. Even though she kissed my friend that night, I didn’t let that stop me pursuing her. I liked how different she was from everyone I’d known growing up. … Read more

Is there any domestic task more sisyphean than laundry? No sooner have you pulled a crisp, clean sheet on to your bed than it is time to strip it off and start over. Blink and a clean towel becomes dirty. Somehow, lives, careers and relationships must fit into the tiny slivers of time between loads. … Read more

Is your garden about to burst with blossom and bulbs, but still looking messy after its winter hibernation? Now’s the time to get it spring- and summer-ready. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. From finding the perfect fruit tree to sprucing up … Read more

Ieva Gaile didn’t expect to take a photo on her trip to the supermarket. The lawyer, who lives in Vilnius, Lithuania, was working from home on the day and had popped next door for some lunch. When she spotted the errant cabbage placed atop a towering stack of water-bottle pallets, her reaction was instant. “Since I … Read more