The band I’m in is heading out for a spring tour from Edinburgh to Exeter, a dozen dates across four weekends. Two nights before we set off I leave a rehearsal room at 10pm, exhausted after a seven-hour practice. It occurs to me, not for the first time, that I am too old for this … Read more
The questions 1 Before Liz Truss, who was the last prime minister never to contest a general election?2 Which Egyptian pharaoh’s tomb was identified in 2025?3 What is the England’s southernmost city?4 In Chinese, what animal’s name means “big bear cat”? 5 The rock kimberlite is renowned as a source of what?6 Carina Vogt, in … Read more
I’m a woman of 50, married for 30 years to the best husband. He is a very kind person, whom I love dearly. We have a very comfortable and balanced relationship where we have our hobbies, but also shared interests. We parent the children (almost grownups) as a well-functioning team. All in all, life with … Read more
Bar Valette in Shoreditch is a casual, relaxed, laid-back, let’s-go-with-the-flow type of restaurant. It serves modern European food and caters to the kind of audience who follow restaurant news in much the same way as others follow opera gossip or Formula One, and they’ll book out of sheer curiosity to experience this all-new, deeply chilled … Read more
I’ve been diagnosed with mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS). It means your immune system is triggered too frequently and can cause anaphylaxis, so you can become allergic to a huge range of things. It’s a rare, incurable condition. I’d had some minor problems from the age of two, and knew I was allergic to nuts. But … Read more
NASA made a bet a few years ago that commercial companies could take scientific experiments to the moon on a lower budget than the agency could. Last year, that was a bad bet. The first NASA-financed spacecraft missed the moon entirely. The second landed but fell over. But this month, a robotic lander named Blue … Read more
Rice Krispies bars are my favourite no-bake recipe, and they are particularly handy when I’m baking with kids. In their simplest form, you need only three ingredients (Rice Krispies, butter and marshmallows), but I’ve given them a sweet and salty twist by adding a good dollop of miso and some caramel-like brown butter, which makes … Read more
Holidays are approaching and, naturally, we want to feel as good as we can and take all our favourite beauty products with us. But who can – and wants to – lug around all that weight? Enter travel minis and decanting your full-size products into bag-friendly pots. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn … Read more
The prosecution: Paul I don’t mind Mum wanting to visit Vietnam, but why at Christmas, a time our family is always together? Mum recently booked a Christmas holiday to Vietnam with her partner, Mike. I don’t mind that she wants to go away with Mike, who I like. But she booked the trip without saying … Read more
Running can seem both approachable and daunting. On one hand, it’s simple: all you need to do is throw on some shoes, step outside and run. On the other: you have to run. “People think running is intimidating for a couple of reasons,” says Martinus Evans, founder and CEO of the Slow AF Run Club. … Read more