Gifts for runners: the best shoes, socks and vests to buy the running enthusiast in your life | Running

More than a quarter of Britons run weekly, which suggests many of us are likely to know someone – from marathon runners to parkrun enthusiasts – who would enjoy a running-related gift. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. You might think that … Read more

The best Mother’s Day gifts: 68 thoughtful ideas for £50 and under they’ll love | Mother’s Day

Whether you’re 16 or 60, shopping for your own mum or someone else’s, Mother’s Day gifts needn’t be formulaic. In fact, we’d argue that they should be thoughtful, fun or useful (but possibly not too useful), or provide a moment of escape. There’s no worse gift than one bought out of obligation, unconsidered and, therefore, … Read more

On the hoof: readers’ favourite horse riding breaks in Europe | Horse riding holidays

Sierra Nevada adventures, Spain Sierra Trails, run by Dallas Love and her brother, Mordecai, based in Bubión, two hours’ drive from Málaga, offers exceptional village-to-village rides in the Sierra Nevada. Dallas paired us with well-schooled Spanish horses that we rode across varied terrain, stopping to picnic under trees and staying in lovely family-run hotels. After … Read more

Dining across the divide: ‘She casts meditation as a cult. I don’t think retreats mean harm’ | Life and style

Lizzie, 29, Oxford Occupation Teaching assistant and trainee teacher Voting record Always votes Green, but would tactically vote Labour if she lived anywhere but Oxford Amuse bouche Is an avid salsa dancer; performs world music in many languages Richard, 55, Tunbridge Wells Occupation Teacher Voting record Pretty centrist; has voted for all three main parties. … Read more

My secret life as a model: ‘High fashion loved me most when I was visibly bony’ | Fashion industry

‘She was sitting at the kitchen table, eating raw cauliflower. For dinner.” It’s September 2024 in London and my friend is reflecting on her time sharing an apartment with fellow models in Paris the previous year. I am grimly amused, but unsurprised. This is the type of story models are always telling. I would know, … Read more

Tennyson, Virginia Woolf and Jimi Hendrix – all on a car-free trip to the Isle of Wight | Isle of Wight holidays

The green tidal mudflats are noisy with gulls and lapwings as the ferry sails towards Yarmouth. Far out on sparkling water, a white sail stands out against misty downs. The Victorian poet laureate Alfred, Lord Tennyson regularly tramped over those chalky hills, declaring “the air is worth ‘sixpence a pint’”. There is no need to … Read more