Category: Columns

From smarter smartphones and everyday charging essentials to home security upgrades and clever tech for modern living, this month’s gadget edit focuses on practical innovations that make daily life easier. Whether you’re upgrading your desk setup, staying powered on the go or improving home safety, these are useful, well-designed gadgets worth knowing about right now. […]

From thoughtful pampering treats to clever beauty tech and feel-good self-care, this Mother’s Day edit is all about gifts that help mums relax, recharge and feel appreciated. Whether it’s a small indulgence or a premium pick mum wouldn’t buy for herself, these hand-picked ideas are designed to bring a little everyday luxury to her routine. […]

It was quite a few years ago that I last wrote about rhubarb in this column. Then, the words were mainly about keeping rhubarb productive by digging up and dividing old clumps every four to five years. This time, the talk is about forced rhubarb! If you don’t grow it, this is what you probably […]

York’s Walls in Bloom project, which includes beautiful wildflower displays along the bar walls at Station Rise and Foss Islands Road, is set to expand in the near future; the announcement of new displays planned at potential locations like Lord Mayor’s Walk and Nunnery Lane got us thinking – how can our readers go about […]

Aries  (March  21  –  April  19) Until 20th March, Mercury retrograde may lead to potential disruption, especially when it comes to keeping up with your usual self-care and organisational routines. In order to offset this disruptive influence and avoid day-to-day hiccups, listen to your body and take a break if you find yourself suffering from […]

 Ten essential March gardening tips After an exceptionally wet and windy start to the year, Yorkshire gardeners will be waiting in gleeful anticipation for the joys of early spring. With the first day of the new season landing on 20th March, the good news is, you don’t have long to wait!  If you’re hoping to […]

By Robin Lewis-Light “Do you think there is anyone out there?” said my wife, Callie. I looked at her. “I don’t know,” I said. “We haven’t heard anything from anywhere else though, so why should there be anyone on that little planet?” She smiled and held me. We had finished our anniversary celebrations and were […]

By Sophie Lancaster Whilst making the most of York Residents’ Fest at the end of January, I visited The Grand, which was offering guided tours of the building and an insight into its fascinating history. The Grand was the Headquarters for the North Eastern Railway. Designed by William Bell, an architect from York who also […]

Q. Our Labrador has been a bit stiff and slower than normal – is this just the cold weather, or something more? As the cold snap continues, you may have noticed your senior pet moving a little slower than usual. Cold weather can really affect our golden oldies, especially those with arthritic joints or a […]

There’s a rainforest in Hampshire… It’s remarkable to learn when you consider how cold it is in the county, especially in the winter, but it can indeed be found at Staunton Country Park in Portsmouth. This rainforest experience is provided in the Victorian glasshouses, where mesmerised children and adults can actually see large millipedes and […]

A double cab for five occupants, with plenty of room for equipment, machinery or even livestock. That’s the new Isuzu D-Max V-Cross Double Cab Auto, an extremely versatile vehicle, and as I drive it, a couple pass by that have been fitted with cherry pickers, making it perfect for engineers. I’m not such a demanding motorist, though. […]

By Ben Robinson  It seems that recently, there has been a significant returning trend in mythology and folklore books, so I thought it was only right to jump on the bandwagon! As an adult, it is easy to get bogged down in the modern world, but perhaps these books can offer an escape from the […]

Time: 2¼ hours  Distance: 4½miles Dunnington, Holtby and Hagg Wood East of Dunnington, there’s a good network of rights of way offering easy walking through varied countryside. This route links together several paths, taking in the underappreciated village of Holtby and one of the largest and most accessible areas of woodland close to York, Hagg […]

The Honda Civic 2.0 i-MMD Advance is a mid-size family hatchback. Its nearest competitor might be a Mazda 3, or similar. I take it for a road test to Guernsey, where it tackles the challenges of getting on to the Condor Ferries Voyager catamaran, as well as pootling along narrow country lanes. Taking it on […]

In June 2020, Bristol hit the headlines when the statue of slave trader Edward Colston was toppled by protesters into the harbour. It is now on permanent display at the M Shed museum beside the harbour, as part of an exhibition about the history of protest in the city. We are reminded of this and informed of […]