Publication
The many pleasures of porridge
Porridge is one of mankind’s most basic foodstuffs, its invention lost in the mists of prehistory. That ancient simplicity is part of the appeal of a bowl of plain porridge, a portion of wholesome sustenance that is at once substantial and gentle. But...
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The 30 best plants for spectacular autumn colour
Autumn has always been my favourite season in the garden, writes Thomas Rutter. Four or five years ago, when I worked as a gardener in Tuscany, its arrival felt particularly theatrical. DH Lawrence pined over “flowery Tuscany” in springtime in 1927,...
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‘Clearly, we’re growing up more slowly than our predecessors’
I turned 30 at summer’s end. Entering your fourth decade in today’s Britain looks a lot different from how it used to: I’m open to marriage but I’m not married. I think I want children but I don’t have them. I dream of owning a home but worry it’s not...
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The Home Counties accent is no longer the sound of respectability
On the face of it, in fact especially on the face of it, there wasn’t a lot about Andy Burnham that broke new ground when he sashayed into Downing Street on July 20, drenched in sunshine and perfumed with newfound authority. Britain’s latest prime...
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How to plan for a century of health and happiness
With life expectancy on the rise, do your future self a favour and take Graeme Green’s sage advice…
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The best model villages in Britain
In times of stress, some nations seek comfort in grandeur. The French, beset as ever with strikes and protests, gaze on the splendid avenues and heroic monuments of Paris. The Americans, mired in war and political strife, contemplate the big skies of...
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‘I sailed around the world as a child – but all I wanted was a home’
People often tell me I had an extraordinary childhood. They picture two adventurous parents sailing around the world with their young children, crossing oceans and dropping anchor in places that most people only ever see in photographs. They imagine...
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We got married in our animal sanctuary
There are few couples who would willingly risk being upstaged on their wedding day, but Jake and Rosie Ratcliffe, who run Millington’s Magical Barn animal sanctuary in West Yorkshire, are an exception. When they married last August, their ring bearer...
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Children? The more the merrier
As most couples choose to have fewer children, mothers of bountiful broods explain their decision to buck the trend. By Madeleine Silver
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The search for Britain’s 60th butterfly species
If you go down to the woods today, an unfamiliar beauty may be watching you from a tree’s sun-kissed bark. You may clap eyes on what resembles the familiar small tortoiseshell butterfly. But look again. If this orangey-red nymphalid seems larger, with...
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The lifestyle clashes that could wreck your marriage
It’s a cliché that opposites attract. But some disconnections can rupture a relationship beyond repair. Psychotherapist and performance coach Rebecca P Fox says: “We are often drawn to qualities in others that are suppressed in ourselves. The rigid...
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Why I’m leaving the Cotswolds after 40 years
I am leaving the Cotswolds after 40-odd years. A heartbreaking decision. When we arrived in 1986, Mrs Thatcher was at the height of her power, the toffs owned the big houses and the only person cycling through the village was Enid, Fred the builder’s...
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From a tent in the Botswana bush to the world’s top universities
In 1996, I packed up our family life in the Cotswolds and moved my five children to Botswana. I was in my early 40s, recently separated and with three sons and two daughters who ranged in age from not yet two to 17. I moved with the ambition of giving...
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From Boomers to Gen Z: What dating is really like in 2026
Dating has always been difficult. Which is great for romcom writers, country singers and gossip at brunch. But despite the unprecedented wealth of opportunities to meet people, online at least – and even different ways actually to be in a relationship...
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20 of Britain’s loveliest lidos and outdoor pools
Britain’s lidos and outdoor pools (some of which are, confusingly, also called lidos) have gone from being unloved and forgotten about to thriving. as we have embraced outdoor swimming in huge numbers. They stand in for a beach in towns and cities that...
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EXPERIENCE
The flying experience Double Landing Flying Lesson £159, Red Letter Days Reader Robert, from the South East, says: “I was taken to Caterham for a very special flying lesson and I have never forgotten the experience.”
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‘I live in skinny jeans – now I’ve got to be the mother of the bride. Help!’
Julie Ingleson, 64, a senior business strategist from St Albans, Hertfordshire, wanted a wedding look that felt modern, comfortable and true to her – without the usual clichés Julie’s dilemma My daughter is getting married in Cologne in June. I...
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Our favourite fish & chip shops
There’s something reassuring about eating fish and chips in topsy-turvy times, writes Jack Rear. It’s a dish that has survived both world wars, seen six monarchs on the throne and still has enough high-street purveyors for them to outnumber McDonald’s...
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Just like Grandma used to make
Life expectancy in Greece and Cyprus is among the highest in Europe, where they can thank the Mediterranean diet, active lifestyles, lower stress and a strong sense of community for their natural longevity. I was born in Cyprus, I’ve watched many...
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Master the science of BANGERNOMICS
Change the way you think about car-buying to acquire a premium model – after someone else has paid the cost of depreciation, says Chris Menon
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Seven signs you’re getting old before your time – and what to do about them
We often think ageing is what we see in the mirror – the wrinkles, thinning hair, expanding waistline. But the real story lies beneath the surface, at a cellular and metabolic level. Midlife symptoms such as flagging energy, poor sleep, brain fog and...
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I walked every mile of Great Britain’s coastline – here are my most memorable moments
Quintin Lake documented his 454-day journey around our island’s edge in 1,300 photographs: a mosaic portrait of the land and its people
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What’s the right age to get married?
People are taking longer than ever to say ‘I do’, but when is it time? Newlyweds of different generations explain why they tied the knot when they did. By Emily Retter
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A beginner’s guide to British birdwatching
So, you thought birdwatching was only for ornithologists? Well, think again. With Sean Bean lamenting the decline of greenfinches in his “Get Birding” podcast, and Ade Edmonson and Samuel West deploying the binoculars in Channel 5’s Sam and Ade Go...
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How to create a top-tier afternoon tea at home (for less than £5 a head)
Few rituals feel quite as indulgent as the traditional afternoon tea: the good china, the multi-storey cake plate, the artful combination of sweet treats and savoury bites. It’s somehow rooted in the elegance of bygone times, yet it remains the...
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How cats topped dogs in the battle to be man’s best friend
Nick Harding used to be Team Dog – but he just hadn’t met the right feline friend yet. More and more men are feeling the same way…
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The glory of a British spring
The word says it all: finally, longer, warmer days are here – not quite all the time, but enough. There may still be some daylight in the sky when you leave the office (next week, after the clocks have gone forward, there definitely will be). It’s...
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‘A garden is for breaking the rules’
Horticulturalist and broadcaster Monty Don reveals the qualities he loves most about British gardens. By Clare Coulson
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The unofficial guide to the best (and worst) towns in Britain
The Government has invited bids to be the first UK Town of Culture in 2028. We’re still at the “expressions of interest” phase, but, given the attention garnered by the City of Culture scheme (launched in 2013, with Bradford the most recent incumbent),...
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I travelled to Japan in search of eternal youth
Every morning, Rikio Yokoda rises early to go to the fields. Although nearly 83, he has no plans to retire. In his younger years, the businessman ran a car rental firm, with 400 employees. But at an age when many in Britain are struggling with chronic...
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The seven kinds of Valentine’s diners you’ll see at the next table tonight
There is something about Valentine’s Day that makes the nation’s restaurateurs lose their collective marbles. Even the most revered neighbourhood trattoria will, for one night only, produce a menu that would be considered gauche if encountered on a...
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Why aren’t we building houses like this anymore?
When polled, Britons say they favour Georgian architecture over other styles. Yet ugly new-builds are everywhere. Matt Oliver and Pui-Guan Man investigate What does a beautiful home look like? To many Britons, the Georgian terrace remains the peak of...
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How to beat the phone-snatchers
More than 117,000 phone thefts were reported in London in 2024. That’s more than double the number from the previous year (52,000). The most common method involves thieves riding past on modified e-bikes, scooters, and mopeds and snatching phones from...
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Fasting, fat jabs or keto? We tested three different ways to lose weight
At this time of year we are surrounded by people determined to shape up and lose weight. All will be sincerely convinced of the virtues of their chosen method, and armed with reams of scientific data, hefty instructional volumes and powerful celebrity...
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