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‘Why was my Aunt Phyllis murdered? I badly needed to know’The nephew of a woman killed by her lodger in Cheltenham in 1970 knew little about her death. Ageing, and in ill health, he asked two crime reporters to unravel the mystery -
Woman seeks to end 39-year marriage in Valentine's Day court appealTini Owens is appealing against judge’s ‘extraordinarily unusual’ refusal to grant her a divorce last year
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My teen daughter is refusing a family trip with my partnerA woman is struggling to get her daughter to be more positive about her partner. Mariella Frostrup advises her not to foist a new family on the teenager -
Grit your teeth and struggle through. Is this the key to happy relationships?It helps if you share the same views on politics, and separate bedrooms can keep it fresh, says one therapist
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Iain Duncan Smith thinktank in ‘fatherless society’ warningPlea to support children in poverty as government launches family stability plan
opinion
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Unhappily married? You’re not aloneAs an agony aunt I’ve heard all sorts about couples. But this doesn’t make it any easier to judge whether Tini Owens’s loneliness should be grounds for divorce
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The beautifully made 1985 series was talismanic for so many of us who saw it as children. Its Netflix incarnation will have a difficult task unseating our memoriesCan Anne of Green Gables overcome 30 years of nostalgia?
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Loose canon: Synod’s rejection of the same-sex marriage report shows the problem of having glorified administrators focused on unity at the head of the churchThe clergy has moved on. It’s the bishops who are out of touch
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The firm’s parachuting parcels wheeze is about as credible as the 1970s TV detector van that only existed in adverts. But hey, we’re all talking about itNew from Amazon: the drone that delivers free publicity
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The Guardian view on marriage: not the only wayEditorial: The law should recognise more than marriage as a way of giving rights to straight couples
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Miriam González Durántez is right to object to being called ‘Mrs Clegg’An invitation to speak on International Women’s Day was sent to the lawyer in her husband’s name. Why is there such a deep anxiety about women retaining their independence?
advice
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Private livesPrivate livesMy nine-year-old step-daughter has become a monster and her mother seems scared of herThe girl is verbally and physically abusive to both of us – and acuses me of being a paedophile. I now dread going home and wonder about moving out
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Dr Dillner’s dilemmasDr Dillner’s dilemmasHow much screen time should I let my teenager have?A new study says that up to six hours a day is perfectly normal, and unlikely to do any harm – as long as your child is doing fine at school and getting enough exercise
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Dear MariellaDear MariellaMy teen daughter is refusing a family trip with my partnerA woman is struggling to get her daughter to be more positive about her partner. Mariella Frostrup advises her not to foist a new family on the teenager
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Sexual healingSexual healingI've always felt too much guilt to enjoy sex – and now I've got no libido eitherAt last, I’ve met someone I would like to enjoy life with. But, thanks to my Catholic upbringing, I’ve always had problems with sex, and now I’m perimenopausal
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Problem solvedProblem solvedI’ve fallen for a man who has lost his wife but he no longer wants to see meAfter three months together, he suddenly called it off saying that he wasn’t ready to move on. I’m devastated – what should I do? Annalisa Barbieri advises a reader
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Ask AlysAsk AlysAsk Alys Fowler: I want to get rid of concrete slabs and create a gardenOur gardening expert has some excellent advice
love & sex
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First Dates and the unbearable awkwardness of going DutchThe thorny issue of bill-splitting made for a cringeworthy encounter on Channel 4’s dating show. I would like to suggest a few basic rules
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What are your worst dating experiences?A man has asked a first date for his money back after being rejected by her. Let us know the price you have had to pay for a courtship gone awry
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Why is he ignoring me? You asked Google – here’s the answerEvery day millions of internet users ask Google life’s most difficult questions, big and small. Our writers answer some of the commonest queries
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Lust for life: why sex is better in your 80sSexually active older people are considered a curiosity, but a new survey suggests that lovemaking is often more fulfilling for ‘sexual survivors’ than those in middle age
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Just in time for Valentine's Day: my failed proposal to get my girlfriend backOn New Year’s Eve, I found myself lying half naked on the frozen Mississippi river in a dog park. Share your stories of failed romance in the comments
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What happens in your brain when you fall in love? – videoScience suggests there’s more to romance than a Valentine’s card would have you believe. So, what’s dopamine got to do with it?
How to combine work and motherhood: do them one at a time