Lifestyle
-
Death and the cruel process that followsLetters: Christine Holloway regrets that her call to a GP after her mother’s death started a legal process that whisked the body away before she’d had time to say goodbye -
Losing motivation? Stay strongSurveys suggest that January 12 is the day most people flag in their new year resolution zeal. So quick, find a friend! You’ll be amazed how much difference it makes ...
-
My in-laws won’t babysit our childrenThey have the space, time and money to take the children for an evening, but I don’t know how to raise the issue with them. Annalisa Barbieri advises a reader -
After six years of exposing my private life, I’m settling for silenceI have shared my feelings about the death of my father, the struggle to save my marriage and the daily ins and outs of my family life. Now with sadness, and not a little relief, it is time to say goodbye
-
Generation rent: why I’ll never live in the town I grew up inFor years I hated my neighbourhood and wanted to live in ‘proper London’, and now I can only dream of a house in Dagenham
-
What I wore this week: corduroyAn unexpected colour is one way to nudge people into realising that you are wearing corduroy in a soulful-and-cultured sense not in the grumpy-and-outdated sense
-
‘The wind makes Karst people stay in, and gives them character’: walker and author Nick HuntFor the Stanford’s Travel Book of the Year nominee, the Bora wind influences every part of life on this wild plateau – straddling Italy and Slovenia – from the architecture to the inhabitants and their food
-
Naples’ Fontanelle cemetery: skulls and silence beneath the busy city streetsIn an underground chamber in the Italian city, the skulls of plague victims are stacked high but the traditions surrounding their preservation are ultimately uplifting, telling us a lot about the human capacity for caring
-
Mysuru, India, city guide: what to see, plus the best yoga centres, hotels and restaurantsFamed for ashtanga yoga, wellbeing is a way of life in this magical south Indian city – and fantastic markets, food and architecture all add to the allure
-
The best mind, body and spirit breaks: readers’ travel tipsWhether it’s an affordable thermal spa, a yoga break in Ibiza, or something more ambitious, such as a 10-day silent retreat in India, our readers have found wonderful ways to relax
-
Thomasina Miers’ easy recipe for one-pot penne with lentil, tomato and kale sauceBeat the January blues with a rich, warming bowl of pasta that’s as kind on the wallet as it is on the stomach
-
Cocktail of the week: Calming bee’s kneesA taste of summer for the depths of winter, from south London bar/restaurant Powderkeg
-
Novel recipes: eggs Benedict from Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste NgWhile reading Ng’s dramatic novel set in American suburbia, Kate Young is inspired by a mention of her favourite brunch meal – and has tips for those dreading making their own hollandaise
-
Forget M&S’s £2.50 ‘cauliflower steak’ – here’s how to make your ownMarks and Spencer has been mocked for its expensive brassica offering, and it’s not the only supermarket trying to entice would-be vegans to splash out. Don’t be sucked in
Technology
-
CES 2018: voice-controlled showers, non-compliant robots and smart toiletsVoice assistants were in everything at the trade show, suggesting the future is smart – but does anyone actually want to talk to their toilet?
-
Kodak leads surge of companies exploiting bitcoin buzzCompanies pivoting to, or just showing an interest in, cryptocurrencies and associated technologies have resulted in a sudden burst in share price
-
Do I still need PC tuning software for Windows 10?Ludo wonders if he should keep paying for commercial clean-up program to run in Windows 10. Fortunately there are free alternative suites
Regulars
-
ExperienceExperienceI took my mother to DignitasI said a cheery ‘Goodbyeeee!’ and she giggled. Then she went to sleep in our arms and died about an hour later
-
This column will change your lifeThis column will change your lifeStop racing. You’ll still get there just as quicklyRacing to get a task completed generally imposes a cost that outweighs the benefit, so you may end up completing it later, or doing it worse
-
The crushThe crushWhy I love… SZAHer voice swings between self-consciously raspy and whisper-soft, with a hint of something not quite of this realm
-
StylewatchStylewatchYounger, hipper, cooler: Harry and Meghan's engagement photos herald a new era of royal portraitureThe couple, who will marry next year, have enlisted a rising star to take their images
Advice
-
Dear MariellaDear MariellaI’m struggling to find love through online datingLearn to make friends first, Mariella Frostrup advises a woman who wants a mate
People
-
Itchy and scratchyEczema can be a year-round torment for the 1.6 million adults affected in the UK, but winter causes particular misery. So how can you avoid it – or treat it if you have it?
-
Griff Rhys Jones: ‘My best kiss? I kissed all the Spice Girls once’The actor and comedian on being lazy, losing his cool and public shaming
-
The most romantic thing I’ve done is have sexThe actor, 47, on being an optimist, avoiding marriage advice and why other people make him anxious
-
Fame at 16, stalkers and David CassidyOne of the most photographed British women of the 1980s talks about feminism, her abusive father and how she battled her fears to come out as gay
The big picture
-
Sign up to see the bigger pictureGet the photographic highlight of each day’s shows sent directly to you
Stop racing. You’ll still get there just as quickly