Viewing all items in Resource Category: Looking at You

You would be surprised at how many different coins end up in church collection plates.  Euros and obsolete pound coins can jostle alongside American dollars, Czech koruna and even pesos from Chile. It just shows where some people go on holiday! In Bible times the Jewish people also had a collection, but it was not...

We could ask our local council to plant a tree on our street.  So advises the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) who has recently announced that the majority of the Britain in Bloom finalists are in urban areas. This is the competition’s 56th year, and rather than simply judging on the beauty of the flowers planted,...

You have often suspected this: those meetings at work are largely pointless, except they do provide you with a chance to talk. That is the conclusion of a team of academics from the University of Malmo in Sweden. They have found that the growth of managerial and strategy jobs in business has in turn fuelled...

The number of middle-aged ‘bachelors’ (aged 45–64) who live on their own is soaring.  They now make up 1.4million of the 8.2 million single households in the county. Overall, there are 27.8 million homes in the UK, according to the Office for National Statistics’ 2019 figures on families and households.

If you go for a run just once a week, it could be enough to cut the risk of your early death by up to a quarter. A recent analysis of nearly a quarter of a million people has found that those who head out regularly for a jog – no matter how fast or...

If you tend to be quiet and courteous, rather than actually friendly with the people living near you, you are not alone – it is a growing trend. A recent study by the Co-op and Neighbourhood Watch has found that there is a shift away from neighbours becoming friends. In fact, it seems that only...

Are only children more narcissistic, with feelings of self-admiration and being more prone to rivalry (both of which are signs of being self-centred)? According to recent research by psychologists at Winchester University, the answer is no. A study into the personality differences between only children and those with siblings found that the sole difference in...

Granny always knew her chicken soup was good for you when you were poorly, but she did not realise quite howgood. Now research has found that the traditional hot broths used in many cultures to battle flu and fevers pack a bigger punch than even the cooks realised. A range of soups, ranging from vegetable...

The joys of neighbours in the Spring! Eat seasonally Are you a late bloomer? Why women over 50 should slim down Do you need a dachshund? Depressed doggie? The soaring cost and changing tastes in funerals Run yourself to fitness What’s in your child’s lunchbox? Garden trends for 2020 ** Editor:  David Pickup, a solicitor...

Spring has finally sprung, and our thoughts turn naturally to … the garden. The first sunny day is an opportunity to cut the grass with your new motor mower, prune next door neighbour’s tree which overhangs, have a big bonfire to get rid of the rubbish, and end the day with a noisy barbeque! All...

Eco-warriors who lead protest marches may have good intent, but what are they doing at home?  Are they block-paving their gardens or eating avocados, for example? Alan Titchmarsh, writing in his recent column in Gardeners’ World, points out: “We cannot berate members of the Royal family and global superstars for flying hither and yon in...

Are you crossing life’s milestones later than your grandparents and even parents did?  Not to worry – you are not alone. The office for National Statistics has recently revealed that for many of us, life’s milestones are happening later. We are marrying, buying our first homes, becoming parents, divorcing, becoming grandparents, and retiring later than...