BUSINESS

Few, if any, British garden birds are as well-known or well-loved as the blackbird. Yet a combination of warmer, drier springs and a mosquito-borne disease in the UK – both the result of the climate crisis – have put this member of the thrush family under threat. Like many other common and familiar species, blackbirds … Read more

I grew up in a house where cosiness was a year-round thing, not just a winter trend. Mum should have been an interior decorator – she chose nursing instead – but her love of decorating meant our childhood home was filled with perfectly fluffed cushions, chunky knit throw rugs and so many candles that Dad … Read more

What’s the problem?I thought it was nearly impossible to kill aloe plants, but mine looks very pale and limp. DiagnosisYou’re right; aloe vera is famously resilient and seen as an easy plant to care for. But all plants are living entities with specific care needs. Pale, floppy leaves usually indicate overwatering, inadequate sunlight, or poor drainage, which … Read more

When Natalie Rowcroft decided to raffle off her house in Salford, everybody – including her husband, Bradley Rowcroft – thought she “had lost the plot”. It was July 2020; people were doing stranger things with their first pandemic summer. But given that she had read a newspaper article about a couple who’d raffled their house … Read more

Our home is in a heritage conservation area. Council rules prohibit the installation of solar panels that are visible from the street. However, there are dozens of homes with recently installed panels that are very prominent. When I queried council, they explained that I could provide addresses of these “offenders” and they may be fined … Read more