With gas bills rising again, many readers ask how to warm chilly bedrooms fast without pricey kit or structural upgrades. This week we tested a five-minute cleaning routine using a common hairdryer, and the results surprised even seasoned energy advisers. […]
On a quiet August morning in Sussex, a popcorn-like scent lingered in a nest box as keepers paused, listening softly. During routine checks on 8 August, staff at Drusillas Park in Polegate found a newborn binturong cub, known as a
As temperatures drop, older households face tricky choices about heating and budgets, with new payments set to land. Letters are being prepared and payment windows confirmed, while rules differ by age, living arrangements and where you live in the UK.
Before doors opened at a Sussex zoo, keepers heard soft squeaks from the treetops and paused their routine with raised eyebrows. By mid-morning, a new chapter had begun. A palm-sized shadow nestled beside its mother, and the quiet corners of
Energy bills are climbing again as colder nights set in, leaving many older readers checking what support lands and when. Payments worth between £100 and £300 are scheduled for eligible state pensioners, with letters due in October and November and
Keepers in Sussex say a newborn with a popcorn scent has arrived quietly, but the story begins months earlier. Visitors at Drusillas Park in Polegate are hearing whispers about a tiny “bearcat” with bright eyes and a bold nose. On
With colder nights looming and bills high, millions of pensioners are asking what support will hit bank accounts this winter. The Government’s Winter Fuel Payment returns with set amounts and clear conditions. Letters arrive first, with the money following weeks
A field beside the railway in Staplehurst may swap crops for cul‑de‑sacs, play parks and a fierce local argument. Next week, Maidstone councillors will consider plans for 81 homes off Lodge Road, a small commercial hub, and a tangle of
Families weighing a move to Lodge Road face a clash of promises, price tags and trains as plans near a vote. Next week councillors will decide whether 81 homes and new commercial space can rise beside Staplehurst railway station, with
Letters are going out ahead of colder nights, but not every older Briton will see extra help land this winter. Millions expect a seasonal boost to offset rising bills, yet the rules have quietly shifted. The Department for Work and
New-build promises meet hard realities in a corner of Kent, where price, noise and traffic collide with green ambitions. Plans for a 4.5-hectare estate off Lodge Road have reached a decisive moment. The proposal mixes 81 homes with small commercial
With energy debts rising and letters due in November, many older readers now face tricky rules reshaping winter budgets. The Department for Work and Pensions has set out who will and won’t receive the Winter Fuel Payment for 2025–26. Chancellor
A political jolt in Tokyo leaves markets upbeat, rivals coaxed and neighbours watchful, as a new leader sketches her moves. Sanae Takaichi secured parliament’s backing with 362 votes and is set to be sworn in as Japan’s 104th prime minister
As temperatures drop, households weigh up heating costs, tax rules and eligibility letters that could shape a tight winter budget. The Department for Work and Pensions has confirmed changes that matter to millions this winter. While the Winter Fuel Payment
Markets jumped, allies leaned in and rivals recalculated as Tokyo prepared for a rapid handover and a bruising first week. That mood now turns into a daunting to‑do list, with cabinet picks, a budget fight and a big visit from
You hit your step goal and close your rings, yet something simple could shift your results from fine to impressive. A leading exercise scientist says the number on your pedometer is only half the story; the way you walk changes
A whirlwind day in Tokyo ends with late votes, market jitters and big promises as households juggle shrinking pay packets. Japan’s parliament handed Sanae Takaichi the keys to government after a two-chamber vote, setting up a rapid cabinet reveal this
At a lively Salford event, the Bolton comic shifted from gags to candour, opening up about food, fame, ageing and self-control. Peter Kay, 52, used a conversation on stage at The Lowry with broadcaster Sara Cox to talk frankly about
Step counters buzz, pavements brim with trainers, and the daily march continues, while many walkers quietly wonder whether their effort truly counts. Ten thousand steps has become the world’s favourite fitness target. Yet new evidence suggests the way you walk
A national favourite has been rethinking food, fame and ageing, while mapping an arena run that stretches into 2026. In Salford, the stand-up star opened up about decades of dieting, a blunt moment of self-awareness, and the routines now keeping
Your step counter may be smashing targets, yet a small shift in how you walk could change what your body gets back. New analysis from 2024 suggests that the biggest health wins come when you combine a solid daily step
Britain’s favourite everyman comic has opened up about food, fame and the long shadow of old habits, stirring empathy and debate. At a candid theatre event in Salford, Peter Kay spoke about decades of dieting, the lure of quick fixes
In a year of glitter, grit and genre-bending singles, a handful of tracks clung to the peak as the rest shuffled. The charts in 1974 moved at a dizzying pace. Yet a small group of songs managed to outlast the
On a steep bank above Ross-on-Wye, a much-loved woodland faces a turning point. Neighbours are rallying. Money, as usual, complicates everything. The debate around Merrivale Wood touches nerves that run deeper than a property listing. It tests how a small
You think you remember 1974’s biggest hits, but chart lore hides a trick question many fans still get wrong. Ask who owned the year and you’ll hear one answer. Ask who stayed longest at the very top and you’ll get
A much-loved wood near Ross-on-Wye enters a decisive week, as budgets, public access and community ambition pull in different directions. Herefordshire Wildlife Trust plans to sell the 4.5-hectare Merrivale Wood to concentrate limited funds on larger nature reserves. The move
Funding pressures and community pride now collide in a small Herefordshire woodland that many residents treat as their daily escape. A plan to sell Merrivale Wood has brought a hard choice into focus: protection of a treasured local patch versus
You think 1974 was all glam tassels and disco balls? The charts tell a different story of swift change and surprise. So which song truly ruled 1974? The answer depends on where you were buying your singles, queueing at your
Two Sussex communities sit at the heart of a fresh push to revive high streets, parks and public spaces across the South East. Ministers have unveiled a new Pride in Place drive that sends a wave of cash into local
A long-awaited cash stream is set to reshape two Sussex communities, with promises of cleaner parks, safer streets and busier shops. Ministers have earmarked £292 million for the South East under the Pride in Place programme, with two Sussex locations
Another cold season looms. Tyres, suspensions and nerves will be tested. Councils weigh a new fix promising tougher tarmac. A trial in Essex suggests a graphene-reinforced road surface could slow the relentless bloom of potholes. Lab tests and early road
From play areas to shuttered shopfronts, money and new powers are heading to Sussex streets where small changes matter. Two Sussex communities have been named in a £292 million push to renew neighbourhoods across the South East, with long-term cash
Tyres thump, suspensions groan, and budgets creak as Britain’s worn roads test drivers, councils and patience in equal measure. Across the country, crews patch craters as fast as budgets allow while engineers chase materials that can outlast British weather. One
Baskets filled fast as a fresh name on the high street drew curious crowds to a West Sussex town centre. The arrival of a Scandinavian homeware favourite in Crawley has set phones buzzing and tills ringing, with locals seeking small,
Shoppers chase small treats and simple style as a fresh name lands on a busy Sussex retail strip this week. Danish homeware chain Søstrene Grene has opened in Crawley, marking the brand’s 61st UK location. The arrival brings the label’s
Britain’s crumbling roads drain wallets and patience. A fresh fix promises relief, but questions linger over cost, durability and scale. Across England and Wales, councils patch holes every 18 seconds while budgets bite and winters bite harder. Now a graphene-reinforced
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