Category: Features

For a population so adeptly conditioned to cold weather, Finns are surprisingly good at taking the heat. Tossing a large ladle of water over hot coals, a glistening, tattooed Nordic grins gleefully as our dark, charcoal-stained smoke sauna transforms into an angry furnace. As steam singes my nostrils and beads of sweat form rivulets in… Continue reading Turning up the heat in Helsinki

Ask Will Taylor to describe his home decor and his answer is unhesitating: sea-inspired style with a touch of sunshine. “I’m often at my happiest by the ocean with salty, windswept hair, barefoot, with sand between my toes, and nothing to crowd my mind beyond the endless roll call of blue hues. I like to… Continue reading Taylor and his technicolour dream home

“I’m flying to Madrid tomorrow and I have a million and one things to do,” Ping Coombes whispers down the phone, giggling at her hectic schedule. “And I’ve just moved house so I am surrounded by boxes. It’s madness.” But for the MasterChef champion – who has spent the past two years since winning the… Continue reading 'A chef's life isn't a rosy as people think'

In homes throughout the country, children are relying on electronic gadgets to get them through the potential boredom of the long summer holidays. Across the Irish Sea in the UK, the National Trust is urging kids to put down their gadgets and pick up a much more versatile tool – a stick.

Our screen-time’s increased by 42% in the past five years, according to healthcare brand Bausch + Lomb, with the average person spending seven hours a day staring at a screen – and it’s taking its toll on our eyes. A key factor is dryness; we tend to blink far less when gazing at screens, which… Continue reading Time to tech it a bit easier – is your health up to date with the latest gadgets?

When Jonathan Antoine walked onto the Britain’s Got Talent stage just over four years ago, he achieved something quite rare and brilliant… making Simon Cowell eat his words. The TV show judge’s face had given away the fact he didn’t expect much of the desperately shy teenager and his then singing partner Charlotte Jaconelli.

It once divided a city by wealth and status, and even today visitors to Paris have a favoured bank of the Seine; while sightseers tend to veer a droite, artists and creative types clearly keep a gauche. Right now, though, the focus of activity is the river itself, dubbed the city’s 21st arrondissement, where buoyant… Continue reading Five ways to make a splash in Paris

Pomegranates are proof that you shouldn’t judge a fruit by its cover. They’re not the most appetising fruit in the bowl, and don’t even offer edible flesh – but they are packed with sweet seeds, which are extremely good for you. In fact, they’re often hailed as one of the healthiest fruits around, which is… Continue reading Getting fruity this summer!

The school holidays can be a childcare nightmare for parents, particularly those who work, and it can sometimes be tempting to leave children home alone. But the NSPCC is urging parents to think carefully before leaving their children at home without supervision during the summer holidays, as it could leave them at risk of accident… Continue reading Think before leaving kids home alone

Are your vegetables looking a little stunted, jaded or straggly this summer? If so, you won’t be alone. “Summer has only just started, Mediterranean-style,” garden expert Pippa Greenwood observes.