6 h. ago A moment that changed me: I had a wild London party life – until I met a man who lived on a houseboat

I had my dream career in publishing, but was jumping from one emotional and romantic disaster to the next. Could I find stability and rootedness with a new life on an island?If you’d told me when I was in my early 30s that, by the end of that decade, I would be living in a houseboat, I would never have believed you. I was a devoted Londoner, born and bred, and very wedded to my city lifestyle. I’d got a 100% mortgage and bought a tiny flat with a balcony, where I would host parties – and defy gravity – every weekend.Romantically, I was jumping from one emotional disaster to another, falling for unsuitable people, closing my ears to those who dropped hints about biological clocks. I had my dream career in publishing and most weeknights could be found stumbling out of the Groucho Club and into a cab. In the early 00s, publishing was all about “networking” and there was always someone keen to go for “just one” – code for a late night of heavy drinking, often culminating in karaoke. I’d...

Society

4 d. ago I'm late to the party, but the Uniqlo Bra Tops have changed my life

Discover the Uniqlo Bra Tops revolution

Politics

6 d. ago The Spencer twins: a wild ride with Princess Diana's nieces, London's favourite aristocrats

Lady Amelia and Lady Eliza Spencer are the guests everyone wants at their party this summer. Julia Llewellyn Smith meets them

Politics

7 d. ago A moment that changed me: I stepped into the boxing ring – and decades of quiet anger lifted

As I punched and shouted, I knew I didn’t have to be demure, delicate or diplomatic. I could be as fierce as I wanted. Those three minutes set me freeOn meeting me, you would never guess that I used to be an angry person. I’m talkative, sociable and self-possessed – but for nearly 20 years I lived with a quiet fury. It started with my parents, whose strict conservatism restricted everything in my life: what I ate, what I wore, where I went, what I thought. As immigrants from Bangladesh, they believed that control was the best way to protect their daughters, but it suffocated me.I had to fight to go to university – for all the things that men in my community were given as a right. At first, my anger felt ambient – mild and ever-present – but it became something harder, more bitter, when I was pressured into an arranged marriage at the age of 24. Continue reading...

Sport

8 d. ago However much you love your dog, spending £120 on a birthday party is ridiculous

As a new survey reveals just how much cash we’re splashing to celebrate our pets, Katie Rosseinsky asks whether our devotion to our four-legged friends has gone a bit too far

Economics

8 d. ago It’s official: one of the best wild swimming spots in Britain is in London

It’s official: one of the best wild swimming spots in Britain is in London  Time Out

Politics

1 week ago Slain lawmaker broke down as she defended brave vote days before shooting

Minnesota Democrat Melissa Hortman was on the verge of tears after casting a controversial vote that broke with her party, just five days before a 'politically motivated shooting' claimed her life.

Politics

1 week ago London travel news LIVE: Disruptions on Piccadilly, Met, and Mildmay lines

The capital’s latest travel updates

Politics

1 week ago Air India Ahmedabad Plane Crash Live Updates: PM Modi monitoring situation; Met survivor of crash, says Amit Shah

Air India Ahmedabad Plane Crash Live Updates: PM Modi monitoring situation; Met survivor of crash, says Amit Shah  Times of India

Events

1 week ago Helena Bonham Carter, Zadie Smith and Jennifer Saunders gather for RA Summer Exhibition party

As the annual societal bash gathers famous faces from art, music, and fashion, Olivia Petter reveals what went down at the highlight of London’s social calendar

Events

1 week ago Wild New Development in Case of London Teen Who Mysteriously Vanished for 6 Weeks

Wild New Development in Case of London Teen Who Mysteriously Vanished for 6 Weeks  The Root

Politics

1 week ago Whitehall incident LIVE: No10 plunged into lockdown as Met Police probe suspicious vehicle near Downing Street

Whitehall shut as police probe suspicious vehicle

Events

1 week ago What new Man City coach Pep Lijnders refused to say at Liverpool speaks volumes

Pep Lijnders' move to Manchester City has been met with raised eyebrows after he spent almost 10 years at Liverpool, but it seems Pep Guardiola has appointed himself a coach who has a fearless streak

Politics

2 w. ago What Pep Lijnders refused to say out loud at Liverpool says a lot about new Man City coach

After almost 10 years at Liverpool, Pep Lijnders' move to Manchester City has been met with raised eyebrows, yet it seems Pep Guardiola has appointed himself a coach who's not afraid to say how it is

Politics

2 w. ago The heatwave is coming to London! 10 wild swimming spots to cool off within an hour of London

Feeling the heat? These are the best swimming spots within easy reach of the capital by train, tube and car

Politics

2 w. ago A moment that changed me: I went to a death cafe – and learned how to live a much happier life

I felt peace flood over me as I realised I no longer needed to seek validation from others. Rather than saying yes to everything, I became more open, present and patient‘Are you afraid of dying, or are you afraid of not living?” Last year, I was sitting in a circle of strangers – half Buddhist monks, half morbidly curious members of the public – when someone asked one of the most profound questions I had ever heard. I was at a “death cafe”, at my local Buddhist centre in south London. A plate of biscuits was passed around while people nursed mugs of hot tea. At 29, I was one of the youngest attending the informal chat about death and dying, which was part of an initiative to encourage more open conversations about the ends of our lives.During the session, people reflected on the lives of those they had lost. Stories were shared about the joyful moments they had had together. A woman asked me why I would want to come to something like this, at my age. I looked around before revealing...

Events

2 w. ago In London, the wild fox has its own ambulance service when it needs help

The red fox is such a fixture of life in London that it has its own ambulance service

Politics

2 w. ago Video. Take a look at London’s wild and wonderful vegetable sculpture contest

Video. Take a look at London’s wild and wonderful vegetable sculpture contest  Euronews.com

Culture

2 w. ago Adele says relationship with son has changed after poignant moment

Adolescence hit screens earlier this year on Netflix and has quickly become a fan favourite, with many hoping another series is in the works

Politics

2 w. ago 'I went from shy girl to party lover at uni and now I earn £470k a year by faking it'

EXCLUSIVE: Tam Kaur spent most of her school years virtually mute but now she's on the Forbes 30 Under 30 List raking in big money after learning a skill that would be the foundation of her career

Economics