54 m. ago In the Rhododendrons by Heather Christle review – back to the mother land

A poet’s memoir of family, trauma, and Virginia Woolf pulses with feeling and intelligenceLike most kids, Heather Christle was drilled about “stranger danger”. Like some, she had a family codeword designed to show that an adult picking them up from school when her mother was busy could be trusted. But, in her American home town in the 1980s, no other kid’s word was a bygone British sweet. And so “Dolly Mixture” joins the growing list of things learned from her English mother that Christle, looking back, finds out of place. Things such as dining etiquette, cardigans, M&S outfits, margarine. But also bigger stuff: beliefs and behaviours. Assumptions. Silence. Shame.With her mother in her 70s and their relationship strained, Christle, a poet and academic, embarks on a quest for new understanding – of her mother, of “Englishness”, and of herself. In a memoir that pulses with feeling and intelligence, she excavates the past to expose difficult truths. As she proved with her acclaimed...

Events

55 m. ago Ross Lynch reveals toll Disney Channel fame had after very 'unique experience'

Ross Lynch was just 15 when he first appeared on Disney Channel but now almost 30, he's reflected on how growing up in the limelight affected him and his development

Politics

63 m. ago Asda customers get urgent 'do not eat' warning as supermarket recalls popular item

Asda has urgently pulled the item and asked customers to return it after a major error was made in its packaging - posing a potentially severe health risk to those with allergies

Events

1 hour ago Max Verstappen reveals what was said in tense argument between manager and Red Bull boss

Max Verstappen's manager was seen in tense discussions with some of Red Bull's bosses after the last race but the world champion did not seem concerned by the nature of their chats

Politics

1 hour ago ‘It will be beautiful to see our kids grow up with this’: how communities around the world are planting trees

City residents are working out how to fill their streets with trees as evidence grows of their benefits“I wanted to do something that would benefit as many people from the community as possible,” says Chloe Straw, pointing at a small but promising sapling visible through the window of her local cafe.In 2023, Chloe began chatting to her neighbours in Haringey, north London, about trees. “I thought it’d be really nice to raise some money for trees on the main road. Everyone uses West Green Road, regardless of whether you have a lot of money or not, regardless of your background.” Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago Are these SUVs now modern classics? Noughties cars like Porsche's Cayenne will be collector's items, experts say

Hagerty has earmarked four segment-driving SUVs from the noughties it believes have the ingredients to go on to become modern classics. Would you snap one up?

Science

2 h. ago The Homemade God by Rachel Joyce review – portrait of a patriarch

The mysterious death of an artist causes havoc among siblings in a novel that astutely observes family dynamicsWhat would writers do without problematic patriarchs? From King Lear to Logan Roy, they are the linchpins of countless family dramas: adored fathers who dominate and damage their children in equal measure.The new novel from Rachel Joyce, bestselling author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Miss Benson’s Beetle and others, revolves around one such man: Vic Kemp, a successful artist with four grown-up children. Vic is a widower who raised his offspring alone, and the story begins with him summoning them to a noodle bar to announce that he’s in love with a twentysomething called Bella-Mae he met online. He’s also the proud owner of a goatee, a surefire sign of an identity crisis. The offspring are aghast. “If he’s so lonely, he could get a cat,” says one. Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago Need Outfit Inspiration? Try London’s Busiest (And Most Fashionable) Flower Market

Need Outfit Inspiration? Try London’s Busiest (And Most Fashionable) Flower Market  Vogue

Politics

3 h. ago We tried the new Tim Hortons burger that shouldn't work but it does

The Canadian fast food chain has launched its 'boldest menu items yet'

Politics

3 h. ago Could Trump’s tariffs give a green light for corporate profiteering?

Expectations of inflation, and recent waves of price rises, could be self-fulfilling and fuel ‘greedflation’ – and it may not only apply to US consumersOver the past few years consumers have grown used to seeing prices rise at an exorbitant rate. The cost of everything – from used cars to utility bills and the humble loaf of bread – has rocketed in the worst inflation shock across advanced economies since the 1980s.While inflation has cooled in the past year, talk of fast-rising prices is back on the agenda from Donald Trump’s escalating trade war. Continue reading...

Politics

4 h. ago Foxes will run away from your garden instantly with 14p item they 'strongly dislike'

Gardeners can now easily outfox pesky foxes intent on destroying their carefully planted flowerbeds this bank holiday weekend, and it will only set them back a pleasingly pocket-friendly 14p

Politics

5 h. ago John Swinney urged to host summit on tackling organised crime in Scotland as gang war rages

A growing turf war between rival gangs of drug dealers has escalated across Edinburgh and Glasgow in recent weeks.

Events

5 h. ago Dubai Mr Big fuelling gang wars in Scotland "working with biggest cocaine cartels in world"

The Dubai-based gangster fled Scotland after the Encrochat group was cracked by cops but his operation has since grown massively.

Events

6 h. ago Gardeners urged to plant these 7 seeds in April according to expert

Want to flex your green fingers this April? An expert reveals it's the perfect time start planting a crop of delicious vegetables as well as a whole host of popular summer flowers

Politics

8 h. ago Hue are you kidding? Scientists claim to have discovered a new colour never seen by humans

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, say that by stimulating individual cells in the retina that the laser pushed their perception beyond its natural limits.

Events

8 h. ago Senior Labour advisers urge Keir Starmer to ditch party's ban on North Sea oil and gas drilling in light of growing Reform threat

A handful of senior officials are understood to be quietly urging the PM to consider watering down or scrapping the manifesto pledge altogether to see off the growing threat from Reform UK.

Society

8 h. ago The truth about Brooklyn Beckham's growing rift with his family

I'm told the top-secret trip's location is a picturesque, remote spot in Europe and friends say it will be a 'family affair' for the couple, their sons and partners and, of course, youngest daughter Harper.

Politics

8 h. ago Huge European country predicts record numbers of tourists and it's not Spain

Almost five million Brits are slated to visit a huge EU hotspot this year, following several years of growing anti-tourist sentiment raging across Spain

Politics

10 h. ago Wildfires grow to hundreds of acres after North Carolina lifts burn ban

Wildfires in the Carolinas have been fueled by dry and warm weather and leftover hurricane debris

Events

11 h. ago Safety expert reveals the one item you should NEVER accept from an Uber driver

The information was shared in an Instagram Reel posted this week by user Dannah Eve, who goes by The Street Smart Blonde online and has a degree in both criminology and psychology.

Politics