46 h. ago Get to grips with pollination – your garden (and the bees) will thank you for it

GCSE biology a distant memory? Here’s how plants reproduce, and how to encourage themIf you’re growing any plants for fruit, getting your head around pollination is key to ensuring a bountiful harvest. Thankfully, the plants and the pollinators – whether that’s bees, beetles or a summer breeze – have a system for making this happen. Still, any grower should be familiar with the pollination needs of their crops in case intervention is necessary.If GCSE biology is a distant memory, here’s a quick refresher. Pollination is the reproductive process whereby a flower’s pollen is transferred from the stamen to the stigma before travelling to the ovule, where fertilisation takes place. Seeds start to develop and, for those crops that coax a creature into dispersing their seed, a fruit will form and swell around them. Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago Appleby Horse Fair chaos as blaze breaks out as thousands of travellers attend

Tens of thousands of travellers descended on Appleby for the tiny village's annual horse fair, but visitors were forced to evacuate an area on Saturday as a fire broke out

Events

7 d. ago Appleby Horse Fair chaos as blaze breaks out with thousands of travellers attending

Tens of thousands of travellers descended on Appleby for the tiny village's annual horse fair, but visitors were forced to evacuate an area on Saturday as a fire broke out

Events

8 d. ago Fury at gypsy influencer's 'reckless' advice to young Appleby Horse Fair travellers as thousands descend on town and locals batten down hatches

Equestrian rider Martina Wright has caused fury among campaigners by advising horse owners to ride their mounts into the river even if they can't swim.

Politics

8 d. ago Residents of tiny Dumfries and Galloway village fear 'catastrophic' impact of children's care home

CareTec are aiming to turn a home in Milton near Crocketford into a children’s residential care home.

Society

9 d. ago Tyson Fury heads to Appleby Horse Fair as thousands of travellers descend on tiny village

Tens of thousands of travellers are flooding into Appleby Horse Fair in Cumbria, including former heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury and his family

Politics

1 week ago Thousands of Travellers and Gypsies descend on Appleby as world famous horse fair gets started

Locals are used to the disruption that comes with the annual Appleby Horse Fair, but are bracing themselves for trouble as thousands of travellers start to arrive in the town.

Politics

1 week ago Travellers start the party early: Gypsies race wagons down tiny village streets, wash their horses in the river and make last

Locals in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria, have been bracing themselves for chaos as thousands of travellers from across Europe flocked to the town ahead of the six-day event.

Politics

1 week ago Furious Brits start Magaluf sun lounger war as they reveal how they keep early towels off

A group of four Brits thought some guests were taking it too far by waking up at 2am and placing their towels on sun beds to reserve a spot, so they took matters into their own hands

Events

1 week ago ‘This is ground zero for Blatten’: the tiny Swiss village engulfed by a mountain

‘The memories preserved in countless books, photo albums, documentation – everything is gone,’ says village’s mayorFor weeks the weight had sat above the village, nine million tonnes of rock precariously resting on an ancient slab of ice. A chunk of Kleines Nesthorn mountain’s peak had crumbled, and its rubble hung over the silent, empty streets of Blatten, held back only by the glacier. The ice groaned beneath the pressure.On Wednesday afternoon, in an instant, it gave way. The ice cracked, then crumbled. The entire mass descended into the valley below, obliterating the village that had been there for more than 800 years. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Tiny abandoned UK village where no one can enter without special permission

Stanford, a deserted village and civil parish in Norfolk, was taken over by the British Army during the Second World War and can only be accessed with permission

Events

2 w. ago Terrifying satellite images show how tiny Swiss village of Blatten was completely wiped out by massive glacier collapse

The remote Alpine village of Blatten was flattened after an avalanche of rock, mud and ice was sent crashing down into the valley.

Events

2 w. ago Astonishing new footage shows the moment Swiss village is buried by falling glacier, obliterating houses

Video shows a huge cloud of ice and scree spewing over the Swiss village of Blatten on Wednesday, dwarfing tiny Alpine lodges as a chunk of the Birch glacier broke off

Culture

2 w. ago The Welsh village with Europe's longest name where house prices are soaring

The post-pandemic revival of Wales' seaside towns generally relented last year, but in the tiny village with Europe's longest name an upward trend in house prices is showing no sign of slowing down

Politics

3 w. ago Tiny UK seaside village predicted to be huge staycation spot this summer

With scenic coastal walks, a beautiful beach and sublime setting, visitors can enjoy the village’s natural splendour while feasting on award-winning meals that consistently receive rave reviews

Politics

3 w. ago Tiny UK village with gorgeous beach and nature reserve that visitors call 'bliss'

Wrabness, a small village and civil parish in Essex, has a beach and a nature reserve, and it's no wonder that people flock here to escape the chaos of everyday life

Politics

3 w. ago Tiny but cosy pub in Scots village wins top award after nearly closing

The bar was named the Pub of the Year for the Aberdeen, Grampian and Northern Isles region by CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale)

Events

4 w. ago Beautiful but tiny UK seaside village constantly rated as best in Britain

One seaside town has been ranked the best in the country, receiving five-star ratings for its impressive views of the Northumberland coastline and serene atmosphere.

Politics

last month 'Worst start to season for years' in Spain as restaurant bookings down 50%

There is panic on one popular island after a huge slump in customers amid rising anti-tourism protests

Politics