You know that song, “The Twelve Pains of Christmas”? It’s one of my favourites at this time of year. As you might guess, it’s a parody on the “Twelve Days of Christmas,” and always makes me laugh so hard. According to the song, “The fourth thing at Christmas ...

You know that song, “The Twelve Pains of Christmas”? It’s one of my favourites at this time of year. As you might guess, it’s a parody on the “Twelve Days of Christmas,” and always makes me laugh so hard. According to the song, “The fourth thing at Christmas ...

We never planned to have any pets. At least not until my husband buckled and agreed our animal-loving son could have a fish. Which, naturally, became three fish (one would apparently be lonely and he couldn’t decide between the other two). Then our youngest child wanted in on the act. Quickly ...

We never planned to have any pets. At least not until my husband buckled and agreed our animal-loving son could have a fish. Which, naturally, became three fish (one would apparently be lonely and he couldn’t decide between the other two). Then our youngest child wanted in on the act. Quickly ...

“You mean to say we drove all this way to eat cheese and potatoes?”

“You mean to say we drove all this way to eat cheese and potatoes?”

Which character do you most resemble in George Orwell’s Animal Farm? You may never have considered this. Neither had I until my literature-loving eldest son posed the question at a recent family gathering. Twenty minutes of feisty conversation later we agreed our family comprises a Napoleon, Squealer ...

Which character do you most resemble in George Orwell’s Animal Farm? You may never have considered this. Neither had I until my literature-loving eldest son posed the question at a recent family gathering. Twenty minutes of feisty conversation later we agreed our family comprises a Napoleon, Squealer ...

Have you seen The Reluctant Traveller? It’s a TV show that follows Canadian actor Eugene Levy as he explores places and cultures around the world. The premise is that Levy isn’t fond of travelling, so his experience is going to deliver something different.

Have you seen The Reluctant Traveller? It’s a TV show that follows Canadian actor Eugene Levy as he explores places and cultures around the world. The premise is that Levy isn’t fond of travelling, so his experience is going to deliver something different.

At 08:05 GMT on the morning of 1 March 1999, Château-d’Oex was written into the history books. Because that was the moment when Bertrand Piccard (CH) and Brian Jones (GB) launched the Breitling Orbiter 3 on what was to become the first successful uninterrupted circumnavigation of the world ...

At 08:05 GMT on the morning of 1 March 1999, Château-d’Oex was written into the history books. Because that was the moment when Bertrand Piccard (CH) and Brian Jones (GB) launched the Breitling Orbiter 3 on what was to become the first successful uninterrupted circumnavigation of the world ...

A t this summer’s Saanen Brocante, I saw a photograph of St Niklaus Kapelle (the little chapel in the centre of Gstaad) taken way back in time. So long ago that the only other landmarks in the image are three barns, a single-track road bordered by a rickety wooden fence and (of course) the mountains. ...

A t this summer’s Saanen Brocante, I saw a photograph of St Niklaus Kapelle (the little chapel in the centre of Gstaad) taken way back in time. So long ago that the only other landmarks in the image are three barns, a single-track road bordered by a rickety wooden fence and (of course) the mountains. ...

Back in 1968 Paul McCartney sat at his piano in the Highlands of Scotland and penned the Beatles’ final number one single “The Long and Winding Road”. Asked about it in interviews, McCartney explained: “I have always found inspiration in the calm beauty of Scotland.”

Back in 1968 Paul McCartney sat at his piano in the Highlands of Scotland and penned the Beatles’ final number one single “The Long and Winding Road”. Asked about it in interviews, McCartney explained: “I have always found inspiration in the calm beauty of Scotland.”

“I don’t eat meat,” a former colleague assured me as he tucked into a plate of wild boar, “but I make an exception during game season.”

“I don’t eat meat,” a former colleague assured me as he tucked into a plate of wild boar, “but I make an exception during game season.”

Fun fact: years before ‘Star Wars’ burst onto our screens in 1977, British weightlifting champion David Prowse (AKA Darth Vader) played a different role: the costumed superhero character ‘Green Cross Man’. He appeared in a series of public information films to promote pedestrian ...

Fun fact: years before ‘Star Wars’ burst onto our screens in 1977, British weightlifting champion David Prowse (AKA Darth Vader) played a different role: the costumed superhero character ‘Green Cross Man’. He appeared in a series of public information films to promote pedestrian ...

“ Thank you so much for having Charlie come to stay,” said Jane as she bundled her son into our car for a half-term visit. “He eats most things but isn’t keen on butter in sandwiches and I can never get him to drink milk.”

“ Thank you so much for having Charlie come to stay,” said Jane as she bundled her son into our car for a half-term visit. “He eats most things but isn’t keen on butter in sandwiches and I can never get him to drink milk.”

I’m not much into sport. Yes, I enjoy an early morning run and play the odd round of mini-golf (if that qualifies?), but that’s about it. When it comes to being a spectator, I’m hardly more enthusiastic, with the one exception of snooker – a sport I’ve loved since the age ...

I’m not much into sport. Yes, I enjoy an early morning run and play the odd round of mini-golf (if that qualifies?), but that’s about it. When it comes to being a spectator, I’m hardly more enthusiastic, with the one exception of snooker – a sport I’ve loved since the age ...

“ Trains are wonderful … To travel by train is to see nature and human beings, towns and churches and rivers, in fact, to see life.”

“ Trains are wonderful … To travel by train is to see nature and human beings, towns and churches and rivers, in fact, to see life.”

As 2022 draws to a close, towns and cities around the world are putting the finishing touches to their New Year’s Eve plans. In London, Big Ben will once again play a central role, its bongs ringing out across the city after a multi-million pound renovation.

As 2022 draws to a close, towns and cities around the world are putting the finishing touches to their New Year’s Eve plans. In London, Big Ben will once again play a central role, its bongs ringing out across the city after a multi-million pound renovation.

Ask a Brit for their opinion on something and they might say: “It’s marmite.” That’s code for “you’ll love it or hate it.” So-called because people tend to have polarised opinions on the thick, black, salty spread made from yeast extract sold under the brand ...

Ask a Brit for their opinion on something and they might say: “It’s marmite.” That’s code for “you’ll love it or hate it.” So-called because people tend to have polarised opinions on the thick, black, salty spread made from yeast extract sold under the brand ...

When I was young, I invented a game called “shoe shops”. It was very straightforward. I would collect shoes from around the house, stick price tags on them and arrange them in neat pairs up the stairs.

When I was young, I invented a game called “shoe shops”. It was very straightforward. I would collect shoes from around the house, stick price tags on them and arrange them in neat pairs up the stairs.

There’s a scene in ‘The Sound of Music’ where Maria and the children are enjoying a picnic in the mountains. An idyllic scene of relaxation and play.

There’s a scene in ‘The Sound of Music’ where Maria and the children are enjoying a picnic in the mountains. An idyllic scene of relaxation and play.

Expats are flexible creatures. It’s an essential life skill for adapting to different locales, customs and languages. You quickly learn that every country has its pluses and minuses. Brilliant housing, but hideous traffic. Great weather, but high rents.

Expats are flexible creatures. It’s an essential life skill for adapting to different locales, customs and languages. You quickly learn that every country has its pluses and minuses. Brilliant housing, but hideous traffic. Great weather, but high rents.

‘Buy quality and cry once – buy cheap and cry forever.’ It’s unclear who first coined this phrase back in the 1920s, but it shows that even before sustainability became big news, people didn’t want to waste money on something that would fall apart five minutes later.
...

‘Buy quality and cry once – buy cheap and cry forever.’ It’s unclear who first coined this phrase back in the 1920s, but it shows that even before sustainability became big news, people didn’t want to waste money on something that would fall apart five minutes later.
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