A pared-down palette makes a florist’s home in Cheshire an oasis of tranquillityIn florist Keith Dawson’s garden, the predominant colour is green. Hedges of hornbeam line the long alleyways, creating intimate paths that open into a wide lawn with a haw…
Readers reply: when and why did men stop wearing hats?
The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical conceptsWhy did men stop wearing hats? I saw a video clip recently of the crowd at the 1…
‘It’s all here on the water’: how Britain’s canals became home to bakers, blacksmiths and florists
Stroll down Britain’s canals these days and you’ll encounter waterside businesses of all kinds trading out of narrowboats. Here, five floating traders share their storiesWhen Stuart Fenwick first moved to London seven years ago, he spent a lot of time …
We all play the status game, but who are the real winners?
Whether we’re yam growers, tech wizards or conspiracy theorists, we’re hardwired to play the status game. But success is not always what it seemsLife is a game. To understand this is to understand why the human world can be so maddening, angry and irr…
Nigel Slater’s recipes for plum and rosemary cake, and baked aubergines
Late-summer plums lend themselves to many recipes, but you can’t beat a nice cakeAt the bottom of the garden, past the old well and the hazel frames of runner beans, was what we grandly called “the orchard”. Hidden among the pear and greengage trees, p…
The devil’s in the detail: hair horns become summer’s hot new trend
Anime inspires bold, edgy look with a nod back to punk and emo styles worn by the Bromley Contingent and the Prodigy’s Keith Flint This year has brought many unexpected hair trends. First came the shullet (a cross between the 90s shag and the harder 80…
I was a therapist to killers in Broadmoor – and felt ‘radical empathy’ for them
A forensic psychiatrist recalls her attempts to connect with some of society’s most damaged and dangerous peopleDuring my first week as a newly qualified forensic psychiatrist at Broadmoor, I had to visit one of the wards. At the foot of a staircase, I…
Paloma Faith: ‘If anyone can do it, it’s me’
Despite the balancing act – home schooling, a second baby, a fifth album and a nationwide tour – Paloma Faith always comes out fighting… and full of storiesHere’s a nice little exclusive for you,” Paloma Faith leans into my voice recorder generously, g…
Photographer Enda Burke and the theatre of family lockdown
In lockdown in Galway City, Burke focused on the bright side – creating gaudily retro, deadpan tableaux with his parents in all the starring rolesEnda Burke spent lockdown with his parents in Galway City on the west coast of Ireland. As a street photog…
The GPO, Liverpool: ‘They’re trying to work all the angles’ – restaurant review
Is it a post office, is it a shopping mall? Liverpool’s GPO may be first-class once it sorts itself outThe GPO, Metquarter, 35 Whitechapel, Liverpool L1 6DA. Book online at the-gpo.co.uk. All dishes across the menus £4-£16. Wines from £18The app wants …