One of the best things about growing older is leaving behind that teenage fear of liking things that are uncoolLast week I spent some time recording an audiobook version of these columns (cough, out in October, cough). One thing I noticed was the numbe…
Parmesan and Pop-Tarts: 17 foods you’ve probably never frozen – but really should
From spinach to sandwiches, here’s how to reclaim your freezer from loose peas and crystal-encrusted lollies, to instantly improve your life in the kitchenIf there is one skill I wish I was better at, it’s freezer optimisation. Right now, my freezer is…
A new start after 60: ‘I always dreamed of being a writer – and published my first novel at 70’
In her thirties, Anne Youngson wrote a book in her lunch breaks at work. It stayed in a drawer. Then she retired, wrote her debut and was shortlisted for a major awardWhen Anne Youngson’s agent told her a publisher had made an offer for her first novel…
How Kacey Musgraves divorced ‘the revenge dress’
Following in Beyoncé’s footsteps, the singer’s new short film suggests that a clothing concept that originated with Princess Diana is no longer relevantHas the pandemic killed off the “revenge dress”? This week, Kacey Musgraves teased her new album and…
Concerns over pet welfare crisis due to high demand for ‘pandemic puppies’
Extreme rise in demand in 2020 has had serious consequences on animal health and welfare, study revealsThe unprecedented demand for puppies during the pandemic has had serious consequences for animal health and welfare, a study has revealed.Researchers…
Fashion brands sign new deal on Bangladesh garment workers’ safety
Campaigners and union leaders praise accord, which replaces one agreed after 2013 Rana Plaza fireCampaigners have hailed a new agreement designed to protect garment workers in Bangladesh, signed by the likes of H&M and Inditex, which owns Zara and …
‘Our campsite was an apocalyptic disaster scene’: readers’ summer camping stories
Sleeping on cliffs, close encounters with deer and climate meltdown – this year’s holiday rush to get closer to nature was never less than invigoratingCliff camping seemed like a great idea during the pandemic, when we were craving adventure. After a c…
Captains, capitals, and Cruise’s curry curiosity – take the Thursday quiz
Fourteen questions on general knowledge and topical trivia plus a few jokes every Thursday – how will you fare?There’s nothing quite like the Thursday quiz. Once described in the comments as “irritating, shrill and self-indulgent” it features 14 questi…
Teenagers have taken up smoking in droves – and forgotten the lessons of the past | Zoe Williams
Young people don’t remember the 1980s at all, and the hard-won knowledge we gained from our nicotine habits. Primarily, that it really doesn’t help beat stressWe are as far away from 1980 now as we were then from 1939. I know that because I read it on …
‘They fear the factory can’t last’: Pandemic takes local fashion from boom to bust in Sydney
In Australia, garment manufacturing is powered by a workforce fearful of catching Covid. In what should be a busy time, factories now stand emptyWhen coronavirus hit international fashion manufacturing centres last year, many Australian designers pivot…