60 years ago, scientists let a farm field return to nature – here’s what happened
In the archive of the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology there is a typed note from the 1960s that planted the seed of an idea. Written by Kenneth Mellanby,...
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UK local councils failing people who can’t afford a funeral, says new report
The average cost of a funeral has been steadily rising in the UK for nearly two decades and now amounts to £4,184. In 2017, prompted by concerns about the lack...
Hiking isn’t just good for your body – it’s good for your mind too
Before COVID-19, the popularity of hiking was on a downward slope in both adults and children. But its popularity has spiked during the pandemic, seeing many more people taking to...
Writing can improve mental health – here’s how
Ernest Hemingway famously said that writers should “write hard and clear about what hurts”. Although Hemingway may not have known it at the time, research has now shown that writing...
Antipodean Adventure Pt.2
Our intrepid explorer Margaret Patten continues her adventures Down Under. When you have a four week holiday, it seems endless at the start. Then, having spent three wonderful weeks exploring...
Shrek at 20: celebrating the film’s unique brand of animated anarchy and sardonic irreverence
While Pixar’s groundbreaking Toy Story often achieves plaudits for the shot in the arm it gave Hollywood animation in the mid-1990s, it’s impossible to ignore the influence of DreamWorks’ 2001...
Five words that don’t mean what you think they do
Articles of this kind usually assert that a word’s correct meaning lies in its earliest uses, while later developments are corruptions. Disinterested doesn’t mean “not interested” but “impartial” they complain....
Japan’s cherry blossom – a poetic reminder of the impermanence of things
Each spring, cherry blossoms grace Japan with colour for a brief and beautiful moment. Such is the fleeting nature of this eagerly anticipated yearly phenomenon that most Japanese news channels...
Five tourist trips in England inspired by classic novels
Some books can really bring to life the place in which they’re set. Their words knit together in such a way that whole landscapes or entire floorplans of buildings you’ve...