Author: Sarah McBride

GET in great shape this JanYOUary without having to flex your finances. Whether you prefer to exercise at home or want to meet up with others outdoors, there’s a free fitness option for you. Get off the starting blocks with these simple workouts. SO LONG, SOFA: Start your journey with a supportive app such as… Continue reading From free workouts to exercising outside, five ways to get fit if you’re on a budget

IF you overspent at Christmas, rest assured you’re not alone. One in ten of us will still be paying off our festive debts in June, but you don’t have to be among them. Here are seven simple ways to get on top of what you owe. 1. FACE FACTS: Make a brutally honest list of… Continue reading Seven quick steps to help decimate debt in 2025 including unlocking £630 hidden cash

ASKING me to pick my favourite Mini is like asking me to pick my favourite child. Of course I’ve got one. But it’s always changing, depending on circumstances — and cost. Let’s start with the little one. The Mini Cooper. The cool kid. Sporty. Tick. Clever. Tick. Fun. Tick. Loved by everyone. Makes you proud.… Continue reading I put Mini’s Cooper, Countryman and new Aceman to the test – they’re all brilliant but my favourite is clear

THE number of kids being referred for specialist anxiety treatment has doubled in just four years. The Covid pandemic and the shameful, prolonged closure of schools will have played its part in this, along with the cost-of-living crisis and food poverty. On top of all that, the pernicious rise of social media means that young… Continue reading Blair’s right, we must stop treating life’s ups & downs as mental health problems – it’s crippling the NHS

OUR much-loved astrologer Meg sadly died last year but her column will be kept alive by her friend and protégée Maggie Innes. Read on to see what’s written in the stars for you today.  ♈ ARIES March 21 to April 20 Asking the right questions can lead to the right answers, especially at home, so… Continue reading Horoscope today, January 11, 2025: Daily star sign guide from Mystic Meg

PULLING up to the luxury lodge that would be home for the next four nights, my first word was “Wow!”. We had arrived at Gull Rocks Beach in Holywell, Cornwall, just as the sun was setting over the bay — and the sky was a beautiful mix of blue, purple and pink, with the Atlan­tic… Continue reading I went to the UK holiday park named the best in the country with beach-view lodges, hot tubs & camping from £33 a night

NEED to pay off a big Christmas credit card bill or just want a bit of extra cash in 2025? It may be simpler than you think. Here, Laura Miller explains how “passive income” works and suggests five easy ways you can get involved. WHAT DOES IT MEAN? PASSIVE income refers to income generated with… Continue reading From renting your drive to Airbnb hosting, five ways you can earn easy money without getting off the sofa

THE Human Fear is unmistakably a Franz Ferdinand record – and they make no excuses for that. The Scottish band’s first studio album in seven years still has their distinctive and unique guitar sound. Singer Alex Kapranos says: “It’s good to sound like Franz Ferdinand — it is liberating and I feel comfortable with the… Continue reading I had a greatest hits mentality making this album, says Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos on new record The Human Fear

SO which are you – a paedophile grooming gang apologist or a far- right troll exploiting the thousands of rape victims to score political points? It doesn’t feel like either option is very appealing, does it? Yet apparently we all have to pick a side now. Anyone calling for a national public inquiry into the… Continue reading Labour played politics when girls as young as 11 were raped by Asian gangs – how dare they call critics ‘far right’

A CLEVER parrot realised something was wrong when a burglar entered his owner’s home — and swooped into action. Monk parakeet Steve, who weighs just five ounces, bravely repeatedly dive-bombed the intruder. Steve’s crime-fighting act, worthy of author Agatha Christie’s sleuth Hercule Poirot, put the thief into such a flap he fled empty-handed. Yesterday, Steve’s… Continue reading Parrot named Steve swoops into action and dive-bombs burglar raiding owner’s home