Viewing all items in Resource Category: Looking at You

For centuries, many doctors have sent patients to the seaside to recuperate, believing that a bit of seaside air was good for them. Now the government agrees: a day by the coast does indeed have a therapeutic effect on you. A recent study by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has found that...

Face masks have been a big adjustment for all of us, but dogs especially may be struggling, warns the animal charity, Dogs Trust. Dogs use our facial expressions to tell how we are feeling, so if they suddenly encounter people whose faces are covered, they could become confused, stressed, and even feel threatened. Their confusion...

Here is a way of staying awake at the wheel on those long motorway drives: avoid heavy foods such as hamburgers, chips and cakes. They only encourage drowsiness, which accounts for 23 per cent of fatal car crashes, according to France’s motorway companies. Instead, choose a meal high in water content, with some bitterness and...

It is important to be as kind and patient as possible with other people this autumn.  Covid-19 has turned many millions of lives upside-down, and the resulting distress, anxiety, fear, grief and economic meltdown means that now widespread mental illness is inevitable. So says the new president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Dr Adrian...

Have you ever heard a certain song or tune that immediately takes you back to your youth? It can be a very poignant moment. When researchers at the University of Westminster examined the choices of 80 different guests on the BBC radio show Desert Island Discs, they found that most guests had chosen music which...

The numbers of people looking for pet-friendly homes to rent has risen by 140 per cent in some areas since March. It all started with lockdown, when many of us decided to get a dog or a cat. The Kennel Club said breeders have seen a 180 per cent rise in the number of people...

Is your child naughty?  Consider getting a dog. A recent study has found that children who grow up with a dog are far more likely to be willing to share and help others. Researchers at the University of Western Australia in Perth have found that young children who live with a dog and who frequently...

Debts and lockdown Think about making a will and planning your funeral THE WAY I SEE IT:  What have you missed most during lockdown? What is lurking in your garden? Talking better with your hands Fussy eaters Still love your neighbours? Who is most lonely now? Dramatic rise in home exercise injuries during lockdown More...

Over the lockdown period there has been a honeymoon for people in debt, when some official action has been put on hold. Honeymoon is perhaps not the best word; holiday may be better. At the beginning of the coronavirus emergency, the Government introduced regulations to temporarily prevent court officials such as bailiffs seizing goods in...

On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.  John 11 17-19 We have been living in strange times throughout the lockdown. Many of the...

It’s a good question, because it is about the things that make us tick. When I examined my list, I found obvious things – going to church, live sport on TV, meeting up with friends for a coffee or a beer. But as I thought more deeply about it, I realised that what I missed...

Is there something alien in your garden which is beginning to worry you? Something that is growing too fast, spreading too fast, for you to keep up with? Gardeners across the country are being asked by the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) and the University of Coventry to find – and report –...