Viewing all items in Resource Category: Looking at You

What makes – or breaks – a relationship?  Behavioural psychologists say that asking just five questions can help you quickly get to the heart of another person. Question number one is ‘How did you vote on Brexit?’ As one psychologist said, though the question may spark ‘fireworks’, is it vital.  “Our political views communicate our...

Every year it is the same:  the sun comes out, and the ladders and power tools and enthusiasm for various home improvements follow close behind.  Shortly afterwards, there are hundreds of falls and various injuries, as many a DIY adventurer spends the rest of the day down at A&E. When it comes to being willing...

Worried about the mental health of someone you know?  Why not hold a Blooming Great Tea Party? In praise of Work Keep going Showing off our magnificent homes – on Instagram The truth about vacuuming Changes in your living room Sweet dreams Dry and keep your own flowers ** Editor:  David Pickup is a solicitor...

Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.’… The woman came and knelt before him. ‘Lord, help me!’ … Then Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, you have great...

Would you consider holding a tea party to help raise funds for the Marie Curie charity?  Marie Curie and Mel Geidroyc (of the Great British Bake Off) are calling on people across the UK to throw a Blooming Great Tea Party next month, in June. You’d be helping provide vital care and support for people...

‘Edward Jones, 39, chemist, was convicted by Harrow magistrates of drink driving.’ I learnt the formula early in my journalistic career. Whatever else you observe, always be sure to report age and job. Contestants on TV quiz programmes are always asked ‘What do you do?’ They don’t reply ‘comb my hair on the left’ or...

“Sitting still kills.”  This rather startling observation from a scientist at Queen’s University Belfast follows research which found that couch potato lifestyles could be causing up to 70,000 deaths in the UK each year. More than 10 per cent of all deaths is due to sedentary living, which raises the risk of heart disease, diabetes...

One in six of us has posted photos of a stunning house which we claim to be ours (but which isn’t) in order to impress others on Instagram. One in four of us have been so envious of what we (think we) see of other people’s houses on social media, that we have been made...

Plug-in vacuum cleaners are still more effective than the latest cordless ones. So says Which?  In tests, corded models picked up an average of 70 per cent of dust on a carpet, compared to the cordless models’ average of just 41 per cent.  In fact, Which? found more than a third of the cordless models...

Do you have a matching three-piece suite?  Oh dear!  John Lewis is no longer even offering them ready made; customers must now specifically request them.  Nowadays just two percent of searches on the John Lewis website are for three-piece suites, as we increasingly choose mismatched furniture for our living rooms. And we are getting bolder...

Do you, or don’t you?  Many of us feel reluctant to admit that we would like to do it, even if usually we do not.  Have a snooze after lunch, that is. A 20-minute nap seems to work wonders – many studies find that people awake feeling refreshed, with their energy levels renewed and with...

Love the flowers in your garden just now?  Why not preserve them?  The art of preserving flowers was very popular in Victorian times, and it is still good fun. It is an inexpensive hobby, for all you really need are some small flowers, some paper and a weight. Start with something simple like buttercups, daisies,...