Life

Fashion: Black is back but you can throw a little colour into the mix too

Life 27 January, 2020

Ask Fiona: I'm annoyed my parents are refusing to meet my boyfriend

Life 27 January, 2020

Nuala McCann: I'm not totally against hostile architecture, I just don't think it should be hostile to people

Life 27 January, 2020

Sleb Safari: Christopher Maloney and the case of the crispy duck pancake

Maeve Connolly

THIS week we're sending a bottle of Lucozade, a bunch of grapes and best wishes to 2012 X Factor finalist Christopher Maloney, who's slowly recovering from near death at the hands of a crispy duck pancake.

North's only female pro Cathy McAleer has her sights set on world boxing title

Gail Bell

LOOK out for a door with boxing pictures outside it, she said helpfully, but, while attempting to locate the nondescript entrance to Breen's Gym along a cold corridor inside Westlink Enterprise Centre, I hear the sound of boxing before I see it.

Sleb Safari: Johnny Logan as Mr Eurovision is the film we didn't know we needed

Jan

16

Thursday: Random Act Of Kindness
Panic as handbag left behind in Marks and Spencer shopping trolley

Health see all »

Parkinson's diagnosis has spurred me to see world while I can says Geriatric Traveller

Jenny Lee 25 Jan, 2020

KILKEEL woman Maura Ward was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease at the age of 64, but rather than let the illness define her, she has used it as motivation to live life for the moment and as a catalyst "to travel and have adventures".

Ask the GP: How to stop diabetes from making your fingers numb

Dr Martin Scurr 23 Jan, 2020

Q: FOR a long time I've had no feeling in my feet, but recently I've lost feeling in the tips of my fingers, too.

The GP's View: Be wary of sharing your data online

Dr Martin Scurr 23 Jan, 2020

THERE have been reports that tech companies Amazon and Apple have been recording conversations in private homes via digital assistants Alexa and Siri.

Tablet time: Why it's best to take your iron supplements in the morning

23 Jan, 2020

The best time to take your medication.

Celebrity see all »

Marie Louise McConville: Brilliant author Lee Child will be a hard act to follow

Marie Louise McConville 25 Jan, 2020

That's the thing about good things, they must come to an end.

Marie Louise McConville: Love Island shows there's no drama like somebody else's drama

Marie Louise McConville 18 Jan, 2020

How come January isn't over yet? I mean, it's already lasted a thousand weeks and therefore I think it's about time it did one - am I right? Every day, I feel like I am climbing a mountain, trying to get through each day, skint, tired and deflated.

Marie Louise McConville: Good luck with your 2020 keep fit fads, I'm sticking with my crisp sandwiches

Marie Louise McConville 04 Jan, 2020

So, that's that then.

Derry singer Nadine Coyle describes struggle of being parted from her daughter during 'I'm a Celebrity'

Suzanne McGonagle 09 Dec, 2019

DERRY singer Nadine Coyle has spoke about her struggle of being parted from her daughter while in the I'm a Celebrity camp, even pretending the five-year-old was with her in the jungle.

Family & Parenting see all »

What's On: Organ recital in Down, Brian Kennedy in Co Fermanagh, Gaming & Geeking in Belfast and more...

Jacqueline McGonigle 21 Jan, 2020

DOWN PORTICO Arts and Heritage Centre are delighted to welcome the new director of music at St Anne's Cathedral Belfast to Portico for an organ recital this Sunday from 3pm to 4.

Ask the expert: How can I stop worrying so much when my children are outdoors?

14 Jan, 2020

Q: MY KIDS love being outside but I always worry they might hurt themselves.

What's On: Songs from the shows, Snow White, The Beatles' remembered

14 Jan, 2020

DOWN This Friday, January 17, The Belfast Operatic Company presents Songs From The Shows at St Philip and St James Church, Holywood.

Marie Louise McConville: 2020 to be the year of plastic-free, activist-raising parenting? No thanks

Marie Louise McConville 11 Jan, 2020

So, here we are, living it up in the roaring twenties - how's it going for you so far? With such a long build up to the arrival of not only a new year but a new decade, big things were expected.

Fashion & Beauty see all »

On trend: Body chains are having a moment: how to style the edgy trend like the A-list

20 Jan, 2020

CONSIDERING that all her Golden Globes outfit entailed was a black jacket and maxi skirt, you might be surprised to learn that actor Kerry Washington was one of the big fashion hits of the night.

Fashion: Get in gear for winter workouts with these stylish sportswear picks

13 Jan, 2020

:: Marks and Spencer Goodmove Jacket, £45; Medium Impact Sports Bra, £15; Go Seamfree Leggings, £35; Trainers, £49.

Fashion: Puff pieces – this is how to do power dressing now

13 Jan, 2020

SHOULDERS are back in focus this season – but this time around it's about soft power, not hard-edged glamour.

On trend: 6 confidence-boosting lingerie tips for party season

23 Dec, 2019

When it comes to party season dressing, we get so preoccupied with finding the perfect dress, high heels or handbag that we often overlook one very important aspect: underwear.

Food & drink see all »

Netting a Bargain: £40 M&S voucher with new phone at Carphone Warehouse; 40% off Snapfish Valentine's gifts; Tesco pet insurance bonus £25 points

Jonathan Campbell 25 Jan, 2020

- THINKING about buying a new phone? There's an exclusive offer at www.

Craft Beer: Mourne Mountain's Banik Pilsner a refreshing way to banish January blues

Paul McConville 25 Jan, 2020

AS JANUARY enters its 245th day – or that's certainly what it feels like anyway – it can be hard to shake off the effects of what psychologist (and now opportunistic marketing types) have labelled Blue Monday.

Get into the spirit of Chinese New Year with 6,000-year-old drink

25 Jan, 2020

AN ANCIENT white spirit that really does have all the bells and whistles, baijiu is the national spirit of China, and the best-selling liquor on the planet.

Wine: Irresistible Chilean Carmenere is an easy-drinking wine in a very colourful, entertaining bottle

Dawn Egan 25 Jan, 2020

Lirac Les Closiers 2017, £10, M&S Lirac is close to the Châteauneuf du Pape area in France but its wines taste more of black fruit.

Environment see all »

Stephen Colton's Take on Nature: On this Burns day I salute not one but two Robbies

Stephen Colton 25 Jan, 2020

NOW in his 13th year, wee Robbie, my West Highland White Terrier, to give him his proper breed title, grows old gracefully, more restful now between his regular walks and mischievous deeds.

Tony Bailie's Take on Nature: Wind through Mourne ditches has a distinctive whistle

Tony Bailie 18 Jan, 2020

WHEN the wind comes down off the mountain at a certain angle and catches in the gaps between the boulders in the dry-stone walls it make an other-worldly sound.

Tony Bailie's Take on Nature: In search of a stoat

Tony Bailie 04 Jan, 2020

GO OUT to look for a stoat and you probably won't find one, unless you know exactly where its den is and are prepared to sit and patiently wait for one to enter or leave.

Stephen Colton's Take On Nature: Spring is waiting to pull us towards the light

Stephen Colton 28 Dec, 2019

THE coming of a new year can affect us all differently.

Holidays&Travel see all »

Kate Rawles: Why I rode 8,000 miles through South America on a bamboo bicycle

25 Jan, 2020

THERE'S no doubt cycling 8,288 miles across South America on a self-built bamboo bicycle sounds like hard work.

Travel News: Cognac in Cognac, Hagrid in Orlando, Prosecco in Hillsborough

Jenny Lee 25 Jan, 2020

Learn the art of Cognac making Whether you're a Cognac connoisseur or a total novice, discover the art and science of Cognac production by visiting Hôtel Chais Monnet during the distillation period (October-March).

Travel News: Debbie Magee, French forest fun, chill in Cavan, meet Mexico's Mayans

Jenny Lee 11 Jan, 2020

American Holidays dive into Mexico Mexico's top holiday spot Cancun is renowned for its white sandy beaches and crystal clear Caribbean Sea but there's also plenty to offer the more active holiday maker.

Travel News: Adventure in India, golf in Dundee, party in Cork or sail to Haven

Jenny Lee 04 Jan, 2020

Savings on Haven breaks with Stena Ferry company Stena Line is giving families the chance to save up to £500 on a seven-night summer self-catering holiday between March and October 2020, if booked by February 29.

Motors see all »

Volvo XC40: The safe option has never looked so cool

William Scholes 22 Jan, 2020

Volvo's stylish XC40 is a truly class-leading small SUV, says William Scholes

Mazda 3: X Factor

William Scholes 15 Jan, 2020

Mazda's innovative Skyactiv-X engine forms a great double act with the stylish new 3 saloon, says William Scholes

Hyundai Tucson: Table-topping family favourite

William Scholes 18 Dec, 2019

The Hyundai Tucson has been one of Northern Ireland’s favourite new cars for five years. William Scholes finds out why it so popular

Jingle all the Sleigh

William Scholes 18 Dec, 2019

It’s the fastest mode of transport yet invented, capable of criss-crossing the globe in a single day and still able to carry millions of tons of cargo and land on rooftops everywhere. Ahead of another busy Christmas for its owner, William Scholes gets a closer look at the latest version of Santa’s Sleigh - and a word with the great man himself

Gardening see all »

Can you garden by the moon?

25 Jan, 2020

ARE you a gardener who follows astrology? If so, you may be interested to know your garden could perform better if you plan your gardening schedule according to the path of the moon, through the zodiac each month.

The Casual Gardener: Get ready for some groundwork

John Manley 25 Jan, 2020

IN ITS predictions for what's likely to prove popular with gardeners in 2020, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) forecast two related trends – among others – that see ideas about sustainability and self-sufficiency coalesce.

The Casual Gardener: You'll love a eucalyptus

John Manley 18 Jan, 2020

I QUITE like the idea of adopting a koala.

Gardening: How can the urban gardener be more self-sufficient? Think chickens, solar power and foraging

18 Jan, 2020

If you want to live 'The Good Life' in your urban garden – keeping chickens, growing crops, making your own compost and using rainwater and solar energy – expert James Strawbridge has some tips.