Never mind swooning over the quasi-erotic novel Fifty Shades Of Grey, it's the 150 or more shades of white that are beginning to get my pulse racing. 'I would go for white and keep it simple,' said a friend when we moved into our house some 12 years ago. And …...Read More

As one of Britain’s top florists, Simon Lycett’s working life is spent surrounded by gorgeous blooms, many of them shipped in from around the world and carefully wrapped so every single petal is at the peak of perfection for the glamorous events he works on. At home, though, his tastes …...Read More

The aniseed flavour of carom seeds makes a lovely change from the more typical cumin in this recipe. It demands so little effort, it’s great for midweek meals and can be enjoyed with whatever you have at home: bread, naan, roti or rice – it goes well with everything. The …...Read More

Fathers’ Day will be different this year. While we’ve been parted from our loved ones, it presents a poignant opportunity to share the love by sending a terrific gift to make your Dad’s day. With English Wine Week kicking off this week, one option is to buy local – and …...Read More

The must-haves for modern buyers used to be trendy home cinemas and gadget-laden kitchens. But, since coronavirus struck, just one thing tops the list — a garden. An overwhelming 81 per cent of estate agents questioned by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors say homes with gardens or balconies will …...Read More

The victims were aged between 26 to 40, police said (Representational) Three people lost their lives in separate incidents when lightning struck them in Vikarabad district of Telangana on Sunday, police said. The incidents took place in two villages in Yalal mandal of Vikarabad district when it was raining, they …...Read More

90% flights in Bengaluru affected due to CrowdStrike Microsoft outage The global Microsoft outage has affected 90 per cent flights operating from Bengaluru airport's Terminal 1, sources have said. IndiGo airlines officials said the situation is likely to continue till midnight. When the outage began, other airlines such as Air …...Read More

BOOK OF THE WEEK HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY by Matthew Oates (Bloomsbury £20, 416pp) Spending several decades of one’s life pursuing a single species of butterfly is just the kind of monomaniac eccentricity at which the British have always excelled. The author of this book, Matthew Oates, has done just that …...Read More

SOCIETY A HISTORY OF SOLITUDE by David Vincent (Polity £25, 304pp) The past three months have put the fickle relationship between solitude and loneliness under the spotlight like never before. As lockdown starts to lift, many of us, long cooped up alone, are gratefully seizing the chance to reunite with …...Read More

SOCIETY SEASIDE 100: A HISTORY OF THE BRITISH SEASIDE IN 100 OBJECTS by Kathryn Ferry (Unicorn £14.99, 224pp) The seaside has always brought out the frivolity in us buttoned-up Brits, as every page of Kathryn Ferry’s charming pictorial history of seaside objects reminds us. At home, we might have been …...Read More