Give a loved one the gift of travel for Christmas, from Alaska to the Algarve

A cut-price holiday? It’s the ultimate gift, especially if you get your hands on one of these seasonal specials Need a last-minute gift? A host of tour companies offer gift cards and vouchers Tui holiday vouchers start at £10 and go up to £5,000 if you’re feeling generous Get money off a stay in a cosy … Read more

Whirlpool could face criminal prosecution over washing machine fires that led to a mass recall 

US manufacturer Whirlpool could face criminal prosecution over washing machine fires that led to a mass recall Whirlpool issued alert over fire risk Hotpoint and Indesit machines in December  There have been 79 fires and ten injuries dating as far back as November 2016 US manufacturer could face criminal prosecution over washing machine blazes Whirlpool … Read more

Edinburgh’s city-centre gin distillery will get you in the Christmas spirit

Edinburgh’s city-centre gin distillery will get you in the Christmas spirit – you can take a tour and make your own concoctions Take a break from the Scottish capital’s festivities at the Edinburgh Gin distillery Go on a tour and see the gin-making process – then make your own concoction And of course, when it’s … Read more

Heart-wrenching moment a patient, 22, with a catastrophic brain injury dies on BBC’s Hospital

Devastating scenes in BBC documentary Hospital show anxious parents insist there ‘will be a time’ their son recovers – hours before he passes away.  Jack, 22, was born healthy but suffered a catastrophic brain injury at the age of eight, after he was hit by a car outside his house as he crossed the road. The youngster … Read more

Maxim Baldry takes the lead in Amazon Prime’s The Lord of the Rings prequel series

Maxim Baldry takes the lead in Amazon Prime’s The Lord of the Rings prequel series By Cassie Carpenter For Dailymail.com Published: 04:12 GMT, 4 March 2020 | Updated: 04:42 GMT, 4 March 2020 Maxim Baldry (Last Christmas, Years and Years) has officially signed on to play a leading role in Amazon Prime’s prequel series to … Read more

Meghan Markle’s friend Janina Gavankar says she’s ‘amazing’

Keeping up with the Duchess! Meghan Markle’s close friend Janina Gavankar reveals the ‘amazing’ royal ‘hasn’t changed’ and still uses FaceTime ‘no matter where she is’ to maintain friendships Janina Gavankar, 39, has opened up on friendship with Meghan Markle, 38 Actress said they ‘live on FaceTime’ with one another ‘no matter where we are’  … Read more

LITERARY FICTION – Nov 21, 2019

CHRISTMAS IN AUSTIN by Benjamin Markovits (Faber £16.99, 432 pp) CHRISTMAS IN AUSTIN by Benjamin Markovits (Faber £16.99, 432 pp) If you haven’t read the first in this rangy, yet addictively immersive, American family saga, all you need know is that Paul Essinger, retired from his undistinguished tennis career, is having a slow-motion breakdown. Now, … Read more

Barking brilliant! Our critic picks animal reads with a great pedigree to gift this Christmas

A PIG CALLED ALICE by Paul Heiney (The History Press £10.99, 176 pp) A PIG CALLED ALICE by Paul Heiney (The History Press £10.99, 176 pp) It’s often said that pigs are smarter than dogs, but it’s rare to find a farmer who regards his hog as man’s best friend. In this slim volume, Paul … Read more

Let their imaginations take flight: SALLY MORRRIS chooses the best children’s books of the year 

MOUSE’S NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS by Tracey Corderoy illustrated by Sarah Massini (Nosy Crow £6.99) PICTURE BOOKS MOUSE’S NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS by Tracey Corderoy illustrated by Sarah Massini (Nosy Crow £6.99) ’Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house’ . . . except here a lonely little mouse is very much stirring, making a … Read more

A festive walk on the wild side: Our critic reveals the best books for nature lovers this Christmas

A festive walk on the wild side: Our critic reveals the best books for nature lovers this Christmas Christopher Hart rounded-up a selection of the best books on British landscape The Easternmost House is a series of letters Julie Blaxland dedicated to Suffolk Still Water celebrates ponds throughout the traditional countryside  By Christopher Hart For … Read more