This Valentine's Day, give your relationship the attention it deserves, take this opportunity to strengthen your bond, communicate better, and reignite the spark that brought you together. Don't wait until there's a breakdown to address any issues - be proactive and invest in the health of your relationship.

Being a first-time buyer may seem like an impossible dream, particularly with house prices continuing to rise around the country. But a mortgage expert thinks changes in the financial markets and shifts in legislation could see homes becoming more affordable, particularly for those making the leap from renting to buying.

Those words, spoken decades after the Cuban Missile Crisis, are chilling not because they recount a distant danger, but because they remind us how thin the margin for survival once was. For those of us old enough to have lived through 1962, the fear was immediate, tangible, and inescapable. Radios stayed on in the home. Harold Macmillan the Prime Minister, looked very grave - and very old - on the television. There was only one topic of conversation.

Benjamin Britten's opera Peter Grimes has been 'revived' by Opera North. It's an ironic choice of words for this much-loved Phyllida Lloyd production, as the opera includes the tragic deaths of two young apprentice fishermen and a suicide at sea - all of whom might have benefited from some revivification.

They say to never work with children or animals…well, YorkLight’s production of Annie proved that it is perfectly possible! Annie is a heartwarming musical about a brave and cheerful orphan girl who lives in a strict orphanage run by the mean Miss Hannigan.

Descending the path, worn smooth from centuries of feet, and gently curling from street level into the restaurant, I’m sat at a table that has been custom built round a pillar supporting the vaulted ceiling. I sense the warm, calm purposefulness of the team. It’s disarming. Reading the beginning of the menu I notice my post “tough week at work” snark has already de-escalated by a good 85%.

The Epstein files were recently released to the public, and revealed that those closely connected to the convicted child sex offender were disturbingly close positions of power. In the immediate fallout Peter Mandelson has been forced to resign.

Tintin takes flight from Teesside in new Brussels Airlines livery Teesside Airport has hosted its first international "special livery" project, as Airbourne Colours unveiled a bespoke Tintin-themed Airbus A320 for Brussels Airlines.

We all remember Covid and the lockdown period that seemed to go on forever. It affected people in many different ways. I suspect many rejoiced in the fact that they didn't have to get up early, face the rush hour traffic and spend the day in a stressful job they endured merely for its financial benefits. Yet I also feared for others for whom going to that job would have been a blessing.

Scrolling through YouTube can be an oddly enlightening pastime. Amid the algorithmic noise, you sometimes stumble on something that sticks. In this case, it was Oscar-winning actor, Christoph Waltz describing his ideal last meal. No foam, no theatre. A proper Austrian schnitzel and a bottle of Ried Kremser Weinzierlberg Grüner Veltliner 2023.

IT is one of the most frustrating things to face if you are dealing with a complaint or trying to return an unwanted item - an AI chatbot. But now I reveal how to best deal with robots and automated systems, and the quickest route to a real-life person.

Some places have our hearts for all sorts of reasons; the sea has mine even though I no longer live near to it and I have never even been able to swim. We’re an island after all and, Northumberland to Cornwall, the coastal views are magnificent.

In previous Magic of Motorhoming articles we’ve shared insights into key areas including selecting makes and models, check…

Blending country charm with an Irish heart, Nathan Carter has become one of the most enduring and beloved figures in modern country music, building a career defined by versatility, determination and a fiercely loyal fan base. Known for his ability to seamlessly merge pop, Irish folk and traditional country sounds, Carter has carved out a unique space in the genre.

Neither composer enjoys the recognition they merit in British concert halls, but Järvi makes an eloquent case for both. The Gothenburg Symphony plays with conviction and considerable beauty in tone throughout. Warmly recommended.

When employers are seeking to add a new employee to their operation, they generally have a list of things they are looking for. If employers are replacing an employee who left their organisation, it may be they will be seeking someone who matches the person who left, or they may be seeking something different – not to put too fine a point on it, someone better.

Ends At my end of the earth the Atlantic began. On good days trawlers were flecks far out, at night the green waves were luminous. Gulls were the birds that gobbled my crusts and the air in my bedroom was salty. For two weeks once a whale decayed on the pale beach while no one swam. It was gelignite that cleared the air. The uses of village carpenters were many.

My three miniature Mediterranean donkeys have caused me slight concern this week. Donkeys are very stoic animals and therefore it can sometimes be difficult to spot any signs of illness or discomfort however, when all three succumbed to diarrhea, the signs that something was amiss were easy to spot.

There's much to savour on this album, which marks the debut appearance of Canadian conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, leading the Vienna Philharmonic in the legendary New Year's Concert. This annual jamboree of festive Viennese waltzes, polkas and marches, broadcast from the Golden Hall of the Musikverein, is a tradition that perhaps benefits from the occasional refresh of its familiar formula, and Nézet-Séguin has risen admirably to that challenge.

Chester Zoo has become the first zoo in the UK to be officially recognised as an internationally important botanic garden. The Cheshire-based conservation charity is only the second zoo in Europe to receive a prestigious accreditation from Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), the global organisation dedicated to plant conservation.

A cursory glance along the shelves of bookshops and libraries of any town will reveal a discomfiting, or perhaps encouraging, reminder that books for children are available in overwhelming numbers. Almost too well served by the market, the genre is glutted to the point of saturation with ‘product’, and it is heartening, in the context of surfeit, to find a gem glittering in the tide.

Launched last year in the UK was Hyundai’s Inster, a distinctive little A-segment electric car. At a recent drive day, I had the opportunity to sample the range-topping ‘Cross’ model. There’s an off-road vibe, but be aware the Cross is just front-wheel drive, so perhaps it’s best not to venture too far off the beaten track.

Saturday 14th February will see England Men take on Scotland Men in 144th edition of the Calcutta Cup in the second round of the Guinness Men’s Six Nations. The first meeting of these two nations, which was also the first ever international rugby union fixture, took place in 1871 at the Raeburn Place in Edinburgh.

A leadership expert has told business leaders struggling to focus that they need to do less - if they want to cut through the noise of the modern world.

The first of two three-day pre-season tests has now been completed at the Bahrain International Circuit, and it was the Mercedes duo of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell who emerged on top. During such testing, the primary objective for all teams is to focus on reliability and fault finding with their all-new cars, with outright performance a secondary target.

After a good night's sleep breakfast beckoned - more curry, centred around a lovely mild dhaal served with a collection of hot and spicy chutneys, gambols and freshly cooked coconut roti bread...absolutely fabulous!

From the moment you arrive at Oulton Hall, there’s a feeling that this is more than just another country house hotel. As you climb the stairs of the columned entrance and approach the heavy antique oak doors, as if by magic, they swing open, and it's as if you enter a bygone era.

Released to coincide with Valentine's Day, this latest recording from the Saint Louis Chamber Chorus offers an imaginative meditation on love in all its guises—passionate and tender, sacred and profane, timeless and contemporary. Under Philip Barnes's direction, one of America's finest choral ensembles navigates a programme spanning five centuries, from Renaissance masters to commissions by living composers, several receiving their première recordings.

Proud Lancastrian Andrew McNair is the founder of Buynex, the cloud-based B2B procurement platform. Buynex is designed to connect buyers, suppliers and logistics partners in one simple ecosystem, removing the traditional friction and fragmentation of traditional procurement systems. Here, he discusses how procurement tools need to change to support SME growth, instead of stifle it.

Half term is the perfect excuse to get out and about with the children, and hopping on a Stagecoach bus makes days out easy, affordable and stress-free. From historic castles and countryside escapes to parks, pools and hidden local gems, there’s plenty to explore without worrying about parking or traffic.

As rain is forecast to continue across much of the UK, one Peak District hotel is making a contrarian claim: that rain, not sunshine, creates the most romantic hotel stays. According to Losehill House, grey skies, mist and drizzle are not something to work around - they can be the secret ingredient of a truly memorable British break.

New research into the link between longer stays in A&E and mortality rates makes a significant contribution to the evidence about the consequences of overcrowding in Emergency Departments. That’s the key message from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine following a new study on delay-related harm in EDs which was published in the Emergency Medicine Journal (EMJ) today, 12 February.

Several indicators becoming less downbeat. House prices appear to have stabilised at a national level, although regional disparities are widening. Sentiment regarding the twelve-month sales outlook points towards a recovery

Long-distance train operator CrossCountry has unveiled the first refurbished train of its Voyager fleet - marking the start of a £75 million investment to deliver a brighter, more comfortable experience for passengers across Britain.

I listened to Kemi Badenoch on the Today programme this morning, and I was appalled. It's not just Kemi Badenoch; it's the system. What on earth is the matter with politicians when their central focus seems to be the destruction of their opponents? What's wrong with governing the country? Why not give it a go? You never know; it might just work out well.

Presenter and BAFTA-winning filmmaker Professor David Olusoga, and Adrianne Chapman, Vice Principal of the BRIT School, among speakers at North East event focusing on how to re-centre education around creativity. Education Insights event series explores collaborative approaches to better support young people

Lizzie McLaughlin is a passionate advocate for bridging the gap between the public and the farming community. Growing up in Middlesbrough, Teesside, she proudly identifies as a townie who has carved out a remarkable career as an award-winning food and farming podcaster, despite coming from a non-farming background.

To Sleep O soft embalmer of the still midnight,       Shutting, with careful fingers and benign, Our gloom-pleased eyes, embower'd from the light,       Enshaded in forgetfulness divine: O soothest Sleep! if so it please thee, close       In midst of this thine hymn my willing eyes, Or wait the ‘Amen’, ere thy poppy throws       Around my bed its lulling charities.