Are you getting caught up in the wild swimming craze? Almost 10,000 people are searching Google for wild swimming every month, and Cumbria is one of the best places in the country for wild swimming locales that feel secluded and untouched by civilisation. “Isn’t it a little late in the year for wild swimming?” we hear you ask – and the answer is absolutely not!

Instant access cash ISA bonus rates are on the increase putting savers at risk of losing out once the bonuses expire, new analysis for Investec Save shows. The analysis - conducted by Andrew Hagger of Moneycomms for Investec Save - found that five of the top 10 paying instant access cash ISAs rely on bonus rates rising to nine of the top 25 and 12 of the top 50.

Shared ownership is proving a great way for many people to get on the property ladder. And with an estimated 250,000 people now using the Government-backed scheme, rising numbers are expected to now attempt to buy a home this way.

If a restaurant is filled with diners on a rainy Monday evening, it indicates high standards of food, ambience, and service; this is the case with The Ivy Asia. Since this opulently styled restaurant opened, it has become the hottest ticket in town to enjoy Pan-Asian classics with a twist, cooked with real passion and presented so beautifully.

Hotel Victoria is collaborating with Robin Hood’s Bay Vineyard to stage an intimate and relaxed wine tasting challenge on Thursday 27th November from 6.30pm. Local wine experts - Ian Sheveling, Owner of the Bay Vineyard and Ashley Howe, Winery Manager - will showcase a number of exquisite Yorkshire wines from small, independent or family run vineyards and wineries from across the region.

To mark the 60th birthday of the iconic Walker Dome, GLL - the charitable social enterprise and worker-owned co-op that operates Better leisure centres in Newcastle - will stage a two-day celebration for local residents.

Introducing Willbe, the complete programme to restore the health of perimenopausal women, through a fully personalised experience. The programme includes advanced diagnostics, expert coaching, and individually tailored solutions, including bespoke Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT).

The winners of the 2025 Free From Christmas Awards were announced live this afternoon (03rd November) on Instagram, recognising outstanding innovation and quality in allergen-free festive food and drink. Lake District producer Hawkshead Relish secured two accolades in this year’s competition, with its Ultimate Festive Chutney earning Gold and its Christmas Ketchup taking Bronze.

Richard Hurst freely admits he “loves the whole food experience,” but it was a change in lifestyle that inspired him to learn to cook. “In my teens and early twenties I made some bad choices in regard to my lifestyle and diet.

The winners of the Great British Food Awards 2025 have been announced, and Hawkshead Relish, based in the heart of the Lake District, is celebrating after earning accolades in two national categories. Hawkshead Relish’s Brinjal Aubergine Pickle was awarded Gold in the Condiments category.

After months of rigorous testing by expert judges, the winners of this year’s Great British Food Awards have been revealed, and Grasmere Distillery is proud to announce a double win for its Cumbrian handcrafted spirits. At their lakeshore distillery, the team crafts small-batch spirits with a true grain-to-glass ethos.

Nuremberg is carving out a reputation in the gastronomic world—something one might not instinctively associate with Germany. Yet delve into the 2025 Michelin Guide and you'll discover 341 starred establishments across the country, including twelve with three stars, 47 with two, and 282 with one.

With temperatures dropping and bills already climbing, many UK households are bracing for what could be the hardest winter yet. Ofgem has announced that between 1 October and 31 December 2025, the energy price cap will rise to £1,755 per year for a typical dual-fuel household paying by Direct Debit, an increase that will hit budgets already stretched by the cost of living crisis.

It’s that time of year again when I turn my attention to the wildlife on the smallholding and how they might survive through the winter months. I am very aware of the importance of feeding birds and I do this every single day without fail, even through the summer months.

Growing up in the Ivory Coast in a household where food was pure joy, I was immersed in a world of incredible aromas and complex flavours. The kitchen was filled with the warm, earthy scents of toasted spices, the tang of citrus, and deep, smoky notes that seemed to drift from every dish.

Home renovations are stressful enough without the confusion of deciphering contractor bids. With prices that don’t match, scopes that rarely align, and details buried in fine print, even savvy homeowners can feel overwhelmed. That’s where AI steps in.

The most common vision problems are refractive errors – where the shape of your eye prevents light from focusing correctly on your retina causing blurry vision. This can mean myopia (short-sightedness), hyperopia (long-sightedness), or astigmatism (where the lens is a rugby ball shape). In the past, these refractive errors could only be corrected with glasses.

A north-west based mortgage expert has shared his advice on how first-time buyers can increase their chances of securing a mortgage and get that first foot on the housing ladder.

“Cooking and enjoying a good meal is my favourite way of relaxing,” says Kevin Poeung, principal dancer with Northern Ballet. Kevin is currently dancing the title role in the company’s highly acclaimed production of Merlin. A challenging role both physically and artistically in this fast-paced and highly energetic ballet, Kevin is hardly ever off stage.

While autumn may seem like an odd time to start thinking about weeding your garden, it’s the perfect time to maintain them in preparation for their full growth in early spring. Annual weeds often begin their lifecycle in the late summer and then germinate throughout autumn and winter for the spring.