I remember the first time I had to challenge a council planning decision: my stomach was in knots, the officer’s report felt like it was written in another language, and the pile of paperwork on my kitchen table looked impossible to organise. Over the years I’ve helped editors and sources through appeals, read dozens of appeal statements and attended hearings and inquiries. Here’s a clear,...
I recently faced a decision many of my friends and readers are asking: should I swap my iPhone for a Fairphone to cut...
I book flights as part of my job and my life — reporting, visiting sources, and sometimes just getting away for a...
I remember the knot in my stomach the day my scheduled surgery was cancelled at the last minute. Between rearranging...
I remember the first time I saw the notice: “Service X will close from April.” It landed like a physical blow — a...
I get pitched a lot. Every week brings a fresh email from founders promising "revolutionary" AI that will disrupt...
When I bought my first electric car, I quickly realised that choosing and installing a home EV charger is as much about...
I remember the knot in my stomach the day my scheduled surgery was cancelled at the last minute. Between rearranging work, arranging childcare and figuring out who would refund my non-refundable travel, the practical fallout felt overwhelming. What helped me most was turning the emotion into a...
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I remember the first time I saw the notice: “Service X will close from April.” It landed like a physical blow — a library, a day centre, a bus route — something people relied on every week. I also remember the surge of energy it created: volunteers, parents, pensioners, small-business...
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I get pitched a lot. Every week brings a fresh email from founders promising "revolutionary" AI that will disrupt industries, save time, or unlock new business models overnight. As an editor who covers tech and a journalist who wants the truth, I have to separate the genuinely novel from the spin....
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When I bought my first electric car, I quickly realised that choosing and installing a home EV charger is as much about lifestyle and wiring as it is about price. You don't just want a socket on the wall — you want a setup that makes charging convenient, safe, and genuinely cheaper than running...
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I’ve been watching friends, neighbours and readers sweat over rent letters that arrive with thinly veiled threats: “renew at this rate or we’ll seek new tenants.” With rents still rising across many parts of the UK, renewing a tenancy can feel like a pressure cooker. I’ve negotiated my...
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I remember the first time I seriously compared the cost of a Tesla Model 3 with a petrol car: the headlines made EVs sound cheaper, my friends told stories about low running costs, and yet the sticker price pushed me to pause. If you’re asking “What will it really cost me to own a Model 3 in my...
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I ordered my first direct-to-consumer DNA kit out of curiosity: would my family stories about a great-grandfather from "somewhere in Eastern Europe" hold up? What I learned since then is that buying a genetic test—whether from 23andMe, AncestryDNA, MyHeritage, or another provider—is not just a...
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I remember the first time a planned medical procedure was cancelled on the day because of an administrative mix-up — the surgeon was available, the theatre was booked, but my name had not been logged correctly. I felt anger, confusion and the immediate practical worry: what about time off work,...
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I’ve spent months testing wearables in the name of sleep hygiene — wristbands that buzz, rings that measure temperature, headbands that play white noise — because like many of you I want better rest without having to visit a lab. What I learned is straightforward but easy to forget: some...
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When I evaluate a company claiming to be "sustainable," I try to look past the glossy sustainability report and the Instagram-friendly images of wind turbines. Greenwashing is a real risk: firms can dress up ordinary business decisions as sustainability wins. As an editor who’s spent years...
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