Search Results for: Lifestyle

Escape to the sunlight and colour of a wild island in the south Aegean.

When Jennifer moves alone into the Honey Factory on a tiny Greek island, bringing a laptop, her hiking boots and plans for a peaceful life, she has no idea what surprises are in store.

Diving into an exciting new life with a fisherman, she learns something every day. Joining the dancing at local festivals and helping at a café on the beach, surviving winter storms and finding a canine companion, she is faced with both challenges and rewards, and discovers that to become an island woman she must live small and think big.

Far away from the bright lights of international rugby, there is another version of the game played by ordinary blokes of all shapes, sizes and degrees of physical ability.

Steven Gauge was the last person anyone would expect to find on a rugby field, being somewhat shorter than average, bespectacled and decidedly “unsporty”. But as a gentleman of a certain age when strange life choices are sometimes made, Steven chose to pick up a rugby ball and run with it.

He discovered a hidden and hilarious world of convoluted nicknames, creative interpretations of the laws of the game and the inevitable, beer-related, post-match mayhem. But he also found a heartfelt sense of belonging and camaraderie of the kind that only a good, honest team sport can provide.

So forget everything you think you know about rugby and join us on the touchline of Warlingham Rugby Club as Steven leads out the 4th XV. Welcome to the world of mud, sweat and beers…

Show nature the kindness it deserves

Whether you long to see butterflies flit across your flowerbeds or hear birdsong all year round, there’s something endlessly rewarding about playing host to wildlife. With practical projects and helpful tips for gardens big and small, this guide will help boost local biodiversity and benefit countless native species. Learn how to:

– Choose the best type of bird feeder and seed for your feathered friends
– Build natural habitats and provide shelter for all manner of insects
– Make sugaring recipes to attract butterflies and moths
– Select the right pollinator plants for bees in every season
Wherever you do it – on a balcony, in a garden or across acres of land – you too can create the perfect sanctuary for an abundance of creatures.

How much land is there altogether?’ I asked. ‘About thirteen acres,’ said the estate agent. ‘Whatever would you do with that much land? It’s an awful lot to upkeep.’ I grinned. No problem! ‘I’d keep llamas and fly balloons!’

A dilapidated, rat-infested stone barn might not be many people’s vision of a potential dream home. But for Richard and Al, the cavernous, oak-beamed building in a sleepy hamlet in the Limousin region of France is perfect.

Tussles with French bureaucracy and fierce storms do little to dampen their resolve as they immerse themselves in this quiet corner of France. Told by a well-intentioned if often hapless do-it-yourselfer, Richard’s hilarious and heartwarming tale of a new life in France resounds to the Gallic refrain, ‘Bon courage!’

Namaste: a respectful greeting frequently used at the end of a yoga session; “I bow to the divine in you”

Nom-aste: a respectful prayer of thanks for delicious, nutritious and just plain yummy food

Looking after our well-being and eating tasty, nourishing food go hand in hand. This beautifully illustrated book celebrates mindful cooking and eating, teaching you how to bring the principles of yoga and mindfulness into your kitchen. From ahimsa (non-violence) and Ayurveda (food as medicine) to the art of making your own bread, you’ll learn how to give your body what it really needs in order to flourish, and how to nurture a healthy, positive attitude toward food. The 60 wholesome, plant-based recipes inside will add vitality to your daily life and leave you filled with good food and gratitude.

Discover the joys and health-giving benefits of nurturing a garden

We have long been aware of the positive effects of spending time in nature and how it can be a powerful antidote to the stresses of modern life. Science now tells us that cultivating a green space of our own can be restorative and even transformative for our physical and mental well-being, with a proven ability to reduce depression and anxiety, boost our happiness levels and provide a feeling of balance and calm.

Gardening for Mind, Body and Soul will help you:

– Explore which plants release scents to help uplift and soothe.
– Discover the ways gardening can boost physical and mental well-being, and promote feelings of balance and calm.
– Learn about birdsong and how it can boost happiness and creativity.
– Experience the wonders of growing plants from seeds, and how it teaches us to slow down and appreciate the simple things.

This pocket-sized miscellany, packed with fascinating facts, amusing anecdotes and captivating stories and quotes from the world of football, is perfect for anyone who knows the incomparable joy of the beautiful game.

When you’re stuck at your desk day after day, do you find yourself daydreaming about a glamorous occupation, such as a racing driver, an astronaut or a stunt double? The adrenaline rush and prestige of these extreme jobs is one thing, but have you ever considered the practicalities?

This compelling book unravels the mysteries and exposes the pitfalls of the world’s most dangerous jobs, giving a fascinating insight into the working lives of those who regularly stare death in the face rather than the usual mounds of paperwork.

You’ll be prepped and ready to live life on the edge!

Paula Reid has completed 92 things on her list of things to do before she dies, including sailing around the world, walking on hot coals, paddling the Mekong and the Thames, and diving with great white sharks! She is also a successful coach and leadership trainer, with testimonials from numerous multinational companies. She lives in London.

Oh dear. It seems that our furry friends have picked up some very bad language –just what exactly do those vets say to our pets in the consulting room when we’re not there?

From gutter-mouthed guppies to Fidos that say ‘f***!’, Foul-Mouthed Pets combines comical and cute photos with inappropriate captions to tickle the belly of animal lovers everywhere.

Identity theft is a horrifying and traumatic experience. It’s easy to imagine the frustration at being wrongly denied a credit card or loan. Worse are the sleepless nights after threatening phone calls from creditors anxious to retrieve cash loaned in your name. It can also be much more serious.

Identity theft is linked to organised crime: illegal immigration and human trafficking, drug couriers, and money laundering. For these criminals, identity theft is a way of avoiding detection. Home Office figures estimate that identity fraud costs the UK economy £1.72 billion a year. It is a growth industry that affects everyone.

If you have never been the victim of identity theft, count yourself lucky. But luck is not enough. This audiobook is essential for everyone, as we are all potential victims. Learn how to protect yourself against it, how to spot the warning signs, and what to do if you think someone may have stolen your identity.

Do you find you have plenty of time on your hands these days?

Instead of wracking your brain for something to do, challenge your mind and have hours of fun with this delightful puzzle book. With everything from tricky crosswords, word searches, anagram puzzles and sudokus to simpler brain-teasers such as spot the differences, mazes and trivia questions, this LARGE PRINT edition means you won’t even need your glasses… wherever you put them.

Freedom at last! But there’s an awfully long time between cornflakes and cocoa, and a limit to how many sudokus you can do. You need survival skills:

FINANCIAL WIZARDRY: how to get three cups of tea out of one bag.
SPARKLING CONVERSATION: 300 different ways to discuss the weather.

This mischievous little book will help you enjoy your golden years with tongue-in-cheek advice and cheeky illustrations.

‘It had been so amazingly hot that I felt myself about to dissolve into a kind of crème brûlée on the road, so I bought some super-power Number 8 suncream. This had the word ‘Bronzante’ on it, and must have contained some dye or other chemical because my knees stayed brown until February.’
Fed up with questions about what he was going to do when he retired, Edward decided to get on his bicycle and ride from Le Havre to the Mediterranean. Armed with a tent and a smattering of French, he struggled in Normandy to get directions from old men tipsy on Calvados by 9 a.m., and hit his stride on the towpath of the Burgundy canal. He explored the mystery of what an ouvrier eats for lunch, and was barred from a swimming pool because his trunks were too decent.
Through the Rhône and down to Provence and the Camargue, Enfield is witty and informative as always.
Edward Enfield lives in Sussex with his wife and writes regularly for The Oldie magazine.

Warning: this puzzle book may cause enjoyment and momentary loss of grumpiness

The world has gone to hell in a handbasket and everyone around you is a fool. What you need is something to take your mind off it all. Grumble your way through these word searches, sudokus, crosswords, spot the differences, quizzes and mazes and you’ll find your crabbiness melting away – until you get stumped by a silly anagram, that is!

This collection of verbal and visual challenges will help you stay sharp and stimulated as you embark on a new chapter in life

Retirement is incredibly rich with possibilities – it’s just a question of how to fill all that free time. Well, now that you’ve earned many an hour of peaceful freedom, how about a puzzle or two to prove you’re still as clever as you always were?

From quick-fire trivia questions to more leisurely crosswords and sudoku, whether you’re a recent retiree, approaching the big day or have been enjoying your freedom for years, there’s plenty in these pages to keep you busy and set your mind purring.

Inside you will find a rich variety of puzzles for all tastes, including these:

– Find a whole new set of hobbies within a raft of word searches

– Spot the differences between various comical scenarios you might find yourself in

– Shuffle a bunch of anagrams to locate some objects that could come in handy

– Tackle the pictorial problems posed by a variety of rebus puzzles

Full of senior sagacity and elderly erudition, this hilarious survival guide is on hand to show you that it really is the life in your years that counts

Now that you’re a senior, you’ll come to realize that there is nothing that can’t be fixed by a quick trip to the garden centre, that your “bad back” will reliably get you out of any tricky situation and that it’s now socially acceptable to call anyone younger than you “Dear” rather than remember their actual name. In other words, now the real fun begins!

Encouraging you to laugh, embrace life and enjoy the ride, the pearls of wisdom in this no-nonsense handbook will guide you through all the pleasures and pitfalls of your latter years.

Filled with original illustrations and tongue-in-cheek advice on how to keep those grey cells active and the cobwebs at bay, The Little Instruction Book for Seniors will make the perfect gift for retirees or a milestone birthday.

Freedom at last!


The world of singledom, independence and wild abandon beckons! But if you’re going to last out there on your own you’ll need survival skills:


Prepare yourself for: The heady joy of having the whole bed to yourself.


Reassure yourself: If your marriage lasted more than 24 hours, you can tell yourself you made a decent go of it.


This mischievous little book will help to see you through your divorce with tongue-in-cheek advice and hilarious illustrations.

Lads, lay your claim to the remote control and reserve some fridge space. Now that you’re moving in together, there are a few things you should know.

This must-have manual will help you work out which parts of the house are yours, why you can no longer cut your toenails in bed, and why sharing bills will cost you more.

Moving in with your man is a brave step: girls, arm yourselves with an air freshener and the number of a good electrician.

This cohabitation handbook will prepare you for – and help you tackle – every irksome habit, such as chore-induced narcolepsy, things under the bed that a girl should never see, and a far from professional command with a drill.

Speed dating has become the coolest way for young singles to meet and find love, and Clare McCann knows this better than most. In her research into this “noughties” social phenomenon, the author spent a year attending events around the UK and speed-dated over a thousand men! Peppered with essential tips and interesting facts about the industry, this expert guide will help you get the most out of speed dating.

Tips and ideas to help you survive your uni years, from freshers week to final exams

You’ve been waiting for the time you head off to university since you started school and now that you’ve got the grades (well done!), and a place on your chosen course, you’re so close to experiencing student life. Helping you to make the most of your time there, this little book is packed with information and advice, including:

– Household hacks such as how to personalize your room
– Budget tips for making that student loan go further
– Studying tips – from note-taking to ways to beat exam stress
– DIY ideas for all your fancy-dress needs.
Whether your passion is society life, drinking shots or studying, your university experience will hold both new adventures and fresh challenges. This guide is packed with tips to help you survive and thrive at uni, from pulling an all-nighter in the library to an all-nighter at the club.

It’s time to wave goodbye to free home-cooked meals and say hello to freedom!

What seems to be the problem?

Your job is rewarding, but if you’re going to be faced with the horrors of the human body, you’re going to need survival skills:
Think positively: At least you aren’t suffering from these ailments. Well, not yet…
Reassure yourself: One day you will be able to retire – assuming you survive that long.

This mischievous little book will help see you through your years as a doctor with tongue-in-cheek advice and cheeky illustrations.

It’s time to celebrate the end of an era – and the start of a whole new one!

Ah, retirement – from here on out it’s all lazy lie-ins, pleasant afternoons in the garden (or the garden centre), long lunches with friends and evenings spent in a comfy chair in front of the fire, right?

Wrong! Welcome to a world where you’re halfway to the office before you realize you don’t work there any more, you somehow seem to have even less free time than before to do all the things you need to do, and suddenly daytime TV seems a whole lot more appealing than it ever used to…

This indispensable handbook, packed with amusing illustrations, is here to guide you through the pleasures and pitfalls of being retired. Most importantly, though, it’ll teach you how to how to make sure you always get a decent afternoon nap.

This book is perfect gift for retirees, offering tongue-in-cheek advice on how to make the most of their new-found freedom.

Take a breath of fresh air with this vibrant puzzle book that includes a collection of 200 nature-themed puzzles, perfect for lovers of the great outdoors

Pick up your backpack, your boots and your pencil!

Filled with trees, plants, and creatures great and small, this collection of puzzles celebrates Mother Nature in all her glory. Whether you’re wandering in the woods or the weather has you cooped up indoors, how about a puzzle or two to keep you feeling down to earth? From quick quizzes and riddles to more leisurely crosswords and sudoku, there’s plenty in these pages to fill your mind with wonder for our wide, wild world.

Inside this book, you will be challenged to:
– Find the flowers hiding within word searches
– Spot the differences between majestic oaks
– Shuffle the letters of anagrams to identify fascinating flora and fauna
– Wind your way through a series of woodland mazes

And much more!