Spring has arrived with milder days and a few days of wonderful sunshine, making us all feel more positive and uplifting our moods. It is sometimes difficult to stay in this bubble of happiness and positiveness when every time we switch on the radio or TV, we are hearing devastating news from around the world.

The Mediterranean coastline of the Costa Blanca, or ‘White Coast,’ stretches 120 glorious miles from Denia in the North to Pilar de la Horadada in the south. Located in the region of Alicante, the temperate climate boasts 300 days of sunshine annually.

I’m lucky enough to get to drive and review most makes of car currently on sale in the UK, but I had the realisation that it had been many years since I had driven a Lamborghini. A few emails to the company’s PR and I was all set to enjoy a day with the latest Urus. Time was short, so I was at Lamborghini’s Leeds showroom bright and early, eager to maximise my time behind the wheel.

Who now remembers the ‘Thucydides Trap’? For a time in the early part of this century it seemed to crop up trendily whenever Chinese expansionism was discussed. I saw the phrase frequently in the editorials of serious newspapers and political magazines, tossed in casually as some sort of clever historical metaphor - rather than the serious warning about the future it should have been.

For many women, the decision to start Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) during perimenopause feels like a lifeline. After finally understanding that your increased perspiration, brain fog, low mood, or unexplained irritability are due to perimenopause, you may have been led to believe that HRT is the solution to your midlife crisis. But then, the unexpected happens – nothing.

Seda secures £15m BGF investment to accelerate global pharma growth Seda Pharma Development Services, a Cheadle-based contract research, development, and manufacturing organisation (CRDMO), has secured a £15 million investment from BGF.

Pygmy goats make ideal pets and can be a joy to care for in smallholdings. They are intelligent, curious, engaging and good-natured. Their compact size makes them ideal for smallholdings, as they don’t require large areas to roam. What they do require, however, is a secure pen with shelter and company.

Established 62 years ago, Haven currently has 41 caravan holiday parks and 1 cottage resort in the UK. Having changed hands several times since its inception, Haven has always been known as good-value holiday fun with entertainment built in. However, at age 43, I have never been to a Haven.

Antonio Pappano and the London Symphony Orchestra make an impressive case for The Planets on this new LSO Live release, bringing to Holst's visionary suite both interpretative authority and the kind of orchestral finish that makes every movement feel freshly considered.

Lithuania has come a very long way since they debuted at Eurovision in 1994- After entering with the song Lopšinė mylimai, Ovidijus Vyšniauskas sadly saw the country's debut achieve nul points. Having since appeared another 24 times, they have an impressive qualification record - with 18 to date.

VinFast: High cash burn rate raises questions about the required CAPEX for production expansion; continued growth in EV deliveries remains a key focus. UniCredit–Commerzbank bid: Complementary regional footprints and client mix; but Momentum 2028 goals may be too ambitious.

Lee Mead admits he “just loves eating”. Lee stars as P.T. Barnum, known as the 'world's greatest showman', in the UK tour of Barnum – the circus musical. “Food is a massive part of my life and always has been since I was a small boy.

Avalon Emerson has always thrived on movement—between cities, between scenes, between sounds—and Written Into Changes feels very much like the sound of an artist refusing to stand still, even if the results don’t always land as confidently as its ambitions suggest.

If you fancy an evening’s entertainment that is full of fun and frivolity, then the English Touring Opera’s performance of The Gondoliers is definitely the show for you. From the moment the curtain was raised, the stage was filled with colour, energy, humour and joy.

In the hands of Calum Huggan and Angela Wai Nok Hui, the two marimbas function simultaneously as engines and echo chambers. Every struck note blooms and fades; its resonance trails behind it like an afterthought— or an alibi. The instrument's characteristic decay becomes the music's central argument: nothing here simply ends; it reverberates, recurs, and resurfaces. Repetition is not monotony but the very texture of the system itself, the pendulum swing of patterns that Ledeneva identifies in Russian public life.

Finding accessible walks here in Cumbria can be difficult. There are countless blogs on how to enjoy the beautiful countryside, but many routes involve stairs, hiking or off-road trails. We know that just a few hours outdoors can improve your mood and fitness, but what if you aren’t able-bodied or require flat, smooth paths?

Whether or not you count yourself among devotees of the song recital, there is something here to give pause. English mezzo-soprano Kitty Whately turns her attention to Madeleine Dring, a composer whose relative neglect remains one of the more puzzling anomalies of the British music revival.

Eden Camp has announced an action-packed Easter holiday with a lineup of family-friendly activities, interactive workshops, and living history experiences. From 30th March to 12th April 2026, visitors can explore wartime Britain through hands-on fun, immersive exhibits, and engaging storytelling, with the return of the Living History Weekend on 4th-5th April.

Waste management company We Waste has issued advice and warnings around how to spot and prevent infestations of three common pests that often reappear in March and throughout spring.

With National Nutrition Month in full swing, HECK! is celebrating a major win after being named ‘Health Hero’ at the Food Manufacture Excellence Awards, recognising the company’s commitment to delivering healthier, great‑tasting food through continuous innovation. The award highlights HECK!’s mission to make healthier choices easier and more enjoyable for everyone.

The world’s only one-handed professional concert pianist – Nicholas McCarthy – makes his much-anticipated Harrogate International Festivals debut this month. Over the past 60 years, the Festivals have brought some of the most gifted, boundary-shaping classical musicians to Harrogate, with Nicholas the latest iconic star to grace the Festivals’ stage.

With clocks due to go forward by an hour on Sunday 29th March, David Martin, Group Director of Animal Welfare at IVC Evidensia shares his expert advice on helping owners navigate a change in routine the clock change brings. Pets thrive on routine, and even small changes can impact them.

Oral health is often overlooked, but it is crucial to overall well-being. The mouth is a gateway to the body, and issues that begin there can affect nutrition, speech, confidence, and even contribute to systemic health conditions. In the past, dentistry has been a “fix the problem” service, with little time and little value placed on education and prevention.

The average age of a first-time buyer in England has risen from 29 to 34 since the mid-1990s, according to new analysis tracking three decades of housing data. The Skipton Group Home Affordability Index, developed in partnership with Oxford Economics, highlights a significant shift in the demographic profile of new homeowners.

Senior lawyers representing millions of WASPI women are preparing to write to the Government citing “multiple legal errors” over their continued refusal to deliver compensation Government lawyers will have 14 days to respond to the pre-court action letter before they risk being hauled back to the High Court for a second judicial review. Campaigners have labelled the Department for Work and Pensions’ compensation stance “irrational and unfair”, describing their approach to affected women as “offensive”.

Bus services across North Cumbria are set to benefit from a range of improvements as Stagecoach introduces its Summer 2026 timetable on Monday 23 March, enhancing connections to and across the Lake District.

Miller Homes has opened applications for the first round of its 2026 Community Fund, inviting charities and community groups across the North West, including Coppull to apply for grants to support local projects and initiatives. The fund offers donations ranging from £250 to £2,000, helping organisations that make a positive difference within the communities where the homebuilder operates.

Chester Zoo scientists are spearheading a study into how zoos can benefit people’s wellbeing. Zoos from around the world are taking part in the study Visitors invited to share insights into their mood, nature-connectedness and more The results should shed light on the value of zoos to society. An animal adoption is up for grabs for participants!

Fibrus has reached a significant milestone, investing £1 million in community groups and charities across its network, including Cumbria. Of that total, over £470,000 has been directed to good causes in Cumbria, supporting grassroots sports clubs, local community organisations and environmental initiatives.

Across these fourteen pieces, all relatively compact, Puccini reveals himself as a born storyteller in music, deploying orchestration not merely for colour but to delve into emotional terrain. Wilson brings out the fine detail, nuance and subtlety with the same keen-eared authority he has applied so consistently in his Sinfonia of London series for Chandos.

Fear of spiders, dogs, heights, flying, open spaces or closed spaces are among the most common phobias – if you don’t have one of these, the chances are you will know someone who does. Phobias are intense, irrational fears of specific objects, situations, or activities.

Tom Sorsby helped England to secure their qualification for the Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup as they defeated Pakistan 4-1 in the final of the 2026 Men's FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers. England remained undefeated in their group stage matches, having not conceded a single goal, before they put on their most convincing performance to defeat Malaysia 7-1 in the semifinal.

The King’s Arms in Hawkshead is proud to announce that just 6 months after opening it has been awarded Four AA Gold Stars for 2026, alongside an AA Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence Award, recognising the pub’s outstanding standards of hospitality, accommodation, and dining.

Inditex: Elevation of the Zara brand paying off, helping itdifferentiate from Shein and capture higher-end shoppers. Rheinmetall: 2026 outlook falls short of expectations; questionremains how quickly it can scale its industrial base to meet demand despite strong order intake.

When done properly, home workouts can be just as effective, enjoyable, and sustainable as gym training. The key is not doing more but doing smarter. Creating a home routine that fits your space, goals, and lifestyle will always beat copying a gym programme that doesn’t translate to real life.

It takes something more than intelligence to act intelligently.Fyodor Dostoyevsky, the Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist and journalist. For generations, the prevalent belief held that intelligence was the sole factor that could lead to success.

Wildlife charity, Butterfly Conservation, is calling on the public to prepare for a bumper summer of butterflies. This year, alongside its hugely popular Big Butterfly Count, the charity is launching something brand new - a vote to discover Britain’s Favourite Butterfly!