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A shop owner has blasted local 'yummy mummies' after they complained about a Mother's Day card in the window bearing the word vagina. Kirsty Mizon-Taylor displayed a sign and card which read 'Mum, sorry I ruined your vagina' in the window of her posh boutique Taylor Jayne during the run-up to Mothering Sunday. But angry local mums in Reigate, Surrey, confronted the shop owner, with one even writing a letter of complaint to a business guild. Kirsty, 38, said: "In...

A shocking new study has revealed that children as young as 12 spend up to an hour and a half every day worrying about their appearance. The OnePoll research found social media is harming people’s confidence with 71 per cent of teenagers and 53 per cent of adults admitting sites such as Facebook and Instagram make them more worried about how they look. Thirty-two per cent of teens have edited pictures on social media to alleviate their worries while 37 per cent...

Denise is 49-years-old and is struggling in the benefits system. She’s currently living in Bristol, but is from Leicestershire. Denise’s diagnosis is Bipolar type II. She was diagnosed in 1991 when she was around 24 or 25. But she’d experienced mental health problems since age 16. She was misdiagnosed with depression and PTSD before getting the right diagnosis and the right treatment. Denise also has physical health problems - fibromyalgia, mobility issues and inflammatory bowel disease. Her energy levels vary...

There is a certain sort of person who likes to talk a great deal about the importance of etiquette. There is also a lot of discussion about the decline of modern manners. At the same time we live in a time of the decline of ritual – if you want an emblem, my former employer, the House of Commons, has decided that the clerks should no longer wear wigs and court dress (the House of Lords has not followed suit,...

"'And you, Ring-bearer,’ she said, turning to Frodo. ‘I come to you last who are not last in my thoughts. For you, I have prepared this.’ She held up a small crystal phial: it glittered as she moved it, and rays of white light sprang from her hand... May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out.'" – J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers Gift-giving is an act from the heart. Much has been...

Nature-loving Kate Burrows and her partner Alan built their home out of tree trunks, mud and straw after being forced out of their rented home by her permanent flu-like symptoms. Kate, who has lived in the hut in Tarka Valley, near Chumleigh, Devon, for 19 months, says the extreme move was prompted by her rare condition - Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS). But North Devon Council say the couple have broken planning laws - and have given them until December to...

Getting rid of a beautiful grand piano may seem sacrilegious. But sometimes, sadly, they just aren’t usable anymore. Even working pianos can be difficult to sell, and as transporting them is a difficult and dangerous task for anyone other than professional piano movers armed with “heavy duty slippers, shoes, blankets, skids, trolleys and ramps”, they can soon become elephants taking up vital room in your home. Old pianos, particularly those that are beyond repair, are extremely difficult to sell. Robert...

Writer Amy Sharpe, 26, tells how she survived when her boyfriend opted to do 'Dry January' - when all she wanted to do was drink gin Call me selfish, but when my boyfriend told me he was going dry for January my first thought was: “but what about me?” Throughout my three-year relationship with Jon, alcohol has been a very welcome third-wheel. Kronenburg eased the awkwardness when first got chatting, Gordon's was a witness the first time we pulled and...

Struggle to get out of bed this morning? You're not alone - new research has found one in ten Brits reckon they never have a good morning, and a quarter never have more than two good mornings a week. Almost 90 per cent of Brits reckon their morning sets the tone for their entire day. Respondents admitted they were twice as likely to help someone out if they have a good start to the day compared to a bad start. And...