Lifestyle

A mum tells of her intense pride after her little boy decided to transition to be a girl - and now wears a skirt to school. Garden centre shop assistant Caren Middleton, 44, from Chesterfield, Derbyshire, tells how 12-year-old Kian has always wanted to be a girl - and has now made the transition official. This year, he started year eight dressing in a skirt and tights instead of the usual shorts or trousers, and the mum says she has...

Facts, figures and events from World War Two are at risk of being forgotten – with some people mistakenly believing Germany and Britain were on the same side, a study has found. The location of the Battle of Britain, the date of D-Day and even Britain’s allies during the second world war all leave the nation stumped. And one in ten had no idea Adolf Hitler was involved in World War Two. Dan Korn from TV Channel HISTORY, which commissioned...

A new video is making the rounds on social media after tourists in Iceland attempted to crack what has been dubbed the ‘hardest karaoke song in the world’. The tongue-twisting sing-a-long – which is similar to Monty Python’s Finland song - was created to launch Iceland’s A-Ö tourism campaign and features a string of notoriously tricky Icelandic words. Iceland’s native language is among the most difficult in the world to learn and since humans first arrived in the country in...

As part of the British Tinnitus Association’s (BTA) Share Your Sound campaign which launches this week, the charity is encouraging people to share their tinnitus stories and seek support when they’re struggling. Here, Stephen Holt, original front man of the famous 90s Manchester band the Inspiral Carpets, explains his personal connection to tinnitus and why it is so important for people to talk about the condition to ensure no one suffers alone. When I re-joined Inspiral Carpets in 2011 I...

Home-Start Birmingham has been supporting families across the city for almost 30 years, it’s part of a wider network of local Home-Starts across the UK. The family support charity recruits and trains local parent volunteers to offer emotional and practical support to families in their own homes; families who are struggling to cope, which in turn, affects their ability to parent their children well. In Birmingham, we see families face many issues; poverty, domestic violence, illness, disability, isolation, the list...

For any Summer addicts like me, this time of year can hit pretty hard. With the weather turning almost overnight and temperatures dropping faster than you can say ‘pass the black tights’ it can be a depressing time of year. So, how do you cheer yourself up before the SAD kicks in? A quick show of hands around the office showed that we were worrying about our mid -season wardrobe (too warm for winter coat, too cold for going sans...

Shoppers of the future could be kitted out with electroencephalogram headsets to find the items they really love, according to neuroscience experts. The world’s first subconscious shopping experience was unveiled this week in London giving a glimpse of how shopping could look in the future. The headsets were worn by guests at a revolutionary new concept space to unlock micro-moments of inspiration. An art-fuelled space combined visual cues found in displayed artworks with items from the eBay marketplace which produce a similar...

According to the Office for National Statistics, vehicle-related theft is at its lowest level since the 1980s. That doesn’t mean it’s gone entirely. The statistics also point out that there are certain demographics—namely renters, people with children, and those living in urban areas—who are still far more likely than others to be victims of car theft. Those who fall into these categories should do all they can to protect themselves and their cars. Here are just some of the steps...

Alarmingly, according to the Mental Health Foundation, suicide contributes to the most deaths among British young people between the ages of 20 and 34, coincidentally during the period when they are most likely to be seeking to establish a career for themselves. Additionally, the Foundation reveals that 50% of mental health problems are felt by the young age of 14 and 75% by 24. While there are many triggers for the high levels of mental health problems experienced by youths,...