Lifestyle

Free range meat – check. Against animal tested products – check. Ethical sustainable clothing – err…… but Primark!!!  This is awkward. I am just as guilty as most people who try and make the effort to live a more ethical life; I have gaping blind spots.  It appears I care more about animal welfare than people.  I do get blinded by a bargain and have dismissed organic, sustainable, and ethical clothing as too expensive, weirdly patterned or based on the fear that I...

We’ve all heard of ASOS – the UK’s largest independent online fashion and beauty retailer that features over 60,000 branded and own label products across both menswear and womenswear (incidentally, I once spent my life savings on 1,000 penny shares in ASOS, and then lost my nerve and sold them at 1p...  aaaagghhhh!). But, while ASOS is known worldwide and experiencing incredible success, it isn’t the only platform for online shopping. As record numbers of us are using the Internet to...

Two students from Brixton have launched a bizarre dating app with the aim of matching British passport holders with EU citizens living in the UK. Katy Edelsten, 25, and Chloe Cordon, 23, a student creative team from the School of Communication Arts in Brixton, created the dating site when they saw the increase in hate crimes after the Brexit vote. They’re hoping that some of the matches will lead to marriages so that the EU citizens can stay in the UK, even...

Like many Brits, a large proportion of your income will be spent on your home. In London, the average monthly rent is £1,301, while elsewhere in England and Wales we’re paying a staggering £816 in rent each month. But what if you could change all this? In their latest graphic, used commercial vehicle retailer Van Monster has shed some light on the growing culture of people ditching their homes in favour of living in a van. As well as discussing...

Suttons Seeds examines the importance of bee-friendly gardening Leading garden retailer Suttons Seeds has examined the importance of bee-friendly gardening in their latest visual. From pollenating flowers to creating honey, bees play a vital yet often overlooked role. Despite providing around 1/3 of our available food, the population of bees is in decline as a result of factors like disease, urbanisation, intensive farming and Colony Collapse Disorder. The visual looks at the importance of bees, the risks they face and...

"We live in interesting times", Big Issue Editor Paul McNamee wrote ahead of this week's magazine celebrating all the active things that people are doing to have a positive effect in their community. In uncertain times it is hard to remain positive about the future of Britain. But while the geopolitical situation escalates, focusing on good things closer to home could be the key to unlocking your optimism. The immediate aftermath of Brexit took its toll on the country with markets collapsing...

Exercise can be such a chore for adults, but new research suggests there's a lot we can learn from young children. Experts claim those wanting to drop dress-sizes would be better off skipping for 15 minutes than running, with other old school work-outs like star jumps, hopscotch and skipping also proven to burn more calories and use more muscles than traditional ways of working out. Similarly, those that enjoy a brisk walk would only lose an average of 50 calories in quarter...

Romance is dead, right? Or has it been re-imagined? Modern dating seems to be eschewing all the conventional rules of chivalry in favour of equality. Today, women are expected to at least offer to pay the bill and couples are increasingly going Dutch when dining out. British women take the gold in the 'dating Olympics' for splitting the bill 50/50 with a majority reporting that they offered to pick up the bill on alternating dates — far more often than women...

Brits will go to extraordinary lengths to catch-up on their favourite TV shows, it has been revealed, with boxset-bingeing in the bathroom proving a particular favourite. Research by BBC Store revealed more than half the country admits to regularly watching TV in the bathroom, either on a handheld device while on the loo or – for real luxury – streaming it via a laptop or tablet while in the bath. Over half of viewers admit they use their mobile phone while on...