Lifestyle

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Sophie Aldridge, 20, had no idea she was pregnant - having had no symptoms for the nine months before little Thomas' birth She was discharged from hospital when doctors were unable to find the cause of her back pain and was stunned – when she gave birth just hours later. Sophie from Dover had no idea she was pregnant when she felt a severe back pain, she put it down to period pains and tried to...

Going through a divorce can be a traumatic experience but there is some good news for divorcing couples that comes in the form of changes to mediation funding. Many individuals on low incomes are entitled to Legal Aid to fund their attendance at mediation to agree children and financial arrangements on separation.  However, one of the major problems that many couples find when applying for help from Legal Aid for mediation under the current law is that if only one...

Nona Avery, from Sheffield, 84 has been hand writing letters to her pen friend longest than most people live, sending over a 1,000 letters... In 1942 I saw an advert in the Girl's crystal annual for girl’s who lived all over the world, who wanted a pen friend. One advert caught my eye it was for a girl called Alice who was also twelve and lived in Columbus, Ohio in America. It sounded so exotic and so far away. I...

By Charlotte Hope, Lifestyle Editor @TLE_Lifestyle I absolutely love caffeine. Don’t you? In particular, I seriously love coffee. Last night I actually fell asleep easier knowing I had set my alarm early enough to enjoy a leisurely coffee in the morning. I think this is complimented by the fact that I own one of those little Bialetti coffee percolators, something which, despite years of owning, still fills me with delight and joy when that sweet, hot, caffeinated nectar starts meandering...

By Gregory Taylor Reports of the Ebola outbreak have been rife of late. Some 8,399 probable or suspected cases have been confirmed by The World Heath Organisation (WHO) causing a media frenzy around the outbreak, a frenzy that perhaps clouded Friday's Mental Health Day that shines the spotlight on a suspected 450 million people worldwide who have mental health problems. The Office for National Statistics Psychiatric Morbidity report found that one in four British adults experience at least one diagnosable mental health problem in any one...

By Steve Taggart With a history that pre-dates even the Ancient Greek scholars, the Golden Rule or treating others as you would like to be treated by them, is a concept that, once practiced, allows us to reap rewards in our relationships. Further, by helping others we are inadvertently also helping ourselves; improving our mood, strengthening our self-respect and confidence and making us more attractive to others. From an evolutionary perspective the development and adoption of this rule makes sense....

Jack Peat reviews Urinetown and a new wave of dystopia created by the conflict of human rights and resource management.  Science and economic observers of India have been confronted by some puzzling statistics of late. Despite certain areas of the country enjoying sustained economic growth there are still vast numbers of children who are malnourished and stunted leaving them with mental and physical deficits typical of deprived, food-scarce regions. On closer examination it was found that a lack of food wasn’t the...

By Laura Casewell & Tom Parker @CasewellEditor   ‘Mummy makeovers’ are increasingly being touted in the media, but what exactly does a post-birth body makeover involve if you don’t fancy going under the knife, and how can energy-assisted treatments can transform your figure after pregnancy? The ‘mummy makeover’ is a term that is often applied to the combination of treatments to improve or restore the areas affected by carrying a baby. Often with age, following pregnancy or where there have been...

By Sloan Sheridan Williams In this day and age we not only need to be physically fit but also emotionally fit and mentally tough. With athletes, playing the sport you love and excelling in it creates fulfilment and contentment. Using the same mental strategies we can get ahead in the workplace and achieving personal bests in our career contributes to our personal growth which is one of the six emotional needs. Self determination The more self-motivation and energy you have...