‘For tranquillity nowhere else comes close’: readers’ favourite UK retreats

An outdoor eco-spa in Wales and riverside yoga in North Yorkshire are among the highlights of our tipsters’ most revitalising breaks

You be the judge: should my friend stop burping in public?

Helen says Rowena needs to work on her gas issues. Rowena says belching is not illegal – and is her party piece. You decide who’s making too much noise

Motherhood is saying ‘I can’t do this any more’ – then doing it

What if we reminded each other that our lives are not naturally unbearable but they are made so by the powers that be?

The French sex recession: has la flamme really gone out?

Reports suggest the French have lost their va-va-voom in the bedroom – and they certainly aren’t the only ones

‘They deserve love!’ Last-chance pets – and the people who rescue them

Shelters are full of old, unwanted animals no one wants. Or almost no one ... Here are the heroes giving cats and dogs their final homes

Touch your toes! Six fast, easy ways to improve your mobility – and live a longer life

Poor mobility can have a huge impact on your longevity as well as how you feel day to day. Here are simple exercises to make you more flexible

‘At 45, I grieved the idea of motherhood. Then, by pure fluke, I was pregnant’

After miscarriages and IVF, I decided I was done. A few days later, I found out I was expecting, and the beautiful dismantling of my old life began

Should I worry about microplastics?

These tiny particles are polluting the planet, including our bodies. How bad for us are they really?

‘Gloom is good’: after my wife died I found solace in poetry and music

You can’t fight death, sickness, ageing and life’s various indignities, but you can play very loud rock’n’roll

I found out the hard way the secret of Sunak’s Monday blunders – a 36-hour fast

Admire his discipline if you must, but should a PM make vital decisions when he’s starving?