The Queen's 90th Birthday let the Celebrations Begin Today The Queen will become the country's first nonagenarian sovereign celebrating her actual birthday (the Queen’s official birthday is to follow). Events to celebrate the occasion will be taking place in April, May and June, some of which are free though some of which are by invitation only and include The Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral on Friday 10th June. The Service also marks the Duke of Edinburgh's 95th birthday,...Read more

Asparagus Mac ‘n’ Cheese with Bacon Crumble Serves: 4 Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 35 minutes You’ll need 8 rashers streaky bacon 50g breadcrumbs 150g Cheddar cheese 300g macaroni 2 bunches British asparagus (spears trimmed and cut in half) 40g butter 40g plain flour 400ml milk 2 tsp Dijon mustard What to do Heat the grill and cook the bacon on each side until very crisp. Chop into small chunks and combine with the bread crumbs and ¼ of...Read more

Etihad Airways to Bangkok and beyond Introducing tailor-made fares, for every guest Award winning airline Etihad Airways has launched Fare Choices. Fare Choices offer our guests the ability to tailor their journey according to their needs. Some guests want to travel light and on a budget, whilst others want to be able to make last-minute travel decisions, carry extra baggage or earn more miles. Fare Choices are available for Economy, Business and First Class guests. They vary by: How flexible...Read more

With the referendum on whether Britain should remain in the European Union just weeks away (Thursday 23 June) the the ‘ins and outs’ campaigns re finally underway. With many of the polls now seeming to close to call what will make you decide? (if you haven’t already). The press including the Sunday Times reported today that Sir Ian Botham ‘swings bat for Brexit’ The article cites ‘Sir Ian Botham today backs the campaign to leave the European Union, declaring that...Read more

Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse ★★★★ "Time and space dissolve in pure shimmering light and colour" The Daily Telegraph Using the work of Monet as a starting point, this landmark exhibition examines the role gardens played in the evolution of art from the early 1860s through to the 1920s. Trace the emergence of the modern garden in its many forms and glories as we take you through a period of great social change and innovation in the arts....Read more

Rosemary Shrager's Smoked Duck Breast Salad with a prune dressing Ingredients: Serves 4 • 200g Smoked Duck breast • 1 bunch watercress • 1Friseelettuce yellow leaves only • A small hand of tarragon leaves • Roasted Walnuts roughly chopped For the dressing • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard • 100ml Sunflower oil • 100mlextra virgin olive oil • Juice of ½ lemon • 4California Prunes soaked in water • Salt • Good pinch ground chili...Read more

The number of people living with diabetes has almost quadrupled since 1980 to 422 million adults, with most living in developing countries. Factors driving this dramatic rise include overweight and obesity, WHO announced ahead of World Health Day. WHO is marking its annual World Health Day (7 April), which celebrates the Organization’s founding in 1948, by issuing a call for action on diabetes. In its first “Global report on diabetes”, WHO highlights the need to step up prevention and treatment...Read more

Today online food ordering platform hungryhouse has announced the ten best takeaway restaurants in Britain. London’s Ambience, a homely and family run restaurant serving mouth watering Turkish style kebabs in trendy Wimbledon has bagged the coveted top spot, including a national TV campaign. Winning restaurant Ambience, run by Tanser Ozdemir, managed to beat off stiff competition to come out on top in this year's table, thanks to their consistent five-star ratings, rave reviews and the site’s highest return rate over...Read more

How to you compare to the average UK 70-something? Nationwide has published some interesting research into ‘Today’s 70-something’ The generation born just after the end of the war into a far different Britain from the one we know today in what they describe as ‘the original austerity Britain’. The report focuses on managing finances and how spare time is utilised. According to our research, those aged 65-74 are twice as likely to use a smartphone compared with 2012, according to...Read more

The Shawshank Redemption is the favourite film among over-70s Interesting to read the latest poll commissioned by Nationwide ‘ How do you compare to the average UK 70-something?’ When it came to the part of ‘Favourite films among over-70s’ the most popular are: Titanic (28%), The Great Escape (28%), Schindler’s List (29%) and topping the list The Shawshank Redemption (30%). Fascinating to learn that Shawshank Redemption should score over similar films with pretty much the same story? (Can you guess...Read more