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    You had me at hello…

    Did you know that November 21 is World Hello Day? Observed since 1973 in hundreds of countries around the globe, World Hello Day first came about as a way to encourage us all to use communication rather than force to settle conflict and discord. To participate in World Hello Day, all one needs to [more…]

      November Around the Globe

      Did you know that before January and February were added to the Roman calendar, around 713BC, November was the ninth month of the year? This is how it got its name; novem means ‘nine’ in Latin.

      As the year draws to a close, you’d be forgiven for getting excited about December and all its summery, [more…]

        In search of balance

        Sometimes the day’s chores can seem overwhelming, but there are ways to create a fresh rhythm to life that has room for work, play and downtime…

        Here we share ideas that can help to achieve a rewarding lifestyle balance as well as some valuable tools to help you stay centred.

        1 Get up earlier

        In his book The [more…]

          A fiesta of Spanish words in the English language

          Or should I say Hola?  Because this column is about the Spanish language. There are approximately 405 million people in the world speaking Spanish as a native language, making it the second-most-spoken language by a number of native speakers, after Mandarin Chinese.  Spanish is also one of the six official languages of the United [more…]

          Crossword & Puzzle Collection 126 – Gremlin – Pop Words

          Pop Words, page 83

          The word break-up for 11ac should be (3’1,5).

          Thank you to R Bullen for alerting us to this gremlin.

            Discover fascinating words that have changed their meaning

            With spring marking the changing weather, when the cold winter winds are swapped for floral-filled days, it got me thinking about how the meaning of words also changes. One of the continuing controversies of my job is dealing with that fickle aspect of the English language, words that change their meaning – known as [more…]

              Phrases we use from the silver screen ?

              While many of us crave the sunshine and heat of summer, one of the silver linings of the chilly winter months is that they offer the perfect excuse to cosy up at home and get lost in our silver screen favourites. As well as an almost endless source of entertainment, I’ve found films and [more…]

              Subscriber Sweepstake UK May/June

              CONGRATULATIONS to the latest winners in our Lovatts Subscriber Sweepstake!

              These lucky subscribers have shared in £250 worth of prizes!

              Fitbit Inspire HR – P Chilvers, Crawley

              Twinings Tea Chest – H Trethewey, Ashford

              Breville Strata Electric Kettle – R Eves, Colchester

              Cole and Mason Spice and Herb Rack – S Morris, Saltburn By The Sea

              The Sweepstake is our [more…]

                The Cat’s Pyjamas

                Hello!

                Did you know that Ancient Egyptians held cats in the highest esteem, and praised the creatures for tasks such as killing venomous snakes and protecting the Pharaoh? It seems that cats have never forgotten this high regard, given the stereotype of cats being haughty and contrary with their affection. I’ve never found this with [more…]