Tips
Why pouring cold water over boiled potatoes changes everything, according to roast‑potato obsessives
Charlotte Reed
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The pan was already clouded with steam when the argument started. Sunday, small kitchen, roasting tin heating in a slick...
Tips
“It’s not junk, it’s data gold”: why tech firms are racing to buy old VHS tapes and cassette collections
Charlotte Reed
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On a damp Saturday in Leeds, Tom and his sister finally face the box that’s followed them through three house...
Tips
The new HMRC “nudge letter” that has landlords worried – and what accountants advise you do before it arrives
Charlotte Reed
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The WhatsApp groups lit up first. Screenshots of HMRC letters, beige and blunt, passed from landlord to landlord with the...
Tips
Why blocking draughts around internal doors can backfire – and the simple gap engineers say you must leave
Charlotte Reed
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On a wet Saturday, you finally do it. You buy the cosy sausage-dog draught excluder, the sticky foam strips, the...
Tips
The overlooked £2 item in Wilko that birdwatchers swear brings more robins to tiny gardens
Charlotte Reed
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The first robin always seems to visit next door. You stand at the kitchen window, tea going cold in your...
Tips
Psychologists reveal why people who talk to themselves out loud often make sharper decisions
Charlotte Reed
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On a Tuesday morning train, a woman stares at her phone, lips moving just a fraction. “If I say yes...
Tips
The quiet NHS trial that could let pharmacists prescribe routine antibiotics – and what GPs really think
Charlotte Reed
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The woman at the counter knows exactly what she needs. “It’s another water infection,” she tells the pharmacist, shifting her...
Tips
Why your phone photos look dull on grey UK days – and the simple settings change travel bloggers rely on
Charlotte Reed
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You’re somewhere between Euston and a wet weekend in the Lakes, forehead pressed to the train window. The fields outside...
Tips
After 50: not fasting, not skipping carbs – the “front‑loaded” eating pattern that calms evening cravings
Charlotte Reed
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At 4pm, you swear today will be different. You’ll have a sensible dinner, maybe some yoghurt after, then close the...
Tips
Your washing machine drawer is mouldy for one simple reason – and the cotton bud trick that keeps it dry
Charlotte Reed
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You know that smell before you see it. You open the washing machine to grab a clean load, and instead...
Tips
The bedtime snack combination cardiologists recommend for more stable night‑time blood pressure
Charlotte Reed
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You only notice it if someone straps a cuff to your arm overnight. On paper, your daytime readings look fine....
Tips
Neighbours furious as new quiet‑hours rules ban Sunday morning DIY in several UK councils
Charlotte Reed
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The first thud lands at 8.17 on a Sunday morning: a hammer, a wall, a neighbour who’s finally got round...
Tips
“Don’t use boiling water”: plumbers explain the safer way to clear slow bathroom sinks with what you already have
Charlotte Reed
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Steam curls up from the plughole, the smell of soap and old toothpaste lifts for a second, and you feel...
Tips
The slow cooker mistake that turns stews greasy – and the extra 30 seconds that fixes it
Charlotte Reed
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You know the moment. You’ve had a stew on since breakfast. The house smells like comfort. You lift the slow...
Tips
Not spinach, not kale: the humble frozen veg dietitians now call a “fibre goldmine” for over‑50s
Charlotte Reed
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Standing in the supermarket aisle at 6.17pm, glasses fogging slightly from the chill of the freezers, Alan, 62, stared at...
Tips
Hoovers smelling musty? The paper bag trick cleaning pros use to freshen them without perfume
Charlotte Reed
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The hoover roared to life and, within seconds, the hallway smelt like an old cupboard. Not “a bit dusty”, but...
Tips
Why hanging curtains a few centimetres higher makes rooms feel warmer, according to interior designers
Charlotte Reed
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The radiator’s been on for an hour, the candle is doing its best, and yet the room still feels a...
Tips
After 60: not endless stretching, not painkillers – the 5‑minute ankle drill that steadies your walk
Charlotte Reed
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Your friends swap stories about “dodgy knees” and “a bit of vertigo”. Someone mentions stronger painkillers. Someone else has a...