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Top tat! Souvenirs for the Jubilee

Sat, 26 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Limited edition window blind

Sin and the single mother: The history of lone parenthood

Fri, 25 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

It all began with an abbreviated birth certificate that carried only the barest details. I had known since childhood that I was born 'out of wedlock', and that my father had deserted my mother as soon as he discovered she was pregnant in November 1950. But it wasn't until I looked up my full birth certificate after my mother's death in 2001 that I discovered I'd been born in a hostel for unmarried mothers.

How I wooed the lovelorn shepherdess

Fri, 25 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Little Bo Peep had a problem and it had nothing to do with misplacing her sheep. The issue is having stepped on a dirty great nail. It is hardly the stuff of nursery rhymes but it did present the chivalrous opportunity to give Emma Gray, the woman dubbed Britain's loneliest shepherdess, a lift from her remote Northumberland farm back down the four miles of juddering, satnav-bewildering forest tracks for a set of jabs at the local doctors.

In pictures: Royal Stamps of approval

Thu, 24 May 2012 10:31:23 GMT

Royal Mail is celebrating The Queen's Diamond Jubilee with eight new stamps featuring a selection of memorable events throughout her historic 60 year reign.

'I don't want it to be boring': Former circus producer reveals plans for Diamond Jubilee river parade

Wed, 23 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

There was a time during his circus days when Adrian Evans was more than happy to test the boundaries of health and safety with a couple of chainsaws or a motorcycle wall of death. He needs to be a little more cautious now the Queen has been entrusted into his care.

One is nipping to Tesco: Jubilant Jubilee royals as seen by Alison Jackson

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:53:32 GMT

The Queen can be seen nipping down to Tesco with the Corgis, popping a bet on at William Hill and kneeling on the floor to feed treats to her dogs (above) at a new exhibition which coincide with the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

Tearoom tantrums as women are thrown out in national anthem snub

Mon, 21 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

When you sit down to dine at at tearoom containing items from one of the largest collections of Royal memorabilia in the world, you probably shouldn't be surprised to be asked to stand for the national anthem. However three disgruntled customers did just that and fell foul of the proprietor.

Welcome to 'Staines-upon-Thames' (no Ali G jokes...)

Sun, 20 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

The late comedian Kenneth Horne, master of the double-entendre, used to tell a joke about a town in London's commuter belt with a somewhat unfortunate name: "How to get rid of unsightly Staines – blow up the bridge and burn the cinema!"

Pathetic fantasist or Nazi spy? The mysterious Mrs O'Grady

Sat, 19 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Seaside landladies have been accused of many things down the years – overcharging for the use of the cruet, being stingy with the marmalade – but not until 1940 was one suspected of being a traitor to her country. But such was the predicament of Dorothy O'Grady, part-proprietor of Osborne Villa, Sandown, Isle of Wight, who was arrested and charged under the Treachery Act with being a Nazi spy. The neighbours thought she was a harmless middle-aged woman whose greatest pleasure was walking her Labrador. The authorities took a different view, concluding that exercising Rob was her alibi for intelligence collecting forays into restricted military areas.

Being modern: Wedding lists

Sat, 19 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

a Dualit toaster. A set of Riedel wine glasses. A Nespresso coffee machine. A flat-screen TV complete with state-of-the-art DVD player. Fluffy Egyptian-cotton towels. Pure silk bed linen... What about the cuddly toy? Never mind. Didn't they do well?

Button artist Ann Carrington reveals her plans to float the royal boat

Thu, 17 May 2012 08:30:01 GMT

When the Queen floats at stately speed along the Thames next month, Ann Carrington won't be looking at the Jubilee girl but at the back end of her barge.

Button artist reveals her plans to float the royal boat

Wed, 16 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

When the Queen floats at stately speed along the Thames next month, Ann Carrington won't be looking at the Jubilee girl but at the back end of her barge.

Banksy gets the bunting out in north London

Tue, 15 May 2012 12:24:38 GMT

A new piece of street art bearing all the hallmarks of a Banksy (pictured, above) appeared overnight in north London.

Beaches fly flag for England

Mon, 14 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

An increasing number of England's beaches have won Blue Flag awards this year, bringing the country into the top 10 worldwide.

Bob-a-job rebooted! Scouts go back to work

Sat, 12 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

It is two decades since scores of boys in shorts routinely went from door to door soliciting money from absolute strangers in return for manual and menial labour.

Being Modern: Chuggers

Sat, 12 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

It's Tuesday lunchtime, you're wandering down the street – but who's this doing a moonwalk in front of you, trying to shake your hand? Clipboard, sheepish grin, over-sized Day-Glo tabard – oh gawd, a chugger... What to do? Blank them? Give it your best pavement swerve and a quick "Sorry..."? Or stop, engage and happily sign up for a direct debit to Save the Griffin?

Capitalism begins at home: How the modern direct-sales event is defying the recession

Fri, 11 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Ding dong... Avon calling! It's a familiar phrase but one that you might think belongs to a bygone era, of beehived housewives keen to make a little extra pocket money selling skincare products.

In pictures: The Helston Flora Day Ancient Furry Dance

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:27:36 GMT

Thousands of people danced through the streets of Helston in Cornwall today to mark the ancient tradition of Flora Day.

British frugal brides and grooms go abroad

Mon, 07 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

An increasing number of British couples are heading overseas to get married after being discouraged by the cost of holding a wedding in the UK, says research.

Hairdressers make short work of recession

Mon, 07 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Gloom sweeps Europe, unemployment keeps rising and pay rises are a distant memory. But hope for the economy arrives today in an unlikely, though beautifully coiffured, shape: hairdressers.

Frugal brides and grooms go abroad

Mon, 07 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

An increasing number of British couples are heading overseas to get married after being discouraged by the cost of holding a wedding in the UK, says research.

Trending: The Archers... a new generation

Mon, 07 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Teenage readers and viewers of The Hunger Games have a lot to admire about the heroine, Katniss Everdeen: her bravery, her family loyalty (she volunteers to stand in for her younger sister as a contestant in the lethal Games,) her bow and quiver of arrows, her skill at running, her cool pigtail, her indifference to the male sex, the fact that she (homophonically) shares a surname with the heroine of Far from the Madding Crowd... And with which do you think American fans most identify? You guessed. It's the bow and arrows.

Trending: What's the buzz about Fleet? Sex toys may provide the answer

Mon, 07 May 2012 08:00:01 GMT

Last year Fleet in Hampshire topped a national quality of life survey, now a new study might explain why: its residents spend more money on sex toys than anywhere else.

Trending: What's the buzz about Fleet? You'll never guess...

Sun, 06 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

Last year Fleet in Hampshire topped a national quality of life survey, now a new study might explain why: its residents spend more money on sex toys than anywhere else.

Punch and Judy: The eternal triangle of man, wife... and sausages

Sat, 05 May 2012 23:00:01 GMT

A man beats his wife over the head with a big stick while a crowd of children look on, laughing. "You can't do that!" she screeches, flopping forwards. "Why?" he retorts, hitting her again. "Well," she pauses, "It's not politically correct."