Comparison sites are supposed to make buying financial products on the web transparent and hassle free. But when it comes to comparing life insurance choosing the wrong comparison service can lead to quite the opposite. With the Office of Fair Trading investigating price comparison sites in 2010, www.money-minder.com exposes the tricks of the life insurance comparison trade which could leave consumers feeling well and truly hoodwinked and offers tips on how to avoid them. (more…)

npower hometeam has seen a six-fold increase in customers enquiring about replacement or new boilers since the announcement of the Government’s boiler scrappage scheme. (more…)

As 2010 begins, winemakers can celebrate a vintage end to the last decade, following one of the best harvests on record. More than a number of winemakers are even talking in superlatives: ‘Fantastic’; ‘wonderful quality year’ and ‘one of the best ever’ amongst them when describing the 2009 vintage. (more…)

The publicity spotlight has certainly fallen on the Lake District recently – firstly, with an inspiring series dedicated to Wainwright’s walks and now a light-hearted sojourn led by comedian and commentator, Rory McGrath. (more…)

Jagged Fence Productions Present
The Hostage
By Brendan Behan
3rd – 20th February
Press Night: 4th

Directed by: Adam Penford, Designed by: Morgan Large, Lighting Design by: Emma Chapman

A modern classic by one of Ireland’s most acclaimed and controversial playwrights; last seen in London over fifteen years ago, Brendan Behan’s most famous play receives an overdue revival.

(more…)

Pam Ayres – The Works is a collection of 120 of Pam Ayres’ best-loved poems, including such classics as The Battery Hen, Oh I Wish I’d Looked After Me Teeth, Do You Think Bruce Springsteen Would Fancy Me?, The Dolly On The Dustcart, and Please Will You Take Your Children Home Before I Do Them In?, many of which now have new introductions that Pam has written especially for this edition. (more…)

THE LIFE IN MY YEARS
Virginia McKenna
Foreword by Joanna Lumley

Virginia McKenna starred in some of the most popular and enduring movies of our time, among them Carve Her Name With Pride, A Town Like Alice, and the extraordinarily successful Born Free (a film Barack Obama recently admitted to having been inspired by), in which she and husband, Bill Travers depicted the story of conservationists George and Joy Adamson and their reintroduction of Elsa the orphaned lion club to the wild. (more…)

From the latest Dan Brown novel that has sold over 1.8 million copies comes the documentary that was watched by almost as many. Simply Media is proud to bring to screens “FREEMASONS AND THE LOST SYMBOL”, a documentary which shows Freemason ceremonies for the first time. (more…)

BBC BIG BAND - BETH NIELSEN CHAPMAN - COURTNEY PINE - FAIRPORT CONVENTION - FEAST OF FIDDLES - JAN GARBAREK GROUP - JUDY COLLINS - MELODY GARDOT – MIDLAKE - MOTHER INDIA - STEVE REICH’S DRUMMING - THE DUBLINERS - THE IMAGINED VILLAGE - TOM PAXTON - TRANSATLANTIC SESSIONS - YASMIN LEVY (more…)

• Over 55 top London shows
• 1000s of discount theatre tickets
• FREE activities and exclusive workshops
• Get into London Theatre from 1 January-12 February 2010 (more…)

Husband And Wife Team Beat Lloyd Webber And Mackintosh To Top Of Theatre Power List (more…)

Cast: Jason Butler Harner, Charlotte Emmerson, Jason O’Mara, Geraldine Somerville

Director: Simon Curtis; Designer: Peter McKintosh
Lighting Designer: Guy Hoare; Composer and Sound Designer: Adam Cork (more…)

Garry Christian is both ‘the face’ and ‘the voice’ of The Christians

Renowned for their endless string of soul-inspired hits …  Forgotten Town, Born Again, When the fingers point, Ideal World, The Bottle, Father, Perfect Moment, What’s in a word, Harvest for the World, to name a few. (more…)

Cornwall’s tourism industry needs to work much more closely together to promote the county as an all year round, all weather, experience rich destination and not rely on often failed forecasts of barbeque summers, according to one leading West Cornwall holiday firm. (more…)

The world’s most relevant photographic competition is now open for entries. (more…)

Jack, the moniker of Messrs Tweed, Nicholson and Straw, retained its title for the 15th year on the trot.

Olivia secured a second successive stint as the girls’ favourite having taken over from Grace in 2008. (more…)

One in three drivers admit hitting the road this winter - without being able to see out of their windscreen properly. (more…)

The Ramblers has objected to a retrospective planning application for a high, galvanised-steel ‘gate’ at Turville, Bucks, on a hilltop in the heart of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. (more…)

A host of free courses get underway this winter for those wanting to start or strengthen community agriculture schemes.

Soil Association projects manager Bonnie Hewson said: “Whatever type of scheme you are involved with or considering, there are courses for you, from marketing to scaling up production. (more…)

New cebr forecasts for the United Kingdom economy imply that end of recession parties can be pencilled in for 26 January when the Office for National Statistics releases its fourth quarter GDP estimate. The end of de-stocking and expenditure brought forward ahead of the VAT cut reversal prompted a mini-bounce in economic activity and return to quarter-on-quarter growth in the fourth quarter. (more…)

The ongoing success of English sparkling wines was further applauded with another outstanding win on the world stage. (more…)

Carr Taylor vineyards, located in East Sussex have just released the newest vintages of two of their most recently award wining wines, both are quintessentially English and perfect for Easter!! (more…)

As they get older, most people experience mild memory loss; an inability to think quickly, lapses in attention and concentration and difficulties in language use. (more…)

To the gardening world it may have always been considered a fact, but science has never proved the widely held belief that watering your garden in the midday sun can lead to burnt plants. Now a study into sunlit water droplets, published in New Phytologist, provides an answer that not only reverberates across gardens and allotments, but may have implications for forest fires and human sunburn. (more…)

A new report released today by leading herbs and spices company, Schwartz, in collaboration with experts from the European food community, has identified the major European culinary trends and top flavour pairings for 2010, which will lead the way for what’s on UK menus in the year ahead. (more…)

For a fun packed family break head to the Scottish coastal town of Stonehaven. Nestled on the edge of the picturesque harbour lies the Ship Inn Hotel & Restaurant. (more…)

Across the country, thousands of people are making a new year’s resolution to get fit and work off all those extra calories consumed over the festive period. Getting fit doesn’t have to mean an expensive gym membership; you could take advantage of the free British countryside, and use OS Select to help you plan walks or cycle routes. (more…)

There is still huge disparity between the quality of different composts according to new research from Which? Gardening. (more…)

Food giant Birds Eye has dropped the words ‘Great British Menu’ from its packaging in what is being seen as a huge victory for a farmer’s Honest Labelling campaign. (more…)

GENEVA – Striking inequalities exist between developing and developed countries in the survival chances of preterm babies.

Approximately 13 million premature babies are born every year worldwide, according to the first global overview of preterm births published today in the international public health journal, the Bulletin of the World Health Organization. (more…)

Now in its second year, the True Taste Welsh Produce Market is back, bigger and better than before, bringing fresh produce from Wales’s farm gates to Londoners’ plates. The market will be held on Friday 26 February 2010 between 11am and 7pm at Golden Square, London, W1 (just off Regent’s Street). (more…)

Renowned international travel guide Frommer’s - has named the Isles of Scilly as one of ‘the’ top 10 destinations in the World to visit in 2010. (more…)