Credit Munch

Valley girl

The shooting party

The Dark Ages

It's not enough to keep chickens, you also have to kill them

Big Brother only wants to help you

Council 'spies' have been pilloried by politicians for snooping on citizens but CCTV cameras can be a force for good

My Christmas message for Royal Mail: you can keep the card

Its generosity extends to waiving the 50p charge to collect your mail if no-one was home when the postman called

The Dragons' Den, African-style

Want to make a difference to poverty and earn money too? We look at an ingenious scheme that has nothing to do with charity

Young, free... and divorced

Figures show that people under 30 are more likely to divorce than other age groups. Why do so many end up on the rocks?

Misery memoirs: the final chapter?

Bookshop shelves groan with feel-bad memoirs, which sell by the million. The genre is now heading for an unhappy ending

What's killing our seals?

Common seals are not so common any longer. Studies show there's no single reason why. So what's the next step?

Voice coaching: a cure for irritable vowel syndrome

As George Osborne tones down his posh voice, we look at the importance of sounding confident for success

The Barbie fashion collection for real women

Mattel is launching a designer range for women. But who on earth will be able to wear it? We have a few ideas

The problems of being an older mum

Women giving birth later has increased. But do we pay attention to the psychological and physical turmoil that they face?

Transition: gearing up for an oil-free world

Climate change and oil shortages are upon us. A growing army of local heroes is determined to change our world

It's raining Venn: how to shape a hit song

A book by Andrew Viner combines maths and pop to create clever conundrums

Mrs Mills solves all your problems

This evening I ate oven chips and a ready-prepared Indian snack selection with my son, who is six. Will he be okay and get into a good school?

People like me

Live, love and learn

Each stage of our four lives brings different challenges

11 things that will ruin a party

You need good friends, lots of people who smoke and girls who will seduce strangers. But you don't need these things

Can virtual life take over from real life?

Are computers making us lose friends and alienate people, asks the writer Roger Scruton

One Year On: Paul Stephens

The fireman Paul Stephens recalls the tragedy that claimed his son’s life. By Danny Scott

Relative Values: Kate Williams and her mother, Margaret

Kate Williams, 33, biographer, and her mother, Margaret, a retired schoolteacher