Tier Two drinkers rejoice as lockdown ends… but those in Tier Three are left pining for a pint

England’s second national lockdown came to and end overnight, sparking a wave of excitement across social media as people prepare to return to the pubs – and landlords prepare to serve substantial meals with every drink. Social media users rejoiced the ending of the month-long shutdown, which ended last night. It will be replaced by … Read more

Kate Middleton was still pining for her first love as she headed to Florence on her gap year

As a put-down, it could scarcely have been more withering. It was May 2007 and Kate and Pippa Middleton, as they mixed in aristocratic circles, were dubbed The Wisteria Sisters. ‘They’re highly decorative, terribly fragrant and have a ferocious ability to climb,’ was one mocking taunt. Underpinning this bitchy barb was the implication the Middleton … Read more

Pining, poetry… and pain: KATE MUIR reviews Chemical Hearts 

Chemical Hearts (Amazon) Rating: Verdict: Teen love tearjerker Perfumes (Curzon on demand and cinemas) Rating: Verdict: French olfactory odd couple  The One And Only Ivan (Disney Plus) Rating: Verdict: Live-action gorilla getaway Film streamers such as Amazon and Netflix are churning out coming-of-age romances in a hormonal rush right now. The latest, Chemical Hearts, will … Read more

If the lockdown is leaving you pining for outdoors, escape into the finest nature books ever written

Soar with the peregrine, be gripped with passion for the Cairngorms and marvel at how trees secretly communicate with each other — all from the comfort of your armchair with the very best in nature writing. Perfectly still water at sunset at Loch Morlich, Glenmore Forest, Cairngorms National Park The Peregrine by J.A. Baker ‘Wherever … Read more