Columns

So now we know the Milky Way isn’t chocolatey brown

Are you one of the millions watching prof Brian Cox (or ‘Mr Universe’ as I call him) talk us through the planets and stars in the sky?

Last updated 19 January 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk

New royal yacht a waste of money

af britannia1 What a great idea to have a privately-financed new royal yacht! Or is it?

Last updated 19 January 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk

Bin this idea

It’s a dirty job, but someone’s got to do it. It’s the most basic need and one that always provokes a huge and vehement reaction from people.

Last updated 19 January 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk

No, Mr Gove, I won’t buy the Queen a new yacht

Michael Gove photo A job well done for a very long time deserves recognition of sincere thanks. And a reward, if budgets stretch that far. (19 comments)

Last updated 17 January 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk

There’s no such thing as an Eddie Stobart desert

As Carlisle man John Vass refuelled at a remote petrol station in the Kuwaiti desert, he was surprised to spot an unexpected reminder of home.

Last updated 16 January 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk

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Eurosceptics raise a glass of top Tory tipple

Politics can be a provocative topic, particularly when mixed with alcohol.

Last updated 16 January 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk

All human life is here. In a charity shop

There was a raised eyebrow in my neck of the woods when some local charity shops complained people were being mean with their unwanted Christmas gifts this year.

Last updated 13 January 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk

I’ve seen the future of shopping and it is like going to Argos. Hundreds of us queuing in giant warehouses clutching ticket number 14682934870 and waiting impatiently in line for a sliced loaf, half a dozen eggs, tins of beans, a packet of spaghetti, a new toaster, bottle of wine and back-to-school uniforms for the kids.

Last updated 12 January 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk

Lessons to be learned from a sorry situation

Should private medical companies replace dangerous breast implants for free? Some private firms have ignored a call for them to take out PIP implants at no charge.

Last updated 12 January 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk

A way to put a cat among the pandas

Should Scotland go for independence? Should it be allowed something called ‘Devo max’? Which is not a new version of Irn Bru or a new album by a weird old American punk band (showing my age there).

Last updated 12 January 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk

Patient comes first in breast implants saga

The storm in a DD-cup that is the current breast implants saga is no less worrying for it having showed up clearly as a forecast on the public health barometer years ago – and nobody having paid any heed. (3 comments)

Last updated 11 January 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk

What next in fashion – Thatcher hairdos?

Iron Lady photo The 1980s are back in fashion. And while not everyone welcomes the return of high unemployment, inner-city rioting, strikes and shoulder pads, that decade still had enough tacky charm to be remembered with nostalgia by anyone over the age of 35.