“Just because something works, doesn’t mean it cannot be improved,” we’re told early on in Ryan Coogler’s courageous new entry into the Marvel canon. Loyal fans who have stuck with the series since the first Iron Man will no doubt be relieved to hear that this exhilarating blockbuster yarn doesn’t deviate too far from the studio’s winning formula, but it is those whose voices are callously sidelined so often in such big-budget fare, and crucially given such definition here, who...

A rare "sex manual" from 1720 revealing the most bizarre beliefs of Georgian England has been unearthed and could fetch hundreds of pounds at auction. The 300-year-old book offers a fascinating insight into attitudes towards sex at a time in Britain when witches were still burnt at the stake. They include weird tips to help women avoid giving birth to children "with a hairy lip, wry mouth or great blubber-lips". It also advises men to eat meat, blackbirds and sparrows...

Last Friday (9 February), the Work and Pensions Committee released their interim first report into the experiences of disabled people claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), benefits intended to provide support for disabled people to live independently, or to manage the costs related to being out of work. Nearly 3,500 people provided evidence - an ‘unprecedented public response to a departmental select committee inquiry’ – according to the Committee. The report was described by the...

Controversial comedian Jim Davidson was yesterday (mon) branded a "diva" and "bit of a d**head" after he got into a spat with bar staff before a show. The 64-year-old winner of Celebrity Big Brother 2014 was accused of sexism after ranting at a female member of bar staff who didn't let him bring his beer glass on-stage. He came under fire after branding the seaside town of Cromer, Norfolk, as "hell" and bragging of being paid £15k for the show...

A GP has quit to become a fashion designer after being "broken" by long shifts, phone appointments and so much stress she'd leave work shaking. Linda Thomas was a salaried GP at a practice in Bristol and quit to work as a locum, before abandoning the medical profession to be an eco-fashion designer. She said changes left her assessing patients over the phone and pressure on appointment times meant she eventually had enough. Research from the University of Exeter Medical...

Alan Partridge is set to return to BBC One, a quarter of a century after the Steve Coogan character’s BBC debut. Filming has begun today on the new half hour show. The BBC have released details of the new show - “a heady mix of consumer affairs, current affairs, viewer interaction, highbrow interview and lightweight froth, ”which will see Partridge “finally recognised as one of the heavyweight broadcasters of his era.” The weekday evening show This Time,  will be Alan’s...

Prime Minister Theresa May is set to outline what Britain wants from Brexit almost a year after article 50 was triggered and some 19 months after the vote to leave the EU. The Conservatives will outline their vision for Britain over a series of speeches which are set to be kicked off by Foreign minister Boris Johnson next week. Brussels recently called for clarity over what the UK wanted from the EU, saying a transition deal was not a certainty. And according...

Those that spend a fair amount of their time in the capital will know that the roads are usually filled with black cabs and buses, but from time to time you will be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a breathtaking supercar. People tend to be in a rush in London, but when one of these luxurious automobiles is on the roads it is impossible to ignore. Air Quality These are rare sightings at the moment, but they could...

Empiric buys Southampton's Emily Davies Hall - Empiric Student Property has acquired the freehold of a 240 bed student accommodation property in Southampton, the Emily Davies Halls of Residence, for GBP10.6 million (excluding costs). The property comprises affordable student accommodation configured in three and four bed apartments with 65 commercially let car parking spaces. The property is fully occupied and leased by Southampton Solent University on a full repairing and insuring basis until September 2019 with the rent subject to...