A council is being sued by a tenant because he can't do his washing - after 8PM. Steve Norman took action when the opening hours at a communal laundry in a housing development changed without notice. The facility, with two washing machines and two tumble dryers, had been open round the clock, seven days a week. But in March a housing officer suddenly announced it was being closed overnight from 8pm to 8am and only open five days a...

  A quirky couple are living a real-life fairytale after turning their semi into a medieval CASTLE. Martin and Jayne Townley have painted the rear of the house to look like a grey stone fortress complete with battlements and archways over the windows. They have banners and flags flying from the guttering, a giant shield hanging on the outside and a pillory in the garden. Inside the house is like an old baronial hall with swords on the wall, gauntlets...

A lucky pilot has told of his miracle escape when he plummeted 2,300ft to earth after a wing on his microlight collapsed in mid-air. Eric Rhodes, 57, managed to radio his wife Denise, 65, as his aircraft was falling to tell her: "I love you lots, sweetheart. Goodbye, I'm going to die." Incredibly, seconds before he hit the ground, Eric managed to manoeuvre the two-seater microlight to avoid two lakes and a cluster of trees to crash land in a...

A damning report has described meat consumption as a "major public health concern". The 'Meat the Truth' report unveils how harmful eating meat really is and claims if people knew the facts, they wouldn’t take the risk. It includes ground-breaking scientific evidence that shows meat offers no health benefits and is linked to Britain’s biggest killers – heart disease and cancer. The risk of early death increases rapidly even at low intakes of red and processed meat. An 85g serving (a...

One year after originally visiting, Launceston Place (D&D’s restaurant on the Kensington street of the same name) has changed immeasurably. Previously, Chef Raphael Francois’s menu promised so much, but failed to constantly deliver. Yes, the skill was there, but the chef’s passion for cooking, if any, wasn’t presented in the dining room. When last year’s Michelin Guide was published, the restaurant even lost its Michelin star. Now, the first thing noticeable upon entering is the refreshing change of décor. Previously dark...

By Wyndham Hacket Pain It is easy to get caught up in the annual awards coverage and forget that entries are films, and not just news stories. Articles surrounding Hidden Figures have placed a large emphasis on its diverse cast and how it is somehow an antidote to the failings of last year’s nominations. All this attention seems rather unfair, as it ignores the merits and qualities that are on display in this film. Set in 1960s Virginia, where racism...

TwentyFour Income Fund (TFIF) has announced its annual results for the year ended 31 March 2017. During the period, the company’s NAV grew by 10.2% whist its share price grew by 12.8% reflecting a widening of its premium to NAV from 1.94% to 4.29%. The company also paid dividends of 6.99p (2015: 7.14p). Including the impact of the dividends, the company provided total returns of 14.57 %and 17.02% for NAV and share price respectively. Strong recovery in European ABS market...

If you find commuting by car stressful and expensive, or if you’re spending a fortune on tax and insurance but hardly using your four-wheeled friend, then maybe it’s time to give up the motor and make the most of the alternatives on offer. Stress in the city There’s no denying driving is the most stressful way to get to work. The newspapers might focus on the plight of rail passengers, but it’s car commuters who suffer the most. According to...

Tory Minister Guy Opperman was heckled today as the Tory party faced yet more splits - this time over robbing women in the 60s of their state pension. In a rowdy debate in Westminster Hall, MPs from all parties rounded on the government for leaving millions of women born in the 1950s without a state pension after laws to equalise the state pension age for men and women at the age of 65. This will rise to age 66 by...