I am a big fan of Marvel characters like Thor, Iron Man and Hulk, but I have never really been bitten by the X-Men bug, writes Craig Nicholson.

This has been a curious spring, with generally warm temperatures but also very cold outbreaks and it made me even more cautious about planting tomatoes, writes Gareth Winter.

The right styling can do wonders for your figure, writes Lisa Lyford.

Barbecues fired us up in the 70s, then, in the 80s and 90s innovation on the grill cooled - but now barbecuing is hot again, writes Jan Bilton.

You would have thought that Tom Cruise had rid the world of enough aliens in his time, writes Craig Nicholson.

It's the Beatles, Jim, but not as we know it, writes Kim Gillespie.

Rich fruit cakes improve with age. They're best baked at least one month before enjoying so the flavours mellow and the texture compacts, making the cake easier to cut.