Good taste is something which many of us aspire to. It is, however, entirely subjective. That said, there are certain things about which a good number of people agree the merits of. When it first featured in Scottish official records during the 15th-century, whisky (or 'whiskey', as it's spelt by equally renowned Irish distillers) was known as 'aqua vitae' - literally, the 'water of life'.
It doesn't seem too long ago that wearing training shoes was something done only when playing sport or dressing down at the weekend. Nowadays, the type of trainers you wear might indicate that you have serious wealth. That's because everyone from those with their eye on fashion trends, Premier League footballers, movie stars and even auction houses realise that certain sneakers are highly collectable. The
Traditionally, winter is the time of the most acute stress on the National Health Service (NHS). The season of sniffles and bad weather is when we might expect the availability of support to be stretched to its fullest extent. However, there are indications that this month has perhaps shown the degree to which pressures on the NHS are now year-'round. Figures released within the last
As I write, I'm looking at some very grey skies and a very wet garden. Even so, we don't need to be professional meteorologists to see that this summer is already hotter than last year - and 2022 was, if any of us need reminding, the warmest year on record. Things in the UK may not, of course, be as extreme and as damaging to
It wasn't too long ago that the quiet whisper of electric car engines on the nation's roads was still drowned out by the steady chug of petrol and diesel equivalents. However, the latest vehicle sales' figures illustrate how traffic is now very much different compared to what it was only a few years ago. In fact, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders
One look around the roads of any town or city will illustrate how the popularity of cycling has transformed the UK's transport infrastructure in recent years. Many organisations - cultural, environmental, sporting and political - have realised that a rise in the number of individuals opting for two-wheels instead of four has enormous benefits. In fact, back in 2020, the Government led by former Prime
Cyber crime may seem like a relatively recent phenomenon. In fact, using technology either to access information or hold an organisation's corrupted systems to ransom has been happening for decades. Last July, one of the world's leading IT companies, IBM, published the 17th edition of its authoritative report tracking data breaches across the globe. It revealed that the average cost of such attacks was £3.5
Many psychologists over the years have remarked upon the very real impact which the change in seasons has on our physical and mental well-being. However, even those who would not consider their lives to be blighted by the condition known as 'Seasonal-Affected Disorder' would acknowledge a tendency to behave differently in the depths of winter compared to the height of summer. Better weather tempts us
That the world of business moves quickly is surely not in doubt. Anyone requiring any proof need not cast their minds back decades. Just three years ago, the nation was subject to the first phase of lockdown in an effort to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Even so, whilst the pandemic has cost more than 222,000 lives in the UK alone, the country seems to
Not too many years ago, the idea of living a so-called 'double life' would have raised eyebrows. Now, of course, a considerable proportion of the UK population do so, with one foot planted firmly in actuality and another online, as regular users of social media. According to one recent estimate, for instance, just over 31 million Britons had accounts on one of most vibrant platforms,
