Click. Click. Click. I’m vaguely aware of the sound of a camera shutter coming from somewhere above me. I push deep into my bottom, a dull, rising ache reverberating around my stomach and back. Click. Click. The noise is now in front of me, I think, but I can’t focus on it, so great is […]
Do you want kids? It’s finally OK to simply say no | Life and style
There are more people dying in the UK every year than there are people being born. It’s a stark news story to read over toast, containing as it does all of life and all of death, and the shape and perfume of ancient fables, so I read it again, with tea. Even after stripping out […]
I’m a woman in my 30s and I haven’t got any close female friends – it’s making me sad | Life and style
Do “romantic comedy friendships” still exist? I am perpetually hopeful, but losing faith. I love my alone time, and enjoy coffees with women in my neighbourhood and colleagues from work. But, although these encounters are mostly pleasant, they feel superficial. Thoughts of missing out on my “tribe” have been overwhelming lately; even back at school, […]
How we met: ‘We got chatting on the plane – and she suggested I move in with her’ | Friendship
As a friendly student who loved to travel, striking up a conversation on a flight wasn’t unusual for Kate. But when she boarded a plane headed from New York to London in January 1996, she had no idea she would be making a friend for life. “I’d spent the previous summer interning for Rolling Stone […]
Garçonnières review – male insecurities revealed as film goes back to the man cave | Film
In an era where conversations between strangers often take place through screens, Céline Pernet’s playful documentary seeks answers the (almost) old-fashioned way. Curious about the thinking of men of her generation, the film-maker put out an ad seeking male interview subjects between 30-45, who speak French and are willing to be in front of the […]
‘Our conversations were always about her!’ How to recognise – and escape – an emotional vampire | Friendship
Ellie used to wonder why she always felt drained after spending time with her friends. Then she noticed that they were constantly complaining about their jobs or their partners without ever taking steps to change. Or else they would select an unsuspecting victim and sink their teeth into them. They didn’t want to hear about […]
Guilt, worry, resentment: how the ‘club sandwich’ generation juggles caring for parents, children and grandparents | Carers
Like the doctor in a corny joke, the study published last week by the Journals of Gerontology had some good news and some bad news. The good news, say researchers from University College London (UCL) and Oxford University, is that people born in the 1940s and 1950s are living longer than their parents. The bad […]
This is how we do it: ‘We’ve rediscovered the lust of our teenage years in our 60s’ | Sex
Grace, 63 I enjoy the ritual of getting ready when he comes over on a Friday night: a long shower, lotion, things you don’t tend to do in a long marriage Henry is the first person I’ve slept with since my husband of 34 years. We had a happy relationship – three sons and a good […]
With brat summer long gone, demure is the vibe of the season | Fashion
After brat summer, we are now in demure autumn. Sorry, what? You see, we don’t do trends any more: we do vibes, moods that define the season. Summer’s vibe was brat; autumn’s is demure. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Funny how things work […]
Nicola L review – feminist fun for the furry-curious | Art
According to Wikipedia, the slanket – a wearable blanket with sleeves – was invented in 1998 by an American called Gary Clegg. Congratulations, Gary, but as regards this indispensable contribution to human comfort, Nicola L could rightfully claim to have got there first. The French artist, born Nicola Leuthe, had a cosy line in wearable […]