Among the most famous definitions of narrative comes from EM Forster. “The king died and then the queen died” is a story, he said, while “The king died and then the queen died of grief” is a plot. The first merely recounts events, while the second smuggles in cause; it elicits a reader’s curiosity and…
A few years ago, I got fed up trying to reprogramme my confusing boiler controls twice a year when the clocks change (What is the most efficient way to use central heating? Your energy questions answered, 26 October). So I reset the time on it by just half an hour. Now it comes on a…
The government is considering making it easier for pubs to serve independent, local beers as the chancellor looks for ways to boost the sector. Some pubs, known as tied pubs, only sell beer from the company that owns the pub, in exchange for lower rent. However, many publicans have for years grated against the “beer…
Elon Musk briefly worked illegally in the US after abandoning a graduate studies program in California, according to a Washington Post report that contrasted the episode with the South African multibillionaire’s anti-immigration views. The boss of Tesla and SpaceX, who has in recent weeks supported Donald Trump’s campaign for a second presidency while promoting the…
There are plenty of fixed energy deals that are cheaper than the current Ofgem price cap, so now is a good time to lock into a lower tariff before the start of winter. That was the message from some energy experts this week. Many people will be able to save themselves £100 or more a…
Lawyers acting for victims of Brazil’s worst environmental disaster have said they will pursue their claim in the UK despite the announcement of a $31bn (£23.9bn) settlement between the Anglo-Australian mining company at the centre of the scandal and the Brazilian authorities. After three years of negotiations, Mike Henry, BHP’s chief executive, announced on Friday…
These are tough economic times for small-scale craft breweries, as recent closures have sadly illustrated. But the ethos of creative defiance and quirky independence lives on. At the annual Didsbury beer festival in Manchester this weekend, drinking possibilities range from the intriguingly named Interior Life in the Exterior World, by the Mancunian brewer Cloudwater, to…
Your article says serial returners often send products back “out of buyer’s remorse” and quotes Al Gerrie saying that “this cohort is exploiting retailers” (Serial returners send back £6.6bn of online purchases a year in UK, report finds, 21 October). I am a serial returner, and these claims are not true of me. I would much…
Artisan cheesemakers have been dealt a blow by fraudsters who stole more than £300,000 worth of award-winning clothbound cheddar in a sophisticated scam. Neal’s Yard Dairy, a distributor and retailer of British artisan cheese, is working with UK and international law enforcement agencies to try to identify the scam’s perpetrators. The company delivered 22 tonnes…
Spirit Airlines baggage tags are seen near a check-in counter at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on April 10, 2024 in Austin, Texas. Brandon Bell | Getty Images Spirit Airlines shares surged more than 20% after the struggling budget carrier said it would cut jobs and sell aircraft. The carrier late Thursday laid out a plan to reduce costs…
