Category : Focus

Funny, weird … sexy? How to find your perfect wedding poem

Small, huge, camp, Star Trek-themed … weddings have changed beyond recognition, but we’re still reading out the same old Shakespeare sonnets. What to read at a modern ceremony? Plus, leading poets pick their favourites• Tell us: what poem would you c...

‘It’s not tokenistic’: how The Assembly became an international hit

Unpredictable questions from neurodivergent audience have created perfect interview format for social media ageIt is an interview like no other. One which has seen Emmanuel Macron confronted over whether it was right to marry his former teacher and D...

Wild rodents, fascist warnings and a haunted carpet: Wolfman Tillmans storms the Pompidou

Pompidou Centre, ParisAs the gallery prepares to close its doors for five years, Tillmans is let loose across all 6,000 sq metres of its public library. The results are stunning – and chillingIn September the Pompidou Centre in Paris closes for five...

Shifty review – Adam Curtis’s new show is an utter rarity: stylish, intelligent TV with something to say

The celebrated documentarian’s five-part series charts the decline of Britain’s democracy with a witty, kaleidoscopic selection of archive footage. It begins, of course, with Margaret ThatcherHello and welcome to the latest addition to Adam Curtis’s...

Lollipop to Surviving Syria’s Prisons: the week in rave reviews

Posy Sterling stars in an impassioned film about a mother trying to get her children back, while two former prisoners of Assad recall their time in hell. Here’s the pick of the week’s culture, taken from the Guardian’s best-rated reviews Continue rea...

Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem – this shameless, crack-smoking politician’s life makes for car-crash TV

Drugs, gun-runners, fridge-freezer maintenance … Netflix’s look at the wild life of the one-time Toronto mayor Rob Ford – and the lessons it tries to learn about our current politics – is gripping viewingCanadians make bad decisions too. For proof, s...

How to Train Your Dragon to Neil Young: your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead

The kids’ animation gets a sprightly live-action remake, and rock’s angriest elder statesman returns with a new album and backing bandHow to Train Your DragonOut now This live-action remake was shot by Bill Pope, the cinematographer behind films as...

Brian Wilson was a musical genius. Are there any left?

In pop, which equates genius with innovation, recent artists have not pioneered new forms like those from the 60s. Has the digital age sidelined invention and promoted the derivative for ever?By all accounts, Brian Wilson was a genius. His fellow gre...

‘Misshapes, mistakes, misfits’: Pulp’s signature secondhand style has stood test of time

Band’s ‘on the edge of kitsch’ aesthetic is still relevant three decades later as young people focus on vintage clothing Thirty years ago this month Pulp played the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury and took their reputation to another level. If part of t...

‘The risk was worth it’: All Fours author Miranda July on sex, power and giving women permission to blow up their lives

The artist and author’s hit book had so much in common with her own life that even her friends forgot it wasn’t real. How did this revolutionary portrayal of midlife desire come to inspire a generation of women?When Miranda July’s All Fours was publi...

My unexpected Pride icon: Adriana from The Sopranos fought for acceptance and safety. I can relate

The mob character’s survival was dependent on her achieving a standard of femininity – and as a trans woman, I empathise. When her body fell short, her protection disappearedI have never been excited about fancy dress, but when I received the invitat...

Pets Having Fun In The Sun

As pet owners, moving into the summer months gives us many more opportunities to have fun and spend time with our animals. However, it is important that we make sure that our furry friends stay safe and happy throughout the warmer temperatures.Articl...

Looking To Buy Or Hire A Motorhome?

Highwood Motorhomes Limited are Specialists in Motorhome Hire, Sales and Servicing If you're dreaming of exploring the open road whether it’s a weekend in the Peak District or a European family adventure Highwood Motorhomes Limited, based in the p...

Local Luxury Kitchens in Leek

Nestled in the heart of Leek, Staffordshire, Design Kitchens by Protech was launched in August 2020 by Ian and Jo within the same building as Protech Domestic Appliances Ltd. Protech has been established since 1995, with the business operating alongs...

Derbyshire Dales Woman Starts Mobile Pet Microchipping Business

Over 25,000 pets go missing yearly. To combat this at the beginning of last year local business entrepreneur Cheryl Proctor started Micropet Matlock, a mobile microchipping service that avoids the stress of vet visitsFor many pets, trips to the vet c...