Adopted woman spends years searching for long-lost sister before discovering she lives next door

July 2, 2018, 5:14 am

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31-year-old Hillary Harris was given up for adoption when she was just a baby.

Her and her brother, 33-year-old Tyler Hardy were adopted in 1987 by Lee Hardy, 65, and his late wife Rochelle.

Hillary began trying to track down her biological family in 2011, when she fell pregnant with daughter Stella.

Her adoption agency revealed the names of her birth parents but she was heartbroken to discover her father Wayne Clouse had died in 2002.

However, when reading her late father’s obituary, Hillary discovered that she had two half sisters – Dawn Johnson, 50 and Renee Diericks, 49.

Hillary, from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, tried tracking them down on Facebook, but to… Read the full story

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When I was raped by a fellow student I found little support. Universities must do more

July 2, 2018, 5:48 am

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University is the home of further education, and for the most part it also provides many young people, all over the country, with care-free life experiences and memories.

For three years or more you get to live, study and socialise with the students around you, and this can be one of the greatest experiences ever. Except when it isn’t.

Because what happens when someone or something within that university bubble makes you feel unsure, unsupported and unsafe? It wasn’t until years after it happened that I was able… Read the full story

UK’s first women-only festival is happening this August

July 2, 2018, 6:25 am

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Think of festivals and what immediately comes to mind?

Getting battered? Indie music? Finding your dream dude in the middle of a mud-soaked field?

Well, none of that’s going to be happening at the UK’s first all-female festival, which is taking place in Somerset this August.

Woman Fest is due to happen this summer on a farm in Frome and, according to the organisers,

For £225, you can spend the weekend celebrating all things sisterhood.

‘Woman Fest has been born out of an intention to rekindle gathering spaces for woman,’ the site says.

‘We are responding to a need of the time, to create opportunities for woman to come together in these fundamental and… Read the full story

Equality for women starts in the classroom. It’s time to disband the clothing police

July 2, 2018, 7:07 am

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If schools are meant to prepare children for the real world, then judging by the clothing police patrolling their corridors, many are preparing them for an environment in which girls are simultaneously sexualised and held responsible for any harassment or violence they experience.

Arguably that is indeed preparation for the world in which we live but shaping life lessons around a dysfunctional society furthers that dysfunction.

School clothing rules have long been a flashpoint for generational fights. ‘No hair dye’, ‘no piercings’, ‘no attitude’, command old white men in highwaisted trousers according to a script that could have been lifted from 80s teen movies.

But there is a more sinister… Read the full story

Ultra-marathon training: how to correct poor running form ahead of an event

July 2, 2018, 7:58 am

≫ Next: How to get into yoga if you’re not flexible

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This time in two weeks, our 62.1-mile event will be over.

I say event because although it’s technically an ultramarathon which we’d intended to run, it looks increasingly like we’re going to have to hike a lot of it.

A calf strain has seen me schlepping to South Acton to see a physiotherapist twice a week who has said that although he thinks I’ll be able to get through the race, I won’t be able to run the whole thing and I can expect to be in physiotherapy for two months afterwards.

Joy.

This week, we looked at how I run to see if that’s had any impact on the injury. Filming me on a treadmill, Reece from Move Clinics found that I run as if on a tightrope – one foot directly in front of the other. Running on my toes should mean I’m more powerful but I lean back rather than forward over a long distance, rendering my running style ineffectual.

So my… Read the full story

How to get into yoga if you’re not flexible

July 2, 2018, 8:42 am

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I rave about yoga.

Along with running and cycling, it’s massively helped with my mental health and overall fitness.

I go a few times a week, and when people find out, they often say, ‘Oh I’d love to do yoga, but I’m just not flexible’, to which I reply, ‘Er, neither am I, pal.’

It’s something yoga teachers hear a lot.

‘The most common thing I hear is, “I can’t possibly do yoga, I’m too inflexible”,’ says yoga teacher Rachel Lingham of Saltwater Yoga in Newquay.

The thing is, while Instagram would have you believe that yoga is all about being an… Read the full story

The UK’s first dog swimming gala is taking place in London this summer

July 2, 2018, 9:50 am

≫ Next: Caramel might be delicious but how the hell do you pronounce it?

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Remember when you used to have to go and watch your son/daughter/brother/sister at swimming galas?

Absolute bore, right?

Imagine though, if they replaced all the kids with dogs? Now we’re talking.

That’s exactly what will happen at the the UK’s first ever dog swimming gala, which is taking place in London this month.

The event will take place on 17 July at West Reservoir Centre in Hackney, where humans are invited to bring their dogs to swim, race and have a general muck about.

Read the full story

Caramel might be delicious but how the hell do you pronounce it?

July 2, 2018, 10:32 pm

≫ Next: The most popular baby names of 2018 so far

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How we pronounce certain words will always be a popular topic of conversation.

There are some words, like scones, that are pronounced differently depending on where you go.

The latest word to be discussed (and by discussed we mean tweeted, with full conviction that theirs is the correct answer) is caramel.

No one quite knows if it’s meant to be pronounced caramel or carmel.

The debate was attempted to be settled on Twitter as user Janece asked followers how they said the word, using a voting system to gather the answers.

She asked for those who said it as carmel to like the tweet and those who said caramel to retweet… Read the full story

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The most popular baby names of 2018 so far

July 2, 2018, 11:08 pm

≫ Next: Football is where toxic masculinity thrives – the abuse I received during matches is testament to that

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We’re midway through 2018 (that went fast, right?), so it’s officially time to reflect, regroup, and assess the last six months while looking forward to the next.

For some that might mean thinking about our Christmas lists.

But for parents-to-be in need of inspiration, or new parents conscious of the coolness of the name they’ve chosen for their sprog, it’s the list of the most popular baby names of 2018 that’ll spark the most excitement.

Thankfully BabyCentre and NameBerry have both released their roundup of the trendiest names of the year so far, based on the name definition pages that are getting the most clicks.

We’re… Read the full story

Football is where toxic masculinity thrives – the abuse I received during matches is testament to that

July 2, 2018, 11:30 pm

≫ Next: Try not to panic, but a crisps crisis may be looming

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For many, England’s current form in the World Cup is something to celebrate.

With many big teams falling away early in the competition many believe that for the first time in forever, ‘football is coming home’.

But for many women across the UK, it’s not just football that’s coming home, it’s their domestic partners, full of testosterone, alcohol and aggression.

A study by Lancaster University documented incidents of domestic violence during England matches in 2002, 2006 and 2012 and found that there was a 38% rise of reported cases when England won and a 26% increase of reports when England won or drew.

These startling figures are a surprise… Read the full story

Try not to panic, but a crisps crisis may be looming

July 2, 2018, 11:37 pm

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We’re already struggling to deal with a shortage of fizzy drinks, beer, and crumpets.

Please, please don’t let our remaining joy, the humble crisp, be snatched from our grasp.

The head of independent crisp makers Pipers has told the Sunday Times ‘there is a danger we will have a crisp crisis’.

This is thanks to some issues with the UK’s potato crops, which were wrecked by the Beast of the East chill, and are now struggling with the current heatwave, as potatoes can stop growing when the temperature rises about 25 degrees celsius (today’s high in the UK is 29 degrees.… Read the full story

My wife and I wanted nothing to do with our dads, so we made our own family name and coat of arms

July 3, 2018, 12:00 am

≫ Next: You can see Tokyo on a budget – here’s what to do while you’re in Japan’s capital

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What’s in a name? If you’re like most people, you don’t really put much thought into it unless you’re naming a child or a pet. Your name is what you’re given at birth to mark you as an individual, and that’s that.

For most of my life, that was true for me, too. However, that changed when it came to marrying my wife, Kristen. My name given at birth was Jordan Everett Webb; not an extraordinary name, but not a terrible one. Kristen’s maiden name was Onkka, Finnish for waterfowl; unique, but invited a lot of Willy Wonka jokes.

We had a choice. Does she… Read the full story

You can see Tokyo on a budget – here’s what to do while you’re in Japan’s capital

July 3, 2018, 12:00 am

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Before I went to Tokyo I assumed it was all manga, maid cafés and a suffocating swarm of people – one giant scramble crossing at Shibuya.

It’s a place I’d always wanted to see, but assumed you needed months to explore.

But the city quietly defied all expectations – I found it warmer and more welcoming than London, and not as overwhelming.

In the end, I had less than a week there and I wish I’d visited sooner – so if you’re a shinnichi (Japanophile) like me, don’t put off your trip to Tokyo.

And even better, the city doesn’t have to be as expensive as you imagine because Tokyo is no longer one of the top 10 most expensive cities, so if you plan well, you can design an affordable trip.

It’s easy to save on food for example.

Read the full story

Fancy a pair of super long extendo jeans for £379?

July 3, 2018, 12:36 am

≫ Next: Sleep is so crucial to achieving our fitness goals, so why are we neglecting it?

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We’ve reached a strange point in fashion.

Jeans, once a humble everyday staple we could rely on, have become increasingly ridiculous as time marches on.

We’ve seen jeans with windows at the knee, underbutt jeans, jeans spattered with mud.

And now, of course, someone’s made a pair of extra, extra, extra long jeans that’ll drag behind you as you walk.

You know that trend of extra long sleeves hiding your hands? These are like that, but for your legs.

They have a 35″ waist and are 105″ long.

Oh, and they cost $500 (£379).

Read the full story

Sleep is so crucial to achieving our fitness goals, so why are we neglecting it?

July 3, 2018, 1:49 am

≫ Next: What I Rent: Alexandra, £573 a month for a room in a three bedroom house in Shoreditch

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When you’re training for an event, preparation is king.

You’ve got to be getting in your gym sessions. You’ve got to be getting the miles in on the road/track/pool. You’ve got to eat right.

In the pursuit of hitting goals, we’re working hard all the time.

But you know the one thing that many of us neglect, despite it being a really crucial part of our training schedules? Rest.

Sleep and rest are probably two of the most important elements of training and yet, they’re so easy to forget about.

Sounds odd because you’d think we’d all be counting down the days until we could be lounging on the sofa watching Love Island, rather than busting a gut on the squat rack.

For some reason, however, the more into your training you get, the harder it is to actually stop moving.

You feel like you should do something – clocking up 10,000 steps perhaps or going to a yoga class. It’s like a bike which has been going… Read the full story

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What I Rent: Alexandra, £573 a month for a room in a three bedroom house in Shoreditch

July 3, 2018, 1:50 am

≫ Next: This phone case has an ‘airbag’ that automatically opens when you drop it

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Welcome back to What I Rent, our weekly series taking you inside people’s rented properties in London.

Why?

Because renting in London is a clusterf*** of confusion, mystery, and dodgy listings of ‘roomy studio’ flats with just enough room for a fold-out single bed.

We’re hoping that by looking at what people are actually paying – and what they’re getting in return – we’ll help get a better sense of what we should be asking for when it comes to renting a place. It’s easy to be taken advantage of when you have… Read the full story

This phone case has an ‘airbag’ that automatically opens when you drop it

July 3, 2018, 2:17 am

≫ Next: Can hot weather cause nosebleeds?

≪ Previous: What I Rent: Alexandra, £573 a month for a room in a three bedroom house in Shoreditch

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Smartphones are getting more and more advanced.

They can do pretty much anything these days, tracking your fitness, streaming films and taking SLR quality photos.

But with a great phone comes great responsibility – when you’re locked into a 24 month contract with a phone that would cost £1000 to replace, you’ve got to treat it well.

How many of your pals are walking around using a phone with a cracked screen? Very many, very many.

We try our hardest by using protective cases but some of them just aren’t any good, providing minimal protection… Read the full story

Can hot weather cause nosebleeds?

July 3, 2018, 3:17 am

≫ Next: What is conversion therapy and why is it so dangerous?

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Summer is great, but the side effects can be annoying.

Hay fever sufferers have it pretty tough. And while you might’ve grown out of nosebleeds (they’re more common in children), they can resurface during warmer weather.

If you’re interrupted from enjoying the heat with a puddle of blood, don’t worry, it’s not a sign of anything serious and can be quite common.

The main reason you might get a nosebleed during hot weather is dry air.

A dry climate or heated indoor air irritates and dries out the nasal membrane, causing crusts that may itch and then bleed when scratched or picked – so if you are going to pick… Read the full story

What is conversion therapy and why is it so dangerous?

July 3, 2018, 3:17 am

≫ Next: Get ready for Punjabi beats and great food because a Bollywood brunch is coming

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Pride Month is now over, but that doesn’t mean the fight is.

Today, the government announced an LGBT Action Plan to tackle inequalities faced by people in the community.

Within this action plan is a framework to ban conversion therapy, with the study underpinning the report finding that 2% of the 108,000 people surveyed had undergone conversion treatment and a further 5% had been offered it.

Gay conversion therapy centres on the premise that being gay or bisexual are problems to be fixed. It’s often championed by extreme religious groups as a way to absolve gay people of their ‘sins’.

Many advocates of the treatments believe that those of us who aren’t… Read the full story

Get ready for Punjabi beats and great food because a Bollywood brunch is coming

July 3, 2018, 3:22 am

≫ Next: Zombie boot camp, the Titanic, and Space: 6 out-of-this world trips to book this year

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Good news folks, two favourite pastimes, brunch and Bollywood, are coming together.

London has bottomless brunches coming out of its ear, from 90s themed ones, to K-Pop, to brunch in bed, to, so it’s only fair that India’s film industry gets its own taste of the stuff.

Fever Up is hosting the film-inspired party at a secret location, to be revealed later.

Keep your weekends free though if you fancy a day of culture.

Read the full story