In case yoga with lemurs and goats isn’t your thing, you can now do a pilates version of the ‘stretches with a cute animal’ genre.

This time, it’s little pigs joining the fun, as Pennywell Farm in Buckfastleigh introduces a new Piggy Pilates session.

The concept is pretty self-explanatory: people come along to the farm and do some pilates while miniature pigs wander around.

After the workout, guests can spend some time cuddling up to the piglets and enjoying coffee and continental breakfast.

The pilates will be a proper workout, to be clear, rather than just some half-hearted stretches so you can stare at piglets snuffling around in the grass.

The class will be led by pilates teacher Harry Parkes, who explains: ‘While there is plenty of fun to be had, Pilates has many benefits including improving posture, movement quality, mobility, flexibility, mental cognition and core strength.’

Little pigs will be free to roam around during the session, so guests should be ready for curious piglets to stroll over for snuggles.

A £35 ticket gets you 50 minutes of Piggy Pilates in the farmyard (don’t worry, there’s an undercover area if it rains), coffee and breakfast, time with piglets, and admission to the farm for the rest of the day if you fancy hanging out in the countryside.

The first session will take place on Sunday 12 May at 9am, and tickets are available to book now. If you can’t make that class, there will be more Piggy Pilates planned for Sunday 30 June, 21 July, 11 August, and 8 September.

Do enjoy, and make sure to get at least one Instagram pic of yourself doing an impressive pilates pose while a pig poses for the camera.

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I remember hearing the word ‘disfigured’ whenever I visited the burns unit as a young child.

I went through hundreds of surgeries and hospital procedures. My file was so big it had to be rolled in on a trolley and I would say to my mother, ‘that’s me, Mum’.

Aged just three, falling into boiling water in an accident at home not only left me fighting for my life, but caused a huge hole in my back leaving me disfigured.

I was given my last rites twice and most young children would never be expected to survive something so severe.

In hospital I was often used as an example due to the severity of my burns.

Whenever I went for an appointment, my consultant would call in the student doctors as I was exceptional case study used to help doctors understand severe bodily disfigurement on a growing child.

While most people’s faces and arms were affected, I had third and fourth degree burns on my back, which left me with thick bands of scarring and loss of feeling to certain parts of my body (I still have this today).

Being examined was a horrible experience and has left me suffering with countless nightmares.

The doctor would leave the room and I was asked to undress and stand on the hospital bed naked, then the student doctors would walk in.

They would examine me, turning me slowly around and feeling my scars. They never asked me questions but only spoke to each other.

As the years went by these appointments became really difficult for me due to body changes and they took their toll on my mental wellbeing.

As soon as I found my voice at 16 I refused to let them look at me.

When I was a young girl I went through a point in my life where I believed I was an angel and often called a miracle child, but as I grew into a young lady and hit my teens, life became harder, having to hear name calling such as ‘snake’, ‘lizard’ and ‘witch’.

This led to years of depression, anxiety, body hatred, low confidence and suicidal thoughts.

At the same time, I started referring to myself as disfigured.

This is a label I’m happy with because unlike the other names people have called me, ‘disfigured’ has never been used in a bad or offensive way towards me.

By using this label I got to change the narrative. Plus I had also learned so much about burns that I began to use the label when explaining my scars to nurses and family members.

It was almost as if the word wasn’t used or understood outside of the hospital grounds.

I realise now that when ‘disfigured’ is used in speaking or writing people either love or hate the word, a bit like Marmite.

For me, that was part of the inspiration to set up Love Disfigure two years ago. We aim to raise awareness and support those living with disfigurement and differences.

As much as I believe everyone is entitled their own label, and shouldn’t have words pushed upon them, I want to encourage people to love this term that they may have previously been uncomfortable with.

And I am so proud that it seems to be working.

In fact, I’ve been chosen by Theresa May to receive a Point of Light award, given to volunteers who are making a change in the community.

Downing Street have now given me a title that shows us that no matter how severe your disfigurement or how your mental health may be affected, you can still achieve amazing things.

I can honestly say I love my label. Love Disfigure and I have fought for the positive representation of the label and seeing disfigurement covered on TV, on radio and in articles makes it all worth it.

As long as I continue raising awareness and campaigning for people with differences and disfigurement my label will continue to thrive as I am thriving today.

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Stefani Walper, 24, married a man 45 years older than her, whose son she went to school with.

Stefani met Don Walper, 69, when she was working at his favourite pub in British Colombia, Canada, four years ago.

After going home together one night, the pair felt an instant connection. They decided to date and eventually got married.

When Don told Stefani about his son from a previous marriage, Stefani realised she went to school with him.

Wanting their own family, the couple then decided to have their own child.

Though the couple faced some resistance from family and strangers – who mistake them for granddad and granddaughter – after they had baby Lachlan last year, Stefani’s parents and brother have accepted the relationship.

Now the new mum and dad are adjusting to life with Lachlan.

‘A lot of people don’t understand that age gap relationships can be genuine,’ said Stefani. ‘Everybody seems to assume there’s got a be something else going on.

‘People insult me more than they insult Don because I am the gold digger, I am the one with daddy issues, I am the one who can’t support myself, I need a man to save me.

‘Everyone thinks I’m a gold digger. Where is the gold? Give me the gold, babe.

‘It doesn’t upset me or make me angry, I just correct them. When it’s very obvious we are a couple or we are together in a romantic way and if you still choose to say obnoxious things, that’s when it bothers me.

‘But other than correcting them what do you do?

‘When we first started dating, Don felt a bit weird about it because sometimes when I would hold his hand or kiss him he was a little standoffish or stiff. But I don’t care, he is my boyfriend, he is my husband.’

Don and Stefani are open about how they both consider their sex lives to be the best thing about the relationship.

‘Definitely, the sex has been a great part of it from my perspective,’ said Don. ‘I have always had a younger state of mind. I have never ever felt my age.’

‘I always want to go out and have fun with the younger crowds and then hooking up with somebody young, you get the fresh perspective.

‘It changes when you have a child but we used to have sex literally all the time.’

Stefani added: ‘2am, 5am, middle of the afternoon, before dinner, after dinner, in the middle of dinner, on the rooftop, on the balcony, on the floor, wherever.

‘I have been with guys a little younger than me and my age and Don is obviously the oldest and he knows what he is doing. I like that it doesn’t last two seconds – he knows what he’s doing.’

The couple does have some fears about what will happen when Lachlan grows up and Don becomes too old to take care of him.

They said they take lots of pictures for memory purposes and will keep going for as long as nature allows.

‘Don and Lachlan have an amazing relationship and watching him be a father is so beautiful,’ added Stefani.

‘I take a lot of pictures and Lachlan is going to know, whether he’s five, 10, 15, or in his twenties that his dad loved him and would be proud of him and that they had all these special moments together growing up.’

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Hi Kate,

I need your advice.

Last year I made a new friend. We had loads in common, debated about everything from football and food to politics and TV and I was really excited to have him in my life. Making friends in your mid 20s is no mean feat.

However, my friend confessed to having feelings for me and, while I explained how much I cared for him as a mate, he has distanced himself and told me that he can’t be as close and friendly with me as we were. We now hardly speak.

I appreciate we might have been on different pages but I miss him – is there anything I can do?

Sarah, 25

Hi Sarah,

I’ll tell you what I believe has happened here.

You and this guy have interpreted your entire friendship differently, right from that first debate about football or politics.

You thought you were making one of those lovely, late-20s friends. You thought you were getting to know a guy who’d be your mate.

Meanwhile, he thought he was getting close to a woman he fancied right from the start.

All that squabbling about things that matter to you, all that new chemistry between you? He probably thought it was emotional foreplay for a relationship.

He had that special kind of hope you have for a new romance, all while you were busy thinking of him as your pal.

Then he confessed his intentions to you and he was likely crushed when you left his feelings unrequited. He has put the distance between you that he needs to cope with that rejection and I’m afraid you have to respect that.

It would absolutely be my instinct – and I have been in your position – to insist on a continued friendship between you.

I get it; you care about this guy and you don’t see why you can’t have him in your life. It all seems simple to you, because you’re not the one who stands to get hurt here.

You need to consider that he may never have seen you as just his buddy. He may have always felt romantically attached to you and this is just him respecting your decision not to reciprocate.

Sometimes people make this kind of friendship work, sometimes they find a way to stay in each other’s lives. But he may not be ready to even try that just yet.

Maybe it hurts him every time he sees your name flash on his mobile phone screen.

Maybe it hurts him to spend time with you, when he can’t be with you the way he wants.

Maybe his heart broke a little bit the day you told him you just wanted to be friends.

Give this guy some time and space to heal. In a few months, you could gently check in with him and say that you miss hanging out.

Let him know that you still want to be friends and say that if he’s ever up for a beer or a walk in the park or a phone call, you’re there.

Beyond that, I really do think he’s laying down his boundaries here and you need to let him do that.

You can totally be offended and take it personally, in your own time. A woman’s friendship is a precious thing and I’m sure you have found yourself thinking, ‘Isn’t that enough?’ or ‘Well, if he can’t have me as his girlfriend, surely he still wants me as his friend?’.

Try to imagine that you had real feelings for someone and they said they didn’t want to be with you. Then imagine trying to play it cool and be friendly with them, like nothing’s changed.

It would be heartbreaking and difficult.

Perhaps in time, when he finds someone else to love, you can be friends again. Not yet, though.

This may not be the advice you wanted to hear from me, but you cannot force a friendship here. You have to accept that he’s not up for that right now.

You can wait and try again – go for it, and I wish you luck. Friendship is a gorgeous, important force and I hope you will find a way to be in each other’s lives again, I really do.

For now, though, you need to focus on your other friendships and give this guy the space he’s requested from you.

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How much is in your bank account right now?

That likely feels like a deeply personal question.

Either you’re scared to look at your balance or you know exactly how much is in there and don’t want to share the details – whether out of shame for not having as much as you should, or the awkwardness of knowing you have more than the person asking.

Money is a touchy subject, and that isn’t a great thing.

Silence around money stops us asking for help when we need it, allowing us to get into spirals of debt, bad spending habits, and significant levels of stress around our finances.

To get a more honest conversation going around money, we launched How I Save, a weekly series that takes a look at how people spend and save their money, with expert advice on how they (and we) could save better.

This week we’re chatting with Rebecca (not her real name, as people can be very mean about people’s finances), a 35-year-old PR account manager living in Huddersfield.

How Rebecca saves:

I earn £31,000 a year, and in my savings accounts right now I have around £9,000 in a private pension, £8,000 in a stocks and shares ISA – both managed by my husband’s financial advisor – and £2,312.60 in my cash ISA.

I’m saving for retirement. But not just a boring retirement, we want to see the world!

The main way I save is by having a standing order which goes out of my account every month. I was also made redundant from a previous job in August last year, which carried a significant payout. I decided to spend £1,000 on myself once I found a new job, which I did after a month, and split the rest of it across my stocks and shares ISA and private pension.

I struggle with saving because I have no clue what I’m doing.

Luckily my husband owns his own company, and has a financial advisor who looks after his personal investments. After years of keeping my savings in a cash ISA and not making any interest, my husband convinced me to speak to his advisor. I do not understand it at all, and it makes me really sad – especially as my stocks and shares ISA has decreased since August.

My husband tells me not to panic, but I do, because I know if it was in a regular account, it may not have gone up much, but it certainly wouldn’t have gone down!

How Rebecca spends:

Monthly expenses: £500 – this covers my share of our household bills, which are managed by my husband. Not because I can’t be trusted with money, but I moved into his house – so all the bills are in his name and from his account and we never needed to change. Neither of us want a joint account.

I also put £200 into my cash ISA every month (this is for rainy day expenses such as car insurance, MOT and the usual unplanned expense). I let this fund build up and then transfer it across the funds managed by our financial advisor.

I pay my car insurance and gym membership annually. We have two cats but no children – nor do we want children.

My husband and I both work stressful, time-consuming jobs, and therefore like to eat out quite a lot as neither of us enjoy cooking – particularly when we get home at gone 7pm!

Monthly income: £1,907.04. £700 of that goes straight out, leaving me with £1,207 to spend.

A week of spending: 

Monday: Lidl, £71.68, weekly fresh food shopping.

Tuesday: Spotify, £9.99 renewal.

Wednesday: £5.35 for lunch at work, £71.40 at Miller & Carter – I picked up some new glasses so took my husband out for tea to show them off.

I also spent £37.90 on two pairs of boots (one going out, one everyday) heeling and soling following a tough winter, and repair to the sole of my Dr Martens which had come loose.

£17.99 at Boots on toiletries, £6.49 on cod liver oil tablets at Holland & Barrett, and £8.20 at a coffee shop buying myself and the boss breakfast and coffee before a big meeting with a client.

Thursday: £4.90 at Tesco for shampoo, conditioner, and body wash on the way to the gym, as I had left mine at home.

Friday: £6.25 for fresh milk and bread at Asda ahead of the weekend, £20 topping up my coffee card at Starbucks.

Saturday: £10.50 at Paperchase buying a card and gift, then £10.40 on cocktails with friends.

Sunday: I buy a new T-shirt as a treat for my husband from House of Fraser, then spend £98.25 on a weekly shop at Asda.

Total spent this week: £379.30

How I Save is a weekly series about how people spend and save, out every Thursday. If you’d like to anonymously share how you spend and save – and get some expert advice on how to sort out your finances – get in touch by emailing ellen.scott@metro.co.uk.

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If a man has more ‘masculine’ facial features he may be more likely to cheat on his partner, according to a new study.

Researchers found that men with features like a strong jaw and thinner lips were more likely to stray from their partners, and even steal them from other men.

In the study, 299 men and 452 women were asked to look at photos of men and rate on a scale of one to 10 of how likely they might be to cheat.

The men photographed were also asked to rate their own ‘poaching’ behaviors — how much they stole other people’s partners.

In the results, the ratings from the men and women matched up with what the men in the photographs said about themselves.

So the men with the ‘masculine’ features admitted that they were more likely to cheat, and people who saw photos of them also thought that they would be more inclined to be unfaithful.

‘Therefore, perceived unfaithfulness may indeed contain some kernel of trust in male faces,’ said the researchers.

‘The small effects, however, also indicate that we should not rely on our first impressions to make diagnostic judgments of unfaithfulness in everyday situations.’

So, despite the findings, it would be unwise to judge a book by its jawline – but there is some truth in the way we make judgements of trustworthiness from the faces of others.

But this theory only seems to work when it comes to male characteristics.

When the same test was done on women’s faces, neither their “poaching” or cheating rating could be determined by looking at their faces.

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This week, a news interview hit headlines that showed Sky News anchor Jayne Secker asking recently-evicted tenant rights protester Kirsty Archer whether she and other renters were ‘equipped with all the necessary skills to rent’.

With the housing crisis in full swing and growing tensions on either side, it understandably went viral, with people asking what constituted the apparent skillset required to have a roof over your head.

What it highlights for tenants is the incompetence they experience on the other end, prompting us to ask about everyday people’s landlord horror stories.

Here are some of their tales of severely unequipped property managers, with a first from yours truly.

ME, 25:

My landlord used to ring me up at all hours ‘just to chat’ while I could tell he was drunk. It was extremely uncomfortable.

He’d taken the living room furniture and put it in the garden so he could let it out as another bedroom, but when we left he tried to charge us for the wet sofas.

Plus, the sink and washing machine both broke and were left that way for months, with different tenants trying to reach him constantly asking him to fix it. He eventually told me to buy sulphuric acid and put it down the sink myself. I refused because it’s extremely dangerous (and only sold in specialist shops because of this, with multiple news stories online about people literally burning their faces off) and decided to just leave because it was a hell hole. Once I left he came round and did it himself, blowing the full kitchen to pieces – which I’m sure he’d have charged me for if I’d have followed his advice and done the home plumbing myself.

Emma, 28:

My first landlord in UK, in Kingston, just used to show up all the time with no notice and would just… not leave. For ages. He would call my phone and just keep talking for ages. And there was horrific mould in the house, to the point where one of the girls at the back of the gaff’s shoes were growing mould in her wardrobe.

He wouldn’t get it fixed, and blamed it on us BOILING WATER FOR PASTA. Like, the entire hall wall was black. He eventually decided that he would buy my housemate a dehumidifier (which filled up frighteningly quickly) and PAINTED OVER THE MOULD. Honestly, surprised I didn’t just die.

Sofia, 33:

I gave birth to our son in January this year and had pretty severe labour injuries. The lift was broken almost all of October but as we have a dog I had to get out for walks daily. I couldn’t use the stairs. The residents called I think on a daily basis and it was just ridiculous. Even though they said it was dealt with as a priority.

We have one resident who had a visit from her mum who needed the ambulance and they had to walk the stairs up and down. Insane.

Joe, 25:

While in Uni, my friend and I rented a flat. During the negotiations, we asked for a six month break clause to be added to the 12 month contract. The landlord agreed, and hand wrote ‘+ six month break clause’ on the contract. We asked whether this was sufficient, but he assured us this was now part of the contract and we naively agreed.

After six months in the lease, including a bitterly cold winter which we found out the flat had almost no insulation, we decided to end the lease, and gave the landlord two months notice of our intention to leave. He claimed that that was not what a six month break clause meant, despite all the sources we showed him that that was the standard interpretation of a six month break clause. He aggressively argued that it was within his right to demand our rent for the remainder of the tenancy and to hold on to our deposits until a new tenant was found, and also that we should compensate him for the expenses of re-listing the apartment.

Crucially, we sought to ask the letting agent who had helped arrange the original contract for help, but, despite knowing full well what the meaning of a ‘six month break clause’ meant, warned us that it would be a long and costly process if we tried to argue with our landlord (of course, the landlord had been a regular customer of the letting agent for years). Eventually, we agreed some bizarre compromise to pay half our rent for the remainder of the 12 month contract until the landlord found new tenants. During that time, we found out the landlord was making repairs to the flat and he didn’t re-list the property for months, while my friend and I continued to pay half the rent to him. Embarrassed to admit our naivety and our lack of power, we didn’t tell our university or parents what was happening, leaving us both completely skint for that time.

Jenna:

Our last landlord used the two month break clause in our contract in August last year – luckily we had enough savings for the new deposit and found somewhere to move to, so it’s not as bad as some of the horror stories out there, but they had given us notice one day after the monthly rental period (presumably a clerical error by the property managers) and consequently we were sent a bill for one day’s rent – for the morning we returned the keys.

Their justification was that the landlord couldn’t possibly fill the property for only half a day. One whole day without money changing hands – outrageous! No consideration was given to the fact that we too couldn’t have rented our new flat for half a day, and had to pay double rent for several days while we moved into our new place.

On that note, in my experience (I don’t want to generalise  Jayne Secker-style) property managers can be equally as useless as the landlords – in the same flat we dealt with several of them and none of them seemed to be bothered about tenants at all. When we found mould in the back of the wardrobe and in the bathroom, the helpful advice from our property manager was to move the wardrobe away from the wall (that it was built into) and open the window in the bathroom (there wasn’t one).

They did nothing about the mouse problem, but sent a very angry email when, during a property inspection, one of them stepped in a trap – which incidentally hadn’t been working on the mice…

Jo, 27:

Whilst renting in Leeds my friend/roommate got locked in her bedroom and wasn’t able to get out. I called the agency managing our flat to help but no maintenance man was available even though this was an emergency. Instead, someone from the office came three hours later to help get her out.

The lock went in the door and I was unable to get her out as the screws wouldn’t come out on the door. The man who came from the office climbed onto the roof and then through her window to unlock the door from her side.

Carmel, 52:

They would turn up every two months and just walk into the house unannounced saying that they had sent a letter that I never got. They were absolute sh** and never addressed any issues that I had. The house had a broken oven that they refused to replace so I had to buy one myself.

When I left I didn’t pay the last months rent because they refused to give me my deposit back… They had the cheek to tell me I had to give six months notice to leave and were demanding six months rent off me.

Hugo, 28:

I had a homophobic landlord who stormed in one Saturday morning with a well-built guy next to him when myself and my partner were in bed and demanded we get out. This led to us being homeless and the landlord having his licence by the council revoked.

Jake, 24:

A week before we moved in, the letting agency said there was a moth infestation in the house and that we weren’t allowed to move in with our clothes, bedding etc… They said they were organising people to treat the house for the infestation but our move in date remained the same. They basically said to us that we had to live in the house for three weeks with none of our clothes or duvets or bedding or anything fabric and that if we did we’d get charged. Now obviously that’s impossible (what do I wear? Where do I sleep?) and you’d expect them to offer some kind of alternative accommodation or to reduce the rent. But no. They did not.

It took weeks of me saying this was completely unacceptable before they gave us half price rent for the first month.

From that date they were awful. There was a fence in our back garden that had collapsed just before we moved in and we asked them to fix it on the day. Cut to 6 months later and finally they send someone to fix the fence. All in all a horrible letting agency but student ones always are. Plus there were the ridiculous charges at the end of the tenancy that should have been reasonable wear and tear but actually cost us all around £300 each.

Matt:

I’ve had some pretty horrific landlords in my time but by far the worst was in a shared house I lived in whilst working as an intern in (glorious) Wolverhampton. I’ve listed some of the things he did in more or less rank order below:

• Most disturbingly he once visited the house and saw a poster on my wall with the words ‘hedonism’ written on a small part of it and made a casual yet creepy comment. A few days later he text and subsequently phoned me to ask more about ‘hedonism’, assuming I was into some kind of swinging scene. You could tell he was vying for some kind of invite. He thought his wife would be keen. Messed up on all kinds of levels.
• Upon moving in it transpired that the large garage where I’d planned to leave my bike was now mysteriously out of bounds. After a few weeks we were disturbed fairly late at night by crashing inside of it. Assuming we were being robbed we instead found him and his ‘brother’ outside with flashing torches shifting items into a van (I never found out what they were). The garage never became back in bounds but I came home to find it open (and then rapidly shut) on several more occasions .
• He allowed a family member with a new born baby to stay at the house. After it had kept all the other housemates up all night for close to a week, defecated on the floor multiple times and stunk the house to high heaven my irate visits to his house eventually got her to leave. (Why did this new mother not have a house?)
• One housemate lost the key to her bedroom door and was unable to reach him on the phone for an entire day to get a spare. Given that he lived just round the corner we decided to just go visit his house. With his car in the drive he pretended to not be in for a solid hour before opening up and getting angry at us…
• Mere days after moving in he asked if I’d take responsibility for all the bills for ‘admin purposes’ which I thankfully refused. Something I was very glad of when an ex housemate told me the lengths he had to go to in order to get his deposit back.

Safe to say I got out as quick as I could.

A few months later whilst sat in a sauna at the local gym the steam parted to reveal my worst nightmare. Him surrounded by several ‘associates’ all looking very cosy. In fear for my life and/ or innocence I rapidly departed. Maybe he finally found his ‘scene’. Dear god…

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In a world of ever-changing landscapes, it’s something of a miracle that the island of Malta remains virtually untouched. With its fortified ruins, faded palazzos and honey-hued facades plus year-round warm weather, it’s the perfect short-haul escape.

Located slap-bang in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, 93km south of the Italian island of Sicily, it’s quick and easy to get to in three hours and 20 minutes from Gatwick Airport with British Airways. And as for getting things booked and organized in this island nation, it couldn’t be simpler: English is the spoken language in Malta.

Visit in spring or autumn and you’ll be greeted by cobalt-blue skies and none of the crowds. Start in the capital, Valletta. Located right on the water, this ancient walled city is where quirky artisanal markets, buzzy bars and al fresco restaurants meet 7,000 years of history.

Thanks to its architectural splendor, the whole of Valletta has been declared a UNESCO world heritage site, described by the organisation’s experts as ‘one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world’.

No wonder then, that over the years its ancient cobbled streets and flattering golden light has attracted big-name filmmakers. You might recognise parts of the city from the recent Murder on the Orient Express – scenes were shot against Valletta’s sweeping Grand Harbour. A-listers can’t get enough of Malta either: Angelina Jolie, Meghan Markle and even her Royal Highness the Queen are among its loyal visitors.

Like all the best cities, exploring Valletta is easily done on foot. St John’s Co-Cathedral is a must-visit for its elaborately adorned interiors, considered to be some of the best examples of Baroque architecture in Europe. The Cathedral is also home to Caravaggio’s The Beheading of St John the Baptist, the Italian artist’s largest oil painting and the only signed piece of his work in existence.

The Upper Barrakka Gardens, five minutes away, are perfect for a post-cathedral stroll. Formerly the private gardens of the Italian Knights (dating back to 1661), they offer a floral-scented breath of fresh air as well as panoramic views of the Grand Harbour. Visit in October and you might glimpse some of the world’s most handsome sailboats gliding past, taking part in the annual Rolex Middle Sea Race.

With more than 300 historical sites to explore, culture-vultures are certainly spoilt for choice. For those who prefer the wind in their hair, the neighbouring islands of Gozo and Comino (a short ferry ride away) offer sandy coves, Evian-clear waters and first-rate dive sites.

The Maltese archipelago is actually one of the best places to dive in Europe, with a raft of caves, reefs and wrecks to delve into. Meanwhile, Ramla Bay on the northern shore of Gozo is Instagram gold: rust-coloured sand backed by pine trees and no signs of civilisation. Just geckos and swallowtail butterflies swooping overhead.

Stroll into any of Malta’s cheerful trattorias and you’ll find a similarly warm welcome.  Menus are simple, rustic and largely Mediterranean. The Sicilians, Romans, Spanish and French have all played a part in the flavours of Maltese cooking, and as you would expect, seafood is a staple with catch of the day including fresh tuna, swordfish, prawns, lobster, calamari, octopus and lampuki (dorado).

Of course, we couldn’t talk about Maltese food without mentioning pastizzi (savoury pastries filled with ricotta cheese, mushy peas or anchovies). These tempting parcels of goodness can be found on pretty much every street corner.

What brings everything together on this magical island, is the genuine warmth and friendliness of the Maltese people. They are among the most welcoming and gracious hosts in the whole of the Med. Having openly pledged its commitment to LGBTIQ rights, same sex marriage is legal on the island, and, as well as a year-round roster of jazz, art and sailing festivals, Malta has its own Gay Pride week.

Magnificent architecture, delicious food and more boutique hotels than you can shake a pastizzi at, Malta is the ideal choice for a city break or beach holiday.

British Airways flies from Gatwick Airport to Malta International Airport.

In a world where being stereotyped and judged is both familiar and frequent, it is a terrible shame that US country music star Jana Kramer has made a conscious choice to do just this by choosing not to employ an ‘attractive’ nanny.

As a nanny, my first instinct was for their children.

Hiring the right nanny, one who will support, care for and keep your children safe, is a major decision. To let their issues as a couple dictate who they employ has the potential to impact badly on the children.

Kramer may decide against a wonderful nanny because of her attractive face, and instead employ a nanny who she is happy to be around her husband – only for that nanny to turn out to be incompetent and unreliable at their job.

The priority should be who is best qualified to take care of the children whether they are attractive or not. Sadly this is not always the case.

When I started my career at the age of 23, I was set on being a modern day Mary Poppins. My first job was with a beautiful family. On arrival I parked my car at the gate and a face appeared at the side of me.

It was the mummy of the family. I remember the first thing she said through my open window: ‘You are even more beautiful than your photo’.

I would never risk anything that could end my career, or indeed break up a family.

I was taken back. I don’t consider myself a model (I don’t even know how to contour!) and neither do I have the confidence that goes with it – does anyone?

Fortunately on this occasion my face did not affect my getting the job. The mother saw how I was with her children, how I am at my job and recognised my skills and attributes. I had a lovely relationship with the family and her husband didn’t pounce on me.

But since then, I have had families tell me that I am not appropriate for them.

Just recently, on a well-known UK website for nannies, I got offered a job. I hadn’t even replied when I saw I had been sent a second message saying, ‘On viewing your photo you are not suitable, you would attract unwanted attention whilst out with our children’.

I was shocked. After this message the website blocked her from contacting me and gave me an upgraded membership as an apology. But I shouldn’t have faced that kind of judgement.

Just because I or any other nannies may be considered attractive, it doesn’t make us incompetent, a danger to children or a possible problem in a marriage.

I would never risk anything that could end my career, or indeed break up a family.

Being judged on how attractive I am is bad enough, but worse, I am then forced into a ‘hot nanny’ stereotype where the assumption is I would encourage cheating.

When I am looking for a job as a nanny, my intentions are always to work for a family that has the same values and ideals for looking after children as I do, not for a possible romance with the children’s father.

If the father did make an inappropriate advance towards me I would make it clear I was employed in a professional capacity and that his behaviour was not appropriate. As nannies, we do have the ability to say no.

I would also take the decision to leave the job, despite the unfortunate precedent this sets. I am a professional and only want to work for people who treat me as such.

The idea that attractive women cannot be employed for childcare is hugely damaging, not just to my career, but to that of other nannies.

We are losing out on work because mothers are not willing to employ us – because mothers believe their marriage could potentially be tested. What a defensive judgement to make.

I am saddened but mostly disappointed by this change in society. It seems a like a huge shift from a time when nannies were welcomed into the family home for the sole purpose of child care.

Judging others will never stop, but being one of those who judges can. It can result in stopping nannies like me doing the job we have worked so hard for, and a job that makes us so happy.

When employing a nanny, the only people to think about are the children involved, not marital or relationship issues.

The children are the ones who will spend the time with your nanny – not your husband.

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Breanna Cornell, an engineer, says she enjoys pushing her body to the limit to see what it’s capable of.

When the 26-year-old from Arizona, U.S, was introduced to skin suspension – hanging in the air while metal hooks attached to a person’s skin hold them up – she decided to try it.

Breanna, who also enjoys 100-mile ultra-marathons, said having sharp objects threaded into her skin was initially uncomfortable, but the fear and excitement were thrilling.

She said both hobbies helped her realise how strong her body is.

Where she lives, suspension is illegal as it is considered a medical procedure unless it’s carried out by a doctor.

And yet Breanna has taken part in the practice 12 times since being introduced to it by her then-boyfriend almost three years ago.

She said she gets an ‘immense sense of joy and feeling of achievement’ and has no plans to stop.

‘There is certainly a connection between long-distance running and suspending that accounts for why I enjoy them both so much,’ said Breanna.

‘There is that feeling of fear and adrenaline at the start that then becomes an almost calm-like meditation once you get going, and then the overwhelming feeling of achievement at the end.

‘For thousands of years, humans have endured pain as part of daily life, but in the modern world, we have been able to live pain-free.

‘This seems to make us lack at a genetic level, as pain is an essential element of human existence and I, for one, couldn’t do without it.’

Despite the pain of hook suspension – which has been practised by Native Americans for hundreds of years – Breanna insists she is not a masochist, seeing the act as more of an artistic and emotional expression.

During her first experience with it, she was suspended for half an hour. Breanna knew as soon as she was let down that she would have to do it again – she was literally hooked.

‘I was really, really nervous beforehand and was sick twice because there was so much adrenaline pumping through me,’ she added.

‘But once I was up there, suspended five feet off the ground, I had a rush of immense joy and it felt as though I was weightless and floating.’

Six months later she returned and has done it 12 times since.

‘My response to each suspension really varies on my mood. If I am happy then I will have a lot of fun and swing around a bit,’ she explained, adding that she also chooses her position according to her mood.

‘But if I am feeling a bit stressed then it can be really nice to get into a more static position like the hammock – where you are sitting into the suspension with your knees and shoulders hooked.

‘That way, I can sit comfortably for hours and just relax.

‘For me, it is one of life’s greatest joys.’

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It’s easy to fall into bad mealtime habits when you have a hectic lifestyle.

But eating late and skipping breakfast could have dire implications on your health.

According to a new study, eating dinner close to bedtime and not eating breakfast could lead to worse outcomes after having a heart attack.

The findings, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, found that patients who had had a heart attack had a four to five times higher likelihood of death, another heart attack, or angina if they followed this eating pattern.

The study evaluated unhealthy behaviours in patients with acute coronary syndromes. 58% of the participants recorded skipping breakfast and 51% admitted to late-night dinners.

The study only featured patients with a particularly serious form of heart attack called ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

‘One in ten patients with STEMI dies within a year, and nutrition is a relatively inexpensive and easy way to improve prognosis,’ said the study author Dr Marcos Minicucci.

The study asked 113 patients about their eating habits. Researchers defined skipping breakfast as eating nothing before lunch at least three times per week.

Late-night dinner eating was defined as a meal within two hours before bedtime at least three times per week.

‘Our research shows that the two eating behaviours are independently linked with poorer outcomes after a heart attack, but having a cluster of bad habits will only make things worse,’ explains Dr Minicucci.

‘People who work late may be particularly susceptible to having a late supper and then not being hungry in the morning.’

‘We also think that the inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and endothelial function could be involved in the association between unhealthy eating behaviours and cardiovascular outcomes.’

The study also found a worrying trend of more participants with bad eating habits using statins – a drug that can help lower cholesterol. It suggests that people are relying on statins to provide health benefits and ignoring their diet and eating patterns.

Dr Minicucci is keen to warn people that statins should be used alongside healthy eating habits, not as a replacement.

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Children are much more perceptive than we give them credit for.

One little girl, only four years old, managed to question the lack of female representation in children’s animations with one simple letter.

Actor Samuel West tweeted how his young daughter asked why a Lego magazine featured so many male characters but hardly any female.

He said that she loves Lego, football, and the colour blue but was disappointed to find that there weren’t many people who look like her in the children’s publication.

The English actor, who has worked in theatre, film, television and radio, tweeted at Lego to get their attention.

He was met with a plethora of supportive comments commending the little girl for her activism.

After his post went viral, amassing more than 8,000 likes, Lego got in touch with Samuel saying his daughter rocks and that they will review future editions.

Prompt and courteous acknowledgement from @LEGO_Group; good for them. Daughter pleased, and feels heard. I hope we get a full reply from the magazine in due course pic.twitter.com/bEoCgPt5Qb

— Samuel West (@exitthelemming) April 17, 2019

Samuel wrote on the tweet: ‘My daughter, four, loves Lego, football and blue, so she was delighted to get the new Lego City magazine.

‘Then she noticed that of the 29 people who talk in it, only one is female, and she speaks once, to agree with a man.

‘So my daughter wrote you a letter.’

In the letter, the youngster wrote: ‘To Lego magazine, can you put some more girls in your magazine, please?’

Others shared the sentiment saying: ‘That’s brilliant! Well done to her for noticing and wanting to do something about it. You should be very proud.’

Thankfully, Lego’s response came quickly.

They wrote back to Samuel the same day, saying: ‘We think your daughter rocks! We look forward to receiving her letter. Like you, we believe LEGO play is for everyone and that our magazines need to reflect that.’

‘We’ll review future editions to make sure this is the case. We hope your daughter will always love LEGO, football and blue.’

Samuel thanked the brand for their speedy response and said his daughter would be delighted to be acknowledged.

I wrote to @LEGO_Group a while back asking them why their wedding set was only suitable for straight couples w/ no other alternatives available. They sent this card (I'm marrying myself) & 2 dresses. A small win for me.
Note: I'm not getting married but if I was...yay Lego! pic.twitter.com/kVc1ZMSAXA

— Lucy Hills (@lucyhillsdesign) April 17, 2019

Other people who had complaints about Lego’s representation in the past also got in touch. One woman explained how the magazine always showed heterosexual weddings.

In response, Lego sent her a weddings set showing two women getting married.

Finally, a brand that listens to the voice of the people.

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The person you have a crush on is leaving fire emojis on your Instagram selfies, they like all your tweets, and they comment on your Snapchat Stories.

There is only one thing to do now: Slide into their inbox.

When you want to turn a boy into a boyfriend or that flirtationship into a relationship, the inbox is the sacred place for the transition.

Unlike dating apps, social media pivots us towards those with similar interests without the expectation and pressures of sex as the end goal.

We’re all online now so it makes sense that just as we chat and form connections on the internet, we flirt there, too. After all, it’s much easier to drop someone a line on Facebook than it is to walk up to them in a bar.

Online, the fear of rejection is muted and the saturation of choices make it easier to simply move on.

We’ve heard horror stories of direct messages (DMs) going wrong but also success stories of people who have slid into someone’s inbox and ended up in a relationship.

So, what sets a good DM apart from a bad one? When is a good time to make the move?

There are upsides to sticking to an inbox: it’s always available, rejections are less awkward and you can hit up multiple suitors.

Andrew, 20, from South Carolina, met his now-fiancee Kate, 19, when she slid into his DMs.

He tells Metro.co.uk: ‘Four years ago, my fiancée (as of yesterday) DMed me after we had gone back and forth liking each other’s photos.

‘It took three messages for me to know that I had to take her out on a date, so we set up a coffee date. After that day, there was never any doubt in our minds that we were made for each other.

‘In the next years, we had an on again and off again relationship. But we always found our way back to each other.

‘This past week I took her to the beach with our families and proposed to her on the sand. She is and always has been my best friend, and we joke around all the time how it started with a DM.’

Andrew explains that inbox entry doesn’t have to start with a corny pick-up line. For him, Kate’s simple ‘hey there’ did the trick.

For Dominic and Gabriel, from Indiana, one little inbox bridged the distance between them.

Dominic tells Metro.co.uk: ‘Gabriel lived two hours away from me and we both followed each other on Instagram.

‘I liked so many of his pictures and he returned the favour. I waited for him to slide in my DMs but he didn’t so I waited a few days then slid into his.

‘We hit it off right away. Within two weeks he was driving two hours to see me every weekend. Then after three months, he moved down to where I stay and we got our first apartment together. We’ve been together since then.’

Cami, from Miami, tells us the Twitter inbox was a convenient medium, but she would have approached her now-girlfriend Nicole without it, too.

‘Nicole was a friend of a friend and I knew of her but we had never met,’ says Cami, ‘she was in a relationship for a while.

‘So one day I realised all her stuff with her ex was deleted and she didn’t seem to still be in a relationship.

‘I followed her on twitter and I DMed her, and from there we kept talking. We went on a date and have been together ever since.

‘For me DMs are not necessarily easier because if I saw Nicole in person I would’ve gone up to her the same way.

‘But it is definitely easier in the sense that I don’t need to rely on running into her someday somehow. It’s less complicated and quicker.’

Though there is anecdotal evidence to suggest that inbox flirting leads to finding ‘someone to be silly with’, there are horror stories, too.

Cole tells us how his attempt to effortlessly strike up a conversation went wrong.

‘I once DMed a girl who I had been crushing on for months, the convo started well until she said I should send in my account details,’ he says.

‘I asked her for what and she said so she can send me money to transport myself out of her DMs. My heart is shattered.’

As heartbreaking as it is to send messages and be rejected, it can also be annoying to receive them.

Melanie was left with a lot of questions after a guy entered her messages to offer to take her around the world.

She tells us: ‘He asked me where I was from and I said I was a citizen of the planet, to which he responded that he thought I was an alien because I’m too beautiful for this world.

‘The thing that baffles me the most is how did this guy find me? And does that kind of thing really work? And what did he really want? Was he trying to get money, or was he just a troll?’

Maria Sullivan explains why we receive and send so many DMs, telling us: ‘People are fearless in attempting to court a potential partner when they are protected behind a screen. Being left on read is much less devastating than verbal rejection. For this reason, flirtatious and unwarranted direct messages on social platforms are frequent.

‘Nick Jonas even DMed his now wife upon first communication!’

But why is the inbox slide often so successful?

Maria explains: ‘Just as being rejected behind a screen is less intimidating than being turned away in person, initiating flirtatious conversation online has less repercussion and is easier to navigate.

‘You can think about your response before sending it and decide to move forward with meeting up if you please. This is why online dating is extremely popular today.’

Of course, the DM slide does have its limitations. Not all networking site inboxes are for romantic connection. Definitely not the LinkedIn inbox, for example. Never the LinkedIn inbox.

Despite the unpleasant interactions with strangers from all corners of the world, the DM is still sacred, a unique space that can foster relationships without any expectations.

So for those of us afraid of walking up to a perfect stranger to chat them up or ever confronting our crushes, the inbox will always be a safe space.

And if the DM goes wrong, you can always ignore, delete, block and forget it ever happened. Sadly you can’t do that in real life.

If your DMs are as closed off as your heart, it might be time to open up.

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We recently reported on a Las Vegas bomb shelter complete with hot tub and sauna, and it seems the theme of the day is post-apocalypse homes.

The newest addition is the Arkup, which is a livable yacht that aims to give people somewhere to live once climate changes brings the seas to levels where they’re engulfing land (cheery).

The name seems to stem from Noah’s Ark, and the structure itself floats completely and runs completely off-grid due to 2,300 foot rooftop solar panels.

It can withstand a Category Four hurricane, and has 4,350 square feet of indoor and outdoor living space divided between the main and upper decks, making for luxury and safe living wherever there’s water.

You don’t actually need to float, though, as it can lift itself on automated hydraulic pilings and remain stationary if necessary.

Inside the Arkup is a Miele kitchen, a walk-in closet, and free-standing Jacuzzi, as part of an open-plan living space that will make you feel impressively serene while civilisation drowns in the depths below.

There are four ensuite, king-size bedrooms, alongside all the mod cons you could possibly need such as a trash compactor (not sure where the rubbish ends up though).

Due to the fact it’s run off-grid, the environmental aspect is certainly going to be a pull for prospective buyers. It’s not a purse-friendly option, though, and will be reserved for millionaires once the sea levels do rise.

You don’t have to fork out and buy it straight away, as there is an option to charter for $6,000 (£4,600) a night for eight guests.

If you do decide that now’s the time to purachase, the floating villa on offer is priced at $5.9 million (£4.5 million) completely furnished and decorated. There are more swanky options available too – if you could imagine such a thing – and prices go up to $12 million (£9.2 million).

Find out more here.

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Hen dos are difficult to plan whether at home or away. But if you are planning the ultimate bridal shower abroad, then there are a few extras you’ve got to consider: flights, hotels, rooms, religious obligations.

One bridal party who organised a trip to the mecca of parties – Las Vegas – soon found out it wasn’t going to be as epic as they hoped.

A bridesmaid emailed all 16 attendees with a list of pretty strict rules that included no drinks, sex, or uninvited guests in the room all because of her religious beliefs.

She also asked them each to send her $50 (£38) to spend on food she would be buying for everyone.

In the email she wrote: ‘I know Vegas is known as “sin city” but despite this, I still have to uphold the moral code our Father inscribed in my heart.

‘Due to this, I have some ground rules. These will not only help me remain aligned with the Church, but also keep us out of trouble.’

The kicker is that she wasn’t even supposed to attend the shower but was asked out of pity.

The email, which was shared on a Facebook wedding shaming group, has now been deleted, but quickly went viral.

As most people prefer to sleep in on holidays, especially when they’ve been on a bender the night before, the group weren’t happy to be told they’d have to be up at 7am on a Sunday to go to a Vegas church.

The bridesmaid wrote that she didn’t want to miss Sunday church service and planned for them all to a different one than her usual for the occasion.

She wrote: ‘There will be no sex taking place in our room/anywhere in the suite as none of us has committed ourselves to husbands yet. There is no need to have pre-marital sex.

‘Please Venmo me $50 (£38) as I will be buying groceries for the hotel room. The last thing we need is to be famished in the desert heat.

‘Absolutely under no circumstances – no drugs. Drugs bring nothing but problems, please leave your Adderall at home.

‘I understand you have a medical condition, but as we will not be studying, there is no need for you to take your methamphetamines.’

She added that this was all for now but she would be adding more to the list as she comes up with it.

The list didn’t go down well with the person who shared it with the group.

The post was liked and shared over a thousand times before it was deleted.

Most people who read it felt the woman should be entitled to her own religious obligations but shouldn’t force other people to abide by it.

Others questioned why she’d chosen to go to Vegas, also known as sin city, in the first place.

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Holland & Barrett has launched its very own range of vegan ice cream, in response to growing demand for more plant-based items in stores.

The health food and supplements shop has started selling three own-brand vegan ice creams, in peanut butter, passion fruit and salted caramel flavours.

Each 500ml tub costs £3.99 and is a ‘vegan alternative to brand favourites such as Halo Top’.

Each tub is dairy-free and organic, and features a sealable top rather than a separate lid to reduce waste.

The peanut butter and passion fruit ice creams are made using coconut – but the salted caramel flavour is made using avocado.

It’s also got the lowest calories of the lot, at 103 per 125ml serving.

Passionfruit is also low in calories at 108, and the peanut butter ice cream has 138 calories per 125ml serving.

The ice cream has been launched in all of Holland & Barrett’s 715 UK branches, and they’re currently on offer for buy one get one half price.

Amy Tolofari, a nutritionist for Holland & Barrett, told The Grocer: ‘Avocado and coconut act as the perfect alternatives to dairy in ice cream, bringing a host of health benefits to the range.

‘Avocado’s buttery texture means you get the same creamy consistency as you would expect from normal ice cream, with none of the dairy.’

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A young YouTuber tested out an ‘extreme tomato diet’ for a week in a bid to burn fat quickly.

The diet involved consuming high volumes of tomatoes every day for a week on the advice of her nutritionist who works with the Kardashians.

24-year-old Remi Cruz ate tomatoes as snacks during the day and included lots of tomatoes with every lunch and dinner for an entire week.

As well as the excessive amounts of tomatoes, Remi also consumed lots of protein and vegetables at meal times.

‘Tomatoes are actually the best food to burn fat,’ claims Remi.

‘So we’re trying this tomato diet just for a little bit, not for too long, just to kind of see how my body reacts.’

But do tomatoes actually burn fat? And are there any dangers associated with over consumption?

We called in the experts to take a closer look at the legitimacy of this so-called ‘extreme’ diet.

‘Although the name “tomato diet” sounds quite extreme, the diet Remi followed actually looks healthy and balanced, just with a large amount of tomatoes,’ Simply Supplements nutritionist Matt Durkins tells Metro.co.uk.

‘Because of this, there doesn’t appear to be any dangers to it.

‘One negative of this diet is that it is likely to become monotonous and may lead to you “going off” tomatoes.

‘This is something you want to avoid as tomatoes are healthy. Although it is a cliché, moderation is key.

‘Tomatoes are a great source of nutrition as they provide appreciable amounts of vitamin C, potassium, and folate (vitamin B9).

‘In addition, they contain carotenoids such as lycopene which are powerful antioxidants.

‘Research has shown that tomatoes have anti-cancerous properties and it is thought that this may be due to their lycopene content. Tomatoes also provide fibre, something people in the UK do not get enough of.’

And what of the claim that tomatoes are a ‘fat-burning’ food? Turns out that’s just not true.

‘Tomatoes do not possess fat burning properties,’ says Matt.

‘Although they only provide around 20 calories per 100g, the calories gained from eating the tomato will still be greater than the body uses to digest them. This obviously means you will not be losing weight.’

And other experts agree with him.

‘Simply eating tomatoes will not cause you to lose weight or burn fat. No foods causes weight loss,’ explains nutritionist Jenny Tomei.

‘To lose weight you need to burn more calories than you consume. Exercise causes you to burn more calories, but ultimately you will likely have to decrease the amount of total calories that you eat.’

And nutritionist Karen Austin calls the claims ‘total rubbish.’

‘There is no such thing as a food that burns fat, only foods that are lower in calories, or foods that help to fill you up more,’ Karen tells us.

‘Obviously she will drop weight if she’s swapping high calorie snacks for tomatoes because they are lower in calories – it’s not rocket science is it it?

‘This diet is not sustainable and only encourages the public to believe that there is a quick fix.

‘Losing weight that quickly will just be muscle loss and water – not fat. Repeating a pattern of drastic weight loss will damage the metabolism making future weight loss even harder if not impossible.’

For Remi, the tomato diet wasn’t a long-term plan and she stressed that eating in that way was not ‘sustainable’ for long periods of time, but that it was to see how her body reacts to the food over a week.

She also supplemented her diet with regular exercise and workouts.

Adding more tomatoes to an already balanced diet isn’t likely to cause you any harm, and tomatoes actually have lots of benefits.

But those benefits do not include fat-burning. So don’t be fooled into thinking this diet could be a shortcut to losing weight. It just doesn’t work like that.

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A woman is remortgaging her home to raise £20,000 for life-saving treatment for her dog.

Nicki Dyson is on a fundraising mission to pay for surgery that will cure her three-year-old Chow Chow, Narla.

Narla suffers from elbow dysplasia, which has caused her bones to rub away the protective cartilage, resulting in bone rubbing against bone when she walks.

She is on constant painkillers and limps along as she has problems with both front legs, and an unconnected problem with her knee on her back left leg.

Nicki, 31, who rescued the adorable pup from travellers two years ago, wants to do everything to give her ‘baby’ the loving life she deserves.

That involves raising the £20,000 required to pay for complex surgery, which will see her having plastic and metal plates being inserted at her elbow joints.

The operation costs £8,000 for each leg, with extra money required for scans and after-care.

Her pet insurance, for which she pays £60 per month, have paid £6,000 out so far for treatment – but caps at £7,000 for each condition.

She is asking the public to help her, and has set up an online fundraising appeal.

But Nicki, from Hessle, will go as far as remortgaging her own house if she has to.

She said: ‘At the moment Narla’s pain is manageable, she is on pain killers that help her. She can get out into the garden and have a sniff around.

‘For the moment I can see is happy. Despite everything she is always wagging her tail and smiling this funny smile she has.

‘But I want her to have back to full health, she is so placid and gentle, she didn’t have a good start in life and I’ve always vowed to do everything for her that I can.

‘While there’s something I can do, I will.’

Nicki travelled to Lincolnshire in December 2016 answering an ad on Gumtree.

‘Something clicked in me then,’ said Nicki, ‘I thought something wasn’t quite right, so I went to rescue her.’

Narla, whose name is inspired by the female lead in the Lion King, came with a passport which said she originally came from Hungary.

Adorable Narla lives a cherished life where she is showered with gifts, given lavish birthday parties and has lots of friends at doggy cafes.

When Nicki discovered Narla was 13 months old, and not the 11 as told by her previous owners, Nicki was devastated to find out they had missed her first birthday and vowed to make every birthday count.

Despite minor problems with Narla’s health that were easily cleared up with a visit to the vet, Narla seemed to be in great form.

But disaster struck in the summer of 2017 when the cruciate ligament in her back knee snapped.

Narla had an operation and she, luckily, fully recovered in time for her 2nd birthday and a great party in November 2017.

‘When Narla turned two I threw her a birthday party with loads of doggy guests, cake and party bags’, said Nicki.

‘I made everyone sing Happy Birthday to her.’

Sadly Narla’s clean bill of health didn’t last long when she suddenly stopped walking, with three of her legs completely refusing to work.

It turned out she had a severe form of the devastating and life-limiting condition, elbow dysplasia.

She had another op in January 2018 to remove bone fragments from her back legs.

Narla fell ill again in May 2018 and since then Nicki has traveled the length and breadth of the country to find a vet who could cure Narla.

Nicki said: ‘Over time Narla will get worse, our only option is to operate. I would not be a responsible owner if I were to leave her like this.

‘If the operation is not a success then we will have put her down, and I just can’t contemplate that, you can’t have a dog who has the use of just one leg.’

In the meantime, Nicki has set up a crowdfunding page to raise as much money as she can.

She is also undertaking a number of fundraising events and her sister in Australia, Carla, 29, and her mum and dad in Spain helping out.

She will top up the rest with money raised from her home.

Nicki bought her childhood home, a three-bed detached home for £150,000 from her parents when they moved to Spain in October 2017.

She is sure there will be enough equity in her home but funds raised are limited as she has to be able to afford the repayments.

Nicki said: ‘It is heartbreaking because she is so friendly and has given me so much. I will fight for her to the end.’

If you’d like to help Narla get better, you can donate through JustGiving.

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Isn’t it lovely when a man asks you if you’ve heard of a thing, when your job or qualifications are pretty much based on said thing?

Or perhaps he likes to gloss over your achievements and use what you’ve said as a segue to his next monologue. Oh, you’re a literature grad? Have you heard of this great writer called Charles Dickens?

If you’ve had your contribution bulldozed by a man who used your comments to turn the conversation right back to himself, then dear friend, you’ve just been mandozed.

Mandozing – a term we here at Metro.co.uk created – tends to happen to women more than men for some mysterious reason (oh yeah, because the patriarchy perpetuates an entitled sense of self for men, okay, got it).

Unlike mansplaining, which usually begins with ‘well, actually’, mandozing is more about men disregarding what you’ve said entirely rather than attempting to correct it.

A discussion of the concept broke out on Twitter, where cartoonist Maggie Mull recounted telling a male fan of New Yorker cartoons that she creates them.

Instead of applauding her or asking questions about her experience, he mandozed her by dismissing what she had said and continuing with his point, saying: ‘Yeah, anyway, they’re great’.

Well, guy, that was the wrong response. And sadly, many women can relate.

Some guy at a bar was telling me he loved New Yorker cartoons and I said “oh cool, I actually do New Yorker cartoons” and he said “yeah, anyway, they’re great”.

— maggie mull (@infinitesimull) April 17, 2019

We don’t all do New Yorker cartoons but every woman in the world has their version of this story. https://t.co/GQ2u5c6GDW

— Jo Elvin (@jo_elvin) April 18, 2019

Unfortunately, this happens to a lot of women, particularly high-achieving ones who are making leaps and bounds in their fields.

Their wins can be quickly deflated when a man decides to mandoze, belittling their achievements or expertise.

A fellow creative who writes for comedy animation Bob’s Burgers responded to Maggie’s tweet with her own experience of being mandozed.

She wrote how a weatherman once told her she could write comedy for TV. She told him that’s exactly what she does, to which he simply replied she could.

"you could write for tv someday"
"we do"
"you could"
- a weatherman from Nebraska to me and @LizzieMolyneux

— Wendy Molyneux (@WendyMolyneux) April 17, 2019

Mandozing is sort of like unintentional negging. While negging is a deliberate attempt to belittle a person to have them crave your approval, mandozing is about not even caring enough to react accordingly.

The reaction isn’t good or bad, it’s indifference and ignorance.

Ellen, lifestyle editor of Metro.co.uk, can relate. She says: ‘When I mention I’m a journalist with plenty of experience in, well, the internet, I often find men ignoring my expertise entirely and telling me their thoughts on my profession.

‘They’ll tell me what websites should be doing, their advice on journalism, and will tell me about reporting as if I’ve never read a thing. It’s just a total dismissal.

‘They’re not at all interested in what I can bring to the conversation even if it’s a topic that interests them – they just want a chance to get on their soapbox and show off how great they are.’

The same phenomenon has happened to Jessica, who has worked in PR, finance, and journalism.

She tells us: ‘To be honest, it’s such a commonplace thing for me in so many conversations with men, I don’t even notice it so much anymore.

‘Mansplaining is one thing, but when they don’t even get to the point of acknowledging you and act as if your experience is irrelevant it feels somehow worse.’

God how he must hate you. Imagine trying to chat up a girl you’d quite like to bang at a bar by showing her how intellectual and well-read you are and then she humiliates you by turning out to be more talented, funny and successful than you will ever be. What a bitch.

— Leila Molana-Allen (@Leila_MA) April 17, 2019

It seems to happen across all sectors, and isn’t always carried out by men. Women, too, can look past your experience and just steamroll on with their views.

But as Maggie Mull’s Twitter thread shows, it seems to happen a lot more when women interact with men.

Mandozing comes from a sense that someone’s opinions are more important than someone else’s lived experience or expertise.

It’s another form of male entitlement. Now we have a new word for it.

So, interlocutors, please just listen and give people credit where credit is due or at least react accordingly. If you say something is cool and they say they’ve done that thing, be suitably impressed. It’s the least you can do.

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Stashing is the hot new dating trend that’ll make you feel like sh*t

Maranoia is the specific kind of paranoia and worry that creeps up on you as you get closer to running a marathon.

Any twinge becomes a ruptured ligament, that tickle in your throat is definitely the onset of tuberculosis.

Cast your mind back many months to when you first signed up to run the marathon. You were all smiles, excitement and smug tweets about fundraising.

But now – the race is just around the corner and anxiety is rearing its ugly head. And it’s making you paranoid.

Logically speaking, there is no higher chance of you getting ill or injured just because you are closer to the start line – but now the stakes are immeasurably higher.

You have already done months of training, weeks of gruelling runs, sacrificed late nights and boozy dinners to get yourself in the best shape possible.

Having to pull out now would be unthinkable. So why is it all we can think about? And how do we switch off those spiralling thoughts?

Becky ran her first marathon in 2016. This year will be her second and she plans to take her performance up a notch. But that expectation comes with a healthy dose of pressure.

‘I have been taking my marathon training really seriously – which I don’t doubt has been annoying for everyone around me,’ Becky tells Metro.co.uk.

‘No drinking in the last month, endless fundraising appeals on social media and flaking on friends for mammoth training sessions.

‘Now I have more time to think about what’s coming, I can honestly say it is the most exciting, terrifying, anxious period of my life.

‘Maranoia is definitely affecting me.

‘Since my final 20-mile run, my knee has been stiff – understandably, right? – but my brain is enjoying telling me that it’s broken and I’m not going to be able to run.

‘When I hear someone sneeze across the office, I am terrified I will catch the flu before the big day.

‘As a Londoner, I’m even taking more care when crossing the road – no more jaywalking for me. Until that green man shows, I’m not moving.

‘Then there’s the panic of, “can I actually do this?” I have an unbelievable support network that I am immensely grateful for, but it doesn’t stop the doubts.’

The cause of the anxiety is pretty obvious. Running 26.2 miles is no mean feat, and the fears of not completing it, hurting yourself, or letting people down are completely understandable.

So what can you do with all the nervous energy? Experts say that it is possible to harness it and use it to your advantage.

‘It’s likely that you will feel anxious before a marathon. After all it’s the culmination of weeks of training, and you will want to get the best possible result,’ Dr Clare Morrison of Medexpress tells Metro.co.uk.

‘A little anxiety is no bad thing, because it will help your body prepare physically and mentally for the challenge ahead.

‘The adrenaline will ensure that your heart and muscles receive a good blood supply, and hence plenty of oxygen and glucose.

‘However, too much anxiety could affect your sleep, sap your energy, and increase the strain on your body, so it’s helpful to find ways to counteract it.’

This is something Georgia really needs to keep in mind. A frequent runner, she says the build up to a big race always goes the same way.

‘The closer I get to an event, the more my mind gets carried away with potential things that could go wrong,’ exlplains Georgia.

‘My brain spirals any slight twinge or tight muscle into a full-blown injury, often accompanied by info from Dr Google in the worst case scenarios.

‘I once convinced myself I had got a stress fracture because my shin kept twinging and I had to be talked down by my boss – who is luckily also a runner.

‘Weirdly, the more I panicked, the worse any twinges would feel.

‘I used to work at a running magazine, so I read up on our archives to reassure myself that nothing was wrong, and if I had a major concern then I’d visit a physio.’

The London Marathon will be the first time that Julie has got through the ballot, and as the day of the race creeps closer, she is feeling the pressure.

‘The final two weeks have definitely been stressful – you get to the stage that you are convinced that something has and will go wrong,’ Julie tells Metro.co.uk.

‘I am surprised about how all-consuming it becomes and I wonder if it’s because I’m a novice runner. It has affected all aspects of my life and it has even left me feeling like a failure and wanting to quit.

‘I do feel like it has increased anxiety in me and is actually having an adverse impact on my mental state.

‘So I cope by being supported by amazing family, friends and colleagues and laugh. I have decided that the run itself is not about the time, but the charity I am raising money for. That’s what keeps me going.’

Seeking professional help if you are genuinely concerned about a niggle or an injury is a good port of call. But if you’re ailments are more in your head, there are things you can do to help calm your ravaged nerves.

Dr Clare Morrison has a four-step strategy that might help keep your maranoia at bay.

Preparation

‘The first priority is preparation.

‘It goes without saying that if you have properly trained during the weeks beforehand, it will help you feel confident that you can cope. However, preparation also includes wearing the right shoes, socks and clothing, so that you feel comfortable.

‘Don’t forget sunscreen if necessary, and Vaseline to reduce chafing. A running belt, to carry bottles of water, is also helpful.

‘Do be sure to go to the toilet before the race, and allow plenty of time in case there are queues.’

Food

‘The day before the run, eat plenty of complex carbohydrates. These could include wholegrain bread, pasta, potatoes, oatmeal and fruit.

‘Also eat some protein, such as fish, eggs, diary and nuts, to help repair the muscles subsequently.

‘On the day of the run, eat more complex carbs, but not a huge meal, as you don’t want to be too bloated and full.

‘Ensure that you drink enough water before and during the run, as you will lose a good deal of sweat. A burst of caffeine, in the form of coffee or cola, before or during the marathon, may help spur you on.’

Positive thinking

‘At this stage, it’s important to focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses.

‘Your performance will be better if you feel relaxed and in control, so think about how fit and strong you are.

‘Don’t compare yourself unfavourably to others, but concentrate on doing your own personal best. Focus on what you have achieved during your training sessions, and how well you have done to get to this stage.’

Relax

‘Use whatever relaxation strategies work best for you.

‘Some benefit from chatting to others, including friends, family and other runners, to help keep the nerves at bay. Alternatively, you may prefer to listen to music, or meditate quietly.

‘A shower, or bath may help you relax, but make sure it isn’t too hot or prolonged, as this could make you sweat. Other methods of relaxation could include yoga, walking, gentle stretching, or controlled breathing.’

For Becky, nerves are part of the process. She is trying to accept how she feels and not let it ruin her experience.

‘I would say marathon training comes down to 50% training and 50% attitude,’ she tells us.

‘If you think you can, you’re half way there, but the weeks leading up to marathon day don’t count.

‘Virgin Marathon tweeted this message: ‘If you’re aching you’re normal. If you’re nervous you’re normal. If you’re scared you’re normal. If you’re not sure you can do it you’re normal. Two weeks to go, you’ve got this.’

‘Nobody could put it better.’

If your worrying is becoming a serious problem, or stopping you from training or enjoying yourself, then it would be wise to mention it to your GP and get some support.

But if you are struggling with maranoia, just know that you are not alone.

Before you know it, you’ll be on that start line with your heart in your mouth – but the pay-off when you cross the finish line will almost certainly be worth it. Sheer elation.

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