'I'm praying interest rates have peaked now'
Interest rates have been held at 5.25% by the Bank of England, after 14 consecutive rises. But they are still at their highest for 15 years. How are homeowners coping?
How Essex found itself at the heart of the school concrete crisis
Why is Essex so badly affected by the concrete crisis?
River Stour swimmers criticise bathing water rule changes
Wild swimmers hoping for bathing water status for their local river said they were "horrified" after the government changed the rules.
The swimmers are applying for water quality to be monitored in the River Stour in Manningtree, Essex.
The swimmers are applying for water quality to be monitored in the River Stour in Manningtree, Essex.
Charlie Mackesy: 'I was hiding in the toilet before I won my Oscar'
"I was overwhelmed. I would get letters from school children, from prisons and from doctors and nurses who are just so brave and they said the book was helping them through the pandemic. I keep them all in a file. I still look at them at night. Book sales are not important to me, but these letters mean everything."
"I had someone come up to me and say, 'I just want you to know that I decided to stay, I'm still here today because of this book'. Someone else told me I have given people licence to
"I had someone come up to me and say, 'I just want you to know that I decided to stay, I'm still here today because of this book'. Someone else told me I have given people licence to
Mum paints stretch marks on Barbie for daughter
A mother who developed stretch marks while pregnant has painted some on her daughter's Barbie "so she can grow up knowing they are normal".
Her daughter, now three, is a fan of Barbies but Mrs Claxton could not find any she felt represented her own body.
"I would love the manufacturers to make some Barbies with stretch marks to spread the message that they are nothing to worry about."
The 35-year-old had already bought her daughter a diverse range of the dolls, including one with a prosthetic
Her daughter, now three, is a fan of Barbies but Mrs Claxton could not find any she felt represented her own body.
"I would love the manufacturers to make some Barbies with stretch marks to spread the message that they are nothing to worry about."
The 35-year-old had already bought her daughter a diverse range of the dolls, including one with a prosthetic
Cancer patients welcome NHS drug policy change
Before the rule change, if a patient took a treatment break for longer than six weeks they would have to reapply for NHS funding, with no guarantee it would be approved.
Mr Marsland, who has incurable cancer, needed to pause his treatment for a hernia operation last year. He had to take a shorter break due to the policy and was left worrying he might have to fund cetuximab himself in the future.
The father-of-two, who works as a principal technologist for BT, has been through 93 rounds of chem
Mr Marsland, who has incurable cancer, needed to pause his treatment for a hernia operation last year. He had to take a shorter break due to the policy and was left worrying he might have to fund cetuximab himself in the future.
The father-of-two, who works as a principal technologist for BT, has been through 93 rounds of chem
Mortgage crisis: 'We can't pay an extra £1,400 a month'
"My husband and I both work and luckily we've got savings but we're going to have to really cut back and be really cautious. We just don't know when things are going to get better and we might have to consider selling our house in the future," she says.
"I got a letter saying my mortgage was going up from £289 to £1,150 a month," she says. "Now my mum is having to sell her house too and we are hoping to buy a house together in Norfolk because we can't afford anything in Hertfordshire.
"We don'
"I got a letter saying my mortgage was going up from £289 to £1,150 a month," she says. "Now my mum is having to sell her house too and we are hoping to buy a house together in Norfolk because we can't afford anything in Hertfordshire.
"We don'
'Sharing my egg-freezing journey nearly broke me'
Vicky Pattison says she does not regret sharing her egg-freezing journey, despite negative messages.
Instagram hackers defeated by kindness, businesswoman says
A woman who lost her Instagram account after being hacked said she was "so grateful" to thousands of strangers who have saved her small business.
"It has changed my life. It has kept my business going. It just goes to show that kindness can conquer all."
She launched her business Rose and Guy eight years ago and gradually built up followers, with 95% of her business coming through the social media site.
When hackers took over her account, she refused to give in to their demands for money and
"It has changed my life. It has kept my business going. It just goes to show that kindness can conquer all."
She launched her business Rose and Guy eight years ago and gradually built up followers, with 95% of her business coming through the social media site.
When hackers took over her account, she refused to give in to their demands for money and
Flesh-eating bug nearly kills new mum
After a scan revealed pockets of gas underneath her tissue, they realised it could be necrotising fasciitis. Doctors said she needed immediate surgery to remove a large amount of dead tissue to stop the flesh-eating bacteria from spreading.
Miss Chatterton was kept sedated for three days and woke up to two large wounds on her stomach, which had to left open for six days to help her body recover until they were able to fit a vacuum pump.
"I'm still finding it quite difficult psychologically, bu
Miss Chatterton was kept sedated for three days and woke up to two large wounds on her stomach, which had to left open for six days to help her body recover until they were able to fit a vacuum pump.
"I'm still finding it quite difficult psychologically, bu
Hundreds take to the water for clean river campaign
The S.W.I.M (Safe Water in Manningtree) team has to count the number of people who use the water on 20 different days over the summer to prove it is a popular bathing spot.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs considers how many people bath there, whether the site has suitable facilities and where investment would have the most impact when making its decision.
Manningtree Beach is impacted by three sewer storm overflows which spill into the Stour, but only one has been monito
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs considers how many people bath there, whether the site has suitable facilities and where investment would have the most impact when making its decision.
Manningtree Beach is impacted by three sewer storm overflows which spill into the Stour, but only one has been monito
'I hit rock bottom while trying to have a baby'
Infertility can devastate people's mental health, relationships, finances and career, a charity says.
'I've been stuck in my bedroom for two years'
A young woman with a rare disease says she is not being supported to have any quality of life.
Mum who missed baby's birth determined to recover
A mum who missed the first six months of her baby's life due to a brain tumour is determined to get better for her daughter, her partner said.
'I couldn't close my lips after botched filler'
"With the standards of our generation and social media these days, I just thought I wanted it done. There is this massive pressure and so much talk about it. It just seems like the normal thing to do," she says.
'Breastfeeding at the marathon was so emotional'
Louise Appleton, 31, from St Albans, breastfed her six-month-old daughter Emma several times during the marathon, which she finished in just over six hours, having spent around half an hour of that feeding.
She could not find the dedicated breastfeeding tents and ended up feeding her daughter on a bench and in the back of a St John's Ambulance.
She could not find the dedicated breastfeeding tents and ended up feeding her daughter on a bench and in the back of a St John's Ambulance.
'Long Covid has left me housebound and invisible'
Women are more likely to suffer from long Covid but being vaccinated almost halves the risk of developing the condition, a University of East Anglia study has found.
The mothers supporting each other through child separation
Some 21 years ago Penelope's heart broke into pieces and it has never fully healed, she says. Her four-year-old daughter was taken away after a court ruling, leaving her bereft.
'I begged for gas and air but got paracetemol'
"The lack of communication was unbelievable. No-one had mentioned this to me during my pregnancy. During my induction, I asked if it was true and the midwife said 'yes but you can have pethidine instead or an epidural', but that wasn't what I wanted," she says.
Teen could end up in wheelchair due to NHS delays
Aimee said: "I just want to be normal, whatever normal is. I want to hang out with my friends and be a kid."
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