BIOGRAPHY Kiss Myself Good bye by Ferdinand Mount (Bloomsbury £20, 272 pp) Don’t we all love a wealthy aunt dripping with pearls who whisks us off to the theatre in her chauffeured Rolls, preceded by high tea at Claridge’s, in London? Young Ferdinand Mount relished staying with his Aunt Betty and Uncle Greig in their … Read more
Moment bungling burglar knocks over ladder and gets trapped in garden with shovel-wielding homeowner Thieves targeted house in the Rafael Castillo suburb in Buenos Aires, Argentina CCTV footage showed thief kicking over ladder as he tried to climb back out The sleeping homeowner then appeared with a shovel and beat the thief up By Amelia … Read more
The British want to move house again. But worsening delays in conveyancing, surveying and search services mean that some may miss out on the current stamp duty holiday. Meanwhile, more and more first-time buyers are being shut out as interest rates rise and loans of 90 per cent or more are withdrawn. Is your or … Read more
Get planning on your DIY home! Councils are urged to grant permission for build-your-own property to give more people a foot on the housing ladder A review to be announced on Friday will check if current measures meet demand Currently around 15,000 families design or build their own home each year Ministers believe there is … Read more
Pawsome! Pit bull is determined to climb pool ladder so he can jump in for a quick dip A determined dog learned how to scale a pool ladder in Long Branch, New Jersey The pitbull, Max, swims three laps of the pool with his owner before getting out His owner looks at him in shock … Read more
Firefighters, police and the RSPCA closed a street and used an extension ladder to rescue a baby seagull trapped on a roof. Emergency services were called after the stricken bird was trapped in a gutter and appeared distressed. Witnesses said the street in Plymouth, Devon, was shut down as a huge rescue operation was launched … Read more
First-time buyers’ dreams of home ownership are hanging by a thread after a clampdown by banks and building societies. A rapidly rising number of lenders have ended mortgage offers for borrowers with 5 per cent and 10 per cent deposits. The move has left many young buyers ‘effectively barred’ from the housing market, with some … Read more