Author: James Anderson, FRSA, CMgr MCMI

WE’RE a house proud nation who spend more on home renovations than anything else.  But with the cost of living crisis driving the price of materials and labour up, more Brits are turning to DIY to bring their dream home to fruition.  Sign up for the Fabulous newsletter Thank you! Natasha and Amy’s bathroom used to be out-datedCredit: Channel 5 They reckon they saved themselves £10,000 by renovating it themselvesCredit: Channel 5 Now, the room is a “Victorian masterpiece”Credit: Channel 5 That includes wives Natasha and Amy, who estimate they’ve saved a whopping £10,000 by renovating their bathroom themselves.  The…

We have nearly finished clearing and weeding the veg patch and we’ve marked out new beds and paths. We will be mulching next to protect the soil over the winter, but in the meantime we will be discussing our plans with participants on this week’s Your Veg Patch course, as well as sowing broad bean seeds for next year. Over in the ornamental garden we continued cutting back and lifting plants which had spread or which, like Iris sibirica, have clumped up and then died back in the middle of the clump. We have been giving away lots of plants…

A Brighton man has been charged with dangerous driving after a BMW sped off after being flagged down by police. Terry Bridgewater, 47, is due to appear at Brighton Magistrates Court today charged with driving a car dangerously on the A27 at Falmer on Saturday. Police yesterday launched an appeal to witnesses to the crash, which happened on the westbound carriageway just before 6pm. They said: “A BMW car sped off after a police vehicle had cause to try to stop it. “It moved in and out of the queuing traffic and collided with a Range Rover vehicle just before…

Henry Boot has confirmed that it sold its construction business to its management at the end of last year. In an update to the Stock Exchange this morning, the firm said it had sold the £50m turnover construction business to PWS Construction on 31 December. PWS has been formed by the construction business’s existing management team which includes managing director Lee Powell, finance director James Smith and commercial director Chris Weathers. Announcing its decision to sell last September, Boot said the management was paying £4m for the company whose roots stretch back nearly 140 years. The deal is being funded…

Mills brings 20 years’ experience to the trade association, having worked at senior levels across national and regional organisations. He previously held senior leadership roles at Transport for the North and the Labour Party, leading strategic economic policy development and stakeholder engagement across major programmes with industry and government partners. As head of trade policy, Mills will be focused on ensuring members are well placed to anticipate and manage change related to trade and border issues, and will also be engaging with ministers and senior officials to elevate the sector’s voice in government. Mills said: “In recent years we have…

Today, the Met Office shared warnings for snow and ice still in place for parts of the UK. Meaning a lot of homeowners must brace for another deep freeze. However, to help Brits cope with the drop in temperature, British Gas engineer, Joanna Flowers, has shared some practical tips to help households keep their homes warm and safe this winter while also saving on energy bills. With warnings for snow and ice still in place for parts of the UK for today and tomorrow.Here are some helpful tips from our partners to help you stay #WeatherReady if you are travelling.Snow👉https://t.co/uVDoAfORUsIce👉…

It’s time to talk kitchens – arguably my favourite subject as a Senior Homes + Style Editor. Of all the different topics I cover, I probably spend the most time thinking, writing, and talking about kitchens.I spent all of 2025 gathering ideas, both from my own experience in the field and from conversations with industry professional.Below, you’ll find the top five trends I think are worth considering in 2026. From refreshed colour palettes – don’t hate me, but white kitchens might just be making a comeback – to must-have materials, these ideas prove that kitchen design is heading to new…

A complex scaffolding project is supporting the restoration of an iconic monument.JR Scaffold has provided a free-standing scaffold around the Sir Walter Scott statue in George Square, Glasgow, as part of a multi-million-pound refurbishment.The structure is enabling full conservation work on the monument, which rises roughly 25 metres and cannot be tied into the statue itself.We previously reported on the restoration work around the Sir Walter Scott statue.Preparations for work by stonemasons to repair the Walter Scottstatue in Glasgow’s George Square as part of ongoing Council works p ver the winter. Pictured Cllr Angus Miler, cnvenor of city centre recovery.…

The Argus Camera Club was tasked with taking festive pictures for December’s competition. We received some lovely photographs from twinkling Christmas trees to beautiful decorations and pets getting in on the Christmas action. Louise Yates was in the festive spirit after the annual Santa Dash in Hove. The Hove Santa dash (Image: Louise Yates) While Nina Tucknott from Hove shared a shot of her wreath that she made herself. Nina’s handmade wreath in Hove (Image: Nina Tucknott) And we all loved Sheila Sharman’s picture of her tinsel clad cat Billy celebrating his first Christmas in Sompting. Billy’s first Christmas (Image:…

The application seeks permission for a change of use of an existing modern, single-storey commercial building at 10 Dublin Road, Enniskillen, to allow it to operate as a retail showroom. The application has been lodged by David Mahon, and plans have been designed by Graham Irvine Architects Ltd. A planning statement on behalf of Mr. Mahon read: “The existing building on this site was in use as a restaurant and takeaway. “The proposal is to change this use to create a tile and bathroom showroom/retail unit. The existing building is a modern steel framed single storey unit clad in masonry,…