Author: James Anderson, FRSA, CMgr MCMI

NEED TO KNOWTwo new episodes of Taylor Swift’s The End of an Era docuseries are out now on Disney+In episode 4, Swift and Sabrina Carpenter are seen rehearsing to perform a mash-up at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans in October 2024Carpenter opens up about having a “big blonde moment” before the showSabrina Carpenter had a “big blonde moment” while preparing to hit the stage with Taylor Swift.In episode 4 of Swift’s The End of an Era docuseries on Disney+, the 36-year-old pop superstar and Carpenter are seen rehearsing to perform a mash-up of “Espresso,” “Is It Over Now?” and “Please Please…

Expanded pavilions and educational programming equip roofing and home improvement professionals with the skills to keep their business thriving. LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESS Newswire / November 5, 2025 / The International Roofing Expo (IRE), North America’s largest roofing and exteriors event, returns to Las Vegas to unite residential and commercial builders, contractors, executives and more (January 20-22, 2026, Las Vegas Convention Center, West Hall). The annual event hosts more than 600 suppliers displaying groundbreaking equipment, products and services to support the rapid growth of the global roofing materials sector, valued at USD 139.33 billion in 2024.The expo floor will…

Johann van Graan has imposed a two-day Christmas rugby ban on his table-topping Prem leaders.The religious Bath head coach will be attending church with his family on Christmas morning and while he does not expect his squad to do the same, he will insist they forget about rugby – even with a huge game against third-placed Northampton to come on Saturday.The demands of an English domestic season are long and arduous, particularly if a team is chasing silverware on multiple fronts like last season’s treble winners, and van Graan wants his men to take the opportunity to switch off.“I think…

Danielle Hunt,BBC Radio GloucestershireandMaisie Lillywhite,BBC News, West of EnglandBBCStudents at SGS College in Stroud start with the bricklaying basics in Level 1 before moving up to Level 2A college in Gloucestershire says more people are enrolling to learn a trade in the face of a national bricklaying shortage.The National Housebuilding Council said there were an estimated 42,000 bricklayers at present, but some 33,000 more would be needed to meet the Government’s house building target of delivering 300,000 new homes per year.At South Gloucestershire and Stroud College (SGS College) in Stroud, the learning area manager for construction, David Quinton, said employers…

Brighton and Hove Museums has come under fire for the post written by its culture change team, stating the story of a “Western Santa who judges all children’s behaviour has problems”. The author writes that Santa is presented as “the ultimate authority of all societies” and “does not recognise the complex realities colonised people face”. Publications such as the Daily Mail have highlighted the post and branded Brighton and Hove Museums as “woke”.  However, the organisation said the post was written in 2023 “to prompt reflection rather than prescribe how anyone should celebrate Christmas”. The blog post states: “In the…

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) will now allow staged applications for building control approval on all higher-risk buildings in a bid to tackle the gateway 2 logjam. The regulator, in new guidance, said it is expanding the types of buildings for which staged applications can be accepted. To date, staged applications – under which work is split into different stages and treated and assessed separately – have only been accepted for complex projects with multiple towers. They will now also be accepted for single tower projects which have at least seven storeys or are at least 18m high and therefore meet the…

UK steel exported to the US is currently subject to a 25% tariff, which is lower than the 50% global rate on imports of the metal imposed by Donald Trump in June.The president granted the UK this partial exemption, external to allow time for implementation of the US-UK trade deal.UK officials are working with their US counterparts to resolve technical issues that they hope will mean UK firms will be able to export steel to the US up to a certain quota that avoids even this 25% tariff.Meanwhile, US officials have briefed, external that under the EU-US deal, EU steel…

Warm Forecasts Kill Heating Demand — Again The primary driver remains the weather—and it’s not helping. Models now show above-normal temperatures across most of the U.S. through year-end, especially in the West, Central, and South. That’s a sharp shift from the early-December cold that sent gas to $5.496 and briefly reignited winter rally hopes. But the warmup crushed heating load: Texas res/com demand dropped 9% as Houston jumped from 43°F to 61°F, and Florida saw an 8% decline as mild conditions stretched across the Southeast. Bottom line: the market’s not pricing in winter anymore. Production Stays Strong While Demand Softens…

To help you find the best kitchen, we’ve meticulously tested and researched leading brands, including Howdens, Ikea and Magnet.We assess kitchen brands in two ways: via our expert lab tests and a survey of real kitchen owners. This year, our experts evaluated 21 kitchen ranges from nine brands in the lab. Then we surveyed 4,580 Which? members and members of the public who own kitchens from these brands about their experiences. Only the best kitchens from the top-rated brands were named Which? Best Buys.How we test kitchensIn the labWe buy all of our kitchens at market price and send them to a…

Committing to a landscaping project can dramatically upgrade your home’s curb appeal and boost its property value — it’s an investment absolutely worth making. And you can do it in stages to suit your budget! Recently, I turned my all-rock front yard into a lush, multifunctional oasis. Now, it features distinct areas: a cozy pebble circle with Adirondack chairs perfect for reading, a grassy spot ideal for kids/dogs to play, and native plants and trees that beautifully frame and shade the space. This upgrade not only transformed my home’s aesthetic but also significantly improved its functionality. We have so much…