A new survey says men are at their most thoughtful in their fifties. Clive Aslet, 53, can't help but agree.

Our mother and daughter agony aunts answer your questions.

And he's also a star when it comes to plumbing in the bathroom sink, as Christopher Middleton discovers.

Emily Baker rediscovers the simple joy of putting pencil to paper.

Ten credit-crunch tips from Tom Hodgkinson.

The city wife may be facing a reduced budget but the thought of moving to Lidl turns her stomach.

A new website offers the chance of romance for dog owners, writes Harriot Lane Fox.

Mother-daughter relationships can be fraught, but who doesn't benefit from the wisdom of an older mentor, or a younger inspiration? The novelist Elizabeth Jane Howard and her goddaughter Tamasin Day-Lewis celebrate cross-generational female friendship

Our mother and daughter agony aunts answer your questions.

Jules Ritter's son has dual nationality but still wants to do his Swiss national service.

With her birthday only two months away, Lydia has embarked on a campaign to acquire a pet rabbit. Using the repetition technique, she has been handing out present lists with one item on them: "A bunny", with a border made of the words: "Please please please please please." "We're not getting you a rabbit," I repeat firmly.

What's that coming over Herne Hill? SE21 has little defence against a monster on wheels.

Our mother and daughter agony aunts answer your questions

Children remember the strangest things, says Tamsin Kelly.

Pounding out your frustrations on the drums is a perfect, healthy family activity, says Lucy Atkins.

Let the family go barefoot. You'll save hours, says Tom Hodgkinson.

Roni Jay's simple guide to family life debunks common myths. Tamsin Kelly gives her three cheers.

A group of grandmothers in Britain is helping their South African counterparts to give their Aids-orphaned grandchildren a future. By Cassandra Jardine