In 1965, forty-seven-year-old lawyer Andre-Francois Raffray agreed to buy a beautiful apartment in Southern France from its 90-year-old owner Jeanne Calment, in a 'for life' deal of monthly payments. Raffray stood to inherit the apartment at a bargain price once 90-year-old Jeanne passed away - all he had to do sit and wait. Things didn't quite go to plan, however...
Looking back at the bigger news stories of 2022, with some comment and humour thrown in.
I take a look at how our lives are slowly turning into one giant vending machine and how we’re becoming addicted to an instant world. What impact is this having on us as human beings and how can we make changes for the better?
In 1904, America hosted its first Olympic Games. Held in St. Louis, it was memorable for many reasons, including gymnast George Eyser winning six Olympic medals, despite competing with a wooden leg. But, the main reason these games will be long-remembered is the marathon - the strangest race in Olympic history.
In 1936, Alojzy Ehrlich participated in an extraordinary record-breaking match in the World Table Tennis Championships. But, ping pong would have a far bigger impact on his life than he might have predicted.
January is commonly thought of being the hardest month for our mental health. And with the current restrictions we find ourselves under, it might seem even more tough than usual. With hope on the horizon, I look at what we can do to try to help ourselves through the difficult few weeks ahead.
Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns have removed our connections to basic human needs and exposed us to anxiety and depression. Through my own personal experiences, I take a look at how this has happened and some ways in which we can get our connections back.
We’ve reached an important juncture in the history of our planet. A tipping point. We need to act, and I'm delighted to be a supporting partner of 8 Billion Trees' mission to conserve and plant trees in some of the most important regions of the world.
On Saturday 13 July 2019, my home town of Bexhill-on-Sea joined the 60s revolution. It was a huge event to organise, and it will likely be my last, drawing a close on 30 years of Hazell-family event history. I look back at the story of the day on what was a wonderful summer festival-in-a-day.
Can you ever have too much choice? Absolutely. I discuss the Paradox of Choice, where choice becomes detrimental to our health. The Paradox of Choice is abundant in our modern lives, through consumerism and the instant world in which we live.
Looking back at my first part-time job and how my vocation and that of my cruel line manager took such different and ironic paths. I also discuss the impact of negative remarks on those with low self-confidence and why we shouldn't let others define us.
Whilst the instinct to compete is a natural part of being human, I believe that to really get what we want, we need to have better control of the off switch so that we can work together.
It is said that the equivalent of a rubbish truck of plastic is entering the world's oceans every single minute. In this article, we look at how we can join the campaign to #PassOnPlastic and save our oceans and marine life from the deluge of plastic waste.
‘Creativity is seeing what everyone else has seen, and thinking what no one else has thought.’
Albert Einstein‘If you don’t have room to fail, you don’t have a way to grow.’
Jonathan Mildenhall (Airbnb)‘The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.’
Mark Twain