Page 121 - Latest Articles - castlefixing.co.uk

Young female cashier using a payment terminal at a supermarket checkout with shelves in the background.

Lidl cashier reveals: The tough reality of the job for just €1,500 net pay

Harriet L. Whitcombe • May 06, 2026

A permanent contract, a wage that looks respectable at first glance, and a big-name brand: it is easy to see...

Hand placing coins into labelled jar on kitchen counter, surrounded by other coins, mugs, and a notebook.

Why keeping spare change in a dedicated jar builds a subtle saving habit that accumulates without conscious effort

Harriet L. Whitcombe • May 06, 2026

At the beginning, it contains nothing more than three coins and an old bus ticket somebody never used. No one...

Woman applying Nivea face cream in front of a bathroom mirror with skincare products on the counter.

Is Nivea cream good or bad for your skin? Here’s what dermatologists say.

Harriet L. Whitcombe • May 06, 2026

Nivea Creme (the iconic blue tin) is one of those products almost everyone recognises. In France alone, close to 4...

Young woman in beige top dispensing lotion in bright modern bathroom with potted plant by window.

Washing hair too often: what dermatologists actually warn about and how to find your personal rhythm

Harriet L. Whitcombe • May 06, 2026

Hot water meets your scalp and, for a second, it’s as if you’re rinsing off the whole day: dry shampoo...

Butcher in white coat and blue gloves preparing raw meat behind counter at a meat shop with inspector holding checklist.

Rodent droppings and carcasses: the butcher’s counter of a Yvelines hypermarket reopens after days of closure

Harriet L. Whitcombe • May 06, 2026

Shoppers at a usually calm Intermarché hypermarket in Freneuse (Yvelines, just west of Paris) turned up expecting an ordinary grocery...

Two people arranging books and a plant on a large blue shelving unit in a bright living room.

IKEA surprises with the BILLY bookcase in deep cobalt blue – a new take on the iconic furniture.

Harriet L. Whitcombe • May 06, 2026

For decades, IKEA’s BILLY bookcase has turned up everywhere: student flats, busy family homes and carefully styled design lofts. Now...

Sleek green electric car displayed indoors on a circular platform with charging stations in the background.

Are used electric cars a risk or an opportunity?

Harriet L. Whitcombe • May 06, 2026

Buying a used electric car still leaves many consumers with questions, even though interest is rising very sharply. This is...

Blue 2025 Volkswagen T-Roc SUV showcased indoors with digital display and charging station in background.

New Volkswagen T-Roc prices announced for Portugal

Harriet L. Whitcombe • May 06, 2026

The second-generation Volkswagen T‑Roc looks set to become one of the German manufacturer’s most significant models over the coming years....

Two female doctors in white coats discuss a medicinal plant in a clinical setting with medical equipment.

The forgotten herb that eased nausea when the machines could not

Harriet L. Whitcombe • May 06, 2026

The scent reached me before anything else did. It was nothing like the antiseptic mix of cleanser and machine coffee...

Person holding a green document titled "Matrix" at a wooden desk with notebook, compass, hourglass, and a blackboard in view.

Sorry, the matrix doesn’t exist: mathematics shows the cosmos cannot be a simulation

Harriet L. Whitcombe • May 06, 2026

What if the real twist in today’s tech mythology isn’t that we’re living inside a simulation, but that mathematics rules...

Young man in white t-shirt holding bubble tea, looking pensive at a counter with stethoscope and sugar cubes, blurred couple

Bubble tea under review: Trendy drink or hidden sugar bomb?

Harriet L. Whitcombe • May 06, 2026

Bubble tea has long since moved beyond Instagram-ready cups, rainbow pearls and creamy add-ons. Children, teenagers and adults alike enjoy...

Person measuring and marking blue denim jeans on a wooden table with folded jeans and sewing supplies nearby

Brilliant sewing tip: How to make tight trousers comfortable again in just 30 minutes.

Harriet L. Whitcombe • May 06, 2026

Many people know the feeling: a couple of kilos gained, an evening bloat, or even a hot wash cycle, and...

Person wearing blue gloves pouring liquid from a cast iron pan into a white plastic basin outdoors.

The forgotten soak that restores cast iron pans to a smooth, black finish

Harriet L. Whitcombe • May 06, 2026

On the hob, the skillet looked like it had given up. What used to be a rich, glossy black had...

Middle-aged woman with grey-streaked hair sitting at a bathroom mirror with skincare products on the counter.

No more hair dye: the new trend that covers grey hair and makes you look younger

Harriet L. Whitcombe • May 06, 2026

Grey hair is increasingly being worn as an intentional look rather than treated as an emergency, as a low-key shift...

Person planting seeds in a garden bed, surrounded by tools, seed packets, and growing vegetables.

People who plant these vegetables in January know something the others don’t

Harriet L. Whitcombe • May 06, 2026

The sky hangs low, your fingers sting with cold, and the soil looks as though it’s dozing. Most people are...

Woman sitting on carpet playing with teddy bear beside vintage cassette player and framed photo in living room.

Why 80s kids call it ‘being tough’ when experts call it trauma and hyper-independence

Harriet L. Whitcombe • May 06, 2026

A woman stands ahead of me on the tram, and at first glance she could be anyone in her forties...

Hand picking up food bits from wooden floor near white cloth.

The trick of rubbing a Brazil nut over a scratch on light wood flooring makes it disappear thanks to the nut’s rich oils

Harriet L. Whitcombe • May 06, 2026

She’s in her socks, hair twisted into a scruffy bun, with her phone balanced against a mug. She drops to...

Hand in yellow glove pouring water from glass into open white toilet bowl in bright bathroom.

Just half a glass is enough: smart tricks to make old toilet bowls and sanitary ware look like new again

Harriet L. Whitcombe • May 06, 2026

Across Europe and the United States, a growing number of households are choosing to refresh tired loos and basins rather...

Young woman applying cream to her cheek in a bright room with skincare products on a wooden table.

Why skipping toner can sometimes be better for sensitive skin

Harriet L. Whitcombe • May 06, 2026

The toner stings first. Then the redness creeps in, slowly, like an unwelcome guest taking over your cheeks. You look...

Glass bowl of water, folded towels, a digital thermometer, and plant on a windowsill with a snowy view outside.

A bowl of salt water by the window in winter: this simple trick works just as well as aluminum foil in summer

Harriet L. Whitcombe • May 06, 2026

The very first time I noticed it, I genuinely assumed my neighbour had left something out after making dinner. A...

Woman in sunglasses wearing denim shirt and jeans walking on a sunlit city street carrying a wicker tote bag.

Spring trend: Alexandra Lamy shows how effortlessly cool retro jeans can look.

Harriet L. Whitcombe • May 06, 2026

As the temperature climbs and the first cafés pull out their terrace tables, the same question returns every spring: what...