What I learnt from trying to become an MP

My attempt to be a candidate was arduous and expensive but it taught me some lessons that the Tories need to hear

Why the complaints are piling up at NS&I

The Treasury-backed bank holds £200bn of our savings and Premium Bonds are still popular, but satisfaction is falling

Are you on track for your dream retirement?

It’s time to get planning for your later years

Why I’m putting all my money in just one global tracker fund

No need to panic over whether to buy or sell. I’ve realised if you can just get the return of the market on your investments, you’re doing pretty well

I make $2,000 a month from my Wordle hobby

Brian Konig earns from the word game after building up nearly half a million TikTok followers

Your holiday checklist: passport, tickets, investment portfolio

You might be poolside, but your money can still be hard at work

David Morrissey: ‘I wasn’t happy growing up. I didn’t want to be me’

The Sherwood actor failed his 11-plus but went on to play a prime minister. Now TV’s most glowering star has turned to comedy in the new BBC show Daddy Issues

I can do every Olympic sport — except the pole vault. It’s incredible

I can run, swim, cycle. What I cannot do is leap the height of a small terraced house, like the soaring Swede Armand Duplantis

Who killed the theatre interval?

An increasing number of West End plays are doing away with a break, testing our concentration span and actors’ stamina. Why?

Should we scrap school exams? No, says Michael Gove

They make students smarter, deepen knowledge and combat inequality, the former education minister affirms

Whatever happened to the working-class comedians?

Jack Skipper was the 14th best carpet fitter in the Croydon area. Now he’s making waves on the stand-up circuit

Concentrate! How to improve your focus

Modern life is affecting our ability to pay attention. Charlotte Lytton asks experts how to fix it

20 great UK cycling routes for summer

From gentle paths by sandy beaches to lochside rides with mountain views, try one of these top rides around the UK

‘Five months ago I developed a rare palsy — here’s what it taught me’

The psychotherapist Julia Samuel talks to Anna Maxted about her recovery

Can you train your brain to beat chronic pain?

As Kirsty Young opens up about her experience, a top neuroscientist explains how the mind is key to pain management

The 7 best exercises to keep your bones strong

A new treatment for osteoporosis will help millions. Peta Bee on what you can do to boost your bone health

I’ve explored all of Pembrokeshire — these are the best places to stay

From cabins and pubs with rooms to historic rentals and atmospheric B&Bs, our expert has their pick of the cosiest boltholes in Wales’s most evocative county

How to find the peaceful side of Mykonos (without clubs and crowds)

A new elevated luxury resort is capturing the ‘magical quiet’ the hedonistic Greek island was once known for. Plus, other lesser-trodden spots and cool hotels to know about now

The last undiscovered corner of the Med — for less

Don’t call Albania the ‘new Greece’ or the ‘cheap Maldives’. Its coastline is full of surprises — and shepherds’ trails with fabulous vistas are right at heart of it

The Scottish distillery with Michelin-star food and new spa-like rooms

Glenturret might be Scotland’s oldest working distillery, but it’s now also a luxury stopover in a bucolic setting. Our writer has her best meal ever — and a wee dram

I’ve found the new Napa Valley  — and it’s more laidback and fun

Wine tasting, horse riding and wild hikes await in Santa Ynez Valley’s 235 manicured vineyards just a two-hour drive from LA. Donkey security detail included

The Times Saturday Quiz

Twenty questions to get you thinking

The Times Saturday Quiz

Mindset by 700

Three fiendish word and number brainteasers

Mindset by 700

Printable Puzzles

MindGames puzzles to solve at your leisure on paper

Printable Puzzles

Cabin fever — falling hard for a new boutique bothy by Loch Lomond

Sian Bradley finds a secluded hideaway only 90 minutes from Glasgow by public transport

Christopher Biggins: Joan Collins was mad at me for months. Quite right

The actor on accidentally upsetting his friend, what set him on the path to panto damehood and what to expect from his Fringe run. Plus, a chance to win tickets

Five of the best journeys in Scotland

From the Highlands to the Trossachs, these road and ferry routes offer stunning scenery, wildlife and history

The legendary West End restaurant: ‘Born in Italy, made in Glasgow’

This family-run spot serves food that’s up there with nonna’s best

Two ‘lady correspondents’, ten destinations and 26,000 miles

In 1894 a pair of trailblazing Dundee journalists embarked on a year’s voyage around the world. When they came back, nothing was the same