Gloucestershire’s phlebotomists have brought their historic strike to a close after almost a year of action, leaving a legacy of determination – and a clear lesson about the power of solidarity in the face of anti-union laws and austerity, says FBU general secretary STEVE WRIGHT
OK, so I know it’s still a few days until Christmas and I also know that the bloke they call Jesus was actually born in September or perhaps March.
However the winter solstice has always been immensely important, so it is no wonder early Christians adopted December 25 as their messiah’s birthday.
If by the solstice — the shortest day of the year — ancient people knew they still had stores of food, they had a good chance of surviving until the next spring. That was certainly worth celebrating.
MAT COWARD takes a look at some of the options for keen gardeners as we enter 2026
Gin Lane by William Hogarth is a critique of 18th-century London’s growing funeral trade, posits DAN O’BRIEN
MAT COWARD rises over such semantics to offer step by step, fool-proof cultivating tips



