More than 8 million people in England living in unsuitable housing

Research shows people in need outnumber those on social waiting lists by two to one

More than 8 million people, equivalent to the population of London, are living in unsuitable housing in England, according to analysis suggesting the scale of the housing crisis could be far worse than officially estimated.

Research by Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh suggests the lives of one in eight people in England are now negatively affected by years of fast-rising prices and missed house-building targets.

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Ease the chill by sowing for brighter days | James Wong

Poppies, radishes and spring onions – some of the cheerful flowers and veg you can plant now

I am not afraid to admit it. There are some plants that I have a troubled relationship with. While nerines and amaryllis are some of my very favourite garden flowers, for their ability to erupt like pastel pink fireworks from beneath the earth in September, their arrival is also unequivocal confirmation that the dark days of winter are just around the corner. Like that last quick dip in the ocean before catching your flight home from a summer holiday, for me it’s an emotional trigger that the months of sunshine and fun are over and only school and seriousness await.

Fortunately, for us fair-weather gardeners, there are some plants you can spark into life right now, just as almost everything else slips into a slumber, providing you with a constant reminder of new things to come. Here are some of my favourite flower and veg seeds that you can sow in the autumn.

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Ease the chill by sowing for brighter days | James Wong

Poppies, radishes and spring onions – some of the cheerful flowers and veg you can plant now

I am not afraid to admit it. There are some plants that I have a troubled relationship with. While nerines and amaryllis are some of my very favourite garden flowers, for their ability to erupt like pastel pink fireworks from beneath the earth in September, their arrival is also unequivocal confirmation that the dark days of winter are just around the corner. Like that last quick dip in the ocean before catching your flight home from a summer holiday, for me it’s an emotional trigger that the months of sunshine and fun are over and only school and seriousness await.

Fortunately, for us fair-weather gardeners, there are some plants you can spark into life right now, just as almost everything else slips into a slumber, providing you with a constant reminder of new things to come. Here are some of my favourite flower and veg seeds that you can sow in the autumn.

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Clear, eat and plan ahead, as leaves and conkers fall | Allan Jenkins

Use up veg and plant for spring as gardens begin a new year

Before the fall. It’s the equinox tomorrow (a later one this year) so I think we can all agree autumn is here and summer over. Just see the hanging spiders, feel the dew on your shoes on an early-morning walk. There is a chill in the twilight, the sun’s no longer winning. For gardeners then, it’s the time to sow hardy annual flowers for spring while the soil still holds warmth.

We will be putting in a row or two of calendula, of course, and pondering love-in-a-mist (nigella). Autumn-sown gives a stronger, better start to spring at a time to pack most flower seeds away. My bookshelves at home are making Henri anxious with multiple bowls of drying flower heads. It will get worse yet.

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10 top tips for attracting quality tenants Nottingham Estate Agents

The buy-to-let sector is highly competitive and, not surprisingly, the landlords who are most successful are the ones who appreciate the importance of making their properties attractive to tenants. “Presentation, presentation, presentation,” says Roger Wilkinson of Wilkinson Grant & Co. “If you want to attract quality tenants at the best price, it is imperative that […]

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Clear, eat and plan ahead, as leaves and conkers fall | Allan Jenkins

Use up veg and plant for spring as gardens begin a new year

Before the fall. It’s the equinox tomorrow (a later one this year) so I think we can all agree autumn is here and summer over. Just see the hanging spiders, feel the dew on your shoes on an early-morning walk. There is a chill in the twilight, the sun’s no longer winning. For gardeners then, it’s the time to sow hardy annual flowers for spring while the soil still holds warmth.

We will be putting in a row or two of calendula, of course, and pondering love-in-a-mist (nigella). Autumn-sown gives a stronger, better start to spring at a time to pack most flower seeds away. My bookshelves at home are making Henri anxious with multiple bowls of drying flower heads. It will get worse yet.

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Artist in residence: North Yorkshire’s Lebberson Hall reimagined

Renovating a 19th-century home rekindled Shirley Vauvelle’s creative vision

The artist Shirley Vauvelle lives a mile from the coast between Scarborough and Filey in North Yorkshire. Before she starts work in her home studio, she takes a daily swim in the sea, scouring the shoreline for driftwood as she leaves the water. “I’ve always collected found things, such as shells and pebbles,” she says, “but I’m particularly drawn to weathered wood. I love finding pieces and bringing them home.”

Home for Vauvelle is the 19th-century Lebberston Hall. She and her husband had been looking for a renovation project for two years when their estate agent persuaded them to view the house, which was lived in by an elderly woman. “She was like something out of an Enid Blyton novel,” Vauvelle recalls. “The house hadn’t been touched since the 1970s. It was a pretty ugly building really: Victoriana-heavy, with two horses in the paddock.” What convinced them was the potential to renovate the existing garages and outbuildings and, curiously, a mature horse chestnut tree. “It is in such a beautiful position,” Vauvelle says. “It seems to ground the whole building. When I saw it, I could really start to imagine living here.”

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