You may be surprised at the stars who have denounced daily bathing in favour of a more casual approach to personal hygiene!
Britain's farmers played a vital role on the home front during the Great War.
Le Jardin du Roi Spice Garden, on Mahé Island, is a popular visitor attraction in Seychelles. Dating back to the 18th century, it enables tourists to take a trip back in time to an era when the islands were at the hub of the world's spice trade.
A look back at the 1930s at some of the experiences of my grandparents, Frank and Ivy Trigg, who were bringing up two young children (my mum Audrey and my uncle, Ken) in Hunslet, Leeds, UK.
When I heard my local no kill animal shelter, Easterleigh, faced closing down, after more than 20 years, I decided to help with the fundraising efforts.
The late 1980s and early '90s were an exciting era for me. I spent six years going to clubs and warehouse parties - the illegal "raves". It was more than just music. It was a way of life.
A light-hearted look at some of the disasters that have befallen me in the workplace over the years.
When mum was feeding the birds with my brother in 1950s Yorkshire, she had quite a shock when she saw who was really eating the food!
My elderly mum has recalled her childhood memories of going to church for bell ringing practice with her father in the 1930s. My grandad, Frank Trigg, enjoyed the hobby for many years.
When I took a scared little hedgehog to a local animal sanctuary, I met a whole group of animals who were also being given a second chance thanks to the kindness of members of the public.
The sudden and tragic death of my old friend Nila Myin, whom I had known for 30 years, made me reminisce about the good times we had in our carefree younger days in the '80s.
My dog, Blue, lives with cats and gets on well with them. So I was amazed when he sprang into action on seeing a cat about to attack a lost baby rabbit in the street, protecting the weaker animal.
My grandma Ivy Trigg (nee Garnham) grew up in Yorkshire, in the UK, in the early 1900s, in a district where families were so poor that children were often barefoot in the street.
My elderly mum, now living in sheltered housing, was stunned to find her simple pleasure of feeding wild birds upset her neighbours and led to her being bullied and harassed in the street.
It was a typical and uneventful Saturday morning when a knock on the door from my postman started a chain of events which almost led to my taking in another dog!
Born in 1906, my grandad, Frank Trigg, was an enterprising young man who ran his own upholstery business from his early 20s until he retired in his 70s, surviving childhood illness and two world wars.
I have been an animal rights supporter for years and on Facebook share a lot of articles to publicise the cause and help save dogs and cats in shelters. But I'm astounded by arguments among AR people.
Mum grew up during the Second World War and went on to marry and have two children. At 85 years old, she had a great knowledge of life and was still jotting down her memoirs, which I have used for these blogs. Mum's wisdom has helped me take on many of life's challenges.
After job loss, I became increasingly inactive while hunting for work, spending hours at my computer and raiding the fridge. But a health scare revealed I'd gained 2st in weight and I had to lose it!
I was the top student at junior school and was expected to fly through secondary school without a hitch. But I found my all girls' private school too rigid in its discipline and I started to rebel.
My dad was one of 13 siblings brought up during World War Two. He taught me so much about life. He was a wonderful man who always worked hard to provide for his family and gave us kids the best start.
I have many fond memories of my childhood in the 1970s. My big brother was the cool kid, while I was the shy, geeky one!
It wasn't until many years later - when an adult myself with more life experience - that I truly appreciated what a wonderful person my late grandma was and how she shaped my childhood.
As a young reporter working for a local newspaper, I wrote an article about a dog rescue for retired racing greyhounds. Little did I know that the feature would provoke anger among racing enthusiasts.
Our cat was only four years old and had seemed in perfectly good health until he collapsed one day. I discovered he had a medical condition that had been like a ticking time bomb, but had no symptoms.
When ever I see a dog obviously lost in the street, I always stop to pick him up and try to find his owner. Although most people are grateful, the disinterested reaction of some leaves me astounded.
A little dog who chewed her way through a door and ate a whole settee needed one-to-one attention and wasn't happy living with many other animals. But rehoming her to my good friends changed her life.
After seeing a wild bird knocked down by a car and left injured in the middle of the road, I took it home to try and save its life. But the reaction of other people left me very disappointed.
Driving home in the early hours of the morning, I was shocked to see a little rabbit run across the road in front of my car, causing an emergency stop. Of course, I had to try and catch him!
When my 16-year-old dog suffered a corneal ulcer, I was devastated when the eye drops didn't work. Her only chance of survival was surgery, but what were the chances of success for an elderly dog?
When I was a child, from the age of one year old, I was always surrounded by animals, including dogs, rabbits, birds, rodents and fish. I had a great childhood and it also taught me to love animals.
I have five dogs and four cats and they all live together in harmony. In fact, one of my dogs, Happy Buster, has helped rear the cats and seems more at home with them than with his canine pals!
The cause of Roy's dry skin condition remains a mystery to this day and all we can do is keep it under control with medication. However, this doesn't stop him from being the happiest dog in the world!
Flake the rescue gerbil was always a real character and not scared of anything. But living in a house with five dogs and four cats, his chances of survival seemed limited when he escaped one day.
Squeaker was never sick and never had to go to the vet's except for routine appointments. This was why it came as such a shock when she suffered a serious leg injury which required a major operation.
When we took in a nest full of seven baby birds in distress and needing help, little did we know how difficult, yet ultimately rewarding, it would be to try and help them reach adulthood.
The story of how an elderly stray cat, who had never lived indoors his entire life, befriended a timid young rescue dog and how their enduring friendship defied the odds to last a lifetime.
When heartless thieves stole a friendly dog whom they mistook for a racing greyhound, it was a simple microchip which reunited him with his family - after he was taken 200 miles from home.
I was hit hard by Harley the cat's death. I won't say "my" cat, because the sad thing is that he never actually liked me - he endured me because I fed him! But after he had gone, I was devastated.
How a seven-month-old puppy, in a terrible state both mentally and physically due to abuse and neglect, blossomed into a beautiful adult dog.
When my beloved dog escaped from the garden, I thought I'd never see him again - especially since there were no sightings over several hours. Read on to see what happened next...
Taking in a deaf puppy, socialising and training him is no hardship, so anyone considering adopting a rescue dog with a similar disability should not be deterred. My collie Blue is a ray of sunshine.
How the residents of one coastal resort tried to take the law into their own hands when they decided seagulls were a "menace" and the ensuing frenzy which resembled Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds.
Not reading the small print in a tenancy agreement cost my mum her health and peace of mind when new neighbours made her life a misery.
Severe stress is increasingly causing 'desk rage', with office employees feeling angry and frustrated in the workplace, leading to verbal and sometimes physical outbursts similar to 'road rage'.
My father, a non-smoker, died suddenly of a heart attack after living and eating healthily all his life. It made me think seriously about whether our diet really made such a huge difference.