Siobhán Norton

The world of fitness can be an annoyingly chirpy one, increasingly saturated with 20-year-old former reality TV stars offering vague platitudes about “motivation Mondays” and “fitspo” – fitness inspiration. It’s a world Svava Sigbertsdottir has little patience with. “Argh, fitspo,” ...

“If there is no challenge, there is no change!” I hear whoops and cheers from the semi-darkness, as 63 pairs of eyes gaze up at the candlelit altar. Everyone who is here is clearly intent on “becoming the change”, and ...

When to go December to March is Rio’s high season – prices are at their highest between Christmas and New Year – but prices fall after Easter, the beaches are less crowded and the weather is still hot, if more ...

Where I come from, the phrase “you’re looking well” has various meanings as you progress through life. In your teens, it’s the highest of compliments from a bashful beau, blushing to his temples as he stares fiercely at the ground. ...

Ryan Riley has a contacts book that most culinary professionals would give their eye teeth for. The 25-year-old rubs shoulders with Nigella Lawson, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Jamie Oliver, all of whom are championing his new cookery school. Yet he isn’t ...

As I sit cross-legged, eyes closed, I can hear the rain gently falling. I concentrate on my breath – in, out, in, out. It’s not long before my mind wanders – to work, to plans for later, replaying a conversation ...

It’s not unusual for a man of the cloth to embark on a pilgrimage. But when Peter Owen Jones embarked on his latest project, to scale the equivalent of Everest without leaving England, it was perhaps more of a spiritual ...

“Would you like to walk with us?” Some friendly-looking hikers are adjusting their backpacks and slapping on sun cream. I decline cheerfully, marching off down the path before, minutes later, saluting the group sheepishly as I retrace my steps. It ...

If Zeddy Rotich is feeling impatient, she isn’t letting on. It’s Sunday morning, and she’s due at church soon – her neighbour, Esther, is already waiting, dressed in blue with a string of pearls around her neck. Rotich’s children, also ...

I must have the best seat in the house. Sitting by the window in Ekeberg restaurant, I can see almost all of Oslo and its inner fjord. Below, the city twinkles serenely. Snow is still frozen hard on the ground, ...

An executive at one of the world’s biggest medical cannabis companies has said he will fund treatment for a British child with epilepsy, as the NHS continues to fail to prescribe the potentially life-saving treatment. It comes as parents increasingly ...

It’s not long after lunch and the room is busy, filled with people sitting at tables laden with glasses of wine. But there’s no bawdy chat, no laughter or clinking of glasses – almost everyone is silent, tapping away at ...

MPs have expressed frustration over the NHS failure to issue prescriptions to patients in need of medicinal cannabis, despite the law being changed six months ago. In a lengthy backbench debate last night, Conservative MP Sir Mike Penning called for ...

Many of us would never dream of darkening the door of a gym when travelling for work or pleasure. Fritz Lanman isn’t one of those people. “I went to Sweat It yesterday, do you know it? Pretty tough. I landed ...

The sushi chef is working deftly, precisely slicing and arranging the prettiest creations. With a flourish and a smile, he presents a plate to me, as I wield my chopsticks greedily. It’s delicious, and the Japanese teppanyaki restaurant is inviting ...

I’m never sure quite how to handle the look of surprise people give me when I tell them I can’t swim. “But swimming is fun!” Yes, I’m sure it is. “But it’s great exercise.” I don’t doubt it. The fact ...

Breathe a sigh of relief, marketeers – there’s a brand new holiday to fill the gap between Valentine’s and Easter! Yes, it’s a good’un, and conveniently it’s aimed directly at the biggest consumer spending group out there… Women! According to ...

It has been a sad week for anyone who was a teenager in the 1990s, as the deaths of two iconic figures were announced. Depending on their coolness level, many teenagers at that time would have had a poster of ...

Alacia Elliott doesn’t fit the mould of the stereotypical fitness instructor – no bulging muscles, menacing stance or “push through the pain” mantra. But she’s made of tough stuff. And, at 88, is older than most of her clients. “When ...

It’s no surprise that the bathroom often ends up being one room in the house lacking a little bit of love. It’s the place where toiletries pile up, not to mention overflowing laundry baskets and collections of fading bath toys. ...