It’s 10.30am on the first Monday in August and Histon Recreation Ground, home to the Cambridgeshire village’s facilities for tennis, bowls, cricket and football, is looking barren. Today’s forecast was originally predicted as 26 degrees with cloud cover, but it has shifted overnight and now the dusty, yellowed sports field is once again baking in full sunshine. The few residents there to exercise are already sweating and sheltering in the shade while they still can.
Histon, a small village in North Cambridge, was voted one of the best places to live in Cambridgeshire by Muddy Stilettos in 2025, with 1,300 people making the move from London every year. But as of the end of July, Histon is also the bearer of a very 2026 accolade: the driest village in the UK.
According to the Cambridgeshire weather station, located at the National Institute of Agricultural Botany on the outskirts of Histon, the area has recorded 203.6 mm of rainfall since 1 January this year – beating out Shoeburyness in Essex (216.2mm) and Weybourne in Norfolk (219.2mm).
It’s no wonder then that last week, Cambridgeshire was one of the seven regions across the country declared to be in drought by the Environment Agency. And getting through every day of this historically hot and dry summer has become something of an endurance sport itself, especially for the population’s most vulnerable.
Sally Smith manages the Older People’s Team for the local charity HI Friends, which provides services and activities for local residents of all ages. One of the charity’s focuses is to support older people by reducing isolation and keeping them active with seated fitness classes, lunch clubs, and weekly shopping trips. But as she explains, the heat directly limits their ability to do that.
“We have people who are mostly in their 80s and 90s and a few who are 100, and they are very at risk from extreme heat. But the knock-on effect of us cancelling activities like Lunch Club is that their isolation increases and they really miss their activities and their friends.”
Isolation can seriously affect the physical and mental wellbeing of older people, but avoiding it in such conditions is difficult, she adds: “The forecast seems to change hourly – the temperature is spiking again and there were suggestions it might reach 34 today [it topped at 31] – we’d have had to cancel. It’s luckily not that extreme so we’re okay to keep going – for now.”
“It’s affected all aspects of the community,” Neil Davies, parish councillor and charity manager for HI Friends agrees, “and we’ve seen a real reluctance and a concern from our older residents not to go out of the comfort of their homes.”
“We’re going to have to plan for heatwaves in the future and have air conditioning as far as we can,” he adds. “Life’s not going to be the same again.”
Inside the centre on Monday, 12 residents braved the heat for their Stronger4Longer class hosted in the one room with air conditioning. Residents tell me they’re simply biding their time to get through it. Elaine Blackburn, 87, says “we all just go to sleep in the afternoon and flop on the sofa”. Barbara Nye, 97, agrees: “The heat has sapped all my energy – nothing is growing in my garden.”
Conversation, inevitably, turns to the heatwave of 1976 as a comparison point. “But even if it was as hot, it affects us much more these days,” adds Joan Goss, 92. This is not just because this group of people are elderly – while the high temperatures in the summer of 1976 were more persistent, 2026 has seen far more short and intense bursts of heat.
Are you having as much sex as everyone else?
It’s natural for libido to wax and wane due to life events, dating status or hormonal changes.
And it can be hard to say what a “normal” sexual frequency is. But research and case studies give us a rough idea.
The statistics
When it happens
61%
A 2023 survey concluded that almost two thirds (61 per cent) of us wait until night-time to have sex.
Only 14 per cent opt to get busy in the early evening, and 10 per cent in the morning.
Research from 2019 suggests that the average number of times British live-in or married couples have sex per month is three.
Are Gen Z having less sex than older people?
I see my partner on the weekends and have sex with others in the week.
Leanne, a 27-year-old influencer from Bristol has sex three or four times a week, but only sees her long-distance partner on the weekends. They have agreed they can both sleep with other people during the week.
35-year-old Rebecca usually sleeps with her partner once or twice per week due to not having much child-free time.
Clare, 32, says her job is busy and she has to schedule sex with her partner on weekends, or some afternoons twice a month. “Occasionally this slips and I do worry that it makes us not as connected,” she says.
I haven’t had the issue of my sex life drying up with menopause. I’m more aroused now.
I’ve been married for 15 years. I love my husband, but our sex life is non-existent, and has been for about five years.
I’m not really motivated to seek out partners; I vaguely like the idea of it but not enough to take any action.
I’ve been married for 20 years and sex has become something of a rarity. We maybe have sex once a week on a Sunday morning as we’re both relaxed and I can take Viagra late on Saturday night – without it, I can’t perform.
JACK, 63, OFFICE WORKER, KENT
The seven rules that could save your marriage
Keep your sense of self
I did what I thought I was supposed to do and forgot my needs and wants. I think it’s really important that you’re an individual and not just a person who is married.
KATIE STRATFORD*, A 55-YEAR-OLD MUM OF TWO, WHO DIVORCED ATER 19 YEARS
Seven rules to save your marriage
The small things
Small things, like being brought a cup of tea or saying thank you, make a big difference.
Karen Deulofeu, who ended her six-year marriage, believes all couples should seek support, even before they think they need it.
Listen properly by repeating what you have heard and ask if you’ve got that right.
Don’t lose communication
People don’t talk about the deep issues; nobody else is going to do it for you. You don’t want to ask questions because it might rock the boat…you have to keep talking, and talk about what it is that you want within the relationship to keep going forward.
KATIE STRATFORD
Seven rules to save your marriage
Remember that things change
“What you see on social media and what friends say is quite often the nice version. Everything is a phase,” says Deulofeu.
Look at yourself first
“Focus on what’s in your control and what you can do differently, rather than the other person or a situation that you can’t control. Invest in understanding yourself,” she adds.
There are things that all mid-life men should know about keeping their hearts healthy.
From eating more purple fruit to avoiding large bowls of pasta, consultant cardiologist Dr Zoe Astroulakis [below] shares her simple lifestyle habits she wishes her patients would take on board.
Positive changes to make
Swap ‘bad’ fats for healthy ones
You don’t need to eat a fat-free diet; the key is to reduce your saturated fat. Reduce your dairy and swap your red meat for lean meat such as chicken and oily fish.
Control your portions
You don’t need more carbohydrates in a meal than you can fit in your hand. Enormous plates of pasta can cause blood sugar spikes, which can lead to health problems.
Positive changes to make
Look for purple
Blueberries, black grapes and aubergines are great for boosting “good” cholesterol.
Have oats
Porridge is one of the healthiest breakfast options because it’s full of soluble fibre.
Stop taking cocaine
It can provoke a massive heart attack, even in younger people who don’t have existing artery problems.
Stay below the alcohol limit
- The NHS guidelines of 14 units per week is still more than 1,000 additional calories.
- The safest level to aim for is zero.
- If you’re drinking, make sure you have some alcohol-free days each week and space it out.
5 min read
Positive changes to make
Do cardio too
Don’t only focus on lifting weights. It might make you look toned, but it says nothing about the health of your heart.
Check your levels
You can get free blood pressure checks in many pharmacies or you can buy a monitor for around £30 to use at home.
Avoid night shifts
It disrupts the body’s circadian rhythm and can lead to increased cholesterol.
A sign to look out for
A beer belly is a sign you need to make urgent changes
It’s usually a sign you’re drinking too much. By the time your belly starts to bulge, it’s a sign that you’re consuming excess calories and storing too much fat internally.
3 min read
Want a new career but worried it’s too late?
Mid-life is not too late to start again, says experienced recruiter Elizabeth Willetts [below].
Here, Willetts shares the best jobs to switch to during midlife if you want a change – without sacrificing pay.
Changing careers in your fifties
Mid-life career pivots can lead to higher earnings.
7.4%
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, workers aged 45 to 54 who voluntarily pivot jobs see an average wage growth of 7.4 per cent.
3.5%
And those aged 55 to 64 still see a 3.5 per
cent increase.
The AARP Global Employee Survey also found that over half of workers who changed jobs voluntarily experienced improvements in work flexibility and mental health.
So what job options are there?
Virtual assistant
As a virtual assistant your workload will be very varied and it could be anything from tidying inboxes, booking travel, sending invoices or updating spreadsheets.
You can start out earning around £20 to £35 an hour, but it can scale into agency work, launch support or even project management. Some earn very well.
What it involves
You will source, screen and interview candidates to match them with the right job roles.
Who it’s for
You don’t need any qualifications but it’s suited to communicators and commercially-minded people.
The pay
The salary van vary from £25 to £50k, but you can earn around £100k depending on commission.
Jobs to switch to in your fifties
Estate agent
It offers flexible hours and weekend staff can earn £15 per hour.
This form of coaching for businesses could earn around £250 to £1,000 per day.
In the lower end, a sales rep can make £30k and on the higher end £50-60k, plus commission.
Why coaching is a good option
Coaching is incredibly varied and can be anything from career coaching, to confidence and leadership coaching.
- As it is an unregulated industry, you don’t need qualifications but the more reputable option is the International Coaching Federation.
- It’s a great career option for older people because clients genuinely value your wealth of life experience.
- It’s flexible, scalable, and you can start doing it part-time alongside another role.
- It could make you anything from £200 an hour, all the way up to £500 p/h+.
This can be across HR, operations, marketing, finance, people strategy or project management, as it’s varied.
Price on value, not hours – if your advice saves a client £200k, charging £150 an hour undersells what you’re worth.
Do some foods leave
you feeling hungry rather than satiated? Experts say there are…
Foods that leave you hungrier
A bowl of cereal and glass of orange juice
More refined cereals are digested quickly, and fruit juice, whilst one of your five-a-day, contains less fibre than whole fruit. This might mean you find yourself hungry again within 1-2 hours of eating this breakfast.
Swap the orange juice for a whole orange, the cereal for oats and milk or serve it with Greek yoghurt or a boiled egg. This would increase the fibre and protein content; two nutrients strongly linked with fullness.
Foods that leave you hungrier
These pastries are made primarily from refined flour and butter, and are relatively low in protein and fibre.
Toast and jam
Shop-bought packs can contain a lot of white rice, which is digested quickly, and the protein content is often modest.
Foods that leave you hungrier
Vegetable soup
On its own, it is often very low in protein and calories, so hunger can return quickly.
Unless it’s loaded with veggies, it’s probably pretty low in fibre.
Liquids are generally less filling as they require little chewing which may not trigger satiety signals.
Foods that leave you hungrier
Snack bars
They are ideal for a quick pick-me-up, but if reducing hunger is what you’re after, it’d be better to swap it out.
Low-fat yoghurt
A full-fat plain Greek yoghurt with berries and seeds tends to be much more filling due to the protein, fat and fibre.
On an empty stomach, it can actually increase your appetite.
What to eat instead
Instead of thinking about avoiding foods, think about what you can add to them.
- Add beans, lentils or shredded chicken to your vegetable soup and pasta.
- Thicken your smoothies with Greek yoghurt, chia seeds and oats.
- Apple slices with peanut butter, yogurt with berries and hummus with oat biscuits are better snack options than a pre-made snack bar.
- Have alcohol alongside a balanced meal containing protein and fibre.
How to age well
without pain
Will Harlow, a physiotherapist
for the over-50s and author of Independence for Life, shares
the key signs you’re ageing
badly – and what to do about it.
How to know
Ageing well is maintaining the ability to do what you want you want for as long as you want without needing help. Everyone is talking about longevity but what’s the point in living longer if the last decade is painful and you’re [totally] reliant on people?”
The signs to look out for
- The most obvious early warning sign of bad ageing is pain says Harlow.
- Another is losing confidence in doing daily tasks, which can quickly lead to a lack of independence.
- One call Harlow often receives is people calling after having a fall and struggling to get up.
4 min read
How to age without pain
Not just stopping
When people retire, they often put their feet up and stop. Your body really is use it or lose it.
Throughout our entire lives, Harlow says we need between seven and nine hours of sleep.
Social isolation
The lack of connection can increase the risk of premature death by
as much as 29 per cent.
Strength training
It really is the proxy for
overall independence.
The more muscle mass you have, the less chance of heart disease, diabetes, falls and even anxiety, depression and dementia.
The brain can be linked to muscle mass too, Harlow says. It’s not just about being able to lift things. It gives you more energy, better sleep and you’ll look and feel better.
How to age without pain
Daily habits
Do short bursts of exercise, between 30 and 60 seconds, in otherwise dead time during the day.
Stretch in bed
Take joints through a full range of motion for five minutes to loosen it before getting up.
Don’t crash diet
How to age without pain
Harlow advises 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight to stop muscle loss alongside resistance training.
Don’t wait
Harlow finds that many patients put off making a change to their lifestyle until their lives are consumed by pain.
For most people, it’s about reducing the number of times per week you’re exercising, not reducing intensity.
The three ageing tests to do
- Lie completely flat on the floor and get back up to a standing position using any technique. This should take less than 10 seconds.
See how many times you can sit on the chair and stand back up again in 30 seconds. Men should be aiming for more than 14 times and women 12.
The single-leg stand, which involves standing on one leg and balancing for 10 seconds. Everyone should be able to do that and for those under 65, Harlow asks them to do it with their eyes closed.
Despite the job market hiring fewer entry-level roles, employers are still looking for grads…
But you should be prepared to keep an open mind.
We’ve compiled the sectors hiring graduate roles, what degree is required, and what they pay.
The degrees to choose for a career
Hiring in the UK could
finally be on the up
47%
of employers offered entry-level
positions from July.
That is up nearly 15 per cent from the same period last year.
700,000
But graduate unemployment rose to six per cent in 2025 and 700,000 jobless graduates were claiming benefits.
Finance and insurance
- Around 42 per cent of UK finance and insurance employers say they will be open to graduate roles this summer.
- Business loan company Portman Finance Group has taken on 50 graduates over the past four years.
Portman graduates start on £36,000 for the two-year programme and the education you need to apply is a minimum “ABB” of A-levels, and a 2:1 or above university degree. But not in a specific subject.
Trade and logistics
What makes it particularly rewarding is that there’s always something to learn.
Nearly half (47 per cent) of trade and logistics companies will be giving graduates a go this year.
Salaries start at £30,000 with an uncapped bonus, rising to £50,000 plus a company car as a senior account partner.
Technology and IT
More than half (52 per cent) of UK tech and IT firms are actively looking for graduates.
Successful entry-level candidates can earn a basic salary of up to £35,000, with the opportunity to triple that within their first three years of working.
4 min read
Public sector, health
and social services
46 per cent of public sector, health and social services organisations are also ready to take graduates, according to a survey by Manpower.
- For example, Police Now runs a graduate programme into policing. They recruit graduates from any degree field, as long as they achieve a 2:2 or above. Starting salaries range from £31,164 to £42,210 depending on location and rising each year.
Can we treat guests without blowing our budget?
According to Waitrose, a dinner party revival is underway led by younger people trying to reduce the cost of getting together.
Always have bread
People will feast on the
ELLA RISBRIDGER, AUTHOR OF THE KITCHEN BOOK – GOOD FOOD FOR EVERY DAY
bread, and then need less fish/steak/expensive whatever. All small plates restaurants know this: this is why the first thing on the menu is always artisan bread and butter.
Use vegetables as centrepieces
Add pantry items
Graham’s recipes include a braised cabbage with a preserved lemon sauce, a roast cauliflower with saffron, and harrisa roast carrots with mango labneh.
How to host on a budget
Improve the everyday
Guests will always appreciate a stellar interpretation of the ordinary. Think lasagna or curry.
Cooking dinner for your guests is spoiling them – you’re being generous with your time, your effort, and your home. So don’t feel the need to go overboard elsewhere.
Ask for help
Ask friends to bring a contribution, be it a nibble or a pudding.
Big platter energy
[Presentation] can be the key to elevating something . Spaghetti and tomato sauce suddenly looks like a feast when tumbled on a lovely big plate, dressed with olive oil and parmesan and placed in the middle of the table.
Food writer and editor Eleanor Steafel
How to host on a budget
Taco party
Have one expensive filling, like shredded chicken, and two cheaper options, like refried beans, says Ella Risbridger.
Shop-bought ice cream is so easily zhuzhed up with the help of handy toppings, says Eleanor Steafel.
The humidity, and therefore the ability to cope with the heat, is much worse this time around, as per the Met Office‘s analysis: “Unlike in 1976, where the air was generally drier, the 2026 heat developed from air originating over the Atlantic… As a result, even where peak air temperatures were comparable, the perceived heat and associated health risks were often greater.”
While the grounds are technically still usable, there are concerns about the impact that the hosepipe ban will have on future usability. “The Recreation ground has had to adapt for its sporting fixtures, we are only watering the areas that would cause a health and safety issue,” a staff rep from the Histon and Impington Parish Council explains – only watering the cricket wicket strip or tennis courts that have cracks emerging. “We are concerned about the upcoming football season, unless we get some persistent rain soon, as the ground as it is would not be safe to play on.”
Neil points out that there’s a bit of a tension emerging when you compare the rec centre grounds with those of private schools in the city of Cambridge (some schools are reportedly using loopholes to keep their grounds lush, despite the schools being closed for summer). But there is little they can do, especially with the hosepipe ban: “We just have to get on with it.”
Julie, a hairdresser in her 50s who’s hiding from the sun in The Red Lion, one of Histon’s six pubs, with her dad, has come up with a novel way to weather the hosepipe ban.
“It’s been quite difficult having a large garden and trying to keep it alive. Obviously all the lawns are just straw and I’d never water them, but the pots and expensive plants have got to be kept alive, which we’re having to do with water butts.” She’s been having “watering parties” where friends come round, drink wine, and water her pots over an evening.
One unanticipated side effect, she adds, has been how the increase in dust is affecting everyone’s lungs. “All the mud has turned to dust and the lawns to straw. All of us are noticing that we’re coughing quite a lot. A lot of people who have got asthma are struggling quite a lot more.”
Beyond her garden, the weather has also caused a financial hit: when the temperatures hit 35 she had seven clients cancel in one day. While other local businesses are now considering imposing cancellation fees, she’s opted not to as her clientele are largely older people. Similarly, friends of hers who work outside have taken a hit: “The impact has been really unkind and horrible to see. You don’t want to be on a roof or doing roads in 40 degrees, and everything has an impact on people’s wages.”
But she’s well aware that all this complaining is a classic British pastime. “Hey ho! We complain that we don’t get a summer, and then when we get one we’re not happy.”
One person who is tentatively happy about Histon being the driest village is Don Kelly. As chairman of the local beer festival, he’s hoping that the seven day long event which raises money for the local community will quench everyone’s thirst: “Long summer evenings are just great for attracting people out and getting people to come to the beer festival.”
It’s been a boon, too, for local tourism. Michael Watson is the owner of the recently opened private country estate with luxury suites called The Fold. He says that despite only being open a couple of months, they are far busier than they expected thanks to the weather.
“We’ve had quite a few people make the choice to not vacation abroad because they’ve heard it’s too hot and they much prefer to stay in the UK,” he says. “We’re also getting people who find London a little bit too oppressive in this hot weather, want to come to the countryside but don’t want to travel too far.” As well as supporting his business, this increase in visitors benefits the local economy: “the people staying with us are going into the village, spending time outdoors and money in pub gardens. You just want to do that more when the weather is great.”
He acknowledges that there are plenty of negatives, particularly on the surrounding agricultural areas. He describes their lawns and meadows as looking like “the African savannah” and is worried about the impact both on his ancient meadows and on the wider agriculture. For example, the wheat field next to The Fold was a very early harvest this year, meaning the ground is going to be so hard that the ability to plow and sow the next crop will be severely curtailed. “You won’t see the problem immediately, but you will see the problem next year potentially with crops not really being established, effectively putting up the price of wheat in this country.”
But in general he thinks that as a nation we should lean into the positives now this is the new normal. “We really should lean in more to this whole concept of becoming a real holiday destination for people. We’ve had so many parts of the country that would have claimed that, rundown seaside towns and so on, and I think we can get a renaissance if we really put our energy into creating that similar Mediterranean type lifestyle here in the UK.”
Laura Potts, a 35-year-old psychologist, agrees. She moved to Histon from London four years ago to have her kids and hasn’t looked back – even in the heat.
“The evenings are difficult because it takes a long time for them to go to sleep, especially the bedroom at the back of the house which is quite hot. And the hosepipe ban meant that you couldn’t use the paddling pool. But Histon is just a really nice place to live. Since coming here and having children, it’s just perfect. I couldn’t do London again, especially in the heat”.
Down the road from the rec centre, surrounded by thatched roofs and wooden benches, is an equally parched and drab village green. But if you were to stand on the bridge looking over the brook, you wouldn’t necessarily know there was a drought at all, as it is surrounded by thriving reeds and green-leaved trees. Michael, whose family has lived in the village for seven generations, explains that this is because of the plants and boxes that were installed about 30 years ago to shore it up.
It’s inspired his next steps at The Fold. “One of the things I’m planning to do is create a small pond in one of our meadows, which will be great for the environment. Just as with the village green in Histon, you have luscious growing plants around the edge of a pond even despite the drought we’re seeing.”
He explains that the installation of those plants around the brook was initially protested – people didn’t like the idea of the change. Those same voices of dissent arose more recently with the announcement of a new reservoir being built in the Fens – residents said they could just rely on other reservoirs as usual.
But the intensity and severity of this year’s heatwaves have changed locals’ tunes and encouraged a longer term view. “As a country we need to take a longer-term view and really plan ahead, like the person who planted those reeds around the brook did 30 years ago,” Michael says. “They may not have done it anticipating a drought, but we’re certainly seeing the benefits of it now.”
In Histon, more plans for the future are already underway.
“This year has been a turning point,” says Yvonne Murray, parish councillor. “We’re shaping a more structured response for the future, a clear plan that sets out when we act, how we protect people, and how we manage our environment safely. We’re responding, we’re learning, and we’re preparing for conditions like those we’ve already experienced over this year.”
In the meantime, they are looking back fondly on the last time it rained (once on the last Thursday of July) and keeping cool however they can. With another month of heat looming, residents remain grateful for their community, their air-conditioned supermarkets, and six pubs/watering holes.
As local Reverend Jenny Pathmarajah puts it: “Histon may be the driest village in Britain, but we’re determined not to become dry in spirit!”