Parul Sharma

Cayenne pepper, chilli flakes or chilli oil are presented as inexpensive natural deterrents for rats because strong chilli smells may irritate their sensitive noses. The article provides a recipe using chilli, water and washing-up liquid, along with advice to spray or scatter it near potential entry points and reapply after rain. It warns that chilli can seriously irritate children and pets and should be used with care.

Sir David Attenborough advises UK cat owners to fit bells to collars to reduce cats’ hunting success and help protect garden birds. Additional measures include keeping cats indoors at dawn and dusk, positioning bird feeders at least two metres from dense vegetation and potential jumping platforms, and using covered feeders. The advice follows claims that Britain’s estimated 10 million cats kill around 55 million birds each year.

Gardening experts recommend deep, infrequent watering rather than light daily sprinkling to help brown lawns recover from heatwaves and drought. They also advise mowing gradually at a higher setting, overseeding bare patches, waiting for dormant grass to recover naturally, and applying gentle feed or liquid seaweed only once active growth resumes. The guidance is intended to conserve water during hosepipe restrictions and avoid further stressing heat-damaged lawns.

Rising summer temperatures in the UK increase fly activity, prompting experts from Howarth Timber and deBugged to recommend a simple DIY fruit fly trap using apple cider vinegar covered with cling film or combined with washing‑up liquid and a paper funnel. They stress removing attractants such as food waste and maintaining clean bins and drains. A bottle of Aspall cider vinegar from Asda offers a low‑cost option, with essential oils or yellow sticky traps providing additional deterrence.

The article praises the historical drama The White Queen, now streaming on Channel 4, highlighting its origins in Philippa Gregory’s novels and its depiction of the Wars of the Roses. Viewers and critics describe the series as gripping, entertaining and visually impressive, with strong performances led by Rebecca Ferguson. The show’s blend of political intrigue, romance and historical storytelling has earned significant acclaim and multiple award nominations, prompting enthusiastic audience recommendations.

Experts recommend avoiding feeding wildlife, decluttering outdoor spaces and regularly rearranging garden items to deter rats, whose activity peaks in UK summers. These free preventive measures reduce shelter and food sources while exploiting rats’ fear of unfamiliar objects to discourage infestation.

Rising temperatures and prolonged heatwaves are putting British garden birds, especially robins and blackbirds, at heightened risk, prompting experts to urge gardeners to provide clean water sources such as shallow trays, ponds, or bird baths. Specialists emphasise maintaining hygiene to prevent disease spread, placing water sources safely, and avoiding pesticides and hedge trimming during nesting season. Guidance also includes offering appropriate summer foods like mealworms and suet while keeping feeders clean to reduce infection risk.

A low‑cost method for improving patchy or yellowing lawns is gaining attention as experts recommend spreading white granulated sugar to break down thatch, improve soil balance, and suppress weeds. Specialists advise applying about 450 grams per 10 square feet using a lawn spreader in dry morning conditions while warning against excessive use due to the risk of fungal growth. Retailers across the UK sell 1kg packets for just over £1, making the approach an inexpensive alternative to traditional fertilisers. Multiple gardening experts highlight sugar’s benefits for greener, thicker lawns when applied sparingly, with no more than three uses per year.

Fans of Call the Midwife are encouraged to watch The Royal, an ITV medical period drama from the early 2000s praised for its strong cast, period detail and emotional storytelling. Originally a spin-off of Heartbeat, the series evolved into its own standalone show and ran for eight seasons before ending in 2011. Viewer reviews highlight its quality writing, engaging characters and 1960s setting. The series and its short-lived contemporary spin-off, The Royal Today, remain available to stream on ITVX.

A three‑part Channel 5 period drama about the final months of Anne Boleyn’s life has received strong praise from viewers and critics, with many highlighting Jodie Turner‑Smith’s performance and the series’ compelling storytelling. Some viewers dispute her casting, but overall reception is positive, with attention to its historical setting, strong ensemble cast and high production values. All episodes are available on Channel 5 and major streaming platforms.

Gardeners are advised to cut back early flowering perennials in July to ensure renewed growth and vibrant blooms in autumn. Monty Don highlights additional seasonal tasks, including managing vegetable beds, preparing soft fruit, cutting hedges once birds have fledged and properly clearing wildflower meadows to support next year’s growth.

A recommendation of the BBC political‑crime thriller Bodyguard highlights its strong critical and audience reception, praising its tense storytelling, standout performances—especially Richard Madden’s Golden Globe‑winning role—and its high ratings and award nominations. The series follows war veteran David Budd as he protects a controversial home secretary while battling PTSD. Reviewers describe the show as intense, compelling, and binge‑worthy, and it is now streaming on Netflix.

Rising temperatures and an ongoing UK heatwave are putting garden bird populations under strain, with experts warning that many species already face long-term decline. Bird specialists urge gardeners to provide shallow water sources and maintain good hygiene to prevent disease in hot weather. Additional guidance recommends offering high-energy foods in summer, avoiding peanuts and seeds during breeding months, and keeping feeders clean to reduce the spread of illness.

Time, the BBC’s acclaimed anthology crime drama created by Jimmy McGovern, is celebrated by critics and viewers as one of the best British TV dramas ever made. Both seasons explore life inside the British prison system and feature high‑profile casts including Sean Bean, Stephen Graham, Jodie Whittaker and Bella Ramsey. The series earned major accolades, including a BAFTA for Best Mini-Series and a Best Actor award for Bean, and maintains a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. A third season featuring David Tennant and Siobhan Finneran is in development, and the series is currently available on BBC iPlayer.

Viewers and critics have strongly praised the British Nordic noir series Marcella, highlighting its dark storytelling, compelling character development and standout performance by Anna Friel. The show is recommended as an ideal successor for fans of Luther and similar crime dramas, with multiple reviews celebrating its intensity, plot twists and increasingly strong seasons. All three series are available to stream on ITVX and Netflix.

A highly praised but underrated period drama, The Mill, is recommended for fans of series like Call the Midwife. Set in the 1830s and based on real stories from Quarry Bank Mill, the show explores themes of child labour, workers’ rights and social conditions during the Industrial Revolution. Viewers commend its authenticity, acting and storytelling, though many express disappointment over Channel 4’s cancellation of the series after two seasons. It is available to stream on Channel 4 and Amazon Prime Video.

Former EastEnders actress Sian Blake and her two young sons were murdered in 2015 by her partner Arthur Simpson-Kent, who killed them with an axe before burying their bodies in their garden and attempting to cover up the crime. Blake had recently been diagnosed with motor neurone disease and was preparing to leave the relationship. Simpson-Kent fled to Ghana after the murders but was later arrested, extradited to the UK and sentenced to a whole life order after admitting all three killings. The case was described by investigators as one of the most disturbing of their careers.

Monty Don urges UK gardeners to act against July potato blight, noting that warm and humid conditions make outbreaks increasingly common. He recommends growing first early varieties, removing infected foliage immediately, and ensuring good soil cover to save crops. Additional defences include choosing blight-resistant varieties such as Sarpo Mira, Cara and Setanta, improving plant spacing and airflow, practising crop rotation, and applying protective fungicide from June in damp weather.

Experts urge UK gardeners to leave fresh water in shallow trays or ponds to help robins, blackbirds and other birds cope with heatwave conditions, as water scarcity and disease risk rise in summer. Wildlife specialists stress regular cleaning of bird baths to prevent pathogens from spreading in warm weather. Guidance from the RHS, Gardeners' World and the RSPB highlights the importance of high‑energy foods, limited use of seeds and peanuts, and maintaining clean feeders to support birds during breeding season and extended hot, dry spells.

Monty Don advises gardeners to avoid adding grain to bird feeders because it attracts rats, squirrels, pigeons and sparrows rather than the desired bird species. He recommends a homemade mixture of sunflower seeds, peanut pieces, suet pellets, dried mealworms and niger seed, and describes how he positions feeders in his Longmeadow garden. He warns gardeners to stay alert for sparrowhawks and highlights the importance of supplementing natural food sources as seasons change, noting that high‑calorie options such as seeds, nuts, fat and certain leftovers benefit birds most.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, adapted from Holly Jackson’s novels, is celebrated as an addictive and compelling BBC crime thriller drawing strong comparisons to Sherlock. Starring Emma Myers and Zain Iqbal, the series has earned significant praise for its performances, fast‑paced mystery and binge‑worthy storytelling. With two seasons released and a third completed for a 2027 debut, viewers and critics alike commend its suspense, character depth and faithful adaptation. The show, filmed in Somerset and Bristol, is available on BBC iPlayer and Netflix.

A British crime drama, The Tower, streaming free on ITVX, is receiving strong acclaim from critics and viewers who describe it as a compelling blend of Line of Duty and Unforgotten. The series, adapted by Patrick Harbinson from Kate London’s Metropolitan Police novels, follows Detective Sarah Collins, played by Gemma Whelan, whose performance has drawn significant praise. With a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating and enthusiastic audience reviews, the show is celebrated for its acting, pacing, ethical complexity and binge‑worthy storytelling across its three seasons.

Viewers are praising Home Fires, a WW2-era drama based on Julie Summers’ book and created by Simon Block, which follows women in a rural Cheshire village during the war. Despite airing in 2015 and being cancelled by ITV after two series, it continues to earn strong acclaim for its performances, storytelling and portrayal of the Women's Institute, achieving a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating. Fans express frustration over its cancellation while celebrating its availability to stream for free on Channel 4 and UKTV.

Viewers have rediscovered the period drama Home Fires, praising its cast and storytelling while expressing frustration over ITV’s 2016 cancellation. Inspired by Julie Summers’ book and set in rural Cheshire during World War II, the series follows members of the Women’s Institute and is now available to stream free on Channel 4 and UKTV. Audience reviews highlight the show's emotional impact and enduring popularity, with many still hoping for its continuation.

A wave of viewer and critic praise has elevated the 2013 war film Lone Survivor, now streaming on Netflix, with many calling it the best war drama since Saving Private Ryan and Black Hawk Down. Featuring Mark Wahlberg and based on Marcus Luttrell’s real-life account of Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan, the film is commended for authenticity, emotional impact, and intense combat realism. Reviewers highlight its strong performances, technical accuracy aided by Navy SEAL consultants, box-office success, and Oscar-nominated sound work. Fans describe it as visceral, heartbreaking, and deeply respectful of military sacrifice, contributing to its strong audience approval rating.