A couple of weeks ago, while she was visiting Northern Ireland, the Queen popped on to the set of Game of Thrones to cast a professional eye over the Iron Throne to see if it was cooler than her throne.

Not even the winter cold can take the heat out of the inner city’s temperature, as Paul Lewis discovers during a three-venue dinner around watching a luncheon play.

The stars and the quieter achievers of the sporting world alike step it up for the challenge of the Commonwealth Games. Suzanne McFadden meets six of our top athletes heading to Glasgow.

Never having been to Hanoi, I might be mistaken. But I suspect the similarities between eating at a street food stall in Vietnam and dining in a Grey Lynn cafe on a cold Auckland winter’s Sunday night are not striking.

Ursula Le Guin’s long career has traversed many worlds, within which she is still uncovering more, writes David Larsen.

A utilitarian staple gets a makeover. No scooter required.

When her daughter was diagnosed with a life-threatening peanut allergy, Kiwi mum Lydia Monin turned her home into a nut-free zone. But life outside is a never-ending risk assessment, she says.

Talk about your quintessential First World dilemma.

Despite the many outerwear choices this season from trench coats to sporty anoraks, the utilitarian roots of the parka continue to inspire, with several updated versions offered in a range of unexpected colours and fabrics.

Getting to try newly released wines is never a chore, nor is it taken for granted. I sample them all so you don’t have to…trust me; we’ve never had it so good…for example.

Gusto Italiano is one of those restaurants that makes you feel great the moment you walk through the door. It's light, warm, reasonably

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that every woman, no matter how successful, must be in want of a husband and family to feel complete.

There is nothing like the sight of a man, mere seconds ago a formidable athlete, now rolling around on the ground in agony because someone touched his shirt to tell you that the football/soccer World Cup is upon us.

The internet of things is coming and when it arrives it can beeping well shut up, writes Greg Dixon.

Wrap up this winter with a styling trick worth getting out of bed for.

becoming an octogenarian has only ramped up Jane Goodall’s globe-trekking schedule, because there’s far too much to be done to pause for a breather.

A mid-length skirt and a soft blouse are a match made in heaven.

It’s almost a decade since TV3 decided to take on TV One at 7pm with a daily current affairs show. To celebrate Campbell Live’s 10th year, Greg Dixon talks to John Campbell.

Most of what you need to know about Stephen King you could learn from his sex scenes.

British writer Nicola Barker retreats into a self-indulgent solitude when she is working, she tells James Kidd.

Ned Beauman’s new novel, Glow, is being touted as an international conspiracy thriller for a new generation, writes Stephen Jewell.

I caught this road safety ad on television the other day, which seemed to be urging people not to watch YouTube videos while they drive.