Daily Post

A Date with Da Vinci ; Peter Woodman Takes a Novel Trip Around Paris a Spring Trip Offers the Chance to See Da Vinci's Locations

PARIS is poised to reap huge tourist benefits from the eagerly- awaited movie release of The Da Vinci Code, based on Dan Brown's best-selling novel, which opens in Britain in mid-May. Even a few weeks before the film comes out, there is evidence of the Da Vinci factor in the French capital.

Spicy Soup ; Pepping Up a Tasty Favourite

LAST week I was cooking on Sky Food Channel's Food Uncut and I was asked to create vegetarian soup. Food Uncut seems an unusual title as it is recorded and edited, and not live, if you mess up you either bumble or bluff your way through. The more experience you have in this area the less you seem to bumble and the bluffing goes unnoticed. A good presenter will always steer away from or detract from a mistake - it's a great skill. I actually prefer live television' people ask whether I get ner...

When Mafia Calls, You Just Have to Go

Never ones to shy away from a challenge, we have our biggest ever next month when we travel to spice island Mafia, off the coast of Tanzania, to train a group of budding young chefs Our pupils are based at a small holiday lodge called Kanasi on the south-east of the island. Our challenge is to develop a group of recipes simple enough for the resident chefs to master in the short time we have with them, and which also use only local ingredients - there's no Tesco's on Mafia. Where better to te...

Take Five Product Name Here

Asda Fresh Italian egg tagliatelle, 400g, 88p Very filling, even in small mouthfuls. Mixed with a few dollops of pesto sauce, every plate was cleared.

Pregnant Women in the Uk ; I Have a Reputation for Being Totally in Control When It Comes to Men but I Haven't Always Been That Knowledgeable. After You've Been Married Five Times, Like I Have, You Do Pick Up a Bit of Know-How

PREGNANT women in the UK spend pounds 556,557,270 annually when the "nesting urge" strikes and they rush to prepare the perfect home for their new baby. More than 1000 new mothers were questioned by Trust Mark, the Government-backed scheme to help the public find reputable trades people. The survey found that 80% of new mothers in the UK renovated their home prior to their child's birth. The urge hits strongest in the second trimester, with 71% feeling the need to get the builders in at 24 we...

Hot Not

WHITE blazers. A summer wardrobe must-have. Just do not eat, drink or go near children it one. The Liverpool European Capital of Culture ad campaign. Showing off Liverpool in a quirky way.

Sun Seekers

Mark Farrell Is 32 and Lives in Aigburth with His Wife and Two Children ; Questions

Philosophy of life: Good things come to those who wait. Idea of happiness: Is to help my family achieve all its goals and for me to help this business grow.

The War in Japan

THE war against Japan began after the attack on Pearl Harbour on December 7,1941. It ended on August 15,1945, by which time atomic bombs had been dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The huge numbers of prisoners taken resulted from the early Japanese successes. Exact figures of military and civilian personnel taken are unknown, but there are estimates.

National Pub/Bar Writer of the Year

WHEN the Roscoe Head was closed for its recent pounds 120,000 refurbishment its regulars were made virtually homeless such is the respite that it offers. The great fear, however, was not that they would never be able to return but that when they did this most welcoming traditional boozer would have been transformed beyond recognition.

Late Breaks

UK/IRELAND WEST WALES: Coastal

Deal of the Week

IF YOU want to fix a ski holiday bargain for 2006/7, book it within the next four weeks - before cut-price preview programmes from specialist operators begin to expire in late-May. Says Andy Perrin, who runs family specialist Ski Esprit and sister company Total: "Around 650,000 people book ski holidays through an operator each year, and about 20% of them are ready to commit themselves at this early stage.

John Dempsey On Country Matters ...

EUREKA! I've finally found a way of tackling booming beatboxes in cars that send shockwaves rippling through the summer air. I'm not against loud music, but don't always feel like sharing the latest Urban House Monster Classics Vol 4 at traffic lights with vehicles 30 feet in front of me - so it's time to fight fire with fire, or rather, fight "Firestarter" with firecrest.

What's It Worth?

Q. Can you please give me any future information regarding my enclosed photographs. I would like to know how old the vase is, country of origin and value? The teapot was given to me by my grandmother. A. These racing car teapots were made by many companies, the most famous being the Sadler factory. It is Art Deco style and teh registration should read OK T42. There are a lot of reproductions about but if it is an original and is the right colour (bright yellow/lime green) it could bring pound...

Online Competition Gets Tough

IS AUCTION monolith eBay running scared? Word has it that the company's bean counters are in discussion with potential partners such as Yahoo! and Microsoft looking to slow down the growth of Google, who have launched a free "classified sales" site called Google Base and Google Wallet for slick online sale transactions. Now eBay have launched a new site that sells goods only at a fixed price. Unlike its auctions which are open to all sellers, eBay Express (www.ebayexpress.com) is reserved for...

Bite the Bullet

Plant of the Week: Lily-of-the-Valley (Convallaria

THESE richly-scented perennials can fill a room with fragrance when the small white flowers are cut, but will soon make a rich green carpet when planted in moist shade, in humus-rich soil, even under deciduous trees. It flowers in April and May However, do beware that once you have planted lily-of-the-valley in your garden, if it likes the conditions then you are unlikely to ever be rid of it.

Spring Clean Time

IT'S time to perk up your patio for summer - and TV garden presenter Robbie Honey has a few ideas to help you do it. Honey, who trained in horticulture, photography and interior design and is presenting a new series of makeover show Nice House Shame About The Garden on Five from Friday April 28, says the first thing to do is give your patio a really good clean, along with all your patio furniture.

True Country Life Style ; Sue Kelbrick Finds Tradition and Style in Rural Cheshire

NEWBOLD is a stunning property that has come onto the market for the first time in well over a hundred years. Approached along a quarter mile long, tree lined drive, the house - with a guide price of pounds 2m - stands in 29 acres of wooded grounds and gardens near Chester, with unrivalled views.

Six of the Best

Waterloo, pounds 329,950 SITUATED near the sea front, this spacious Edwardian semi- detached property boasts a number of original features and offers spacious family accommodation.