So, who has given up something for Lent? In the days before Veganuary, Dry January, Stoptober etc, the only time of the year when people tended to forgo nice things was Lent. Of course, this six-and-a-half week period before Easter was originally a Christian tradition involving fasting. But like many things it has become commercialised […]

No doubt many of you are observing Dry January. Hands up though how many of you drank in the early hours of 1st January? I know I did, so let’s say, for the sake of argument that Dry January begins on 2nd January. Agreed? That leaves us all, at the time of writing, ten days […]

Put out the bunting, it’s International Beer Day on Sunday (5th August). Do you know that in 2011 an American journalist decided to abstain from solid food for Lent and drank nothing but beer and water for 46 days? He wanted to see if he could emulate German monks of the 16th century who supposedly […]