Romania was always considered one of the worst of ex-Communist Europe’s backwaters, and as far as its young are concerned, it still is. But as Western Europe becomes mired in ever-deepening economic failure, the elegant, sustainable-living models that that country’s traditions have honed over generations are starting to come into their own

2011 was a year of revolution. The Arab Spring was followed by a summer of protests across Southern Europe, with the Occupy movement emerging in the US in the autumn. Beginning with Occupy Wall Street in New York, camps sprang up in dozens of countries and hundreds of cities and towns – 600 in the US alone

James and mate-turned-business-partner Ian run a bamboo bicycle-building workshop in East London. From everything James says and does it’s clear that for him, this is more for pleasure than business

It’s easy to see why residents of Highgate, North London so often pop into 20th Century Quarters to see Rob, owner and manager of the café-come-antique furniture shop, just for a chat. Friendly, relaxed and passionate about his small business, Robert Moir clearly has no problem making conversation with strangers

Written with tourism industry professsionals in mind, this book is equally useful for anyone wanting a deeper understanding of how to be a better traveller. Through perceptive anecdotes and thought-provoking scenarios it offers a brilliant insight into the complex impacts of tourism today and how we can make it more responsible

Visiting the Faroe Islands is like setting foot in a fairy-tale. With ninth-century grass-roofed buildings, legends of elves and trolls living in the hills and sparsely inhabited green islands dotted like flecks from a master’s paintbrush on the glittering sea, these lands are transporting in the extreme

Serena Brabazon is a woman with a vision. It is a vision to reclaim a part of the Irish landscape that has been destroyed by poor planning regulations and have resulted in over 600 ‘ghost housing estates’ lying derelict across the country

As part of the Nour Festival of Light, a celebration of arts from the Middle East and North Africa, a little bit of Baghdad was recreated on a rainy winter night in west London. Sublime was invited by Lamees Ibrahim, author of The Iraqi Cookbook, to enjoy a unique Iraqi food showcase

Practical ways to preserve well-loved clothes and the home

‘Some people will always tell you that what you are trying to accomplish is impossible; those people have no idea what they’re talking about,’ says Frosty Hesson, surf legend and first-time author of Making Mavericks