Sunday Sun

Cover Star ; Vauxhall Astra Pounds 20,850 Gtc 1.4 Turbo

ALL car-makers are reducing the size of their engines and adding turbochargers to get the same amount of power, because this gives lower emissions and better economy, sometimes with improved performance. I've been driving Vauxhall's latest Astra GTC coupe with a 1.4 turbo and it's a beauty, with decent acceleration and excellent roadholding.

Review ; Chevrolet Cruze Pounds 17,800

I MISS the long journeys I used to do regularly ... looking up a route and finding ways around the hold-ups. And I still come back a different way every time as you never know what you'll see. So it was in the Chevrolet Cruze turbo diesel recently. I could have done a 150-mile return trip via the motorway and major roads.

Review ; Kia Cee'd Pounds 16,000

KIA cars have improved beyond all recognition recently and they are now on a par with the best that Europe and Japan can produce. The new cee'd will probably drive just as well as the class- leading Golf or max-selling Focus, but it is likely to be pounds 2,000 cheaper than the Ford and up to pounds 4,000 cheaper than the VW.

Used Car ; Fiat 500 1.2 From Pounds 6,300

WHILE everyone has been admiring the latest Fiat 500L five-door estate, I thought it was time to check out buying the little three- door hatch secondhand. Here we have Fiat going back to its roots with two and fourcylinder cylinder engines in a tiny body that is really only a three-seater if we are talking about adults or big children.

Pick of the Day

Pick of the Day

Pick of the Day

Pick of the Day

Pick of the Day

Horoscopes

HOROSCOPES with PATRICK ARUNDELL ARIES (Mar 21-Apr 20) Simmering tension over shared or financial concerns could see a few home truths exchanged, especially midweek. Another key relationship can become more established. MORE INFO: 0904 470 0761 TAURUS (Apr 21-May 21) You can find yourself on a mission, and that single-minded side of your nature can come to the fore. This could be seen as a weakness. Extra sensitivity on your part is called for.

7 to Lust After Chelsea Flower Show

7 Family Outings

OUSEBURN: has a lot to offer: The quirky, arty valley of Ouseburn in Newcastle is becoming a hub for family friendly activity. With its soaring brick archways and curling river, it feels quite magical. Start with a visit to Seven Stories centre for children's books, and let the fairytale vibe build as you meet favourite storybook characters. Ouseburn Farm is a green oasis filled with chickens, goats and bunnies and is free to visit. It also costs nothing to view a riding class at Stepney Bank...

Nancy Dell'olio ; Personality of the Week

The Italian lawyer and former partner of Sven-Goran Eriksson talks about the importance of bathroom etiquette, Strictly Come Dancing, and why she wasn't prepared for fame. You've written a bathroom etiquette guide for Domestos - why is good etiquette so important?: For me, the bathroom is one of the most important rooms. The thing that surprised me about the research done by Domestos and the Royal Society for Public Health is it showed 86% of women wouldn't date a man with a dirty toilet - I ...

Pick of the Week

GIG: This Tuesday sees New Order arrive at Newcastle's O2 Academy on their first UK tour for six years to entertain teens of the 80s and the other fans they may have recruited along the way. Their eclectic sound was the inspiration for so many others, so whether it's going to be your first or 40th time seeing the group, they will provide something astounding. FILM: Another visionary delight from the mind of Tim Burton hits the big screen this Friday. Dark Shadows, starring the usual suspects ...

My Perfect Weekend

JOHN SMITH, founder and director of the Grinning Idiot Comedy Club, runs regular gigs across the North, as well as the Newcastle Gateshead Comedy Festival. Visit www.thegrinningidiot.com WAKING up early on Saturday, after a night of sobriety, I devour toast smothered in honey and watch the news. It's going to be a beautiful day, so I cycle along the banks of the Tyne, up towards Wylam along the Hadrian's Way cycle path.

Contents

Polish Up Your Nails ; Tried & Tested

This week KATHARINE CAPOCCI road-tests a Jessica gel nails manicure at Beauty Retreat, John Lewis, Newcastle. Presented with the multi-coloured array of Jessica gel polishes on offer at John Lewis is like being a kid in the proverbial sweet shop. With 80 different colours at your fingertips, from dark jewel shades and pretty pastels to neons and nudes, you really can find yourself spoiled for choice. Failing that, there's always a classic French if you can't make up your mind.

A Taste of Little Italy ; Recipes

ANTONIO Carluccio is not such a greedy Italian these days. Although still portly, the avuncular chef has shed more than three stone in recent years, and puts it down to only eating half of what's on his plate. "It's not about the diet, it's attitude," he says, carefully slicing through a rasher of bacon but only occasionally taking a mouthful.

Lion's Share Is Top-Notch ; Scran

THE Lion & Lamb is a traditional, olde-worlde kind of country pub Mrs E and I have visited a few times over the years. It's the sort of welcoming hostelry that appeals in different ways in summer and winter.

Hope for Health in the Reds ; Drink

THIS week I take my first tentative steps back into wine-as-the- elixir-of-life debate. Over the years, with a huge amount of self interest, I have sought reports from around the world to ease my concern about the amount of bottles of wine I drink and the harm they are possibly doing.