Welcome to our new wine column by Paula Goddard, writer, speaker, wine-tasting tutor and long-time champion of the greatest grapes on the planet.

 Despite the rising cost of living, it seems that we Brits still have an unstoppable love affair with horses.  In fact there are 50% more people riding now than in 1999, but sadly, the number of horse welfare concerns investigated by the charity World Horse Welfare are soaring at an even faster rate - which is why the charity is keen to ensure that people are aware of the costs and responsibilities involved before they decide to buy a horse.

For millions of the UK's cat lovers, the forthcoming Rescue Cat Awards 2008 on Friday 1st August will be as significant as the European Cup or Wimbledon. For what has been dubbed the "Feline Oscars", our little furry friends and their owners will be battling it out for one of the top titles in the playing-field of real-life survival, bravery, best friend and heroism.

Rising petrol prices are having a significant impact on older drivers as thousands are at risk of being cut off and isolated, according to new research published today by Intune Motor Insurance. Many others are having to cut back their spending on other items to keep themselves mobile.

I would like to bring to the attention of your readers some of the implications of the changes in Vehicle Excise Duty proposed for next year relating to cars from 2001 onwards with automatic transmissions.

The subtitle of Mary Rogers' delightfully funny yet practical book "How To Be A Merry Widow" is "Life after death for the older lady" - but her words could apply equally to men or women who suddenly find themselves living on their own later in life. Written with candour in a deeply personal style, chapters include 'Farewell Loneliness', 'Someone For The Weekend, Madam?', 'Moving On' and the all-important ability to say 'No'.

For many months Mature Times' readers have been commenting on the use, abuse and availability of Blue Badges. Meanwhile, the Commons Transport Committee admitted today that the award of blue badges had become a "postcode lottery", and that the adherence by local councils to Blue Badge operating guidelines was "patchy". They have therefore called for a review of the eligibility criteria to take in a wider range of people with mobility difficulties.