Esther Addley is senior news writer at the Guardian
May 2026
The Saturday read
The pothole puzzle: the bumpy ride to fixing Britain’s broken roads
Councils fix a pothole every 17 seconds – but getting on top of the repair backlog would cost £18.6bn. Why is it so hard to solve a problem that drives the nation crazy?
From Blair to Burnham, jogging as political metaphor has just run and run
The mayor of Greater Manchester is the latest in a long line of politicians to try to show he’s on the right track … etc
The Saturday read
Infected, at sea: how the deadly hantavirus turned a dream cruise into tragedy
How Labour’s ‘terrible’ night unfolded as Reform surges and Greens and Lib Dems hail wins
Kirsty, 11, seeks more Kirstys to help raise money for brain tumour research
April 2026
‘I am invoking Martha’s rule’: how a woman saved her father from near death in hospital
The two-hour marathon is done – but other records remain to be broken
Walking the dog and braving the paps: the art of the doorstep photo, from Keane to Mandelson
‘A quiet, radical act’: Muslim neighbours support members of attacked London synagogue
The war over Omagh’s gold: the £21bn mine plan tearing a community apart
Weekend students at 15 universities in England told to return loans and grants
March 2026
‘A fascinating discovery’: research challenges Battle of Hastings narrative
‘I don’t distance myself from the IRA’: Gerry Adams brings his ‘dead true’ denials to court
February 2026
‘A temple of food’: London’s grande dame Simpson’s in the Strand rises again
‘Beyond worried’: the families waiting to hear how Send overhaul will change their lives
Flashes of anger but Paul Dacre keeps his head before court cut-off
Father of toddler abused by nursery worker ‘frustrated’ by deportation
January 2026
The Saturday read
When brand meets blood: inside the business of being a Beckham
Brooklyn’s Instagram bombshell tested decades of image control, revealing how fame, PR and power collide behind the scenes
Prince Harry’s emotional testimony offers portrait of privilege and paranoia
Tetchy responses from Duke of Sussex suggest his relationship with the press has caused a deep, raw wound
Is listening to an audiobook as good as reading?
Queen tells reading campaign that listening counts too – and the publishing industry increasingly agrees
