I AM just back from the home of the brave and the land of the free with a question for John Prescott as he sweats out his new transport strategy. Has he given thought to slugs?

Law Reports

Ben Rogers espies another newcomer to the scene on the Green

There are many ways of finding a property. One is to register with every estate agent in the area you want to live in - and risk receiving piles of dross in the mail. Another way is to define the kind of home you need and find the agent best suited to deliver it. Ginetta Vedrickas examines several potential house-hunting scenarios to discover who are the movers and shakers in that field.

Five, four, three, two... no, wait a minute... three, two damn... now..., yes? 1997 ended as it began, snogging an actress, looking at my watch. That's not to say that it was a year of unbridled passion, but somehow you can always count on New Year's Eve for a bit of tongue-in-cheek. It's the only time that people make lunges at total strangers out of a desire for a transient experience they can monitor by the second.

Vacating your home for film crews while trying to gear up for Christmas may sound crazy. But, says Clare Garner, there is good money in this madness.

We sent Alexander McQueen, John Galliano and Stella McCartney to run their couture houses; British retailers such as Marks & Spencer and Conran are all the rage there; and our literary giants are dominating their bookshelves.

Up-front descriptions of "clitoral hard-ons" aren't necessarily much of a turn on - though judging by two of the better new Girl-Power novels, every self respecting career girl has a right to at least one "ping-pong in a g-string" by the end of chapter two.

Comedy has moved on from the obvious. No more raps on domestic crises and workplace angst. Now, magic is bringing a taste of mystery to audiences

Style

The favourite for next year's 2,000 Guineas and Derby, Aidan O'Brien's Second Empire, reinforced his reputation yesterday at Longchamp, where striking stable staff proved his most difficult obstacle. Greg Wood reports.

Properties specially designed for living and working are the height of fashion. William Raynor reports

Heading North: Terence Conran's first shop opened almost a quarter of a century ago in Fulham, west London and has been followed by others in Paris, Hamburg, Tokyo, and Fukuoka. Now north London gets a look in with a new store (above) opening on 4 October at 55 Marylebone High Street, London W1. There will be a large range of new products plus Conran's timeless classics. Seen here: Lime and Verbena aromatherapy bath products pounds 19.95 (right) and frosted and coloured glass egg cups from India, pounds 1.25 (below); skateboards (clockwise from centre right): Clockwork Orange, Bovver boy theme Matt Palles pro board by Mike Lesage for Think, 1996; Buddha with Slurpee. Eric Koston pro model by Marc McKee for 101, 1993; The Devil and Jayne Mansfield. Grisly death of a film star. Guy Mariano pro model by Marc McKee for Blind, 1994.

There is nothing like spotting an up-and-coming area before it arrives. Early defensiveness turns to quiet triumphalism as rising prices prove your point. In London, a few areas have seen particularly startling increases. Penny Jackson reports on areas that are now in the Premier League