Lewis Davies was the younger brother of the writer Rhys Davies (1901-78). Like him, he was born at Blaenclydach, a mining village near Tonypandy in the Rhondda valley. Their father kept a small grocer's shop, known rather grandly as Royal Stores, and their mother was an uncertificated schoolteacher. Lewis, born in 1913, was the youngest of their six children.

Ghost stories are as much a part of Christmas as freezing fog and fortified wine. While not as well-known as masters of the genre such as MR James or Algernon Blackwood, Arthur Machen's remain among the most brilliant and disquieting tales of the supernatural.

When X Factor fans had to wait a horrifying 15 minutes for their fix, they became part of a chequered television tradition

As soaring fuel bills force homebuyers to act green, many movers are opting for the lower running costs of a new-build property which, on average, are six times more energy-efficient than older homes. The message coming through is that you do not have to compromise on comfort, style and luxury, or even pay a premium, for a low-energy new home that offers a better, cheaper lifestyle.

The new show from this troupe of bright young things brings forth three more pastiches of 1940s radio plays, each cut in half and served up on rotation and each accompanied by the sight of sound effects being created using a range of objects including mallets, cabbages doorknobs, crisps and a pair of rubber gloves doubling as bats.

Hip-hop in a library? Shhh! Plus, sorbets, shades and self-deluding dreams...

Aviva Investors and Exemplar Properties have teamed up with the committee managing the assets of Iceland's failed Kaupthing Bank to develop a £750m scheme at "Noho Square" in London's Fitzrovia.

Ripping yarns and jolly japes

Europe's first grand hotel has been spruced up to welcome shoppers to the heart of the West End

While most of the UK gears up for tomorrow's televised final of Britain's Got Talent, spare a thought for those who prefer to ride a different entertainment wave.

Is "brave" the most over-used word in the English language? Jade Goody receives the same kind of gushing tributes that surrounded the death of Princess Diana. Then, psychologist Oliver James was roundly condemned for daring to voice the opinion that the nation was succumbing to a kind of collective hysteria (and not true mourning) about a woman people felt they knew, even though they'd never met or spoken to her.

Let's drink to our choice of rosé wines

Thousands of women will be waking up with Jamie Theakston on his new radio show. Ian Burrell reports

He is one of the most influential men in media, his ad campaigns have been used to promote governments, Wonderbras and Playstation. As outspoken as ever, he sounds the death-knell for bad ads, Conservatives - and olives. Sholto Byrnes listens to the Trevor-lution