It sounds an impossible challenge: to make love every day for a month. But a series of studies have found that as well as bringing you closer together, it could help improve your well being. SARAH KAVANAGH, 31, a project co-ordinator, and her husband Colin, 40, a builder, from Cheshire, decided to try it. So how did they fare? Sarah says:

On the eve of the 12th anniversary of our first date, I told my husband Colin that I'd got him a very special gift that would remind us both just how much we still mean to each other.

As he tried to guess what it might be I assured him that this was something far more meaningful than a weekend away or a blown-up photograph from our wedding album.

His gift was, in fact, to make love with me every day for the following month.

romance" class="blkBorder" height="505" width="468"">

Happy bedfellows: Sarah and Colin Kavanagh wanted to revive their romance

Colin's immediate reaction, just as I'd hoped, was to look like a man who'd been told he'd won the Lottery.

But almost immediately his face then fell.

'We used to have sex every day as a matter of course,' he said grumpily. 'Now you're offering it up as a gift and I'm supposed to be grateful?'

This really wasn't what I'd expected, having just offered love on request to the man I married seven years ago and who is always bending my ear that we don't do it enough. Somehow my well-meant offer had suddenly brought us to the brink of a row.

I'd come up with the idea because, in common with so many couples, in recent years lovemaking had been relegated in my agenda.

Unlike the heady days when Colin and I first met, now there is always something else that takes precedence - from work to domestic chores and even the simple pleasure of a full night's sleep.

When we met, I was 19 and Colin ten years older - the sexual attraction was mutual and instant. For the first few months, our passionate love life defined us, but as months turned to years and we got engaged and then married, things inevitably changed.

Over time, familiarity, the stresses of work and day-to-day life and the fact my sex drive just isn't what it used to be have combined to dampen the passion we once took for granted.

Groundhog Day: Colin was delighted then concerned that Sarah's special anniversary 'present' would take the spontaneity out of their love life

These days we make love about once a week. And, in common with many of my friend's husbands, Colin regularly complains that this just isn't enough.

Which is why I'd presumed that this gift would be welcomed rather than the cause of a row.

Later that evening, we talked it through.

'At least when we do it, it's spontaneous,' Colin told me. 'You putting it into your diary isn't exactly a turn on.'

But despite his reservations, we decided to give it a go.

Somehow I felt certain that in the years ahead he would look back on this as the most intimate gift of our marriage.

DAY ONE

There's no time like the present, so, for the first time in at least five years we make love on a work day before I've even put the kettle on.

So much for Colin worrying about this taking the spontaneity out of sex: this feels impulsive and slightly wicked.

I arrive at work with a smug smile on my face (though guiltily note that this also means I'm off the hook at bedtime, having done the day's deed already).

DAY TWO

Home from work later than usual, I walk in to find the table beautifully set with candles and flowers and dinner in the oven.

The last time Colin did this was our wedding anniversary, but this is just an ordinary evening. It's amazing what the promise of frequent sex brings out in a man.

DAY THREE

Home to find the table set and Colin's cooking again - I could get used to this. I feel spoilt, especially when he refuses to let me wash up and sends me upstairs for a soak in the bath. This is beginning to feel as much a gift for me as for Colin.

DAY FOUR

I've stayed late at work and missed the last bus home, so I've had to fork out for a taxi when I'm dangerously close to payday. I'm in a foul mood when I walk into the house and am greeted by the same scene as the last two days.

'God, this is starting to feel like Groundhog Day,' I snap unkindly. We eat in silence, and I start to feel guilty when I think how much effort Colin is making. 'Leave the dishes,' I tell him. 'It's time for your present.'

DAY FIVE

Last night could so easily have ended with us going to sleep not speaking after I arrived home so tired and grumpy.

Instead we slept wrapped up in each other's arms, just like the old days. It's Saturday, so we're less restricted on when we can make love. We decide to get our chores done: the house needs cleaning and Colin needs to tackle the garden.

We're shattered and fall asleep on the sofa. Colin's snoring wakes me up just before midnight. 'Quick,' I tell him, as I shake him awake and push the cats out of the room. 'Otherwise it won't count.'

DAY SIX

Sundays in our house are normally lazy affairs, but today we've got a christening to go to and we're running late.

We vow to make love as soon as we get home, but while Colin doesn't drink, I'm partial to champagne, and it's been flowing all afternoon.

Back home, all I want to do is go to bed and sleep, but, of course, I can't.

Struggle: Sarah has to wake Colin up on day five to make love before midnight so that 'it still counts'

DAY SEVEN

I'm beginning to wonder if this was such a good idea.

Last night, love-making felt like a chore for the first time, and because neither of us was particularly in the mood we just went through the motions.

I'm not looking forward to bedtime and Colin admits he's not interested either. Sure enough, we fall asleep without any marital relations taking place. Looks like this could be over before it got started.

DAY EIGHT

I wake up cross with both of us that we've given up so easily, and tell Colin we've got to make up for last night by making love twice today.

We tackle the project with renewed vigour before work and then again straight after dinner.

'At least now we can go to bed and go straight to sleep,' says Colin. I feign indignation, but he's only said exactly what I was thinking.

DAY NINE

Colin wakes up hoping for a repeat performance of yesterday, but I'm not playing. I have to be in work early. 'Tonight, I promise,' I say as we kiss goodbye.

What's normally a brief kiss turns into a passionate one - not bad considering we've been together more than a decade. I think about Colin regularly through the day.

DAY TEN

My sister calls to remind me that I've promised to baby-sit my 11 and 14-year-old nieces this weekend. I tell her that I'm worried this might impact on our lovemaking.

'Welcome to my world,' she scoffs, before telling me I can't back out on my sisterly duties. I tell Colin that we have to practise being very quiet.

DAY 11

The girls arrive armed with DVDs and bags of sweets, and announce they want to stay up really late, just like they did last time they stayed over. By 11pm, I'm pleading with them to go to sleep.

'Forget it,' I snap at Colin when I finally get under the duvet. There's no way I can do that with the girls awake on the other side of the wall.

DAY 12

Little wonder couples with children complain they don't have enough sex: finding an opportunity with these two in the house is all but impossible.

In the end, I send them out with a long shopping list, set the timer on my phone to go off in ten minutes and drag Colin upstairs. 'Look on it as a challenge,' I tell him.

DAY 13

The girls go home and we've got the house to ourselves. Midmorning I say breezily: 'I'll just vacuum and then we can go to bed.'

Bad move. I accidentally suck up one of the girl's hair bobbles and it gets stuck in the machine.

It takes Colin an hour to get it going again, by which time love is the last thing on either of our minds. But we do it anyway and then go out for lunch, something we realise we just don't do often enough.

DAY 14

I go out for a drink after work with a girlfriend and tell her about our project. 'You must be mad,' she says, before warning me that our friendship will be ruined if Colin or I tell her husband what we're up to. 'Don't you dare go giving him any daft ideas.'

DAY 15

I'm going to be working late tonight, so I set the alarm for 6am so we can get our duties out of the way before the day gets started. Colin grunts when I try to nudge him awake. 'I need my sleep,' he groans.

Maybe he'll be a bit more understanding when he's in the mood for love and I say that I'm too tired.

DAY 16

Friends come round for a midweek dinner and comment on how attentive we seem to each other. I keep quiet about why, having taken note of my friend's reaction earlier in the week, but throw Colin a wink.

We're definitely a lot more tactile with each other, and have started flirting again.

DAY 17

I spoke too soon - we've had a huge row over the fact that Colin forgot to put out the bin last night and now we're up to our eyes in rubbish.

He can't see why I'm making such a fuss, which only makes me madder. The last thing I want to do is to make love with Colin. Normally something like this would be the perfect excuse to withhold sex, but that's not an option.

It's difficult to stay cross with someone you've made love to - Colin promises to make a trip to the tip and all is forgiven.

DAY 18

I've got a streaming cold and a headache. Colin is keeping his distance. 'What about a cuddle?' I ask as I splutter into a tissue. 'No thanks,' says Colin. 'I'm sleeping in the spare room.'

DAY 19

Still poorly, so I stay in bed. Colin spends the day bringing me hot drinks and homemade soup, and does all the housework so I can rest.

He's never been this attentive when I've had a cold before - all this lovemaking has made him a changed man.

DAY 20

The weekend has been a write-off on the sex front, yet Colin and I feel closer and more relaxed than we have in a long time.

It brings it home to me how important regular sex in a marriage is to nurture the bond you share.

DAY 21

Back to work, and I'm almost restored to full health. I send Colin a flirty text hinting at the fun we'll be able to enjoy when we see each other later. I can't believe I'm chatting up my own husband.

DAY 22

I notice that my trousers are a little looser, so I step on the scales and discover I've lost 2lb. All this extra exercise is doing me good.

DAY 23

A friend is in town and stays the night. I'd emailed her at the start of the month and told her what we were doing, which she brings up over dinner, joking that we'd better not keep her awake tonight.

This puts Colin in a bad mood because I've let slip what we're up to, and when she goes to bed he has a go at me for being indiscreet. I try to laugh it off, but he's really cross about it. He refuses to make love. I lie awake fuming - isn't it supposed to be the woman who withholds favours?

DAY 24

Colin wakes feeling guilty and suggests we make up for missing out yesterday. I realise that the argument will only escalate if I refuse. Instead, we make love and the grumpiness vanishes. We make love again that evening, our row long forgotten.

DAY 25

I meet my mum for lunch and she comments on how fresh-faced I appear. 'Have you discovered a new foundation?' she asks.

I must say I feel more attractive and better about myself than I have in years. Feeling desired does wonders for a woman's self-esteem.

DAY 26

I'm having to factor in an extra ten minutes into my daily grooming regime so I can shave my legs, and I'm wearing more make-up than usual.

I'm going to continue with this after the month is up - it's nice to feel groomed, whether it's with sex in mind or not.

DAY 27

We're near the end of Colin's gift, so we decide to spend the entire day in bed, just as we did on Sundays when we first became a couple. It's not just about sex - it's about relishing shutting out the rest of the world. We'd like a family, so we need to make the most of days like this.

DAY 28

We've made love 25 times in 28 days, and there's no question that we've grown closer as a result.

I thought I might be relieved to get to the last day, but I'm just determined to make sex far more of a priority than it used to be.

My friend has lent me a DVD I've wanted to watch for ages, so I put it on after dinner. Colin and I cuddle up on the sofa together to watch it - normally he spreads out on one chair while I take over another.

'When did we stop doing this?' I ask him. We go to bed tired and we've got work in the morning.

'Let's just cuddle,' says Colin, and as we drift off to sleep it feels like the perfect end to the present that ended up being a gift not just for Colin, but for our marriage, too...

Well not exactly yet as our juliet has not decided yet to join him .

A heartbroken pensioner who thought his wife was going to die killed himself near the spot where the couple first courted - only for her to get better.

The body of 84-year-old Reginald Heydon was found by police in the River Trent at Shardlow, near Derby, more than three weeks after he disappeared.

An inquest heard that at the time he went missing, Mr Heydon's wife of 60 years, Marjorie, 83, was in a critical condition in hospital.

Derby Coroner's Court was told doctors had told Mr Heydon and his family that his wife was not expected to live much longer.

Hours later on November 2 last year, the pensioner wrote a note to his family, left his home and was never seen alive again.

But in a tragic twist, his critically ill wife recovered from her illness and was discharged from hospital.

Last night Mr Heydon's son, Paul, said: 'We had the impression she had hours to live. We were told that on the day that she went into intensive care.'

But after his father had been found dead, his mother recovered and was able to come home.

'That was the real tragedy. If only he had waited,' he said.

Derby and South Derbyshire Deputy Coroner Louise Pinder said the note Mr Heydon left had made it clear what his intentions were.

She said: 'The contents of the letter do suggest he was contemplating taking his own life. There was a suggestion he was going to the river.'

Despite a police search involving helicopters, dogs and a special task force to search the river his body was not found until November 25 by a passerby.

Acting Sergeant Robert Buckley told the court that the area had a significance. He said: 'The river had been a courting area to which they went.'

A postmortem examination carried out on the body gave the cause of death as a vasovagal attack - a nervous attack leading to fainting - caused by submersion in cold water.

Ms Pinder said he would not have suffered. She gave a verdict that Mr Heydon had taken his own life.

The court heard that, during his later years, Mr Heydon had been inclined to drink to alleviate anxiety.

He was taking an anti-depression and his the deterioration of his wife's condition in hospital had exacerbated that.

The inquest was told his wife had undergone surgery at the Royal Derby Hospital for a swallowing problem, after which her condition became critical.

Mr Heydon said of his father: 'When the news came about mum he seemed like he knew how serious it was.

'He had accepted things were not going to be the same. But she got better and she was able to come home afterwards.'

Can ET phone home ? Can the extra terrestrials which seem like aliens unseen in our Engineering Technology now REALLY make a satellite ?

Convinced that Space Science is critical in the development of any nation, Nigeria has completed work in the building of two more earth observation satellites, NigeriaSat 2 and Nigeria Sat X, said Seidu Mohammed, the Director General of National Space Research and Development Agency, NASRDA.

Mr. Mohammed, who stated that the satellites will be due for launch on October 2010, adding that specifically, the Nigeria Sat X was designed and built by 27 Nigerian Engineers.

“Satellite projects, like building projects, are in phases. We have finished most of the phases. The spacecraft are now ready. The Nigerian engineers were there to design and implement Sat X and they have done that and are back home.

“The next stage is to move the satellite to the site for launch. It takes a lot of time, the launching company has to look through its programme, get itself ready and by October, the satellite will be launched,” he said.

He further stated when the two satellites are eventually launched, they will impact positively on agriculture, defence, and almost all other sectors of the Nigerian economy.

“The fact that Nigerian Engineers designed and built Sat X brings confidence into us that it is possible here. We are going to provide data for efficient agriculture all over Nigeria, and the launch of Sat 2 with 2.5m resolution enables all cities to go ahead with cadastral plan to have information to increase their revenue, as Lagos State is doing now, and provide enough information about cultural development in terms of soil characterisation, water resources development, road corridor selection, and so on,” Mr. Mohammed said.

He also noted that Nigeria’s foray into the space science and technology world has enabled the development of a critical mass of space engineers, revealing that 15 engineers were trained for NigeriaSat, which will expire by December 2010. 54 were trained for NIGCOMSAT-1, while 27 were trained for Sat 2 and Sat X, with an additional 25 Scientists trained in geospatial application.

He added that it was only right for Nigeria to build its own satellite, considering the huge capital outflow to source satellite data. He said that today, space technologies have become integrated into everyday life, so deeply that modern and traditional societies cannot function without them.

“Survey conducted by NASRDA in 2004 showed that capital out-flow paid by African countries for their international telephone traffic is about $445 million per year, hence making tariff on communications the highest in Africa than in any other continent. Nigeria alone pays as much as $200 million per year to lease satellite transponders,” he said.

The Director General insisted that the space technology will help in addressing some environmental concerns in Nigeria.

“As a result of recent trends of earthquake in Haiti, Chile, Japan, and China and recent trends in crustal deformation in Nigeria, as evident by tremors in the country and continuous monitoring of Ife-Wara-Zungeru faults in Nigeria, the International Astronomy Agency, IAA, has approved the first expert study for Africa at the request of NASRDA,” he said.

“By this request, IAA is expected to put experts together all over the world to study the equatorial plane for the benefit of the countries within the equatorial region.”

ABUJA—MINISTER of Finance, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, in Washington D.C. has emerged as the new Chairman of the Board of World Bank and International Monetary Fund, BWIs, after a keenly contested election.This was just as the World Bank indicated interest to carry out a comprehensive audit of the power sector in the country with a view to finding lasting solution to the power crisis.

The move was a follow-up to the recent parley between Acting President Goodluck Jonathan and top management of the world financial body during his last visit to the United States, US.

Aganga told journalists at the meeting in Washington DC that the new appointment had further demonstrated the important role Nigeria plays in the global economic front.

He said: “As you are aware, Nigeria was elected as the chairman, board of the BWIs for the 2010 during the 2009 annual meeting held in Istanbul, Turkey. I am delighted to inform you that I have since assumed the responsibility of that office.”

The minister said the appointment was “a unique opportunity to serve” noting that such opportunities come once in every 20 to 30 years.

Describing the new role as a huge challenge, Aganga said he will not disappoint Nigeria and the international community that offered him the role under the current global economic recovery stage.

World Bank experts visit Nigeria for power audit

Meantime, a team of World Bank experts would be visiting Nigeria on May 10, 2010 for the exercise that would proffer solution to the power crisis in the country..

Addressing journalists at the World Bank/International Monetary Fund, IMF, 2010 Spring Meeting, in Washington DC, Aganga, who was joined by the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Lamido Sanusi, said because the issue of power had become central to the nation’s economy, the Federal Government was determined to engage power experts in all the fronts to tackle the problem.

Aganga noted: “The meeting was very fruitful, as the bank stands ready to assist the country. The meeting resolved to have a comprehensive audit of the power sector. A World Bank mission to this effect is envisaged for May 10, 2010.”

He told reporters that the Federal Government power committee had done its audit of the power sector, noting that what the World Bank promised to do with Nigeria was to share their own understanding of the power problem.

“They also have information to share with us and that is what the May 10, 2010 meeting is going to focus on,” the minister said.

Asked what the federal government intended to do to meet the power needs of the over 140 million Nigerians, Aganga said the acting president had assured investors and power experts of creating an enabling environment, that is giving the legal framework, in the sector as well as aligning and identifying investors that will key into the energy sector infrastructure development.

He noted that since financing was not the problem militating against the improvement of the power sector in the country, the government would, this time around concentrate on execution and having a plan that “we will adhere to” as well as ensuring that there was continuity in the entire power arrangement.

Other areas the minister said the World Bank had shown interests to assist the country include ensuring a systematic engagement and consultations on issues relating to agricultural sector.

He said the bank was also supporting ongoing reforms in the banking sector and the proposed Asset Management Company; strengthening the supervisory and regulatory framework for the financial sector and support for the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, SMEs, in the country.

The minister said the meeting with Oby Ezekwesili, World Bank Vice President, Africa region also provided the opportunity to follow up on wide range of issues discussed with the World Bank Group during the visit of Jonathan mid April.

THE aliens are out there and Earth had better watch out, at least according to Stephen Hawking. He has suggested that extraterrestrialsare almost certain to exist — but that instead of seeking them out,humanity should be doing all it that can to avoid any contact.

The suggestions come in a new documentary series in which Hawking, one of the world’s leading scientists, will set out his latest thinkingon some of the universe’s greatest mysteries.

Alien life, he will suggest, is almost certain to exist in many other parts of the universe: not just in planets, but perhaps in the centreof stars or even floating in interplanetary space.

Hawking’s logic on aliens is, for him, unusually simple. The universe, he points out, has 100 billion galaxies, each containinghundreds of millions of stars. In such a big place, Earth is unlikely tobe the only planet where life has evolved.

“To my mathematical brain, the numbers alone make thinking about aliens perfectly rational,” he said. “The real challenge is to work outwhat aliens might actually be like.”

The answer, he suggests, is that most of it will be the equivalent of microbes or simple animals — the sort of life that has dominated Earthfor most of its history.

One scene in his documentary for the Discovery Channel shows herds of two-legged herbivores browsing on an alien cliff-face where they arepicked off by flying, yellow lizard-like predators. Another showsglowing fluorescent aquatic animals forming vast shoals in the oceansthought to underlie the thick ice coating Europa, one of the moons ofJupiter.

Such scenes are speculative, but Hawking uses them to lead on to a serious point: that a few life forms could be intelligent and pose athreat. Hawking believes that contact with such a species could bedevastating for humanity.

He suggests that aliens might simply raid Earth for its resources and then move on: “We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligentlife might develop into something we wouldn’t want to meet. I imaginethey might exist in massive ships, having used up all the resources fromtheir home planet. Such advanced aliens would perhaps become nomads,looking to conquer and colonise whatever planets they can reach.”

He concludes that trying to make contact with alien races is “a little too risky”. He said: “If aliens ever visit us, I think theoutcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed inAmerica, which didn’t turn out very well for the Native Americans.”

The completion of the documentary marks a triumph for Hawking, now 68, who is paralysed by motor neurone disease and has very limitedpowers of communication. The project took him and his producers threeyears, during which he insisted on rewriting large chunks of the scriptand checking the filming.

John Smithson, executive producer for Discovery, said: “He wanted to make a programme that was entertaining for a general audience as well asscientific and that’s a tough job, given the complexity of the ideasinvolved.”

Hawking has suggested the possibility of alien life before but his views have been clarified by a series of scientific breakthroughs, suchas the discovery, since 1995, of more than 450 planets orbiting distantstars, showing that planets are a common phenomenon.

So far, all the new planets found have been far larger than Earth, but only because the telescopes used to detect them are not sensitiveenough to detect Earth-sized bodies at such distances.

Another breakthrough is the discovery that life on Earth has proven able to colonise its most extreme environments. If life can survive andevolve there, scientists reason, then perhaps nowhere is out of bounds.

Hawking’s belief in aliens places him in good scientific company. In his recent Wonders of the Solar System BBC series, Professor Brian Coxbacked the idea, too, suggesting Mars, Europa and Titan, a moon ofSaturn, as likely places to look.

Similarly, Lord Rees, the astronomer royal, warned in a lecture earlier this year that aliens might prove to be beyond humanunderstanding.

“I suspect there could be life and intelligence out there in forms we can’t conceive,” he said. “Just as a chimpanzee can’t understandquantum theory, it could be there are aspects of reality that are beyondthe capacity of our brains.”

Stephen Hawking's Universe begins on the Discovery Channel on Sunday May 9 at 9pm.