Gloves: questions and Band 8 answers

Not very often, actually, mainly because the winters where I live tend to be fairly mild. Having said that, if I have to cycle to work on a frosty morning, I'll definitely put on a thick pair of woollen gloves to stop my fingers going completely numb.

I usually go for leather gloves with a soft fleece lining inside. They look quite smart and keep out the chilly wind much better than knitted ones. Plus, the pair I own has touchscreen-friendly fingertips, which is really handy when using my mobile phone outdoors.

Yes, all the time during the winter months. My mother used to make me wear bright red mittens attached by a piece of elastic that ran through the sleeves of my coat. I found it a bit embarrassing, but it certainly stopped me from dropping them in the playground.

Oh, countless times! It always seems to be just one glove rather than the whole pair, which is intensely frustrating. Just last winter, I left a really nice knitted glove on the seat of a train, and naturally, I never managed to track it down again.

Definitely gloves. While mittens might be a bit warmer because your fingers share heat, they're just not practical for everyday tasks. With gloves, I have the dexterity to search through my bag for my house keys or pay for a bus ticket without taking them off.