Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2021 i Choice

I was just about to book a River Danube cruise from Budapest to the Black Sea last Spring when the Covid crisis kicked off. It was just about the only European river trip we hadn’t taken. Although the possibilities of travel are still uncertain, our Cruise Special (page 28) has whetted my appetite again and although it might be next summer before my wife and I can board the train for Budapest I’m searching the websites for a likely sailing. Cruise lines and travel companies in general are much better prepared for potential disruption than they were in early 2020, just like we all are. I feel confident to book now without risking either cash or health. I’ve even renewed my Arsenal season ticket, although I’m less confident about how…

AWESOME IS an overused word these days, but not if describing the vision that was needed to start building a cathedral and then the drive and ability to finish it using rudimentary medieval technology. York Minster is without exaggeration 100 times awesome. The biggest church built in medieval times in Britain and rivalling Cologne Cathedral, York Minster dominates the city and surrounding countryside. It has been described as the Heart of Yorkshire for the design of its great West Window, but perhaps the name is deserved for wider reasons. The story of the Minster, dedicated to St Peter, is that of a small Christian community surviving from Roman times and overcoming many odds over 1000 years. One of the earliest recorded indications of Christianity is that a bishop of York…

Would-be authors have the chance to get recognition and to win £250 in a short story writing competition run by the ovarian cancer support charity Ovacome. This year’s entries should be no more than 2000 words and on the theme of ‘Connected’. The shortlist of six will be judged by the charity’s patron, Jenny Agutter, and her Call the Midwife co-star, Stephen McGann, who plays Dr Turner in the TV drama. Jenny says that last year’s winning story, chosen from more than 100 entries – (ovacome.org.uk/writing-com-2020-winner. ) – skilfully showed how an act of kindness can transform somebody’s life. “It is of course what Ovacome is doing all the time – sharing and reaching out,” she says. The winner and the runner-up, who will be awarded a £50 Waterstones book…

Jukebox Nights The music labeled from A to ZI can’t get those sounds out of my headThose 45s are from our lifeSometimes the memories cut like a knife Jukebox Nights have been the bestAll my problems to get off my chestSpent with people I love and have sharedA good timeFrom those years we were in our prime. Sat alone, I think of thisThose times, Sometimes, I really missThe girls I loved, the mates I lostThe music plays, and I count the cost The candle flickers and the last record endsWhere I go from here just depends Rowe A-M-I and N-S-M SatellitePlayed the records through the nightNo LBT here to look at my rhymeI will turn the Jukebox offJust one more time Andrew Merkin, East Yorkshire Nana You are there when…

CARING FOR family members experiencing dementia and Alzheimer’s can bring challenges and rewards, and help is at hand in the form of a new film that aims to provide valuable advice and encouragement for anyone starting out on this journey. The film Care As You Are not only celebrates the lives and efforts of carers but also provides tools and guidance on enriching the caring experience. It tells the story of Abi as she grasps with her new, ever-evolvingroleasher mother’s carer and the strains this puts on her, her mother, other family members and friends. Research from Carers UK and The Alzheimer’s Society suggests carers’ emotional well-being is a critical factor in their ability to cope in their role, and can have an effect on the quality of care they…

PEOPLE OFTEN praise the mental and physical effects of walking in the countryside or on the beach as feeling ‘connected with nature’, an experience, which can be sadly lacking in towns and cities. But there might be more to that connection than meets the eye, beneficial though fresh air, exercise and beautiful views are. It seems that the earth has a subtle electrical charge, from which we are normally cut off, but to which we can re-connect by simply going barefoot. The emerging science behind the phenomenon, known as ‘earthing’ or ‘grounding’, includes pilot studies showing results including stronger immune systems, better sleep, reduced inflammation, and benefits for the heart. “These are systemic, profound effects,” say the authors of a wide-ranging review of research on earthing published in the scientific…

IN 2012 Santander launched its 123 Account to great fanfare. Throwing down the gauntlet to the traditional Big Four high street banks, the 123 Account offered interest of up to three per cent on balances up to £20,000, plus cashback of up to three per cent on bills paid by direct debit, and all for a monthly fee of just £2. The account was a roaring success, attracting 250,000 new customers in its first year, and by January 2016 – when Santander raised the monthly fee to £5 – there were 3.6 million 123 account holders. In November 2016 the bank halved the interest rate to 1.5 per cent, still reasonably competitive but, come May 2020, it began a series of cuts. First, interest was cut to one per cent…

Hello and welcome to my Craft Corner! Every month I share two new projects with Choice readers -one for those who enjoy hobbies such as papercrafting, upcycling and decoupage, and one for those who are fond of sewing and needlecraft, where I focus on simple, everyday stitched fabric accessories. I’ve lived and breathed crafting for as long as I can remember. I have very fond memories of cake decorating, cross-stitching and candle-making with my mum, and in my late teens I discovered the joy of cardmaking. Iwas fortunate enough to turn my favourite pastimes into my career by setting up Crafter’s Companion out of my university bedroom, and it’s been an amazing journey seeing my business develop into what it is today. I love experimenting and using our products for…

A bug’s life I USED to love drawing and painting, and when visiting my maternal grandparents we would do a bug hunt, catch and draw insects - and release them back into the garden afterwards. This is a simple gardening activity for both adult and child. All you need is a dry, clean margarine tub and some soil or leaves to go into it, before adding the insect. Earthworms, beetles and ladybirds are normally quite easy to catch. After drawing the insects, you can look through books or the internet and learn more about them. Counting butterflies, taking photographs and drawing them afterwards is another simple but enjoyable pastime. You can teach them about caterpillars, the pupa (chrysalis) and the adult butterfly or moth and why they are attracted to…

DVDs The Innocent: Series 2 (Acorn Media International) In this stand-alone four part series Katherine Kelly plays Sally, a former teacher freed from prison after apparently being wrongly convicted for the murder of one of her pupils. But after five years in jail, Sally finds life problematic back in her beloved home town of Keswick, in the Lake District. There’s the ex-husband who doesn’t want to see her, the school that refuses to re-employ her and the family of the murdered boy who still hold her responsible for their son’s death. Shaun Dooley is Detective Braithwaite, himself nursing a private grief, who is tasked with re-investigating the killing, which proves to be no easy task as family jealousies and secrets emerge, leading to a conclusion that few would have seen…

Alexandria: The Quest for the Lost City by Edmund Richardson Published by Bloomsbury Price £25 Pages 352 ISBN 9781526603784 The lost city of Alexandria Beneath the Mountains, once a meeting point of east and west, was discovered in Afghanistan in 1832 by Charles Masson and his story is as fascinating and intriguing as his discovery. A working-class boy from East London, Masson deserted from the army while in Agra, India and his obsession with Alexander the Great led him to travel widely, begging by the roadside, taking tea with kings, becoming a master of disguises, a spy, an archaeologist and scholar. Having discovered a lost civilisation, he found himself in the midst of war with a price on his head. HARDBACK BOOK OF THE MONTH Hardbacks CRIME FICTION Truth or…

Old ways to comfort children’s new worries “IT’S THE kids I’m sorry for nowadays,” people say, lamenting what they believe were better times for young ones. At the moment, I’d be tempted to say: Hear, hear… The little ones really have been enduring abad time lately. Many have had their sense of security badly damaged by witnessing their parents -the rocks they clung to in times of confusion or fear - wobbling as the Covid pandemic made the ground shift under the old, the young and everyone in the middle. Not only that, many children overheard fraught conversations about debt, threats to jobs, and, worst of all, saw their families devastated by loss of a relative or a family friend Anxiety has been rife. And as anyone involved with child…

One tiny item in my daily diet of news caught my eye and set my memory meandering. It announced that a man called Lou Ottens had died at 94. You probably had never heard of this Belgian (I hadn’t) but certainly you’ll have benefited from his ingenuity. For Lou was the man who invented the cassette tape. Hard to believe that what now seems a rather clumsy way of playing music was hailed as such a boon at the time. The USA went so wild for tape music that within two or three years of cassettes being available, more than two and a half million tape players had been sold. And we in the UK took to tapes and taping with zeal. How many car journeys were rendered more pleasurable…

The CDs are: Moments of the Heart music for the soul – Various Artists. From the soothing melodies of Peaceful Lament and Confidence of Hope to the haunting ambiance of Natural Elements and Awakenings, Moments of the Heart music for the soul is the perfect ‘friend’ to have by your side, to help ease away the hustle, bustle, and stresses of the day. Spiritual Incantations – Stephen Rhodes. Stephen Rhodes is a genius of his craft returning with an outstanding new album, the best part of an hour of serene and relaxing music. With tracks such as Peaceful Lament, Seeds of Empathy, Eternal Compassion and Softly Speak, Spiritual Incantations is an album full of hope, charm, and sensitivity. selection two – Terra del Sol. Alberto Hauss, the master of Chill-out,…

FOR A taste of the real Spain, away from the hordes found in the busy resorts and the hustle and bustle of the beaches, a visit to Extremadura is a chance enjoy one of the country’s most fascinating, yet least-known, regions. A remote and historic area that borders Portugal, Extremadura was home to many 16th century conquistadors. You can explore mountains, forests, lakes, nature reserves, rolling hills and dehesas – wild, forested meadowland, where black pigs are bred and the famous Jamon Iberico Puro Bellota (ham from pigs which roam freely and feast on acorns) is produced. There is much to see and do in Extremadura, from birdwatching, horse riding and sailing to exploring medieval towns and UNESCO sites. For food and wine lovers, it is the second biggest wine-making…

MORE THAN one in ten people think their brain health has declined since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but a new campaign called Think Brain Health, from Alzheimer’s Research UK, offers three fundamental lifestyle tips to improve your health and reduce your risk of developing dementia: ■ Be heart healthy Exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet and keep blood pressure, weight and cholesterol in check ■ Take part in activities that keep your brain active ■ Keep connected Stay socially active and connect with other people. The Think Brain Health campaign is backed by broadcast journalist Suzi Perry, who lost her grandmother Mary to Alzheimer’s disease – the most common cause of dementia. Apart from the three fundamental lifestyle changes detailed above, it also suggests eight tips for keeping…

Gail Willis is an exponent and teacher of Hatha Yoga. She brings Choice readers a new exercise every month. Gail, who is now a full-time yoga instructor in Kettering, Northamptonshire, has recruited her mother Janet Rogers to help demonstrate the exercises. In each picture Janet now in her 80s illustrates the basic position for each exercise – the easiest one for the beginner. Gail illustrates the maximum position for each exercise. You should start following Janet’s position and try to increase gradually towards Gail’s advanced level. “Only build up to a level that you are comfortable with,” says Gail. “Some exercises you will be able to do the maximum level of stretch. Others you will achieve only the basic move or just a little more. It doesn’t matter because even…

It was a terrible moment for the signalman half a mile north of Peterborough station as the magnificent streamlined A4 locomotive left the tracks and ploughed towards his box. The accident occurred on September 1, 1955 as the 3.50pm King’s Cross to Leeds express left Peterborough station. Fortunately, the loco was pulling away from the station and only doing around 20 mph when it derailed. Because of the low speed the A4 didn’t reach the box and only four passengers suffered minor injuries and were released after an overnight hospital stay. The Gresley A4 loco (the more famous Mallard was a similar model) didn’t fare so well. It was badly damaged and although repaired it was eventually scrapped in 1959. Luckily the service had a scheduled stop at Peterborough. It…

DECIDING AN appropriate level of financial risk to expose yourself to when planning for retirement can be a tricky task, even for the most confident of investors. And Covid-19 has caused financial markets to fluctuate, meaning some Britons’ pension investments will not have performed as well as they had hoped. As such, savers might be more likely to make riskier investments in the hope of achieving greater returns for their pension pots. Indeed, recent research from My Pension Expert revealed that one in eight (13 per cent) of over-40s in the UK had already moved part or all of their pension savings into a riskier investment in a bid to increase its value. As a rule, major financial decisions should not be based purely on short-term market fluctuations. Various factors…

Journeying started life in 1988 as Pilgrim Adventure. Since then we have travelled to many of the most remote and seemingly inaccessible places of pilgrimage in the British Isles; shuddered and laughed together at some of the predicaments encountered along the way; and known the delight of discovering places where for centuries people have felt especially close to God – sacred places, places of pilgrimage. We are non-profit seeking and our holiday groups small and informal. Even though we are a Christian organisation (and perhaps because of it too) we welcome people of all traditions, of other faiths and none. Journeying together we share laughter and practical tasks that might include packing a minibus, meal preparation and washing up. We walk most days. The pace is always relaxed, with plenty…

Fred Perry, Andy Murray, Bjorn Borg, Rod Laver...Wimbledon has featured many legendary players who are household names, but among the competitors and champions not so well known are some amazing stories. ■ Max Woosnam was surely the most accomplished all-round sportsman of all time. He took a Wimbledon title, winning the Gentlemen’s Doubles with Randolph Lycett in 1921. The following year he captained the England football team. As a tennis player he won gold in men’s doubles and silver in mixed doubles at the 1920 Olympic Games and also captained the Great Britain Davis Cup team. As an accomplished centre-half he captained Chelsea and Manchester City. As a young cricketer for the Public Schools XI he scored 144 at Lord’s. He achieved a maximum 147 break at snooker, and was…

Supplies: ■ Fat quarter outer fabric ■ Fat quarter lining fabric ■ Fat quarter wadding ■ Threaders Fabricoat ■ Threaders Screw Hole Punch ■ Threaders heat-erasable pen ■ Co-ordinating grommet and tool set ■ 1.5m co-ordinating ribbon ■ Basic sewing kit To create: 1 Make yourself a quarter-circle template. This project uses a template with an 8.5in radius, but this can be changed to any size you desire. Cut out one circle each of outer fabric, lining fabric and wadding 2 Coat the lining circle with Threaders Fabricoat to give it a water-resistant finish. This means you will be able to easily mop up any spillages 3 Adhere the wadding to the wrong side of the outer circle of fabric. Measure 1in down from the top of your outer circle…

THE SCREAM of swifts, the flutter of bats, the croak of ■ emerging toads – July can be truly cacophonous. When you’re looking out into your garden this month, here are some of the things you can keep your ears and eyes wide open for. Croaky first steps In July you may well be seeing baby toads, or ‘toadlets’, emerging from ponds as they get big enough to travel. They’ll have been in their pond since spring when their parents laid the spawn and then left the tadpoles to fend for themselves. The toadlets tend to all come out of the pond at the same time, so if you’re lucky you might see thousands of tiny toadlets hopping across paths in your area, experiencing their first time on land and…

THE SAD decline of local paper journalism, once the living breathing heart of the profession, is lamented in Panic As Man Burns Crumpets, by Roger Lytollis (Robinson, £16.99), written from the coalface by someone who himself spent more than 20 years in local journalism, as a reporter on the Cumberland News. And Long Players, edited by Tom Gatti (Bloomsbury, £12,99), features a diverse collection of writers, including Clive James, Deborah Levy, Neil Gaiman, Ian Rankin and Jonathan Coe, offering eloquent summaries of albums that changed their lives, from Paul Simon’s Rhythm of the Saints and The Beatles’ Revolver to Duke Ellington at Newport and John Coltrane’s Love Supreme. In The Secret Life of Albert Entwhistle, by Matt Cain (Headline, £16.99), a postie faces the prospect of early retirement and decides…

WITH THE Labour Party seemingly at a crossroads, it is no surprise that several books look backwards, to lessons that can be learned from the past, namely Heroes or Villains, by Jon Davis and John Rentoul (OUP, £12.99), which reconsiders the legacy of the Blair government, but also to possible futures. Labour MP Jon Cruddas makes a strong case for his party returning to its workplace roots in The Dignity of Labour (Polity, £14.99), while former leader Ed Miliband takes a more global perspective in Go Big (Bodley Head, £18.99), based on his award-winning podcast, Reasons to be Cheerful. And with the Conservative Party also appearing to be shifting its power base, Inside Thatcher’s Last Election, by David Young (Biteback, £20), is a timely account of the turbulent 1987 General…

There was a distant ding of recollection in my head when I read that a favourite sweet-maker had become another casualty of the high street downturn. What sounded in my memory was the sharp crack of a toffee hammer smashing up a tray of decadent Thornton’s Special. Or it might have been their fruit and nut. Or even their (yum!) unctuous treacle toffee... As you also might have read, the company has closed 61 shops, marking a sad decline after decades of spreading naughty indulgence (and inevitably, for some, dental damage and weight gain). Joseph Thornton set up shop in Sheffield in 1911 but, uncertain of the future, cannily kept his day job and left his 14-year-old son in charge of the toffee operation. Those little toffee hammers fell silent…

We all encounter situations which show that although we’ve harnessed computer power in so many brilliantly brainy ways, sometimes ‘the system’ appears to have taken charge while humans look on helplessly. Having banked with the same market-leading building society for most of my adult life, and enjoyed trouble-free checks on my account since the days when you carried your passbook to your local branch, ‘the system’ has started eyeing me with suspicion. For no reason the society has been able to explain, my computer (world famous for its built-in security features) has been judged to be a ‘trusted device’ no longer. No reason is given. Evidently, I’m the victim of a design feature of the security system and, says the society helplessly, “we’re afraid we can’t do anything to bypass…

Where to stay ■ We stayed at the Mercure Southampton Centre Dolphin Hotel. It has a great location and 800 years of history. The lead in rate for a double room at the Dolphin is £95 with breakfast. Website: (www.dolphin-southampton.com). Where to eat ■ Mettricks at Guildhall Square is great for coffee any time, brunch, an evening cocktail oran excellent burger. Website: (www.mettricks.co.uk) ■ The Gusto Lounge across the road from the Southampton Art Gallery and SeaCity museum is ideally placed. We lunched there after visiting SeaCity and the food was really good. Website: (www.gustolounge.co.uk) ■ The award-winning Ottoman Kitchen is next door to the Dolphin Hotel. Dinner there was top class and the Turkish wine was pretty good, too. It was busy, which shows that locals rate it highly.…

Write to Your views, Choice, 4 Milnyard Square, Orton Southgate, Peterborough PE2 6GX, or email us at: (editorial@choicemag.co.uk). (Views expressed are those of the individual correspondent and not necessarily those of the magazine) Silicon chips and laser lines About 40 years ago I was watching the local carnival procession with my daughter when a float came by where the cab of the vehicle was disguised in away that camouflaged the driver. “Look, no driver,” I said to my daughter. “How do you think that works?” To which she quickly replied: “Silicon chips…” While queuing outside the bank recently, I saw a very small child running up and down, treading very carefully in the middle of the paving slabs. He told his mother he was not allowed to tread on the…

I am a long-term reader of Choice, but I rarely make any comments, although I love the magazine. I thought I really must comment on ‘Patrick’s pages’ this time (Choice, May), and Neil’s article about your reader Margaret Purdy and the bombing of the Catford school. This rang bells with me; I am 85 and was married to Ken (Freeman) who would have been 90 years old now. Unfortunately he died of MND a few years ago. He told me of his stories living in Glenfarg Road, Catford, and that he and his sister, Hazel, attended that same school and was there when it was bombed. He was lucky to have escaped being hurt because he and his sister went home for lunch. Another story he told me was on…

Bust the dimples Cellulite doesn’t disappear overnight but, according to Dr Elisabeth Dancey, author of The Cellulite Solution, “you can quickly improve skin texture so it looks and feels a lot better. Drink more water, up to two litres a day and avoid sugar-loaded drinks as well as salty foods that lead to water retention and puffiness.” Use a natural bristle body brush twice a day in an upward circular motion to boost oxygen and nutrient delivery to skin cells or try Seep Sponge with Loofah Scourer, an eco-friendly natural skin buffer, £8.50 for four, (theseepcompany.com). Switch your usual body lotion for a toning formula such as The Solution brilliant Collagen Perfecting Body Cream, £9.99 at Superdrug, with procollagen and caffeine extracts to help improve blood flow for better skin…

DURING THE last Covid 19 lockdown, I decided to practise a bit of what I preach in my working life and review some of my outgoings to see where I might save a bit of money. I knew that my mobile phone bill could probably be reduced as I had inherited an iphone from my son (who has to have the most up to date handset) and was no longer using the android phone that I took with the contract. Sure enough, with a SIM only deal, I cut the monthly cost from £17 to £12. But the biggest saving we achieved was on our TV and phone package, which my husband negotiated down by a whopping £23 a month, or £276 a year, plus we were given an upgraded…

Could I get more State pension? Q In the press recently there have been reports that female pensioners have not been getting their correct pension. I worked from August 1952 to March 1961 and paid full A rate National Insurance for those nine years. After marrying my husband, I changed to B rate NI and worked until 1963 (two years’ contributions), then from 1963 to 1972 I worked part-time. After that, I went back to full-time employment until 1996, and I paid NI at the lower rate for those 24 years. I realise I only had nine years on A rate, but I did have 26 years on B rate in full-time work plus some part-time work. I am still married and my husband retired in February 2000. I receive…

REGGIE PERRIN was one of those people the Sixties seemed to pass by While London was swinging, out in the suburbs he was building a career for himself as a sales executive with Sunshine Desserts, a thrusting young company catering for the public’s growing desire for food that was more interesting than meat and two veg and fruit salad out of a tin. By the mid Seventies, the company was crumbling, quite literally, and Reggie was slowly losing his mind, bored with the grind of the daily commute and haunted by the feeling that there has to be more to life than Exotic Ices. There were doubtless many Reggies out in the suburbs, which is perhaps why the series that told his story, The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin,…

Pad thai salad with shredded cabbage and kale A fresher, crunchier version of pad thai noodles. You could use other vegetables – carrots would be a nice addition – and add pan-fried tofu slices if you want to increase the protein. ■ Leaves from ½ bunch of kale (about 120g), finely sliced ■ ½ small green or purple cabbage (about 225g), finely sliced ■ 1 lime, halved ■ 350g wide rice noodles ■ Extra-virgin olive oil ■ 3 radishes, finely sliced ■ 2 scallions (spring onions), finely sliced ■ 20 basil leaves ■ Handful of cilantro leaves ■ 3 tbsp roasted peanuts, roughly chopped ■ Sea salt and black pepper PAD THAI DRESSING ■ 3 tbsp brown sugar ■ 3 tbsp Vegan Fish Sauce ■ 1 tbsp rice vinegar ■…

Bridge BY HEATHER DHONDY Before reading on, cover the East and West hands on the deal below. NORTH-SOUTH GAME; DEALER EAST Playing teams in a recent tournament, East opened one spade (playing five card majors), South over called two clubs and East passed. What call do you make with the North cards? You are a little good to pass, and our North found a raise to three clubs believing his partner to hold a six-card suit for the two-level overcall. South jumped to five clubs and that ended the auction. West led the five of spades. How would you plan the play? The lead is clearly a singleton, and the danger is that you will lose three trump tricks if West is able to collect his ruff with a doubleton…

Fill in the words missing from the following proverbs (the answers are over the page). 1 Sides of a ship:.... and starboard. 2 Safely accomplished: Home and.... 3 One goes up, the other down:.... and stalagmite. 4 Both in milk:.... and whey. 5 Two weaving words: warp and.... 6 High and low sound reproduction: tweeter and.... 7 These work the elbows:.... and triceps. 8 Danish-Dutch singing duo from early Sixties:.... and Frederick. 9 A woodwork joint: Mortise and.... 10 A Dickens of a story:.... and Son.…

Just a reminder… …that in July 1997, Jesus Christ Superstar closed in New York after 711 performances …in this month in the same year, Beatle George Harrison paid a tax bill relating to his Bangladesh concert and album. The sum: £1m …and also in July 1997, Harold ‘Dickie’ Bird stepped out at Headingley, Leeds, as a Test umpire for the first time. He was to officiate in 66 more Tests before retirement. Bringing ancestors back to life makes me shudder Not sure what I thought of anew idea, dreamt up by a family history company, to give ancestors a new lease of life by using technology making them appear to be alive. I hear that those long-ago characters in grainy old photos can appear to smile, move their heads and…