Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2024 i Saga Magazine

I would usually sit down to write this letter, but this month I have unfortunately hurt my back and so am forced to write lying down – rather in the manner of a Roman diner (albeit without the grapes). As fellow sufferers will understand only too well (and there are eight million of us out there), a bad back affects everything you do. However strong your resolve to push on through, the pain can be pretty draining. This is the second time I’ve managed to do this and a salutary reminder that the more years we have on the clock, the more we need to take care of ourselves. Health is wealth, don’t they say? I am sure our columnist Dr Mark Porter would be advising me not to sit…

Our December picks…

Within minutes of meeting actor Martin Clunes, it’s clear that his personality could not be more diametrically opposed to his long-time fictional persona Martin Ellingham from much-loved ITV series Doc Martin. In the show, which ended two years ago, that Martin was characterised by grouchiness and lack of empathy – and a deep antipathy towards dogs. In contrast, real-life Martin is garrulous, and his emotions are always bubbling near the surface, often sparked by, you’ve guessed it, his canine companions. Conversation is regularly punctuated by laughter. As, for instance, when 14-year-old black Labrador and retired guide dog Laura – who was recently adopted by Martin and his wife, TV producer Philippa Braithwaite – passes wind, then gets up and casually quits her spot underneath Martin’s kitchen chair in their remote…

FASHION…

1 Lemn Sissay performed Invisible Kisses for a show I did at the Hay Festival. People were saying, ‘What’s that poem? We’ve got to have it for our wedding.’ 2 Nikita Gill shares poetry visually on social media. Her poem Ancestors reminds you of the strength you have from your forebears. 3 Imtiaz Dharker finds the unique in the mundane, the beautiful in the ordinary, and puts an emphasis on visual imagery. 4 Kae Tempest appeals to young people, playing sell-out shows and festivals, and blurring the lines between poetry, spoken word and rap. 5 Mona Arshi won the Forward Prize for her first collection in 2015. Her poem ?e Gold Bangles is about a family link across generations.…

The main event Lay a festive table that gleams with jewel-toned decor. Cut glassware catches the soft glow of candlelight and a hanging floral wreath and candle centrepieces create a breathtaking talking point that elevates the entire setting. Blooming elegance For an extra special touch to your Christmas celebrations, team flickering candlelight with a lush arrangement of delicate blooms, berries, greenery and statement peacock feathers. Setting pretty Mix and match china in rich tones and add in velvet bows and brass cutlery for a striking place setting. Festive wonderland Go for maximum opulence with velvet bows, glass baubles and dramatic paper decorations adorning the tree. Pretty glass candlesticks work beautifully in front of a mirror for a playful yet super luxe feel to your festive sitting room.…

‘If you’re getting into a panic over what to buy this year, think of me as your very own Ghost of Christmas Future’ If you think you’ve ever been on the receiving end of an underwhelming Christmas gift, do spare a thought for the person cataloguing their seasonal haul in The Twelve Days of Christmas. I mean, I’ve had my fair share of eccentric presents over the years. Take a bow, four pack of lint rollers from an ex-boyfriend. You too, Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy from my dad – yep, you read that right, my actual dad. But none of those come close to the terrifying choices made by the alleged ‘true love’ featured in that song. Frankly, I can’t work out how she even made it to six…

HEALTH More than 25,000 research papers spanning 40 years confirm music’s healing powers. In the 1850s, Florence Nightingale even recommended the popular Victorian tune Home, Sweet Home to ‘soothe the sick’. But could our favourite songs also help hold back the years? Neuroscientist Dr Julia Jones thinks so. She has spent the past year running a study to test the theory that music lovers have a lower ‘subjective age’ – how old you feel rather than the candles on your birthday cake. ‘A lower subjective age is linked with a lower incidence of frailty in later life and music seems to be a way to achieve this,’ says Dr Jones, author of The Music Diet and founder of wellbeing company Holidity. ‘Participants in the study include well-known music legends as…

TURNING 50 Ben Shephard TV presenter, right Nicole Appleton singer (All Saints) Sara Cox TV and radio presenter Sarah Paulson actor Ricky Ponting cricketer TURNING 60 Marisa Tomei actor Robson Green actor, above right Scott Hastings rugby union player Sophie Ward actor Teri Hatcher actor, right TURNING 70 Annie Lennox singer, right Chris Evert tennis player Denzel Washington actor Jermaine Jackson musician and singer (The Jackson 5) Louis de Bernières novelist Mike Nolan singer (Bucks Fizz) Robin Campbell musician (UB40) TURNING 80 Angela Richards actor Brenda Lee singer, above right Chris Hillman musician (The Byrds) Jane Lapotaire actor Lord John Birt TV executive Dame Mary Archer academic Ralph McTell singer Roger de Courcey ventriloquist TURNING 90 Dame Judi Dench actor, right Russ Tamblyn actor…

Each number in the grid represents a different letter. We’ve given you two letters to start you off, which show that 5=S and 19=A. Write these letters wherever their corresponding numbers appear in the grid and then begin to work out the identity of the other letters. All 26 letters of the alphabet will appear in the finished puzzle. SET SQUARE Place each of the digits 1-9 in the grid to make the sums work. We’ve started you with two numbers. Note that the mathematical rule of BIDMAS/ BODMAS does not apply to Set Square puzzles. ADD A LETTER Rearrange the letters and add one to these words to make five-letter words that fit the clues. The added letters will spell a word. WORD WHEEL See how many words of…

EDITOR’S LETTER Hello and welcome to our Christmas issue, which is packed with all sorts of seasonal fun, gifts, recipes and tips to help you celebrate in style. We also have quite a lot of non-Yule features for those of you who, like our columnist Mark Palmer (p73), find the compulsory enjoyment aspect of this time of year a bit wearing. We hope that whichever side of the festive fence you sit on you find plenty to enjoy in the magazine. That’s always assuming you get past the stunning cover, created by artist and illustrator Sue Gent, and starring British woodland animals decorating a tree with baubles encapsulating events of the past year. Sue hand draws with pencil, ink and brush, then adds colour digitally, and she’s been working closely…

VIEW POINT Did I really want to go back to the 1980s and watch eight episodes of Rivals on Disney+? I’d found the books by Dame Jilly Cooper easy, hilarious reads, but I could guess what would be coming. They were a perfect reflection of the time, long before #MeToo, when we women were trying to exercise and enjoy our newfound sexual freedom but also grappling with men who seemed to think that we were up for it, anytime and anywhere. How many times had I been groped in the office and found the only way to deal with it was a firm, ‘No! get off!’ and a threat to report their behaviour to their wives next time I met them in the bar? Generally, this technique worked. Friday night…

Last July, Paul Andrew went to a small farm in Cambridgeshire to retrieve a camera he had set up a week before. ‘I was trembling with excitement,’ says Paul, 63, a biology teacher. Once home, he had hundreds of photos to look through. ‘Click, nothing. Click, nothing. Oh, there’s a finch. Oh, there’s a crow.’ Then, all of a sudden, he found what he was hoping for: a turtle dove, with its delicate colours, tortoiseshell back and striped neck. ‘I nearly fell off my chair,’ says Paul. Despite being a keen birdwatcher since the age of five, he hadn’t seen a turtle dove for years. The dainty and enigmatic species is Britain’s only migratory dove, arriving in April to nest before flying over 3,000 miles to West Africa for the…

1 The American version of which long-running BBC panel show, which launched in the US in September, is compered by a comedian called Roy Wood Jr? 2 Whose entire senior team forgot to wish him ‘happy birthday’ at their morning meeting on 2 September? 3 Five people, including a drug dealer and doctors, were arrested in August in connection with the death last year of which 54-year-old actor? 4 When Rishi Sunak stood outside 10 Downing Street to announce the date of the general election, which song – associated with the Labour Party – could be heard? 5 What date did Sunak announce for the 2024 general election? 6 Who, according to The Sunday Times Rich List, published in May, became the first ever billionaire British musician? 7 What was…

Unless it was to catch a bus, I didn’t start running until I was 67. Even then, I always got breathless. It never occurred to me that one day I would race. But on holiday in South Africa in 2017 with my husband George, 78, we joined our friend on a Parkrun (a free 5k that takes place on Saturday mornings across the world). It was lovely to jog at the foot of Table Mountain, under the trees. We liked it so much, we signed up to our local Parkrun at home in Hertfordshire. We attended weekly and I discovered that I was quick. After a couple of years, I joined the local athletics club. At the annual club meet in 2019, I entered myself for the 800m. I’d never…

MEMORIES There should be, on the face of it, no comparison between the way Christmas is celebrated in the steaming heat of the West Indies and the way it is in the wintry climes of Europe, where I arrived as a young radio reporter in 1969. But look closely and there are many similarities. In Trinidad, where I grew up, despite high temperatures of 80$F (27$C) and balmy sea breezes, Christmas trees are everywhere, sprinkled with a liberal dusting of fake snow. High streets are lit up, stalls are decked with elaborate decorations and everywhere Yuletide songs and carols can be heard to celebrate the birth of the Christ child. I was astonished to discover when I came to London that broadcasters had the same earnest discussions about exactly when…

GREEN UP… your front door Escape into your garden to gather homegrown greenery for a wreath and decorative swags that celebrate the season. Form your frame out of long stems of willow, hazel, cornus, wisteria or clematis vine, soaked for a few hours so they flex, then shaped into a ring with twine. Weave and tie in fresh-cut stems from evergreen shrubs, climbers or Christmas tree offcuts through the ring to make a generous base. Group berries, small fruits and chillies for colour, tying or wiring them onto the frame. Top off with a flamboyant, colourful ribbon to secure it to your door. FORAGE… for decorations Your garden will have plenty to offer for decorations – major on evergreens and get creative with the details. Try: * ivy stems for…

WINE BEST… budget buys Morrisons The Best Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco (11%, £9.50, Morrisons) Worth half as much again, this is a serious prosecco with fresh, zesty fruit from its hillside vineyards. That perky character makes it a rare food-friendly prosecco with crunchy orchard fruit and subtle floral notes. A bargain. Contevedo Cava Brut (11.5%, £5.49, Aldi) Buy lots and keep this for your New Year’s Eve celebrations. Consistently one of the best wines in Aldi, it’s clean, lemony and refreshing. And at this price you can add orange juice, peach juice, or a drop of Chambord liqueur, if you’re feeling swanky. The ultimate party fizz. Langlois Chateau L’Extra Crémant de Loire Blancs de Blancs (12.5%, £14.99, vintagebysaga.co.uk) Surely the poshest of the value sparkling wines. This has all the quince…

HEALTH The stress of shopping and family get-togethers, plus the surfeit of rich, salty meals and alcohol are enough to send anyone’s blood pressure upwards at this time of year. But how high is too high? In the UK, normal blood pressure is 120/80 or less, and high blood pressure (hypertension) is set at 140/90. But recent guidelines from the European Society of Cardiology propose a new in-between category called ‘elevated blood pressure’ of 120/70 to 139/89, at which treatment should be considered. The guidelines bring Europe into line with the US, where there is already an elevated category of 120-129/80. It reflects the fact that high BP doesn’t happen overnight, and that some people – for example those with diabetes – could benefit from more intensive treatment at levels…

You can tap into the power of music yourself by playing or learning an instrument (great for creating new connections in the brain), singing in a choir or joining a community music group (one of the best ways to lift mood). Alternatively, put together your own playlists via a streaming service such as Spotify or Apple Music. The experts I spoke too agreed that, because music is subjective, the choice is individual. However, a study earlier this year found that songs that were popular when you were aged 10 to 30 were most likely to evoke strong memories, known as a ‘reminiscence bump’. Furthermore, slow tempo tracks lower heart rate, blood pressure and stress hormone levels, and can work within three minutes, according to US research. And music with smooth…

FINANCE Fairer fraud refunds More people who have money stolen from their bank accounts should get it back under new rules that began on 7 October. Banks are now obliged to refund the loss unless they can show ‘gross negligence’. If you are conned into helping thieves transfer money to what they call a ‘safe’ account, but which is in fact theirs, ask your bank to refund you. If it argues, go to the Financial Ombudsman. The payment should come in a week – but can take seven weeks in ‘complex cases’. In 2023, nearly 225,000 people lost £376 million and £120 million of that was never refunded. In future, almost all of it should be, though there is a cap of £85,000. But prevention is better than cure. If…

EVENT Christmas light trails and ice skating NATIONWIDE This Christmas, Longleat celebrates the 10th anniversary of its annual lantern event with a ‘journey through time’ theme. Featuring more than 1,000 lanterns, including a Roman chariot, an Egyptian pyramid and Elizabeth I, the trail traces the age of the dinosaurs to the present day (until 5 January, longleat.co.uk). Elsewhere, light trails will pop up at London’s Kew Gardens (until 5 January, kew.org), Sandringham Estate in Norfolk (21 November24 December, luminate.live) and the five RHS gardens (until 5 January, rhs.org.uk) in Salford, North Devon, Surrey, Essex, and North Yorkshire. At Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, the annual light trail returns alongside an ice rink (until 1 January, blenheimpalace.com). An ice rink can also be found in London’s Somerset House courtyard (until 12 January, somersethouse.org.uk),…

PODCAST Frank Off the Radio: The Frank Skinner Podcast Frank Skinner made his displeasure clear when he was sacked by Absolute Radio earlier this year, saying, ‘I’m not going to pretend I took it well… I don’t want to go.’ The sentiment was echoed across social media by his fans, many of whom had listened to the Radio Academy Award-winning show since it began in 2009. But fear not, Skinner has bounced back in the most predictable way possible for an audio presenter of the modern era: with a new podcast. Frank Off The Radio will feel wonderfully familiar to Skinner’s radio fans. Long-term collaborators Emily Dean (Saga’s beauty columnist) and Pierre Novellie join him in a new studio, where he makes up a title tune on his banjo ukulele…

As the countdown to Christmas begins, my guess is you will be experiencing one of two things: a sense of happy betwitterment (pleasing, if nervous, excitement) or apanthropy: the desire to be left alone. It’s perfectly possible that you will feel both emotions in the coming weeks, as festive jubilation approaches at the same time as carloads of friends and family. And so, in that spirit, I thought I’d offer a few of my favourite words for this complicated season, in an attempt to cover all bases. I’ll kick off with festive food, which was once known by the rather wonderful name of ‘bellycheer’ (basic food, the kind that propped you up, was ‘bellytimber’). The customary overspending on food and drink at this time of year was, in the 18th…

Nigella Lawson Recipes, p58 She’s sold more than eight million cookery books worldwide since her first was released in 1998. One of her most popular books is Nigella Christmas, which is packed full of indulgent festive treats. Tom Parker Bowles World According To, p129 The food writer says he aspires to make roast chicken as good as his mother Queen Camilla’s but for Christmas dinner he’d push the boat out and serve up a stuffed boar’s head. Tony Pastor The Cauldron p30 Tony co-founded Goalhanger, the UK’s biggest podcast company. It produces hit podcasts The Rest is History, The Rest is Politics, Empire, The Rest is Entertainment and many more. Sue Gent Cover Inspired by mythology and the natural world, Sue’s artwork combines traditional and digital techniques with pencil, ink…

How will you spend Christmas at your home near Saffron Walden, Essex? My wife Tara [Wyer] normally cooks our turkey dinner. I’m a good cook too but I tend to get banished from the kitchen because I create so much carnage. We normally have 15 for the day, including my mum. I’ve got two younger children, Patrick, nine and Indigo, 14. I’ve also got three grown-up children and three grandchildren and I’m a great-grandad now to five-year-old Malaya Rose, who is the cheekiest, funniest little kid. I love spending time with her. On Christmas Day, it’s a tradition to all sit round the telly and watch Call the Midwife. How did you meet Tara? I’ve never seemed to do badly with the ladies, but in my late forties, I started…

BOOKS INTO THE STORM Cecelia Ahern Driving at night through torrential rain in the run-up to Christmas, Dr Enya Pickering is flagged down by a man who has found a boy injured in the road. She performs CPR, revives him, but nothing can breathe life into her dying marriage, and the time has come to start over. The hunt is on for a hit-and-run driver, as Enya leaves her husband and teenage son to reinvent herself as a rural GP. Gripping and complex. THE BELLS OF WESTMINSTER Leonora Nattrass Georgian London and the great Gothic mausoleum of Westminster Abbey provides a backdrop for Nattrass’s new historical romp. Dean’s daughter Susan Bell wryly relates a tale of murder, ghostly hauntings and weird happenings. A teenage William Blake, a garrulous parrot named…

MYSTERY On a warm September morning 80 years ago, a small group of British men strapped on their parachutes for an operation designed to end the Second World War by Christmas. This was the Independent Company, an elite group of 186 men tasked with seizing the landing fields outside Arnhem in the Netherlands, in preparation for the arrival of 10,000 airborne soldiers who would take and hold the great road bridge over the Rhine. As anyone who has seen the movie directed by Richard Attenborough knows, this would prove to be a bridge too far. But the Independent Company didn’t know this as they looked out of the doors of their Stirling bombers and prepared to jump into the midday sunshine. Among their number was one man who would later…

As a child, Allie Esiri kept Louis Untermeyer’s Golden Treasury of Poetry by her bed, reading and rereading it, little knowing she’d one day compile treasuries of her own Her beautiful verse collections have sold over 250,000 copies and account for a fifth of all anthologies sold in the UK. Many will no doubt find their way into a Christmas stocking this year. When we meet in the café at London’s National Theatre, Esiri -who also curates and hosts poetry events – explains how her life-long fascination with the genre began. ‘I’ve always loved poetry,’ she says. ‘My mother would hear me reading it aloud. I liked Christina Rossetti, letting the words wash over me if I didn’t understand them.’ Born Allie Byrne in 1967, Esiri attended South Hampstead High…

Yule log by Nigella Lawson I think a traditional French bûche de Noël always looks just the right side of cutely enchanting, and there is nothing not to like about its tender, melting chocolatiness. I know the recipe looks finicky, and I can’t promise it’s a doddle, but it works easily and you will soon find you are rolling chocolate logs without a care. Makes about 12 fat slices YOU WILL NEED For the cake • 6 large eggs, separated • 150g caster sugar • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 50g cocoa powder • 3-5 tsps icing sugar to decorate For the icing • 175g dark chocolate, chopped • 250g icing sugar • 225g soft butter • 1 x 15ml tbsp vanilla extract METHOD 1 Preheat the oven to 180ºC/…

1 Best for… the dressing table Applying make-up in poor light, when your eyes aren’t what they used to be, is – I’m told – almost impossible. A rechargeable, lighted magnifying mirror is the answer (also useful for shaving). The Raxter has 33 LED lights, which can be dimmed by touching the mirror if they are revealing a bit too much. Find it for £9.99. (amazon.co.uk) 2 Best for… teenagers Quality wireless earbuds are expensive, and the cheaper ones are inevitably from minor brands the young people in your life will hate. However, the new Audio Technica ATH SQ1TW2 earbuds come from a top Japanese name and are a remarkable bargain (as these things go). They cost just £49. (audio-technica.com) 3 Best for… the kitchen The Italian appliance guru Smeg…

Be proactive… Invest in a BP monitor and do two readings one to two minutes apart at the same time morning and evening. If your BP averages 135/85 (considered high blood pressure when measured at home) or more for three to seven days, seek medical advice. Know your history… Existing heart and circulatory disease, Type 2 diabetes, kidney problems, family history of heart problems or (women) previous pre-eclampsia in pregnancy may necessitate treatment at a lower threshold. Watch what you eat… Salt is the number one baddie, but you should also cut sugar and alcohol, according to the new ESC guidelines. Ramp up fruit and veg… They are rich in potassium, which helps counteract sodium in salt. Keep taking the meds… If side effects of anti-hypertensive meds are a problem,…

My wife tells everyone that she married me as she loved the way I skied – though I’d like to think there were other reasons. Unfortunately, as I approached my 60th year, my skiing star was waning as sporting overindulgence during my youth caught up with me. An arthritic knee, with little remaining cartilage, was the main culprit. Yes, I could still ski, but the constant discomfort, the swelling and far too many painkillers meant I needed to consider a knee replacement. Medical friends advised holding out as long as possible, bearing in mind that the life span of a new knee is around 15 to 20 years. On a recent holiday to Mexico in December 2022 we had to run for a connecting flight, and I simply couldn’t. My…

More puzzles! There are loads more puzzles on the Saga Magazine app. Download from your app store today! Christmas prize crossword ACROSS 7 Hollywood’s nickname (over Christmas?) (10) 9 Weather condition in London that rarely occurs for more than four days (4) 10 Cold, high-latitude region of a planet (5,3) 11 Object annually described as a Christmas number one (6) 12 Popular bouncy toy of the 1970s (5,6) 15 Decorative screen behind an altar (7) 16 Festive novelty with a hat inside (7) 18 Symbolic lit object used in Advent services (11) 21 Playground piece of equipment (3-3) 22 Candied stalks used in cake decoration (8) 23 Brand-name plastic bricks, a common festive gift (4) 24 Singer whose album Merry Christmas, Baby was released in 2012 (3,7) DOWN 1 One of the 12 Disciples, also called Peter (5) 2 Surname of the…

ANSWERS (P28) 1 Have I Got News For You 2 Sir Keir Starmer 3 Matthew Perry 4 Things Can Only Get Better 5 4 July 6 Sir Paul McCartney 7 Baby Reindeer 8 Liz Truss 9 Chris Serle 10 Taylor Swift 11 The West Midlands 12 St Lucia 13 Glasgow 14 The Apprentice 15 Jacob Rees-Mogg 16 Michael Barrymore 17 Adam Peaty 18 Sweden 19 Frank Cottrell-Boyce 20 Ruth Langsford 21 Daisy Edgar-Jones 22 Normal People 23 Singapore 24 Emily Maitlis 25 65 26 Vladimir Putin 27 Jürgen Klopp 28 Dune 2 29 The new names of London’s six overground lines 30 Scottie Scheffler 31 James Patterson 32 Taylor Swift 33 Stacey Solomon 34 Celine Dion 35 The Body Shop 36 Dubai 37 Victoria Beckham 38 The War of the Roses 39 Dave Myers 40 London…

People assume we had fleets of kitchen staff when I was growing up, but my mother made all our meals. She was a great cook then and still is. Nothing fancy, just hearty food: scrambled eggs, fresh mince from the local butcher, fruit and veg from the garden. My children [Lola, 17, and Freddie, 14] call my mum ‘Gaga’ and the King ‘Uppa’. My daughter’s not bad in the kitchen, but she doesn’t really make recipes with Gaga because Mum’s not that kind of cook – her approach has always been instinct and feel; no recipe book, no apron, no fuss. If I ask her how she gets her roast chicken to taste so good, she’ll say, ‘Well, you get a chicken and put it in the oven’. What temperature?…