Saga Magazine

Hello everyone, I hope you are enjoying the long, sunny evenings that seem to smile warmly on our every endeavour at this time of year. And it’s not just the barometer heading in the right direction. Here at Saga, we are celebrating ever-growing numbers of visitors to our fabulous website exceptional.com. Since we launched this year, we have had more than a million unique visitors and we are hoping to double that by the end of the year. The good news doesn’t end there. You may remember in the April issue I talked about Saga Village, the digital hub we’re creating to bring a world of online inspiration to the comfort of your home. I’m pleased to confirm that we’re now on countdown to launch. This month the 20,000 customers…

EDITOR’S LETTER I’m still on a bit of a high after the Coronation - which was definitely worth the pain of the 3am wake-up call to get to London in time to secure a front row spot for my Union Jack camping seat. Even my ‘Honestly, mum, no one cares’ daughter, Daisy, got into the spirit of it all in the end especially when she discovered that the incredibly glamorous and very friendly policewoman allocated to our part of Whitehall was none other than Special Constable Penny Lancaster, also known as Mrs Rod Stewart. Daisy and I loved all the clothes, though surprisingly, my top fashion moment of the year so far doesn’t involve Kate’s tiara that wasn’t a tiara or even Penny Mordaunt’s show-stopping ensemble, but a garment I’d…

Ray Mears World According To…, p129 As well as being an author and TV presenter, Ray Mears runs courses to teach people how to survive in the wild. Participants travel to the Arctic Circle and sleep under the northern lights. Emily Kenway Carebots, p26 Writer and activist Emily released her first criticallyacclaimed book The Truth About Modern Slavery in 2021. Her new book Who Cares draws on her experience of caring for her mother. David Matthews Windrush, p38 David Matthews is a son of the ‘Windrush Generation’ who documented arrivals’ stories in an acclaimed book. He’s a Fellow of the University of the Arts, London. Esther Curtis Moving on up, p74 Esther is a freelance illustrator. She lives in Bristol with her husband, son and two very silly cats. Her…

Our June picks…

There are four squirrels playing in the lime tree outside my window. I say ‘playing’ in ignorance. They are certainly chasing and occasionally bumping into each other, but I do not know for certain what they do. Perhaps they are courting, making love, or pursuing age old vendettas. There was a time when I would have taken the opportunity to shoot them dead. In fact, I permanently kept a loaded air rifle by the loo, ready for the time a shot presented itself and I could knock one out of the old apple tree on the front lawn. When you look at a young squirrel with no hair on its long tail, you can see why; squirrels are imported tree rats who have wrecked things for our native reds (who…

VIEWPOINT At last, here comes the summer and that irresistible longing to be by the seaside. Raised in a mining town, Barnsley, in the middle of Yorkshire, the sea seemed so far away. But, as the summer began, so came the excitement of what was always the most thrilling time of the year. My earliest memories are of Blackpool. Mum had agonised over packing enough stuff for a week away. She’d cleaned the house from top to bottom, never risking any burglar breaking in and finding she was a neglectful housewife. Grandma and Grandpa were equally well prepared. They met us at the bus station to take the coach to my dream destination, me jumping up and down in my seat as the tip of the tower came into view.…