Sommaire pour October 2022 de Choice

Many, many thousands of words have been written in the last couple of weeks about the death of our Queen and the beginning of the reign of our new King. But I thought it was appropriate for us to add just a few more, and pictures of both (Pages 16-28), as for the Choice readers’ generations Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was an inspiration and a role model and King Charles III is among those of us whose birth came around the Second World War or in the baby boom of the post war decades. When she was crowned, on June 2,1953, I was only three days away from my first birthday. I still have the coronation mug that children were given at the time; my mum kept it along…

Gail Willis is an exponent and teacher of Hatha Yoga. She brings Choice readers a new exercise every month. Gail 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 the easiest will be good for you and make you feel good,”said Gail…

What would happen if you refused to pay your energy bill? Q I have never been much of a rebel, but my energy bills have shot up to more than £200 a month which, like many others, I am struggling to pay. I saw press coverage of a campaign called ‘Don’t PayUK’, which is calling for people to cancel their direct debits to energy companies from October 1inabid to get them to reduce bills to a more reasonable level. I am tempted to join this, but what would be the implications? Name and email supplied Teri Harman, Editor, YM&YR, replies: A This campaign has received much publicity, but, tempting as it may seem, experts warn of very serious consequences of joining it, and strongly advise against it. Scott Taylor-Barr of…

It is New Year’s Eve 1961, and The Beatles are huddled together in a draughty mini-van, making their way from Liverpool down to London fora date with destiny. At the wheel is Neil Aspinall, a trainee accountant who has somehow been persuaded to take on the role of road manager for the group, a role that effectively means driving them to and from gigs in his old beaten-up van. Six years later Neil will have the chance to use his accountancy skills as managing director of the Beatles’ record company, Apple, but right now he is more concerned with trying to navigate the primitive motorway network in a raging blizzard while, in the back, the four Beatles take it in turns to lie on top of each other in a…

Hello and welcome to my Craft Corner! Every month I share two new projects with Choice readers -onefor 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. I was 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 NEW wellbeing garden at Kings College Guilford is now open to the public following a design competition won by Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) diploma student Emma Leaper. Students completing the RHS Diploma in Horticultural Practice course at RHS Garden Wisley were tasked with designing a garden that prioritised wellbeing, helped build community connections and inspired users to take time away from busy lives and transform an existing disused space for the College. Emma Leaper’s ‘Lifecycle garden’ was chosen by staff and the Eco Group at Kings College as the winning design. Her design incorporates soft, sensory planting with trees to provide shade and plenty of room for people to relax and socialise. The design also makes use of drought-tolerant plants for the exposed site and features such as a…

Elvis (Warner Brothers Home Video) DVD and Blu-ray The film director Baz Luhrmann does not do things by halves; all his films, from Romeo and Juliet and Moulin Rouge through to The Great Gatsby and now this flamboyant biopic of rock and roll’s first great hero are extravagant, visually dazzling and occasionally just a touch over the top. Which makes him the perfect choice to direct a film about a rock and roll icon who, cast adrift from his roots by fame and riches beyond the dreams of avarice, ended his days bloated and essentially alone except for a coterie of hangers-on. Luhrmann uses every trick in the book to chart the King’s life, from talking newspaper photos to using a comic strip to chart his childhood, and it all…

HARDBACK BOOK OF THE MONTH The Rising Tide by Ann Cleeves Published by Pan Macmillan Price £20 Pages 384 ISBN 9781509889617 The bonds forged by a group of teenagers during a weekend at the Pilgrims’ House on Lindisfarne 50 years ago had lasted a lifetime. Every five years they’d meet to celebrate their friendship and remember the friend they’d lost when the tide had taken her as she drove across the causeway. Now they are back, but in shock when one of them is found hanged. Detective Vera Stanhope knows how the past intrudes on the present. Old secrets need investigating. Ann Cleeves’ brilliant sense of place, eye for detail and clever plotting are at their finest in her tenth Vera novel. Hardbacks FICTION The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly…

Just a reminder… … that in October 1985, Nintendo released its eight-bit video game console in America. The console became the most successful game system of its era with the game Super Mario Bros … in this month, in 1992, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, filed a lawsuit against French newspapers for printing pictures of her topless with Texas millionaire John Bryan on the French Riviera … and in October 2000, a report into ‘Mad Cow Disease’ revealed that the Government had misled the public by waiting for six months before disclosing details about outbreaks the disease. A stitch in time? Pearls before swine… Don’t you love some of the old sayings that decorate our speech? Things like “a stitch in time saves nine” and other proverbs. (Incidentally, I challenge…

Soothing, relaxing and stress reducing, these CDs from GAP MuSic and it’s sister label Tantajo Records are a great addition to any music collection. Checkout the GAP website: (www.gapmusic.co.uk) for more wonderful music for relaxation and wellbeing. 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…

WHEN IT comes to well being, diet is one of the most important elements to keep an eye on. If we continue to eat the kind of food we consumed when we were younger, we might be missing out on essential nutrients that maintain our bodies well into our 60s. For example, even though ready meals are accessible, they are heavily processed, mostly packed with additives such as artificial flavourings and colouring, and thickening agents. Nutritional information can sometimes be confusing, but there’s no need to try the latest food fad, as eating healthily boils down to having a balanced diet of foods in their natural state, or as close to it as possible. Oily fish is a great source of vitamin D, omega 3and fatty acids and, for a…

The Ecooking Derma Roller, (£73, lookfantastic. com), is an easy-to-use roller with tiny needles you roll over your face, neck and décolleté to help stimulate circulation and improve elasticity. Used weekly, it willhelp boost collagen production for firmer looking skin and you can increase the benefits by using a serum while the skin is stimulated to absorb more of the nutrients, such as L’Occitane’s Reset Night Serum, (£9.50, marksandspencer.com). Or try Aldi’s new autumn range of skin care tools, which includes a Vibrating White Jade Roller you canuse to improve your complexion (£12.99). Freezing temperatures have two great benefits for skin, helping to increase blood flow to improve circulation and tone and to help with moisture retention to keep complexion looking hydrated and fresh. Stored in the fridge for when…

INFLATION IN the UK as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose to a 40-year high of 10.1 per cent in the year to July 2022, five times the target set by the government for the Bank of England (BoE). The CPIH, which measures inflation including costs associated with owning your own home, was seven higher at 13.6 per cent. Grant Fitzner, chief economist at the Office for National Statistics (ONS), said the increase was largely due to rising fuel and food prices. “The cost of both raw materials and goods leaving factories continues to rise, driven higher by higher metal and food prices respectively.” The Bank has forecast that inflation will go higher still, to 13 per cent per cent before the end of this year, and that…

A Provider operates under Islamic finance principles, rate shown is expected profit rate B Introductory rate for a limited period F Fixed rate. Methods of opening and operating accounts will vary.All rates are shown as AER variable unless otherwise stated. All rates and terms subject to change without notice and should be checked before finalising any arrangement. No liability can be accepted for any direct or consequential loss arising from the use of, or reliance upon, this information. Readers who are not financial professionals should seek expert advice.Visit (Moneyfacts.co.uk) for full details. National Savings&Investments Enquirytel:08085007007. FOR SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS, TEL 01603 476100, WEBSITE: WWW.MONEYFACTS.CO.UK FIGURES COMPILED ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2022…

Supplies: ■ Scraps of cotton fabric ■ Scrap of brown felt ■ Bay Leaf Build a Block die set ■ Toy stuffing ■ Co-ordinating strong thread ■ Hot glue gun ■ Threaders Heat Erasable Pen ■ Basic sewing kit To create: 1 Cut six pumpkin segments from the cotton fabric using the one of the bay leaf dies from the build a block die set. If you don’t have this set you can draw your own bay leaf shaped template 2 With right sides together stitch two segments together down one of the curved sides. Clip into the seam or use pinking shears to trim the seam 3 Continue to add segments until you have a complete pumpkin. Leave a 2 to 3 inch gap in the last seam for…

Mark Knopfler Essentials Apple Music Classic Rock,27 songs, two hours 13 mins Mark Knopfler has often been described as a musical genius, and this playlist amply demonstrates that, as well as showing the breadth of his talent from hard rock to gentle country. Picking a selection of 27 tracks from his prolific output of hundreds of songs was always going to be a tough task but Apple’s editors have done a good job. Knopfler’s early success exploded in 1978 with Dire Straits, marked on this selection with Sultans of Swing, Romeo and Juliet, Money For Nothing and Walk of Life all remastered and featuring his unique heavy rock but melodic solos on trusty red Stratocaster. After 13 glorious years and six huge selling albums Knopfler quietly disbanded the band and…

THE TRAGEDY of Princess Diana is told with a novelist’s eye in Diana, William and Harry, by James Patterson (Century, £20), and Orlando Figes’ The Story of Russia (Bloomsbury, £25) shows how Putin’s current tyranny is embedded with the centuries-old idea of ‘Holy Russia’. In The New Puritans (Constable, £20) Andrew Doyle examines the rise of ‘cancel culture’ making a plea for tolerance in public debate, and Kiki Man Ray, by Mark Braude (Two Roads, £20), tells the story of Alice Prin (Kiki de Montparnasse), an important figure in Bohemian Twenties Paris. Harold Wilson: The Winner, by Nick Thomas-Symonds (W&N, £25), takes a fresh look at the life and legacy of the enigmatic former Prime Minister, and The Real Special Relationship, by Michael Smith (Simon & Schuster, £25), examines how…

Gravity-powered frissons and fun of soapbox racing EVERYONE SEEMS to think that the current drive to recycle our old stuff is a recent crusade. Don’t you believe it. As youngsters in the Yorkshire town I lived in long ago, most people we knew ‘wasted nowt’ – without being persuaded. This was not out of concern for the planet but because, as they used to say, ‘needs must’ – that is, we have to salvage the old because we can’t afford the new. Without knowing it, back then we were also fairly ‘green’. Yes, we burned coal but our local comings and goings did little damage to the atmosphere. Our buses – we called them ‘tracklesses’ – ran on overhead wires, and we walked everywhere, or biked (sometimes hitching a lift…

UNTIL HER retirement this summer, Sue Barker was the undisputed queen of Wimbledon, as vital a part of the tennis championships as strawberries and cream, Sir Cliff Richard and whatever Henman Hill is called these days. Sue had been a key part of the BBC’s Wimbledon coverage for more than 30 years and it was only when she signed off to viewers for the very last time following the men’s singles final in June, that her admirable, and all too rare, self-effacement gave way to a few tears. As always with Sue, it was about the event rather than her – and how many sports broadcasters today can you say that about? Before giving her a farewell hug on her last day with the BBC, tennis great John McEnroe acknowledged…

Email your poems to: (editorial@choicemag.co.uk) or post to Your Poetry, Choice, 4 Milnyard Square, Orton Southgate, Peterborough PE2 6GX Political correctness We now have to speak in a certain wayIt must be politically correct people say.No He or She or Her or HimMother and Father are ‘next of kin’. You can’t have ForefathersAncestors will have to doFirst names onlyChristian names are taboo. Queer is out and so is gayJust what are we allowed to say?You can’t be deaf, it’s just not done.Why waste two words when it could be one? The English language will be all goneAs everything in it will be so wrong. Barbara Colwell, Wokingham Hi Tech I feel so very left behind with all technologyThe trouble is I hate it – it really isn’t me.I much prefer…

High-tech goggles will be worn by community nurses on home visits to free up time with patients, as part of an NHS pilot scheme. As long as a patient consents, the virtual reality style headset can transcribe the appointment directly to electronic records, reducing time-consuming admin for nurses. Staff will be able to share live footage directly with hospital colleagues to get a second opinion, avoiding the need for further appointments or hospital admission. Thermal imaging will also help them assess how wounds and injuries have healed. The glasses, which also help nurses look up their next appointment that day and check how long it will take to get there based on live travel updates, is being trialled in Northern Lincolnshire and Goole. Community nurses are currently estimated to spend…

THE COVID-19 pandemic completely transformed the UK’s workforce, most notably in terms of making hybrid working a permanent feature – or at least an option – for many businesses. However, it also prompted a large proportion of older employees to refocus their life priorities. Indeed, almost half a million (493,000) people aged 50 and over made the decision to leave the workforce throughout the pandemic. Naturally, these decisions will have been prompted for a range of reasons, such as taking care of relatives or ill health. Interestingly, however, almost half (45 per cent) stated that retirement was their reason for leaving work. When these people left the workforce, it would have been impossible to predict the economic volatility of 2022. The cost of living crisis, fuelled by soaring inflation and…

IN MARCH 1964 a young Australian group set sail for England on the cruise ship Fairsky. The deal was that they would provide the on board entertainment and, when they arrived in England stay for ten weeks, hopefully pick up a few concert dates, and then head back home. The Seekers had come together two years earlier, when young jazz singer Judith Durham hooked up with folk musicians Athol Guy, Keith Potger and Bruce Woodley. A gifted pianist as well as singer, Judith had been ambitious from an early age. At the age of nine she told her sister Beverley she was going to be famous and “sing on stages all around the world”. “Being an Australian folk group I guess we were outrageous in our own way” But, still…

IN PERFECT Harmony, by Will Hodgkinson (Nine Eight Books, £25), is a brilliant, kaleidoscopic look at Seventies mainstream pop, an era that is often mocked but in fact, as the author points out, was a time when inventiveness, wild creativity and the downright strange ruled the charts. Lieutenant Pigeon, Lynsey De Paul, The New Seekers, Darts and Peters and Lee are among those featured in this absorbing portrait of a pop golden age. A Song for Everyone, by John Lingan (Hachette, £25), is the first in-depth study of Creedence Clearwater Revival, a band who sound-tracked the turbulent late Sixties with hits like Proud Mary and Bad Moon Rising, and in Walking Back Home (Headline, £20), former Deacon Blue singer Ricky Ross looks back over his Dundee upbringing and 35-year career.…

Before reading on, cover the South and West hands on the deal below. LOVE ALL; DEALER SOUTH Playing teams, South opens one notrump, North responds two clubs and South rebids two diamonds. What call do you make with the North cards? You would have been very happy if partner had had a major, however now you have little option but to try three notrumps, hoping that partner has something robust in diamonds. Defending as East, your partner leads the four of diamonds. Dummy’s jack is covered with your queen and declarer follows with the eight. What do you play now? It is tempting to return your fourth highest diamond, but is there a danger? Careful examination of the small cards will tell you quite a lot about the diamond suit.…

Another chance to test your general knowledge with these questions about people and events of the past. (Answers are over the page.) 1 What group had a 1983 hit with Red, Red Wine? 2 How many marriages had Joan Collins had by the time she wed Peter Holme in 1985? 3 Which British prince was born in the same year as Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones? 4 Which famous snooker player was called the grinder? 5 What nut-producing tree is mentioned in the first line of The Village Blacksmith, Longfellow’s poem which was once often learned at school? 6 Which actor in The Magnificent Seven was dressed entirely in black? 7 What was the first name of the PM’s personal aide in Yes, Prime Minister? 8 Which British heavyweight champion boxer of…