Reader's Digest UK September 2022

Finally—the issue we’ve been impatiently counting down the days to. Why? To reveal the winners of our 100-word-story competition of course! After many months of carefully sifting through the thousands of entries, agonising over who gets onto the final shortlist and then holding our breath as we watched you, the readers, vote for the winners, we’re incredibly excited to publish these inspiring, whimsical, sometimes sad but all equally scintillating stories on p58. Congratulations to Rachel, Ameerah, Evelyn and all the runners up, and a huge thank you to everyone who has submitted their story—we’ve been dazzled by your talent and creativity, and can’t wait to see your stories again next year. Eva And another thing to be excited about in our September issue, this time for the animal lovers out there—the introduction of…

We pay £50 for Letter of the Month and £30 for all others LETTER OF THE MONTH I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed reading “Pilgrim’s Progress”. So much so, that I’ve clipped out the pages to remind me of the wonderful walks (and to provide inspiration for future “waycations”). There is something so glorious about walking away from everyday life, from the modern world and the yoke it puts upon us, towards an expanse of freedom. The quiet calm that settles upon striking out, the questions one is forced to confront, the knowledge one gains. I walk regularly for precisely these reasons and now I feel even more inspired. Even just reading about these pilgrimage routes makes me feel uplifted. And this is exactly the point. These paths are as significant…

A new “bridge” in Rome. In the early 16th century, cardinal Alessandro Farnese wanted a bridge built connecting Palazzo Farnese to the gardens of Villa Farnesina on the Tiber river’s opposite bank. The man who would become Pope Paul III commissioned none other than Michelangelo for this job. However, Michelangelo’s designs were never realised—at least, not for nearly five centuries. In the summer of 2021, French artist Olivier Grossetête finally made the cardinal’s wish a temporary reality when, using balloons, he suspended this partial cardboard model above the river.…

Olly Mann presents Four Thought for BBC Radio 4, and the podcasts The Modern Mann, The Week Unwrapped and The Retrospectors YESTERDAY I MET LIZ; a highly intelligent woman in her fifties. She’s a school friend of my mate Brett, and she’s spent the last 20 years working in brand marketing. As a result, she has a swimming pool. And a designer handbag. And a silly job title I can’t quite bring myself to recall: "Chief Inspiration Leader" or "Treasurer of Top Ideas" or something equally cringe, calculated to put the FUN in "strategy-led market research". She’s very smart, I said to Brett. “Yes,” he replied. “What a shame she’s wasted her brain, rather than doing something PROPER”. I smiled at this and indicated agreement—I knew what he meant; it’s not like she’s…

“READER’S DIGEST HAS been around longer than I have!” guffaws Jane Fonda when I introduce myself. She’s 84 now, but the iconic actress and activist has clearly not let the passing years dim her self-deprecating sense of humour. Nor has age withered her. The one-time fitness guru, who almost single-handedly created an empire from her Jane Fonda Workout videos, still looks utterly fabulous. We’re chatting over a video call, with Fonda seated in an ornate living area next to a tasteful orange-hued floral display. Dressed in a blouse bedecked with bold yellow, pink, and grey stripes, she’s every bit as immaculately groomed as her surroundings. Ostensibly, we’re here to talk about her new project Luck, an animated film now appearing on Apple TV+, which gave her a rare opportunity to take…

…GOING TO THE LOCAL PARK IN EALING. The swings were my favourite, because I could get myself as high up in the sky as possible. I would jump about the house because it gave me the same feeling. My mum said, “What are we going to do to stop you from jumping around all over the place?”. There was a ballet school around the corner, and when she asked if I wanted to have lessons, I said, “Oh, yes, please!”. …I WAS 11 WHEN MY MUM REALISED HOW SERIOUS I WAS ABOUT DANCING. Growing up, my mum showed great talent as a mezzo-soprano opera singer. Her parents wouldn’t let her pursue her dreams and neither did my father, unfortunately. It was such a shame, but she put all her effort and…