Retirement Today March/April by amra media solutions

The magazine for pre and post retirement www.retirement-today.co.uk

March/April £2.90

R E T I R EME N T

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PERFECT DAY Places to visit for all the family

s tition e p m Co 19 see p

Plus: Life Changes – heading off the problems

• A Second Chance – animal re-homing

• Asparagus Season – recipes from Valentine Warner

• Liver problems – foods to avoid

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WELCOME TO RETIREMENT TODAY MAGAZINE

CONTENTS 4 Life changes that can trigger problems Whether it’s empty nest syndrome, bereavement or retirement, there are certain times during your life that can put pressure on even the strongest relationships. Read about some of the problems that may occur and try and head them off before they take hold.

4 10

6 Sweet Feast Tasty recipes from award-winning food writer Julie Biuso.

8 Update NTPL John Millar

Mother Nature – a gift that keeps on giving; More than half of over 45 year olds are unsure how much they are worth; Good Non Retirement Guide 2012; Life begins at 55.

12 A Second Chance – The benefits of getting a pet when you retire Research has shown that getting a pet can make you feel and act much younger. With more and more sanctuaries over-run with unwanted animals needing a loving home, read how getting a pet could enrich your life as well as improving your well being.

14 Animals in need of homes 6

See just a few animals currently available for re-homing.

16 Liver Problems • Published by: Amra Media Solutions Ltd The Old Lavender Mill 46a Brook Street Aston Clinton Buckinghamshire HP22 5ES • Tel: 01296 632700 • Fax: 01296 632720 • Email: info@amramedia.co.uk • www.retirement-today.co.uk • Designed by: Tom Evans Design All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher. Although every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the information and the advertisements contained within the magazine, the publishers cannot accept any liability. Retirement Today would be pleased to receive your articles and photographs for possible publication. Although all reasonable care will be taken the magazine can assume no responsibility and contributors are advised to retain a copy. Image courtesy of Cats Protection

Your liver is the most overworked organ in the body, having to break down all the increasing toxins found in our environment and our food. Read about how you can help by avoiding certain foods and increasing your intake of others.

19 Competitions Your chance to win theatre tickets, DVDs, Collegen Plus tablets and Internet security for your computer.

21 Subscription

WIN

Subscribe and have Retirement Today delivered direct to your door.

22 Asparagus Season – April - June The asparagus season is a relatively short season, so make the most of it with TV chef Valentine Warner’s delicious recipes.

25 Perfect Day Read about some of the exciting places to visit, ideal for grandchildren.

27 Out and About

Read about events taking

12 place nationally.

29 Charity News Read what’s happening within the world of charity.

30 Grey Hairs The regular pensions column. The third in a series of articles on Annuity Awareness Campaign. RETIREMENT

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Empty Nest Syndrome

Life Changes that can trigger problems

When children grow up and move out, it can be a difficult time for their parents, who may experience feelings of sadness and loss. Some parents, especially mums, can suffer from depression if they feel they are not really needed any more. A lot of relationships are strengthened by the shared responsibility of bringing up children, but some couples find that when those children are no longer around their relationships are on shaky ground. Children can hide cracks that are starting to open up in a relationship, and when the children are no longer around those cracks are exposed. If you’re not particularly happy together it can be easier to focus your attention and shower all your love on your kids, rather than try to address the problems. Couples who have been in unsatisfactory relationships but jogged along for the sake of the children often start to take stock of their lives once the children have gone. They might even be unaware of any problems until the kids move out, and then they discover they are living with a stranger. They look at the person they once loved and realise they have drifted apart to the extent that they have totally different values and lifestyles, with nothing left to say to each other. If can be a difficult time to negotiate, as Tracey found out:

Life Changes that can trigger problems RETIREMENT

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When our son went to university, I felt almost as though someone had died, the sense of loss was so great. I forced myself to let him go and not pester him with phone calls every night, and I thought my husband felt the same, but he just cannot seem to understand how I am feeling. Ever since our son left we have done nothing but argue about stupid things. We just seem to rub each other up the wrong way. Now that I have more time I don’t know what to do with it. I am so afraid that our marriage seems to be falling apart, it is as though our son not being here has upset the whole balance of our household and affected our relationship. What can I do? It is not so much the departure of ‘Tracey’s son that has affected her relationship with her husband, more that her son had become so much the focus of her life she didn’t notice the ever-widening gulf that was opening between her and her husband. I advised Tracey to look upon this time as a new phase in her life, a time to do things she’s always wanted to do, but never before had the opportunity – go to college, learn a new skill or take up a hobby – and to work on a relationship with her husband. They needed to get to know each other again, and could start by going out together at least one evening a week and opening up the lines of communication. If they both want it enough it may be possible to build a stronger and closer relationship.

Retirement

Bereavement Death is one of the last taboos, a subject we don’t like to talk about or even think about unless we are faced with it directly. When someone close to you dies, especially when it is the unthinkable – a child – the pain and grief can have a powerful and sometimes devastating effect on a couple’s relationship. If your relationship is strong, it can draw you together and you become even closer. If your relationship has been suffering problems, the grief can force other emotions and feelings to the surface and tear you apart. Before we can come to terms with bereavement we need to go through a process of grieving, and it is a time when strong emotions make themselves felt. Shock, numbness, anger, a yearning for what you have lost, guilt and depression are all part of the grieving process, until there is a gradual acceptance of what has happened. Grief has no timetable – it can last for a long time. How you deal with these emotions can affect you as a couple. If you lock away your grief because you find it hard to share your feelings, it can cause a barrier to come between you.Talking about your thoughts and feelings and taking support from your partner can help you through this natural process.

find it hard to adjust. There could also be anxiety caused by financial problems if their pensions are inadequate, and as we will see, money worries can have a devastating effect on every aspect of your life. People who have spent all their life absorbed in their work might suddenly feel valueless after they retire, as though they no longer have a role in life. They may discover that time weighs heavily on their hands, and that the relationships they thought jogged along all right when they only saw their partner in the evenings and at weekends suddenly seems far less satisfactory when they have to be around them 24/7. A woman who has run the house for years has worked out her own way of doing things by the time her husband retires, and may well resent him trying to encroach on what she sees as her territory. Even if he is only trying to help. A man who felt his status was determined by his job may feel worthless when he no longer has a job to go to. It Couples who have been in unsatisfactory relationships but is a time when some couples are forced to take a long, hard jogged along for the sake of the look at their relationship, and children often start to take stock sometimes they can find it of their lives once the children lacking, especially if they have no independent interests. have gone

Looked at optimistically, retirement can be an exciting and positive new phase, but it needs to be worked at. First, give yourselves time to readjust to this new life and to renegotiate your relationship. Respect each other’s need for space, if you are not to become bored with each other’s company. Sit down and talk about what you each want from retirement, and make a list of things you’d like to do, both individually and together. Concentrate on the positives. It’s an opportunity to get to know each other again and to get closer, and to do all the things you wish you’d done when you were younger but never had the time.

A man who felt his status was determined by his job may feel worthless when he no longer has a job to go to. Here’s an extract from a lovely follow-up letter I received from Len, who had written to me some months previously about the apprehension he felt about his forthcoming retirement: I thought you’d like to know that I followed your advice and I am very much enjoying the cookery course you suggested I took. My wife is doing a photography course at the same college and the two of us are learning salsa dancing. We have just bought a camper van and we are going to spend the summer travelling around the Greek islands. I was dreading retirement and thought I wouldn’t know what to do with myself, but we have never had so much fun nor been so happy. I would like to tell everyone not to worry, retirement can be the best time of your time. I couldn’t have put it better myself n An adapted extract from Let’s Stay Together by Jane Butterworth, published by Sheldon Press.

Life Changes that can trigger problems

All of life’s milestones are scary because they involve change, something that many of us find daunting. Some dread the changes that retirement brings, but given that people are living longer and are much healthier than they ever were, retirement can be a very fulfilling time for a lot of couples – as long as they have planned for it and are willing to make adjustment to their way of life, and have interests of their own as well as shared interests. If they haven’t, it can seem as though it is the beginning of the end. When one or both partners are working they may not have been aware of any problems within their relationship because work provided them with an escape route, and without that escape route they may

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SWEET FEAST F rom light-as-a-feather-sponges to melt-in-your-mouth biscuits, and from elegant gateau to warming steamed puddings, there are plenty of tempting recipes for every occasion from award-winning food writer Julie Biuso, in her new book Taste Sweet Feast. With over 70 recipes, you’ll never be stuck for ideas for afternoon temptations or an irresistible ending to any meal. Here are four recipes taken from Taste Sweet Feast by Julie Biuso, published by New Holland.

ALI BABA TARTLETS Ready in 40 minutes | makes 24

LIME AND COCONUT TARTS Ready in 40 minutes | makes 24

Crispy coconut meringue over tangy lime curd | makes for a taste explosion. For a change, try these tartlets with lemon or passionfruit curd, and use the coconut meringue to top other tarts. If using the tartlet tray to make a second batch of tarts, wash, dry and grease it and make sure it is cool before assembling.

These tartlets can be kept at room temperature for 2–3 hours, but are best kept refrigerated if you are making them several hours ahead – but bring to room temperature before serving. If you prefer a more uniform look, put the yoghurt in a piping bag fitted with a smallish plain nozzle and pipe it on top of the tartlets. It’s important to use soft, supple dates – there’ll be miserable with old dried dates found in the back of the pantry. Ingredients 2 pre-rolled frozen sheets sweet short crust pastry, approximately 24xcm × 24cm each, thawed just before using 250g fresh dates 50g flaked (sliced) almonds, for the top 50g butter, softened finely grated zest of 1 lemon, and

Ingredients

1–2 Tbsp lemon juice

4 pre-rolled frozen sheets sweet shortcrust pastry, approximately

1 level Tbsp manuka or scented floral honey

24cm × 24cm each, thawed just before using

250ml, or more, Greek-style yoghurt

2 medium (size 6) free-range egg whites 120g caster sugar

1 Preheat oven to 180°C (fanbake).

60g desiccated coconut

2 Cut pastry sheets into 6cm rounds and line into a 24-hole tartlet tray (or bake two batches in a 12-hole tin). Line with thin tin foil, pushing the foil down onto the pastry, and fill with baking beans. Bake tartlet bases for 10–12 minutes, then carefully lift off foil and baking beans. If the pastry isn’t nice and golden, return tartlet bases uncovered to the oven for 1–2 minutes to dry out and brown. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then flip them out with the point of a knife and leave to cool completely on a cooling rack.

370g jar ready-made lime curd 1 Preheat oven to 175°C (fanbake). Lightly grease a shallow 24-hole tartlet tray with holes 6cm wide by 3cm deep, or bake two batches in a 12-hole tray.

Sweet Feast

2 Cut out 24 rounds of pastry with a 7.5cm cutter. Line into tartlet tray and chill until firm.

3 Beat egg whites with a hand-held electric beater until stiff. Add sugar gradually, and continue beating until stiff and glossy. Fold in coconut. Spoon lime curd into pastry rounds in tray.

3 Halve the dates, then pick out and discard stones. Slice flesh into thin strips. Put almonds in a shallow ovenproof dish and toast in an oven preheated to 180°C for 7–10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate.

4 Spread coconut topping evenly over lime curd layer, making sure the curd is completely covered. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until pastry rims are golden and coconut meringue is browned. Cool tarts in the tray for 5 minutes, or until pastry is firm, then gently loosen them from the tray with a knife and turn them out onto a cooling rack. Serve at room temperature.

4 Put butter in a bowl and whip until soft and creamy. Add lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of juice, the honey and dates, and mix until smooth. Sharpen with more lemon juice if necessary. When tartlet bases are cold, fill with date mixture. Beat yoghurt until smooth, then spoon or pipe on top of dates. Top with a sprinkling of almonds and serve.

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HAZELNUT MERINGUE GATEAU

STICKY APRICOT PUDDING

This is one of the most glorious meringue gateaux ever. The toasted hazelnuts give an almost coffee-like aroma and flavour, and the meringue, after softening a little with cream, is crisp on the top and tender in the centre, with the welcome crunch of nuts. Yum beyond belief!

This is the pudding of all puddings. Should you be starving, craving sweetness and longing for a bit of old-fashioned pud, this is the one.

Ingredients 125g hazelnuts 4 medium (size 6) free-range egg whites 250g caster sugar 1⁄4 tsp vanilla extract 1⁄2 tsp white vinegar 200ml cream 300g raspberries icing sugar, for dusting

Ready in 25 minutes, plus 3 hours steaming | serves 8 or more

Ingredients butter for greasing pudding basin and paper covering 175g standard flour pinch of salt 11⁄2 tsp baking powder 100g unsalted butter, cubed 125g dried apricots, chopped 115g golden sultanas 250ml milk 1 medium (size 6) free-range egg 200ml liquid honey

1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Line the bases and sides of 2 shallow sandwich tins, preferably loose-bottomed, with baking paper.

vanilla ice cream, cream or homemade custard to serve

2 Put hazelnuts in a shallow ovenproof dish and bake for about 12 minutes, or until lightly golden. The skins should start peeling back and the nuts will have started to colour. Tip nuts onto a clean cloth, bundle up and rub vigorously to release the skins. Reduce oven temperature to 170°C.

1 Grease a 4-cup (1-litre) china pudding basin with butter. Prepare a paper covering.

3 Grind nuts in a food processor, just until they are finely chopped – don’t process them too long or they’ll turn oily. Set aside. 4 Whisk egg whites with an electric beater until stiff, then beat in the caster sugar a little at a time and continue whisking until stiff and glossy. Sprinkle vanilla extract and vinegar over, whisk for 10 seconds, then turn off the machine. Scatter the hazelnuts over the meringue and fold them in carefully using a large metal spoon, being careful not to deflate the meringue. 5 Divide mixture between prepared tins. Bake for about 40 minutes or until very crisp on top. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then remove from tins and peel off paper. Cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to 48 hours. 6 To finish off, whip the cream until thick and just holding its shape. Put one round of meringue on a large plate or cake stand (put a few dabs of cream underneath the meringue to stop it from sliding around). Spoon the cream on top, then add half the raspberries and sandwich together with the other meringue round. Put the rest of the raspberries on top and dust with icing sugar. Refrigerate for 2–3 hours before serving to soften the meringue a little and make it easy to slice into portions.

2 Sift flour, salt and baking powder together into a bowl. Add butter and cut it through the flour with two knives until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Mix in chopped apricots and sultanas, then the milk and egg. 3 Put one-third of the honey in the bottom of the basin, then spoon in half the pudding mixture. Put in a second third of the honey and the last of the pudding, then top with the rest of the honey. 4 Cover with buttered paper and tie securely with string. Transfer pudding to a large, deep (rather than wide) saucepan with a trivet or upturned saucer on the bottom. Fill the pan with hot water to come about one-third of the way up the pudding. Cover pan with a tight-fitting lid. Bring the water to the boil (you’ll see the steam), then turn the heat to the lowest setting and gently steam pudding for 3 hours. Top up with boiling water from a kettle if the water runs low. 5 When ready, remove pudding from pan, snip off string and remove paper. Cover pudding basin with a serving plate, invert, then leave pudding for 10 minutes to drop. 6 Remove the bowl. The honey and apricots make this pudding a little stickier than most steamed puddings, but any little bits stuck to the bowl can be removed and put back in place on the pudding. Serve hottish with ice cream, cream or homemade custard. RETIREMENT

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Sweet Feast

Ready in 1 hour 35 minutes, plus cooling | serves 8–10

UPDATE Mother Nature –

MORE THAN HALF OF OVER 45 YEAR OLDS ARE UNSURE HOW MUCH THEY ARE WORTH

a gift that keeps on giving This Mother’s Day, get your mum a gift that lasts all year with the BTO Garden Birdwatch Gift Pack. Your mum will receive an acclaimed book, quarterly magazine and the opportunity to make her garden count for conservation. Mums have a knack for keeping careful watch over things and, for many, this extends to garden birds. Does your Mum spend a few minutes during most weeks watching birds in her garden? Does she tend them, providing food and nest boxes to help them on their way? If so, the BTO Garden Birdwatch will be right up her street! Garden Birdwatch is a great gift for Mums to share with the whole family. Through the project, children and grandchildren can be inspired about nature and can develop skills in scientific recordings – while enjoying Blue Tits, Robins and other birds going busily to and fro. For more details about the Gift Pack visit: www.bto/org/volunteer-surveys/gbw/join/garden-birdwatch-gift-pack

Brits over forty five years old don’t know how much they are worth; with over half (53 per cent) stating they are not sure of the total value of all their assets, according to research from The Living Probate Company (TLPC). Those residing in the South West (52 per cent) and East of England (53 per cent) are the least likely to know how Five years ago Kogan Page appointed Frances Kay as the editor much all their assets are worth as opposed of The Good Non-Retirement Guide – the latest (26th edition) is to those in Wales (54 per cent), West now available. Midlands and the North East (51 per cent) The GNRG is primarily for people approaching retirement or in the who all know their net-worth. early stages of having retired. Many of us spend up to a third of The research carried out found that almost our lives in retirement, so a bit of research and pre-planning is all over 45 year olds polled (92 per cent) well worth it. The book is an ideal companion to pre-retirement hold one or more of the following financial courses or as a leaving present on completion of employment with assets – current accounts, ISAs, life a company. Frances says “I think is it very important that people insurance, private pension and stocks or enjoy their retirement – particularly as it is likely to last 20 years shares - yet many are unaware of the total or more. Since we’ve all worked long and hard for it for years, we value of all these assets combined. The deserve it”. research also found a clear split between If you are thinking carefully about retirement and how to enjoy it, the sexes with 48 per cent of men saying invest in a copy of the Good Non Retirement Guide 2012. they were unsure of their assets’ worth Don’t leave work without it ….. compared to 58 per cent of women.

Good Non Retirement Guide 2012

Life begins at 55

Over 55 year olds are putting the younger generation to shame when it comes to leading an active lifestyle. However long-term health conditions are holding many back. In an average week, over 55 year olds spend 726 minutes doing some form of lifestyle activity compared to 698 minutes spent by 18-25 year olds[1]. However, almost a third of respondents aged 55+ felt that long term health conditions were a barrier to staying active. Len Goodman and Arlene Philips are joining forces with GlaxoSmithKline and NHS London to launch Your Personal Best campaign encouraging over 55s with long term health conditions to lead a more active lifestyle. For more information regarding the campaign visit www.yourpersonalbestcampaign.co.uk

Update

[1] ’Lifestyle activity’ here is defined as “the overall amount of physical movement and mobility in one’s life, including walking, DIY, housework or actively playing with grandchildren. It does not include stationary activities such as reading a book or knitting.” [1] Survey was conducted by Ipsos MORI in November 2011 with adults in the UK (n=1000 aged 18-25 and n=1000 aged 55+) [1] Department of Health- Raw data on the number of people living with Long Term Conditions (July 2011).

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RETIREMENT PROPERTY IN DORSET & WILTSHIRE A selection of retirement properties, some with dining facilities, ranging in price from £147,500 to £325,000 to the north, south and east of Shaftesbury in Dorset Motcombe Grange, Motcombe, Shaftesbury Two bedroom flats from

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29 two-bedroom apartments, dining facilities, drawing room, snooker room, library, hairdressing salon, gym, gardens & grounds. Resident manager, door entry system. Age covenant: 55 +.

20 two-bedroom apartments in grounds of Hays House Nursing Home. Private restaurant, hairdressing salon, attractive gardens and grounds. Age Covenant: 55 +.

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Two bedroom properties from

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35 one and two-bedroom apartments situated close to the centre of town and backing on to the River Wylie. Alarm system, resident manager, residents’ lounge, communal laundry, guest facilities & lift. Courtyard parking. Age covenant: 55 +.

26 two and three-bedroom cottages with sun rooms and first floor balconies, within walking distance of local shops. Resident manager, emergency alarm system, private covered parking. Attractive gardens and grounds. Age Covenant: 55 +.

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Top up your energy supplies Q1. What are the common reasons for lacking in energy? Since our energy is derived from food, poor dietary habits often underlie listlessness. Irregular meal patterns, missing meals or choosing refined-foods and alcohol all result in blood-glucose imbalances. This results in cellular reactions which turn glucose to fat, instead of glucose to energy and a vicious cycle establishes diminished metabolic function, as muscle burns more fuel for energy than fat stores. Poor nutrition and nutrient deficiency also causes concern, since every stage of energy production is dependant on a range of nutrients, including vitamin-C, B-complex, lipoic acid, magnesium and iron. Importantly, coenzyme Q10 plays an independent role and is needed in high concentrations. Our ability to synthesise our own Q10 declines with age which may contribute to flagging energy-levels. Inadequate sleep, stressful lifestyle and lack/excessive exercise also require consideration.

Interview with Babi Chana Bsc (Hons), December 2011. Co-enzyme Q10 and Energy.

Top up your energy supplies

Babi Chana first graduated in Physiology BSc (Hons) in 1985 and also holds a BSc Nutritional Medicine which is BANT accredited. She has 25 years experience in retail pharmacy and natural health, lecturing, writing and broadcasting to improve public health.

Q2. What is coenzyme Q10 and how does it help with energy levels? Coenzyme Q10 is a fat-soluble vitamin-like substance also known as ubiquinone, derived from ‘ubiquitous’, meaning ‘everywhere’. Q10 it is found in nearly every cell in the body, particularly in organs with high metabolic demands such as the heart, liver and kidneys. Q10 is concentrated in mitochondria, the ‘power-house of the cell’ where it plays a key role in the metabolic process which turns food into fuel (‘ATP’- our energy currency). Additionally, Q10 is able to act as a fat-soluble antioxidant, protecting lipids and proven to reduce LDL oxidation and offer great potential in cardiovascular disease prevention. Q10 stands out from other antioxidants in its capacity to promote efficient mitochondrial function, thereby offering intervention against oxidative stress which accelerates chronic disease. The minute amounts of Q10 from dietary sources (fish-oils, nuts and meats) are not considered to have therapeutic effects, thus requiring supplementation. Q3. Who should be taking co-enzyme Q10? Reduced biosynthesis of Q10 as we age, alongside increased requirement in a remarkably broad spectrum of documented clinical conditions indicates that most people may benefit from Q10 supplementation. Indeed, doses ranging from 50mg to 1200 mg are safely tolerated, although levels over 100mg are better absorbed in divided-doses. The use of Q10 in various clinical situations has been extensively reviewed in over one thousand studies. Documentation also supports particular therapeutic value in cardiovascular disease and hypertension, as well as other important health areas n

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A Second Chance The benefits of getting a pet when you retire

unemployment etc and they would love to be able to get these dogs back into new, loving homes as soon as possible. Contrary to popular belief greyhounds do not require a huge amount of exercise. In fact, they only require two twenty minute walks a day which suits many people whose circumstances mean they can’t get out for long walks several times a day. Plus, all greyhounds come vaccinated, with four week free insurance, a lead, collar and muzzle. Joni Brace, External Support Officer with the National Animal Welfare Trust, talks passionately about the benefits of adopting a pet. “An incentive to keep active, unconditional love and an opportunity to develop social contacts, together with companionship are only some of the benefits mature people get when they adopt a pet”, Joni explains “What’s more, mature people often provide help which is crucial to our work. Older individuals and couples are often prepared to consider elderly Image courtesy of Cats Protection pets available for rehoming at the National Animal Welfare Trust economic climate. The Trust All pets, whether and they make ideal carers currently have approximately for pets which are sometimes it is a dog, cat or 800 retired greyhounds in difficult to home, particularly rabbit have a few kennels looking for homes, all the older ones. For instance, like basic demands ages, sizes and colours and they us humans, animals are living always work hard to match the longer and healthy cats can right greyhound to the right household. A number of often live on into their twenties older greyhounds are available, including some that have but some may have conditions that sadly been returned to the Trust due to family break-up, require a slower pace of life. Some

A Second Chance

hether you have been planning your Retirement for years, or you are suddenly forced into it, the result can be a life changing time to cope with. You may have had a very stressful, demanding job and it may seem perfect not having to do what other people want you to do, with no more getting up early and commuting to work. On the other hand, you may suddenly find that retirement whether planned or unplanned can leave a huge void in your life, especially if you are on your own, when you suddenly wonder what you can do to fill all your spare hours. One important thing to remember is that you should try and fill that void in such a way that you enjoy social interaction with other people, while at the same time remain physically fit and mentally agile. If you have a love of animals then one answer could be to get a pet. Research has shown that having a pet really does improve the quality of your life, making you feel and act younger. As well as companionship there is the added benefit of providing many people with a routine to each day and a very clear purpose to life. The opportunity to own a pet is now greater than ever, with more and more animal sanctuaries being overrun with abandon animals who just need a loving home and someone to care for them. All pets, whether it is a dog, cat or rabbit have a few basic demands, but rather than be seen as a burden, they can be a pleasurable responsibility if the benefits of the owner are welcomed. Many people often dismiss the idea of getting a rescue dog, thinking it will be more difficult than starting from scratch with a puppy, however with the right care and patience from new owners, a vast number of rescued dogs can be transformed into great companions. One of the ideal dogs for older people are retired greyhounds,who are more than happy to trade the frantic life of tearing around the racetrack for a blissful day spent pottering around the house, becoming an extremely loyal and affectionate pet. The Retired Greyhound Trust once again found over 4,000 homes for exracing greyhounds in 2011, with over 1,000 volunteers across the country working tirelessly to raise awareness and funds for the charity, especially in the current tough challenging

Every year thousands of people put their faith and trust in Cats Protection when looking for a new addition to the family. Behind each volunteer and member of staff is a wealth of experience and expertise which means when you adopt one of our cats, you can feel safe in the knowledge that he has been given the best possible care. When he leaves Cats Protection, your cat will have been treated to a top-to-tail medical. This means he will have been: • Fully examined by a veterinary surgeon • Vaccinated at least once against flu and enteritis • Treated against fleas, roundworm and tapeworm • Neutered if old enough • Microchipped

We also provide four weeks’ free insurance (terms and conditions apply) giving invaluable peace of mind and reassurance as you and your cat embark upon this lifelong friendship. All he needs now is a loving home to make his dreams come true – over to you! T: 03000 12 12 12 E: helpline@cats.org.uk W: www.cats.org.uk Reg Charity 203644 (England and Wales) and SC037711 (Scotland)

RETIREMENT

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Image courtesy of Retired Greyhound Trust

may also have special needs which means they can’t go outside and therefore benefit greatly from having company around the house to enjoy the day with, rather than the hustle and bustle of a busy family life. If the thought of owning a dog is not for you, perhaps you would be more suited to giving a home to a cat. Older people seem to have a particular affinity with cats – those who have suffered bereavement or illness or who simply want a presence to welcome them home can benefit from a rescue cat. Thousands of cats are abandoned every year and Cats Protection has been gripped by a pensioner crisis this winter – onone wants to adopt its feline senior citizens. Their unwanted older cats aged 12 years and above – 65 years or over in human terms- now wait, on

SWEP

Cats Protection

Harry

Splodge

3 years old, found as a stray. Harry is a shy cat who likes his own space so would be best suited to a quiet home. Tel. Cats Protection’s North Ayrshire branch on 0845 371 4218

16-year-old tabby and white female who’s owner died. Has special health needs and would be best suited to a quiet home. Tel. Cats Protection’s Glasgow Adoption Centre on 0141 779 3341

Victoria 12 years old, friendly girl. She likes a play and a fuss, but does not get on with other cats or dogs Tel. Cats Protection’s National Cat Adoption Centre in Sussex on 01825 741 330.

Georgie

Lexi

Phanta

12 years old, was bought to Derby Adoption Centre in the autumn of last year, after her owner moved to a care home. Georgie is friendly and likes to curl up on a lap. Tel.Cats Protection’s Derby branch on 01332 824 950.

Hope

Beautiful 6 year old 12hh mare who has been lightly backed and will make a wonderful companion or riding pony with some work. Lexi does not like dogs.

Toffee

4 year old 10hh mare who has been backed and will make a fantastic lead rein pony. Phanta does suffer with sweet itch which needs to be managed.

4 year old, 11hh mare who was rescued last year in an emaciated state. She is now a very friendly but independent pony who will make a fantastic companion.

3 year old, 10hh mare who is very loving towards people and ponies alike and will make a fantastic companion. Toffee does suffer with sweet itch which will need to be managed.

A Second Chance

National Animal Welfare Trust

average 96 days before being adopted – 32 per cent longer than in 2010 and well above the charity’s average adoption date of 40 days. “We’ve seen the situation for unwanted older cats get gradually worse over the past few years but we’ve hit an all-time low in the last 12 months” explained Peter Hepburn,

www.swep.org.uk Tel. 07827 966331

Retired Greyhound Trust

Queenie

Fidel

Benson

Buttons

10 year old, very affectionate girl, ideal companion dog for retired person, enjoying walks and playing in the garden with a ball. Tel. NAWT Cornwall – 01736 756 005

11 year old. A lovely friendly cat that enjoys attention. Unfortunately he has FIV, this means that he can only be homed as a house cat Tel. NAWT Watford – 0208 950 0177

9 years old approx., loves to go on days out to Wells Cathedral. Would prefer to be the only pet in the household with dog experienced family, loves affection and a good amount of exercise. Tel. NAWT Somerset – 01458 252 656

12year old tabby male. He does have kidney problems, and would need a new owner who is happy to keep him on the appropriate food. A true Gent. Tel. NAWT Berkshire – 01488 638 584

Little Rose 4 year old black bitch. She is an independant minded girl who would prefer a quiter home environment.

Blackie

(Raithluich Black) 6 years old in March, has a great temperament, loves kids and gets on fine with other breeds. He currently lives with a Fawn bitch and they get along very well. Because of his colour he is constantly overlooked.

Mikey 4 year old, beautiful blue, looking for his forever home with an experienced Greyhound owner, as he is not cat or little dog friendly.

Peteles Gift

(Tufty is his pet name) 10 year old, male. He’s often been overlooked, perhaps because he has a black coat. He’s currently at kennels in Bishops Stortford.

www.retiredgreyhounds.co.uk Tel. 020 83353016 RETIREMENT

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Cats Protection’s Chief Executive. Feedback from volunteers and staff reveals that people seem reluctant to take on an older cat because they fear an older cat will be too expensive to look after, particularly if the cat develops a condition that will require veterinary treatment, and this fear appears to be down to the current economic climate. Image courtesy of NAWT Peter adds “It’s a great shame because they make wonderful pets and companions, and improvement in cat care have greatly raised the life expectancy and

What’s more, mature people often provide help which is crucial to our work quality of life for many cats, meaning that many now live to their late teens and early 20s in remarkably good

health. As older cats take up pen spaces for many months, it costs Cats Protection more to care for them and prevents other needy cats from being helped. However, older cats really do have a lot to offer, with their laid-back natures and liking for human company. It’s not just small animals that are in need of re-homing. Do you currently have a horse or pony that may need companionship? South West Equine Protection (SWEP) , a small charity based in Devon, rescue moorland equines on Dartmoor and Bodmin moor who are abandoned or suffering from neglect and cruelty, whether caused by heartlessness or ignorance. Once fit and well, their horses and ponies are rehomed within the Cornwall, Devon and Somerset areas on a loan basis rather than being sold on. Obviously there are many more things to consider when rehoming this kind of animal and a lot more regulations to be met too. SWEP have a life long responsibility for all their rescues and run a scheme of six

monthly inspections to keep a check on the equine and to ensure the horse or pony’s needs are still being met, offer any advice, and certainly not least, for them to have a small share in the joy of a happy ending for their rescues. All charities ask for a donation when adopting one of their animals to enable them to continue their work and help with funding, but regardless of which type of animal you choose you can be certain you will helping provide a safe and secure home for an animal that now has a bright future, and at the same time gain a new friend n

GT989_RetirementToday_March135x185mm_v2_Layout 1 27/01/2012 17:08 Page 1

Retired Greyhounds make great pets. Currently there are many retired greyhounds in our kennels awaiting new homes. They need a helping hand to find a new life after racing and that’s where we come in. With the help of dog lovers everywhere, the Retired Greyhound Trust re-homes thousands of greyhounds every year. They are tremendous companions, needing very little exercise but plenty of tender loving care. As a national charity dedicated to finding loving homes for ex-racing greyhounds, we need your help. Please consider adopting a greyhound as your next pet or making a donation towards our work. We’d be very grateful, as will our lovable and adorable greyhounds.

Sponsoring a retired greyhound

Leaving a legacy to the RGT

I enclose a donation £ Name: Address: Postcode:

Tel:

Retired Greyhound Trust 2nd Floor, Park House, 1-4 Park Terrace, Worcester Park, Surrey KT4 7JZ Tel: 020 8335 3016 greyhounds@retiredgreyhounds.co.uk

www.retiredgreyhounds.co.uk

RT/March2012

I would like to know more about: Adopting a retired greyhound

Charity no. 269668

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A Second Chance

Your help will really make a difference.

Typical symptoms of a sluggish liver are feeling constantly tired even though you have slept, nausea (especially after a fatty meal or alcohol), skin disorders such as acne, eczema and psoriasis, muscle and joint pain, age spots on the skin, and/ or regular infections. Also, most people don’t associate being constipated with poor liver function, but blood from the bowel goes first to the liver, via the portal venous system, hence a bowel loaded with rubbish is going to overwork the liver. Other symptoms of poor liver function can include yellowing of the whites of the eyes, yellow-looking skin, fever, nausea, difficulty digesting fatty foods, and an increased sensitivity to cigarette smoke, strong perfume, petrol and other chemicals. Because the brain is unable to disarm a wide range of toxins, it relies on the liver to clean the blood before it gets there. So, over the long term, an under-performing liver can have dire consequences for the brain and nervous system, including memory loss, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. While detoxification is the key function of the liver, it also produces bile to aid fat digestion (as well as eliminate toxins); manufactures and balances hormones; stores various vitamins and minerals; assembles amino acids; makes cholesterol; controls glucose and fat supplies; and plays a key role in immunity. Your digestive system is closely involved in the health of your liver, as the blood from your digestive system, where nutrients are absorbed from your food, goes directly to the liver for filtering before it goes anywhere else in the body. If your diet is good and your digestion and absorption are working well, then the nutrients needed for good health will make it to the liver and then on into the body. However if your digestive system is generally toxic, thanks to a poor, low-nutrient, high-fat diet, constipation, poor gut flora, a leaky gut and so on, these toxins and any others you ingest will similarly be delivered directly to your liver, which adds to the liver’s workload. The good news is that the liver is capable of regenerating itself, so with a good diet and lifestyle and the right supplements, there’s no reason why you can’t

our liver is the most overworked organ in the body, having to break down all the increasing toxins found in our environment (including our air and water) and our food. It is, in essence, the chemical factory of your body that builds or recycles substances you need for good health and breaks down those you don’t. If your liver isn’t functioning properly, toxins that would normally be filtered by the liver accumulate in the body. Most people’s livers work only at around 35–40% of their potential capacity, because of the large amount of toxins we ingest. When it’s working properly, the liver can clean up to 99% of bacteria and toxins from the blood. Around 2.25 litres (4 pints) of blood pass through the liver every minute for detoxification, and every day the liver manufactures about 1 litre (2 pints) of bile, which helps carry away toxins via the bowel. The liver’s capacity to eliminate toxins effectively varies widely between individuals. Part of this may be genetic, or linked to exposure to a wide range of pollutants, viruses and parasites – the rest is lifestyle and diet.

Liver problems 16

LIVER PROBLEMS

RETIREMENT

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maintain liver function at an optimal level at any age. And if you look after your liver, your skin literally glows with health. Begin by eliminating as many unnatural chemicals as possible from your home and environment. Keep in mind that many man-made chemicals (especially in plastics and pesticides) have a hormone-like effect within the body – therefore the incidence of hormone-related cancers (including breast, ovarian, testicular and prostate cancer) are all increasing. These chemicals are commonly found in plastic food packaging, non-organic food, plastics and laminates, synthetic fabrics (clothes, carpets, furniture), dry-cleaning chemicals, air ‘fresheners’ (a misnomer, most of them poison the air), cosmetics, paints, glues, food additives, medicines, household cleaning products and wallpaper… but the list is virtually endless, and they are all around us. You could drive yourself crazy trying to avoid all these things, but you would be surprised at how many healthier, safer alternatives to all the above are available if you are willing to seek them out.

• Avoid excess alcohol, which is a liver toxin. One to two units per day are generally considered not harmful, although the best gauge is how you feel afterwards or the next day. If you feel worse than you should, your liver is probably struggling to detoxify the alcohol. • Reduce your consumption of nonorganic food as much as possible, as certain foods such as lettuces are often sprayed up to 11 times with pesticides and/or fungicides before they are harvested. • When you can’t avoid non-organic fruits and vegetables, wash them thoroughly. • If you’re trying to detox or suspect your liver is under-functioning, avoid eating or drinking grapefruit. It contains naringenin, a compound known to slow liver detoxification. A glass of grapefruit juice can significantly affect the action of some medications, which explains why some very expensive medications are prescribed with grapefruit juice: it slows down the body’s ability to remove the drug, thus increasing its efficacy. • Avoid eating excessive protein, as protein metabolism gives the liver a lot of work to do. Generally reduce your animal-protein (meat, chicken, dairy) intake, and increase the amount of vegetable protein in your diet from beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, fermented soya products, such as tempeh or miso, plus whole grains, such as brown rice. • Reduce your intake of saturated fats, especially hydrogenated or trans-fats, fried and highly processed foods. Don’t avoid all fat: essential fats from oily fish and seeds are vital for proper liver function. • Refined foods that contain fructose should be avoided. • Caffeine, paracetamol, aspirin and most other medications place a strain on the liver. A good alternative to coffee is dandelion coffee, available in health food stores. • Melted cheese is very difficult for the liver to process – avoid as much as possible. Pizza should be avoided. • Eggs are an excellent source of nutrients – but for anyone with liver problems, they are hard to digest. Keep it down to two a week. • Avoid heavy meals taken with alcohol/and or fried foods at all costs.

Friendly Foods

• Increase your intake of all fruit and vegetables, especially those rich in antioxidants, such as organic carrots, sweet potato, pumpkin, papaya, mangoes, alfalfa sprouts and watercress. • Eat more berries, grapes, Brussels sprouts and kale. Aim for 40% of your diet to be raw in summer. This is not nearly as hard as it sounds if you eat plenty of fresh fruit and salads. • Eat more globe artichokes, radicchio, black cherries, pears and celeriac, all of which help support the liver. • Eat more beetroot, raw or cooked – it’s one of the best vegetables for the liver because it aids digestion, improves liver function and reduces constipation. • Also include sulphur-rich foods in your diet, such as garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, cabbage and broccoli. • Sprinkle a dessertspoon of lecithin granules over breakfast cereals, fruits and yoghurts, as lecithin helps the body to digest fats, which eases the burden on the liver. • If you know that your liver is a problem, eat lighter meals regularly and avoid heavy, rich meals. If you eat too much in one sitting, especially fatty or fried foods and alcohol, then you place an enormous burden on the digestion and liver, which could make you feel nauseous. • Foods that naturally raise glutathione levels (see below) in the body are fresh asparagus, avocado and walnuts. Spinach and tomatoes are also great foods for raising glutathione – but they need to be eaten raw. • Curcumin, the pigment that gives the spice turmeric its yellow colour, has shown a great ability to increase glutathione production. Found in curries and mustards, curcumin also has antiinflammatory properties. For the best effect, toast the curcumin seeds and then lightly grind them before adding them to foods. Otherwise take pure curcumin capsules. SHS or see www.lef. org. Curcumin may reduce effectiveness of Phase 1 of liver detoxification processes in some people – if you are unsure, have a urine/saliva Sensitive Liver Pathway Test via Genova Diagnostics. Tel: 020 8336 7750. Website: www.gdx.uk.net. • Eat organically produced food as much as possible. The Food Standards Agency in the UK acknowledges that pesticide residues are likely to be considerably lower in organic food than in conventional produce n An extract from 500 of the most important Health Tips you’ll ever need by Helen Courteney, published by Cico Books.

READERS OFFER

500 of the Most Important Health Tips You’ll Ever Need by Hazel Courteney is published by CICO Books at £12.99, pb, and available from all good bookshops, or call 01256-302699 quoting GLR6YQ to purchase a copy at the special price of £10.99 including free p&p. Visit www.cicobooks.co.uk

RETIREMENT

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Liver problems

Foods to Avoid

Everyone dreams of an active and fulfilling retirement but what if joint mobility problems threaten to interfere?

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www.arthrovite.com T-5355-AISPA LADY AD 2011 FP:Layout 1

For 200 years , The National Benevolent Charity has been a lifeline to people who have fallen into poverty and distress and who have nowhere else to turn. People like nurse Leah, 58, and her artist husband David, 63.

They

9/12/11

12:10

Page

A LOVE OF ANIMALS

wanted a happy retirement together but Leah became crippled with arthritis and cannot walk. David is dedicated to his wife and cares for her full time. But, the loss of earned income has been devastating, and they are poverty-stricken. Despite state benefits, sickness, disability and old age can still mean a life of awful hardship. For Leah and David and hundreds like them, The National Benevolent Charity can help.

Please support the 1812-2012 Bi-Centenary Appeal

provides care and protection for animals in Italy Animals have no nationality Please support the Anglo-Italian Society for the Protection of Animals I enclose a donation of £…………(Cheque/PO/CAF made payable to: AISPA) or donate on-line at www.aispa.org.uk I would like more information about the work of AISPA

The National Benevolent Charity Peter Hervé House, Eccles Court, Tetbury, Gloucestershire GL8 8EH For more info visit www. t h e n b c . o r g . u k or telephone 01666 505500 Patron: HRH The Prince of Wales Registered Charity Number 212450

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Name Address Postcode Send to: AISPA,30-34 New Bridge Street, London EC4V 6BJ

www.aispa.org.uk

Registered Charity No. 208530

e-mail: info@aispa.org.uk

RT/MA/12 RETIREMENT

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Side heads

Donations should be sent to:

WUTHERING HEIGHTS

WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS Following sell-out seasons at the National Theatre and Adelphi Theatre, five star comedy One Man, Two Guvnors opens at Theatre Royal Haymarket on 2 March starring Owain Arthur, Spearritt. Don’t Hannah and Prenger Jodie miss your chance to see Richard Bean’s awardwinning play: a unique, laugh-out-loud mix of satire, songs, slapstick and glittering one-liners. SPECIAL OFFER: Retirement Today readers can also get £10 off a top price ticket when they book Monday – Thursday during March and April (excluding 5 – 12 April inclusive). Book online now at nationaltheatre.org.uk and enter promo code p5211 on the Select Date page to activate discount. Alternatively call 020 7452 3000 and quote ‘Retirement Today Offer’. Not valid with any other discount, subject to availability. For a chance to win a pair of tickets send in your details, quoting ref. OMTG Closing date: 30 March 2012. Terms and conditions: Competition closes 30 March 2012. Winners tickets are valid for performances until 26 April 2012 (excluding 5 – 12 April inclusive), subject to availability. Promoter reserves the right to substitute prize for that of equal or greater value if necessary.

ALFIE BOE LIVE – the bring him home tour British operatic sensation Alfie Boe, comes to DVD and Blu-Ray™ Double Play with an outstanding live stage performance from the The Bring Him Home Tour on 12 March 2012, courtesy of Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd – A unique opportunity for true music fans to see this mesmerising performance direct from Alfie’s natural home – the stage. A must have for all Alfie fans and the perfect gift for Mother’s Day. We have 4 DVD’s to giveaway. For a chance to win send in your details, quoting ref. AB Closing date: 20 April 2012.

What would you do if you were denied your soulmate? Romantic drama WUTHERING HEIGHTS, is released on DVD & Blu-ray on 26 March 2012 from Artificial Eye. This passionate tale follows two teenagers, Heathcliff and Cathy, whose elemental love for each other creates a storm of vengeance. After a Yorkshire hill farmer on a visit to Liverpool finds a homeless boy on the streets, he takes him home to live as part of his family on the isolated Yorkshire moors where the boy forges an obsessive relationship with the farmer’s daughter. We have 5 DVD’s to giveaway – for a chance to win a copy send in your details, quoting ref. WH Closing date: 20 April 2012

Everyone dreams of enjoying an active and fulfilling retirement. But what if joint mobility problems threaten to interfere? Well, Retirement Today could just have the perfect tonic! Collagen Plus is an acclaimed Collagen product which helps rebuild and maintain the cartilage, bone strength and flexibility in joints. Arthro Vite Ltd - manufacturers of Collagen Plus - introduced Collagen to the UK and remain the only company with a UK licence to add Collagen Hydroylsate to food supplements. Latest research shows that Collagen aids the regeneration of cartilage tissue and a recent study states that Collagen can ‘reduce pain, stiffness and immobility associated with arthritis’ And now for some more good news… Arthro Vite Ltd has kindly agreed to give away one month’s supply of Collagen Plus (value £26.49) to THREE lucky readers of Retirement Today, for a chance to win send in your details, quoting ref. AV Closing date: 20 April 2012 Arthro Vite Ltd is available by visiting www.arthrovite.com. To receive a free information pack/general enquiries call 0800 0181 282.

Win a pair of tickets to see Hay Fever at the Noël Coward Theatre Judith Bliss, once glittering star of the London stage, now in early retirement, is still enjoying life with more than a little high drama. To spice her weekend up, Judith invites a young suitor to join her in the country. However, her novelist husband, and her two eccentric children have had the same idea for themselves and any hope for private flirtation disappears as the family’s guests begin to arrive. Misjudged meetings, secret seductions and scandalous revelations all run riot at the most outrageous of all house parties. This production of Hay Fever will be the first time a Noël Coward play has been staged in the Noël Coward Theatre since it was renamed. Howard Davies is to direct Lindsay Duncan, reuniting the director and actor who together received seven major international theatre awards for their 2001 collaboration on Coward’s seminal Private Lives. Duncan is joined by Jeremy Northam, Kevin R McNally and Olivia Colman in Coward’s sublime comedy of bad manners. For a chance to win a pair of tickets please send in your details, quoting ref. HF Closing date: 31 March 2012. Terms and conditions: Ticket valid for Mon – Thurs performances 2 April – 19 April. Subject to availability. There is no cash alternative to the prizes, they are non-refundable and non-transferable and not for resale.

www.HayFeverLondon.com Box Office 0844 482 5140

Internet Safety Kaspersky ONE is a universal security system to fit all your digital needs making using the internet safely, simple and easy. Nowadays most people have several devices connected to the internet at home, including PCs, laptops, smartphones and tablets this security system protects all of your devices in one package and retails at £59.99. We have 3 of the 3-license version to giveaway to readers. For a chance to win send in your details, quoting ref. KO Closing date: 20 April 2012. RETIREMENT

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Competitions

COMPETITIONS

For a chance to win any of the prizes, send your name and address (quoting reference code) to: Amra Media Solutions, The Old Lavender Mill, 46a Brook Street, Aston Clinton, Bucks, HP22 5ES or email: info@amramedia.co.uk

Anti-ageing

Nobel prizewinning discoveries lead the way...

emarkable gains in the health prospects of millions of people in the UK and throughout the developed world are being made through the emerging science of Nutrigenomics – the study of the nutrient-gene interaction which harnesses the ability of the human body to regenerate and repair the damage caused by ageing and the stresses and strains of modern life. This new health revolution is being led by Revive Q10+, a cardiovascular nutrigenomic health food supplement which brings together a unique combination of nutrients in a food supplement which, designed for cardiovascular wellbeing, is also proving to be a powerful Anti-ageing supplement for people who simply want to look and feel better as they grow older. Cardiovascular wellbeing is one of our core health issues. The World Health Organisation cites cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death in the developed world, accounting for over 17 million deaths each year. Countless more lives are affected to varying degrees by the onset of the ageing process and Revive Q10+ users are reporting looking and feeling better in a variety of ways. The following quotes are from our online videos which can be viewed in full on our website. Eighty-one year-old Tommie O’Connor is back on the golf course and playing off 7 with enthusiasm which amazes his playing partners – “My energy levels have soared since taking ‘Revive’ and I am really enjoying my golf,” says Tommie. London model agency owner M. Matthews is now a confirmed user – “My skin feels softer and plumper with less wrinkles and I am sleeping through the night since I began taking Revive Q10+”

Anti-aging

Retired CEO Deidre Frawley agrees – “My overall health and wellbeing has improved, my skin feels softer, a lot of the wrinkles have disappeared and I have lost over a stone in weight.”

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Delivery driver John Dempsey was concerned about his sedentary lifestyle but is now feeling much better – “After taking Revive Q10+ for three months my cholesterol dropped from 6.2 to 5 and I have no other explanation for this”. - but there is an explanation.

Nutrition and Health

Revive Q10+

Leading medical specialists now believe that a nutrient-led approach offers improved health and longevity for millions of people. Speaking at a recent Anti-ageing conference in London, world-leading vascular surgeon, Mr Sherif Sultan MD, said “Co enzyme Q10 and L-Arginine are absolutely necessary to promote ATP (Adenosine triphosphate – the coenzyme used as an energy carrier in all known organisms) and cardiovascular health. The virtues of these compounds are well-proven and research into their effectiveness has earned Nobel prizes for the leading researchers in this field.” Revive Q10+ brings these two key ingredients together for the first time, along with D-Ribose, L-Citrulline, L-Carnitine, L-Glutamine, Taurine, multi-vitamins, folic acid, Magnesium and Pomegranate.

Revive Q10+ is the most powerful single-dose cardiovascular food supplement available today. It is provided as a water-soluble product that is easy and pleasant to take on a daily basis and uses natural ingredients including Stevia – the natural sweetener that contains no calories. Purchased separately in the same quantities, the ingredients could cost more than four times as much. Galway Natural Health Company Director, Liam Salmon, explains: “Our intention from the very beginning has been to deliver Revive Q10+ as an affordable daily supplement, benefitting a wide range of users. We supply to ISO9001 standards from a quality production facility in Shannon, Republic of Ireland, taking orders from our website, www.ReviveQ10Plus.com.” Developed by Galway Natural Health Company, Revive Q10+ was launched at the recent Anti -ageing Conference in London and the product has been purchased by Harley Street specialists, professional sports coaches, business executives and people who want to counter the ageing process and deal with a range of health issues such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, fatigue, diabetes, poor circulation and a range of cardiovascular problems

The Key Ingredients – Nobel prizewinning Discoveries L-Arginine is one of the key compounds in Revive Q10+. It is a Nobel prizewinning discovery and is now accepted as the leading amino acid for use in cardiovascular repair and regeneration. It helps to reduce blood pressure and lowers LDL cholesterol. Co enzyme Q10 is also a Nobel prizewinning discovery. It is important for cellular energy in all body tissues but, as the amount of Co enzyme Q10 in our bodies declines with age, it should be supplemented adequately and Revive Q10+ contains 150mg per dose. Co enzyme Q10 is an antioxidant that can lower blood pressure and is used to help treat a number of conditions including arrhythmias, congestive heart failure, coronary heart disease, diabetes, dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertension and weight loss.

The message is simple –

‘getting older doesn’t have to mean feeling older’...

(As with any nutritional supplement, consult your doctor before use, especially if pregnant, lactating, with a known medical condition of any kind or are taking medication.)

www.ReviveQ10plus.com Tel sales: 0844 811 9787

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Asparagus Season April-June

Jake Gavin

Valentine Warner TV chef Valentine Warner has developed four beautiful recipes for the 2012 British asparagus season. Val says “We should take full advantage of the brief British asparagus because it is utterly delicious. Because you want to eat as much of it as possible in a relatively short period of time, it encourages the seasonal cook to enjoy it in as many different ways as possible. I positively yearn for the first spears to charge up through to the soil. Eating British Asparagus is a no brainer because it is so delicious a different thing altogether from the dismal and bland out of season imports. What could make more sense in eating our asparagus from our ground in our air. Its annual arrival is a treat.” Here are two of his recipes to try

Valentine Warner’s British Asparagus & Crab Tart This is a fine thing to set up on a summer table next to a chilled bottle of white, personally I see this as more a lunchtime thing if possible to be enjoyed alfresco Cooking time: 80 minutes Preparation time: 15-20 minutes Serves: 6 to 8 You will need 25cm loose bottom tart case You’ll need: 1 packet short crust pastry 1 egg, beaten for brushing the case 2 bundles of British asparagus 50g butter 1 small onion very finely chopped 1 ½ tsp tomato puree 1 generous tsp Dijon mustard

What to do: Pre-heat the oven to 190°c Take a tart case & roll out the short crust pastry nice and thin. Tuck neatly into the case whilst leaving the sides hanging down all the way around. Scrumple up some baking paper, this will help you fit it over the pastry, pour in some baking beans so the pastry is well weighted down. Put the case on a baking tray and cook in the oven for approximately half an hour until the visible overhang appears to be turning a rich golden colour. Remove from the oven, take out the paper & beans and put the tart back in for a further 5-6 minutes, in order to crisp up the bottom. Remove from the oven and whilst still hot paint the entire of the case with a beaten egg. Taking a small paring knife shave around the rim of the case detaching the overhang, this makes good bird food. Cut the asparagus spears in half. Bring some salted water to the boil, drop in the asparagus and when the water starts boiling again cook for no more than 1 ½ minutes, drain, cool in cold water, drain again and thoroughly dry in a tea towel. Melt the butter in a saucepan and sauté the onions slowly, this should take 10 minutes or so until they are totally soft and pale gold. Stir in the tomato puree and mustard and cook gently for a minute or so more.

300g soft fresh brown crab meat

Add the brown crab meat, followed by the cream, salt & pepper, stir it all together

300ml single cream

Scatter the asparagus into the pastry case, pour the crab filling over the top, gently return the tart to the oven & cook for approx 25-30 minutes. When the tart is nearly done, give the tray a little shake, the filling should wobble faintly in the middle. It is important to take the tart out at this time as it will go on cooking, you want the filling soft rather than overset.

2 medium eggs A heavy grind of black pepper & salt to taste

Take off the heat and beating the entire time break in the 2 remaining eggs, beat in well. Leave to one side.

Either eat warm or at room temperature.

Valentine Warner’s British Asparagus Cigars This is a great little snack for parties, so simple, a winning little time saver, double or triple the recipe as they disappear quickly. Cooking time: 20 minutes Preparation time: 15 minutes Serves: 16 sharing

Asparagus Season

Pre-heat the oven to 190°c Cook the asparagus in well salted water, cooking it for only 1 - 2 minutes once it has come back to the boil. Drain and cool the asparagus in cold water then drain again, making sure it’s thoroughly dry with a tea towel. Cut the asparagus 2/3 of the way down, either discarding the lower stem or saving it for a soup, such as pea and asparagus & sorrel.

2 bundles of British asparagus

Take one sheet of filo pastry and brush it lightly but thoroughly all over with butter. Cut each piece into four. Place each asparagus spear along the bottom of your filo piece and roll snugly but not over tightly.

4 sheets of ready-made filo pastry

Picking it up with your fingers brush the outside with butter again, then scatter the grated parmesan thoroughly over the top of each cigar.

50g butter melted 2 handfuls of finely grated parmesan

Lay them down on a tray lined with greaseproof paper with the outside edge of the filo facing down on the paper, this stops them unravelling when they cook.

Salt

Once done grind over with a heavy bombardment of black pepper.

Black pepper

Place in the oven for 15- 18 minutes until deep golden and crispy.

You’ll need:

What to do:

For further information and recipes visit www.british-asparagus.co.uk RETIREMENT

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Your legacy is our future

“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” Anatole France If you have ever loved an animal you will know how important their health is. Everything the Animal Health Trust does has the health and welfare of companion animals at its heart. Thanks to previous legacy gifts, the AHT is constantly finding new ways to prevent and reduce the suffering of present and future generations. For your FREE Legacy Guide please fill out and return the form below For further information please call: 01638 555648 or email us: legacies@aht.org.uk or visit us online: www.aht.org.uk Send today for your FREE Legacy Guide Title

Initials

Surname Address

Postcode

Tel

Email Please return to: Fundraising Dept., AHT, Lanwades Park, Kentford, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 7UU. Registered charity no. 209642 RT12

RETIREMENT

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38415 NDG Retirement Today Ad_38415 NDG Retirement Today Ad 27/01/2012 12:01 Page 1

New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel

Fabulous Spring & Summer Breaks

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81-83 High Street Great Missenden Bucks HP16 0AL 01494 892192

www.roalddahlmuseum.org www.roalddahlstore.com

NTPL David Levenson

PERFECT DAY Oleg Micheyev and Steve McNicholas

day out with the grandchildren can be just as enjoyable for grandparents if they do their research. Anna Cummings looks at the options.

up in the Great Hall on the 12 April giving the whole family a chance to dress up as Tudors. The National Trust of Scotland also have a whole host of events lined up suitable for grandparents and grandchildren including a Children’s Wildlife Quiz at Crathes Castle, Aberdeenshire and Rambling Rosie’s Saturday Stories at Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, Alloway. Dates and times of all these events and more can be obtained

from the Trust’s websites at the foot of this article. Another option that always delights children is a visit to the theatre. Across the UK particulary during school holidays productions are in place guaranteed to appeal to children. Celebrating its 10th sensational year in London, STOMP the multiaward winning show has a universal language of rhythm, theatre, comedy and dance. Eight performers use everything from zippo lighters, plastic bags, bin lids and even the kitchen sink to hammer out an explosively feel good rhythm. A unique show loved by all ages! n

For Further Information Roald Dahl Museum: www.roalddahlmuseum.org

Perfect Day

Bottle a Dream - Roald Dahl

One of the greatest children’s writers of the last century Roald Dahl will be very familiar to most grandparents who have entertained their own children with the author’s works such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr Fox and James and the Giant Peach to name only a few.Visiting the Roald Dahl Museum in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire gives grandparents a chance to share the writers life and genius with their grandchildren. The museum has just been recently refurbished with the addition of a new Solo Gallery, with a preview period running until the 20 March.This means the visitor will be one of the first to see Roald Dahl’s orginal writing hut, including all the interactive exhibits aiming to show how the writer came up with the inspiration for many of his famous novels. The hut has all its original contents and features. Also incuded among the new exhibits is a World War II Gladiator cockpit similar to the one Roald Dahl flew in his RAF days, a writing and drawing activity and an active ‘ Ideas Aviary ‘. The National Trust also offers a unique experience for children and adults alike. The Trust’s properties are offering unique activities up and down the country during school holidays targeted at children. Dunham Massey in Cheshire is offering a story telling session, Gibside, Tyne & Wear are offering Explorer Monday, Foodie Tuesday and Wildlife Wednesday, and Knole in Kent is offering a Dressing

National Trust Scotland: www.nts.org.uk National Trust UK: www.nationaltrust.org.uk RETIREMENT

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Cognoscenti Rate Cognatum for Retirement

he merger between the two award-winning companies, English CourtyardAssociation and The Beechcroft Trust, to form Cognatum Limited, a non-profit-making company, has resulted in their management of over 1500 properties in 60 developments covering some 20 counties from Cheshire to Devon. Shared services include all the costs relating to the provision of estate managers, upkeep of communal grounds and facilities, buildings insurance and security. The commercial arm of the company is Cognatum Property Limited, which handles re-sales, should the residents so choose.The properties in the Cognatum portfolio are two or three bedroom cottages or apartments, based around gardens and grounds, in or near market towns or villages, with either private terraces and/ or rear gardens. Leases vary between 150 and 999 years, purchase costs range from £200,000 to £650,000, and service charges are between £200 to £400 per month. There are no ground rents. Motcombe Grange in Dorset is the latest addition to Cognatum’s management range. Three miles equidistant between Gillingham and Shaftesbury, and originally part of the Park Regis estate, the stone-built Grange was rebuilt in the 19th century and became a prep school before developers Nikki Lewis and Peter Harding acquired it.

They converted the main house as the hub for core services with a restaurant – unusual amongst Cognatum properties – bar, gym, snooker room and hairdressing salon. They then built 29 courtyard apartments benefiting from the hub and surrounding grounds of just under four acres. Currently half a dozen of the two bedroom, two bathroom apartments are on the market between £230,000 and £280,000. The service charge is currently £371 per month. Mrs Lewis says, “We are delighted that Cognatum has taken over the management – they identified the residents’ need to keep costs down, especially in these times, whilst not compromising standards”. Also worth considering is Hays Park at Sedgehill near Shafestbury, which, like Motcombe Grange, has a popular private restaurant within the development offering lunches in a warm and friendly environment. Hays Park is set within the grounds of a nursing home and Ronald Clarkson, MD of Park Healthcare Limited, a private company established in 1984 specialising in the care of the elderly, believes dining facilities are an important part of the service and increasingly sought after. Currently a two-bedroom apartment is available at £250,000. As one resident says, “We have the gardens, the duckpond, the peace and quiet we love and we no longer have the hassle of looking after it all. It’s given us peace of mind” n

www.cognatum.co.uk www.park-healthcare.co.uk

For further information telephone Andrew Partridge at Cognatum: 01491 615961 & Ronald Clarkson at Park Healthcare Limited: 01747 830282

Cognoscenti Rate Cognatum for Retirement

PEGASUS PAYS POWER BILLS

Pegasus Homes is offering to pay four years of electricity bills for everyone who completes the purchase of one their retirement apartments before 31st March. Karen Roake, Pegasus sales and marketing director, says: “As the cost of domestic bills is rising dramatically every year, our offer to pay new owners’ electricity bills (up to £1,000 a year) for four years takes a weighty burden off their shoulders.” “All of our developments are all built with high standards of insulation and there are thickly carpeted and heated communal areas; in addition, the apartments are all electric and usually economic to heat. In fact, the majority of our new owners are surprised at how much less their winter heating bills are in their Pegasus apartment,” Karen adds. “But being electricity bill-free for four years is even better!” n To find out more about this offer, please ring Pegasus on 01442 872572. Prices at Pegasus Court, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire are from £194,950 and 75% are already sold or reserved. The show home is open Tuesday to Saturday 10.30am to 4.30pm by appointment. www.pegasus-homes.co.uk RETIREMENT

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Good Care Guide launched

New website helps families find, rate and review eldercare – for care homes and home care ‘Good Care Guide’ (www.goodcareguide.co.uk) is an independent, searchable online database, in the style of consumer websites such as TripAdvisor, giving parents, older people and carers a say about care they have used – just as they can already for hospitals and schools, hotels and restaurants. Our ageing population means that more people need eldercare. Spending cuts also mean that more and more people have to pay for care themselves. With a white paper on care due to be published this spring, the government has already said that it wants to see websites like Good Care Guide raise quality of care and transform the way people choose care. Good Care Guide enables individuals to rate providers they have used for their quality of care, facilities and value for money as well as making positive or negative comments n www.goodcareguide.co.uk

Out&About...

Treasures from the Queen’s Palaces The Queens’ Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse 16-March – 4 November

Frederick Stuart Church (1842-1924), A Lesson in Wisdom 1883, engraving, 29.4 x 41 cm. The American Museum in Britain

The Compassionate Eye: Birds and Beasts from the American Museum’s Print Collection

An exhibition of spectacular treasures from the Royal Collection will go on display at The Queen’s Gallery to celebrate Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee, reflecting the tastes of monarchs and other members of the royal family who have shaped one of the world’s great art collections. From nine royal residences and more than five centuries of collecting, a selection of 100 outstanding works can be seen including paintings, drawings, miniatures, watercolours, manuscripts, furniture, sculpture, ceramics and jewellery, most of which are shown in Scotland for the first time. For further information visit www.royalcollection.org.uk

Claverton Manor, Bath 10 March-1 July

An exhibition of prints by American artists depicting the sympathetic relationship between man and beast. One of the founders of The America Museum was Dallas Pratt, A New York psychiastrist. Unlike many of his medical contemporaries, Dr Pratt was morally troubled by vivisection, and for his work promoting animal rights he received the prestigious Animal Welfare Institute’s Albert Schweitzer Award in 1981. His print menagerie, which he donated to the Museum, was another way in which he hoped to win over public opinion to the cause of animal rights. By seeing the human interactions with birds and beasts in these artworks, Dr Pratt hoped viewers would acquire a more passionate eye. For further information visit www.americanmuseum.org or telephone 01225 460503

Picasso and Modern British Art Tate Britain, London. Until 15 July 2012

Visit Tate Britain and explore Pablo Picasso’s extensive legacy and influence on British art, discover how this played a role in the acceptance of modern art in Britain, alongside the fascinating story of Picasso’s lifelong connections to and affection for this country.

The exhibition looks at the time Picasso spent in London in 1919 when he worked on the scenery and costumes for Diaghilev’s production of The Three-Cornered Hat. It reviews the significance of his political status in Britain, from the Guernica tour in 1938-9 to the artist’s appearance at the 1950 Peace Congress in Sheffield. The final section will also consider the artist’s post-war reputation.

It brings together over 150 spectacular artworks, with over 60 stunning Picassos including sublime paintings from the most remarkable moments in his career. www.tate.org.uk

National Garden Scheme 85th anniversary

IWM North Special Exhibitions Gallery, Manchester Until 2 September 2012 Thrilling tales of loyalty, separation, excitement, survival and identity are brought to life in this major exhibition for children and adults alike. Some of the best loved children’s stories about war are illuminated through interactive activities and unique objects from conflict. The free exhibition, specially created by IWM, is filled with all the drama of five acclaimed novels: War Horse by Michael Morpurgo, Carrie’s War by Nina Bawden, The Machine Gunners by Robert Westall, The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier and Little Soldier by Bernard Ashley. Explore these perilous stories alongside the history of real life conflicts from 1914 to the present day - all through the eyes of fictional children.

Published each year The Yellow Book is the essential listing of gardens to visit and provides a county-by-county guide to the thousands of welcoming gardens in England & Wales, many of which are not normally open to the public. Each garden is described and includes directions, admission price as well as opening dates and times. The 2012 edition will contain details of over 3,800 gardens with over 650 new or returning gardens listed in it. Gardens which welcome visitors on behalf of the National Gardens Scheme help raise much needed funds for some really great charities such as MacMillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Help the Hospices and Crossroads Care. 2011 saw the National Gardens Scheme donate over £2.6million to their beneficiary charities. Readers can purchase your copy of the Yellow Book 2012 at the offer price of just £7 (rrp £9.99) including both post and packing to UK postal addresses please order via www.ngs.org. uk using the promotional code. RTYB12. Offer valid until end July 2012. Please allow 14 days for delivery.

For more information visit www.iwm.org.uk or telephone 0161 836 4000 RETIREMENT

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Out and About

Once Upon A Wartime

Once Upon A Wartime exhibition at IWM North in Manchester Painting of Topthorn the horse , which usually hangs in Michael Morpurgo’s kitchen and inspired him to write War Horse

ith winter fading fast and spring in sight, you may be thinking of giving your home a spring clean. As well as getting your house in order, why not take the opportunity to freshen up your finances too, with these handy hints from the Financial Ombudsman Service:

Spring-clean your finances! • Check your calendar: Keep a note of the dates when your regular payments and any debits from your bank account are due, so you know the money’s available when you need it. Some consumers have told the ombudsman that due to income payments being delayed they have been charged by their banks for going overdrawn. If you find that you don’t have enough funds to pay for upcoming debits, let your bank know as soon as you can. • Cut out the clutter:You wouldn’t pay twice to buy the same item in a shop, so make sure you’re not doing that with your finances. When you buy a product like a mobile phone, TV set or vacuum cleaner, you’re often offered an insurance policy or warranty with it. But you could end up paying for cover that you’ve already

got as part of your home and contents policy. Check your policy or speak to your insurer to see what you’re covered for – and cancel (or don’t buy) anything you don’t need. • Cost-effective credit: If you’re planning home improvements – or you’re making a significant purchase, like a new item of furniture – you may be thinking of using an interest-free credit deal. These allow you to spread the cost of your purchase over an extended period – sometimes for several years – without paying interest. If you sign up, make sure you pay off what you owe before the interest-free period ends. Once the interest kicks in, the repayments could become very expensive. • Take interest: Interest rates for savers are low right now but it’s still worth shopping around to find the best rate you can get. Look online to compare offers – but before signing up, do check any restrictions. If you’re able to give a few months’ notice before you withdraw any of your money, you may get a much better rate than if you need instant access to your savings. • Dormant debits: Ask your bank for a list of your direct debits and standing orders.You may be making payments for things you no longer need. If you decide to cancel, make sure you tell the business involved first. And if you’re catalogue shopping, bear in mind that some companies expect you to make a payment every 28 days. This means the day of the month when your payment is due will change each month, so keep an eye on your statements!

Spring-clean your finances!

• Spread the risk: If you’re considering investing your money, take time to think about how much risk you’re willing to take. In some circumstances you may also want to get financial advice. There are a wide range of investment plans – and the more risk you’re willing to take, the more potential return you could make. But investment returns aren’t guaranteed so don’t take a chance if you can’t afford to risk your capital.

We hope that dusting off your finances helps money-matters go smoothly in 2012. But if something goes wrong, speak to the financial business involved – they should be able to sort things out. If you still aren’t happy, the financial ombudsman might be able to help n

You can contact the ombudsman service on 0300 123 9 123 or www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk RETIREMENT

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Charity N E W S Mark runs the London Marathon in support of Animal Health Trust

The Animal Health Trust exists to fight disease and injury in animals. Thanks to their pioneering work improving diagnosis, treatment and prevention, horses, dogs and cats are living healthier, happier lives – in the UK and across the world. Mark Vaudin, Deputy Chief Executive of the AHT, is running the 2012 London Marathon, in support of the AHT’s ongoing work to fight cancer in animals. Cancer is the most common cause of death in dogs and the second most common cause in cats. However with the correct facilities, expertise and treatment it is the most curable chronic disease in these animals. With the continued development of their brand new state-of-the-art cancer centre, the AHT will build on its ongoing research looking for ways to better diagnose, treat and prevent cancer in companion animals. The facility will also enable the AHT to offer all three treatment options: surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, to horses, dogs and cats, in one place

AISPA Representative Dr Dorothea Friz and her team

Anglo-Italian Society for the Protection of Animals (AISPA) launch ‘matched funding’ in 2012 AISPA are a British-based charity that raises funds worldwide to help animal welfare organisations in Italy. Their aim is to improve conditions for many domestic and wild animals which is so desperately needed. AISPA has voluntary representatives in Italy. Their assistance is vital as Spay/Neuter Team led by Dr Dorothea Friz they work closely with Italian organisations and authorities to try and bring about lasting improvements in animal welfare. One of their biggest challenges in Italy is reducing the stray population. If you have holidayed in Italy you may have seen it for yourself.

Treating animals with all types of cancers will enable their vets and scientists to expand current knowledge about the disease. It is also hoped that new knowledge gained through the cancer centre may ultimately benefit human cancer research.

In order to develop further spay and neuter initiatives and they decided to launch a ‘matched funding’ programme for 2012, whereby they are asking you to donate a minimum of £250 towards a spay and neuter event and they will match it. You can allocate this funding to any sanctuary of your choice and they will organise it. Literally thousands of animals can be spayed and neutered during the year at these events.

To sponsor Mark please visit www.aht.org.uk

For further information contact Susan Dale at: e-mail: info@aispa.org.uk

Dot at microscope

Back in 1983, the Wildlife Hospital Trust - then Tiggywinkles’ posh name, shouted out that hedgehogs were in trouble. Nobody had seemed to notice the prickly little iconic figures as they struggled in the drought of that year. I believe that Tiggywinkles put hedgehogs ‘on the map’ and subsequently have pioneered the case of those individuals that had previously succumbed to all manner of nasties. For the past ten to twenty years our hedgehog intake has kept to about the three thousand a year mark. In the early days we were sometimes flummoxed by the individual disasters that befell our prickly friends. However over the years, and all those thousands of hedgehogs, Tiggys has ‘found out’ and told the world how to help hedgehogs. And the progress is still charging on. At the back of Tiggy’s in the snow are dozens of Egloos all holding groups of hedgehogs, fit and strong in the outside world. Raring to be released, as soon as spring warms the gardens territory that will be their universe. The extra numbers outside have been increasing over the past few years as a sophisticated, if very smelly, early warning protocol has evolved for every newly admitted hedgehog. Dot Walton and the marvels of our clinical laboratory enable her to collect fresh hedgehog faeces and microscope for life threatening parasites. Tiggys has already perfected a specialist treatment regime to protect any hedgehogs with parasites. And I think we can ‘pat ourselves on our backs’ now that hedgehogs all over the world are being saved by our little pieces of paper, our treatment records. Even now Dot is in her world of our main hedgehog ward collecting her ‘poo’ samples to slide under her microscope. www.tiggywinkles.com RETIREMENT

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Side heads

Tiggy’s Hedgehog World

GREY HAIRS

THE REGULAR PENSIONS COLUMN

ANNUITY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN In the third of a series of articles aimed at helping readers through the complex ‘annuity maze’, this edition looks at the questions you will be asked when using the Money Advice Service consumer tables (www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/tables) and includes short notes to help you understand the relevance of each question.

By Robert Grey, Pensions Specialist

These comparison tables are designed to estimate how much pension (annuity) income you can expect to receive and which companies offer the best rates when you retire.

These tables only show annuity rates for funds over £5,000 so if yours is less, contact your provider to discuss your available options. You may also encounter difficulties looking elsewhere for a better rate if your fund is less than £10,000 as some companies set this as their minimum limit for providing an annuity.

You will be asked to answer the following:

If the total value of all your pensions from all sources (excluding the State) is less than £18,000 (and you are over 60), you may be able to ‘cash-in’ your entire fund under what is known as ‘trivial commutation’.

1) Are you Male

Female

Annuity rates for men are normally slightly higher (better) than those for women because, on average, women live longer. However, EU Regulations due to become law later in 2012 might force companies to use unisex rates.

2) At what age do you intend to convert your pension fund into a retirement income? Annuity rates vary according to your age when your income starts. The older you are, the higher the rate (and higher your income). These tables only show rates for retirement ages 55 - 74. You can only start taking benefits before age 55 in limited circumstances – e.g. due to poor health. HM Revenue & Customs now allows individuals to delay buying an annuity until after age 75 – although not all companies will let you do this.

6) Do you want to see rates for products with a guaranteed term? No guarantee

5-year guarantee

A guarantee period increases the cost of an annuity and so reduces the initial amount of income you will receive (but only by a small amount). 7) Do you want to see rates for a product that is: Individual

4) Are you a smoker? Yes

Some companies offer better rates to smokers as they are not expected to live as long as non-smokers. If you click ‘yes’, rates are shown on the assumption that you smoke 10 cigarettes a day.

Grey Hairs

5) How much of your pension fund do you want to convert to retirement income? Please enter the amount after taking off any tax-free lump sum you will take.

The most up-to-date value of your pension fund can be obtained directly from your pension provider. Ask for the available amount under your open market option (buying an annuity with a different company to take advantage of a better rate). Remember to deduct the amount of your fund you intend to take as a tax-free lump sum (usually a maximum of 25% of your total fund) before entering the remaining amount that you want to convert into an income. RETIREMENT

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Joint

With a single-life annuity, your income is paid for as long as you live and dies with you. A joint-life product, however, continues to pay an income to your spouse or civil partner after your death and for the rest of their life. A joint-life annuity is therefore more expensive and pays a lower starting income compared to a single-life annuity.

3) What is your full postcode? Some companies consider your postcode in their annuity rates as life expectancy has been found to vary by region. The tables do not show rates for those wanting to buy an annuity living outside the UK.

10-year guarantee

Although you will receive your annuity income for the rest of your life, you can actually choose to have it paid for a minimum guarantee period. If you die before this period ends, the remaining guaranteed monthly payments will continue to be paid to your spouse or estate. However, if you outlive a guarantee period, you will gain no benefit from it and your income simply continues to be paid for the rest of your lifetime.

8) What age will your spouse/partner be when you take your retirement income? Your spouse’s age will affect the amount of income you receive from a joint-life annuity. These tables only show joint-life rates where their age on your retirement is 45 - 80 and do not include rates if they are more than 10 years older or younger than you. The definition of ‘spouse’ includes a civil partner. If you are not married but have a partner, ask your pension provider if their joint-life product also applies to unmarried partners.

9) What level of income do you want your spouse/partner to receive when you die? The same as your income 100%

Two-thirds 67%

Half 50%

The higher the level of your chosen spouse’s income, the lower your starting income will be when you retire. Does your fund contain any ‘protected rights’ benefits (built up from being opted-out of SERPS or the State Second Pension at some stage)? Legislation currently requires you to buy a joint-life annuity with this part of your fund paying a 50% spouse’s pension if you are married or have a civil partner. However, this requirement will be removed on 6th April 2012 when ‘protected rights’ are due to be abolished and thereafter will become ordinary rights.

10) How would you like to sort your results? Use the drop-down box to choose how you want to sort your results (alphabetically by provider or by amount of monthly income (level or increasing by 3% pa/RPI)). You can change this selection once you get to your results. In the next edition, Grey Hairs will analyse the results given by these comparative tables.

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Town or country - travel first class We have drawn on 25 years experience of converting MPV vehicles to offer what we know is probably the best wheelchair accessible vehicle available in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s market. The new 2.2 diesel automatic Kia Sedona 7 years manufacturerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s warranty

The GOLD LABEL conversion offers quick, simple and easy access to a position "side by side" with the driver, the ultimate travelling wish of many couples, yet still offers seating for five including the wheelchair passenger. The quick, simple, easy loading operation of the RED LABEL conversion positions the wheelchair occupant securely within the main passenger cell between the two full size second row seats. The low, level floor assures excellent visibility and social inclusion within the passenger group.

BROTHERWOOD

Automobility Limited

These two solutions represent the careful consideration given by the Brotherwood design team when creating quality conversions for those who have to travel in their wheelchair

Beer Hackett, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 6QP Tel: 0844 824 7053 www.brotherwood.com