9 minute read
20 Questions
2O
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Questions
1Full (real) name – including any
embarrassing middle names
Jessica Ann June Downes.
2What do you do? I’m a maintenance engineer apprentice for Toyota UK and attend Cambria College. I am the future! I program and fix robots and will be one of the people who integrates Toyota’s future technologies in the automobile world.
3Who shares your life? I live in Towyn, North Wales, with my family. I have three siblings: Joe is 21, Bethany is 18 and Olly’s eight. We have three toy poodles, who are the most adorable animals I’ve ever laid eyes on.
4The highlight of the last 12 months? Securing a role with a global company and being selected as a Miss Wales finalist.
5And the worst moment? Being made redundant by Thomas Cook Airlines and being stood down from my job with Virgin Atlantic due to the pandemic.
6If you could come back as any animal, what would you be and why? A bird. I’m a free spirit and love the idea of just deciding on a destination to call home for as long as you like until you’re ready for the next adventure.
7Your desert island single and what it means to you? I’m not really into music but I love a good podcast.
8If you could have one superpower what would it be? To be able to scan people’s minds to pinpoint who is suffering and help them fight the demons that cause them pain. As someone who has their own mental health struggles, it’s something I’d love someone to be able to do for me.
9Who is your all-time hero? My parents. My dad for proving that if the path you’re on isn’t making you happy, it’s never too late to make changes. And my mum is also my inspiration. If I turn out to be the woman my mum is, I’ll have succeeded in life.
10Any fears or phobias? My fear in life is not leaving an impression on the 23-year-old Jess Downes from Towyn overcame mental health issues and anorexia – as well as losing her job as a fl ight attendant during the pandemic – to be shortlisted for the Miss Wales fi nal and secure an engineering apprenticeship with Toyota. Jess hopes to fl y the fl ag for both organisations while raising as much money as she can for the global charity Beauty With A Purpose.
world. I want to write a book so people will have something to remember me by.
11What would be the fi rst thing you’d buy if you won the lottery? A new car!
12What would be your dream job (other than your own)? An ambassador for mental health, or an author so I could share my journey and let others know they’re not alone.
13If you were representing your country in the Olympics which sport would you choose? Running. I'm no Usain Bolt, but it’s a sport I can always count on to make me feel better.
14What is your favourite drink? Te soya milk and four sweeteners. a, made with 15If you had to take part in a reality TV show, which
would you have the best chance
of winning? Love Island. I have the best personality, which viewers would love – and who would pass up a free holiday!
16What is your guilty pleasure? Spa days and indulging in a full body massage.
17When did you last laugh uncontrollably? At the gym. My sister forgot the treadmill belt was running and went flying!
18You’re hosting a celebrity dinner party for four guests. Who’s on the list? Kate Middleton, Taylor Swift, Dean Thompson (from Aussie soap Home and Away) and author Marian Keyes.
Hoping for success
19Where is your favourite place in the world? My nan and grandad’s holiday cottage in Ceredigion. My parents could never afford going abroad so our family holidays were spent down on the west coast.
20What’s your proudest achievement? Passing my French GCSE with an A at 14 and being put forward for an Oxford summer school by my secondary school Emrys ap Iwan. And passing six intense weeks of training to fly. And my apprenticeship with Toyota!
FASHION Loving e layers
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Layer up for those cooler autumn temperatures
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1. Organic cotton vest £15 pack of two, John Lewis; johnlewis.com £15 pack of two, John Lewis; johnlewis.com 2. Black Sheep The Jacket £175, Anna Davies, Betws-y-Coed; annadavies.co.uk 3. Long-sleeved base layer £17.95, Cherry Tree Country Clothing, Ruthin,
Denbighshire; cherrytreecountryclothing.com 4. Fynch-Hatton lightweight gilet £120, Peppers, Church Stretton; peppersfashion.co.uk 5. Craghopper Torney half-zip fl eece £55, Charlie’s Home and Garden,
Shrewsbury; charlies.co.uk 6. Barbour Barton Coolmax shirt £69.95, Vaughan Davies, Mold; vaughandavies.co.uk 7. Van Buck reversible scarf 7. Van Buck reversible scarf £29.95, Woods of Shropshire, Church Stretton; woodsofshropshire.co.uk 8. Sealskinz all-weather waterproof socks £35, Proadventure, Llangollen; proadventure.co.uk 9. Patagonia P-6 Responsibili-Tee £45, Summit to Sea, Holyhead; summittosea.co.uk 10. Euston leather boots £89 (sale price), Pavers; pavers.co.uk 11. Scho el Ketton II packaway jacket £249.95, Outdoor and Country,
Chester; outdoorandcountry.co.uk 12. Joules Mayday full-zip hoody £49.95, Majors, Shrewsbury; majorsonline.co.uk
Motoring
Cupra
Formentor
The name may be familiar – the Cupra was badged by Seat as its sporty derivative. Now it’s a standalone brand and the Formentor is its first model, writes Bob Hickman.
While the Cupra is a sporty brand, the Formentor does have a plethora of choices when it comes to power. A 2litre turbo petrol with 310bhp? Or go the plug-in hybrid route with a 1.4litre engine with battery. If you really do want the performance, then the 310bhp 2litre with its four-wheel drive and seven-speed dual clutch gearbox is a serious contender. Not only does it have outstanding performance at 0-60 in a mere five seconds and 130mph top speed, but should you venture off-road onto the car-boot field, four-wheel drive will extricate you – and in winter conditions it really is a bonus.
The test car had a 2.0litre petrol engine assisted by an electric motor, giving a total power output of 140bhp, and it drove through a seven-speed automatic gearbox.
The front bucket seats are really supportive and the seat detail and trim are one of a much higher spec vehicle – the contrast orange stitching is a work of art. The vehicle is classified as a five-seater and in the rear there is plenty of space for two adults, with the advantage of excellent leg and headroom despite the sloping roof. The designers
Generous boot space – and more storage under the fl oor On the road for £36,655
have included a huge number of storage areas, and the cupholders in the centre console are different sizes so if you have a bottle or a drink they actually fit. There’s storage for a mobile phone, with a wireless charging pad. As you’d expect of a five-seater, the boot space is a reasonable 450 litres – one downside is quite a high lip to lift items over. There’s also more space beneath the floor of the boot.
While promoted as a sporty derivative, the Formentor will also pass as a family car: during a 400-mile sojourn encompassing motorways, town work and some rural aspects, we achieved 48.9mpg according to the computer, which is certainly acceptable.
The test car was one of the top specifications and well equipped when it came to the bells and whistles. Certainly, the electronic adjustment of the front seats was a bonus feature – there is so much flexibility, and if you are sharing the driving as we were, the option to specify driver and store your seat settings in the memory system is a practical feature.
As to driving dynamics, steering was excellent and very light, in spite of the sporty connotations. Parking was a delight due to the power system, which eases as the vehicle gains speed. It corners very well considering its SUV pedigree and was a willing companion – you only needed to breathe on the accelerator pedal and it took off.
The on-the-road price is £36,655 and the Cupra comes with a three-year, 60,000-miles warranty.
Bob Hickman is a devoted car and motorcycle fan. After a 30-year career as a police patrol officer, and then sergeant, patrolling the Midlands motorway, retirement beckoned and he embarked on writing about his love of cars and bikes. Bob is a member of the Guild of Motoring Writers and the Midland Guild of Motoring Writers. He rides a Royal Enfield Continental GT and drives a 1994 MG RV8.
