Retirement today july august 2015 by Amra Media Solutions

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R E T I R E M E N T

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Issue 82 July/Aug ‘15 £2.90

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CONTENTS

4 France-Retirement Special Read about a couples love for the French way of life and how they set up home to enjoy a Mediterranean lifestyle.

6 Meandering the Midi

WELCOME TO RETIREMENT TODAY MAGAZINE

Alastair Wallbanks takes to the water to discover France’s Canal de Midi to experience one of the finest touring holidays imaginable.

10 Out and About

Read about events taking place nationally.

12 Flavours of Summer Some delicious recipes to celebrate summer entertaining.

15 Best Books A coffee table selection.

Bottom left: Image from Bohemian Modern by Emily Henson. Photograph by Katya de Grunwald (Ryland Peters & Small) Bottom right: Image from Flavours of Summer by Acland Geddes & Pedro Da Silva. Photograph by Kate Whitaker (Ryland Peters & Small)

15 Competition Your chance to win tickets to Miss Saigon!

16 Bohemian Modern – bring the outside in Suggestions and ideas as to how plants can bring a room to life.

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PAGE 15

19 The Golden Age of Railway Posters Michael Palin recaptures the spirit of the great days of railway holidays and train excursions.

22 Hollywood Dogs Some delightful pictures of movie stars photographed with dogs.

25 A Cook’s Tour of France The gastronomy of France is quite superb – enjoy these simple French recipes at home.

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26 Why Making a Will Matters

• Published by:-

Mike Francis looks at why making a will is so important.

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28 Charity News Wood Green, The Animals Charity hosts dog MOT; Age Scotland Needs You; AHT research aims to stop dogs life Taffy losing their eyes.

28 Charity News Sign up for the UK’s biggest food drive; Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland – are Scotland’s Health Charity; Major dementia research centre opens.

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FRANCE Retirement special Rod and Alexis Stratfold had already fallen in love with the French way of life when they met and married in 2009 – so it became inevitable that when they set up home together they would do so somewhere in France where they could experience the Mediterranean lifestyle.

lexis explains: “Rod had spent many years holidaying in France, mostly in the South, and I owned a small house on my own for several years in the Midi Pyrenees, so would make frequent weekend trips over there, flying to Toulouse. I even worked in Paris for a year in my 20s, and almost stayed there: it had been a toss-up between being offered a job there and a job in London. I chose London but always yearned to go back to France. When they retired to France, instead of choosing an easy life, they purchased a 140-year-old huge village house that had previously belonged to the Church, with a garden that largely resembled a jungle.The house needed

France – Retirement special

“It is simply beautiful! The Canal du Midi is just down the road

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“Retired?” Rod often jokes, “Not sure I know the meaning of the word!”

but fascinating history of the Cathars, to the strong Catalan “Our only wonder is influence. More than this, the winemaking communities why we did not do this are friendly and close by, without the ritz and glitz (and before!” prices!) of their near neighbour, Provence, but with just as much beauty. • The south of France is particularly City fixes are easy: we are half an hour from Carcassonne popular; much like the Stratfolds, and Narbonne, 45 minutes from Beziers and an hour British people want somewhere from the stunning regional capital of Montpellier, with an enviable climate, close to which has had a huge facelift in the last few years and the coast.Toulouse, for example, is is one of France’s largest and fastest growing cities. We very popular with expats, and has are within an hour and a half of five airports serving often been voted the most attractive the UK: Carcassone, Beziers Cap d’Agde, Montpellier, place to live in France – by both Toulouse and Perpignan. There are motorway links the locals and expats.Toulouse to all the towns and the high speed TGV train takes has a warm Mediterranean just 4 hours from Paris to Montpellier or Narbonne. summer and a mild winter, and is Over the past six years, Alexis and Rod have been home to a diverse range of people working steadily on converting their house; while it’s not from different cultures. It is also finished quite yet, it is plain to see that they have made well-known for its architecture, enormous progress. The property now boasts a beautiful beautiful buildings and schools. garden and pool, a stunning, large entrance hall, a modern kitchen and two living rooms, along with three bedrooms • Nearby Saint-Gaudens is also and bathrooms on the first floor. With just one floor to go, popular, thanks to its 30,000 year their work on their dream home is not far off completion history – displayed in the stunning – but they don’t expect to get itchy feet when they do so: architecture, unaltered from over “After six years, the longer we are here, the smaller grows time. Once again, its location our desire to return to the UK. The lifestyle in the Aude means that it has a Mediterranean is much more laid back than what we were used to in climate – which is always popular the UK - and both our French and British friends here with British expats. truly seem to know how to live happily. We have never particularly wanted to be part of the expat scene but, all • Aquitaine, in Bordeaux, is another popular choice with expats, the same, the British people here who have become our thanks to its high quality of life friends are good ones, and we have found and its warm climate during the that they tend to be interesting people – summer months – as well as the it probably takes a sense of adventure to beautiful scenery. retire here – and a certain ‘joie de vivre’. “There must be so many reasons why • Other cities in the south of France people seem inherently more at peace popular with expats include with themselves here, but my own view Marseille, Nice and Lyon. is, in a nutshell, that being surrounded by so much space and beauty gives one a • Many expats are also interested in living in the North-West of different and more healthy attitude to life France, due to its ease of access – and hence the peace. Our only wonder back to the UK. Brittany is is why we did not do this before!” particularly popular; Rennes, in Of course, while Alexis and Rod’s Ille-et-Vilaine, is popular for its experience of living in France is a culture and history – also helped common one, there will always be by its thriving economy. drawbacks to any situation. Parts of the south of France can be busy, About FranceBuyingGuide.com expensive and very FranceBuyingGuide.com is part of the touristy in places – OverseasGuidesCompany.com (OGC), publishers of making it less than ideal for those property buying guides in over 15 countries – and the looking for a remote existence, officially guide partner of Rightmove Overseas. Launched although perfect for an investment in 2005, the OGC has gone from strength to strength property. You have to find the right place for you and your own set and is now the foremost media portal and resource for of circumstances. anyone looking to buy property or move overseas. If you are thinking about retiring In addition to its buying guides, the OGC’s UK to France and aren’t sure about where Resource Centre, headed up by Elaine Ferguson, offers the best place is for you, do some free, unbiased information about buying overseas over research online – FranceBuyingGuide. the phone on +44 207 898 0549 and by email at com is a good place to start. You can info@overseasguidescompany.com also call their Resource Centre for more information and advice on The OGC also publishes regular newsletters and 020 7898 0549. information bulletins for overseas property buyers, As France is a vast country, with written by expats like Alexis – who have been through over 20 regions, it can be difficult the overseas buying process, know exactly what it’s like to know where to start to find the to relocate and have a network of contacts in their local right area for you. Here are some area, meaning they can offer up-to-date and relevant of the most popular regions with information about all of the most necessary topics. British expats. n RETIREMENT

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France – Retirement special

serious attention, but thanks to Rod’s trade as a designer, they set about attempting to restore it to its former glory – inspired by the property’s original tiled floors, high ceilings, cornicing and good-sized rooms. “Retired?” Rod often jokes, “Not sure I know the meaning of the word!” The Stratfolds live in the Aude, in the Languedoc region of France, surrounded by vineyards, flanked on two sides by mountains, and right in the middle of the Corbieres and Minervoise wine regions. Alexis is happy to highlight the many benefits of their new life in France: “It is simply beautiful! The Canal du Midi is just down the road, and you can see the Pyrenees to the south. Going east for half an hour, you reach the beaches of the Mediterranean and Spain is a little over an hour south of us. I can’t emphasise enough how good it is to jump in the car and drive to another country for lunch! “The Languedoc region offers pretty much everything in terms of diverse scenery, from the miles of sandy beaches, to the deep gorges towering over rivers; from the brutal

MEANDERING THE MIDI By Alastair Wallbanks

ollowing in Rick Stein down France’s Canal du Midi is one of the finest touring holidays imaginable. Once aboard your comfortable floating gite just sit back and let the sights and scenery come to you.

Meandering the Midi 6

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The next day we made the short drive from Sallèles d’Aude to Le Somail where we picked up our narrow boat called “Carcassonne”, 49ft long and 10ft 6in wide weighing about 20 tons with a top speed around 5mph. This boat coincidentally was used for the aerial shots in a recent Channel 4 television programme called “Great Canal Journeys” featuring Timothy West and Prunella Scales. There are a number of routes available on the canal considering it runs from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. We chose what many consider the most scenic route which doesn’t have too many locks, Beziers to Homps a total of 122 kilometres and 12 locks. Both banks of the canal were once lined with trees which provided welcome shade from the fierce summer sun but unfortunately due to a disease called ‘cancer stain’ many affected trees have been cut down. Tree planting is already in progress to fill the gaps left by the diseased trees. Having stocked up on food and wine we left Le Somail and decided to moor on the canal bank that night. Mooring along the canal bank is permitted provided you do not tie up to a tree. The boats have metal stakes and a mallet. The stakes are driven into the ground and your mooring lines attached to them.

It was something my wife and I and a couple of friends had long spoken about doing and this year we decided to go for it. One of our stops on the outward journey was at a beautiful medieval town called Souillac just south of Brive. We stayed at Le Pavillon SaintMartin in the old part of the town, a sturdy 12th century building retaining many of its original features such as the grand staircase and entrance.

Behind the hotel is the Abbey Sainte-Marie, the originally built in the 12th century, unfortunately the town and particularly the abbey suffered in the wars of religion and in the 17th century Benedictine Monks rebuilt the monastic buildings next to the abbey. The town still contains many relics of its medieval past. The following morning we were awoken at 6am by stall holders setting up for the Friday market. By the time the market was in full swing it was quite a spectacle so we didn’t really mind the early call! Below the reception is a huge vaulted, stone built dining area which I suspect was once the wine cellar as it was fantastically cool, while outside the temperature was already about 30˚. Leaving Souillac we drove to Sallèles d’Aude where we met our friends. That evening we stayed at Les Volets Bleus, (The Blue Shutters) a B &B owned by a lovely British couple Nick and Isobel Evans. The house was built in 1880 by a wealthy wine merchant and remained in his family until bought by the Evans’ in 2000. It is the largest house in the village and situated adjacent to the canal. The entrance hall is spacious and the rooms are large and airy and remain cool in the heat of the summer. Our hosts also provided a delicious dinner for a very reasonable price which included wine and aperitifs.

PERFECT STAY

aking two trips to France in the same month might prove a delight for most people. However my previous trip had proved to be the stuff of nightmares. Traffic jams to the airport, endless queues, airport security and problems with car hire the other end made me far from relish the prospects of a second trip. To my delight however I found that I would be taking the overnight ferry to St Malo which Brittany Ferries promise to make a cruise experience and an integral part of the holiday. Did it live up to its promise, the answer is yes and more besides. Both my husband and myself are ardent foodies and headed to the restaurant on arrival. It didn’t disappoint. We opted for the buffet menu at a very reasonable 25 euros per head

for 4 courses. The food was excellent with an array of fresh seafood on offer for starters, but plenty of options for carnivores and vegetarians also. We both opted for the lamb as a main course, and I did ditch the diet to go for the cheese and desert! The whole meal was of an incredibly high standard and a credit to the chef and onboard catering. Afterwards we decided to head to the piano bar where we swapped French experiences with other passengers (many where regular passangers with the Brittany Ferries Club Voyage Travel Club*) before retiring to our cabin for a comfortable nights rest. We arrived early morning and were able to enjoy a motor way and virtually toll free journey to our destination in the South of France. Definitely a preferred method of travel for future trips across the channel! n

Ideal for overseas property owners and regular travellers, Brittany Ferries’ Club Voyage Travel Club offers generous savings of up to 30% on crossings from the UK to France and Spain. Other benefits include, but are not limited to, 10% reduction on meals and wine in our on-board restaurants, up to 10% discount for friends and family and free or half price day cabins on some crossings. Brittany Ferries have a new no-frills service called Brittany Ferries économie which will operate from Portsmouth to both Santander and Le Havre. The service is ideal for those who wish to travel to France or Spain at a very reasonable fare without either the cruise-style experience they provide on their other ships or the speed afforded by Normandie Express. As with all their ferries the service is operated by Brittany Ferries’ bilingual French crew and officers. For the Club Voyage travel club: www.brittanyferries.com/clubvoyage For more information visit www.brittanyferries.com/letyourproperty

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and a church. However next to the moorings are a couple of bar/ restaurants, a small grocers shop and the tourist information office. We had berthed right opposite one of the restaurants, ‘La Péniche, so decided to dine there. Again the staff were friendly, the menu varied and the food delicious. That night there was a ferocious thunder and lightning storm accompanied by torrential rain, by morning the storm abated slightly, we were due to return our boat to Le Somail the next day therefore had no option but to proceed.

Just as we entered the first lock the heavens opened up, within minutes the three of us on deck were soaked, we couldn’t have been more sodden had we jumped in the canal! By the time we cleared the last lock the weather started to clear and remained dry all the way back to base. By evening the sun was shining and the weather had returned to normal. In Le Somail there are a number of nice restaurants on both sides of the canal but we were recommended one which was tucked away a couple of streets back from the moorings. The restaurant, called ‘Plan B’ is a converted stone built barn with exposed original beams and rafters and a wooden floor. It was very chintzy with few of the tables and chairs matching, on the left as you enter is an upright piano and a synthesiser. The menu was a large blackboard which the waitress placed next to our table. After ordering the ‘menu’ was removed and the waitress went to the piano and entertained us with live music for the rest of the evening. The food was superb, the Joue de boeuf, ox cheeks braised in red wine, was so succulent and tender it melted in the mouth. The service wasn’t rushed giving us time to enjoy the music between courses, a fitting end to our week on the canal. Cruising the Canal du Midi is a bit like life, it’s a marathon not a sprint. n

Meandering the Midi

Despite the effluent and other We had lunch at “Le Provence”, substances discharged by the leisure although the façade stated “Pizzeria” craft and commercial boats the canal the menu was varied offering a large teems with fish. They can be seen selection of salads and other dishes. coming to the surface to feed and Inside, the premises stretched back on occasion jumping clear of the to a beautiful terrace at the rear with water. Fishermen on the banks are a vines giving shade from the noon common sight. sun. All the other On Sunday we Cruising the Canal diners were French carried on to Capestang du Midi is a bit like which I took as a good a former canal port. life, it’s a marathon recommendation. Entering the port After leaving not a sprint. you have to negotiate Capestang we again Capestang Bridge, one of the lowest berthed at the side of the canal for on the canal and being at an angle the night in blissful tranquillity, before is a bit tricky to get through. The returning to le Somail the following town centre is just a short walk from day. That afternoon we headed for the moorings and hosts a market Ventenac-en-Minervois where we every Sunday. visited Château de Ventenac Wine. After wandering round the market In 1938, the Caveau was taken over for a while we decided to have lunch by the local winegrowers, who formed at one of the restaurants just off the a co-operative to make and sell wines town square. The food was excellent using grapes from the rich vineyards and the portions enormous, so much around the village, these wines have so that we didn’t require another meal since won many prizes. that day. The village has only two restaurants Before setting off the next morning one of which was closed on the night we topped up our water tank, for of our stay (Wednesday) so there was showering and the toilets etc. not no debate as to where we were dining drinking water, it is recommended that night. The restaurant was rustic, that you do this daily. Our intention the staff friendly, the food plentiful was to stop at Colombiers before but mediocre. carrying on to Beziers. Next day we headed for Homps, Between Capestang and Colombiers this stretch of the canal was our first is the Tunnel du Malpas, 160 metres encounter with locks, a single, two long and only wide enough to take doubles then another single. We were one vessel at a time. A signpost on the first to arrive at the single lock and approach instructs you to sound your had to moor to allow a couple of horn to announce your presence to boats to come through downstream. any boat already in the tunnel heading We were soon joined by another two towards you. boats going upstream, the first was There were no berths available a small cruiser with a Dutch couple at Colombiers so we pushed on to and the second a much bigger cruiser Beziers and moored at the top of with a crowd of Australians, everyone Fonserannes Staircase Locks, where very friendly. the canal descends more than 20 All these locks have lock keepers metres to the Orb Valley and is quite to operate them as do the majority an impressive feat of engineering. of locks on the canal, but the crews Having spent the night in Beziers of each boat are responsible for their we headed back to Capestang where own ropes. we again strolled into the town centre, Homps is another charming little the bustle of Sunday’s market had town, but moving away from what gone and the town had reverted to its is rather grandly referred to as the quiet sleepy ambience. ‘Port Area’ there are only houses

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Out&About... V & A London Until 31 January 2016 More than 250 pairs of historic and contemporary shoes from around the world are on display, exploring the agonising Evening shoe, beaded silk and leather, France 1958-60 aspect of wearing shoes as well as the Roger Vivier (1907–98) for Christian Dior (1905–1957). © Victoria and Albert Museum, London euphoria and obsession they can inspire. Ranging from a sandal decorated in pure gold leaf originating from ancient Egypt to the most elaborate designs by contemporary makers. Shoes worn by or associated with high profile figures including Marilyn Monroe, Queen Victoria, Sarah Jessica Parker, Lady Gaga, Kylie Minogue and the Hon Daphne Guinness are on show as well as famous shoes, such as the ballet slippers designer for Moira Shearer in the 1948 film The Red Shoes. www.vam.ac.uk Tel. 020 7942 2000

Audrey Hepburn by Bud Fraker.

Shoes: Pleasure and Pain

Audrey Hepburn:

Portraits of an icon

National Portrait Gallery, London 2 July – 18 October The fascinating life and career of celebrated film star, fashion con and humanitarian, Audrey Hepburn, is explored in photographs. Follow Hepburn’s rise to fame, from her early years in Holland and as a dancer and chorus girl in London’s West End, to her becoming a stage and screen icon, culminating in her philanthropic work in later life. Showcasing photographs rarely seen from the collection of the Hepburn family along with portraits by leading photographers. www.npg.org.uk Tel. 0207 306 0055

Fashion Museum, Bath Until 3 January 2016 See classic gowns from some of the most famous designers such as Christian Dior and Alexander McQueen. See an array of glamorous evening dresses worn by some of the leading personalities of their day. Beautiful fabrics, great designs and inventive ideas from the 20th century to the present day. www.fashionmuseum.co.uk Tel. 01225 477 789

Masters of Japanese Porcelain National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh Until 30 August

Out & About

In 1890 the Japanese government instigated the Imperial Household Artists system to recognise and support artists who had achieved a level of success and renown within their respective crafts. This exhibition highlights the work of such artists, with a display of Japanese porcelain, showing the work of four master craftsmen who were greatly regarded in Japanese ceramics in the 19th century whose work remains strikingly elegant and beautiful. www.nms.ac.uk Tel. 0300 123 6789

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Compton Verney, Warwickshire Until 13 September

This exhibition traces the origin, legacy and enduring appeal of the historic Arts & Crafts Movement and its fascination with the creation of the home. Through the work and ideas of John Ruskin and William Morris, explore how subsequent generations of designers created new ways of living and working and the link between house and garden and how nature became a primary source of inspiration for designers. www.comptonverney.org.uk Tel. 01926 645 500 Detail of ‘June’ Frieze with Floral designs & view of Kelmscott

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Flavours of Summer Whether it’s bright sunny days or long warm evenings, here are some simple delicious recipes to enjoy to celebrate summer entertaining.

Recipes from Flavours of Summer, by Acland Geddes and Pedro Da Silva, photography by Kate Whitaker. Published by Ryland Peters & Small.

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Flavours of Summer

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This is a fabulous recipe for making a simple yet impressive dessert using store-bought ice cream. If you are preparing this on a hot day, keep your eye on the ice cream as it softens – you don’t want to end up with it melted completely! 5 blood oranges 4 tablespoons caster sugar 250 g amaretti biscuits 50 ml amaretto liqueur 500 ml good-quality vanilla ice cream SERVES 4 Start by making a blood orange coulis, which will be stirred into the ice cream. Zest the darkest of the blood oranges and juice all of them. You need around 250 ml/1 cup juice. Set aside the zest. Combine the juice and sugar in a pan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar has melted. Continue simmering to reduce the liquid until you have a thin syrup. Add the reserved zest then remove the pan from the heat and let cool. It will thicken up impressively as it cools. Put the amaretti biscuits in a separate bowl and crush them with your hands until they are nicely broken up into approximately 1-cm. Don’t get overexcited, as they’re useless once they become too small. Put the chunks in a colander and give it a gentle shake to get rid of any powdered crumbs. Set aside about one-third of the amaretti chunks for later. Douse the rest with the amaretto liqueur and stir gently so that it all gets soaked up. Take the ice cream out of the freezer and tip it into a mixing bowl. What we’re aiming to do is let it soften to the point that ingredients can be stirred in, but not to let it go so far that it melts completely. Keep a careful eye on it, since once it’s melted fully you can’t rescue it by putting it back in the freezer, as it will separate and form layers. Once you can work the ice cream easily with a wooden spoon, pour in the macerated amaretti chunks and mix until incorporated. Add the blood orange syrup and dry amaretti chunks and stir gently, until they are distributed evenly in the ice cream. Ideally you want the syrup to give the ice cream streaks, rather than turning it all a uniform shade of pink. Place the ice cream in the freezer to firm up again, then serve.

Baked chicken stuffed with asparagus, goats’ cheese and sun-dried tomatoes Chicken kiev for the landed gentry, this looks quite incredible when you slice it down the middle and reveal the cross-section of vibrant asparagus and sun-dried tomatoes. All the hard work can be done well in advance, leaving you free to sip a glass of chilled white wine with your guests. 4 asparagus stems 2 chicken breasts, skin removed and butterflied (cut in half lengthways but not all the way through; if you’re unsure, ask your butcher to help) 4 sun-dried tomatoes 4 slices Parma ham 100 g goats’ cheese olive oil, for cooking SAUCE 4 tablespoons pesto sauce 2 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream 10 cherry tomatoes on the vine fresh basil leaves, to decorate rocket leaves, to serve SERVES 2 Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F) Gas 7. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the asparagus and cook for 3 minutes. Remove and refresh it under cold running water (or a bowl of iced water if you’re a really dedicated pro). Once cooled, leave to dry. Stuff each butterflied chicken breast with two asparagus stems placed lengthwise, two sun-dried tomatoes and half the goats’ cheese, and season with salt and pepper. Close it up and wrap it in two slices of Parma ham. Secure with a cocktail stick if necessary. Warm an ovenproof pan over high heat. For anyone who’s wondering, ovenproof basically means that the handle is made of metal, not plastic. Add a splash of olive oil to the pan and add the chicken breasts, skin-side down. Fry them until one side has crisped up a little. Flip them over and put the pan in the oven for a 15–20 minutes, or until the juices run clear. Put the cherry tomatoes in a small roasting pan and roast for 10–15 minutes, until the skins start to crack. While it’s cooking, mix together the pesto and crème fraîche, loosening it with a dash of hot water if it’s too thick. It should be a thick but pourable sauce. Once the chicken is cooked, leave it to rest for 5 minutes before slicing horizontally, then arrange on a plate. Spoon the sauce over and serve with the cherry tomatoes, basil leaves and rocket.

Spaghetti all’amatriciana This is a simple, everyday pasta. Make more than you think; you’ll undoubtedly have a second portion. 250 g good-quality spaghetti vegetable oil, for frying 50 g cubed pancetta 1 garlic clove, bashed but left whole 50 ml olive oil 1 white onion, finely chopped 30 g grated Parmesan, plus extra to serve a small bunch of fresh basil, roughly chopped mascarpone, to serve TOMATO AND BASIL SAUCE 3 tablespoons olive oil 3 garlic cloves, sliced 1⁄4 fresh red chilli, sliced 2 x 400-g cans good-quality tomatoes, chopped or whole a handful of fresh basil, chopped 1 teaspoon salt SERVES 2 First, make the tomato and basil sauce. Put the olive oil, garlic and chilli in a heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Once the garlic has just got the first hint of colour, add the tomatoes, basil and salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest simmer. Cook for about 1 hour, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened. Blitz with a handheld blender to make a smooth sauce. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add salt. Add the pasta and cook according to the instructions on the packet, subtracting 1 minute. While the pasta is cooking, heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat with a splash of vegetable oil. Fry the pancetta cubes until crispy, then remove. Discard the cooking oil and carefully give the pan a wipe with a paper towel. Return the pan to the heat and fry the garlic in the olive oil until browned, then remove with a slotted spoon. Add the onions and fry until translucent and lightly caramelized. Add the tomato sauce, warm through, then remove from the heat. Add the Parmesan, pancetta and basil. When the pasta is almost cooked but still al dente, tip it into a colander, reserving a mugful of cooking water. Return the pasta to the pan and add the sauce. Return to a low heat and stir, adding a little of the cooking water if it’s too thick. Serve with a few basil leaves, a sprinkling of Parmesan and a spoon of mascarpone. RETIREMENT

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Flavours of Summer

Cheat’s blood orange and Amaretto ice cream

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available to visit client in own home, fair and honest prices given. Interested in a wide range of antique, vintage, and 20th century items. Tel 01296 632706 and speak to Wendy Cummings in the first instance or email chilternvintage@gmail.com

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Ariel Adams Antique Collectors’ Club Hardback/Slipcase RRP £55.00 Nothing speaks volumes more about the wealth and status of an individual than their wristwatch. In this ultimate coffee table book the author features watches that are both hand made and have taken many years to assemble. All the most iconic names are featured, Piaget, Cartier, Rolex, Van Cleef and Arpel to name but a few. Beautifully illustrated throughout it would be a welcome edition to any bookshelf.

BRITISH SLIVER BOXES 1640 - 1840 The Lion Collection John Culme Antique Collectors Club Hardback RRP £45.00 With a collection that ranges from rare silver boxes from Charles I to late Georgian this is a catalogue of the Lion Collection, which includes only the rarest and interesting samples. These boxes were originally made for snuff and tobacco, with the author looking into some of the historical detail behind the boxes, the provenance and maker’s marks. A very important book for this area of collecting.

Creative interiors from the homes and studios of inspiring makers and designers Emily Quinton, Ryland Peters & Small Hardback, RRP £19.99 Creating a home that is unique, decorative with impact is what most of us aspire to. In this book Emily Quinton looks at 13 homes and spaces that have each been the result of a unique take on home decor. Areas range from an apartment in Amsterdam to a ranch style house in Oregon. This is a book brimming with ideas on how to create an inspiring and creative space.

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Winner of a record breaking nine Whatsonstage Awards including Best West End Show, Cameron Mackintosh’s acclaimed new production has made its highly anticipated return to the West End and is breaking box office records. Since Miss Saigon’s sensational record-breaking run at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane 25 years ago it has played in 300 cities in 15 different languages, winning awards around the world. This epic musical love story tells the tragic tale of young bar girl Kim, orphaned by war, who falls in love with an American GI called Chris – but their lives are torn apart by the fall of Saigon. Miss Saigon Prince Edward Theatre www.miss-saigon.com www.facebook.com/MissSaigonOfficial @MissSaigonUK 0844 482 5155 Currently booking until 19 December 2015 Terms and conditions apply. Prize is valid for Monday-Thursday performances until 30th of September 2015. Subject to availability. Prize is as stated and cannot be transferred or exchanged. No cash alternative will be offered. Closing date: 12 July 2015 Please send in your details (including a telephone number or email address) quoting ref. MS RETIREMENT

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THE GOOD GARDENER

Bohemian Modern - Bring the Outside In 16

Bohemian Modern BRING THE OUTSIDE IN It’s no suprise to learn that a garden designer lives in this Danish home.The cane chairs and floral armchair already give the room a sense of the outdoors, but with the addition of so much plant life, it begins to feel like an exotic greenhouse.

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There is something about plants that brings a room to life. They are wondrous things that can make the difference between a space that is ordinary and one that wows. If you were to look at photos of a room before and after plants were added, you would swear that more had changed. They have a truly transformative power when it comes to interiors. Houseplants have definitely made a comeback in recent years, and they are a vital part of the Bohemian Modern home. I know, I know, I can hear it now: ‘I don’t have green fingers’ … I forget to water them’. But fear not, there are ways around this.

Keep an eye out for branches in interesting shapes and then do what I do - embarrass your kids by dragging them home from the park. Here, a tall beauty is propped in the corner and used to hang small plants.

or as long as I have had by own home, I have filled it with greenery. Even in my university dorm room, I had a huge potted plant that I somehow managed not to kill in between studying and partying.When my husband and I moved into our first apartment together, it was a tiny place above a garage in a Spanish-style building in Burbank, California. The apartment was small but it had a huge covered patio that was more like another room. I was heavily pregnant, working at a job I didn’t like and feeling a bit down in the dumps when I woke one morning to find the whole space filled with plants and flowers. My husband had got up at dawn and gone to LA’s flower district to surprise me and cheer me up. Since then I have always had plants at home, and my children have grown up knowing that when I’m away they have to keep them alive! I’m not going to lie, there have been a few casualties. There are so many easy-to-maintain options, from the waxy leafed fig tree to cacti to a rosemary cutting from your neighbour’s garden (shh, don’t tell!) that anyone can enjoy a bit of indoor gardening. In the Bohemian Modern home, there are no rules when it comes to plants. A spiky aloe vera can sit next to trailing ivy and glossy ficus. I tend to go for the more-is-more approach. Lining windowsills, mantelpieces and the tops of cabinets with pots. But one big sculptural potted tree works just as well. Succulents and cacti are good options if you won’t remember to water them as often as you should. I had them in always-hot LA and I have them in usually-cold London, and they have survived in both places. And of you really feel that you are an incurable plant killer, there are some very convincing fakes available nowadays – not the cheesy silk flowers or unnaturally green ‘ferns’ that probably come to mind. Almost as important as the plants are Emily Henson the container in which they sit.You can’t go wrong with simple terracotta, which suits a boho home really well, but for a more modern look, go for concrete planters or colourful woven baskets

An extract from Bohemian Modern by Emily Henson. Photography by Katya de Grunwald. Published by Ryland Peters & Small.

Reader Offer:

Bohemian Modern is available to readers for the special price of £13.99 including postage & packaging (rrp £19.99). Telephone Macmillan Direct on 01256 302699, quoting the reference GLR CM6.

In this Moroccan home, an alcove above an old well is adorned with a cluster of holey stones hung on a string. Look out for stones with holes in them - a fun project for a day at the seaside, with or without the kids.

With it’s modern practicality, the Bucketlight by Dutch designer Roderick Vos, is the perfect foil for the antique armoire and mounted plate collection on the rough brick wall behind.This combined plant pot and light fixture, made from powder-coated cast aluminium, is an unusual way to introduce both plants and ambience into a home.

in geometric patterns. Or try your hand at a macramé hanging basket, giving it an update by using neon or black string instead of twine. In all honesty, anything can become a vessel for plants. One of the homeowners I’ve featured uses everything from seaside buckets to plastic drinks bottles to large vegetable oil drums in which to plant his cuttings. Once you start looking, you will find original plant pot ideas everywhere. Whatever you choose, whether real or artificial plants, macramé or concrete pots, I promise you that plants will be the icing on your home, that final layer that makes it feel complete and alive (and delicious). n RETIREMENT

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Bohemian Modern - Bring the Outside In

Because of the open-plan nature of this huge home, special attention has been taken to creating ‘rooms’ where in fact there are none. Here, a group of plants, anchored by a huge yellow wire floor lamp, creates a soft barrier between areas.

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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 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 of people like them, The National Benevolent Charity can help. The National Benevolent Charity Peter Hervé House, Eccles Court, Tetbury, Gloucestershire GL8 8EH For more info visit www.thenbc.org.uk or telephone 01666 505500 Patron: HRH The Prince of Wales Registered Charity Number 212450

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What would you give to fight UK food poverty? How about 3 hours. Volunteer for just 3 hours at the UK’s biggest food collection and you could collect enough food for 500 meals for people in need. Sign up now fareshare.org.uk/food-collection-2015 020 7036 2483 2-4 July 2015 Tesco Stores Nationwide Registered charity number 1100051

The Golden Age of RAILWAY POSTERS In an extract from The Golden Age of Railway Posters, Michael Palin recaptures the spirit of the great days of railway holidays and train excursions.

always partly cloudy, suggesting moderation and temperance. The weather is as British as briar pipes and grey flannel trousers, a little dull perhaps but never dangerous. The countryside, carefully preserved by this equable climate, echoes its harmony. Hills and valleys are green and well watered, landscapes are delightfully proportioned and quite free from any stain of progress. Whenever humans are depicted, which is not that often, they too are delightfully proportioned, harmonious heterosexual couples with 1.5 children. The men are slim, angular Biggles clones, the women generally pert and wholesome. It’s a Utopia, a Britain on which partly cloudy skies never set and in which the Industrial Revolution never happened: a jigsaw-puzzle world from which strife and ill health are absent, where everyone smiles and no one coughs or cheats. It’s Happy

Valley, and it’s yours for the price of a day return. But there’s the irony. As you look closer, one significant element seems to be missing from this poster Paradise: the railway train. The railway train can be noisy and dirty; it rattles and clanks and whistles and hisses and belches out smoke. Steel and brass and grease and coal and oil and fire have no place in this Arcadian idyll, and yet, without the railway train it would never have had to be created. The awkward relationship between the beauty of Britain and one of its defilers is what this book is all about. The rich collection of posters gathered here mirrors the railways’ image from 1930s optimism to 1950s nostalgia. To anyone who travelled in that period they bring back memories. I had an LMS poster of Shrewsbury on my wall at home for a full three years before I went to school there. They were

f ever I should be asked to close my eyes and think of England (and I’m always hopeful) I feel sure that I would come up with a railway poster. Probably of the period between 1930 and 1950, and probably painted by Claude Buckle or Frank Mason, Ronald Lampitt or Jack Merriott, Tom Purvis, Sydney Lee, or any one of the names as solid and dependable as the hills, dales, coastlines and cathedrals they once so skilfully depicted. Outrageously selective though their vision of our septic isle may have been, there is, The weather nevertheless, something is as British as undeniably reassuring and comforting about the briar pipes and world of uncomplicated grey flannel and unalloyed trousers, a little pleasure beauty which they dull perhaps but defined. It is a timeless never dangerous world in which skies are

THE GOLDEN AGE OF RAILWAY POSTERS

The Golden Age of Railway Posters

The Great Western and Southern are both mentioned here, suggesting that the Guernsey authorities were the initiators of this poster. Though the man in the foreground is chiefly remarkable for the enormity of his trousers, the girl’s hair, scarf and dress suggest a cooling breeze on the cliff top vantage point from which the artist, Edmond Vaughan, presents us with a plethora of holiday possibilities.

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part of a world which included those lugubrious sepia panels in railway compartments, of which one in particular, that of Mother Shipton’s Well at Knaresborough, was so disturbing I had to spend most of the journey in the corridor. I remember too, holidays by rail – embarking on the long haul from Sheffield to Sheringham, a journey which involved about 37 changes, but which I found as exciting as a thriller film in its slow buildup to the sea. The excitement I remember too, holidays began three or four by rail – embarking on the days before we left, long haul from Sheffield for our buckets, to Sheringham, a journey spades, waterwings athlete’s foot which involved about and powder had to 37 changes, but which be packed early, I found as exciting as a in heavy leather thriller film in its slow suitcases stamped buildup to the sea. with the magic letters PLA – Passenger’s Luggage In Advance. I dimly remember a snub-nosed articulated vehicle arriving outside the house and my shout from the window ‘Pickford’s is here!’ which meant the holiday had begun. Then, at approximately 7.27 on the morning of the great day of departure, a large shiny Austin with a running board of prodigious width

drew up in the road. I was always the first to see it, but then I’d been looking out for it for almost an hour. This was Mr Lambert’s taxi. It probably also doubled as a hearse, for we drove to Sheffield Victoria station with a heart-thumping lack of urgency. There my father, who had arrived earlier to get his bicycle on the train, was waiting. He was getting very twitchy, and had already visited the toilets. The journey began behind a softly clanking Class B1 – an unassuming middle-range locomotive named incongruously after obscure African wild animals. (61027 was ‘Modoqua’, and 61035,

which, to my eternal regret I never saw, was called ‘Pronghorn’.) Trainspotting possibilities waned as we slipped into the quiet branch lines of Lincolnshire, and the day wore on slowly as we were deposited at a variety of increasingly unlikely stations and halts. I have dim memories of my father having to race up to the guard’s van at every change, to make sure his bike hadn’t been off-loaded for Mablethorpe or Hunstanton. My parents must have gone through hell to get us all to Sheringham. No wonder they needed two weeks’ holiday at the end of it. But their anxiety never affected my excitement, which built throughout the day until, with the sun by now declining, we pulled away from Melton Constable and I knew that soon I would be seeing the sea for the first time in 50 weeks. n The Golden Age of Railway Posters with foreword by Michael Palin is published by Batsford. Buy your copy of The Golden Age of Railway Posters (RRP £12.99) for only £10 including free UK p&p. Call 0844 576 8122 and quote offer code CH1928.

THE GOLDEN AGE OF RAILWAY POSTERS

The Golden Age of Railway Posters

Posters copyright of The National Railway Museum.

Here, D.L. Mays achieves a satisfying series of sweeping lines and curves which cover a spectacular amount of the Torbay coastline while still creating a strong, unified visual impact. The girl is awfully near the edge of the cliff.

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HOLLYWOOD

DOGS From the start, dogs populated Hollywood films, sometimes as charming pets but often as headliners.

ogs were good business for the movie studios. Unlike many of the leading ladies and gentlemen of the screen, from the beginning until now, movie dogs were not temperamental, and they never got into the sort of trouble that might threaten the careers of beautiful ingénues of handsome playboys. They could not delay a production through lack of preparation or by dropping a line. Dogs were never plagued by wrinkles or other concerns of the passing of years. In some cases dogs were interchangeable, and if a brand became well established, sons, granddaughters and even look-alikes could keep the series going long after the original dog had retired.

Bing Crosby, Paramount Pictures, 1948 In a publicity shot for The Emperor’s Waltz, Bing Crosby poses in Austrian national costume with Buttons the terrier. In the film the romance between a travelling salesman (Crosby) and an Austrian countess (Joan Fontaine) is mirrored in the attraction between their dogs; the countess’ black Poodle and the more egalitarian Wire Fox Terrier.

Hollywood Dogs

Grace Kelly MGM, 1956 Grace Kelly and her Weimaraner. a wedding present from her brother Jack, and given to her before she left America to marry Prince Ranier of Monaco in 1956. Wire Fox Terrier.

Audrey Hepburn, Paramount Pictures, 1961 Backstage on the Paramount film studio lot with her Yorkshire Terrier, Mr Famous, hitching a ride. RETIREMENT

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Tony Curtis, Universal 1953 The Boxer puppy was a gift from a fan in Las Vegas whilst Curtis was there shooting scenes for Johnny Dark, a thriller about a car race from Canada to Mexico, Curtis is still in his costume as a racing car driver

Extracts from Hollywood Dogs. Foreword by William Secord, Introduction by Robert Dance. Photography from the John Kobal Foundation. Published by ACC Editions. Priced £25. RETIREMENT

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Hollywood Dogs

Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, Warner Brothers, 1946. The Boxer Harvey was a wedding present to Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, from Putlitzer-prize winning writer Louis Bromfield. ‘Harvey was really smart’, Bacall later recalled, ‘He knew he wasn’t allowed to get on the furniture so he would only put two paws on at a time, and he would sit between us if we had a fight’. Photograph by Scotty Welbourne.

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Like a fine wine, luxury living gets better with age… Aimed at the over 55s, but offering a lifestyle to which anyone would aspire, Church View, in Norton St Philip near Bath, is the discerning buyer’s choice. Located on a double award-winning development by Lochailort Investments, each of the homes at this select collection of 14 character properties, has been individually designed to offer traditional, doublefronted styles.

underfloor heating, a zoned security alarm system and a state of the art Tunstall monitoring system fitted to each of the properties as standard.

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They comprise eight, 2 and 2/3 bedroom cottages as well as six, 1 and 2 bedroom apartments in a pretty Church View also benefits from an on-site Estate semi-rural setting, just 6 miles from cosmopolitan Bath. Manager who can take on the daily chores of accepting

deliveries and arranging maintenance of the homes. You can also lock up and leave, safe in the knowledge Unlike many homes targeted at the over 55s, Church someone is keeping an eye on your property. View’s properties have all been created with This gives you the freedom to live life to the full. generous,thoughtfully designed layouts, plentiful green space and an exceptional specification.

Expect more…

This is exhibited in the custom-built kitchens which feature granite worktops and a range of Bosch appliances including a single oven, microwave, tall fridge/freezer, dishwasher, washer/dryer, 4 or 5 burner gas hob and an extractor.

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Part-exchange is also being offered to make the For a fuss-free lifestyle the homes also feature purchase process seamless from start to finish.

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To find out more, visit the superb show home which is open Thursday to Sunday from 10am to 4pm or for more information visit the website www.churchview-nsp.co.uk Apartments priced from £250,000 - £365,000 Houses priced from £478,000 - £528,000 t: 0203 468 4933 | e: info@lochailort-investments.com

A Cook’s Tour of France The gastronomy of France is quite superb. Enjoy these regional French recipes at home.

French Toasted Brioche Brioche perdue From the Beauce Region (just south of Paris)

Cheese & Ham Toasted Sandwich Crôque Monsieur From the Paris Region by Philippe Mouchel 8 slices of sandwich bread 8 slices of gruyère cheese, same size as the bread 8 thin slices of ham, same size as the bread 150 g (5 oz) gruyère cheese, grated 100 g (3 ½ oz) parmesan cheese, grated 4 tablespoons pouring cream 2 egg yolks salt freshly ground pepper As a young chef in Paris, I often went out late at night after work to a cabaret and enjoyed a Crôque Monsieur while listening to live music. It smells delicious and is very popular. Lay out four slices of bread and top each one with a slice of gruyère cheese. Then add a slice of ham, another slice of gruyère and, lastly, another slice of ham. In a bowl, mix the grated gruyère with the grated parmesan, cream, egg yolks and a little salt and pepper. Spread the remaining four slices of bread with half of the creamy cheese mixture. Carefully place the bread, cheese-side down, on top of the ham slices. Spread the remaining creamy cheese on top. Place the Crôque Monsieur on a baking tray and bake in a hot oven or under the grill until the cheese has melted inside and out. Serves 4

250 ml (8 ½ fl oz/1 cup) milk 3 tablespoons caster sugar ½ vanilla pod, slit lengthways 1 egg 1 piece of brioche loaf, about 12 cm (5 in) long 2 tablespoons butter icing sugar for dusting ground cinnamon for dusting This easy-to-prepare French family classic was traditionally made using one-day-old bread but now it’s often made with brioche as a breakfast treat. I serve it with red fruits, like raspberries. Place the milk, half the caster sugar and the vanilla pod in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then transfer to a wide dish to cool. Beat the egg with the remaining caster sugar in a bowl. Cut the brioche into six thick slices. Dip each slice in the cooled milk then lightly coat with the egg mix. Heat the butter in a large frying pan and cook the brioche on each side until golden brown. Generously dust the brioche with icing sugar and a little cinnamon. Serve immediately on its own or with red fruits. Serves 3

Baked TROUT with Herbswith & Bacon Truite rôtie aux herbes et lardons From the Midi-Pyrénées Region 1 trout, about 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz), cleaned and scaled 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 4 sprigs of thyme, finely chopped salt freshly ground pepper 2 bay leaves 3 cloves garlic 3 thin slices of lemon ½ apple, peeled, cored and cut into 3 mm (1/8 in) cubes 8 walnut halves, finely chopped juice of ó lemon 3 rashers of bacon, cut into small strips 3 tablespoons finely snipped chives The streams of the Pyrénées teem with trout that can be seen swimming in the water from the river bank. I’ve adapted this classic baked trout recipe by adding small apple cubes and walnuts. It’s superb. Preheat the oven to 140°C (280°F/Gas 1). Pat the trout dry with paper towel and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. In a bowl, mix 3 tablespoons of the olive oil with the chopped thyme and a little salt and pepper. Brush the inside and outside of the trout with this flavoured oil. Insert the bay leaves, whole garlic cloves and lemon slices inside the fish. Place the fish in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until cooked, basting occasionally to keep the fish moist. Meanwhile, mix together in a bowl the remaining oil, diced apple, chopped walnuts, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Just before the trout is ready, cook the bacon for a few minutes in a small frying pan. Carefully transfer the trout to a serving platter. Spoon a little of the apple and walnut preparation on top, sprinkle with bacon pieces and chives and serve. Serves 4

A Cook’s Tour of France

Recipes from A Cook’s Tour of France by Gabriel Gate (Hardie Grant, £20.00)

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ven though we know we need to make a will at some point in our lives less than half of us have already done so, preferring instead to delay putting pen to willpaper until a later more suitable time. The danger is that continual postponement might mean we never get around to making a will and die intestate like Abraham Lincoln, Pablo Picasso, Karl Marx and Rocky Marciano, who all died without making a valid will. Members of the family left behind will be handed a great deal of unnecessary time consuming work that could easily have been avoided. In exceptional cases, in 1,000 estates where no relatives are found ,the sole beneficiary will be the taxman who stands to inherit £18 million each year.

WHY MAKING A WILL MATTERS by Mike Francis

DANGERS OF NOT MAKING A WILL If a person dies without making a will countrywide searches have to be made for all the surviving relatives which can take months, even in this computerised age.Trawls through the offices of local banks, solicitors, and through the belongings of the deceased need to be made to check that the will is not lurking in some dark corner somewhere. The lack of a will can also trigger financial disputes within the family often preceded by the words ‘it’s not the money that I’m bothered about. It’s the principle of the matter’. Heir hunters who can legally trawl through public records, censuses and registries and delve into people’s lives, family trees and possible wealth will be alerted if there is no will and often claim a high percentage fee of any discovered relative’s share of the estate.

GIVING TO YOUR CHARITY

A large percentage of people wanting to leave a legacy fail to specify a charity in their will. You may wish to leave something to your favourite charity which you have been active in supporting during your lifetime. But make sure it still exists as a registered charity and that you have the correct name and address in your will. Some charities have quite similar names so to avoid confusion quote the charitable registration number as well. It is worth including an alternative charity as well, just in case your first choice is not in existence when the will is read. And remember gifts to charities are free from inheritance and capital gains taxes.

Why making a will matters

GET ADVICE FROM A RELIABLE SOURCE

Disputes over wills generally fall into these categories, is it valid? Is it fair? Is it forged? Or they involve an executor or administrator acting negligently or improperly. A will is a potential minefield for making mistakes. If it hasn’t been signed or one of the two required witnesses to the signature is a beneficiary or wasn’t present when the will was signed, it will be invalid. An undated will is a major problem and even properly dated and witnessed, is it the last will anyway? A will needs to be properly drawn up and written clearly and precisely to ensure that the named beneficiaries, the loved ones, the charities, receive exactly what the will maker intends. You therefore need to choose your advisor with care. The obvious choice is to get a solicitor.You may have one already but if you haven’t get in touch with The Law Society for England and Wales or The Law Society of Scotland. who will give you a list of approved solicitors in your area. An alternative source is the Institute of Professional Willwriters based in the Midlands. There are considerable differences in law, practice and procedure between the Scots law of wills and succession and the law that applies in England and Wales. The Scottish Law Society can give you details. n RETIREMENT

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USEFUL CONTACTS The Law Society (England and Wales) 113 Chancery Lane,London WC2A 1PL Tel : 0207 242 1222 www.lawsociety.org.uk The Law Society of Scotland 26 Drumsheugh Gardens Edinburgh EH3 7YR Tel: 0131 226 7411 www.lawsot.org.uk Institute of Professional Willwriters Trinity Point.New Road,Halesowen West Midlands B63 3HY Tel: 0345 257 2570 www.ipw.org.uk

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Meet Heather. Since her Gran died, she’s determined that no-one copes alone with chest, heart or stroke illness.

Make the end a new beginning A gift in your Will can mean life to those suffering from chest, heart and stroke illness in Scotland. The funding that gifts in Wills provide is crucial to our work.

We are Scotland’s Health Charity Research • Advice • Support • Action 0300 1212 555 | gifts@chss.org.uk | www.chss.org.uk Registered with and regulated by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (no SC018761), Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland is a wholly Scottish charity. It also operates as CHSS and is registered in Scotland as a company limited by guarantee, no SC129114.

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Charity N E W S

Age Scotland Needs You Are you approaching retirement or already retired and feeling like you could use your skills to help a good cause? Age Scotland are currently recruiting volunteers across Scotland, to help raise funds and awareness of their important work in supporting older people in need.

Wood Green, The Animals Charity hosts dog MOT

Event Helpers – will help at a variety events, such as information stalls, sporting events and public collections.

Simple care such as nail clipping can easily be done at home, although many people are worried about doing this themselves! With so many dogs getting stressed during nail clipping at the vets why not get someone to show you how to do this at home?

All roles require a degree of commitment but are also very flexible to suit your lifestyle and other commitments. You will also receive training, materials and ongoing support.

Pet obesity is a growing problem in the UK. Being overweight can shorten your pet’s life expectancy by up to 2 years and can cause multiple associated health problems such as heart disease. Your dog has reached obesity when it is only 20% over its ideal weight; this means that a 10kg dog is overweight when it reaches just 12kg!

Volunteer for Age Scotland and help combat isolation and loneliness for older people across Scotland.

The MoT includes nail clipping, dietary advice, dental advice, ear cleaning, microchip checking and behavioural advice all for only £5.

www.agescotland.org.uk

AHT research aims to stop dogs like Taffy losing their eyes Sadly, Taffy lost his left eye due to inherited glaucoma. An otherwise fit and healthy seven-year-old Golden Retriever, Taffy has always been an active gun and agility dog. But one evening he suddenly became unsettled and sensitive to light. The next day he was diagnosed with glaucoma. Taffy was immediately referred to the AHT to see an expert ophthalmologist, James Oliver. James performed a full eye examination, including gonioscopy, which confirmed that Taffy had acute glaucoma in his left eye. The gonioscopy also showed that Taffy had an inherited abnormality of the eyes called goniodysgenesis, a prerequisite for primary glaucoma, which indicated that the glaucoma was therefore inherited and not the result of an injury, infection or tumour. Because of this, Taffy is also at risk of developing glaucoma in his right eye, and becoming completely blind.

Charity News

Collecting Can Coordinators – will source new collecting can placements in small businesses, managing the cans in their own time and helping to strengthen supporter relationships.

Wood Green, The Animals Charity are inviting people to book a dog MoT on 22nd July in Cambridgeshire. Regularly giving your pet a health check will enable you to spot any signs of ill health quickly, potentially saving you money on expensive vet bills and ensuring your pet stays in tip top condition.

To book today call them on 0844 241 8181

Whether it’s your communication or relationship management skills you’re looking to put to good use, or perhaps your organisational skills, they have a role to suit everyone.

By collecting DNA samples from dogs diagnosed with glaucoma, dogs diagnosed with goniodysgenesis and dogs over the age of five clear of goniodysgenesis, geneticists at the AHT hope to take significant steps towards identifying the cause of the disease and developing a DNA test to identify which dogs are at risk of developing glaucoma and passing those genes on to their offspring. James Oliver said: “It’s heart-breaking to see so many dogs like Taffy go blind due to this sudden and aggressive form of glaucoma. There is a lot of research ahead of us but, with enough support from dog owners and breeders, we hope to be able to make a difference and develop a test which can identify which dogs possess the genetic abnormality responsible for this serious condition.” Find out more about their glaucoma research at: www.aht.org.uk/giftofsight RETIREMENT

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Fundraising Committees – will organise their own events in the community, with support from Age Scotland.

For more information please contact the Age Scotland Fundraising team on 0333 323 2400 or fundraising@agescotland.org.uk

Life has changed over the years...

...and so have we. For over 70 years we have helped people in Scotland make the most of later life and although our name may have changed during this time our commitment remains as strong today as ever.

Almost half of our work helping older people, who may be facing issues like loneliness and isolation, would not be possible without the kindness of people remembering Age Scotland with gifts in their wills.

Please remember to mention

Retirement Today

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After you have taken care of your loved ones, if you are able to - please consider leaving a gift in your will to Age Scotland. Together we can help everyone in Scotland love later life. Find out more about what Age Scotland does at: www.agescotland.org.uk

Age Scotland, part of the Age Network, is an independent charity dedicated to improving the later lives of everyone on the ageing journey, within a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in Scotland. Registration Number: 153343 Charity Number: SC010100 Registered Office: Causewayside House, 160 Causewayside, Edinburgh EH9 1PR. RETIREMENT

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Charity N E W S CHSS Advice Line 0808 801 0899

FREE

Now from landlines and mobiles

Sign up for the UK’s biggest food drive Charity FareShare are calling for volunteers to help collect food for people in need in Tesco stores from 2nd to 4th July. The collections are part of Tesco’s Neighbourhood Food Collection, the biggest national food drive in the UK. FareShare will deliver collected food to local charities and community projects supporting vulnerable people - including breakfast clubs for children, homeless hostels and domestic violence refuges – reaching some of the 5.8 million people currently living in deep poverty in the UK. FareShare needs volunteers to ask shoppers to donate store-cupboard staples into the pop-up collection points in stores. Polly Hofmann, Food Projects Coordinator at FareShare says “Each volunteer can help us collect enough food for 500 meals in just 3 hours. The more volunteers we have the more food we can collect to help more people in need. It really is a fun and rewarding experience to be involved in one of the biggest food drives in the UK and it is something that you can do with your family and friends too.” Find out more at www.fareshare.org.uk/food-collection-2015/, call 0207 036 2483 or email foodcollection@fareshare.org.uk to join Team FareShare at the event.

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland - are Scotland’s Health Charity Did you know that almost 40% of the income Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland receives every year comes from Gifts in Wills? Founded in 1899, the charity continues today, working hard to improve the quality of life for people in Scotland with chest, heart and stroke conditions. They do this through support in the community, advice and information, influencing public policy and funding medical research. Remembering Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland in your Will is a lasting way to support their work. Vanessa Rhazali, Head of Individual Giving, explains why this is such an enduring way to support the Charity; “Last year, our legacy income fell considerably, and as a result we had to cut back our funding of vital research studies to less than a third of the previous year. We rely on the good people of Scotland to continue remembering us in their Wills so we can continue providing our life changing support in the challenging times ahead”. And these challenges are clear, as the Charity expects its services to be needed even more in the future. For more information please visit chss.org.uk/giftsinwills.

Major dementia research centre opens

Charity News

Dementia research charity BRACE has helped secure the creation of a new research facility for dementia. The Brain Centre at Southmead Hospital in Bristol is a clinical neurosciences research centre. Teams of clinicians will provide patient care and related research into dementia, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis. BRACE contributed £600,000 of the £1.5 million cost, the amount being proportionate to the dementia ‘share’ of the new centre. It is hoped that collaborative working between the different neuroscience teams will aid research and open up the possibility of new initiatives. The charity’s Chief Executive, Mark Poarch, said, “This has been a huge undertaking for a charity of our size, but we acted to secure the future of clinical dementia research in this part of the UK. The ‘ReMemBr’ group at Southmead, under the leadership of Dr Liz Coulthard, has become a hub for clinical research and they have initiated a number of vitally important projects. This includes a major clinical drug trial which could bring benefit to Alzheimer’s patients. “Meanwhile, we need to get on with raising funds for the many new research proposals that are reaching us!” www.alzheimers-brace.org

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Meet

A special gift for animals Smoochie Smoochie came to Wood Green when his owners were no longer able to care for him. Thankfully, in just a few weeks we were able to find him a new loving, forever home where he is now thriving!

Every year almost 5,500 animals need our help. Some are found hungry, abandoned and homeless, some have been mistreated, starved and abused; others are given to us when they can no longer be looked after. We know how lucky we are to have such wonderful supporters and it’s all thanks to the continued generosity of caring individuals like you. Donations and gifts left in Wills have enabled Wood Green, The Animals Charity to set national standards in animal welfare, taking in animals of all shapes and sizes. As well as cats and dogs, we continue to find loving new homes for chickens, rabbits, mice, guinea pigs, goats, sheep, ferrets and many more. We simply couldn’t continue to do this without your help.

£3 for 1 pet £21 for 7 pets

£12 for 4 pets Other

Name Address

OR give £3 by texting KITTEN to 70300, or calling our donation hotline on 0844 875 0150

Postcode

Texts charged at £3 plus your standard network rate. Wood Green, The Animals Charity will receive 100% of your donation. Registered Charity No. 298348 Wood Green, The Animals Charity is the Registered Trademark of Wood Green Animal Shelters

Please send cheques/postal orders/CAF charity vouchers payable to ‘Wood Green, The Animals Charity’ with this coupon to: Wood Green, The Animals Charity, Freepost PE1366, London Road, Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire PE29 2BR.

Please send me a FREE legacy information pack providing information on how to leave a gift in my Will to Wood Green, The Animals Charity.

LPRRETT0715 0914PRRETT

THANK Yes! I’d like to help YOU feed unwanted and abandoned pets like Smoochie.

The Animals Charity Registered Charity No. 298348.

Large or small, leaving a gift in your will can make a

BIG difference

Since 1971, the Dr Hadwen Trust has funded medical research that does not harm any animals. Our researchers have helped in the fight against conditions such as cancer, heart disease and Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease. We rely solely on voluntary donations and legacy gifts from people who are compassionate about animals and want to advance research into devastating health conditions.

Help us continue to save lives, both human and animal.

01462 436819

www.drhadwentrust.org

A registered charity in England and Wales (No. 1146896) and Scotland (No. SC045327)