BeverleyMag Issue No.107 December 2022

Welcome to the December edition of the magazine - I’d like to wish you all a very happy and peaceful Christmas - I hope that you are all keeping well and are now looking forward to some quality family time this Christmas - It is fast approaching and will be here before we know it. It is going to be very tough for families this Christmas with the current cost of living crisis - please make use of the support agencies that are out there if you need help.

We have an interesting and varied range of topics in this edition for your enjoyment ranging from Travel Ideas for Austrailia from Marion Owen and the top destinations for 2023, in the House & Home feature we take a look at decorating loft spaces. We also have our usual round up of all the New Books to read this month. Roy Woodcock takes a look at the new Vauhall Astra in his Motoring Column

We have our regular Beauty column from Rebekah who takes a look at Glamming-Up for Christmas. The Food & Drink section has a great Christmas Sprout recipe and also a Parsnip, Chickpea & Cauliflower Korma for you to try at home. We also have our regular Wine Column with Roy Woodcock who relays the latest wine news and takes a look at the best wine buys currently available. We have a special Christmas Film Guide which is a must read. We also have a very informative article about memory boosting foods that has great advice and nutritional guidance. As usual we finish off with Fiona Dwyer’s ‘food for thought’

Please continue to support the advertisers in the magazine as well as all businesses in the local area.

Magazine Team

Managing Director: Nic Gough. Sales Director & Editor: Jane Gough.

Advertising Sales: Kathryn Walker. Distribution Manager: Phil Hiscott. Finance Manager: JP Kinnersley.

Designers: Mervyn King, Adam Jacobs. Photography: Clash Pix.

Contributors: Fiona Dwyer, Roy Woodcock, Chris Warkup, Rebekah Robinson, Ivan Plows, Huggo Salochin, Flo Hardwick.

© Dalton Spire Limited 2022.

All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. All information contained in this magazine is for information only and is as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press.

We cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. Readers are advised to contact advertisers directly with regards to the price of products and/or services, referred to in this magazine.

Jane Editor

Humber Forest

Humber Forest have set a target of over 250,000 trees to be planted throughout 2023 – making a lasting, positive impact on the environment and the lives of thousands of people across the area for generations to come.

The partnership is currently on track to plant 64 hectares of woodland in East Riding this year (estimating 192,000 trees), 6150 metres of hedgerow, and 422 standard trees. This is totalling 223,500 trees within East Riding in the 2022/23 planting season. National Tree Week is the UK’s largest annual tree celebration. Each year, the country’s conservation sector, volunteer groups and tree-lovers come together to plant thousands of trees to mark the start of the annual tree planting season.

The Humber Forest, led by East Riding of Yorkshire Council, is the community forest for the East Riding and Hull. It is one of 13 community forests across England in receipt of Defra’s Trees for Climate funding, and one of four that make the Northern Forest. The Northern Forest scheme is the Government’s 25-year vision to plant 50 million trees across the north of England, from Merseyside to the East Yorkshire coast, in

collaboration with The Woodland Trust.

Available funding covers large and small projects and all agreed costs of tree planting, hedgerow creation, and maintenance for up to five years – it can also include support for tree protection, fences, gates and more.

The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) is a national initiative encouraging

Free Christmas parking in the East Riding

Parking charges across all council-operated car parks will be suspended for the four weeks leading up to Christmas.

For the last 14 years, parking has been free on the four weekends leading up to Christmas at the council’s on-street and off-street parking locations in a bid to boost trade and visitor numbers in

towns across the East Riding.

This year, parking charges in the council’s on-street and off-street parking locations will be suspended on the following weekends:

l Saturday, 10 December and

l Sunday, 11 December

l Saturday, 17 December and

l Sunday, 18 December.

l Saturday, 24 December (Christmas Eve).

The free parking period will be between 8am on Saturday to 8am on Monday and pay and display machines will be clearly marked to let people know there will be no charge.

While parking charges are suspended, motorists are advised that normal parking rules still apply, such as those around disabled parking bays, maximum stays and controlled parking zones (CPZ).

Councillor Jonathan Owen, leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council

people to plant trees to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The scheme was due to come to an end at the end of 2022 however, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, a decision has been taken to extend the project until the end of March 2023. All Humber Forest sites are registered with the Queens Green Canopy with the landowner’s permission.

A memorial tree for Queen Elizabeth II is also set to be planted at Pickering Park in Hull on Monday, 19 December at a Humber Forest celebration event for all ages.

Plant trees on your land

If you’re a farmer, landowner, or land manager, Humber Forest would love to work with you to develop a practical and feasible project that’s appropriate for your land.

Please get in touch if you are interested in getting involved, whether you’re a landowner, business or would like to volunteer at humber.forest@eastriding.gov.uk For more information, visit: www. humberforest.org/get-involved/

said: “Christmas is a very important time for local high streets and free parking will encourage people to come into our town centres and shop locally and help boost our economy.”

Rebekah’s Beauty Box

Get ready to Glam-Up Christmas is coming!

Christmas and New Year’s Eve is the perfect time of year to have some fun with make-up and create some fabulous evening looks to wow your friends.

Christmas and New Year’s Eve party make-up is often more dramatic than day to day make-up, but there is no reason to be afraid of trying out some new products. Used correctly, darker tones and more glitzy looks can enhance your natural beauty, compliment your outfit, and impress fellow party-goers.

Five simple steps to create your Christmas or New Year look

l Match your make-up to your outfit. When attending a Christmas party decide which dress you are going to wear before planning your make-up. For example, if choosing to wear a red dress, ensure that your lipstick is a matching tone of red. Many women will opt for black, so you can go to town on your eye and lip colours to brighten up your face to counterbalance the fact that black can be draining next to an older face.

l Moisturise well and then apply a face primer to your skin. Moisturising is important all year round but particularly so in the colder months when your skin may

be drier and tighter. Adding a face primer on top of moisturiser will not only give you a great base for your foundation but also help your make-up to stay looking fresh from dawn till dusk.

l Christmas party make-up can allow you to try out more glam looks but I would recommend sticking to your usual foundation and face make-up routine. However, if your skin has the tendency to look washed out in the winter months add some extra blusher and maybe a sweep of bronzer to add warmth. However don’t over-do eitherblend well to keep the look subtle.

Use a highlighter on your cheek and brow bones to give shape to the face and make your face look soft and dewy in evening light.

l Don’t be afraid of experimenting with darker colours on the eyes, but be mindful of your skin tone and which colours suit you. For a sultrier evening look, apply a lighter shade to the lid and then apply a darker eye shadow into and above the natural socket line and also to the outer edges of the lid. Blend really well with a clean brush. This will give you a smoky effect – a great classic party look. Finally take a small wedge shaped brush and push the darker colour shade along the lash line to make your lashes look thicker.

look particularly fabulous against a black dress. Prime the lipsproperly to prevent ‘bleeding’; this will also help your lipstick to last during a night of dancing! A great tip of mine is to create a lip stain with your lipstick by rubbing it into your lips with a finger. Then apply a couple more coats using a lip brush, blotting in between. Finish with gloss for an extra special festive look.

Essentials for your Christmas make-up bag

Give your makeup bag spring clean before Christmas gets here and take it back to basics; before trends come and confuse everything, you need your staples nailed. These products are the bare essentials for a polished look, lending you the perfect canvas to play with festive colour pops.

Primer

Primer, hey? That little liquid so many of us skip, yet if we took time to smooth it on, our makeup would anchor down. And who doesn’t want their face base to hold on for that extra mile?

Base

l Although we are told not to have both intense eye and lip make-up, during party season you can bend the rules slightly! Ensure that you choose the right colouring to compliment your skin tone but don’t be afraid to use darker colours than usual. A statement lip colour can

A no-brainer for makeup fans, a face base is a must, and with so many to choose from, there is something for everyone. If you want high, flawless coverage, foundation is for you, while a BB cream is subtler and lightly veils your pores.

Under-eye concealer

This should be a luminous pigment that brightens up your skin, and can be doubled up as a highlight on cheek and brow bones, too.

Spot concealer

Where this differs from the under-eyes is in its matte finish, as anything luminous draws attention to unwanted spots

Tinted lip balm

Don’t we all have one (or five) of these floating around in each handbag? Dry lips happen to everyone so you need to be armed with balm.

Brow gel

Even if brow powders aren’t for you, a taming gel is a must; a clear one on unruly strands instantly makes you look more ‘done’.

Mascara

Need we even say it? Of course mascara is a must – for many of us, it stacks up high as a desert island choice.

Cream blusher

Blusher should be a naturallooking, fresh flush on the cheeks, which is why a creamy formula is ultra-flattering.

Face powder

A glow is good, but shine is not, even if you want dewy skin, so keep a translucent powder to hand to put oil at bay.

Bronzing powder

Bronzer isn’t to be feared, even on porcelain skin, as this is your sure-thing product if you want to contour cheeks.

Decorating A Loft Room

Sloping ceilings, awkward windows, exposed beams, limited height – loft rooms can pose a significant decorating challenge. That’s why we asked a local interior designer to share their dos and don’ts for tackling this tricky space, then talk us through some of their recent successful projects.

Beams

DO embrace the features of the room to enhance your layout. For example, if your space is interrupted with rafters, use these to define areas of the room.

DON’T underestimate the space in the eaves. It’s a great storage solution if you make it into built-in cupboards.

DO remove infill plaster between purlins (horizontal beams) to allow light to flow through the space.

DON’T hide imperfections. If your beams have historic woodworm or lots of nooks and crannies, just fill and paint them.

Walls

DON’T be afraid to use large, printed wallpaper in small spaces – it’s surprising what a small room can take.

DO wallpaper the ceiling. With sloping walls and a low head height, it can create a warm, cocooning effect.

DON’T just go for standard paint. A finish such as Bauwerk can add interest to walls and also works well with imperfections.

DO choose wide-plank tongue and groove if you clad the walls because wider planks appear less fussy. They also instantly give the room warmth and character.

Windows

DON’T overdress small windows. Long curtains will restrict daylight and drown the window.

DO install a blackout blind on sloping windows – Velux windows come with one neatly built in.

DON’T use conventional curtain styles on dormer windows. Try a swingarm curtain rod with tie backs or café rods screwed into the frame

Lighting

DON’T scrimp on lamps – as well as being a practical solution for dark corners, they’ll add a decorative element to the room.

DO use wall lights in tight spaces. These can be either side of the headboard or even on a pulley so they can be raised out of the way when not in use.

Bathrooms

DO put a bathroom under the eaves – it’s a great space saver but the design needs to be well executed to work. A bespoke vanity unit is your solution here.

DON’T just go for plain white tiles. An uneven, glossy, coloured surface is far more interesting in a compact bathroom.

DO install a cleverly hidden, panelled door into an ensuite – as well as creating a fun element of surprise, it gives a seamless finish to the wall.

Tongue & groove panelling…

The key to loft rooms is to make clever design decisions so they feel less like the bolt-on box they can sometimes appear to be. This loft was designed for a teenager with a view to her parents moving in there at some stage. The first thing I did was to put wide-plank tongue and groove on most of the walls. I wanted the bathroom door to disappear into the panelling, so it appears ‘cut out’ here. Putting the bathroom under the eaves is a great space saver – but the design had to be slick to make it work. I avoided glass on shower areas and we managed to fit a shower into the highest part of this little bathroom and divide the space with a tiled wall. I love how the tiles from look contemporary but not uniform.

Embracing the imperfections…

This cottage is over 450 years old, and the beams are remarkable whole tree trunks supporting the thatched roof structure, so I was reluctant to cover these up. The beams had regretfully been stained a very dark black by a previous owner; to sand blast them back to raw timber would have damaged them, so we decided to paint over them to lighten the space. I love painted beams – it’s an effective way of retaining the history of the house yet bringing it up to date.

Old beams like this can have a lot of nooks and crannies, so you’ll have to accept you won’t have a pristine, perfect finish. I love wallpapering rooms with tricky junctions, wobbly walls, pitched roofs and low ceiling lines as I feel this adds to the charm of the paper and the imperfections. Wallpaper also really warms up a space that can otherwise feel cold or stark – especially in a loft.

Wallpapering everything…

I decided to use wallpaper up and over the ceiling in my own loft bedroom because there wasn’t any space to hang pictures due to the nature of the layout, and when it was painted, the room just looked very ‘blah’. The wallpaper is vintage Laura Ashley which I slowly and diligently collected roll by roll on eBay. It continues through into the adjacent bathroom and I love the effect that gives – maximalism with a small dose of prettiness. The fabric used for the bed canopy is ‘Chinese Paper’ from Bennison and it has the same colours so it all works together, It’s often said you shouldn’t use red in a bedroom, but the red details introduced here sharpen up the space. All in all, pattern on pattern ensures this bedroom is anything but boring.

Curtains for dormer windows…

You often encounter dormer windows in a loft and there are a few ways to make curtains work. The simplest is a swing-arm curtain rod with tie backs. For Velux windows, buy the Velux blackout roller blind and use curtain rods to install fabric curtains. In this room we had a Velux blind, so we used their blackout blind then had café rods top and bottom with a gathered curtain. I quite often use two fabrics, one for the inside and one for the outside.

These can be lined or blackout lined and you can have a frilly edge, tie backs or no tie backs. They’re very easy to install – just screw them onto the window frame. This room was designed for a baby, so I utilised the eaves as built-in cupboard spaces, but if you’re feeling more adventurous, eaves also work for built-in beds. When it comes to decorating, go for it with the wallpaper. Even if it feels counter-intuitive, don’t be afraid to use large, printed wallpaper in small spaces – as we did here. And if you have a tricky ceiling (which we did) just wallpaper it all.

Optimising storage...…

The great thing about installing storage in a loft room is that you can make use out of any depth. Just bear in mind that if you’re designing a dressing room, or even bedroom storage, you need at least 350mm for shoes.

I didn’t have enough room for hanging in this room, and there was sufficient space in the bedroom for that, so we opted for drawers and shelves only, which worked better with the restricted height. When designing a loft dressing room, you will almost always have slanted ceilings, so you need to be conscious of furniture placement and how you’ll be able to move around the space.

Equally, ceilings can present issues with knowing where to start and stop with paint colours or wallpaper. It’s nicer to paint the walls all in one colour or to use wallpaper everywhere to avoid cutting the room in half.

Use clever lighting to enhance dark corners – in this case I installed LED strip lighting to the underside of the shelves and inside the cupboards.

Reading List

If you’re after a new read, we’ve rounded up the best books out there – from highly anticipated debuts to non-fiction page-turners…

The Seven Moons Of Maali Almeida by Shehan Kaurantilaka

Now’s your chance to read this year’s winner of the Booker Prize. A searing satire set amid the murderous mayhem of Sri Lanka as it’s beset by civil war in 1990, the story follows

Maali Almeida, a war photographer, gambler and closet gay, who has woken up dead in what seems like a celestial visa office. His dismembered body is sinking in the serene Beira lake and he has no idea who killed him. At a time when scores are settled by death squads, suicide bombers and hired goons, the list of suspects is depressingly long, as the ghouls and ghosts with grudges who cluster round can attest. But even in the afterlife, time is running out for Maali. And he has seven moons to try and contact the man and woman he loves most and lead them to a hidden cache of photos that will rock Sri Lanka.

Before Your Memory Fades by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

This is the third novel in the international bestselling Before the Coffee Gets Cold series. Having read the first two, we can attest it will be just the thing to curl up with on a rainy afternoon. On the hillside of Mount Hakodate in northern Japan, Cafe Donna Donna is famed for its views of Hakodate port. But that’s not all. Like the charming Tokyo café Funiculi Funicula, Cafe Donna Donna offers its customers the experience of travelling through time.

Readers will meet four new customers, each one hoping to take advantage of the cafe’s time-

travelling offer: a daughter who begrudges her deceased parents for leaving her orphaned; a comedian who longs for his beloved and their shared dreams; a younger sister whose grief has become all-consuming; and a young man who realises his love for his childhood friend too late. Featuring familiar characters and his signature wistful storytelling, Toshikazu Kawaguchi once again invites readers to ask themselves: what would you change if you could travel back in time?

The Birdcatcher by Gayl Jones

Legendary writer Gayl Jones has returned with a striking new novel about Black American artists in exile. Discovered by Toni Morrison and described as one of the great writers of the 20th century, this is Jones’s first book in 20 years. Set primarily on the island of Ibiza, the story is narrated by the writer Amanda Wordlaw, whose closest friend, a gifted sculptor named Catherine Shuger, is repeatedly institutionalised for trying to kill a husband who never leaves her. The three form a quirky triangle on the whitewashed island. A study in Black women’s creative expression, and the intensity of their relationships, this work from Jones shows off her range and insight into the ever-changing faces of human nature – rewarding long-time fans and bringing her talent to a new generation of readers.

A Heart That Works by Rob Delaney

In this memoir of loss, acclaimed writer and comedian Rob Delaney – the man behind hit Channel 4 comedy Catastrophe – grapples with the fragile miracle of life, the mysteries of death, and the question of purpose for those left behind. Delaney’s son Henry died at the age of five after being diagnosed with a brain tumour. A Heart That Works is an intimate, unflinching and fiercely funny exploration of loss – from the harrowing illness to the vivid, bodily impact of grief and the blind,

furious rage that follows, through to the forceful, unstoppable love that remains. A must-read..

Landlines by Raynor Winn

In this new book, the author of beloved bestsellers The Salt Path and The Wild Silence documents her and her husband Moth’s most ambitious journey yet, as they walk from the north-west corner of Scotland down to England’s South West Coast Path, reflecting on community and the environment along the way. From Northumberland and the Yorkshire moors to Wales and eventually the South West, they map an uncertain path ahead. In Landlines, Raynor records in luminous prose the strangers and friends, wilderness and wildlife they encounter on the way – it’s a journey that begins in fear but can only end in hope..

A Helping Hand by Celia Dale

Middle-aged Josh and Maisie Evans lead unremarkable, unassuming lives. When Auntie Flo, who has lived with them for years, dies and leaves them her estate, they head to Italy on holiday to take in the sea air and let the sun soak into their bones. It’s there they meet Mrs Fingal. The wealthy widow lives with her grown-up niece Lena and it’s pretty clear neither is happy with the situation. So, when Josh and Maisie bond with Mrs Fingal, it’s only natural they decide she should move in with them once they’re back home. But beneath the suburban respectability of cups of tea and genteel chitchat emerges a different tale: one of ruthless greed and exploitation, and suffocating, skin-crawling terror. For fans of Shirley Jackson, Roald Dahl and Muriel Spark, A Helping Hand is a sharp and nasty slice of darkness, and a reminder that the real horrors of this world can all too often be found behind discreet net curtains.

Novelist As A Vocation by Haruki Murakami

Aspiring writers and readers who have long wondered where mysterious Japanese novelist

Haruki Murakami gets his ideas and what inspires his strangely surreal worlds will be fascinated by this engaging book from the internationally bestselling author. In this autobiography, he shares his thoughts on the role of the novel in our society; his own origins as a writer; and his musings on the sparks of creativity that inspire other writers, artists and musicians. Within are the personal details of a life devoted to craft: the initial moment at a Yakult Swallows baseball game, when he suddenly knew he could write a novel; the importance of memory, what he calls a writer’s “mental chest of drawers”; the necessity of loneliness, patience, and his daily running routine; the seminal role a carrier pigeon played in his career and more.

A Book Of Days by Patti Smith

This is another deeply moving and brilliantly idiosyncratic visual book by the National Book Awardwinning author of Just Kids and M Train, featuring more than 365 images and reflections that chart Smith’s singular aesthetic. In 2018, without any plan or agenda for what might happen next, Patti posted her first Instagram photo: her hand with the simple message “Hello Everybody!” Known for shooting with her beloved Land Camera 250, Smith started posting images from her phone including portraits of her kids, her radiator, her boots and her Abyssinian cat, Cairo. Followers felt an immediate affinity with these miniature windows into Smith’s world. Over time, a coherent story of a life devoted to art took shape, and more than a million followers responded to Smith’s images, which chart her passions, devotions, obsessions and whims. Original to this book are vintage photographs, anniversary pearls and a mother’s keychain, plus photos from Smith’s archives of life on and off the road.

All the books in this feature are available to purchase now. Please buy support your local bookshops.

The new Vauxhall Astra

It’s a car that’s been around for more than 40 years but unlike some other old favourites (Ford recently announced it was retiring its long-time best-selling Fiesta) there’s no sign of the Vauxhall Astra disappearing any time soon. In fact, another chapter of this long-time success story has been unveiled.

The new eighth-generation Astra launched as a sporty five-door, with a low-slung look and yet more space than its predecessor. There are versions with highly-efficient petrol and diesel engines, plus, importantly, plug-in hybrids for the first time.

And early in 2023 the range will be boosted further with further hybrid models in the GSe electrified performance sub brand and, ultimately, there will be a full-electric version, the Astra-e. Interestingly, Vauxhall says it is committed to being an electriconly brand from 2028.

With its smaller Corsa continuing to dominate the sales charts, this is an important statement by Vauxhall and an important car for the company, going forward. From a looks point of view it is head and shoulders above the model it replaces. It looks sporty and dynamic, particularly in profile, thanks to the pronounced forward rake of the C-pillar.

The car is 54mm longer than the previous Astra and 51mm wider. Front on, it has that sleek-looking

“Vizor” radiator grille seen on other recent models which allows for the incorporation of the ultra-slim LED headlamps (standard on top of the range models) which, according to the blurb, ”turns night into day”.

Front cameras are an option, too. The major styling upgrade continues inside; Vauxhall calls in “detoxing” (think the minimalistic look that was once the next big thing in home design), with their “Pure Panel” digital interface dominating the interior. All models feature a 10-inch driver instrument cluster and a 10-inch digital touchscreen with satellite navigation as standard. Everyday functions like speaker volume and air-conditioning temperature remain hard keyed for ease of access. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard

Trim levels have been simplified to just three - Design, GS Line and Ultimate. Design models (from £23,275) have 16-inch alloy wheels, the Pure Panel touchscreen and digital instrument cluster, automatic emergency braking with

pedestrian detection, cruise control with intelligent speed adaption, electronic parking brake, front and rear parking distance sensors and digital radio.

GS Line (from £26,170) models have 17-inch black alloy wheels, black Griffin logo and Vizor frame, black roof, traffic sign recognition, forward collision alert (all speed), Intelli-Vision 360-degree panoramic parking camera, adaptive cruise control with intelligent speed adaption, dual-zone electronic climate control and heated steering wheel and front seats.

Ultimate models (from £29,285) have bigger (18-inch) alloys, the IntelliLux adaptive LED pixel

headlights, a head-up display, wireless charging for mobile devices, semi-automated lane change assist, rear cross traffic alert with heated sports-style front seats.

Space-wise, there’s a decent a 422-litre boot - a good size for the class - and there’s plenty of storage inside the cabin, with a big lidded cubby between the front seats, cup-holders, two trays with sliding covers, and a neat fold-out compartment below the climate controls for phones or sunglasses.

Space, in terms of head and legroom for passengers in the rear seats, could be viewed a tad tight, although those wanting more - and more flexibility with loads etc - can

Roy Woodcock gets behind the wheel of the new Vauxhall Astra, the eight generation of this popular family car . . .

opt for the larger Sports Tourer versions

Out for a drive, the Astra feels nicely sporty with a taut chassis and decent suspension delivering an untroubled ride - able to deal with the (quite frankly) terrible road surfaces we currently endure. Its roadholding allows you to breeze through corners with confidence.

The response to the new Astra has been very positive, highlighting; already, for example, Top Gear has named it the “best family hatch of the year”, highlighting a number of areas important for family buyers, including cost, emissions and space.

* More information: www.vauxhall. co.uk

Roy Woodcock’s World of Wines

Champagne season is now officially open and although anyone knowing me well will testify I enjoy any excuse, any time, to partake of a glass, the fact is, apart from Valentine’s Day, we buy more of the stuff for Christmas and New Year than at any other time.

It’s a great party drink, of course, and we Brits do tend to drink it on its own, chilled as an aperitif, but it does prove to be an extremely versatile wine to pair with most special meals; although do avoid heavy food like roast meats (none with the turkey, then!)

I’ll be starting off on Christmas morning with a glass of Champagne while opening presents with the family - a “posh” breakfast of Eggs Benedict and Champagne is a real treat - and I’ll certainly be popping a few corks in the run-up to midnight on New Year’s Eve, but in between there will be plenty of other chances to enjoy a glass of fizz.

It’s well suited, for instance, to a plate of fish and chips - Champagne has a lot of acidity in it and helps cut through the oil in the batter and chips. And fizz can be a great when snacking - try a rose variety with crisps, for instance, or Jaffa Cakes, where the combination of bitter orange and dark chocolate sits really well with the bubbles. Ideal as

you prepare to doze off in front of the Christmas TV.

It doesn’t have to actually be Champagne, of course, as sales of other types of fizz testify. But what’s the difference?

Unlike other sparkling wines, Champagne may only be produced in the Champagne region of north-eastern France where the chalky soils are perfect for growing Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier – the varieties that make up this sophisticated fizz.

Like Champagne there is a secondary fermentation, however the difference with Prosecco is that this happens in stainless steel tanks under pressure rather than in the bottle. The result is a much purer expression of the Prosecco grape, and less of the bready, yeasty, biscuit aromas associated with Champagne.

Cava, meaning “cellar” in Catalan, is a delicious sparkling wine from Spain. Similar to the production of Champagne, secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle. Known for its rich citrus flavours and creamy notes, try a glass of cava with traditional tapas for an authentic Spanish experience.

Finally, English fizz is enjoying huge popularity at the moment and some of the very best, such as Nyetimber, can be more expensive than non vintage Champagne, Many English vineyards benefit from chalk soils similar to those found in Champagne and the result is a very similar wine.

one of THE food friendly wines, suiting everything from roast ham with mustard to those Burgundian favourites like coq au vin and boeuf bourguignon.

White Burgundies are all produced from Chardonnay grapes and include famous examples like Chablis and Pouilly Fuisse; we’ll certainly be drinking some of the former with our smoked salmon over the festive period - the two seem like a match made in heaven to me; equally it’s a wine that will match well with prawns and other rich shellfish, including oysters.

Producers follow very traditional methods to ensure the exclusivity and premium quality of Champagne. Grapes are picked by hand, not machine, and the wine is always aged for a minimum of 18 months.

Also, the second fermentation always takes place in the same bottle that the wine is sold in; this is called Méthode Champenoise.

Prosecco is a popular sparkling wine from northern Italy with gentle bubbles and a clean, distinctive apple-like finish. The key to Prosecco’s international success lies in its easygoing friendly drinkability.

Best Buys for December

Edouard Delaunay Septembre Pinot Noir 2019

Price: £17.99 (or £15.99 as part of a mixed buy of six)

Where: Majestic When: Now

Why: A contemporary, complex Pinot Noir. Bursting with fresh aromas of cherry and redcurrant followed by notes of blueberry tart and marzipan, it has a good balance with freshness, length and well-integrated subtle nuances of oak and spices (cumin) from the barrel ageing.

Winemaster’s Lot Pouilly Fumé

Price: £12.49

Where: Aldi

When: Now

Why: A complex, concentrated and citrusy tipple. Well balanced with an elegant and fruity finish – it’s sure to be a Christmas hit. Try it with seafood or goat’s cheese.

Forgetting fizz for a moment, Burgundy, both red and white, will definitely figure over the festive period; either would partner with turkey or duck; my preference would by for a light Pinot Noir - having very little tannins this red won’t overwhelm the delicacy of the meat tastes.

In the case of duck, however, you will need to be careful if it is to be cooked in any sort of fruit sauce, such as orange or cherry, in which case an off-dry or sweeter white, such as a German Riesling, will balance the fattiness of the duck. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the two great grape varieties of Burgundy, a region which runs from Auxerre in the north to Lyon in the south, and Pinot is really

Later in the Christmas meal I’ll definitely be passing the port (an aged Tawny would be a good choice) to go with the pudding as well as the mince pies. Simply a delicious combination.

Port also works well with chocolate puddings and cheese; a vintage port with Stilton is unbeatable in my opinion. But for that other great Christmas indulgence - sherry trifle - I’ve grown really partial to a glass of sweet Sherry; Pedro Ximenez being mind-blowingly good.

Just a flavour, then, of what I will be drinking at Christmas. Have a peaceful Christmas.

Roy

Please drink responsibly. For the facts, visit drinkaware.co.uk

Edouard Delaunay Septembre Chardonnay 2020

Price: £15.99 (or £13.99 as part of a mixed six)

Where: Majestic When: Now

Why: Christmas isn’t complete without some Burgundy and, like the Pinot Noir, this offers typical Burgundian character. Citrus, lemon and orange blossom aromas mix with a hint of barley sugar and white chocolate, followed by notes of melted butter, frangipane and hazelnut on the palate.

Calvet Fitou Le Grand Roi 2019

Price: £10.50

Where: Ocado When: Now Why: Made from a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre grapes aged for 8 months in French oak, this deep purple wine has intense blackcurrant aromas and smoky notes and is ideal with a warming beef stew.

Roasted Brussels sprouts with Sage and Chestnut Butter

Serves 4 as a side

You will make more butter than you need for this recipe, but it’s not worth making any less. It will keep in the fridge for a week or so, or can be frozen and sliced as you need it.

Ingredients

500g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half olive oil, to roast 125g salted butter, at room temperature 100g cooked and peeled chestnuts (or use precooked), finely chopped 8 sage leaves, finely chopped salt and black pepper

Method

Heat the oven to 190°C/Gas 5. Put the sprouts in a baking dish and toss in just enough olive oil to coat. Season with salt and pepper and roast for 20–30 minutes, until just tender but still with some bite. Toss once during cooking. Meanwhile, put the butter in a large bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until very soft. Stir in the chestnuts and sage. Lay a piece of cling film on your work surface. Spoon the butter in a line down the middle. Fold the cling film over and twist both ends to form a taut sausage. Chill until needed. When the sprouts are roasted, toss with about six thin slices of the chestnut butter. Check the seasoning before serving.

Variations

* Add a few unpeeled garlic cloves to the sprouts before roasting.

* Toss the sprouts with other cooked greens or stir them through a risotto.

Top ten facts about Brussels sprouts...

Loved by many and hated by almost as many, the humble sprout has become a traditional Christmas vegetable, so let’s have some facts.

1. Brussels sprouts were grown in Belgium from the 13th century which is what gave them their name.

2. The earliest recorded reference in English to Brussels sprouts dates back only to 1796.

3. In 2008, Linus Urbanec of Sweden set a world record by eating 31 sprouts in a minute, one at a

time using a cocktail stick.

4. The British eat more Brussels sprouts per head than any other country in Europe.

5. The reason so many of us dislike the flavour of sprouts is due to a specific gene, TAS2R38, which makes them taste bitter to some people.

6. Overcooking can also make them mushy and tasting sulphurous, which is why steaming or stir-frying them should be preferred to boiling.

7. An area equal to over 3,200 football pitches is covered by Brussels sprout fields in the UK.

8. In 2014, Stuart Kettell pushed a Brussels sprout up mount Snowdon with his nose for charity. The climb took four days 22 hours.

9. The largest sprout on record weighed 18lb 3oz.

10. The ancient Chinese recommended sprouts as a treatment for bowel problems.

Blazing rows and one drink too many this Christmas!

One-in-10 Brits confess that they are usually drunk before Christmas dinner is even on the table.

A poll of 2,000 Brits found that just under 12% admitted that they were normally sozzled by the time the turkey appeared, with men more likely (15%) than women (8%) to have an early tipple.

If taken across the whole of the UK - which has an adult population of around 50m - that means SIX MILLION of us will be ‘very merry’ before having our festive meal.

The poll also found that one-in-six of us will have a ‘blazing row’ with a family member over who cooks the Christmas dinner, that’s eight million rows on the day across the UK.

60% of Christmas dinners are done by women.

The poll also found that one-in-six Brits said they had been ill after eating and drinking too much last Christmas.

A total of 44% said gravy was ‘crucial’ to the success of a festive dinner, saying the meal would be a disaster if the gravy was no good.

Parsnip, Chickpea and Cauliflower Korma

Serves 2-3

Curries are a really good way to use up vegetables. This mild, warming spicy curry transforms parsnips into a creamy, comforting cold-weather dinner in less than half an hour. The Indian flavours of ginger, coconut and fresh coriander work beautifully with parsnips. Eat with boiled rice or warm naan bread, and pickle or chutney.

Ingredients

2 tbsp groundnut oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped

2.5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

2 tsp medium–hot curry powder

2 tsp ground cumin

2 parsnips (about 300g), peeled and cut into 1cm chunks 400ml can coconut milk

400ml can chickpeas, drained 50g ground almonds

1 cauliflower (about 850g), cut into large florets juice of 1 lime

1 bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped salt and black pepper

Method

Heat the oil in large heavy-bottomed pan then add the onion and fry, stirring occasionally over a medium–low heat for about 10 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a minute then add the curry powder, cumin and a good pinch of salt. Gently stir in the parsnips and cook for a further minute. Add the coconut milk, chickpeas and ground almonds, cover with a lid and cook at a gentle boil for 10 minutes. Check the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed. Add the cauliflower, then cover again and cook for a further 5 minutes or so, until the cauliflower is just tender. Sprinkle the lime juice over the curry and stir in the coriander.

The 10 greatest Christmas films of all time!

Huggo Salochin shares his favourite festive films to watch this Christmas, Most of these will be on TV over the Christmas break. All of them are guaranteed to banish the Bah-Humbugs and put you in a suitably festive spirit.

It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)

Not strictly a Yuletide movie, but it’s become synonymous with Christmas because of its message about community spirit and life being worth living. James Stewart stars in Frank Capra’s moving, majestic fable.

Miracle on 34TH Street (1947)

The original and best version, with Natalie Wood as a dubious young New York girl finally convinced that Father Christmas exists. Edmund Gwenn achieved screen immortality with this one role, as Santa surrogate Kris Kringle. Delightfull and touching.

Frozen (2013)

Well, it’s seasonal if not literally Christmassy, and every young girl in the country is bewitched. A terrific Disney animated adaptation of The Snow Queen, about two separated princess sisters. The songs are superior too. One of them, Let It Go, may be familiar to you.

Arthur Christmas (2011)

Seasonal

Nighy,

McAvoy) in a race against time to deliver Christmas presents to the world on one night. Original and funny.

White Christmas (1954)

An unavoidable choice, though it genuinely bears watching again, with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye in top form as two ex-service buddies who form a song-anddance act and save Christmas for their old commanding officer. Delightful, with super songs.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

A ghoulish animated take on the Yuletide story, with Hallowe’en mastermind Jack Skellington trying to commandeer Christmas and make it a scary day for kids. A bit of a fright show, but most children will see the joke in Tim Burton’s inspired film.

Scrooge (1951)

This British classic is an irresistible treat, with Alastair Sim as the miser who comes to embrace more generous values after ghostly visits from Christmases Past, Present and Future.

Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

Not a Christmas tree in sight, but this wondrous musical about Hollywood at the dawn of the talkies era embraces the seasonal mood and lifts the spirits better than any anti-depressant. Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor brilliantly dance and sing their hearts out. It remains utterly wonderful.

Muppets Christmas Carol (1992)

Somehow the Muppets lend themselves perfectly to Christmas cheer, and this is superlative

Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

A wonderful film musical any time of year, but in this poignant tale of an American family torn apart, Judy Garland singing Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas is a world-class tear-jerker.

www.beverleyfm.com

entertainment. Michael Caine is a terrific Scrooge, with Kermit and Miss Piggy as the Cratchits. There’s literally a laugh a minute.

fun from the folks at Aardman, with three generations of Santas (voiced by Jim Broadbent, Bill

James

EastRidingTheatre isservingup ‘ADickensofaChristmas’ this December,afestivetheatricalfinishtoa‘Dickens’ofayear!

2022hasbeeneventfulforeveryoneand EastRidingTheatre is keentosendtheiraudiencesintoChristmaswithsomepure,joyous entertainment. EastRidingTheatre hasteamedupwithOther LivesProductionsforthisentertainingextravaganzaoffun-filled festivetheatre.It’sbroughttoyoubythecastofCharlesDickens’ travellingcompanyastheyarriveinBeverleytobrightenthe Decemberdaysandnights.Theystepintotheshoesofvarious charactersincludingFagin,Scrooge,LittleNellandevenCharles Dickenshimself!Throughmusic,scenesandvignettes,‘ADickens ofaChristmas’promisesfestivefamilyfun.

ThiscornucopiaofdelightswillbedirectedbytheEsteemed‘Sir’ RichardAverywhosays:"Ithinkalotofpeoplehear‘Dickens’and think‘Christmas’.Hisstoriesaresoiconic,particularlyatthistimeof yearandwewantedtocelebratenotjustoneofhisbooks,butas manyaswepossiblycould!"

Bepreparedtoclap,laugh,cry,cheer,swoon,gaspandsingalong asheroes,heroines,villainsandn’er-do-wellsskip,run,creep, saunter,jigandlaugh,propellingyouintothespiritofChristmas. IfyoucanlayyourhandsonanyVictoriangarb,frombonnetsto checkedtrousers,comeinthem!Orcomeasyouare. Onlycome!

Holidays: Six of the Best!

1. France

The relationship between the British and French has had its ups and downs over the years, but our love of all things French shows no sign of abating. From the Channel ports to the islands of the Mediterranean, Francophiles are never short of new destinations to discover.

Among our favourite holidays in France are the beaches of Corsica and backroads cycling. If you want to crack open a few bottles, relax and watch the countryside roll by, you could board a luxury barge with gourmet meals, fine wines and excursions included.

There are few better ways to enjoy the French countryside than in your own villa with private pool – our favourite self-catering destinations include the Dordogne, Provence and the Côte d’Azur.

Head to Aquitaine in the southwest for pristine sandy beaches, surfing and seafood. Cross a bridge to the idyllic island of Ile de Ré to find historic villages, pine forests and cycle paths.

In the French Alps you can ski on a budget in winter, while the mountains make a great destination for a summer activity holiday. You can rent a chateau or soak up the sunshine and glamour in Nice.

which has no airport and is a great place for lazy days, boat trips and lovely villas.

Crete (above) is the largest and arguably the most interesting of the islands. Steer away from the package resorts and rent one of these stylish houses or family villas.

train on the West Highland Line or visit the island of Mull to see minke whales, otters, seals and porpoises.

4. Italy

Ancient culture, great beaches, fantastic food and charming people – it’s no surprise that so many of us decide to holiday in Italy.

For a taste of la dolce vita, head to the wonderful cities of Rome, Florence and Venice – for an extra dash of old-school glamour, you can even travel to Venice on the Orient-Express, or combined Rome and Venice.

I would particularly recommend Scottsdale (above), Arizona which is often cited as one of the best places to live in America. Set in the vast Sonora desert, if offers year-round sunshine, upscale dining, hiking, biking, golf and sophisticated nightlife. You can fly direct to Phoenix, just 15 minutes from Scottsdale.

The ultimate wilderness trip?

Beach lovers will be blown away by the 500 miles of coastline encasing Puglia (above) in the south, not to mention the traditional architecture and terrific food and wine. Tuscany is deservedly popular but you can still escape the crowds by renting a villa.

The Italian Lakes attracted some of the first package tourists from the UK and they continue to be popular for their beautiful setting, mountain views and great transport links for visiting local sights.

It’s got to be Alaska where you’ll find eight National Parks, half the world’s glaciers and the second biggest rainforest (after Amazonia). The wildlife on offer includes grizzly bears, sea lions, puffins and whales.

6. Croatia

The pristine coastline of Croatia is among the most beautiful in the world – and one of the least spoilt in Europe. It’s still good value compared to other Mediterranean countries.

3. Great Britain

No list of holiday destinations for UK travellers would be complete without mentioning our own great country: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The UK’s most popular tourist destinations include Devon, Cornwall (above) and Dorset, the Lake District, the Peak District, the Yorkshire Dales, East Anglia and Scotland.

In the English countryside you can rent a Downton Abbey-style historic house sleeping 6 – 60 people. Perfect for birthdays or anniversaries.

The island of Sicily combines historical sites with a gorgeous coastline and good-value places to stay, while Sardinia has the country’s best beaches, and the dramatic Amalfi Coast is a fantastic base from which to visit Sorrento, Capri, Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii.

5. USA

2. Greece

Holidays in Greece are all about simplicity. It is the whitewashed villas, the friendly tavernas, the hot sun and blue seas that bring us back year after year. Even Greek food is a masterpiece of simplicity, both traditional and healthy.

It is the islands that attract the most visitors. Corfu’s villas never lose their appeal. If you’re looking for the quintessential small Greek island, we recommend Paxos,

In Scotland you can rent a castle, take a whisky tour, ride a steam

America is the most popular long-haul destination for British holidaymakers and it’s not hard to see why. The USA has an unmatched diversity of landscapes, iconic cultural sights, friendly people and delicious food. One way to experience it is on a fly-drive holiday whether taking the classic California route from San Francisco to San Diego via Las Vegas, or from Chicago to LA on Route 66. You can enjoy the freedom of the road with a motorhome rental, explore America by rail or stay on a working ranch.

New York is an obvious starting point, a 24/7 hit of street-level thrills and high culture. You can arrive on a Transatlantic cruise, or head north to New England for a self-drive adventure.

Either stay in one of the beautiful resorts that dot the coastline, or head out to one of the many islands that lay off the coast. Hvar is a real stunner, easily reached by ferry from Split. The islands around Kvarner are an insider secret.

The historic city of Dubrovnik was originally built by the Venetians, has great food and is a wonderful base from which to take ferry trips to surrounding islands.

Also, consider neighbouring Montenegro which is very good value. Though tiny – half the size of Wales – it is one of Europe’s fastest growing holiday destinations. Many visitors fly into Dubrovnik and take the half-hour drive across the border.

What are the most popular holiday destinations and where will people be travelling in 2023? Our travel editor picks the countries that are most popular among British travellers.

Plitvice Lakes, Croatia

Isle of Skye

Mont Saint Michel, France

is a vast country so when should you visit? The answer is year round but it depends where in Australia you want to travel. Above the red line travel in our summer, below the red line year round but it will be warmer in our winter.

Most visitors from the UK travel to Australia & New Zealand to escape our winter, especially if they are combining a holiday whilst catching up with relatives. You cannot see it all in one holiday and you need as much time as possible to enjoy your stay. Now we are going to discover the Northern part of Australia and I have to say may favourite part but then I do like an adventure. The top end can be described as having two seasons, green (rainy) and dry. During the green season it is not only moist and humid. This upper part does not really cool down to low temperatures at any time of the year. If you are looking for an adventure then Broome to Darwin will press your buttons. Not all of this area is discoverable by road and if you wish to enjoy the remote coastal area you need to take a cruise. During our summer time there are several cruise lines offering this route. APT are one of the popular operators (you may have heard of this company as they are one of the major operators or River cruising in Europe). They offer land and sea tours in the Kimberley area and for the ultimate itinerary you can take a combination of both for a longer duration and a greater in depth experience.

The East Coast and Northern Queensland is home to the northern end of the Great Barrier Reef a UNESCO Heritage Site. If this is on your bucket list then a visit between June and October will give you the best experience. This is when the waters are calmer and the sea bed it not churned up. If you are wanting to discover northerly point of this state Cape York is your spot. The roads are only passable during our summer. I did manage to get up to Cooktown which I loved during late November but it was touch and go returning to Cairns via the coastal road as the rivers were swelling and were only just passable. We all held our breath and did not speak when negotiating causeways and rivers just in case we did not make it to the other side!

Cooktown is good for a couple of days to relax and enjoy the quirky town with its botanical gardens and deserted beaches. We loved eating mangoes which were in abundance fresh from the trees.

Port Douglas & Cairns are lovely places to stay if you don ’t wish to tour or drive. Both have harbours making the Barrier Reef easily accessible for day outings or you could join a cruise for 2 or 3 nights to explore more of the reef along with some of the small islands. I stayed on Dunk Island on my first visit and if you have ever seen Fantasy Island on the TV, I felt I was part of the set!

From Cairns or Port Douglas a visit to the town of Kuranda 380 meters above sea level tucked away into the rainforest is a great day out.

Take the cable car journey up immersing yourself deep into the canopy of the forest, then the journey back down to the coast via the heritage Kuranda Railway. As Australian specialists we love tailoring itineraries to your requirements. When to book? Around 11 months before travel. There are many areas I have not covered including Tasmania. To see the country with ease take a guided tour. We often combine a number of short tours in different areas of the country to make up one holiday. We have brochures & maps available to help with planning please ask. Don’t miss out on travelling, a change is definitely as good as a rest and I would recommend a break as a great tonic. There are so many options available to travel around our wonderful world including the UK. We look forward to the opportunity of sending you away and creating wonderful memories for you to treasure in 2023 & beyond.

Season’s greetings & best wishes for the New Year

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FOODIE FACTS: AT CHRISTMAS

WE ROUND UP SOME FASCINATING TRIVIA GEMS YOU PROBABLY NEVER KNEW ABOUT YOUR FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS FOOD AND DRINK

Pudding power

Christmas pudding is also shrouded in mystery. Supposedly, the dessert should be made with thirteen ingredients to represent Jesus and his disciples, while placing a silver coin (traditionally a ‘sixpence’, or today’s five pence piece) in the pudding reportedly brings good luck to the person who finds it.

Sweet speculation

Much superstition surrounds mince pies. While it is considered lucky to eat one on each of the 12 days of Christmas, cutting one with a knife is said to bring bad luck. Mince pies should always be eaten in silence and the mincemeat mixture should be stirred clockwise.

Sugar Plums

From the Sugar Plum Fairy to visions of sugar plums dancing in children’s heads, sugar plums definitely have a place in Christmas lore. But what are they, exactly? You might not have guessed by their name, but these sweet treats are a type of candy. When they first came around in the 1600s, the term “plum” denoted any dried fruit, and typical sugar plums are made with a combination of dried fruit and spices that are rolled into balls, then coated with a hard candy shell.

Tangerines at Christmas

The tradition of putting tangerines in stockings comes from 12th-century French nuns who left socks full of fruit, nuts and tangerines at the houses of the needy.

Fruit Cake / Christmas Cake

The fruit cake was designed to last all year. When the fruit cake first came about, it was baked at the end of the harvest season and saved to be eaten at the beginning of the next harvest season.

Chocolate Coins

Chocolate coins are a Christmas tradition thanks to Saint Nicholas, who gave bags of coins to the poor.

Global gourmets

In Norway, the festive feast takes place on Christmas Eve, while the Swedish meal consists of caviar, shellfish, cheeses plus cooked and raw fish. Soup, salads, eggs and carp are enjoyed in the Czech Republic and Austrians indulge in braised carp served with a gingerbread and beer sauce.

Turkey traditions

The majority of families (76%) around the UK tend to serve up a succulent roast turkey as the centrepiece of their festive meal at Christmas. Last year saw the UK consuming approximately 10million turkeys. The bird was considered a luxury before becoming more readily available in the 1950s.

Christmas cash

Throughout the UK, an estimated £22billion is spent by households at Christmas time, with the average home splashing out a grand total of £835.

Approximately £161 of this is thought to go on food and drink, while the rest is spent on gifts (£634), cards, trees and decorations (£40).

Brussels beginnings

Despite being named after the Belgian capital, Brussels sprouts are thought to originally come from Iran and Afghanistan. There are over 50 varieties of the vegetable, and farmers run 10 times as many harvesters to produce them in the run-up to Christmas, picking them from dawn until dusk.

Calorie counters

An average Brit consumes 7,000 calories on Christmas Day. Some 2,265 of these are consumed before Christmas lunch through alcohol and snacking, while the dinner itself accounts for 1,450 and Christmas pudding for 1,174. As a result, we put on 6lbs between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day.

7 Foods And Drinks That Can Actually Boost Your Memory

The best source of this would be in certain fish like Salmon or Tuna.

The main acid that helps you, contained within omega-3 is DHA – which even helps increase the oxygen-rich blood flow to the brain (20% of the oxygen we consume is used by the brain).

So whether you’re a sucker for salmon or love the taste of tuna, you need them both to help keep your brain healthy.

Dark and Leafy Greens

thing being smaller!

Coffee

This one’s kind of a given – coffee gives you an immediate hit of energy, and more energy equals better memory.

When you pick your 5-a-day your brain will thank you if there are some dark leafy greens in there.

veggies – keeping healthy nerve cells maintained.

So where can I find legumes? Well, supermarkets of course! Check out Cannellini Beans, Lentils, Peas, Soy Beans and Chick Peas etc. Plus, they’re high in fibre – keeping you feeling fuller for longer.

Nuts

Vitamin E is hard to find in products, but it shows so much promise in protecting the brain and improving your memory. Luckily there’s one good place to find it –nuts.

legumes, these little beauties have lots of folate and Vitamin B12. And you know how much we British love our eggs.

It’s even been claimed that drinking just one cuppa joe could temporarily improve your memory. Of course, this is not permission to cane 15 cups a day, as that could be dangerous to your health!

But that morning coffee is not as bad as people tell you! Starting your day with a shot of coffee not only freshens you up for the day ahead it gives you your fix for the day.

Fatty Fish

Omega-3 rich food can help build brain cells capable of communicating more effectively.

By that, we mean items like Spinach or Kale, which are rich in folate and vitamin B12. These work together to maintain healthy nerve cells – improving brain activity. Not only that, but these nutrientrich veggies are also high in carotenoids like lutein and xanthine for an antioxidant effect on the body.

Foods like our shelled peanuts, cashews and almonds are also a great antioxidant for ridding the fattiness of the brain.

Many people will frown at the fatty content of nuts - but with monosaturated fats like this, you’re looking at some truly nutrientdense treats.

Eggs

There’s a reason why eggs are part of the breakfast of champions. Not only are they delicious, but they actually help improve brain activity!

Legumes & Beans

Folate-rich legumes work in very much the same way as dark leafy

Much like dark leafy greens and

Milk

And finally, don’t turn down that milk when it comes to your cuppa… As long as it’s fortified with Vitamin D, it will provide you with energy and heightened attention!

Often known as the “sunshine” vitamin, it can help improve your overall brain function (including memory).

Of course, just keep in mind which milk to have, as others can be higher in saturated fats and reverse those effects.

l Choices of food and drink can make or break your brain

l Parts of keeping your memory sharp involves eating and drinking what is good for brain function

l While avoiding the processed kinds

In fact, eating foods with super high levels of saturated fat, instead of healthy foods like above may lead to reduced brain activity – even leading to the size of the damn

Winter Viburnums

For

winter blooms and scent, you can’t do much better than Viburnums

There are two main features we require of winter shrubs: flowers and fragrance. They have to stand the worst the winter can throw at them, and if their foliage is attractive and evergreen or if their autumn berries hang on into winter, so much the better.

Viburnums fit the bill and there is quite a choice.

They fall into three distinct groups and it would be no bad thing if we had one plant from each. For fragrant flowers, the forms of twiggy and

deciduous Viburnum x bodnantense stand out. The four or five varieties available are similar and you’ll be pleased with any named form. The pink buds open to scented white flowers at any time from November to March and occasionally all the way through.

Evergreens form another group and V. tinus, one of the toughest shrubs known to gardeners, is a dependable winter essential. I prefer ‘Gwenllian’ for producing flowers and berries together, but ‘Spirit’ is neater.

Varieties that hold their berries into winter make up the third group. They bring a different style and several colours, but you can never tell how long the berries will last before the birds finish them off.

l Position

Best in full sun, but happy in a little dappled shade.

l Hardiness

All are hardy, but deciduous flowering types are best shaded from winter morning sun.

l Height x Spread 2-4m x 1.5-4m

l Care

Most soils are suitable, but avoid waterlogged and parched conditions, and prepare well, adding compost or soil improver. Pruning is usually unnecessary but, if their size needs reducing, make your cuts after flowering in early spring. Mulch with weed-free organic matter in autumn.

December Gardening

December can be a quiet month in the garden, but there are more things to take care of than you might think. With limited daylight hours as we approach the shortest day of the year, this month’s crisp wintery weather can be strikingly beautiful and bitterly cold in equal measure..

Timely Tips

1. Dig over empty borders and prepare your soil for next year’s planting.

2. Group potted plants together in a sheltered spot in the garden to protect them from the harshest winter weather.

3. Get pruning - wisteria, fruit trees, roses and Japanese maples are just

some of the plants that benefit from a winter prune.

4. Look after the birds - clean feeders, stock up on fat balls and make sure they have access to fresh water.

In the flower garden

l Start to winter-prune wisteria, cutting back summer side-shoots to 2 or 3 buds.

l Prune climbing roses now, removing diseased or damaged growth and tying in any new shoots to their support. Prune older flowered side shoots back by two thirds of their length.

l Prune Japanese Maples (Acers) and vines if needed, as they will bleed sap if pruning is done any later.

l Leave the faded flower heads on your hydrangeas until spring, as they provide frost protection to the swelling buds further down the stems.

l If any of your rose bushes suffered from blackspot or rust this summer, gather up and remove any fallen leaves to reduce the chance of infection next year.

l Lift and store dahlia tubers once their leaves are blackened by frost.

l Move containers of shrubs or bedding planters to a sheltered spots; clustering them together them together helps protect the root systems from suffering frost damage

l Check climbers are securely attached to their supports with ties.

l Harvest holly with berries for making Christmas garlands and wreaths. Stand them in a bucket of water until you’re ready to use them.

l Take root cuttings of oriental poppies and grow them on in cold frames.

l Take hardwood cuttings from suitable trees and shrubs.

l Spread fresh gravel or grit around alpine plants.

In the vegetable garden

l Lift your last leeks and parsnips before the soil becomes frozen, and heel them in to a trench beside a convenient path. They’ll keep for several months like this and can be easily brought indoors when required.

l Remove yellowing leaves from your winter brassicas – they’re no use to the plant and may harbour pests and diseases.

l If you haven’t already, cut down dead asparagus foliage and the top growth of Jerusalem artichokes. Order your asparagus crowns now for planting in spring.

l Dig over empty borders and pile manure on top - let the worms and frosts break up the clods of soil.

l Dig a trench for next year’s

beans, fill it with compostable kitchen waste (not cooked food) and re-cover with soil. This will rot down and dramatically improve the growing conditions.

l Cover winter brassicas with netting to protect them from pigeons.

l Keep fleece to hand to protect hardy salad crops such as Lettuce ‘Winter Gem’, winter land cress, purslane, and corn salad on cold nights.

l Protect any remaining celery plants left in the soil by covering with straw or fleece.

l Cover heavy clay soil with polythene to keep it drier and allow winter digging.

l While many parts of the garden and allotment are cleared, use this opportunity to install a permanent network of hard-wearing paths.

FIONA’S FOOD FOR THOUGHT

By Fiona Dwyer - Journalist, PR Consultant, DIY Your Biz PR Course Creator, Wife & Mum

to two teenagers!

HO! HO! HO!……

I don’t know about you but this year I am not organised at all!!! Where has the year gone? All of a sudden, Christmas is looming, so it’s probably time to panic! But you know what? Once the day is here, everything will fall into place, so I think I’ll just take a deep breath, chill out and enjoy the preparations. I do love getting the house ready, putting the tree up and being festive. This year I’m determined to get on top of my Christmas baking. I’m not a fan of Christmas pudding, but a Yule Log is definitely on the agenda. Yum! And I always make a Christmas trifle! I’ve also found an amazing recipe for shortbread which means my biscuits finally taste like the nice ones you get at the shop, so I’ll be making several batch loads of those!! What else can I make?!!! Here’s hoping that we will all be able to relax and enjoy the festivities. .

ONLINE LIBRARY….

You may already be aware of this, but if you’re a member of the Hull and/or East Riding Library Service, you can download an app called Borrowbox and borrow e-books and e-audiobooks. I only came across it fairly recently and I think it’s great, especially when it’s out-ofhours and you just want something new to read. I do think there’s something special, though, about reading actual books, with real pages, so while I will definitely use it, I will still enjoy browsing the bookshelves at my local library!

Libraries and bookshops (especially when there’s a cafe But if you’re looking for something over Christmas, it’s definitely worth checking out!

A CHRISTMAS POEM – Let Every Day Be Christmas

Christmas is forever, not for just one day, for loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf. The good you do for others is good you do yourself.

–

Norman Wesley Brooks

And finally……..Thank you so much for reading my column and for all the lovely comments you send in to me. Here’s wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Have fun – and stay safe!

Fiona x

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