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December 2013
Issue 36
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Home & garden
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Planting seeds of change Ethnobotanist and broadcaster James Wong wants to bring our gardens into the 21st century. As the author of Grow Your Own Drugs prepares to front two episodes of the BBC's Great British Garden Revival, he shows off his exotic 'grow your own' testing ground and explains how the new series could mark the start of a new age of fascinating, functional gardening.
Also featured this month Culture club: Find out how The Beatles coped with their rise to fame in author Kevin Howlett’s latest book on the Fab Four Food & drink: Head Chef at Edinburgh’s The Stockbridge Restaurant shares his delicious, winter-warming Duck Confit and Potato Gateau recipe Latest news: A special Christmas message from Jane Nelson, CEO of the Oddfellows Around Britain: Ideas to keep you warm and entertained without having to leave the UK Travel: Active Travel Club’s autumn trip to Benalmádena in the Costa Del Sol is reviewed Sport & leisure: Keep fit sitting down and other ‘no-frills’ ways to get your exercise regime going Health & wellbeing: Keep calm and carol on – some top tips to avoid seasonal stress Money: We speak to Polly Courtney on how she became a successful self-publishing author The Oddfellows is the trading name of The Independent Order of Oddfellows Manchester Unity Friendly Society Limited, Incorporated and registered in England and Wales No. 223F. Registered Office 32 Booth Street, Manchester M2 4QP.
Find out about the new National Member benefit which goes live on 1 January, 2013 – an online portfolio containing money-saving discounts.
Get involved Photo competition Enter your Wonderful Wildlife-themed snaps to our Through the lens photo competition by emailing ezine@oddfellows.co.uk. The winning entry will receive £30 in High Street vouchers. Book reviews If you’ve read a good book recently, why not tell us about it. If it’s published, we’ll send you a £20 National Book Token to say thank you. Find out if you are one of the three lucky winners of our The King’s Ginger free prize draw! (See Culture club) DISCLAIMER: Throughout this ezine we provide links to third-party websites. The links do not constitute an endorsement by the Oddfellows and the use of their advertised products and services is entirely at your own risk. The Oddfellows does not accept any liability or responsibility for any third-party material on other websites.
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Culture club “I love going to the theatre once in a while, so when I heard my local Oddfellows Branch was arranging a trip I couldn’t pass it up.” Sharon – Manchester
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Beatles book lets fans get back to yesterday A new book on The Beatles has been released, chronicling the band’s meteoric rise to fame through recorded BBC performances and interviews. Spanning the Fab Four’s eightyear career, The Beatles: The BBC Archive: 1962-1970 reveals an alternative recording history of cover songs, radio broadcasts and previously unseen interview transcripts all brought together inside an evocative tape deckshaped box.
Kevin Howlett © Ebury Publishing
For author and lifelong fan of the group Kevin Howlett, the book has been more than thirty years in the making. The BBC producer first began trawling the corporation’s archives in the early ’80s while researching a documentary to mark the band’s 20th anniversary. The archive recordings and interview transcripts he found then, as well as more discovered this year, are all included. The result, says Howlett, is a definite guide to the band’s relationship with the BBC. It shows the group’s rise to fame, the ‘staggering progression’ of their music and the entertaining and opinionated personalities of the band’s members, the likes of which were so rarely heard on radio at the time.
The Beatles at the Beeb © Getty Images, cummings archives
Fifty years on from the release of the band’s first single, Love Me Do, readers could be forgiven for thinking that everything worth saying about them has been said time and again. Howlett, though, insists this book gives the reader something new.
© Ebury Publishing
“There are so many things in here that people won’t have seen or heard before. The best part for me is being able to share the excitement that I felt when I discovered things in the archives for the first time.
“It’s a book for people interested in social and broadcast history, not just the story of The Beatles. It shows the band’s story as it happened. I really hope it takes the reader back to that time, giving them a feeling of what it was like to be there.”
“There’s just something miraculous about the way these four personalities came together and the chemistry they had. The fact that their music had a beginning and an end just adds to their enduring appeal. They didn’t become parodies of themselves.
During his career, Howlett has interviewed the band’s surviving former members numerous times, as well as other musical heroes of his like David Bowie, Paul Simon and Frank Zappa.
“They finished at their peak, but what they’d achieved in a short space of time changed the game. I don’t think anyone will ever be that revolutionary again.”
“Much of what I’ve done in my career has been based on my childhood and teenage interests. All those hours of listening to the radio and records really paid off!”
The Beatles: The BBC Archive: 1962-1970 is out now, RRP £45, and available to buy on Amazon by clicking here.
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The Reader’s Review Thank you to Fran Skinner, Oddfellow Brass Band Manager, for her two great book reviews this month. If you’ve read a good book recently, why not tell us what you thought about it. Send in your 150-200 word reader reviews to ezine@oddfellows.co.uk and we’ll send you a £20 National Book Token if published.
Book: An apple a day: old-fashioned proverbs and why they still work By Caroline Taggart A humorous introduction to the proverbs and clichés we use every day – and the difference between the two. With references not only back to where and when they were first used but to how they can be viewed and updated to 21st century life! The tone of the book is most certainly not ‘scholastic’ or school teacher, but still manages to get the information to stick in the reader’s memory... and gives wonderful and funny ripostes to incorrect or inappropriate usages. Worth having on a long journey.
Fran Skinner
Published by Michael O’Mara Books Ltd. Available in paperback RRP £5.99. SBN: 978-1-78243-009-4
Book: The Forgotten Legion series By Ben Kane A book, indeed a series of three books for anyone that likes a bit of history (well researched): a good plot (with loads of facts); superb 'living' characters and believable dialogue. If you're into military history, the Romans, a believable version of events and you want a page-turner, then this is a series for you! Almost a literary 'docu-drama', you're spirited back to times, places and events and you almost feel as though you're a fly on the wall: but without any time lag in the story. The story of Fabiola, her twin brother Romulus and the people they come into contact with will intrigue you as historical events in turbulent Rome are given the human touch. I defy the male readers not to feel the heat of battle, and women not to 'get' Fabiola's obsession. If you enjoyed ‘Spartacus’ and/or the TV series Rome, you'll love this! The Forgotten Legion: ISBN-13: 978-0099556282, The Silver Eagle: ISBN-13: 978-1848090132, The Road To Rome: ISBN-13: 978-1848090163
Win a bundle of books! Would you like to win this bundle of four books which includes our reviewed title An apple a day? All you need to do is email your name and address by 1 January to ezine@oddfellows.co.uk with the subject BOOKS. The first randomly-picked name will win. See page 4 for terms and conditions.
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Through the lens – photography competition The saying ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ definitely applied to this month’s photo competition entries. The theme was Lasting Memories and there were some touching and also very heart-warming stories behind the images. It was a tough decision, but the winner is Reg Wells who submitted a delightful picture of his grandchildren having a cuddle. Should you wish to view all the entries they can be found on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/oddfellowsuk. (Don’t forget to ‘like’ us when you’re there.) The theme of our next Through the lens competition is Wonderful Wildlife. We look forward to seeing your entries. Send your images through to us at ezine@oddfellows.co.uk. If it’s published we will send you a £30 High Street voucher. You can also enter by posting it on our Facebook page or by tweeting it to @OddfellowsUK. Good luck! Congratulations to the three lucky winners of The King’s Ginger free prize draw. Six mini bottles of the zesty and gingery liqueur are on their way to Mrs R A Davis of Congleton, Mr N Gomm of Norwich and Mr A Dimmick of Bedford.
Friendscene competitions – terms and conditions – open to the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man 1) Entries for our Through the lens and book prize competitions can be submitted at any time. However the cut-off date for each competition will be the first day of the month. For example, this month’s competitions close on 1 January 2014. 2) Through the Lens entries will be judged by friendscene’s editorial panel. The winners of our free prize draws will be selected at random. If successful, you will be contacted by the Oddfellows to arrange delivery of your prize. 3) If your photograph contains an image of a person, building or private location please ensure you get permission from the person/building owner before submitting your entry. Any competition entry, including personal views, photos, recipes or articles, must be the work of the entrant and be entirely their own work. 4) By entering or submitting a photograph or personal view for a competition, you are confirming that you have given permission for the Oddfellows to use your name and reproduce the entry in future publications and marketing material, both online and printed. 5) The Oddfellows will assume your consent has been given once your entry is submitted unless you directly state otherwise at the time of entering the competition.
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Food & drink Dining events are some of the Society’s most popular social gatherings. Search for food-themed activities in your local area at www.oddfellows.co.uk/events.
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Duck Confit and Potato Gateau In this month’s Food & drink, Jason Gallagher, Head Chef at Edinburgh’s The Stockbridge Restaurant, has shared his delicious and popular Duck Confit and Potato Gateau for you to make in your own kitchen.
Ingredients 4 duck legs Sea salt Garlic Thyme Orange zest
Ginger Duck fat Double cream Milk Potatoes
Method For the duck confit, marinate four duck legs in sea salt for 24 hours. Wash off salt, place in a dish with garlic, thyme, orange zest, ginger and duck fat. Cover with tin foil and cook in a low oven (gas mark 2/150°C) for at least three hours or until meat falls off the bone. Let confit cool a while and pick the meat off the bone, shredding it at the same time. Heat the double cream and milk in thyme and garlic until it thickens (coats the back of a spoon). Pass it into a clean container. Line dish for gateau with silicone paper. Slice the potato on a mandoline, then place it in the cream liquid. Overlap each potato slice in the dish, seasoning each layer. Do three layers, then add the duck confit. Add another three layers of potatoes, then the duck confit and another three layers of potato. Pour over any excess cream, layer a piece of silicone paper on top, wrap in tin foil and bake at gas mark 3/170°C for three hours or until a knife passes through it easily. Take it out of the oven and press on weights for 24 hours. Cut to desired shape and then reheat in the oven.
The Stockbridge Restaurant…‘a place where all your culinary dreams come true’. Located on St Stephen Street Edinburgh, The Stockbridge is a family-run eatery which serves some of the very best dishes Edinburgh has to offer. Winter chills can be chased away sitting next to the roaring fireplace, with beautiful prints from the Scottish Colourists on the walls. Its menus leave you spoilt for choice. You can choose from the A La Carte Menu, a set menu of two courses for £19.95 and a three course meal for £23.95. The restaurant caters for small intimate dinners as well as large group bookings. Head Chef Jason (pictured above left) and Partner Jane (pictured above right) have created a perfect place to dine and relax. Furthermore, an excellent bespoke wine list has been sourced from boutique wineries by Jane to ensure you have the perfect bouquet to complement the dishes. If you’re in a bit of a ‘wine rut’, Jane is also on-hand to help you find something new that you’re sure to enjoy. With its fantastic choice of food and wine and superb hospitality, a visit to The Stockbridge Restaurant is sure to keep everyone happy. Stockbridge is now taking February bookings. Call 0131 226 6766 or email jane@thestockbridgerestaurant.co.uk.
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‘The best feeling of happiness is when you’re happy because you’ve made someone else happy’ I came across this statement on one of our Branch’s social media pages recently and it really struck a chord with me. In the run up to Christmas it’s all too easy for us to get distracted by the festive gloss and glitter and the stresses of shopping for presents – fighting our way through all the hundreds of people doing the same thing – not to mention the last-minute dashes to the supermarket where people buy so much that you would think the shops were to close for a month. But feeling happy because you’ve made a positive difference to someone’s life is something that really resonates with me at this time of year. I am very fortunate because each Christmas I get the chance to spend wonderful time with my family and friends. But I know that this is not the case for everyone. For many people Christmas is a sad time, whether that is because of a recently-lost loved one, an anniversary of a passing, or that they are missing family who now live overseas. We should always be mindful of others.
Close to home in Britain, Age UK reports how one in 10 people aged 65 plus say they are always or often lonely. That equates to just over a million people in the UK. Looking at what has happened during recent weeks in the Philippines, it is hard to imagine the suffering people have endured as a result of Typhoon Haiyan – as well as in many other places around the world. To me Christmas is a season for reflection, not only to appreciate the good we have in our lives, but also to think about what more we can do to make a real difference to someone else’s happiness. Whether it’s making a donation to a charity, or cooking an extra dinner to share with a neighbour, these small gestures, if given by many, really do result in a large force of goodwill. Looking out for your friends, family, neighbours and those less fortunate than yourself is what being an Oddfellow is all about. It’s something we should never forget and I am incredibly proud to be part of an organisation whose members live and breathe this ethos day-in, day-out. On behalf of myself and my colleagues on the Board of Directors, I wish you a very happy Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year.
Jane Nelson, CEO, the Oddfellows.
New central home for Oddfellows in Manchester To mark the Oddfellows move to new offices in Manchester’s Old Courthouse building on Deansgate and to celebrate more than 200-years of local history, the Society is opening its online archive free of charge for 30 days. The archive contains upwards of 180,000 scanned documents – including magazines, record books and photographs – telling the stories of ordinary people’s lives. Jane Nelson, CEO of the Oddfellows, said: “The Oddfellows has played an important role in Greater Manchester’s rich social heritage, improving the lot of ordinary working people and their families in and around the city for generations. We’re incredibly proud to continue
our close relationship with the city and be part of its exciting future. We want to reflect on this, which is why we’re opening our archives free of charge.” The Oddfellows will move into the Grade II-listed Old Courthouse building in late December 2013, relocating from premises on Manchester’s Booth Street. You can access the archives for free until 2 January. Visit www.oddfellows.co.uk/ onlinearchives and register.
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Get even more from Oddfellows membership If you’re a National Member of the Oddfellows, from 1 January 2014 you can tap into a new benefit – Oddfellows Extra – an online portfolio containing money-saving discounts. There’s no sign up process or any extra charge – you are automatically eligible to access these discounts by virtue of your membership. The new benefit has been designed to save you time and money in both your personal and professional life and is managed and run on behalf of the Oddfellows by Parliament Hill Ltd. At a time when every penny really does count, Oddfellows Extra has been introduced to make your membership even more rewarding. It is becoming increasingly easy to find 'competitive' deals and offers through word-of-mouth, work or the Internet. To this end, when you’re logged on to Oddfellows Extra, you’ll notice that many of the displayed benefits carry a stamp. These are: National Price Promise This stamp means that you should be getting the best possible price/deal in the UK for this product or service*. Provider Price Promise This stamp means that you should be getting the best possible price/deal that this company makes available*. Here’s a small selection of current Oddfellows Extra benefits: Cinema discounts – Save an average of 38% on cinema admissions. Purchase discounted vouchers to be used at your nearest participating cinema (many of the major cinema chains are included). You can purchase up to five pairs of discounted tickets per month. Tickets are valid for a minimum of six months*. Retail cashback – Earn 5%-15% cashback at more than 50 major retailers including Sainsburys, ASDA, M&S, Debenhams, Ernest Jones, Currys PC World and many more. Order re-loadable cards that can be used in-store*. Every time you load funds on to the cards you will earn a percentage as cashback (percentage dependent on retailer), which can be spent in-store or allowed to accumulate for special occasions*. Top UK attractions – Treat yourself, friends or family to a fantastic day out with savings from Merlin Entertainment. Discounts range from 15%-62% on popular attractions such as Thorpe Park, Alton Towers, The London Dungeons, LEGOLAND and many more*.
Package holidays – By booking your holidays through Oddfellows Extra, members can enjoy a 5% discount in addition to any discounts or offers from the major travel companies such as early booking discounts, last minute deals, extra free nights, upgrades and free child places. Plus, discounts on hotel accommodation, short-breaks, cruises, ski holidays, cottages and foreign currency*. Car and home insurance (these are regulated benefits and all insurance is subject to underwriting) – You may be able to save money on your current car and home insurance renewal premium, respectively, (including free legal expenses), without compromising on cover or service*.
How do you access Oddfellows Extra? From 1 January 2014, go to the Oddfellows website at www.oddfellows.co.uk and look for the blue Oddfellows Extra tag on the home page. On clicking the link, you’ll be taken to a login page to have your National Member membership verified. You can then access the wide array of member benefits available.
KEY FACTS *Terms and conditions apply to all benefits – see Oddfellows Extra website for details. • Offers and prices subject to change without notice • All insurance is subject to underwriting • Some benefits are not available in Northern Ireland or outside the United Kingdom • Oddfellows Extra is managed and run by Parliament Hill Ltd of 3rd Floor, 127 Cheapside, London, EC2V 6BT • Parliament Hill Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for non-investment insurance mediation only. Registration number 308448. Details can be checked on the Financial Services register by visiting the FCA’s website at www.fsa.gov.uk/register/home.do • Parliament Hill operates as an introducer only; their introduction should not be seen as a recommendation or endorsement.
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Around Britain If you’re visiting different places in the UK and you’re an Oddfellows member, don’t forget you’re welcome to attend any Branch social events up and down the country. Search for events at www.oddfellows.co.uk/events.
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Enjoy Britain’s Costa del Cosy If jetting off for some winter sun isn’t an option for you but you still want to feel some warmth in your bones, it’s time to think creatively. Here are five inexpensive ideas to get you feeling toasty on home territory.
Get snug-room cosy Real ale is enjoying something of a revival in the UK. Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) states that after decades of declining market share, it now accounts for one in seven pints of beer drunk in UK pubs.
© Turkish Baths and Health Spa
Add CAMRA’s Britain’s Best Real Heritage Pubs book (RRP £9.99) to your Christmas list and set yourself a 2014 resolution to tick them off one by one. www.camra.org.uk.
Let off some steam Detoxification, relaxation and a boost to your immune system are just a few well-cited health benefits of a spa visit. The Royal Baths, home of Harrogate’s Turkish Baths © Turkish Baths and Health Spa and Health Spa, was established more than 100 years ago and was believed to be the most advanced centre for hydrotherapy in the world at the time. Today you can still access its mix of pools, steam and sauna rooms from as little as £15. They also sell gift vouchers. www.turkishbathsharrogate.co.uk.
Spice things up In the same year as the Oddfellows inaugural meeting, a British Bengali entrepreneur opened the first Indian restaurant in 1810 in London, England. Today, tucking into a Tikka Masala is as British as Fish and Chips. Head to one of the UK’s curry house hotbeds – London’s Brick Lane, Manchester’s Curry Mile or Birmingham’s Balti Triangle – and get warm from within.
Have a wee dram Think whisky, think Scotland. It’s been part of the country’s heritage for centuries. Plan a trip along the Malt Whisky Trail in Speyside or the Whisky Coast. Admission is free for many of the distilleries, where you can join a tour and find out how Scotland's national drink, or in the Gaelic 'uisge beatha' (meaning water of life), is created. www.visitscotland.com.
And finally, hug a sheep Well, not exactly. Wrap yourself up in some homegrown and spun wool. It’s natural, renewable, biodegradable, breathable and a natural insulator. You’ll be in royal company too, as the patron for The Campaign for Real Wool is HRH the Prince of Wales. www.campaignforwool.org.
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Travel Don’t forget, any Oddfellows member can sign up to join the Society’s ATC at no extra cost. To find out more call the Events team on 0161 832 9361 or email active@oddfellows.co.uk.
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(Left to right) Merille, Ann and Lionel enjoying their trip
Active Travel Club Holiday Review – Benalmádena, Costa Del Sol, Spain From 4-11 October 2013, Active Travel Club (ATC) members travelled to Benalmádena in the Costa Del Sol to enjoy some late autumn sunshine. The holiday involved various trips and excursions including one to Gibraltar’s famous rock where hundreds of monkeys live and breed and St Michael’s Cave. This was the highlight of the holiday for many members. According to Merille from the South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire District, the sheer height of the cave was enormous. This was emphasized by many tiny steps running down into its depths. She said: “The cave was awe-inspiring, I would recommend it to anyone.” The cave was created by soldiers during WWII who initially dug into the rock to create a hospital. This was never realised, however, and the cave has now become a popular tourist attraction.
Active Travel Club
Members stayed in the four-star Riviera Hotel which had recently been refurbished. The hotel was situated on the seafront and had a swimming pool, daytime activities and evening entertainment. Another highlight, according to Merille, was the evening’s entertainment which included a magician, flamenco dancing and a Lionel Ritchie tribute singer. “There was some great audience participation, people got up and danced and everyone had a good time.” However, according to long-term member Paul Eyre there was no time to take part in the hotel’s activities since members had a full itinerary every day. “We did everything from travelling in a mountain cable car to taking part in a guided tour of Malaga. The only attraction we didn’t visit was the children’s theme park!”
Travel 2014 ATC Holida y
D-Day Anniversary Cruise 1-8 June 2014 Prices range from £649 to £1,579 depending on cabin type. Single cabins £1,169.
Active Travel Club
Join us for a luxury Fred Olsen cruise to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings and the 100th anniversary since the outbreak of the First World War. After a stop at Zeebrugge you will return to Portsmouth in the UK to pay respects at the tranquil war memorials. This will be followed by a visit to the D-Day Museum. The cruise will then move on to Cherbourg, which was part of the Battle of Normandy in the Second World War, before cruising on to Le Havre for an overnight stay. The cruise ends with Dunkirk as its final port of call, before returning to Harwich.
Highlights Include: • Tour the Allied landing areas on the Day of Remembrance • Visit the Dunkirk War Museum which tells the story of the Allied evacuation from the town • Entertainment including an onboard Big Band orchestra
To book, contact Wendy Atkins on 01473 251867 or email wendy.atkins@oddfellows.co.uk
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Home & garden Oddfellows members receive a 10% discount on any purchase through www.suttons.co.uk. Click here to take advantage of the offer. (You need to sign in as a member to access the Members’ Benefits page.)
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Plotting a change James Wong is starting a revolution from his front garden. After making his name in 2010 presenting the BBC show Grow Your Own Drugs, the ethnobotanist broadcaster has, for the past four years, been using the plot in front of his mum’s Croydon home as one big experiment. Trained in horticulture at Kew Gardens, the 32-year-old is one of a new breed of grow your own advocates muscling in on the old guard – intent on changing the way we use our gardens. His aim is to bring gardening into the 21st century – to demonstrate how it can be exciting, fascinating and functional all at the same time. His revolution started with just five raised beds, built where the lawn once was. There he has been growing some of the more exotic of the 2,000-plus varieties of fruits and vegetables known to thrive in the UK, many of which remain unrecognisable to most growers. Things like the cocktail Kiwi – an olive-sized relative of the regular kiwi that has a smooth, edible skin and tastes twice as sweet as its larger cousin. Easier to grow than a raspberry bush, each plant can survive temperatures as low as -35C, producing up to four hundred fruits in a season. Or Alpine strawberries, which have a better yield and a stronger flavour, and also come in a white variety that birds won’t want to eat. Produce like this is expensive to buy and only available from exclusive shops, so to Wong it makes perfect sense that people should grow it themselves. He has written a book called Homegrown Revolution that explains why people should give it a go, and has released a range of exotic seeds to help them get started. But it is by changing the way we see gardening on our TV screens that Wong wants to make a lasting impact. In his view TV shows should be teaching people exciting new ways of doing things and weird and wonderful plants to grow like food programmes do now with recipes, instead of showcasing only a tiny percentage of the possibilities. “You wouldn’t catch Nigella or Heston teaching you how to boil an egg. Instead they’re saying: ‘Get your mates together and make amazing dishes that are cheap and tasty and look amazing’.
“Gardening meanwhile, is stuck in this time warp. These shows can’t keep doing what’s always been done and just expect people to be interested. Who really cares about ‘how to dig a hole’ or ‘how to plant sweet peas’ – every book on my shelf tells me that already. It’s like some sort of horticultural times table we’re expected to memorise. “They should be focusing on the reward not the process, getting people to buy into the idea rather than just telling them how. The reason I dig on a cold December day is the thought of early, multi-coloured tomatoes next July, not because I like digging. Neither do I go outside in autumn because someone talks about it in a poetic way. Telling someone to experience something doesn’t work. Telling them what they can get out of it – now that gets people excited.” Current programmes, he says, simply don’t do this, and risk putting off a whole generation of young people. They base everything on the same out-of-date, cyclical techniques and crops, the Victorian walled gardens and vegetables that “a few posh Brits used 200 years ago” but no one has time, space or the appetite for anymore. (Continued on next page)
Home & garden Is it not something of a paradox then, that someone as critical of the old ways as Wong has signed up to front two episodes of the BBC’s Great British Garden Revival – a series of TV shows airing this month based on reviving oldschool growing techniques and being presented by a host of familiar green-fingered faces. Not so, he says. “It’s nostalgic, certainly, but the two areas I’m looking at – roof gardens and tropical gardens – allow me to get nostalgic about the spirit and excitement for the future that people had back in the ‘30s and ‘40s when roofs covered in plants and cantilevered walkways full of greenery were being dreamed about on top of every building. “I won’t be saying: ‘Once upon a time we were great in the UK but now we’re rubbish’. I’m imagining what we could have in the future if we can rediscover that old way of thinking, looking at huge, inspirational projects that can be replicated on tiny roof terraces everywhere. “It’s the first gardening series in a long time that I’m really excited about. Each presenter has been allowed to talk about things they’re really passionate about so every episode is personal and campaign-focused, and designed to stir up debate.
Ask George
“That’s a great thing I think. It shows gardening can be practical, that it can actually change things for the better.” The Great British Garden Revival will be shown on BBC Two at 7pm every night between 9-13 December and 6-10 January. James Wong’s Homegrown Revolution is out now, RRP £20, and available to buy on Amazon by clicking here.
James Wong has kindly given us a signed copy of Homegrown Revolution to give away to one lucky reader. To enter our free prize draw, simply email your name and address by 1 January to ezine@oddfellows.co.uk with the subject WONG. The first randomly-picked name will win. See page 4 for terms and conditions.
George Hill, a professional gardener by trade, answers two readers’ questions. For every question we publish, we send the reader a free pair of Joe’s Garden gloves worth £5.99.
Q: Why is my red acer not red? The tips of the new leaves are the only bits that are. Candice, Manchester A: That’s how it should be. Only new plant growth of around a year old is red – the rest of the leaves stay green. You could lightly prune it around March to encourage new growth and therefore a greater coverage of red leaves.
Q: Should I leave my gladioli bulbs in the ground or lift and store them for the winter? Tony, Chesterfield A: I tend to leave mine in. You can lift them and place them on trays, providing you’ve a dry, frost-free building to store them in. However, if the soil tends to get waterlogged then do lift them. When you replant them, place about half an eggcup of sand under each bulb to help with the drainage.
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Sport & leisure “I’ve never really been ‘sporty’, but I try to keep fit. My local Oddfellows Branch now hosts a walking club. It’s great to get some fresh air, and we always have a good time.” Diana – Essex
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No-frills fitness, by guest expert Barbara Sharp Based in Sheffield, Barbara has been an exercise expert for more than 15 years. She is trained in promoting fitness and mobility for people of all ages, especially those who need gentle encouragement. She currently teaches a popular ‘Chairobics’ session for members at the Society’s South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire District. We invited Barbara to share her top tips for effortlessly building exercise into your day... ‘I don’t have time for exercise,’ ‘I’m busy doing other things,’ ‘I’m not well enough,’ ‘It takes ages for me to even stand up to make a cup of tea!’ Are these some of the excuses you make to avoid exercise? Or do you fall somewhere in between? These are, of course, valid reasons if you think of keeping fit only in terms of attending classes or a gym. However, all it takes is a rethink of what you’re doing and where you’re doing it.
If you’re the ‘I’m too busy’ type, then may I ask – what are you busy doing? We all have to do housework and cooking, so let’s try the ‘rethink what and where’ approach to these situations. First, put on some upbeat music that you love. Use both hands when cleaning and swap the cloth/vacuum cleaner. Bend your knees (not your back) and do lunges – remembering to do them on both legs. Vary the speed so some moves are fast, then slow, then more controlled. You use more of the muscle that way. Now let’s look at cooking. When you’re stood preparing food, move the lower part of your body. Move your hips forward, backward, sideways and round. Remember to keep your knees soft and loose. Try rising up on to the balls of your feet and then slowly lower them down. Tap your feet from side to side and front to back. By simply putting on some music and moving to it, you’re exercising. Housework and cooking will never feel like a chore again! How about shopping or fetching the children from school? Walk with purpose when you’re doing the rounds and you’ll be giving yourself a cardio workout. Aim to be breathing a little heavier so you can feel your heart beating a bit faster. Don’t push it so much that you can’t speak though. (Continued on next page)
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By simply putting on some music and moving to it, you’re exercising. housework and cooking will never feel like a chore again!
Why not go on a regular walk with a friend round the block? You will feel so much better and you will have spent quality time with someone that matters to you. I appreciate that this is all well and good for ‘the fit’, but if you’re not, what can you do? Again put on some upbeat music and sit in a chair. You can move all your muscles even when sat down. Try not to sit in sofa type chairs as they don’t give you enough support and they are much more difficult to get out of. They encourage bad posture and also lack of movement. So, find a comfortable upright chair and tap your toes as you sing along to your favourite tracks. Move your arms up and down as well – together, alternatively and then side to side. Whether easily mobile or not, as you are sat on a comfortable, supporting chair try raising your heels and stretching your legs out. If you’re confident you can also kick them up to feel the muscle at the back of thigh (see picture right). Scrunch your bottom and release. Your gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in your body, so just think how many calories it takes to move it. Pull your tummy in while slowly breathing out and then release it as you breathe in. It’s easier to say than do! Loosen your shoulders by moving them up and down and round.
A clip from Barbara’s DVD ‘Sit Down, Shape Up’ Remember, exercise is best done little and often, rather than in one large session per week. Aim for regular 10 minute workouts.
A word of caution – don’t get too carried away. Feel what each move does to your muscles and if it hurts, don’t do it. Your body should feel like you’ve worked out or ache a little, but pain means damage which defeats your object of getting fitter.
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Health & wellbeing “Thank you so much for your help and support [with care]. The Oddfellows has made a difference to my father particularly over the past ten years…” Angela – Cheltenham
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Keeping calm at Christmas Overexcited children, a sitting room packed with family tension and supermarket-aisle anarchy. It’s no surprise that Christmas can leave you feeling more frazzled than festive. In this month’s Health & wellbeing we share some simple tips and techniques to help you keep calm and carol on. • If there has been a family row during the year, try and get issues resolved before you get together. One tip is to tell the person that you’re looking forward to seeing them. This starts to diffuse tension and opens up communication. Try to get everyone to agree not to disagree on the day. • It’s easy to overspend at this time of year. Sit down and work out your budget against items such as presents, entertaining and shopping – then try to stick to it. • Don’t feel obliged to go to everything you’ve been invited to. Say no if you feel you can’t cope with another social engagement or if you can’t afford it. • Appreciate that you’re likely to get stressed and work out how you can keep calm – this could be taking a walk, controlling your breathing, speaking to a friend or going to the gym. Be sensitive to spotting your stress signals, such as changes to breathing, feelings of anxiety or snapping at people, and take immediate action when they show. (Continued on the next page...)
Health & wellbeing • Plan your Christmas day and share your ideas with those attending. They may have suggestions on how you can all make the day extra special. Focus on the events that matter and not what you feel you ‘should’ be doing. Ask yourself, ‘if I don’t do this, will it really make a difference?’ • Delegate tasks on the day such as laying the table, serving drinks, washing up or simply making the gravy. Recognise that people want to play their part.
• If you overindulge on rich foods and alcohol, don’t be surprised if you feel tired, irritable, bloated and run down. Eat and drink in moderation and keep yourself hydrated. • Stick to your regular exercise routine. It will give you some ‘me time’ and it’s a great stress reliever. • Finally, remember there’s no such thing as a ‘perfect Christmas’. Just relax and enjoy having time out with your friends and family.
Mindfulness is a buzz word of today. It’s a mind-body approach that can help you change the way you think about experiences and reduce stress and anxiety. Despite its roots in Buddhism, many mindfulness practices are independent of religion. Here are a few resources on the market:
Web and App Meditation for modern life – the Headspace team is on a mission to get as many people in the world to take 10 minutes out of their day to meditate. Its web and app-based guided mindfulness sessions are easy to follow and fun to do. Even better is that you get 10 daily 10-minute sessions completely free on sign up. www.getsomeheadspace.com
Book and Audio book Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation In Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn. First published in 1994, this book continues to be a best-selling introduction to Mindfulness. The author blends stories, anecdotes, poems, images, and scientific observations with easily to follow instructions on how you can live fully in the moment and achieve inner peace.
Organisation Be Mindful is a campaign coordinated by the Mental Health Foundation. Its information-rich website offers a free stress test and online courses, as well as details of their face-to-face sessions held across the UK. They point out that anyone can learn mindfulness – ‘it’s simple, you can practise it anywhere, and the results can be life-changing’. www.bemindful.co.uk.
Making a difference to children’s lives Did you know that the Society’s Orphan Gift Fund was established after the First World War to help children from Oddfellows families who had lost one or both parents in the war? The fund currently supports 81 children and young people with financial support in the form of gifts and by funding the cost of items such as school uniforms, travel cards, books, musical instruments and school trips. The Society is happy to report how Laura and Sarah Mundy, two of the fund’s recipients, are making great strides in their chosen careers. Sarah, who wants to become a chef, has recently achieved a Level 3 NVQ in Professional Cookery. Laura, meanwhile, is now working as a Radiographer at St George’s Hospital, London, after (Left to right) Laura and Sarah Mundy graduating from City University in 2012. Ali Hollroyd of the Oddfellows Care and Welfare Department said: “The Orphan Gift Fund is close to many of our members’ hearts. It’s wonderful to hear how well Sarah and Laura are doing. Children are our future and giving them the best start in life is the least we can do.”
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Money “When I had money worries the Oddfellows put me in touch with the right people who could help. They were with me every step of the way.” Pam - Cambridgeshire
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1) Take your time Even though you can press ‘publish’ on an e-book overnight now, the whole self-publishing process will take at least six months, so don’t try to rush it.
2) Edit Do this again and again. Collaborating with an editor is definitely worthwhile to get the structure and content right.
3) Find a cover designer For my first book I didn’t have the time to find a good cover designer who really understood what I was trying to do. This is so important – it is one of the biggest things I’ve learned and I’ve since launched a second edition that looks much slicker.
Self-publishing – turning your lines into loot As a growing number of aspiring authors are discovering, cutting out traditional publishers and releasing a book by themselves is easier now than ever. Polly Courtney’s career to date has been a self-publishing success story. Here she shares her advice for anyone looking to do it…
4) Network In many ways promoting a book is harder than writing it, but just try to speak to as many people as you can and get yourself out there. I started by contacting everyone I knew, asking them for help with contacts. From this, a journalist at The Observer newspaper heard what I was doing and wanted to write a full page spread on the subject of my first book – that it wasn’t all glamour and gold in the City. That really helped me get started. There are so many online media outlets now to target you don’t even have to put yourself on television if you really don’t want to. You can build a loyal readership from home.
5) Be brave Polly Courtney © Hannah Palmer
Back in 2006, the big publishers told me I should change what I was writing about. I didn’t want to so I decided to self-publish instead. This meant doing everything a traditional publisher would do for a book launch by myself.
Don’t be afraid to share the idea with people from the start, even if you think you know everything about the subject. Telling relevant people as you go will help with promotion later. Say yes to everything too – you never know where something might lead.
That included getting my book edited, first by friends and family and then by a professional editor. I also had to come up with the ‘package’, which is basically the title and cover design.
There is still a stigma surrounding selfpublishing but 25% of the top 100 e-books in the US are now self-published titles. It is definitely the way things are going.
For the production I chose a publishing company called Troubadour – they have self-published authors who are serious about becoming commercial. They did the printing and distribution for me, which basically involved getting it on Amazon and all the other online stores for me as well as physically stocked in stores.
I signed with a publisher a few years ago but walked away from them when they tried to turn my books into ‘chick-lit’. My sixth book Feral Youth came out in August and has had the best reception yet. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to traditional publishing.
There was a lot of muddling through, so here are the main lessons I’ve learned.
Feral Youth is out now and available to buy on Amazon by clicking here.