All things red

Tempted by red

Inspired by the new Pantone colour, “Baywatch Red”, a colour celebrating the show’s 30th anniversary, we take a look at the most devilish red beauty products for sale right now, guaranteed to make a splash.

SUPER RESTORATIVE TOTAL EYE CONCENTRATE Visibly more youthful-looking eyes thanks to this eye contour cream which banishes lines, puffiness and dark circles. www.clarins.co.uk £56

No.7 MATTE LIQUID LIPS No7 Matte Liquid Lips gives high impact colour that lasts up to 8 hours without a second of dryness. www.no7beauty.com £10

PIVOINE SUBLIME PERFECTING ESSENCE A serum that helps to blur imperfections and pores and leaves the complexion even. www.uk.loccitane.com £45

EXPRESS IN-SHOWER BODY MOISTURISER Cut down on your beauty routine and save time with our multitasking in-shower body moisturiser. This therapist developed and approved super product cleanses and moisturises your skin at the same time with a rich blend of Argan and almond oils. www.marksandspencer.com £6

BE TEMPTED BY DONNA KAREN Discover Be Tempted, the new scent from DKNY. Available from Debenhams. £40

HUDA BEAUTY OBSESSIONS PRECIOUS STONES EYESHADOW PALETTE IN RUBY A range of compact eyeshadow palettes, expertly curated by Huda herself, offering beauty lovers a complete day-tonight eye color wardrobe. www.feelunique.com £25

REVITALIFT RED CREAM Enriched with red pigment, but suitable for all skin tones, Energising Red Cream reactivates your healthy glow for skin that appears renewed and radiant. www.loreal-paris.co.uk £9.99

LE VERNIS BY CHANEL A long-wear, protective nail polish with lasting shine designed to make vibrant colours dazzle. Long-wearing, extrafine and ultra-shiny, each coat offers an absolutely even and lacquered result. www.chanel.com £22

BOURJOIS VELVET THE PENCIL Bourjois Velvet The Pencil gives a flawless matte finish in 16 bold colours, so you can effortlessly match any mood or outfit. Get the double effect of contour and colour for your lips in one stroke. You’ll see how easy it is to say bonjour to comfort and definition all at once! www.bourgois.com £9.99

HYPNOTIC POISON Eau de toilette. Hypnotic Poison isn’t a fragrance you wear, it’s a fragrance that wears you. With Hypnotic Poison Eau de Toilette, the house of Dior has created a magnetic and sensual fragrance, the stuff of modern perfumery legend. Captivating and incredibly sensual Oriental notes. www.dior.com £94

Leap year marriage proposal...

Is it a good idea?

Leap Year Marriage Proposal is it such a good idea?:

Only occurring once every four years, a leap year is an exciting time for a number of reasons, firstly there is an extra day in the year, which means that people born on the 29th February can actually celebrate their birthday on the right day, but mostly it is because tradition dictates that women can propose on a Leap day to a man.

Where does the idea of a Leap Year proposal come from? There are a number of theories of where the tradition of the leap year proposal stems from:

In the 5th Century it is rumoured that St Brigid of Kildare, an Irish nun, asked St Patrick to let women propose after many women were left waiting for a proposal from their boyfriends. He granted her wish and allowed women to propose every four years on a leap day. If the potential bridegroom refused he owed the women a silk dress.

In 1288 Queen Margaret of Scotland allegedly created a law, which allowed women to propose on a leap year as long as they wore a red petticoat. If a woman’s suitor rejected her proposal he was forced to pay a fine. As Queen Margaret was only 5 years old at this time most historians believe she would be unlikly to be interested in the plight of unmarried women. front of a whole restaurant as in “love Acually” Do you have a spot that you always go together or is there somewhere that you’ve both always wanted to visit? Make sure that you find a romantic spot where you can pop the question in private and he’ll thank you for it later.

Get him a ring? If your boyfriend is the kind of man that would wear jewellery then definitely get him a ring. Maybe not one of the £1 ones that Poundland are selling this year, if he gave you a £1 ring how would you feel? If he doesn’t like to wear a ring why not buy him a watch instead. That way he’ll remember to get to the church on time!

What if he says ‘no’? Don’t worry and don’t panic. You don’t know why he’s said no. He may have been planning to propose to you and you just got there first. Or maybe he’s just not ready to make that kind commitment. Instead of thinking this is the end of the world, instead talk to him about why he’s not ready for marriage yet.n

If a woman in Finland wanted to propose to their boyfriend they had to do it on a leap day, as it was the only day that gave the couple good luck. If the boyfriend refused he was required to pay a fine, (enough money to pay for a new skirt).

In some European countries, if a man rejected his girlfriends proposal he would have to buy her twelve pairs of gloves to hide the shame of being rejected.

The thought of proposing can be daunting for anyone, but it is even harder when there are out-dated ideas surrounding a woman’s proposal to a man. Don’t worry if you remember these few basic rules to proposing, you’ll be absolutely fine! …

Consider whether you’re definitely ready. There’s a reason why he hasn’t proposed yet. It might not be because he’s lazy or scared of commitment as your friends say perhaps he just thinks that you are not in the right financial position at the moment to be married. Or he could not just be at the same stage as you! Make sure you suss this out before you propose.

Tailor the proposal to him. What would make it individual to him? If he likes fishing write ‘Will You Marry Me,’ on little note and put it in his hook box. If he likes football you can write it on the back of a shirt of his favourite team.

Explore the world

The papers and the TV are full of adverts to whisk you off to the sun, snow or maybe there was a place you always wanted to visit. Now you are on your own or your partner is unable to travel, just how do you achieve that ambition?

To the iniated there’s nothing like the freedom of travelling on your own, setting out solo and returning home after your journey with a special sense of independence and accomplishment. But just because you’re going to solo doesn’t mean you have to be alone. Group travel can be a great option for single travellers to meet new friends with similar interests while you travel solo!

As solo travel trends continue to grow, many who have never travelled solo have their reservations. Will it be lonely? Costly? Travel has changed and the world is full of people who feel just like you. A number of companies and independent travel advisors can make sure that you choose the trip that is right for you. It might be best to find tours or events aimed at solo travelers. That way you will not be confronted with a group of couples or even people a long way from your age and interest bracket.

Based on my own experiences, and after several conversations with other solo travelers, I’ve found these common misconceptions don’t have to turn into your reality. Here’s why.

You’ll make connections to other people along the way Sure, you may have left your home alone. But that doesn’t mean you won’t make friends. You might experience pangs of loneliness, but that instinct will naturally drive you toward people. If you ache for conversation, chances are you’ll find it. Much like your first day of school? At first, you probably didn’t want to let go of your mum’s hand, but when 4 p.m. arrived, she had to drag you out of the sandpit. The same concept applies to solo travel. Good solo tours are specifically designed to encourage communal interaction. You will tour, eat and drink around other travellers.

You won’t pay more to go alone... To avoid the single supplement in hotel rooms shop around with your advisor before you buy pre-planned trips. Sometimes you can negotiate to pay no single extras or on tours share with a same sex person. Often you can end up in a room of your own. If you are travelling independently then booking in to a prefered hotel after 5pm on the day often gets a better rate if they are not full. Don’t try this before checking availability for your dates a few weeks before. It certainly will not work when any festival etc is on!

The tour guide has your back Like anything in life, travel, and travelling alone, has risks. But group travel on a tour, especially for older travellers means your confidence levels will be high. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take sensible precautions. Let your friends and family in on your travel plans and

update them via wifi messages etc on route. If you use them, take out your earphones and pay attention. Carry copies of your passport and driver’s license. And don’t wear a huge camera around your neck when you’re in transit on public transport. That makes you a bull’s-eye for thieves. Travel writer Chuck Thompson, who wrote To Hellholes and Back: Bribes, Lies, and the Art of Extreme Tourism (Holt Paperbacks, 2009) agrees. “Don’t wander into stupid situations. If you have any flicker of doubt about somebody’s intentions, bail out.” Thompson says of all the countries he’s visited, he only had reservations about travelling alone in the Congo.

It’s near impossible to get bored A tour is usually the opposite to this, most people wish for more time in a place not less. Sometimes it is best to let your advisor know what is really important to you to see or experience. They may find a way or a tour that gives more time in a place that holds a special place in your heart.

Life is all about making memories – you are never to old to start. n

Every lesson shapes a life

As a History teacher of 12 years, I regularly look to the words from the past for inspiration and direction. Nelson Mandela famously said that ‘education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world’.

However, as we look to current media representation of this profession, does it necessarily equate to the message that Mandela was emphasising? Is a career in teaching, instead, seen as a journey into deadlines, pressures and exam factories, with little reward other than the glimmer of a holiday on the horizon every 6-7 weeks? Indeed, I remember the words of my mother vividly when announcing my plans to become a teacher: ‘WHY? You must be crazy….’

As part of my leadership role, at Studley High School, I have had the privilege of leading our teacher training programme across schools in South Warwickshire. The Shires Teaching School Alliance is a partnership between Studley High School (the lead school), University of Worcester and nine other local outstanding or good schools, offering the opportunity to train to teach through a one year postgraduate programme known as ‘School Direct’.

The University of Worcester are renowned for their history of recruiting and training outstanding practitioners and the Shires Teaching Alliance has a long history of training, developing and supporting teachers. This success is also mirrored in the alliance schools we work with:

• Alcester Grammar School • Alcester Academy • Henley-in-Arden School • King Edward VI School, Stratford • Shipston High School • Stratford Girls’ Grammar School • Stratford-Upon-Avon School • Studley High School

School Direct differs from the traditional PGCE route in that it places an increased emphasis on time spent in schools and offers a separate Professional Studies programme delivered by our alliance of schools. The main feature, is a practical route alongside the theory that is covered in the university element of teacher training. Mentoring and support is at the very heart of the programme.

Train to teach

As one trainee (2019) commented: ‘At the heart of the programme is the idea that classroom practitioners need the right skills, support and mentoring to help move them forward. This course has ensured we have been given a wealth of opportunities while completing school placements’.

Programme sessions include:

• Developing a ‘teacher toolkit’ • How can I get them to listen? • Developing the ‘whole child’ • Grow forward: How can I be the best version of myself? • Poundland Pedagogy • Making marking better • Evidence-based learning • Retrieval and memorability • Using data to inform teaching and learning.

The range of sessions offered through mentoring and placements at two complementary schools ensure that our training teachers are fully equipped to enter their chosen career.

And, what a career it is! The power to teach a subject you love. The impact on young people and their future pathways. The opportunity to work with dedicated colleagues who share the same drive and vision as yourself. The ‘lightbulb’ moment when a child understands something that they had struggled with before.

So, in response to my mother’s comment, all those years ago, yes, I am kind of crazy. But I wouldn’t change my job for the world.

shirestsa.co.uk/teacher-training hello@shirestsa.co.uk @teachingschool_ Or come to the Shires Teacher Training office, in reception. n

Mrs A Page, Deputy Head, Teacher Training Programme Lead

Is the Saturday job dead?

The number of teenagers doing Saturday jobs has halves in two decades, a study from The Resolution Foundation finds that young people are turning away from ‘earning while learning’, the think tank suggests that: the proportion of teenagers with Saturday jobs has almost halved over the past two decades as youngsters turn away from “earning while learning” to focus on their studies, a report has found.

The employment rate of 16- to 17-year-olds with weekend jobs has plummeted from 48 per cent in 1997-99 to 25 per cent in 2017-19, according to research from the Resolution Foundation think tank.

The traditional Saturday job is dying as teenagers are now more likely to focus on their school and college work rather than juggle employment with studying, the report suggests. Even among the 16- to 17-year-olds with a part-time job, the average weekly hours for these school pupils have fallen from nine to eight in the past 20 years.

Overall, around one in 12 (8 per cent) workingage adults in the UK –the equivalent of 3.4 million adults – have never worked a day in their lives, which is a 52 per cent increase since 1998.

Laura Gardiner, research director at the Resolution Foundation, said: “The rising number of people who have never had a paid job has been driven by the death of the teenage Saturday job and a wider turn away from earning while learning.”

There has also been a fall in university and college students with a job. Undergraduates aged between 18 and 19 are 25 per cent less likely to be in work than they were in the early 2000s. Ms Gardiner added: “With young people today expected to end their working lives at a later age than previous generations, it’s understandable that they want to start their working lives at a later age too.

“But this lack of work experience can create longer-term problems, particularly if they hit other life milestones like motherhood or illhealth before their careers have got off the ground.”

For more information on this report visit https://www.resolutionfoundation.org n