Retired & Living in Birmingham & Solihull magazine by John McGrath

EDITION 31

Retired FEBRUARY - APRIL 2012

& living in Birmingham & Solihull

Inside ...

MICHAEL ASPEL On how he stepped up to the mike

RICK STEIN Shares his favourite dishes inspired by Flavours of the Med

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TRAVEL & LEISURE 6-7

Under The Tuscan Sun

8-9 Coach Tours 2012 From Robinsons Holidays 11 Spring Season Highlights at Solihull Arts Complex

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FOOD & DRINK 22-23 Rick Stein Mediterranean Escapes Recipes

INTERVIEW 14-15 Michael Aspel On how he stepped up to the mike.

HEALTH 5 Advanced Hearing Aid Technology 32-33 Coping with the Winter Months Five Ways to Stay Healthy this Winter.

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Dear Reader, Welcome to the latest local Retired magazine which we hope you will sit back and enjoy at your leisure. Our journalists Angela Kelly, Graham Smith and Sheila Alcock are continuing to keep you well informed with their celebrity interviews and up to date everyday tips. We know you will also be left with a smile on your face after reading Graham’s observations on life! If you know of an event which would benefit from free publicity please feel free to let us know and we can consider including it in our next issue.

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Graham Smith has a Twitter But is he right or wrong? Health and Safety and Hot Air! Reading the entire collection of Health and Safety rules which dictate our lives today would be a suitable prison sentence for murder. New ones are added daily by some overpaid barmpot in Whitehall and two I came across recently are worthy of mention. In the beautiful Bronte village of Haworth there is an annual event in June to celebrate the 1940s. Everyone and their granny descends on the village, some villagers have been known to move out for the weekend to avoid the crush, and many dress in period costume singing “We’ll Meet Again” increasingly loudly as the local brew takes effect. Until three years ago part of the spectacle was a fly past by retired World War Two aeroplanes, usually a Spitfire, a Hurricane or a Lancaster Bomber. Now these planes are still air worthy after seventy years but some clown in Bradford Council’s Health and Safety asylum decided there was a problem. The Spitfire won the Battle of Britain. Hitler and his army eventually chucked the towel in because they couldn’t down enough of the planes to win. It’s a good job Bradford Council wasn’t on his side or he’d have won. The organisers of the Forties Weekend had to conduct a Health and Safety and feasibility study and here was one of the questions:“What was the likelihood of one of the planes crashing onto the village during the flypast?” Now we don’t see many Fokkers or Messerschmitts over Haworth these days and the Home Guard was disbanded some years ago. The only aerial threat we have is from rooks and the occasional duck with a dicky tummy, which might necessitate wearing a tin helmet on windy days. I think we had the greatest confidence that the pilots would have successfully cleared the village without a mass slaughter of the population, but, no, we couldn’t have a fly past.

10,000 people squeezed onto our tiny cobbled streets that weekend. Traffic management had a pink fit as the hordes parked their cars anywhere and everywhere. Hermann Goerring was spotted having a pint in The Fleece but we couldn’t have aeroplanes using the only empty space in the valley…the sky. Were all flights from Leeds-Bradford airport suspended for the day in case the lunch time Ireland plane crashed in Central Park? They were not. There was a famous wartime phrase which said, “Your country needs you”. I suggest the same does not apply to the Health and Safety nitwits of today.

There’s a hole in your bench Amazingly the same village got a double dose of daftness when the local council decided to recobble and landscape the bottom of Main Street. A lovely 12-month old wrought iron bench was removed to facilitate the work and it hasn’t come back. For years locals and visitors have enjoyed relaxing on the bench and no injuries have ever been reported apart from the odd drunk slipping off the edge and nearly falling under the Oakworth bus. The locals of yesteryear would have sat there and watched horses and carts go up and down the steep cobbled street posing some hazard if one set off at the gallop going downhill. But we can’t have the bench back because a health and safety executive decision said a child might get their finger stuck in the wrought iron! Oh, do me a favour. There are still stocks at the top of the street, what if someone gets trapped in them while having their picture taken? I’ve seen women in stiletto heels pirouetting like Margot Fonteyn trying to walk down the street and not get trapped in the cobbled setts. But we cannot have our bench back. In fact some half wit has now decided it is so dangerous that it is to be repainted and auctioned off. I suppose we can’t have a wooden on either in case a splinter develops and punctures some old dear’s derriere. www.retiredmagazines.co.uk

Solihull Hearing Centre is an independent family business established over 50 years, specialising in the leading makes of hearing aids.

reat emphasis is placed on the friendly team at hand to provide expert and helpful advice whether just replacing a battery to the comprehensive service of hearing aids, evaluation, demonstration and fitting of the hearing aid to ongoing after care to ensure complete satisfaction. The business was established over 50 years ago by the late Ernest Dunderdale-Syner, father of the present managing director Peter Syner and now aided by sons Steven and Charles.

The most up to date computerised diagnostic equipment is at hand to ensure your hearing test and evaluation is as comprehensive as possible. Whatever your hearing requirement Solihull Hearing Centre is tuned to your needs. We pride ourselves on being less expensive than many national companies due to our lower overheads. Repair service to all makes l Home visits available by appointment l All in the ear hearing aids from ÂŁ495. l

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Under the Tuscan Sun

trung along 18km of serrated cliffs between Levanto and La Spezia, the Cinque Terre is one of Italy’s treasures. These five higgledy-piggledy villages Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore are cut off by mountains, choked with olive groves and dry-stone-walled vineyards, where farmers have eked out a living over the centuries. The Cinque Terre became a Unesco World Heritage site in 1997, which includes a protected marine area, and became a national park (Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre) in 1999. Wine growers still use monorail mechanisms to ferry themselves up and the grapes down these unique lands, and in some cases have to harvest by boat as access is restricted. If the terraced hillsides are not worked, they will quite literally slide into the sea. National park status has spared the area from a propagation of tourism and the tacky souvenir stands that come with it and saved it from environmental destruction. Cars and motorbikes are not allowed in the villages, instead they are connected by train. In the villages, electric buses scale the sheer streets. Park authorities close walking paths when numbers become too great, so it s best to arrive in the cool and relative calm of the early morning. EATING/DRINKING Grapevines and olive trees cover the hillsides, so wine and oil are a must on the restaurant tables. They prove

excellent companions for the salted anchovies of Monterosso served in olive oil as well as the many specialty fish dishes and authentic gastronomic delights. The cuisine of the Cinque Terre almost perfectly conserves the characteristics of yesteryear; the respect for the flavours and fragrances of the primary ingredients. Trofie is a kind of pasta made from chestnut or wheat flour, It’s condiment is still pesto sauce, an original Ligurian sauce made from basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil, grated parmesan cheese and pine nuts. Torte di verdura - vegetable pies -are prepared with a stuffing containing parsley, marjoram, wild local herbs, artichokes, zucchini, potatoes and leeks, combined with egg and ricotta cheese or with stale bread soaked in milk or béchamel sauce and parmesan cheese. The pie crust is very thin, because flour was a very precious commodity. Torta di riso - rice pie - is a specialty of every Italian grandma in the region. Frittate - flat omelettes are popular today as the ‘frittata’ has been rediscovered as a tasty antipasto. Another important dish on the tables of the Cinque Terre population was cotoletta di acciuga, anchovies stuffed with a breadcrumb based filling and then fried. The fritelle di bianchetti, fritters made from tiny newborn anchovies or sardines, were also highly appreciated. Following the seamen’s gastronomic traditions, other dishes included stewed cuttlefish, stuffed calamari and spiced octopus.

SLEEPING Numerous villagers have rooms to rent: look for signs reading camere (rooms) or affittacamere (rooms for rent). Accommodation booking offices in Riomaggiore are really helpful and can help you organise a room ahead of time. The town of Levanto is bigger and has a lot of accommodation including hotels, bed & breakfasts and even camping areas where you can rent a tent with two beds and linens for very low prices! Note: Breakfast in an Italian hotel or B&B will be some slices of bread and a croissant, butter, jam and coffee with orange juice if you are lucky. This is a typical Italian breakfast so if you can get a room without breakfast and head down to the nearest cafe where there is a larger choice. GETTING AROUND Take the train to La Spezia and change onto the regional (“Regionale”) train that makes all the local stops in the Cinque Terre mostly through tunnels. All the Cinque Terre towns have their own train station. Almost all the trains from La Spezia stop in Levanto. The train represents the best way to visit all the villages of the Cinque Terre. Until the end of the 19th Century these towns were completely isolated and reachable just on foot or by sea. In 1860 (works ended in 1874) the first tunnel of this track was built connecting Genoa with La Spezia and crossing

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T R AV E L almost entirely all this territory through tunnels (32 tunnels were built here!). This means of transportation gives you the possibility to visit the villages in a discreet and easy way and as the train emerges from another tunnel you are treated to another stunning view of one of the best secrets in Italy. DONT LEAVE WITHOUT The Cinque Terre boasts some of the best coastline hiking trails in the world. The path from Riomaggiore to Manarola is called the Via Dell’Amore - or Lovers Walk. The beautiful trail along the shore is very easy to hike. Along the way, you’ll witness where lovers have written their names on the rocks and trees surrounding the walk. In the middle of Riomaggiore and Manarola you will come across ‘The Lover’s Lock’ which is a place to seal your eternal love. At this point there is a concrete throne in the shape of a male and female locked in a kiss, where many people duplicate this creating a lovely photographic opportunity.

The next hike from Manarola to Corniglia is also easy. However, there is an up hill hike and a large zigzag shaped staircase with 385 steps which can be quite a mission in the midday sun! The trail from Corniglia to Vernazza offers incredible views of shore and is only steep at certain places. The trail from Vernazza to Monterosso is the steepest (you need a reasonably good level of fitness - there is over 250m of climbing over very uneven rocks, totalling approx. 750 ‘steps’ - not easy!), winding through olive orchards and vineyards and offering dramatic ocean views. The paths are narrow, with a very real danger of falling 12 to 15 feet if you lose your footing. If you attempt this hike, take some water, and be prepared to build up a sweat. The walk between all the villages takes the better part of a day. For those that would rather not walk (or not walk the entire trail), a pedestrian ferry service runs seasonally to all five villages, plus Lerici. The price is reasonable, and

50 BLACKPOOL Holidays

gives a nice view of the villages from the water. The milk train that connect all the villages is also a quick way to hop among towns. It is advised that you attempt the walk as early as possible to avoid the hottest part of the day during the summer period. Sneakers or suitable walking shoes are essential. You must purchase a pass for the hike. It is also possible to purchase a hiking and train pass in one if you wish to catch a train to the next town. Hiking Times around the Cinque Terre: Monterosso - Vernazza: 90 minutes. Vernazza - Corniglia: 90 minutes. Corniglia - Manarola: 45 minutes. Manarola - Riomaggiore: 20 minutes. Manarola also has its own beautiful vineyard walk. Language: Italian and although English is spoken widely, the locals always appreciate your small efforts to communicate in their language. Currency: Euro (EUR) Time zone: GMT + 2

visit: www.50plusholidays.co.uk email: sales@50plusholidays.co.uk

The New Mayfair Hotel is Situated in the enviable position of South Beach on South Promenade Blackpool, the hotel boasts 45 En-suite Bedrooms some with spectacular panoramic views of the sea and miles of golden sand. The hotel offers a first class hotel experience where you can be rest assured your every need is catered for, in a fully accessible environment with caring & dedicated staff. One of the highlights of your visit will no doubt be a meal in the accessible South Beach Restaurant. We understand that good food is an important factor of your holiday and that is why we have our own in house chefs with over 35 years’ experience At selected times throughout the season we will be offering some fantastic evening entertainment featuring some of the best cabaret artists the North West has to offer. WITH 25 SINGLES ROOMS AVAILABLE THERE IS NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENT TO PAY !

Prize must be redeemed before 31st March 2012. Non-transferable and non cash redeemable

Safehands at The New Mayfair, 673 - 677 New South Promenade, Blackpool, Lancs., FY4 1RN

Est.1923

Affordable peace of mind ..... Holidays

FULL 2012 BROCHURE OUT NOW

COACH TOURS 2012 HOME TO HOTEL PICK UP SERVICE

ABBEY LAWN HOTEL, TORQUAY

IMPERIAL HOTEL, EASTBOURNE

OCEAN VIEW HOTEL, ISLE OF WIGHT

Abbey Lawn Hotel, Torquay AAHHH Torquay is most certainly one of the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Finest resorts and the heart of the English Riviera. If you are looking to unwind in style, this elegant Georgian hotel is the place to stay. Located in the grounds of the former Torre Abbey, overlooking Torbay, there are superb facilities. These include indoor and outdoor swimming pools, gym, steam room, sauna and a spacious conservatory. As with all our own hotels a night porter ensures 24 hour reception service.

Imperial Hotel, Eastbourne Robinsons HHH Eastbourne is an ideal holiday destination, it has one of the top sunshine records in the UK and has been awarded the Seaside Award for its clean safe beaches for the past eight years. An impressive Victorian hotel, situated at the seaward end of Devonshire place, less than a hundred yards from the seafront, on a delightful tree-lined boulevard less than five minutes walk from the main facilities and town centre amenities. A night porter ensures 24 hour reception service.

Ocean View Hotel, Shanklin Robinsons HHH Take a short boat ride across the Solent and discover the Isle of Wight, an island of great natural beauty and superb weather, with a wealth of attractions for visitors of all ages. Shanklin, on the south coast of the island, is home to a variety of safe, golden beaches and a quaint collection of shops housed in traditional thatched cottages. An elegant hotel commanding magnificent views across Sandown Bay, the balconies provide the perfect place to enjoy the sunset on summer evenings. Guests can unwind in the piano lounge before enjoying an evning meal in the spacious restaurant. A night porter ensures 24 hour reception service.

Freephone : 0800 0839086 www.robinsons-holidays.co.uk

Park Garage, Great Harwood, Blackburn BB6 7SP.

1501

All holidays on this page are inclusive of a pick up from your home, provided you live within the area shown on the map. You will be taken to an appropriate point to join your main tour coach. Tour coaches will depart late morning and you will be advised of the pick up time one week prior to the date of travel. On the homeward journey, you will arrive back in the West Midlands early afternoon with transport provided to your home.

8 Days/ 7 Nights Dinner Bed & Breakfast, includes at least 2 Excursions and FREE Insurance

Abbey Lawn Imperial Ocean View Mystery Tour

Sat/Sun 28/29 Apr 05/06 May 12/13 May 19/20 May 26/27 May 02/03 Jun 09/10 Jun 16/17 Jun 23/24 Jun 30 Jun/01 Jul 07/08 Jul 14/15 Jul 21/22 Jul 28/29 Jul 04/05 Aug 11/12 Aug 18/19 Aug 25/26 Aug 01/02 Sept 08/09 Sept 15/16 Sept 22/23 Sept 29/30 Sept

£375 £375 £375 £385 £385 £385 £395 £395 £395 £405 £405 £405 £415 £415 £415 £419 £419 £419 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £429 £419 £419 £419 £409 £409 £409 £389 £389 £389 £369 £369 £369

£329 £345 £355 £365 £375 £379 £389 £389 £389 £389 £389 £389 £389 £389 £389 £389 £389 £389 £389 £379 £369 £349 £329

7 Days/ 6 Nights Dinner Bed & Breakfast, includes at least 2 Excursions and FREE Insurance Monday 05-Mar 12-Mar 19-Mar 26-Mar 16-Apr 23-Apr 08-Oct 15-Oct 22-Oct 29-Oct

Abbey Lawn Imperial Ocean View Mystery Tour

£249 £259 £269 £279 £305 £315 £309 £299 £289 £279

£225 £235 £245 £255 £279 £285 £279 £275 £265 £255

£279 £275 £269 £265 £259 £255

£255 £249 £245 £239 £235 £229

Turkey and Tinsel 05-Nov 12-Nov 19-Nov 26-Nov 03-Dec 10-Dec

£279 £275 £269 £265 £259 £255

5 Days/ 4 Nights Dinner Bed & Breakfast, includes 2 Excursions and FREE Insurance Monday 06-Feb 13-Feb 20-Feb 27-Feb 05-Mar 12-Mar 19-Mar 26-Mar 02-Apr 06-Apr 11-Apr 16-Apr 23-Apr 30-Apr 07-May 14-May 21-May 28-May 04-Jun 11-Jun 18-Jun 25-Jun 02-Jul 09-Jul 16-Jul 23-Jul 30-Jul 06-Aug 13-Aug 20-Aug 27-Aug 03-Sept 10-Sept 17-Sept 24-Sept 01-Oct 08-Oct 15-Oct 22-Oct 29-Oct

Abbey Lawn Imperial Ocean View Mystery Tour £169 £175 £179 £185 £189 £195 £199 £205 £205 £215 £215 £219 £225 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - £255 £245 £239 £235 £229

£169 £175 £179 £185 £189 £195 £199 £205 £205 £215 £215 £219 £225 £229 £239 £245 £249 £255 £259 £269 £279 £279 £279 £279 £279 £279 £279 £279 £279 £279 £279 £279 £275 £269 £265 £255 £245 £239 £235 £229

£159 £163 £165 £169 £175 £179 £185 £189 £185 £195 £195 £199 £205 £209 £219 £225 £229 £235 £239 £245 £255 £255 £255 £255 £255 £255 £255 £255 £255 £255 £255 £255 £249 £245 £239 £229 £219 £215 £209 £205

£229 £225 £219 £215 £209 £205* £199* £425 £405

£209 £205 £199 £195 £195 £195* £195* £385 £365

Turkey and Tinsel 05-Nov 12-Nov 19-Nov 26-Nov 03-Dec 10-Dec 17-Dec 23-Dec 29-Dec

£229 £225 £219 £215 £209 £205* £199* £425 £405

* Unlimited Singles

Abbey Lawn and Ocean View Hotels - Front facing/seaview supplements 7 Days £13 per person. 8 Days £15 per person. 5 Days £10 per person

Freephone: 0800 0839086 Park Garage, Great Harwood, Blackburn BB6 7SP www.robinsons-holidays.co.uk

Could it be time to take to the floor? Dancing can be wonderful to watch, but joining in really does you good, Strictly legends Ann Widdecombe and Anton du Beke tell James Pringle

trictly Come Dancing stars Ann Widdecombe and Anton du Beke are leading the way in helping thousands of older people to dance their way to better health. Less than 10 per cent of over-75s get enough exercise, according to a new report by care home provider Bupa. Even in the 65-74 age group, that figure is under 20 per cent. The report concludes that dancing, no matter how gentle, is beneficial to the health, fitness and emotional wellbeing of older people. It improves co-ordination, reaction times, muscle endurance, flexibility, gait and strength – which all reduce the risk of falls. It can also play a part in the prevention or treatment of conditions as diverse as dementia, arthritis and Parkinson’s disease. Bupa’s Shall We Dance? campaign is urging policy-makers to pay special attention to dance when looking at ways to promote fitness in older

people. It’s also encouraging dancers, dance troupes and dance teachers – of any style – to contact their local Bupa care home to share their passion for dance by performing for residents or offering dance classes to people who have a range of mobility issues. Residents and staff from three of company’s Kent homes – The Sidcup Nursing & Residential Centre and Abbotsleigh Mews Residential & Nursing Home, both in Sidcup, and Elmstead PIC CAPTION: Elmstead Home’s Kathleen McIlroy and Residential Home in Chislehurst Clifford Morgan from the Sidcup Centre partner up with – attended the campaign launch in Anton du Beke and Ann Widdecombe. London at the National Theatre. They certain age it’s easy to do nothing, but were welcomed by Bupa Care Services the thing about dance is that it’s very medical director Dr Clive Bowman and social. It gets you involved with lots of took to the floor with the Strictly stars different people of a similar age and after the former government minister you can dance at your own pace – you and her professional dance partner had don’t have to do it too fast. It’s great for given a demonstration. the mind and body, but to me it’s the Anton told Retired: “This campaign is social interaction that’s important. a great initiative. When you get to a

Spring Season Highlights at Solihull Arts Complex Solihull Film Festival various 25/1 Syd Lawrence Orchestra Big Band £18.50 £15 26/1 Sounds of Simon Simon & Garfunkel 27/1 Michael Jackson Tribute £19 11/2 And Finally...Phil Collins Tribute £16.50 12/2 The Jaguar Land Rover Band £10 (£7) 14/2 Julian Smith Romance & Sax £16.50 (£15) £20 16/2 A Sixties Night Out 2/3 The Jive Aces Lively Jazz & Swing band £14 12/3 Brendan Shine Irish Country singer £17 13-14/3 Go and Play Up Your Own End! £21 29-30/3 Old Herbaceous - One man play £10 Adv. £12 £15 7/4 Maddy Prior in Concert 12/4 Dominic Kirwan Irish folk singer £17 13/4 Malc Stent & The Surplus Cassocks £15 20-22/1

18/4 30/4 5/5 8-9/5 10/5 18/5 21/5 24/5 26/5 29/5 11/6 15/6 13/7 20/7 27/7

Stacey Kent - Sublime jazz songstress £17 The Fureys & Davey Arthur £17 The Golden Age of Musical Satire £12 All Our Yesterdays Nostalgia £11 mat. £13 (£12) Locrian Ensemble - Mozart by Candlelight £16 The Great Canadian Songbook £12 Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers £18(£16.50/£14) Gypsy Fire Dynamic string quartet £15 (£14) The Frank & Buble Show Tribute £17 A Royal Midday Variety + lunch option £12 Nicholas Nickleby one man show £14 (£12) Marty Wilde Rock ‘n’ Roll extraordinaire £19 Buddy Holly & The Cricketers tribute £16.50 Kenny Ball & his Jazzmen £19 ABBA The Show Popular tribute £16.50

Box Office: 0121 704 6962 www.solihullartscomplex.co.uk

“I love to dance socially. I enjoy the whole element of taking hold of a girl and having a bit of a dance around, whether she can dance or not. It’s terrific fun. “Often I hear stories like: ‘Fifteen years ago my wife passed away and last year I went on a cruise and met Doris, we had a dance and we’re together now. We’re getting married next year, and I’m 84.’ That’s brilliant!” Nobody should worry that they are not as agile as they once were, Anton believes. You can do as much or as little as you like, at any speed, and if you have a partner, you can hold onto them. “Don’t feel you’ve got to do it wonderfully,” he stressed. “Just do it for your own enjoyment.” Anne Widdecombe added: “When you’re my age [63] you do quite a lot. I walk, I swim and a lot of people my age still play quite active sports. In 20 years’ time that’s not going to be quite so feasible, but you still need to keep all the bits and pieces moving – and that includes the brain. “With dancing you can move at your own pace, whatever suits you. Because you have to remember a routine and know which step comes after what, it keeps the brain active – and it keeps you sociable, because you can’t really dance on your own. “It’s a great way for the elderly to keep a little bit in trim. I don’t think anybody’s going to worry about making fools of themselves – they’re not going to do what I did on television in front of eight million people! Anyway, most people are quite confident, they’ve seen it all before. “While I was doing Strictly, people kept coming up to me and saying ‘You’ve inspired me to take up dancing’, and some of them were well beyond my age.” Perpetual motion for dancing stars After last year’s Strictly series, Anton and his regular partner, Erin Boag, went on their third national tour and they are now planning a show for mid-January to late March 2012. Tour titles to date, Cheek to Cheek, Stepping Out and Putting on the Ritz, identify Fred Astaire as a major inspiration.

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“I love him,” said Anton. “Everything we do is a nod in his direction.” These days he and Erin cannot find time for ballroom dancing competitions. “I miss them. I miss that level of dancing, that intensity and that drive to meet the next man. I enjoyed the competitive side of things.” Anton’s Strictly success has seen him branch out into TV presenting, with the shows Step Up to the Plate and Hole in the Wall. “Hole in the Wall was just hysterical. I don’t think we’ll see it any more, sadly. I wish they’d bring it back, because it’s fun. Half an hour of nonsense and we loved doing it.” Other programmes are in discussion and Anton hopes there will be more opportunities. Meanwhile, he looks forward to this year’s series of Strictly. Many viewers were surprised when former Westminster big hitter Ann Widdecombe joined the 2010 line-up. “All the time I was a politician, it would not have been appropriate,” she said, “and that is why I turned down Strictly every year from 2004 to 2009. “I wouldn’t have had time and, in terms of dignity, I couldn’t have done it as an MP. My constituents would not have expected it and I wouldn’t have done it to them. But once I retired there was no obligation to conduct myself as if I was still a Member of Parliament. I can do anything now!” Ann’s harshest critic during the TV series was judge Craig Revel Horwood. For the live national tour of the show, someone came up with the masterstroke of making Craig and Ann dance partners. “Oh it was such fun!” said Ann. “We both enjoyed it so much that we’re doing pantomime together in December.” For a moment, your reporter thought she was joking, but it’s true. The unlikely pair will be appearing at Dartford’s Orchard Theatre in Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Ann will be lady-in-waiting to the Wicked Queen, played by Craig. “We enjoyed the tour so much,” Ann added. “We were getting a huge reaction from huge audiences. Sure, when you do it on television you’ve got millions of viewers, but you can’t see

’em. All you can see is quite a small studio audience. But when you’re playing Wembley and the O2, you’re stacking up tens of thousands and the reaction is just overwhelming. “I danced every day for five weeks, and twice a day when we were doing matinees.” Ann confessed that she was never a serious competitive dancer on Strictly. “I was doing a pantomime act. On day one, Anton said to me: ‘The less time you spend with your feet on the floor, the better’. Hence all the lifting, spinning, dragging, flying – anything to avoid actually doing the steps! “The flying was Anton’s bright idea. I said to him: ‘We’ve got to do something, because I’m never going to win on dancing. He said: ‘Fly off the balcony’. I’ve got terrible height phobia, but I did understand the potential, so I flew off the balcony.” Once Snow White is over, Ann will be ensconced in her study. “My agent is very keen that I reapply myself to my writing. I haven’t had a novel out since 2005 and I need to get one out next year. And I’ve got an autobiography to write. So I really do need to apply myself to my word processor.” Solihull Arts Complex has launched a range of dance activities for all ages designed to be a fun and inexpensive way to get fit, make new friends and keep healthy and mobile. Classes include: Stepping Out – learn dance styles from around the world in weekly daytime sessions for the over 50s at Solihull Arts Complex and Chelmsley Wood Library. Strictly Beginners – 10 week course for adults in ballroom and Latin American – then move to the Intermediate level aimed at previous dance ‘returners’ or those just completed the Beginners course who are keen to keep improving. Wiggle & Giggle – fun sessions for youngsters aged 4-7, light-hearted fun intro to dance and movement, weekly on Wednesdays. For details, prices or tickets please call Solihull Arts Complex Box Office on 0121 704 6962.

Keep active – keep healthy! As we get older and certainly when we retire, some of us will lead a more sedentary lifestyle than we have done up until now. For a start, if you do not take up another full-time job in retirement, you will not have to get out of bed in the morning and rush around getting ready for work and then travelling. If you have little to do, many of us eat and drink out of boredom, so there is a danger that we shall eat and drink more than we should, especially if it is combined with a more sedentary life. You might have a drink at lunchtime as you do, perhaps, on holiday. So it is worth keeping an eye on our exercise levels and our diet. Putting on extra weight as we get older can be harmful because we naturally get less supple anyway, so if we can take a bit of care it will do us good and help us to maintain an active lifestyle.

Why Keep Physically Active? We naturally want to enjoy our later life and, in order to do this, we need to be moderately fit; fit so that we can do all those things that we want to do such as play with the grandchildren, walk around those tourist attractions on holiday, go for country walks and so on.

Recent guidance from the Chief Medical Officer confirms that older adults who participate in any amount of physical activity gain some health benefits, including the maintenance of good physical and mental health. Some physical activity is better than none and more physical activity provides greater health benefits.

The beneﬁts of being active include: • helping to maintain an active and alert mind • reducing the risk of heart disease • helping to maintain the ability to carry out daily living activities • improving mood and self-confidence • reducing the risk of falls • increasing sociability when undertaken with other people Older adults should aim to be active every day, adding up to at least 150 minutes (2½ hours) a week of moderate intensity activity. A good way to approach this is to do thirty minutes activity on at least five days a week. For those who are already regularly physically active at moderate intensity, similar benefits can be achieved through 75 additional minutes of more vigorous intensity activity spread across the week or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity. It is also advised that older adults undertake physical activity to improve muscle strength on at least two days a week and that those older adults at risk of falls should incorporate physical activity to improve balance and co-ordination on at least two days a week, every week. Nobody is too old to benefit from physical activity. The range of classes and activity sessions at the Village Leisure Club are numerous. Class instructors should be fully qualified and have experience of working with older adults to ensure maximum benefits for health and well being.

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Retired Magazine Reader Offer FREE 3 DAY VILLAGE LIFE MEMBERSHIP Offer to all Retired Magazine readers – Come and ﬁnd out for yourself how the Village Life membership can help you achieve your health and ﬁtness goals as well as improve your health and well-being with a complimentary 3 day membership. Offer on for limited time, so get in touch today. Name ............................................................................................. Tel No .......................................................... Address ............................................................................................................................................................... Send your details to the address oppostite, or alternatively call and reserve your place on 0844 980 0118, or just simply come in and see us today.

Village Life … Keeping fit at the Village Hotel in Solihull is a very social way of staying healthy, the club is extremely popular with the 50 plus age group. Comfortable changing rooms with plenty of private showers and member card activated lockers lead to a truly stunning 20 metre swimming pool, large jacuzzi, steam room and brand new sauna. The pool area is very spacious with a mixture of natural and ambient lighting creating a very pleasant experience. Regular pilates, stretch and yoga classes are held in the Wellness Studio, whilst the adjacent large bright and airy aerobics studio is the place for rumba, dance aerobics and perfect fit classes. ‘Perfect Fit’ has been designed by Dame Kelly Holmes to improve general fitness and body toning for all levels from a complete novice to the very experienced. New for 2012 the Aerobics Studio welcomes ballroom dancing. The large impressive state of the art gym houses a whole range of cardio fitness equipment with iPod docking stations and individual TVs. Natural light and good positioning of the extensive range of equipment gives a feeling of personal space within the room. The perfect fit framework by Kelly Holmes is designed to get the best out of your membership and supported by personal trainers ready to help motivate. The aim of the Village is to help you achieve your goals whilst delivering the best value for money. Finally after your session in the gym or the pool, The Victory Pub and Kitchen or Starbucks are available for a well earned coffee or snack.

Come and try our Exclusive VILLAGE LIFE Membership with a THREE DAY TRIAL

t: 0844 980 0118 Village Leisure Club, Solihull Village Hotel, Dog Kennel Lane, Solihull, B90 4GW. 13

How Michael stepped up to the mike When the young Michael Aspel headed for Cardiff, his father thought it was to develop his career with a bedding company, but Michael had other ideas, as James Pringle discovered Who would expect a highly experienced broadcaster like Michael Aspel to be dogged by moments of doubt?

they were looking for continuity announcers at the BBC TV’s Lime Grove Studios. “There was just this one gigantic dinner suit between all of us. We wore whatever we liked below – it could be tennis shorts or whatever, because the picture never cut below the waist.

“For some years I was very cocky and full of myself, yet I’ve always been very nervous,” he tells Retired. “Luckily I was able to handle awkward situations, but you get less and less confident as you grow older.” Such feelings are not helped by television’s fondness for young faces, and Michael is now a wellpreserved 78. But when the 100 Years of Us series earlier this year highlighted changes in society during the first century of the National Census, he was “well qualified to be the front man, having been around for most of that time”. Indeed, for many of us, Michael has always been on the airwaves, but he was a teaboy for a London publisher before National Service in the King’s Royal Rifle Corps in the early 1950s. “When I came out of the Army, I wanted to be an actor,” he recalls. “My father was very sympathetic. He said: “Get a job or get out’. I took a job with a bedding firm that had contacts in Cardiff with a big store there. I went down there ostensibly to learn the bedding trade and the sales business, but that wasn’t my intention at all. I auditioned for radio drama at the BBC in Cardiff, and they gave me occasional work while I waited for a place to come up on the BBC drama repertory company. I did all sorts of jobs – including drainpipelayer and gardener – that I could drop at a moment’s notice when they required me for a freelance broadcast. I would rush straight from the building site and be in things like the Children’s Hour serial.

“That was a wonderfully happy time. It was quite different from Lime Grove or the later Television Centre – partly because it was news only and partly because it was such a historic place, where television began, and physically cut off from the rest of the BBC, and you could not get a better bunch of workmates.” Michael remembers a time he made news himself. “I went on one night with a black eye. I’d been playing in a charity cricket match the day before and got the ball in my eye. The response was incredible – it was even in the papers in France and America.”

Michael joins Lance England in the studio of community station Brooklands Radio

“I intended to pursue acting and in the mid-50s I was on the radio in London, but then someone told me 14

Lime Grove was the BBC TV’s main London base, but the news department was at Alexandra Palace. When Richard Baker was indisposed, Michael was drafted in to read one weekend’s bulletins and ended up staying for eight years.

Michael never did become an actor – except that “occasionally theatres let people from the telly do plays, to put bums on seats, and I’ve done a few”. He hosted Ask Aspel, Crackerjack, Aspel and Company, Miss World, Come Dancing, Give Us a Clue, The Six o’Clock Show, This is Your Life and Antiques Roadshow and his mellow tones were also heard on the radio.

On the Light Programme’s Family Favourites sound engineers were at the controls, but Michael learnt to self-operate a studio as part of the launch team of London commercial station Capital Radio. www.retiredmagazines.co.uk

I N T E RV I E W “When I did something for the BBC after that, they asked if I’d like to self-op and I said I would – but their controls worked the other way round and I said ‘Good morning’ and switched myself off. “Capital was exciting and I did things I never dreamt I would do. There was a brilliant young producer called Simon Booker and the station’s chairman was Richard Attenborough, who would get us tremendous guests with his contacts. “That kept going with the television chat show, although, to be honest, that was a great disappointment to me. It didn’t compare with the shows I did on Capital, because there were various restrictions and I wasn’t as confident. “At the radio station my researcher – a woman who had a PhD in mediaeval French – provided me with information on people and I would then prepare the interview. When I started the chat show on Thames, I found there was an agreement between representatives of the guest and our people as to what line the interview would take.” Who were the most difficult people to interview? “Actors like Elliott Gould – he was utterly impossible – and others just weren’t very good at it. “Tony Curtis was every interviewer’s gift most of the time, but occasionally he would lose interest and he did that on one of my shows. When I said: ‘Did this make you the happy man you are today?’ his reply was: “Who said I was happy?’ Then he said: ‘And with that, I bid you goodnight’ when we’d only had about three minutes. He walked off and we had to fill in.” Another live show guest was an inebriated Oliver Reed. “I wasn’t as horrified as I was reported to be,” Michael points out. Always at the back of your mind, in a situation like that, is that ‘This is good telly’. “The worst experience was the very last chat show we did. It was taken over by Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis, who’d put money into opening a restaurant in the West End. The whole thing became an advert for that and it was just ghastly. I lost control of it and felt very low by the end.”

manner of his predecessor, Eamonn Andrews. “For a big burly man and an exboxer, he was amazingly sensitive and easily embarrassed,” says Michael. “When This Your Life and guests wandered from the point, I tried to laugh it off. But it was the most silly, unnatural arrangement. Someone would originally come in with a good anecdote and tell it to the researcher, who would type it out and give it back to the person as a script. “They would then try to learn it, and come stumbling on, trying to remember the script of their own story. That didn’t always work, so you would have to gently nudge them, hopefully without giving away the joke.” Michael lives near Weybridge, Surrey, with his partner Irene Clark. Retirement has never figured in his plans. He will be among the stars at this year’s Parkinson’s UK charity Christmas Concert at Central Hall, Westminster. Recent years have seen him guest hosting Have I Got News for You and making a documentary about his wartime evacuee experiences. He has taken to the stage in a Rocky Horror Show tour, as well as appearing in several pantomimes. “Because of some kind of imaginary gravitas that you bring to the stage, the thing works and you can still have the time of your life while being this old codger.”

Subscription Form To receive the next two issues of Retired Magazine hot off the press, either for yourself or to treat a friend, please fill in the form below and post with a cheque for £3.40 made payable to McGrath Media: Unit 6, Moses Gate Workshops, Manchester Road, Bolton BL3 2QG. Name:......................................................................... Address:..................................................................... .................................................................................... Postcode:.................................................................... Title: Retired & Living in............................................. .................................................................................... Issue Numbers:..........................................................

When Michael hosted Crackerjack and This is Your Life, his laid-back style contrasted the anxious

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OUT & ABOUT There are three participating centres: • Aldersley Leisure Village • Bilston Leisure Centre • Central Baths l

Contemporary Gift & Home l Gift & Home l Volume Gift & Home l Greetings & Stationery l Kitchen, Dining & Housewares l The Summerhouse l Toys, Games & Kids Gifts l The Party Show l Festive & Floral l Art & Framing l Body, Bath & Home Fragrance l Fashion Jewellery & Accessories l The Jewellery Show Visitor enquiries T 08445 888 071 E visit@springfair.com

ACTIVITIES FOR OLDER PEOPLE The Wolverhampton Sport and Recreation 50+ programme provides a wide range of activities for over 50’s residents to join in.

There are eight different activities available including: • • • • • • • •

Swimming Fitness training Aerobics Indoor bowls Air rifle shooting Table tennis Badminton Short tennis

Visit www.wolverhampton.gov.uk for details.

Scarecrow Festival From 11 February 2012 to 19 February 2012 Visit Tatton's Scarecrow Festival in the Gardens and at the Farm this spring half-term. Over 30 scarecrows will be resident in the Gardens. Find the farmyard scarecrows and have a go at making your own. Contact: Tatton Park Telephone: 01625 374400 Timings normal opening times and prices apply. Closed Monday. Cost normal charges apply www.tattonpark.org.uk

PARK TATTON : L 2012 BIENNIA E UNIQU PORARY CONTEM NT ART EVE

Easter Festival From 7 April 2012 to 9 April 2012 Prepare to wear your widest ‘Cheshire Cat’ smile at Tatton Park this Easter! This bank holiday weekend Tatton plays host to an enchanting ‘Alice in Wonderland’ event with activities taking place across the Park. Step through the looking glass in the Mansion and follow the trail through the beautiful state rooms. Admire the spring floral arrangements. Contact: Tatton Park Telephone 01625 374400

More than a brew and a view

Timings normal park and attraction times apply

GARDENS • MANSION OLD HALL • FARM EVENTS • SHOPS

St Patrick’s Day Festival March 2012 (annual) Birmingham. Free event

01625 374416 www.tattonpark.org.uk Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 6QN 16

Cost: normal park and attraction prices apply

Birmingham is smothered in green, white and gold for its annual St Patrick’s Day Festival. The huge parade features floats, marching bands and walkers, and daylong activities for all ages make this a great party. Contact Details Email: stpatricksbirmingham@gmail.com Phone: 07747 037 821

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INTERIOR DESIGNER? By Sheila Alcock

Sometimes, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a raw new house which needs a designer touch. Or a beautiful old home which needs interior remodelling and modernising. Sometimes, a change of lifestyle has created the need for a new look for your home, or maybe your home is looking tired and old fashioned and could do with a serious update. But you have a busy lifestyle, and very little time. The thought of sourcing builders, plumbers and decorators is overwhelming. So where do you start? Simple. Bring in an expert. Bring in an Interior Designer/Project Manager who can lead you through the intricacies of finding reliable tradesmen, and leave you free to consider ways in which your home can reflect your personality and lifestyle.Â

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Not Just About Cushions and Curtains The title Interior Designer can be misleading, and in fact, anyone can give themselves the title of Interior Designer by taking a six week study course on how to build a samples board. This does not cover the skills acquired from undergoing a degree course in Interior Design and Furniture. Louise Putman BA (Hons), MCSD, is a graduate from Middlesex University, having completed a four year degree course in Interior Design and Furniture. This covers the full design process from concept to completion, and she also provides project management, which includes liaison with electricians, builders, furniture manufacturers/ suppliers, fabric and lighting. This is followed by costings, quote comparisons, a programme detailing time scales and completion dates. After graduating, Louise worked on a number of large corporate Headquarters and hospitality projects, including hospitality areas for All England Lawn Tennis and

MY WORK BEGINS WITH THE CREATION OF A MOOD BOARD, WHICH SHOWS A VARIETY OF INTERIORS OF DIFFERENT STYLES

le boards Mood and samp

AND COLOUR SCHEMES. THIS IS ACCOMPANIED BY SAMPLES BOARDS SHOWING FABRIC SWATCHES, WALLPAPER SAMPLES, CARPETS, FINISHES AND OPTIONS.

Croquet Club at Wimbledon, and Executive areas at the London Headquarters of Royal Bank of Scotland. In 2009 Louise set up her own design consultancy, Recreate Interiors.

Eureka Moment “My first priority is to understand my client’s taste and vision for the style they want to achieve. Recently, I had a client who wasn’t sure of the sort of interior she wanted,” Louise told me. “The Eureka moment arrived when she studied my mood boards, beamed, and said, “ I didn’t know what I wanted, until you showed me.” That was the moment when I could really focus on the work in hand, and establish rough guidelines on general style, budget and timescale. My work begins with the creation of a mood board, which shows a variety of interiors of different styles and colour schemes. This is accompanied by samples boards showing fabric swatches, wallpaper samples, carpets, finishes and options. These are discussed, the client makes a choice and at that point, I can set up a detailed summary of costings for each room to be treated by providing a detailed schedule of works to obtain ‘like for like’ quotes from tradesmen, followed by a cost plan including furniture, window treatments, finishes, fixtures and fittings, and my designer’s fees.” “So there’s a lot more to interior design than sourcing fabrics and carpets,” I said. Louise smiled. “We’re the ones who plod across the site with the builders. We produce detailed space plans to indicate now the space can be better utilised. We’re the ones to sort any problems with decorators and plumbers or the electricians. We discuss their problems and resolve them quickly, so that everyone knows exactly where they are, and completion dates are as stipulated.”

We’ve all heard horror stories of missed completion dates, shoddy workmanship and nerves at screaming point over incorrect fittings and soaring costs. A qualified Interior Designer will ensure this never happens. From the update of a single room, to the remodelling of a complete house, an Interior Designer will take the drudgery out of your project, inject flair and creativity to produce the wow factor you’re looking for, and ensure that it’s completed on time, on budget, and exactly how you imagined it.

Relax in Comfort at DENNETTS

Discover the difference at Dennetts! We have the largest selection of recliners, high seat chairs and orthopaedic chairs in Birmingham. All with matching settees.

Visit our showroom : 1182 Warwick Road, Acocks Green, Birmingham B27 6BT. Tel: 0121 706 1577 | www.dennettsfurniture.co.uk

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Tis’ the season to be freezing! The temperature is dropping, time to switch the heating on. The last thing anyone wants is this most important of creature comforts breaking down and, with the ever expensive Christmas day creeping closer, saving money on fuel bills is also very important – especially with energy prices creeping up year on year. Mark Krull, eco-expert from Logic4training - which trains gas fitters, plumbers and electricians – gives his top tips for preventing heating disasters and keeping warm for less. Frozen pipes: We suffered a particularly cold winter last year with frozen condensate pipes (the black, white or grey pipe coming from the bottom of the boiler to the outside) a common complaint. Frozen pipes means the boiler will stop working completely. To stop this happening again, ideally, you should call a Gas Safe Registered Installer to help thaw the pipe, plus find a solution to the problem. If it’s an emergency and you can’t get anyone to help, use a hot water bottle or heat wrap (like the ones used to ease muscle pain) and hold round the pipe until thawed. Only attempt to thaw a pipe at ground level, which is easily accessible – don’t scale walls or climb on the roof! Once thawed the boiler must be reset. Prevention is better than cure; insulate your pipes with waterproof lagging. Bleed radiators: If your radiators are cold at the top and hot at the bottom this means there’s an air lock and they need bleeding. Unscrew the ‘bleed screw’ at the top, using a radiator key and let the air out until water comes through. If you have a sealed system, make sure you replace air let out with water, using the filling loop (this should have been shown to you when the boiler was installed.) If you’re a landlord, show your tenants how to do this when they move in, it will stop unnecessary maintenance calls. If you keep having to bleed your radiators it probably means there’s a water leak, so you should call a trained installer to take a look. Service: Whether you’ve got a gas, oil or solid fuel boiler an annual service will ensure your heating systems in working to optimum efficiency, plus highlight any problems before they arise. Landlords, this is your responsibility, tenants, make sure you ask for a CP12 Gas Safety Certificate when you move in. New gas safety rules: If you have a boiler where all, or part of, the flue cannot be seen then inspection hatches need to be fitted. You’ve got until January 2013 to 20

sort this out. If you don’t, by law your boiler could be switched-off. Keep safe: Install a Carbon Monoxide tester to warn if there’s a leak. If you do have a leak call the National Gas Emergency Service immediately, on 0800 111 999. Keep warm (and spend less) Understand your boiler: Learn how to use your boiler properly and save on your heating. If you’re a landlord (especially one with bills included in the rent) go through how the boiler works with your tenants and explain how to use the heating most efficiently. · Don’t switch your heating off in the winter; keep it a low base temperature over-night. It costs more to heat up a freezing cold room. · Do turn your thermostat down. Reducing the temperature by just one degree, will save 8% on your heating bill. · Do make sure all radiators have thermostatic valves (TRV’s); then you can set the temperature in each room. Draught proof: Stop your home leaking heat like a sieve; invest in some thick curtains, draught proof round doors and windows and cover the attic hatch with blankets. Make sure your radiators aren’t covered by furniture. Insulate: Up to 35% of the heat in your home is lost through the walls, and up to 25% through your roof. Not all houses can have cavity wall insulation, but every roof should. According to the energy saving trust, insulating your loft could save £180 a year. The Governments ‘Green Deal’ is offering free insulation for some homes, paid back through utility bills. For more information visit the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s website: www.decc.gov.uk Call in the experts: If you have any work relating to your gas heating, you must check that the installer you choose is Gas Safe Registered. They should present you with an I.D card. If they don’t have this, then walk away – badly installed or maintained gas equipment could result in death. To find your nearest Gas Safe Registered installer, visitwww.gassaferegister.co.uk.

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“German Fuel Crisis Solved by Royal Intervention” This was probably the headline in local German newspapers in 1763, when Frederick The Great of Prussia held an engineering competition to find a better way of burning wood. The invention that cut the burning of wood by two thirds, and which won the Royal competition was a new type of heating stove called a Kachelofen and there are still some around today. Three things made the Kachelofen so effective and economic, compared to other stoves: The reduction in size of the burning chamber, the greatly increased surface area and the use of a natural chamotte claylined interior. Our modern electric version also has a big surface area, achieved by using deep flutes, as well as a low electricity input requirement, achieved by embedding pure tungsten elements into a natural refractory chamotte clay core. In 1991, the year of our last design change, a new slimmer radiator (just 80mm deep) was introduced with scientifically optimised hollow flutes to provide even more effective heating.

Photo by Werner Willmann Schloss Hoheraschau c. 1775, Upper Bavaria.

For further details contact Daniel McMahon on 0800 158 8272 or find us on www.sunflowltd.co.uk

A NEW FORM OF HEATING FROM GERMANY Simple to install, Powerful, and no more servicing - EVER!

The onslaught of severe cold is a problem faced by central European homes every single year. For 65 years, one German manufacturer has been perfecting heaters that tackle all the factors we worry about in Britain.

guarantee and needs no servicing ever! All over Get your FREE brochure by calling our Europe more people are choosing to heat their 24hr Brochure Line homes and offices with this very special form of on: 0800 158 8270 electric heating in preference to oil gas or E7. In or email: info@sunflowltd.co.uk our area, more and more people are making that same decision and when you see this incredible heating for yourself you could be next!

Total control and low input radiators allow us to regulate our heating and reduce fuel Although relatively new in the U.K. these low input electric heaters have been used in Germany costs by up to 40%. and Austria for a very long time. Being able to control individual rooms means you can put the heat exactly where you need it. Our heaters are slim, quality built and are available in a range of over 200 colours. Replacement Service

For years, this country has focused on wet central heating with its constant servicing and replacement parts. The high maintenance costs, as well as rising energy costs, means that now is the time to look at Sunflow’s quality German heating which comes with a 12 year

Requiring no special wiring (they simply plug in), you can use them with existing heating or as a complete solution. Whether you have a cold spot, cold rooms or a cold house - it is time to look at Sunflow for the warm and cosy way to reduce energy use in your home. Sunflow Ltd. offer a complete solution which can include disposing of your old central heating system, even oil tanks! Discover for yourself this incredible German heating.

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oil/GAs HeAtinG - Ask About ouR ReplAcement seRvice

Sunflow can take the worry out of disposing of old central heating systems or old night storage heaters. We have a package price that includes the safe and certificated removal of oil, lpg and gas systems, even old oil tanks! Questions?

Call Suzanne on 0800 158 8272 21

F O OD

D RI NK

Rick Stein's Mediterranean Escapes Recipes Rick Stein’s passion for fresh well-sourced food has taken him from continent to continent, across magnificent shorelines and to the very best produce the coast has to offer. Rick remarks “My greatest enthusiasm in life has been finding dishes that change my perception of cooking, that reveal a whole new vista of flavour combination. I think we all enjoy that. I’m just someone with an enthusiasm for food and a curiosity that’s sent me sniffing around all over the place looking for lovely dishes in all corners of the globe” Taken from his book ‘Mediterranean Escapes’ (BBC Books, £20) here are three of Rick’s favourite recipes inspired by flavours of the Med.

SERVES 8-10 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving 1 large onion, chopped 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1 large leek, cleaned and cut into similar-sized pieces 250g dried borlotti beans, soaked overnight 450g waxy potatoes, such as Charlotte, peeled and cut into 1- cm dice 250g peeled carrots, cut into 1-cm dice 2 celery sticks, cut into 1- cm dice 1 ripe beef tomato, skinned and chopped Leaves from 1 small rosemary sprig, finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1.2kg smoked ham hock 250g green beans, trimmed and cut into 1- cm pieces 2 medium-sized courgettes, topped and tailed and cut into 1- cm dice 1/2 small cabbage (about 500g), core removed, thinly sliced 75g dried tagliatelle, broken into 5-cm pieces 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano A small handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped 22 Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Minestra: Corsican Vegetable Soup with Smoked Ham, Cabbage and Borlotti Beans Heat the oil in a really large pan, add the onion, garlic and leek, and cook gently for 3-4 minutes. Drain the soaked beans and add to the pan with the potatoes, carrots, celery, tomato, rosemary, dried oregano and 2 litres of water. Cut the ham hock in half lengthways to one side of the bone, add to the pan and press the pieces down well into the soup so they are totally submerged. Bring everything to a simmer and leave to cook, uncovered, for 1 hour. Then add the green beans, courgettes, cabbage, tagliatelle pieces and fresh oregano and simmer for a further 15-20 minutes until the soup is thick. Remove the pieces of ham hock, pull the meat off the bone, and pull it into small chunks. Discard the skin and bone. Stir the ham back into the soup with the parsley and approximately 500 ml more hot water to loosen it slightly and season with salt and pepper. Service in large warmed soup bowls, drizzled with a little more olive oil.

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SERVES 4 400g dried spaghetti 175-g piece smoked pancetta, rind removed 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped A handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped 3 large eggs, beaten 50g finely grated pecorino sardo maturo Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Spaghetti Alla Carbonara: Pasta with Pecorino Sardo, Pancetta, Parsley and Eggs Bring 4.5 litres water to the boil in a large saucepan with 8 teaspoons salt. Add the spaghetti and cook for 9 minutes or until al dente. Meanwhile, cut the pancetta into lardons (short little strips), about 6mm wide. Heat a large, deep frying pan over a medium-high heat, add the oil and the pancetta and allow it to fry until lightly golden. Add the garlic and parsley and cook for a few seconds, then remove from the heat and set to one side. Drain the spaghetti well, tip into the frying pan with the pancetta, garlic and parsley, add the beaten eggs and half the grated pecorino cheese and toss together well. Season to taste with a little salt and black pepper. The heat from the spaghetti will be sufficient to partly cook the egg but still leave it moist and creamy. Take to the table and serve in warmed pasta bowls, sprinkled with the rest of the cheese.

SERVES 6-8 2 x 1-kg shoulders of lamb, each one cut into 3 large chunks through the bone (get your butcher to do this) 2kg waxy maincrop potatoes, such as Desiree, peeled and cut into 5-6cm chunks 1 head of garlic, outside papery skins removed, cut in half through the middle 1 tablespoon dried oregano, Greek if possible 3-6 fresh bay leaves 2 tablespoons fresh oregano or marjoram leaves 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling Juice of 2 large lemons Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Kleftiko: Slow-cooked Lamb with Garlic, Oregano, Lemon and Potatoes Preheat the oven to 1900C/Gas Mark 5. Combine the meat, potatoes and garlic in a large ovenproof casserole dish. Sprinkle with the dried and fresh herbs, olive oil, lemon juice, 100ml water, 2 teaspoons of salt and plenty of black pepper and mix together well, then nestle the pieces of meat down in among the potatoes. Drizzle with a little more oil. Cover the casserole tightly with foil and a well-fitting lid and bake for 3 hours until the meat is falling off the bone. However, check after a couple of hours to make sure it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need a little more water. www.retiredmagazines.co.uk

Dovehouse Court Retirement Living with a difference

• • • • • • • • • • •

61 apartments, 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom, all are mobility and wheelchair standard properties Very Sheltered scheme with 24 hour on-site staff, and community alarm service 3 lifts, lounge and sun lounge, restaurant, laundry, guest facilities, garden, hobby room, library Whole site accessible by wheelchair Bus stop 50 yards Regular social activities Dining room with waitress service New residents accepted from 60 years of age Leasehold Beautiful and extensive landscaped gardens Ample Parking.

L O C AT I O N DOVEHOUSE COURT is located within large landscaped grounds in the sought after B91 area of Solihull. The 61 one and two bedroom apartments have been built around a courtyard planted with extensive shrubs and flower beds, as well as extensive parking. DOVEHOUSE COURT is situated on the Warwick Road, opposite Dovehouse Parade which boasts a post office, pharmacy, bakery, delicatessen and news agent as well as other shops. A bus stop is located adjacent to Dovehouse Court, from where frequent buses go both to Solihull and Birmingham. Although Junction 5 of the M42 is just 3 miles from the Court, due to its large, tree lined grounds, Dovehouse Court is a relaxed & peaceful haven.

A C C O M M O D AT I O N & FA C I L I T I E S Dovehouse Court managed by its Owners, for its Owners by the Board of Directors which appoints the staff and management team. As well as the spacious apartments, there is a large communal lounge, dining room & sun lounge. The hobbies room is where a weekly exercise class takes place and has a pool table. The guest room is luxuriously decorated and the laundry has recently been fitted with new washing machines and dryers.

ACTIVITIES & SERVICES The Court has a lively social life with many quizzes, talks, tea parties, games evenings and events arranged by the Ownersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Social Committee and the Manager. Visits to the ballet & other productions at the Birmingham Hippodrome & Solihull Library Theatre are also arranged. An ecumenical service & Holy Communion is held once a month. For the green fingered, the gardening committee take great pleasure in nurturing the grounds, whilst leaving the hard grind to a local gardener! Having opened in 1996, Dovehouse Court has built a strong relationship with the local doctors and health care professionals as well as visiting hairdressers, chiropodists, dentists, opticians and audiologists. The local pharmacy brings medication daily, and many owners take advantage of the Ring & Ride service, and home delivery from Sainsburys & Waitrose.

C O N TA C T

Court Manager - Lynda Griesbach Dovehouse Court, Grange Road, Solihull, West Midlands B91 1EW. Tel: 0121 709 2339 email: dovehousecourt@tiscali.co.uk

FREE SUNDAY LUNCH AT DOVEHOUSE COURT THIS VOUCHER ENTITLES THE BEARER TO A FREE SUNDAY LUNCH AT DOVEHOUSE COURT Lunch is served at 1.00pm please telephone 0121 709 2339 to reserve your place.

WHETHER we are aware of it or not many local services that underpin daily life in the country’s communities keep going thanks to volunteers. Prime Minister David Cameron is conscious of this huge and valuable regular input and it is one of the central props of his Big Society. In fact, volunteers generally are now so vital, and held in such high esteem in many organisations, that they are often encouraged to take vocational training and enhance their c.v. as a stepping stone to permanent work. As we become older, we may not only be reliant on volunteers at different times and for a variety of help, but also may discover that becoming a volunteer ourselves is a simple way to enrich our own lives and make us valuable once more.

helping and running its charity shops including sorting, pricing and serving, delivering information to older people and acting as trustees to give strategic governance in individual areas. “It doesn’t matter whether people have only a couple of hours a week to spare,” she stresses. “They can offer extremely valuable help to the services we deliver.” Kate adds that the “other side of the coin” is that the organisation recognises the benefits to individuals of volunteering. “There is a feelgood factor, people get out and about, are part of a large-scale network. This can be particularly important during retirement when we are used to having this network provided, and need to start again to create a new one,” states Kate.

Charities large and small both benefit from and encourage volunteering. You may well find that your local hospice, for example, can gratefully use even a small amount of your spare time in some practical way. “We have younger DIGGING FOR FUN: Volunteer Elizabeth Black gets to work This may be with volunteers as well as in the Apprentice House garden at the Quarry Bank Mill fundraising, making small older ones but the and Styal estate in Cheshire (Pic: NTPL/Andrew Butler) items to sell, driving, latter tell us that they donating your time in love the friendship and charity shops or even companionship that arranging flowers for the wards. Special skills may also they get when they meet up with other volunteers. be very welcome to organisations which have little Particularly if your own family network of people are spare cash and look to donated help to improve their getting on with their lives, it’s easy to get isolated in services and aid patients in practical ways. And schools your home so it’s very important to get out and meet regularly welcome in volunteers to help youngsters with people” reading skills. One newer area for Age UK which has been proving One organisation that relies on its valuable volunteers particularly effective concerns digital champions – older and encourages the practice is Age UK – created by people willing to share their skills with others who may the merging of Age Concern and Help the Aged. It has not be online but would like to learn. “Even if people around 70,000 volunteers in its central hub and in local have very basic skills, their willingness to spend some Age UK centres which act as its partners. time with a person with none, helping them make a start with digital skills, is really very useful,” said Kate. And when you consider that the organisation has 170 centres across the country and more than 500 shops, that involves an awful lot of volunteers! Kate Adams, head of engagement and volunteering at Age UK, explained that they run a wide variety of vital services with volunteer help. These include befriending services going to see older, isolated individuals in their homes, driving vehicles from communities to local centres, 26

The National Trust has around 62,000 volunteers across the country with half aged over 65. As Mark Crosby, head of volunteering there, explains: “We just couldn’t function without them. “They bring a vast array of skills, talents and enthusiasm to the organisation and do a variety of different tasks. These days, we find our volunteers are more flexible and focused than ever.” This voluntary work ranges from the traditional guides at historic properties to gardening, conservation, research, education and involvement as trustees. “They run gardens as rangers and project manage various

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things as leaders of a team,” adds Mark. “Older volunteers regularly work alongside younger ones. “We’re also particularly keen to involve our older volunteers in a variety of activities, including getting closer to nature with country projects which offer health, friendship and a sense of value.” Getting involved in volunteering can certainly enrich this part of our lives, perhaps make it golden. Psychotherapist Josephine Cropper believes that retirement offers special volunteering opportunities. “It might be that an area of interest that you didn’t follow when employed you are now able to follow in retirement,” she says. “Often, people have gained skills in many different areas of life. These skills may either have been hobbies during a busy working life, or a continuation of skills gained from work. These can now be drawn together, not only to enhance the voluntary role but also to maintain selfesteem. We all need to feel valued and appreciated.” Josephine stresses the importance of how new friendships can also bring new outlooks on life and offer opportunities for new conversations. “Although many of us may have dreamed of winning the lottery and doing nothing for the rest of our lives but sitting in the sun with a cocktail, in fact, work gives structure to our lives. “This is still much-needed for our general wellbeing. The benefits of keeping active mentally and physically are just as important at this time of life as any other. The structure voluntary work can bring can keep isolation and depression – sometimes an issue in retirement – at bay.” Certainly, volunteering brings its individual pleasures, as 69 year-old Peter Herriman well knows. He has been volunteering at a National Trust historic property for 15 years. “I’m in three days a week and work as a volunteer room guide, education guide and Victorian costumed guide,” he said. “I love the variety of the job and meeting so many different people. I also get a huge amount of satisfaction from volunteering and would thoroughly recommend it if you’ve got some time to spare.” VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES • Health and social care – Age UK, www.ageuk.org.uk tel 0800 169 8787, The British Red Cross, www.redcross.org.uk tel 020 7201 5164 • Animal welfare – PDSA, www.pdsa.org.uk tel 0800 854 194 email volunteers@ pdsa.org.uk RSPB, www.rspb.org.uk, tel 01767 680551 • Arts and Heritage – The National Trust, www.nationaltrust.org.uk/volunteering tel 01793 817632, email volunteers@ nationaltrust.org.uk, The

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Voluntary Arts Network, www.voluntaryarts.org tel 02920 395395, email info@voluntaryarts.org • Environment and conservation – BTCV, www.btcv.org tel 01302 388883, email information@ btcv.org.uk, Friends of the Earth, www.foe.co.uk tel 020 7490 1555

Trust on the lookout for older volunteers A new older, generation of volunteers is being recruited to join the team at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. The Trust has a wide range of volunteer roles available, from meeting and greeting patients when they arrive at hospital to helping out on the wards. Although the Trust, which runs the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, has almost 1,000 volunteers, it is now hoping to appeal to older people. Carol Rawlings, Associate Director of Patient Affairs, said the Trust had been successful in attracting younger volunteers to join its almost 1000-strong team and was now hoping to appeal to older people. "Often people think they are too old to volunteer but that is simply not the case," she said. "In fact, some of our most active volunteers are retired and keen to do something worthwhile with their time. "Our staff and patients often tell me how grateful they are to our volunteers and love to see them around. "We offer a wide range of volunteer roles, from greeting our patients when they arrive, to helping on the wards, so there is always plenty to do. And the best part is, you don't have to be young to get involved - just young at heart." Added Carol: "There are many reasons why people find volunteering at the hospital a rewarding experience. "For many of our volunteers, they feel that spending a few hours each week helping out at the hospital is an ideal way to give something back, while others feel it is a great way to meet new people, boost their confidence, or use the skills they gained in the workplace." Trust Volunteers do not need any special qualifications, just a kind, friendly nature and a desire to help others.

For more information about volunteering, or to apply, call 0121 627 7847 email voluntary. services@uhb.nhs.uk or visit www.uhb.nhs.uk/ volunteers 27

The Trading Standards Service is committed to achieving a fair and safe trading environment to benefit local residents, businesses and visitors to the area. Rogue Doorstep Caller It is a sad fact that there are many rogue traders around who will offer to do fencing, roofing, driveways, home maintenance and so on for what seems to be a reasonable amount. However the quality of the work, if any is done at all, will be extremely poor and it will end up costing a great deal more than you were first told. These people appear trustworthy and genuine but they do their homework and target elderly people, often living alone. Often the householder is panicked into having the work done immediately, or are persuaded that having the work done will reduce heating costs or help with global warming. The truth is once they have your money you may not see them again and they could well be impossible to trace. Any trader who gives just a mobile number should be regarded with caution because a mobile number can easily be discarded, and then there’s no way of getting in touch if the repairs are faulty, or badly done. Trading standards has dealt with cases where residents have lost thousands of pounds because they have agreed to have work done by someone who turned up on the doorstep. The advice from trading standards, supported by the police, is that you should never agree to have work done by a stranger who turns up at your doorstep no matter how good a deal it looks. Only use traders that you know or who have been recommended to you. Reputable, professional traders do not go door to door. Another scam to watch out for is known as distraction burglary. This is when you get a knock at the door and a complete stranger distracts you whilst an accomplice gets into your house to look for money or valuable. 28

The caller could be a couple saying that they have seen some loose tiles on your roof, and while one of them keeps you occupied by showing you the problem the other one gets into your house. It could be someone claiming to be from the council or a legitimate company doing some routine checks. Once they have your attention someone else might be getting into your home. Every one of us is vulnerable to scams. We need to take note of warnings from the police and trading standards and refuse to deal with doorstep callers.

Use your chain on your front door, don’t deal with strangers, don’t let them into your home and remember, it’s okay to say “no”.

REMEMBER, reputable traders don’t need to go cold calling. Doorstep trading is the hunting ground for opportunists and scammers.

Any Doubt? Keep them out! How to Beat the Rogue Step Caller • Keep front and back doors locked • Use a door viewer or window to see who your caller is • Put your chain or bar on before you open the door • Never agree to have work done by a stranger who turns up on your doorstep • Don’t trust ID offered by the caller, it can easily be faked. • Never let uninvited callers into your home • Never agree to be taken to the bank to withdraw cash Rogue doorstep callers appear trustworthy and genuine; if you let them in they’ll expect a sale and won’t give up easily.

If you require any further information or advice about doorstep callers contact trading standards.

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or make sure the website address begins with an https prefix.

Help stamp out scams that’s the message from the Solihull trading standards officers.

“Research shows that one person in 12 is scammed when trying to buy tickets on-line so it is vital to take precautions before using your debit or credit card on a website you haven’t used before.”

Staying safe on-line that’s the ticket!

Trading standards have the following tips:

Solihull trading standards officers are warning residents to beware of scam websites when buying tickets for concerts, shows and sporting events. Recent news that scammers were offering tickets for the 2012 London Olympics, when genuine tickets hadn’t even gone on sale yet, highlights the hazards that internet users face when looking for tickets for that ‘must see’ event. Cllr Phill Bicknell, Cabinet Member for Public Protection, said: “If the concert or match that you want to go to has sold out then it’s highly likely

• use your credit card for tickets costing over £100 each as your credit card company is responsible if there’s a problem with the website. that any website offering tickets for it is a scam. “Always check out new websites by entering their details into a search engine or social network site and only use your debit or credit card on sites which have a padlock symbol

Are you for a r trad

• only use websites which have the geographical address of the business behind it, not just a PO box number, along with a UK landline telephone number. UK businesses should also show their VAT number somewhere on the site.

The Ship has ov Gas Safe Register replaces

Are you looking for Are you looking a reliable for a trader? reliable

CORGI Gas Registration Scheme

Use the Shipshape trader? register The Shipshape register now has over members. Solihull Council runs100 its own approved trader scheme SHIPSHAPE. Shipshape is the register of Solihull Home It is operated by ShipshapeImprovement is a Trading Professionals. Standards Scheme for Home Solihull Council Trading Standards. The aim of the Improvement Professionals to demonstrate their register is to give consumers a list of traders they commitment to fair, professional and honest trade. can rely on. It also gives reliable and legitimate

businesses the opportunity to show they are Solihull Council’s Trading Standards Service to the providing a good operates the register. committed The aim of register is to service tothey theircan customers. give consumers a list of traders rely on. It also gives legitimate businesses the opportunity So ifare youcommitted need a plumber, a roofer, a builder to show they to providing a good or an electrician give Solihull Council service to their customers. Trading Standards a call and ask for the To join the scheme, businesses must agree to “Shipshape” list meet on:

minimum standards, these are assessed by Trading Standards. Please note that inclusion on the register does not mean the business is ‘approved’ by the Council, neither is the Council Don’t use rogueresponsible traders; for work carried out by scheme members. use “Shipshape” from

08454 04 05 06 Solihull Trading Standards.

Shipsha Improvem Gas Safe Register™ is the new hallmark for gas safety in Great Britain. From April 1st 2009, Gas Safe Solihull Council Register replaces the CORGI gas registration scheme as the official gas safety body. register is to gi So, from 1st April, by law, only Gas Safe registered can rely on. engineers should carry out work on gas appliances or installations in your home. businesse It’s all about safety. To make sure that gas appliances such as boilers, fires, ovens and hobs are installed, maintained and serviced safely, you should employ a Gas Safe registered engineer to carry out the work. If someone other than a Gas Safe registered engineer does the gas work in your home, you could be risking the safety of your family and your property.

So if you Finding a Gas Safe registered engineer is easy. All or registered engineers are listed on the Gas Safe website. Visit www.gassaferegister.co.uk or call Tradin 0800 408 5500 and a Gas Safe adviser will be pleased to help you find a local engineer who is on the Gas Safe Register.

For further information telephone 08454 04 05 06

BIRMINGHAM ISSUE 29.indd 50

24/1/11 13:48:05

or write to Trading Standards PO Box 1833, Council House Solihull, B91 9DZ If you see any suspicious characters going door to door phone the police nonemergency number 08458 505 505. For advice on any other consumer issues you can contact Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06 or by e-mail via their website www.consumerdirect.gov.uk

FILTERING OUT THE RISK OF ROGUE TRADERS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TRADING STANDARDS Looking for new windows? Looking for a new roof? Who can you trust? Register Today at NO ROGUE TRADERS HERE.COM….its completely FREE! Or Call Our Helpline On 03333 200 402 … It’s That Easy! www.noroguetradershere.com Everyone hires a professional at some point in their life and they expect that individual or business to do what they have been paid to do with as little fuss as possible. Sadly however, things do not always go so smoothly. In the UK we may well be home to quite literally hundreds of different professions across a wide range of industries from lawyers to car mechanics, but we are also home to an extraordinary number of rogue traders. These companies are often: under qualified, dishonest, unreliable, unsafe and downright criminal and they slip through the net undetected too often. You won’t find these so called professionals on our business directory.

You’re in safe hands.

So how do we do it? We recognise that a business directory like ours has to be different from all the others and offer a little more in order to stand out. This is why we refuse to accept every business that applies to us. Unlike other business directories who advertise anyone who pays them, when you choose a professional from our site you are in safe hands because every one of them is checked thoroughly by our team and no business will get membership with us until they have first been passed by Trading Standards ......now that’s peace of mind for you. When you hire a professional from NO ROGUE TRADERS HERE you can ensure that you’re not only getting the right person for the job who will charge you a fair, reasonable and competitive

price for completion of your task, but also that the professional you hire for the job is who they say they are, they are not bankrupt or in huge amounts of debt, and that they have a good trading history with no outstanding liabilities. Also we check regularly on what our members are pricing for their work and we do this by getting it first hand off the people having the work done….YOU! At NO ROGUE TRADERS HERE we feel we have a duty to provide you with the very best of the best when it comes to local business. Registering with us today will give you peace of mind when choosing a business…Accountants to builders….dentists to plumbers… YOU’RE IN SAFE HANDS WITH NO ROGUE TRADERS HERE.

WHY YOU WON’T FIND ROGUE TRADERS HERE No Rogue Traders Here is a brand new FREE online business directory that has been designed to help protect YOU against unscrupulous businesses. Membership for traders is subject to the agreement of your local Trading Standards… no stone is left unturned. Don’t leave it to chance… choosing a business from No Rogue Traders Here gives you the peace of mind and the confidence of knowing that all are: Passed By Trading Standards | Bankruptcy & Credit Checked | Identity Checked Face To Face Interviewed | Fully Referenced | Committed To Our Code Of Conduct Continually Rated By Customers... www.noroguetradershere.com

Accountants to builders… dentists to plumbers… YOU’RE IN SAFE HANDS WITH NO ROGUE TRADERS HERE.com

You’re in safe hands

In Partnership with Trading Standards If you don’t use the internet why not phone our helpline on 03333 200 402

(local rate) and let us know what you require we will then get up to 3 of our fit and proper businesses to give you a call. Currently in partnership with Birmingham, Solihull, Wolverhampton & Dudley Trading Standards No Rogue Traders Here LTD is registered In England & Wales with Registered No: 07334384 VAT Registration No. GB 101 3953 53 Registered Office: Digbeth Court, 162-164 High Street, Digbeth, Birmingham B12 0LD

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A new Shopmobility service for Chelmsley Wood

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Chelmsley Wood now has its own Shopmobility service, based at the Connect Office. People with mobility problems can hire electric scooters, powerchairs and manual wheelchairs to get round the shops and businesses they want to visit. Annual membership costs £12 and then it is £1 a day to hire our manual wheelchairs or £1.50 a day for powerchairs and scooters. Rates are also available for one-off hire to non members. To book a scooter, powerchair or wheelchair you can just come to the Shopmobility desk next to the Connect Office entrance or give us a ring. The Shopmobility service is available Monday to Friday between 10.00am and 4.00pm.

Ring us on (0121) 704 6017 and talk to one of the staff, or leave a message. Shopmobility staff will come out to you with the equipment if you are unable to get from the car or bus stop to the Connect Office. The service has been funded with support from the Fair Share Trust (administered by the Birmingham Community Foundation) and Solihull Council. Solihull Shopmobility Charity Number 1064688.

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Coping with the

Winter Months Cold or Flu?

Colds and flu share some of the same symptoms (sneezing, coughing, sore throat), but are caused by different viruses. Flu can be much more serious than a cold. If you’re generally fit and healthy, you can usually manage the symptoms of a cold or flu yourself without seeing a doctor. Look after yourself by resting, drinking non-alcoholic fluids to avoid dehydration and avoiding strenuous activity. Painkillers such as ibuprofen or paracetamol can relieve aches and pains. Some people need to take extra care as they’re more at risk of serious chest complications, such as pneumonia and bronchitis. People over 65 are more at risk of complications. People under 65, including children, are more at risk of complications if they have serious heart or chest complaints, including asthma, serious kidney disease or liver disease, diabetes, lowered immunity due to disease or treatment or have had a stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA).

Flu Flu usually comes on much more quickly than a cold, and symptoms include sudden fever of 38-40°C (100104°F), muscle aches and pains, sweating, feeling exhausted and needing to lie down, dry & chesty cough and sneezing.

Symptoms

Flu symptoms appear one to three days after infection and most people recover within a week, although you may feel tired for longer. A severe cold can also cause muscle aches and fever, so it can be hard to tell the difference.

There are around 200 viruses that cause colds and three that cause flu. There are many strains of these flu viruses, and the vaccine changes every year to protect against the most common ones.

Whether it’s a cold or flu, get medical help if you have a chronic condition (such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease), or if you have a very high fever as well as an unusually severe headache or abdominal or chest pain.

Colds

Stop the viruses spreading

Everyone in an at-risk group is eligible for a free flu vaccination. This is the best protection against the virus.

Symptoms of a cold include a runny nose, beginning with clear mucus that develops into thicker, green mucus as the cold progresses, blocked nose, sore throat, sneezing and a cough. People with a cold may also suffer with a mild fever, earache, tiredness and headache. Symptoms develop over one or two days and gradually get better after a few days. Some colds can last for up to two weeks. Help prevent colds and flu from spreading by sneezing or coughing into a tissue, throwing the tissue away, washing your hands and getting the flu jab if you’re eligible. According to the Common Cold Centre in Cardiff, a cold is most contagious during the early stages when the person has a runny nose and sore throat.

Information provided courtesy of

Cold and flu viruses are spread by droplets that are sneezed or coughed out by an infected person. Other people can breathe in these droplets or transfer the droplets to their eyes or nose on their fingers. Again protect yourself and others against colds and flu by coughing or sneezing into a tissue, throwing a used tissue away as soon as possible, washing your hands as soon as possible and having a flu jab every year if you’re in an at-risk group.

Please visit www.nhs.uk for further details.

Five Ways To Stay Healthy This Winter It may be cold outside but winter needn't be the unhealthiest time of year for you and your family. Here are five ways to make sure that even when your body is telling you to hibernate you can keep healthy and fit, no matter what the weather's like:

Eliminate your sleep debt

"On average we sleep six-and-a-half hours a night, much less than the seven to nine hours recommended," says Jessica Alexander, spokesperson at the Sleep Council, which aims to raise awareness of the importance of a good night's sleep to health and wellbeing. But in winter, we naturally sleep more, due to the longer nights. "It’s perfectly natural to adopt hibernating habits when the weather turns cold," says Jessica. "Use the time to catch up."

Drink more milk

You are 80% more likely to get a cold in winter so making sure your immune system is in tip-top condition is important. Milk and dairy products such as cheese, yoghurt and fromage frais are great sources of protein and vitamins A and B12. They're also an important source of calcium, which helps keep our bones strong. Try to go for semi-skimmed or skimmed milk, rather than full fat, and low-fat yoghurts.

Eat more fruit and vegetables

When it’s cold and dark outside it can be tempting to fill up on unhealthy comfort food, but it’s important to ensure that you still keep your diet healthy and include five portions of fruit and veg a day. If you find yourself craving a sugary treat, try a juicy clementine or satsuma instead, or sweet dried fruits such as dates or raisins. Winter vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, swede and turnips can be roasted, mashed or made into soup for a comforting winter meal for the whole family.

Try new activities for the whole family

Don’t use the cold winter months as an excuse to stay in and lounge around. Instead, get out with the whole family to try out a new activity, maybe ice-skating or taking a bracing winter walk on the beach. Regular exercise helps to control your weight, boost your immune system and is a good way to break the tension that can build if the family is constantly cooped up inside the house.

Have a hearty breakfast

Winter is the perfect season for porridge. Eating a warm bowlful on a cold morning isn’t just a delicious way to start your day, it also helps you to boost your intake of starchy foods and fibre, which give you energy and help you to feel fuller for longer, stopping the temptation to snack mid-morning. Oats also contain lots of vital vitamins and minerals. www.retiredmagazines.co.uk

Asthma In The Cold Cold weather can have a serious impact on the 5.4 million people with asthma in the UK. According to Asthma UK, three quarters of people with asthma say that cold air is a trigger for their symptoms and 90% reckon that having a cold or flu makes their asthma considerably worse. Cher Piddock, a nurse for Asthma UK says: “Hospital admissions for asthma traditionally peak during periods of particularly cold weather. This can be due to breathing cold air into the lungs which can in turn trigger asthma, as well as picking up colds and flu. “People whose asthma is well-controlled are more likely to be able to withstand the risks of winter months and you can help keep your asthma under control by making sure you have a regular asthma review with your doctor or asthma nurse and that you have a personal asthma action plan.”

Five tips for preventing cold weather asthma symptoms... Asthma UK has this advice on how to control your asthma symptoms during the cold weather: 1. Keep taking your regular preventer medicines as prescribed by your doctor. 2. If you know that cold air triggers your asthma, take one or two puffs of your reliever inhaler before going outside. 3. Keep your blue reliever inhaler with you at all times. 4. Wrap up well and wear a scarf over your nose and mouth – this will help to warm up the air before you breathe it in. 5. Take extra care when exercising in cold weather. Warm up for 10–15 minutes and take one or two puffs of your reliever inhaler before you start.

Asthma attacks With the onset of very cold weather, it’s a good idea to make sure you and your friends and family know what to do if you have an asthma attack. The key signs are - coughing more than usual, getting short of breath, wheezing, feeling a tightness in your chest and having difficulty speaking in full sentences. You can find more information by visiting www.nhs.uk/ livewell or calling Asthma UK on 0800 121 6244.

Orthopaedic Surgery Technology & Techniques The last 50 years have given us tremendous advances in the care of orthopaedic patients. These include improved anaesthetic techniques, auto-transfusion of blood, medical management of co-morbid conditions, information technology and specialty specific technological advances. New orthopaedic devices, computer aided techniques, medical imaging and minimally invasive techniques have greatly improved patient care. Consumerism and media advertising have guided many of the new technologies. At Spire Parkway Hospital, we embrace new technology and techniques with great caution and only on the basis of medical evidence and positive patient outcome. Total hip and total knee arthroplasty continues to be an evolving science. Numerous debates exist with respect to technique and implants used. There is continued controversy regarding issues of cementless versus cemented fixation, surface finish for cemented implants, and ideal bearing surface. There is increasing focus on less invasive surgical procedures to facilitate rapid return of function. The primary appeal of hip resurfacing is the absence of invasion of the femoral canal and maintenance of femoral bone stock. However femoral neck fracture, avascular necrosis and synovitis secondary to metal ions can result in a cumulative revision rate of 7.2%. The procedure is technically more demanding than conventional total hip replacement. We therefore undertake hip resurfacing for a select group of patients who aspire to follow physically demanding occupations and recreational pursuits. Implants with proven track records are used to reduce implant related problems. Cemented hip arthroplasty is undertaken for elderly patients with not so physically demanding lifestyles. Cement is the commonest method used to fix femoral components in the UK. Polished collarless tapered stems are most widely used. Compared with cementless fixations, cement is very forgiving. Correct leg lengths can be easily achieved. Thigh pain does not occur and intraoperative fractures are very rare. Antibiotics can be added 34

to the cement to decrease incidence of infection. There has been, however, an exponential increase in the usage of un-cemented hip implants for relatively young and active patients. Ceramicon-ceramic bearings for total hip arthroplasty have 4,000 times lower wear than metalon-conventional polyethylene. The bearings can however lead to a squeaking noise in 6% of the patients. Most surgeons use ceramic-on-ceramic bearings in a select subgroup of very young patients for whom the potential benefits outweigh the occasional problem of squeaking and the rare chance of ceramic fracture. Patient and gender specific knee replacements have been recently introduced to provide for optimal fixation and function. Proprietary software program is used to prepare a 3D model of the arthritic knee from scans. These ShapeMatchÂŽ implants / instruments give the best possible fit and patient outcome following knee replacements. A High-Flex total knee replacement design can also be used in patients who wish to kneel or pray or acquire an increased knee bend posture. The perioperative care of patients with total hip and knee replacements has undergone a significant evolution. We use the concept of a rapid recovery protocol with the distinct intention to speedy recovery to reduce morbidity and complications. The protocol comprises of comprehensive preoperative education and medical evaluation, and physiotherapy to enhance postoperative rehabilitation. Multiple studies have noted the adverse effects of cigarette utilisation on the perioperative period and therefore we discourage smoking and encourage nutritional supplements to improve postoperative wound healing. Serum albumin and transferring levels are routinely checked to decrease postoperative morbidity. Multi-modal pain management techniques are used to reduce perioperative pain to improve early mobilisation and functional outcome.

The management of pain involves pre-emptive analgesia and intraoperative infiltration of the joint with long acting local anaesthetics and platelet rich plasma. Postoperative pain is controlled by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication. Concomitant with effective pain management is aggressive physiotherapy and rehabilitation. Dedicated physiotherapists mobilise the patient within three to four hours after hip or knee replacement to reduce postoperative stiffness, deep vein thrombosis, chest infections, urinary retention and gastric stasis. Intra-operative blood loss is reduced by the use of tranexamic acid, local haemostatic PRP injections and careful haemostasis. Patientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own blood can be aseptically collected and retransfused, reducing the perioperative blood loss, postoperative pain and swelling, and also the risk of blood borne diseases. The establishment of specific protocols for the care and treatment of patients undergoing total hip and knee arthroplasty can thus provide efficient and effective service. The clinical pathways are standardised and therefore the patients experience reduced and uncomplicated hospital stays. By adopting rapid recovery protocol at Spire Parkway Hospital; our patients are able to achieve postoperative milestones at significantly earlier times. Mr Madhur Shrivastava Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon Primary & Revision Hip and Knee arthroplasty Spire Parkway Hospital, Solihull.

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Are you struggling to get up and go?

Did you know that for many orthopaedic procedures, including hip and knee replacements, we can give you a single, all-inclusive fixed price*? We provide speedy diagnostic tests, treatment at a time to suit you from the consultant of your choice and specialist follow-up physiotherapy.

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Enabling the Disabled

magine if every one of us had been born with no strength in our fingers. It’s possible we’d hardly notice we had a problem, because commonplace items like screw top jars or scissors and cutlery would be designed to be used without the need for strength in the hands. Unfortunately, because the majority of us have strong hands and the ability to open cans and use cutlery, the ones who can’t have a major problem getting the lid off a jar of instant coffee, and have to ask for help, until now. To most problems there are answers, and fortunately, there are talented designers out there who can put themselves in the place of people with disabilities, and come up with a way of improving their lives.

It’s really all about recognising a need and coming up with a solution, and these days, the problems of the disabled are being studied, and solutions are being designed. For outdoor use, wheelchairs are fast being replaced by electric buggies, and now, a trip to the shops and a wander around a super store is possible without the need to ask for help. And how wonderful, at last, to be able to browse the food ranges in M & S, or take the time to really check on the latest fashions, without feeling that you’re taking too long, and your helper needs to get home. Sometimes, even the smallest aid can make a difference, and I’ve been going from room to room in my house, and wondering how I’d manage if I were sitting in a wheelchair. I tried turning on the lights from a sitting position, and couldn’t reach the switch. My oven is at eye level, so I couldn’t turn it on. I could only just reach my back door handle, and my worktops were all too high to use for chopping vegetables or making a cup of tea. It was a revelation, and I began to realise the difficulties encountered on a daily basis by people in wheelchairs. I started looking more closely at the ways available to make living easier for the handicapped, and was pleasantly surprised at the number of ingenious solutions available. For the kitchen, I found a nifty gadget for pouring boiling water from the kettle without needing to lift it, a one handled grater, and a one touch jar opener. For the bathroom, I found a swivel seat which clamps on to the edge of the bath. It has a grab rail for extra security, and works by allowing you to sit, then swivel around for easier access to the bath. Getting out of the bath is just as easy in reverse. Fancy taking a bike ride? Well, you can, there are trikes out there with a mounting step of just 6”, making it easier to get on and off.

There’s still a long way to go, but it should be said that people with disabilities have an easier time of it than if they’d lived one hundred years ago, when there were virtually no significant aids for the disabled. When Stefan Farffler invented the wheelchair in the 17th century, it must have been a wonderful thing for the housebound to have the ability to move around independently at last, and almost impossible for the physically fit to understand how much it meant to have that precious independence. 36

Like playing cards, but find the shuffling difficult? No worries, there’s an automatic card shuffler available. There are tap turners and key turners, long handled brushes and combs, and even elastic shoe laces. It seems that the problems of the disabled are being addressed very closely these days, and maybe, with a little shopping around, the answer to individual problems can be solved. From power chairs and walking aids, to magnifiers and weighted pens, there’s help out there to enable the disabled to be happier, more independent and free to get the very best out of their lives.

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Installation Services All Bathing Care fitters are teams of time served tradesmen experienced in the services they offer. With attention to all detail and including making good and even redecoration. Based in Birmingham they work within a 50 mile radius keeping costs, expenses to a minimum, enabling them to offer exceedingly good value Bathing Care are a family run business dedicated to providing service to the less able, Retired and Disabled. They offer free home visits to discuss and advise on the most suitable solutions to enable you to preserve your independence, not only in the bathroom but throughout the house.

Help with Costs In some cases financial assistance may be available through your Local Authority, however funding is limited in the current economic situation. There is however generous assistance available from a variety of organisations for those on limited means, details from Bathing Care.

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The Dilnot Report - The Most Ambitious Report into Long Term Care since 1999 Andrew Dilnot’s report takes the view that the existing funding system for long term care is confusing, unfair, and unsustainable. His proposals for change would cost an initial £1.7bn a year, but he claims this is a price well worth paying. At present, anyone with savings and assets of more than £23,250 has no help from the state for care costs. The Dilnot report recommends that this limit should rise to £100,000. No individual should have to pay more that £35,000 towards their care costs, regardless of savings, although they would still be liable for costs of accommodation and food in a care home, but this would be capped at £10,000 a year. If these proposals were implemented, no individual would have to spend more than 30% of their assets on care. Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has described this report as an “immensely valuable contribution” but the government would need to consider this against other funding priorities. Ministers considered the plans ambitious and costly, but were impressed with proposals for a simplified means testing system, better national standards, and the cap, which could enable a viable private insurance market to work. Government response will be published next spring, and proposals for the reform of adult social care will be published in a white paper.

restrictions on mobility, behaviour changes brought on by the illness, and speed of deterioration, all count in the assessment process, and a patient may not automatically qualify for NHS funding. Over the past ten years there have been many cases where people have been forced to sell their homes to pay healthcare fees, and in some cases, later discovered they were entitled to state support. At present, levels of care and criteria vary from borough to borough and Age UK says that councils are rationing services. The outlook for the elderly looks bleak. We’ve all been appalled over cases where vulnerable older people have been neglected and mistreated, and hopefully, the Dilnot report will help to ensure that this can never happen again However, this will take time. In the meantime, how can elderly people, and their families, ensure that they’re given dedicated care and kindness in their most vulnerable years. 1. It is essential that the correct level of funding is established. Relatives of the elderly should make sure that they are aware of the rules, and that these are correctly interpreted when funding for care is established.

So we wait, and hope, that government acts promptly on this report. Twenty three leading charity organisations issued a joint statement, in which they urged that the government “sets out a clear timetable for change and does so quickly.”

2. Funding can be provided through the Direct Payment Scheme, allowing the individual to make his/her own arrangements for care. Use this tailored to your own requirements. In order to qualify for this, the amount of care you need is assessed, and for more information on this you can obtain a leaflet: Guide to Direct Payments From Local Council, free from the Department of Health. Tel: 0270 972 2000. A fact sheet has also been produced – Paying for Care and Support at Home by Age UK.

At present, we cannot insure against future care costs, for the simple reason that we have no idea how much we may need. Once the cap on costs is implemented, insurance companies can become involved, or savings can be considered, so that the worry over where money will come from for long term care can be alleviated.

3. Be realistic. The number of people over 85 has risen by two thirds since 2004, but local authority budgets for social care are being cut. It is becoming more and more apparent that help in an individual’s later years is, in part, down to their own efforts in preparation and funding. Good sources for information on this is Age UK.

In the meantime, the rules for long term care are complex and confusing. Various factors, such as

4. Check out private care agencies. If you need help in the home, but are still mobile, this is the

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perfect stage in your life to establish a relationship with a care agency. Using your Direct Funding, you can assess if this particular agency is efficient, caring and responsible. You can also assess the capability of the agency to provide more long term care, should that become necessary. A reputable Care Agency will have your best interests at heart. You can build up your trust in your Carers, and relax. Steve Tarpey, director of nationwide home care provider Bluebird Care in the Solihull area welcomes the Dilnot Report ‘The current social care system is widely regarded as inadequate, unfair and unsustainable. Where they have failed in the past, politicians from all parties

must now seize the best opportunity in a generation to ensure that people can access the care and support they need in later life. With the number of over 85s set to double over the next 20 years, the question is not whether we can afford the Dilnot proposals but how can we afford not to.’ With high quality care providers such as Bluebird Care supporting and embracing the recommendations of the Dilnot Report, then there is perhaps cause for optimism as we work towards the elimination of the catastrophic care costs faced by some people by capping the maximum amount individuals contribute over their lifetime, beyond which the state will meet all future funding.

You’ve worked hard all your life, and need to be sure that your later life will be happy and free from worry. A little forward planning now, can help to ensure that this is the way it will be.

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