Saga Magazine – February 2017 by Saga Magazine

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F EBRUA RY 2017 £4

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INSIDE MEET OUR

50+ model competition winner

SECOND TIME AROUND

Relationship tips for later-life Valentines

Sandi Toksvig HAS A LOT TO SAY

CUT YOUR CANCER RISK

Great new ways to protect yourself

REBELS WITH A CAUSE

Never too old to say ‘frack off!’

E D I TO R ’ S L E T T E R

Loud and proud There’s plenty more on the web If you’d like to improve your love life this Valentine’s Day, our website has lots of advice. You could even meet someone online! SPICE UP THE BEDROOM Brilliant expert tips and secrets to help you boost your sex life – from the power of cuddles to new ways to beat boredom. DOMESTIC BLISS If you and your partner are adjusting to spending retirement together, perhaps, arguing too often or trying to find shared interests, we tell you how to keep a relationship sweet. GET BACK IN THE DATING GAME Leave your doubts behind with our advice on what to say and where to go – plus inspiring success stories. PLUS! Join Saga Dating and find more than 100,000 potential matches from only £10.50 a month.

purely accidental theme seems to have slipped into this issue when I wasn’t looking, which boils down to ‘don’t get invisible – get noticed’. First up is our cover star, the fabulous, unignorable Sandi Toksvig, who probably has a T-shirt printed with those words somewhere in her wardrobe. Never mind hosting QI, writing books and starting the Women’s Equality Party, she’s now written a play attacking the lazy attitudes society holds about women in older age. Read her interview on p20 and cheer that she manages to be tough, smart and funny – a great life force. Continuing on our prickly path, enjoy meeting our inspiring line-up of men and women who’ve taken up various fights for justice – and are more than happy to stand up and be counted, p26. If you thought campaigning was a young person’s game, think again! And on a rather less feisty note, congratulations to Dulcie Andrews who, in winning our recent model competition, is poised to start a life a whole lot less invisible at the age of 60 – see p51. She wins representation with the famous Mrs Robinson agency so do keep an eye out for her in 2017. With some later-life relationship advice from One Who Knows, p38; inspiration to help you turn a creative hobby into a small business, p42; plus our great money, health and travel advice, I hope you enjoy this issue.

“

DON’T GET INVISIBLE – GET NOTICED

Katy Bravery

Get involved

COVER: JAY BROOKS



Discover all this and much, much more at saga.co.uk/ relationships

Write to us at Saga Magazine, Enbrook Park, Folkestone, Kent CT20 3SE Email us at editor@saga.co.uk News, views and advice every day at saga.co.uk/magazine Join our vibrant community at facebook.com/saga Follow our sparkling tweets on Twitter @SagaUK 2017

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THIS MONTH

February ’17 Contents Take Note

Take Away

09 The Jorvik Festival Head to York if you want to find true Norse 10 FYI Michael Morpurgo’s play Running Wild, Hockney at Tate Britain and classical ensemble The Sixteen on tour 11 Michael Portillo The former politician is now letting the train take the strain 12 Books Five great new thrillers 14 Street style What one Saga stylista is wearing in… February 17 The big 6 What you won’t want to miss this month, including Gary Barlow’s musical The Girls, a new spine-chilling TV drama, US art from the Great Depression and period gangster-family drama series Peaky Blinders in a box set

49 Women’s fashion The winner of our modelling competition Dulcie Andrews talks about her success and shows how to wear the best spring knits 54 Travel Vancouver and the Rocky Mountains, plus a break in Budapest 67 Beauty Declutter your beauty bag, plus the best skin supplements 71 Health How to cut the risks of cancer 74 Dr Mark Porter Your health Q&As 76 Jo Brand Your relationship Q&As 78 Sex talk Erectile dysfunction 82 Food Posh porridge is on the menu 86 Gardening Turn your borders into a bird sanctuary 91 Reader offers Bulbs and birdseed 95 Driving Make yours a ‘courtesy’ car 97 Technology The latest fitness gizmos 101 Money Advice from Paul Lewis, Annie Shaw and Jennifer Newton 114 Property Heaters that look cool 119 BTW Your letters 124 Puzzles Our £100 crosswords 130 Bill Bailey What makes him happy?

Be tactful!

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2017

An apple a day really is good for you

Features 20 Sandi Toksvig: the host with the most There’s nothing like a Dane it seems, as Sandi takes the reins on QI, sees her new play about to tour the UK and campaigns for women’s rights 26 Fighting talk From anti-fracking to making tax fair for all, the 60-something ‘awkward squad’ are busy righting the world’s wrongs 32 Frozen in time Photographs of winter gardens made magical by just a touch of frost 38 Love in later life Make new romance work for you – advice from a writer who’s done it! 42 Crafty career changes Find out how to turn your creative skills into a business

Keep track of your fitness

ILLUSTRATIONS: STEVEN SCOTT, JESSIE FORD, TELEGRAMME. PHOTOGRAPHS: ANDREW LAMB, PAUL STUART, MURDO MCLEOD, ANDREW MONTGOMERY, JAY BROOKS, WENDY CARRIG, PAUL STUART, BBC/TALKBACK THAMES

20 Cover star Sandi Toksvig

09 Pillage people

11 Back on track

14 Street style – cap it off nicely

26 Playing their placards right

Our winner!

Dulcie – the new face of over-50s modelling

49 Saga Magazine’s catwalk queen 42 Crafts are big business

101 The state pension palaver 2017

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W H E R E TO G O, W H AT TO D O

Takee N Note VIKINGS HEAD F O R YO R K With his bushy white beard, wild hair and long cloak, Ian Uzzell is every inch the perfect Viking.

MURDO McLEOD

He’ll be taking part in this month’s 33rd Jorvik Festival in York, a prelude to the re-opening of the famous Jorvik Centre in April, which was devastated by floods in December 2015. ‘My wife Hazel and I went to our first Viking show in York in 1991, but despite 34 years as a Royal Marine commando I wasn’t qualified to fight!’ explains Ian, who 

‘I wore chainmail, but I was always bruised after a battle’ Ian Uzzell, 73, Viking re-enactor 2017

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fyi

B B C / T A L K B A C K T H A M E S , A R N A U D S T E P H E N S O N , P E T E R G E T T I N G O U T O F N I C K ’ S P O O L 1 966 © D A V I D H O C K N E Y A C R Y L I C O N C A N V A S 8 4 X 8 4” , J O H A N P E R S S O N

TAKE NOTE

 is 73 and from Southport, Merseyside. ‘I did my training and got myself a spear and shield. Even though I wore chainmail I was always bruised after a battle, but I enjoyed

myself so much. I don’t fight any more, though, as I have two artificial hips! My role now when we march – I do three or four events a year – is to talk to the public and pose for photos. ‘Viking re-enactments attract people from all walks of life – archaeologists to policemen and magistrates – which is one of the things I love about it.’ When Ian was made redundant in 1995, he and Hazel started going into schools to teach children about the Vikings and the Saxons. ‘And we demonstrated cooking, weaving, dyeing, spinning and other crafts at events all over the UK. The Vikings are not as rough and ready as you might think,’ he says. ‘They were quite sophisticated: they got to North America in 1,000AD – that’s way before Columbus.’ At this year’s Jorvik Festival visitors will be able to watch King Eric Bloodaxe fight his final battle and be cremated on a flaming funeral pyre as his spirit rises to Valhalla.

Feb 20-26, jorvik-viking-festival.co.uk, 01904 615505

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2017

RUNNING WILD On tour nationwide Something for the grandchildren and all in a good cause. The UK tour of Michael Morpurgo’s play begins this month at Chichester Festival Theatre. It was inspired by the reallife story of Amber Owen, who was riding on an elephant in Phuket when it fled the receding sea water, saving Amber’s life during the tsunami. This award-winning production will be supporting the Born Free Foundation’s global elephant conservation projects. From Feb 10, runningwildlive.co.uk

★★★★★

G R E AT T H I N G S TO S E E A N D D O

(We’ve done the research, so you don’t have to)

DAVID HOCKNEY London For all Hockney fans: the opening of the world’s most extensive retrospective of his work at Tate Britain, ahead of an international tour to Paris, New York and beyond. The exhibition offers an overview of the styles Hockney has explored, from the iconic images of LA swimming pools to the later celebrated Yorkshire landscapes and, in his 80th year, is brought up to date with his most recent work in California. Feb 9-May 29, tate.org.uk, 020 7887 8888

★★★★★

THE SIXTEEN AND HARRY CHRISTOPHERS Cathedral tour Regarded as one of the world’s greatest ensembles of both choir and periodinstrument orchestra, The Sixteen embarks on an eight-date tour of the UK, performing Bach’s Magnificat conducted by founder Harry Christophers. They’ll also play Brandenburg Concerto No 3, motet Singet dem Herrn and cantata Gloria in Excelsis Deo, bringing music back to the buildings for which it was written. Feb 2-Feb 25, ncem. co.uk, 01904 658338

★★★★★

DON’T MISS

R AC E R E T R O 2017

Feb 24-26 Head to Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire to admire a huge range of vintage, classic and retro motorsports vehicles. See some of the greatest racing legends and hear experts discuss the golden years of motorsport. raceretro.com, 0871 297 0743

P E O P L E W E LOV E

Michael Portillo Armchair travellers enjoy the former politician’s Great American Railroad Journeys. Stephen Armstrong hops on board When did your love of railways begin? I was young enough to know steam trains on the main line – we used to go to Scotland to see my grandparents who lived in Fife. But my motivation in the programme is really the history aspect.

Did you enjoy America? I get terribly drawn into American history because I think it is an extraordinary clash of idealism and tragedy – the vision of equality and the fact of African-American slavery and the wiping out of Native Americans. But the idealism, in my view, hasn’t died; it’s still an extraordinary template, which somehow guides the US forward.

How do you think post-Trump America will change?

I BEGAN WITH COLOURFUL SHIRTS, TH E N MOVE D ON TO COLOURFUL JACKETS…

I think Trump is fundamentally an American phenomenon. His father was extraordinarily rich so he’s not the American dream in a single lifespan, but he’s that idea translated into the age of celebrity. It’s extraordinary to Europeans that a billionaire can be an anti-establishment figure, but going all the way back to the American revolution – and indeed before that – there is 

2017

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TAKE NOTE 

this deep suspicion of dynasties and royal families and establishments.

What’s been your favourite train journey? Normally we’re too busy to do anything except work – but we had about six hours on a train travelling through Colorado and after work we settled down in the dining car. We were crossing the desert – one of those landscapes you see in Westerns, with red, jagged rocks and sunset-pink shadows. American trains move very slowly, the food is cooked in a proper kitchen and the steak came with a bottle of red wine – or, let me be honest, two bottles – and I just thought, ‘This is marvellous’.

As you get older [Portillo is 63], should you tone down the colours you wear on the show? What do you mean? Is this a question about my stage of life? I could pretend to be offended, but no – the colours won’t dull down. I began with colourful shirts, moved on to colourful jackets, then colourful trousers. Some viewers may have noticed that the handkerchiefs have become rather outrageous.

Do you look back to that night in 1997, when you famously lost your seat, with fondness? Yes – it was the best thing that could have happened to me. It’s allowed me to have a new lease of life, do different things and become more relaxed.

FIND OUT MORE For a longer version of this interview, go to saga.co.uk/feb-mag. Check listings for Great American Railroad Journeys series 2 on BBC Two; the accompanying book is out now

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2017

Killer reads: the best new thrillers

Solve the mystery of what to read next with psycho-chillers, domestic noir and detective stories chosen by Sue Price BEHIND HER EYES Sarah Pinborough Lonely single mum Louise has no idea how her affair with David, her married boss, will end – and neither will you. The humdinger of a final twist is so unexpected it turns psycho-thriller writing on its head and will leave you reeling. Gorgeous claustrophobic domestic noir with bags of originality.

blackmailed into going undercover to track her down. Powerful and seriously addictive, it’s easy to see why Joseph Knox is tipped as the next great voice in crime fiction.

PERFECT REMAINS Helen Fields Oh, bliss – the first in a brand new Scotlandbased crime series, in which DI Luc Callanach and DI Ava Turner are hunting the killer of several successful women. But the bodies are a ruse and the women are still alive – for now – concealed in their kidnapper’s home. Genuinely chilling.

Coffee-table book

SIRENS Joseph Knox An MP’s teenage daughter runs away to a Manchester drugs den. Detective Aidan Waits, disgraced for stealing cocaine from evidence, is

LITTLE DEATHS Emma Flint Set in a heatwave in 1960s New York, this cracking debut novel simmers with menace. Two young children

are dead. Their mother, a glamorous cocktail waitress with a penchant for hard liquor and unsuitable men, is prime suspect. A stylish, did-shedidn’t-she full of heartpounding suspense. THE JANUARY MAN Christopher Somerville If you need a breather from crime, here’s

another thrilling read for completely different reasons. Travel writer Christopher Somerville records a year of walking Britain while exploring his relationship with his father, a man from a generation whose stiff upper lip and stoicism made it hard for sons to break through. Exquisitely poignant.

CRAFTED IN BRITAIN Anthony Burton and Rob Scott The authors’ sheer joy in discovering magnificent survivors of Britain’s traditional industries, from a centuriesold bell foundry to a stained-glass studio and organ builder, is impossible to resist. A pure shot in the arm for those of us feeling jaded by our increasingly automated modern world.

TAKE NOTE

Street style

D E C A D E B U ST E R S

What the well-dressed Saga Magazine reader is wearing in… February

TURNING 50 Colin Jackson Athlete TURNING 60 Ainsley Harriott Chef Ray Winstone Actor Timothy Spall Actor

The cardigan is a Kaffe Fassett design, which I bought from a vintage shop. The combination of

autumnal colours and craft fabrics help to create what could be called an ‘artisanal look’.

I have a marked preference for casual clothes and

TURNING 70 Sandie Shaw Singer Dan Quayle Politician Dave Davies Musician

don’t own a suit.

Everything I wear is now slightly looser as a result of my upping my running activity.

S AG A

stylista RUPERT PEPLOE, 55 an antiques restorer, gives a jaunty cap and classic country jacket a colourful urban twist

T R E N D WATC H

Jack’s on a roll

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2017

Arrivederci avocado, ciao coconut… jackfruit is the big foodie news. The whopping, spiky green fruit, with its faint whiff of onion, grows up to 80lb in South America and Southeast Asia. Here, jack, as it’s also known, is making waves as a meat substitute, hailed as ‘pulled pork for vegetarians’. Its slightly fibrous flesh – cooked, shredded and flavoured with BBQ sauces – is appearing in vegan sarnies and nacho dishes. Online scrapbook Pinterest reports searches for jackfruit recipes are up by 450%. It’s saving the planet, too: huge, nutritious and plentiful in hot climates, jackfruit is well-suited to a warming world and to vegetarians worldwide. Pulled jackfruit is made from the younger fruit – ‘green jackfruit’ – which is available tinned.

TURNING 80 Jilly Cooper Writer Bill Lawry Cricketer Don Everly Singer

TURNING 90 Sidney Poitier Actor Hubert de Givenchy Fashion designer June Brown Actress

ALAMY, ANDREW LAMB, GETTY

My wife Charlotte is not keen on my jeans, bought online, which I wear at work. I always wear trainers in the studio, but when I go out it’s my beloved Doc Martens every time.

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HEALTH & OUTER BEAUTY

TAKE NOTE

The big 6

Calling all culture vultures: here are the must-see, listen-to and go-to experiences in February

They’re back!

G R A N T W O O D , A M E R I C A N G O T H I C , 19 30. O I L O N B E A V E R B O A R D , 78 X 65 C M , T H E A R T I N S T I T U T E O F C H I C A G O , F R I E N D S O F A M E R I C A N A R T

And this time it’s musical

OUR PICK OF THE MONTH

The Calendar Girls return to the stage – in a musical comedy written by Take That main-man Gary Barlow and Tim Firth, left with Gary, who wrote the Julie Walters film adaptation. Like the movie, The Girls is based on the true story of a group of Yorkshire women who produced a nude calendar to raise money for leukaemia research. After sell-out runs in Leeds and Salford, where £26,000 was raised for charity from bucket collections, the show reaches the West End’s Phoenix Theatre.

Jan 28-Apr 22, thegirlsmusical.com, 0844 871 7629

FILM

LOVING This tender, highly rated film is about a married American couple in 1958, banished from their home state of Virginia and threatened with jail if they return. Why? She’s pregnant, he’s white and she’s black. Their case overturned laws preventing interracial marriage, but they endured heartbreaking struggles first. British actress Ruth Negga is sensational as the wife, Mildred. Out Feb 3

THE REPLACEMENT Anyone who ‘has it all’ at the start of a drama is in for trouble. So it is for Ellen (Morven Christie), an architect with a happy personal life, embarking on maternity leave. Her replacement is enthusiastic and capable Paula (Vicky McClure). So why is Ellen uncomfortable around her? This three-part BBC One psychological thriller will provide February with extra chills. See listings for details

EXHIBITION

AMERICA AFTER THE FALL Drawn from collections across the US, this exhibition chronicles the impact of the Great Depression through a range of styles, from abstraction to surrealism, including Grant Wood’s American Gothic, below, and works by O’Keeffe, Hopper and Pollock. Feb 25-June 4, royalacademy. org.uk, 020 7300 8090 BOOK NOW

ALBUM

LONDON SOUTHERN Jim Lauderdale This is a sublime album by the multi-GrammyAward-winning singer/ songwriter from North Carolina. It has dashes of bluegrass, rock and soul in the mix, a soft and winning pace, a wry perspective and the creaking, seasoned tone of an oak barrel marinated in bourbon. To cap it all, he’s backed by Nick Lowe’s world-class band. Proper Records 2017

B OX S E T

PEAKY BLINDERS In post-Great War Birmingham, Tommy Shelby (a luminous Cillian Murphy) heads a stop-at-nothing criminal gang. Sam Neill is the copper trying to curtail the relentless spread of his vicious empire. A total departure from Downton’s take on those times!

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At the end of a 3000 mile adventure, you’d think you had seen everything there was to see in Africa.

For more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate, visit www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate. Saga’s holidays and cruises are exclusively for the over 50s (but a travelling companion can be 40+). Saga Holidays is a trading name of ST&H Ltd (registration no. 2174052). ST&H Ltd and Saga Cruises Ltd (registration no. 3267858) are subsidiaries of ST&H Group Ltd (registration no. 0720588).

Deep canyons, hot springs, towering sand dunes and sunset cruises are just the beginning of all you’ll experience on this incredible holiday. Adventure across Southern Africa, experiencing sights you’d previously only seen in films or your imagination. All roads lead to a magnificent finale, one of the greatest natural wonders of the world, Victoria Falls. Be hypnotised by the entire Zambezi River tumbling majestically into the Batoka Gorge below. The locals call it ‘The Smoke That Thunders’. Once you arrive you’ll understand why. As they say, if you’re going to do it, do it properly. Visit saga.co.uk/goforit or call 0800 302 9798.

All three companies are registered in England and Wales. Registered Office: Enbrook Park, Sandgate, Folkestone, Kent CT20 3SE. With respect to general insurance products sold in the UK, ST&H Ltd is an appointed representative of Saga Services Limited, registered in England and Wales (company no. 732602), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. NHM-GH6335.

INTERVIEW

SHE’S

STA R T E D A N E W P O L I T I C A L PA R T Y AND

TA K E N OV E R A S H O ST O F Q I SHE’S ALSO

TAC K L I N G AT T I T U D E S TO O L D E R WO M E N AND HER NEW PL AY

I S S E T TO TO U R T H E U K

SANDI TOKSVIG IS

UNSTOPPA Words by E Jane Di ck s on Por t r aits by Jay Bro ok s

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2017

BLE

measure. Gamely hamming it up with our megaphone, she points out that she ‘doesn’t do shouting’, despite having a lot to say – there’s too much of it in this world. She can, however, speak in italics. ‘I’m just disappointed,’ she demonstrates, laughing. ‘Disappointed is still the worst word for my kids. Once you start shouting, the argument is lost. I’m entirely in favour of conversation.’ And conversation with Sandi is a wonderful thing, rather like playing tennis with one of those machines that keeps firing out balls. Ideas, on a theme of saving the world, are fuelled by outrage and supercharged with jokes which – never once – fall into the ‘Oh, aren’t I hopeless?’ category. Sandi at 58 is an exceptionally powerful woman, and she’s not about to let anyone forget it. ‘The other day I was in a private members’ club and, as it happened, I was the only woman in the room. The waiter came in, served all the boys, and went out again. Even though I was looking up hopefully. The waiter came back to check the boys were all right, and went out again. Four times the room was checked, and nobody looked at me. Four times! When I complained, they looked totally startled, as though I’d appeared out of thin air! I’m just tired of the invisibility of older women.’ This sounds less like weariness, more a call to arms. Sandi’s new play, Silver Lining,

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2017

I F YO U ’ R E N OT E NGAGE D IN SOCIAL MEDIA, IT’S AS IF YO U ’ V E LO S T YO U R VO I C E

is an impassioned attack on societal attitudes to women in older age. It’s a serious kind of comedy set in a care home on the banks of a flooding river. As waters rise, and hopes of rescue fade, the residents are thrown upon their own resources. ‘They decide to build a raft, and you discover that they have all sorts of wonderful skills – one of them was a welder in the Second World War, another one can build a radio using a razor blade and a pencil,’ explains Sandi. ‘You also discover this incredible inner life – there’s a character who is desperate to have sex one more time before she dies.’ Significantly, Silver Lining reverses the trend edging older actresses off the stage. The five actresses range in age from 60 to 81. ‘There’s more than 100 years’ experience in this play,’ says Sandi. ‘We cast a 22-year-old, straight out of drama school, as the women’s careworker, and I told her, “You are about to get the acting lesson of your life”.’ Naturally, the hot potato of social care arises, as yet again it’s batted around

BBC/BRIAN RITCHIE/TALKBACK

Broadcaster, writer and political animal Sandi Toksvig is in our photo studio, crackling with energy, smiles and intelligence in equal

INTERVIEW

W H O ’S B E E N S I TT I N G I N H I S CHAIR? Actually it’s her chair now, since Sandi Toksvig took over from Stephen Fry as host of BBC Two’s QI

government think-tanks. Sandi is in favour of ‘practical, possible fixes’. ‘I dislike the isolation that old people feel when they go into a home. In the area where I still have a house in Denmark [she was born in Denmark, but took British citizenship in 2013] the old people’s home is right next to the kindergarten. So the old people who can, go in and read to the kids and the old people who can’t do that have the kids visit for a chat and a cup of tea. ‘And we don’t have any old people in Denmark who die of hypothermia, and it’s a cold country. So that’s an immediate plus,’ she says. In the UK, some 25,000 older people die of the cold every winter – Jeremy Hunt, take note. And older women in the UK are doubly disadvantaged when it comes to medical research. ‘More women are living longer than men, so it follows that more women will have Alzheimer’s, yet we’re finding that most research into the disease is done by male scientists, on male lab rats – scientists don’t like the fluctuation in data that happens when female rodents have their cycle. And that may not be the answer, because men and women have different physiological systems. Similarly, symptoms we all think of for heart attack are entirely different.’ In an increasingly digital age, Sandi suggests, older people risk a kind of social disenfranchisement; the concerns of the elderly, like the concerns of children, are sidelined partly because these groups are less able to join the online conversation. ‘If you’re not engaged in social media, it’s as if you’ve lost your voice.’ There are only so many jokes you can make about discrimination, and Sandi has pretty much made all the good ones. In 2015, after a quarter-century taking swipes at the Establishment on Radio 4’s The News Quiz, she quit the show to help set up the Women’s Equality Party. In May 2016, one in 20 Londoners made the newly formed party their first or second choice in the mayoral ballot, while Sandi, in her official capacity as ‘Mistress of Ceremonies’ fired up 1,500 delegates at the first WEP party conference in November. ‘We’re the only political party with an  MC,’ she points out, explaining that she

S A N D I ’S

Wit

& wisdom

On confidence ‘First of all, get older. That helps. I think you have to learn to be comfortable with yourself, and that involves keeping your moral compass. Try to hold to what you absolutely know is the right thing, even when it would be tempting to sway. If you’re in a conversation and somebody makes a sexist or racist or homophobic remark, just challenge it. I’m a great one for saying “Can you just explain to me what you mean by that?”’

On QI ‘You can’t kill your friends to get their jobs. That’s “hosticide”. But once Stephen was sure he wanted to leave, I was chomping at the bit.’

On losing weight She lost four stone and became fitter and healthier by following a plan by diet expert

2017

Louise Parker. Like most people, her weight goes up and down but the programme gave her the tools to manage it. ‘I eat fewer carbs these days, but I do love a hot cross bun with cheese.’

On work ‘I’m a Pollyanna. I throw myself wholeheartedly into anything I do. Life is fun. Otherwise you may as well go home and shut the blinds.’

On exercise She was never keen on exercise at school, ‘because it was all about being on a team, and I didn’t want to. I think there’s a fundamental flaw in the way Physical Education is taught. But I love it now. I didn’t take up exercise to look better; I did it to feel better. I enjoy going for a run. I don’t run fast, and when I go swimming it’s like the Queen Mary coming into port.’

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piece of mind

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INTERVIEW

NILS JORGENSEN/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK

 declined to stand as leader ‘because I quite like my career’. Instead she took over from her old Footlights pal Stephen Fry as chair of QI. ‘It’s the most fun I’ve ever had in a television studio, though in my most diva moment I asked if I could have a chair that fits me – Stephen and I are rather different heights.’ She is just 5ft tall. Even if full-time politics is not for her, is Sandi encouraged to see Theresa May and Angela Merkel taking their place on the world stage? ‘Not really, darling. Look at any photograph of world leaders gathered together. It’s an awful lot of grey suits and one or two women in boxy jackets. And Theresa May is on the biggest “glass cliff” I have ever seen – you know, that thing that when businesses are in trouble and they decide, “It’s so bad, we’ll have a woman in charge. If she makes a mess of it, we’ll blame her, and if she succeeds, that’s great and we never need to have another woman again”. ‘I like Theresa May. I don’t approve of how she was as Home Secretary, but she’s a nice person and I suspect she’s a really hardworking person. But the fact is she took on the whole Brexit project with nobody knowing what that even meant. “Brexit means Brexit” is one of the most hilarious things I ever heard in my life. In our house we now have “breakfast means breakfast”.’

Sandi married debbie, a pSychotherapiSt, on the day same-sex marriage was legalised in 2014. The ceremony, at London’s Festival Hall, was thrown open to the public and 2,000 well-wishers cheered them on. Twenty years earlier, she had been forced into hiding with her former partner and their three children when she came out as gay. ‘As far as I know, I was the only “out” woman in public life. There were death threats and I had no one to look to. I get letters, sometimes, from mothers saying, “When my daughter came out, I was really distressed, because it wasn’t what I was expecting. Then I remembered you, and that your life is OK. And it has made me less worried about my child”. ‘I like to think I’ve made a difference in that way, and if I could change one thing

‘ I D O ’ – L I V E O N STAG E Sandi and Debbie celebrated their union in front of 2,000 people at the Royal Festival Hall in 2014

“

‘BREXIT MEANS BREXIT’ IS ONE OF THE MOST H I L A RIOUS THINGS I EVER HEARD I N MY LI FE . IN OUR HOUSE W E N O W H AV E ‘ B R E A K FA S T MEANS B R E A K FA S T ’

in this country, I would start sex and relationship education at the age of five.’ Is she ever just overwhelmed by the ‘to do’ list? ‘Sometimes I get tired, and my wife says, “Yes, you’re 58. Sit down”. But there’s a whole bunch of stuff I want to do. I quite fancy qualifying as a locksmith and I’d like to do a PhD, maybe on the societal need for leisure.’ To her credit, Sandi spots the irony. ‘Do you know the story about Grimaldi, the great 19th-century clown? A man goes to the doctor and says: “I can’t seem to pull myself together”. And the doctor says: “You want to go and see Grimaldi at Drury Lane. You’ll just laugh for the entire evening”. And the man says: “I am Grimaldi”.’ Sandi looks long and hard at her red cowboy boots. ‘I don’t know if that’s just a story or if it really happened,’ she says. ‘I’d like it to be true.’

F I N D O U T MO R E For a selection of amazing new QI facts, go to saga.co.uk/feb-mag. Silver Lining is at Rose Theatre Kingston from February 3-11 before touring nationwide. For details, visit ett.org.uk. Info about Louise Parker’s weight-loss plan at louiseparker.uk.com, 0800 084 2828 2017

S AG A .C O.U K / F E B-M AG

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mess with this lot! From left: Fighters Pat Davies, Dave Holladay, Laura Swaffield and David Watkinson

CHANGING LIVES

All over Britain, uncompromising 60-somethings are harnessing their time, brains and sheer bloody-mindedness to take direct action to right the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wrongs. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hear it for the fearless members of...

THE AWKWARD SQUAD Words by Moi ra Pett y Photog raphs by Pau l Stu ar t

2017

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CHANGING LIVES ‘N O G A S W E L L S I N O U R TOW N !’

‘O I , B A N KS ! STO P U S I N G TA X H AV E N S’

Former management consultant Pat Davies, 61, has now been dubbed ‘Swampy.’ After retiring in 2014, she became a founding member and chair of the Preston New Road Action Group (PNR) to fight a fracking application by Caudrilla to put in four wells locally. She lives in Westby, Lancashire.

Retired barrister David Watkinson, 69, swapped his wig and gown for dressing up as a banker to picket tax-avoiding banks. Since giving up work in 2013, he has campaigned with ActionAid, particularly against tax havens used by multinational corporations. He lives in north London.

‘I smile when I’m described as a campaigner. I’ve never protested about anything before. I wasn’t against fracking at first; I just wanted to know what was being proposed. But the more I dug into it, the worse it seemed. I didn’t believe local tourism and agriculture could sit side-by-side with this messy, dangerous industry that would be burning methane gas for 90 days at a time. ‘I wanted to protect my community; maybe I’ve been a bit derelict about that in the past. ‘My view was that it would only go ahead if we allowed it. I see my role as a persuader – coffee, cake and fracking talk with councillors and locals. My image is twinset and pearls, and my local councillor laughs and calls me Swampy. ‘All the local democratic bodies ruled against the application. But the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has ruled in favour of Caudrilla, overturning democracy in Lancashire. We’re fighting on and mounting a legal challenge. ‘I’ve worked seven days a week for two years without a holiday, but it’s been a blessing to meet all these people. I knew no one when I moved here on retirement and now I’m seen as a figurehead. ‘I just keep on going. I’m an average middle-class lady, and I’ve surprised myself.’ pnrgroup.org.uk

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2017

I’M JUST AN AV E R A G E M I D D L E C L A S S L A D Y, AND I’VE SURPRISED MYS E LF

‘My plan for retirement was to do a history degree, get to know the British Museum really well and study Ancient Greek. These are self-indulgences, complemented by my campaigning. ‘I’d contributed only money to causes. Then in 2013 I began lobbying my MP to pressure the Government to keep the 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI) contribution to overseas development. Jeremy Corbyn is my MP – he wasn’t as well known when I first started seeing him, but he’s always been very receptive. ‘I’m attracted to ActionAid because its position about ending global poverty isn’t confined to reacting to emergencies. Campaigning is a lot more fun than when I was young. Everyone seems nicer and more open to new ideas. ‘In late 2013, a dozen of us picketed a branch of Barclays Bank to ask them to clean up their act on promoting tax havens in developing countries. I dressed up as Father Christmas – the beard is real – and we gave out bars of soap to passersby. ‘We also targeted tax havens in May last year, timed for the anti-corruption conference hosted by David Cameron. We turned part of Trafalgar Square into an island with sand and palm trees, and we dressed as bankers and waved wads of imitation money. ‘I have spasms of anger about injustices and then I say to myself, “Something needs to change. Why waste all the experience and knowledge I’ve built up?” There are ongoing campaigns that I can see will be taking up my time for years to come, but I was never going to be a put-your-feet-up sort of retiree.’  actionaid.org.uk

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CHANGING LIVES ‘ STO P T R U C KS KILLING OUR C YC L I ST S’

‘KEEP OUR LIBRARIES OPEN’

‘I can do things I feel passionate about now. One of the changes I want to see is that road-traffic accidents should be investigated properly. They should be public and visible, as with the published investigations into air and rail crashes and incidents at sea. ‘Unbelievably, in London and most other cities and towns, 80% of crashes between cyclists and trucks involve trucks turning left. I attend inquests and feed information to the charity Cycling UK. It’s terrible to see people being killed in identical crashes caused by the design of our roads. ‘Often it’s just the truck driver who gets prosecuted, but through the campaigns I’ve been involved with, we’ve taken it further, to the haulage operator, and successfully taken two such companies off the road. ‘We should not have a road network that is so inherently unsafe. I cycle most days as it’s often the best way of getting about, but roads must be fair for everyone. ‘I have the time and I know the right people to get results. Campaigning makes every day exciting and interesting, and gives me connections with people. I don’t get frustrated or expect immediate answers. If you want to be in the awkward squad, you must never lose your temper: get your facts right and state your case patiently.’ cyclinguk.org

B E C OM E A C A M PA I G N E R There’s a real technique to winning your argument, be it local or national. Read some inspired hints and tips shared by successful campaigners at saga.co.uk/feb-mag

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2017

Retired journalist Laura Swaffield, 69, has no time to read – she’s too busy with petitions, marches and occupations. A year after retiring, in 2011 she became chair of The Library Campaign, which aims to improve services in the sector. She lives in southwest London.

I F YO U WA N T TO BE IN THE AW K WA R D S Q UA D, G E T YO U R FAC T S RIGHT AND S TAT E YO U R C A S E P A T I E N T LY

‘I’d supported The Library Campaign since 1999 when Lambeth had this daft idea to close half the libraries. The issue made me mad, but I wasn’t into campaigning until I retired and thought it was time to do something. Now it’s taken over my life and I’m not that pleased: I want time for other sorts of volunteering. ‘I get petitions signed, write arguments and papers. It’s not just about the books. Libraries are valuable spaces where all ages can just sit and be. Now I turn up at council meetings waving banners and join marches. ‘Last year I took part in the occupation of the Carnegie Library in Herne Hill, which the council plans to turn into a fee-charging gym, community space and library – but without full-time staff. You can’t call that a library. ‘There was a party there on closing day and somebody said we shouldn’t leave and 200 of us agreed. Grateful locals brought us posh takeaways, home-made cakes, sleeping bags, dry shampoo, everything they could think of. The numbers whittled down over time but 30 of us stayed for ten days. ‘Ironically, I haven’t read a book in months. We haven’t got far with the council, but this just makes me dig my heels in more. It keeps my brain active and I’ve met some wonderful people.’ librarycampaign.com

ALICE THEOBALD @ JOY GOODMAN USING L’OREAL PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP, LANZA, AND ARK SKINCARE

Dave Holladay, 64, worked for many years as an integrated transport specialist. He still works part-time on transport issues and in his spare time campaigns to make roads safer for cyclists. He lives in Glasgow.

To one of 1,000s of half price rooms if you book by 6 February.

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Where will 2017 take you?

Welcome to 2017

There’s a whole year ahead to ﬁll with wonderful experiences and special moments. And there are 13 great Warner locations where you can enjoy them. From historic manor houses set in the heart of the British countryside to coastal villages and hotels. Included in every Warner break: Delicious breakfasts Three-course evening meals Fabulous range of daytime activities Use of leisure facilities Live music and shows every night

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*Small Print: Offer prices are from prices, per person per break, based on 2 people sharing Standard accommodation half board. Savings of up to 50% will vary by break and could be extremely limited. Discounts apply to accommodation only and dining choices are not discounted. Supplements apply on selected room features such as patios, balconies, views and new rooms and will not be discounted as part of this offer. Saga free lunch is a voucher which entitles the holder to enjoy a two-course lunch from the specially selected lunch menu, served in the main coffee shop during normal coffee shop hours. This voucher can be redeemed for food items only. This voucher has a monetary value of 0.0001p and cannot be exchanged for cash and no change will be given. Lunch is excluded on arrival and departure days. Offers apply to new bookings only and are subject to promotional availability which is reviewed daily and cannot be combined with any other offer or discount. Offers cannot be used on bookings with Group benefits or bookings made through Coach Operators. Offer excludes a small handful of breaks including Christmas, New Year and 2 night breaks. Breaks with no single supplement are limited, with a maximum of two per booking and if a single room is available this will be allocated first. Some breaks are selected Drinks Inclusive from 6pm to midnight. Discounts or offers are not applicable to the Drinks Inclusive supplement of £55 per person. Prices and availability are correct at time of printing. Number of rooms at the level of discount shown will vary by break and could be extremely limited. Warner Leisure Hotels reserves the right to change or withdraw any offers without prior notice. Full terms and conditions apply as stated in the current Welcome to Warner guide or go online. All persons in your booking must be aged over 21 years of age. Calls to 03 numbers are charged at the standard UK rates and will be included in any inclusive minute bundles. By providing the requested data you consent to any company in the Saga Group using it for administrative purposes and for informing you of other products and services by letter, SMS, telephone and/or email. For a complete copy of our privacy policy please refer to saga.co.uk/holidays or write to Saga’s Group Data Protection Officer, Enbrook Park, Folkestone, Kent CT20 3SE. Bourne Holidays Limited (trading as Warner Leisure Hotels) is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 01854900 whose 1998_2113 registered office is 1 Park Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP2 4YL.

PICTURE STORY

COLD SNAPS The prospect of stepping outdoors at this time of year isn’t always appealing. But stay in and you’ll miss out, for the season’s frosts, mists and chill can add a special wonder to the landscape, as these shivery-but-stunning shots from the International Garden Photographer of the Year awards reveal 32

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2017

TA K E U S TO YO U R L E A D E R Kendal, Cumbria The topiary of Levens Hall, an Elizabethan manor house, is some of the oldest and finest in England. But in this frosty infrared image taken by John Whitaker, the sculpted yew trees look more like advancing aliens. The dramatic cloud patterns add to the surreal feel.

LET THERE BE LIGHT Isère, France Photographer Rosanna Castrini picked just the right moment to snap this shot at the Jardin du Bois Marquis. As the sun’s rays forced their way through a tree’s branches, a lovely but unremarkable scene took on a dazzling, chilly new life.

Previous B R A N C H I N G O U T Hertfordshire A small group of trees reveal their gentle new white clothing pages in snowy Harpenden. Peter Stevens spent some time getting just the right composition, so that the canopy of the main tree almost entirely overlaps those in the background.

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2017

A TO U C H O F F R O ST Warwickshire Sue Steward was experimenting with a new camera when she captured the River Dene at Charlecote Park. ‘I took hundreds of photos but this was my favourite. It’s almost monochrome, with hints of orange, brown, green.’

PICTURE STORY

WA I T I N G FOR SPRING Cambridgeshire This artistic image of seed pods, including Chinese lanterns (Physalis), was captured by Mandy Disher by arranging them on a light pad. ‘The pods develop when the flowers have finished, bearing their treasure inside until the time is right for nature to set them free again,’ she says. 

2017

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PICTURE STORY 5 TO P T I P S F O R

Photographing winter International Garden Photographer of the Year founder and professional snapper Philip Smith shares his essential tips for shooting nature in the cold

As the frost on plants starts to melt, go close to capture light reflected in the water drops.

The texture of tree bark is revealed in winter. Use soft light coming from the side to create abstract patterns.

Birds are often quite tame at this time of year. Provide varied food in a picturesque spot. Then wait for that perfect shot.

Check the forecasts. A blend of early morning fog and sun creates great atmosphere. Overcast days are good for capturing delicate pale shades as no shadows are cast.

If itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very chilly, look out for photogenic patterns in the ice on ponds and puddles.

Dead leaves and plants can create fascinating textures. Take a few indoors and set up a mini studio away from the cold.

FREEZE FRAMED Zwolle, the Netherlands The Green-veined White, common in the UK, takes flight from the start of April. However, Dutch temperatures can still be pretty sharp at this time, and this butterfly snapped by Johannes Klapwijk was coated in frost. Amazingly, the insect can survive; when the sun thaws it out, it will simply fly off.

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2017

S E E MO R E O N L I N E For other images from the competition, visit saga.co.uk/ feb-mag. The winners of the tenth International Garden Photographer of the Year will be announced on February 3. A book of the entries is available from igpoty.com, ÂŁ25. The 2017 competition is open from now until October

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VALENTINE’S DAY

LATER LOVE – HERE’S HOW TO MAKE IT WORK After finding a new partner in her sixties, one writer shares her do’s and don’ts for ensuring a happy-ever-after life ahead Words by Maure en Paton Il lust r at ions by Ste ven S cott

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2017

‘Frayed at the edges but basically sound.’ Those were the words that first attracted me to Norman. Widowed and single for several years, I’d just spent two experimental, unsuccessful months in early 2015 on an online dating site trying to meet someone. But, finally, the reassuring honesty of Norman’s profile seemed to match my direct ‘tall, slim woman seeks tall, beard-free man’. We had other things in common, too. He’d lost his partner, we were both former rock writers, had similar working-class backgrounds, and when time is precious – I was 63 and he was 70 – it was appealing that any relationship could get off to a flying start. When we met, his grin was so engaging I barely noticed the goatee underneath. His witty, self-mocking anecdotes about fending off a flirty Little Richard and being upstaged as the office dandy when the young Eric Clapton stopped by endeared him to me even more, and he was handsome with a still-sharp sense of style. He was also as easy-going and willing to talk about his feelings as my late husband, Liam. Within four months, we’d gone on a cruise together, managing to share a small cabin for 12 days without having hissy fits about which excursions to go on. It convinced us we could live together and I’m delighted to say he moved into my house last December. And the goatee has gone. But adjusting to a new partner later in life isn’t straightforward. So let me share with you what I’ve learnt.

GET PHYSIC AL , B U T S TAY S E N S I T I V E In a new relationship, it’s important to have a good love life, even if you are a little older, but be understanding of each other’s moods and limitations. Someone I know gives herself and her partner a get-out clause from sex by remarking that he looks tired, allowing him to reciprocate. It’s so much more diplomatic than the off-putting ‘headache’ route. It’s also a clichéd assumption that older women feel more body-vulnerable than

T O AV O I D A M A L E E Q U I VA L E N T O F D A P H N E DU M AURIER’S REB ECCA , I MOVE D A L ARG E PORTR AIT OF LIAM FROM THE SITTING ROOM TO MY S T U DY men. Males are holding their stomachs in just as much as we are, so do show them some degree of sympathy. There are other night-time sensitivities to consider. I snore, due to sinusitis, so I’m stockpiling decongestants and trying not to sleep with my mouth open. Norman also feels the heat in our double bed more than me, so we’re experimenting with a pair of single duvets.

D O N’T L E T H I STO RY S P O I L THE PRESENT We carry a lot of emotional baggage at our age, so blending your lives takes tact and common sense. I’ve trained myself to stop wittering on about the DIY skills of my late husband, for instance, since no one wants to hear comparisons with their predecessor 24/7. And to avoid a male equivalent of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, I moved a large portrait of Liam from the sitting room to my study.

K E E P T H E R E L AT I V E S O N S I D E We both have grown-up children and/or stepchildren, but our families couldn’t be happier that Norman and I got together. It relieves any anxiety they may have had

2017

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VALENTINE’S DAY  about us facing a lonely old age. It helps, too, that we have no intention of marrying and potentially complicating inheritances. However, we are careful to spare any understandably squeamish feelings by not kissing and cuddling in front of them too much, as if our generation invented sex in 1963. I have to watch my step with unsolicited (grand)childcare advice, too.

A SHARED HOUSE SHOULD BE A MUTUAL HOME If you move in together, all sorts of factors determine where that might be. It could be somewhere completely new to make a fresh start, one of you might have a particularly attractive property that you want to share, or someone might need to stay close to a job. It’s vital that your choice is emotionally and practically right for you both. It made sense for Norman to move into my North London house and let out his smaller property – which he had inherited from his parents and never much liked. He’s now also much nearer his daughter and grandchildren, who live in a flat he owns. On the other hand, a friend of mine and her boyfriend don’t share a place at all, as they live within a mile of each other. Bear in mind that, if you keep your home but live elsewhere, you can lose some or all of your capital-gains tax exemption when you sell it.

H AV E A C L E A R - O U T I’ve had my loft converted because Norman and I both work from home and need office-space. But when he first moved in, we still had too much stuff to fit into one home. So we got rid of all duplicates – books, CDs, DVDs and kitchenware – and Norman left most of his furniture in the house he is letting out. Nothing declutters a dithery hoarder’s mind more effectively than a move-in; it’s a great excuse to get drastic. I’m also curbing my feminine tendency to over-decorate so that my six-foot male companion doesn’t get regularly brained by the metal curlicues on low-hanging pendant lampshades in the shape of Persian turbans.

T R Y T O S TAY F I N A N C I A L LY INDEPENDENT Norman and I are lucky enough to be well-balanced in terms of assets: his

F I N D O U T MO R E For further advice on later-life love, visit saga.co.uk/feb-mag R E A DY TO DAT E ? To join Saga Dating, visit sagadating.co.uk Norman conquest: Maureen Paton with the new man in her life, who claimed to be ‘frayed at the edges but basically sound’!

property portfolio is similar to mine with no mortgages. So for the sake of financial clarity, we are sharing living expenses but nothing else. I paid for my loft conversion, while he is funding his house refurb. It may not seem romantic, but keeping your money separate can stop (potentially damaging) arguments about spending. Solicitors advise, too, that if someone helps their partner to pay for major house repairs or improvements, they could then attempt to claim an interest in the property. Legal experts also suggest making inventories of your individual possessions (such as the sleek mega-cupboard Norman bought to compete with my walk-in – no, make that drive-in – wardrobe).

BE CLEAR ABOUT THE FUTURE It’s a common assumption that cohabitees don’t have the same rights as married couples over their partner’s assets. But these rights vary pre- and post-death. If one partner dies, no matter what they’ve said in their will, the person left behind may be able to make a claim on their estate, if they were cohabitees or if their late love was maintaining them financially. So consider a pre-nup or cohabitation agreement and a declaration of trust, and have an up-todate will to make it plain what you’d like to happen after you die. I’m thinking of changing my will so that Norman can stay in my house for life, should I die first. But we’re leaving our properties to our separate heirs.

2017

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From pen to paper to screen-printed fabrics, Sam Pickardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s designs feature on her highly collectible cushions, hangings and scarves

NEW HORIZONS The craft sector has never been more popular. More of us are turning from consumers into makers – and it’s not just knitting and embroidery that are getting our fingers all of a twitch. From felting and quilting, to ceramics and glass-blowing, we’re enjoying the satisfaction of making something by hand. There are more than 5,000 sellers on folksy.com, the online crafting site; then there’s the rise in fairs and events across the country, such as Handmade in Britain and the Country Living Spring and Christmas Shows, which attract huge audiences. The boom in craft grew from customer demand for ethically produced, handmade goods, rather than something that’s mass-produced. Think of the trend for artisan food and craft beers, with provenance top of the menu, and you get the picture. And in this technological age, the sense of wellbeing you get from making things yourself has a natural appeal. There’s a collective wave of goodwill within this cross-generational crafting community, who enjoy the feelgood factor of sharing the joy, skills, ideas and knowledge that are involved in creating by hand. Central to this community is the growing number of workshops available for those looking to take up a craft or develop their skills further, such as those run by textile designer Sam Pickard, above right. Sam started her own business 20 years ago in London, initially making scarves, but shortly afterwards she and her husband Peter Bishop, a graphic designer, decided to move to the South West, to give their son Josse, 

CRAFTING A LIVING

Workshops in traditional skills from felting to quilting are on the rise as more of us discover new ways to turn a hobby into a business opportunity. Fabric designer Sam Pickard combines producing award-winning textiles with passing on her knowledge to would-be entrepreneurs at her idyllic North Devon studio Words by Kitt y C or r igan Photog raphs by And re w Mont gomer y

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then seven, a rural upbringing. They settled in South Molton, North Devon, where they have lived ever since. In contrast to city life, her commute is 75 paces from her Victorian terraced house to a studio the size of a church hall. In half of the large open space she has all the equipment she needs – plan chest, drying rack, heat press, print table and screens. The walls are decorated with the large panels she is currently working on, together with runners and curtains, while smaller items are displayed on flat surfaces – napkins, coasters and her statement cushions. Her new range of cashmere scarves is based on the colours of her three favourite birds – the jay, swallow and great spotted woodpecker. ‘I’ve called it the Forty Seasons Collection because it took me ten years to revert to designing scarves.’

ALAMY

The other half of the studio is kept clear for workshops. ‘My courses have always been intended for those who want a professional grounding in textile screen printing, giving them the skills needed to set up their own business. ‘Some of my students have been art teachers who haven’t had time to develop their own

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IT GIVES ME IMMENSE PLE ASURE TO SEE PEOPLE DEVELOP THEIR DESIGN IDEAS AND FULFIL AMBITIONS T H AT H AV E LAIN DORMANT FOR YEARS interests; others come to try a new medium. Many simply enjoy learning to print onto textiles, using their new-found talent to create fabric for lampshades, cushions, blinds, wall hangings or bags.’ There’s inspiration aplenty for students to draw from right on Sam’s Devon doorstep. ‘Moving to the countryside affects the way you work,’ she says. Her own screen-printed fabrics are inspired by the lichen-covered stones, ivy-covered branches, swathes of tall ferns, and creatures that survive in this harsh habitat – rabbits, pheasants, raptors and deer. The National Trust has chosen six of Sam’s cushions for its new Artisan and Craft Collection, an initiative celebrating British artisans and the natural environment. She manages to juggle both her prestigious clients and the workshops, as they give her so much satisfaction. ‘It gives me immense pleasure to see people develop their design ideas and fulfil ambitions that have often lain dormant for years.’

THE TECHNIQUE Screen printing entails coating a fine mesh stretched on a screen with a special light-sensitive emulsion and then exposing it to a bright light. During this process some of the mesh is left open (the design) and some of it is blocked. The screen is then placed on top of the fabric and the dye paste is pushed through the area of open mesh using a squeegee. Each colour requires a separate screen to create the complete multicoloured print.

NEW HORIZONS

More crafty ideas Whatever you fancy doing and wherever you live, there’s every chance someone’s running a workshop where you can brush up on your skills or start afresh. Try these for starters…

N OW YO U T RY ! Sam runs two-day weekend workshops in Devon with the focus on individual learning; numbers are limited to three per course. The cost of £250 includes materials and students take home a handmade accessory. Forthcoming dates Weekend Introduction to Textile Screen Printing on 18, 19 March. Introduction to Photoshop for Textile Design at West Dean College (westdean.org.uk) on 25-28 July. Another workshop will be held in Devon in April. Contact Sam for details: sampickard.co.uk, 01769 574550.

J E W E L L E RY Bespoke jeweller Elizabeth Ann Norris runs jewellery-making workshops for beginners from her studio in Brighton. Even those with no experience can learn to make a beautiful piece of jewellery in just three hours. eanjewellery.com Q U I LT I N G With top teachers booked two years in advance, quilting is as popular as ever. Greta Fitchett is a Crafts Council maker and teaches patchwork, appliqué and quilting,

and is part of The Living Threads Group, which comprises 65 textile artists who pass on their knowledge at workshops throughout the year. heatherleadesign.com F LOW E R G R OW I N G Common Farm Flowers is an artisan florist specialising in cut flowers by post, and runs workshops all year – from Flower Farming for Beginners to Growing Your Kitchen Table Business. commonfarmflowers. com, 01963 32883

MO R E I N S P I R AT I O N For details of other workshops around the country, visit saga.co.uk/feb-mag craftscouncil.org.uk/directory craftcourses.com

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Historic sites and dramatic natural wonders, what will Malta and her islands reveal to you?

This is not a brochure. Terms and conditions apply. *Price per person based on Jan 11, 2018 departure with the scheduled services of British Airways from Gatwick to Malta. Other departures available Apr 2017-Jan 2018. §A reduction of £42 applies if you do not need the optional travel insurance and additional cancellation rights. Please call for further details. For more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate, visit www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate. Saga’s holidays and cruises are exclusively for the over 50s (but

ISLANDS OF ANTIQUITY 10 NIGHTS

£849 FROM

Including optional travel insur ance provided by Cigna Insurance Services (Europe) Limited, or a reduction of £42 if not requ ired

DEPARTING JANUARY 11, 201 8 • All breakfasts, 3 lunches and all dinners • Free bar on selected nigh ts • 9 excursions and visits incl uding a walking tour of Valletta and a visit to the Azure Window • Optional travel insurance and additional cancellation righ ts, or a reduction if not require § d • Return flights with British Airways and transfers • Local guide • Saga tour manager • Por terage at all hotels and on all ferr y crossings. If you’re going to do it, do it properly

SAGA.CO.UK/ISLANDS-MA LTA CALL 080 0 092 3082 QUOTING ATY97 OR VISIT YOUR TRAVEL AGE NT

a travelling companion can be 40+). Saga Holidays is a trading name of ST&H Ltd (registration no. 2174052). ST&H Ltd and Saga Cruises Ltd (registration no. 3267858) are subsidiaries of ST&H Group Ltd (registration no. 0720588). All three companies are registered in England and Wales. Registered Office: Enbrook Park, Sandgate, Folkestone, Kent CT20 3SE. With respect to general insurance products sold in the UK, ST&H Ltd is an appointed representative of Saga Services Limited, registered in England and Wales (company no. 732602), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. NHM-GH6319

DISCOUNT FOR SAGA CUSTOMERS

Where your adventure starts Wherever you’re set to jet off to in 2017, Holiday Extras can help to take the hassle out of travelling at every step along the way. Airport Hotels

Airport Parking

Airport Lounges

The early morning start and rush to the airport can be exciting, as long as traffic or bad weather doesn’t slow you down. On the other hand, travelling to the airport a day early and staying in an airport hotel means you wake up moments away from the terminal. Spending the night before you fly in an airport hotel, just around the corner from your departure gate, is definitely a more exciting way to start your break than sitting in traffic and is completely stress-free. Holiday Extras’ airport hotels are 10%* off with our exclusive deal and there’s a wealth to choose from.

While parking at the airport can be fraught if left to the last minute, booking it in advance is one of the simplest ways to ease into a blissful beginning to your holiday. It’s often much cheaper if you book airport parking early (not like those often frighteningly high ‘pay on the day’ prices) and with Holiday Extras, you could save you even more up to an impressive 30%*extra off. Parking at the airport means you won’t have to rely on public transport or a potentially expensive taxi either. Just drive yourself the whole way there knowing there’ll be a secured space waiting for you when you arrive.

Your holiday ought to be a special occasion to remember so, when you get to the airport, why cram into a Departure lounge along with everyone else? Isn’t it time you had a little luxury? Or perhaps it’s time you spoilt someone else to some? Airport lounges offer peace and tranquility before your flight, where complimentary refreshments like sweet pastries and a cool glass of white wine, or a warming soup and crusty roll come as standard. Holiday Extras offers airport lounges across the UK, all at 10%* off.

To book, or for further information... Visit the Saga website at www.Saga.co.uk/HolidayExtras ...or call Holiday Extras on 0800 083 2838 quoting code SHMAG.

*Terms and conditions apply. See full terms and conditions at www.Saga.co.uk/HolidayExtras

E V E R Y T H I N G YO U N E E D TO K N O OW

Take Away INSIDE 54 T R AV E L 67 B E AU T Y

Photo g r aphs by Wendy C ar r ig St y ling by Hop e L aw r ie

71 H E A LT H

MEET

76 R E L AT I O N S H I P S

Our winner!

82 FOOD 86 GARDENING

Dulcie Andrews is kick-starting her brand new career at 60, after winning our 50-plus modelling competition. Mum-of-two Dulcie has never modelled before, but she can’t wait to start her new job ➻

91 READER OFFERS 95 DRIVING 97 T E C H N O LO GY 1 01 MONEY 1 14 PROPERTY 2017

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Three great reasons to take Saga Travel Insurance with you

✓

Cover for most pre-existing medical conditions Simply let us know about them before you buy.

No upper age limit Our cover is for the over 50s, with the option to add travellers of any age to your policy.

High levels of cover Up to £10,000 for cancellation and up to £10 million for emergency medical expenses.

Saga’s range of insurance products is designed specifically for our customers and is unique to us. Saga Travel Insurance is provided by Cigna Insurance Services (Europe) Limited who meets our high standards of quality and service.

If you’re over 50 and would like a quote for our 5 Star rated Saga Travel Insurance, call our friendly, UK-based advisers on

0800 161 5182

stating reference P2736

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saga.co.uk/travelinsurance

TAKE AWAY Fashion huge thank-you to everyone who entered our modelling competition in the November issue. We had

H A I R A N D M A K E - U P : C H A R L I E D U F F Y U S I N G B O B B I B R O W N A N D E L E M I S . S I L V E R B L O C K H E E L S O N P R E V I O U S P A G E : £ 1 95, L K B E N N E T T ( L K B E N N E T T . C O M )

a fantastic response, with entrants ranging in age from 50 to 85-plus and all of you looking absolutely gorgeous! It was a difficult task to pick one face from all the fabulous entries, but in the end Dulcie Andrews, from London, stood out from the crowd and was named winner by judges Saga Magazine editor Katy Bravery and Rebi Merilion from Mrs Robinson Management. Dulcie, at 5ft 7 ½in and an enviable size 10, looked amazing in the photographs she submitted, but it wasn’t just her natural good looks that caught Rebi's eye. ‘When we first saw the shots it was “wow”, she’s got a great figure and fantastic eyes, but there’s also such a positive energy there. We could pick that up from the images. Being a successful model isn’t just about looks. ‘I was really surprised by the quality of the entrants,’ Rebi adds. ‘There were some very lovely-looking women, but sometimes they were too short, or too skinny. It’s about the whole package really.’ When Dulcie found out that she had won, she was over the moon. ‘It was my older

Above: Dulcie with her daughters, Daisy, 21 and Eva, 25. Right: Dulcie’s entry photographs. Below: Our competition. Bottom: Dulcie with Rebi Merilion (left) and Fleur Brady from the Mrs Robinson agency

MY DAUG HTE RS W E RE TH R I LLE D – T H E Y WA N T E D M E TO H AV E S O M E T H I N G O F M Y O W N

Turn the page TO S EE DULCI E IN ACT I ON

daughter who suggested I should enter. She’d been going on about me having a go at modelling for a while. She’d read that there was a bit of a thing going on with older models at the moment. And then I saw the competition and thought, ‘Why not?’ But I didn’t for a minute think I’d win!’ Dulcie gave up work to look after her daughters and elderly mother who lived in Cornwall. ‘I think my daughters know I’ve spent much of my life running after other people and not putting myself first. They are really thrilled because I think they wanted me to have something that was completely my own.’ First job for Saga… next stop New York? A whole new world beckons for Dulcie.

➻

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Informal dinner date W H Y I T WO R KS A trend that’s been seen on the catwalks for a number of seasons, ruffles soften a look and add a hint of femininity

Shopping in style W H Y I T WO R KS From soft rose to fuchsia, if there’s one colour to wear this season it’s pink! Seen here with the new cinched-in silhouette

Knit £70 boden.co.uk

Cotton roll neck £9.99 asos.com

Trousers £69 finerylondon.com

Spring

K N I TS Knit £29.50 M&S

Culottes £180 whistles.com

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TAKE AWAY Fashion Lunch with the girls

Chilled-out weekend

W H Y I T WO R KS Keep this look low-key with a pair of sneakers or glam up the on-trend stripes with a few glitzy accessories

W H Y I T WO R KS Loosen up with a modern twist to relaxing denim in a flattering below-the-knee skirt topped off with a soft, cosy cable knit

Get the look

FO R U NDE R £150

Cardigan £9.90 Striped tank £7.90 Both uniqlo.com

Trousers Maxmara Weekend

£179 matchesfashion.com

Belt £80 J Crew at net-a-porter.com

Cable knit £158 jcrew.com

Skirt £215 MiH at matchesfashion.com

Boots £170 kurtgeiger.com

Earrings £19 coast-stores.com

Slip-on shoes £75 dunelondon.com

Earrings £29 Bracelet £35 Both stelladot.co.uk

BEHIND THE SCENES See our behindthe-scenes video at saga.co.uk/

feb-mag

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DREAM TRIP: VANCOUVER AND THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS

It’s Canada’s 150th birthday and Christian Koch says this is the perfect time to discover the sophisticated Pacific Coast city, the natural gateway to the spectacular Rockies landscape

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGHS

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Travel TAKE AWAY ancouver is a perennial on World’s Most Liveable City lists. Wedged between mountains and the Pacific, residents commute (often by bicycle, sometimes by kayak) while peering up at snowy peaks flickering between downtown’s glass skyscrapers. It’s at weekends when Vancouverites really enjoy their home town – sunbathing on beaches, cycling through Stanley Park’s pines or skiing on powdery slopes just 30 minutes away. The city has thrown off lazy comparison as ‘Canada’s San Francisco’, establishing a cultural identity of its own and a quality of life envied by many cities south of the 49th parallel. Once you’ve left British Columbia’s landmark city you find contrasting terrain, from the verdant wine-making Okanagan Valley, and over the province line to the peaks and turquoise lakes of Jasper and Banff National Parks, deep in the Rocky Mountains. The endless environmental eye-candy makes every leg of the journey ring long in the memory.

1 Gastown

Not many cities were founded thanks to a pub, but Vancouver started life in 1867 only when Englishman ‘Gassy’ Jack Deighton built a tavern for thirsty sawmill workers. The settlement emerging around this alehouse became known as Gastown, for decades a seedy skid row full of alcoholics and rundown buildings. Today, it’s Vancouver’s historic heart; a breezy cobblestoned district with handsome heritage buildings occupied by boutiques, 

Cosmopolitan and relaxed modern dining belies the roots of Gastown’s uproarious history

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brewpubs and bistros. Learn more about its insalubrious past on a Forbidden Vancouver ‘Lost Souls of Gastown’ tour.

2 Chinatown

Almost half of Vancouver’s citizens are of Asian origin and the city boasts outstanding Eastern cuisine. There’s an authentic ambience to Chinatown, with its dragonfestooned décor, ginseng-smelling apothecaries, steamy-windowed eateries and oases of landscaped Taoist-serenity, such as Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. Strangest attraction? The Jimi Hendrix Shrine. A bright-red shack (formerly the axeman’s grandmother’s fried-chicken restaurant), with more Jimi memorabilia than you can shake a Strat at.

3 Main Street and Commercial Drive

These stroll-friendly neighbourhoods exemplify the high-liveability factor. Main Street boasts coffee shops, eclectic stores (such as stationery-store Regional Assembly of Text), vintage clothes and record emporia, and a winning gallery district in The Flats. The Drive is a colourful strip with a patio dining scene, micro-breweries and eccentric nightlife, from ‘nerd-pubs’ (Storm Crow Tavern’s Doctor Who keepsakes and Game of Thrones events) to poetry slam nights.

4 Stanley Park

A cluster of eye-catching totem poles greets visitors at the entrance to North America’s

VA N C O U V E R P O S S E S S E S A QUALIT Y OF LIFE ENVIED BY M ANY CITIES SOUTH O F T H E 49 T H PA R A L L E L

GETTY, STEFANO POLITI MARKOVINA/AWL IMAGES

VA N C O U V E R TO P S P OT S Our not-to-be-missed insiders’ recommendations of the best

S E W E L L’S S E A S A FA R I Whoop-heavy fun as you bounce around the Pacific on a high-speed inflatable watching harbour seals and bald eagles.

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G R O U S E M O U N TA I N At the summit of ‘Mother Nature’s Stairmaster’ you’ll find zip-lines, snowboarding/skiing (including night skiing) and a grizzly bear refuge.

GRANVILLE ISLAND Local produce, a maritime market, brilliant buskers and the island-inthe-city’s own brewery – a total buzz.

Travel TAKE AWAY G E T I N TO T H E VA N C O U V E R G R O OV E

Inspiration for before you go – or even when you get there THE BOOK

City of Glass by Douglas Coupland

Left: Vancouver offers a laidback and undoubtedly affluent vibe. Above: the willows and water lilies of Chinatown’s lake

largest urban park (at 405 hectares, it’s bigger than Central Park). Like a microcosm of British Columbia wilderness, it’s hard to believe you’re in a city. Best experienced by bicycle (hire a Mobi, Vancouver’s publicshare bike scheme), a ride along its 5½ mile Seawall should unveil log-strewn beaches, Douglas fir trees, candy-striped lighthouses, buzzing seaplanes and harbour seals. Also check out the park’s fantastic aquarium (particularly its jellyfish and beluga whales).

The author, who defined a demographic with Generation X, pays homage to Vancouver with this series of essays covering topics from realestate condominiums to the Grouse Grind mountain trail.

5 Making tracks

The Rocky Mountaineer train leaves Vancouver heading east, exchanging urban sophistication for the raw, glacial wilderness of the Rocky Mountains. The all-round views from the observation cars offer breathtaking panoramas of untamed forest, churning rivers, cascading waterfalls, icy 

of the city’s shopping, dining and off-beat attractions

THE FOOD Ignore, if you can, straightfrom-the-boat seafood or lashings of maple syrup. One of Canada’s favourite bites is poutine – fries steeped in cheese and drenched with gravy. Possibly the only global cuisine influenced by Blackburn. T H E MU S I C

Stompin’ Tom Connors

CAPIL ANO SUSPENSION BRIDGE Seemingly precarious (but 100% safe) rope bridge swaying a knee-wobblingly 230ft above a forested North Vancouver canyon.

O K A N AG A N VA L L E Y Oenophiles can soak up Canada’s growing reputation for wine production, a six-hour drive (beautiful in itself) from Vancouver.

Forget Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and Bryan Adams; sing along to Stompin’ Tom’s Hockey Song – a staple at ice hockey games across the country – and you’ll never want for a cold Molson beer.

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TAKE AWAY Travel

“

Y O U R L U N G S M AY N E E D SOME ADJUSTING TO THE PURITY OF THE AIR…

FAC T S A N D FIGURES NEED TO KNOW

9 hours 40 minutes Flight time London-Vancouver

8 hours behind Time difference London-Vancouver

8C Jan-23C July

Average high temperatures

166

Rainy days a year – as it’s a favourite location for film directors, Vancouver is known as ‘Brollywood’

£1 = C$1.68

Canadian dollar current exchange rate FOOD AND DRINK Three-course dinner for two, including drinks C$102 – around £60

 peaks, and matchless moments of splendid

isolation such as Spirit Island, above. This is a must-do trip to experience one of the most thrilling landscapes in the world, and why Canadians write the best railroad songs.

COFFEE C$4.39 – around £2.60

6 Jasper

BEER C$7 – around £4.15

Some 4,000 hardy souls inhabit the hub of the eponymous National Park, with roots lying in the Hudson Bay Company. The Park, created in 1907, is studded with crystal cold and clear lakes. Your lungs may need some adjusting to the purity of the air, but take a deep breath, steel yourself and take the Skytram for a 7,500ft ride to the top of Whistler Mountain for the best-ever view of the Rockies. Until the next one…

C O C K TA I L C$11 – try a Caesar cocktail, a local take on the Bloody Mary, with one special ingredient: clam broth S MO K I N G It’s banned in all indoor public spaces, plus parks and beaches

GETTY, ALAMY

7 Banff

This is as ‘vacation-centric’ as the Rockies get, right. Building on its history as a hotels and resort development by the Canadian Pacific Railway in the late 19th century, it literally blows hot and cold, with hot springs in the perhaps offputtingly named Sulphur Mountain and fashionable ski resorts that thrive pretty much year-round.

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W H AT TO PAC K Trainers or sturdy footwear, plus waterproofs/rainwear FIND OUT MORE Further information about visiting Vancouver, the Rockies and Canada at saga.co.uk/feb-mag

LO C A L T I P ! As part of the nation’s birthday celebrations, entrance to all Canadian national parks and historic sites is free in 2017

Fulfil your travel dream in 2017 Three new brochures from Titan showcase a peerless range of journeys by land, river and sea to thrilling destinations worldwide – from Alaska to Australia, Portugal to Peru. Every Titan holiday includes named and honestly rated hotels, scheduled flights, the services of a tour manager throughout, a host of excursions, and visits and Titan’s award-winning VIP door-to-door travel service†.

A selection of our latest brochures • Worldwide • Ocean Cruise • River Cruise

To order your brochures call FREE on 0800 or visit

988 5914

titantravel.co.uk

†Except ‘Essential Collection’ holidays. Calls free from BT landlines, mobiles may vary.

A winter-spring break in

BUDAPEST

For a taste of Gothic and modern Eastern Europe, where you’re never far from an intriguing eaterie, try the Hungarian capital, says Lucy Mallows here’s so much to offer in this split-identity metropolis: bustling, businesslike Pest, flattened out on the Hungarian plain, and leafy, hilly, residential Buda, elegant as a faded Forties film star – divided by the Danube. It’s easy by foot, but you can whizz about on rattling trams or the efficient metro. Invest in a three-day Budapest Card for 9,900 forints (£26), giving free city transport, museum tickets and shopping discounts all-in. Be first in the queue for Buda’s Art Nouveau Gellért Spa Hotel massage table and an array of bewildering treatments – galvanisation, anybody? A morning stroll over the Liberty Bridge to Pest and a lángos (frisbee-sized, savoury doughnut) sets you up for bargain-hunting in the cavernous Main Market Hall. Admire the amazing selection

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Top: the Danube divides this city of two sides. Above: indulge in style at Centrál Kávéház, one of the oldest Viennesestyle coffee houses. Right: Heroes’ Square

of fruit, live fish, brandies and lard – in its many forms. Jump on the 47/49 tram and rattle along to Deák tér (square) at the heart of Pest. Stroll up Andrássy út, Budapest’s Champs-Elysées and filled with cafés, museums and smart boutiques. Below the surface is the Little Underground: the oldest underground railway in continental Europe opened in 1896, signalling the end of the horse-drawn network. At Liszt Ferenc tér, Menza bistro offers retro-Magyar décor but cuisine prepared in a lighter style. Along the avenue, the traumatic House of Terror museum catalogues the oppression of both the fascist and communist regimes of Hungary’s recent past. Andrássy út leads to Heroes’ Square, where Hungary’s founding fathers and men of learning are celebrated at the gateway to the City Park. Heroes’ Square is home to the Fine Art Museum’s collection of old masters and the modern

TAKE AWAY Travel F I V E G R E AT

Valentine’s Day EXPERIENCES

PA R I S / V I E N N A Just whose Kiss is the greatest in art? Auguste Rodin’s c. 1882 (but ultimately timeless) marble sculpture? (musee-rodin.fr) Or Gustav Klimt’s 1908 Art Nouveau canvas on display at the Belvedere in Vienna? (belvedere.at) Judge for yourself.

4 CORNERS, ALAMY, GETTY, ANA OPALIC. LUCY MALLOWS IS THE AUTHOR OF DISAPPEARINGBUDAPEST.BLOGSPOT.CO.UK

art gallery Mücsarnok. In the park, Vajdahunyad Castle looks straight out of the pages of a Transylvanian fairytale, but was, in fact, built in 1896 as a pastiche of Hungary’s architectural evolution. Nearby Kerepesi Cemetery sounds creepy, but it’s the most romantic park, nature reserve and homage to Hungary’s cultural legends all in one. Back in the centre, try a Gerbeaud slice (walnut and apricot pastry) at Centrál Kávéház. At the Buda end of the Chain Bridge, take the little funicular up Castle Hill to the National Gallery, before treating yourself to a meal at Borkonyha, Michelin-starred yet still with reasonable prices. It’s the place to try modern Hungarian cuisine and wines to complement each dish. Egészségedre (cheers)!

FIND OUT MORE For lots of extra info on visiting Budapest, go to saga.co.uk/feb-mag

PA R I S At the foot of Montmartre is La Musée de la Vie Romantique, a house/studios/garden; home to a 19th-century salon frequented by Chopin and his lover George Sand, and even Dickens, who knew a tale of love when he wrote one. vie-romantique.paris.fr

Z AG R E B Your lovelife taken a downturn? You’re not alone. The Museum of the Broken Hearted marks the end of affairs around the world. Ex-lovers’ mementos are little things… but they once meant a lot. brokenships.com

BRUSSELS Chocolate is one of life’s most sensual foods, at its best a glorious gustatory indulgence. Brussels’ Choco-Story museum, housed in a building dating back to 1697, explains the mystery and history of this treat for the taste buds. choco-story-brussels.be

B A R C E LO N A The Erotic Museum is a vibrant celebration and historical/artistic record of our sexual history, from ancient oriental erotic prints, including the Kama Sutra, through Picasso illustrations to a history of the pin-up. One for grown-ups! erotica-museum.com

TAKE AWAY Travel TRIP TIPS

Readers and experts share their travel knowledge READER Peter Lougheed, Manchester It is one of the great must-dos, not just of Rome but of Europe itself… but if you’re standing at the bottom of Rome’s Spanish Steps in the Piazza di Spagna you may well feel intimidated by the prospect of the 138-step climb. But there’s no need to despair of making it to the top. There is a lift available but you won’t find it signposted, although it’s officially part of the Metro. Go left past the café, then turn right down the passage. What’s more, it’s free. Okay, it may be cheating but who’s going to tell?

LO O K AHEAD BOOK AHEAD

EXPERT Paul Anderson, director, pets2go2.com If you want to take Felix or Fido abroad with you, we recommend getting them used to a travel crate for safe and convenient travel. If your cat doesn’t already use a litter tray, try to persuade them to use one now to make things easier on longer journeys. Invest in a non-spill water bowl and a vet bed to avoid pressure sores on long journeys. Documentation is vital. Obtain a pet passport from your vet and search for ‘Returning pets’ at gov.co.uk to ensure your furry friend will be allowed back into the UK!

3 MO N T H S Treat yourself to a Gallic gastronomic delight at Vitiloire, a weekend-long celebration of wine – from Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé to the sparkling Crémant – and food of the Loire Valley, May 27-28. An oenophile’s delight.

6 MO N T H S Across the Pond they’ve made a solar eclipse their own so you can join in ‘the Great American’ total solar eclipse on Aug 21 – darkness from Oregon across the plains and heartland to South Carolina.

Climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge While on holiday to Sydney, Australia in November 2015, we did the famous Bridge Climb – in other words, crossing Sydney Harbour Bridge… the hard way! Approaching our 65th birthdays, we thought we were being ambitious, but apparently this activity is something of a ‘rite of passage’ for octogenarian Australians! Good fun, and a fabulous view from the top! Alan and Pamela Templeton

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G E T I N V O LV E D Send your travel tips and (high-quality) photos of magic moments to hols@saga.co.uk W E ’ L L PAY £30 F O R E AC H O N E W E U S E

12 MO N T H S Sun-lovers and arts-lovers alike will be heading for Valletta in 2018 as the Maltese capital assumes the mantle of European Capital of Culture (shared with Leeuwarden in the Netherlands), including the International Festival of Baroque. For all trips, see saga.co.uk/travel

GETTY, ALAMY

R E A D E R S’ M AG I C MOM E N T S

Saga Travel Insurance

From dreaming of sandy coves to coming back home... ...we've got you covered The best time to buy travel insurance is as soon as you book your holiday. With Saga you’re protected straightaway with up to £10,000 cover for cancellation, so you won’t be left out of pocket if you can’t travel because of illness or events such as strikes, your travel company going bust, severe weather and so much more. Saga’s range of insurance products is designed specifically for our customers and is unique to us. Saga Travel Insurance is provided by Cigna Insurance Services (Europe) Limited who meets our high standards of quality and service.

If you’re over 50, call our friendly, UK-based advisers for a quote on

0800 409 6831 stating reference P2737

saga.co.uk/travelinsurance

CSM-TR1810v1

t Mos ting exis pre- dical me ions it cond ered v co

We knew cruising to Iceland was going to be packed with highlights. But we didn’t think a good soak would be one of them.

†Private Chauffeur service up to 75 miles each way or shared chauffeur service from 76-250 miles. §A reduction of £95 applies if you do not need the optional travel insurance and additional cancellation rights – please call for details. ‡Fare is per person based on two people sharing an Inside Guarantee including the subscribers’ saving as detailed below. With Inside Guarantees you will receive your cabin number at embarkation or shortly before sailing and not at time of booking. Your cabin maybe located anywhere on the ship and twin cabins may have two single beds or one double bed, further terms and conditions apply. Fare was correct at the time of going to print and is subject to availability and change. ^Saga Magazine subscribers save £300 per person when booking by February 12, 2017: Saga Magazine subscribers receive a further £300 per person off the current fare on Inside Guarantee cabins. Offer is applicable to new bookings only, cannot be combined with any other offer and available to Saga Magazine subscribers and one travelling companion only.

SAG A MAGAZINE SUBSCRIBERS

SAVE A FURTHER

£300

per person, when you book by Febru

ary 12, 2017^

LAND OF ICE AND FIRE 15 NIGHTS FROM

£2165

‡

£1865

‡

Including optional travel insur ance provided by Cigna Insurance Services (Euro pe) Limited or a reduction of £95 if not requ ired§

DEPARTING: JUNE 18, 2017 ABOARD SAG A SAPPHIRE • Including return chauffe ur ser vice to the por t †, or free car pa rking • A choice of wines at lunc h and dinner • All gratuities on board • 24-hour room ser vice • Complimentary Wi-Fi

CALLING AT... • Dover, England • Kirkwall, Orkney Islands • Seydisfjordur, Iceland • Akureyri, Iceland • Ísafjördhur, Iceland • Reykjavik, Iceland • Belfast, Nor thern Ireland • Liverpool, England • Dover, England. Cruise code: SA340. If you’re going to do it, do it properly

VISIT SAGA.CO.UK/ICELA ND CALL 080 0 051 335 5 QUOTING FBSM7 OR VISIT YOUR TRAVEL AGENT

Cabins at the offer fares are limited and Saga reserves the right to extend, reduce or withdraw the offer at any time without notice. Please call for further information on our Inside/Outside Guarantees, all offer information and for details of the cabin guide and deck plans.Please note: h Land by launch or tender. All excursions mentioned are optional, at an additional cost and are subject to availability and change. Some of the highlights detailed may only be seen on optional excursions or by exploring independently. Saga Holidays is a trading name of ST&H Ltd (registration no. 2174052). ST&H Ltd and Saga Cruises Ltd (registration no. 3267858) are subsidiaries of ST&H Group Ltd (registration no. 0720588). All three companies are registered in England and Wales. Registered Office: Enbrook Park, Sandgate, Folkestone, Kent CT20 3SE. With respect to general insurance products sold in the UK, ST&H Ltd is an appointed representative of Saga Services Limited, registered in England and Wales (company no. 732602), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. For information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate visit www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate. NHM-SC5614

Hair Volume™ is available in a 30-tablet pack £24.95 or a 90-tablet pack £59.95. How to take: 1 tablet per day with a glass of water

Suffering from ‘winter hair’? Apples could hold the answer…. The cold winter weather can really affect your hair, leaving it flat, thin and lifeless. And this just adds to the damage caused by colouring, brushing and over-washing, which leaves your hair broken and unmanageable.

established traditions from Sweden to produce a hair supplement called Hair Volume™. Its highquality ingredients, based on ingredients found in apples, can help strengthen your hair and the hair roots from within.

If this all sounds familiar then we might have the answer you’re looking for! New Nordic uses long-

www.newnordic.co.uk

Online Store

combination contained in each tablet helps nourish the cells of the hair follicles – so the tablets work from the inside out!

How the tablets can help your hair.

Hair Volume™ contains micronutrients and herbal extracts – including apple extract rich in a compound called procyanidin B2, a polyphenol found in apple

maintenance of normal hair and copper contributes to normal hair pigmentation, which can help fight premature greying. We have added amino acids and the herb horsetail, thought to strengthen brittle, damaged hair. Together the ingredients may stimulate hair growth, making

The unique bioactive nutrient hair growth factor

skins. Added biotin and zinc also contribute to the

your hair stronger and boosting volume.

Hair Volume™ is available from Holland & Barrett and leading independent health food stores. For more information, call New Nordic on 0800 389 1255

Beauty TAKE AWAY ownsizing’s difficult – there’s that glimmer of hope you’ll learn to love the bright lipstick you bought on a down day. But let’s face it; if it didn’t work then, chances are it won’t now. Dump anything you haven’t used for the past 12 months, or is too blunt, stubby or cloggy. If it’s tricky to apply, it won’t look natural, so edit out dull, heavy textures, too.

‘I’ve always believed that less is more, so my make-up has remained light and luminous,’ says make-up artist Rose-Marie Swift, 62, founder of naturalbased RMS Beauty. ‘The older you get, the worse powder looks – it sucks the life out of skin and emphasises pores, lines and wrinkles,’ she adds. Her advice is to swap powders for creams and dump that bronzer. ‘You

might think that you look like you have a healthy tan, but your skin just looks matte, flat and dingy,’ she believes. For make-up artist Tina Earnshaw, 72, brushes are key to fresh, natural looks on older skin: ‘I use two brushes for eyes – one for positioning shadow, the other for blending. And only a brush blends foundation and concealer seamlessly.’

3 of the best

GORGEOUS GAMECHANGERS

1 Too Faced Papa Don’t Peach Peach-Infused BlushThis lively

When less

peachy-bronze lifts all skin tones. The peachy scent’s worth a smile, too. £25 Selfridges

I S MO R E

2 Tina Earnshaw Mini Foundation/ Shader Brush No9

Is your beauty bag due an overhaul? Keep a few key pieces for a light, natural look, says Vicci Bentley

Compact and firm enough to blend your base smoothly into wrinkles and crevices. £26 tinaearnshaw. co.uk

Energising shower gels

Start the day with a burst of get up and go

SHUTTERSTOCK

Clarins Tonic Bath & Shower Concentrate

Essential oils including rosemary, mint, geranium and pine tone skin and lift spirits. A ‘spa in your bathroom’ classic. £20 Boots

SenSpa Thai Rituals Moisture Heaven Body Wash

Frangipani and hibiscus cleanse and moisturise, while neroli, ylang ylang and jasmine relax and uplift. £5.95 Waitrose

This Works Energy Bank Shower Gel

3 RMS Living Luminizer Touched

Geranium, ylang ylang and rosemary invigorate body and mood. What’s more, the sulphate-free formula won’t irritate sensitive skin. £16 SpaceNK

on lips, cheeks and browbones, this coconut oil-based highlighter gives features a dewy, pearly glow. £30 cultbeauty.co.uk, 0800 108 8822 2017

S AG A .C O.U K / F E B-M AG

TAKE AWAY Beauty NOURISHING SUPER SERUMS

Indeed Labs Vitamin C24

From the Nanoblur people, a hefty 22% shot of L-ascorbic acid helps protect collagen, while hyaluronic acid moisturises, plumps and smooths. £24.99 Boots

Does your skin need a

V I TA M I N FIX?

Alpha-H Vitamin B Serum Boost hydration, soothe redness and help prevent age spots with a couple of these fast-absorbing drops under moisturiser.

£58.50

Olay Regenerist 3 Point Age Defying Night Cream

nspired by mesotherapy in cosmetic clinics, where revitalising vitamins are micro-injected into the skin, vitamin creams and serums promise to deliver a boost, no needles needed. But can they work? Experts argue that oral supplements are largely absorbed by our vital organs, so applying vitamins straight onto skin means there’s more chance they’ll work where they’re needed, while providing environmental protection on

Grimy nails and rough, tough skin? Be a handyman with these… MAN-I-CURE

For the guys...

Secret weapon is vitamin B3, which strengthens the skin’s barrier. Moisturises just as well as high-end ones. £29.99 pharmacies nationwide

the outside, too. So to reduce wrinkles, roughness, redness and age spots while building up moisture reserves, which vits should we apply? ‘Think of A for age-repair, B for building moisture, C for clarity and E for energising,’ suggests Michelle Doherty, creator of Alpha-H skincare, whose range of vitamin serums act as trouble-shooting boosters to regular creams. If your skin’s dull, dry, distressed or damaged, have a shot at these (see left).

1 Jack Black Intense Therapy Hand Cream Velvety, non-greasy chap, callus and cuticle soother tested by chefs, golfers and carpenters. £14.50 boots.com 2 Tweezerman Gear Precision Grip Finger Nail Clipper Long-lasting curved blades and non-slip grip. The case catches clippings, too. Neat. £12.95 Boots 3 Crabtree & Evelyn Gardeners Hand Scrub With Pumice True grit to get soil and grime out of creases, soothing comfrey and a fresh, herbal scent. Tough love. £13 crabtree-evelyn.co.uk, 0843 289 6560

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2017

GETTY, SHUTTERSTOCK

The clean-eating ‘beauty from within’ craze has inspired the latest trend in skincare. Vicci Bentley picks the best products for you to try

M&S

LIMITED OFFER - BUY ONE JETSTORM GET ONE FREE FOR ALL MAGAZINE READERS

The best cost-saving energy device ever? Experience an invigorating shower like no other - saving you water, energy and money! ntroducing the Jetstorm – best seller from our groundbreaking range of revolutionary water-e efficient shower heads from Ecocamel. With several years of scientific research, we have been able to produce a shower head that instantly increases performance to create an exhilarating shower experience, whilst using significantly less water. So confident are we that you’ll love your new powerful Jetstorm Shower Head, we’re offering a 30-day money back guarantee*. Plus for a limited time only you can buy 2 Jetstorm Shower Heads for the price of one - saving you £29.95.

“We tried out ﬁve eco shower heads checking their ﬂow rate and quality of experience. Our favourite is the Ecocamel Jetstorm, it felt powerful and Buy 1 invigorating.” Good Housekeeping Institute

Limited Offer

Want to ﬁnd out more... Call one of our friendly experts on 0208 211 3666 - who will be happy to help.

Suitable for all shower systems

The science

Do you have... A low pressure or electric shower. Maybe your water is supplied by storage tank, if so all our shower heads are designed for systems with limited water ﬂow.

FREE P&P For orders over £55

Air

SHOWER HOSE FROM £9.95

Our customers rate our excellent service

95%

Even hotels have been clamouring to make the savings!

Do I have to call a plumber? Absolutely not, it really could not be easier. It takes just a few seconds to unscrew your existing shower head and pop on your new water-efficient Jetstorm.

Don’t just take our word for it, read what the experts say… “My husband grudgingly admits the new model works better than the conventional shower head, so it’s staying on the shower - much to my & the household purse’s delight!” Sarah Lonsdale – Sunday Telegraph

This pioneering new shower head is called the Jetstorm because of its patented dual valve ‘AirCore’ technology. Developed to infuse a storm of minute air bubbles into each droplet which are then blasted, jet-like, onto your skin… we guarantee you’ll increase your shower’s performance instantly and reduces your water consumption considerably! The droplets – now bursting with air – are so much lighter than normal and, rather than just bouncing off you, they saturate and spread all over your body – a sensational experience. The Jetstorm not only helps cut your water bills but reduces your energy bills too! Using less water means using less energy to heat it, saving you £££’s on your energy bills - SIMPLE!

2 Jetstorms only

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Save more than just water

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Air

“I made my decision to use Ecocamel for two reasons: ﬁrstly the savings I made – the Ecocamel shower heads will save me annually over £4,000 of combined energy and water costs per hotel. Secondly, the shower head gave a very refreshing and excellent experience which is very important to our guests.” Mr. T. G. General Manager, The Days Inn Hotel, Hyde Park We were even featured on Sir Lord Sugar’s ‘ The Apprentice’... fame indeed!

BRITISH INVENTION AND DESIGN

Water

by Robin Whitﬁeld

The Jetstorm will ﬁt your standard hose however if your hose is old then you may want to replace it as hoses can become clogged up over time and impair water ﬂow.

1.5 Metres • Chrome Plated •• Length: Standard ﬁt no tools required • Made from Stainless Steel

Start enjoying your new powerful shower today and begin to save water, energy and money!

Call 0208 211 3666 or visit ecocamel.co.uk/SAG544

QUOTE SAG544

Or ﬁll out the order form below and send to: ECOCAMEL Ltd, Dephna House, 24-26 Arcadia Ave, London, N3 2JU

Use an Ecocamel shower head for 30 days - if you are dissatisﬁed for any reason, then please return to us for a full refund.

YES please send me my: £59.90 £29.95 2 Jetstorms + 2 FREE Jetstorms - Save £59.90 £119.90 £59.90 Stainless Steel Shower Hose - Standard £9.95 Stainless Steel Shower Hose - For Low Pressure Systems £14.95 1 Jetstorm + 1 FREE Jetstorm - SAVE £29.95

Add £4.95 for P&P if your order is under TOTAL £55 - FREE P&P on orders over £55 Post to: ECOCAMEL Ltd, Dephna House, 24-26 Arcadia Ave, London, N3 2JU

I enclose a Cheque/PO made payable to Ecocamel Ltd or pay by credit/debit card: Card No.

SAG544 Name

Start Date

Address

Expiry Date

Security Code

Post Code Signature

If you do NOT wish to receive further SPECIAL OFFERS from us, or from companies we recommend, please tick this box

Email .

Telephone

Introducing the new Gtech AirRam Mk.2 Our best vacuum just got even better.

New cleaner emptying

Unique new AirLOC system

When we launched the original AirRam in 2012 the Daily Mail said “10/10 – Is this the best vacuum cleaner ever?” Well now we’ve made the AirRam EVEN BETTER! What do you hate most about vacuuming?

New cleaner emptying

Whatever it is, we designed the powerful new Gtech AirRam Mk.2 to make it disappear: The cord that holds you back. Gone. The dust cloud when you empty the cylinder. History. And it weighs just 3.5kg (7.7lbs).

The new AirRam Mk.2 collects the dirt into the head of the vacuum, moving it just 4cm before compressing it into the unique snail-shell bin. This compression technology gives the AirRam Mk.2 enhanced dirt storage capacity. You can then eject this tubular bale straight into the bin with a satisfying slide of the dirt ejector arm.

The new AirRam Mk.2 outperforms the original in every test, with cleaning performance proven on both carpet and hard-floors. And you can still glide from one to the other with no settings to change. The AirRam Mk.2’s powerful rotating brush bar also makes it ideal for pet hair, even lifting troublesome embedded hair from your carpet. The new LED searchlights mean there’s now no place for dirt to hide.

New AirLOC technology The new AirRam Mk.2 is equipped with Gtech’s patented† AirLOC system. It effortlessly picks up larger objects, but is uniquely designed to also lift dust and fine debris, leaving your floor pristine.

SAVE £49 ON GTECH’S ULTIMATE CLEANING SYSTEM

Lightweight Thanks to its revolutionary design, which does away with so many bulky parts, the AirRam Mk.2 weighs just 3.5kg (7.7lbs). The AirRam Mk.2’s edge cleaning technology helps you get into those awkward corners and makes it great for cleaning the stairs.

Long run-time AirRam Mk.2’s 40 minute* run-time gives you the ability to clean two average UK homes on one 4-hour charge. A 1-hour short charge will deliver an additional burst of cleaning time.

We are also offering the AirRam and Multi for a combined price of £299, with free delivery. That’s a saving of £49 on the combined RRP (AirRam £199 and Multi £149). Call or see website for details.

ORDER DIRECT - £199 with FREE NEXT DAY DELIVERY including Saturday and Sunday**

0800 051 83 53 (24 hour orderline) www.gtech.co.uk

Watch our online demo

*Runtimes quoted may vary depending on floor surfaces cleaned. †Patent pending. **Excludes UK islands and highlands where delivery is still free of charge but takes 2-3 days. 6pm cut-off for next day delivery. See www.gtech.co.uk for full details.

CPN397

High performance cordless cleaning

Introducing the Gtech Multi, our innovative cordless hand-held vacuum – AirRam’s perfect partner.

Health TAKE AWAY

Cut your

C A NC E R R I SK now

ILLUSTRATION BY JESSIE FORD

At current rates, one in two Brits will develop a form of cancer at some point. But new research emerges almost daily that may help you protect yourself, says Patsy Westcott

ost cancer deaths before late old age could be wiped out by 2050, thanks to greater awareness of risks and more effective treatment, according to a new report by University College London. Not smoking, cutting back on alcohol, eating a healthy diet, staying active, avoiding certain infections, protecting our skin from harmful rays and reducing workplace risks remain the cornerstones of prevention and can reduce cancer risk by 42%, according to Cancer Research UK. But scientists are finding new ways to fine-tune this advice. To mark World Cancer Day, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve rounded-up some of the findings that could slash your risk.

2017

S AG A .C O.U K / F E B-M AG

7 WAYS TO

reduce the risk

Simple things to try at home and to discuss with your GP T RY B L AC K RASPBERRIES

Pop an aspirin

Cook with the golden spice

M for metformin

Taking this over-the-counter pain relief daily for three years or more can lower bowel, oesophageal and stomach cancer risk and may reduce the possibility of breast, prostate and lung cancers. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thought that the drug quells messenger chemicals that help the growth and spread of cancer cells. But there is a downside to regular aspirin intake: up to one in ten may experience more nose bleeds, bleed for longer, bruise more easily and very occasionally have bleeding in the stomach. So ask your doctor first.

A comprehensive analysis of research in the journal Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition last November found that curcumin, a compound in turmeric, helps protect against cancers of

One of the most common pills that is used to treat Type-2 diabetes is emerging as a potential anti-cancer pill. In a breakthrough trial, which was published in The Lancet last May, a low dose of metformin (250mg a day) significantly reduced the risk of growths that can lead to bowel cancer. Other studies have suggested that metformin improves breast cancer survival rates and it can also help to treat early changes in the womb lining that are linked to cancer.

the colon, cervix, uterus, ovaries, prostate, head and neck, lung, stomach, pancreas, bladder, mouth, throat and bone. Curcumin contains potent plant chemicals called curcuminoids, which block enzymes that fuel tumour growth. Use turmeric in everything from smoothies to curries to stir-fries.

According to a US-led study, black raspberries can block mouth cancers in animals. The protective ingredient is not known but other research suggests urolithin A â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a compound produced when gut bacteria act on plant chemicals called ellagitannins â&#x20AC;&#x201C; could disrupt various cancer-linked genes. Ellagitannins are also found in strawberries, pomegranates and walnuts.

NEED TO KNOW

In the UK, 325,000 people will be diagnosed with cancer this year and 2.5 million are living with the disease. By 2030, this could top four million. But the good news is that cancer survival rates have doubled since the 1970s, according to Macmillan Cancer Support, with more than 50% of people with a diagnosis of cancer living on for a decade or longer. How has this happened? The main reasons are that fewer of us smoke, new and improved screening programmes enable cancer to be detected earlier, plus there are better treatments targeted at hitting cancer where it hurts. 72

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2017

Health TAKE AWAY MO ST C O M MO N

cancers

A N A P P L E A D AY R E A L LY M AY K E E P T H E D O C T O R A W AY – T H E F I R M E S T EVIDENCE IS FOR LUNG CANCER

1 B R E A ST

New cases each year 55,222 The risk of dying has dropped 35% since the 1970s.

E AT APPLES

Sleep like Goldilocks Getting enough shuteye – neither too little nor too much – is vital, according to a multi-university US study examining the sleep habits of 173,327 men and 123,858 women aged 51-72 years. Male short sleepers had a significantly

increased risk of stomach cancer, plus associated risk of head and neck, bladder, thyroid and other cancers. Female long sleepers had a reduced risk of ovarian cancer but increased

risk of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The wrong

ILLUSTRATIONS BY JESSIE FORD

amount of sleep can cause problems in your immune system and an imbalance in cancerstimulating chemicals in the body. The sweet spot? Seven to eight hours a night.

F I N D O U T MO R E World Cancer Day is on February 4. Discover more at cancerresearchuk.org. For cancer symptoms and more ways to cut your risk, visit saga.co.uk/feb-mag

There’s credible science behind the saying ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’, according to a review of 40 studies by Dr Roberto Fabiani and team from the University of Perugia, Italy. The firmest evidence is for lung cancer but apple consumption is also linked to a lower risk of bowel, mouth, digestive tract and breast cancers. Apples are a rich source of highly active plant chemicals that could help protect cells from damage, block multiplication of cancer cells and enhance the immune system.

2 P R O STAT E

New cases each year 46,690 Incidence has doubled since the mid-1970s, largely due to better detection, but 85% of diagnosed men now live for five years or more.

Stand up and move

3 LU N G

Sedentary behaviour, especially sitting in front of the TV for hours, is emerging as one of the biggest culprits in increased cancer risk, particularly bowel, endometrial and lung cancers. It’s thought to increase levels of blood glucose and insulin, which fuel growth of cancer cells, and inflammation. A Harvard University study found that inactive women seem to be especially vulnerable, with a 41% higher chance of bowel cancer compared with their more active peers. Happily, other research has found that an hour to an hour-anda-half a day of moderate-intensity physical activity – think brisk walking, dancing, gardening and housework – can counteract the risks issk of too much sitting. Similarly, a Chinese-led study revealed that we can reduce cancer risk by as much as 10% by being highly active in leisure time.

New cases each year 46,403 Incidence rates are falling in men; still rising in women. But personalised treatments are bringing a brighter outlook.

4 B OW E L

New cases each year 41,265 Survival has more than doubled in 40 years, due to better medical solutions and NHS screening.

5 M E L A N OM A

New cases each year 15,419 A 360% rise over four decades is due to more diagnosis and riskier behaviour. Immunesystem targeted therapy offers hope for the future.

2017

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TAKE AWAY Health

What triggers migraines? I started getting them in my forties and still get them now and then for no apparent reason. I am otherwise fit and well.

We still don’t fully understand why migraines occur, but susceptible individuals appear particularly sensitive to alterations in routine. Dietary triggers include missing a meal, not drinking enough, or specific foods – chocolate, cheese, orange juice and red wine, for example. Then there’s too little, or too much sleep, stress and excitement and, paradoxically, too much rest and relaxation. Hard exercise is another trigger, and hormones play an important role in many younger women. Keep a migraine diary to help spot any patterns so you can take evasive action (not everyone has an identifiable trigger, though).

S TAY W E L L W I T H D R M A R K P O R T E R

We buy millions of over-the-counter (OTC) painkillers every year in the UK for various aches and pains, but which is best? Everyone has their favourite, but recent research suggests that rather than choosing one particular painkiller, taking them in combination may work better. cases. However, a combination of paracetamol (500mg) and ibuprofen (200mg) beat them all, providing good pain relief in around 75% of cases. So, at least with acute pains such as headache, toothache, earache, and sprains and strains, it might make sense to mix OTC painkillers, rather than sticking to one. If you’re on other medication, check with your pharmacist that it’s OK.

I constantly read that we should all try to drink two to three litres of water a day. What is your view?

This widely quoted figure is largely based on marketing hype (often from bottled water suppliers) rather than real science. The average adult typically needs only around 1.5 litres of water a day (more in hot weather and if you exercise regularly) and it doesn’t have to be direct from the tap or bottled. Tea, most types of coffee, juices, soft drinks and the water in your food all count towards this total.

MO R E Q U E ST I O N S ANSWERED Go to saga.co.uk/porter

WATC H O U T

A new arrival in the market for wearable tech designed to monitor your health. It comes with the Philips HealthSuite app, which makes it connectable to other accessories such as scales and automated blood pressure monitors. For serious health-aware techies – of any age. Philips Health Watch £249.99 philips.co.uk See p97 for more on techie fitness

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2017



H AV E A Q U E S T I O N ? Email drmark@saga.co.uk or write to Dr Mark Porter at the address on p3. He can’t reply individually but will respond to queries on this page

ILLUSTRATION: ANNE HIGGLE

FYI

At least that is the conclusion of a study by the Pain Research Unit at Oxford University, which looked at 45,000 patients taking part in various clinical trials into the relief of short-term pain such as toothache. Of the three most commonly used OTC painkillers, 600mg of aspirin (two standard tablets) fared worst, only working well in around 35-40% of volunteers. Next was 1,000mg of paracetamol (two tablets), providing good relief in just under half of all cases; 400mg of ibuprofen (equivalent to two normal tablets) came out on top, working well in 55% of

Could blueberries help your eyesight? In the Second World War pilots were said to have eaten blueberries to improve their night vision. Could they help your sight, too? There are many things that you can do to help your eyesight, such as stopping smoking, losing weight and protecting eyes from strong sunlight. Regular eye tests – free after the age of 60 – are a must, to pick up any conditions early. But on a daily basis, experts are now realising the benefits of diet to protect the eyes – and that’s where the power of blueberries comes in.

contain the vital antioxidant vitamin A – known as the ‘eye vitamin’. Vitamin A helps your body produce pigments for photoreceptor cells in the retina to work properly. And zinc, found in high concentrations in the eye, is vital for normal vision. In

a study sponsored by the American National Eye Institute, researchers discovered that taking zinc, along with other antioxidants, could lower the risk of developing advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Blue Berry™ Eyebright is the original Swedish tablet produced by New Nordic. Blueberries were one of the first remedies sold in Swedish pharmacies.

Certain vitamins help protect against loss of vision. Blueberries in particular

www.newnordic.co.uk

Online Store

How to take: Blue Berry™ Eyebright Plus. Take 1 tablet daily.

New Nordic’s Blue Berry™ Eyebright Plus MegaStrength one-a-day tablets contain both of these nutritional supplements. There are additional extracts, too, such as the micronutrient lutein, in this case derived from marigold leaves. Lutein is a yellow pigment that is found naturally in the macula, the central point of the retina responsible for fine focus. What’s in the supplements? New Nordic’s Blue Berry™ Eyebright Plus contains Blue Berry extract: 600mg Vitamin A: 50% RDA Zinc: 100% RDA Lutein: 10mg Plus: Eyebright and Marigold

Blue Berry Eyebright is available from Holland & Barrett and leading independent health food stores. For more information call New Nordic on 0800 389 1255

TAKE AWAY Relationships and don’t want to spend the rest of my life as a prisoner.

My best friend and her husband are returning from the US to retire back to the town where I live. While I’ll be delighted to see her, I had a short fling with her husband many years ago and am anxious that this new close contact will ‘out’ our indiscretion.

‘Oh, what a tangled web’ and other clichés about infidelity we have here. Something you thought safely buried in the past threatens to disturb the gentle ebbing of the tide, as you gear up for sunlit games of golf and evenings spent listening to talks on lace-making and pruning roses. (Sorry, I realise I have painted a somewhat narrow, comedy picture of retirement there – one I plan to avoid like the plague.) Presumably, you were hoping that your best friend and her errant husband would never come back, thereby locking up your little/big/massive secret for ever. And what a double-edged sword! ‘While I’m delighted to see her’ etc… Did you say that through gritted teeth? First of all, you need to look once again at what you have

MY F E E LI N G I S , YO U H AV E D O N E S O M E T H I N G W R O N G – FAC E U P TO IT WITH MORE COU R AG E TH A N YO U S E E M TO H AV E M A N A G E D T H U S FA R 76

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2017

done. It was an awful betrayal, particularly of a best friend. I wonder why you think your previous indiscretion (was it just the once?) will come to light. Are you a bad actor, or do some people in your home town know and are they likely to crack under the weight of an extra schooner of amontillado? My feeling is, you have done something wrong – face up to it with more courage than you seem to have managed thus far. I am not suggesting you spill the beans when you greet them at the airport, but if it looks like it’s going to happen, don’t cower: take your punishment like… a person. If, on the other hand, you just want the whole thing to go away, move house. Am I being unnecessarily harsh here? Probably, and I’m not casting the first stone, because we all make mistakes in life. To me, it’s a question of how we handle them.

I’ve always been quite an anxious person, but since my husband died I’ve felt it escalate and now find it difficult to leave the house, despite my daughter taking me shopping. I’m only 58

 H AV E A Q U E ST I O N ? Email jo@saga.co.uk or write to Jo Brand at the address on p3. She can’t reply to individuals but will choose problems to respond to on this page. MO R E Q U E ST I O N S ANSWERED For more advice from Jo Brand, visit saga.co.uk/brand

ILLUSTRATION: ANNE HIGGLE

J O B R A N D CO N S I D E RS YO U R D I L E M M AS

I’m sorry to hear this. It’s a horrible way to feel and affects your life so negatively. You don’t say how long ago your husband died, but I suspect a large part of your anxiety is related to your grief over his death and your fears for the future. I wonder if you had any bereavement counselling when your husband died. This is invaluable in allowing us to move on slowly and sanctions what many of us refuse to admit to ourselves, which is the degree of sadness we are trying to manage on our own. It is estimated that around three million of us in this country suffer from anxiety, so GPs are very familiar with it. I suggest you start there: you will find several types of help available. A relative or friend jollying us along is not terribly effective. Many therapies take a gradual approach, so as not to overwhelm you. It’s possible, with the grief subsiding a little each day, that your anxiety may diminish, but I would not wait. Seek help now and I think you will find it’s a real relief that someone understands what you are going through. Good luck.

TAKE AWAY Relationships

T H E C AU S E S A N D C U R E S

Impotence Erectile dysfunction is a very common problem, especially in older men. Don’t let embarrassment stop you getting your love life back on track

 G E T I N VO LV E D Email sex@saga.co.uk with topics you’d like covered, or write to Suzi at the address on p3. Sadly, she cannot answer individual questions

FIND OUT MORE For further information and guidance on erectile dysfunction, visit saga.co.uk/mag-health

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2017

alentine’s Day is just around the corner, so this month we are going to be discussing… erectile dysfunction, or ‘ED’. Not very romantic, but it is an issue that has been mentioned often in your emails, so I feel we ought to tackle it. Erections are essentially a matter of hydraulics, and getting older has a deleterious effect on circulation. A chap who once sprang to attention at the mere sight of your negligée may now need some coaxing – and a bit of hands-on help can be great for both parties. A slower erotic pace is an advantage because it aligns the male response more closely to that of his partner. Less focus on penetrative sex can also make couples explore other forms of intimacy, such as kissing, cuddling and massage. Changes in erectile function are normal – inevitable even – and worrying only makes matters worse. Anxiety triggers the release of adrenaline, which diverts blood flow towards the heart and lungs in preparation for ‘fight or flight’. It sets up a self-fulfilling prophecy; worrying about erectile failure simply ensures that it will happen. Health issues become more commonplace in later life, but often it is not just illnesses that affect erectile function. Medications such as antidepressants or tablets for high

For men who do not have a heart condition, drugs such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra can work well; Viagra and Levitra work for about four hours, whereas Cialis acts for up to 17 hours. However, they need to be prescribed by a GP and should never be bought over the internet. Other options are available for men who have cardiac problems, although none is as painless or convenient. Vacuum devices and a drug, alprostadil, can be effective – again, ask your GP. Steer clear of herbal remedies as there is no credible scientific evidence to support them. They can be dangerous if taken with other drugs or in too big a dose. Exercises can also help. We know that Kegel exercises for the pelvic floor muscles benefit women’s sex lives, but there is now evidence that they can also help men who are suffering from ED. To identify the right muscles for Kegel exercises, contract your pelvic floor while looking in the mirror. Your penis should move closer to your abdomen and your testicles should rise. Once you’ve identified the right muscles, empty your bladder and lie on your back with your knees bent and apart. Tighten your pelvic floor muscles, hold the contraction for three seconds, and then relax for three seconds. Do this three times while lying down, three times when sitting and three times when standing. The emphasis should be on the strength of each individual contraction. In a study carried out at Nuffield Health Hospital in Taunton, Somerset, men with ED did twice-daily Kegels. After six months, blind assessment showed that 40% of men had regained normal erectile function and 35.5% had shown some improvement.

SUZI GODSON IS THE AUTHOR OF THE SEX BOOK AND SEX COUNSEL, AND IS THE TIMES’ SEX COLUMNIST. ILLUSTRATION BY STEPHEN COLLINS

blood pressure can do so as well. These problems can often be alleviated by adjusting the dose – or switching to a different brand – of medication. Gaining a lot of weight can also bring on ED.

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Turmeric spices up Fenella’s life

hen your joints and muscles earn you a living, it’s important to look after them as well as you can. This is how Yoga instructor Fenella Lindsell discovered the power of turmeric. Fenella, aged 51, from London runs her own yoga business – Yoga Forever. Not only does Fenella run classes for people aged 8-80. She also organises six yoga holidays a year, which combine yoga with other sporting activities. After suffering from a “nagging knee”; Fenella came across turmeric as a possible solution to her discomfort. “My practice and style of yoga is quite physically demanding and I demonstrate a lot of positions as well as hopping up and down to adjust my students during classes!” “In addition to yoga I play tennis for our local club, run once or twice a week, play football and do a circuit training class. I don't really intend to do as much exercise as I do, but I enjoy it, particularly all the different people it involves.” Turmeric has long been popular in traditional Indian medicine and is recognised as one of nature’s super foods.

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Fenella said, “I decided to trial Turmeric+ and to see if my yoga students might like to as well. We were all enthusiastic to give it a go and it's been so worthwhile. Not only has the stiffness and recovery after high impact sport been noticeably better, but also my knee injury has greatly improved, as has my overall flexibility.” ‘After trialling turmeric I feel so much better in terms of muscle and joint recovery after exercise. It’s been 2 months now and I find I'm sleeping better and my digestion and gut seem to be working more efficiently - I'm a convert and I'm not giving it up anytime soon.” Years of intensive research led to the development of the formulation used in Turmeric+. Each tablet combines curcumin with another plant extract, called soy lecithin, creating a supplement that is extremely absorbable. The formulation has 22 published clinical research papers demonstrating how well it works, and tests have shown that it is 30x more bioavailable (better absorbed) than standard turmeric alone. This means the unique formulation delivers more of the “good stuff” and therefore more benefits to the body.

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TAKE AWAY Food

The good oat guide There are three main forms in which you’ll get your oats Pin head For people with time to stand and stir; the groat (oat with husk removed) is cut into three Jumbo The biggest flakes rolled from groats; cook slowly for thick creamy oats with a nice bite Rolled The flakes are rolled for a quick-cook porridge

Top tip

SAVE TIME IN THE MORNING BY SOAKING OATS IN MILK/WATER THE NIGHT BEFORE

We’re doing

PORRIDGE

It’s back on the breakfast menu and rightly so as it’s the perfect start to a cold day: warming, healthy, sustaining and delicious. With these clever twists you can ring the changes too 82

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2017

Simply scrummy

W H Y A R E OAT S G O O D F O R YO U ?

Don’t even look at the highly sugared ready mixes on sale. Porridge is as instant as you can get and is simple to cook. As a rule of thumb, use one small cup of oats per person (40-50g/1½-2oz) plus two and a bit of milk, water, or milk and water. Add a pinch of sea salt. Slowly bring to the boil, stirring. Let it simmer for as long as the oats you are using require.

The complex carbs and soluble fibres release energy slowly keeping you full till lunch. Oats soak up cholesterol carrying it from the bloodstream; they also contain 17% protein, vitamins and minerals. They may help to reduce the risk of diabetes and keep the heart healthy.

Now try some of the posh porridges below… Top tip

ADD NUTS THAT HAVE BEEN TOASTED IN A CLEAN DRY PAN, STIRRING, FOR FIVE MINUTES

FIND OUT MO R E See more great recipes at saga.co. uk/feb-mag

MIXED GRAIN PORRIDGE

BIRCHER BREKKY

FRUITY TO P P I N G S

ST I R R E D - I N SWEETNESS

N O - DA I RY M I L K PORRIDGE

Danish hygge cook Trine Hahnemann recommends making up a jar of mixed grains with equal measures of oats, rye and spelt flakes – or barley or quinoa flakes. As these all have distinctive flavours, start with a mix of three parts oats to one part new cereal/s. Once cooked, sprinkle with fresh berries, splash over a little top of the milk and sweeten with agave nectar or honey.

A creamy mixture of softened oats and fruit somewhere between a fruit yogurt and porridge. Serve at room temperature or just-chillled. Soak jumbo oats overnight in unsweetened apple or orange juice, or runny yogurt. Mix with grated apple, blueberries and a pinch of cinnamon. Scatter with pomegranate or sunflower seeds.

Top your chosen porridge with a little warm hygge-style compote. Try eating apples stewed with a little lemon rind; pears with cardamom and agave nectar; plums baked with, say, star anise and soft brown sugar; poached peaches/ nectarines/apricots flavoured with a sprig of lavender or almond essence.

Try substituting a coconut-milk drink for the milk or water. Soya and almond milk work well too. Use glutenfree oats sweetened with maple or agave syrup, a pinch of salt, 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds and stir in a mashed banana. Cook as usual and top with fresh fruits of your choice and almond butter, if you like.

GOOD FOR

Try mixing fruit into the pan a minute or two before serving. Use scissors to snip in one or two pitted medjool dates and sprinkle with some cinnamon powder. Add sliced banana and a little natural vanilla bean paste. Bubble your favourite chopped dried fruits (apricots, cherries, cranberries or just sultanas) in the oats until they have plumped up nicely.

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TAKE AWAY Food H U N G RY F O R MO R E ?

Second helpings of recipe ideas at saga.co.uk/ mag-food

Pheasant and oak tray £20 thornbackandpeel.co.uk, 020 7831 2878

We love…

A CHEAP C H E AT If you thought you couldn’t make decent soup without home-made stock, think again. Crumbled into boiling water, a Kallø cube adds depth and flavour. (And no one will know.)

February means ...

B OW L S O F H OM E -M A D E S O U P

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Supermarkets and health food stores H OT T I P The best we have tried: a travel mug that keeps tea piping hot and won’t dribble it down your chin. Just ensure you keep it upright on the journey. In a range of colours.

Travel mug £20 bodum.com

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2017

B Bought soups just don’t taste like home-made and really nothing could be easier. Soften chopped onion in butter, add diced potato and allow to sweat, then add other veg – diced broccoli or parsley – and stock, see left; simmer until soft enough to blend. Finish with a slice of soft blue cheese.

3 of the best

Flipping Good From Scottish oat to Irish Boxty – travels through a world of pancake recipes.

eattheseasons.co.uk What foods are in season and how to buy, store, prepare and cook them.

divertimenti.co.uk Quality, simplicity and beauty – the best cookery equipment you’ll find.

PREVIOUS PAGE: STOCKFOOD/MODEST MARCE, THE PICTURE PANTRY, ALAMY, STOCKFOOD/INNES, DAVID. THIS PAGE: LISOVSKAYA NATALIA

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How to

BIRD S C A P E yyour garden Plan ahead for next winter and make your borders into a larder for peckish birds by growing seed- and berrybearing plants. In the long term itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cheaper and more rewarding to grow your own birdfood. However, if the birds in your garden are desperately seeking sustenance to take them through to spring, hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how to help now

TEASEL Dipsacus fullonum

Attracts

ALAMY, GETTY, GAP PHOTOS

Goldfinches and greenfinches Pros Statuesque plant happy pretty much anywhere. Nectar-rich flowers, and seedheads look good all winter. Cons Grows very tall (1.8m/6ft); self-seeds rather too freely.

SAGA.CO.UK/FEB-MAG

2017

TAKE AWAY Gardening What sort of feeder?

Plants to grow F O R S E E D S A N D B E R R I E S

Choose metal feeders if you have squirrels in your garden. Consider

T H I ST L E S Echinops ritro

C OTO N E A ST E R Salicifolius

H O N E YS U C K L E Lonicera species

S U N F LOW E R S Helianthus annuus

Attracts

Attracts Starlings and thrushes

Attracts Thrushes, warblers, bullfinches

Attracts Finches, tits,

Finches

sparrows, siskins

Pros The globe thistle

Pros Hardy and

Pros As well as

Pros Masses of seeds

Echinops ritro has dramatic seedheads. while Cirsium rivulare is an excellent long-flowerer and well behaved. On veg plots, grow cardoons and artichokes instead. Cons Many thistles self-seed prolifically and can be thuggish.

mostly droughtresistant, these abundant berry producers grow pretty much anywhere. With 200 species, from ground cover to small trees, there’s a cotoneaster for every type of garden. Cons None.

autumn fruits, Lonicera provide ideal nesting places in their tangled stems. They also attract insects and aphids – useful for hungry birds. Cons Leaving berries on L. nitida can look untidy.

and striking flowers in great colours from bright yellows to burnt toffee. They come in all sizes so are perfect for all gardens, or grow them in pots on a balcony. Cons Tall varieties can reach 3m (10ft) and will need staking.

a squirrel cone or baffle if they are persistent. Never put out fat balls in nylon mesh bags – they can trap birds’ feet.

Fast food F O R H U N G RY B I R D S Black sunflower seeds have a higher oil content than striped ones. Nyjer seeds attract goldfinches, redpolls and siskins. Peanuts are another good source of allimportant fat and will bring greenfinches, sparrows, nuthatches, tits and woodpeckers to feeders. Grate or crush the nuts and scatter for

Great

OFFER

robins, dunnocks and wrens. Fat balls are ideal winter fuel – bulk-buy in garden centres and discount supermarkets. Good kitchen scraps are cheese, potatoes, suet, pastry, dried fruits (keep out of reach of pets) and melon seeds. Avoid heavily salted foods and white bread, which fills birds up with empty calories.

Five-tier finch tube-feeder made from squirrelproof wire mesh,

£24.99 (free p&p) from sagagarden centre.co.uk

Free bird feeder if you buy our songbird mix, see p91 Go to sagagardencentre.co.uk for many other handpicked gardening offers chosen exclusively for readers 2017

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TAKE AWAY Gardening Anatomy of a

CUTTING GARDEN

There’s no better way to cheer the soul on these dark days than by planning a bed for cut flowers ou don’t need much space to copy Sarah Raven’s colourful patch at Perch Hill in East Sussex. Good light, decent soil and a few packets of seeds will give you months of flowers. Some need sowing indoors in late winter and planting out after last frosts; others can be sown directly into the bed where they are to flower.

1 CALENDULA

‘Indian Prince’ Zingy orange flowers till late autumn. Sow March to May where you want it to flower. Avoid shortstemmed varieties. Height 45cm (18in) Spacing 30cm (12in) 3 VIPER’S BUGLOSS

Echium vulgare A hardy annual. ‘Blue Bedder’ is best for cutting and lasts a week in a vase. Sow direct in March/ April. Sear cut stems in boiling water. Height 45cm (18in) Spacing 30cm (12in)

2 DILL

Anethum graveolens Perfect acid-green filler. Sow direct midspring. Grows tall – may need staking. Substitute acidyellow euphorbias in small spaces. Height 90cm (36in) Spacing 25cm (10in)

5 4

4 FLOSS FLOWER

Ageratum For blues try ‘Blue Horizon’ and look out for ‘Red Sea’ for extra colour. Sow undercover now. Condition cut stems in tepid water. Height 30cm (12in) Spacing 30cm (12in)

JONATHAN BUCKLEY

5 TASSEL FLOWER

Emilia javanica Annual with tall straight stems. Flowers for 8-10 weeks. Sow indoors Feb to April. Keep cutting for more flowers. Height 60cm (24in) Spacing 30cm (12in)

WHERE TO B U Y Seeds from sarahraven.com, 0345 092 0283 and unwins.co.uk, 0844 573 8400

3 of the best

higgledy garden.com Seller of specialist flower seeds – good for cutting gardens – and blogger extraordinaire.

lubera.co.uk Excellent fruit trees with interesting varieties such as red-fleshed apples. All grown in a valley in the Swiss Alps. 2017

protectthe planet.co.uk Eco-friendly garden equipment, including potting-shed essentials, tools, wormeries.

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Two great offers for February A LSTRO EME RIA

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JUST £26.99 FOR 12.75KG (28LB) The best way to encourage birds into your garden is to provide them with a regular source of food. This premium mix of insects, berries and fruits is nutritious and palatable to all birds, but it's especially appealing to songbirds. Use this quality birdfood on a table or in a feeder on a regular basis and soon you will be rewarded with the joyous sound of birds singing away in your garden day after day. Choice Robin & Songbird Mix comprises cut maize, pinhead aatmeal, naked oats, red millet, kibbled peanuts, kibbled sunflower hearts, raisins, suet pellets, mealworms and berries.

O R DE R BY POST Full name Address

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No-quibble refund or replacement if you’re not completely happy with your order OFFER Birdfood + FREE feeder CRF012A 1 x Alstroemeira 10 bulbs ALS010A

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Driving TAKE AWAY

Manners maketh the motorist

Carlton Boyce on how you can make driving more polite and pleasurable

BUYING A USED

electric car

f, like me, you suspect there’s been a drop in driving standards, you won’t be surprised to hear that, according to a survey by road-safety charity Brake, 80% of drivers have felt threatened by an overtaking manoeuvre. However, we can all do something about the decline by driving more courteously and setting an example. Try these little changes to your driving habits; they may help to make life on the road more pleasant.

Indicators are there to signal

Let other cars out of side streets and leave enough space

necessarily increase your journey times, but it will reduce your stress levels – possibly the most important benefit of all.

GETTY, SHUTTERSTOCK

to allow them to merge in front of you at busy junctions.

an intention, not an action: give other drivers time to react.

Wait until the outside lane is clear before you overtake on motorways and dual carriageways. Just because there is space for you to squeeze out, that doesn’t justify forcing other cars to brake.

With higher-thanaverage bought-new depreciation – and much lower running costs – than conventional cars, a secondhand electric vehicle (EV) can make an awful lot of sense. They have fewer moving parts to check, too. But the key thing is the battery. EV batteries last for around a decade or 150,000 miles. But they have to be regularly charged and discharged – find out from a seller if this has happened. The car will also lose range as the battery ages, so take a long test drive to drain it almost completely. However, if a battery could do with replacing, the cost of new ones is falling all the time – and some manufacturers lease them.

NEED TO KNOW Improve your driving skills with an IAM Roadsmart course. For all ages and abilities. iamroadsmart.com, 0300 303 1134 To learn more advanced techniques, try CAT Driver Training. catdrivertraining. co.uk, 01234 757633

Smile at other drivers and pedestrians more!

Driving courteously won’t

For advice on driving courteously and buying a used electric car, visit saga.co.uk/ feb-mag

D I D YO U K N OW ?

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Runkeeper and MapMyRun are great for runners. There’s also MapMyRide (for cycling), MapMyWalk and even MapMyDogWalk. Meanwhile, Strava and Endomondo track multiple activities. All these apps track your training and map it so you get stats on your pace and times. You can challenge friends and compete against your own past performances. Location tracking uses

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Get fit with a chip These great gadgets track your fitness and sleep patterns – and inspire you to exercise. Caramel Quin reports

MO R E I N F O You’ll find more on fitness gadgets and keeping fit at saga.co.uk/mag-tech

itness trackers are wristbands with built-in technology to track your movements, sort of high-tech pedometers. They can tell how far you’ve walked or run, or how high you’ve climbed (whether it’s a mountain or stairs). They even know when you’re sleeping and how deeply. Information is sent to a smartphone app and, depending on the tracker, displayed on your wrist too. It’s fun and can get you competing against yourself, or with friends. Bingo! You’re motivated without even realising. Sleep graphs

are fascinating and helpful too, especially if you’re struggling with your sleep. But the trackers won’t do the hard work for you: some people swear by them, others soon disregard them. Prices start at around £40 for a simple band. Spend a bit more for one that also tracks your heart rate throughout the day. Spend more than £100 and you can expect call and text alerts. At the top end of the market you can get watches with GPS tracking so you can get precise performance data, perfect for runners doing serious training.

the phone’s GPS satellite receiver, which eats battery life, so charge your phone fully before you set off or carry a spare portable charger. 2017

S AG A .C O.U K / F E B-M AG

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Smart scales

App-connected bathroom scales don’t just weigh you – they keep a record of your stats too. Caramel Quin explains he worst part of watching your weight is… watching your weight, actually keeping track of it. You don’t want to fret about tiny fluctuations but you do want to know if your weight is going up or down. Enter the latest smart scales. They send your weight wirelessly to an app on your smartphone or tablet, which plots a graph for you. Smart scales don’t just measure your weight, they calculate your body mass index (you’ll need to tell it your height for this) and

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measure your body fat percentage and other levels of health and fitness. Some calculate muscle mass, bone mass and hydration; some measure heart rate. All the stats appear in your app – a lasting record that can be analysed by you, a doctor or a dietitian. The scales work for the whole family – they can store multiple user profiles and can even tell who you are when you step on. If you have an activity tracker, see page 97, choose smart scales from the same brand and keep your information in a single app.

It’s a TV! Watch TV in bed with your iPad. You can buy or rent movies and shows from iTunes directly from the iPad, or stream them using a service such as Now TV or Netflix for a monthly fee. Or you can watch Freeview TV or catch up on missed shows’ apps such as BBC iPlayer if you have a TV licence. It’s a recording studio! There are lots of free music apps – everything from synths and virtual guitars to tuning apps and metronomes. But Apple’s GarageBand £3.99 is incredibly versatile and easy to use. Record, loop, add percussion and piano and more. It’s a library! Tap the iBooks app to visit Apple’s iBook Store – a vast range of classics, bestsellers and free books. Or, to read your Kindle on your iPad, download the free Kindle app. It’s an easel! Use the screen as a canvas to create art anywhere. Free apps such as Brushes, Tayasui Sketches and Autodesk SketchBook offer doodling, sketching, drawing and painting. Paid-for apps include ArtSet £1.49, ArtRage £3.99, Procreate £4.49 and Inspire Pro £5.99. F I N D O U T MO R E For more great iPad revelations, go to saga.co.uk/mag-tech 2017

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Money TAKE AWAY he new, simpler state pension is in fact highly complex and confusing. Most people who reach state pension age in the next few years will get less than the so-called flat-rate pension of £155.65 a week. But many will be able to boost their pension towards the full amount by paying National Insurance (NI) contributions in the tax years between now and when they reach state pension age. To take advantage of this scheme you must reach state pension age in 2017/18 or later – women born on 6 July 1953 or later or men born on 6 April 1952 or later. Those reaching state pension age this tax year or earlier cannot boost their pension in this way. The people affected have a big deduction made from the new state pension because of years they spent paying into a pension at work or a personal pension. When they get their state pension forecast there will be a deduction made from it called Contracted Out Pension Equivalent or COPE. But that deduction can be reduced by paying extra NI contributions now. This deduction is made for people who paid into pensions that were called ‘contracted out of SERPS’ because they did not pay into the State Earnings Related Pension Scheme (SERPS) and paid lower NI contributions. Their contracted-out pension was supposed to replace the SERPS part of the state pension.

FINANCIAL EXPERT

Paul Lewis

ILLUSTRATIONS: TELEGRAMME, ANNE HIGGLE

H OW TO B O O ST YO U R

state pension

More than a million people could boost their new state pension, but many don’t know that they can. Even the advisers who answer the Government’s helpline are confused! So here, once and for all, is how it works…

There are three groups of people who were contracted out of SERPS. 1 People employed in the public sector – nurses, teachers,

police and fire officers, civil servants, armed forces, and most others who worked for the state.

2 Those who worked for a firm with a good pension scheme  that promised a pension 2017

S AG A .C O.U K / F E B-M AG

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D I D YO U K N OW ?

A N YO N E W H O WA S C O N T R AC T E D O U T O F S E R P S W I L L H AV E T H AT COPE DEDUCTION MADE, WHICH CAN WIPE OUT A BIG CHUNK O F T H E N E W S TAT E P E N S I O N

 related to their pay, usually

called ‘final salary pensions’ or ‘defined benefit’ schemes.

3 Some people who paid into a personal pension and were persuaded by the person who sold it to them to ‘contract out’ of SERPS. Anyone who was contracted out of SERPS will have that COPE deduction made from their new state pension, to take account of the pension they paid for with the contributions not paid into SERPS. The deduction can take a big chunk of the new state pension. If it is below what you would have been paid under the old rules, you’ll receive that ‘old rules’ pension, as little as £120 a week. But… the COPE deduction can be reduced. Every year of NI contributions you pay, from 2016/17 to the tax year before you reach state pension age, will add extra to your pension.

If you are working and earning at least £112 a week you will get a NI contribution for each week’s work. If you

earn less or you don’t work, then you can pay Class 3 voluntary contributions. They cost £733.20 a year. Each extra year you buy will boost your pension by £4.45 a week or £231.25 a year, so payback time is short. The extra pension will be increased at the same rate as the rest of the new pension. Many people say they have already paid 35 years of NI contributions or more and so

should have a full new state pension. Some have paid 35 years in jobs where they were not contracted out. None of that matters. These extra payments are on top of any you have already paid to reach 35 years. NI contributions paid on top of past payments help to reduce the COPE deduction.

What to do next

Ask DWP for a state pension statement at gov.uk/check-statepension; 0345 3000 168. If your pension has a COPE deduction you could benefit from this scheme. If you do not earn more than £112 a week consider buying a year’s contributions for 2016/17 after April 2017. Go to gov. uk and search ‘Class 3’; 0300 200 3500. If you will reach state pension age in 2018/19 or later, wait until you are close to state pension age and consider then paying the contributions back to 2016/17 if you did not pay them at work.

RISE IN PENSIONERS RENTING

The number of people of pension age in private rented accommodation has grown by about

220,000

in the past four years to reach nearly two million. THE B I G G E ST PROPORTION ARE IN THE S O U T H E A ST O F ENGLAND WHERE 18% OF RETIRED RENTERS LIVE But only 3% of retired private renters live in London where rents are too expensive for most. The National Landlords Association, which produced the figures, warns that retired renters may have to move to unfamiliar parts of the country to find a private rented home. OT H E R A R E A S M O ST P O P U L AT E D BY RETIRED RENTERS ARE

16%

FIND OUT MORE For a range of financial articles, visit saga.co.uk/mag-money 

H AV E A Q U E ST I O N ? Email money@saga.co.uk, write to Paul Lewis at the address on p3, or tweet him @paullewismoney. These views are Paul’s own. He can answer questions only on this page or on our website

15%

North West

South West

Scotland and the East of England

West Midlands

York and Humber

Wales

The rest of the country makes up the rest. 2017

S AG A .C O.U K / F E B-M AG

103

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Just go to www.sagainvestments.co.uk/isa for more information. Or give us a call on 0800 033 4000, quoting FEBSM. Our lines are open 7:45am-6:00pm Monday-Friday and 9:30am-1:30pm Saturday

IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Capital at risk. This is not advice to invest. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. Different funds carry varying levels of risk depending on the geographical region and industry sector in which they invest. Tax rules depend on your circumstances and can change. Please note we do not provide tax advice. If you are unsure about the suitability of any investment, you should seek professional advice. Saga Investment Services Limited is an Appointed Representative of Bestinvest (Brokers) Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Reg. No. 2830297). Bestinvest (Brokers) Limited is part of the Tilney Bestinvest Group of Companies. 6 Chesterfield Gardens, Mayfair, London, W1J 5BQ. Saga Investment Services Limited (Reg. No. 09308423) has registered offices at Enbrook Park, Sandgate, Folkestone, Kent CT20 3SE. SIS141216-1299

Money TAKE AWAY STAY A H E A D O F T H E G A M E

Paul’s shorts

BEWARE A NEW SCAM The body that regulates bank transfers has revealed that tens of thousands of people have lost hundreds of millions of pounds due to a simple scam. It works like this: thieves hack into, for example, a builder’s or solicitor’s email account and see who is due to pay them money. They then email the customer and give them bank details for the wrong UK bank account, making the email appear to come from the right firm. Once the money is transferred the thieves swiftly take it and disappear. The banks will not refund it. So if you have to move money to someone new, always speak to them directly before making the transfer and double-check you have the right bank account details.

63¾ IS THE NEW 60

On March 6 another batch of women will reach state pension age, the last group this tax year. They were born June 6 to July 5 1953 so will be about 63 and three-quarters. Those women can now claim the new state pension. That age is also important for men because entitlement to many benefits or increases in benefits – for both men and women – begins at women’s state pension age. They include:

ALAMY

1 Pension credit, which makes your income up to £155.60 a week (single) or £237.55 for a couple. These amounts go up in April. Note that savings over £10,000 will reduce what you get. 2 More help with council tax. Make sure your local

council knows when you reach that age. 3 Higher housing benefit, which reduces your rent if your income is low. The benefit is also no longer affected by the so-called ‘bedroom tax’ once you reach women’s state pension age.

4 Free bus travel in many parts of England. In the rest of the UK this normally begins at 60.

TAXING TIMES IN SCOTLAND From April income tax rules will be different in Scotland. The Scottish Government has decided to start the higher-rate tax at a lower income than the rest of the UK. At the moment the threshold is £43,000 a year. From April that will rise to £45,000 – except in Scotland where it will go up to only £43,430. Nearly 400,000 Scottish taxpayers on the 40% rate of tax will pay up to £314 a year more than they would elsewhere. Scottish taxpayers count as those who live in Scotland, regardless of where they work. They have an ‘S’ in front of their tax code.

CASHING-IN F I N A L S A L A RY PENSION In the past no one suggested people expecting a good pension based on their salary should give it up. But a growing number of financial advisers REMEMBER say it is not Anyone aged 55 or over, not always a bad retired, and with a final salary idea, pension due from a private-sector especially as job should take independent the cash-in financial advice from someone value of with pension qualifications these when thinking of pensions is cashing it in. higher than it has ever been.

I N V E ST I N G

Need to know Merryn Somerset Webb

Is the great age of globalisation finished? It could be. Around the world nations are building walls – against people, capital and trade. Social attitudes have changed. And the global economy has to change with them. How does that mean you invest? Less in the multinationals that have made hay with globalisation. More in the smaller companies that might miss it less. For the latter, try the Diverse Income Trust run by Gervais Williams. MERRYN IS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF MONEYWEEK. HER VIEWS ARE PERSONAL: INVESTORS SHOULD SEEK PROFESSIONAL ADVICE

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CONSERVATORY ROOF INSULATION Fad or Necessity? We look at the facts...

Over the past twenty years or so there has been enormous growth in the sale of domestic conservatories and it is quite easy to see why. Over the past twenty years or so there has been enormous growth in the sale of domestic conservatories and it is quite easy to see why.

So for the home owner it really does look like a win-win situation but there are of course some drawbacks.

Despite the many, many advantages, in Apart from the fact that conservatories general are not they do add a very thermally certain style to Local efﬁcient. This your home, they authorities can result in are also really situations where great spaces have eased the cost of to relax and planning heating is enjoy quality permission and building extremely high time in. in the winter regulations. As a result of and reducing the easing of the summer heat town planning laws and gain is next to impossible. building regulations, conservatory many home owners are Many at liberty to extend their owners have, over the living space without any years purchased blinds in of the usual cost and an attempt to deal with red tape involved in this very problem and applying for approval although they do offer for a conventional some small beneﬁt, they extension. are largely ineffective.

roof replacement method is that one may need to obtain building regulations approval, the cost of the replacement roof system will be quite high and it is not a very quick installation.

The government allows these companies to charge the energy saving reduced VAT rate of 5%.

The upside of the roof replacement is that a conservatory with an existing roof that is beyond economic repair can be given a new lease of life.

In the last ten years there has been the emergence of a few specialist companies that can provide a real answer to the problem. These companies fall broadly into two categories; Those that remove the entire conservatory roof and

replace it with a tiled roof system and those conservatory roof. In most circumstances both methods will provide good thermal insulation, making the conservatory usable every day of the year. The down side to the

On the other hand, if the existing roof is serviceable, then having an insulated ceiling installed will convert the conservatory into the beautiful haven that had been hoped for but at a fraction of the cost - usually within one or two days.

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And regardless of direction, they would certainly beneﬁt from lower energy costs in winter if they installed an insulated ceiling or replacement roof.

The government seems to agree and allows these companies to charge the energy saving reduced VAT rate of just 5%.

So to answer our own question - Fad or Necessity, in most

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cases conservatory owners will need some form of insulation in summer if their conservatory is south or south westerly facing.

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Money TAKE AWAY YO U R M O N E Y P R O B L E M S S O LV E D

Annie Shaw

I have received a letter from a firm of lawyers in California, saying that someone with my surname has been killed in an accident and they believe that I may be his next of kin. I am not aware that I have any relatives in the US – not even very distant ones – but I don’t want to pass up the chance of an inheritance if the letter is genuine.

If I give money to my grandchildren and die within seven years does it have to be paid back, even though I won’t leave enough to pay inheritance tax?

ALAMY

Anyone who finds themself in your situation needs to proceed with extreme caution. So-called ‘heir hunters’ do exist, and there is information on the websites of bona fide firms on how to identify a genuine one. This approach is, however, a scam. The legal firm is a fake – although it has a name similar to a real business – and a check on the registration details of the website that the letter refers you to shows that it was set up last year in Ukraine. If you responded you would doubtless soon be asked for your bank details, or to send money for ‘legal fees’ to release the funds. A good rule of thumb is never to hand over money in advance for any financial transaction of this nature. If you genuinely believe that you are due an inheritance or a lottery win, legal and moneytransfer fees should be deducted from the cash due to you.

When a person dies, inheritance tax (IHT) is charged on the value of their estate. You are not liable for IHT if your estate is worth less than £325,000. It may be higher if an unused allowance can be transferred to you from a late spouse or you’re bequeathing a family home to children or grandchildren. Gifts made more than seven years before death are IHT exempt. If your estate is liable for IHT, gifts made within the seven years before your death may be subject to tax. If you give away potentially taxable assets immediately before you die and leave insufficient in your estate for tax to be paid, problems could arise as the recipient is ultimately responsible for payment of IHT if it is not accounted for elsewhere. 

H AV E A Q U E ST I O N ? Email annie@saga.co.uk, or write to Annie Shaw at the address on p3. She can answer questions only on this page or on our website

D I D YO U K N OW ?

2/3

of Brits feel they could be losing out because they don’t fully understand many financial terms. And

74%

say they feel completely BAMBOOZLED when talking to financial experts.

Nearly 2 out of 5 pensioners – the equivalent of

4.4 million people

FEAR RUNNING OUT OF MONEY in retirement because they do not have enough guaranteed income, new research shows. Almost half of adults don’t know what the term ISA (Individual Savings Account) stands for, while a fifth don’t know that APR means Annual Percentage Rate.

SPOTLIGHT ON

PENSION INCREASE E XC H A N G E Final salary pensions in payment generally receive annual increases linked to the cost of living. A PIE is an offer from an employer to give up future increases in return for a higher pension now. Check the figures before deciding.

F I N D O U T MO R E For lots of useful financial articles, visit saga.co.uk/mag-money 2017

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TAKE AWAY Money YO U R M O N E Y P R O B L E M S S O LV E D

Annie Shaw

C O U L D A LOA N S AV E YO U MO N E Y ? There are some circumstances in which it’s worth considering borrowing money, even in later life T I M E TA B L I N G PAYM E N T S Having access to a sum of money and a fixed repayment schedule can offer reassurance compared with trying to juggle an array of different credit agreements. No more remembering which bill to pay when, and knowing the rate of interest you are paying each month is a relief. Beware of loans with attractive headline rates: often you end up being offered a different – higher – one.

R E P L AC I N G W H I T E GOODS If your washing machine or drier keeps breaking down, taking out a loan to replace it with a more reliable, more energy-efficient model could save you money in the long run.

H OM E I M P R OV E M E N T S The same applies to inefficient or defective heating, poor insulation or exterior damage such as missing roof slates, where a loan can help you pay for repairs. The cost of the loan will at least in part

BUYING A CAR

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I 2017

as cataract surgery, it may be possible for people without medical insurance to pay for treatment privately. A simple operation doesn’t need to be life saving to be life enhancing – and could save you money in the long run if, for instance, you could drive again instead of having to take taxis.

D E B T C O N S O L I DAT I O N be offset by lower household bills or an even more costly structural repair if damage such as rotting timbers sets in. Installing new door locks or an alarm system could reduce your insurance bill – and make you feel more secure, especially if you live alone.

P R E PA R I N G YO U R H OM E F O R S A L E You may not want to go for a complete makeover before you put your home on the market, but small improvements, such as replacing broken tiles and fittings, cleaning carpets, painting the front door or paying for the garden to be tidied, will make your house more attractive. It will almost certainly achieve a higher sale price than if it looks neglected.

You should take care when bundling debts into one bigger loan, particularly if you prefer to make irregular repayments to fit in with income streams. Beware of companies offering secured loans against your property, for example. A missed repayment could prove costly. You should always read their small print very carefully. Taking out a personal loan, however, to clear stubborn and more expensive borrowing, such as credit-card debt, can make a lot of sense. But be sure to do your sums carefully.

W H AT TO LO O K F O R F R OM A LOA N Are loans offered up to a good age, at least up to 75? Is the interest rate fixed for the whole term of the loan, and not subject to increase?

M E D I C A L T R E ATM E N T While we all love the NHS, there are waiting lists for some treatments and surgery often depends on the severity of the condition. For minor ops, such

FIND OUT MORE For further info on loans, visit saga.co.uk/mag-money

Car dealers are usually only too keen to offer you forecourt finance, but a personal loan, which will almost certainly cost less than anything the dealer could offer, would make you a cash buyer. With cash in your pocket you have more buying options and can look for deals at auctions and from private sellers, for example.

ONE loan rate, endless possibilities The Saga Personal Loans interest rate is fixed for all borrowers, so the only variable is what you do with it. Whether it’s for some home improvements, a new car, a big holiday or just straightening out some finances, a Saga Personal Loan, provided by Shawbrook Bank Limited, could help make it happen. ■

Find out if we're likely to approve you for a loan without affecting your credit score

■

Pensions and investment returns count towards the £12,000 annual income requirement

■

The fixed interest rate for all Saga Personal Loans is 7.9% and every successful applicant will get it.

Aged 50-75? Looking to borrow between £1,000 and £25,000? Apply for a Saga Personal Loan today at

saga.co.uk/loans or call 0800 151 3451 stating ref: LNS27 Lines are open Monday to Friday 9am-9pm, and Saturday 9am-5pm, excluding bank holidays.

CSM-AF0978v1

Representative Example The Annual Interest Rate is 7.9% (fixed) a year, with a representative 7.9% APR on loans between £1,000 and £25,000 over one to seven years. This means, if you took out a loan for £10,000 and repaid it over 36 months with 36 monthly repayments, the monthly cost would be £311.65. The total amount you’d pay back would come to £11,219.40. APR stands for Annual Percentage Rate. Acromas Financial Services is a credit broker, not a credit lender. Saga Personal Loans are provided by Shawbrook Bank Limited. Registered Office: Lutea House, Warley Hill Business Park, The Drive, Great Warley, Brentwood, Essex CM13 3BE. Registered in England (Company No: 388466). Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Saga Personal Finance is a registered trading name of Acromas Financial Services Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Acromas Financial Services Limited is registered in England and Wales (Company No: 3023493). Registered Office: Enbrook Park, Sandgate, Folkestone, Kent CT20 3SE.

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Call 0800 840 5375 to redeem this great offer and Saga working with Virgin Media Prices may change at any time during the contract. Standard prices apply after 12 months, see virginmedia.com VIRGIN MEDIA CABLED STREETS ONLY. Player bundle: £29 a month for 12 months. Price includes line rental. Activation fee (£14.99). Engineer installation fee (£40). Availability subject to survey, network capacity, status and credit checks. Direct Debit and eBill price stated. Add up to 45p a month payment-handling fee for non-Direct Debit payments and £1.75 a month for paper bills. Broadband: Speeds referred to are download speeds. Acceptable use policy applies. Unlimited downloads: Upload speeds may be affected by traffic management measures. Heavy users may experience a temporary reduction in upload speeds. See virginmedia.com/traffic Minimum computer requirements apply. Speeds assume equipment is at optimum speed and capacity. Hub: Provided at no extra cost while you are a subscriber. Wireless-enabled equipment required. Home Phone: Subject to availability. *Zero-rated tariff applies to the first hour of direct-dialled local and national geographic voice calls – 01, 02, 03 and 0870 numbers (exclusions apply e.g. 084 and 070) starting within the relevant period (Talk Weekends all day Saturday and Sunday. Talk Evening and Weekends includes 7pm to 7am calls. Talk Unlimited all day every day. Talk Unlimited Extra includes calls to 0845, 0870 numbers and UK mobiles). Redial before 60 minutes to avoid call charges. The cost of calling 084, 087, 118 and 09 (outside of allowance): Our access charge (11.25p a minute), plus the service charge set by the company you’re phoning. Full details at virginmedia.com/callingcosts General: All equipment remains property of Virgin Media. Calls may be monitored. All information and prices correct at 6th January 2017 and are subject to change. Your first bill includes the charge for the month you join (from the day you join), plus one month in advance. Payment/deposit may be required in advance. Please speak to a member of staff for more details. Offer ends 31st March 2017. Further legal stuff applies. Go to virginmedia.com/legalstuff for details.

Money TAKE AWAY T H E S AV V Y S H O P P E R

Jennifer Newton

STAY A L E R T AT T H E SUPERMARKET

WA ST E N OT

Approved Food is

FYI

a company that sells non-perishable foods that are either near or just past the Best Before date and still perfectly good to eat. (The company doesn’t stock foods with a Use By date, which refers to food safety.) The savings are great, along with the environmental benefits of food not being wasted. Everything from pasta to pink bubbly – and excellent for snapping up canned goods. Delivery charges from £5.99 for orders weighing up to 55lb. approvedfood.co.uk, 0114 3599 311

FOCUS FEATURES/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK

Shop around

Watch out for confusing pricing techniques in the supermarkets. Here are a few of our least favourite! H OW MU C H P E R K I LO ? Clever shoppers know to look not at the overall price of a pack but the price per kilo. But what if prepacked apples, say, are priced per unit and the loose variety per kilo? The only way to compare costs is to find the scales and weigh them yourself. Prepacked bacon and cold meat pricing is another bugbear: some retailers state the price per kg; others per 100g. Use a calculator if you need to – and talk to the manager about the lack of easy price comparisons.

PRICES F R OZ E N If you regularly buy oily fish, such as salmon, opt for frozen as it’s around a third cheaper and, being fatty, it doesn’t lose flavour or texture.

Snapped! Freerange Yorkshire Cure ham at Waitrose deli counter, £22.90/kg; prepacked British Wiltshire Cure, £3.49 for 130g – that’s £26.90/kg.

Snapped! A frozen salmon fillet

N OT S O G R AT E

at Tesco was £11.80/kg; fresh on the counter it cost £16.67/kg.

Ready-grated or sliced cheese is handy – but expensive! Is getting out a grater that much bother?

DELI DODGES The slicing counter is generally cheaper per kilo compared with prepacked ham and bacon.

Snapped! A block of Parmesan at Sainsbury’s, £13.50/ kg; ready-grated, £20/kg.

It may be the single most effective way to save. Use your smartphone to compare prices using the mySupermarket website or app. Just type in your shopping list and it will then compare the prices at 15 supermarkets, saving on average 30%. CEO Gilad Simhony says: ‘No matter where you’re shopping or what you’re shopping for, be sure to compare the prices that day to get the best value for money. Offers fluctuate. daily.’

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TAKE AWAY Advertising feature

Simon Read

if you invested successfully in the stock market. Profits in an ISA wouldn’t be at risk of capital gains tax charge.

RISING LIMITS

Since we all now have a personal savings allowance it means I can earn £1,000 interest and pay no tax. So is there any point in using an ISA any more?

Paying tax on your savings has become a thing of the past for many people as a new personal tax allowance was launched last April. It allows you to earn interest of up to £1,000 a year without being taxed on it, although if you’re a higher-rate taxpayer the tax-free allowance is just £500. You needn’t do a thing. Your savings have been automatically earning interest tax-free since the allowance came into effect at the beginning of the current tax year. Why should you use an ISA? Because it offers more flexibility than savings accounts. You can switch easily between cash savings and investment funds in an ISA, and back again when you want. That could be relevant

From April, the amount you can put into an ISA each year is climbing to £20,000. If you can afford to save that much, and have a high-interest current account, an ISA should be the first choice for your savings. Bear in mind that while most savers will benefit from the new personal tax allowance, if you have more than around £70,000 you’ll start paying tax on savings. That’s because you’re likely to earn more than £1,000 in interest this year at current savings rates. For higher-rate taxpayers the level is around £35,000. So if you have a decent-sized nest egg, ISAs remain essential if you want to avoid paying unnecessary tax. Should savings rates climb at some stage, they would leave many more savers earning interest higher than their personal tax allowance. Those with good memories will recall rates as high as 7% before the credit crunch. If they returned to that level, savings of up to only £14,000 (or £7,000 for higher-rate taxpayers) would earn interest tax free.

FUTURE CHANGES That eventuality is one reason to continue with ISAs – they should also be safe from a change of government policy. ISAs have now been around for decades. There would be an outcry if they were scrapped. But the personal tax allowance is new and a future Chancellor

ISAs SHOULD ALSO BE SAFE FROM A CHANGE OF GOVE RNME NT POLICY may not hesitate to dump it if the move suits his or her tax-raising plans. Even if the allowance remains, it makes sense to use an ISA as you get older. That’s because spouses can inherit their deceased partner’s ISA, but not their personal savings allowance. There’s also the possibility that your tax situation may change. If you moved into a higher tax-rate band, your personal tax allowance would shrink. If your savings were in an ISA, a change in tax status wouldn’t affect them.

H E R E TO H E L P If you have any questions about investing, call 0800 033 4000 or write to us at the address on p3. The Saga Investment Services team are experts in investments and financial planning and can answer questions only on these subjects. Simon will choose questions to respond to here.

F I N D O U T MO R E For details of our ISA and to see how you could supercharge your savings today, visit saga investments.co.uk/ISA

IMPORTANT INFORMATION Capital at risk. This article is not intended as advice. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. Tax rules depend on your circumstances and can change. Please note we do not provide tax advice. If you are unsure whether an investment is suitable, contact an adviser. Saga Investment Services Ltd is a joint venture between Saga and Tilney Bestinvest and is separate from Saga Personal Finance. Saga Investment Services Ltd is an Appointed Representative of Bestinvest (Brokers) Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Reg. No. 2830297 with registered offices at 6 Chesterfield Gardens, Mayfair, London W1J 5BQ), or other members of the Tilney Bestinvest Group of Companies. Saga Investment Services Ltd (Reg. No. 09308423) has registered offices at Enbrook Park, Sandgate, Folkestone, Kent CT20 3SE..

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FLAMING LOVELY

Want the look and warmth of a real fire without the mess? Woodburning stoves give the effect, and don’t need a chimney if the flue can be vented outside. In a smokeless fuel zone, you will need a DEFRA-approved stove, such as this one. ACR Birchdale Multi-fuel £954

woodburnerwarehouse.co.uk, 01559 362847

STRAIGHT AND NARROW

Upright radiators are ideal where wall space is limited and can create impact with bold designs or eye-catching colours. Yellow Concord radiator

C O O L LO O KS F O R A

warm home

From £113 ex VAT stelrad.com, 0844 543 6200 for stockists

Heating should be effective and economical but that doesn’t mean it has to look dull. Julie Woodgate has some great ideas to fire your imagination

3 3

SCANDI SLEEK

This wooden radiator combines good looks with an energy-saving low-water heat exchanger. Available in beech, maple or oak. Knockonwood radiator

From £254 jagahomeheating.co.uk 01531 631533

PRETTY AS A PICTURE

Wall-hung gas fires such as this are 100% efficient, no flue or chimney required. All you need is a gas feed and an air vent from the room to the outside. Brayfield flueless gas fire £399

superiorfires.co.uk, 01202 588632 For installation use a qualified gas fitter, gassaferegister.co.uk, 0800 408 5500. For servicing try British Gas Home Care, britishgas.co.uk, 0800 980 6004

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TAKE AWAY Property

B R I C KS A N D MO R E

Chartered surveyor John Conlin sorts out your legal and building woes

I think the felt beneath the roof tiles has started to leak as I have seen drops of water on the underside when I’ve been in the loft. Is there any way to stop this without stripping all the tiles and laying new felt?

You will be relieved to hear that it is unlikely that the felt is leaking. I have seen water droplets on the underside of felt lining to tiled roofs on dozens of occasions. It is condensation due to poor ventilation of the roof space. A common cause is insulation packed into the eaves, cutting off natural ventilation.

MOVABLE FIREPLACE

Bioethanol is clean-burning – no smoke or unpleasant residue – so fireplaces can be freestanding and moved from room to room or even placed on a tabletop. This one has a 1-litre capacity (about 3.5 hour burn time). Oblosk fire £499

I would like to remove the wall between the bathroom and the adjoining toilet. The house is less than 50 years old and the wall seems to be hollow and about 4 inches thick. Is it safe to assume that it can be easily removed?

imaginfires.co.uk, 01443 203994

SMALL AND CHIC

Portable electric fires are ideal for extra heat on cold nights or to warm up a small room. This has a carry handle on the back and an Optiflame coal-effect fire – you can use the flame effect without the heat. Microfire £79.99

It is risky to assume anything about building construction without investigating carefully. For example, if the bathroom and loo are upstairs, have a look in the loft. There is always the possibility that this apparently lightweight partition supports the overlapping connections between ceiling joists.

TO HOME IN ON

3 of the best

Stockists from dimplex.co.uk, 0844 879 3587



Design for living

Dinner winner

Lovely Finnish

Great inspiration for decorators on a budget from blogger Jen Stanbrook. lovechicliving.co.uk

Gorgeous Med colours in the new Amera tableware. Sideplates from £10 habitat.co.uk

Flat-packed flair from Finland. One Flower Vase with copper plating £58 cloudberryliving.co.uk

H AV E A Q U E ST I O N ? Email surveyor@saga.co.uk, or write to John Conlin at the address on p3. John can answer questions only on this page or on our website. For more property Q&As, visit

saga.co.uk/conlin

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Stunning retirement ap so much more...

Typical living room

If you are considering moving closer to family, or simply to somewhere that’s easy to maintain, you can enjoy all the mod cons and retain your independence in a brand new retirement apartment from McCarthy & Stone.

Independence & peace of mind With 40 years’ experience, our developments are built around what our homeowners want – thoughtfully designed, spacious apartments in great locations, close to local amenities and transport links. Our House Managers also take care of time-consuming chores, such as exterior property maintenance so there’s more time to do the things you enjoy. Knowing there’s so much at hand, company when you want it, and someone to keep an eye on things too, can make a real difference to you and your family - we know, because our customers tell us.

Come & see for yourself Call 0800 153 3390 to visit a development or for a FREE brochure For prices and details of apartments for sale nationwide, please visit mccarthyandstone.co.uk/closer

partments Retirement apartments for sale:

Your own privately-owned apartment, in a stunning development which offers#: ✓ A House Manager who takes care of the day-to-day running ✓ Camera entry and 24 hour call system for added peace of mind ✓ Homeowners’ Lounge for socialising ✓ Great locations close to local amenities ✓ Beautiful gardens all year round ✓ Guest suite for family and friends^ Plus, ask how we can help make moving home easier Features may vary by location. ^At an additional charge.

ENGLAND BERKS Maidenhead, Wokingham BRISTOL Cheswick Village, Staple Hill BUCKS Bourne End, Denham Green, Wendover CAMBS Huntingdon CHESHIRE Cheadle Hulme, Northwich, Sandbach CORNWALL Falmouth, Truro CUMBRIA Carlisle, Kendal, Penrith DERBYS Glossop DEVON South Molton DORSET Poole, Poundbury, Swanage, Weymouth E. SUSSEX Hailsham E. YORKS Bridlington ESSEX Frinton-on-Sea, Loughton GLOS Bourton-on-theWater, Cirencester, Moreton-in-Marsh, Stroud, Tetbury GTR MANCHESTER Harwood, Hazel Grove, Prestwich, Urmston HANTS Bishops Waltham, Dibden Purlieu, Drayton, Fleet, Hamble, Gosport, Wickham HERTS Knebworth, Letchworth, Stevenage IOW Bembridge, Newport LANCS Holcombe Brook, Lancaster, Longridge, Lytham St. Annes, Ormskirk LEICS Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Glen Parva, Hinckley, Leicester LINCS Cleethorpes, Stamford LONDON Raynes Park, Willesden Green MERSEYSIDE Ainsdale, Crosby, Southport MIDDLESEX Ickenham NORFOLK Cromer, Hunstanton N. YORKS Easingwold, Guisborough, Pickering NORTHANTS Northampton NOTTS Hucknall, West Bridgford OXON Kidlington SHROPS Bridgnorth, Shrewsbury SOMERSET Minehead S. YORKS Wickersley STAFFS Kinver, Stafford, Wolstanton SURREY Walton-on-Thames TYNE AND WEAR Gosforth WARKS Atherstone, Coleshill W. MIDS Bournville, Penn, Solihull, Tettenhall, Walsall W. SUSSEX Midhurst W. YORKS Leeds WILTS Swindon, Wilton WORCS Hagley, Worcester SCOTLAND AYRSHIRE Alloway EAST DUNBARTONSHIRE Bishopbriggs EAST LOTHIAN Haddington EAST RENFREWSHIRE Newton Mearns EDINBURGH Murrayﬁeld FIFE St Andrews PERTH & KINROSS Blairgowrie, Perth RENFREWSHIRE Paisley WEST LOTHIAN Linlithgow WALES PEMBROKESHIRE Tenby

Plus over 50 more developments coming soon NA-AR-SAG-AR-ZZZ-2BFC

Village Suites at Richmond Villages Richmond Villages have two new retirement villages opening soon in Oxfordshire and Derbyshire offering so much more than just retirement properties. Take the 1 and 2 bedroom Village Suites as an example. These Suites come with an independent living package including all meals, laundry and daily maid service and have been designed to help you remain living independently within a social, friendly and caring environment. For added peace of mind there is the reassurance of Richmond Villages’ 24-hour on-site support team. INDEPENDENT LIVING PACKAGE Call us to find out more about our fixed price for life independent living package fees (Terms & Conditions apply)

Call: 0800 098 7055 or Visit: www.richmond-villages.com/assisted-living Current villages in Oxfordshire, the Cotswolds, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Derbyshire and Cheshire.

THE PREMIER INDEPENDENT RETIREMENT COMMUNITY ♦ All-Inclusive Luxury Apartments on a monthly rental ♦ No binding contract, service or maintenance charges, or exit fees ♦ ♦ Studios, 1-bed and 2-bed apartments and bungalows ♦ All dining, utility bills, weekly housekeeping and council tax included ♦

Call 0800 114 3649 or Search ‘Hawthorns Retire’ MAKE LIFE SIMPLE. MAKE YOUR LIFE AT THE HAWTHORNS

Aldridge, West Midlands | Braintree, Essex | Clevedon, Somerset | Eastbourne, Sussex

btw

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LETTER

C AT N A P P I N G We acquired a new kitten just before Christmas – a total joy. Following her first round of inoculations, however, her sleepthrough-the-night sleeping pattern was disturbed. My husband reluctantly took her to the living room so she could stretch her legs and give me a few mew-free hours’ sleep. As I was leaving for work I asked him how the night had gone. ‘Well,’ he said, ‘there’s nothing like waking up freezing cold on a sofa at 5.30am wearing just a pair of pants and a T-shirt to find a small cat sitting on your head to put the rest of life into perspective.’ |

C Cane, South London

N OT S H A K I N G B U T ST I R R E D I must take issue with Paul Lewis (Dec) regarding charity collections. While I’m sure he’s right about the danger of scammers, it is wrong to write off all collectors, who have to work hard to raise funds for their charities, and usually have written authorisation. Members of the branch of the charity I volunteer for usually stand with tins in supermarkets (tin-shaking not allowed!), having gone through the correct channels for permission to do so. These collections can mount up to several hundreds of pounds in a day, but as the money is all donated in copper and silver

Get involved  Email us at editor@saga.co.uk

Write to us at Saga Magazine, Enbrook Park, Folkestone, Kent CT20 3SE

Join our community at facebook.com/saga

SHAME ON THEM

I found Nadiya Hussain refreshingly candid (January), and more rueful than bitter, about the racial abuse and religious bigotry to which she and many others are subjected. I feel deep shame and anger when I hear this insulting, ignorant invective spill from the lips of people who, compared with Nadiya, couldn’t successfully tackle a doughnut without instructions to eat it from the outside in, let alone bake a cake. 

| G Wright

coins, advising people to donate online is irrelevant. So please, don’t ignore us – just check that we are genuine. |

The editor welcomes your letters – no more than 100 words, please – but reserves the right to edit them

M Jones, Anglesey

Paul Lewis replies Very few people check ID and permits before giving. I do understand that many smaller charities felt the advice in my column was too prescriptive, but I did not advise readers not to give at all, but to give in a different way. P O U N D W I S E , AT L A ST I’ve made it a rule never to open a letter if it looks as though it’s

from the bank or a finance company – it’s probably bad news or just trying to flog me something. This infuriates my partner, who presented me with a small washing-up bowl of unopened mail, demanding I open it all. Begrudgingly I did, only to find a communication from a company telling me that I was owed money from a work pension going back 30 years. This turns out to be a considerable windfall. Let this be a lesson to anyone who follows my habit – and 

2017

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HAVE YOUR SAY 

I promise to stop skipping over Paul Lewis’ and Annie Shaw’s advice in future, too. | L Hinchliff, West London Editor’s note You can contact the Pension Tracing Service on 0345 600 2537.

D OW N TO E A R T H A? Pauline Harrison’s letter about Eartha Kitt (Jan) brought back memories of when my husband treated us to see her live in cabaret in London. We were shown to a small round table and chairs at the edge of the stage. On the table was a glass and jug of ‘water’. My husband poured himself a glass and had quaffed half of it before gasping, ‘This is pure gin’. We surreptitiously put the glass and jug on the edge of the stage and it mysteriously disappeared during the interval. Whether it was put there for Eartha to drink during her performance, we’ll never know. 

| D Grimsley

SWEET CHARITY The first step in decluttering is to stop buying clutter in the first place. So for Christmas my daughter ‘bought’ all family members donations to charities or causes close to our individual hearts, from local animal sanctuaries to campaign groups. We were all touched by the idea, though presenting the gift with, ‘How much more crap do you need in the house, Dad?’ was perhaps a little less charitable than I was expecting. 

| P Laton

LO O K O N T H E BRIGHT SIDE The Queen is always dressed elegantly in cheerful colours, so I would love to know her

opinion of her subjects, to whom the opposite largely applies. Scruffy, dowdy or miserable, many cannot think beyond denim and black. Your supposedly well-dressed stylista (December) is the epitome of this. I am quite sure that if he were knocked down at night – as I have been – he’d soon be wearing bright colours. 

| L Englesberg, Manchester

H A I L TO T H E C H I E F Say what you will about government in the UK, but in the case of handing power over to a new administration we seem to have got it right. Compare this with the over-the-top hoo-ha of the US presidential inauguration – all president-elect tweets, grand parades, white-tie balls and superstars clamouring (or in Trump’s case loudly demurring) to play the White House. It’s part Thanksgiving Day Parade and part Marx Brothers’ farcical Freedonia. It leads me to think that the Americans have wanted the pizzazz of a Royal Family all along. They just won’t admit it. 

| D Fox

NO DRONES! Given the increasing number of stories about drones and near misses with both civil and military aircraft, let alone the social nuisance they threaten, just what is the law regarding these things? As far as I can gather, you don’t actually have to register your drone when you buy it, though you need to have your dog chipped by law. Even though I can’t remember when an airliner was brought down by a low-flying labradoodle! 

| J Smith, Merseyside

MEET THE TEAM EDITOR KATY BRAVERY Deputy Editor SIMON HEMELRYK Features Editor GILLIAN ROWE Homes & Gardens Editor TIFFANY DANEFF Travel Editor GUY PIERCE Editor-at-Large EMMA SOAMES Art Director PAUL HAYES-WATKINS Magazine Art Editor JESS HIBBERT Picture Editor SUE STRANGE Picture Research JASMINE PERRY Chief Sub-Editor RHONA KYLE Sub-Editor SHARON AMOS Editorial Assistant MARIA ABOBELEIRA Senior Digital Editor MELODY ROUSSEAU Digital Editors REBECCA ELLIOTT, AMANDA ANGUS, AIMEE SPICER Digital Art Editor KEVIN BENNETT

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3 2 5 , 359 J A N - J U N 16

Saga Magazine is published by Saga Publishing Ltd. Available through personal subscription. February 2017 issue. Publication date January 27, 2017. Printed by Prinovis UK Ltd. Colour reproduction by Williams Lee Tag. Care is taken to ensure that advertisers adhere to advertising codes of practice and are of good standing, but no guarantee can be given by Saga Magazine. The fact that an advertisement has been accepted in good faith does not imply that the advertiser has the magazine’s endorsement. The publisher accepts no responsibility for any statement, error or omission in any advertisement. Readers responding to advertisers are advised to seek professional advice before entering into any financial commitment. ISSN 0956-3903. PRICES: BASIC ANNUAL RATE. Subscriptions UK £48; ROI £48; Rest of World £48 We regret that we cannot acknowledge receipt of unsolicited material or return it unless an SAE is supplied. Please do not send original photos and make copies of articles before sending. Views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor or of Saga Group. Prices/availability of products correct at time of going to press.

2017

S AG A .C O.U K / F E B-M AG

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Bill Bailey, Jo Brand, Dr Mark Porter and much, much more... S AG A .C O.U K / F E B-M AG

12 3

TAKE AWAY Puzzles

WIN!

Prize crossword

£100

Every month you could win £100 with our general knowledge crossword: scan your entry, put Prize Crossword (Feb) in the email subject line and send it, together with your name and address, to editor@saga.co.uk 1

CLUES AC R O S S Oscar‑winning 1954 Marlon Brando film (2,3,10) 9 Orthodox Jewish skullcap (8) 10 Small songbird related to the goldfinch (6) 11 Chicago’s international airport (5) 12 Flower and song from The Sound of Music (9) 14 Egyptian god depicted as a bull (4) 16 The Secret ___, Joseph Conrad novel (5) 17 Capital city that has Callao as its seaport (4) 18 Second‑largest island in the Firth of Clyde (4) 20 557‑mile river of northern Iberia (5) 22 Gorden Kaye’s character in ’Allo ’Allo! (4) 23 Nickname of the French serial killer Henri Landru (9) 24 Popular house plant also called Adam’s needle (5) 27 Brandy made from the fermented juice of cherries (6) 28 Mythical three‑headed dog that guarded the entrance to Hades (8) 29 Late 1980s/early 1990s Rik Mayall comedy series (3,3,9)

D OW N Largest lough in Northern Ireland (5) 3 Bone that connects the shoulder to the elbow (7) 4 1976 comedy novel by Tom Sharpe (4) 5 Nickname of U2’s lead guitarist (3,4) 6 Name of the sloop used by James Cook for his second and third Pacific voyages (10) 7 British philosopher and mathematician who won the 1950 Nobel Prize for Literature (7) 8 US playwright who wrote the comedies The Sunshine Boys and The Odd Couple (4,5) 13 Eurovision singer of Puppet on a String (6,4) 15 Cookery writer and Great British Menu judge (4,5) 19 Roy ___, Australian winner of 12 Grand Slam tennis men’s singles titles (7) 21 Central region of the Netherlands (7) 22 International news agency founded in 1851 (7) 25 Spanish enclave in Morocco near the Straits of Gibraltar (5) 26 Aftershave advertised by Henry Cooper in the 1970s (4)

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2017

12 13

26 27

TO E N T E R BY P O ST Cut out the crossword (no photocopies) and send it with your name and address attached to: Prize Crossword (Feb), Saga Magazine, Enbrook Park, Folkestone, Kent CT20 3SE. C LO S I N G DAT E February 24, 2017

S U D O K U Solution on p128 9 6

4 7 3 8 4

8 9 1 2 5 8 9 4 1 8 3

7 9 1 6 5 4

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CODEBREAKER

WORD WHEEL See how many words of four or more letters you can make using the central letter in each word and the other letters only once in each word. You can make at least one word by using all the letters. No proper names and no plurals are allowed, and all words are from the Collins Dictionary.

Each number in the grid represents a different letter. We’ve given you two letters to start you off, which show that 12 = B and 19 = T. Write these letters wherever their corresponding numbers appear in the grid and then begin to work out the identity of the other letters. All 26 letters of the alphabet will appear in the finished puzzle. 17

13 18

19 10

12 14

26 13

19 15

6 17

7 4

11 11

5 25

24 8

8 17

10 4

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E F

G O O D 26 E X C E L L E N T 33 B R I L L I A N T 40 G R E A T S C O R E F O R K I D S 22

Rearrange the letters and add one to these words to make five-letter words that fit the clues. The added letters will spell a word.

LAIR

Old and weak

AVID

Legally binding

SCAT

Ivory ___, Yamoussoukro’s country

RIPE

Windscreen cleaner

SNUG

Kind, category

FACT

Artistry

Solutions on p128 2017

8 7

ADD-A-LETTER

MO R E P U ZZ L E S Visit saga.co.uk/mag-puzzles for more brain-teasers online

N R

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

16 11

10 16

3 17

16 19

8 7

24 6

16 26

11 24

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TAKE AWAY Puzzles

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

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Every month you could win £100 with our challenging cryptic crossword. Scan your entry, put Cryptic Crossword (Feb) in the email subject line and send it, together with your name and address, to editor@ saga.co.uk

Answers D E C E M B E R ’S £10 0 P R I Z E C R O S S WO R D E D D I E R E D M A Y N E

Y A L E F O NN S OO I P O D R S I C H P E

A OW A C Y I E N A AM A A N G OE R A

D E C E M B E R ’S £10 0 C RY P T I C C R O S S WO R D

D OW N Stuffing that may be curried (9) Agreement to probe these French terms before delivery? (6) 4 One retired, retreating from a carnivore (4) 5 Composer makes girl keep very quiet (5) 6 Chaotic actions not going to find a victim of the cyclops (4) 8 A hundred anonymously locked into vigil (9) 11 Irritated about one artist (6) 12 Given a place in the cabinet? (5) 14 Ape, behold the man? Not half, twice! (4) 15 Halter cut up in a minute or two (4) 2 3

Winner Mrs J V Webb, Chelmsford T H I S MO N T H :

Sudoku 8 6 4 2 5 3 1 9 7

3 5 9 7 4 1 2 6 8

2017

9 1 3 4 7 2 8 5 6

5 4 6 8 3 9 7 1 2

2 7 8 5 1 6 9 3 4

6 3 2 9 8 5 4 7 1

4 8 5 1 6 7 3 2 9

1 9 7 3 2 4 6 8 5

Word wheel

Code breaker SWA H Z I N T R EG B F A I I A T T

TO E N T E R BY P O ST Cut out the crossword (no photocopies) and send it with your name and address attached to: Cryptic Crossword (Feb), Saga Magazine, Enbrook Park, Folkestone, Kent CT20 3SE. C LO S I N G DAT E February 24, 2017

7 2 1 6 9 8 5 4 3

L L OW A U R C C GROU K A L I ONA L E O R ACQU C U RAC T I V U O A J E T S AM L I J T P I H E L L RA I S E C E N M S T OR E Y S C

C O N C U B I N E

QU I P DWO A NRO D E S C

S U F E B O T R E G X OR T

R E U RK A L L

E N I G R OA V D I N EG

Y XMOP C E NGR I BH F L U S Z TWK V QA D J

D H T T E

4-LETTER WORDS Bend, bide, bier, bind, bird, bode, body, bond, bone, bony, bore, born, bred, brio, byre, ebon, obey, robe 5-LETTER WORDS Bendy, boned, bored, borne, bride, brief, brine, briny, derby, ebony, fibre, rebid, robed, robin 6-LETTER WORDS Beyond, binder, bonier, forbid, inbred 7-LETTER WORD Bonfire 9-LETTER WORD Boyfriend

Add-a-letter The answers are: frail, valid, coast, wiper, genus, craft. The word is flower

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD COMPILED USING CHAMBERS DICTIONARY

AC ROSS Trends enveloping duchy disturbed historian (10) 7 The last train? (7) 8 Turn of hand and turn of string (3) 9 Magyar unknown in Latin supplements recalled (6) 10 Forecast for Glasgow not required right away (4) 12 Battle wear (4) 13 Leaflets not applicable, probing origin of deal? (6) 16 God! Get real! There’s no point getting upset (3) 17 Mass of sand was deposited in part of river, barring entry (7) 18 Incubus for Spooner’s soles (5-5)

S AG A .C O.U K / F E B-M AG

A L S AC J T O AR E CR X I N ANN E A W L D Y A L L D Y I A WH S D E A L E R I B L N A P E K B H E A X I L L

Winner R A Lanham, Tadley, Hants

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B I L L B A I L E Y ’S R E M A R K A B L E

Guide to happiness ne of my earliest memories of enjoying music was hearing my mother singing around the house, often accompanying songs on the radio. Perry Como’s Magic Moments was a favourite. It’s a classic of its genre. How many songs can you say have a whistled refrain and a jaunty bassoon counterpoint? Not many, and certainly not one by the heavy metal band Slipknot, although Slipknot do feature in another of my vivid musical moments. Standing stageside at Sonisphere rock festival I watched them whip a rain-soaked crowd into a frenzy. This sonic assault is the music I imagine orcs listen to before going into battle.

Visualising music is a habit I’ve acquired from childhood. When I was young, my mother would sit me down near the record player, and bring music to life. A favourite of mine I now know was the Karelia Suite by Sibelius, but back then I had no idea of the composer, or the piece of music. I had no expectation, or frame of reference. It was one of the purest forms of musical enjoyment I can recall. My mother would describe the scenes the music seemed to suggest. Over the opening bars of distant horns and rising layers of rhythmic strings she would

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S AG A .C O.U K / F E B-M AG

2017

THIS SONIC A S S A U LT IS THE MUSIC I IM AG INE ORCS LISTEN TO BEFORE GOING INTO B AT T L E

Read Bill Bailey every month in Saga Magazine. For subscription offers, visit saga. co.uk/subscribe

say, ‘These are horsemen riding through a forest, over a mountain, their flags waving.’ Even now I can see it. This is noble, irresistible music like the powerful, Nordic opening to Sibelius’ Finlandia itself. Play this and tell me you can’t see Imperial Starcruisers gliding across distant planets, or even just a cross-channel ferry’s bow-doors opening? Music is in many ways an enigmatic human activity. It exists in virtually every culture across the world, yet only a few early instruments survive. There are no written accounts to explain how homo sapiens first discovered a love of a good tune. Perhaps our ancestors heard lilting birdsong, wind in the trees, the pounding hooves of fleeing deer, and it provoked an emotional response. After the hunting was done, they would reflect, and try to recreate these sounds that caused pleasurable sensations in the brain. This might explain the Paleolithic bone flutes found in southern Germany that were made around 40,000 years ago. A crudely hewn vulture’s wing bone with five holes was the first step on a path that led eventually to Mozart’s Flute Concerto No 1 in G major. The world of science puzzles over music, and whether it conferred an evolutionary

advantage on our ancestors. I personally don’t think it did. I reckon one of my Neanderthal forebears was dragging a wild boar back to the cave, and something caused him to dally. Ah! The silvery song of a goldfinch made him pause, his whiskery face twitching into a smile. A stirring of wistfulness in his oversized, clumsy frame compelled him to let his guard down, and he was spatchcocked by a Giant Land Sloth. Whatever its origins, music is inextricably linked with human emotions. When I hear music that affects me (such as, for instance, Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No 2) I think, whoever’s written this must also have felt longing or regret, anger, giddy lightness, been bored, crazy in love or just exasperated with their broadband provider. And for me, knowing this is reassuring. If someone else has felt these same emotions that correspond with mine, then somehow the world is briefly not such a bewildering place. We’re not alone in our thoughts, and these same feelings echo down the ages. For me, music is a companion, a source of happiness and sometimes comfort, and my curiosity at its power over us has been a mother’s gift.

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