BASIL ESSENTIAL OIL – NOT JUST DELICIOUS

Basil Oil...

Infused is delicious, drizzled over a traditional Italian caprese salad, but do you know about the humble basil’s medicinal properties….? se l

While fresh or dried basil leaves are a great way to avour recipes, basil essential oil is much more concentrated and potent and often used in traditional medicine. Ocimum basilicum belongs to the mint plant family. The essential oil (from sweet basil), with a naturally sweet, warm, spicy and herbal smell, is steam-distilled from the fresh leaves, stems and owers resulting in an extract that contains high levels of antioxidants and other bene cial phytochemicals, in fact, 29 different active compounds including up to as much as 69% monoterpenes; powerful at disrupting the body's in ammatory response and studied in the use for ghting various cancers. As such, there has been much Medical Research into the effective use of basil essential oil… l oil

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Benefits of Basil Essential Oil

*Antibacterial

Basil displays amazing antimicrobial activity against food-borne bacteria, yeasts and moulds –including E. coli, and is shown to decrease bacteria when included in the water for washing fresh produce.

Thanks to its antibacterial and antifungal properties basil can be used in your home to remove bacteria from kitchen and bathroom surfaces and to purify the air. Try diffusing or combining with water in a spray bottle. Basil is also capable of eliminating odour-causing bacteria and fungus from your home, car, appliances and furniture. Combine it with baking soda to remove stains and bacteria from pots and pans, or spray it inside your toilet, shower and dustbins to absorb ‘nasty niffs’ as they say!

*Cold and Flu Treatment

Research has shown that basil oil is a natural anti-viral so coupled with its anti-spasmodic qualities, has a therapeutic action on the respiratory tract.

Add a few drops to a diffuser for relief from coughs, headache pain and sinus congestion, make a steam inhalation or simply inhale a few drops on a tissue, or make a homemade vapor rub using it with eucalyptus oil and massage onto the chest.

Basil oil has also been studied for use as a natural ear infection remedy. Rubbing a couple of drops diluted in a carrier oil like coconut or almond behind the ears may reduce the pain and duration of the infection.

*Muscle Relaxant

Thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, basil oil is useful as a natural muscle relaxant. Mix a few drops of basil essential with a carrier such as coconut or almond oil and rub into painful, swollen muscles or joints. Or try soaking in a warm bath with Epsom salts, basil and lavender oil.

*Toothpaste and Mouthwash

To remove bacteria and odour from your mouth, you can add a drop of pure basil oil to your mouthwash or toothpaste. With its natural antioxidant and antibacterial abilities, it is good as a dental health boosting ingredient to help protect teeth and gums.

*Energizer and Mood Enhancer

Inhaling basil can help restore mental alertness and is a go-to study enhancer. It is a natural stimulant that works on the nervous system and adrenal cortex, so fights fatigue, reduces sluggishness, brain fog and poor moods especially those that accompany adrenal fatigue.

Diffuse basil essential oil in your office or home or inhale it directly from the bottle. *Insect Repellent

Similar to citronella, research has shown that the volatile oils found in basil can repel mosquitoes and help to prevent bug bites.

To make a homemade bug spray, dilute several drops of basil essential oils with water or make a lotion by diluting with a carrier oil such as jojoba and massage into the skin as prevention or using a clean cotton ball, apply one to two drops of basil oil along with coconut or jojoba oil to swollen bites once or twice daily. This can also help acne as basil can effectively kill skin pathogens that lead to breakouts.

*Hair Revitaliser

Adding a drop or two of basil oil to your shampoo will remove artificial chemical build-up while adding shine, You can also try mixing it with baking soda and apple cider vinegar to balance scalp pH.

Interactions and Side Effects of Basil Essential Oil

As with all essential oils, especially those that are new to you, test for skin sensitivities by doing a skin patch test on your feet or forearm to make sure you don’t experience irritation or allergic reaction. Caution should be used during pregnancy and for epileptics. Consult with your natural health practitioner for more information. Keep basil oil away from your eyes.

“I love this Young Living combination “I l called Clarity it contains basil and other ca essential oils to enhance mental es capacity – great for studying”… ca

The Editor Th

International Carrot Day: 9 weird and

wonderful things you didn’t know about the orange vegetable

By Katie Wright, PA

There’s more to this brightly coloured root veg that meets the eye.

From crunchy raw sticks dipped in hummus to steaming slices drenched with melted butter, and uffy cake smothered in cream cheese frosting, carrots are delicious in many guises – and they’re packed with nutrients too.

It’s only right, then, that we celebrate Bugs Bunny’s favourite vegetable, with International Carrot Day on April 4.

But there’s more to the popular root vegetable than just tasty dishes. Carrots have a fascinating – and somewhat controversial – history.

To mark the annual event, here are nine fascinating facts you probably didn’t know about carrots…

1. Carrots weren’t originally orange

The carrots sold in supermarkets these days are almost exclusively orange, but the earliest documented plants produced purple, yellow or white varieties. century to honour of William of Orange (the man who led the Dutch quest for independence), but whatever the reason, the new colour became dominant. You could say, back then, orange was the new purple…

2. They originate in Asia

Now popular all over the world, the carrot as we know it today was rst grown in Afghanistan in the 10th century. The rst reference to the veggie being grown in the UK on eld scale was in Somerset in the 1600s.

3. There’s a huge range of carrot varieties

Today, there are actually hundreds of types of carrots varying in colour and size. And they’ve got some rather unusual names, such as Solar Yellow, Red Elephant, Purple Dragon, Five-Star Baby and Little Fingers.

4. Baby carrots are (mostly) fake

The bags of smooth, peeled, uniformly shaped ‘baby’ carrots you see in supermarkets are usually cut from full-size carrots for the convenience of shoppers.

before they reach maturity – do exist. You can identify a true baby if it’s got its skin on, and a de ned ‘shoulder’ section at the top.

5. Carrots are mostly water

While they’re brilliantly bright in colour, carrots are actually made up of 88% water, which is why old, dried out carrots lose their crunch.

6. They might help you see in the dark

The old adage about carrots helping you see in the dark is said to have come about during the World War II, when the UK’s Ministry of Food wanted the public to believe the success of night-time air raids was down to pilots’ munching lots of the veggies, which are rich in a nutrient called beta-carotene.

However, it’s not quite as simple as that. Betacarotene has been shown to help improve night vision, but only in people who have a vitamin A de ciency, which is unlikely nowadays in developed countries. Beta-carotene is used by the body to make vitamin A, an important nutrient in terms of vision, skin health and the immune system. While some nutrients (such as vitamin C) can be lost through cooking, a study found that cooked carrots, rather than raw ones, actually led to higher absorption of beta-carotene.

8. Eat too many and you might turn yellow

Consuming large quantities of carrots won’t turn you orange, as you might expect. It could, however, results in carotenemia, when an excess of beta-carotene gives the skin a yellow-ish tinge.

9. There’s an annual carrot festival

The city of Holtville in California, where carrots are a major agricultural crop, has declared itself the Carrot Capital of the World. In February, residents celebrated the 75th anniversary of the city’s annual Carrot Festival, which included a carnival and parade.

9 weird and wonderful houseplants you can’t help but love

By Hannah Stephenson, PA

Houseplants aren’t there just to look at. If you’re careful with your choices, you can see them move, emit scent when you brush your hands over them and even snap shut if prey lands on their leaves.

Houseplant lovers have captured the movement of many of the moving plants in timelapse videos, and not all of them are just moving towards the light.

1. Prayer plant (Maranta leuconeura)

The prayer plant, so called because it raises its leaves in the evening as though it is praying, is a great one to watch. “Every night, the leaves roll up and you can hear them moving as well,” says Claire Bishop, head of houseplants at Dobbies Garden Centres (Dobbies.com).

“They are great plants for kids, as they’re not toxic. And the fact you can see the plant alive and moving gets kids interested,” she explains. “It’s one of the easiest plants to look

after, but it actually looks stunning. It can double in size in a couple of months.”

Marantas prefer plenty of light, but not direct sunlight, along with well-drained soil and high humidity.

2. Mimosa pudica

Also known as the sensitive plant, this one reacts to being tickled, as the lea ets close like dominoes if you run a nger down them or they are exposed to heat, while the whole stem collapses if you touch it rmly. It’s considered a weed in tropical countries, but give it plenty of sun and moderate watering, and you should keep it happy.

3. Calathea

Closely related to the maranta, these increasingly popular exotic-looking plants, often with colourful foliage and striking shape, are also known as peacock plants, and are similar to the prayer plant in that most of them move.

“There’s a particular type called the rattlesnake plant, whose leaves open and close every day, because their leaves need the sunlight. They will open up every day and then close back up again to conserve energy when it gets darker,” Bishop says.

Rattlesnake plants need bright indirect light. Water them when the top two inches of soil have dried out and don’t use shine products on dusty leaves. Just wipe them occasionally with a damp cloth.

4. Venus fly trap

This carnivorous culprit is popular in homes, its leaves snapping shut when an unsuspecting insect climbs in to investigate and is promptly trapped in its vice-like grip and later digested. It’s fussy about its food, preferring spiders, ants, beetles and grasshoppers, with a few ying insects thrown in.

They need direct sunlight to remain healthy, otherwise their leaves will become weak and oppy. Plant them in a sandy, damp soil and water them with rain water, preferably sitting them in about 1cm of water, rather than watering them from the top.

5. Alocasia

Increasingly popular among houseplant fans, because of their unusual shaped leaves and distinctive veins, these beauties spring visibly back to life after a good water.

“There are a lot of really unusual ones out there. There’s a beautiful one called ‘Pink Dragon’ with pink stems and unusual leaves,” Bishop recommends.

6. Philodendron

You may not see it move before your eyes, but play around with a time-lapse camera and you should enjoy the vast movement of the leathery leaves overnight.

7. Peperomia Clusiifolia ‘Red Margin’

For those who prefer scent, houseplant specialist The Ginger Jungle (thegingerjungle.com) recommends this moderately drought-tolerant candidate, whose leaves smell like sweet pepper. It prefers to be kept on the dry side, especially in lower light conditions; so let the top of the soil dry out by a couple of inches before each watering.

8. Monstera

Known as the Swiss cheese plant, this striking houseplant should make significant growth if you put it in moderate brightness but out of direct sunlight. Winter brightness is essential, otherwise you’ll get spindly stalks and leggy growth.

9. Oxalis triangularis

This plant is particularly active because of its striking reactions to light changes. As it moves in response to light intensity, its look changes dramatically. Film them with a timelapse camera, and you’ll see how much they move towards the sunlight over a 24hour period.

Planting with pride and patriotism

By Caroline Spencer

Have you thought about planting red, white and blue this year to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee?

It’s one of the trends that Acorn nursery expects to see, and it has ordered in plenty of spring bedding that will reflect that. There will, of course, be a full range of other colours in all the plants you would expect, including the ever-popular marigolds, begonias and geraniums.

Every year the nursery tweaks its output to meet changing demands. Nursery manager Daniel Cunningham says that they will be selling a greater range of alpines and herbaceous perennials, more scented geraniums and ferns.

‘We are growing a lot more herbs, veg and strawberries, in response to an increasing demand which started after lockdown,’ he said. ‘And probably the biggest change this year is that the £1.25 geraniums are all in biodegradable pots. That’s about 11,000 more plants in that type of pot.’

The pots were trialled last year thanks to a grant from the Rotary Club of Jersey. They were successful and are being extended each year so that the nursery uses less plastic.

‘All the big-scented geraniums, the premium range, the osteospermum, the Madeiran daisies, the salvias, they all do really well,’ Daniel said. ‘Three years ago we did barely 1,000 herbaceous plants. We do about 8,000 now, and they are usually gone by the end of April. ‘People are learning more about horticulture, and they are thinking more about pollinating plants, not just bedding.

‘We tend to advise people that the weather is normally ok for planting out around the last week of March / the first week of April. Sometimes there are anomalies but certainly all our shrubs, herbaceous, herbs and veg can go out at the end of March.’

Known for its competitive pricing, the nursery’s main priority is not profit, but rather providing jobs and training opportunities for people who have a disability or long-term health condition. Five clients will be taken on for the bedding season, and the Acorn Training and Development Service also run daily greenhouse sessions.

Daniel, who has been with Acorn for 14 years, likes to remind his colleagues that the nursery was on the Acorn site long before Reuse or the Woodshack were a glint in the eye!

‘There was a time when hardly anyone knew about Acorn,’ he said. ‘When we started, we had customers for one month a year – we didn’t do anything apart from summer bedding. There wasn’t even a till or a card machine.

‘Every change has happened for the benefit of clients. We now offer so many different opportunities in other areas of the business, including Reuse and the Woodshack, and that is

better for clients so they can try different things and find what they like.’

One thing shines through at Acorn’s plant nursery and that is the real pride that all the staff, clients and volunteers have in what they do. ‘We make sure that every single person who works here feels respected, valued and part of our team,’ Daniel said. ‘Our work gives people real pride.’

Acorn Enterprises is a social enterprise run by the Jersey Employment Trust, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. When it was registered as a charity in the Royal Court in March 2002, it brought together two entities. Oak eld Industries offered training opportunities in printing and French polishing for people who had physical and sensory impairments. And Acorn, which was only a plant nursery at the time, supported people with learning disabilities. Today, JET supports more than 500 Islanders who have any disability or long-term health condition, both through our Employment Service and at Acorn.

All 11,000 of Acorn’s £1.25 geraniums are in biodegradable pots this year

JAYF (Jersey Association for Youth and Friendship) isdelighted to announce its 2022 programme of Open Gardens

Much loved by locals and visitors alike, these events help to fund the safe and supportive hostel accommodation the charity provides for young adults in Jersey who might otherwise be homeless.

As the date of each garden approaches, our Facebook page www.facebook.com/JAYFgardens will detail any special highlights: for example, musical entertainment, nature walks, plant stalls and tombolas. Our delicious cream teas are a feature of all our gardens.

Sunday 3rd April - 2pm-5pm Oaklands, La Rue d’Elysee, St Peter JE3 7DT Visit this beautiful rambling garden, open by kind permission of Mrs Melissa Bonn. Highlights include an impressive collection of camellias and specimen shrubs and a large pond. The extensive woodland, featuring silver birch, acers and what is reputed to be Jersey’s largest walnut, is a delight to explore. A further highlight is the well-stocked kitchen garden which keeps the family self-su cient in fruit and vegetables. Delicious cream teas available. Admission £5; children under 12 free. Free parking. All proceeds to JAYF. Regret no dogs.

Approached by a long tree-lined drive, Government House has been the o cial residence of Jersey's Lieutenant-Governors since 1822. The magni cent grounds include extensive lawns, rose beds and recently renovated herbaceous and shrub borders. A heavily wooded valley of natural and ornamental trees is a haven for wildlife. The beautiful pond, with its arum and water lilies, is home to trout, moorhens and ducks. Don't miss the four cannons on the blu which came from Elizabeth Castle. Delicious cream teas will be available. Admission £5; children under 12 free. Free parking. All proceeds to JAYF. Regret no dogs.

Sunday 1st May - 2pm-5pm Government House, St Saviour JE2 7GH

Sunday 15th May - 2pm-5pm Domaine des Vaux, Rue de Bas, St Lawrence JE3 1JG

Open by kind permission of Mr and Mrs Clive Chaplin, this beautiful garden includes an arboretum containing many specimen trees, an orchard, a main lawn surrounded by herbaceous borders and a series of garden 'rooms'. These include a rose garden and a ne rockery. Climbing roses adorn the granite walls and there are about 20 di erent varieties of camellia. The avenue of magnolia is a further highlight. Delicious cream teas will be served. Admission £5; children under 12 free. Free parking. All proceeds to JAYF. Regret no dogs.

Sunday 29th May - 2pm-5pm Old Farm, La Route de la Trinite, Trinity JE3 5JN Explore extensive gardens and woodland set around a traditional farmhouse, open by kind permission of Mr and Mrs Binney. The beautiful valley contains native and species trees including many magnolias and camellias, and there are ponds fringed with gunnera and arum lilies. The glorious main garden is a riot of colour and scent throughout the seasons, and the formal herb garden, productive greenhouse and vegetable garden are further highlights. Delicious cream teas available. Admission £5; children under 12 free. Free parking. All proceeds to JAYF. Regret no dogs.

Sunday 5th June - 2pm-5pm Grey Gables, La Rue Du Bocage, St Brelade JE3 8BP

Les Chasses is a beautiful old Jersey granite house surrounded by extensive grounds. The beautiful gardens have been speci cally designed to attract birds, bugs and bees and include a run of r trees spanning the road to provide safe passage for local squirrels. There is an emphasis on traditional, pesticide-free solutions to gardening problems. Admire the beautifully planted herbaceous and mixed borders which lead to a walled garden with wisteria and many beautiful trees, including a magni cent tulip tree. Open by kind permission of Mr Roberts. Delicious Jersey cream teas will be available. Admission £5; children under 12 free. Free parking. All proceeds to JAYF. Regret no dogs.

Sunday 10th July - 2pm-5pm Les Chasses, La Rue des Chasses, St John JE3 4EE Explore these extensive terraced and formal gardens, open by kind permission of the family of the late Celia Skinner. The beautifully manicured lawn is surrounded by beds ourishing with herbaceous perennials. Mature spring owering shrubs ank the paths leading to the valley area, and beneath them bluebells, primroses and foxgloves abound. Hedges of yew, viburnum, conifers and beech create a series of gardens, including a rose and peony garden. Delicious Jersey cream teas will be served. Admission £5; children under 12 free. Free parking. All proceeds to JAYF. Regret no dogs.

Ways gardening can help you live longer, as study highlights health benefits of outdoor activities

By Katie Wright, PA

Good news for those of a green-fingered persuasion: new research reveals that an hour of gardening a week can have significant health benefits.

The British Journal of Sports Medicine study found that taking part in muscle-strengthening activities –such as lifting weights, resistance training, or gardening activities including digging and shovelling – for 30 to 60 minutes each week, has been linked to a reduced risk of premature death and some major diseases.

However, pottering around with a few plants isn’t enough to make a difference. The researchers speci ed ‘heavy gardening’ and said that people reap the most bene ts when they participate in both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities.

Fitness experts reveal the best gardening jobs to boost your physical wellbeing…

Digging

“Digging is one of the best gardening jobs for building overall strength,” says Alice Williams, quali ed personal trainer at OriGym Centre of

Excellence. “The motion of pressing a shovel down with your foot and turning over the soil engages a whole range of muscle groups in both the lower and upper body, from the quads to the shoulders.”

Weeding

It may not be the most enjoyable part of gardening, but weeding by hand is an effective strength exercise.

“When you bend over to pull out a dead rotten root from a owerbed, you have to use a lot of back and leg strength, alongside grip strength too,” says performance coach and Bio-Synergy ambassador Jamie Lloyd, which is similar to doing deadlifts in the gym.

“Deadlifts are great, as they tax the whole body and replicate the same movement when you go to pull that giant turnip out of the ground – a great lower body pull exercise that will prepare you for anything.”

Mowing the lawn

As long as you’re not cruising on a ride-on mower, cutting the grass is another great Williams says: “It has all the same benefits of pushing a prowler sled in the gym. It requires engaging your glutes, quads, hamstrings, core and upper body all at once, making it a tough full-body workout, similar to using a cross trainer machine.”

Lifting and carrying

“Carrying bags of compost, soil amendments, stones or vegetables in front of you strengthens your glutes, quads and entire midsection,” says Lloyd, so try ditching the wheelbarrow and ferrying bits and bobs across the garden yourself.

Do be careful not to overload yourself, and always bend at the knees when lifting anything off the ground.

“You might be familiar with doing the farmer’s walk with a kettlebell at the gym,” says Williams. “Carrying two buckets of soil across your garden can have the same results!”

Raking

Not only will it make your lawn look pristine, raking away fallen leaves gets your muscles moving.

“The motion of raking will work your whole upper body, but particularly the back and pectoral muscles,” says Williams.

Lloyd likens raking to ‘row’ exercises, where you bend over and pull dumbbells close into your chest: “Rows are like inverse push-ups. Everything a push-up does for your chest and pushing ability, rows do for your back and pulling ability.”

Cardio

“As well as building muscle strength, gardening is also a great form of cardio,” says Williams.

“Without even realising it, you will nd yourself raising your heart rate and working up a sweat as you dig, mow and move heavy things around the garden. In fact, raking and pruning can burn around 200 calories an hour, while mowing can burn up 300 calories.”

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Take a break in Bournemouth

By Rebecca Underwood

Stroll sedately along the promenade beside the seven mile stretch of soft sandy beach and admire the view of the pier. And whilst the seagulls squawk and swoop overhead, take in the intoxicating smell of the briny. Welcome to Bournemouth, Dorset, on England’s southern coast.

Recipient of the 2017 Best Travel Award for the UK’s Best Seaside Town, Bournemouth attracts more than ve million visitors every year and there is much to explore.

I started off with a wander along Bournemouth Pier, which has a fascinating history dating back to 1856 when a wooden jetty was completed. A wooden pier replaced the jetty ve years later but this survived for only fteen years as it was destroyed by a ferocious storm. In 1880 a new pier was opened, a bandstand and shelters were later added, and the pier was extended to a length of 1,000 feet. Due to corrosion, the pier was rebuilt in 1979 and today’s visitors are richly rewarded with modern attractions such as the RockReef, which features 25 climbing walls, an aerial obstacle course, Pier caves, a vertical slide, and a leap of faith jumping challenge. Or, for the very adventurous, there is a pier to s shore zip wire. I watched a few courageous souls launch themselves from a platform 25 metres above the sea then ‘zip surf’ 250 metres above the waves and land on the sand. There was a spontaneous round of applause from the spectators but I found the very idea rather unsettling so I headed for the Key West Restaurant

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on the pier to take advantage of the calming views across the ocean. I sampled the delicious Moules Mariniere with onions, garlic, and a splash of white wine, and accompanied by a generous glass of Ponte Pinot Grigio 2017, it was the antidote.

After a brisk walk along the pier, I made my way to the Oceanarium, which is only a stone’s throw from the pier entrance. The aquarium houses more than 300 different species including rare green sea turtles, brightly coloured clown sh, erce piranhas with razor sharp teeth and sharks with callous expressions. Seeking a more pleasant encounter I headed to the otter enclosure to watch their playful and delightful antics and then I arrived at the Humbolt penguin enclosure just in time for the feeding session, which resulted in a squabble or two over a sh supper.

For my own sh supper I went to Harry Ramsden’s opposite the pier. Selecting an outside table, with a beach view, I savoured the fresh sh ‘n’ chips with mushy peas and a thirst quenching glass of raspberry lemonade. Harry Ramsden’s has been serving our national dish for 90 years and it’s sure to continue.

Bournemouth offers a wide variety of places to stay and seeking comfort, I opted for the Hilton, located on Terrace Road, within walking distance to the city centre and the beach. Amenities include a spa, with an extensive menu of treatments, and an indoor pool, which is the ideal spot for a refreshing dip after a long day spent exploring the city’s attractions. Accommodations are spacious and comfortable and I was fortunate to secure a King Guest Room with a private balcony. The hotel is also within walking distance to Bournemouth Gardens and after checking-in I set off to explore the area.

The verdant and beautiful gardens, which stretch from Bournemouth Pier, cover three glorious kilometres. I wandered along one of the paths as the mixture of oral scents emanating from an enormous variety of plants and shrubs lled the air a and I re ected on the history of the Grade II listed

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For more information on Monkey World visit monkeyworld.org or email: apes@monkeyworld.org. Donations can be made to the ‘Jim Cronin Memorial Fund for Primate Conservation and Welfare’, Charity no. 1126939, and sent to Monkey World, Longthorns, Wareham, Dorset BH20 6HH.

gardens. In 1859 the owners of the land gave permission for the area to become a public pleasure ground and in 1872 the Upper, Central and Lower Gardens joined together to become one. In the 1920’s the pavilion, in the Lower Gardens, was built. Ornamental rock gardens and charming small waterfalls were installed and many of the trees and shrubs remain in place to this day. The Upper Gardens include tennis courts and I watched the action for a while and noted the water tower, which dates back to between 1883 and 1903. In 1992 the Upper Gardens were replanted to include meadow walks and ample seating areas where I watched the frisky squirrels going about their daily business.

For an unforgettable encounter with wildlife, Monkey World, located in Longthorns, Wareham, which is only 22 miles from Bournemouth, is a very special experience. This highly respected rescue centre for abused apes, founded in 1987 by the late Jim Cronin, provides sanctuary for more than 250 primates from around the world, including chimpanzees, orang-utans, gibbons, macaques, woolly monkeys, squirrel monkeys, marmosets, tamarins and lemurs.

The successful television series Monkey Business, which premiered in 1998, focused on Jim Cronin and his wife Alison, travelling around the world, rescuing primates from appalling situations and transporting them to Monkey World where they now live in comfort and safety and in the company of other members of their species. Monkey Life, a follow-on series was created in 2006 and continues to this day. Be sure to attend the keeper’s talks,

particularly the spider monkey’s, capuchins and stump-tailed macaques and don’t miss the chimpanzees feeding session.

For my own dining experience I visited Banque and Bohem, located on Poole Hill, a short walk from the centre of Bounemouth. Housed in an old auction house, which dates back to the 1920’s, the property has retained some striking features, including imposing marble pillars, glittering chandeliers, and an enormous room-sized Chubb safe, which is now an additional dining room. I ordered the succulent roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, and a glass of Châteauneuf du Pape, which were served with aplomb and the ‘live’ entertainment, which was a singer/guitarist covering some relaxing tunes created a ‘chilled’ atmosphere.

Or, for a more formal affair, and the option of ‘alfresco dining’, head for Brasserie Blanc at the Marriott Highcliff Hotel on St Michael’s Road. I sampled the delicate avours of the Malabar sh curry with toasted coconut, followed by the zesty lemon tart served with Normandy sour cream and as I admired the splendid vista across the ocean I held my cool glass of Chardonnay aloft in respect of Bournemouth’s famous residents Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley and her esteemed husband, the Romantic poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley. And as the sunshine faded and the clouds gathered I contemplated on his words:

‘I bring fresh showers for the thirsting owers, From the seas and the streams, I bear light shade for the leaves when laid, In their noon-day dreams’.

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You can save, on average, 43% by booking in advance with Trainline versus the cheapest nonadvance fares. For more information download the Trainline app or visit Trainline.com

The City-Sightseeing tour on the hop-on/hop-off bus departs hourly between 09.00 and 17.00 hrs from Bournemouth Pier to Poole via Sandbanks and return.

For more information visit citysightseeingbournemouth.co.uk or email info@citysightseeing.com

*Images courtesy of Bournemouth Tourism

7 wellbeing bene ts of reading

By Katie Wright, PA

From fast-paced thrillers and murder mysteries to fascinating memoirs and dragon-filled fantasy novels, books can bring us immense pleasure.

There’s something particularly powerful about the way words can transport you to faraway places in your imagination and block out the real world, if only for a while.

Not only is reading fun, it can have a positive impact on our wellbeing too – for both adults and kids.

Experts explain seven ways reading is a wellbeing booster…

1. Stress relief

“When we read, we focus on the narrative and can get lost in the depth and texture of the story, thereby halting intrusive and repetitive thoughts that may trigger the stress response,” says Dr Meg Arroll, a chartered psychologist working with Healthspan. “In this manner, reading can also help with low mood and depressive symptoms,” as well as “raised blood pressure, heart rate and feeling overwhelmed”. There’s a reason reading to children before bedtime is so popular, says Prof Margareta James from the Harley Street Wellbeing Clinic: “Sharing and enjoying a book together is a lovely way to relax. It promotes bonding and allows [children] to escape from the world in a fun way, and immerse themselves in a great story.”

Noel Janis-Norton, director of Calmer Parenting, encourages parents to pass on their love of reading: “Children, teens and adults who regularly read for pleasure have a built-in skill and habit that stands them in good stead when they are feeling sad, angry, worried, jealous or disappointed.”

2. Increases empathy

Whether it’s a tragic true story or an engrossing novel, reading gives us “a unique insight into the lives of others and, by exploring characters, their struggles, relationships and feelings,” says Dr Arroll.

“In psychology we call this the ‘theory of mind’, where we can put ourselves into others’ shoes, see alternative points of view, attribute beliefs, feelings and desires, all of which helps us to have good quality social relationships.”

3. Emotional awareness

Stories are particularly important for helping kids to feel sympathy for other people.

Prof James says: “For young children, it is dif cult to connect emotions with words. So, when they read about different characters’ emotions in stories, it helps them learn about and express their emotions better, whilst also developing their selfawareness and empathy.”

“Stories are often children’s rst encounters with strong emotions in a safe way,” Prof James says, such as going on imaginary adventures and battling evil forces.

“When they share a book with someone, it also helps them with discussing their thoughts, and sometimes worries, about different topics, whilst improving their socio-emotional skills.”

5. Bibliotherapy

Self-help books and novels alike can have a lifechanging effect, imparting knowledge about physical and mental health conditions or changing your perspective at a crucial time.

“Bibliotherapy is an approach in which information, support and guidance is provided within a book for the reader to explore and process in their own time,” explains Dr Arroll.

For a list of useful titles for adults and children, chosen by members of the public and experts, visit the Reading Well website (reading-well.org.uk). “When children are competent, con dent, and enthusiastic readers, they learn more, they remember more, they enjoy school more, and they get better marks and better exam results,” says Janis-Norton.

Reading also encourages kids to be curious about different topics and it has, Prof James says: “A number of cognitive bene ts as well, including helping children with improved vocabulary, and an ability to focus and then re-tell the story whilst improving their memory.”

7. Self-esteem and confidence

When reading helps youngsters improve at school, it has two knock-on effects, Janis Norton says: “It opens up more opportunities for that child, and it boosts his or her self-esteem and self-image.”

Plus, the characters they read about can act as positive role models, she adds: “I’ve known instances of both boys and girls having improved their social skills, their empathy, their habits, even their determination to do well at school by imitating, often unconsciously, the characters in beloved books.”

Looking back...

‘Through the Eyes of a Teacher’ - Part IV

Given the turbulent nature of education during the last 2 years, The Jerseylife thought it would be thought-provoking to follow the life of someone whose education had suffered the constraints of post WWII and Occupation and yet progressed to become one of Jersey’s most dedicated teachers with a career spanning 39 years. Last time Thelma shared the latter years of her schooling and this time we learn about those all-important college days…

By Thelma Heard

When the time came to apply for a teacher training college my father was unwilling to sign my papers and I could not apply without his signature.

My sister said he was worried about getting into debt. I did not understand then and was angry and frustrated. He did eventually sign and luckily, I was awarded a grant which paid for my tuition, my board and keep and a return ticket to England every term.

I chose an all-female college in Camberwell, South London. I felt I needed to experience an environment completely different from my life in Jersey and from my time at school. I really did not want to study in a mixed college with girls who only thought about the boys. When I started at college, I discovered this was not the case. Too many students were only lling in time before they got married. This shocked me as I had so desperately wanted to go to college and it had been such a struggle and there were these others who just really didn’t care…it made me rather cross that they didn’t appreciate what they had. Every holiday I worked to earn money for the extras like le paper, books and bus travel. I worked in a café, a cinema, the post of ce, sweet shop and a perfumery but I had to forgo my little bit of spending money during the last holiday as I had to work on my dissertation.

I chose Geography for my main subject and to teach in secondary education. Other students commented on my choice saying it was a dif cult course those following it were always carting around masses of books. We also had to do Mathematics, English, History of Education, P.E and Games. I was somewhat at a disadvantage in Geography as all the others had of course had 2 years in a sixth form. One student seemed to have visited and done eld work in the area of every piece of map work we were given. So I just had to work harder. However, I really enjoyed my subject, learning all the time. My tutor was so enthusiastic about the subject she spurred one on.

Thelma receiving Grand Prior from Governor Sir Gresham Nicholson Autumn 1956

studied A Doll’s House by Ibsen it clari ed for me why I had always felt at a disadvantage as a girl. P.E was a nightmare as I had little background and knowledge of netball and hockey which we had to play. In hockey, one of the players was a county player and was heard to say in exasperation ‘she might at least look as though she was going to hit the ball’. The only goal I ever hit was when I accidently knocked the ball with the back of my stick into our own goal. We also had to do Dance. When we were asked to dance as though we were puffs of black or white smoke (in Rome cardinals were in the process of electing a new pope) my friend and I found ourselves collapsing in helpless giggles. Mathematics was basic. Once we were instructed to cut small squares of paper to t on a larger square to demonstrate area. Someone opened a window and there was a virtual snowstorm of small paper squares as the wind blew round the classroom. History of Education was a subject in which I could not get interested. The lecturer just read from a book and we had to scribble madly to keep up with her. One day I decided to shorten the lecture a bit. She always had an alarm clock which she used to time her lecture. So before she arrived I advanced it a few minutes. Unfortunately, soon a after it sounded another bell rang in another part of the building. She was astonished. I did own up, but nothing happened to me. Looking back I feel rather guilty as she was a sweet old lady.

As I had been in a church choir in Jersey I joined the college choir. We had rehearsals on the top oor about 3 ights up. After choir practice we tended to sing all the way down the stairs with our songs echoing around the building.

We had to do at least 4 sessions of ‘school practice’, s so working in schools to gain experience. Twice I was sent to schools in the East End. This entailed getting up at 6.30 am and travelling by bus, then underground train with a change at Bank, which by then was crammed with commuters, then by tram. Entering the school was always a challenge. It was through the school yard full of pupils knowing we were ‘students’. They could be quite intimidating. My early experience in my rst school stood me in good stead here as I just ignored them and strode on. When the pupils went into assembly teachers used to ‘disarm’ them. A mantelpiece in the staffroom was loaded with con scated bicycle chains and lemon squeezers. I never discovered what was in them. In assembly listening to words like blue skies and green elds, I wondered just how meaningful it was when these children had never been out of London.

London then was still suffering the effect of 2nd world war bombing. There were still ruins and prefabs which were small, prefabricated buildings built quickly to rehouse those who had been bombed out of their homes. When I watched ‘Call the Midwife’ on TV in later years it vividly

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We started off observing classes we were due to teach. I never forgot one teacher who used to write on the blackboard for the whole lesson while the pupils copied. She said it was the only way to keep them quiet. She must have fled with relief when I had to take over. Life for pupils was tough. Once when I asked a boy to collect the books at the end of a lesson some other boys attacked him on the stairs. In this school there were separate stairs for staff and pupils. On investigating the incident, I was informed it was because the teacher had chosen him!

One school was on two sites and pupils frequently changed classrooms by walking from one building to another through the streets. This led to many a fight. During the last week of our final school practice, we were informed that an outside school inspector was to observe. We were mystified by this. I was told later it was because I was recommended for a distinction in the practice of education.

I studied hard for all the exams, determined that I would be offered a job. I also offered to study for the Testamur, a qualification to teach Religious Knowledge. I took it on. When my final results came through, I had received a distinction in both the theory and practice of education and a credit in Geography.

I had been homesick for Jersey and really hoped I could return to teach in Jersey as I had achieved good results. At first it was not to be and I was rejected and told to take a job in the UK to get experience. I applied for a post in Warwickshire and was accepted. At the same time I was contacted by the Education Department in Jersey. They wanted me after all - so I returned home.

NOW AVAILABLE AT HOLME GROWN

Michael’s story is one of compassion, love, truth, reparation, and reconciliation, despite having lived through the beginnings of the Occupation of Jersey in the Channel Islands and then jettisoned at the age of just 14 from his island home into an internment camp in southern Germany.

Instead of harbouring pain, bitterness and hate, Michael sought to understand, to forgive, to remember the kindness of the ordinary people he met along the way.

This is a story that can teach us all – especially now as history seems so determined to loiter on the precipice of repeating itself!

This book is a treasure trove of information for anyone interested in Jersey’s Occupation history. Above all, it tells a very personal and human story.

Juanita Shield-Laignel has skillfully woven the strands of a life together and ensured that Michael’s own voice shines through. The road he took from the German internment camp to his banquet with the Queen was a long one, but it demonstrates the capacity of ordinary people to make a positive difference to the world. Michael Ginns MBE is now gone; but his work of reconciliation will endure.

Paul Darroch - Author of Jersey; The Hidden Histories