TIPSS Content Dec 2013 by Tania Houston

Content Catalogue December 2013

Content Articles Special 1: December 5th 1958 - Official Opening of Preston Bypass 3 Special 2: Video Tips 4 The Better Life: The Jolly and the Lively 5 Beauty: Perfect Peepers - Eyelash Extensions 6 The Life List: School Nativity 7 Cake & Bake: Lebkuchen 8 Book Reviews: Cold Enough for Snow 9 Finance: Sneaky Ways To Save 10 Gardening Feature: Fruit Planting 11 Health: Fighting The Flu and Combating Colds 12 Humour: The University of Live 13 Home & Interiors: A Christmas Wreath 14 Christmas Postal Dates 15 Motoring Feature: Citroen Grand C4 Picasso 16 Recipe: Ginger Christmas Puddings 17 Life Begins: “Pop-up” Christmas Parties - Top Tips for Last Minute Catering 18 Trivia: Around Britain - 5 Olympic Connections 19 Short Story: The Perfect Gift 20 Tech Review: How To Choose A New Camera 21 Travel Feature: Colourful Grenada 22

Puzzles

Cartoon 1 23 Cartoon 2 23 Children’s Page 24 Cryptic Crossword 25 Codeword 26 General Knowledge Crossword 26 Mini Cryptic Crossword 27 Sudoku - Easy & Hard 27 Super Duper Science Facts 28 Hidato 28 Pictogram 28 Quiz 1: Christmas 29 Quiz 2: Robots 29 Simple Crossword 30 Spot the Difference 30 Two Minute Trial 31 Word Ladder 31 Wordsearch: Christmas 31

Articles Special 1

December 5th 1958 Official opening of Preston Bypass achievement.

What’s the most wretched thing about Christmas? For many people, it’s the stopstart crawl up some sclerotic motorway in the murky winter night to reach whoever they’re staying with. The ordeal is worst for young couples with kids who still feel obligated to visit family for the festive season. For them, it’s a misery sundae – the incessant noise from the back, guilt at being the cause of it, and a journey that’s twice as long as usual. Any roadworks they might encounter are just the crushed nut sprinkle on the top. So it’s perhaps appropriate that Motorway Hell’s birthday falls this month. On December 5th 1958 Prime Minister Harold McMillan and Transport Minister Harold Atkinson officially cut the ribbon on the Preston Bypass, an 8�-mile stretch of dual carriageway in Lancashire that was destined to become a section of the M6. This was Britain’s first bit of motorway – we had to wait another 11 months before the Watford-Crick section of the M1 was opened – and it was a very typically British

For a start, it was late – 21 years late, actually, having first been proposed by Lancashire County Council in 1937. Since the delay was caused by World War II and the consequent decade of austerity it can perhaps be forgiven, but it was still late: work started in June 1956 and it shouldn’t really have taken 2� years to build eight miles of road and 22 bridges. And a month later, it had to close again due to frost damage because the designers hadn’t considered that water really ought to be allowed to run off the surface... But as the motorway network began to spread throughout the 1960s – the M6 was officially completed in 1971, although the five-mile “Cumberland Gap” linking it to the A74(M) at Gretna had to wait until 2008 to be closed – people didn’t complain about its shortcomings. That was because they remembered what long-distance road travel had been like before. Ever driven north up the A1? It seems inconceivable now, but as recently as the 1970s it ran straight through the heart of places like Baldock, Eaton Socon, and Buckden where it was no wider than a village street. The rows of

By Ted Bruning

old coaching inns and posting houses lining it are witness to the kind of traffic it was meant to bear; when two lorries met in a place like Buckden they must have had to climb the pavement to pass each other. Hardly surprising that in the late 1950s there were well over 5,000 road deaths every year, despite there being only 12 million vehicles on the road. The respective figures today are fewer than 3,000 deaths to about 40 million vehicles. And things were even worse in the mid-1930s when the M6 was first mooted: 2.3 million vehicles on the country’s roads in 1936 and 6,477 deaths. My father was a travelling salesman at the time, with a territory that took in Manchester and Sheffield. He was full of hair-raising stories of paper-thin tires that burst at random, dynamo-driven windscreen wipers that slowed down when the car did, feeble headlights no stronger than torches that failed dismally to illuminate the tiny finger-post road-signs, and trunk-roads piling through scarcely-lit town centres where children, old codgers, and horse-drawn carts and drays were all just begging to be hit. So if you’re heading off anywhere this Christmas and you’re dreading the jams and delays, take a thermos and some sandwiches and don’t complain. Because as the man who performed that opening ceremony on 5th December 1958 is supposed to have said: “You’ve never had it so good”.

Special 2

Video Tips Here are some straightforward tips to make your holiday and home movies sparkle. You don’t even need the latest HD camera wizardry, just a little technique and patience.

Common Myths

Some suggest that expensive film and video cameras will produce captivating films but the real skill is in how you use the equipment you own, to create an informative or interesting film. Even camera phones and small consumer video camcorders can produce impressive results if you work within their limitations. Your aim should be to obtain a video camera and start practicing.

Basics

Let’s leap ahead to the final result, and the most common sin: making your film too long. If you shoot a five-minute video and make your friends wait for the ‘good bit’ at four minutes in, you will have lost your audience after minute one. So, above all other rules, cut out the superfluous footage and ensure your film is just a collection of those ‘good bits’ and nothing else.

Story

Your holiday video or home movie might have a simple goal - to show granddad putting up the Christmas decorations – but you should think ahead about the story you wish to put across. Consider that old classic: the beginning, middle and end.

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Composition

The great thing about working with video is that many of the principles of stills photography apply. So pick up any book on the subject and think about framing and composition. Keep the horizon level, try not to cut people’s heads off in the frame, keep distracting details (‘clutter’) out of the shot if possible, and keep the camera at eye level.

Light

Harsh light is a videographer’s nightmare, so shooting at midday with the sun bearing down from directly above will cast unflattering shadows under the eyes of your subjects. Try to move people into softer light, perhaps in a leafy area or under some other shade. Similarly inside, be sure that people’s faces are gently lit, but also be careful that they

Audio

Many wonderful videos are ruined by unintelligible audio; the Best Man’s speech that’s inaudible because the cameraman was seated next to a child rustling sweet papers. The answer to this is to move closer to the subject, or even buy an external microphone that can be positioned very near to the subject with a cable back to the camera.

Editing

Editing the footage is a great way to eliminate all of those boring shots that we mentioned before. Some cameras provide an editing facility, but this can be rather fiddly, so you might want to load the footage onto a computer and edit it with a program such as Movie Maker. Try to keep it simple - rely on simple titles, a great story with straight ‘cuts’ (rather than swirling patterns and fancy graphics), and finish off with ‘THE END’ to wind things up. Remember, follow these simple rules and practice as much as possible, and you’ll be surprised by how impressed your audience will be.

The Better Life

The Better Life The Jolly and the Lively

In our village the festive season starts early - though not as early as in some shops. At the beginning of December two trees are set up and festooned with lights. Our Festive Fayre (I’m still not sure why it’s spelt that way) is timed to allow for the vagaries of Royal Mail, and is an event both communal and competitive. Alliances and feuds are renewed like wedding vows, with a mixture of enthusiasm and ceremony. Table spaces are as hotly contested as parking spaces, and as arbitrarily assigned by the committee. Stalls include a lot of handicrafts and selfsufficiency - woodturning, preserves, knitwear, cakes, beading and, of course, a profusion of plants and produce, which are silently and sometimes not so silently - critiqued by villagers and visitors taking a turn.

by Derek Thompson

Still, by the time the mulled wine and mince pies start to circulate, there’s a rosy glow of one kind or another and peace is restored - at least until the village quiz that evening. Meantime, the raffle is a perfect example of recycling. Some residents on receiving their prizes must immediately plot to gift-wrap them for the following year. This explains the skin lotion we won that was five years past its best before date. Cometh the hour, cometh the quiz. Few villagers let me forget my first quiz, where, having only recently swapped my townie sensibilities for a straw hat, I’d never heard of potato chitting. Or that I insisted bananas are herbs (look it up if you don’t believe me), so technically it’s a fruit and herb salad. Many of the quiz questions are horticultural, so tough luck if you’re not up to speed in the garden. Teams can be mixed but are generally based on: family ties, neighbourly proximity, previous success, or arriving late and fitting in where you can. It all begins jovially although once the rhubarb wine and other homemade concoctions kick in it can become a little heated and heckly. The difference between pictures of begonias and pelargoniums has never mattered more. By the time people roll out of the village hall, singing songs of joy as they go,

the Christmas trees are at their twinkliest. Just as well because we only have two street lamps in the village. Closer to Christmas Day there is also a candlelit procession to the chapel, with a host of glowing jam jars lighting the way. One year someone dressed up as a snowman, but it unnerved the children - and one elderly resident. Anne and I have avoided the carol service ever since ‘pulpit-gate’, when we ended up gazing down upon the congregation due to a shortage of seating. Anecdotally, I heard that one or two villagers thought we lowered the tone - visually and audibly. In my book, winter is a time for thanksgiving, planning next year’s garden and reflection. We check the anti-frost fleece around the penstamon, passionflower and mesembryanthemum (try saying all that after a festive glass of port), and also take vulnerable plants and the dahlia bulbs indoors if things become chilly. One lesson we learned the hard way was not to have brussel sprouts and jerusalem artichokes together at the Christmas table. Let’s just leave it at that. Merry Christmas! Derek Thompson is a writer and humourist based in the West Country. His writing blog can be found at www. alongthewritelines.blogspot.com and he is also a regular at www. strictlywriting.blogspot.com

Beauty

Perfect Peepers - Eyelash Extensions

A favourite with celebrities everywhere and a must for anyone who wants a quick fix to looking gorgeous, eyelash extensions transform lashes from short and sparse to long and luscious in no time. They’re ideal for those all important occasions, like weddings and parties, where you not only want to look your best on the day, but look fabulous in the photos too. By adding shape and definition the extensions ‘open-up’ your peepers and leave you with pretty, seemingly lifted, youngerlooking eyes. Extensions are widely

Longer 1½ page format also available

available in salons across the country and are specially applied by trained therapists. Remember, a consultation should be carried out prior to them being applied so that you can determine exactly what look you want to achieve. If you just want some subtle enhancement and a natural result then try a half set of lashes. However, if you fancy making a statement, then try a full set for a striking finish. You can choose how long, thick and curly your lashes will be.

The Application

Each individual synthetic lash is carefully bonded to your own eyelashes - 80 to Copyright TIPSS 2013

If you want to enhance your eyes, fancy taking a few years off your age or maybe just want to make yourself look that extra bit special, then there is one beauty craze you really must try out - eyelash extensions. 100 individual lashes are usually applied. During the application your eyes will be closed and protected. You shouldn’t feel any pain or discomfort during this process whatsoever.

The Results

After you’ve had the lashes applied it is essential to not touch them or get them wet for a 24 hour period, as the glue will be still be setting. You shouldn’t need to wear mascara, but if you still want to, it’s worth investing in a water soluble product, designed for use with extensions - these mascaras are usually sold at salons which offer the service. Remember to use a

salon recommended oil free eye makeup remover too.

Staying Power

Eyelash extensions typically last between six and eight weeks. Because they are attached to your own lashes they will fall off as your natural lash grows out. On average you’ll lose about 12 or 15 lashes every two to three weeks - that’s why salons recommend returning for touch-ups when needed to maintain the desired look. They’ll charge a small fee for replacing what has been lost.

What It Costs

Prices vary from salon to salon, but on average eyelash extensions will set you back around £80 - £120 for a full set, or about £65

for a half set.

Be Safe

Always be sure that the staff at the salon you’ve chosen to use for your eyelash extensions are fully trained. Ask questions to gain an understanding of the therapist’s skill - they should be able to answer any questions you have about the treatment and after care. Your therapist should carry out a patch test 24 hours before your extensions to ensure that you have no adverse reaction to the glue. Your eyes are extremely delicate, and precious, so make sure you have the test before the treatment. This industry isn’t regulated, so if you have any doubts

about a salon or therapist, it is a good idea to see if they are a member of The British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology (BABTAC). Being a member of BABTAC means that they are qualified to perform the treatment and insured in case anything goes amiss. BABTAC stickers are purple and usually found in the window of a salon. So whether you have a special occasion you want to look your best for, or you just feel like injecting some glamour into your day to day life, why not try eyelash extensions – you won’t believe the difference they make to how you look and feel. By Helen Taylor

The Life List

The Life List School Nativity Grandparenthood gives you the opportunity to experience things a second time around, only with a more relaxed attitude. Take, for example, the traditional festive fare of the school nativity. It all seems so familiar - the little stage, the squeaky curtains and the delightfully squeaky children.

Portrait Half Page Verbesiononyouraguard. Even so, lso Technology and society in general may have moved on, but availa some thoughts shouldn’t ble be voiced:

1. Don’t mind me filming like this, everyone. It’s all above board - I can show you my DBS certificate. 2. The wardrobe department has done a brilliant job with Mary. She actually looks pregnant. Oh, I see...slow metabolism. 3. That is one ugly angel. 4. I don’t recall there being a singing palm

tree in the King James’s Bible version. Or a set of dancing lions. 5. A girl dressed up as a Wise Man? Now that’s just political correctness gone mad. 6. Frankly, their acting is as wooden as the crib. It’s a ‘no’ from me. 7. I wonder if they could speed it up a bit? Only I wanted to get home in time for Corrie. 8. I must say I was surprised to see King Herod being tried for war crimes, especially with a show of hands from the audience for the final verdict. 9. Overall, it’s been a pretty balanced performance. One of the shepherds dried up completely and one of the oxen has wet himself. 10. Hang on, have I missed something? I was busy tweeting a running commentary to the aunts and uncles.

Cake & Bake

Cake and Bake Lebkuchen

Makes 65

This richly spiced traditional German festive biscuit provides a grown up alternative to gingerbread. Slathered in rich dark chocolate and studded with sweet cherries, these are chewy and sweet, with a spicy kick. Perfect with a cup of strong black coffee.

Ingredients: • 100g ground hazelnuts • 70g almond flour • 350g plain flour • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder • 2 teaspoons cinnamon • 2 teaspoons nutmeg • 1 teaspoon mixed spice • 3 teaspoons ground ginger • � teaspoon salt • � teaspoon baking powder • � teaspoon baking soda • 150g dark brown sugar • 225ml clear honey • 50g butter • 3 medium sized eggs • 200g glacé cherries • 300g dark cooking chocolate

Tip These can be kept uncoated for up to a month in an airtight container, so are ideal to make ahead of the festive rush, to be dipped in chocolate later on.

1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees. Prepare all dry ingredients and sift together in a large bowl until combined. 2. In a separate bowl, combine honey, sugar and butter, and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time to the mixture and beat until well mixed. 3. Gently fold in the sugar mixture into the dry ingredients. The mixture will be sticky and dense. 4. Add glacé cherries into the lebkuchen mixture until evenly distributed. 5. Prepare a large tray with greaseproof paper. Place heaped teaspoon sized portions across the tray, with plenty of space around them. 6. Bake for 10-12 minutes. The biscuits will rise and be firm to touch, with a little softness to pressure. Remove and allow to cool overnight. 7. Once cooled, you can now dip them in chocolate. Prepare the chocolate coating by crumbling 300g of dark chocolate in a large bowl, over hot water. Stir until the chocolate is evenly melted, and of a smooth, glossy consistency. 8. Dip each biscuit into the chocolate mixture. You can either dip the front surface only, coat half a biscuit, or submerge the entire thing! (You may need more chocolate to do this for the entire batch.) 9. Place dipped biscuits on a tray and allow to cool and harden. 10. Store in an airtight container.

Book Reviews Cold Enough for Snow

Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier This is the story of two people: injured Civil War veteran Inman, and Ada, the woman who waits for him. To reach her, Inman must leave his hospital bed and walk the long way home to Cold Mountain. Of course, his epic journey means he encounters many a strange character along the way. Ada, meanwhile, has her own internal struggles to contend with as she battles with her upbringing and the future that Cold Mountain represents. This brilliant and beautifully-written book is one everyone should read at least once in their lifetime. You’ll be transported, without ever leaving your armchair. Snow Falling on Cedars, David Guterson With his hauntingly beautiful descriptions of the wild nature of America’s Pacific Northwest, Guterson’s story of a murder soon reveals itself to be one of a complex love triangle. It’s 1954 and well-respected local fisherman, Carl Heine is found dead in one of his own fishing nets. Local Japanese-American, Kabuo Miyamoto is accused of killing him. In the grip of a terrible snowstorm, the town of San Piedro is forced into dealing with its recent history,

Tom Jones once sang ‘Baby, it’s Cold Outside’, so as December descends why not curl up in front of the fire with our selection of books that will chill you to the bone…one way or another

and a wave of Anti-Japanese sentiment following World War 2. To complicate the matter, the local newspaper reporter is in love with Kabuo’s wife. If the snow falls and covers everything, is all forgotten? In Cold Blood, Truman Capote It’s 1959 and a Kansas family is brutally murdered. This hugely controversial book focuses on their two killers: Perry Smith and Dick Hickock. Whilst there’s little doubt that the killing of a husband and wife, along with their two children, is despicable, Smith and Hickock come across as alarmingly normal and recognisable. Capote has written a very clever true crime work of non-fiction, brought to us in the style of a novel. The whole thing is a bit disturbing really...and at the same time, you just can’t put it down. Into Thin Air, John Krakauer Sometimes the most extraordinary stories we read are those that are true. This is certainly the case in Krakauer’s account of 24 hours of hell at the top of Mount Everest. With photos documenting the scale of the ‘murderous storm’ that bore down on Krakauer and his fellow climbers, it’s clear to see why five lost their lives. Dealing

with the guilt that comes from surviving such a disaster whilst others didn’t, Krakauer’s writing is incredibly compelling and the retelling of the 1996 disaster will leave you gasping. The Spy Who came in from the Cold, John le Carré Spymaster le Carré’s thriller has stood the test of time with reading audiences continuing to be gripped by the powerful combination of love and betrayal that would leave Daniel Craig running crying to his mummy. Set in 1960s Berlin, spy Alex Leamas is basically ready to throw in the towel. Of course, ‘one final assignment’ always spells disaster ahead. Is this really a case of ‘mission impossible’ and will he live to walk away from this one? Frozen in Time, Ali Sparkes One for the younger readers is Ali Sparkes’ novel about two children who are ‘frozen in time’. Freddy and Polly were put into cryonic suspension in the 1950s by their father. But the experiment was only meant to be for a couple of hours; something went drastically awry. Enter Ben and Rachael, who unwittingly uncover the human ice-lollies. Suddenly it looks like the summer hols aren’t going to be so dull after all.

Finance

Sneaky Ways To Save Let’s face it, saving money is hard, but it doesn’t have to be a chore. Here are a few ways to save money without even realising it.

Pay yourself first

Set up a standing order from your current account to a savings account on the day after your wages are paid. That way it’s like you never had the money in the first place, so now it’s tucked away earning interest in your savings account and you won’t miss it.

Get cash back

If you use a cashback credit card or do your shopping through cashback websites, make sure that you put it straight in your savings account. The best cashback credit card at the moment is the American Express Platinum Cashback card (bear in mind, you need a decent credit rating to be given this card). When it comes to the best cashback sites, try ECashback for instant rewards of up to 35%.

Spend one pay rise behind If you are fortunate enough to receive a pay rise, you might be tempted to increase your spending. Don’t. Instead, try and stick to the smaller budget you’re used to, and put the extra pay into your savings account. In fact, change your monthly standing order.

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you indulge. Come up with an amount that suits you – 10p or £1 – and stick it in the bad habits box. Putting the money in the box each time you succumb will help you kick the habit so you can save money and help yourself lose weight at the same time.

Fun Fact The average UK coin jar contains £38.35, whilst 9% of the nation’s coin jars hold £100. Start your own in-house Laundromat

Put a jar next to your washing machine (and dryer if you have one) and ‘charge’ yourself every time you use it. Again, it’s up to you how much you charge but after a few months you should have a decent amount to pour into your savings account.

Travel smart

If you drive or take public transport to work, that costs money. Find a cheaper - or free - alternative and then you can put the savings away. If you have to take the train

By Jasmine Birtles moneymagpie.com try to get cash back on your journeys. TrainDelays (www. traindelays.co.uk ) is a website that does all the leg work for you and completes the claims process so all you have to do is register with your journey details for free.

Be the agent for your friends

Be the one to book group holidays – you could be given a discount or even a whole holiday for free for yourself. If you go out for a meal with your friends regularly, book it. If you use a site like Toptable. com you’ll receive better deals at fantastic restaurants anyway, and you earn points every time you book. Plus if you have a car, join up to car-sharing websites like Liftshare or National Carshare or just arrange to give friends lifts. Once again, any money they give you for petrol should go straight into your savings pot.

Keep an eye on coins

Spare change can be annoying especially if coins are rattling around in the bottom of your bag or worse, the washing machine - but they do all add up. Pull all the cushions from the sofa; check in pots in the back of cupboards, on shelves and under the bed and who knows how much you could discover.

Gardening

Fruit Planting The garden may be quieter than usual at this time of year, and certainly not likely to be yielding vast quantities of crops, but this near dormant time is perfect for planting fruit. You can grow fruit trees in surprisingly small spaces, training them to espaliers (so that they have several sets of horizontal arms), cordons (as single main stems grown at an angle), fans (with their branches trained in to a fan shape) or as step-overs, (trained so that they make a neat edging for a bed or border about 45cm or so above ground level). You could also use a fruit tree to create a decorative and later a wonderfully productive arch. At this time of year fruit trees are great value because they are sold ‘bare root’, lifted from a field and not container grown. I find these establish particularly well and because you usually obtain them from a specialist supplier or nursery, the range of varieties available is second to none. You can either buy one year old ‘maidens’ and train these yourself, or if you want to save time, you can often buy trained or part trained forms. When you are choosing fruit trees it’s essential to get them on the right rootstock as this determines the ultimate size and vigour of the tree. Apples are particularly complicated, but as a rule, for step-overs,

longer cordons, dwarf bushes 1½ and trees in containers pagetry the extremely dwarfing but formtricky somewhat atM27 al-sbuto beware weak varieties or any avaonilthis tree grown abrootstock le in a poor soil as it may well fail. For bush, cordon, espaliers and half-standard try the easier to look after dwarfing rootstock M26 and for a cordon or espalier on a poor soil, for arches and for bush trees try the semi-dwarfing MM106.

You will need to choose the varieties you grow so that they can pollinate each other (if there is no suitable pollinator in the vicinity you will not get fruit) and on the basis of the taste and texture of the fruit and how well it stores and so forth. If you have space, it is good to grow apples for cooking as well as eating, or look out for those described as ‘dual purpose’, meaning they make very passable cookers as well as dessert apples. As well as tree fruits such as apples, pears and maybe even a medlar or a plum or gorgeous gage, you could also consider some delicious bush fruits. The great thing

by Pippa Greenwood about these is that they take up even less space and again can often be trained into wacky shapes such as fan-trained or standard bushes, making them all the more ornamental and easier to fit into the smaller garden. Then there are raspberries - on my rather heavy and very alkaline soil I tend to stick to the autumn fruiting varieties such as Autumn Bliss and Joan J, but on freer draining and acidic soils you can try some of the more numerous summer fruiters too. Bare root fruit trees, bushes and canes are generally available from about November through until early March, depending on the weather, so don’t delay, start ordering or better still, planting, today. Visit Pippa’s website www. pippagreenwood.com for a great range of gardeningrelated Christmas gifts and stocking-fillers, including stylish ‘Grow Your Own with Pippa Greenwood’ gift cards, handmade pottery herb planters, Pippa’s favourite weeding tool, signed books and lots of seriously useful garden items for your friends and family, or yourself.

Health

Fighting the Flu and Combating Colds Your throat is sore, you can’t breathe through your nose and the only thing you want to do is watch TV all day under a duvet. But is it a cold or the flu?

A cold:

• Symptoms come on gradually • You feel worse on days 1-2, and usually better in a week • It doesn’t often cause a temperature or it’s brief and mild (not above 38oC) • Your nose tends to be painful, irritated and red • You will feel unwell, but not overwhelmingly tired • Sometimes you may also suffer from eye irritation, ear pressure or earache, mild headache and mild muscle pain

The flu:

• Symptoms come on very rapidly • You usually feel worse after 2 or 3 days in, but improve after 5 or 6 days • You may have a temperature of 38oC or above, which comes on suddenly and can make you sweat, or give you ‘the chills’ • Your cough tends to be dry and chesty • Headaches are very common; muscles and joints may ache badly • You may develop diarrhoea • You may have difficulty sleeping, although you feel very tired Both are highly contagious infections caused by viruses and there are only two ways to combat them, avoiding contact and boosting your immune

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them before you. • Clean high-contact surfaces regularly and thoroughly • Clean your hands regularly and thoroughly, especially after touching your nose or mouth • Don’t share cutlery or cups • Cold and flu sufferers need their own hand towel or disposable paper towels • Use tissues; throwing them away immediately prevents virus-laden droplets escaping into the air

Boosting your immune system

If you have a medical condition which can make flu more serious, or are over 65, pregnant or a carer, you should be offered the flu vaccine every autumn. There are also many foods and supplements that claim to help. Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid): There is no evidence that it prevents colds; but a regular daily dose may reduce how long your infection lasts and its severity. Zinc: Zinc appears to lessen symptoms and speed up recovery, if taken from the start. Sources: wheat germ, eggs, seafood. Garlic: Only one study has shown it prevents a cold or flu; once you’re infected, there’s

By Julia Faulks

no proof garlic helps. Leave for 20 minutes after peeling and chopping to activate its immune boosting enzymes. Echinacea: A variety of preparations have been trialled with differing results. Some trials show that Echinacea takers are 30% less likely to develop a cold but there’s little evidence it helps once you’re ill. Glutathione and bioflavonoid: These help to maintain a healthy immune system, although there’s no cold or flu fighting evidence yet. Glutathione sources: watermelon, broccoli, cabbage. Bioflavonoid sources: cherries, green peppers, red onions. Selenium: Low levels of selenium have been linked to developing more severe flu, so maintain healthy levels. Sources: fish, nuts, mushrooms. Saline (salt water): Saline drops and sprays can reduce congestion and remove virus and bacteria particles.

Do I need to see my GP?

Usually, over the counter painkillers and decongestants plus plenty of rest and fluids will be all you need. But do see your GP if: • Symptoms last more than a week, or become much worse: very high temperature, severe headache, shortness of breath, coughing up blood or chest pain • You develop symptoms not typical of flu, such as a rash • You have a medical condition that is making your flu worse

Humour

The University Of Life by Chris Russell I had an argument with a friend recently about the purpose of universities within contemporary society (that’s right, we don’t discuss The Great British Bake Off like normal human beings, we hit the big issues, and we hit them hard). It’s autumn, the new academic year is underway, and thousands of students across the UK are embarking excitedly on the next stage of their lives at Bristol, Birmingham or, erm, Bangor. With this in mind, I was griping about the fact that, back when I took my degree, I couldn’t help but feel that a disturbingly high proportion of my fellow scholars didn’t seem that bothered about the actual work. ‘Some people don’t have a passion for studying like you did,’ my friend said, as I complained about lecturemates who appeared to have cruised out of top fee-paying schools and stumbled into uni simply because that’s what everyone else was doing. I was more than happy with her point, of course, although I did have to ask what these people were doing at a university. She argued that, for some, higher education isn’t really about intellectual improvement, but about developing social skills, learning to be a proper human, taking those first brave steps into grown-up society and finally washing your own pants. Problem is, unless I’m grossly mistaken, universities are there to challenge and enlarge our

intellects - not to function as some kind of enormous adult crèche. I take issue with this unspoken consensus that somewhere along the line higher education became all about ‘personal development’. To my ears, it just sounds like bourgeois selfindulgence, like the gap-year fantasy that says you don’t really know yourself until you’ve spent sixteen months mincing around the Himalayas in a sari with a bunch of people called Theo. If you’re purely in the business of learning how to operate a washing machine for the first time, surely there are more efficient ways of doing it than whilst also struggling to plough your way through the complete works of Anton Chekhov? Picking up valuable life lessons is of course one of the many excellent side benefits of going to university. The experience offers far more than simple scholarly value and that is undeniably a good thing. But does it therefore follow that we should be stuffing our institutions with as many young people as possible, regardless of their academic aspirations, simply so they can work out how best to prepare a couscous salad? To me, that sounds like a very bizarre distribution of resources. I don’t know much about politics, but I can’t help but feel like the drive to fill

Britain’s universities in the late nineties was really just a thinly-disguised government point-scoring exercise. For me, New Labour confused the obviously admirable desire to give everyone - regardless of background - an equal shout at securing a place in higher education with the frankly pointless goal of making sure every last soul in the country has a degree, even if it is in Turf Management. Tony Blair dreamed of a society where everyone was above average, but you can’t eradicate averageness. All you can do is move the goalposts around. So what am I really saying here? I guess it’s a message to the glorious youth of our nation - if you want to study, go study. But if all you really want to do is snort Jagermeister through your earhole, is it worth the £40,000 debt on the other side? Because I’ve worked it out, and forty grand could buy you approximately eight thousand Jager Bombs. Exactly. You do the math.

Chris is a freelance writer and musician with international rock band The Lightyears. The Lightyears, voted the UK’s BEST POP/ROCK ACT at the Indy Awards, have played Wembley Stadium, toured across four continents and released a record with Sting’s producer. Chris has recently completed his first book, “Mockstars”, based on The Lightyears’ tour diaries. Find out more at www.MockstarsTheNovel. com.

Home & Interiors

A Christmas wreath You know that Christmas is coming when you hang a festive wreath on your front door. And they are more than just an attractive decoration says Katherine Sorrell.

Shorter 1 page form Germany andaScandinavia, t also wreaths were employed availpurpose: for a different able sun worship. In the long,

Zinc wreath candle holder, £22.95, Love from Rosie (07817 484698; www.lovefromrosie.co.uk)

Christmas is undoubtedly a time of traditions: perhaps midnight mass, roast turkey and the Queen’s Speech, followed by a snooze in front of the TV and a few board games. But some traditions are older – much older, in fact – than others. Hanging mistletoe, for example, comes from druidic times, when the plant was believed to ward off evil spirits and promote good health. Boughs of holly were employed as decorations in Roman temples during the midwinter festival of Saturnalia. And the custom of making wreaths goes all the way back to ancient Greece. It was here that wearing a laurel wreath came to represent status, achievement and victory. For the Romans, it was the supreme ruler who wore a wreath – embellished with gold and jewels, it eventually became what we now call a crown. Meanwhile, in Celtic

dark days of winter people prayed for the onset of spring, with its life-giving warmth and sunlight, and to give extra power to their prayers they used a wreath, hung from the roof or placed on an altar or a table. The wreath was woven with evergreens, a symbol of everlasting life, and decorated with candles, which represented the light of the sun. As Christianity spread through Europe, the pagan evergreen wreath was reinterpreted accordingly. Its circular shape, it was taught, stood for God’s eternity, the immortality of the soul and the everlasting life found in Christ. Evergreens, as before, symbolised eternal life, while holly represented the crown of thorns. It is possible that using a wreath Copyright TIPSS 2013

By Katherine Sorrell

to count down the four weeks of advent became a Christian custom in 16th century Germany, and it is likely that the modern advent wreath was invented by a German pastor called Johann Hinrich Wichern. Having been asked every day by the children at his mission school how long it was until Christmas, Wichern took an old cartwheel and stuck 19 small candles into it as well as four large candles, then lit one small candle each weekday and one large candle every Sunday until Christmas arrived. Local churches copied his idea, and gradually the use of an advent wreath, generally with just four or five candles, became a custom both in churches and our homes. While not all Christmas wreaths these days have religious significance, they are still a powerful symbol of celebration. For some

families, Christmas starts with the making of a natural wreath using leaves, flowers and seed heads from the garden; for others, tinsel, glitter or ribbon provide a chance to experiment. But Christmas wreaths don’t have to be home-made: there are endless varieties of ready-made styles, from traditional to modern, large or tiny, simple or extravagant. The making or choosing of them is just the start: hang them from front doors or garden gates, in the window or on a wall; prop them on a mantelpiece or lay them flat on a table. Whatever their style and wherever you display them, wreaths add festive colour and impact – a decorative essential for the Christmas season.

How to make your own Christmas wreath 1. If you don’t want to buy a ready-made base, you can easily make your own. Either shape a wire coat hanger into a circle (keeping the hook for hanging) or use bundles of twiggy growth from your garden (willow or honeysuckle vine work well) bound firmly with garden string, raffia, florist wire or climber stems. 2. Attach evergreen sprigs such as conifer, holly, laurel or ivy. Bind them at the bottom, then overlap the next sprig or group of sprigs in the same direction. Keep going until the base is completely covered. 3. Finish as you like, choosing from a variety of interesting decorations, such as fresh, dried or artificial flowers, ribbons, berries, raffia, moss, fir cones, seed heads, nuts, dried fruit, poppy heads, tinsel, glitter, baubles, sweets, feathers, buttons and beads. 4, Attach a strong loop of wire or string and hang where you wish, or simply prop your wreath on a shelf or mantelpiece.

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Motoring

Citroen Grand C4 Picasso Citroen wants to make MPVs desirable and has created the seven-seat Grand C4 Picasso to fit the bill. But can it really manage it? By James Baggott, MD of BlackballMedia.co.uk What is it? Citroen is patting itself on the back after its new five-seat Picasso has attracted more than 2,800 orders from UK buyers this year, 300% more than the French firm was forecasting. And now the company is getting très excité with the arrival of this new seven-seat version called the Grand C4 Picasso with tweaked styling at the front and a totally different rear. Over the old Grand Picasso, this car’s wheelbase is 11cm longer but crucially for any supermarket car parking, it’s only 1cm longer in overall size than the old model. What’s under the bonnet? There are two petrols both co-developed with BMW and 1.6-litres in capacity. They come with power outputs of 120bhp and 156bhp, the latter being turbocharged. But of far more relevance to UK buyers are the diesels. There are two 1.6-litre units with 92bhp and 115bhp power outputs. While the lowerpowered diesel impressively emits just 98g/km of CO2 and returns a claimed 74.3mpg, we only had the opportunity to drive Citroen’s brand new 2.0-litre BlueHDi diesel engine. It pushes out a healthy 148bhp and yet manages 67mpg and 110g/km (or 117g/km when the six-speed automatic gearbox is fitted). It’s the engine that makes the most sense in a car this size, but it isn’t the quietest unit around.

What’s the kit like? Citroen hasn’t confirmed specification levels yet but our test car was the top-of-therange Exclusive+ model and gave a strong indication of what we can expect. Inside, the car had limo-levels of kit including Star Trek-style seats with fabulously comfortable headrests and a footrest for the front-seat passenger. Our car also had as standard two colour info displays, two-tone leather upholstery, a powered tailgate and keyless entry and start, and every Grand C4 Picasso comes with Bluetooth, alloys and USB connectivity. Cars can also be specced with Citroen’s new 360-degree camera system and a park assist feature which helps drivers parking in tight spots by controlling the steering. There’ll be four trims and eight body colours, and indicative prices range from £19,200 for the VTR VTi 120 to £27,900 for the BlueHDi 150 automatic Exclusive+. Any rivals? This is a vibrant and highlycompetitive segment. Key players include the Ford Grand C-Max, Renault Grand Scenic and new cars such as the Kia Carens. The Citroen has style in spades compared to the competition. What’s it like to drive? Gone is the overwhelming feeling of fragility and in comes a sense of robustness. The Grand C4 Picasso’s ride is the

car’s piece de resistance; it really mixes a floaty ride with capable body control admirably well. It’s definitely the most stylish and classy car in its segment thanks to Germanic shoulder lines and distinctive LED lights at the front. The interior is a step-up too however we’re not fans of the infotainment system. The lack of buttons looks great but fiddling with features is a chore. Got the sat-nav on? You’ll have to come out of that menu and into another one for temperature controls via the touch-sensitive buttons. Meanwhile, our pick would be the six-speed manual as the auto’ is not the smoothest. The verdict There’s no denying Citroen has pulled off a masterstroke here. With the two rows of seats folded flat, this car has 2,181litres on offer making it the most stylish mini van around.

The Knowledge Model: Citroen Grand C4 Picasso BlueHDi 150 Exclusive+ 6-spd manual Price: £27,000 (TBC) Engine: 2.0-litre, fourcylinder, diesel Power: 148bhp 370NM Max speed: 130mph 0-60mph: 9.5 seconds MPG: 63mpg Emissions: 110g/km CO2

Recipe

Ginger Christmas Puddings Makes 6

Ready in 1 hour 30 minutes

These fruity mini puds flavoured with stem ginger are much lighter than a traditional rich Christmas pudding and don’t need to be made weeks in advance.

Ingredients: • 175g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing • 175g self-raising flour • � tsp baking powder • 175g light muscovado sugar • 1 tsp each ground mixed spice and ground ginger • 3 large eggs • 100g dried mixed fruit • 50g glace cherries, chopped • 50g stem ginger, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5. Butter six small pudding basins (each about 200ml capacity) and line the bases with circles of baking parchment. Place the butter, flour, baking powder, sugar, spices and eggs in a large mixing bowl and beat together with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes until pale and creamy. Fold in the dried mixed fruit and two-thirds of the cherries and stem ginger. Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared pudding basins then cover each basin with a circle of greased and pleated baking parchment and secure with string. Cover each basin with pleated foil. Stand the basins in a roasting tin and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the basins. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until risen, firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into a pudding comes out clean.

• 4 tbsp stem ginger syrup • Softly whipped cream or brandy butter, to serve

Tip For a boozy flavour, gently heat the stem ginger syrup with 1-2 tbsp of rum or brandy then pour over the hot puds just before serving.

Leave the puddings to stand for 10 minutes then turn out onto serving plates. Mix the remaining cherries and ginger with the stem ginger syrup and spoon over the puddings. Serve with cream or brandy butter.

Life Begins

Life Begins “Pop-up” Christmas Parties: Top tips for last minute catering that guests might drop in, nor do we have the space to store it.

You know what it’s like at Christmas. There are the events that you, your friends and relatives have planned well in advance – occasions when everybody knows exactly what time to arrive and what wine to bring – and then there are times when a small get-together suddenly spirals out of control. Guests bring other guests, neighbours pop round and before you know it you’re hosting an impromptu, “pop-up” party for which you are completely unprepared. In these days of instant communication it’s so easy for the word to spread: before you know it, you have a house full of people - and their children - all fired up for a party and ready to eat you out of house and home. So how can you cater for unexpected arrivals over the festive

Shorter 1 page format also season and still keep calm? availa le Ready-made snacks b may be a convenient (if costly) option, but the elaborate packaging that comes with them tends to give a false impression of volume. Last Christmas when hosting a gathering at short notice, I panic-shopped at my local supermarket, only to find that the eight bulky boxes of appetisers I had purchased were consumed by as many people in as many minutes. Guests arriving shortly after the buffet had been served were confronted by a row of empty plates and a very red-faced hostess. My experience was typical of the dilemma we all face during the festive season. Being prepared means keeping stocks of food ready to bring out at a moment’s notice, but most of us can’t afford to buy fresh food on the off-chance Copyright TIPSS 2013

Lack of kitchen storage space is an issue for most people, but never more so than at Christmas, when the fridge is stuffed to bursting point. Keeping drinks chilled – and in plentiful supply – is another challenge, particularly just before 25th December when the kitchen is heaving with goodies for those Christmas and Boxing Day lunches. Where are the cans of beer and bottles of white wine supposed to go, and how can we avoid running out of booze when guests turn up out of the blue? A friend of mine loves spontaneous gatherings and I’ve always been amazed by his ability to conjure up a party banquet with hardly any advance warning. After my hospitality disaster last Christmas I decided to take him aside and ask him for his top catering tips. His first piece of advice was to stock up on versatile grocery items that don’t need to be kept cold: tins of tuna, mixed beans, sweetcorn, dried pasta and rice, jars of mayonnaise, pesto and relish. To make the most of kitchen storage space at Christmas time, he keeps all these extras in a cardboard box under the

bed. He also advises that anything you do store in the fridge for catering purposes should be compact – so it’s better to fill the available space with cheeses and tubs of sandwich filling than buy the kind of packaged snacks described above. If you keep a store of bake-it yourself breads you can produce freshly baked baguettes and rolls in a matter of minutes (he cuts those little French rolls in half and removes the bread inside to create instant canapé shells). Savoury biscuits are also a useful standby - oatcakes, dressed with a slice of brie and a spoonful of cranberry sauce, look and taste better than many shop-bought

party foods and cost a lot less, too. Combining fresh produce with foods sourced from cans or jars is another top tip: my friend adds fresh chopped tomatoes or garden herbs to shopbought dips and salsas to create an attractive, homemade look. When it comes to providing drinks for his guests, his simple solution is to chill those extra cans and bottles in the garden. If the weather is exceptionally cold he’ll store them inside, cooling in a bucket of water (although he’s always careful to keep alcoholic drinks safely away from children). If you choose to put your drinks outside, you’ll need to keep an eye on the weather so a

sudden freeze doesn’t turn your vintage Chardonnay into a giant ice pop. To make the drinks go further, this perfect host makes a fantastic mulled wine, using cheap red wine diluted with lemonade. A shot of brandy, some sugar and plenty of Christmas spice makes a powerful brew that provides almost twice as many servings as the average bottle of wine. So, thanks to my friend’s good advice, I’ll be more able to cope this Christmas when friends and relatives turn up at short notice. In fact, I can’t wait to see the amazement on my guests’ faces as I conjure a party feast out of thin air. By Kate McLelland

Trivia

Around Britain 5 Olympic Connections 1. Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire - Every spring, Chipping Campden plays host to the Cotswold Olympicks, an annual festival of sports and games established in the 1600s. Like the modern Games, these Olympicks were devised along the lines of those of Ancient Greece, but featured disciplines like shin-kicking contests, stick-fighting and ‘spurning the barre’, a game similar to tossing the caber. 2. London - In 2012, London became the first city in the world to host the Summer Olympics three times, following the 1908 Games (when the eruption of Mount Vesuvius forced Rome, the original host city, to pull out) and the 1948 Games (which compensated for the cancellation of London’s 1944 Games due to the Second World War). 3. Much Wenlock, Shropshire - The ‘Wenlock Olympian Games’ have been held in Much Wenlock since 1850, devised by William Penny Brookes to promote ‘the moral, physical and intellectual improvement’ of the townspeople by awarding ‘prizes ... at public meetings for skill in athletic exercise’. The success of these Games eventually inspired the founding of the International Olympic Committee. 4. Stoke Mandeville, Buckinghamshire - The first ever Stoke Mandeville Games, a series of multidiscipline sporting events for athletes with a disability, were held in 1948. Also known as the World Wheelchair & Amputee Games, these games are considered the precursor of the Paralympics – in 1984, the Paralympics were jointly awarded to Stoke Mandeville and New York. 5. Isle of Man - Unlike in the Olympics, in the Commonwealth Games all individual constituent countries of the UK are permitted to enter, as well as all British dependencies and territories. Of all of these, the Isle of Man is by far the most successful having garnered eight medals (including three gold) since the 1950s.

Short Story

Short Story The Perfect Gift Craig had never been in a long term relationship before. If he’d known way back in October when he first started seeing Tansy that she would still be around in December, he might have planned things better. To her credit Tansy had shown no signs over the last few weeks of either being annoying or being annoyed with him. Not only did she laugh at his jokes, she never complained when he played computer games all evening, and would even turn up on the frostiest of Sunday mornings to watch him play football. Craig didn’t like to jinx it but thought it was all going extraordinarily well. That was until the other day when, over the phone, Tansy dropped a bombshell. Her exact words were: “Do you mind if we give the cinema a miss tonight? I’m saving up to buy you something special for Christmas”. Three thoughts struck Craig as he hung up – the first was that Tansy still expected to be his girlfriend at Christmas and that was two whole weeks away, the second was that he had a bonus night off from boyfriend duty, and thirdly that if he hoped to still be seeing Tansy on Boxing Day he would also have to buy her a present, and he hadn’t budgeted for that. Not that Craig didn’t have any money. Recently he had been saving up to buy a particular pair of football boots. Craig

realised he faced the first big test of his relationship: which to choose - the boots, which he loved, or Tansy, whom he rather liked. A Saturday spent Christmas shopping in town was no fun for even the most committed boyfriend. The shops were crowded and hot, but Craig came prepared. He congratulated himself for subtly asking Tansy what she might like for Christmas, and was very pleased with her for hinting that she might like a new bag to go with her Christmas party outfit. Initially Craig believed that buying a bag could not be difficult, but after almost an hour trawling the department store, his confidence waned. He discovered that bags came in many sizes, colours and prices, and he realised that all he really knew about lady’s bags was that, according to his Gran, you were never supposed to look inside them. He regretted not paying more attention to Tansy’s taste in bags. In need of a break from all those bags, Craig headed to the Sports department. Here it was less crowded and the airconditioning was welcoming. Across the room on a Perspex plinth he saw his dream football boots beckoning; they were truly an object of beauty and Craig experienced a

bittersweet ache. Underneath the stand he noticed a sign which read ‘Free bag with every purchase’. Free bag? Craig’s mouth went dry. Beside the sign was a black fabric drawstring bag, of the type he used to keep his school swimming kit in. Black, he remembered his Gran saying, goes with everything; could it go with Tansy’s Christmas party outfit? It was a good size, she could easily fit her purse and even her swimming kit in it. It was waterproof, which was also a bonus. He wondered if she would mind that it said ‘I Love Sport’ in red writing on it? Red was a very festive colour, and, he reasoned, she could always turn it inside out if she didn’t like that detail. Half an hour later, a triumphant Craig boarded the bus home carrying his brand new boots in Tansy’s bag. This Christmas, he thought, was going to be the best Christmas ever. By Jackie Brewster

Technology Review

How To Choose A New Camera More megapixels don’t always mean it’s worth more money

Stand-alone cameras have taken something of a battering in recent years, with smartphone manufacturers cramming ever more megapixels into their models. But even cutting-edge phones such as the iPhone 5s are limited in what they can do: there’s only so much room for a lens and sensor in a case that’s already packed with electronics - and of course they’re expensive too. Many stand-alone cameras can take much better pictures and shoot much better video, often for considerably less cash than even the cheapest cameratoting smartphones. There are five types of cameras to consider: compacts, which are pocket- and budget-friendly models that cost from less than £100 to around £200; superzooms, which have a clever lens capable of really impressive zoom levels and cost £250 to £350; compact system cameras, which have swappable lenses but which aren’t as big as digital SLR cameras and which start at around £400; and digital SLRs, which tend to be the biggest and most powerful models around and can cost anything from £300 to several thousand pounds. The fifth category is

stand-alone video cameras, which range from £100ish to over £1,000: many digital cameras do video too, but it isn’t their primary focus. No pun intended. No matter what kind of camera you’re looking at, you’ll see the same numbers again and again: the camera’s megapixels, the lens size, and the lens aperture range. You might think that the camera with the most megapixels is going to be the best, but that isn’t always the case: once you go beyond around 6 megapixels you won’t notice the difference on a TV screen or in a photo print, although the more megapixels you have the bigger the resulting images will be and the more hard disk space you’ll need to store them. The figure isn’t meaningless, but it isn’t the most important consideration. Aperture, which is expressed like this - “f/1.8” - matters more. The aperture tells you how much light the lens lets in, and the lower it is the better the camera will be in lower light such as when you’re taking shots in the evening or indoors. Some cameras can also compensate for low light problems with clever computer processing, such as Sony’s BIONZ system.

As you might expect, the Zoom numbers tell you how well the zoom lens works. On compact cameras that’s usually expressed as a multiple, such as 2x or 10x; a 10x zoom will be five times more powerful than a 2x one. Pay no attention to any “digital zoom” figures, because they’re rubbish: a digital zoom tries to copy an optical zoom lens by guessing what the image would look like, and the results can be pretty poor. On compact system cameras and digital SLRs the zoom is more likely to be expressed in millimetres, so for example an 18-55mm lens will do nice wide angle shots but can’t zoom in too far, whereas an 18-105mm lens will zoom much further (and cost a lot more). Video cameras add another set of numbers to think about: the resolution and the frame rate. If you want to record true, futureproof high definition video for playback on UK TVs you’ll need a camera that records at 1080p in the European PAL format, which has a frame rate of 24 frames per second. And remember to check that the camera’s chosen video recording format - such as MP4, AVCHD - is supported by your computer’s video editing software.

Travel

Colourful Grenada By Solange Hando Glowing like an emerald in the southern Caribbean, Grenada is small enough to drive around in a day but amazingly diverse, from the sheltered Caribbean coast in the west, fringed with white powdery sand, to the Atlantic shore on the eastern side and its sprinkling of volcanic beaches battered by Trade Winds. There are quiet bays, forests and mountains, blessed by blue skies and the occasional shower of ‘liquid sunshine’. The air smells of flowers and spice and the picturesque capital of St George’s comes straight out of a fairy tale. Basking on the west coast of this exotic English-speaking island, the town is laced with pastel-hued houses and quaint colonial dwellings clinging to luxuriant slopes. Fort George keeps watch on a rocky promontory, its old cannons pointing out to sea, an arduous climb on a sunny day but when you reach the windswept battlements festooned in valerian, the view takes your breath away, stretching over the hills, town and harbour, and along the coast meandering far into the distance. The capital has three harbours, none prettier than the horseshoe-shaped Carenage glinting with sails and water taxis waiting to

ferry beach lovers to the sweeping sands of Grand Anse across the bay. Later, there will be time to explore the West Indian market selling palm leaf hats, batik, sweet potatoes and spices along the shore or feast on fresh fish and traditional spinach-like callaloo soup in a cool waterside restaurant. Sweetcorn sizzles on roadside barbecues and church bells chime crystal clear as the last cruise ship sails into the sunset. You couldn’t dream of a better place to relax on a balmy evening, lulled by the beat of steel drums somewhere in the hills. One sixth of Grenada is preserved as nature parks and wildlife sanctuaries, where copper-coloured monkeys swing in the trees and the call of tropical birds echoes all around. At over 2000 feet, the vast crater lake of Grand Etang glistens right at the heart of the National Park, a land of deep gorges and lush mountains with flamboyant and rainbow trees, bamboo groves, babbling streams and spectacular waterfalls tumbling through tangled rainforest. Below these steamy highlands, mangos, oranges and papaya

grow on fertile slopes and nutmeg, the ‘black gold’ introduced by the British, leaves its scent wherever you go. It drifts around the hairpin bends, the telegraph poles painted red and green, the hamlets and their rickety wooden huts on stilts and the nostalgic plantation houses peeping through the trees among old sugar mills and sulphurous springs. Far below, the fishing fleet bobs at anchor in Gouyave and Levada beach awaits the return of breeding turtles. On the glass-bottom boats, wide-eyed visitors marvel at urchins, buttercup fish gleaming like gold, giant starfish, brightly-striped parrot fish and great clusters of underwater fern swaying in slow motion. On the secluded beach of La Sagesse, palms rustle in the breeze while the sun lights up Coral Cove and the lovely fjords indenting the south eastern shore. But most enticing of all are the tropical blooms, orchids, ginger lily, heliconia and many more splashing myriad scents and colours from shore to shore. It’s little wonder that in the past 15 years, Grenada has claimed as many medals, including ten gold, at the Chelsea Flower Show.

Puzzles, Quizzes & Cartoons Cartoon 1

Cartoon 2

Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Page

Cryptic Crossword Cryptic Crossword 1

10 11

13 14

18 19

22 23

Across 1 Apostle one depicted (6) 4 Damn – rotten launch! (5-3) 9 Secure first fellow like 10 (6) 10 Seeker of stories about ale (8) 12 Its population was tiny! (8) 13 Lack of initial depth to soil (6) 15 Playful king in a church (4) 16 Minor supervisor, perhaps (10) 19 Union given time, then torn into (10) 20 A genuine curtailed field (4) 23 Empty mug in Cyprus to fill (6) 25 Detain my form of explosive (8) 27 In a way toads lie apart (8) 28 A winding B-road on a craft (6) 29 Peculiar cat, lithe and fit (8) 30 Popular act, as expected (6)

©puzzlepress.co.uk

Down 1 Short man copied by a plant (7) 2 Put out of position when pedal disc moves (9) 3 Overseer facial feature? (6) 5 Keel over for vegetable (4) 6 Wild voles back in a country (8) 7 Swimmer, not terribly content (5) 8 Ludicrous ref hurt more (7) 11 Arab in sudoku waiting room (7) 14 ‘Worth’ is one of value! (7) 17 Bizarre rite meant to end (9) 18 Somehow triple an aircraft (8) 19 A fair old state! (7) 21 Den made out, then altered (7) 22 Motor good for such emissions? (6) 24 Fool going over hot material (5) 26 Half reversed in time, say (4)

Solution Copyright TIPSS 2013 Across: 1 Andrew, 4 Blast-off, 9 Fasten, 10 Reporter, 12 Lilliput, 13 Dearth, 15 Arch, 16 Babysitter, 19 Federation, 20 Area, 23 Occupy, 25 Dynamite, 27 Isolated, 28 Aboard, 29 Athletic, 30 Indeed.

Codeword CODEWORD Each letter in this puzzle is represented by a number between 1 and 26. The codes for three letters are shown. As you find the letters enter them in the box below.

8 6

19 17

12 1

19 11

14 25

8 7

10 21

7 4

8 8

1 10

21 3

7 20

8 9

17 4

25 15

16 25

5 23

25 25

18 3

General Knowledge Crossword Across 1. First James Bond film (2,2) 4. Cartoon character who eats spinach (6) 8. Pensive lyrical piece of music (8) 9. Gelling agent (4) 10. Former name of the Democratic Republic of Congo (5) 11. Breed of pigeon (7) 13. Showing extreme courage (6) 15. Citrus fruit (6) 17. Sing carols (7) 19. Short prayer of thanks before a meal (5) 22. Professional charges (4) 23. One who writes the words for songs (8)

General Knowledge Crossword 24. Puzzle formed of 1 2 3 4 5 6 many pieces (6) 25. Garden of Adam 7 and Eve (4) 8 9 Down 2. Dry red tableâ&#x20AC;Żwine from Spain (5) 10 11 3. Smallest of the Great Lakes (7) 12 4. Catherine ___, 13 14 15 16 Henry VIIIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sixth wife (4) 5. Game played with 17 18 19 20 young children (4-1-3) 21 6. Fungi used as an 22 23 agent for raising bread dough (5) 7. Decreasing in size 24 25 or extent (6) 12. Mythical warrior (6) 18. Rice and raw fish whose heel was wrapped in seaweed wounded by Paris 16. Small pouch projecting from the (5) (8) upper part of each 20. Hindu social class (5) 14. Substance atrium of the heart 21. Organised group of covering the (7) workmen (4) crown of a tooth

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Mini Cryptic Mini Cryptic Crossword Across 4. Hate seen in Arab horse (5) 7. Peruser of text reared up (6) 8. Vile sort of malice (4) 9. Place in Texas Ian found (4) 11. Decimal units sent round (4) 13. Meet back to swarm (4) 15. Look out for this timepiece (5) 16. Novel idea for a helper (4) 18. English study or garden (4) 20. Comes from Laos, too (4) 22. Tops up to a point (4) 23. Tablet chewed to produce conflict (6) 24. Tears about for a fixed look (5)

7 8 9 11

15 16

18 20

Down 1. Country formed from a Rio act (7) 2. Material saint made (5) 3. Wager with a Greek character (4) 5. Respire when herb tea is brewed (7) 6. Popeye’s fruity partner (5) 10. Locations, or spots, we hear (5) 12. Garment to perspire in? (7)

23 24

14. Time ran out for the mosque tower (7) 17. Contribution supplied by broken Russian

Sudoku - Easy

statesman (5) 19. Dealt out river mouth (5) 21. It’s spoken in Balmoral Castle (4)

Sudoku - Hard

Super Science Facts

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Hidato

Pictograms

HIDATO Starting at 1 and finishing at 34, track your way from one hexagon to another (touching) hexagon, placing consecutive numbers into the empty shapes as you go. Some numbers are already given.

Christmas Pictograms 2 words 25th 25th 25th 25th

December December December December

2011 2012 2013 2014

1 word

TASBRUNOTE 2 words TERRY PRATCHETT MICK JAGGER ELTON JOHN TIM BERNERS-LEE BRUCE FORSYTH CLIFF RICHARD IAN MCKELLEN FRANCIS DRAKE PAUL MCCARTNEY ALF RAMSAY CHRIS HOY IAN BOTHAM ©Puzzlepress.co.uk ©Puzzlepress.co.uk

Quiz 1 Christmas 1. Who played the title character in The Runaway Bride, the 2006 Doctor Who Christmas special? 2. Which “Santa” is the capital city of Tenerife? 3. In the song The Twelve Days Of Christmas, what is the first gift mentioned that involves humans? 4. In sport, what type of races are started using an electronic device known as a Christmas Tree because of all its coloured lights? 5. In 2004, Janette Tough was injured in a fall while performing in the pantomime Jack And The Beanstalk. What is her one word catchphrase? 6. According to the lyrics of the song Frosty The Snowman, what part of Frosty’s face was made from a button or buttons? His eyes, his nose or his mouth? 7. Over a number of years, who received a 50 pence piece, a toothpick and a tissue as Christmas presents from Mr and Mrs Dursley? 8. True or False... Tinsel was originally made from shreds of tin? 9. Where in London did Elisabeth Beresford take her children for a walk one Boxing Day when one of them pronounced the name of this place wrong, giving her the inspiration for a group of fictional characters? 10. In the film Gremlins, Randall Peltzer buys a Mogwai as a Christmas present for his son. What three rules is he told to abide by when looking after it?

Quiz 2 Robots Choosing from the list on the right, can you work out which films the robots on the left appear in?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

also available as a 2001: A Space Odyssey quarter page A.I. Artificial Intelligence

Sonny ED 209 Only Johnny Five for subsc Forbidden Planet ribers p a y i Gigolo Joe ng fo I, Robot r two o r Optimusm Prime Logan’s Run ore po s t c o d es Gort Robocop exclus ivity Eve Short Circuit Box The Day The Earth Stood Still HAL 9000 Transformers Robby the Robot WALL-E

Simple Crossword QUICK CROSSWORD

Across

1 Harbour (4)

3 Precious stones (8) 9 Implement (7)

10 Concur (5)

11 Produced (12)

14 Short sleep (3) 16 Coarse (5)

17 Pronoun (3)

18 Despite (12)

21 Modify (5) 23

22 Design (7) 23 Daily (8) 24 Musical instrument (4) Down 1 Imagining (8) 2 Wash (5) 4 Frozen water (3)

5 Sizes (12)

13 Pest (8)

6 CrĂŠche (7)

15 Make ready (7)

7 Vomit (4)

19 All (5)

8 Adequately (12)

20 Imitation (4)

12 Enumerate (5)

Spot the Difference

22 Vegetable (3)

Two Minute Trial

Word Ladder Word Ladder

E H T RAW

Change one letter at a time (but not the position of any letter) to make a new word - and move from the word at the top of the ladder to the word at the bottom, using the exact number of rungs provided.

You have two minutes to find all the words of three or more letters that can be made from the letters above. Plurals are allowed, proper nouns are not. The 6 letter word will always be just a normal everyday word.

F A L L

3 letters: 21 4 letters: 16 5 letters: 7 6 letters: 1

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D O W N

Wordsearch Christmas Angel Bells Camel Candy Cards Carol Comet Crib Cupid Dancer Dasher Dolls Elves Excited Gold

Holly Inn Ivy Lights Merry Myrrh Party Punch Sherry

Sing Sleigh Star Tinsel Toys Vixen Wreath

Find the names associated with christmas in the grid and the remaining letters will spell out a related phrase