By Christine Smith hen BBC newsreader Sophie Raworth crossed the Boston Marathon finish line last month, it was an emotional moment for her. Days earlier, her friend and colleague, George Alagiah (pictured inset right), had phoned to tell her the devastating news he had bowel cancer. Like any good friend, Sophie – who had also just completed the London Marathon – wanted to help and she decided to set about raising some money for him. “I did Boston for George,” she says as she settles down to chat over tea. “Two days before I flew to Boston, he phoned to tell me that he had cancer. It is such a horrible disease and I wanted to do something for him, then I came up with the idea of raising some money in his name. “I phoned to see how he felt about me doing it for him and he was so chuffed. I set up a charity page ‘For George’ and within a few days, I had raised more than £8000 for Cancer Research. I was so touched. People have been so generous. “Running Boston was tough. I had only just finished the London Marathon. It was hot and hilly but doing the race for George made it far more emotional. When I got to 20 miles, I was in agony. It really hurt but I kept thinking about George and it got me to the end. He has read all the messages people have left and has been so touched. He is a strong person and I want to keep my page open for people still to donate (www. justgiving.com/sophieraworth).” Running marathons since
W
Sophie with fellow Chelsea presenters Monty Don (left) and Joe Swift YOURS
EVERY FORTNIGHT
‘I ran the marathon for George’ BBC presenter Sophie Raworth – set to present coverage of this year’s Chelsea Flower Show – chats about family, running, and her friend and colleague George Alagiah’s battle with cancer
the age of 40 has changed Sophie’s life. “I haven’t had a single cold since I started running marathons,” she adds. “I feel better and healthier and it’s a lovely thing to have in your life. I started because I wanted to do some exercise, now I’m addicted! I love it.” Laughing now, she admits to feeling very bemused when a marshal tried to stop her from finishing this year’s London Marathon when he claimed she wasn’t wearing the correct number. “I was 400m from the finish,” she recalls. “It was a surreal moment; I probably stopped for 30 seconds but that was it. I wanted to keep going!” Would she ever consider running back-to-back marathons like some
people do? “Funnily enough, I was watching a documentary about the Marathon Des Sables, six marathons in six days,” explains Sophie. “One of my children said ‘mummy you aren’t going to do this are you?!’ That would be a real challenge but no, I am not! There is something about pushing yourself. People tell me I am competitive but I’m not. I just like competing against myself.” It’s not just running that Sophie finds relaxing. Gardening is also a big passion and it’s the reason why she is so excited to be presenting BBC1’s coverage of this year’s Chelsea Flower Show. “It’s wonderful to be doing Chelsea and something so different
‘Gardening is something I have grown up with. It’s a fantastic way of switching off and I find it very therapeutic’
A good sport: Sophie loves the challenge of marathon running
to the news. My family has always been interested in gardening. My grandparents had fantastic gardens and my parents open their gardens up to the public,” explains the 45-yearold star. “Gardening is a fantastic way of switching off and I find it very therapeutic. There are a lot of new gardeners going to Chelsea for the first time this year and it will be a big occasion for them. I am hoping to get massive inspiration myself for my own garden, too!” The contrast of Chelsea and anchoring either the Six or Ten O’ Clock News is perfect for Sophie, who still gets the same big adrenaline rush from working on the news bulletins she first did after starting at the BBC more than 20 years ago. “I love the team, I love the process and it’s my job to make sure everything runs smoothly,” she says. “You do get very involved. We are
writing headlines up until the last minute and I really enjoy the editorial sessions. It’s good to have that fission. I tend to come in about five hours before the bulletins start and I love being in the newsroom.” She is highly regarded by the BBC and it’s Sophie who is often turned to for presenting duties on big state occasions such as the Royal Wedding. “That was a proud moment,” she admits. “There we were at Westminster Abbey and I just had to pinch myself.” Sophie is a very inspirational person. She makes everything look so easy. Calm, fun and very likeable, she readily admits her life can be very manic as she juggles her news and presenting duties with life at her London home she shares with her husband, Richard, whom she married in 2003, and their three children, Ella (10), Georgia, (9), and Oliver (6).
“Sometimes I have to think in hourly slots,” she chuckles as she reflects on her hectic plate-juggling. “I am very busy but I feel lucky to be doing so many different things. I get to spend a lot of time with the children too and am often able to do the school run.” Is she ambitious still? She laughs. “No not at all, I never wanted to be on telly and that is the irony of it all! I had no plans. From the age of 16, I knew I wanted to work in the media behind the scenes. I did lots of producing and I got some lucky breaks. I do love the live day-today news. “Would I like to do Strictly Come Dancing? No! I like watching it but I wouldn’t be very good.” She wishes, however, her grandfather had lived long enough to see her succeed. “I was shy when I was 18,” she explains. “I wish I’d had more confidence. I never thought I would be on TV. I had a wonderful grandfather who died when I was 24. I wish he had been around, as he would have been amazed. But I suppose most teenagers are shy. I really found my feet in my 40s. I do have more confidence now and I like to get on with it all. It’s good to push yourself and that is how you get rewards.” Looking far younger than her 45 years, Sophie puts her slim figure down to running but she hopes her mother’s genes will stand her in good stead. “Mum is 71 now and she looks fabulous. I cling on to the hope I have got her genes! She is amazing. “We are all very family orientated and I see my parents about three times a week.” Her next big goal is to run faster. “You meet so many inspirational people when you are out running,” she says. “I would love to run the London marathon faster. I love doing what I do – and keeping busy…” ✢ Coverage of Chelsea runs from Sunday May 18 to Sunday May 25 on both BBC1 and BBC2. Sophie will bring reports of the day’s events at 7.30pm on the Monday and Friday night. YOURS
EVERY FORTNIGHT
15
PICS: BBC PICTURES; GLENN DEARING/BBC; NICK SAVAGE/ALAMY
❙ star chat ❙
By Valery McConnell ixty years ago, the Swizzells sweet company tried out a new variety, Love Heart rolls, in their special Christmas Crackers. They were such a success that the fizzy sweets with their fun messages became permanent, selling at 3d a pack. Generations of children have been in love with Love Hearts ever since – a sculpture of a Love Heart was placed in the ill-fated Millennium Dome as it was seen as such an icon of the 20th Century. When Princess Diana visited the factory in June 1991, the company produced a special limited edition of Love Hearts, with sweets that read, Prince William, Prince Harry, Princess of Wales and Prince of Wales. Love Hearts have survived to become a sugary classic; but they’re not the oldest sweets on the block by a long chalk... Rowntree’s Fruit Pastilles have been sold since 1881, although these days the original Quakerfamily company is owned by Nestlé. (Which, if you are over 50 you pronounce Nestle’s, to rhyme with vessels, having no truck with the fancy French pronounciation used today.) Although the adverts claimed, ‘You can’t help but chew’, they were great if you wanted to have a contest with your sibling to see whose Fruit Pastille could last the longest. Of course, the best sweet for that was a Rowntree’s Fruit Gum – which first appeared in 1893. Their famous slogan “Don’t forget the Fruit Gums, Mum” – was invented back in 1958. But if you are reading this
S
18
YOURS
EVERY FORTNIGHT
A quarter of sugar-coated memories, please… Love Hearts celebrate their 60th birthday this year, so what better excuse to remember the sweet treats of our youth?
and saying to yourself, “no it was Chum, not Mum” that’s because Rowntree’s decided to change it in 1961 as they became sensitive to accusations of ‘pester power’ and didn’t want the nation’s mothers disapproving of them as a brand.
As many a gran knows, 21st Century parents disapprove of sweets – sugar is the enemy! But when we were young and endearments weren’t easily come by, a sweet treat could represent what words couldn’t. In his 2012 TV programme, Life is Sweets, chef Nigel Slater told of how, after his mother died when he was nine his father took to leaving a marshmallow on his bedside table every night. They were, he said, the closest to a goodnight kiss his father could manage. No wonder, as Nigel said, “something as simple as a sweet can help us time travel so
Spangles were popular because they only required one ration point whereas most other sweets took two
❙ fond memories ❙
evocatively”. And that applies especially to the ones that got away. Spangles, which came top in a recent survey of sweets you most missed, were introduced when sweets were still on ration (they didn’t come off until 1953). Made by Mars, Spangles were popular because they only required one ration point, whereas most sweets took two. Spangles disappeared in 1984
and despite a brief revival in the Nineties, never made it back. Can’t you just feel one in your mouth now, putting your tongue in that little depression in the middle? Say Treets – and automatically up pops the slogan, ‘Melts in your mouth, not in your hand’. Peanut Treets were the first, and best, followed by Toffee Treets (not great) and All Chocolate Treets (not bad). Treets disappeared in 1988 – and I’m sorry but Minstrels and M&Ms are just not the same. Remember Payne’s Toffets? The wonderful red cardboard boxes, in which the sweets rattled enticingly, the chocolate satisfyingly thick around the toffee inside. And best of all, you could get them in vending machines, priced 6d. (If you are one of the naughty ones who can remember how to knobble the machine to get more than one packet out, shame on you.) Who recalls the orange wrapper of a Cadbury’s Bar Six? The packaging says Seventies as surely as a space-hopper. Those six sticks of caramel-flavoured wafer covered in chocolate could be shared among more people than a Kit Kat, but disappeared from view in the Eighties, never to return. Fry’s chocolate, now part of the
Cadbury’s group, always seemed a bit more sophisticated than some of the others. And a Fry’s Five Centres bar was almost as good as having your own box of chocolates with gooey fondant centres including lime and raspberry. Fry’s did muck about with it though, changing from plain to milk chocolate, changing the wrapper, the flavours – sometimes coffee, sometimes pineapple and at one point even calling it Medley. No wonder it didn’t survive beyond 1992. They had the sense though not to muck about with their Chocolate Cream – first launched in 1866 and still around today. Retro sweet shops, selling ‘quarters’ of old favourites like Rhubarb and Custard and Lemon Sherberts have sprung up in many a High Street, catering to our longing for the tastes of our youth. Although sweet cigarettes and tobacco will never return, we can try Black Jacks, Fruit Salads, Parma Violets and Pineapple Chunks – although these days it’s not so much fillings, as chipping the weak enamel on our ageing teeth that we risk. But is it worth it to be back in the days of four for a penny chews and halfpenny liquorice twists? You betcha! ✢ Tell us about your favourite sweetie memories – and what you’d love to bring back. Contact details on page three. YOURS
EVERY FORTNIGHT
19
PICS: ROBERT OPIE, ALAMY, SHUTTERSTOCK, REX FEATURES, ALAMY; ADVERTISING ARCHIVES; SHUTTERSTOCK
WE ASKED THE YOURS FACEBOOK GROUP: What chocolate treat would you like to bring back? Sylvia Edwards: The old flavours in Cadbury’s Milk Tray Irene Rea: Dark and Light Mars Bars Debbie Lett: Fry’s Chocolate Cream with fruit flavours and the coconut, peanut and turkish delight ones in a Revels bag Helen Baldwin MacCallum: I loved the Aztec chocolate bars
HEALTH &
vitality
7 ways to…
better sleep Our safe, natural ideas can help you drift off to dreamland By Martine Gallie
1Be active
Research suggests that regular aerobic exercise such as walking, cycling, dancing or swimming helps you fall asleep faster, enjoy deeper sleep and wake up less often during the night. There’s also some evidence that regular exercise can help to ease restless legs, a condition that causes an irresistible urge to move your legs and which often strikes during the night. But try not to exercise within two hours of your bedtime as this could make it harder to drop off, not easier. 46
YOURS
EVERY FORTNIGHT
a little help from nature 2Get
While sleeping tablets are only effective in the short term, natural alternatives can offer safe, long-term support with sleep problems. You may like to try Melissa Dream™ (£7.99 for 20 tablets), developed by New Nordic, which contains a range of bioactive micronutrients and herbal extracts, including lemon balm and chamomile extracts to promote restful sleep, plus Vitamin B complex and magnesium to support the nervous system. Visit www. new nordic. co.uk
regular 3Stay
Your waking and sleeping hours are controlled by a built-in timer called the circadian cycle. The more you stay in sync with this cycle, the better you tend to feel (that’s why jet lag makes us feel so awful). Research shows that people who have regular sleep and waking times are less likely to experience insomnia, and also depression. To encourage good sleep, experts recommend you stick to the same sleep and waking times each day, even at weekends or if you have had a late night or a poor night’s sleep.
4See the light
One of the main things that keeps your circadian cycle regular is the action of daylight on your brain via your eyes. Exposure to light during the day keeps you feeling alert and awake, while the darkness of night makes you feel sleepy. This effect is so powerful that, when researchers exposed volunteers to lights at different times of the day, their body clocks altered to fit the new light pattern. Making sure you get out into the daylight each day, and keeping lights low before bedtime will encourage a healthy night’s sleep. It’s also why keeping your bedroom dark at night is so important.
a sleep haven 5Create
Your bedroom should be cool, dark and quiet and you should only use it for sleeping and sex. Thick curtains could help to reduce both light and sound, or think about installing double-glazing if noise from the street is a problem. Heavy rugs and carpets will help to absorb sound too, or consider wearing earplugs. Make sure your bedroom is cool and remove all electrical equipment, such as computers, televisions and phones, to help cut down stimulation and create a peaceful sanctuary for sleep.
The truth about
sugar
ing too much Lots of us are eat lly harmful of it – but is it rea lth? hea to our newspapers
under fire in the claiming its Sugar has been campaigners g recently, with health are similar to tobacco. Amon effects on our healthtoo much sugar has been ses including other things, eating s age-related disea cancers. So seriou with linked e and some
If you tend to be wakeful at night, don’t just lie there – do something! Spending too much time lying awake in bed at night simply trains you to associate your bed with wakefulness, say sleep experts. Instead, if you are awake for more than 15 minutes, get up and do something relaxing, such as reading or listening to music. If worries are keeping you awake at night, write them down – they’ll keep till the morning.
If you tend to be wakeful at night, don’t just lie there – do something!
7Nap wisely
In later life we tend to sleep more lightly and wake more often during the night. Daytime snoozes can be a useful way to make up for lost sleep, but there are a few simple rules to follow. If possible, try to nap at the same time every day, ideally just after lunch. People who nap later in the day tend to fall into a deeper sleep, which can disrupt nighttime sleep. For the same reason, it’s best not to sleep for more than an hour. Even 15-20 minutes of shut-eye can be enough to refresh you.
Missed our feature on... the sugar debate
Read it now at
❙ yours promotion ❙ Nature’s sleep cure If you’re looking for a gentle alternative to sleeping tablets, New Nordic has developed an allnatural aid for sleep problems. Melissa Dream™ is a natural remedy based on plant extracts that can help maintain restful sleep and support the normal functioning of the nervous system. Melissa Dream™ (£7.99 for 20 tablets), which is made in Sweden, contains a unique combination of bioactive micronutrients and herbal extracts to help promote restful sleep and focus the mind. It includes calming lemon balm extract, L-theanine amino acid, chamomile extract, Vitamin B complex and magnesium. The B vitamins contribute to normal psychological and nervous system function, while the lemon balm leaves and chamomile flowers are carefully selected, dried and extracted in order to preserve their healing powers and guarantee high quality. Lemon balm in particular is well known for its calming effects, allowing you to relax before bed and wake refreshed after a good night’s sleep. Simply take two tablets one hour before bedtime. ✢ Find out more at www.newnordic.co.uk Food supplements are intended to supplement the diet and should not be a substitute for a varied diet or healthy lifestyle. Do not exceed the stated dose. Caution: Seek professional advice before using if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Warning: Not suitable for children under 12 years of age. Keep out of reach of children.
✢ NEXT ISSUE How to make your medicines more effective
www.yours.co.uk
YOURS
EVERY FORTNIGHT
47
PICS: ALAMY; MASTERFILE; REX FEATURES; ISTOCK PHOTO & SHUTTERSTOCK
6
Get up and do something
Good to KNOW... | IT’S A FACT | Don’t expect a gift when friends go on holiday! 45 per cent of holidaymakers spend less than £50 on souvenirs, while a frugal few (7 per cent) don’t buy keepsakes.
GREENWATCH
Get your garden in shape
Use coffee grounds in your garden as a cat and slug repellent. Plants that like acidic conditions thrive on coffee grounds, too.
Use toilet rolls or egg boxes as planters for seedlings, as they protect delicate roots and are biodegradable.
1
2
Budget beaters
£646
is how much
families save by holidaying during the school term. Some 23 per cent of parents say it’s cheaper to pay fines – £60 per child – than go away during school breaks.
£1m prizes per month, rather than one, starting from August’s prize draw. The current odds of scooping the jackpot are one in 47 billion.
WATCHING THE
| DID YOU KNOW? |
The maximum amount you can save in Premium Bonds will be lifted from £30,000 to £40,000 on June 1, and £50,000 in 2015. NS&I will offer two
PENNIES HOW TO...
TRACE FORGOTTEN PENSIONS The number of people tracing lost pension pots is at a four-year high. “Nowadays people hold jobs with several employers and it’s easy to lose track, especially when companies merge or are rebranded,” says Carolyn Saunders at law firm Pinsent Masons. The Government’s free Pension Tracing Service (PTS) helps more than 100,000 people a year to find workplace and personal pensions. One in five people who use the service find a pension worth an average of £1,900 or £16 a week, and seven per cent received a lump sum in excess of £20,000. ✢ Contact the PTS on 0845 600 2537, www.gov.uk/find-lost-pension
66
YOURS
EVERY FORTNIGHT
f
ga F s ask
Ask Michael for less: Get free plants, pots, greenhouses and garden equipment using Freecycle or Facebook selling pages, or simply by asking around.
3
Cut the bottom off a washed plastic milk container to create a handy compost scoop when planting up pots and baskets.
4
✁ Source: www.nectar.com/savvy
CASH SAVER
Meet our expert
A new NS&I Pensioner Bond for people aged 65plus will be introduced in January. It’s expected a maximum of £10,000 can be saved into each bond and rates will be 2.8% for a one-year bond and 4% on a three-year bond – attractive compared to current best buys. Details will be finalised in the autumn statement.
Best buy 2 NIGHTS
£117
FOR TWO
Budapest is the cheapest city break destination with a two-night trip for two costing £117. A cup of coffee in the Hungarian capital is just £1.15, while a three-course meal for two with wine costs £25.65. The 2 NIGHTS most expensive city is historic Boston, USA, FOR TWO costing a budgetbusting £412.
£412
| IT’S A FACT |
CASH IN THE ATTIC Established in the ‘pottery state’ of Ohio, USA, the Roseville Pottery Company initially made utilitarian wares. The company VALUE produced its first pottery D AT range, Rozane, in 1900 but by 1908 demand for pricey hand-decorated pottery had declined and Roseville turned to massproduced moulded ranges with flower and leaf motifs. Notable designers included Frederick Hurten Rhead and Frank Ferrell. The company closed in 1954. Ranges in popular styles, including Art Deco and well-decorated designs, are in demand. Shapes and colours affect value and cracks can devalue a piece by half. This Roseville Sunflower pattern wall pocket 19cm high (7.5in) is valued at £450-£550.
£450 - £550
How to... haggle
Everyone loves ae’s how bargain – so her right ng or even down to bag one! per year, it daunting, embarrassi
ge of £1,00 0 unt might seem Asking for a disco discover you could save an avera e with £5 saved here ng up your incom There’s no shame rude, but when you more tempting. Toppi nce over time. suddenly seems can make a big differe and £20 saved thered ki for a fairer
Missed our feature on... haggling?
Fancy a bargain biscuit? Taste-test winners Tower Gate Chocolate Digestives, from Lidl, are just 59p per pack – a third of the cost of brand leader, McVitie’s
Michael Wilson is a consumer champion and runs the Insurance Complaints Bureau. He can be contacted on mjw@ insurance-complaints.co.uk
Q. I understand new rules for ISAs are being introduced as from July 1. I currently have separate ISAs, one for cash and the other for stocks and shares. They are with different companies. Should I combine them? Michael says: The current rules for ISAs are far too complicated in my view, so I welcome the new breed called NISAs (New Individual Savings Accounts). As from July 1, you are able to invest up to £15,000 in the current tax year – but you are not allowed to top up previous years’ savings. The separate limits concerning how much you can invest in cash or stocks and shares has been abolished, so you can now invest in any combination. As you already have two accounts, there is no particular need to combine them. One of the new rules is that you can now transfer stocks and shares into cash within the same account. This might be a useful option if you have plans for using the cash and don’t want to risk the value falling just at the point you need it. Now you can combine cash with stocks and shares in one account, you might prefer to have just one account in the next tax year starting April 2015. However, it’s possible that NISAs designed specifically for cash deposits will provide a better interest rate compared to cash held in a stocks and shares NISA. ✢ If you have a query about your finances, write to Michael at the address on p3. We love to receive your questions, but can’t promise to reply to all correspondence
✢ NEXT ISSUE Transferring money abroad, and endowment complaints
Visit
www.yours.co.uk
YOURS
EVERY FORTNIGHT
67
WORDS: SARAH JAGGER. BEFORE MAKING ANY FINANCIAL DECISIONS, IT’S ALWAYS WISE TO CONSULT AN AUTHORISED PROFESSIONAL ADVISER PICS: SHUTTERSTOCK; ALAMY; REX FEATURES; GETTY IMAGES
e
Five seasonal
Salads
Salmon, Beetroot and Asparagus Salad with Horseradish Dressing Horseradish is the perfect flavour kick with salmon and asparagus Preparation time: 5-10 minutes Cooking time: 5 minutes
■ 125g (4oz) asparagus tips ■ 135g (41/4oz) watercress and salad leaves ■ 100g (31/2oz) smoked salmon 90
YOURS
■ 2 cooked beetroot dipped in vinegar (not pickled), cut into eighths ■ Black pepper to season ■ 1 lemon, juiced
EVERY FORTNIGHT
Easy but special ideas, to make your table sing!
Serves Per serving 2 175 cals
Fat 7.1g
Sat fat 3.3g
Dressing ■ 3 tbsp horseradish cream ■ 2 tbsp natural yogurt ■ 1 tsp white wine vinegar 1. Put the asparagus in a pan of boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, place the salad leaves and
watercress onto small plates and lay over the smoked salmon. 3. Add the beetroot, then the asparagus (drained). 4. Finally, mix the dressing ingredients together and drizzle over your salad with lots of black pepper. Finish with the lemon juice. © www.lovebeetroot.co.uk
FOOD
notes
Strawberry, Pomegranate, Fennel, Radish and Mint Salad
Serves 4
Per serving 240 cals
Fat 17g
Sat fat 1.4g
These fruity flavours balance well with feta cheese Preparation time: 15 minutes
■ 250g (8oz) strawberries ■ 2 heads fennel ■ 100g (31/2oz) spring onions ■ 250g (8oz) radishes ■ 100g (31/2oz) pomegranate seeds ■ Small handful of mint, roughly chopped ■ 150g (5oz) crumbled feta cheese Dressing ■ 50ml (2fl oz) olive oil ■ Squeeze of lemon juice ■ 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses ■ Salt and pepper
the fennel very thinly – with a mandoline or sharp knife. Finely slice the spring onions and the radishes. 2. Mix the strawberries, fennel, spring onions, pomegranate seeds and radishes together with the mint, in a bowl. 3. In a separate bowl, mix all the salad dressing ingredients. Season to taste. Pour over the salad and stir well. 4. Sprinkle the dressed salad with crumbled feta and serve while still cool and firm.
1. Hull and dice the strawberries, then slice
© Sophie Michel, www. sweetevestrawberry.co.uk
Poached Chicken, Watercress and Olive Salad A tasty salad with mild and creamy goat’s curd Preparation time: 10 minutes
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
2 poached chicken breasts 1 fennel bulb 2 sticks celery (from the heart) 1 head radicchio 50g (2oz) watercress
Serves 4
Per serving 207 cals
Fat 12.5g
Sat fat 2.9g
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Salt and pepper Juice of 1 lemon 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 150g (5oz) goat’s curd (see below) 20 or so small black olives, pitted
1. Once the cooked chicken is cool, shred into long strips by hand. 2. Discard any tough outer leaves from the fennel. Slice the bulb as finely as possible, and do the same with the celery heart. Separate the leaves from the radicchio and tear into bite-size pieces. 3. Place the watercress, chicken and vegetables in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper then add the lemon juice and olive oil. Toss together lightly. 4. Arrange on plates before spooning over the goat’s curd. Scatter olives on top to serve. © Skye Gyngell, www.watercress.co.uk
How to make goat’s curd: Heat 250ml (8fl oz) goat’s milk to 25°C/77°F. Stir in 2 tbsp lemon juice. Cover the pan and set aside for 2 hours at room temperature. Line a colander with muslin or a clean cloth and pour in the mixture. Gather and tie the cloth together, then allow whey to filter through. Transfer curds to a bowl, add salt to taste and chill until ready to serve. Makes approximately 150ml (5fl oz). YOURS
EVERY FORTNIGHT
91
mfrom y lessons life… Still touring at 70, and with 300 million records sold, Julio Iglesias tells Yours he would die if he gave up singing ✢ I have to sing
✢ Wisdom comes with age Proud dad: with three of his children in the Eighties
✢ Family is very important to me I love all my kids. They are all great (Julio has eight children, including Spanish singer/songwriter Enrique ).
✢ Passion is vital Any success I have had in my life always depends on the passion inside me. You can be a great writer or maybe a great singer, but if you have no passion there, nobody will read your work or listen to you.
✢ I need people The best doctor I’ve ever had in my life is people. I would not be a singer at my age if people did not give me love and strength and I am grateful for that. When I go on stage I only answer to the people and I enjoy that. To be somebody who can communicate with others is something special.
Age is magnificent for the brain; not so for the body! I am lucky I am a very healthy guy but I’m always happy when I wake up in the morning to be still alive.
✢ Life is an opportunity to find many things I wasn’t born a singer. I was a goalkeeper for a good team (Julio played for Real Madrid) but I had an accident at 20 (he couldn’t walk for two years after damaging his spine). But I understood myself when I was playing a guitar so I started to make music. I won a contest and decided to try to be a better singer. I don’t know if I became a good one, but for sure I am a good artiste.
✢ Life’s unfair but also mysterious Life is not very just at all. I believe we live in a world that does not believe in the same proportions for everyone. But I believe that sometimes there is a moment of grace that comes from nowhere. Maybe we can’t explain why. ✢ Julio Iglesias album 1 The Collection is out on May 19 on Sony Music. ✢ Currently on a world tour, visit www. julioiglesias. com for details. ✢ He was speaking to Carole Richardson.
✢ It’s good to go back
WHAT MADE YOU WHO YOU ARE TODAY?
To return to places as an artiste is the biggest privilege ever. I have played the UK fifty times now and I am coming back again as part of the world tour. That is exciting for me.
An iron discipline. You can have a lot of talent and if you don’t use it, it won’t work for you. My father (also called Julio, pictured) was an incredible pro (his father became one of the youngest gynaecologists in Spain) and my mama was a great mama. They were a great example.
146
YOURS
EVERY FORTNIGHT
PICS: GETTY IMAGES; REX FEATURES; TV TIMES/SCOPE FEATURES.COM
I sing because if not, I would die. When I am on stage my heart is stronger, my blood runs faster and I am 25 years old again. It is not about money because I make more from my other business (Julio also owns several hotel complexes). I sing because I love to sing.