‘I’ve discovered t of true hap p Joanna Lumley – set to guest star in a one-off Jonathan Creek special – reveals what matters most, plus the truth behind that DiCaprio kiss! By Angela Hagan oanna Lumley has been busier than ever recently – you’ll see her in the long-awaited new Jonathan Creek special over Easter and in a major Hollywood film with Leo DiCaprio later this year. But she reveals that nothing gives her more pleasure than being with her beloved grandchildren. The 66-year-old relishes her moments with Alice (9), and Emily (7), daughters of her son James and his wife Louise. “I just adore being a grandmother,” says Joanna. “It’s wonderful spending time with them; I’m never happier. Something happens when your grandchildren are born and you realise they’re yours. It’s like they’re your own but you’ve leapfrogged a generation and become far more patient than when you were a busy young mother. When you’re working you don’t have time to lie on the ground for two hours pretending a toy soldier is going to capture a leaf, but now I could do it for days.” Joanna, who had her son with Joanna with Jonathan photographer Creek guest star Rik Michael Mayall, Alan Davies Claydon and Sheridan Smith
J
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❙ star chat ❙
d the secret p piness’ Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street alongside Hollywood heartthrob Leo DiCaprio. Earlier this year, a photo of them kissing on set was in all the papers. Joanna laughs, “Oh Leo’s a darling boy. We did kiss, but I was playing his aunt so it wasn’t what you think. He’s very courteous and a real gentleman.” Joanna is in incredibly good shape – what’s her secret? “I just rush around and walk up stairs and escalators,” she says. “And I don’t do anything to excess. I tend to avoid white wine as it makes
Joanna and husband Stephen Barlow with grandchildren Emily and Alice and right, that kiss with dashing Leo DiCaprio
‘Something happens when you become a grandparent’ my face puffy. I use Astral cream and I take Imedeen anti-ageing tablets for my skin and have done for at least 15 years. There are no real tricks, I just do everything in moderation. And of course I’m a vegetarian, which I think helps.” In between her working life and being a hands-on granny, Joanna, born in Kashmir to a Major in the 6th Gurkha Rifles, also does an awful lot of charity work and her support can be incredibly powerful. Her campaign for retired Gurkhas meant they won full settlement rights in this country. Recently she’s turned her attention to saving the planet in a joint recycling initiative between Marks and Spencer and Oxfam. “People can take their old clothes to M&S and they will give them straight to Oxfam who
either recycle, resell, or reuse them. Three million garments have already been swapped and made Oxfam £1.8 million. Even a pair of your husband’s evil old socks with holes can be used as padding in bedding. Nothing is wasted,” she says. Joanna’s energy is infectious, she’s like a one woman whirlwind of action – just like her first TV character Purdey, only a bit older and wiser – and she refuses to dwell on ageing. “I’ve never minded getting older and I’m not fearful about getting something ghastly,” she says. “I can’t live like that. I just get on with things. And I spend as much time as I can with my grandchildren, they always make me smile!” ✢ Jonathan Creek is on BBC1 this Easter. YOURS
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PIC: JOHN ROGERS/BBC PUBLICITY; PACIFIC COAST NEWS; IDS; CAMERA PRESS
in the Sixties, admits it’s a far cry from her days as a single struggling mum when she was starting her career. “Like any working parent the difficulty was in both working and being a parent,” says Joanna, who started out as a model for designer Jean Muir in the Sixties before getting her first big break in 1976 in The New Avengers as actiongirl Purdey. “On the Avengers, we were filming all the time so in the holidays James came to the set, or stayed with friends or with my parents,” she recalls. “It was a juggle but everyone has that, not just single parents.” Being a grandmother hasn’t slowed her down; her incredible career, spanning five decades, seems to go from strength to strength and she recently won a Lifetime Achievement gong at the National TV Awards. Now she’s in a one-off special of Jonathan Creek, enticingly called The Clue of the Savant’s Thumb. “I’m so excited about it,” she says, “it was an honour to be asked.” Joanna appears alongside Jonathan Creek stars Alan Davies and Sheridan Smith, who plays his side-kick, Joey Ross. Young Ones stars Rik Mayall and Nigel Planer also make guest appearances. The drama centres on a secret society and reports of supernatural activity in a girls’ boarding school. Joanna plays Rosalind Tartikoff, who’s still haunted by memories of strange events that took place there. “It’s a great story and such a joy to be part of,” she says. Joanna also stars on the big screen later this year in Martin
17
Style
How to get the most…
notes
✢Our expert, Leo Bancroft, is an award-winning hairdresser and ITV1’s resident expert. Leo owns a luxury salon and his range of hair care products is sold exclusively at Tesco.
from your
hairdresser Choosing a new stylist needn’t be a leap of faith with our essential guide
By Beauty Editor, Michelle Nightingale ou should leave the hairdresser feeling a million dollars, but if you and your hair are left feeling a little flat, don’t be afraid to speak up and make sure you get the results you want. These are our tips for making sure your visit is the treat it should be.
Y
by recommendation 1Go
Ask friends and family members (whose hair you admire) where they have their hair done. If you have had bad experiences in the past it might help to take a friend who you know will be completely honest.
2Book a consultation
The easiest way to find a good salon is to book a consultation without committing to actually having your hair done. “Most salons will accommodate and a consultation is the best way to find out whether they can offer the service and results you’re looking for,” says celebrity hairdresser Leo Bancroft. “Straight away you will get a clear indication of whether the hairdresser understands and listens to you.” If you don’t like what you hear then it might not be
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the salon for you. Also, by talking through your requirements while your hair is dry, your hairdresser will be able to assess your hair type and see how you usually style it.
3Take in a picture
“This is so important, particularly when trying out a new salon,” says Leo. “A picture will enable your hairdresser to understand instantly what you want to achieve. Whether we can do it or not is irrelevant – at least we understand your expectations and can be clear about what’s achievable.” Even if your stylist can’t achieve the results you want
in one session it will give them something to work towards in the future. Always be realistic and keep in mind that celebrity locks are tamed regularly by personal stylists and probably have added extensions for volume.
the most of your consultation 4Make
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Listen to advice
If you trust your hairdresser knows what they are talking about then make sure you do listen to their suggestions. Try not to be disappointed if they attempt to dissuade you from a particular style. Be sensible and realistic about what’s achievable, both in the salon and when you get home. We all need hair that is manageable when we style it ourselves.
Most importantly, be yourself. “Take pictures and ask questions about the differences between your hair and the model or Make a note celebrity in the picture. If you have a new colour Consider whether you and love the result, ask Leo’s dos feel the hairdresser your hairdresser Do take a picture understands what to write down Do be yourself you’re saying the details for Do ask questions and whether you. Most Do trust you like them,” salons will says Leo. As automatically and don’ts simple as it keep this Don’t put your guard up sounds, it’s information Don’t skip the consultation really important on your file, Don’t let them do all to get on well with but it will save a the talking your hairdresser – lot of guesswork after all, the fate of your next time you make an hair lies in their hands. appointment if you also have the details to hand.
8
Be inspired…
Twiggy – flattering layers and a soft fringe make this a winner
Judi Dench – a short, soft pixie crop that oozes elegance
Lulu – a textured style give some extra volume
Dawn French – a sleek bob with serious shine – and attitude
Don’t let hairdressing lingo put you off and don’t be tempted to try to use it yourself when describing what you want as there’s the danger you will ask for the wrong thing! “You’d need to learn for months to grasp some of the words and terminology that we use between each other,” says Leo. “A good, experienced hairdresser will always explain things clearly and if they do use terms you don’t understand, make sure you ask them to explain.”
ask questions 6Always
“By asking questions you’ll always get the best from your hairdresser,” says Leo. And don’t be afraid to keep on asking questions if you have any doubts.
››
The thought of speaking out might make you cringe, but if you don’t like what you see, don’t just grin and bear it. “If you have had a good consultation with the right stylist this will never happen, but if it does you must say so,” warns Leo. “Likewise, always keep in mind that it might be the finish you don’t like and not the haircut.” Either way, don’t leave the salon until you’re completely happy with what you see when the stylist holds up the mirror for your final approval.
Now visit www.yours.co.uk for more beauty tips and advice
››
Natasha Kaplinsky – low maintenance and youthful flicks
BEAUTY EDITOR’S
choice
Next issue: Our beauty testers put BB creams under the spotlight YOURS
Helen Mirren – we love this mid-length bob which is grownup and universally flattering
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PICS: REX FEATURES; ISTOCK PHOTO; BRIAN ARIS; CORBIS; ITV AND ARCHANT
5Forget salon-speak 9Speak up
HEALTH &
vitality Expert advice and effective new techniques could help you break free of insomnia f you regularly suffer with wakeful nights, you are not alone. About ten per cent of us suffer with insomnia, which is defined as having trouble sleeping at least three times a week for at least a month. “Women report it more than men and it’s more common in older people,” says Professor Kevin Morgan, of the Clinical Sleep Research Unit. “As we age our sleep becomes shorter, lighter and more fragmented and we tend to express increasing dissatisfaction with it.” Insomnia is not about how long we sleep. After all, some of us – such as Margaret Thatcher – positively thrive on four hours a night. It’s more about how we perceive the quality of our sleep and how we feel during the day. Frequent disturbed nights leave us feeling overwhelmed with
I
Sleep BETTER tonight! Meet our experts Professor Kevin Morgan is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Clinical Sleep Research Unit at Loughborough University.
Dr Hugh Selsick is a psychiatrist in the Sleep Disorders Centre at Guy’s Hospital and has a special interest in insomnia.
fatigue, irritable and unable to concentrate properly. If you go to your GP, you may be prescribed sleeping tablets. “Sleeping tablets are brilliant for short-term insomnia – if you have a bout of jet lag, for example,” says Professor Morgan. “That’s
Change behaviour
HAS YOUR QUALITY OF SLEEP CHANGED AS YOU AGE? Younger people tend to fall quickly and deeply asleep but as we get older our sleep becomes more fragmented and we spend more time awake TYPICAL SLEEP CYCLE OF A 20-YEAR-OLD
TYPICAL SLEEP CYCLE OF A 75-YEAR-OLD Awake
Deep sleep
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Hours in bed
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Graphs are based on averages and for illustration purposes only
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why they are only licensed to be prescribed for a maximum of four weeks. If you take them long term you develop a tolerance to them and their effects start to wear off.” Another medicine that is often prescribed for insomnia is Circadin. This contains the sleepinducing hormone melatonin and is available on prescription for people who are 55 or older. However, as with sleeping tablets, it shouldn’t be taken for more than a few weeks, and not at all if you have liver or kidney problems.
Given the lack of long-term solutions, it’s not surprising that many insomnia sufferers simply try to sort the problem out themselves. “The tendency is to think, ‘I must go to bed earlier’, but that’s exactly the wrong thing to do,” says Dr Hugh Selsick of the Sleep Disorders Centre at Guy’s Hospital. “We think it makes sense to be in bed longer but, with insomnia, what happens is that you just spend longer in bed awake and you start to associate your bed with being awake.” While sleep hygiene techniques such as avoiding coffee in the evenings and having a relaxing bedtime routine are helpful, they aren’t enough
❙ health advice ❙
Your
story
“I know my patterns now” Sue Davis, from Frodsham, Cheshire, used an online CBT-based course called Sleepio to beat her insomnia.
“I’d wake at 4am or 5am and never be able to get back to sleep again,” says Sue, 51. “I’d be left feeling utterly ragged. I liked the discipline of Sleepio. For the first few weeks it’s all about recording your sleep patterns. They calculate the average amount of time you actually spend asleep, then get you to only stay in bed for that time. I had to stay up till
midnight and set an alarm clock for 6am, then get up straightaway. It was a big shock. Once I was used to that I could choose which way I wanted to extend my time in bed. Now I wake up at about 6.30am and I just accept it and get up. I know my patterns now – and I’ve stopped seeing sleep as a problem.”
KEEPING A SLEEP DIARY You should keep a sleep diary for at least two weeks – try to do it within one hour of getting up each day. Keep a note of: ✢ What time you went to bed ✢ How long it took to get to sleep ✢ How often you woke during the night ✢ What time you woke up in the morning ✢ What time you actually got up ✢ How long you slept in total ✢ Whether or not you drank alcohol or took a sleeping pill
PICS: ALAMY; GETTY IMAGES
in themselves to beat chronic insomnia. The only insomnia cure that really works, according to Dr Selsick and other leading sleep experts, is a technique called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT. Unlike other talking therapies, CBT deals directly with your current problems rather than focusing on your past. Numerous studies have shown that it is highly effective in combatting insomnia: “Just five hours of CBT delivers lasting benefits to at least 80 per cent of insomnia sufferers,” says Professor Morgan. In some areas of the UK CBT courses for insomnia are delivered by specially trained NHS psychologists. These usually consist of six, weekly sessions, and you will need a referral from your GP. But there are also CBT-based internet courses and self-help books available (see Help for you, over the page) so you can have a go at using the technique to beat insomnia yourself. Whichever option you choose, the first thing you’ll be asked to do is to keep a sleep diary (see right). “You need to see how long you are actually sleeping for,” explains Dr Selsick. “Then we encourage you to spend only that amount of time in bed. So if you
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[ H I D D E N G E M S ] NORTH-EAST
DARLINGTON BRICK TRAIN DURHAM DL1 4XZ Planning a journey on the A66 anytime soon? Keep your eyes peeled for the brick train! It’s a smart sculpture, with ‘bat bricks’ built in to encourage the creatures to nest there. Detour off the A1(M) to take the Darlington circular, and you’ll find it to the east of the town.
IN THE
COUNTRY... city Looking for some rural respite from life? Here’s the cream of the crop
PLACES TO EAT LA FORTEZZA
WATERING HOLES DIPTON MILL INN
NEWMILLER DAM, WEST YORKSHIRE WF2 6QQ Perfect if you love dinner with a view. La Fortezza is a top Italian restaurant, on the edge of the beautiful Newmiller Dam Country Park. In summer you can eat ‘al fresco’, looking out over the lake. 01924 242266 lafortezzawakefield.co.uk
HEXHAM, NORTHUMBERLAND NE46 1YA Also home to the Hexhamshire Brewery, you’ll find locally brewed beer in this greenery-clad Inn. Low ceilings keep things cosy when it’s cooler, and the sunny afternoons will call you out into the sunken garden, to watch the stream roll by. 01434 606577 www.diptonmill.co.uk
TREEHOUSE RESTAURANT ALNWICK GARDEN, NORTHUMBERLAND NE66 1YU Visitors to the Alnwick estate should go the extra mile and discover the Treehouse Restaurant. It’s built around a copse of trees and inside, night or day, the atmosphere is gloriously twinkly, with fairy lights and impish forest charm. The food is, of course, first rate, and it’s open to all, with full wheelchair access. There’s even a fire inside… don’t ask us how it works, but it does, and really well. 01665 511852 www.alnwickgarden.com
THE CROWN INN GREAT OUSEBURN, NORTH YORKSHIRE YO26 9RF The Crown used to be a stable for circus animals, but you’d never guess. These days the fireplaces warm the bar area with its attractive assortment of tables, a pleasant contrast to a modern dining room. Be sure to try the wild rabbit ‘three ways’. 01423 330013 www.thecrown-inn.com
THE FEATHERS INN HEDLEY ON THE HILL, NORTHUMBERLAND NE43 7SW This delightful stone pub is so much the heart of village life that the Parish Council noticeboard is on the side of the building! Local produce and excellent drinks show why The Feathers has won so many awards, most recently Good Pub Guide Northumbria’s Dining Pub of the Year 2013. 01661 843607 www.the feathers.net
Traditionally made in farmhouse kitchens with the farm’s own lamb or mutton
✢ Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Peel and slice 450g (1lb) potatoes and two onions. Layer in a casserole dish with seasoning. Heat a little oil in a pan and fry four lamb or mutton chops lightly on both sides, to seal. Place in the dish, over the vegetables. Stir 25g (1oz) plain flour into the fat in the pan, gradually adding 300ml (1/2pt) stock – preferably made from lamb or mutton bones. Stirring, bring to the boil. Pour into casserole dish, cover and cook for one hour. YOURS
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BARNARD CASTLE, CO. DURHAM DL12 8NP The Bowes Museum is a beautiful building, but the gem of its collection is the mechanical swan, which is set in motion at 2pm daily. The swan is life-sized and controlled by three mechanisms that allow it to preen itself, then pluck a fish from the water. It’s 240 years old so even more impressive. 01833 690606 thebowesmuseum.org.uk
HUNTERS OF HELMSLEY HELMSLEY, NORTH YORKSHIRE
“I was in Helmsley for a weekend and took a Sunday stroll around the village,
YO62 5BL
FROM
Sally Frisby
which was very pretty with its late summer flowers and bunting. Everywhere was picture-perfect but Hunters looked especially great. Inside, the delicatessen sells all manner of fine wines and foodie gifts you can’t resist!” 01439 771307 huntersofhelmsley.com
ELSECAR HERITAGE CENTRE
RURAL RECIPE…
NORTHUMBERLAND PANFOTHERAM
HIDDEN GEMS SILVER SWAN AT THE BOWES MUSEUM
Recipe from A Taste of the North East, published by the Francis Frith Collection, rrp £14 – visit www.francisfrith. com to purchase. ✢ Yours readers can get 25 per cent of by entering online discount code YOURS13FF at checkout. OFFER VALID UNTIL 30 APRIL 2013
BARNSLEY, SOUTH YORKSHIRE S74 8HJ An ideal stopping point just minutes from the M1 (though you wouldn’t know it), Elsecar’s Heritage Centre is a mix of craft and history that will keep you amused for hours. The building itself is a renovated ironworks
WORTH THE TRIP…
BRIMHAM ROCKS
FANTASTIC FARM SHOPS
NR. PATELY BRIDGE, NORTH YORKSHIRE HG3 4DW This strange arrangement of rocks is a fantastic sight; just watch your step as you go! Though the ground is uneven, there is a wheelchair-friendly path from the car park up to the shop and exhibition centre. There are also some named rocks to find – will you spot the Dancing Bear? 01423 780688 www.nationaltrust.org.uk
and colliery workshop. It’s worth keeping an eye on their programme of events, from regular antiques fairs to tribute bands. Open seven days a week and parking is free. 01226 740203 elsecar-heritage-centre. co.uk
BRYMOR ICE CREAM FARM SHOP HIGH JERVAULX FARM, MASHAM HG4 4PG Brymor sells ice cream made exclusively from the milk of its own pedigree herd. It stocks more than 35 different flavours and there’s produce available to buy. There’s a large seating area with easy wheelchair access, too. 01677 460337 www.abmoore.co.uk
CENTRAL COFFEE HOUSE NORTHALLERTON, NORTH YORKSHIRE
HINCHCLIFFE’S FARM SHOP
DL7 8LU
“The Central Coffee House is a real gem.
The atmosphere is wonderfully relaxed FROM and friendly staff Susan Goldsworthy always make you feel welcome. There’s a great selection of coffees and a varied lunch menu, including NEWCASTLE STATION NE1 5DL fresh-baked bread and a big selection of From the highly successful Valley homemade cakes. restaurants comes A Passage to India – return There’s also a free travel from Newcastle Central Station to The jukebox that adds Valley restaurant, Corbridge, for a four-course to the ambience. dinner. Orders are taken on the train, and the It’s nice to have restaurant itself is The Old Station House. something different £36.50/person for travel and dinner to the dominant chain 01434 633434 coffee stores.” valleyrestaurants.co.uk 01609 774712 www.facebook.com/ TheCentralCoffeeHouse
A PASSAGE TO INDIA
FLORISTRY BY LORD HURST DONCASTER, SOUTH YORKSHIRE
DN2 6AD
“Floristry is so much more than a flower shop. It’s also got a tearoom
NETHERTON, W YORKSHIRE HD4 7LE Award-winning beef is sold and served in the restaurant and ‘food from around the corner’, not around the world, is at the heart of everything. Dog owners welcome, too. 01484 661231 www.hinchcliffes.com
CANNON HALL FARM SHOP
FROM where friendly staff Alison Haigh serve great food. They know how to make you feel valued as a customer. We celebrated our anniversary here. I really recommend a visit!” 01302 322004 floristrybylordhurst.co.uk
CAWTHORNE, SOUTH YORKSHIRE S75 4AT An adventure playground, a delicatessen and tearoom, and the shop sells quality farm produce as well as ready meals. 01226 790427 www.cannonhallfarm. co.uk
PICS: NATIONAL TRUST; PAUL HARRIS; ALAMY ; MAP: STEVEN HALL
.
DON’T MISS…
WALKING ROUTE This may be the closest you get to
2
3 1 START
for an owning your own beach, at least
hour or so!
Flanked by A beach that’s always deserted? h Castle burg Bam Holy Island to the north and ense imm an is ds San k Bac s to the south, Ros down the e Driv . sand less end n, clea of stretch Easington lane that leads between Elwick and h Kirkley reac you re befo park and s towards Ros lar Hill. The circu walk is just shy of two miles but there’s plenty of shore to explore so walk for as long as you wish. 1 Heading north-west towards Ross Point across the marram grasscovered dunes you should have excellent
views of Lindisfarne. Lindisfarne 2 At the north end of the beach is Guile on towers Point, with its distinctive navigati our. Being so harb d’s islan the to ts boa ing guid p up warm as wra so zy open, it’s likely to be bree You can ch. bea the g alon east h you head sout ter. shel for es always hunker down in the dun ists nud the ge oura disc may The bracing breeze location! ote rem this of fans be to said who are h air look for a 3 When you’ve had your fill of fres to your car. rn retu to t wes h path heading sout e for fresh hom way the on Farm s Ros at ✢ Stop of year) time t righ the it’s Lindisfarne oysters (if the at in call and h burg Bam to on or continue Copper Kettle Tea Rooms.
MAP: OS Explorer 340 WALK DISTANCE: 1¾ miles/3km
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PIC:
A BEACH TOO FAR
How to… KNOW? | at DID YOU an initiative th
|‘Give Mondays’ is
sh a n d leave ca to le p o e velope ges p a blue en nish encoura in e g a s a mes ea is to b iver a happy y. The id g a e d n th o r M fo every blues k e e -w is g ter the ple can re om start-ofo e P r. e iv .c and rece w.givemondays n do m ra a at w w d fin So, if you lope – don’t e blue env away! it w ro th
SAVE ON If you don’t fancy buying a new pair of glasses when your prescription changes, simply have your existing specs re-glazed. New website Reglazemyglasses.com can fit replacement lenses from just £19, undercutting high street opticians by as much as 70 per cent. “Buying new glasses is expensive and
GLASSES unnecessary,” says James Hunter, site founder. “Opticians deter customers from having glasses re-glazed as it isn’t profitable for them.” Single vision lenses take just seven days to process so if you fancy a new look, TopShop, TKMaxx, Just-Frames.com and eBay all sell cut-price frames, ready to be re-glazed.
Yours readers can get £5 off their ReglazeMyGlassses.com order.
EXTRA Call 0115 906 3010 or visit www.ReglazeMyGlasses.com and FOR YOU use code YOURS5VE by March 19, 2014.
Best buy Over-50s can get £30 towards a gas or electric bill until March 31, 2013 when buying Post Office life insurance. Cover is guaranteed for those aged 5080 and allows the policyholder to leave a lump-sum payout on death. Premiums start from £7 a month. Get Post Office Over 50s Life Cover from your local branch, www.postoffice.co.uk/over50 or call 0800 096 5322. You can compare life insurance policies on www.LifeSearch.co.uk
Watching the
pennies
| IT’S A FACT | From April1, 2013 cash investments into Premium Bonds will not be accepted at post offices. Payment methods are either cheque or debit card at the Post Office or direct to NS&I by post, phone (0500 500 000), www. nsandi.com, or standing order, minimum £100. 58
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BUDGET BEATERS Many older people – and their families – find downsizing overwhelming. Help is at hand from companies which specialise in relocating the elderly: “We get everything ready for moving day, from finding homes to view, arranging charity collections, to organising packers,” says Amanda Fyfe of Senior Moves.
Senior Moves currently charges a fee from around £500 for organising downsizing a three-bedroom house. ✢ For a free quotation, call 0771 283 4064 or visit www.seniormoves.co.uk
Ask Michael...
CASH SAVER Sign-up to a groupbuying site such as Groupon.co.uk and LivingSocial.com to save money on everything from meals out to adventure days. These sites are based on a set number of people buying the same product, thereby GREENWATCH Around 30 per cent of water used earning a discount. in your home goes down the toilet. Start, the charity set up by The Prince of Wales to inspire people to live more sustainably suggests placing a Hippo the Water Saver in your toilet cistern (9-13 litre capacity) to save up to 3 litres a day, or for smaller cisterns, a Savea-flush Freddie, saving 1 litre of water per flush. Freddies and Hippos are free from some water companies. Visit www.Startuk.org for a round-up of water-saving devices or contact your local water provider.
| IT’S A FACT |
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is considering a time limit for mis-sold Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) claims. The banks are pushing for the move and a summer 2014 deadline is possible. If you think you’ve been mis-sold PPI, get your claim in to the product provider soon.
Cash in the attic SylvaC fancies were produced from the late twenties by Shaw & Copestake, a Staffordshire ceramics firm who began by producing inexpensive figures for funfairs. ‘SylvaC’ was formed from the factory name Sylvan Works and the ‘C’ of Copestake. They went into liquidation in 1982 and sadly all records relating to styles and dates were destroyed. Although SylvaC’s collecting base has some information, there may still be unrecorded versions. Animals, particularly rabbits and dogs, are popular; fawn and green are common but pink is more rare. This 15cm rabbit is valued at £60-80.
››
Now visit www.yours.co.uk for more money-saving advice
››
With regard to current pension reforms, as a 57-year-old woman when will I become entitled to the State pension? And will I be any better off as a result of the reforms? I did not work for 15 years while we were bringing up our children. Michael says: The bad news is that you will have to wait until the year 2021 before you become entitled to a State pension. This will start on your 66th birthday. The good news is that you should be eligible for the new flat-rate pension which has been set at £144 per week (in today’s terms). By the time you reach 66 this amount will have been increased in line with inflation. If, by 2021, you will have paid National Insurance (NI) contributions for at least 35 years you will qualify for the full pension. This is an improvement over the present system under which you would probably only qualify for the basic State pension. Some women might struggle to meet this requirement, although you should receive credit for the years you were not working and claiming child benefit. Get some advice on this, as you may need to consider making additional NI contributions to make up for any shortages. Contact the Pension Service on 0845 606 0265. Bear in mind the new system has not actually become law yet – so there could be more changes to come.
Q
✢ Michael is a consumer champion and runs the Insurance Complaints Bureau. He can be contacted on mjw@insurance-complaints.co.uk
Next issue: Which? guides to using your PC and the internet YOURS
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PICS: ALAMY; ISTOCKPHOTO; THINKSTOCK. WORDS: SARAH JAGGER
Yours
The Yours money expert Michael Wilson answers your questions
5 Easter treats...
for the family Everyone will love to share these tasty goodies!
Hot Cross Bun Pudding A great way to use up leftover hot cross buns and Easter eggs! 6
Per serving: 363 cals Fat: 18.1g Sat fat: 9.2g
Preparation time: 40 minutes Cooking time: 35-40 minutes ✢ 8 mini hot cross buns ✢ 4 tbsp hazelnut chocolate spread ✢ 1 ripe pear, peeled, cored and cubed ✢ 25g (1oz) dark chocolate, chopped ✢ 2 eggs ✢ 150ml (5¼fl.oz) double cream ✢ 25ml (1fl.oz) milk ✢ 25g (1oz) caster sugar
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1. Cut each bun in half, then sandwich together with chocolate spread. 2. Arrange in an ovenproof dish and scatter over the pear and chocolate. Whisk together the eggs, cream, milk and sugar. Pour over and soak for at least 30 minutes. 3. Heat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 and bake for 35-40 minutes until golden and just set. Stand for five minutes before serving.
© www.social.marksandspencer.com
Serves:
FOOD
notes
Easter Biscuits Traditionally made with currants, this blueberry version is delicious! Makes: 24-6 Per biscuit: 81 cals Fat: 4.1g Sat fat: 2.5g
Preparation time: 15 minutes plus chilling Cooking time: 18 minutes ✢ 75g (6oz) plain flour ✢ 1 tsp mixed spice ✢ 110g (4oz) butter ✢ 110g (4oz) caster sugar, plus extra for dusting ✢ Grated rind of 1 lemon ✢ 75g (3oz) blueberries ✢ 1 egg, beaten
an hour or in the freezer for half an hour. 3. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/ Gas 4 and lightly grease a large baking sheet. Unwrap the dough and cut into 5mm (¼in) slices. Space them out on the sheet. 4. Bake for 15-18 minutes until pale golden. Sprinkle with sugar while on the baking sheet then cool on a wire rack.
TOP TIP You could also use semi-dried blueberries, currants or orange rind.
© www.dairydiarychat.co.uk
Cranberry Hot Cross Buns Make your own buns this year, with a cranberry twist Makes:
6
Per bun: 264 cals Fat: 4.3g Sat fat: 0.9g
Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus 1½hours rising Cooking time: 10-15 minutes
✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢
625g (1lb6oz) strong white flour 1 tsp salt 1½ tsp ground mixed spice 50g (2oz) olive spread 1½ tbsp fast-action yeast 25g (1oz) caster sugar 1 large egg, beaten (keep back 1tsp for glaze) 275ml (9½fl.oz) warmed milk 50g (2oz) currants 50g (2oz) mixed peel 50g (2oz) dried cranberries
1. Sift the flour, salt and mixed spice into a bowl, add the spread and work together by hand. Make a well in the centre and add the yeast and caster sugar.
2. Beat the egg and keep back 1tbsp for later. Add the rest to the mixture and gradually add the warmed milk until the dough becomes soft. 3. Once the dough is soft mix in the currants, mixed peel and cranberries. 4. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic then shape into a ball. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise for about an hour. 5. Knead the dough until it returns to its original size and leave, covered, for half an hour. 6. Divide into 12 rounds and place on a greased baking sheet, leaving room for the buns to expand. Make a deep cross on each. Leave to rise again for another half hour. Meanwhile pre-heat the oven to 220°C/425°F/ Gas Mark 7. 7. Glaze buns with egg then bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. YOURS
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© www.oceanspray.co.uk
1. Sift flour and spice into a large bowl. Rub in butter with your fingertips. Stir in sugar, lemon rind and blueberries, then add the egg and mix to a firm dough. 2. Knead briefly on a floured surface and shape into a sausage about 20cm (8in) long and about 5cm (2in) wide. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for
❙ talking point ❙
Should we go back to
UNIVERSITY? The government says the older generation should take degree courses to help us work for longer, but is it really worth it? By Laura Bradder
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FOR DEGREES
✢ It’s vital to retrain and gain new skills to make us more employable. Jobs are harder to come by than ever before and as we’re going to have to work for longer, the skills we learnt more than 40 years ago aren’t enough to keep us competitive. ✢ It’s our social duty to keep ourselves in the job market. In just 20 years, a quarter of Britons will be aged over 65 – we can’t sit back and expect everyone else to take the burden. Retraining now will help us to give something back in the future. ✢ Courses are more flexible than ever before. We can do part-time degrees, evening classes and even learn online in the comfort of our own homes. There’s no excuse not to keep expanding our knowledge and skills. ✢ Studying in later life is great for keeping us mentally and socially active. Learning a language or taking a computer course will keep the grey cells ticking over, and get you meeting new people along the way. Surely that’s motivation enough to go back to school. 20
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we do just that, as he said recently that over-60s should go to university and retrain so we have the skills to work for longer. But would becoming a society of 60-plus students really be to our advantage?
AGAINST DEGREES
✢ The age restrictions on student ✢ What do loans may have been lifted for you think? Write over-55s, but so have the caps to the address on how much universities can on page 3 and charge in tuition fees. Do we let us know really want to get into more debt? Taking three years out of work, and paying around £20,000 for the privilege, doesn’t sound like ✢ Young people are finding it economic sense to us. harder than ever to find work – 974,000 people aged 16-24 are ✢ The current student loan system unemployed. If we are retrained means you don’t we will just make the job market have to pay back any more competitive; it will be even money until you are harder for young graduates to get earning £21,000, their foot on the career ladder. and even then the repayments are ✢ Statistics show that the proportionate most popular courses for overto your monthly 60s include Digital Photography, wage. It’s likely Creative Writing and Making that many us Sense of the Arts. They sound over 60 would like great fun, but they’re hardly never pay off this as likely to get us back into debt, putting a work as Business Studies, IT or huge financial Foreign Languages! We’ll only strain on the be taken seriously if we take country. education seriously.
PICS: THINKSTOCK. ISTOCK PHOTO; GETTY IMAGES
hey say schooldays are the best days of your life, but would we really be happy to go back to the classroom? The Minister for Universities and Science, David Willetts, is suggesting