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ADVICE

Better budgeting How to get a good night’s sleep Agony aunt Mandy Smith

Bobby Ball

NOT GOING OUT FUNNYMAN ISN’T JOKING ABOUT GOD Ann Widdecombe TOP POLITICIAN SPEAKS FRANKLY ABOUT FAITH

FERDINAND: Race row won’t stop my prayer plan ISSN 2049-2022

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WHY SMOKEY’S REALLY ON FIRE

Contents

iBelieve May 2012

Don’t miss our best ever subscription offer on page 57!

23

Maternity fashion

INTERVIEWS

41 ON THE COVER Race

12 ON THE COVER

Ann Widdecombe talks frankly about her own faith and how Christians should defend their beliefs

20 ON THE COVER Being a Christian is no laughing matter for comedy veteran Bobby Ball

row won’t stop my plans Defender Anton Ferdinand is planning to set up a prayer group

62

ON THE COVER Singing star Smokey Robinson reveals the time he heard the voice of God

REAL LIFE

38 He’s the mother’s pride 11 I can stand on my own We talk to Reg Bailey - the first man to ever take charge of the Mother’s Union movement

two feet Walking miracle Jackie Dibley no longer uses her wheelchair after she was prayed for at church

30 We kept faith after

son’s suicide Alan and Jackie Slough are determined to bring support and comfort to others

54

My dream is to reach a million National director of Youth for Christ, Gavin Calver, is our unsung hero this month

FASHION

23

ON THE COVER Fashion for mums to be Maternity fashion can be comfortable and great value

26 Lay it on thin Alice Milner explains that when it comes to make-up the ‘naked’ look is best

10

Great gift ideas for all

12

Ann’s frank about faith We talk to Ann Widdecombe

43 26

Thin is in for make-up

Put some punch into summer!

41 Anton’s prayer group bid

iBelieve

5

FOOD

43 Pack a punch Try our superb

thirst-quenching summer punch

44 Let them eat cupcake

iBelieve’s food editor Emily Roberts suggests a brilliant, easy recipe

36

Why I Believe Church leader and BBC commentator Andy Tilsley

66

We must stay on the straight and narrow Carl Beech reckons it’s better to tell the truth

FEATURES

28

10 Gifts Great ideas for everyone 15 Rest days Spend a brilliant

33 Mandy Smith Let our resident

Favourite things We can’t get enough of chilling with friends and family

47 The surgery Dr Ben Sinclair

How the Bible is big on celebrations

ADVICE Better budgeting It’s essential to keep an eye on your spending to keep finances healthy agony aunt help solve your problems

is on hand to give you the best advice with your health problems and issues

59

How to... Get a good night’s sleep and why you need quality rest

VIEWS

9 Is honesty the best policy?

We examine the art of being up front

16 Mark Pugh Don’t be lazy, as it is time you set the benchmark

Bank Holiday in the historic city of York

19

34 Devotion Get ready to party!

46

Gadgets We take a look at the best in electronic scales for the kitchen

49

Sermon Anne Graham Lotz on why faith is all about relationship

52 iReview We choose the best books and CDs on the market

56 Motoring The latest city cars 60 Puzzles Two packed pages to help you keep your mind active

15

A great day out in York

iBelieve Magazine is published by New Life Publishing Co, PO Box 777, Nottingham, NG11 6ZZ. Tel: 0115 824 0777 Email: info@ibelievemagazine.com www.newlifepublishing.co.uk PUBLISHING Editor: Peter Wreford All content is copyright and must not be reproduced without prior written permission from the Editor. All rights reserved Printed by Buxton Press, Palace Road, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 6AE. The acceptance of advertising does not indicate editorial endorsement.

We welcome your letters and comments regarding any of the issues raised within these pages. Write to the Editor at the above address.

Back copies are available while stocks last, at cover price plus £1.00

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S

from the editor

ex, drugs and soul music. It’s not your classic combo, but it proved a powerful cocktail in the life of Motown star Smokey Robinson.

The legendary Detroit singer found his way out of an unfulfi lled life of hits and highs when he heard God speak to him – out loud.

God works in mysterious ways, but there aren’t that many people who claim to know what the Almighty’s voice sounds like.

Smokey is one of those few, and his story of transformation is as compelling and rich as his smooth vocals that made all that Motown magic.

It’s not just Smokey who’s fi nding the gospel to be well worth sharing though.

Anton Ferdinand, the QPR defender ‘Life to the who John Terry is accused of racially full is what abusing, tells the Christianity story of the prayer is all about. power behind some the Premier Why wouldn’t of League’s star you share performers. What’s great about Anton’s that with story is that not friends?’ only has he realised the power of the Christian message, but he’s found that it’s worth sharing with his new team-mates.

And iBelieve is very similar. Faith is too good to relegate to a ‘Sunday-only’ thing. We’re convinced that life to the full is what Christianity is all about, and that fun, family and faith are universal. Why wouldn’t you share that with your friends?

Another highlight this month is Alan and Jackie Slough’s testimony of God’s grace at the most difficult time in their life – real faith at work in the real world.

So why not share your faith and your magazine with someone who needs a pickme-up and show them what you believe with iBelieve.

Interview

Ann’s frank about God! 12

iBelieve

Tough-talking Ann Widdecombe is the praying politician once described as a Marmite celebrity.

Matthew Murray spoke to her

F

or decades, her no-nonsense, fierce approach has petrified politicians and scared journalists. But tough-talking Ann Widdecombe has told how the thought of one meeting makes her tremble.

“I really don’t look forward to standing before God,” the former Tory MP admits.

Ann’s strong and very public Christian faith isn’t something she is ashamed of, and she certainly doesn’t take it lightly, especially when it comes to talking of the day when she will meet her Maker.

“You’d be a funny sort of Christian if you were actually excited about that day,” she adds. “I am certainly not looking forward to it. Everyone who says that they are has either become too confident or too complacent.

“All you can do as a Christian is give your best. I haven’t a clue how I’ve done – it really is down to Almighty God and I’ll let him decide on judgment day.”

Outspoken Ann Widdecombe was once labelled a Marmite celebrity by an entertainment website. She has millions of admirers, and probably a similar number of detractors.

The Bath-born Oxford graduate was a Conservative MP for Maidstone and the Weald for 23 years and Minister of State for Pensions for two years under John Major. During her high-profile government career, she was also Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Shadow Home Secretary.

But she is perhaps best known for her cutthroat approach to politics as well as numerous celebrity run-ins. She had a public feud with Home Secretary Michael Howard, and her spat with comedian Jimmy Carr on Have I Got News For You has been viewed more than 100,000 times on YouTube.

After filming with Carr, she told journalists, “His idea of wit is a barrage of filth

Ann with Strictly Come Dancing partner Anton Du Beke

and the sort of humour most men grow out of in their teens. There’s no amount of money for which I would go through those two recording hours again. At one stage I nearly walked out.”

Ann certainly doesn’t shy away from the limelight, and if she isn’t giving her forthright views on high-profile issues such as fox hunting or the death penalty, she is probably entertaining Britain’s public on television, having made appearances on Celebrity Fit Club and Strictly Come Dancing.

Since retiring from politics in 2010, Ann, 64, has started to write her second autobiography and is currently presenting Sky TV quiz show, Cleverdicks.

Her Christian faith has been with her from a young age, having grown up in a strong Anglican family. “My uncle was a vicar, my brother is a vicar and so is my nephew,” she laughs.

But although Ann shared her family’s views throughout her teen years, during her 30s she went through what she describes as a ‘period of agnosticism’ until she returned to her Christian roots.

“There was no great flash in the night, just a gradual realisation that faith in God is extremely important. I’m now very conscious of God in everything I do and I aim to live a life that’s pleasing to him. Becoming agnostic was a gradual erosion of

belief and coming back from agnosticism was a gradual erosion of unbelief. My faith was much stronger when I came back because it was more hard-won. That is a fairly common experience of people who hold a view and then change it. They are normally very much stronger and more convinced than people who’ve always grown up with that view.

“I doubt that anyone outside of the saints themselves is thinking of God for 60 minutes out of every hour, but I do think about the Lord a lot. All you can do is give your day to him and at the end of each

Ann dressed up for Strictly Come Dancing

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From here

Fashion

to maternity Chic pregnancy style seems to come effortlessly to the rich and famous.

But just how easy is it to be fashionable AND comfortable? Katie Portman investigates

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23

Interview

Having a

BALL Comedian Bobby Ball gives his testimony

20

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Bobby with sidekick Tommy Cannon in the movie The Boys in Blue

Being a Christian is no laughing matter for comedy veteran Bobby Ball. Kate Kent met the funnyman whose latest role is in the BBC sitcom Not Going Out

B

efore you became famous you were a welder.

How would you describe your life back then?

I always knew there was something else – even as a kid – but I didn’t know what it was. I was a welder and Tommy was a fitter welder – he used to run a lot. Anyway, I enjoyed being a welder and the camaraderie with the lads.

It was during this time that you met Tommy, your best friend, and started working the pubs and clubs together. Did you ever think you’d become so big?

No! It was nothing new to me, comedy, as I’d done it since I was a kid – the pubs and clubs at weekends – but it was new to Tommy. We were quite happy with the pubs and clubs because we thought if we could do it for the rest of our lives it was better than welding. We were never ambitious or thought of being famous at all; we were just happy doing what we were doing.

So how did you make it big?

Funnily enough, a bloke spotted us in Nottingham in a club and we got a standing ovation – we had our own little following in the nightclubs you see. This guy was there from London doing Bruce Forsyth’s Big Night Out, and he said he’d like to give us some sketches – so he did.

The show didn’t work too well but off the back of that the press started saying, “Who is this Cannon and Ball?” And then we got given our own series. It’s a blur really...

What do you remember most about that era?

The fame, the excess, everything being so shallow. I had everything.

But you must have liked that, having been a welder and not earning much?

Oh listen, let me tell you, having loads of money and having an entourage around you and getting ratted every night, pulling women and everyone thinking it’s fantastic, but after a couple of years you start thinking, “Hmm, what else is there?”

But it was great at first – the adulation, the

Bobby as part of Cannon and Ball during their heyday with shows, films, records and magazine appearances

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21

Motors

LEFT: The latest car from VW is the city car, the up!

BELOW: The interior of the up! is big on quality BELOW LEFT: The Kia Picanto

Downsizing on the up!

A s fuel prices rocket, the carbuying public appears to be downsizing to more frugal cars. The supermini sector (where the Fiesta reigns supreme) grew by more than 30 per cent last year. And the smaller city car segment is keeping pace with that and is expected to be the fastest growing in two years by industry experts.

City cars are nothing new. The original Mini was the first with its clever design. It provided a small car for four adults with space for some luggage – though the bags didn’t have to be too big. But luxury was limited on the original Mini – heating and carpets were optional extras.

As a result of their prices and their quality of build, city cars have, until recently, had a bit of a low-rent reputation.

Today, manufacturers know that demanding drivers want city cars that are nippy, frugal, easy to park, can carry luggage... oh, and can manage 70mph comfortably on the motorway! It’s a tall

56

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order, but the VW up! (why do car firms insist on daft punctuation for their car’s names?) has now redefined what’s possible in the city car class. It may have a face only its mother could love, but it’s a brilliant package.

Although it’s compact on the outside, the up! has achieved a remarkable feat by feeling so much bigger from inside. The front seat passenger won’t feel like they’re sitting on the driver’s knee!

Interior quality is also superb – there’s no feeling of cheapness here. The levels of standard kit are excellent and it feels solid from wherever you sit.

The up! also feels great to drive. It’s wheel-at-each-corner design means it handles well, and its 1.0 engine is surprisingly refined for three cylinders. The VW up! is a car for all seasons and possibly the spiritual successor to the original Mini.

The current one suffers from the automotive obesity that lots of cars have had inflicted on them, so it can’t be considered to be from that innovative 1959 mould.

The VW up! is great for the pocket too.

The entry level car, the Take up!, is just £7,995, with 60.1mpg economy and tax at only £20 a year. It could well be the only car you ever need.

But it has a competitor in the form of the Kia Picanto, which has been around for over a year. Like the up!, the Picanto has picked up a clutch

of design and car mag awards. As well as being as equally clever as the up!, the Kia has a much more stylish look that shows city cars don’t have to be mundane.

The old Picanto felt cheap and tinny, but this new Kia’s quality is incredibly close to the VW. The up! only edges it because of its slightly more upmarket solidity – but there’s not much in it.

The Picanto makes a lot of sense. There are more options than the up! (three- and five-door) and the entry level price for the Picanto 1 is just £7,795. The £200 saving isn’t the end of it, though, because for the price you get a nippy and quite refined 1.0 engine that offers nearly 70mpg – and it’s free to tax too!

With its seven-year warranty, the new Picanto looks more than able to put up a fight with the young up!start...

Interview

Anton’s plan has got a

PRAYER Queens Park Rangers’ defender Anton Ferdinand is hoping to set up a new group at his club

R

ace row defender Anton Ferdinand has revealed his Christian faith. The Queens Park Rangers ace is at the centre of a huge racism scandal following comments allegedly made to him by former England skipper John Terry. The trial takes place in July.

Ferdinand, the brother of Manchester United stalwart Rio, has told how he hopes to start a prayer group among other players at QPR. He says: “My mum and dad instilled the right principles in me. My mum goes to church every weekend and I had to go when I was younger but I didn’t appreciate it. I appreciate it now.

“It’s one of the best things that has ever happened to me although the hardest thing is having faith in something you can’t see, but I have overcome that.

“I can talk about my journey and things that have happened to me. That’s why my mind is the way it is at the moment. My outlook on life is very different. I’m more of a man now.

“At Sunderland we had a group who prayed.

There was me, Kieran Richardson, Stephane Sessegnon, Asamoah Gyan, John Mensah, Nedum Onuoha. Hopefully I will start building that here.”

Ferdinand, 27, started his career at West Ham United before joining Sunderland in 2008. He played 85 times for the Black Cats but moved to QPR last year. He has 17 caps for England Under 21s.

Meanwhile, Ferdinand revealed that his latest tattoo is a symbol of his Christian faith.

The tattoo – on his left forearm – is of an angel.

“It’s an angel fighting away evil,” he says. “I’m a Christian, I have faith in the Lord and that’s what it represents.”

Ferdinand, although a regular for QPR this season, still believes his career hasn’t peaked.

“Everyone spoke about my potential and I know that I have not fulfilled it,” he admits.

Anton Ferdinand has plans for a prayer group.

ABOVE: Anton and John Terry during the game in which Terry is alleged to have used racist language, while Frank Lampard (left) intercedes iBelieve

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