Reader's Digest UK Oct 2022

Features

16 IT’S A MANN’S WORLD

Will Olly's family manage to coax him into getting a dog?

ENTERTAINMENT

20 INTERVIEW:

DAVID HASSELHOFF

The Baywatch and Knight Rider icon on confidence, commercials, and career highs

28 “I REMEMBER”: TIM RICE

The British lyricist and author looks back on his "sundappled" childhood, friendship with Andrew Lloyd Webber and his biggest musicals

HEALTH

36 RISE ABOVE PAIN

The latest remedies and strategies that can help you enjoy life again

INSPIRE

58 EXTREME MEDICINE

From war zones to jungles, these medics save lives in some extreme conditions

74 BRITISH SHOWGIRLS

Discover the racy history of cabaret in Britain and the legacy of the legendary Bluebell girls

82 GRAFFITI GROWS UP

No longer a sign of urban decay, street art is becoming prized

TRAVEL

92 SWIMMING WITH ORCAS

Extraordinary encounters in the forbidding waters off Norway

Tunstall

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In This Issue…

When I was nine, my schoolteacher had all the children in my class put together presentations on their “passions”. Over the next few weeks, I meticulously researched the thing that excited me most in the world: killer whales. For some reason, my child brain was absolutely enamoured with these mysterious creatures, not quite whale, not quite dolphin. I was left redfaced when the other children presented on more commonplace topics like “lego” and “the cinema”, but my fascination with orcas refused to be crushed. That’s why my inner child is so excited about this month’s cover story, a (quite literal) deep dive into the habitats of these majestic creatures. Turn to p92 to enter their world, down in the stunning depths of Norway’s fjords.

“Treasure your relationships, not your possessions”, the saying goes. Other people—whether it’s relatives, friends, colleagues, or partners—truly are at the heart of life itself. As human beings, we need connection to stay happy, healthy, and lead fulfilling lives. And as a publication designed to celebrate and aid a happy life, we’re delighted to introduce a Dating and Relationships column to the magazine. On p54, you’ll find Monica Karpinski’s expert advice on all things love, relationships and sex, where she also endeavours to answer your most burning questions. Struggling to communicate with your partner? Embarrassed to ask something about sex? Unsure how to get into dating? Email Monica anonymously at thelovedoctor@readersdigest.co.uk.

Anna Eva

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Over To You

LETTERS ON THE August ISSUE

We pay £50 for Letter of the Month and £30 for all others

I couldn’t agree more with Dr Max’s belief that the empathy shown by a doctor is key in a patient’s evaluation of the treatment received.

While having a colonoscopy without sedation I was working hard to keep myself calm by using techniques learned to control panic attacks. As the camera explored the twists and turns of my bowel, the specialist noticed I was quietly humming a tune to myself. He asked what the tune was and I replied, “Puff the Magic Dragon”, however I explained that I only knew two lines of the song.

COMPASSION IN CARE

Dr Max hit the nail on the head. If ever anyone has been rude to me or patronising in the past, I’m afraid to say it’s always been a doctor.

Being treated like an individual human being, rather than a “case” or a

The specialist then started whistling along with my humming and agreed that he also only knew two lines. He asked the student observing to google the lyrics. When the student hesitated he explained that anything they can do to help a patient through a difficult procedure was worth doing. Armed with the words we then sang along for the rest of the procedure! Not only do I remember this years later, but when interviewed by the student afterwards my advice was to learn from the specialist’s bedside manner as it was so important.

Tanya Whitbread, Wiltshire

“typical example of a…” makes all the difference in the world. When someone in a white coat or a blue uniform acknowledges our humanity, our existence, our feelings, apologises for delays or mistakes, and takes a moment or two to make us feel at

ease in an unfamiliar and often scary environment, it makes such a difference. It doesn’t take much, and it doesn’t cost money, but both patients and staff would benefit from more humane interaction.

Marian Smalles, via email

UNBRIE-LIEVABLE MEMORIES

I, being a cheeselover, appreciated Sam O’Brien’s vivid description of six places to visit. It also set me on a trip down memory lane to various “cheesy” incidents that I had experienced over the years.

Friends visiting from France just before Christmas one year left a wrapped present behind without divulging the contents. Placed beneath the Christmas tree, which was quite close to a radiator, our noses soon gave us a very strong hint. Yes! It was a round of

TRUE LOVE

I found the article on “Lifelong Platonic Love” engaging because it reminded me how important it is to have a genuine connection to another person. It’s a wonderful feeling to be in a relationship where you feel loved, valued and respected and also

cheese—Brie, I think—and a little over ripe even for me to enjoy by the time it was revealed. Another cherished memory is of sitting in an Istanbul café with a group of young people who had no common language. Someone wishing to propose a toast, asked me how to say, “Cheers” in French. Unfortunately, I misheard him and the answer I supplied him with resulted in his raising a glass and bellowing, “Fromage!”

Our friendship endured and we laugh about it still.

Maggie Cobbett, North Yorkshire

to enjoy the freedom to be who you are.

It seems to be that a platonic partnership has empowered people to move away from the idea of looking for “the one” who can make you whole which implies that you are not complete until you find that perfect partner.

I’m thinking of the fairy tales many of us were raised on. With this in mind, it is important to let go of these childhood beliefs and figure out what truly fulfils you in whatever way is most suitable for you.

Suzanna Kyle, Worcestershire

Photo: © action P ress/ZUM a Press Wire/Z UM a Press

…DIFFERENTLY

Hundreds of small boats called dinginoukas are moored in the river port of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. In them, ferrymen transport workers, goods and tourists across the Buriganga River. It’s the lifeline of the metropolis, which—with a population of 22 million—is one of the world’s most densely populated cities.

Photo: © Keren sU / c hina sP an/ a la M y s toc K

Photo

illustration by Lauren Rebbeck

Dog's

It's A Life

Olly Mann resists family peer-pressure to become a "dog person"

Olly Mann presents Four Thought for BBC Radio 4, and the podcasts The Modern Mann, The Week Unwrapped and The Retrospectors

My wife wants to get a dog. My kids, also, want a dog. My inlaws, who used to own a dog, but then it died, also wish for us to get a dog (so they can dog-sit occasionally—this in marked contrast to their general stance on babysitting). My mum—a member of a website where you can borrow other people’s dogs for the day and look after them, for free, just because you like dogs so much—also, guess what, wants us to get a dog. It’s a Royal Flush.

So, I’m the dog-blocker. But it’s not that I don’t want a dog. It’s that I don’t want a dog. That’s clear, isn’t it? My family appear to be having some issues with this nuanced distinction, so let me spell it out for you: when I gaze into my future, and imagine myself doing all the doggy things—walkies, grooming, poop-scooping, chatting inanely to other dog owners about their dogs—I am unmoved. I don’t hate that version of my life; it just doesn’t excite me. It doesn’t feel like an improvement. It doesn’t make

me actively want a dog. I am not, however, a Hard No on dogs. I might, potentially, even enjoy owning a dog. I just can’t say, because I’ve never previously owned a dog. I’m not dogphobic; I’m just not a Dog Person. I’m only mildly dog-curious. Got it?

I was raised with cats—imbecilic, pedigree ones with pretentious names—and I love all the things about cats that Dog People hate: their aloofness, their independence,

full-hearted affection regardless of the treatment they receive in return. What’s so clever about that?

Plus, dogs stink. Sorry if you’re a Dog Person and you’re reading this thinking, Other people’s dogs smell, but mine doesn’t. I’ve got news for you: your dog stinks too. Or at least, your house does, because you regularly crack open cans of jellied offal. Us non-Dog People can detect it instantly, like that cloud of nicotine

I LOVE ALL THE THINGS ABOUT CATS THAT DOG PEOPLE HATE: THEIR ALOOFNESS, PSYCHOPATHY, COMPLETE LACK OF HUMOUR…

their psychopathy, their complete lack of humour. I enjoy fruitlessly attempting to earn their love.

I’m acutely aware, in a "Greyfriars Bobby" situation, that my cat Alvin would strip the meat off my corpse, but it still feels satisfying when he sits on my lap one evening, because I know he is choosing to do so.

Alvin is not my "best friend". He is, in that moment, desiring to spend time with me (even if only because my tummy is more comfortable than the rug). Cats, I love.

But dogs? Meh. All that "man’s best friend", intuitive intelligence stuff seems a million miles from the pooches I’ve known, who seem to dumbly demand their owner’s attention, indiscriminately pursuing them and licking them with

that non-smokers sniff out on smokers’ hair and coats, regardless of whether they’ve been at the Juicy Fruit.

None of this is insurmountable. But perhaps more problematically, the presence of dogs doesn’t particularly delight me. I’ve witnessed Dog People, upon enjoying an afternoon stroll through the park, greeting an unmuzzled, enthusiastic pup bounding up to them with genuine affection and laughter, grinning at the creature and patting it gamely. On the surface, my reaction appears similar: I will smile at both dog and owner, but inside, I’m thinking: Please, don’t bite my toddler!

Lest you suspect there’s some traumatic childhood memory

underpinning this: nope. When I was about six I did get chased around by a farm dog, which was unpleasant, but I’m certain that’s not being triggered in my mind when I see an elderly labrador curled by a pub fireplace. I’m just thinking, Move along mate, you’re taking up the best space!

I’ve rehearsed all these arguments with my family: none is apparently persuasive enough to withstand “but try it, you might like it!”. As if getting a dog were as inconsequential as trying rice pudding, or boxercise, or gay pornography. But I was an Eighties kid: I recall those "A Dog Is For Life, Not Just For Christmas" slogans as formatively as the harrowing images of blackened lungs that stopped me picking up a fag.

Even if I do try it, and like it, what an enormous commitment owning

a dog seems to be! The daily walking regime, the pockets full of plastic bags, the holiday logistics. My kids, of course, claim they’ll do their part, but we all know that if muggins here didn’t sprinkle flakes into their goldfish bowl each night, we’d have a bowl of floating stiffs.

I’m the one who works from home. I’m the one who keeps my walking boots by the back door. Surely I’ll be expected to do at least 50 per cent of the dog stuff?

Which isn’t to say I’m entirely against it. And with my entire family gunning for a dog, I can sense the direction of travel. The latest compromise between us is a bit of "try before you buy": we’ve agreed that, the next time one of my wife’s colleagues requires a dog-sitter, we’ll step up for the weekend.

What could possibly go wrong? n

Universally Amazing Facts

Light from some stars takes so long to travel to our eyes that when you look at the starspeckled night sky you're actually peering deep into the past. NASA's Hubble Telescope can look as far back as 13 billion years ago

There might be as many as 3 sextillion stars in the universe. That's three followed by 23 zeros, or 300,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. That's more than all of the grains of sand on Earth

Ordinary, observable matter (like planets) makes up just five per cent of the universe. The other 95 is made up of invisible dark energy (68 per cent) and dark matter (27 per cent). That means there's 95 per cent of the universe we don't know about yet

source: businessinsider.com

David Hasselhoff

On Business, Baywatch And Being A Legend

By Simon Button

The iconic star of Baywatch and Knight Rider opens up about his enormous fame, keeping his ego in check, and still hustling at 70

It’s not easy being a legend. Just ask David Hasselhoff. “From the moment I wake up it’s like I’m The Hoff,” says the man who holds a Guinness World Record as the most watched man on TV. “I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve gotta go to work’. I have to be on all the time.”

We’re meeting at the 2022 Monte-Carlo Television Festival a day later than planned, with David apologising: “I wasn’t really on yesterday. I was tired the night before and I couldn’t sleep. It’s funny because when I’m working I have to be David Hasselhoff, to be charming and funny. But sometimes I just want to stay home and watch television with my wife.”

As we chat in the restaurant at the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel, his Welsh wife Hayley is sat quietly by his side. It’s his third marriage (he was previously wed to actresses Catherine Hickland and Pamela Bach) and they seem like a very happy couple. To her he’s just David but to the world he’s The Hoff—a larger-than-life personality famous for starring in Knight Rider and Baywatch as well as for topping the pop charts in Germany and sending himself up in adverts and cameos.

Now 70, he’s a formidable presence, with steely blue eyes and an imposing 6ft 4in frame. But he’s also friendly and laidback. The Hoff, he notes, is a persona, not a

“I HAVE TO BE ON ALL THE TIME, BUT SOMETIMES I JUST WANT TO STAY HOME AND WATCH TV”

real person, but he’s been happy to go along with the moniker since it was bestowed on him by a bunch of female fans in Australia some 20 years ago.

To hear him tell it, they’d written to the country’s Daily Telegraph en masse, singing his praises with such compliments as “We’re Hoffcrazy,” “We’re Hoff nuts,” “He’s Hoffalicious” and “Some like it Hoff”.

David grins between bites of vanilla ice cream. “I thought that was pretty interesting and flattering. I ended up going to Australia to do

a tour and wound up presenting at The ARIA Awards, which is like their equivalent of The Grammys. Everybody in the pit was wearing a David Hasselhoff mask and shouting ‘Hoff, Hoff, Hoff’.”

Hasselhoff embraced it. As well as being a judge on America’s Got Talent and a contestant on Dancing with the Stars, he has since good-naturedly sent himself up in everything from The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie on the big screen to a slew of TV walk-ons.

With wife Hayley Roberts

His latest TV show, Ze Network, puts a new spin on his willingness to pastiche his public image. In what he calls a “totally crazy” action comedy, he plays himself as a frustrated actor fed up with all the cameos. So, he travels to Germany to star in a stage play in what he thinks is a prestigious theatre in Berlin, only to find that it’s in an obscure venue in some outof-the-way town. To make matters worse, he then gets mixed up with former Cold War assassins who think he’s an ex-spy.

“The reviews have been great,” Hasselhoff smiles, “and here in Monte-Carlo I bumped into a couple of American actors who’d been to the

about everything. I remember seeing a play and going, ‘I want to do that’. Next thing you know, at age seven, I was in Peter Pan on stage. It felt like I belonged there. My mother told me, ‘You’ve got it’. I asked her, ‘What have I got?’ and she said, ‘Star quality’.”

His mother was right. He went on to study theatre at the California Institute of the Arts, then did a stint on TV soap The Young and the Restless. His subsequent TV and film credits are too numerous to mention, but Knight Rider—in which he played LA crimefighter Michael Knight with his sidekick talking car KITT— remains one of his favourites.

David knew from the start that

“I AM WRONG SOMETIMES BUT MOST OF THE TIME I’M DEAD-ON”

screening and told me, ‘We didn’t like it, we loved it’.”

Fans are also lined up in front of the hotel, hoping for an autograph or a selfie, which must stoke his ego? “Well yes, I have an ego, but it’s through a desire to be perfect in whatever I’m doing. I have a healthy ego because I apologise when I’m wrong. I am wrong sometimes but most of the time I’m dead-on.”

He oozes confidence and selfawareness. I wonder if he was the same as a youngster growing up in Florida and Atlanta? He shrugs. “When you’re young you’re confident

it would be a hit. “But everybody laughed at me. Even my father. I said, ‘Dad, the script is glowing in my hands and I have to get this’. At the first audition I was too nervous. I wasn’t ready but they auditioned me again and at the second audition I was like ‘Roll the cameras!’”

Another iconic role came along in the swim-shorted shape of hairychested lifeguard Mitch Buchannon on Baywatch, which ruled the airwaves throughout the 1990s with its slow-motion shots of scantily clad beach boys and babes. I ask if it

could be made now and Hasselhoff sidesteps the question with: “It was a different time.”

He’s also dismissive when asked about the Pam & Tommy TV series. “I refuse to watch it. I don’t care.” He laughs. “Although if they did the David Hasselhoff story I’d watch that. I’d probably produce it.”

As for the more-PC 2017 Baywatch movie starring Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron, he’s equally scathing. “They blew it and it bombed, except in Germany. I went on stage there and said, ‘It’s a great film’, just to be nice, and it was a huge hit.”

a TV series for myself, yet I saw all my friends getting old on television. I was like, ‘What about me?’ A few years ago I bumped into the director Robert Rodriguez and he asked me if he could take a picture with me. I said ‘Never mind a picture, I want a movie!’”

So far he is yet to work with the From Dusk Till Dawn moviemaker, but now he has his own TV show at 70. He grins again. “I’m really proud of it and it’s really, really weird. The director said to me, ‘Just go with it’ and that’s what I did.”

“I LOVE THE FACT THAT I HAD THE BALLS TO INSIST ON SINGING ON THE BERLIN WALL”

Germany has always embraced Hasselhoff and even more so for his singing than his acting. He’s had hit after hit over there and famously performed “Looking For Freedom” atop the Berlin Wall. “I love the fact I had the balls to insist on singing on the Wall and I love how the Germans have embraced me and my music. That’s why I was so happy to go back there to film Ze Network.

Given that he doesn’t take his image too seriously, I ask him what he does take seriously. Ever the canny self-publicist, he says: “I’m serious about Ze Network . I was in a bad mood because I couldn’t find

The David Hasselhoff in the show is fed up with doing cameos and commercials. The real David Hasselhoff isn’t. “They’re great, so long as they pay well.” He talks about being paid a lot of money to do adverts for a bank. “So I embrace the fame that came with Knight Rider and Baywatch. It makes me a living.”

He’s also more than happy to meet and greet the fans once our chat is over. “After all, it’s called showbusiness.” He flashes those bright blue eyes. “You put on a good show, you get the business.” n

Ze Network is coming soon to the UK and Europe

With Andrew Lloyd Webber in 1978

Tim Rice I REMEMBER…

English lyricist and author Tim Rice, 77, is known for writing lyrics for the world’s best-loved musicals, including Joseph, Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita

With Sarah Hugill and Andrew Lloyd Webber at the opening night party for Joseph and The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat

THE VERY FIRST THING THAT I REMEMBER is seeing a snail on a gatepost when my father Hugh and my mother Joan lived in Croxley Green in Hertfordshire. I doubt if I was even three years old; it would have been around 1947. Obviously I couldn’t foresee that 20 years later in 1967 the pop star Donovan would write a song, “There Is A Mountain”, whose lyric referenced a snail on a gatepost! But it seems very serendipitous in retrospect that I grew up to have a career as a lyricist.

MINE WAS A SUN-DAPPLED CHILDHOOD WITH MY TWO YOUNGER BROTHERS JONATHAN

(JO) AND ANDREW. We weren’t incredibly wealthy, but we had a very nice middle-class upbringing.

Dad worked for the de Havilland Aircraft Company as its Far East representative. A wonderful thing happened when he was sent to Japan for a year in 1954 and took the whole family with him. It was a great childhood adventure and I was old enough, at ten, to appreciate it. There I listened to the American Forces Radio, which got me hooked on popular music.

I WAS A KEEN STAMP-COLLECTOR AS A CHILD, which was what first made me aware of Eva “Evita”

Perón—whose glamorous image on Argentinian stamps as its First Lady was one of my favourites. I recall feeling sorry at the news of her death in 1952; like my father, I was already an avid newspaper reader from the age of seven.

Then in 1955 while we were still in Japan, I remember reading that her husband, President Juan Perón, had been ousted. So, unlike most British people, I was always vaguely aware of the Peróns long before I heard a radio documentary about Evita in 1973. I suggested to my collaborator

Andrew Lloyd Webber that a musical about her life would make a great follow-up to our hit with Jesus Christ Superstar.

I WAS EQUALLY CLOSE TO BOTH MY PARENTS.

They both played a part in my future career, despite probably thinking I was the least likely of their three sons to settle down with a good job. But my mother had writing ambitions of her own and was contributing stories and plays to publishers and newspapers. My favourite toy as a child was her typewriter, since I loved to see words printed neatly

Pictured at his 1974 wedding to Jane McIntosh, a production assistant with the National Theatre

In costume as the Rock Pharaoh

and legibly on paper. After A-levels at Lancing College in Sussex, I became an articled clerk at a lawyer’s office in London before realising that I wasn’t cut out to be a solicitor. So I moved on to work as a management trainee, or glorified office boy, in the music business at EMI where my father knew the MD of the London office.

TALENT IS OBVIOUSLY IMPORTANT, BUT YOU’VE GOT TO HAVE LUCK AS WELL. Most successful people owe a lot of their start in show business to other people. I had heard from a music publisher contact of my mother’s that an 18-year-old prodigy called

Andrew Lloyd Webber needed a “with-it” lyric writer for his compositions. My overriding interest was the music scene and I had written a couple of pop songs already, so I wrote to Andrew offering my services as a lyricist. I was 21.

We started writing together, but it wasn’t until I took the gamble of leaving EMI that our collaboration began in earnest with a three-year contract with a new manager, David Land. Andrew and I got on so well that I even moved into a spare room in one of the two adjacent flats in South Kensington where he lived with two generations of his Bohemian family. They were a

fascinatingly wacky cast of enchanting characters—and that suited me fine.

I FOUNDED A CRICKET TEAM, HEARTACHES CC, IN 1973 AND IT’S STILL GOING STRONG. The photograph above was taken recently when we played one of our most venerable opponents, Odiham CC (in Hampshire). After each game, I write a match report which I compile into an almanac at the conclusion of the season; some of the reports go back nearly 50 years and it’s amazing how often I can remember the day quite clearly. The players here had just secured a victory—and the

In cricket whites as a member of his private team, The Heartaches

Labrador in the photo had secured several egg-and-cress sandwiches.

I HAD A BRIEF ENCOUNTER WITH MY HERO, ELVIS PRESLEY when I actually got to shake The King’s hand in 1974. While on honeymoon in America, my wife Jane and I were invited to one of his shows at the Las Vegas Hilton by his music publisher— who just happened to be closer than close to one of Jane’s girlfriends.

Elvis’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, was a permanent fixture at the gambling tables, which was why Elvis got trapped in the Vegas circus for so long. We were invited to a post-show gathering and Elvis

Rice wins his Emmy, alongside Andrew Lloyd Webber and singer John Legend in 2018

thanked us for coming. He looked good close up—he wasn’t going through one of his fat periods—and seemed very cheerful.

I told Jane that I hoped that Elvis would record one of my songs and that we could meet him properly next time, but we never did. Just three years later, Elvis had left the building forever.

I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT THE ABBA SONGWRITERS BENNY ANDERSSON AND BJÖRN ULVAEUS WERE MUSICAL GENII. After Evita, Andrew had the poetry of TS Eliot for his Cats lyrics, while I needed a new

composer-collaborator for my idea of a drama about a chess match between a Russian and an American grandmaster as a proxy for the Cold War. I heard that Benny and Björn wanted to write a stage musical as a change from three-minute pop songs, so we met up for dinner in a Stockholm restaurant and they decided to do Chess with me.

As Björn explained, Sweden almost had a border with Russia—so they knew all about that Cold War feeling!

I WAS VERY HONOURED TO RECEIVE A KNIGHTHOOD FROM THE QUEEN IN 1994 and also to

With wife Jane at Buckingham Palace after receiving a knighthood

become an EGOT, a rather ugly acronym which stands for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards. But I consider myself a minor celebrity and only wear a hat to protect my thinning dome, not because of recognition.

Most of my dearest friends are outside of show business. I’m very close to my family—three daughters and a son, and seven grandchildren, who are all musical.

that I wrote with the composer Stuart Brayson, whom I first encountered two decades ago when he came up to me in the street and pressed his music tapes into my hand. It’s my way of forcing myself out of my natural laziness. n

As told to Maureen Paton

I can’t retire—what else would I do? So I’ve written three new songs for the first London revival of the 2013 musical

From Here To Eternity

From Here To Eternity runs at London’s Charing Cross Theatre from October 29 to December 17 with an opening night on November 8. For tickets and more information, visit charingcrosstheatre.co.uk

Rise Above Pain

THE REMEDIES AND STRATEGIES THAT CAN HELP YOU ENJOY LIFE AGAIN

by Lisa Bendall

With additional reporting by s usannah h ickling

photos: (left) ©getty images (right) by Vicky lam

Since his teens, Antony Chuter has faced severe discomfort from recurring kidney stones. This was compounded in adulthood by issues caused by sciatica and a connectivetissue condition affecting his feet, shoulders, and elbows.

The 51-year-old former IT engineer from Uckfield, East Sussex, used to try to push through his pain. In the early 1990s, he and his then-partner renovated houses and went sailing and night-clubbing. “We had a busy, active life,” he says. But gradually the pain took over. Chuter started cancelling social engagements, and eventually lost his job, home and relationship. He sank into depression.

Chuter’s doctor referred him to a pain clinic in 1995 but the real turning point came almost a decade later, when he participated in a six-week programme that included a peer-led pain self-management course. “It was a game-changer,” he says. “I’ve learned the importance of living for the day and finding enjoyment in the things I’m able to do.”

For relief he also does some gentle exercises, like an aqua walking class and simple workouts in the gym. And when Chuter feels pain flaring up, he’ll listen to music and play a game on his phone. “That helps me chill out,” he says.

Relaxation is just one of several

methods he relies on to stay healthy and happy. He has a new partner and a comfortable home. And he’s thrown himself into helping others dealing with long-term pain by setting up a men’s support group, which meets twice a week on Zoom. “We listen to each other,” he says. “The only rule is that we talk about how we feel in the moment. It’s very cathartic.”

At least one in five Europeans lives with chronic pain—defined as persistent pain that lasts for more than three months—and half of them say it interferes with their professional life. But there are ways to prevent chronic pain from defining you.

And the good news is that some of the solutions also work for anyone suffering from occasional acute-pain episodes like headache, toothache or muscle pain.

Here are several ways that you can take your battles with pain, whether it is chronic or acute, into your own hands.

MEDICAL TREATMENTS

Topical Relief

For pain problems that are near the skin surface—like an arthritic joint in your toe or a nerve injury in your fingertip—medicated creams or gels may provide some relief. They usually contain a topical anaesthetic or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).

Heat or cold packs may soothe

deeper musculoskeletal pain. But “avoid direct contact with the skin,” cautions Dr Bart Morlion, director of the Leuven Center for Algology and Pain Management at University Hospitals Leuven in Belgium. “Put the hot or cold pack in a towel. Long application of heat or ice cold can cause tissue damage, so I advise three times a day for 15 minutes.”

Over-the-Counter Medications

Aspirin, also known as acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), has been on the market since 1899 and was the world’s most popular painkiller by the mid-20th century. Paracetamol, also known as acetaminophen, became available in 1950, and today it ranks as the most widely used medication. Both drugs work by changing the message of the chemical transmitters that travel up our spinal cord to tell our brain we’re hurting.

At least

1 in five Europeans suffers with chronic pain

damage and gastrointestinal bleeding. You should check with your physician before using it, especially if you’re over 65 or have medical conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure. Be wary of combination products, like those that contain paracetamol plus codeine. The more ingredients a medication has, the greater the risk that it could interact with something else you’re taking. “If you are on other medication, speak with your pharmacist or doctor, or both, and read the product information,” suggests Dr Morlion.

Prescription Drugs

For more extreme pain, NSAIDs are also available for sufferers in prescriptionstrength formulas (some people need them to ease their osteoarthritis, for instance; this condition affects more than 40 million people across Europe).

As they have the least harmful side effects of all painkillers and can help address a wide range of aches, it’s best to try them before turning to anything stronger—unless your doctor has advised you to avoid these products because of a medical condition such as liver disease.

Ibuprofen, which is an NSAID, is chemically like aspirin, but carries more serious risks, including kidney

There are of course tightly controlled prescription drugs for chronic pain, including opioids. Keep in mind that different types of pain can require different treatments; for example, gabapentin and pregabalin are anticonvulsant drugs that are often used for pain arising from damage to the nervous system—such as a severed nerve or shingles.

Back and Joint Injections

Spinal nerve blocks—injections of a long-lasting anaesthetic into vertebrae joints—can help with some types of back pain. But, like so many other treatments, its effectiveness depends on where the soreness is coming from. This won’t relieve disc pain, for instance, but can help with pain in the facet joints connecting your vertebrae.

For some of his chronic headache patients who haven’t responded to other treatments, Dr Morlion uses nerve block injections in areas around the head. Another option is botulinum toxin, known as Botox—it can also prevent migraines by blocking the transmission of pain signals. Steroid injections into inflamed joints can sometimes help with arthritis pain.

All of these offer only temporary relief for most people, lasting anywhere from weeks to months, so they need to be repeated.

Nerve Stimulation

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS), which is becoming more popular around the world, can override pain signals by sending electric impulses to the spinal cord through surgically implanted wires. It doesn’t work for all pain, but it may help some kinds of back or limb pain by

replacing it with a tingling sensation. But there are risks to this kind of invasive procedure—an implanted battery could leak, or you could develop an infection. Even if it works perfectly, the hardware doesn’t last forever.

There is also a new, more targeted form of stimulation known as DRG (dorsal root ganglion, a cluster of neurons located in the mid-spine), which is delivered directly to the nerve-root bundle.

A less invasive option, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), delivers a lowvoltage electric current through the skin. TENS devices are widely sold for use at home or in a health care provider’s office. Some studies suggest that TENS can reduce the sensation of pain with issues like shoulder tendonitis and an aching lower back by interfering with the nerve signals. But beware: you should always consult your physician before you use such devices, especially if you have a pacemaker or medical conditions like epilepsy or deep vein thrombosis.

41 million adults in Europe suffer from migraines

NON-MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS

CognitiveBehavioural Therapy (CBT)

Since pain is highly unpleasant, the emotional

impact of it can be just as distressing as the physical sensation. Strategies that work on controlling this response—CBT being a key one—can improve how we feel, says clinical psychologist Sue Webb, who runs an online course aimed at helping people tame chronic pain. “Reducing the emotional response to pain is like turning the volume down on it,” she says. “CBT helps people understand what is happening to them and gives them tools to put it right.”

For example, it can be helpful to be aware of your negative self-talk. Stress and anxiety are proven to worsen physical pain, so instead of berating yourself for only being able to clean half the kitchen floor, you can be more compassionate and accept that this is the best you can do today. An expert in CBT can help you change your thought patterns by teaching you how to reinterpret these kinds of situations.

studies, the participants' opioid use also went down.

Meditation and Relaxation

In 2020, a research review of 60 studies by the University of Utah in the United States concluded that CBT and other mind-body therapies can reduce pain severity in people who are taking opioids. In most of the

A University of Utah research review also found that mindfulness meditation was among the most effective mind-body therapies for pain reduction. Relaxation practices like meditation can minimise tension in the body, calm the sympathetic nervous system, and provide a greater sense of control. Specific

oils and incense

ball and band Acupuncture needles Topical balm

Topical pain relief patch and roll-on balm

TENS pads Cannabis gummies

photo by V icky lam

techniques—such as focusing on your breathing, progressively relaxing different muscles, or visualising a peaceful place—may take time to learn, so don’t get discouraged if they don't work at first.

For some people, music, deep breathing, or essential oils can be relaxing. What’s important is finding out what works for you.

Massage

Therapeutic massage can lower pain levels by improving circulation and relaxing your body. It may also reduce the anxiety that aggravates pain. Some research suggests it can be effective for soft tissue injuries, back pain, headaches, and fibromyalgia pain. Seek out a registered massage therapist who is specifically trained to address injuries.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture, derived from a 2,500year-old Chinese practice, can treat a wide range of everyday conditions, including backaches and dental pain. Tiny needles are inserted through the skin to various depths and are thought to disrupt pain signals by stimulating the nerves. Evidence is mixed, although a 2017 analysis in The Journal of Pain found that it does seem to help certain individuals beyond

the placebo effect. It usually takes a few sessions to see results, and as with many treatments, it’s not easy to predict who will benefit from it.

Harriët Wittink, a physiotherapist specialising in chronic pain and the chair of the lifestyle and health research group at the University of Applied Sciences Utrecht in the Netherlands, believes acupuncture is worth trying. “The frequency of adverse effects is unknown, and they may be rare,” she says. “Just make sure that the acupuncturist is appropriately licensed.”

Cannabis

Medical cannabis has been earning more attention as a potential pain reliever, although research is still limited, and it isn’t yet recommended as a first-line treatment. However, Imperial College London has set up a medical cannabis research group that will evaluate and develop new cannabinoid (CBD) treatments for pain, inflammation and cancer.

More than

40 million people across Europe live with osteoarthritis

In the meantime, many people are experimenting on their own. An analysis of public health data published last year in The Lancet Regional Health–Europe found that more Europeans were using cannabis at older ages. A 2021 Danish survey of people who used cannabis

instead of prescription drugs found that they did so mostly for pain management. Always check with your doctor before putting cannabis to the test.

PAIN PREVENTION

Miren Behaxeteguy, a 47-year-old from Montpellier, France, is one of the 41 million European adults who suffer from migraine headaches. They can strike several times a week and leave her incapacitated. Earlier this year, the pain forced her to take prolonged sick leave from her job as a social worker.

“I hit a wall and decided I had to manage my pain in a different way,” says Behaxeteguy, a grandmother. “I’m now focused on being comfortable before and during an episode.”

As soon as she feels any pain surfacing, she puts on a hat containing ice packs and, on her neck, a grain-filled heat bag. She applies a variety of other prevention and management techniques, from relaxation to Pilates.

Regular physical activity can prevent and ease aches and pains in multiple ways. It improves your general emotional well-being, triggers the release of pain-relieving endorphins, and boosts blood flow and nutrients to your joints and tissues. “Exercise is not only important because of the ‘use it or lose it’ principle, but also because it

increases confidence in your ability to do things,” says Wittink.

If you’re worried about aggravating your pain or putting pressure on your joints, try gentle walking or lowimpact exercises like tai chi, yoga or aquatics. And if you’ve had a recent sports injury or are recovering from surgery, a physiotherapist can often suggest at-home exercises that will help you to heal or improve your mobility.

In addition to doing exercises suggested by her physiotherapist and going to Pilates classes, Behaxeteguy does deep breathing exercises with the help of online videos. “It takes five minutes, and I can do them anywhere on my phone.”

And, she puts great stock in the healing power of keeping pets. “Walking my dog helps me exercise and get some air, and my cat’s purring is incredibly calming. That’s my personal prescription!”.

Effectively dealing with pain can often mean exploring a variety of different strategies. Take the advice of someone who has been there. “Have an open mind and try new things,” says Antony Chuter, who is now chair of Pain UK. “List possible solutions and pick one. If that solution doesn’t work, pick another. It’s all about what’s right for you. And it’s important to accept your pain and take more pleasure in the things you enjoy.” n

Active Hands, Calm Minds

How crafts like knitting can help us deal with stress

By Donyale Harrison

The cliché of a knitter is a white-haired lady—possibly one who also solves murders, if you’re an Agatha Christie fan. But in the 1940s, young male Royal Air Force pilots wielded needles as they waited for their next mission. Wartime pilots crashed a lot and “lap crafts”—like knitting, embroidery, and beadwork—helped rebuild dexterity in wounded limbs while also helping to settle wounded minds. They were the cornerstone of early occupational therapy.

Today, millions of people around the world employ these same techniques. “They are entwined with our mental health,” says Janine Smith. Along with Deb McDonald,

she co-owns Skein Sisters, a store in Sydney, Australia, that sells supplies for knitting and crocheting. “I know that if I haven’t knitted for a few days, I really miss it. It’s like meditation.”

Research supports Smith’s statement. Physiotherapist Betsan Corkhill and occupational therapist Jill Riley were part of a team from Cardiff University that, ten years ago, surveyed more than 3,500 knitters and found that the more frequently people knitted, the calmer and happier they felt.

Or, as McDonald puts it, “That rhythm of making stitch after stitch is like deep breathing. It’s a flow where you don’t have to stress about it,

you’ve got the rhythm happening.”

“Flow” is a concept first named by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. As he wrote in his book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, “The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times. The best moments usually occur if a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary

KNITTING IS ACCESSIBLE—AT ITS HEART, IT’S TWO STICKS AND ONE STITCH

effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.”

Shauna Richardson knows just how true this is. The artist spent 18 months in a state of flow when she crocheted three seven-metre-long lions for the 2012 Cultural Olympiad. To complete the task, which required nearly 38 miles of wool, she says she had to “zone everything out and sustain a state of mind driven by rhythm and process.”

But smaller projects will also get you there. Even a simple knitting or crochet pattern requires attentiveness to ensure that each stitch is made correctly. And if there’s not enough challenge in the straightforward, you can make additions, from colour

changes to textured stitches to highly intricate patterns.

Csikszentmihalyi also describes the opposite to flow. He points out that although people are healthier and grow to be older than in previous generations, they often end up feeling that “their years were spent in anxiety and boredom,” and they feel cut off from satisfying work.

The Cardiff research team found that even though most of the people surveyed were employed, three-quarters of those who knitted three or more times a week felt significantly more able to organise their thoughts and forget their problems.

Many respondents described feeling calmer and in a better mood after knitting, and the majority of respondents who suffered from depression “perceived that knitting made them feel happier.” For respondents who suffered from chronic pain, almost nine out of ten said that knitting gave them a sense of accomplishment and a means of coping with their pain.

Interestingly, more than half of those surveyed said that knitting pushed them to develop other skills, like building furniture. Because knitting is so accessible—at its heart it’s two sticks and one stitch—it helps people build confidence in their abilities. After all, if you make a mistake, you can just pull it all out and start again. n

Scary Symptoms

A heart that goes bump in the night or eyelids that move by themselves? It might be Halloween but, almost always, there’s no need to be afraid

Susannah Hickling is twice winner of the Guild of Health Writers Best Consumer Magazine Health Feature

Chest pain For most people who are younger with no medical history to suggest cardiac problems or a higher risk—such as high blood pressure or diabetes—pain in the chest doesn’t usually indicate a heart attack. It could be caused by indigestion, muscle strain after exercise or anxiety. Or angina triggered by narrowing arteries could be provoking the pain. This needs medical attention but is rarely an emergency.

But if your chest pain lasts more than 15 minutes, spreads to other parts of your body such as your jaw, back or arms, comes with tightness of the chest or sweating, breathlessness or sickness, you need urgent medical help.

Palpitations

Many people fret about a fluttering, fast-beating or pounding heart. Often this is caused by dehydration, stress or too much caffeine. Drink plenty of fluids, manage anxiety and cut back on coffee.

When should you worry? If you are getting palpitations a lot, and you also get chest pain or are short of breath, see your doctor to eliminate a heart rhythm problem.

Skin tags

Fleshy growths that often look like warts and are usually connected by a stalk to your skin are almost never cancerous.

They’re a common part of getting older and tend to be in areas of friction, like your neck or under your arms. If you’re worried, get them checked out.

Twitching eye

their vision as they get older. Have regular eye tests (every two years for most people). Meanwhile, if the dark shapes are accompanied by flashing lights, see an optometrist immediately to rule out a detached retina.

Feeling faint when standing up

Dizziness when you get up quickly is called postural hypotension, caused by a drop in blood pressure when the blood goes to your legs as you stand. It’s very common, especially as you age, and nothing to worry about unless you actually pass out or fall or it’s happening more frequently. Remember to rise slowly.

PAIN IN THE CHEST DOESN’T USUALLY INDICATE A HEART ATTACK

The unpleasant sensation of a twitching eyelid is almost always harmless. In fact, it just means you—and in particular your eyes—are tired. Ease off the computer or phone screen. As ever, if the problem persists, see your doctor in the extremely unlikely event that it could be a symptom of a neurological disorder.

Floaters in your eye

Almost everyone gets black dots that pass in front of

Ringing in your ears

A sudden ringing that goes away or a constant noise can both be signs of tinnitus. Again, it’s more likely when you get older and is often associated with hearing loss, certain medications or stress.

Could it be something more serious? Occasionally, it might indicate high blood pressure or hardening arteries. It could be time for a health check. And, if your tinnitus beats in time with your pulse, see your GP. n

For more weekly health tips and stories, sign up to our newsletter at readersdigest.co.uk

8 Reasons To Try Tai Chi

1 Tai chi is good for both body and mind Tai chi is a gentle martial art that originated in China. It’s called “meditation in motion”, because it involves slow movements with a focus on breathing and on what your body is doing in that moment. You can go at your own pace.

2

It’s easy on the body Tai chi is suitable for all ages and levels of fitness. It is low-impact, meaning there is minimal risk of damage to your joints. Muscles are relaxed and there is no stretching or straining. It’s an exercise that can be easily adapted for less able people, including those in wheelchairs.

3 It could prevent falls A 2019 review of studies suggested that tai chi might reduce the risk of falls in older people. Certainly, the emphasis is on balance, with sideways and backwards movements helping to strengthen muscles required for good stability. It also improves flexibility and spatial awareness.

4 It may reduce pain A small body of research indicates that practising tai chi on a regular

basis can help alleviate knee osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia and lower back pain.

5 Tai chi compares with brisk walking and resistance training This might be difficult to believe, as tai chi is so slow and smooth, but it can improve both upperbody strength, thanks to the unsupported arm movements it involves, and lower-body strength when practised regularly.

6 It may boost brain power

Benefits aren’t just physical. Studies have found that regular tai chi can improve cognitive functioning in older people with dementia and without. Given that it’s considered safe and suitable for the elderly, this is a definite win.

7 It has the feel-good factor

A reduction in stress and anxiety, and increased confidence, are other mental health benefits of tai chi, according to research, though further research is needed.

8 You can do it at home Classes are useful not just for teaching the movements but also for meeting likeminded people. But there are videos available online too—you’re bound to find one that matches your fitness level and exercise preferences.

Ask The Expert: Grandchildren’s Wellbeing

Dr Tamara Scully is a Suffolk-based chartered clinical psychologist who works with children, young people and adults.

How did you become an expert on families, including children? My passion comes from my belief that with the right support all children can reach their potential. Working with children is so full of hope. I have spent the past 15 years working in child and adolescent mental health in the NHS.

What are the main mental health challenges facing children? This is difficult to answer. Over the past two years there has been an increase in child and adolescent mental health difficulties. In particular, there has been a significant increase in anxiety and eating disorders, both linked to the pandemic. Young people are also reporting a much higher level of loneliness, which may be linked to excessive screen use.

How do these manifest themselves in their behaviour? It’s absolutely normal for young people to move up and

down the mental health curve. We get concerned when we notice big changes in their behaviour that don’t pass in a few weeks—for example, grandchildren stop meeting friends, stay in their bedroom or lose interest in things they used to enjoy.

What role can grandparents play in ensuring their grandchildren’s wellbeing? The most important thing grandparents can offer is themselves, just being there, listening and validating. Relationships are the biggest predictors of happiness and success across the lifespan. Strong positive relationships build resilience in our young people.

What practical things can grandparents do? Be present and give their time. They can give their time directly to their grandchild and to their own child—a parent who is allowed time to refuel will show up as a better parent. They can help their grandchildren by being on their team and sitting with them when times are tough. All children benefit from something called relational wealth and this is a grandparent’s most important contribution. n

For more information go to resilienceandwellbeing.blogspot.com and castlepsychology.co.uk

Leading By Example

Healthcare workers need to join their patients on the treadmill, argues Dr Max

Standing outside my hospital the other day, I was struck by a sight. In fact, I’d bet it’s a sight we’ve all seen countless times: obese nurses standing around outside a hospital, usually smoking, busting out of their uniforms. Their poppers ready to pop, their belt heaving under the strain of keeping it all in, it seems a feat of mechanical engineering that they ever managed to get into their uniform in the first place. It is estimated that one in four nurses is obese, with nearly two-thirds being overweight. That’s pretty shocking. Of course, health professionals should know

Max is a hospital doctor, author and columnist. He currently works full time in mental health for the NHS. His new book, The Marvellous Adventure of Being Human, is out now

better—they know more than most the problems associated with obesity. They’ve seen the heart attacks and strokes, the diabetes, the leg amputations. Why are so many still overweight? It’s a clear example of denial—a basic psychological defence mechanism that the mind uses to resolve conflicts. On the one hand the mind knows that being obese is bad, but on the other hand it wants to eat cake and not worry about it. So, unconsciously it pushes this conflict deep down so we can ignore it. Don’t think about it, pretend it’s not happening.

While some have argued that obese nurses may be less productive and take more time off sick, this isn’t

my concern at all. I’m just worried about the appalling example they set others. Yes, of course, nurses and doctors are human beings. They are fallible and can’t be expected to have perfect, blemish-free lives. They struggle with having a healthy lifestyle like everyone else. But when you are on the coalface, seeing patients, you are a professional and therefore have a duty to uphold basic principles of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and take a role in health promotion. If you can’t stick to the basic principles that you are promoting yourself, then in my opinion you have no business being on the front line. No patient is going to take you seriously unless you can demonstrate that you at least try to practise what you preach.

your drinking from an alcoholic, would you? So why should you be expected to listen to an overweight healthcare professional who is telling you to shed a few pounds. It’s the total hypocrisy that would stick in my craw and that I simply can’t believe patients accept.

THEY RISK ALIENATING THE VERY PATIENTS THEY ARE CHARGED WITH HELPING

It’s a serious professional failing, because being obese as a nurse or doctor will mean patients won’t listen to what you say and, I suspect, when they feel they can’t listen to you on lifestyle, they’ll soon stop listening to what you say on other topics as well. It undermines the entire relationship. It also sends the disastrous message of “do as I say not as I do” which is never going to result in someone changing their ways. You wouldn’t take advice about reducing

Of course, there are lots of instances when a doctor or nurse’s personal struggles can really help. Many people working in substance misuse, for example, are former addicts and the care they give is all the better for it. They understand the mind of an addict better than anyone. Likewise, I used to smoke and I find this actually helps me because I can relate to patients—I know their struggles, I know their concerns and I know the things they say to themselves to avoid confronting quitting. I like to think that knowing that I used to smoke helps me come across as more human to my patients—I’ve done daft things but I’ve changed and so can they.

Similarly, a nurse who was previously obese but has now lost weight could be a real motivation for patients. But until they have lost weight and can demonstrate that they practise what they preach, they risk alienating the very patients they are charged with helping. n

The Doctor Is In

Dr Max Pemberton

Q: Dear Dr Max, I have noticed that I bruise very easily on my legs. Any ideas why this is happening and how I can stop bruising so easily? Thank you! - Jo, via email

A: Dear Jo. This is actually a very common query. People often find that they are bruising easily and worry something is wrong but, thankfully, in most cases it’s nothing to worry about. There are a few causes though that do need to be ruled out. You don’t give your age, medical history or whether you are on medication, and these are things that would usually be considered.

Bruises are caused by blood trapped under the skin. They occur when there has been damage to the underlying tissue and blood vessels break open in the area. Damage to tissue is actually quite normal—we are always banging and bashing ourselves without realising it, which affects the tiny blood vessels under the skin. Usually the blood clots before it can spread and we notice it, but in some cases it doesn’t clot quick enough—either because the damage is too much, such as when something hits

us hard, or because our clotting is slower than it should be or our blood vessels are more fragile. We tend to bang and bash our limbs most, which is why it occurs most often on our arms or legs.

As we age, our skin thins and our blood vessels are more frail, and this is why people start to find they bruise more easily. Medications can also increase bruising, especially aspirin, which “thins” the blood, as well as medications like steroids and some antidepressants. Easy bruising could also be a sign of underlying diseases. Liver disease, including cirrhosis of the liver caused by alcohol, can affect the blood’s clotting. Vasculitis—a group of conditions that cause inflamed blood vessels—can also trigger bruising, as can malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies. Rarely, bruising can be a sign of cancer, particularly leukaemia. The best thing to do is to pop to the GP, who can do some basic blood tests and examine you to rule out any underlying causes. n

Got a health question for our resident doctor?

Email it confidentially to askdrmax@readersdigest.co.uk

HEALTH

Have A Disgustingly Good Memory

Negative feelings can nudge your brain, says our memory expert, Jonathan Hancock

Many of our memory systems are driven by one single, powerful urge: to survive.

We seem to be hard-wired to remember routes, so we can navigate our local environments safely.

We’re also naturally talented at recognising faces. Ever since we lived in groups, us humans have needed to know who’s “part of the pack”, and who isn’t, as a vital part of staying safe.

And we’re excellent at remembering things that might put our wellbeing at risk. A recent research study showed that we’re remarkably accurate at recalling anything connected with infection. Even imaginary dangers can sharpen our memory skills.

In the study, volunteers were shown a set of objects that they would be tested on later. But there was a twist. Some of the items were held by a researcher who was said to have COVID. And guess what? Those “contaminated” objects proved to be significantly easier to recall.

None of the volunteers would ever have to touch those things themselves. But their minds still prioritised them, locking in the information for later— just in case it could keep them safe.

And it’s a reflex that you can use to your advantage. When you’ve got something important to remember, why not “tag” it with one of those unpleasant feelings that your brain can’t help holding on to?

• Worried about forgetting the milk from your shopping list? Picture the bottle, and imagine opening it only to discover that it’s weeks out of date. Think about how it would look—and smell! Thanks to the power of disgust, you’ll have a much better chance of remembering the fresh milk you need.

• Maybe you have to visit the library before it closes. To jog your memory, visualise the library tables piled high with all the foods you absolutely hate. See if your instinct for selfprotection keeps the library in your thoughts more than normally!

• And how about learning the PIN for your debit card by imagining that only the correct buttons on the ATM are safe? The first time you type the four digits, pretend that all the other keys are covered in deadly germs, imprinting the “safe” pattern on your memory. Tap into your drive to survive.

Don’t try this technique too often, though, or you’ll end up always feeling on edge! But, in those moments when your memory needs a boost, a small bit of revulsion can be very healthy for your recall. n

Just Cycle And fold away

There’s no excuse not to get on your bike this Winter. Get your indoor cycling fix and feel the benefits.

Great for general cardio fitness, exercise bikes can be a brilliant way of training at home. However, choosing the right bike is incredibly important, which is something that Roger Black and his team recognised when creating the Roger Black Folding Exercise Bike.

“Best Present EVER are the words from my 77-year old father who received his Roger Black fitness bike for his birthday. He said it is so simple and easy to use, with no complicated gadgets. The seat is VERY comfortable, so using it everyday is a pleasure. It folds away neatly so it can be stored behind a door if need be” Anna, Farnham

Roger Black is o ering a 10% discount on the full www.rogerblackfitness.com range of home fitness equipment for all Reader’s Digest readers. Please use discount code DIGEST10 at checkout. Standard T&Cs apply

Can Hormones Change Who You’re Attracted To?

What makes you feel attracted to another person? Perhaps it’s the sound of their voice or the chiselled shape of their face? What if I told you that your hormones are making you feel this way—and that they have the power to change the sort of people you fancy? It’s an idea that science has been toying with for some time now, and to be honest, it’s not so far-fetched.

Mostly, researchers have looked at the effects of high testosterone, which is known to influence our sex drive. Testosterone is even recommended as off-label hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to help menopausal folks with low libido.

media platform

The Femedic

But can a boost in testosterone really change our taste in other people? The University of Aberdeen was one of the first to look into this in 2007. They showed 70 women pictures of 20 men and 20 women, whose faces had varying degrees of “feminine” (a rounder jaw, a smaller face) and “masculine” (a more square jaw, a wider-set face) features.

Women were asked which faces they found more attractive over the course of their menstrual cycle, when levels of oestrogen, progesterone, and testosterone were naturally in flux. Guess what they found? When women’s testosterone levels were higher, they went for more masculine faces, even though they preferred more feminine faces in general.

The theory here is that because testosterone levels are raised around the time that we ovulate, the body takes this as a cue to look for a viable mate—which, apparently, is people who look more masculine.

Put another way: when our body gets the message that it’s time to

Monica Karpinski is a writer and editor focused on women’s health, sex, and relationships. She is the founder of women’s health

procreate, we’re more likely to fancy people with a Chris Hemsworth vibe. But while this is super interesting, these findings haven’t really held up.

In 2018, the journal Psychological Science published a review of studies done on the matter. They looked at data from a total of 598 heterosexual women and found no link between testosterone levels and the preference for masculine faces. Sorry, Chris!

If we’re feeling good about ourselves and excited about sex, won’t we be more up for trying new things?

Proof that attraction to more masculine voices, or even that masculine people smell nicer when our testosterone is higher, is also pretty patchy and inconsistent.

A key flaw with many of these studies is that they rely on selfreported data, which is subjective. We might feel drawn to someone in the moment, but does that necessarily mean we want to tear their clothes off?

Nope, it doesn’t, according to a 2017 paper in Scientific Reports. They found that what people said they were attracted to didn’t correlate with their pupil dilation, which is a physical sign that we’re sexually or romantically aroused. OK, so there’s no direct link between testosterone

levels and who we fancy. But—and hear me out here—could testosterone influence our desires via its effect on libido?

Maybe. After all, we know that testosterone can make us more sensitive to touch and arousal, which might make sex feel more appealing or exciting.

One review of 36 clinical trials that had 8,480 postmenopausal participants between them found that testosterone supplements increased their sexual desire, pleasure, arousal, orgasm and even improved how they saw themselves. If we’re feeling good about ourselves and also excited about sex, won’t we be more up for trying new things?

Our sex drive is a big picture of many moving parts. Hormones are certainly a part of this picture, but they aren’t the whole story. For example, taking testosterone could make sex feel easier, but if your dip in libido is due to relationship issues, it might not have much of an effect.

That’s why HRT can work really well for some people but less so for others. But, if it’s safe for you to take and helps you to feel happier in bed—embrace it, I say! n

Relationship Advice

Monica Karpinski

Q: I’ve just started wearing dentures and I’m feeling insecure about it, but I’m especially nervous when it comes to the idea of dating new people. Do you have any advice for how I can navigate this? Should I disclose that I wear them upfront, for example? - Doris

A: It’s human nature to feel insecure about things we think others might not like about us. But dentures are not a personality trait—they’re medical devices that can really improve the quality of life of people who use them.

Sadly, wearing dentures (or any other prosthetics) doesn’t fit in with our culture’s narrow ideals of beauty and desirability. But these are arbitrary standards and trying to meet them is a game that none of us can win.

Unlearning this isn’t easy, so try to be kind and patient with yourself as you get used to this new aspect of your life.

On a practical note, there are things you can do to make dating with dentures a bit smoother. For one, practising eating and speaking with dentures on your own or with friends first can help you get used to

them and build your confidence.

Kissing will undoubtedly feel a bit different, but if your dentures have been fitted securely they shouldn’t fall out while you do this. Plus, anyone will tell you that a good kiss is about connecting with someone in that moment—not how much contact you had with their teeth!

When it comes to sex, whether you choose to leave your dentures in is completely up to you. If you don’t feel comfortable deciding in the moment, let your partner know you need a break and stop if you need to.

The same goes for sharing that you’re a dentures wearer. This isn’t an apology or disclaimer you need to give before meeting someone new, it’s something to mention when you’re ready. As you get to know each other you’ll build up a natural intimacy, and you’ll find a moment that feels right.

Your dentures are no indication of what kind of partner you’d be, nor take away from how funny, kind, interesting, or patient you are. So, don’t let them! n

Got a question for our resident sex and relationships expert? Email it confidentially to thelovedoctor@readersdigest.co.uk

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EXTREME MEDICINE

Discover the incredible stories of the extreme-conditions medics swapping their prescription pads and stethoscopes for rafts and snake venom…

By Parisa Hashempour

Costa Rica’s jungles might seem an unlikely spot for a group of medics to converge. But trekking through this dense stretch of Central American wilderness, that’s exactly who you might encounter. Trading stethoscopes and lab-made pharmaceuticals for rafts and snake venom, these medics come together under the guidance of World Extreme Medicine, an organisation training paramedics, physiotherapists, nurses, and doctors to work in the world’s most volatile and remote conditions.

Extreme medicine is a subdiscipline of medicine in which healthcare providers respond to crises in war zones, assist those left behind after humanity's most horrific disasters, and conduct medicine not just on land, but also deep beneath the sea and even in outer space. While all medics need to think on their feet, Mark Hannaford, the founder of World Extreme Medicine, explains that for extreme medics, that need is heightened. Medics might treat a patient in the blistering heat of a desert, on an ice-cold tundra, or stabilise a person at altitude or in the dark. Despite this, he says, “you don't need to run a marathon with a rucksack on every day to be an extreme medic.” Physical fitness is

not the challenge. “The challenge is adequately preparing yourself for the environment you are going into.”

EXTREME HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS RESPOND NOT JUST ON LAND, BUT ALSO DEEP BENEATH THE SEA AND EVEN IN OUTER SPACE

“You really have to steward good self-care in these environments,” adds pre-hospital lead and extreme medicine trainer, Eoin Walker. In places like Costa Rica, Oman and Slovenia, he teaches medics skills in security, diet, wound closure, hydration and facilitating team dynamics on expedition. But medics also learn to care for their own physical and mental health. “In the UK, we don’t have to remember to drink every hour, or clean and dry our feet, or look at our calorie content or how much we’re carrying—but you do in that environment,” he says. As for the medicine itself, it’s often lacking in the surgical glamour we see on TV. “People who live where disaster hits still have issues like diabetes, babies are still being born, people need physiotherapy,” says Mark. And with more disasters set to strike, their needs will only increase. “Training extreme medics is becoming more important as we face environmental challenges like climate change,” he adds.

Here, we speak with three extreme medics, to understand what it’s really like to save lives in some of the world’s harshest locations.

Taryn Anderson, Remote Area Nurse

How extreme? From Sierra Leone’s Ebola outbreak to war in Iraq.

The motivation: “Humanity is amazing—it’s incredibly cool and at the same time, it’s horrible. When you come back to this lovely, moderate world in the UK, you don’t necessarily know these balances are playing out. With extreme medicine, you’re playing in that middle band.”

Most memorable mission:

Gaining her nursing degree through the Australian military, Taryn responded to hurricanes in Mozambique and Haiti, supported nurses in Kenya and Nepal and assisted during the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, where her employers sat her down to write a will before deployment. Taryn’s most memorable mission, however, is working as a pre-hospital lead, setting up convalescence stations during the Battle of Mosul in Iraq between March 2017 and 2018: “It was the best and worst job I’ve ever done.”

On call 24/7, Taryn would be woken throughout the night to deal with patient influxes. “One of the biggest challenges was that for the first month we didn't have a morgue,” says Taryn. But it was less the gory sights, and more the everyday personal stories

of struggle that made an impact, like the fighter who was nursed back to health at the hospital, only to be captured, and likely killed, at a checkpoint set up to entrap him upon his release; or the pair of teenagers who, madly in love, attempted suicide because their families would not let them marry.

Despite the difficulties, Taryn revelled in moments of joy, with one particular incident standing out to her. “We received a call saying we had casualties coming to us, people who had been trapped in Mosul. Unfortunately, one of them was a woman who was eight months pregnant. She was trapped in the basement for over a week and had been shot through the abdomen by a sniper.” The team were preparing for two potential deaths, and there was especially little chance that the baby would survive the gun wound. “But when she arrived, there was a foetal heartbeat!” says Taryn.

The medics rejoiced, quickly diving into action. The bullet had grazed the baby’s elbow, and the elbow had then plugged a hole in the mother’s uterus, keeping her baby alive inside.

“It was this absolute miracle of a child who we were able to deliver, and Mum and baby went home three or four days later!”.

Lucy Coulter, Doctor in Emergency Medicine

How extreme? From air ambulance to Antarctica.

The motivation: “The NHS is such a difficult place to work that you need something different to keep you sane, to have a part of your work life that you have agency in.”

Most memorable mission:

“I was in Antarctica for two months this year,” says the A&E doctorturned-explorer. Lucy has delivered care in the air ambulance service over the UK’s midlands, atop Kilimanjaro and in rural Cuba, but what stays with her most is journeying to the Weddell Sea in Antarctica. Lucy looked after 111 people including expeditionists and the ship’s crew as they searched for the wreckage of Endurance, Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship, which had been lost since it sank in 1915. While the expedition itself lasted 43 days, the trip took four months of medical preparation, consisting of screenings and sourcing essential medicine and COVID testing equipment. Lucy had to make tough calls as to who was allowed to travel, and who couldn’t.

With an entire onboard hospital to run, the trip was an unusual set-up for a medic used to working out of a helicopter. “I’m so used to doing expeditions and having very little by way of resources. It felt like the responsibility was greater because I had the ability to do almost everything,” she says.

Thanks to extensive preparations, the expedition ran almost without mishap. “The crew do a King Neptune initiation ritual when the ships pass through the Antarctic Circle; they make everybody lie on the deck and spray them with icecold water and then dip them into a bucket of slops—it was horrible! So we had one case of mild hypothermia from that… we just treated them with warm drinks, blankets and warming up in the shower.” Aside from that and two isolated COVID-19 cases, the trip ran smoothly. When Endurance was found, the crew and expeditionists celebrated on the Antarctic ice, surrounded by penguins and seals.

“We played football and golf, and we ate beef massaman and chicken rolls on the ice floes!”.

Luca Alfatti, Senior Paramedic

How extreme? Luca helped to found Medics4Ukraine, a World Extreme Medicine project delivering equipment and training to frontline Ukrainians.

The motivation: Luca is inspired by the resilience of everyday Ukrainians like Svetlana, a woman in her mid-twenties who crosses the Polish border daily, ferrying people and supplies and passionately assisting Medics4Ukraine.

Most memorable mission: For Luca, helping set up Medics4Ukraine, a medical convoy that has provided £1.2 million worth of lifesaving supplies and delivers medical training to Ukrainian civilians-turned-fighters, has been the most poignant moment in his extreme medicine career.

“I recently trained about 90 people over the course of one week in three different locations around Ukraine, the Special Forces and Territorial Army,” he says. Preparing convoys and organising training, all while working as a full-time paramedic in the UK, has been exhausting. But with direct requests from his networks of Ukrainian volunteers streaming in, he is determined to keep the work going.

One hot day, training conscripts in a small village gym filled with weights

and dojo mats, stands out to Luca. Soldiers, some as young as 16, began to fill the room. Their nervousness was palpable; it wouldn’t be long until these young men left for the frontline. But by the end of the session, and with new skills in saving lives during combat under their uniformed belts, the feeling in the room had shifted.

“There were lots of shouts of ‘Sláva Ukraíni!’, they were energised,” Luca says. “I felt like I was a local, like I was one of them, that we were going to get through this together,” he says. But for extreme medics, a strong connection to those you wish to help can result in a disconnect at home.

Luca found leaving his family in the UK especially challenging, and when video calling with his tearful children after spending hours in a bomb shelter, even considered never returning to war.

In the end, however, he felt he could not give up on those who had become his friends, saying, “I know them, they know me, we’re friends and I want to help.” n

To donate to Medics4Ukraine, visit gofundme.com/f/medics4ukraine

To learn more about extreme medicine training, visit worldextrememedicine.com

My Britain: MILFORD HAVEN

By Anna Walker

Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire, Wales, has been a working port town since the Middle Ages, and today is the biggest energy port in the UK.

Having first developed as a whaling town in the late 17th century, it is one of the deepest natural harbours in the world. It's said that during the early part of the 20th century, when the dock was the base for a booming fishing industry, it was possible to walk across the entire width of the dock on the decks of trawlers.

Today, Milford Haven is a bustling port town, with attractive restaurants, cafes and shops lining the quayside. Local museums tell the fascinating marine history of the town, though fun water activities have now replaced the once-busy fishing fleets. Visitors can partake in paddle boarding or kayaking amid the stunning marine scenery, though perhaps the best way to explore is through a walk along Milford Haven's historic waterfront. We spoke to two residents about life in this beautiful port town.

Davey Barrett

David Barrett, 42, known to everyone as "Davey", is a marina operative and has worked on the site for 20 years. He has long-standing family connections to the fish docks and port.

I’m a proud “Milfordian” and I was born and bred in Milford Haven. I can remember watching my father work around Milford Docks while I was growing up. When I was a child, we'd always come down on the weekends and help him out with little jobs. If we were lucky, we would be allowed to get on the trawler and have a trip from the lock gates over to the dock walls.

After leaving school in 1996, l was lucky enough to get an apprenticeship at the local dry dock. When I finished there, I got a job at Milford Marina where I’ve been for the last 20 years. The thought of leaving Milford Haven has never crossed my mind!

My family’s connection with the docks and port goes back many

years—I'm the sixth generation “Barrett” to work on the docks. My father’s grandfather and great grandfathers all worked on the docks within the fishing industry. Other members of my family were trawler skippers, and my great-great grandfather was actually one of the pioneer fishermen for the Port!

Although the Barrett name carries a lot of the fishing history in my family, my grandad on my mother’s side of the family also arrived over here in Milford Haven as a fisherman from the west coast of Ireland in Castletownbere. That’s how he ended up meeting my grandmother, who was working in the braiding room making the fishing nets.

I love Milford Haven and its laid-back pace of life. The best part [of living here has been] seeing how the town has developed over the years, especially the marina. From the installation of the new lock gates in 2015 to how Milford Waterfront has developed into a vibrant and popular destination. My favourite place is the Milford Haven Waterway. I just love being on the water and anything about it. Every day is different with a mix of leisure and commercial vessels using it.

I enjoy sailing out to the islands, but you just can’t beat voyaging down the waterway, especially to find a sweet spot to watch the sunset on a warm summer evening.

Sue Kenny

Sue Kenny, 77, is a trustee and volunteer at the Milford Haven Museum.

I was born in Rhyl, in North Wales, but my father's family had lived in Milford for three generations and at the end of the Second World War, we moved back.

In 2000, I ran away to sea, joining the Jubilee Sailing Trust as Medical Purser on their ship, Tenacious. Eight amazing years at sea followed, with Milford as my home base. I retired in 2008 and worked locally for a couple of years to get my land legs back!

volunteers are mainly retired local people who have long memories which we find gives our visitors a sort of "living history" feel to their visit.

My favourite place in Milford Haven is difficult to choose, as it's all tied up in childhood memories. Cunjic/ Conduit Beach was just below the house we lived in. Almost every day, from Easter through the summer, we would race home from school, change, and run down to the beach for a swim! It was where we went crabbing with a piece of string, a small stone to weight it and limpets for bait. It was also the place where we kids collected seaweed (to put in the trenches for growing potatoes) and were paid three pence a sack by my father!

Currently I'm a Trustee of Milford Museum and am secretary to the Board of Trustees. Talking to visitors and making our history come to life is so satisfying! I particularly enjoy taking groups of school children round. Explaining how things were used is great fun and the children are often amazed. Milford Museum was started over 35 years ago. The current building, one of the first built in the town, was originally the Customs House, which dealt with the import of whale oil. The museum has always been run by volunteers and all the exhibits have been donated by local people, which gives each item a personal aspect. Our

The other place is Great Castle Head. We were fortunate to own a motorboat (an old ship's lifeboat bought by my grandfather) which we went out in almost every weekend. Castle Head could only be reached from the water, so we were usually the only people there. We would spend all day swimming, shrimping in rock pools and eating sandwiches and cake! By the time we reached home we were almost asleep on our feet. Such happy times with so many freedoms. I can't imagine living anywhere else. n

Visit milfordwaterfront.co.uk to learn more

If I Ruled

The World

Beth Nielsen Chapman

Grammy-nominated Songwriter’s Hall of Fame inductee Beth

Nielsen Chapman has written hits for everyone from Elton John to Neil Diamond. Her 15th studio album CrazyTown is out on September 23, via Cooking Vinyl

We could opt to live our lives backwards. Starting our lives in old age, we would keep getting younger and feeling better. We’d do our main life’s work at the peak of our knowledge and strength, becoming more youthful as we go. Then we’d quit our jobs and go to college to unlearn everything before we become teenagers unravelling until we get to act like children and eventually, we’d be babies without a care in the world.

Finally, after perhaps a bit of a tricky passage reversing our way through

the birth canal, we’d keep shrinking until we were only a few cells and then go out with a bang!

We’d shapeshift our way to global empathy. For an hour every day, each human would be transplanted into someone else’s body, smack dab in the middle of that person’s circumstances. This would happen to everyone at the same time every day, so it would be part of life as we know it. There’d be books written about it, how to navigate that “hour of strange”.

In the flash of an instant you might go from being a CEO of a major corporation in New York to a nineyear-old blind girl living on the streets of Nepal. This would clear up a lot of unconscious greed and ignorance among humans. Every day we’d get to try being a different gender or race or weight, or see what it’s like to have physical limitations of different levels.

People who experience this would be much kinder and interested in finding real solutions that improve the standard of living for everyone.

There would be full disclosure. All aspects of global and national finance would have complete transparency and airtight accountability. Corruption would be on full display. Cheaters and bad guys would have nowhere to hide. It would be great for the music industry, too!

All plastic would be cancelled. We would stop production of all single-use plastic immediately and eventually replace all plastic with something that disintegrates back into the earth in a nourishing way. The same goes for unnecessary chemicals.

One of my friends, Olivia, who has since passed, asked me to join this board of directors of an organisation that she founded called “Healthy Child Healthy World”. It started because her daughter’s best friend died of a tumour that was caused by environmental stuff that she was exposed to. The mother of that child and Olivia started this organisation to try and tackle the problem. So I would cancel plastic and unnecessary chemicals.

Teachers would be paid like rock stars. I can’t think of a more important job than shaping the world’s future. It is a disaster that teachers are so

undervalued. They should have comfortable salaries with full benefits and guaranteed health insurance and, crucially, we should prioritise their safety in this culture of gun violence.

Good behaviour would be rewarded. Everyone that lived with integrity, generosity and kindness towards others would qualify for a once-amonth surge in artistic genius. You could pick any 24-hour period within that month in which you would wake up and choose your art-form. You then enjoy having the ability to paint like Van Gogh, play guitar like Jimmy Hendrix or dance like Fred Astaire. Wouldn’t that just be the best incentive for contributing goodness into the world instead of being a selfcentred drain on society?

Sleep would be optional. I find that there just aren’t enough hours in a day. If I ruled the world there would be some magic elixir that I could take occasionally that would fix it so I didn’t have to sleep.

In addition to being a recording artist and a songwriter, I’m a granny, a mother, a wife, a sister, a daughter, and on top of all that, I’m also someone with full-blown ADHD so I am never caught up! If I could get back some of the time I spend in dreamland I might have a chance to get ahead of the backlog.

As told to Alice Gawthrop

BRING BACK THE

SHOWGIRLS!

Cabaret is a little controversial. In fact, it was designed to be that way.

Whether it's flouting old censorship laws or flaunting new liberties, cabaret intentionally stirs the pot.

Hillary Sukhonos delves into the fascinating history behind this art form

A new era of nightlife began for Great Britain when cabaret arrived at the start of the 20th century. The year 1912 marks the beginning of modern cabaret in London, when Austrian writer and impresario, Frida Strindberg, opened Cave of the Golden Calf. Located underground near Regent Street, it attracted the upper crust of artists, outcasts and thinkers. This was akin to Le Chat Noir in Paris, whose famous bohemian artists kicked off the start of cabaret in 1881. Both venues offered drinks and entertainment in dimly lit, richly decorated surroundings, meant to stimulate creativity. Frida went

bankrupt in 1914 and the Golden Calf closed—but London nightlife would remain forever changed.

Cabaret

became the new kid on the block in Britain's live entertainment landscape. At the time, variety shows reigned supreme, chorus lines like the Tiller Girls swept Europe and the US, and Gaiety Burlesques (lighthearted plays starring women) were the talk of the town. In fact, Laura Henderson, the future owner and director of the Windmill Theatre, attended Gaiety Burlesques with her husband and wrote about her experience: “I, like most girls of that period, had been taught to

Cave of the Golden Calf, Frida Strindburg, Le Chat Noir poster

regard legs as something you might perhaps meet in your bath, but never elsewhere, and my horror at the legs—rows and rows of them— I shall never forget.” Years later, after the death of her husband and only son, Mrs Henderson would have a dramatic change of heart and buy the Windmill Theatre.

Theatre directors stole, mixed, and fused together different genres to the tune of what sold the most tickets. Manchester’s Tiller Girls, for example, developed a new dance style called "precision dance" which became a hit all across Europe and the US.

Meanwhile, the satirical form of cabaret seeded into neighbouring countries which were grappling with

political and social strife. Germany debuted its first cabaret in 1901 and became known for gallows humour, a trait immortalised in the 1972 film Cabaret, directed by Bob Fosse. In 1911 North American cabaret ignored segregation laws to form “black and tan” clubs where jazz and mixed-race couples mingled. Assuming power to bend social barriers and embrace change, cabaret championed civil rights, women’s rights, and the sexual revolution during this period.

A cocktail of liberation and taboo, half chorus girl and half cancan dancer—the topless showgirl was born. The first large-scale topless cabaret premiered at the Gaîté theatre of Paris in 1920. Though it

Manchester’s Tiller Girls

ruffled a few feathers, the French public generally celebrated topless revues. Topless showgirls would not be popularised on the same scale in Great Britain until the founding of Laura Henderson’s Windmill Theatre 11 years later. Based in Piccadilly, it opened in 1931. Henderson famously negotiated with the Lord Chamberlain to loosen centuries-old censorship laws in order for women to perform nude on their stage.

With the Lord Chamberlain's permission, Windmill Theatre manager, Vivian Van Damm, wasted no time introducing his tableaux vivants (a static scene containing one or more actors or dancers) in 1932. Inspired by the Folies Bergère,

nude or draped women were surrounded by fantastical moving sets while dancers whirled and wafted large feather fans. The feather fans slyly concealed or revealed their nudity. This eventually created the “fan dance” still performed in contemporary showgirl revues today.

The Bluebells “They were like angels who had come down from somewhere— like goddesses!” exclaims Rachel Williams when recalling her first impression of a Bluebell Girl, who is a specific brand of topless showgirl headquartered in Paris. A selfdescribed Welsh-Londoner, Rachel grew up performing in church before Dr Steve Simmons

(Right) Rachel and Rowena; ( Above) Laura Henderson, owner of the Windmill Theatre with some of the girls during a break in rehearsals, August 1943

discovering the Lido de Paris in 1987, where the Bluebell Girls danced. The day after seeing the show, she strode down the long corridor of the theatre and asked for an audition.

Rachel premiered as a Bluebell Girl on her 20th birthday, beginning an esteemed international career at the Lido de Paris, the Moulin Rouge, Cats on the West End, a sister-act in Las Vegas followed by her solo show in Los Angeles.

“Showgirl is a quality that one carries throughout life. The carriage of the body and how I present myself has taken me through several chapters of my life and will continue to be my defining quality,” says Rachel, who continues to perform

into her fifth decade back home in England with Welsh Stars. A showgirl is in a class of her own.

Rowena Harker Leder MBE, a showgirl from Yorkshire Dales, attests, “I don’t ever remember thinking that all the men were being turned on in the show—our costumes were so stunning. I was wearing costumes worth thousands! Our shows were visually inventive and so elegant.”

Indeed, showgirls are more likened to the Venus de Milo, if the Venus was only allowed to don feathers and rhinestones.

Rowena and Rachel are both part of a unique showgirl family called Bluebell Girls. Bluebell Girls, like

Jane Sansby

the Tiller Girls, began as a team of smiling beauties performing precision dance technique in fantastical costumes established in 1932. The founder was Irish born dancer, Margaret “Bluebell”, known professionally as Miss Bluebell on account of her clear blue eyes. Miss Bluebell set a new precedent in cabaret by requiring a height of more than 5ft 9. The tall and leggy Bluebell Girls dazzled audiences at the Folies Bergere and Casino de Paris under some of the biggest headliners of the day, Mistinguett and Josephine Baker.

She preferred British dancers for their height, charm and sterling work ethic. Over the next 90 years, Bluebell would gainfully employ

14,000 artists and offer a passport into luxury entertainment like no one before her.

“If people knew the history of Margaret Kelly…” reflects Jane Sansby, the current ballet mistress at the Lido de Paris.

“I was inspired by Miss Bluebell’s story when I was 12 years old. The BBC did a great special on her.” This special dives into Miss Bluebell’s fortitude during the occupation of Paris in the Second World War. While running small performances, Miss Bluebell was invited to the office of Colonel Feldman who offered her an opportunity to entertain German troops abroad.

Handsome pay and ample rations were promised, yet Bluebell would not compromise her allegiance to her countrymen. Written by her official biographer, George Perry in the book Bluebell, Miss Bluebell replied to the colonel, saying: “That may be so, but I have a British passport, and I am a British subject. I have many relatives who are soldiers and are fighting against you Germans. You must understand why I cannot for a moment contemplate entertaining your troops!”.

The colonel ended the interview, but the thick folder on his desk with her name on it remained. Shortly after, her husband would be captured by the Nazis on account of his Jewish heritage. Bluebell would face interrogations and ultimately

succeed in finding ways to hide her husband until the war's end.

Miss Bluebell’s integrity during the war ensured her good reputation during the post-war boom when she was offered a post at the Lido de Paris. At the time the Lido was a new venture and under Miss Bluebell it became synonymous with the best of French entertainment. A French newspaper, Le Monde , reviewed their show in 1954:

“I don't think there is currently a more 'impressed' and charmed public than that of the Lido. The new revue [ Désirs ] is a concentrate of audacity and good taste.”

The show was a topless revue. By 1954 Miss Bluebell reintroduced the

topless line of girls called “nudes”, reviving the pre-war elegance of her earlier career. It was all considered very glamorous. Celebrities began to flock to see the Bluebell Girls.

“I was there in 1958, you know. People used to ring up from Tokyo and Sydney to the Stardust Hotel saying they’d stay only if they were guaranteed tickets to the Lido show,” recounts Rowena, now 85 years old. In her day, Lido transplanted its brand of cabaret to the Las Vegas strip with help from Donn Arden, the producer credited with creating the glitzy Las Vegas showgirl image. Rowena Harker Leder served as the archetype for this reinvented showgirl.

Margaret Kelly and the Bluebells

“I was in the first (Bluebell) show that ever left Europe to go to America, which never happened before.” Exuding elegance and confidence, Rowena describes a vivid picture of the early days in Las Vegas. “There were tumbleweeds flying down the strip and so few cars. We were 28 girls and when we arrived in Las Vegas it was absolutely wonderful because they treated us like royalty. And our accents, they loved our accents, of course! Plus, we were nearly all six feet tall."

Certainly, showgirls are vibrant and attractive women. But their beguiling physique threatens to eclipse what really

matters: personality and talent. After 28 years at the Lido de Paris, Jane Sansby, the ballet mistress, pinpoints what defines a showgirl: “I have had dancers trained at the Royal Ballet, and West End Theatre dancers. What do all the dancers have in common? Determination, professionalism and great quality dance training. The question really is, what type of lifestyle do the dancers want to live?”.

That lifestyle might include a weekend gala at the Cannes Film Festival to stand side by side with Leonardo DiCaprio, for example.

In Rowena’s era, it had been Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack.

High profile events and celebrities have been consistent touchstones throughout the decades.

Beginning of the end

It seems no matter how elegant the venue, expensive the costume, or educated the women, baring breasts never ceased to create a fuss. Sadly, both Miss Bluebell’s Hellenic beauties in Paris and the US, as well as Laura Henderson’s house of feminine delight in England, have met their end. Grand spectacles starring gorgeous women dripping in sophistication no longer exist in the UK.

The Windmill, having been eclipsed by private strip clubs, closed in 1964. Though it reopened in 2021 as a modern nightclub called The Windmill Soho, it is without the topless element.

The Lido de Paris closed earlier this year on July 30 after it was bought by Europe’s largest hospitality company, Accor Hotels. The closure made headlines around the world.

“What happened to the Lido de Paris was a shock to the entertainment world,” remarks Jane Sansby. Young showgirls, who are now the last generation of Bluebells, will no longer have these employment opportunities or access to the lifestyle.

“We may be a dying breed,” laments Rowena, who feels that

popular entertainment today lacks a certain sophistication. Will the sparkle of a Bluebell Girl, a Windmill Girl, or a Tiller Girl ever shine again?

“I think the memory will stay and the history of the Bluebell girls will never be forgotten. It is unforgettable,” claims Jane Sansby assuredly. It will ultimately be up to adventurous theatre owners and British audiences to decide. n

Read more showgirl stories at birdintheworld.com by author, Hillary Sukhonos. Hillary is a former Bluebell and American ballet dancer now capturing stories from her life in Paris

Graffiti

Grows Up

No longer a sign of urban decay, street art is becoming prized

By Nick Morgan

In 2013, MadC singlehandedly painted this 550-square-metre wall in only seven days in Leipzig, Germany

When Aileen Makin went to sleep in her home in Bristol, on December 9, 2020, it was worth some £300,000. When she woke up, it was worth as much as £5 million

Overnight, renowned street artist Banksy had painted onto the side of her house an old woman, sneezing so hard that her false teeth were flying out. As crowds gathered, a friend covered the artwork with protective plexiglass and security was called in to keep it safe from vandals.

The success over the past three decades of this elusive British “guerrilla” artist has changed the view that graffiti is vandalism. Riikka Kuittinen, author of Street Art: Contemporary Prints, says, “Street art has evolved into a new global artistic phenomenon. Where it was once just about the individual or marking territory, it now has an outward perspective, often commenting on the community we live in.”

The best artists build huge followings on social media—art that’s scrubbed off walls the next day stays on Instagram. They can even make serious money selling prints, T-shirts, or stickers, bypassing the galleries that are the traditional gatekeepers between artists and buyers.

What does it take to excel in this new movement? Five of Europe’s best-known street artists tell us.

Photo: ©marco P rosch/getty images

This is one of 13 art works by Millo, who transformed building facades into canvasses as part of the B Art competition in Turin, Italy, in 2014

Millo, Italy

Millo, 42, from Mesagne, typically starts by painting a simple black-andwhite cityscape. He then adds figures the size of Godzilla. But rather than terrorising the city, they perform activities like having a bath or a haircut.

After studying architecture, Millo (Francesco Camillo Giorgino) became disenchanted by its bureaucracy and limitations. While looking for a new direction 11 years ago, he was asked to paint a wall in the village of Montone for an arts festival. “The brick surface had capers growing on it. So I drew a giant naked character eating the plants. The local old ladies laughed at the size of his penis.”

Soon a family of characters populated the urban jungles he’d been trained to build. “Tall walls without windows make the best canvases for my city

Fin DAC created Magdalena in 2019 in Guadalajara, Mexico, to honour Mexican artist

Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo

landscapes, but I still adapt my work to the surface.”

Millo has been invited to paint around the world. He sells some of his work in galleries; prints are around £500. His work often sells out in minutes—then pops up on eBay for three times the price.

Fin DAC, Ireland

Fin DAC, born Finbarr Notte in Cork, paints large-scale murals of modern women in traditional and ethnic garments around the world. His limited-edition prints sell out in minutes as thousands of online buyers compete.

The self-taught artist started his street-art career in 2008, but things really took off when he experimented with “masks” of splattered colour across the eyes of his figures. This quickly became his motif.

“I needed something that separated my work from others,” says the artist, now 54. “A visual identity.” He was inspired by the face painting of tribes around the world, the character Pris from Blade Runner and even pop star Annie Lennox. His signature mask “gives the wearers an air of quiet strength and force within.”

All of Fin DAC’s art is bound together with this look. When you glimpse his work out of the corner of your eye, you instantly know whose it is.

Lidia Cao, Spain

At just 24, Lidia Cao from La Coruña is hailed as one of the most important female street artists.

She favours desaturated colours (rare in street art), and women are the theme of her powerfully narrative work. For the 2020 Parees mural festival in Oviedo, she painted the 20th-century Spanish writer Dolores Medio, who was censored under the Franco regime. Lidia depicts her at her typewriter, but over each shoulder hover vultures, ready to pick apart her words.

In A Stolen Childhood, painted for the 2019 Rexenera public-art festival in Galicia, a sombre girl holds a

Photos: (banksy) ©getty images. (millo mural and artist) courtesy of the artist.

Creativas festival 2018 in La Coruña, Spain

birdbox. On it, a bird of prey has a smoking match in its beak. Lidia allows us to connect the dots, but the image is about abuse and resilience. “I use the female figure to represent life,” Lidia says, “to tell a personal story beyond simple aesthetics.”

Lidia’s work can be seen across Spain and in Portugal, Switzerland and France.

Blek le Rat, France

Xavier Prou started his career four decades ago by covering his native Paris with an infestation of millions of rats over three years.

His inspiration came from teenagers he saw one day in 1981 in a small park behind a supermarket. They had found discarded, halfused paint pots and brushes and were splashing their names, abstract shapes, and smiling faces on a shed wall. It reminded Xavier of gang tags covering New York subway trains. But this had a more playful, positive energy. “The two things came together.”

Later he made a simple stencil of a rat, reached for some black spray paint and hit the streets, signing his work “Blek le Rat.” “I wanted to say, ‘Yes, your city is beautiful, but beneath your feet is another city of wild animals,’” says Xavier, now 70 and still painting.

He graduated to full-size figures. Napoleon was a favourite, but twisted—sometimes followed by a sheep, or wearing a motorbike helmet. “I don’t like Napoleon,” says Xavier. “He killed millions in France. So I make him look ridiculous.”

Xavier’s work has landed him in hot water with police several times around the world, but he has no regrets. “We are at a turning point in art,” he says. “This graffiti art will change everything.”

MadC, Germany

At 16, Claudia Walde, from Bautzen, picked up a spray can and wrote her name on a wall. “I discovered that it’s difficult to use

This mural by Lidia Cao was part of the DesOrdes

Photos: (mural) © ulises rui Z/ af P via g etty i mages. (artist) © n icholas h unt/ g etty i mages / P hotos: (mural and artist) courtesy of the artist

Blek le Rat ‘s Sleeping Man (with signature rat) in San Fransisco in 2008

one! But I found like-minded people. I was entering a cosmopolitan world, breaking out of small-town life to create an identity and find respect through my skill.”

Claudia’s wild enthusiasm for painting earned her the nickname The Mad One, in time shortened to MadC. She attended art school in Halle and London, but her break came in 2010 when she got permission to paint a wall almost 700

Shown is a portion of MadC’s 700 Wall. The massive painting along a German train line took four months

square metres in size along the train line between Halle and Berlin. “It was tough, with only ladders for four months. But I could experiment with techniques and find my own style.” Today she paints letters and words, abstracted into bright colours and translucent layers.

Now 41, MadC gets global mural commissions and exhibits canvases in galleries. “But street energy powers everything I do.” n

Photos: (mural) eric lin. (artist) Jasmin shah / P hotos: (mural) courtesy of the artist. (artist) marco P rosch

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Swimming With Orcas

A female orca, which has a dorsal fin much smaller than that of a male

A plunge into forbidding waters off Norway leads to an extraordinary encounter

Photographs & Text by Pete McBride

From SmithSonian magazine

The water is cold inside Norway’s northernmost fjords. When I slipped in headfirst, wearing a thick wetsuit, the fourdegrees-Celsius surface temperature made the water feel dense and biting on my exposed face. Diving down, I crossed a threshold into another world—dark, frigid, seemingly bottomless, and home to giant carnivores that eat fish, seals, and porpoises.

If you want to see wild orcas, they can be found in every ocean, from the Arctic to Antarctic. The coast of Canada’s British Columbia, Argentina’s Valdes Peninsula, and Australia’s Bremer Bay are all popular orca-watching spots.

Despite their “killer whale” nickname, orcas don’t prey on humans. But they are the largest dolphins on the planet, with seven main ecotypes that vary in pigmentation pattern, diet, and sonar dialect. Members of these groups don’t usually mate with one another, though scientists are divided on whether to consider them different species.

Most countries set limits on how close you can get to orcas. That’s not the case in Norway, which has no laws against swimming with dolphins and whales (the country’s whaling laws are also notoriously lax).

This makes Norway an alluring destination for orca lovers, but it can also lead to danger for both humans

and animals. At one point during my visit, I saw three young tourists from Spain block a pod of orcas with their sailboat, jump into the water, and try to approach by paddleboard. Their tactics scared the orcas into hiding far below the surface. What’s more, the tourists could have ended up stranded out there beyond the fjords, three miles from the nearest shoreline, left to the mercy of the fierce Arctic weather and currents.

My tour operator, Jacques de Vos, went to great lengths to avoid such situations. De Vos is a South Africanborn diver who has been studying orcas in this region for the last seven winters and has a reputation for

being sensitive to the animals and their habitat. He knows how to locate orcas without disturbing the pods or breaking up families.

The orcas in this area feed on herring, which they corral into clusters called bait balls. It takes a lot of energy for cold-water mammals to orchestrate these feeding sessions— de Vos makes sure his divers don’t get in the way. He uses his radio to keep in touch with nearby researchers so he can stay attuned to the animals’ behaviours and help locate individual members of the pods.

I went to Norway partly because the COVID-19 pandemic presented a unique opportunity to photograph

(Opposite) Author and photographer Pete McBride prepares to go diving with orcas; (Above) A pod of orcas swims near the village of Skjervoy in the far north of Norway

In the early dawn light, a pod of orcas feeds on herring in the waters near Skjervoy

orcas in their element. There were far fewer commercial tours operating, so the animals would be significantly less harassed. More importantly, as shipping and fishing slowed worldwide, researchers were able to identify more whale and dolphin vocalisations.

Before de Vos would let me swim with the orcas, I spent a day on his boat learning about their behaviour. He tested my swimming ability, watching me carefully as I dove and climbed back on board, weighed down with diving gear. I listened to his instructions: “Don’t swim

aggressively toward the orcas. Move calmly and let them come to you. Don’t splash your flippers loudly on the surface or make jerky motions.”

Before we slid into the sea, de Vos played me a recording full of clicks, whistles, and zipperlike sounds. Amazingly, each orca pod uses its own distinct language of notes and tones.

Behind the conversations, I heard the moans of humpback whales. De Vos pays attention to these humpbacks, too. They tend to follow orcas and steal their bait balls. Humpbacks can be as large as 50 feet

long and weigh more than 40 tonnes. They don’t attack humans, but once in a while, they inadvertently scoop up divers who get too close to their food (this reportedly happened to a lobster diver on the east coast of the United States in 2020. Remarkably, the whale spat him out and he survived).

On the recording de Vos played for me, the humpbacks called to each other in low baritones, ascending the musical scale. He explained that low and high notes travel different distances. A whale will call out to a podmate, and the pitch of the reply may indicate how far away it is. De Vos compares the giant creatures to truck drivers speaking to each other on different radio channels.

I never knew how powerful an orca’s sonar pulse could be until I got into the water and felt one reverberate deep in my chest, like the notes from a bass guitar at a rock concert. The sensation was so weirdly moving I hooted through my snorkel.

When a six-tonne orca swims directly at you and pings you with

his echolocation device—trying to identify who and what is swimming in his Arctic hunting waters—you realise that you are in a completely alien world.

I swam alongside this eight-metrelong male for a few moments. We looked each other in the eye before he surfaced for a breath. His twometre dorsal fin broke the water just metres in front of me, then he accelerated back down into the darkness with one swoosh of his fluke. Through my wetsuit hoodie, I faintly heard a click and a highpitched whistle.

Two female orcas appeared about six metres below me, corralling herring into a bait ball. The pair seemed unbothered as I dove down to get a closer look. They started pushing the herring toward me as if I had arrived to help.

Suddenly, the male re-emerged from the depths. As he glided next to me, his pectoral fin, nearly the size of my entire body, slid under my stomach. We eyed each other again before he rolled left and swept his dorsal fin, the size of a small plane’s tail, just over my head.

The strafe felt more playful than territorial, like an orca high-five—a moment of connection with an enormous intelligent being in a place where sound is sight and the noisy natural glory of nature still reigns. n

My Great Escape:

Beautiful Berlin

Our reader Peter Gallagher on his recent trip to the German capital

My wife and I visited Berlin during the heatwave of July 2022 when the mercury was hitting 40 degrees, but the city positively shimmered beneath impossibly blue skies.

Our hotel was ideally situated for our first stop, the Reichstag, where we had booked a visit to the roof and dome. The dome, designed by Norman Foster, is made of glass, and has a spiral walkway that presents an excellent 360-degree panorama, perfect for getting one’s bearings and for planning trips to different sections of the city.

Berliners are obviously proud of their city, as there are several landmarks allowing spectacular views, the most imposing being the Television Tower. When built as a symbol of communist might in the

late 1960s, it was the fourth-highest freestanding structure in the world, and it remains the tallest in Germany. The other prominent legacy of the Cold War is the remnants of the Berlin Wall. The best-known section is the East Side Gallery, where the wall is adorned with paintings by 118 artists from 21 countries, including the most photographed section,

Dimitri Vrubel’s mural of Brezhnev and Honecker kissing. However, I preferred the section that survives at the Topography of Terror Museum, which remains as starkly grim and grey as the East Germany of both popular imagination and once stark reality. A lesser Cold War “classic” is Checkpoint Charlie, a white wooden hut with a chest-high wall of sandbags in front, now in an area so built up and surrounded by souvenir shops it is impossible to reconcile it with photographs of its grim heyday. There is an adjacent museum which is excellent in terms of content, but stuffily old school in its presentation.

After each day of muggy sightseeing where we took in the Brandenburg Gate, the Victory Column, and the moving Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, amongst many others, we would spend the evening at Café am Neuen See in the Tiergarten, where the food was basic, the beer cold, and the sun-dappled lakeside setting lovely. n

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Architecture in Gemmayzeh, Beirut, with the Mohammad AlAmin Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque, in the distance

(Right) Paul courtyard housing part of an eastern defensive city wall built around 140-110 BC

POWERED BY

City Wall At Paul Beirut

Paul, the bakery-cafe chain, is certainly no hidden gem. A gem perhaps disciples of its pain nordique and fruit tarts would contend as much but hardly hidden, given there are more than 750 worldwide branches in 47 countries.

Yet the edition on Rue Gouraud in the Gemmayzeh neighbourhood of Beirut one of five around Lebanon’s capital contains something very special if you look carefully.

Order a lemon tart or almond pastry and head for the rear courtyard. There, amid tables and stone-tiled floods, below parasols and palms, quietly sits one of Beirut’s oldest remains. It’s thought to be part of an eastern defensive city wall built around 140-110 BC,

delineating the ancient port-city’s boundary. Back then, a slowly-growing Beirut, or Biruta, was under control of the Ancient Greek Seleucid Dynasty. They oversaw towers and walls erected to frame its existing tell (a mound caused by consecutive settlements on the same side). In 64 BC, the newly-coined “Berytus” was assimilated into the Roman Empire with large building projects undertaken but this portion of masonry was maintained, soon lying close to a monumental entrance gate (later destroyed).

It’s now a remarkable two millennia old, and hiding in plain sight. A coffee in Paul’s shady courtyard offers a chance to inspect it, as well as pause from exploring buzzy Gemmayzeh. Centred around Rue Gouraud and likened to Greenwich Village in New York City, this is one of East Beirut’s most thriving quarters, replete with coffee houses, trendy restaurants and bars.

Things were slightly different back in 100 BC. n

By Richard Mellor

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ToDitchDigital Subscriptions PRIME TIME

Over the last few years, particularly during lockdown, you probably signed up for a new monthby-month subscription where goods are sent to your front door or services accessed via the internet

They’re usually incredibly easy to sign up for, often letting us try a month for free or at a reduced price. As a result, you could well have collected two or three, if not more, of these memberships.

Subscriptions now cover pretty much everything. Streaming has undoubtedly been the biggest shift, with a huge number of film and music accounts available. Food is popular too—recipe boxes, bottles of gin or packs of cake can be delivered every month. You can pay to get free shipping and perks from fashion retailers, supermarkets and more. Or there are boxes of razors, flowers, books or socks. The list goes on.

There are positives, particularly the offer of convenience and variety without a long-term commitment. Plus, sometimes, they can be cheaper than alternatives.

But there are problems too. It’s easy to forget that you’ve signed up, particularly if the membership isn’t for something that physically arrives at the door. Payments for digital subscriptions can keep leaving your bank account without you really noticing.

Much of the time, these services are luxuries rather than essentials. And with costs on the rise everywhere, they can be a drain on your bank account—meaning you might need to begrudgingly cancel some or all of your subscriptions.

This doesn’t need to be a bad thing. In fact, I think it’s an opportunity to really think about whether you’re getting value for money from all these services. And if not, it’s time to ditch them to free up cash.

The first step is to check your bank statements to see exactly what you’re paying for, in case there are any you’ve forgotten about. Make sure you go back a full year to look for annual payments.

List out all the services and think about how much you use them and whether there are alternatives offering the same thing for less. Or perhaps there are duplicates! Here are a few to pay close attention to:

Retailer memberships like Amazon Prime

Andy Webb is a personal finance journalist and runs the award-winning money blog, Be Clever With Your Cash

These can really vary in value. Often you think you’re getting lots for your money, with free delivery or discounts. But in reality I think they tempt you to spend more than you would without it and stop you shopping around.

The big one here is Amazon Prime. In September, Amazon added 20 per cent to the price of this annual

membership, meaning you’ll now need to shell out £95 every year to access the benefits.

I’d encourage you to go monthly and only pay for the months you really need it—perhaps even go without completely. You can get free delivery from Amazon on orders over £20 anyway, so just buy things together rather than making lots of small orders.

For supermarket delivery passes, work out whether you’re adding more to your order to qualify for delivery. If so, you’re not really saving. Better still, look at other supermarkets just to check if they’re cheaper overall.

Food boxes

not cancel outright, and just use them for an occassional treat—if your budget stretches to it.

Streaming

PAYMENTS

FOR DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS

CAN KEEP LEAVING YOUR BANK ACCOUNT WITHOUT YOU REALLY NOTICING

People love the variety that comes with food boxes, but you can simply use old recipe cards or look in books or online for inspiration and buy the ingredients at the supermarket. Yes, you’ll be buying larger packs of things like herbs, but these will last and can be used again in future recipes.

Likewise, other food and drink products through the post can usually be replaced for less at the supermarket. I’d look to pause these subscriptions for the time being, if

Unless you are committed to a single service, I’d avoid paying upfront for a year. It might seem like a saving, but that’s only if you are actually going to use it every month for 12 months. Instead, paying monthly gives you the opportunity to cancel when there’s nothing to watch or listen to, or when you want to try a different service for a change. Remember, catch-up viewing is free for Channel 4, ITV and Channel 5, and if you are paying the TV Licence you also have access to iPlayer. There’s enough on these to cover a good few months of content.

Other memberships

And let’s not forget passes for the cinema, days out and the gym. These memberships will be less flexible and are more likely to impose annual contracts.

Make a note of when they all expire, and ensure you do the same review. Are you using them enough to justify the cost? Or could there be cheaper alternatives?

On The Money

Andy Webb

Q: I’ve never used any cashback sites. How do you use them and do you have any recommendations? Is it just for big things like insurance or can you use them on individual products in the shops?

-Jacqueline

Cashback sites are one of my favourite ways to make a little extra cash. They’re effectively middlemen sitting between you and the retailer. You need to visit the likes of TopCashback and Quidco first, and click through to your online shop of choice (everyone from ASOS to M&S and Virgin Media).

Shop as normal and if you make a purchase, the retailer pays the cashback site a commission, which is then fully or partially passed on to you.

Amounts can vary from a few per cent through to hundreds of pounds—it all depends on the product. Obviously the

more you spend, the more you’ll make back, but Quidco estimates members earn £280 a year.

Don’t expect the cash immediately. It can take months for payments to be confirmed and reach your account. Both sites are free, though there are premium options that give slighly higher rates.

A word of warning though: occassionally the cashback doesn’t track and you miss out, so make sure that you’re not buying something just because of the amount you think you’d make. It’s better to focus on the best price.

How We Garden

Gardeners’ World presenter Adam Frost on navigating the often-tricky journey of developing your own gardening style

Sometimes there can be a bit of a snob factor with gardening; how you pronounce things and whether or not you know your Latin. And to be really honest, I don’t give a toss. You know, if I was in hospital I’d be quite happy if the doctors and nurses kept forgetting my name as long as they could keep me alive. It’s the same with plants, which, obviously, would much prefer it if you looked after them rather than pronounce their name properly.

I also think that we sometimes worry too much about what other people think about our gardens. The most important thing to remember when you’re creating your own garden is that it really needs to be about you. You shouldn’t concern yourself with what anyone else thinks. Of course, there are some

great sources of inspiration and it’s fine to be influenced by magazines, books and other people’s gardens but, ultimately, your garden should make you happy.

That said, the best gardens are those that are planted to work well with their type of soil and local weather conditions. If you can make sure they reflect the surrounding environment—they are driven by local materials, architecture, colours and stuff like that—then you’re really on to something. Also, whether you like it or not, what surrounds your garden will also affect the overall look. For instance, you might want to create a tropical feel but if you’ve got next-door’s oak tree as the major backdrop then it could look slightly odd. The idea is to look not just within your space but outside of it as well. All of these considerations will really help you set the tone and the aesthetics.

The direction your garden faces— the aspect—is also worth taking into account. For example, if you’ve got a very bright, south-westerly-facing garden and you put in light-coloured paving, it could cause too much glare and the place might feel uncomfortable. On the other hand, if your garden is north-facing and you use black or grey-coloured material such as slate, everything could become dark and gloomy.

When it comes to planting, there are a lot of great influences out there. You might like the work of designers such as Piet Oudolf or Dan Pearson, or someone like Beth Chatto. But it’s good to remember that these influences are best used as a guide, rather than you attempting to copy exactly what they’ve done. A straight copy is never going to work, is it? In fact, I think the best designers create site-specific schemes that meet the needs and explore the unique aesthetic of the owners. If you want to use ideas from other garden designers, then look for one that you’re comfortable with but don’t try to copy it outright—just be inspired by them.

When it comes to the use of different materials in your garden design, less is always definitely more. In my latest Chelsea garden, I used concrete, cedar and steel, and the one before that just timber and stone, with the stone used in different states. Even if you only use one material, say

wood, you can give it different treatments, such as making it textured to make it look more interesting.

Recently, I made some steps out of railway sleepers, to which I added texture using a chisel and then blackened them with a blowtorch. The moment that I planted wildflower turf around them and on the treads, the whole thing turned into something quite special. If you can tie in your material selection with the materials and architecture of your region, that’s even better, as visually everything will sit comfortably together.

Importantly, I always think that if you’ve got fewer materials then the plants can sing better. For me, the plants are always at the heart of the garden and if you want them to stand out, keep your materials to as small a number as possible.

It’s the same when we select plants. We often forget that we don’t need a garden full of stars; we also need plants that provide the support act. Grasses are a great example of this sort of secondary role and often bring a more subtle element to the design. n

Extracted from How I Garden by Adam Frost (BBC Books, £22)

Photography by Sarah Cuttle

Noisy Neighbours

Bonfire Night is a tricky time for pet owners

The week from Halloween to Bonfire Night can be one of the most terrifying for animals (and humans) in the calendar. Unfamiliar people dressed in costumes appearing at your door on October 31, followed by sudden loud bangs and flashes from fireworks on and around November 5, can cause distress and confusion for our pets.

Such terrifying experiences can result in dogs and cats fleeing or hiding in an attempt to escape or seek out safety.

A survey by Blue Cross found that 70 per cent of dog and cat owners were concerned for their pet’s welfare during firework season, with 40 per cent describing how their pets would visibly shake in reaction to fireworks being set off, while 36 per cent said their pets bark or cry when they hear fireworks. Some 29 per cent said they had had to seek an animal behaviourist’s advice to help their pet get through the season.

Owners reported that the unexpected noises left their pet hiding away for hours (45 per cent), with 21 per cent of owners saying their pets were too scared to go outdoors for days after the fireworks. Sadly, some reported their pets had been physically harmed by fireworks (six per cent), with some owners being forced to move to a new house (nine per cent) or rehome their pets (seven per cent) due to the distress caused by the flashes and loud bangs.

If your furry friend struggles during spooky season, follow these tips to make them feel more at ease…

For more information, visit bluecross.org.uk

Top tips for keeping pets safe and calm:

n Walk your dog during daylight hours

n On Halloween, consider using a stairgate to separate your pet from the entrance to your home as unfamiliar people at the door may worry them

n Have some stuffed kongs ready for your dog to keep them occupied while you answer the door

n If your pet is worried by people at your door, consider a sign saying: “Nervous dog. Please don’t knock on the door”

n Make sure your pet has a safe space to go to if they are worried and don’t try to encourage them out of this space

n Speak to your vet about products that contain pheromones, which may help to soothe your pet

n Keep your pets indoors when fireworks are being set off

n Close curtains and blinds and turn the TV or radio on to help muffle the noise

n Let your pet pace, whine or hide in a space where they feel safe—or if they come to you for comfort, then it’s OK to support them

n Stay calm, act normally and give lots of praise for calm behaviour—never get angry or shout at your pet

n Keep any sweets and chocolates out of reach

n If you are concerned about your pet’s behaviour around fireworks, please contact a qualified behaviour specialist for advice

READER’S DIGEST’S PET OF THE MONTH

Smidders

Age: 10

Owner: Terry Meehan

Fun Fact: “Smidders is a hunter and is quite fearless. When a huge Irish wolfhound dog moved in next door, Smidders out-stared him until he hung his head low and left.

Want to be featured next? Email your pet’s picture to readersletters@readersdigest.co.uk

Rukmini Iyer

Shahi Tukra Bread & Butter Pudding

Shahi tukra is a rich Mughal dessert, where crisp butter-fried bread is soaked in a cardamom and saffron-infused milk. In the interests of speed (and greed) I decided to convert it into a brioche bread and butter pudding, so you get a crisp topping along with the wonderful flavours of saffron and cardamom within the dish—blackberries and pistachios are my leftfield addition. My mother serves the original with clotted cream on the side, and so as not to break with tradition, I give it as a serving suggestion here.

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C fan/170°C/gas 3.

2. Heat the milk in a small saucepan and add the saffron. Turn off the heat and let it infuse.

3. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks with the caster sugar, single cream and ground cardamom seeds. Arrange the sliced brioche and blackberries in a buttered roasting tin or flan dish and pour over the eggy custard.

4. Use the back of a teaspoon to mash the saffron into the milk (this will release more colour), and then carefully drizzle this all over the pudding. Scatter with the pistachios and then transfer to the oven to bake for 25–30 minutes until golden brown and crisp on top. Serve immediately with clotted cream.

India Express

by Rukmini Iyer (Square Peg, 2022)

Serves: 6–8

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 25–30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 50ml milk

(whole or semi-skimmed)

• 3 medium

free range egg yolks

• 85g caster sugar

• 300ml single cream

• 400g sliced brioche, cut into quarters

• 150g blackberries

• Handful chopped pistachios

• Clotted cream, to serve

• Generous ½ tsp

good saffron threads

• 6 cardamom pods, seeds ground

VENEZUELA: Arepa World Kitchen

Adelicious and satisfying pocket of joy, the arepa is a pre-Columbian breakfast dish stemming from the area that is now Colombia and Venezuela. Flat and round, the fluffy patty can be split in half and filled with anything you

can dream of: chicken, beef, beans, pulled pork, halloumi, onions—the world is your oyster when it comes to this versatile little dish. Here, we opt for a relatively healthy option of chicken and avocado, but you’re highly encouraged to experiment with your favourite ingredients.

Method:

1. Mix together the maize flour, water and salt until it forms an even dough. Divide into 6 equal-size pieces and roll into balls.

2. Splash a small amount of sunflower oil onto a hot pan.

3. Flatten the dough balls into patties about 2cmthick and place in the pan for 3 minutes on each side—or until golden brown.

4. Once cooked, gently split the patties in half to hold the filling.

5. Now, it’s time to make the filling. Generously season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, and cook in the chicken stock on a medium heat for 15 minutes.

6. Shred the chicken.

7. Heat up some more sunflower oil in a pan again, add the onion and garlic and cook until soft. Add the shredded chicken and stir for roughly 5 minutes.

8. Put the sliced avocado in a bowl, add the fried chicken and mayonnaise and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add a splash of tabasco or other hot sauce if you like a bit of heat. Fill the arepa and enjoy!

Makes: 6 arepas

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1tsp salt

• 300g maize flour or cornmeal

• 600ml water

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil

• 400g chicken breast

• 1.2l chicken stock

• 1 ripe avocado, sliced

State Of The Art:

Paul Cezanne

Natalia Sidlina, curator of International Art and Michael Raymond, assistant curator of International Art, speak to Anna Walker about the Tate Modern’s upcoming Cezanne show

Why is Paul Cezanne considered an important artist? Born in Aix-enProvence in 1839, Cezanne is one of the most highly regarded and enigmatic artists of the late 19th century. Famously referred to as the “greatest of us all” by Claude Monet, Cezanne remains a pivotal figure in modern painting who gave license to generations of artists to break the rules. Created amid a rapidly accelerating world, his works focus on the local and the everyday, concentrating on his personal experiences to make sense of the chaos and uncertainty of modern life.

What makes Cezanne’s work special? Cezanne developed a radical approach to colour, form and space. By approaching painting as an existential experience, as a process, as an investigation, he pushed traditional artistic habits to their breaking points and arguably beyond. He experimented with using touches of colour to describe his “sensations”—as he called them— of the external world, creating deeply personal compositions. This might

explain his enduring appeal, as his approach resonates with contemporary thought as much as it paved the way for early-20th-century painters.

What is your favourite little-known fact about Cezanne? Reading Cezanne’s correspondence in French as well as in the new translation by Alex Danchev unveiled a different facet to the artist’s personality—that he was of one of the best educated and well-read artists of his time. He wrote poetry, translated and studied classical literature and had a deep interest in the natural sciences.

What do you hope visitors to the show will take away from the exhibition? The EY Exhibition: Cezanne is the first in a generation to take a holistic look at Cezanne’s life and career, rather than focusing on a specific aspect. With this exhibition we are keen to explore new ideas and questions about the artist that are relevant for today’s audiences. For example, building on recent scholarship we are keen to show how Cezanne engaged with the sociopolitical context and turbulent times—much like our own—through which he was living. n

The EY Exhibition: Cezanne is showing at the Tate Modern from October 5 to March 12, 2023. For tickets, visit tate.org.uk/whats-on/ tate-modern/ey-exhibition-cezanne

THE LOST KING

The Lost King is based on the amazing true story that captured the nation’s imagination back in 2012, when an ordinary woman, Philippa Langley (Sally Hawkins), achieved the extraordinary, by locating the long-lost remains of Richard III. An amateur historian, she became obsessed with the controversial king, and defied the stodgy academic establishment in her mission to find his grave.

In the hands of writers Steve Coogan (who also plays Langley’s ex-husband, John) and Jeff Pope, though, the film becomes a gently sexed-up story of an unusual ménage à trois between the Langleys and the deceased king (at one point, Coogan’s character resigns, “I feel like I’m being cuckolded by a ghost”). Indeed, there’s a

tacit, palpable attraction between Hawkins’ Philippa and the ghost of Richard III, played by the magnetic Harry Lloyd, in stark contrast to the utter lack of chemistry between her and her estranged husband, John.

Don’t get us wrong though; the film is so much more than just a Ghost and Mrs Muir-type scenario. At the heart of The Lost King is an inspiring redemption story for Richard III, and an even more inspiring tale of a woman whose perseverance and hard work led to a groundbreaking discovery against all odds. The cast is excellent (even if slightly ill-matched); the views of Edinburgh and Leicester— breathtaking; and the likelihood of catching the history bug after watching it—very high indeed.

By Eva Mackevic

BEST OF BRITISH HORROR

Usher in the spooky season with one of these of these chilling British classics

PEEPING TOM (1960)

One of the most shocking films in cinema history, Peeping Tom effectively ended director Michael Powell’s career upon its theatrical release. Following a serial killer who films his female victims’ final torturous moments, the film became a blueprint for the modern slasher.

HELLRAISER (1987)

Clive Barker’s utterly bizarre and darkly atmospheric 1980s classic gave us one of the most iconic horror villains, Pinhead, who became a mainstain of pop culture alongside Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees. It’ll definitely make you think twice about tinkering with any mysterious boxes.

THE WICKER MAN (1973)

This enduring staple of British folk horror tells the story of a police sergeant who arrives in a remote Scottish island in search of a missing girl, only to discover the terrors lurking within this seemingly quaint community. Christopher Lee considered this his best film ever.

28 DAYS LATER (2002)

Danny Boyle’s take on the zombie movie, 28 Days Later became an classic of the genre. Cillian Murphy stars as survivor looking for sanctuary after an incurable virus spreads across the UK. During the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdown images of central London were compared to the iconic opening sequence of the film.

Better Call Saul’s muchdiscussed conclusion on Netflix raises the question of what we want from our endings. Breaking Bad, the show that spawned Bob Odenkirk’s crooked lawyer Saul Goodman, was a runaway train plummeting downhill: often astonishing viewing, but bound for bloody carnage. Saul, by contrast, was a slow burn, permitting closer study of the collateral damage such descents entail, and for us to spot the points at which disaster might have been averted. Rarely accelerating as its explosive predecessor did, what it measured, hour by gripping hour, was erosion: of an identity, a conscience, a hairline, even.

Aptly, several seasons dealt with excavation, but the making of Breaking Bad’s meth lab was secondary to the construction of the circumstances, the moral compromises and ethical contortions, which allow such deadly secrets to be kept. Showrunners Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould undertook this project

with a discipline honed in network TV: dialogue chiselled to finely suggestive points, a threeact episode structure—the pauses allowing ad breaks on the show’s American home, cable channel AMC—that let us sense where we were, even as we wondered what the characters were playing at.

But what players. The excellence of these performances—headed by Odenkirk and Rhea Seehorn as the agonised Kim, swept along in her legal sweetheart’s reckless wake— was only matched by the direction, forever attuned to that detail and nuance Breaking Bad galloped past. Late on, terrifyingly placid druglord

Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito)

cursed a rival as having “no vision, no patience, no thought”. Better Call Saul had all three in abundance, resulting in one of the streaming era’s greatest achievements: a show that didn’t outstay its welcome by a single minute, episode or season.

by Mike McCahill

Retro Pick:

W/Bob&David (Netflix) Odenkirk in comic mode, reteaming with David Cross in a 2015 reboot of their longlost sketch series Mr. Show.

Album Of The Month:

HereItIs:

ATributetoLeonardCohen

Leonard Cohen gets a jazzy makeover on this star-studded cover album that includes Norah Jones, James Taylor, Gregory Porter and many others. Produced by Cohen’s long-time friend, Larry Klein—who’s worked with everyone from Joni Mitchell to Herbie Hancock—the record runs the gamut of the legendary songwriter’s career, including early gems from his debut album, all the way up to the brooding numbers off his final, released just days before his death in 2016.

Like most compilation albums, it can be a bit of a mixed bag. Some numbers launch Cohen’s work into a whole new realm like saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins’ experimental interpretation of “Avalanche”; while others remain faithful to the source material, like James Taylor who drops to the lambent bottom of his vocal range to deliver a vulnerable rendition of “Coming Back To You”.

Our favourites? Sarah McLachlan’s swinging vocals make for a wonderful pairing with the iconic “Hallelujah”, Iggy Pop’s hushed croakiness works wonders on the raunchy “You Want It Darker”, while David Gray sounds surprisingly at home on his rendition of the heartbreaking number “Seems So Long Ago, Nancy”.

It’s always fascinating to witness great artists interpret other greats’ work, and make it their own. Yet what’s truly great about covers as a form is that they remind us of the little twists and touches that make the originals irreplaceable.

By Eva Mackevic

Happy 30th birthday to...

Wish by The Cure

To mark the occasion, the band is releasing a deluxe edition, containing 24 previously unreleased demos, tracks and versions. Featuring one of their biggest hits, “Friday I’m in Love”, the bestselling record retained their signature gothic style while simultaneously making a move towards a lighter, alt-rock sound.

Listening back to the album in 2022, Smith has said, “There’s a side to the album which I had kind of forgotten, a very gentle, yearning thing which is quite beautiful. ‘Trust’ is one of the best things we’ve ever done I think, it’s played with great feeling, and ‘To Wish Impossible Things’ is another gorgeous, melancholic piece… in fact it could well be my favourite song on the record.”

October Fiction

Journalist India Knight reimagines a literary classic in this month’s book selection

Darling by India Knight (Fig Tree, £14.99)

For sheer reading pleasure, I’ve always found Nancy Mitford’s 1945 novel The Pursuit of Love hard to beat. The book, dramatised last year on BBC1, famously draws on Mitford’s own eccentric (or just plain mad) aristocratic upbringing to tell the story of the Radlett sisters as narrated by their cousin Fanny. Like the Mitfords, the Radlett girls grow up with a ferocious father whose habits include denouncing foreigners and hunting his children with hounds.

In their world, the biggest sin is to be boring—which is why the novel is packed with unforgettable characters

James Walton is a book reviewer and broadcaster, and has written and presented 17 series of the BBC Radio 4 literary quiz

The Write Stuff

and great jokes. And yet, try as everybody does to ignore it, there’s an undertow of melancholy too, as real life fails to match up to romantic girlhood hopes, particularly for the main character Linda.

Given that The Pursuit of Love is pretty much perfect, it may seem—at the very least—a little foolhardy of India Knight to attempt a 21st-century update that retains most of Mitford’s original plot, characters and names (although the narrator understandably prefers to call herself Fran). Fortunately, the answer to the question “what’s the point?” soon proves a straightforward one: so that we can be lavishly entertained from first page to last.

Granted, the shift to the 21st century isn’t always seamless. Changing Linda’s

second husband Christian from a pofaced 1930s Communist to a po-faced modern leftie works beautifully, leading to some of the funniest sections in a very funny book. Less successful is transforming the Radletts’ patriarch from landowner to former rock star. And quite often the sense is less of genuinely present-day people than of Mitfords’ characters having done a spot of time-travel (“My cousins and I were ridiculously old-fashioned,” acknowledges Fran at one point).

But in the end, none of this really matters. One thing Knight gets absolutely right—and that makes Darling so enjoyable—is how hilariously she applies the same bracing scepticism to the pomposities and social fads of our time as Mitford did to hers. She also manages the same neat trick of suggesting that while laughter might well be a defence mechanism against darker feelings, it is, as defence mechanisms go, one of the best. n

Name the character

Can you guess the fictional character from these clues (and, of course, the fewer you need the better)?

1. He’s introduced, in an 1838 novel, as “as roistering and swaggering a young gentleman as ever stood four feet six”.

2. His real name is Jack Dawkins.

3. He becomes a friend of Oliver Twist’s.

Answer on p124

Paperbacks

TheOxfordBookofTheatrical

Anecdotesed by Gyles Brandreth (OUP, £12.99). Brilliantly wide-ranging collection of showbiz tales with an anecdote-packed introduction from the man himself. No loo should be without one.

TheHidingPlaceby Amanda Mason (Zaffre, £8.99). A ghost story set in modern-day Whitby, complete with a spooky house. Properly creepy and unsettling.

AnimalVegetableCriminal:When NatureBreakstheLaw by Mary Roach (Oneworld, £9.99). Roach is one of the best non-fiction writers around—a thorough researcher who’s also very funny—and this historical compendium of animals behaving illegally doesn’t disappoint.

TheFell by Sarah Moss (Picador, £8.99). Page-turning thriller set against the still-strange background of COVID lockdown.

AVillageintheThirdReich by Julia Boyd and Angelika Patel (Elliott & Thompson, £10.99). A superb work of micro-history, exploring how the ordinary inhabitants of a picturesque Bavarian village reacted to the coming of Nazism.

IRECOMMENDED READ:

Read All About It

This month’s recommended read delves into the history of a lost institution—the Encyclopædia Britannica

n 1968, Encyclopædia Britannica hosted a banquet in London’s Guildhall to celebrate its 200th birthday, with Prime Minister Harold Wilson among the 500 guests, and the Queen sending a telegram of congratulations. Not surprisingly, there was utter confidence that the 300th anniversary would be celebrated just as lavishly in 2068.

But that was only because, as Simon Garfield says in this suitably encyclopaedic book—written with all his usual wit and sharp eye for memorable facts—“the meteorite in the sky was not yet visible”. In the event, within 45 years, the Britannica presses had rolled for the last time, as knowledge moved online. No longer would people want 30-volume books containing articles by the likes of Alfred Hitchcock (Motion Pictures), J B Priestley (English Literature)

and J Edgar Hoover (FBI). These days, in fact, you almost literally can’t give them away, with full sets available for 1p, and many charity shops rejecting them as too bulky. Garfield sorrowfully points out that not so long ago these abandoned encyclopaedias “did more than any single thing to shape our understanding of the world”. Yet this is not a sentimental book. In tracing their history, he pays heartfelt tribute to the high-mindedness and commitment involved. But he’s aware of their shortcomings too—not least that any mistakes couldn’t be corrected for years, even decades—as well as having fun with their outdated attitudes (the first Britannica entry for “Woman” reads, in full, “The female of man. See Homo”).

To the possible dismay of encyclopaedia purists, he’s also a big fan of Wikipedia (see sidebar)—which is, after all, rather

high-minded itself: resisting all pressure to accept advertising, sell on information or set up a paywall…

“

The very first home page, composed at 19.27 GMT on 15 January 2001, stated: ‘This is the new WikiPedia!’ Its creator, Office.bomis.com, made the first edit 23 minutes later, adding a list of subjects WikiPedia should contain.

The following day at 19.00, Office.bomis.com created a mission statement: ‘The idea here is to write a complete encyclopedia from scratch, without peer review process, etc. Some people think that this may be a hopeless endeavor, that the result will necessarily suck. We aren’t so sure. So, let’s get to work!’

By the end of its first year, Wikipedia had approximately 20,000 articles, including many that would not have been included in more traditional encyclopaedias. Some of the earliest took for their subject matter the American philosopher

William Alston, the singer Fiona Apple, the civil rights activist Rosa Parks, a list of the amendments in the US Constitution, a full list of the characters and locations in the novel Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, details about the number of people in the Algerian military, and a list of female tennis players. There were also articles on the meaning of the word Machiavellian, the postage stamp, a track listing of the album Horses by Patti Smith, a description of uric acid, and a brief biography of the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. The randomness reflected the joy of the blank page: ‘We’re tiny and new, so Just Write anything!’ Twenty years later it has become very difficult to find anything that doesn’t have an entry.

And then Wikipedia got bigger. By the end of 2003, it had more than 100,000 articles in English, and in 2005 the figure exceeded 750,000. By October 2021 the figure was 6.39 million. The total number of words has increased from 4.8 million at the beginning of 2002 to 3.98 billion by 20 October 2021. The number of people who had used Wikipedia up to that date came to 42,410,237.

Wikipedia has an obvious and magnificent advantage over the print stores it supplanted: incredible speed. Britannica in particular had the habit of being published in the same month as calamitous events. (A new printing of the 14th edition

arrived just three weeks before Germany invaded Poland; another in July 1945 narrowly managed to miss the dropping of the first atomic bomb.) These days, when someone notable dies, the cause of death is on Wikipedia before the funeral. Similarly, the prevalence of what may best be described as dubiousness in print might have a pernicious effect for decades, much to our amusement today. How best to treat tuberculosis, for example? ‘The most sovereign remedy,’ Britannica’s first edition assured, ‘is to get on horseback everyday.’ Childhood teething could be treated by the placing of leeches beneath the ears. The ninth edition, published between 1875 and 1889, advised its readers on how to become a vampire (get a cat to jump over your corpse), while 30 years later the 11th found werewolves ‘in leopard form’ among ‘the people of Banana (Congo)’.

Answer to Name the Character:

The Artful Dodger—the child pickpocket in Charles Dickens’s novel. In the original stage version of the musical Oliver! he was played by, among others, Tony Robinson, Davy Jones (later of the Monkees) and Phil Collins.

Simon Garfield’s Favourite Encyclopaedias

EncyclopædiaBritannica11th Edition. Widely regarded as the classic edition from 1911, with contributions from Ernest Rutherford and Bertrand Russell. Amazing to see how much we knew then, and alarming to read how offensive we could occasionally be.

EncyclopaediaofTypefacesedited byWPJaspertetal. If you’re a font fan (like me), this is your dream: more than 2,000 typefaces to make your words look exactly as you want them.

EncyclopediaofNewYork. It will make you want to be there: engrossing entries on the Algonquin Round Table to zoning, via the bagel, fuhgeddaboudit and Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

BritannicaAllNewChildren’s Encyclopedia.A single volume from 2020 with a big hey-wow factor even for adults.

Wikipedia. It was a bit of a joke when it started 21 years ago, but now it’s utterly indispensable. I trust this huge resource like never before, and the more obscure entries are an obsessive’s joy.

Books

THAT CHANGED MY LIFE

Historian Greg Jenner is the host of the popular BBC podcast, You’re Dead To Me. His latest book for children, You Are History, illustrated by Jenny Taylor, is available from November 3 (£14.99, Walker Books)

Asterix In Britain by René Goscinny & Albert Uderzo

I’m a comedy-loving historian with a French mother, so it’s no surprise that the Asterix books were my childhood favourites. I devoured the pun-drenched English translations, but I’d also ask my mother to decode the original French jokes too. There’s so much to enjoy in Asterix, not least the rambunctious plotting, vivid illustrations and anachronistic jokes. Yet, despite the cartoonish energy, there’s also something oddly faithful about the depiction of the ancient world, which maybe explains why so many historians share my Asterixenthusiasm.

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

It was Catch-22that first taught me about finding comedy in tragedy. I differ slightly from my fellow historians because I take a funny approach to exploring the past, and often I’ll reach for a touch of absurdist gallows humour. But Heller’s satirical masterpiece soars high above my creative abilities. Catch-22 doesn’t just capture the tedium and terror of the Second World War, but renders war itself into a hellish farce of maddening pressure, crushing bureaucracy and the infamous logic trap that forever keeps these airmen five flights from safety. I first read it aged 14, and I am certain it reconfigured my entire personality!

The Silk Roads: A New History Of The World

by Peter Frankopan

TheSilkRoadsisn’t just a dazzling work of thrilling history—it made me ashamed of my ignorance. How could I call myself a public historian if I was so often, and so myopically, ignoring the rich histories of East Asia and the Middle East? When The SilkRoadthen became a publishing phenomenon, selling in the millions, I realised I had no excuse; readers clearly craved knowledge about our shared world. I vowed to explore global history in every project thereafter, and I’m glad to say my funny children’s book YouAre Historydoes just that.

Why Is Twitter So Important?

James O'Malley on the cultural significance of the microblogging giant

Bbehind the likes of Facebook (near three billion), Instagram (two billion), and TikTok (one billion). So why does Musk want to spend a considerable slice of his own enormous fortune on a social network that not many people, in the grand scheme of things, actually use?

ack in April, Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, made a dramatic attempt at a hostile takeover of Twitter, for a cool $44 billion. That’s a lot of money, even for a billionaire tycoon, and the takeover attempt quickly descended into public mud-slinging and court battles. But whoever wins (we’re not going to know for some time), I think the most interesting part of the story is the more fundamental question: why would Musk even want to buy Twitter in the first place?

If you look at the size of Twitter, its appeal isn’t obvious. The company makes a relatively meagre profit each year, and in terms of the number of users, Twitter is a relative minnow among social media networks. It has around 436 million users every month, which isn’t nothing—but is also a long way

The answer might be what makes Twitter so interesting: what it lacks in revenue, size or growth potential, it makes up for in a much harder to define way. It carries absolutely enormous cultural power, and has an unrivalled ability to shape the news we read, the content we consume and the culture we live in.

Twitter is real life

Twitter’s cultural power is easy to see. Click on any random news article, and there’s a good chance that somewhere in the text, it’s quoting what someone said on Twitter. And when big news stories happen, like, say, the defenestration of a prime minister, where does a lot of the action happen? Why, Twitter, of course.

What makes the platform important is essentially its clientele. Twitter is the place where the most powerful and influential people like

to hang out. It’s a trendy bar full of rich people, whereas Facebook is the virtual equivalent of the McDonald's across the street.

Because Twitter is mostly based on short, text-based posts, it is perfectly optimised for conveying information, an argument, or a joke, at immense speed—which makes it extremely useful for the likes of politicians, journalists, executives and celebrities. Essentially, anyone who has a job where it is important to know what is going on in the world, and might need to respond to events quickly.

What Twitter is really good at is acting as essentially a global watercooler—a persistent backchannel for gossip, jokes and informal connections. It’s a place where new ideas emerge, or arguments happen, and because the people doing the gossiping are important, influential types, what happens on Twitter can actually affect the rest of the world too.

A particularly fun example of this happened in early July when culture secretary Nadine Dorries launched a vitriolic tweet attacking her party colleagues. It backfired spectacularly, and her tweets reportedly led to more cabinet resignations, ultimately hastening the end of Boris Johnson’s time in Downing Street. If she’d posted on Instagram instead, perhaps her parliamentary colleagues might not have noticed.

Twitter is not real life

However, the ability of the “Twitterati” to influence the real world does have strange consequences too. Because Twitter is very effective at setting the news and cultural agenda, what happens on Twitter becomes tomorrow’s newspaper front-pages and the topics being discussed on the radio.

This can sometimes be good, as if you can get a relatively small number of people on Twitter talking about it, you can elevate otherwise unappreciated points of view. But the same mechanism can also elevate the esoteric controversies that only people on Twitter care about, that bear little relation to the "real" world.

Recent politics also gives us a good example of this: during a recent [at the time of writing] debate between Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, the BBC spent ten minutes talking about mean tweets that had been sent about the candidates’ clothes, instead of, for example, anything that actually matters. But in any case, it’s a powerful example of, whether you love it or loathe it, Twitter's immense cultural power. And I think this explains why someone like Elon Musk might want to pay big money for it. Because even if it doesn’t make business sense, if you own Twitter, you suddenly have a voice in the world’s most important watercooler conversation. n

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You Couldn’t Make It Up

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While recently on holiday in Devon, we watched people catching crabs from the quayside using various kinds of bait on the end of a line.

We asked a girl what bait she preferred and she showed us a tray of several bacon rashers.

Suddenly, without warning, a seagull swooped down and snatched all the rashers, but was unable to get airborne because of the weight. Another seagull saw the bacon and a tug-of-war took place on the quayside with neither bird winning.

A small terrier passing by saw the bacon and ran at the birds, which took off empty beaked. He then made a hasty retreat with his prize.

MICHAEL BASS, Somerset

We’d just parked by the chemist and saw what appeared to be a long queue that suddenly cleared.

“Must have been some old lady making a huge fuss by the door,” remarked Mum haughtily.

“Can’t be,” replied Dad. “She’s here in the car with me”.

GREG THEN, Hampshire

One morning I was discussing the meaning of lent with my young children. My daughter, who was six, looked pensive before stating earnestly that she would be giving up sweets and chocolate for Lent. I was surprised, as she has an especially sugary tooth.

Later that day we sat down for our supper, when my eldest daughter announced that her sister was no longer giving up the sweet treats.

"Oh, aren't you?" I asked. "What are you giving up now then?".

There had obviously been a lot of brainstorming with her classmates at school that day, because she very carefully finished her mouthful and replied in her quiet but assured voice, "I've decided I'm going to give up planting instead."

She glanced at her sister who gave a nod of approval.

"Planting?" I asked, bemused. "As in planting…?".

"Plants," she answered, looking at me as if I was stupid, before both sisters carried on with their meal. And do you know what? She was very successful at abstaining that year!

NICOLA RICHARDSON, East Sussex

My granddaughter teaches at a junior school in a village deep in the countryside, so the majority of her

pupils live on farms. As she is a city girl, it’s taking a little time adjusting to country life.

After watching a video about pests, she asked the class to give their own experiences on local pests. Rabbits, rats, mice, badgers and foxes were all mentioned, but then Tom, a farmer's son, said townies are the biggest pests.

"Townies? What are they?" my granddaughter asked.

“People who come to the countryside at weekends for walks, park their cars all over the place, bring their dogs and leave them free to worry our animals, leave the gates open, leave loads of rubbish behind and, worst of all, use anywhere as a toilet," said Tom. "My dad says townies are the worst pests of all."

JH

ROBERTS, Conwy County

"HAPPY HALOWEEN!"

Word Power

Canst thou hold a candle to the bards of yore?

Define these words immortalised by Shakespeare and Milton, and you can call yourself a poetic champion

BY GEORGE MURRAY

1. scrannel—A: grain-based drink. B: harsh and unmelodious.

C: unscrupulous lord.

2. castigate—A: grisly form of torture.

B: castle security feature.

C: rebuke severely.

3. villatic—A: ugly.

B: rural. C: evil.

4. escot—A: silk scarf.

B: to flee combat.

C: cover living expenses.

5. whirligig—A: object that moves in rapid circles.

B: clown nose.

C: mechanical clock.

6. goosery—A: book comprised of animal names.

B: silliness. C: pinching someone’s bottom.

7. antre—A: cavern.

B: piece of armour.

C: ghostly house.

8. scrippage—A: the work of a scribe.

B: contents of a wallet.

C: game of chance.

9. lubber—A: castle moat. B: moonshine.

C: big, clumsy fellow.

10. convolve—A: coil up.

B: turn ship around.

C: join for dinner.

11. clarion—A: jutting hill.

B: clear and loud.

C: blue water.

12. obsequious—A: sneaky.

B: flatulent. C: servile.

13. effulgence—A: radiance.

B: pollution. C: lies.

14. pandemonium

A: zoo for bears.

B: utter confusion.

C: quarantined area.

15. anthropophagous

A: cannibal. B: diplomatic.

C: academic.

Answers

1. scrannel—[B] harsh and unmelodious; The witch’s scrannel voice rose as she began an incantation.

2. castigate—[C] rebuke severely; Jim knew his boss would castigate him for missing work.

3. villatic—[B] rural; The Tuscany region in Italy is known for its villatic beauty.

4. escot—[C] cover living expenses; Marijke had relied on her wealthy parents to escot her while she attended university.

5. whirligig—[A] object that moves in rapid circles; The car hit the black ice and spun on the highway like a whirligig.

6. goosery—[B] silliness; The children’s goosery was more than Théo could take, so he sent them outside.

7. antre—[A] cavern; The vast antres of Lascaux in France are part of a World Heritage Site.

8. scrippage—[B] contents of a wallet; He realised his scrippage was nothing but receipts and bills.

9. lubber—[C] big, clumsy fellow;

Linda knew her husband was a lubber and therefore asked him to wait outside the china shop.

10. convolve—[A] coil up; It was only as I started to fall that I realised the garden hose had convolved around my ankles.

11. clarion—[B] clear and loud; The church bell’s clarion peal called the townspeople to a marriage service.

12. obsequious—[C] servile; Alban’s colleagues rolled their eyes at his obsequious habit of bringing coffee to the boss every morning.

13. effulgence—[A] radiance; The sun’s effulgence reflected off the lake, blinding Kondwani as he paddled the canoe.

14. pandemonium—[B] utter confusion; Min-ji called the kids in from the pandemonium of the squirt-gun battle.

15. anthropophagous [A] cannibal; The flesh-eating scenes in the movie about the anthropophagous doctor were too much for me.

VOCABULARY RATINGS

7–10: fair

11–12: good

13–15: excellent

TRIVIA

By Beth Shillibeer

1. Music experts and computer scientists finally completed Beethoven’s Symphony No 10 with the help of what?

2. The Exorcist was the first horror film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. But which was the first to win?

3. What is the only land mammal native to New Zealand?

4. Riddle: what kind of measuring device might make use of sand, shadows, candles, and hands?

5. In Mayan culture it was worshipped as a god; today, many people enjoy it roasted. What is it?

6. Sheryl Crow, Sting, and Gene Simmons all had what job before becoming famous?

7. In medieval England, once a year the poor would knock on doors, offering prayers in exchange for food. What modern tradition did this inspire?

8. Match, Team, and Twilight are races in what sport?

9. After leading roughly 80,000 men for nine years, a woman named Ching Shih retired from what occupation in 1810?

10. The Greek anthem is based on which 158-verse poem by Dionysios Solomos?

11. With English, Tok Pisin, and Hiri Motu as official languages, what Oceanic country is the most linguistically diverse in the world?

12. What two countries are smaller than New York’s Central Park, which has an area of 340 hectares?

13. What does the imaginary Wallace Line, in the Indonesian archipelago, separate?

15. Which famous magician, who died in October 1926, was born Erik Weisz?

14. Known as the Trembling Giant, what is the oldest and largest known organism on Earth, covering more than 40 hectares?

12. Vatican City and Monaco. 13. Asian and Australasian fauna. 14. The Pando Aspen clonal tree colony in Utah, United States. 15. Harry Houdini.

BRAIN TEASERS

Save the Dates

MediuM Five of your friends (Leonie, Joanna, Madeline, Nicole, and Shannon) are all engaged. Each is getting married on a Saturday in June. The problem?

There are only four Saturdays in June, so you’re double-booked for one of them. Based on the following clues, can you determine which Saturday that is, and which two brides-to-be set the same date?

✦ Joanna will get married before Nicole but after Shannon.

✦ Madeline is the only one getting married on the second Saturday.

✦ Shannon and Joanna are both bridesmaids in Leonie’s wedding.

Circuit Board

Difficult

The plus and minus signs in the diagram represent positive and negative terminals. Connect each positive terminal to a negative terminal by a wire so no terminal is used twice, the other squares all have wires in them, and the squares with numbers indicate the length of the wire passing through that square (not counting the terminals). Note: you may not connect adjacent terminals.

Pyramid Play

MediuM In total, how many distinct triangles are in the figure below? Note: Some of the triangles are made up of two or more smaller ones.

Sweet Mystery

MediuM Jasmine created nine numbered bags, each containing a different quantity of individually wrapped sweets (none of the bags are empty). The average number of sweets in bags one through eight is ten, and the average number of sweets in all nine bags is 11.

1. How many sweets are in the ninth bag?

2. What is the maximum number of sweets that could be in the first bag?

By Jeff Widderich

Save the Dates

Leonie and Nicole are both getting married on the last Saturday in June.

Analogous

A. The second figure consists of the first one overlaid with two copies of it.

SOLUTION To Solve This Puzzle

Put a number from 1 to 9 in each empty square so that:

✦ every horizontal row and vertical column contains all nine numbers (1-9) without repeating any of them;

✦ each of the outlined 3 x 3 boxes has all nine numbers, none repeated.

Laugh!

WIN £30 for every reader’s joke we publish!

Go to readersdigest.co.uk/contact-us or facebook.com/readersdigestuk

Apparently cucumbers hate becoming pickles. For them, it’s a jarring experience.

@JesseDoctor, via Twitter

A wife asks her husband, “Could you please go shopping for me and buy one carton of milk and if they have avocados, get six.

A short time later the husband comes back with six cartons of milk.

The wife asks: “Why did you buy six cartons of milk?”.

He replies: “They had avocados.” Via Twitter

A bear walks into a bar and says to the bartender, “One whiskey

and………one coke, please.”

“Why the big pause?” asks the bartender.

“I don’t know,” says the bear. “I was born with them.” Via Twitter

She can’t have been from that small a town if they had a midnight train going anywhere.

JASON ISBELL, Nashville, US

I’ve written a script for a low-budget version of The Tempest. It’s just a draught at the moment.

Comedian PAUL EGGLESTON

It’s my partner’s birthday next week, and they’ve been leaving jewellery

What does a chicken running a marathon wear on its feet?

Ree-bokbokboks!

Submitted via Twitter

catalogues all over the house. So I bought them a magazine rack.

Submitted via email

The author Stephen King has a son named Joseph. I’m not joking. But he is. @ThePunnyWorld, via Twitter

Paul McCartney is a great advertisement for vegetarianism. Look at him, 80! John Lennon never embraced it and he didn’t live for half as long. Makes you think.

Comedian ALEXANDRA HADDOW

Everybody’s a tough guy until their foot touches seaweed at the beach.

Comedian CARLOS GARCIA

Have you ever noticed that once rich people get really rich, they start behaving like poor people?

We had rice and beans because we couldn’t afford anything else. Rich people call it veganism.

Hair-larious Styles

THESE FUNNY-BUTBIZARRE HAIRSTYLE CHOICES ARE SERIOUSLY CREATIVE! via boredpanda.com

We couldn’t afford furniture. For rich people that’s called minimalism. Rich people hang their pots and pans on the wall. We hung them there because it was the only place the roaches couldn’t reach!

Comedian ANDRES SANDOVAL

A jumper I bought was picking up static electricity, so I decided to return it to the store. They gave me another one, free of charge.

Seen on Twitter

I’ve started reading a horror book in Braille this week. Something bad is about to happen. I can feel it.

ISOBEL MCLAREN, London

Recently I took my eight-year-old daughter into the office for “Take Your Kid to Work Day”. When we walked into the office she started to cry.

As concerned staff gathered around, I asked her what was wrong. She asked, between sobs, “Daddy, where are all the clowns you said you worked with?”.

Seen on Facebook

Can you believe that I was thrown out of my church for claiming that Jesus spoke with a lisp? It was a real slap in the faith.

Via Twitter

CROSSWORD ANSWERS

Reinventing Halloween

Twitter users share their funny post-COVID Halloween traditions

@ChangeTheBee: Putting your costume on and realising that it’s the first time you’ve used a zip all year.

@KBlancF: A black cat crossing your path is now considered good luck because it means you went outside at least once this week.

@KemiTorano: Dying hand sanitiser red to make the kids wash their hands in “ghoul blood” before each house.

@AndWeJiggleLike: Instead of dressing like zombies, we dress like ourselves, because it’s pretty much the same thing.

@AtariKari: Trick or treat, stay six feet, throw me my candy from across the street.

Across: 9 Tbilisi, 10 Mariner, 11 Exile, 12 Analogous, 13 Pit stop, 16 Exert, 17 Roe, 18 Weirdo, 19 Wholly, 22 V H S, 24 Opium, 26 Callers, 27 Backdrops, 29 Hindu, 31 America, 32 Explain.

Down: 1 Attempt, 2 VIII, 3 Five-star, 4 Disapprove, 5 Y M C A, 6 Groove, 7 Anyone else, 8 Presets, 14 The kitchen, 15 Newscaster, 20 Only hope, 21 Soybean, 23 Issuing, 25 Madrid, 28 Oman, 30 Noah

Beat the Cartoonist!

Think of a witty caption for this cartoon—the three best suggestions, along with the cartoonist’s original, will be posted on our website in mid-October. If your entry gets the most votes, you’ll win £50.

Submit to captions@readersdigest.co.uk by October 7. We’ll announce the winner in our November issue.

AUGUST WINNER

Our cartoonist’s caption, “I think I’ll stick with a staycation again this summer” failed to beat our reader Nicola Richardson this month, who won the vote with her caption, “Lip fillers are one thing, Stace. But you’ve over-done it with the Botox.” Congratulations, Nicola!

cartoons by Royston Robertson

IN THE NOVEMBER ISSUE

Idris Elba

The beloved Hollywood star on his remarkable career, latest movie projects, and being a DJ

CRUISING IN THE NUDE

One writer details his experience sailing across the Adriatic… completely naked

Meet the bold 19thcentury woman who pioneered the modern guidebook + MARIANA

STARKE

A Century Of Change

As we continue our centenary celebrations, we look at how Halloween has changed in the last 100 years…

Spooky season is finally upon us! But it looks a little different to how it did 100 years ago…

Halloween has been around for centuries, as a pagan holiday in ancient Ireland during which people celebrated and “communicated” with visiting spirits. As Christianity spread, Halloween was one of many pagan holidays that was absorbed and repackaged to appeal to newly converted Christians.

Initially Halloween was all about mischief, which may sound harmless, but used to have far more negative connotations (in the US, “criminal mischief” is a crime punishable by jail time to this day!).

Before the 1930s, “trickor-treating” was associated with groups of young men going door to door to play tricks such as throwing cabbages at houses or stealing garden gates.

Nowadays, trick-or-treaters tend to be children on the hunt for sweets. Going door to door for treats used to be called “guising”, and in Ireland was accompanied by the phrase, “Help the Halloween party”. It was only in the 1980s that it became standard to

hear choruses of “trick or treat”, thanks to the classic 1982 film ET. As with many American cultural imports, not everyone was pleased about this development—in fact in 2009, The Telegraph ran the headline, “Hallowe’en: Trick, Treat And A Total Travesty?”.

In the 20th century, typical treats included candy apples, jelly beans and candy corn. These days, you are more likely to be met with Haribo Starmix and fun-sized Mars Bars (although if you are old enough to be reading Reader’s Digest, you can probably expect to be turned away at the door should you attempt to go trick-or-treating this year).

The most popular Halloween costumes have also changed in the last hundred years, shifting from cowboys and witches to Marvel superheroes.

This year, after a Halloween night spent braving horror films and fending off children desperate for free sweets, you can at least sleep easy at night knowing that things have changed since the 1920s—and you’ll probably wake up with your garden gate where you left it! n

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