Reader's Digest UK Sept 2019

R E A D E R ’ S

HEALTH • MONEY • TRAVEL • RECIPES • FASHION • TECHNOLOGY

D I G E S T

SEPTEMBER 2019

| S M A L L

LEGO

A N D P E R F E C T LY

The Building Blocks To Mental Health?

Forever Young

I N F O R M E D

INSIDE THE RACE TO “CURE” MORTALITY

|

CULTURE

S E P T E M B E R

Ziggy Marley

14

Musings On Fear, Fame And His Father readersdigest.co.uk

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SEPTEMBER 2019

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Contents SEPTEMBER 2019

Features 16 IT’S A MANN’S WORLD

20

Olly Mann begins to panic at the prospect of welcoming baby number two ENTERTAINMENT

20 INTERVIEW: ALAN CUMMING

p

60

p

The Scottish-American actor talks dating, his latest TV project and celeb friends

IAN DAGN ALL / CRONOS/ ALA MY STOCK P HOTO

30 “I REMEMBER”: ZIGGY MARLEY The musician opens up about his love of reggae, Jamaican food and his father

HEALTH 42 NEW HOPE FOR KNEES Bad knees? Replacing them isn’t the only good solution out there

INSPIRE

60 BEST OF BRITISH: LIBRARIES Shh! We’re revisiting our mission to find Britain’s best-loved libraries

COVER ILLUSTRATION: ©DANIEL MITCHELL

70

FOREVER YOUNG What does “ageing” really mean and are we getting closer to finding a cure for it?

80

LEGO LOVING Simon Button explains why you’re never too old for Lego TR AVEL & ADVENTURE

90 MAGICAL MONTENEGRO Exploring the humanity of the country Donald Trump hates

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Contents

106

p

SEPTEMBER 2019

In every issue 9 12

Over to You See the World Differently

50 54

HEALTH Advice: Susannah Hickling Column: Dr Max Pemberton INSPIRE If I Ruled the World: Lemn Sissay

68

98 100

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE My Great Escape Glamping in Europe

102

MONEY Column: Andy Webb

106

FOOD & DRINK Tasty recipes and ideas from Rachel Walker HOME & GARDEN Column: Cassie Pryce

110

p

68

116

FASHION & BEAUTY Column: Lisa Lennkh on how to look your best Beauty

118

ENTERTAINMENT September’s cultural highlights

114

122 127

BOOKS September Fiction: James Walton’s recommended reads Books That Changed My Life: Taylor Jenkins Reid

128

TECHNOLOGY Column: Olly Mann

130 133 136 140 143 144

FUN & GAMES You Couldn’t Make It Up Word Power Brain Teasers Laugh!

60-Second Stand-Up Beat the Cartoonist

SEPTEMBER 2019 • 3

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In This Issue…

EDITORS’ LETTERS

When I think back to my childhood, I often see myself in a library. On the first day of any school break, I’d be found marching through the doors of Stevenage Library, obscured behind as many books as my arms could carry.

And my love for libraries hasn’t dwindled with age.

Did you know that as well as books, your local library can provide you with tech drop ins, sanitary products, audiobooks, mindfulness classes, WiFi, home visits for the elderly or disabled, charging ports, local history information and much more?

I selected some of my favourite libraries in Britain on p60, but get out there and visit your local branch too—they remain an invaluable resource and without more support we risk losing them entirely.

Anna The belly-wobbling bass lines, the nourishing vibrations, and a potent but positive message of rebellion—there’s nothing quite like reggae music—and we’re celebrating our love for it throughout the entire issue. First, we take a look at the beguiling new documentary Inna De Yard on p119, which follows a group of reggae pioneers as they revisit old hits and teach us about the history of the genre through touching memories and witty aperçus. And on p30, we talk to a true reggae icon, Ziggy Marley himself. A kind and discerning conversationalist, he opened up to us about growing up on the dangerous streets of Jamaica in the 1970s and the most important lessons he learned from his superstar dad.

Eva

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Reader’s Digest is published in 27 editions in 11 languages SEPTEMBER 2019 • 7

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Over To You LETTERS ON THE JULY ISSUE

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

Letter of

I am finding Jonathan Hancock’s articles fascinating. The recent one in the July issue on memorising information was so helpful for all generations and especially invaluable to students of all ages.

The August article also showed how using our senses evoked all sorts of memories.

Tastes of previously forgotten food or drink, for example, can bring back sensations of times gone by; of particular moments, whether sad or happy.

Sounds can also bring back forgotten times and promote nostalgic emotions. Jonathan suggests we really concentrate to recreate other sense experiences as well.

One sense that has brought everlasting pleasure for me is that of human touch. When I knew my mother was going to die, each time I said goodbye to her I used to say “cheek-tocheek, Mum” and we would sit with our cheeks together for a few moments. To this day—although she died 23 years ago—I can still recall the exact softness of her little cheek against mine.

None of us know how fleeting and precious time is and we all ought to concentrate, so that we will always have awakened senses and sharpened memories.

Mary Tappenden, Kent

THE MONTH

VIEWING PLEASURE Your “Outdoor Cinema” article brought back happy memories from a year ago when my partner and I sat in the grounds of Wollaton Hall, Nottingham.

Batman, The Dark Knight Rises, was filmed there and we were there to watch a special screening. I’ll always remember the screen bursting into life and Christian Bale appearing above us.

The imposing and eerie hall to my back created an extraordinary and surreal atmosphere.

I wasn’t aware other places held outdoor screenings. I’ll certainly be looking for some more.

Esther Newton, Berkshire SEPTEMBER 2019 • 9

OV E R TO YO U

MCKENNA THE WISE I fully agreed with Paul McKenna in “If I Ruled the World” when he said it would be great for life skills to be taught in schools. Many institutions give lessons in modern technology, and since it’s such a way of life nowaday, this should be compulsory in every curriculum.

I certainly would have benefitted from this type of education. Dealing with problematic computers and automatic phone lines can be an absolute nightmare.

Sheila Chisnall, Devon

I enjoyed Paul McKenna’s “If I Ruled The World” and found his view about meditation very thoughtprovoking. Knowing that if there is a boxing match on TV, the murder rate goes up, but a group of meditators can bring down violent crime rate proves that we should be teaching meditation from a very early age. Both junior and senior children could benefit from escaping from this mad, crazy world we live in for a few hours a week.

I teach children and getting them to pay attention is something I sometimes find hard to do. Their minds are like monkeys swinging quickly from one branch of thought to another. Mobile phones and tablets have only made it harder for them to focus. I would like to see schools across the country adopt a practice called mindfulness—the technique was developed over two millenniums ago and is a way of resting, clearing and rejuvenating the mind. It can go a long way towards improving the classroom learning environment.

Well said Paul.

Alice Harding, Cambridgeshire

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12

See the world TURN THE PAGE…

Photo: © Getty Images/AFP/JUSTIN TALLIS

14

…differently

Foto: © Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images

In 1666 a massive fire raged through London, nearly levelling the fabled city on the Thames. Roughly 100,000 people lost their homes and 80 per cent of the historical city centre was engulfed by the flames, including London’s symbolic St. Paul’s Cathedral. In 2016, to commemorate the 350th anniversary of this horrific event, Londoners set their skyline ablaze once more, this time however they substituted a 400ft-long historically accurate wooden model for the real buildings.

IT’S A MANN’S WORLD

Second Thoughts As Olly Mann and family prepare for a new arrival, he ponders whether anything can ever live up to the glory of early fatherhood

I

'm about to become a father again. All being well, by the time you read this, I will be—we’re expecting our second son in three weeks. Except, of course, it’s not really me who’s the "expectant" one. My fat, tired, emotional (strong, heroic, might-read-this) wife is "expecting".

I have merely attended a couple of scans, dug out the cot from the loft, and initiated some premature conversations about baby-names ("Alvin" was my favourite, but then we got a kitten and I can’t now suggest our son should have the same name as the cat.)

I don’t feel remotely prepared.

I didn’t the first time round, either— as I articulated in the first of these Olly Mann presents Four Thought for BBC Radio 4, and the award-winning podcasts The Modern Mann and Answer Me This!

16 • SEPTEMBER 2019

columns, back in January 2016. My anxieties then, apparently, concerned how to support my wife through labour (now I know: just be there, pretend everything’s fine, don’t faint) and what to buy to help us through sleepless nights (now I know: a white noise app, a Netflix subscription, and a wine box).

Second time round, my lack of preparedness is not a product of ignorance, but familiarity. I’m not neurotic—I’m complacent. "We’ve done this before, it’ll be fine!" has been the thrust of my internal monologue over the past eight months. Only now, as D-Day heaves into view, is there an additional voice at the back of my head, interjecting: "Yes, but you don’t remember any of it".

And it’s true. From about 18 months onwards, I can roughly recollect what a day in my son’s life entailed. But when it comes to Harvey’s baby months, I draw a blank. What was it like, waking at

17

ILLUSTRATION BY ELLY WALTON

IT’S A MANN’S WORLD

3am to sterilise his bottle? I sang to get him to sleep, but what did I sing?

How many layers of clothes did he wear? When did we start combing his hair? Did he even have hair?

I simply don’t remember.

This amnesia is presumably due to the sleep deprivation of that era.

Indeed, I know other parents with similar black spots: a mate of mine once compared his baby-rearing brain to the CCTV camera in a garage forecourt, taping over itself, erasing earlier events to accommodate newer footage.

Perhaps our limbic system has even evolved to deliberately fuzz over the details, so we don’t all become celibate and precipitate the end of our species.

That said, I’ve recently experimented with holding various newborns (stepping in when their parents require a loo-break, for example—it’s not like there’s a class for this), and I’m pleased to report that the muscle memory, at least, of how to hold them, bounce them, reassure them and gently coo at them (all whilst directing my nose away from their 18 • SEPTEMBER 2019

bottom) appears to be burned into my subconscious. Although I'd assumed such knowledge was lost, it can resurface instinctively, like a child riding a bike.

The other, more profound thing for which I am unprepared is giving another child the unquestioning, unconditional love I have given Harvey. I’m an only child, but understand, from friends who aren’t, that groups of siblings often suppose the youngest amongst them is secretly their parents’ favourite.

I cannot imagine how this can be so.

The thunderclap of emotion that struck me when I first met Harvey can surely never be superseded!

When he was born, I literally couldn’t talk, except in a wavering murmur, for about three hours. Yet, parents of two or more kids tell me they do love their second, just as much. I find it astonishing to think I could ever adore another son as emphatically as my first.

This feeling is compounded by the fact that, now he is three and a half, Harvey is far more entertaining than any infant. His first smile, first bath and first crawl seemed enchanting to me back in 2016,

READER’S DIGEST

“I find it astonishing to think that I could ever adore a second son as emphatically as my first" but clearly the comparatively tedious progress of a babe-in-arms cannot compete with the companionship of a walking, talking little boy with whom I can build sand castles, blow bubbles, and debate the failings of

Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Finally, there’s my lack of physical readiness. I’m 38. Not old, these days, for fatherhood—but a good decade older than many other Dads at soft-play. I’m overweight. I enjoy eight hours sleep. I know how physical it is, running and rolling your way through the toddler years, and, while I wanted this second child, very much, I’ll admit there’s a small part of me that might prefer to put on my slippers and watch the news.

Anyway, too late to turn back now.

Here he comes, ready or not. n

TAKE TWO These iconic films were almost released under a different title entirely…

Pretty Woman was originally called 3,000 after the £3,000 Richard Gere's character pays to Julia Roberts' Vivian.

Classic scare sci-fi flick Alien was first titled Star Beast, a reference to a 1954 sci-fi novel by Robert A Heinlein.

It's hard to imagine Casablanca by any other name, but Everybody Come to Rick's was the working title of this classic love story.

Snakes On A Plane very nearly lost its major star—Samuel L Jackson—by changing its name to Pacific Air Flight 121. Jackson insisted they change it back immediately, saying "That's the only reason I took the job. I read the title."

Bizarrely, during production phases, Universal Studios claimed that nobody would see a film with the word "future" in the title, meaning Back to the Future almost became known as Space Man From Pluto. Not quite such a ring to it. Thankfully Spielberg refused.

After hearing that Warner Brothers hated the title of his pet project, Beetlejuice, Tim Burton joked that he would change it to Scared Sheetless. Unfortunately for him, they loved it and tried to run with it before he put his foot down.

SOURCE: BUZZFEED.COM

SEPTEMBER 2019 • 19

ENTERTAINMENT

20

Alan Cumming:

On Cops, Cabaret And Karma

by Simon Button

The Scottish-American actor chats to us about playing the first leading gay character on a US TV show, running his own night club and the perks of being a married man

CRONOS / ALAM Y STOCK P HOTO

T

alking about playing the first ever openly gay character on a US network drama in Instinct, Alan Cumming declares: “If you can be progressive within the mainstream you can be much more potent.”

Cumming could also be talking about his career. He’s an envelopepushing renegade who has always marched to the beat of his own drum—from his Tony-winning turn as the predatory emcee in Cabaret to his satirical fragrance line via anything-goes solo shows and a recurring role as a blunttalking campaign strategist on The Good Wife right at the heart

of mainstream TV. One minute he’s in a Spy Kids or X-Men movie, the next he’s in the blood-soaked screen version of Titus, then he’s essaying about dressing up as a woman for a day for Marie Claire. He’s a novelist, memoirist (writing candidly about growing up with an abusive father), supported the campaign for Scottish independence and continues to champion LGBT+ causes. He even has his own nightclub in New York cheekily called Club Cumming.

It’s a wonder he has time to chat to me at this year’s Monte-Carlo TV Festival but the 54-year-old multitasker is very relaxed as he slumps his legs over a chair and SEPTEMBER 2019 • 21

INTERVIEW: ALAN CUMMING

“ I DON’T THINK I’M THREATENING TO PEOPLE WHICH MEANS I CAN SAY PROVOCATIVE THINGS”

talks proudly about his Instinct character—a former CIA operative turned author and psychology professor named Dr Dylan Reinhart, who becomes a consultant for the NYPD when a crime appears to have been inspired by one of his books.

Reinhart is gay and that was “hugely important” for Alan, who is married to San Francisco-born illustrator Grant Shaffer and who has campaigned for same-sex marriage in his Scottish homeland and works with AIDS charities and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. “I didn’t intend to be in 22 • SEPTEMBER 2019

a cop show,” he says, “but the fact it was the first leading gay character in a network drama on US television is a huge reason I did it.

“I wanted to make sure we did it properly and that it was treated respectfully, without sensationalism and not in the usual way they treat gay characters on network shows— namely in a stereotypical way or where they’re the best friend or where their sexuality is a problem.”

Reinhart’s relationship with his husband Daniel is very loving and matter-of-fact. “And it’s amazing that in America this is the first time

READER’S DIGEST

Alan as the nononsense former CIA operative turned author and professor, Dylan Reinhart, in Instinct

many people will have seen a gay couple in a relationship being at home and eating toast. That’s a huge thing because the fact it’s not sensationalised and it’s not seen as being a problem changes people’s attitudes.”

Prior to our meeting I’ve spotted Alan at the festival in a sleeveless white shirt and heavy black eyeliner and later he pops up in an eyecatching polka-dot suit. When we meet he’s more reserved in a grey suit and dark blue shirt as someone brings him a huge coffee and he

remarks “Oh gosh, I’m going to be so caffeinated!”

With two seasons of Instinct filmed so far, he’s really enjoying playing the speak-as-he-finds Reinhart, saying: “I love how contrary he is.

He’s like five different people in one character.”

That, I note aloud, sounds a lot like the actor himself. He laughs.

“I suppose he is, yes. He can be really odd in certain situations and maybe that’s what I bring to it myself.”

They also share a flamboyance and a devil-may-care quality. “But SEPTEMBER 2019 • 23

I kind of do it with a wink and I’m kind with it,” Cumming insists.

“I don’t think I’m threatening to people, which means I can say quite provocative things.”

Also, I imagine he couldn’t be a wallflower if he tried? He laughs again. “No, that doesn’t really work for me. Also, the older you get the less f***s you give about what you want to say and do and how you want to come over.”

He recently did an Off-Broadway play entitiled Daddy with a predominantly young cast. “And it was so interesting to see them really concerned about everything in the press and how they were perceived.

But I do feel for young people now 24 • SEPTEMBER 2019

and how their value in the world is determined by how many ‘likes’ you have and how many followers you have. We didn’t have all that, although if there was an interview I felt was a hatchet job it might upset me but now I don’t care.”

The thick skin comes from being in the business since 1986, when Perthshire-born Alan made his screen debut in a TV film called Passing Glory and worked steadily in theatre mostly before his starmaking performance in Cabaret in 1998. To list everything he’s done since then would take a whole issue of this magazine, suffice to say he’s never stopped working.

AF ARCHI VE / ENTERTAI NMENT PI CTURES / A LAM Y STOC K PH OTO

INTERVIEW: ALAN CUMMING

READER’S DIGEST

“I WANTED MY CLUB TO BE ABOUT ALL GENDERS, AGES AND SEXUALITIES, FUN AND SEXY BUT ALSO SAFE, WITH A SENSE OF COMMUNITY” His 2004 “Cumming” fragrance and 2011 sequel “2nd Cumming” were two of many sideline projects and the idea was to “lampoon and satirise celebrity endorsements yet at the same time it was a real thing”.

Then there’s Club Cumming in New York’s East Village, which celebrates its second anniversary in September. “I wanted it to be about all genders, all ages, all sexualities, fun and sexy but also safe, with a sense of community, and we’ve achieved all that. With the staff I’m like, ‘Kindness is everything here and if you’re mean forget it’.”

The same goes for the customers.

Having played pushy film director Piers Cuthbertson-Smyth in Spice World, Cumming recently hosted a 20th anniversary screening of the film and a competition for the best Spice Girl wannabe. There were two Baby Spices on stage and one of the guys said something catty and mean about the other one so Alan said: “You’re going to have to leave the Alan in Spy Kids (2001) (left) and In the X-Men franchise film X2 (2003) (right)

SEPTEMBER 2019 • 25

26 • SEPTEMBER 2019

EVERETT COLLECTION IN C / ALAMY STOCK P HOTO

“IT’S NUTS—I’LL BE 56 AND THAT’S NOT NORMALLY THE TIME TO START A DANCE CAREER”

stage because we have a certain level of kindness that’s necessary at Club Cumming and you’ve failed to reach that level so you’re disqualified”.

He grins. “What’s hilarious is that when he stepped off the stage he fell and cut his knee. That’s karma.”

Famously good friends with Liza Minnelli, he’s yet to welcome the one-time Studio 54 regular to his club because she’s been living in Los Angeles, but she’s featured on the mural that Grant designed. “I was chatting to her about the spirit of the

READER’S DIGEST

place before it opened,” Alan says affectionately, “and she said, ‘I’m the same spirit so tell Grant if he doesn’t put me on the mural I’ll kill him’.”

A great day off, when he gets one, is spent with Grant and their dogs Jerry and Lala, “just hanging out with the dogs and my man or having friends over for a little singsong around the piano”.

Cumming’s an accomplished singer and actor and novelist and club-owner and perfumer. If there’s one thing he doesn’t think he’s quite so good at it’s dancing. So what’s he doing? Prepping a performance at the Joyce Theater, New York’s home of contemporary dance, in a couple of years.

“It’s nuts. I’ll be 56 and that’s not normally the time to start a dance career.” Ever the contrarian, he laughs. “But I just thought, Why not?” n Instinct Season One is on Sky Box Sets. Season Two is coming soon to Sky Witness

With his husband, Grant Shaffer

PITCH-PERFECT Did you know that only about one in 10,000 people have the so-called “absolute” pitch? One of them was the jazz icon Ella Fitzgerald whose timing and pitch were so impeccable that band musicians would tune up to her voice. Endlessly inventive, only when recorded did she sing the same way twice.

SOURCE: NPR.ORG

SEPTEMBER 2019 • 27

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ENTERTAINMENT

Ziggy Marley

Jamaican musician Ziggy Marley, 50, is a seventime Grammy winner, humanitarian and the son of reggae icon, Bob Marley. He looks back on his turbulent childhood in Jamaica, growing up in Rastafari culture and parenthood …GROWING UP IN TRENCH TOWN, JAMAICA, which was then called “The Ghetto” because it was a very poor area. Some of my earliest memories are playing football with the neighbourhood kids. In those days, we didn’t have internet or video games, so we’d just go outside, play games and pick mangoes and bananas. When my parents started earning more money from music, we moved to a slightly better community.

30 • SEPTEMBER 2019

…MY MOTHER HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE GLUE THAT HELD EVERYTHING TOGETHER. Without her, things would fall apart. She’s a very strong woman and the things I saw her do as a child impressed me and set an example for me. Jamaica was going through a rough time in the 1970s; there were riots in the streets, people blocking the roads, burning tyres and cars—there was political tension and it was a very

ROB LATOUR/SHUTTERSTOC K / PIC TORIAL PRESS LTD/A LAM Y STOCK

I REMEMBER…

I REMEMBER…

…SPENDING TIME WITH MY FATHER. He’d do fun activities with us like racing, and he’d always get to the finish line first, he’d never let us win! He was so competitive. He also used to take us to Saint Ann, which is the countryside of Jamaica, where he was born. He’d wake us up in the middle of the night and drive us there—I really enjoyed those rides. …MUSIC WAS ALWAYS AROUND. When I was a child, I’d just hang around and listen to my parents write and rehearse new songs. They also exposed me to stuff like The Jackson 5 and Diana Ross. My parents travelled frequently so my great aunt would take care of us a lot of the time and she would play 32 • SEPTEMBER 2019

gospel music, Nat King Cole and Glen Campbell so we had a lot of American music in the house.

“Rockin’ Robin” was a song that we sang a lot when we were kids and I’ll never forget Glen Campbell’s “Rhinestone Cowboy”. …SUNDAY DINNER WAS A BIG DEAL. The rest of the week was alright but on Sunday, we ate fancy.

We’d have chicken, rice, beans and

TRINITY M IRROR/M IRRORP IX/A LAM Y

volatile situation. Once, mum picked us up from school but we couldn’t get home because these guys were blocking the road with old cars. She stopped in front of them, got out of the car and started arguing with them. I was watching them from the car, frightened, as I could see there was a lot of tension. But, somehow, she talked them down, they broke up the barrier, let us through and we got home safely. She’s a brave woman and that moment inspired me to be as strong as she is.

PE TE R MU RPHY (COU RTE SY OF FIFTY- SIX H OPE R OAD MU SIC LT D. )

READER’S DIGEST

Ziggy playing football with his dad; (Left) With siblings Sharon, Steven and Cedella

many different side dishes. We looked forward to it all week. The whole family would cook everything together and there was always a lot of commotion: we would lick the pans, there’d be guys killing goats outside the house, there was a fire with a big pot on it—there was always a lot of activity going on. …EXPERIENCING CHRISTMAS FOR THE FIRST TIME in Wilmington, Delaware. My parents

moved there to try and find a better life when I was very young. There was no Christmas back in our community in Jamaica so it was the first time I saw all the Christmas trees, lights and snow. I got a Mickey Mouse drum set as a gift from my grandmother’s husband at the time. …SMOKING MARIJUANA WASN’T CONSIDERED A BAD THING in Rastafarian culture. It wasn’t something to hide from the kids.

SEPTEMBER 2019 • 33

(Top) Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers; (Left) Playing football with his son

34 • SEPTEMBER 2019

EVERETT COLLECTI ON INC/ALAMY STOCK P HOTO / ZACH WEI NBERG (COU RTE SY OF TU FF G ONG WORL DW ID E )

I REMEMBER…

READER’S DIGEST

I can’t even remember when I had my first “spliff”, I was around nine. I was very young, too young.

I wouldn’t have let myself do it in my father’s place. But it was a part of our religion—we’re one of those ancient cultures with traditions that modern society wouldn’t accept.

When I first consciously decided to smoke weed as a teenager, I approached it from a spiritual point of view. It’s given me more insight into myself and into my spirituality, and I use it as a form of influence when I’m reading scriptures and books about spirituality. I use it to give me a different perspective so that my mind isn’t in the same place that it normally is. I turn into a shaman. It was never just about getting high—I educated myself about it in terms of how Yogis in India use it and I went down that route with it, I didn’t go down the “fun” route. …THE BEGINNINGS OF OUR FAMILY GROUP, THE MELODY MAKERS. As kids, we’d always perform for our great aunt. We made up shows and she would oblige us by coming and watching us perform.

Music was something my siblings and I just did without thinking about it and eventually it turned into The Melody Makers. In 1979, my father wrote a song for us called “Children Playing in the Streets” which is basically about how we grew up.

“Children playing in the streets in broken bottles and rubbish heaps”— that’s just how we were brought up.

So we went into the studio and did that song and continued on. The first song I ever wrote as a child was about a girl I was seeing. I was about nine or ten. It went, “I love you to my heart and we’re never gonna part.” …WHEN DAD TOOK ME AND MY BROTHER STEPHEN TO ZIMBABWE. He was going to do a concert for the independence of Zimbabwe, and that had a really big impact on me— to understand the ideas of colonialism, the ideas of freedom, revolution, change and the struggle that Africa was going through.

It was a big topic in his life and it became a big topic in my life because of that trip. It opened up my eyes to a lot of things about Africa and the struggle that was going on there which shaped a militant ideology in my head. It formed my concepts of revolution and what music can do to help to free people. …MY DAD GETTING CANCER. As kids, we didn’t know what the specifics of his illness were but we knew that something was wrong. It gave me great anxiety and I would frequently hyperventilate. But my dad would comfort me by making me laugh. He’d put on a mask and make fun of the situation, trying not to take it seriously.

SEPTEMBER 2019 • 35

I REMEMBER…

Even though he was really sick, he was trying to calm us down.

it is and got really involved as a father in the child’s life.

…BECOMING A FATHER WAS ALWAYS A BIG DREAM FOR ME. It’s a big thing for us in Jamaica.

I was really young when I had my first child, 18 or 19. I didn’t know or understand enough what being a “father” meant. So for me it was more like, “Woohoo, I did a ‘man’ thing, I became a man.”

I grew up in a polygamous community. Our family structure wasn’t anything like the Western concept of family. My father was married but he had other children outside of wedlock and this was the example I saw growing up.

So when I had my first child, I didn’t see it as that big of a responsibility. I thought it was the woman’s responsibility and I could just go hang out and play ball. I expected that the girl would make sure everything was be in place. It wasn’t until later in life that I understood what a big responsibility

…COLLABORATING WITH WOODY HARRELSON. He came up to my house one day to hang out. I was in my home studio, working on a song about marijuana called “Wild and Free”. I was like, “Yo, Woody, can you sing?” And he was like, “Yeah, I’ll try”. So we did it and I liked it and it came out on the record. It was one of the funniest, most spontaneous collaborations I’ve ever done.

36

…MEETING MY WIFE, ORLY. I was doing a show in LA and she was my agent’s assistant at the time. We had an instant connection. I was searching for something then. I’d gone down the road of having different women, but I never really liked it, it never really uplifted me.

So it was a time of transition; I was exploring music in a different way, exploring myself, exploring my creativity, so when I met her, I was in a space of searching for

READER’S DIGEST

TUFF GONG WORLDWIDE

something else, both personally and creatively. And she fell into that space. When we shook hands, we didn’t let go, it was so comfortable.

I was holding a stranger’s hand but all I could think was, Why does this hand feel so comfortable in mine?

It was just so normal and right. …UNDERSTANDING THE PERSON I HAVE BECOME AND AM BECOMING. From where I started as a human being to where I am now, I’m very proud of my growth as a person. I’m proud of my inner voice, my consciousness that I allow to speak to me truthfully and to correct

Ziggy with his wife Orly and their children

me when I’m wrong—that helps me squash my ego. I’m proud of being my own psychologist. I’m still a work in progress but generally speaking I feel like I’m a good person and I can look at myself objectively and say, “Yeah, you’re a good person.” n As told to Eva Mackevic Ziggy Marley will be performing at the House of Common festival in London on August 26. For tickets, visit festicket.com SEPTEMBER 2019 • 37

Couples aged 50+ Protect your home from future

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If your surviving spouse has to go into care, they will have to use their assets to pay for their care until they get down to the lower limit. Therefore, it’s not a good idea to leave your half share of the home to your surviving partner but instead leave them the USE of your share. This can be achieved by making new Grandparent Wills.

These legitimate steps must be taken while you are both alive and in reasonably good mental health. It is therefore important for couples to act NOW!

Most of our clients come to us having already made standard Mirror Wills, or they’ve been meaning to make a Will but simply haven’t got around to it. With Grandparent Wills, yourself and your spouse/partner each leave your half share of the home to the children in Trust, but state that they are not to receive it during the lifetime of the surviving spouse/ partner.

This half would then NOT be included in any future means test calculations for care fees. The surviving spouse is free to sell their share of the home, raise cash or move house. Your children are

powerless to intervene but simply have to wait for their inheritance, as they would have done previously.

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HEALTH

Investigating easy bruising in adults

Black And Blue

A

lot of people notice, as they get older, that they bruise more easily than they used to.

If you’re among them, you needn’t necessarily worry. Known medically as “contusions”, bruises are usually caused by capillaries (small blood vessels) breaking and bleeding under your skin. With age, your capillaries naturally grow more fragile, and your skin and fat tissues get thinner and less effective at cushioning them against thumps and bumps.

At any stage of life, most bruises are harmless and don’t need treatment: your body will reabsorb 40 • SEPTEMBER 2019

the spilled blood, usually within a few weeks. Placing an ice pack against a new contusion can reduce its spread, according to Dr Paola Pasquali, a member of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. “Once the bruise has been there for more than 48 hours, applying warm compresses can help speed healing,” she says.

However, if you keep seeing welldefined purple bruises in places where you’ve taken a lot of sun over the years, you may have actinic purpura, a condition that results from a combination of UV-ray

photo: ©Tyler Olson/Shutterstock

by Samantha Rideout

damage and ageing. But again, it’s benign. If you ever want to camouflage bruising, Pasquali says, use whichever hue is complementary to it on the colour wheel. For instance, a green-tinted concealer followed by a skin-coloured one should do the trick for reddishpurple blemishes.

ICE A NEW BRUISE FOR ABOUT TEN MINUTES TO LIMIT THE INTERNAL BLEEDING

Getting older aside, some people simply bruise more than others.

A tendency to turn black and blue from minor injuries seems to run in some families, and as a general rule, women tend to be more susceptible than men. (Scientists are still exploring precisely why.)

For another possible explanation, look to your medications. “The long-term use of oral or topical corticosteroids (anti-inflammatory drugs prescribed for arthritis and eczema, among other conditions) can cause the skin to thin, making it more prone to bruising,” explains Dr Pasquali.

Drugs that reduce blood clotting (such as aspirin, warfarin and rivaroxaban) are also common

culprits. They make it so that capillary bleeding takes longer to stop, resulting in bigger and more noticeable marks. This doesn’t automatically mean you should stop your prescription, particularly if you’re taking medication to control the risk of life-threatening events, such as heart attack or stroke.

Do discuss the matter with your doctor, though. “Changing the dose or type of medication might be considered,” says Dr Jecko Thachil, co-author of a 2017 British Medical Journal article about easy bruising in adults. “And the doctor should determine whether the medication is indeed causing the problem.” To this end, they might want to take a detailed medical history from you.

Although bruises are usually no cause for alarm, there are exceptions.

If you have one that’s severely swollen and painful, rather than just mildly puffy and sore, your injury might be a sprain or fracture that requires attention. You should also talk with your doctor if you suddenly get a lot of bruises, if they don’t fade away with time or if they keep showing up for no apparent reason—especially if it’s in less injury-prone areas, such as your back, torso or face. “They could be a sign of medical problems such as scurvy, leukemia, kidney disease or liver failure,” says Pasquali.

In short, follow the same rule that applies to any other bodily change: when in doubt, check it out. n SEPTEMBER 2019 • 41

NEW HOPE AGEING KNEES FOR

By Richard Laliberte

74 • SEPTEMBER 2019

Knee-replacement surgery can dramatically lessen pain and return you to the activities you love, but it’s not the answer for everyone

HEALTH

43 77 75

A

power drill whirs noisily—shavings curl from the bit as it bores a precise hole.

Cement oozes from a caulking gun to join two surfaces. A hammer whacks repeatedly on metal. Behind the workers, a busy crew shares measurements and part sizes.

It's the sounds of renovation, but it's not a new kitchen. In a hospital in Philadelphia, a medical team led by orthopaedic surgeon Dr Matthew Austin is replacing a knee joint.

It's his fifth surgery of the day.

Three hours after surgery wraps up, Ralph Gabriel, then 69, the construction-business owner upon whom those tools whirred and banged, is awake and joking with his family. He didn't want surgery.

But years of tile installation had destroyed his right knee, creating constant pain. ''You have to have the will to get it done," Gabriel says.

perpetually painful or arthritic knee, the go-to solution is to replace it.

Put simply, an artificial knee works as a multidirectional hinge that connects the bottom of your femur (the upper leg bone) to the tibia (the shinbone). To install it, surgeons remove damaged cartilage and bone and connect the artificial knee to your bones. The surgery takes about an hour and is done with the patient under local or general anesthesia.

Doctors can choose from more than 150 sizes and variations of artificial knees. Most are made with polished titanium or a cobalt-chrome alloy, plus high-grade plastics, and can last for decades. For most patients, the type of implant is probably irrelevant, many experts say. “The key is to trust that your surgeon is familiar with the device being used,” says Dr Stephen Kelly, a joint-replacement surgeon at New England Orthopaedic Surgeons in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Lessening The Pain

When Surgery Isn’t The Answer

The human knee is particularly vulnerable to wear. Every step, every jump, every crossing of the legs, puts stress on the joint. When you combine the active lifestyle of the over-50 population and longer life spans, it's no wonder that an increasing number of people are experiencing knee pain.

There are many short-term remedies, such as weight loss, physical therapy, injections and supplements, but for a 44 • SEPTEMBER 2019

Few would dispute that knee replacements are generally safe and, in most cases, appropriate. But not all doctors are convinced that replacement is the best answer for many patients.

One study looked at the level of patient-reported pain and knee function, along with X-ray evidence of arthritis, in people who got total

photo, previous spread: ©shutterstock

NEW HOPE FOR KNEES

READER’S DIGEST

inevitable risks of surgery, you have months of rehab ahead of you.”

What To Know Before Saying Yes Or No

photo: © getty images

Keep in mind these four important concerns before you schedule your knee replacement.

knee-­replacement surgery. The conclusion: About a third of the procedures were "inappropriate" using a standard classification system developed in Spain.

A 2015 follow-up study found that surgeries classified as inappropriate yielded little or no benefit in relieving pain or improving function.

That is, patients with mildly bad knees had much less to gain from knee-replacement surgery than those with severe pain or bone-onbone arthritis did.

“You don't leap out of bed afterward,” says Dr Nortin M. Hadler, who is emeritus professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “In addition to the

1. There is no clear standard.

Surprisingly, there are no definitive criteria to determine whether you should undergo surgery, explains Daniel Riddle, a professor of physical therapy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Doctors assess three variables: pain, limits on daily activities, and visible evidence of bone damage. Only the last of the three can be measured objectively.

Ask your doctor to gauge how your symptoms compare with those of others, using a standardised scale that can be compared with research.

The Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score is one example.

"I'd want to know if my symptoms are considered mild, moderate, or severe, and what I can expect a year from now,” Riddle says.

2. Expectations vary.

In one European study, 93 per cent of patients were generally satisfied five years after surgery. But most also reported that they had expected more. Only one-third of those who considered sports important were pleased with their results.

SEPTEMBER 2019 • 45

NEW HOPE FOR KNEES

And about 20 per cent of patients will have long-term pain, suggests one study. Ralph Gabriel, now 73, is one of them. Post-surgery, he has been in constant pain, he says, and nothing he has tried so far—extensive physical therapy, electrical stimulation, overthe-counter painkillers—has helped.

Ask your surgeon detailed questions, specific to your daily activities, about what you should expect after surgery. Most surgeons say you may have to forgo high impact hobbies (such as singles tennis), because they could prematurely shorten implant life.

3. Recovery takes time.

"You have to work hard to get better from this operation," Dr Kelly says.

That means six to eight weeks of rehabilitation and physical therapy

SYMPTOMS THAT MAY SIGNAL IT'S TIME TO ACT JOINT-PAIN SEVERITY STIFFNESS LIMPING MUSCLE WEAKNESS SWELLING LIMITED RANGE OF MOTION

46 • SEPTEMBER 2019

to regain range of motion and rebuild muscles and ligaments that stabilise and support the knee.

Even with modern rehab techniques, one study found that a third of patients didn't have measurable improvements in pain six months after surgery. Another found that one in eight patients still had moderate to severe pain one year on. In the latter study, however, almost all patients felt satisfied with their operations five years out.

Dr Kelly recommends that anxious patients visit a physical therapist before surgery to discuss rehab.

Research suggests that you'll do best with a surgeon who does more than 50 knee-replacement operations a year. High- and lowvolume surgeons had similar results on pain relief, one study found. But surgeons who do six or fewer knee replacements a year in low-­volume hospitals may be less skilled at the soft tissue fine-tuning needed to achieve normal motion and full function. In that same study, patients of low-volume surgeons were twice as likely to score poorly on function measures such as being able to fully extend their knees two years on.

Ask your surgeon about his or her outcomes, complication rates, infection rates and re-admissions.

Don't settle for an answer from your surgeon citing national averages: you want their rate. The number should be around two per cent or lower.

READER’S DIGEST

4. Risks are small but serious.

The odds of having a major complication from knee-replacement surgery are relatively low. Few people assume they'll be among the fraction of those who have more serious complications such as blood clots.

"That's why discussion about risks needs to be more substantial than simply signing a consent form," Riddle says. "You need to have a detailed conversation with your GP." The earlier you discuss possible complications with your GP, the better, Dr Hadler says. "Once the mindset is, 'I need this,' you don't hear the risk, you hear the benefit," he says."

The Latest Technologies Scientists are looking for better solutions that improve outcomes for knee-replacement surgery or bypass it with less invasive procedures. Here are some options that have emerged.

Patient-Specific Instruments: digital imaging creates tailormade instruments that surgeons use just once to guide cuts and implant placement so they better match and preserve a patient’s anatomy. “It makes the operation shorter and more efficient,”

says Dr Steven Haas, chief of knee service at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

“Partial” Surgeries: surgeons switch out just one part of the knee for an implant, leaving healthy cartilage, bone, and ligaments intact on the rest of the knee. Recovery tends to be quicker. “The trade-off is that partial knee replacements fail at a significantly higher rate than total knee replacements, " Dr Haas says.

Robotic Surgery: robotic systems can help surgeons position implants more precisely and consistently. “The surgeon controls the tool, and the robot keeps him from going outside the area he wants to cut,” says Jeremy Suggs, engineering manager at the ECRI Institute, a Philadelphia nonprofit that independently researches medical devices. Doctors most often use robotic systems for partial knee replacements that require extra precision to preserve ligaments.

Arthroscopic Procedures: people get “scoped” in a procedure called partial meniscectomy. It entails a surgeon going into the knee through a “keyhole” incision, to trim and smooth jagged edges of torn meniscus, a layer of cartilage that cushions bones in the joint. Some studies, however, have SEPTEMBER 2019 • 47

NEW HOPE FOR KNEES

found that this procedure produces no better results than sham surgery in which orthopaedists scope the knee but don’t fix anything.

“That’s made a lot of surgeons cautious about recommending arthroscopy for patients with arthritis of the knee," says Dr Craig Della Valle, an orthopedic surgeon and chief of

adult reconstructive surgery at Rush University Medical Center.

Whether the balance of risk and reward steers you toward knee­ replacement surgery depends on many factors, but it ultimately comes down to your tolerance for one type of discomfort over another. n Reprinted from the February-March 2017 issue of AARP The Magazine. © 2017 AARP. All rights reserved.

SOME OF THE MOST COMMON COMPLICATIONS While knee-replacement surgery usually goes well, complications do occur. Read on to learn which problems are most prevalent FAILED IMPLANTS

older in the two weeks following surgery, according to a study in JAMA Archives of Internal Medicine. Knee patients routinely take blood thinners to reduce this risk.

Prosthetics can pop out of the joint or wear down, releasing tiny particles of implant material. In osteolysis, particles trigger inflammation that can weaken bones and cause implants to come loose over time. About ten per cent of all joint replacements eventually fail and need to be re-done.

and half per cent of cases, and doctors work to keep risks low with measures such as giving patients preventive antibiotics.

INFECTIONS An infection

BLOOD CLOTS

can be devastating, potentially destroying the function of the joint and, in the worst cases, threatening the patient’s leg or even life. Infections occur in only one to two

48 • SEPTEMBER 2019

Clots are triggered by inflammation that occurs during healing—a process that boosts the risk of having a heart attack as much as 31 times for people 60 and

NERVE INJURY Nerves can be damaged as a result of complications of anaesthesia, or the surgeon could damage a nerve during the operation. Both scenarios are rare, though, occurring in less than one per cent of cases. Nerve injuries can cause pain and numbness, but they generally improve over time, though not always.

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HEALTH

Back-To-School Inspiration When you were young, you got ready for the new school year with new clothes, a haircut and a sensible routine. As an adult you can make a fresh start too Get on top of health checks.

Be proactive about your health.

This means catching up on any recommended tests you’ve been putting off, such as cervical smears, mammograms, bone density and that over-fifties check-up your GP’s surgery offers you. Don’t forget to schedule a trip to the dentist and make sure you get your eyes tested if you haven’t been to the optician’s for a couple of years. You might want to spread out all those appointments over several months. Just make sure you set yourself a deadline.

Set new fitness goals or start a new sport.

And then find a regular slot for it in your busy timetable. There are lots of Susannah Hickling is twice winner of the Guild of Health Writers Best Consumer Magazine Health Feature 50 • SEPTEMBER 2019

new classes starting up in September, so there’s plenty of choice if you want to get active. What’s more, the weather’s still good enough to begin an outdoor activity, such as running, cycling or even a gentle ramble with a friend. Regular exercise not only sets us on the road to health, but also helps us deal with stress and boost energy levels.

Refresh your wardrobe to make you feel empowered.

Getting some new outfits and a fresh trim at the hairdresser’s helps you feel stylish and, quite simply, a whole lot better about yourself. If you’re strapped for cash, buy one item to complement something you already have, or an accessory.

Make new friendships or renew the ones you have.

There’s ample evidence that friends bring all kinds of benefits—from lowering stress levels to actually helping you live longer. And that’s

before you even consider the social and mental health advantages. Join a new club with like-minded people, or reconnect with an existing pal by making time for a quick coffee or picking up the phone. And make sure it’s not just a one-off—have regular contact with your friends to reap the health benefits.

Get organised.

Feeling that your life and possessions are out of control is very stressful. Use this post-holiday period to tidy up some of the key areas in your home. It could be your hall, your living area or that spot on your kitchen counter where everyone dumps stuff.

Keep it manageable—even bringing order to a small space can make you feel as if a weight has been lifted.

Go to bed earlier.

You need at least seven hours of sleep for good health. The good news is that September is the best month to reset your rest routine. The days start to get shorter and colder and we get less vitamin D, which makes us want to hibernate. Put down all devices—phones and tablets—45 minutes before lights out and banish all screens, including the telly, from your bedroom. Soothe your mind ready for a good night’s zzzs by reading, taking a bath or meditating before bed. n

H E A LT H

Eliminate Eczema It’s easy to forget that our largest organ is our skin, and when it’s dry, itchy, inflamed and even weeping as a result of eczema, life can feel truly miserable Atopic eczema can start at any age and it’s not contagious. In fact, you can blame your genes for the condition. It runs in families and you might also suffer from asthma or hayfever, as the conditions are linked. They’re all triggered by an allergic reaction. Allergens include heat, dust, pets, detergents and other chemicals. But stress doesn’t help either and something as minor as having a cold could cause a skin flare-up.

When eczema hits, it’s best to treat it early as it’s more difficult to deal with when it becomes severe. It usually affects the hands and creases of the body, such as the inside of elbows and the backs of knees. There’s no cure but emollients—moisturising treatments—help to keep your skin from drying out by creating a protective layer. This is best for mild eczema.

For a more serious flare-up, you should consult your GP, who can 52 • SEPTEMBER 2019

prescribe you a corticosteroid to reduce inflammation.

Antihistamines can help too, relieving itching and aiding sleep.

There’s also plenty you can do to help yourself. First, keep your skin well moisturised—always using an unperfumed cream and smoothing the cream on in the direction of hair growth. Avoid irritants like perfumed shower gels and bubble baths. Be sure to use non-rubber gloves when you do the housework and wear natural fibres, such as cotton day-to-day. When you wash your clothes, ensure you’re using a non-biological detergent and put them through two rinses.

Steer clear of obvious allergens, if you can. You usually know, for example, if pets set you off. Stay cool, as getting too hot can make your eczema itch more.

And, whatever you do, do your best to resist that temptation to scratch. It’s likely to only aggravate the itching further. n

READER’S DIGEST

Ask The Expert: Sexual health Dr Sharron Hinchliff

Dr Sharron Hinchliff is the creator of agesexandyou.com, which promotes better sexual health in older adults How did you become an expert in sexual health among older people?

My first job after my PhD was as a project manager and researcher looking at older people’s sexual health and quality of life. It was the first study of its kind in the UK. I feel privileged that people share these really private stories with me.

manage a lot better. If the difficulty doesn’t get better, the GP is often the next port of call. We recommend taking a print-out from a website such as agesexandyou.com into your consultation to start the conversation.

What should older adults bear in mind when starting a new relationship?

Body insecurities can have an impact on sexual self-esteem for men as well as women. Another recurring issue is family, for example children not being happy about the relationship.

What are the main sexual difficulties affecting older people?

Not everyone experiences difficulties or is sexually active, but the main ones tend to be functional changes related to health conditions, What do they need to know about medication, or ageing, such as erectile sexually transmitted infections (STIs)? difficulties, dry orgasm and a change STIs are increasing in the over 65s. in orgasm frequency/intensity in Gonorrhoea has risen 164 per cent in men. As well as vaginal dryness, men and 111 per cent in women in menopausal women can experience four years. Condoms protect from fatigue, which has an impact on disease. It’s good to have an early sexual desire. conversation about sexual history, and be tested by your GP. You can What advice can you also order discreet tests at NHSgive to help resolve them? backed sexual health website sh24.

Couples who talk about sexual issues org.uk. n

SEPTEMBER 2019 • 53

HEALTH

Acts Of Kindness This month Dr Max Pemberton considers that in hospitals, the most humane course of action isn’t always a palatable one…

I

didn’t know if Mr Telford could feel any pain but I remember staring into his eyes, looking for a flicker of emotion as he lay on the bed. I stood tentatively listening to his chest with my stethoscope.

I couldn’t help but think I was doing something wrong, but, uneasily, prescribed another course of antibiotics. A nurse came in and begun washing him. Again, his face showed no sign that he was still alive.

I helped the nurse tug him over on to his side while she washed his back.

He was breathing heavily and each breath gurgled and bubbled with the fluid that had accumulated in his lungs. He was developing pneumonia. I looked down at his arms, almost disbelieving that only a few weeks ago he had been on the local golf course, playing a round.

Max is a hospital doctor, author and columnist. He currently works full time in mental health for the NHS. His latest book is a self-help guide to using CBT to stop smoking 54 • SEPTEMBER 2019

Now they hung like dead weights from his body. Mr Telford had never finished his game. Instead, half way round the course, he had a massive stroke, which had killed off most of his brain. He was 54. Cruelly, the part of his brain which controlled the functions vital for life—his breathing and heart—had remained intact. He was, in lay terms, “brain dead”. I spent several months working on the stroke ward in my first year as a doctor. The far end of the ward was reserved for the serious cases; those the doctors knew would never leave hospital again, those for whom their stroke had obliterated so much of their brain there was no hope of any recovery.

Certainly, it was harrowing. But the medical and nursing staff did their best to liven the place up. There was a clear policy that every patient should be treated with respect despite the fact that many were unable to communicate and required everything done for them. In a condition that strips people of their humanity, there were constant attempts by the staff to give it back.

I LLUSTRATI ON BY FRANCES M URP HY

It seems strange to me now, looking back, to realise that while working in such a compassionate environment, I was party to something considered controversial. In fact, it’s something that occurs on countless hospital wards up and down the country but isn’t widely discussed.

Two days later, Mr Telford died. If I’m honest, we killed him. He died because we didn’t treat his chest infection, something within our powers to cure. Undoubtedly he would have contracted another one, and then another one, and over a protracted course he would have become increasingly weak until he died anyway. After much discussion, it was decided that it wasn’t in his best interests to continue treatment so the antibiotics I’d prescribed were stopped. We were, in effect, deciding

he would die. But at the time, while the consultants sat ashen-faced discussing options with Mr Telford’s family, it seemed the most humane choice. I still think it was the right one. He’d only survived this long because of medicine, and it seemed wholly appropriate that at some point medicine should re-evaluate its role in his care. These decisions are common in hospitals. No one likes to talk about it, and we pretend that it’s not a problem. Whatever one’s views on euthanasia, doctors should recognise that they regularly aid the death of their patients. The alternative is that sometimes, by treating people’s illnesses we can, perversely, inflict more suffering. The best thing I did for Mr Telford was when, without a flicker of emotion, I crossed off the antibiotics I’d prescribed for him. n SEPTEMBER 2019 • 55

HEALTH

The Doctor Is In Q: My wonderful wife begins chemotherapy soon. She won’t be in hospital overnight but will have to spend most of the day on the ward.

Do you have any advice for making the experience less unpleasant?

We’re both apprehensive.

– Muhammad, 52 A: Your letter really touched me. What a thoughtful and kind man you are.

Chemotherapy can be incredibly tough but it’s important to remember that it’s saving someone’s life. It’s understandable to be worried but it’s often helpful to remind each other that it’s killing the cancer—several patients I’ve worked with call it “medicine” rather than chemo because it’s less scary. There are different types of chemotherapy and each has different side effects. Some make the person lose their hair, for example, while others might not. Ask your consultant or cancer nurse for a list of the side effects so you can prepare.

I used to work with children with cancer and 56 • SEPTEMBER 2019

became a great believer in treats.

Before they started treatment we’d draw up a list of their favourite food, places to go, films and things they wanted to do or see. Plan a treat for as soon as your wife starts to feel better after each session. Take photographs to remind one another on the days of chemo and when she’s recovering, of what fun you have to look forward to.

Remember to also take care of yourself. Looking after someone having chemotherapy can be exhausting and distressing at times. Don’t burn out—your wife will need you for many months. Take people up on offers to help and do something on your own or with friends. I suspect from the fact that you took the time to write that you already have a close and loving relationship and simply having you by her side will be an enormous help.

Take a look at the Macmillan website macmillan.org.uk. n Got a health question for our resident doctor? Email it confidentially to askdrmax@ readersdigest.co.uk

I LLUSTRATI ON BY JAVI ER MUÑOZ

Dr Max Pemberton

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Play Your Way To A Better Memory Our memory expert Jonathan Hancock explains why games are good for brains of all ages

THERE’S A GOOD CHANCE that the first game you ever played was a memory game. An adult covered their face with their hands, stayed hidden, then reappeared with a smile: “Peek-aboo!” You had to hold onto a picture of the face when it vanished, so that you’d recognise it when it returned.

To understand the experience, and resolve it happily, you absolutely relied on your memory. Beyond babyhood, many other games can set us up with valuable memory techniques. Here are two great memory games for kids and adults alike.

In Granny Went To Market, players have to invent and remember an evergrowing shopping list. Unusual items tend to be the easiest to recall—so you should really choose boring ones that your opponents are likely to forget!

You’ll also boost your chances if you link objects to the people who have chosen them, or turn the sequence into a memorable story in your mind.

In The Tray Game, you have to work out which item has been removed from a collection in front of you. It hones your observation and 58 • SEPTEMBER 2019

concentration, both vital aspects of remembering. It’s also a good chance to practise organising information. If you pair objects in funny and surprising ways, you’ll find it much easier to spot when one has gone.

Both of these games let you try out an active approach to learning, and prompt you to find ways to make remembering easier. They also deliver the pleasurable sensation that comes from scouring your brain for something and finding it. It’s important to recall that feeling, however old you get! So keep playing.

There are plenty of memory apps available for smart phones and tablets, and strategy games like bridge and chess are also excellent ways to keep your memory sharp.

Teach memory games to the children in your life but also keep playing them yourself. Continually challenge and strengthen your own mental skills with a playful, ambitious, winning approach to memory. n Jonathan’s new book, The Study Book, is out now from John Murray Learning

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CALL TO REQUEST YOUR FREE GUIDE

Shhh! These beautiful reading spots are best enjoyed with no one for company but the inhabitants of your favourite fictional worlds…

BY ANNA WALKER

LIBR ARIES

60

INSPIRE BEST OF

British

IAN DAGNALL / ALA MY STOCK P HOTO

Library of Birmingham Rising up from the city centre like gleaming, futuristic Lego blocks, the thoroughly modern exterior of the Library of Birmingham belies its traditional ethos—to provide visitors and locals alike with free education and entertainment.

Not only is this library the largest public cultural space in Europe, but it also plays home to several levels of rooftop gardens. They're the perfect place to enjoy the wind in your hair—and the gentle flipping of pages—while taking a break from studying or sight-seeing.

In the year the library opened, 2.7 million visitors flooded through its doors, and the space remains the 11th most popular visitor attraction in the UK. Paying a visit yourself? Don’t miss the book rotunda, where you’ll find yourself surrounded by colourful bookshelves on all sides, a true bibliophile’s dream.

Says senior library services manager, David Stokes, “Surrounded by illuminated fountains, a pool and trees, the library offers a mixture of stunning architecture, unparalleled views from two garden terraces, the world-famous Shakespeare Room and free exhibitions.” birmingham.gov.uk/libraries

SEPTEMBER 2019 • 61

BEST OF BRITISH

Women’s Library, Glasgow Don’t be surprised if, just minutes after entering the Glasgow Women’s Library, you’re offered a cup of tea and a slice of cake—this might just be the friendliest little library in Britain.

A vast array of books on women’s issues throughout history line the shelves of the only accredited museum in the UK dedicated to women’s lives, histories and achievements and a number of events across the year transform this library into a vibrant social hub, with creative writing classes, performance groups, craft sessions and more.

62 • SEPTEMBER 2019

As well as books, the library is home to an array of artefacts including Suffragette memorabilia.

In line with their foremothers, the library’s key aim is to empower women, with services teaching literacy, numeracy, and tackling a range of issues including poverty, sexuality and surviving violence.

Says Sue John, the library's enterprise development manager, “Glasgow Women’s Library is a national treasure—welcoming and open to all.” womenslibrary.org.uk

READER’S DIGEST

Chained Library, Hereford Game of Thrones fans, this is one for you. Remember those chained books of the Citadel? Well it’s not hard to see where George RR Martin sourced his inspiration when you step inside the chained library of Hereford Cathedral.

In the middle ages, through to the 17th century, when this library was first built, the practice of chaining books was commonplace. Mass printers had not yet been invented, making the bound written word an incredibly precious commodity.

With 229 books, Hereford Cathedral has the largest surviving chained library in the world and its

oldest tome was written way back in the 8th century. History buffs can also enjoy a display of the “Mappa Mundi”, the largest surviving medieval world map, which contains more than a thousand fascinating drawings and inscriptions of cities, Biblical events, animals and mythical creatures.

Says librarian Dr Rosemary Firman, “Although small, our collections are incredibly diverse and cover a huge period of history. We are a treasure house of intellectual riches.” herefordcathedral.org/chainedlibrary SEPTEMBER 2019 • 63

BEST OF BRITISH

Liverpool Central Library Far from the dingy corners of libraries of old, Liverpool Central Library has an airy flair. With white walls, an open plan and a beautiful view upward to a central glass dome roof, it’s easy to while away the hours in this gloriously contemporary facility.

But with three million items in its archives and another million on display over 22 miles of shelving, this incredible work of architecture is

62 • SEPTEMBER 2019 64

more than just a pretty picture. The library began life back in 1860 and has continued to grow ever since, with the more modern parts of the property developed in a bid to renovate in 2008. And don’t just take our word for it: Liverpool Central was voted The Bookseller’s Library of the Year in 2018.

Visit liverpool.gov.uk/libraries/find-alibrary/central-library/

READER’S DIGEST

Sir Duncan Rice Library, Aberdeen The interior of this thoroughly modern facility looks more like New York’s Guggenheim Museum than it does an old-fashioned study hall. Outside, the huge glass structure—made of 760 glass panels and 2,200 tons of steel—beautifully reflects the world around it, whether turning white with a pale snowscape or reflecting the orange-pink clouds of a Scottish sunset.

The Sir Duncan Rice is also conscious of its carbon footprint; designed to collect rainwater which is reused to flush its toilets, harvesting

power through photovoltaic cells on the roof and using timers to control the use of its fluorescent lighting.

Says university librarian Simon Bain, “The Sir Duncan Rice Library is a major landmark for the city of Aberdeen as well as a vital facility for the university’s students. Its striking colours and shape evoke the light and ice of the north, and the cubic exterior contrasts with the curving contours inside, which surround the atrium as it rises through the seven floors of the building.”

Visit abdn.ac.uk/library SEPTEMBER 2019 • 65

BEST OF BRITISH

John Ryland, Manchester cathedral or worry that you’d inadvertently stumbled into the cloisters of Hogwarts.

Modern extensions to the building added since the 2000s however, are strikingly contemporary, creating a breath-taking collision of historic and cutting-edge architecture—the spectacular white atrium staircase is particularly magnificent. Regular events planned with the whole family in mind make this library one to visit time and time again.

Visit library.manchester.ac.uk/rylands

PER ANDERSEN / ALA MY STOCK P HOTO

Created over 100 years ago as a gift to Manchester and its people, the John Ryland welcomes over 250,000 visitors through its doors each year.

The project began as a tribute by Enriqueta Ryland to her late husband John Ryland, Manchester’s first multi-millionaire, and has grown to become the third largest academic library in the UK, home to over a million manuscripts.

Built in an impressive neo-Gothic style, it would be easy to mistake parts of the library building for a

76 • SEPTEMBER 2019 66

READER’S DIGEST

WELLCOME COLLECTION REA DI NG ROOM

Wellcome Reading Room, London Spend an afternoon studying in the Reading Room of London’s Wellcome Museum and you may just find yourself enjoying a side of peoplewatching with your literature. With drawing classes, pop-up exhibitions and artistic displays accompanying rows of educational books, it’s an enjoyable spot to visit, revisit and declare your number one study spot.

Comfy plush cushions line the impressive stairway and desks are tucked into snug alcoves, allowing

you the perfect spot to pause and reflect, whatever your library mission. Ever-changing exhibitions and interactive displays also offer a welcome break from reading-fatigue, though it’s hard to imagine suffering with some 1000 books, comics and magazines on the shelves.

Visit wellcomecollection.org/visit-us

Do you have a favourite reading spot?

Email readersletters@readersdigest.co.uk and let us know SEPTEMBER 2019 • 67

Celebrated writer Lemn Sissay MBE (52) is known for his poetry, plays and broadcasting work.

He was the official poet of the London Olympics in 2012 and won the PEN Pinter Prize for a work of outstanding literary merit in June this year

IF I RULED THE WORLD

Lemn Sissay

I’d make it a national religion to choose your own God. We’d be unified in belief that there’s a higher power. We all have different ideas of God and this super religion will decree that it’s OK to love any God in any way you choose. If God’s a stone, then God’s a stone. If God’s your child, then so be it. If you believe in not believing then believe in the God of disbelief. That you believe in something greater than yourself is all I’d ask.

68 • SEPTEMBER 2019

I’d demand an international rethink on immigration. I migrated from my mother’s womb. What is marriage other than migration from family? What is university other than migration of ideas? Migration is at the heart of who we are. What is death other than the migration of air? The word “migration” isn’t owned by politicians. It’s part of who and what we are. To be anti-immigration is to put soap beneath the wings of a bird.

INSPIRE

Government will be judged above all by how it treats children in its care. When a child comes into the care system it’s legally parented by the government loco parentis. In that parents judge themselves by the wellbeing of their child we shall judge our government on the well-being of its child. If the child in its care is treated well then you know that other matters are being taken care of too.

All war anniversaries will also be festivals of forgiveness. I’ll never forget my first girlfriend’s grandfather stirring tea in the kitchen while the others were in the front room. “The heroes never came back,” he growled.

As a gift to our future, war anniversaries will be celebrated with the acts of forgiveness a balm of remembrance.

Every country will keep a royal family. I can’t think of a better symbolic representation of a country than a family. As long as that family can’t take us to war. As long as that family has no power in government, then a family is one of the best representatives of society. It’s the heart of what a society is. The emperor of Ethiopia, The Queen of England—they are symbols of a country and its pride and its dysfunction.

I’d decree that all names have great meaning. The Chinese naming system is beautiful. A name may mean “summer” or “autumn leaves”

or “morning rainbow”. The British have some beautiful names. “Norman” may seem lumpen but means “man of the North”. Same with Ethiopian names. “Yemarseshet” means “virgin honey”. My own name “Lemn” means “why”. All names will have great meaning. Asking “what does your name mean?” will be normal.

I would give my position of ruling the world to Jude Kelly and SahleWork Zewde. Jude Kelly conceived and organised Women of The World (WOW) while she was artistic director at Southbank Centre. And Sahle-Work Zewde is president of Ethiopia. I’d give the world to women to rule and stand down. I have no doubt they would include men in their decision making process. If they can birth us I’m sure they can run the world with us as well. Period.

I would make positive discrimination mandatory. For an example of how positive discrimination works take a look at inheritance and the idea of the son before the daughter. If you want to see how positive discrimination works take a look at the editors of our national newspapers. Positive discrimination worked for them. So let’s make it work again. n As told to Anna Walker My Name Is Why by Lemn Sissay is published by Canongate and available from August 29, £16.99.

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INSPIRE

CHASING

IMMORTALITY Humans have been questioning life's limits since the dawn of time. But how close are we to catching up with death?

by Cassandra Coburn

71

G

C H A S I N G I M M O R TA L I T Y

etting older is something so natural and normal that we barely think about it. Whether we’re teenagers looking forward to the privileges that turning 18 brings, or thinking about saving for retirement, we don’t question that we will change, grow and age over the course of time. However, there's a growing body of scientific research that suggests that ageing might not be a biological inevitability after all. And the world has noticed. Silicon Valley is investing in companies which aim to solve the mysteries of ageing—and maybe sell us the cure The human desire to halt ageing has a long and slightly ridiculous history.

In the 13th century, philosopher Roger Bacon believed that the breath of young virgins or swallowing pearls could reverse the ageing process. In the late 19th century, the physician Charles-Édouard Brown-Séquard, who is best known for discovering hormones, claimed to have devised a different cure. He created a concoction—which he grandly named the Brown-Séquard Elixir— made mainly of the crushed testes of unfortunate guinea pigs and dogs.

He injected this into his patients to, perhaps unsurprisingly, no recorded success. Then there's the myth of the Fountain of Youth: a supposedly miraculous body of water which washed age from those fortunate enough to swim in it. There have been 72 • SEPTEMBER 2019

READER’S DIGEST

several supposed sightings of these waters over the centuries, driving explorers to all corners of the earth in search of it (including Juan Ponce de León, who inadvertently discovered Florida instead).

But just because none of these bizarre remedies or escapades led to a "cure" for ageing doesn’t mean scientists stopped trying to investigate it. We’re so used to ageing that it takes a minute or two to consider what an odd process it is. For no apparent reason, our bodies slowly begin to decline in very similar ways. For a long time, people thought of ageing simply as the result of "wear and tear": continuous use of our bodies inevitably led to mechanical failure and harm. They believed that just like old cars, after a certain point, bodies could no longer cope with what was being asked of them. But the difference between cars and bodies is that humans have an amazing ability to self-repair. We can fall, break a bone, and the two ends will obligingly grow back together. Why should simply being alive for longer impede this ability?

Many scientists have taken these questions into the lab in an attempt to answer them. One intriguing question was whether there was any genetic component to ageing.

Because ageing is such a complex process, there was never going to be a single gene which we could switch off

to stop it. However, some researchers reasoned, very similar animals have dramatically different lifespans. For example, a rat lives for three years whereas a healthy chinchilla can live for ten. Such a difference in lifespan indicates at least some element of genetic involvement.

“A 13TH CENTURY PHILOSOPHER THOUGHT VIRGIN GIRLS' BREATH COULD REVERSE THE AGEING PROCESS" To test this, they looked at an unlikely animal: a tiny, transparent worm called Caenorhabditis elegans.

Known affectionately to those who study it as C. elegans, this millimetrelong worm has a fascinating characteristic which makes it an ideal choice of study. In the perfect conditions of a laboratory, C. elegans have a normal lifespan of around 19 days. However, if during its early development the worm is stressed— for example, by a lack of food—it can transform itself into an entirely different state known as a "dauer" form. (Dauer is a German word meaning "to endure".) Dauer worms are strikingly different from normal worms. They’re much thinner, and SEPTEMBER 2019 • 73

C H A S I N G I M M O R TA L I T Y

can’t eat: a cuticle grows over their mouth as part of the transformative process. Worms can exist in this state for months. When the environment becomes less stressful, (for example, if they can sense food supplies), the worms return to their normal state and continue to live out their full lifespan as if nothing ever happened.

incredible increase in lifespan with no apparent ill-effects.

There are limitations to the dauer state—the worms can only form dauers early in their developmental cycle, and they can’t become dauers more than once—but it’s still an

alternative dauer life cycle state), but their lifespan increased by about 230 per cent. Moreover, these animals behaved like young worms at ages when their normal brethren had

74 • SEPTEMBER 2019

In 1993, a group of researchers led by a scientist named Cynthia Kenyon discovered that if a particular gene (daf-2) was switched off in worms, they would grow and develop as normal (ie, without entering the

READER’S DIGEST

already died. This finding had an amazing implication: it showed that biological age (how much time we’ve been alive) and physiological age (the physical changes to our body that happen with advancing age) aren't intrinsically linked. While we can’t stop time, these results showed that physiological ageing was

Buoyed by this news, researchers worldwide continued to investigate.

Over the next few decades, many further genes were discovered to play a role in ageing, and silencing them had similarly amazing effects on lifespan. Moreover, these genes were found in many different animals, from fruit flies to mice, raising the

“THEY DISCOVERED THAT IF A PARTICULAR GENE WAS SWITCHED OFF IN WORMS, THEIR LIFESPAN INCREASED BY 230 PER CENT"

something that is at least partly under genetic control. And if physiological age is under genetic control, it’s something we might be able to manipulate artificially.

tantalising possibility that they might be found in humans as well.

But of course, we cannot silence genes in humans like we do in the laboratory. Instead, consumers want something like the Brown-Séquard Elixir: an anti-ageing pill. Some companies have been trying profit from these desires by unscrupulously proffering quick fixes for ageing. For example, in 2016, a US company called Ambrosia started charging patients £6,500 for blood infusions, with the chief executive officer SEPTEMBER 2019 • 75

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Jesse Karmazin promising that the technique “[came] pretty close” to immortality.

In early 2019, it was closed down by the FDA on the basis that it was "charging thousands of dollars for infusions that are unproven and not guided by evidence from adequate and well-controlled trials.”

If we're going to find real antiageing therapies, it's clear that the results are not going to be dramatic immediately. David Gems is a 76 • SEPTEMBER 2019

professor of the biology of ageing at University College London, and he believes we’re not far off from developing anti-ageing therapies which help to extend our lifespan simply by ensuring we don’t succumb to the diseases of ageing. "Some people think of the goal of antiageing therapies as life extension, but that’s an odd way of looking at it. Their main action is to prevent disease. If you're successfully treated for cancer, that extends your life, but people don’t talk about the purpose

READER’S DIGEST

of cancer treatment as life extension.

It’s pretty likely that better antiageing treatments are coming quite soon, which target larger numbers of diseases of ageing, and these will improve late-life health and probably extend life expectancy by a few years.

But I think we’re a long way from treatments so powerful that they increase lifespan substantially—like by more than about five years.”

Laura Deming agrees. She’s one of the youngest fund managers in the world, a partner in US-based The Longevity Fund which invests in companies looking to slow ageing.

She explained that the investors see ageing as a common underlying mechanism that increases the risk of many diseases. As such, her fund is investing in companies that aim to tackle the root causes of age-related diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s.

Investors believe in her ethos:

The Longevity Fund currently has £30m under management. Another American company which aims to investigate ageing is Calico, which is backed by Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc. In short, people are taking the possibility of creating ageing cures seriously.

Potential cures on the horizon open us up to considering new questions that humanity has never had to face before. How long is long enough to live a good life? Deming has already considered this. She wants to give everyone in the world the choice to live healthily as long as they would like to. “Why is 80 years the correct number?” she asks. “It’s arbitrary. We want to give people the choice.”

Although immortality isn't a new longing for humanity, for the first time it seems like the science might be catching up with our desires. n

GRISLY ROYAL DEATHS Viking leader Sigurd Eysteinsson (875-892) severed the head of the Earl of Scots and attached it to his saddle as he fled their battle.

The motion of his galloping, however, caused one of the earl's teeth to scratch his leg. The wound became fatally infected.

King Adolf Frederick of Sweden (1710-1771) died after eating lobster, caviar, sauerkraut, kippers and champagne, topped off with 14 servings of his favourite dessert.

While Pyrrhus of Epirus (318-272 BC) was fighting during a civic dispute in Argos, an old woman—allegedly the mother of the soldier he was duelling—threw a tile from the rooftop where she was watching the battle, and struck a fatal blow to his head.

SOURCE: RANKER.COM

SEPTEMBER 2019 • 77

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Art The

Of The

BRICK As he pays a visit to the birthplace of LEGO, Simon Button contemplates the meaning of our enduring love for the iconic plastic bricks

ILLUSTRATION: ©DANIEL MITCH ELL

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THE ART OF THE BRICK

M

aking a pilgrimage to the Danish home of LEGO without children in tow might seem about as logical as going to Glastonbury without wellies. But after a three-day visit my opinion that I’m far from the only grown-up LEGO fan is proven to be as rock-solid as the brightly-coloured plastic bricks that form the basis of one of the world’s most iconic brands.

Despite the amusement and sometimes bemusement of family and friends, I’ve known I’m not alone in my adult love of LEGO since I reconnected with the highlyconnectable building blocks a few years ago. I’m not the only 50-something kid-at-heart excitedly stocking up on construction kits and loose bricks at the company’s stores in London, New York and Paris, nor the only long-in-the-tooth fan posting brick pics on social media.

But to gleefully wander around the original Legoland in Billund, which opened in 1968, nearly three decades prior to the one in Windsor, is to feel truly vindicated. There are lots of families around but there are also plenty of big kids like me towering above the intricate “Miniland” installations, cramming onto the monorail and climbing aboard a

boat to get a close-up view of the astonishingly detailed miniature Statue of Liberty.

I can’t stop smiling, but then I’ve been smiling ever since I checked into the new Castle Hotel, which has the cheeriest of staff, chirpy music piping through the corridors, painted minifigures peering at you from the bedroom walls, and buckets of bricks everywhere you look. A friend of mine sees my Facebook update and proclaims, “My daughter would combust if she saw that!”

I almost combust myself when, before I hit the theme park, I pop to the Lego House to meet Jamie Berard, the Design Lead for Architecture and Creator Expert sets—many of which I have in my flat, currently vying for shelf space with lots of Star Wars memorabilia. He brings along a new Trafalgar Square set that takes my

1895 “Billund Woodworking and Carpenter’s Shop”, which evolves into the Lego company, founded Billund, Denmark.

1934 The company name “Lego” is coined

by Christiansen from the Danish phrase leg godt, meaning “play well.”

PEOPLE REALLY LOVE THE TANGIBLE EXPERIENCE

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breath away with its many intricacies.

In the UK it will set you back £79.99.

“But it’s a very high-quality product,” says Jamie, preaching to the converted.

“We put a lot of effort into designing it and when you’re building it you’re seeing the attention to detail.”

Having relocated from Boston 13 years ago, the 43-year-old has seen a resurgence in adult buyers in recent years. “In the late 1990s and early 2000s the company started focusing more on simplifying the products—thinking people maybe wanted to play with them more than the building side of it—but in recent years there’s been an acknowledgment that people really love the tangible experience, stepping away from a digital world and making something.”

1949 Lego begins producing plastic bricks, calling them “Automatic Binding Bricks.”

Billund is where the company started in 1932, when having lost most of his customers to the global economics crisis, carpenter Ole Kirk Christiansen hit upon the idea of making wooden toys. He came up with the name LEGO from the Danish “leg godt,” which means “play well,” and kept the business afloat

1954 The word “Lego” is officially registered in Denmark.

83

THE ART OF THE BRICK

with family loans before introducing plastic toys in 1947 and interlocking bricks two years later.

The LEGO group has since proved as adaptable as its bricks, introducing construction sets before targeting the international market from the late 1950s onwards.

At the end of the following decade it introduced the DUPLO range of larger bricks for younger children and in 1978 hit upon the idea of minifigures with moveable limbs (and has since produced nearly four billion of them worldwide).

Complex robotic Technics sets, cityscapes and movie tie-ins (introduced after a slump in profits in the 1990s) have all helped keep the company going.

Still privately owned, its most recent financial report for 2018 shows an annual revenue of 36.4 billion in Danish kroner (around £4.3 billion).

passion that eventually led me to becoming a journalist and critic, I built cinemas from the white bricks I begged my parents to buy for me, cutting out posters from the local paper and sticking them onto the facades.

Jamie tells me he never outgrew LEGO. “So I’m one of the few fans who never had these ‘dark ages’ that people talk about.” I did, though. Work and adulthood took over and I’d pretty much forgotten about it until a few years ago, when my brother told me he’d contemplated buying me a LEGO take on an art deco cinema for Christmas but balked at the £100plus price tag.

Intrigued, I decided to treat myself and that was it: I was hooked all over again. I’ve invested in numerous build-to-instructions sets and done plenty of free-styling, fashioning more sophisticated cinemas, accessorised with diners and London Underground stations.

My own history with it all started when I was kid. Loving films with a 1964 The first Lego sets containing instruction manuals are introduced.

84

1969 The Duplo system, using larger bricks and targeting younger children is released.

MY LAM / ALAM Y STOCK PHOTO

IT’S ABOUT HAVING THAT SAFE SPACE IN A WORLD OF CHAOS

READER’S DIGEST

I show Jamie photos of a couple of my designs and he seems impressed, then he nails the appeal to adults when he says: “It’s about having that safe space where in a world of chaos you can have a fun, controlled experience where everything works out if you follow the instructions.

Once you get more comfortable with that you realise, Wow, there are a lot more shapes than when I grew up and you’re being playful again, building your own creations.

That’s when your house starts to get overtaken.”

1974 Lego figures are launched, starting with the Lego family.

I can certainly relate to that. I’ve had to demolish and store riverboats and townhouses and sweetshops to make way for all the Architecture and Star Wars sets. I’ve also discovered a nice side effect of LEGO building.

As a sufferer of low-level anxiety, I find it a great way to switch off the worries and it seems I’m not the only one.

1988 The first Lego World Cup building contest is held in Billund.

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THE ART OF THE BRICK

GOOD QUALITY PLAY SUPPORTS CONCENTRATION AND CAN RELIEVE STRESS Self-confessed “LEGO addict” and life coach Dawn Taylor talks on her website, The Taylor Way, about coming off anxiety medication and discovering, through a chance walk-in at a LEGO store, that building a minifigure helped calm the withdrawal symptoms. She bought a couple of sets and when she found the anxiety welling up again she opened up one of the boxes, began to build and calm was restored.

“I now have a ridiculous collection 1997 Lego launches its first computer game, Lego Island.

86

and I use it almost daily with clients,” Dawn says. “It’s amazing how calming it is.”

David Whitebread, a former senior lecturer in psychology and education at Cambridge University, was part of the LEGO Learning Institute—a collection of academics who advised the company on play, learning and creativity. His work has focused on children’s psychological development and he tells me: “There is some good evidence that LEGO Therapy can enhance social skills 2000 The British Association of Toy Retailers names the Lego brick “Toy of the Century”.

READER’S DIGEST

and reduce anxiety, mostly through studies of children with autism.”

Little research, he adds, has been done on adult play but in general terms he says there is “good evidence that good quality play, which is very engaging, does support concentration and can be therapeutic in relation to stress”.

LEGO even has its own Serious Play range, encouraging problem-solving in businesses through group sessions where participants build 3D models as an illustration of their ideas, and last year’s crowd-funded limited edition LEGO FORMA project (where builders could customise a fish frame with different foil skins) was one of several adult-play ideas the company is road-testing.

“There’s been a lot of research on how LEGO can improve your motor skills and keep you sharp mentally,” Jamie notes, adding that he’s been inspired to meet people who only have the use of one arm so they build everything with one hand and one disabled man who could only use his mouth. “He had an assistant to put the bricks in front of him but the rest he did himself.”

My anxiety levels are at an all-time low and my spirits high during my two days in the park and my return 2008 Lego celebrated the 50th anniversary of the patent on its interlocking blocks.

to the LEGO house on my last day in Billund to do some more exploring.

Opened a couple of years ago, it’s an interactive museum centred around an astonishing “Tree Of Creativity” formed of more than six million bricks, with rooms dedicated to different building experiences.

There’s a restaurant where you don’t order with words but with colourcoded bricks and a basement-housed history of the company that shows just how far it’s come since those early wooden toys.

Happy as a LEGO-loving Larry, I head to the airport having had to upgrade my luggage allowance for all the gift shop purchases, such as a replica of the park and a hugely scaled-down model of the house.

Then I spot a Billund Airport build in the airport gift shop, excitedly snap it up and board the plane thinking, I’m going to need a bigger flat! n For more about LEGOLAND and the Castle Hotel, visit legoland.dk. For more about LEGO House, visit legohouse. com. British Airways flies from London to Billund daily from £35 each way

2014 The Lego Movie, released theatrically in movie theatres on February 7.

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Returning To

Montenegro

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TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

US President Donald Trump described the country as “very aggressive.” A writer familiar with it couldn’t disagree more

A view of Kotor, which frames the Bay of Kotor SEPTEMBER 2019 • 85 83

R E T U R N I N G TO M O N T E N E G R O

92 • SEPTEMBER 2019

Yugoslavia,” of which it was a part.

As the granddaughter of immigrants from Montenegro and a repeat traveller in the region, my experience of Montenegrin aggression is limited to receiving large portions of food and admonishments to clean my plate.

President Trump wasn’t wrong about the country’s size though.

NATO’s newest member, which declared independence from Serbia in 2006, is indeed small. Less than half the size of Belgium, it's diminutive, but it’s just right for a time-pinched vacation, which, in our case, was eight days in May. “You cannot imagine how such a small country has everything: national parks, mountains, beaches, night life, history, Orthodox monasteries,” said Nina Batlak, a Dubrovnik-based product manager for Super Luxury Travel, which offers trips in Montenegro. “Everything fits in such small borders.”

Many travellers set out from Dubrovnik, the popular walled city on the southern Croatian coast, about an hour’s drive from the border. But we found that flying into the capital of Podgorica put us within easy striking distance of a variety of attractions: the Dinaric Alps in the north, the Adriatic coast to the south, and the cultural treasures of mid-Montenegro.

Most visitors come for the sea, a crowd-eluding alternative that

photo, previous spread: © shutterstock

W

hen planning a family trip to Montenegro last spring, I found myself telling perplexed friends who knew next to nothing about the Balkan country: “Imagine yourself in Venice, sail down the Adriatic coast, look to your left and stop before Albania.”

But since US President Donald Trump described the country, in a televised interview in July last year, as a possible trigger to a third world war and Montenegrins as “very aggressive,” the questions have trended from “Where is it?” to “What’s there?”

For starters, there's dramatic natural beauty, including the imposing mountains that wall the coast and inspired its name, Monte Negro, or Black Mountain, in the 13th century.

More invested in tourism—which accounts for over 20 per cent of the economy—than war, Montenegro attracted two million visitors last year, more than three times its population, according to the national tourism office.

A statement from the government in reaction to Mr. Trump’s characterisation cited Montenegro’s “peaceful politics,” noting that during the Balkan Wars of the 1990s, the country was “the only state in which the war didn’t rage during disintegration of the former

photo: © Ken Welsh/Getty Images

The beach at Sveti Stefan, a peninsular village-turned-luxury-resort

historically has been popular with Russians and Ukrainians seeking warmer weather. Compared with its neighbour across the Adriatic, it’s “a more affordable Italy,” said Joanna Millick, director of sales and private journeys at MIR Corporation, which offers Balkan tours.

Ancient towns, from Herceg Novi on the Bay of Kotor to walled Ulcinj near the Albanian border, dot the 50-mile coastal drive. Construction is rampant, suggesting more, if not mass, tourism isn’t too distant. We found crews restoring the Venetian palaces lining seafront Perast.

Those, along with the forts strung along the coast, testify to the centuries-long fight for control of this strategic region by the great seafaring powers of the 14th through mid-19th centuries. Montenegro only began to gain its shore from the Ottomans and

the Austrians in the late 1800s.

Not that tourism is exactly new: After all, in the 1960s and 1970s, celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor and Sophia Loren vacationed at Sveti Stefan, a peninsular village-turnedluxury-resort, now run by Aman hotels and still favoured by the glitterati (the Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic was married here in 2014).

But more recent foreign investment has fuelled its expansion, with luxury developments like Porto Montenegro in Tivat, home to a Regent hotel and a yacht marina, and the Miami-like high-rises that surround the walled heart of Budva, now filled with restaurants and cafes.

As you push farther south, and mosques begin to mingle with monasteries, time and tourism seem distant. At Stari Bar, an ancient ghost town that was once traded between SEPTEMBER 2019 • 93

the Venetians and the Turks, we scrambled around the deserted ruins and found a cat nurturing a litter of kittens in an ancient urn.

By the time we got to southernmost Ulcinj, we had the walled city virtually to ourselves, from a museum of archeology, ethnology, and the arts, filled with ceramics, coins, and carvings from the Romans through the Ottomans, to the new pirate seafood restaurant overlooking the sea.

Many visitors arrive by ship, sailing through the fjord-like Bay of Kotor to the walled city of Kotor, long under Venetian rule, with the winged lion of St. Mark on its sea-facing gate to prove it. Cruisecritic.com last year named Kotor the second most popular port in the eastern Mediterranean, after Dubrovnik.

We found ourselves in Kotor, along with thousands of passengers from a Celebrity Cruises ship, snapping pictures of the stray (but clearly wellfed) cats that stalk the cobblestone plazas and nap on stone staircases.

A series of these steps climbs a mountain to the fortress of St. John, a medieval stronghold improbably guarded with walls that ascend nearly 900 feet. It’s an exhausting post to reach, but one that rewards you with sunset views over the bayplunging mountains.

When the ship sailed out that evening, romance returned to 94 • SEPTEMBER 2019

candlelit restaurant terraces within the walls, and Nikšićk o beer-drinking yacht crews filled the outdoor tables in view of a 17th-century clock tower.

Behind the coastal mountains of Montenegro, via a dizzying switchback road, lies an entirely different country that's rugged, largely undeveloped and a real bargain, as epitomised by the six-inch-high cevapcici sausage sandwich at Kole Restaurant in Cetinje, which costs just two euros.

Cetinje, the former capital of the Montenegrin kingdom, established in the 15th century, remains the country’s cultural heart. A cluster of pedestrian-only lanes, where art students paint en plein-air, surrounds a series of national museums devoted to art and history.

A joint ticket (ten euros) provides entry to six museums, including the Biljarda, the 19th-century residence of Montenegro’s favourite ruler, the poet and philosopher Petar II Petrović Njegoš, and named for his billiard table, the country’s first.

He died in 1851 and is buried in a monumental mausoleum on Mount Lovćen outside town.

Its last ruler, Nikola I Petrović Njegoš, inhabited a modest palace across from the Biljarda until he fled the country in 1916, as Austrian forces invaded during the First World War. Now known as King Nikola’s Museum, it's filled with treasures, including antique Chinese

photos: (top) © shutterstock (bottom) © Eric Franks / Alamy Stock Photo

R E T U R N I N G TO M O N T E N E G R O

READER’S DIGEST

Ostrog Monastery is built into a cliff face at 900m; (Below) Alley with shops in the old town of Budva

urns, Persian carpets, Venetian mirrors, Indonesian furniture, and royal portraits from families across Europe. That the royal collection survived the Second World War occupation of Montenegro by Italian forces is miraculous.

“He was known as the fatherin-law of Europe,” said our guide proudly, explaining that five of the king’s daughters had married into royal families across the continent, including Princess Elena, who wed an Italian royal and earned an in-law’s respect. “Because they were family, the Italians preserved the home.”

From coastal isles to Alpine valleys, Orthodox monasteries are strewn across the country, many covered in vivid frescoes of elongated, big-eyed saints depicting Bible stories. But the most impressive are in central Montenegro.

The Ostrog Monastery, for example, is shallowly built into a cliff face at 3,000ft, and reached from the highway between Podgorica and Nikšic´ by a slim, shoulderless, zigzagging road that we nervously shared with intrepid bus drivers.

Barefoot pilgrims walk an even more vertical path there, culminating in a dark, rock-hollowed room in the monastery housing the tomb of St. Basil, where a priest blessed each visitor individually. The faithful kissed an icon, offered coins and walked from the room backward—so SEPTEMBER 2019 • 95

as not to turn their backs on the holy site—past radiant mosaics placed into the cliff walls.

In the Alpine north, we encountered even fewer visitors, heartier food—including a cheesy potato entree called kaćamak—and

TRAVEL TIPS Getting there There are airports at Podgorica and Tivat, or fly to Dubrovnik in southern Croatia and catch one of seven buses a day to Herceg Novi and Kotor, or two buses a day to Podgorica.

Getting around The rail network is limited but bus service is reliable and affordable. Driving can be challenging — many roads are extremely narrow and cling to the sides of mountains.

Lodging In Podgorica, Hotel Podgorica was recently updated, doubles from 108 euros. In Cetinje, La Vecchia Casa is within a lush garden, rooms about 35 euros. In Kotor, Hotel Astoria is in a restored 13th-century palace; rooms from 125 euros.

Dining Pod Volat, located centrally in Podgorica beside the Ottoman clock tower, serves traditional local cuisine (the mixed grill is an institution), mains 4-16 euros. In Kotor, Galerija, on the waterfront, serves local cuisine and specialises in seafood, mains 7-20 euros.

In Cetinje, Kole serves local specialities, including freshwater carp and spitroasted meats stuffed with smoked ham and cheese, mains 4-20 euros.

96 • SEPTEMBER 2019

zealous portions: an order of local trout at Konoba restaurant in Kolašin, the country’s main ski town, delivered a pair of 12-inch-long fish.

Many roads to the region are precipitous, narrow, and distractingly scenic, including the stretch from Podgorica north along the Moraća Canyon to Kolašin. A new highway, expected to open later this year, should expedite travel from the city to the slopes. Ample Airbnb inventory supplements the ski chalets of Kolašin and Žabljak, another nearby ski town and the gateway to Durmitor National Park, the largest of Montenegro’s five national parks.

The turquoise Tara River slices through these Dinaric Alps, creating Europe’s deepest canyon at some 1300 meters, and thrilling white-water paddlers. Overnight rafting trips take place in the deepest section of the Tara Canyon, while popular day trips bump over roiling Class III and IV rapids, depending on the time of year.

On the suggestion of our Airbnb host in Žabljak, we signed up with Rafting Tara—Triftar, run by Goran Leković . Our excursion seemed to encapsulate Montenegro with its mix of entrepreneurial gamble and sincere hospitality. An inscrutable van driver—likely limited by the language barrier—distributed well-worn wet suits and mismatched neoprene bootees to us and a backpacking couple from Switzerland.

photo: © Miroslava Durcatova/Shutterstock

R E T U R N I N G TO M O N T E N E G R O

The turquoise Tara River slices through these Dinaric Alps

At the river launch, rival guides with emergency radios and seasoned muscles pushed off in profiles that were in stark contrast to our captain, Mr. Leković himself, who chainsmoked, wore loafers, and limited his safety instructions to “Team, paddle!” on approaching the rapids.

Despite appearances, he competently navigated the high-water rollers as we rollicked for the next few wet hours.

The promised lunch turned out to be a three-course homemade feast featuring roast lamb on the nearby Lekovic´ farm, followed by warm offers of Turkish coffee and cigarettes (trips are priced between 45 euros and 190 euros).

The river curves through the

northern section of Durmitor National Park, home to 48 peaks above 1,800 meters. Here, bare limestone crests shade pockets of snow, and scree slopes run down to glacier-carved lakes and wildflower-filled meadows.

Over the May holiday celebrating Montenegro’s 12-year independence, we hiked lightly travelled but wellsigned paths, forded streams, crossed under waterfalls and picnicked on boulders in fragrant pine groves.

“New country,” smiled the attendant at the admission booth, granting us, like everyone else, free admission on the holiday. “But old place.”

Populated, I might add, by people curious about outsiders, rather than aggressive toward them. n

NO SPRING CHICKEN… Fossil discoveries have recently revealed that a 12ft bird once lived alongside our early human ancestors. The flightless creature, named the Pachystruthio dmanisensis, was three times the size of an ostrich and may have been hunted for its meat by early Europeans.

SOURCE: NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM

SEPTEMBER 2019 • 97

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

My Great Escape:

Magical Markets Kalpa Valli from London remembers the feast for the senses that was her trip to Bangkok’s floating markets

D

amnoen Saduak Floating Market, located in the Damnoen Saduak District, about 65 miles southwest of Bangkok was the final destination of our 12-day Thailand tour. We reached the market via a pleasantly water-splashing tenminute speedboat ride, feeling the refreshing tropical air in the winding waterways with small wooden houses lining either side.

At the pier, we mounted a Thai paddle boat for a 30 minute ride in the canals. The market hosted decorated stalls on either side, with local people selling souvenirs, traditional Thai clothes and jewellery.

There were also vendors paddling around the tourists selling sticky rice with mango, ice-cream served in natural coconut shells, fresh coconut water, tropical fruits, flowers and vegetables, freshly cooked noodles and seafood seasoned with Thai spices. Khanom Bueang, a delicious thin crispy crêpe filled with sweet coconut cream and topped with sweet or savoury Thai flavourings, is not to be missed. The picturesque backdrop was busy, alive with a myriad of colours and a cornucopia of aromas

98 • SEPTEMBER 2019

filled the air around us. After a lively haggle, I bought the perfect souvenir (a model Thai woman selling fruits and vegetables in a boat).

Our visit to the market was a magnificent experience and an authentic retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city that we’d experienced earlier on in our tour.

Surely a place that’s not to be missed when paying a visit to Bangkok, although preferably visited in the morning, before the day gets hot.

Maeklong Railway Market is another popular market destination in Thailand, located in the Mueang Samut Songkhram District. The stalls are placed on either side of the railway tracks and the vendors quite literally spread their goods onto the train tracks, which are cleared on the spur of the moment, including the awnings, as the next train rapidly approaches. The train squeezes past the stalls leaving virtually no gap between them. We will be sure to visit next time!

Tell us about your favourite holiday (send a photo too) and if we print it we’ll pay £50.

Email excerpts@readersdigest.co.uk

99

T R AV E L & A D V E N T U R E

EUROPEAN GLAMPING FOR THE DISABLED: WEST WALES

Canvas & Campfires has opened Wales’ first accessible safari tents, complete with space for a wheelchair and hoist, plus wet rooms with roll-in showers. Found in beautiful Ceredigion, all five tents sleep six (canvasandcampfires.co.uk).

FOR GROWN-UP KIDS: NORTHUMBERLAND

Seen on George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces, the Sky Den treehouse in Kielder Water & Forest Park comprises a rectangular living space and balcony, a circular viewpoint room and a triangular canopy loft ideal for stargazing (canopyandstars. co.uk).

FOR ADVENTURERS: ABRUZZO

At British-run glampsite Fireflies & Figs, in lesser-known eastern Italy, the en-suite, two-person yurts—one with a plunge pool—are shabby-chic in style, and both have wine and beerstocked honesty boxes (firefliesand figs.co.uk).

FOR BEACH-BUMS: CROATIA

Arena One 99 Glamping lines an emerald-coloured bay between pine forest and a pebble beach. It has eight types of luxury tent, as well as hot tubs, yoga classes, a fishspecialist bistro and windsurfing classes on site (arenaglamping.com).

FOR RETRO FANS: SOUTHERN SPAIN

In the mountains northeast of Alicante, past almond groves, hides a silver Airstream. It includes a hammock and outdoor shower with sea views, and hirers can use the main house’s pool or join Friday tapas evenings (canopyandstars.co.uk).

by Richard Mellor

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MONEY

9 Easy Ways To

Manage Your Money From handy payment reminders to “roboadvisers”, Andy Webb offers some simple tips on managing your money better If you’re anything like me, you’ve got a long to-do list. Even if it’s not written down, it’s there, nagging you somewhere at the back of your mind.

And I bet a fair few of the things on your list are financial, and no doubt many of them are tasks that come around again and again... Well here’s how you can stop the déjà vu and get them sorted once and for all.

Let someone else switch energy for you Though it doesn’t take much effort to do an energy comparison every 12 months, it’s certainly a financial chore Andy Webb is a personal finance journalist and runs the award-winning money blog, Be Clever With Your Cash 102 • SEPTEMBER 2019

that many choose to ignore. Well, you’ll run out of excuses by using a service such as Look After Your Bills or WeFlip. They automatically move you to a cheaper deal—all you need to do is sign up. And they’ll keep monitoring the different tariffs out there to see if you can pay even less.

If the saving is over a certain threshold you’ll get switched again.

Of course, these services aren’t perfect. You probably won’t get as many energy companies to choose from as you would with Money Saving Expert’s Cheap Energy Club—my pick of the comparisons sites—and you’ll miss out on cashback for switching too.

But they will still save you a pretty penny versus doing nothing, so if you know you’re going to put off doing it yourself then it’s better to save something than nothing.

No more meter readings To get accurate meter readings on your gas and electricity you need to provide regular meter readings. But not only can these be a pain to remember, they can often be a pain to access. So if you want to avoid whacking your head trying to read the electricity or going outside to measure the gas, you should look into getting a free smart meter installed.

The important thing to look out for is that you’re getting a second generation meter, or SMETS II, installed. This means that when your autoswitching kicks in, your smart meter will stay smart—though it’s worth checking that will be the case before any switch happens.

Get a nudge when other switches could happen Sadly you can’t autoswitch your broadband or car insurance, but you

can get reminders from the website Onedox for these and other bills that your contract is about to expire. This’ll stop expensive auto-renewals and rolling over onto a pricey standard contract. Yes, you’ll still need to look for a better deal, but you can rest easy knowing you won’t forget. It also works for subscriptions such as Netflix and things like your MOT. Plus it acts as a vault for all your accounts—saving you time searching through your inbox or home filing systems to find paperwork.

Pay your credit card on time every time I think we all know about direct debits for lots of our bills, but these and standing orders are also perfect for any other payment you need to make as they mean you’ll never miss a due date. I’ve got one set up for my credit card so the full amount is paid out on the SEPTEMBER 2019 • 103

MONEY

same date every month. Paying on time means I’ll avoid missed payment charges, and clearing the whole balance prevents any interest getting added on.

See all your accounts in one place If you’ve got multiple current accounts and credit cards then it can sometimes be a hassle to check each and every one of them, particularly if they are with different banks and therefore have different log-in details.

Well, you can see them all in one place now thanks to apps like Yolt.

Once you’ve connected each of your banks you can see every transaction and balance together, making it simple to keep track.

Let your savings sort themselves You can make saving easy too.

Apps such as Plum and Chip—once they’re connected to your bank account—analyse your spending to work out how much you’re 104 • SEPTEMBER 2019

likely to have spare at the end of the month. Then the app moves the money to a separate savings account before you can spend it. These are smart ways to boost your savings, whether for an emergency or something specific. You’re also able to make manual saves as and when with a few taps on your phone.

Let robots manage your investments “Robo-advisers” take the effort of managing your portfolio of stocks and shares away from you and into the hands of computer algorithms. You simply need to answer some questions to identify your approach to risk. It’s worth checking the fees.

Though the likes of Nutmeg and Wealthify will be a lot cheaper than having a professional advisor consult you on what to buy and sell, some of these platforms are pricier than others.

READER’S DIGEST

Merge your pensions into one pot It can be hard enough to track a pension and what it’ll be worth when you’ve only got one.

But if you’ve had a number of employers over the years, then you might have as many pension pots out there. So if the idea of one balance and one projection appeals to you, then you can merge them using PensionBee. The hard work of finding and moving the pensions is done for you—by a person—so you’ll just need to give the initial information when signing up to get the ball rolling. You can also continue to pay into your new PensionBee pot.

However, this isn’t a good idea if you have any defined benefit pots,

such as a final salary pension, as moving those will reduce the value you’ll get when you retire.

Stop searching for voucher codes Savvy shoppers should never pay full price—but that can mean a trawl through Google for voucher codes which don’t always work. Instead you can try extensions for your internet browser which automatically tell you what codes you can use for the web page you’re on. Take a look at Piggy, Honey or Pouch. There’s even an extension that’ll quickly show you the price history for Amazon from Camel Camel Camel.

Most of these require you to use the Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox web browsers. n

LOST IN TRANSLATION The movies that have hilarious titles in other countries…

Ghostbusters—Super Power Dare Die Team (China) Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory—The Boy Drowned in the Chocolate Sauce (Denmark) Leaving Las Vegas—I’m Drunk and You’re a Prostitute (Japan) Grease—Vaseline (Argentina) SOURCE: RD.COM

SEPTEMBER 2019 • 105

FOOD

Rice Bowl Medley Serves 4 350g brown rice 225g chorizo ring, diced 1tbsp hot smoked paprika 1 large head of broccoli (about 350g) 225g frozen peas 1 lemon, juiced 30g flat leaf parsley, washed, picked, chopped 4 spring onions, sliced 1tbsp Nigella seeds Optional serve: 1-2tsp Shichimi Togarashi, chilli flakes

I debated whether this was worthy of a column—in essence it’s an easy, all-in rice dish—but it’s a recipe that I find myself reverting to time after time. When rice is the base of a dish it’s important to season generously and add flavour at every junction. That’s why I tend to give the chorizo an extra boost with some hot smoked paprika as well as heaping on garnishes: spring onions, Nigella seeds, parsley and a generous squeeze of lemon to make sure that it really packs a punch 1. Cook the rice according to pack instructions (usually

20-25 minutes for brown rice)*. Once cooked, leave the lid on so it continues steaming, and before you use it, fluff it up with a fork and season with salt.

2. Meanwhile cut the chorizo ring into bite-sized pieces and fry them in a large pan until they start to release deep red oil and turn crisp. Add the hot smoked paprika to the oil and remove the pan from the heat.

3. Cut the broccoli into bite-sized florets. Steam both

4. Divide into bowls and garnish generously with chopped parsley, spring onions, Nigella seeds and (if you have any, and like spice) Shichimi Togarashi or chilli flakes.

TIP: Though this recipe specifies rice, it works well with

all sorts of grains—add a little wild rice to the mix to introduce new taste or texture, or switch it entirely for pearl barley, couscous or freekeh.

106 • SEPTEMBER 2019

P HOTOGRAPHY BY TIM & ZOË HI LL

Rachel Walker is a food writer for numerous national publications. Visit rachel-walker.co.uk for more information

the broccoli and frozen peas for 2-3 minutes, add them to the rice and then tip it all into the pan containing the crisp chorizo. Add the lemon juice and stir.

Drinks Tip… Albariño is known for its high acidity and botanical notes, making this Spanish white a great go-to for lightly-spiced dishes. Try Majestic’s Bienbebido Pulpo Albariño 2018 (£9.99), which will really sing alongside the chorizo and the hot smoked paprika

JUNE 2019 • 107

FOOD

Apple & Mincemeat Galette Serves 4 1 large Bramley or cooking apple (about 300g) 1tbsp lemon juice 1tbsp water 1tbsp sugar 150g puff pastry 3tbsp mincemeat 1-2 eating apples (eg, Pink Lady) 1tsp demerara sugar

108 • SEPTEMBER 2019

During mid-September, when apple harvest arrives, it’s a good idea to have plenty of recipes up your sleeve to make the most of one of Britain’s most delicious fruits. Mincemeat is usually associated with Christmas, but it pairs so beautifully with apples and can really elevate a simple autumnal dish, turning it into something pretty special 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. 2. Peel and core the Bramley apple, dice and mix with the

lemon juice, water and sugar. Stew—either by slow cooking on the hob or covering with a plate or cling film and microwaving—until the apples are soft enough that they can be mashed with a fork.

3. Meanwhile, roll out the puff pastry and use a pan lid as a guide to cut out a circle shape. Use the tip of a knife to score a border 1cm in from the edge, and then use the back of a fork to create a crimping pattern.

4. Heap the mincemeat in the centre of the pastry and then put 3-4tbsp of the stewed apple on top (ideally, it should sit on the mincemeat rather than straight onto the pastry, to prevent it from going soggy).

5. Cut the eating apple into quarters, remove the core and slice. Arrange the slices in a circular shape, sprinkle with brown sugar and bake for 12-14 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden. Serve with cream or ice cream. n

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HOME & GARDEN

Work Wonders With

Workspace

Set up a designated home office in any part of the house by following these top tips

Homes and gardens writer and stylist Cassie Pryce specialises in interior trends and discovering new season shopping

W

ith flexible working patterns on the rise, more and more people are finding the need to set up a work station in their own home. Alongside all of the positives this style of working can bring, it’s important to achieve a work-life balance by being able to separate your office space from your home. If you don’t have the luxury of a spare room or separate study, you may need to incorporate a small office area into your living room, or perhaps a bedroom or nook under the stairs. Fold-down desks are ideal for shutting away your work in the evenings and not eating into floor space. Alternatively, create a subtle divide within an existing room using 110 • SEPTEMBER 2019

tall shelving units as a screen.

Natural light is conducive to productivity, so pick a room in the house which benefits from this and position your desk near a window.

Turn your computer away from the light source to avoid glare on the screen and try not to place your desk above a radiator as this will block the heat circulation in winter. Most computers, phones and printers have wireless capabilities these days, so take advantage of this to avoid contending with unsightly wires.

Invest in an ergonomic desk chair rather than borrowing a dining chair on a day-to-day basis and choose a desk that has built-in drawers if you’re short on space and don’t have room for additional filing cabinets. Make the most of wall storage with shelves and high cabinets to not only help you keep clutter at bay and free up your work surface, but to stop paperwork spilling out into other parts of your house. n

Form & Function Brooklyn natural solid oak and metal computer desk, £579.99; Brooklyn stool, £199.99, both Oak Furniture Land

HOME & GARDEN

Unlikely

Gardening Aids

When you need a job done but require a little assistance, these improbable garden helpers will help you out in the most surprising ways KITCHEN TONGS

Take a pair of kitchen tongs outside with you when it’s time to trim back any prickly vines, limbs, or rose bushes. The tongs will allow you to hold or bend the branch painlessly while you snip with the other hand.

COFFEE GROUNDS

Once your coffee grounds have “done their job” inside the house, put them to work outside. Sprinkle them in your garden, where they’ll decompose and add nutrients to the soil.

SOAP BAR

Before you dig your hands into that soil, scrape your fingernails across a bar of hand soap. The soap that collects under your nails will create a dirt barrier, preventing that 112 • SEPTEMBER 2019

embedded, impossible-to-clean rim of dirt underneath.

SANDPAPER

Keep a sheet of fine sandpaper or an emery cloth handy in your tool shed.

When rust appears on your pruning saw blade or some other metal tool, rub it away with a light sanding.

Follow up with a light coating of oil— for instance, from a rag carrying a touch of motor oil or olive oil.

PAPER CUPS

If your seedlings are vanishing from the flower bed overnight, you need a shield to protect them from pests. Cut the bottom off a paper cup and place the cup over your seedling to keep the hungry critters at bay. n

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FASHION & BEAUTY

Autumn

Style Update Lisa Lennkh is a banker turned fashion writer, stylist and blogger. Her blog, The Sequinist, focuses on sparkle and statement style for midlife women

S

eptember can only mean one thing; cool weather and cosy autumnal clothing are just around the corner! This month, all the fashion magazines launch their biggest editorial features, poised and ready to whet our sartorial appetites for the new trends dropping into stores. But, to be honest, there isn't much originality in fashion this autumn, at least as far as I can tell from the runways. The two major recent themes, "comfort" and "individuality" are still firmly in place; yet they've ventured into even more extreme territories.

In the comfort category, designers are still offering ultra-comfortable

114 • SEPTEMBER 2019

shoes. Think squishy trainers, soft fleecy boots that don't look like they were meant to be worn outside, and fancy loafers instead of heels for the evening. In-your-face cosiness provided by oversized duvet-inspired coats is still very much a trend this autumn and winter. If you're a fan of comfy tights (I am!) you'll be pleased to know that they are everywhere this season. Remember in the 1980s when we wore brightly coloured ones with everything? That trend is back in a more elegant way (less fluoro, more jewel tones this time around).

Tights look most modern when they're worn to intentionally clash or to elegantly match the rest of your outfit.

The category of expressive individuality continues to gather steam in the fashion world.

Miniature quirky bags from previous seasons are now even tinier and quirkier. There are even necklace

READER’S DIGEST

bags, which look just as ridiculous as they sound. Last winter's sedate heritage tartan has now gone head to toe, and has been tweaked to be bolder and brighter. Suits are still as popular as they were last autumn, but this year a belt is cinched around the blazer to give it an unexpected new twist (and a more flattering silhouette). As far as accessories go, there are few so individual as a hat; hats featured heavily on the runways, in every style and colour imaginable— even worn with evening gowns. I particularly liked the colourful cloche hats at Nina Ricci—I'll look for a more wearable version without the runway price tag.

Many designers showed unique cape coats for autumn, which were as tempting for me as the hats.

Capes are both unusual and ladylike. I've learned that they're easy to layer with my winter clothes, and never fail to get

compliments. The cape selection at Chanel was particularly beautiful— they came in every hue and ranged from elbow-length to ankle-grazing.

I can't imagine anything more glamorous and original than a long cape for winter.

Extreme comfort and extreme individuality trends have been awarded such longevity as (partially due to social media) designers are closer to what consumers want to wear. And, unlike other countries' fashion capitals which tend to show very homogenous themes, London (and the UK in general) has always been very comfortable with eccentricity and individuality. Which is why this season doesn't feel quite as "new".

This autumn, I won't buy or change much about my wardrobe, but I will update my style by being a little braver with hats... and I will see if I can find a good quality long cape like those dreamy ones at Chanel. n SEPTEMBER 2019 • 115

Show Us Your

TEETH

Jenessa Williams offers up tips for maintaining a gleaming set of pearly whites

A smile is often the first thing we notice about a person, so it’s no wonder that there's some serious cash to be made in the dental trade.

Researchers estimate that the cosmetic dental industry will be worth an estimated £33 billion by 2021, as more patients seek that perfect Hollywood grin.

If you’re not keen on shelling out for high-end treatments, there are plenty of ways to achieve a whiter smile. For starters, it’s time to invest in a good electric toothbrush. There are countless on the market, but Foreo’s innovative design may well be the sleekest. Equipped with bacteria-resistant silicon bristles, it’s perfect for even the most sensitive of gums or denture bonds, with the ability to adjust speed settings and a small light pulse that reminds you to spend the requisite 30 seconds in each quarter of your mouth. Team with a whitening toothpaste, or add Pearl Drops overnight serum into your routine—simply apply before bed to restore surface enamel and encourage brightness.

116 • SEPTEMBER 2019

Of course, a brighter smile can all be in the illusion and a well-chosen lipstick. Opt for a deep red shade with blue tints to minimalize any yellow appearance, or choose a blue balm. Lipstick Queen’s nourishing formula is a great lip salve, and offers a subtle sheen of plum-colour coverage that contrasts against dulled teeth. A low-cost alternative to private dental treatment. n

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HHHHH HHHHH

If you’re in the market for a masterclass in acting, look no further than Mrs Lowry & Son and the standout performances from industry titans Vanessa Redgrave and Timothy Spall.

This two-hander tells the true story of artist LS Lowry (Spall)’s complicated relationship with his mother (Redgrave), whose blunt refusal to recognise his talents and intense resentment for the loss of the middle class circles she grew up amidst didn’t stop him spending much of his adult life caring for her in their small terraced home in Pendlebury.

The intimacy of this script would almost work better as a play save for its stunningly nuanced cinematography, which allows viewers to see Lancashire through Lowry’s eyes. There are jawdropping shots of industrial mills, towering chimneys and crowds of 1930s Lancastrians. Though his mother may complain that he always sees beauty where other people don’t, director Adrian Noble is careful to use this as the very thing that humanises this far-fromscene-darling artist, who first found fans among unionists and common folk.

Ultimately Mrs Lowry & Son achieves exactly what any good art biopic should—it leaves you itching to hop on a train to Salford to enjoy the work of the man himself.

118 • SEPTEMBER 2019

READERSDIGEST.CO.U K/C U LT U RE / F IL M

Timothy Spall has had something of a penchant for biopics of late, and his latest might just be his best

© VERTIGO RELEASI NG

MRS LOWRY & SON

FILMS

© P ICTUREHOUSE ENTERTAI NM ENT / WARNER BROS / SIGNATURE ENTERTAINME NT

H H H HH DOCUMENTARY: INNA DE YARD Join a rowdy bunch of pioneering musicians on a journey deep into the heart of reggae. Starting with its origins in 1960s Jamaica, and dipping into its many incarnations like ska and rocksteady, Inna De Yard offers a vibrant history of reggae as well as a captivating portrait of the streets of Jamaica in all their gritty glory. But the tastiest morsels are moments spent with the musicians themselves, as they “capture the music in its virgin state”, ie, jam and revisit old hits, each with his distinct style and delivery; whether it’s the

peculiar wails of the Cedric Myton or the laidback swagger of Winston McAnuff.

Still bursting with vitality and gusto, their musings and shenanigans are bound to make any reggae fan squeal with joy.

H H HH H ACTION: NIGHT HUNTER

Henry Cavill as a jaded, damaged-goods cop, Ben Kingsley as a calculated vigilante and Stanley Tucci as a stern commissioner with a heart of gold— that, plus a sexual predator with a multiple personality disorder in the vein of Split, lots of table slamming , violent interrogations and wintry Canadian HHHHH locations, equals a very predictable HORROR: IT: CHAPTER TWO Scary clown fans rejoice; the follow up to pastiche of a traditional cat and mouse thriller. If that’s your thing, the critically acclaimed 2017 remake of though, Night Hunter is still the Stephen King classic, It, is here and a very fun watch for all its gives its predecessor a run for its money in the creepy department. Starring James goofy clichés, textbook McAvoy, Jessica Chastain and Bill Hader, twists and hammed this stylish sequel brings the now-grown up performances . up members of the Losers Club together 27 years after their first encounter with

by Eva Mackevic the terrifying Pennywise. and Anna Walker 119

TELEVISION

JON RICHARDSON: ULTIMATE WORRIER (DAVE; UKTV PLAY) What is it? Nervy comedian xx

BETTER THINGS: SEASON 2 (BBC2) What is it? A quietly accomplished US

import, getting even stronger in its second run under Pamela Adlon.

Why should I watch it? Season one established the basics of jobbing LA actress Sam’s life with her three daughters and dotty mother. Season two sees these family ties—and Sam’s love life—growing ever more tangled.

Best episode? At least two (“Eulogy” and “Graduation”) coaxed tears from this viewer, while a third (“Phil”) counts among TV’s most honest depictions of caring for an infirm loved one.

Richardson’s continued attempts to bring order to the mounting chaos of the modern world, more essential with each passing year.

Why should I watch it? If you’ve ever wondered whether we’re due a plague, or if magic died out with Paul Daniels, these hour-long sessions of jovial therapy—in which Richardson and guests cast a wry eye over the evidence—should help set your mind at ease.

Best guest? Richardson’s real-life wife, the droll stand-up Lucy Beaumont, is the prime mover behind Episode Three’s genuine showstopper, involving a bathtub full of marshmallows and an especially restless spider.

by Mike McCahill

COMEDIANS IN CARS GETTING COFFEE (NETFLIX) Eddie Murphy and Ricky Gervais are among those joining Jerry Seinfeld for genial conversations.

120 • SEPTEMBER 2019

DOCUMENTARY NOW! (AMAZON PRIME) Familiar faces Bill Hader and Fred Armisen craft detailed, clever-funny spoofs of big-screen documentary landmarks.

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK(NETFLIX) A defining Netflix show returns to form in its final stretch. Will the Litchfield jailbirds find any form of release?

R E A D E R S D I G E ST.CO.U K /C U LT U R E / F I L M

BBC P ICTURES

WHAT TO STREAM THIS MONTH:

MUSIC ALBUM OF THE MONTH: SAXOPHONE CONCERTO / BASS DRUM CONCERTO

BY GABRIEL PROKOFIEV If you have a penchant for

composer Sergei Prokofiev’s dark, musical whimsies laced with ominous dissonances and intriguing harmonies, just wait till you see what his grandson’s been up to. A composer in his own right, Gabriel Prokofiev’s latest project is an inspired double bill of saxophone and bass drum concertos which turn contemporary classical music on its head. The former is an intense piece full of character, unravelling intelligently like a dramatic play, punctuated by the sax’s unnervingly unexpected, gut churning tonal turns which leave you both dreading and relishing the puzzled idea of what’s to come.

Its even stranger counterpart, the bass drum concerto, showcases the versatility of this much underappreciated instrument. When given centre stage, it proves to be a thunderous, explosive force of nature that bends and subverts our pre-conceived notions of what classical music is. Playful, at times startling but consistently fresh and experimental, the piece audaciously flirts with hip hop, cleverly pairing it with the string section. Watch out for the temperamental third movement, “Four to the Floor”, which sounds like a homage to Sergei Prokofiev’s iconic “Montagues and Capulets” from the Romeo and Juliet ballet.

by Eva Mackevic READER RADAR: SCOTT SMYTH, HOTEL MANAGER WATCHING: BAND OF BROTHERS An amazing

Second World War series that is, in parts, graphic and, in others, an emotional roller coaster. Anyone who hasn’t watched it should make the time.

ONLINE: READLY I recently

found the site readly.com which I use to expand my reading. And as much as I pretend not to like social media, I do dally in Facebook and Instagram—out of nosiness more than anything else.

READING: BECOMING BY MICHELLE OBAMA Currently flitting between this,

LISTENING: 1980S CLASSICS I’m

The Art of War by Sun Tzu, Graham Norton’s book A Keeper and, of course, falling back in love with Reader’s Digest.

also rekindling my forgotten love for Anastacia, and always listen to anything by Brian Justin Crum.

E M A I L YO U R R E CO M M E N DAT I O N S TO R E A D E R S L E T T E R S @ R E A D E R S D I G E ST.CO.U K

BOOKS

September Fiction An imaginative, ambitious thriller set in a dystopian future and a rich story of love, family and sacrifice are our favourite literary picks for the start of autumn…

The Second Sleep by Robert Harris (Hutchinson, £20) The Second Sleep opens with a priest arriving on horseback in a Wessex village in 1468. Or so it seems. Within 20 pages, though, it’s clear that the novel is set not in the past but in a distant future where Britain has reverted to a medieval way of life and the Christian Church is all-powerful again. Church teaching is that around 2025 in the calendar of “the ancients”, God punished them for their blasphemous faith in science by unleashing the Apocalypse. But what if that isn’t true?

What if the disaster that befell the ancients—with their rumoured flying machines and global communication devices—was man-made?

In other words, Harris has returned to the speculative fiction of his first 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 122 • SEPTEMBER 2019

novel, Fatherland, set in 1964, when Germany had won the war and nobody was allowed to wonder where the Jews had gone.

Once again, there’s a wholly convincing alternative world in which a few brave heretics are determined to uncover the truth.

The result is a brilliantly imaginative thriller—although, not surprisingly, also a rather sombre one. “All civilisations consider themselves invulnerable,” writes one ancient in a letter from 2022. “History warns us that none is.”

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett (Bloomsbury, £18.99) Like Anne Tyler, Ann Patchett writes novels that take us deep into the mysteries and mythologies of an individual family. Like Tyler as well, she’s often been wrongly criticised for being too nice. Admittedly, both share the unfashionable (but surely accurate) belief that most people try to be good.

READER’S DIGEST

Yet, that doesn’t prevent either of them from including lots of darker moments—or from noting the damage that even good people can do.

The narrator of The Dutch House is Danny Conroy, whose mother left home when he was three, and whose father then left the parenting to Danny’s beloved older sister Maeve.

Until, that is, the arrival of a bona fide evil stepmother…

From there, Patchett takes us through the lives of all concerned with complete assurance, plenty of lovely writing and a powerful awareness of both human fragility and human resilience. “Do you think it’s possible to ever see the past as it actually was?” Danny asks Maeve at one point. But, while the answer seems to be “probably not”, Danny keeps on trying, constantly changing his perspective in a way that’s always engrossing—and sometimes startling.

Name the author Can you guess the writer from these clues (the fewer you need the better)?

1. One of her best-loved characters starred in a 2015 Sainsbury’s Christmas advert.

2. S he was born in Berlin in 1923 and died in London earlier this year.

3. One of her best-loved books featured a greedy tiger.

Paperbacks Murder by the Book

by Claire Harman (Penguin, £9.99) Gripping, beautifully-researched account of the 1840 murder of a Mayfair aristocrat, whose killer claimed to be influenced by a gory bestseller.

The Familiars

by Stacey Halls (Zaffre, £7.99) Two women are caught up in the 17thcentury Lancashire witch trials in a debut novel that’s thought-provoking as well as page-turning.

The Perils of Perception: We’re Wrong about Nearly Everything

by Bobby Duffy (Atlantic, £8.99) A refreshingly calm look at the facts behind today’s fevered debates.

The Garden of the Lost and Found by Harriet Evans (Headline Review, £7.99) Sweeping family saga from an author being billed as new Maeve Binchy— maybe even fairly.

More Than Just a Good Life

by James Hogg (Constable, £10.99) The official biography of the muchmissed Richard Briers, packed with anecdotes about the often surprising people he worked with—including Robert De Niro, Raquel Welch and Keanu Reeves.

Answer on p126 SEPTEMBER 2019 • 123

BOOKS

RD’S RECOMMENDED READ

History Hunter Lara Maiklem started taking long walks along the Thames as a way to heal her soul; little did she know, she was about to open a door to a fascinating past…

I

n 2002, Lara Maiklem moved to Greenwich in London, near the Thames. Because she was going through a painful break-up, she spent quite a lot of time wandering along the river—at first aimlessly, but then with a sudden sense of mission. Once she started to walk the river’s muddy shore (or foreshore) instead of the concrete path, she realised she was treading on history. Underfoot were any number of souvenirs of life in the Tudor palace that had stood nearby, and all were available for collection and investigation.

Unlike say, the Seine, the Thames is tidal—constantly washing centuries-old items on to the foreshore where they can be discovered at low tide. And, since the

Mudlarking: Lost and Found on the River Thames by Lara Maiklem is published

by Bloomsbury at £16.99

124 • SEPTEMBER 2019

mud contains no oxygen, it miraculously preserves what’s usually perishable. Soon, Maiklem had become a fully-fledged mudlark: studying when the river’s lowest tides would be, before setting off to see what she could find. In this delightful book she shares her enthusiasm so infectiously that I suspect I won’t be the only reader who vows to try mudlarking as soon as possible.

Strangely, it wasn’t until well into the 20th century that the kind of stuff Maiklem looks for was considered of much interest. When the Victorians built new bridges, they sometimes

READER’S DIGEST

came across genuine treasures—but it doesn’t seem to have occurred to them that ordinary objects used by ordinary people could also provide a real insight into the past. Mudlarking proves just how wrong they were, as Maiklem mixes tales of her finds with fascinating glimpses into the everyday history they reveal.

Here, she’s near London Bridge where the fact that the lowest tides in memory won’t come until after midnight doesn’t, of course, put her off…

‘‘

On the night the tide was due to fall to its lowest point, I found I wasn’t alone. As I lurked in the shadows, others began to arrive. We spoke in hushed tones, respectful of the unique moment we’d been afforded. It’s hard to explain the excitement of an exceptionally low tide: imagine Christmas Eve when you were about seven—a tummychurning, heart-pounding, lightheaded euphoria.

As the tide dropped lower, my head torch lit up treasures all around me: buttons, coins, buckles and shards of 18th-century tea bowls, many handpainted with delicate flowers; thickets of pins, beads and tiny metal studs that would have decorated medieval leather belts and jerkins; more clay pipes than I’d ever seen before.

Every time I stopped to scrutinise the foreshore there seemed to be something new to collect. I found a

A Note From History: More From Mudlarking “A sailor would likely have played the Jew’s harp I once found sticking out of the mud in a pile of old ship nails. The Jew’s harp (thought by some to be a corruption of jaw harp) was the perfect instrument for sailors—small, cheap, portable and virtually unbreakable. It was only chance that I pulled on it that day and out came a small, round-headed copper alloy frame. The thin metal tongue that would have produced a twang when played had rusted away, but other than that it was in excellent condition. I finally found another earlier this year and this one even had its little tongue. I probably shouldn’t have risked it, but the temptation was too great. It seemed sound enough, so I decided to pluck it gently with one finger, just once, and it let out a single, magical, flat-toned note, the first noise it had made in over 300 years.”

SEPTEMBER 2019 • 125

BOOKS

worn Georgian farthing and a blackened Elizabethan penny. My torch reflected off a late-16th-century jetton, the thin copper-alloy tokens imported from Germany and used as a reckoning counter to keep accounts, together with a chequered board.

(The government’s accounting department is still known as the exchequer, after these boards.)

I had already emptied my finds bag into my rucksack twice when my torch ran over an open-ended oblong box, slightly thinner than a cigarette packet, with two comma-shaped perforations on either side and a scalloped edge. I could see it was carved from a single piece of bone or ivory, and something about it looked familiar. It was about the same shape and size as a scabbard chape—the protective fitting from the end of a sword sheath —but I’d only ever seen them in books and museums, and those had been made of metal. I wrapped it carefully in a plastic bag...

It turned out my scabbard chape was Roman, from the late second to

And the name of the author is…

Judith Kerr—whose family fled the Nazis in 1933. The Sainsbury’s star was Mog the cat, and the greedy tiger featured in The Tiger Who Came to Tea. 126 • SEPTEMBER 2019

“Every time I stopped to scrutinise the foreshore there was something new to collect” third century—when it would have been specially commissioned for the auxiliary army. It is one of only two complete examples found in the UK. Its original owner would have worn a simple mail or scale shirt over a tunic, leather or woollen trousers in cold weather, and a metal helmet.

He would have carried an ovalshaped shield and a spear or long sword from which the chape had fallen. It is unlikely he was British.

Auxiliary soldiers were usually stationed in provinces away from their homeland to make them easier to control. I imagined a homesick soldier, serving his time in Britain and hoping for Roman citizenship as an acknowledgement for his services to the Empire. As his unit marched through London, his scabbard chape worked loose and fell off. Somehow it found its way into the river where it was preserved in the mud for almost 2,000 years. If it hadn’t been for such a low tide, if I hadn’t gone out in the darkness that night and if my head torch hadn’t pointed down in just the right place at just the right moment, I would never have found it. n

Books

THAT CHANGED MY LIFE Taylor Jenkins Reid is an acclaimed American novelist. Her new book, Daisy Jones and the Six, is out now, published by Hutchinson

Bridget Jones’s Diary BY HELEN FIELDING I was 12 when Bridget Jones’s Diary came out, and I wasn’t much of a reader. But when that book made its way into my hands, I remember opening it up and finding the diary entries to be far less intimidating than regular prose. Without even realising I was doing it, I settled down to read. Soon, I couldn’t get my nose out of that book. I loved seeing this wild-hearted mess of a woman tearing through the world. Perhaps what I love about it more than anything is that I have Bridget Jones to thank for introducing me to Pride and Prejudice.

The World According to Garp BY JOHN IRVING I was looking at a long train ride home for Thanksgiving during my sophomore year of college so I asked my roommate to lend me one of her books. She pushed The World According to Garp into my hand. I had no idea what to expect. As the train started moving, I started reading and by the time I got home, I was spellbound. Garp’s life story was so weird and yet affecting. That entire weekend I stole moments to myself to keep reading and by the time I got back to school, I found myself narrating my own life, imitating John Irving’s voice.

The Little Prince BY ANTOINE SAINT-EXUPÉRY I read this for the first time at the age of 30. On one hand, I wished I had read it as a child. On the other, I suspect it wouldn’t have meant the same thing to me then. It’s a story of perspective, how we engage with the world, and of loss. It’s helped me with grief in the darker moments of my life, and it’s helped me find joy and magic in the everyday. I find myself turning to it to find a quote, and then realising I’ve accidentally gone and read it all all over again. n FOR MORE, GO TO READERSDIGEST.CO.UK/CULTURE

SEPTEMBER 2019 • 127

Cosy At Home As the days get shorter, Olly Mann tests out the gadgets you might want to consider for your bedroom. Dream a little dream of these...

BLOW THE BUDGET Hairdryers linger longer than most tech products (I got a novelty Duck N Dry in the 1980s, and never looked back), so when the time comes for an upgrade, it makes sense to invest in a good one. The futuristic contours of the BREATHE EASY Dyson Supersonic (£300) The Awair 2nd Edition (£169.99) is a deliver fast, focused results, handsome wood-cased gadget that will suit but for my money—£240 less, most bedroom decor, but it’s what you can’t indeed—I’d plump for the see that matters: temperature, humidity, innovative Panasonic carbon dioxide, chemicals, and dust. By EH-NA65 (£59.99), which tracking these elements in real time and offering solutions to improve your air quality, deeply infuses hair with it can help you improve your sleep or reduce moisture as it dries, giving a rich and shiny finish. your allergies—albeit in most cases the suggestions are as straightforward as buying Particularly useful if you have curly hair that can be damaged some pot-plants or opening your windows. by conventional dryers.

Olly Mann presents Four Thought for BBC Radio 4, and the award-winning podcasts The Modern Mann and Answer Me This!

128 • SEPTEMBER

TECHNOLOGY

Toasty Tech

TIME FOR A NAP Premium clock-radios now offer Alexa functionality, Bluetooth connectability, or both. But, let’s be honest: who wants a digital assistant listening in to your bedroom, and can you really be bothered to sync up your smartphone just for a morning alarm? The Roberts Ortus 3 (£89.99) has everything I actually need—a giant, dimmable display I can see without specs; any-button snooze functionality; and a top-quality DAB receiver with 20 presets. It even has a USB dock for phone-charging.

Electric blankets are an energy efficient way to keep cosy—but faffing about with the attached chunky controllers can be ungainly. Beurer have a savvy solution: their Monogram Smart Electric Blanket (£138.99) can be programmed via an app.

Of course, a cheaper way to “smarten up” an existing electric blanket is simply to buy a smartplug, such as the reliable TP-LINK HS100 (£19.99), and set timers for that. But the advantage of Beurer’s system is you can select the specific temperature and heat zones too, not just turn it on and off.

FUN & GAMES

You Couldn’t Make It Up Win £30 for your true, funny stories!

Go to readersdigest.co.uk/contact-us or facebook.com/readersdigestuk MY SISTER'S NEIGHBOURS had asked her if she would keep an eye on their house while they were away on holiday. Perhaps she should have re-read her text for any missing letters before sending them a update.

She'd written, “House fine, checked, and had a quick pee in the living room.”

KATHLEEN STANFORD, Merseyside I SAW AN ADVERT FOR A NEW JOB. The company were looking for

ESTHER NEWTON, Berkshire

MY GRANDMOTHER WAS EXCITED

because there was an old re-run of a Dinah Shore programme.

My young son was caught up in 130 • SEPTEMBER 2019

her excitement too, but when it was on TV he looked very disappointed.

“Great Grandma,” he announced, “This is not about dinosaurs!”

DAISY DAVID, Hertfordshire

THE COUPLE NEXT TO ME in the

doctors’ waiting room were discussing what colour to paint their bedroom when the man spotted a poster on the opposite wall.

“That pale yellow, second from top would be perfect,” he said triumphantly. His wife looked over

CARTOON: MI ROS LAV BARTÁ K

people who were good at English and who had a keen eye for detail.

I grinned knowing I ticked both those boxes and sent off my CV and a covering letter.

I didn't hear back and only discovered why when I later looked at the covering letter I'd sent. I'd finished it with “I look forward to hearing from you shorty,” which may have had something to do with it...

READER’S DIGEST

and nodded in agreement.

I got up to get a closer look at it and realised that it was a hydration chart showing different shades of urine.

ANDREW BERRY, Lincolnshire WHEN MY GRANDSON WAS IN PLAYGROUP the children were given

targets to achieve. His target was to learn to share. After a few days he confidently said to the playgroup leaders, “I don't like my target, can I have another one?”

MARTYN HALL, Vale of Glamorgan

I WAS TALKING ABOUT my friend's

son who had completed his university degree and was now working his way up to be a barrister.

My ten-year-old grandson overheard and commented in a very disapproving tone, “He spent all that money on university fees and he's only a barista?”

STEPHEN BYRON, Merseyside

I TOOK MY GRANDSON TO THE CARD SHOP with me and told him

to look for a birthday card to give to his mum.

He was taking ages, so I tried to help by asking what sort of card he was looking for.

“The kind with with money inside” was his retort.

CORRINE HARDY, Denbighshire

MY BROTHER GOT STOPPED BY A POLICEMAN while driving and was

asked if he knew that one of his tail lights was out.

In all seriousness my brother replied, “No, officer. Because I drive from the inside of my car.”

No wonder the policeman gave him a ticket!

KENDRA SEVILLE Merseyside

ON A CAMPING HOLIDAY, MY DAUGHTER SAW A DOG that

belonged to the owner of the camp.

Rushing over, she began stroking it saying, “Good boy Elsan” and proudly declared she had seen its name on its kennel near the toilet block. Trying not to laugh, I explained to her what a chemical toilet disposal point was.

MICHAEL SMITH, Nottinghamshire

OUR SON, WHO’S AT UNIVERSITY,

often calls asking for money. One time his dad answered and agreed to send him some money adding that he’d left an important course text book and he would send it to him at the same time—but our son didn’t seem too bothered about the book.

I asked my husband later how much he had sent him. “£20,” he replied.

I was surprised as that wasn't going to go very far but he explained, “I clipped the £20 to the front of the book and taped a £100 cheque on the inside cover of the book. He'll find it when he eventually opens it.”

SEREN ROBERTS, Denbighshire

SEPTEMBER 2019 • 131

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FUN AND GAMES IT PAYS TO INCREASE YOUR

Word Power

Are you smarter than a 10 year old? We’ve been saving up these words—from the Princeton Review’s Word Smart: Genius Edition test-prep guide—for our most confident quiz takers. Turn the page for answers

BY E M ILY COX & H E NRY RATH VON

1. umbrage n.—A: resentment.

8. paean n.—A: to cry out in fervent

B: bright sunshine. C: complete and utter confusion.

prayer. B: someone who is a lowly worker. C: song of praise.

2. sobriquet n.—A: somebody's

9. sangfroid n.—A: to have the air of a

nickname. B: a tight bandage. C: to barbecue coal.

snooty attitude. B: remaining cool under pressure. C: French chef.

3. feckless adj.—A: bold and daring.

10. redoubtable adj.—A: open to debate. B: famous. C: formidable.

B: clear complexion. C: weak and somewhat ineffective.

11. imprecate v.—A: accuse. B: curse.

4. bailiwick n.—A: special domain.

B: a special occasions candle.

C: dugout canoe.

C: pester or distract.

12. modicum n.—A: small portion.

B: middle path. C: a daily dosage.

5. onus n.—A: provision of proof

of residency or status. B: burden.

C: unique entity.

13. somnambulist n.—A: someone who

is known to be a sleepwalker. B: a professional hypnotiser. C: historian.

6. ductile adj.—A: of plumbing.

B: easily shaped or influenced.

C: hard to locate or define.

14. restive adj.—A: particularly

7. troglodyte n.—A: cave dweller or reclusive person. B: bird of prey.

C: know-it-all.

15. anomie n.—A: arch foe. B: an

comfortable. B: left over. C: fidgety.

undeniable feeling of mutual attraction.

C: social instability.

SEPTEMBER 2019 • 133

WORD POWER

Answers 1. umbrage—[A] resentment. Why did your team take such umbrage at being called the underdogs?

2. sobriquet—[A] nickname. Say, Paul,

how did you get the sobriquet 'Grumpy'?

3. feckless—[C] weak and

ineffective. In formal debate, “Oh, yeah?” is a rather feckless rebuttal.

4. bailiwick—[A] special domain.

“Ask me anything about grammar,” the curmudgeonly copy editor said.

“That’s my bailiwick.”

5. onus—[B] burden. “The onus,”

Mr Peterson barked, “is on your boys to fix my broken window.” or influenced. Decisive? No. Tara’s opinions are sometimes as ductile as Play-Doh.

8. paean—[C] song

of praise. Let us raise a toast and a rousing paean to Jay and Cathy’s wedding!

134

10. redoubtable—[C] formidable.

The keeper shuddered as the redoubtable Ellen White strode up to shoot.

11. imprecate—[B] curse. Before

being banished, the witch ominously threatened to imprecate the town for five generations.

12. modicum—[A] small portion.

All I ask is a modicum of cooperation with the housework.

13. somnambulist—[A] sleepwalker.

6. ductile—[B] easily shaped

7. troglodyte— [A] cave dweller or reclusive person.

I wouldn’t go so far as to call Jim a troglodyte, but he’s definitely on the shy side.

9. sangfroid—[B] coolness under pressure. With unrelenting sangfroid, Abdul remained a pro at the poker table despite the high stakes.

For a somnambulist, Lady Macbeth is rather talkative.

14. restive—[C] fidgety. Peter got so restive during the SAT, he chewed

his pencil almost to the lead.

WORD OF THE DAY* FANFARONADE: A grandiose trumpet blast, or arrogant talk Alternative suggestions: "Fanfare at the opening of the lemonade factory”

15. anomie—[C]

social instability.

Apparently there’s too much anomie in Parliament for the bill to be passed.

VOCABULARY RATINGS

“When you mistakenly apply the marmalade to your hair as a styling gel"

9 & below: Neophyte 10–12: Apprentice 13–15: Mastermind

*POST YOUR DEFINITIONS EVERY DAY AT FACEBOOK.COM/READERSDIGESTUK

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FUN & GAMES

Brainteasers Challenge yourself by solving these puzzles, then check your answers on p139

PEEKABOO

AN IMPERFECT FIT

Imagine the two-dimensional shape D is fixed in place, whereas shapes A, B and C can be rotated. D sits in a three-sided box, meaning the other shapes can be placed onto it only from above, without sticking out past it to the right or the left. One of the three cannot be placed onto D without leaving any blank space beneath it in the box.

Which one?

A

B

C

D

ARITHME-PICK

Place one of the four arithmetic operations (+, –, ×, ÷) in each box to make a correct equation. Symbols may be repeated, and you don’t have to use all four. All operations are performed from left to right, ignoring the mathematical order of operations. The result at each step must be a positive whole number. What’s the equation?

3

5

136 • SEPTEMBER 2019

4

1

2 = 33

(Peekaboo) Darren Rigby; (An Imperfect Fit) Sue Dohrin; (Arithme-pick) Fraser Simpson

Using the typeface below as a guide, can you determine what addition equation has been covered up by the yellow panels?

READER’S DIGEST

A 2 2 1 1 1 B 2 1 0 1 1 C 0 2 1 1 1 A B C D 1 0 3 2 2 1 0 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 (Crossed Letters) Fraser Simpson; (Make It Work) Roderick Kimball

3 1 0 1 1 2 0 2

CROSSED LETTERS

Place either A, B, C or D into each of the 25 empty cells so that the number of times each letter appears in a given row or column is as indicated by the numbers beside or above that row or column. Identical letters cannot be next to each other in the grid, either horizontally or vertically. Can you complete the grid?

MAKE IT WORK

Arrange the whole numbers from one to nine in a three-by-three grid so that all of the following conditions are satisfied: ✦✦ All nine numbers are used, one per cell. ✦✦ One row has a product of 30. ✦✦ The number in the lower-left corner is the sum of the numbers in the other three corners. ✦✦ There’s a row with a sum of 21. ✦✦ No even number is immediately to the left of another even number. ✦✦ No odd number is immediately below another odd number. ✦✦ There’s a column with a sum of 10.

SEPTEMBER 2019 • 137

BRAINTEASERS

CROSSWISE

Test your general knowledge.

Answers on p142

ACROSS

DOWN

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 18 20 22 23

1 2 3 4 5 6 8 14 15 16 17 19 21

24 25

Missing (6) Enormous (8) Type of lights (8) Shrink back (6) Saviour (8) Man (6) Moving to and fro (11) Austrian composer (6) Inspector (8) Light-hearted TV show (6) Person practising deception under an assumed name (8) Forced high notes (8) Tooth covering (6)

138 • SEPTEMBER 2019

Belly (7) Uneasy (8) Flowing water (6) Yes (3,5) Tapered frozen mass (6) Circumscribed (7) Supreme commander (13) Cosy (8) Abroad (8) Of local interest (7) Regimental commander (7) Charge (6) Small sword (6)

READER’S DIGEST

BRAINTEASERS: ANSWERS

Which is the odd word out?

Scant Pleasurable Ideas Appealingly Transaction Aurus Alien

PEEKABOO

AN IMPERFECT FIT

B.

A

C

0 ARITHME-PICK

3 + 5 × 4 – 1 + 2 = 33 CROSSED LETTERS

A C D C D D A C D B B C D A C A B A D A B A D B D MAKE IT WORK

5 2 3 8 7 6 9 4 1

THE FIRST CORRECT ANSWER WE PICK WINS £50!* Email excerpts@readersdigest.co.uk

ANSWER TO AUGUST’S PRIZE QUESTION

OBVIOUS AND THE £50 GOES TO… Ivan Christon, Leicester 139

FUN & GAMES

Laugh!

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

Go to readersdigest.co.uk/contact-us or facebook.com/readersdigestuk YOU DON’T GET ANY FORMAL TRAINING for being a parent. I never

got a course on hanging out with five year olds, but I have hung out with drunk girls, and it’s really pretty much the same thing.

They make you late for everything, they insist on wearing something ridiculous, and the night ends with some kind of drama about a random tiara that no one came in with.

And the car ride home is always, “Are we going to McDonald’s? Cause you said we would!”

COMEDIAN ZOE RODGERS

I KEEP SAYING THAT I’VE GOT TO

start working out. But I just don’t

Rooting For You Jack took the task of caring for the plants while his housemate was on holiday extremely seriously (via @ LaurenFrench on Twitter)

140 • SEPTEMBER 2019

have the time, which is odd. Because I do have the time to go out to dinner… And watch TV… And get a bone density test… And try to figure out what my phone number would spell in words…

COMEDIAN ELLEN DEGENERES

MEN DON’T CARE WHAT’S ON TV,

they only care what else is on TV. COMEDIAN JERRY SEINFELD

IT WOULD BE SO EMBARRASSING TRYING to explain what an appetiser

is to someone from a starving country. “Yeah, the appetiser—that’s the food we eat before we have our food. No, no, you’re thinking of

READER’S DIGEST

dessert—that’s food we have after we have our food.

We eat tons of food. Sometimes there’s so much we just stick it in a bag and bring it home. Then we throw it out the next day. Maybe give it to the dog…” COMEDIAN JIM GAFFIGAN

scooters mobile? If you buy a scooter and it’s not mobile…you have purchased a chair.

SEEN ONLINE MY FRIEND GOT A PERSONAL TRAINER A year before his wedding.

I said, “Bloody hell! How long is the aisle going to be?”

SEEN ONLINE

MY THERAPIST TELLS ME I HAVE A

preoccupation with vengeance.

We’ll see about that…

COMEDIAN ADAM HILLS

I WENT TO MY DOCTOR FOR A REFERRAL for a therapist. While I

was there he conducted a physical check up too. When he came back with the results he told me I was “technically obese”.

Basically I went to a medical professional and told them I’m sad sometimes and he replied, “And you’re fat too.” COMEDIAN DAN WILBUR MY MOTHER WANTS ME TO HELP HER BUY a mobility scooter. I think

the term “mobility” in “mobility scooter” is redundant. Aren’t all

THERE ARE ONLY TWO CONDITIONS where you’re allowed

to wake a woman up during a lie-in; it’s snowing, or the death of a celebrity. COMEDIAN MICHAEL MCINTYRE WHEN I WAS IN AMERICA I GOT REALLY into the culture. I went into

a shop and the guy said, “Have a nice day”, and I didn’t, so I sued him.

COMEDIAN MILTON JONES

I WAS BAD AT TALKING TO GIRLS AT school, even when I tried the

angle of being in a band. I’d say, “Yo, do you wanna come see my band on Friday?”

“What’s the name of your band?”

“Marching.”

COMEDIAN TIM ROSS

SEPTEMBER 2019 • 141

LAUGH

Quit While You’re Ahead Twitter users share the hilarious ways they’ve left bad jobs… @NeilaRocks: Before I left my job, I set my boss’ computer so that every time he typed his name it changed it to “I like ponies”. @KristenRose124: My coworkers and I quit as a group. We told our boss off and then left together in a limo we had waiting in the car park. @JeremyRaleyYG: My friends, dressed as FBI agents, ran into my office shouting, “We finally got you.” and chased me out the door. I never went back. @TheRealRHickey: I worked at a McDonald’s while I was in secondary school. I asked my boss for a weekend off to visit a university and they told me that I had to choose: university or McDonald’s.

I WENT TO THE DOCTOR RECENTLY AND

he told me I have hypochondria.

I said, “Not that as well!” COMEDIAN TIM VINE I THINK IT’S SAD THAT THE WORD “LEGEND” HAS been devalued from pulling

a sword out of a stone to unexpectedly returning with crisps.

COMEDIAN GARY DELANEY

I TRUST PEOPLE AS FAR AS I CAN THROW THEM. Which means I really trust babies,

and it also means people really don’t want me around their babies.

SEEN ONLINE HOW MANY PSYCHOLOGISTS DOES IT take

to change a lightbulb?

Only one, but the lightbulb has to want to change.

LUCY PESARO, Mi d d l e s e x MY EX GIRLFRIEND AND I HAD different love languages. I liked to express my feelings through words and doing of nice things.

And she liked to express her feelings to other dudes.

COMEDIAN CJ HERNANDEZ IT’S MUGGY OUTSIDE, BUT INSIDE?

It’s burglary.

COMEDIAN KEVIN L SCHWARTZ

PEOPLE WHO OWN SELFIE STICKS NEED

to take a good, long look at themselves.

COMEDIAN ABI ROBERTS

CROSSWORD ANSWERS Across: 7 Absent, 8 Galactic, 9 Northern, 10 Recoil, 11 Redeemer, 12 Geezer, 13 Oscillation, 18 Mozart, 20 Surveyor, 22 Sitcom, 23 Impostor, 24 Falsetto, 25 Enamel.

Down: 1 Abdomen, 2 Restless, 3 Stream, 4 All right, 5 Icicle, 6 Limited, 8 Generalissimo, 14 Intimate, 15 Overseas, 16 Topical, 17 Colonel, 19 Accuse, 21 Rapier.

142 • SEPTEMBER 2019

60 Stand-Up -Second

We chat to Helen and Ellie from the hilarious duo, Scummy Mummies

WHAT’S THE BEST PART OF YOUR CURRENT SHOW? Apart from our

amazing gold catsuits—it’s the Scummy Mummy confessions. Every night will be a different show because we ask every member of our audience to write something down. It could be anything from disasters on school holidays to having to wee in a nappy.

We have a big competition at the end, where we read out the best ones and crown a queen or king of scum. Yes, men are very welcome too!

WHO INSPIRES YOUR COMEDY?

Our kids are a big inspiration because family life is messy, and sometimes hard and often funny so that’s a big source of material. We also get inspiration from double acts such as French and Saunders, Mel and Sue. The funniest thing is real life, the ridiculous daily situations.

DO YOU FIND ANY PARTS OF THE COUNTRY TO BE FUNNIER THAN OTHERS? The further away from

London you get, the more appreciative the audiences are, they

get pretty excited and lairy. We did a gig in Cornwall and they partied pretty hard. At one point a fight broke out and someone in the third row threw up.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE ONELINER? Ellie’s one liner: Ikea is

actually made up of two Swedish words; Ika which means Sunday and Kea which means ruined.

IF YOU HAD A SUPERPOWER WHAT WOULD IT BE? To make everyone

quiet for a day. Or to have one hour of sleep that feels like you’ve had eight.

IF YOU COULD BE A FLY ON THE WALL, WHOSE WALL WOULD YOU BE ON? Being a fly on the wall at

Nigella Lawson’s house would be great because she makes lovely food and always looks like she has a great time with a glass of wine in tow. n The Scummy Mummies Show is touring across the UK from September 20 to December 1. Go to scummymummies.com for tickets and more information

FOR MORE, GO TO READERSDIGEST.CO.UK/INSPIRE/HUMOUR

SEPTEMBER 2019 • 143

LAUGH

Beat the Cartoonist!

In the October Issue

Louis Theroux

The man who launched a thousand memes talks about his childhood, documentary making and Jimmy Saville.

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-August.

If your entry gets the most votes, you’ll win £50.

July’s Winner Our cartoonist is doomed to spend yet another month without his crown, as his caption, “I say we boycott Japanese products,” failed to win you over.

Instead, our reader Darrell Perry won the most votes with his caption, “Since she left I just blubber all day.” Congratulations Darrell! Enter using the details above for your own chance to take the caption crown.

144 • SEPTEMBER 2019

CARTOONST: BILL HOUSTON (TOP) / RUSS EL H ERNEMAN

Submit to captions@readersdigest.co.uk or online at readersdigest.co.uk/fun-games by September 7. We’ll announce the winner in our October issue.

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