The Connection Magazine (Norwich) Dec '22/Jan '23 by The Connection Magazine

Connection THE

OLD CATTON

Dec ‘22/Jan ‘23

SPIXWOR TH

HORSHAM ST FAITH

WEST SPROWSTON

WIN £25 J

AR VOU ROLD CHE R

THE MAGIC OF MARY BERRY BEAUTY GIFTS FOR EVERY BUDGET FIVE PLACES TO TRAVEL SOLO FIRST DRIVE: MAZDA CX-60 RECIPE: BUTTERNUT SQUASH WREATH

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Contents 11 The magic of Mary Berry 14 Financial advise from Wensum Financial Planning 17 Competition: Win a £25 Jarrold Voucher 20 Beauty gifts for every budget 24 Book reviews: Books to give and receive 27 Favourite Christmas Carols 28 Recipe: Butternut squash wreath 30 Five places to travel solo

30 32 Wrap Christmas gifts with Love 34 Gardening: Donʼt forget the garden this winter 38 Motoring: First drive Mazda CX-60

40 General knowledge crossword

42 Local author, Stephen Giblingʼs new book

44 Beauty: Menopause, your skin and you 46 Index of Advertisers

Welcome…

The festive season is upon us again and it’s the busiest time of year for the hospitality industry and subsequently the taxi industry. If you’ve had to book a taxi in recent months you’ll know that it’s not always easy, especially at short notice. If you’ve got a night out planned then the advise from Courtesy taxis (p42) is to book in advance to avoid disappointment, finding yourself stranded after a night out is no fun, especially in the winter months.

In this edition we have the wonderful Mary Berry, her new book ’Cook and Share’ will make a great Christmas present if you know an aspiring cook or simply want some fresh meal ideas. We also have some great beauty gifts and, if you want to put an extra bit of love in wrapping your gifts, we have some great ideas on page 32. Have a wonderful Christmas & New Year and we’ll see you in 2023.

Annette

Editor 01603 466829

DEADLINE for booking an advert in the February/March edition is 6 January 2023. Email:the-connection@outlook.com Tel: 01603 466829 www.the-connection-magazine.net See page 47 for more details and a full price list.

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You must be joking! I do the cooking at home

Mary Berry, the much-loved The Great British Bake Off judge, has been teaching the nation to cook since first appearing on our TV screens in the early 1970s – and she remains as popular today as ever. Self-admittedly ‘hopeless’ by academic standards, Mary Berry studied at Bath College of Domestic Science after leaving school, and then at the Paris Le Cordon Bleu when she was 21, recalling: “I didn’t like Paris at all. I stuck it out, but it wasn’t the highlight of my time.” Born in Bath in 1935, it was in the swinging 60s that Mary landed the role of cookery editor of Housewife magazine. That same decade – in 1966 – she married Paul Hunnings but their relationship wasn’t so straightforward, with Mary admitting to Sue Perkins’ podcast, An Hour or So With, that she played the field. “Paul was the London one and I had a Bath one, actually there were several in Bath. You keep your options open.” Taking more attempts than Mary probably ever has to perfect a recipe, it eventually took Paul three proposals to succeed in getting her to say “yes” – she refused the first time because he was drunk. The couple tied the knot at Charlcombe Church, near Bath, with Mary wearing a £5 dress and revealing she made her own wedding cake. Paul and Mary had three children, two sons and a daughter. Tragically, their second-born son, William, died aged nineteen in a car crash. On The Mary Berry Show she recalled the moment police knocked on the door to tell her the news. Mary and Paul rushed immediately to the hospital. “He just looked so beautiful and so lovely, his little cold face and it was nice to say farewell.” Today, home for Mary and retired antique bookseller Paul is a four-bedroom home, with separate cottage, indoor pool and gym, in Henley, Oxfordshire. “Paul is wonderful. He is always there for me…but him do the cooking? You must be joking! I do the cooking at home and on the rare occasion I’m not well, he will

Mary Berry and her husband Paul Hunnings

always make an omelette. After two or three omelettes, I’m normally better!” With more than 80 books to her credit – her first published in 1966 – how does Mary, who was made a CBE in 2012 and the honour of Damehood in 2020, keep her classic recipes modern and relevant? “I adapt them by updating and using new ingredients, such as baking spreads, new fruits and vegetables, new grains like quinoa and puy lentils. These are all modern ingredients if you compare them to when the classics were invented.” With Christmas upon us, Mary and Paul, who have five grandchildren – son Thomas’ two girls Abby and Grace, and daughter Annabel’s three children Louise, Tobie and Atlanta – have previously told how they refuse to spoil them over the festive season. Said Mary: “We’re good at keeping to a budget and nearly always give them an experience, like sailing lessons or tennis lessons.” The couple entertain family at home for Christmas. “We always have the family over… We have a turkey with all the trimmings, fresh veg, Christmas pudding, trifle, mince pies. I love doing the cooking but we share it on Christmas Day,” said Mary.

Mary Berry’s Cook and Share is out now, published by BBC Books, priced £26, with photography by Laura Edwards. Visit maryberry.co.uk.

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Where’s the Risk ?

Where’s The Risk? Gilt or Equity By Trevor Goodbun Gilt or Equity? By Trevor Goodbun I do realise the title of this article may not be the most captivating, but bear with me because it

I do realise the title of this article may not be the think? IWhich Gilts and the groundwork for a couple of important I do realise the title of this article may not So, what But do theyou question asked one was islays which is issues I want tothe followriskier, up with. most captivating, but bear with me because it which is Equities? bethe thegroundwork most captivating, but bear with me and as usual my profession has some odd lays for a couple of important Before I go any further at the risk of telling you what you may already know, a Gilt is a loan to the because lays the up groundwork for a couple of answers to that. issues I wantitto follow with. By now I can almost hear you shouting. “For Government and Equity is what most of us would important issues I want to follow up with. Shares. goodness sake Trev we get it, logicallycall you would Despite what us that’s would consider the Before I go any further at the risk of telling you think Gilts were the most safestofbut obviously Now let me ask you a question? Before I go already any further of telling blindingly obvious, on one measure of risk often what you may know,ata the Gilt risk is a loan to the younot the case.” Which of these two investments is the riskier? what you may already know, a Gilt is awould loan to used in my world Gilts over this period would Government and Equity is what most of us An investment in UK Gilts or UK Equities. Government and Equity is what most of usAs youhave riskorbecause they have callthe Shares. may the havelower guessed even know the Bluebeen less youRed, answer that let me give you an extra would call Shares. line involatile. the chart is the UK gilts andBefore the bit of information, the first UK Gilt was issued in Now let me ask you a question? Equity. 1694 (not surprisingly for the time , it was issued

Now let me ask you a question. Which of these

raise money to fund a war with France!) and I don’t know what you think, tothe but my mind UK to is one of the few countries in the world to

Before you answer that let me give you an extra

Equities.

Which these two investments is the never defaulted on its debt. But the question I asked was which is have the riskier, two of investments is the riskier? An riskier? investment in that’s plainly a nonsense and what the chart and as usual show, my profession has as some odd UK Gilts or UK Equities? doesn’t is that as well not performing So, what do you think, Gilts or Equity? An investment in UK Gilts or UK Equities. answers that. as to well the Gilts had bigger falls ingive value thanclue. the Let me you another The chart below shows how UK Gilts and Equities (UK all Share)

Investment Association Sectors have performed Before you answer that let me give you an extra Despite what most of us would consider the over the last two years bit of information, the first UK Gilt was issued in bit of information, the first UK Gilt was issued in blindingly obvious, measure of riskbut often 1694 (not surprisingly for the time , it was issued I won’t bore on youone with the details, oddly 1694 (not surprisingly for the time , it was issued used in my world Gilts over this period would to raise money to fund a war with France!) and enough an investment can be less volatile than to raise money to fund a war with France!) and have the lower risk because they have been less the UK is one of the few countries in the world another and yet still have a bigger falls in value. the UK is one of the few countries in the world to volatile. to have defaulted on its debt. So, what is the point of this? There are two have nevernever defaulted on its debt. I wantyou to cover I don’taspects know what think, in butfuture to myarticles, mind what think, or Equity? one is the many types of risk need Trevor Goodbun, is theto author of Plan A Secure Retirem So,So, what do do youyou think, GiltsGilts or Equity? that’s plainly a nonsense and whatthat the chart Financial P beshow, considered what is the doesn’t is that asand wellsecondly as not performing as give you another clue. chart below well the consequence for your pension for the recent LetLet meme give you another clue. TheThe chart below Gilts had bigger falls in value than the shows how UKUK Gilts andand Equities (UK(UK all Share) shows how Gilts Equities all Share)Equities. relative performance of Gilts and Equities. Investment Association Sectors havehave performed Investment Association Sectors performed over thethe lastlast twotwo years over years This is the in my of taking tax free I won’t bore youlast with theseries details, but oddly enough an from investment can be less cash your pension, andvolatile if you than recall the another yet still is, have a bigger in value. keyand question what is thefalls catch? And in the

majority of circumstances, there isn’t one.

So, what do you think? Which one is Gilts and

So, what is the point of this? There are two aspects I want to cover in future articles, one is the many types of risk that need to be considered and secondly what is the consequence for your pension for the recent relative performance of Gilts and Equities.

Trevor Goodbun, is the author of Plan A Secure Retirement, published by Hodder, and a partner at Wensum which is Equities? By now I can almost hear you Financial Planning Trevor Goodbun is the author of Plan a Secure

shouting. “For goodness sake Trev we get it, logically you would think Gilts were the safest but that’s obviously not the case.”

Retirement published by Hodder and is a partner at Wensum Financial Planning

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As you may have guessed, or even know, the Blue line in the chart is the UK gilts and the Red, Equity.

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BOOKS TO GIVE AND RECEIVE

By Kate Duggan

Demon Copperhead – Barbara Kingsolver Demon Copperhead looks set to cement Barbara Kingsolver’s reputation as one of the best authors of our time. In this modern-day reimaging of Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield, the ‘Demon’ of the title is born to a single, drug-addicted mother in poverty-stricken Virginia. At every turn, the odds are stacked against him, from the broken care system to the lack of job opportunities and his own sense of worth. Raw, angry, starkly beautiful, this book is an absolute masterpiece. Good Comfort – Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Healthy recipes tend to focus on what to leave out – whether the focus is on cutting carbs, ditching meat or reducing fat. With Good Comfort, the focus is on what to add to make a meal or snack more nutritious (and more delicious). Think lamb tagine with apricots and chickpeas, pork ribs with fennel slaw, and hot chocolate with raw cacao powder, oak milk, brown sugar and cardamom pods. The Paper Palace – Miranda Cowley Heller Not a new one this, but if you haven’t read it yet, The Paper Palace is definitely worth adding to your wish list. An unexpected passionate liaison with a childhood friend sees Elle looking back over her life and the decisions she made along the way. Tragedy, romance and family dynamics all combine to make this a cracking story. Perfect for curling up with on Boxing Day. Woman of Light – Kali Fajardo-Anstine In 1930s Denver, Luz and her brother Diego are battling poverty in a city that needs but doesn’t want them. The pair are expected to keep their heads down and comply, while the Ku Klux Klan has free reign to march against them. When Diego is forced to flee the city, Luz’s visions recall the family history that brought them to Denver. Rich, evocative, with characters that leap out of the page, Woman of Light is a short but highly satisfying read. The Big Christmas Bake – Fiona Barker and Pippa Curnick This sweet little children’s book takes inspiration from the Twelve Days of Christmas song. On each day, animals (from the traditional partridge to dancing hippos) bring one ingredient to make a very special cake. Colourful illustrations and amusing rhymes mean this book could well turn into a new Christmas favourite. Plus, there’s a recipe at the end so families can make their own twelfth night cake. Queen of Our Times: The Life of Elizabeth II – Robert Hardman Published before her death, Queen of Our Times provides a fascinating insight into our longest-reigning monarch. Incredibly detailed and impeccably researched, this book is a must for biography fans, history lovers and royalists alike. You’ll read insights from people who knew the Queen well, including former world leaders, and be treated to a range of black and white and colour photographs from throughout the Queen’s life.

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Favourite SILENT NIGHT Silent Night originated in the village of Oberndorf in the Austrian mountains. The story goes that the day before Christmas Eve in 1818, Father Joseph Mohr, pastor of Saint Nicholas church, discovered that the church organ was broken. Taking a verse he had written two years previously he travelled through the snow to his friend Franz Gruber, a school teacher and musician, and Gruber set it to music. At midnight mass, Father Mohr and Gruber, accompanied only by Gruber’s guitar, sang “Silent Night, Holy Night” for the first time. The song was sung simultaneously in English and German by troops during the WW1 Christmas truce of 1914. O HOLY NIGHT Listeners to Classic FM have consistently voted O Holy Night to be their favourite Christmas carol. Originally based on a French-language poem written in 1843, with the first line “Minuit, chrétiens! c’est l’heure solennelle” (Midnight, Christians, is the solemn hour), was set to music by composer Adolphe Adam in 1847. The carol reflects on the birth of Jesus as humanity’s redemption.

The Silent Night Chapel in Oberndorf, Credit Gakuro, CC BY-SA 3.0

IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER Based on a poem by the English poet Christina Rossetti, this carol was written sometime before 1872 in response to a magazine request for a Christmas poem. The poem became recognised as a carol after it appeared in The English Hymnal in 1906, with music by Gustav Holst.

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These colourful puff pastry wreaths are easier to assemble than they look and make a fabulous centrepiece for Christmas Day lunch or dinner. Roll out the pastry trimmings to make ‘stars’ to decorate the tops Makes 2 (serves 4-6) Preparation time 30 minutes Cooking time 50-60 minutes Ingredients • 900g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into small cubes • 2 red onions, peeled and thinly sliced • 2 tbsp olive oil • 2 tbsp maple syrup • 4 unpeeled whole garlic cloves • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • 2 x 375g packs of ready-rolled puff pastry • 100g baby spinach leaves • 85g shelled pistachios • 1 red chilli, deseeded and diced • 100g grated Cheddar cheese • 4 tsp green pesto • 4 tsp cranberry sauce • 1 medium free-range egg, beaten Method 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C / fan 180°C / gas mark 6. Line 2 baking trays with baking parchment. 2. Place the squash and red onions on 2 other baking trays and drizzle with the olive oil and maple syrup. Tuck the garlic cloves in between, season lightly with salt and pepper and roast in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until tender and starting to caramelise. 3. Meanwhile, roll out the pastry sheets, if necessary, until they are about 6mm thick and big enough to cut a large round from. Place each one on a lined baking tray. Using a 27cm flan tin or a dinner plate as a guide, place it on top of each pastry sheet and cut round it to make a large circle. Set aside the pastry trimmings. Next, use a smaller plate to lightly score out an inner circle in the centre of each round. Use a sharp knife to cut through the pastry of the inner circle, first lengthways, then widthways, and again through the quarters to create 8 sections.

4. Squeeze the garlic out of the skins and stir into the hot roasted squash and onion mixture. Add the spinach and leave it to wilt slightly and soften. Place spoonfuls of the mixture in a ring around each pastry disc, avoiding the outer edge and the central star. Sprinkle with the pistachios, chilli and grated cheese. Drizzle alternately with pesto and cranberry sauce around the ring on top. 5. Work your way round each disc, raising the outer edge a little and pulling the point of each cut inner section over the filling towards the pastry edge. Pinch them together with your fingers to seal. 6. Lightly brush the pastry with beaten egg and, if using, attach some pastry stars with a little more beaten egg. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until puffed up, crisp and golden brown. Recipe extracted from The Veggie Christmas Cookbook by Heather Thomas, published by HarperNonFiction, £12.99 hardback, with photography by Joff Lee.

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While once the prospect of exploring a new country alone would terrify most of us, nowadays solo travel carries with it a strange allure, infused with ideas of adventure and personal growth. Films like ‘The Beach’ and ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ have paved the way for this growing trend and the travel industry has followed suit. In 2022, the world is more geared towards solo travel than ever before, with many package holidays

and hotels designed specifically with the lone traveller in mind. But what are the benefits? Firstly, it’s so much easier to meet new and interesting people. However, if you’re looking for time by yourself too, there’s nothing like a spot of solo travel to help you on your journey of self-discovery. While the world is your oyster when it comes to travelling alone, here are five of our top picks.

Ireland Ireland is the perfect place to start if you’re new to solo travel. With many of the home comforts we’re familiar with in the UK, including the language, this is a country that’s famous for the welcome it extends to strangers. Pull up a stool in a traditional Irish pub, offer to buy your neighbour a pint and you’ll have a friend for life – or at least the evening. What’s more, Ireland’s stunning breadth of nature leaves you plenty of room for self-reflection. Thailand Thailand’s tropical beaches are a stalwart of Asia’s backpacking route. With good transport options and international cuisine, it’s one of the best places to start a well-trodden solo adventure around South-East Asia. Plus, it’s not known as ‘the land of smiles’ for nothing! The people of Thailand are, for the most part, warm and welcoming towards foreign visitors and will often go out of their way to help you out. New Zealand If you’re nervous about the safety aspect of travelling solo, New Zealand will certainly put you at ease. Kiwis will tell you their country is one of the safest in the world, but it’s the dazzling landscapes, buzzing towns and cities and friendly people that truly make New Zealand a mecca for solo travel. Popular with backpackers, outdoor enthusiasts and thrill-seekers, the country is one of the best places to meet fellow, like-minded travellers.

Indonesia The setting for one third of Elizabeth Gilbert’s solo travel memoir ‘Eat, Pray, Love’, there’s no denying that Indonesia has a special magic. If a spiritual and artistic awakening is what you seek, Bali’s popular town of Ubud is a good place to start. It’s where Elizabeth Gilbert found love and true peace, and it remains a wonderfully laid-back place for solo travellers to relax, reflect and recharge. Costa Rica US solo travellers have been heading to Costa Rica for years, and now Europeans are finally catching on. As the world’s greenest, most biodiverse country, it also has a reputation for being one of the happiest countries in the world – and it’s easy to see why. From white-water rafting down rivers to zip-lining through gorgeous rainforests, Costa Rica is packed with outdoor activities to please your adventurous spirit.

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Mon 2nd Jan Jack & The Beanstalk London Palladium Coach only £30 6.30am £75 Sun 15th Jan Harry Potter Studio Tour 8.30am £81A/£71C Sun 22nd Jan Strictly On Tour! 7.30am £100

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Show how much you care by wrapping every Christmas gift with loving attention to detail. Create your own eco-friendly cards and wrap using a specially designed rubber stamp. Merry Christmas calligraphy script rubber stamp, £11, skullandcrossbuns.com.

Fair Isle Christmas wrapping paper, from £9.95 for ﬁve sheets, nancyandbetty.com.

Beautifully presented • With a little preparation you can achieve impressive results, especially if you are able to set some time aside so you don’t need to rush. First, plenty of wrap – rolls or sheets of printed or plain paper, or perhaps something unusual such as old maps, foreign newspapers or comics. Then select tags and embellishments, and think about tape – conventional sticky tape is, after all, a single-use plastic, so you might want to consider string, biodegradable paper tape or decorative Japanese washi tape. Finally, ﬁnd a large, ﬂat surface and grab a pair of sharp scissors.

Furoshiki are traditional Japanese wrapping cloths, used for gifts or for transporting goods. Joy of Print x Tori Murphy Diamond Star and Spruce tea towels, £32 each, torimurphy.com.

In softest rose, this velvet ribbon with a delicate gold edge offers a touch of old-world luxury. Velvet ribbon in rose gold, £12.50, coxandcox.co.uk.

• For awkwardly shaped items, gift boxes save time and effort, and help create a professional, symmetrical look, with crisply turned corners. Sacks are great for larger presents, while gift bags, of course, are perfect for festive bottles of wine and spirits.

This sweet selection is from Wilko’s Winter Fables range, wilko.com.

• With the basics done, add coordinating ribbons, tags and festive charms. A wide ribbon looks beautiful when layered with a contrasting slim one, while complementary colours and textures (such as velvet with satin) look great, too. For a display of presents in a group, you could tie some bows in the centre and others to the side, leaving a few plain bands without a bow. For an understated, natural look, rafﬁa or jute string are gorgeous. Finish with a gift tag and a pretty charm: perhaps a tiny pine cone, an evergreen sprig from the garden, a small bauble or a slice of dried orange.

By Katherine Sorrell

Wrapping presents in coordinating colours always creates a good-looking group. This selection is from John Lewis’s Winter Fayre range, johnlewis.com.

A pretty and practical way to wrap all kinds of presents. Set of three gift envelopes, £7, curatedliving.co.uk.

Simple and stylish, this ribbon will instantly up your wrapping game. Gold-leaf Christmas ribbon (3m), £2.99, gingerray.co.uk.

This original design has a beautiful, hand-printed quality and uses sustainable paper and ink. Dancing trees wrapping paper, £2.75, and gift card, £4.50 for six, both cambridgeimprint.co.uk.

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Christmas tree growing outdoors

A rewarding and warming task at this time is to add compost on beds to form a mulch, provided the soil is not frozen. Ensure the soil is damp and this will help to keep roots warm and lock in a little moisture ready for potential drought in the future. It will transform the look of your beds and make you feel good too. Winter pruning It’s also a perfect time to prune woody species such as acers, figs, vines and deciduous shrubs, before the sap starts rising. Pruning is carried out in order to remove dead, damaged or diseased parts and to control the growth of something that might be a little too large for the space it occupies. It is also the best way to define the shape of a plant, and at the right time of year pruning will help to create flowering and fruiting branches for the next season. Not everything should be pruned at the same time, however. Plum trees and other prunus species, for example, should never be pruned during winter because it increases the risk of Home made mulch

silver leaf disease. Spring flowering shrubs should be pruned in late June or early summer just after flowering – otherwise, their flowering shoots will be removed. Many plants will benefit from being pruned around August when their growth has slowed, but evergreen shrubs tend to grow best when they are pruned in spring, just at the beginning of the growing season. In the past, a fresh cut on a tree or shrub would be sealed using pruning paint. We now know that pruning at the correct time of year allows a cut to heal naturally and this is preferable. A great symbol of Christmas One of the many symbols of the season that we all love is the fresh Christmas tree - it is never adequately replaced with plastic. The Norway spruce was once the traditional British choice but because it has a tendency to drop its needles, it has been nudged down the popularity chart by ‘non-drop’ varieties. The blue spruce, as it is known, generally holds onto its spiny needles until the end of festivities and beyond. The Douglas fir is also a good choice because it also holds its needles well – although it can be rather expensive. Undoubtedly, the bestselling tree of the ‘non-drop’ variety is the Nordmann fir (Abies nordmanniana). This fast-grower can reach heights of up to 30m in the wild, so it’s perhaps best not to plant it outside the kitchen door once it has done its duty indoors. Of course, there is no point in planting a tree that has been cut from its rootstock. But containergrown or trees freshly dug from the field can often transplant rather splendidly. Bear this in mind when you are making your choice.

By Caroline Knight: Gardendesignideas.co.uk

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Mazda is launching its new range-topping CX-60 with the brand’s first plug-in hybrid setup. Jack Evans heads to Lisbon to try it out. What is it? The CX-60 is Mazda’s first plug-in hybrid and indicates a new direction for the firm, putting more emphasis on battery assistance than before. But with a high-tech interior and a smart new design, it’s more than just a new engine. So let’s take a closer look. What’s new? There’s a lot of fresh new features to talk about here. Apart from the plug-in hybrid setup there are cool touches such as facial recognition that’ll automatically adjust your seat to the ‘perfect’ position. The CX-60 will also be available with straight-six petrol and diesel engine options further down the line, giving a choice for those who don’t want a plug-in hybrid. Today, however, we’ve got our focus squarely on the battery-assisted version. What’s under the bonnet? The plug-in hybrid CX-60 combines a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor for a total output of 323bhp – making it Mazda’s most powerful production car. Plus, with a 17.8kWh battery, you should get up to 39 miles of EV-only range, with a full charge taking around four hours via a 7.2kW home wall box. It’s punchy in terms of performance, too, with the predominately rear-driven CX-60 giving 0-60mph in 5.6 seconds with a top speed of 124mph. But the real focus is on efficiency, with Mazda claiming an impressive 188mpg as well as seriously low CO2 emissions of 33g/km – so it’ll be a smart choice for business users. Plus, the CX-60 is rated to tow 2.5 tonnes, making it one of the better plug-in hybrids in terms of this ability.

What’s it like to drive? The CX-60 – even the pre-production model we tested – drove very well, with the refined powertrain favouring EV power when left to its own devices. The steering, as we’d expect from Mazda, is spot-on, with decent weight and accuracy. It’s backed by great body control, too, with the suspension being both supportive and comfortable. It’s also very well insulated from external sounds, with wind and road noise both kept from entering the cabin. The seven-speed automatic gearbox felt a little jerky on downshifts, however, while the brakes could’ve done with a little added bite – but we expect these to be resolved in the production car. How does it look? The CX-60 is definitely recognisable as a Mazda but with some nice new touches to make it stand out from the crowd, such as the ‘PHEV’ logos on the flanks and the large, imposing grille. It’s physically quite a large car, too, but the variety of creases and angles disguise its overall heft. The whole car has also been designed to showcase that predominantly rear-driven setup – though it does run in four-wheel-drive too – with the CX-60’s overall stance appearing to push from the back of the car. What’s it like inside? Mazda has applied new materials to its CX-60, with other specifications of cars available with a kimono-style fabric on the dashboard. Our car had a pretty conventional rubber-effect dash, highlighted with some pleasant metal-effect pieces. In terms of spaciousness, it’s all good news up front with a nice seating position for both driver and passenger. However, in the rear things get a little tighter; head and foot space is great, but knee room is quite compromised for a car of this size.

Thankfully, boot space is pretty much on a par with rivals, as the batteries have been mounted low in the car, away from the storage area. So you get a decent 570 litres as standard, or 1,726 litres with the rear seats folded down. What’s the spec like? Mazda has a really good reputation when it comes to value for money and although the CX-60 represents quite the premium compared to its other cars, it still does well for equipment. Prices start from £43,950 and for that you get 18-inch alloy wheels as standard, as well as automatic LED headlights and a whole variety of safety assistance systems. In terms of technology, there’s a new 12.3-inch infotainment system incorporating both wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It’s a decent system, but lacks touchscreen control – utilising a rotary dial instead – which is fine for the in-house features, but is more annoying when you’re using those smartphone integration systems. Verdict The CX-60 feels like a sign of good things to come from Mazda. It sparks off a whole new range of hybrids and plug-in hybrids, so really

is paving the way for a new era from the firm. Does it elevate things considerably over cars like the CX-5? In terms of powertrain, yes, and it will no doubt appeal to those who can take advantage of the cost savings that an efficient plug-in hybrid like this brings. It’s a shame, however, that it isn’t slightly more spacious in the rear – particularly given its overall size – and this does limit its appeal practicality-wise. It doesn’t move the game on much compared with rivals, but it’s definitely a fitting addition to the Mazda range.

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Answers on page 46

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE CROSSWORD

Across 1. Similar things placed in order (6) 7. Note in music equal to half a minim (8) 8. Bluish-white metallic element (4) 10. Animal hunted for food or sport (4) 11. Fortified wine mainly from southern Spain (6) 12. City in western Germany (5) 14. Nasal opening (7) 17. Daybook (7) 18. Celtic language (5) 21. Collection of star systems (6) 23. Former communist country (inits) (4) 25. Fourth planet from the sun (4) 26. International ___, imaginary boundary which separates time zones (4,4) 27. Alloy of tin and lead (6) Down 1. Make a sound like frying fat (6) 2. One step of a ladder (4)

3. 4. 5. 6. 9. 13. 15. 16. 19. 20. 22. 24.

Fastener with a threaded shank (5) Firearm missile aimed at an easy or casual target (3,4) Measure of land (4) Accidental collision that is narrowly avoided (4,4) Occupation for which one is trained (6) Person who hides aboard a ship (8) Belief in the existence of God (6) Large green long-horned grasshopper of North America (7) Member of a European light cavalry unit, renowned for elegant dress (6) Drink of bourbon and sugar and mint over crushed ice (5) Expression used at the end of a prayer (4) Flat floating platform for swimmers (4)

LOCAL AUTHOR’S NEW BOOK Local author, Stephen Gibling has had a busy few years, his previous published books ‘The Plastic People of Plastic Town’ and ‘The Dinosaur Family of Dino Town’ are being followed by a third book in the series ‘The Pirate Family of Pirate Town’ which is currently being illustrated. In the meantime Stephen has been busy with his latest creation ‘Rowan’s Imaginary Adventures’. It’s the first in a series of adventure stories featuring a young boy named Rowan. “Rowan is just an ordinary boy. He likes reading books and playing with his toys, and

he likes daydreaming about going on adventures to places he’s read about. But Rowan’s imagination is different. When he daydreams about places, he goes there! One day, whilst playing with his toy dinosaurs, Rowan starts to feel a little sleepy. And the next thing he knows, he’s back in the time of the dinosaurs. Looking around, he can see plants, animals and … a stegosaurus! And that isn’t his only adventure. He meets pirates, cowboys, cavemen and astronauts as well! Let’s just hope that he manages to get back home without any

trouble. Not everyone and everything he meets is friendly.” Rowan’s Imaginary Adventures is available to order through most bookshops. It’s also available online from the publisher’s website: Pegasus Publishers - Stephen Gibling and from Amazon, eBay and numerous other on-line sellers. RRP £4.99

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Crossword Answers:

Across: 1 Series, 7 Crotchet, 8 Zinc, 10 Game, 11 Sherry, 12 Essen, 14 Nostril, 17 Journal, 18 Welsh, 21 Galaxy, 23 USSR, 25 Mars, 26 Date Line, 27 Pewter. Down: 1 Sizzle, 2 Rung, 3 Screw, 4 Pot shot, 5 Acre, 6 Near miss, 9 Career, 13 Stowaway, 15 Theism, 16 Katydid, 19 Hussar, 20 Julep, 22 Amen, 24 Raft. Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without the permission of The Connection Magazine. Although The Connection has endeavoured to ensure that all information inside the magazine is correct, details, prices, dates and times may be subject to change. The Connection cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions or endorse products or services that appear in this magazine.

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