CONTENTS LIFESTYLE
COVER STORY
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Best UK beaches We’ve put together a list of the best seaside areas in the country to visit
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Spring bank holiday Our top ideas to help you get the most out of your long weekend
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May gardening guide With our handy guide we have laid it all out for you
Our latest instructions Take a look at a selection of our latest properties on the market
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Screen Free Week Some ideas to include in your downtime from screen time
About us Get to know our team a little better and see why we are your agent of choice
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World Bee Day It’s vital to raise awareness of the importance of bees
PROPERTY
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Hot interior design Now’s the time to think about your home decor, we have the latest trends for this year
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Summer skin care The sun is out, but what are the best ways to protect ourselves from its harmful rays?
The sun is out, but what are the best ways to protect ourselves from its harmful rays?
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hether it’s a long-overdue holiday to a wave-lapped tropical shore or just an afternoon in the garden, there’s nothing quite like lounging in the sun, catching a few rays. A beer, a book, a basting session, it’s what summer’s all about, right? Well, no. Because what you do in the warmer months may well dictate how you look in later years. You may feel like a sun-kissed Greek god for a couple of weeks but, in a few years, there could be wrinkles, skin discolouration and any number of problems which could be a prelude to skin cancer. Short-term gain, long-term misery.
FOOD
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Buzzingly good food Celebrate World Bee day with these wonderfully sticky honey recipes
SPORT
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The finals countdown the football season heads into its ‘business end’ with trophies on the line
WELCOME TO THE MAY ISSUE!
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he UK is slowly awakening from its imposed slumber. BBQs in the back garden with friends and family (following social distancing guidelines) are back on the cards, as are drinks in a beer garden. Non-essential shops are open again as are gyms and swimming pools. This month, with the weather heating up, we have an in-depth article about how to look after your skin in the sunshine and to tie-in we have a fantastic guide to some of the best UK beaches to visit over the summer. With the kids already having spent so much time at home this year, we have a feature full of idea for the Spring Bank Holiday, and if you are
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PROPERTY NEWS
planning DIY jobs to take advantage of the long weekend, we have a guide to the hottest summer interior design trends. May is a busy month for your garden, and we have our monthly gardening guide to help you with advice of what to plant and sow now, and we also celebrate World Bee Day with an article about its history and some buzzingly good honey recipes. It is also a busy month for sport, with finals in a whole host of competitions, so we are looking at the potential winners of the cup competitions and we also look into the importance of Screen Free Week. Jonathan Wheatley Editor
Of course, we heed all the warnings: we’re coated in sun cream from head to foot, we feel we’re well covered, and we’re not going to sit out in direct sunlight too long. But what happens? You get comfortable, the book’s too good, and because you’ve moved to a shady spot, there’s no need to cover-up or re-apply the Factor 30. Is there? Come the end of the day, though, you’ve discovered a little tenderness around the neck – it couldn’t have been anything to do with that welcoming breeze which sprang up, could it? – and your ears are burning like someone’s having a good moan about you. And yes, it was a mistake to keep a bracelet on. Experts have been warning us for years that too much exposure to the sun is a danger to the skin, not only in the peak summer months but as outdoor temperatures and daylight hours start to increase. And while sunshine brings many benefits, such as an increase in Vitamin D, too much of a good thing isn’t necessarily ideal. Vitamin D can improve brain function invigorate muscles and bone health, and lower high blood pressure while the levels of serotonin, triggered by sunlight hitting the retina, helps to improve mood, helping a person feel calmer and less stressed. And
