R E A D E R S

D I G E S T
JULY 2016

Summer

|
S M A L L
Is Here!
Best of British:

A N D
Campsites PAGE 66
Crazy Festivals

P E R F E C T LY
PAGE 102

Photo Competition
PAGE 63

Gatherings for

I N F O R M E D
the Godless
PAGE 78

Fern Britton
Looks Back
|

PAGE 30
J U LY

readersdigest.co.uk
2 0 1 6

JULY 2016 3.79

 Contents JULY 2016

66
features
p
14 Its a manns world
Olly Mann discovers the trials
and tribulations of holidaying
with a baby

Entertainment
24 MADS MIKKELSEN
interview
The Danish actor on why
he never shies away from a
good story

30 I remember:
FERN BRITTON
The broadcaster and novelist
discusses the highs and lows
of her long career 66 BEST OF BRITISH:
CAMPSITES
Health Get back to nature in these
38 OUR GUT REACTIONS magnificent locations
Why trillions of bacteria
are essential to our health 78 SUNDAY ASSEMBLY

Why a former comedian is
56 SHINGLES: NASTY on a mission to bring church
& DANGEROUS
Cover illustrati on: Coli n Elgie

to the godless
One in three adults over 50
will develop this condition Travel & Adventure
heres what to do 88 FOOD FOR THE SOUL
The secrets of the best
Inspire traditional cuisine in Lyon
63 summer happiness
PHOTO COMPETITION 102 CRAZY FESTIVALS
Send your snaps for a chance Discover the most unusual
to win a high-end camera! events around the globe

photo by Chris Macrow 072016 | 1|

IN EVERY ISSUE editors letter

7 Over to You with summer well

10 See the World Differently
and truly underway,
Entertainment weve given this months
19 Julys cultural highlights
issue a sun-kissed feel.
Health As well as investigating
46 Advice: Susannah Hickling
the best places to set
52 Column: Dr Max Pemberton
up camp for all you outdoorsy types
Inspire
(p66), weve also identified some
74 If I Ruled the World:
Michael Foley of the most unusual festivals taking
place all around the world on p102.
Travel & Adventure
98 Column: Cathy Adams Of course, summer means different
things to different people, so we want
Money
110 Column: Andy Webb you to share your happy memories
with us for our photo competition
Food & Drink
114 Tasty recipes and ideas it could win you a brand new camera!
from Rachel Walker Turn to p63 for details.
Home & Garden Getting back to nature, it turns
118 Column: Lynda Clark out, is even more healthy for us than
Technology we knew. Our modern-day obsession
120 Olly Manns gadgets with cleanliness, as outlined on p38,
Fashion & Beauty could be destroying the very bacteria
122 Georgina Yates on how to we rely on for our well-being. But
look your best if youd still rather relax indoors with
Books a nice cup of tea, you could do worse
124 July Fiction: James Waltons than attend a Sunday Assembly,
recommended reads which aims to bring the community
129 Books That Changed My Life:
spirit of church to a wider audience
Tom Holland
learn about it on p78.
Fun & Games
Happy holidays!
130 You Couldnt Make It Up
133 Word Power
136 Brain Teasers
140 Laugh!
143 Beat the Cartoonist Tom Browne
144 60-Second Stand-Up: [email protected]
Sara Pascoe facebook.com/readersdigestuk
twitter.com/readersdigestuk
pinterest.com/rdigestuk
google.com/+ReadersDigestUK1

2 | 072016 Readers Digest is published in 31 editions in 15 languages

 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Tom Browne CEO Gary Hopkins
ASSISTANT EDITOR Fiona Hicks CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Julie Leach
DIGITAL EDITOR Mandi Goodier PARTNERSHIPS MANAGER Maggie Champion
ASSISTANT DIGITAL EDITOR Anna Walker
ART DIRECTOR Yvey Bailey TRUSTED MEDIA BRANDS INC (USA)
President and Chief Executive Officer
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Richard Cooke Bonnie Kintzer
Katie Johnson
Vice President, Chief Operating Officer,
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Simon Fulton International Brian Kennedy
[email protected] Editor-in-Chief, International Magazines
0203 701 5936 Raimo Moysa

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT DIRECTOR Mike Allen

[email protected] For all subscriber enquiries, please
0203 701 5935 use the customer services number below

WRITE TO US! SEND US YOUR STORIES,

JOKES AND LETTERS OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE
WE PAY... CUSTOMER SERVICES
50 for the star letter and Contact Customer Services for renewals,
30 for regular letters. gifts, address changes, payments, account
Email readersletters@readers information and all other enquiries.
digest.co.uk or go to readers Call 0330 333 2220* or email
digest.co.uk/contact-us [email protected]

WE ALSO PAY... TALKING MAGAZINES

50 for the true stories, anecdotes, Readers Digest is also available in audio
jokes in Laugh! and You Couldnt Make and accessible etext editions from RNIB
It Up, and contributions to end-of- Newsagent, for blind and partially sighted
article fillers and My Great Escape. readers. Call the RNIB Helpline on 0303
Email [email protected] or 123 9999 or visit rnib.org.uk/newsagent
go to readersdigest.co.uk/contact-us
SUBSCRIPTIONS
SORRY! Visit readersdigest.co.uk or write to:
We cannot acknowledge or return Readers Digest, PO Box 7853, Ringwood
unpublished items or unsolicited BH24 9FH. UK: 45.48 a year. Republic
article-length manuscripts. Do not send of Ireland: 61.20 a year. Prices include
SAEs. Article-length stories, poetry delivery. For gift subscriptions, contact
and cartoons are not requested. Customer Services.

SMALL PRINT: Ensure submissions are not previously published. Include your name, email, address
and daytime phone number with all correspondence. We may edit letters and use them in all print and
electronic media. Contributions used become world copyright of Vivat Direct Ltd (t/a Readers Digest).

PAPER FROM SUSTAINABLE FORESTS. PLEASE RECYCLE 2016 Vivat Direct Ltd (t/a Readers Digest). British Readers Digest is published by Vivat Direct
Ltd, 57 Margaret Street, London W1W 8SJ. All rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction in any manner, in whole or part, in English or other languages, is
prohibited. Readers Digest is a trademark owned and under license from Trusted Media Brands, Inc, and is registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
All rights reserved. Printed by Pindar Scarborough Limited. Newstrade distribution by Seymour Distribution Limited.

*Calls to 03 numbers cost no more than a national rate call to an 01 or 02 number and will be
4 | 072016 free if you have inclusive minutes from any type of line including mobile, BT or other fixed line
 readersdigest.co.uk GENIUS ACTS
OF VANDALISM
We couldnt walk
past these cheeky bits
of street art without
a smile on our faces.

The Perfect Summer Barbecue

Whip out the tongs and wipe down the grillits
barbecue season again! Theres no better way to
spend a sunny summers day than grilling up a
storm with family, friends and slightly-charred-but-
still-delicious food. Whether youre looking to cook
the perfect sausages, mix up tasty cocktails or create
delectable veggie burgers, weve got your summer
JO M ILLINGTON/SHUTTERSTOCK / 20TH CEN TURY FOX

barbecue covered at readersdigest.co.uk/BBQ

Having Fun with Ed and Patsy

Absolutely Fabulous:
The Movie graces silver
screens from July 1 as
Patsy and Edina create
a media frenzy when
they accidentally kill
supermodel Kate Moss.
Were getting our glam on at readersdigest.co.uk/ See the full gallery at
celebrities with Joanna Lumleys life in pictures and readersdigest.co.uk/
Jennifer Saunders finest comedy moments. laugh

twitter.com/readersdigestuk facebook.com/readersdigestuk pinterest.com/rdigestuk google.com/+ReadersDigestUK1

FOR MORE, GO TO READERSDIGEST.CO.UK 072016 | 5|

 Over to You
LETTERS ON THE MAY ISSUE
We pay 50 for Letter of the Month and 30 for all others

LETTER OF
THE MONTH...
Lynne Wallis could have been
writing about my husband,
whos been a firefighter since
he was 18, in I Wouldnt
Want To Do Anything Else.
He recently retired, but after
six months he joined a local
retained fire station. Retained
crews are called up to attend
the full range of incidents,
including fires, floods, road-traffic collisions, chemical spills and more.
My husband loves his job. Its all about being able to handle something
when everyone elses lives are in chaos, and helping those in need regardless
of the risk to himself. Its knowing someone is still alive today or their house
is still standing because he was able to be their angel during their day of
need. Thats the greatest part of his jobno thanks needed. Id like to thank
Readers Digest, however, for a superb article. RIA HARDING, C a m b r i d g e s h i r e

PIER-LESS FUN parents hands tightly, as I was

I enjoyed Best of British: Piers convinced it was possible for me
as it reminded me of my childhood to slip through the wooden slats
summer holidays. Every year wed and end up in the murky sea
cross the border into Lancashire below. I still enjoy a walk along
and enjoy a week of fun in Blackpool, the Blackpool piers with my own
which boasts not one but three growing familybut these days
marvellous piers. Im more concerned with getting
I have so many fond memories my heel caught in the slats and
of walking along the South, Central taking an embarrassing tumble!
and North piers. Id always grip my MELANIE LODGE, Yo r k s h i r e

072016 | 7 |
READERS DIGEST 

GRATEFUL FOR GRATITUDE money for a healthier planet? This

Many thanks for printing Lisa Fields would be a win-win situation.
The Power of Gratitudeit was a  SUE WATT, Fi f e
real tonic. After major heart surgery,
I spent a week in the ward recalling AN EYE-OPENER
all the great people Id met during Lucy Worsleys idea in If I Ruled
40 years of working life and planning the World to encourage young
a thanksgiving for them. Im sure it children to see museum visits as
speeded up my recovery. part of their daily lives is a wonderful
Its also worth thanking people one. At the moment, children spend
who are providing a public service far too much time inside on laptops
thats not done for you personally and social media. Seeing the real
such as stopping to thank people thing brings history alive far better
sweeping the street or tending a than a cartoonand kids gain so
park. Besides expressing gratitude, much from it.
I also find donating to charitable Weve just spent a brilliant day in
causes makes me happier. London visiting the British Museum.
 JOHN GOODCHILD, L i v e r p o o l Its free and our 12-year-old foster
child couldnt stop taking pictures to
STEPS AHEAD show her teacher. She was enthralled
I found the article One Step at a by everything she saw.
Time really interesting. I loved the  JOANNE AITCH, W i r ra l
idea of installing the Pavegen tiles
at marathon races, which have a SPIFFY DRESSER
huge footfall. The figures quoted for Thank you for the excellent I
the Paris marathon were impressive Remember feature with Nicholas
and I found myself wondering what Parsons. Some years ago, I was a
would happen if tiles were installed guest at a Headway charity luncheon
at the finish line of every marathon where he was also a guest. My lasting
in the UK. impression is that of an immaculate
Many people run marathons in gentleman with a perfectly tailored
aid of a charity, sometimes raising suit. Hes certainly the best-dressed
large sums of money in the process. man Ive even seen!
Could this be extended to raising  MICHAEL PHILLIPS, L e i c e s t e r s h i r e

Send letters to [email protected] WE WANT

Please include your full name, address, email and daytime phone number. TO HEAR
We may edit letters and use them in all print and electronic media. FROM
YOU!
8 | 072016
 High performance cordless pet vacuum

Introducing the new Gtech

AirRam K9 our best ever vacuum
We all dearly love our four legged friends, but cleaning up after them
makes vacuuming even more of a chore. Stubborn hair embedded in
the carpet, the brush bar choked up not to mention the smell.
The cordless AirRam K9 is the 4x4 upgrade All the great features of the
of the original AirRam, complete with extra original AirRam
tough features. Designed not only for great Added to that are all the great features
cleaning performance, but to withstand the
that have made the Gtech AirRam so
extra strain pet hair can place on a vacuum
popular: Mains powered upright vacuum
cleaner clogging the mechanism and
performance; Lightweight (3.8kg);
making it wear out faster.
40 minutes run-time*; 4-hour charge-time;
Tougher one button simplicity and easy one-click
AirRam K9 is specially designed to lift assembly.
embedded hair from carpet fibres, but Power, performance, simplicity
minimise the amount of hair that gets
Without the weight or cord holding you
wrapped around the brush-bar, so less
cleaning for you. back, you can glide from carpet to hard-floor
without stopping, unplugging or changing
Stronger any settings.
The K9 is strengthened by zinc alloy
components, to resist the wear and Suitable for all domestic pets, or just the
tear caused by the toughest cleaning busiest homes, the K9 compresses
environments. the hair and dirt into bales.
A removable tray lifts out, allowing you
Sweeter to drop the debris into the bin, without
And, it features refillable floral scented filters the dust cloud you can get when you
to leave your room smelling clean and fresh. empty a cylinder.

ORDER DIRECT 249

0800 083 53 18 24 hour orderline
www.lovevacuuming.com/k9
CPN391

We are able to offer the AirRam K9 at 249, with free next day delivery, when ordering direct. While stocks last.

Limited 2-year manufacturers warranty. *Runtimes quoted may vary depending on floor surfaces cleaned. Performance comparisons based on independent tests to
IEC 60312-1 ed 1.1 sec 5.1. and 5.3 when compared to mains powered upright vacuums (Source: GFK, UK Top 20, 2014). Free UK delivery.
Full details on our website. Grey Technology Ltd. t/a Gtech, Cupola Court, Spetchley, Worcestershire, WR5 1RL.

TL 15797 184x134.indd 1 26/02/2016 12:23

10 Photos: AFP/Getty Images
see the world
Turn the page
12
...differently
The air is filled with little pieces
of paper and the smell of burnt
wood. During the Wei Sang Festival
in Sichuan (China), bonfires of
pine and cypress limbs smoulder
as Tibetans write their wishes for
a successful year, good harvest and
peace on their longda, or prayer
papers. To shorten the journey of
these divine wishes on their way
to the heavens, theyre ceremoniously
tossed into the sky.
ITS A MANNS WORLD 

Going on a trip with a baby? Its like taking

your gran to watch Megadeth, says Olly Mann

Travels Into
The Unknown
ITS HOLIDAY TIME. Im on a baking hot roof terrace,
beer in one hand. A gentle breeze is seductively sweeping
my hair, as the Mediterranean Sea twinkles on the horizon.
The feeling is familiar from previous sojourns: my sunburned
lower shoulders; my bloated stomach digesting multiple
portions of octopus; my secret wish that the airport workers
resume their strike and I get trapped here forever.
Olly Mann Yet this break is different, in two fundamental ways: instead
is a writer,
of travelling as a couple, we have a newborn baby with us; and
radio presenter
and serial instead of residing in a resort, we are staying in a strangers
podcaster, with flat. These adjustments are completely transformativeto the
shows including extent that, for me, the very word holiday now conjures up
Answer Me an event so exhausting I need a week off to recover.
This!, The
Media Podcast
FIRSTLY, THE LITTLE GUY. Taking a four-month-old baby
and The
Modern Mann abroad is like taking your grandma to watch Megadeth: the
combination of participant and event is poorly matched, and
you have to keep asking security staff the way to the lift. My
central concern for our son Harvey was removing him from
his usual routine: morning feed downstairs, afternoon feed in
the garden, evening feed upstairs, and so on. Any change to
that patternme standing to answer the door, for instance
can cause hysteria.
We thought we were being clever by renting an apartment.
Here, we reasoned, Harvey might be fooled into thinking that

14 | 072016
  READERS DIGEST
ILLUSTRATION BY DANI EL HASKETT

the cold marble floor is somehow our Its with some paternal pride I report
beige carpet, the floor-to-ceiling IKEA that hes far too astute for this ploy
furnishings are replicas of our country to even slightly work. The moment
cottage knick-knacks, and that the top we arrived, the waterworks opened
half of his pram, precariously balanced and he made it most clear he was
on a chest of drawers, is in fact his cot. Not Keen On Spain.

072016 | 15|
ITS A MANNS WORLD 

But at least that was on private Of course, babies quickly forget

property, and only we had to endure what once upset them and frequently
it. On the flight, hed given a vivid adapt to new circumstances, and
rendition of Not Keen On Flying, as I type this now, five days into the
which was rather more public. Id holiday, Harvey is happily at my feet,
told myself before we boarded the under a blanket, coated in factor 50,
plane that if he kicked off, well, it wearing a swimming nappy, a sunhat
was divine retribution for all those thats slightly too small and sunglasses
countless wailing brats that ruined that are slightly too big.
my previous flights, it
happens to all parents BUT I CANT FULLY
at some point, and RELAX. In the back of
theres nothing to be
embarrassed about.
I hadnt my head, Im wondering
about Mick. Mick
But I hadnt anticipated anticipated owns the flat. Ive never
him screaming his him screaming met himhe arranged
lungs out from take- key collection from
off to landing, spewing his lungs out an officebut I feel
all over the seats, or from take-off I know him, because
whacking the passenger there are photos of
trapped in the window to landing and him everywhere. In the
seat next to us in the spewing all kitchen, theres one of
face, numerous times. him on the beach. Next
All of which might over the seats to the TV, one of him
have been more sharing pizza with his
manageable if we granddaughters. In
hadnt spent a sleepless night before the bedroom, there he is at Madame
panicking about whether wed packed Tussauds, with a waxwork of David
appropriately. Will he require long- Bowie. Which stares at us as we sleep.
sleeve vests? What if the flat has no In his sheets.
microwave to sterilise his bottles? I know Im supposedly part of the
Will they sell Pampers in Marbella? disruptive generation entirely at
Does the car-seat count as separate home in, erm, someone elses home,
luggage? Can you put insect repellent but the truth is I find it unsettling to
on a baby? If we take apart his Rocker, shadow someone elses entire life just
will we be able to put it together because youve exchanged credit-card
again? OH GOD, IMAGINE IF HIS details online. Dont get me wrong:
ROCKER WAS BROKEN. Its the only its certainly useful, when travelling
thing in the world he truly loves. with young children, to have the use

16 | 072016
 READERS DIGEST

of a washing machine, and a fridge, year? Does he keep the good stuff
and two bathrooms. But I just cant in the attic? And what about that
become accustomed to it. biological stain on the sofa? If its
As I cook dinner, I find myself Harveys milk-puke, I should clean it
wondering what Mick does for a up. If its Micks doing, its probably
living, and why he appears to be best left alone.
estranged from his daughter. I ask Still, right now, on Micks sun
myself: why does he buy such cheap terrace, drinking Micks beer, I really
toilet paper, real tracing paper stuff, dont want to go home. And, oddly,
when he lives here himself half the I suspect Harvey doesnt either.

FROZEN YOGURT RULES

Frozen yogurt shop Yogato in Washington, US, has taken ordering

etiquette to the extreme. Here are their eccentric directives:

1. Sing along to Mr Roboto when it comes on: 10% off.

2. Try your luck with the trivia question: Correct -5%. Wrong +5%.

3. Get a Yogato forehead stamp: 10% off.

4. If you can recite the Stirling battlefield speech from Braveheart in a

great Scottish accent: 20% off.

5. Order a yogurt for 30 consecutive days: well name a flavour after you.

6. Suggest a flavour or topping thats then adopted: 5% discount for life.

7. Stump Steve on Seinfeld or The Rock trivia: 10% off.

8. Anyone wearing a kickball uniform and has played hard (evidenced by

dirt on their knees): 10% off.

9. Re-enact the entire 47-second Michael Jackson Thriller dance: 20% off.
Perform a shorter choreographed dance (such as the Hitch Q-Tip dance):
10% off.

10. Dress up like 1980s tennis legend Bjorn Borg: 25% off. Sing Im Too Sexy
by Right Said Fred in his Swedish accent to bump up to: 50% off.

SOURCE: DISTRACTIFY.COM

072016 | 17|
 PARTNERSHIP PROMOTION

MONEY

Is Your Internet Provider

Keeping You Safe?
Broadband providers are offering free
security tools that most of us dont use

ITS EASIER than ever to stay safe

online today, as many broadband
providers include internet security HOW DO I FIND THE BEST
as part of your package. When BROADBAND DEAL?
switching to a new supplier, its With so many to choose from,
worth trying to find a deal with how do you know which one is the
an internet security package that right choice for your household?
protects both you and your family Thats where the Readers Digest
while browsing online. Switching Service can help.

WHICH SUPPLIERS OFFER Call the Readers Digest Switching

INTERNET SECURITY? Service to speak with one of
Plusnet, TalkTalk, Sky, Virgin Media our friendly broadband experts,
and BT all offer their own security trained to find you the right deal
solutions, either free or for a small to match your online lifestyle.
monthly fee. This provides virus Well really listen to what you
protection on your home network, need from your new broadband
as well as a great firewall system to provider, whether thats faster
keep any unwanted intruders out. download speed, an unlimited
Often also included is Child Safe data cap or better internet
browsing, allowing you to set what is security, to find the perfect
and what isnt appropriate for your package from the 11,000 we
children to view online. have available.

So give us a call on 0800 380 0061

and find out how much you could save today.
Calls are free from landlines and mobiles. Dedicated team available 7 days a week, 8am9pm.

Simplifty Digital_July_FP.indd 2 09/06/2016 10:11

 entertainment

Movie
Films of the
Month
Modern love:
Ethan Hawke &
Greta Gerwig
by tom br ow n e

Rom-com: Maggies Plan This low-

key project from writer-director Rebecca
Miller stars Greta Gerwig as the title
character, an independent woman who
wants to become a single mother by self-
insemination. This plan is derailed
when she meets John (Ethan Hawke),
a writer whose marriage to overbearing
academic Georgette (Julianne Moore)
is apparently falling apart.
The street-level focus on characters recalls the work of Noah Baumbachwith
whom Gerwig has frequently collaboratedand theres more than a hint of Woody
Allen too, particularly the New York milieu of bookish intellectuals struggling with life.
This is obviously not to everyones taste, but theres more than enough wit and charm
to sustain it, and the interplay between Gerwig, Hawke and Moore never gets boring.

family: the bfg Roald Dahls books biopic: born

for children have attracted a number to be blue Theres
sony class ics / Entertain men t one / ifc f ilm s

of big-name directors over the years been a glut of music

and now the biggest name of all, Steven biopics recently, but
Spielberg, has got involved. This is by this take on the life of
far the most visually impressive movie jazz trumpeter Chet
released this month, combining live Baker (Ethan Hawke
action with up-to-date motion-capture again) is more original than most. The
technology, expanding Mark Rylances focus is mainly on 1966, in particular
friendly giant covering Chets early experiences with
so he fills up heroin, the drug that dominated his life.
the screen and It abounds with elliptical flashbacks,
towers over black-and-white scenes and composite
Sophie, played characters (not least an effective turn
by newcomer from Carmen Ejogo as Chets girlfriend),
Ruby Barnhill. but the film as a whole casts a hazy spell.

072016 | 19|
e n t e r ta i n m e n t 

comedy: ghostbusters A second

sequel to the Eighties supernatural
comedy has long been anticipated, but
this reboot is more radical than anyone
expected. Reuniting director Paul Feig
with Bridesmaids star Melissa McCarthy,
this reimagines the plot of the first film
with a largely
female cast
and far broader
humour. Going
by reactions to
drama: Adult Life Skills The the trailer, fans
transition from childhood to adulthood will be divided
and the all-consuming power of grief to say the least.
are the twin pillars of this charming
movie, which stars Jodie Whittaker as DVD of
29-year-old Anna, a woman struggling the month
to cope with her own self-confidence bone tomahawk*
and the recent death of her twin brother. Forget Tarantinos
Although the themes are heavy, the The Hateful Eight
film has a real lightness of touch, and this was the must-see
Whittaker has never been better. Western of last year.

Lorton Distribution / S ony P ictures Releasi ng

On Your Radar Tracy Davidson, mature student
Watching: The Musketeers Online: caption.me New
(box set) Im currently photos go up daily for people
working my way through the to write captions for. Its
first two swashbuckling series. addictive fun (and quite rude!).
Reading: Frankenstein by Listening: Non-Stop Erotic
Mary Shelley I didnt expect to like Cabaret by Soft Cell I played
this, as horror isnt my thing. But I the cassette to destruction in the
love it. The creature is both moving Eighties. I recently got the CD and
and scary at the same time. Im enjoying reliving my youth.
Fancy appearing in this section? Send your current cultural favourites,
along with short descriptions, to [email protected]

20 | 072016 * TO BUY DVDS FEATURED HERE, GO TO SHOP.READERSDIGEST.CO.UK

 Readers Digest

Music Album
by ma n d i g o o d i e r of the
Month
The Bride
by Bat for Lashes
Less an album and more a multifaceted
concept, Natasha Khans latest long-
player also extends to a short story, film
and series of concerts, all performed in
churches. And theres no escaping the
theme: the union of two people through
holy matrimony and all that follows. Only
in this case, theres just the brideher optimism and excitement the evening
before, then the strange, pitiful looks as she walks down the aisle to discover
her groom has been killed in a road accident on route to the wedding. Dark
stuff. What happens next is her journey, from honeymoon to meditation on
love and loss. The songs are gorgeous, delicate and suitably haunting.

Key tracks: I Do, In Gods House, Sunday Love

Like this? You may also like: Cocteau Twins, Kate Bush, Sharon Van Etten

Overlooked Record
from the Past On Our Radar
Tender Buttons by Broadcast Shetland Nature
Occasionally reminiscent of a Festival, July 29.
screeching modem connecting Explore all aspects of
to the internet, Broadcast these lovely islands.
transformed odd noises into
something tuneful. When combined with more Somerset House
traditional instruments and Trish Keenans vocals, Summer Series,
its like an electronic reimagining of The Velvet London, July 717.
Underground and Nico. Eclectic live music.
This 2005 album marked a change in direction Rose Week, Belfast,
for Broadcast, which not all their fans appreciated. July 1824. Admire
Perhaps this is why it still remains undervalued, the 45,000 blooms at
but since Keenans untimely death in 2011 after Sir Thomas and Lady
contracting swine flu, the phantasmic feel of Tender Dixon Park.
Buttons feels like her spectre.

listen to these albums at READERSDIGEST.CO.UK/LISTEN 072016 | 21|

 PARTNERSHIP PROMOTION

Stephens first smartphone opens

up a world of possibilities
OBSERVED FROM the
sidelines, the fast moving world
of smartphone technology can
appear daunting to anyone
who hasnt yet taken the
plunge.
Doro, the world leader in
easy to use mobile phones,
understands this and is
developing smartphones
specifically designed for
beginners of all ages.
Until two months ago,
retired grandfather Stephen
Phillips (right) from Middlesex
had never used a smartphone,
but now he is revelling in the
new freedoms he has gained
from owning his first Doro.
Stephen, 67, is living life to
the full in his retirement, and as
well as enjoying time with his
family, he volunteers at a local
hospital and is chairman of his
local tennis club.
He says: My family use
smartphones as a matter of
course, and I saw the
enjoyment they were getting
and the useful things they were
able to do.

Doro__July_DPS.indd 2 31/05/2016 10:04

 SPECIAL
Learning made easy READERS
DIGEST OFFER!
with Doro Buy the new
Doro Liberto
820 Mini today,
Buying a Doro, for me, was the perfect way in. for the special
Frankly, it is the best phone I have ever had. Being price of 150,
able to show my friends pictures I have taken of my which includes
grandchildren on the phone, sending or receiving an Anywhere SIM
them by email when Im out even checking the card connection
weather for tennis I havent stopped playing with it. and 40 of credit,
Recently, Stephens youngest grandson, nine-year-
allowing you to
roam the UK with
old Sami, helped him to take his first ever selfie!
signal from O2,
And now he has helped
EE and Vodafone.
him set up WhatsApp. He
said: WhatsApp is great. I
Simply go to
can message him or share
www.readersdigest.
pictures for free when I
co.uk/mobilephones
am on WiFi.
He adds: I thought it or call
would be difficult to learn 03454 133 953
how to use a smartphone,
and quote
but it is all so easy with
Readers Digest
Doro. And I have even
offer.
taught myself how to use
voice commands to send
emails and text messages.
I wish Id got one years
ago.

Doro__July_DPS.indd 3 31/05/2016 10:04

ENTERTAINMENT
A Journey to
The
Dark
Side
Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen
reveals how he traverses
low-budget and blockbuster
projectsand why a serious
actor never shies away from
a good story

BY TOM BROWN E

PHOTO: KURT KRIEGER/CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES 25

A J O U R N E Y TO T H E DA R K S I D E 

THE ELEGANT SURROUNDINGS

of Londons Hotel Cafe Royal
seems like an appropriately
stylish venue to be interviewing
Mads Mikkelsen. In fact, as
Im ushered into a conference
room and shake hands with
this neatly tailored individual,
I start to feel a little scruffy.

The feeling is magnified by the ad

playing on a big screen at the other
end of the room. This announces
Mads as the new brand ambassador
for XTB, a top European brokerage
company. How do I confess
to him that I know nothing
about the world of derivatives
or trading? Thankfully, Mads
reassures me.
If you asked me about
this a couple of months ago,
I would have been blank,
he says, flashing a smile.
A bit like Homer Simpson,
with a monkey running
around inside my head. But
Im a poker player, and I love
the idea that if youre skilful
enough theres something
to be gained from this. If youre not, He waves his hand at the advert,
youll lose something. The good which depicts Mads as a retail
thing is, youre not playing for other investor moving smoothly between
peoples moneyyoure playing for glamorous locations while punching
your own money. Its not one of those out deals on his laptop.
the world will come down things. I liked the product and I liked
Its just you and your intelligence. the iconic, stylish way of shooting

26 | 072016 DPA PICTURE ALLIANCE ARCHIVE/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

 Mads with Alicia
Vikander in 2012s
A Royal Affair;
(below) with
Casino Royale co-
stars Caterina
Murino and
Daniel Craig

a commercial. This is a man whos Indeed, even those who dont know
in charge of his emotions, a man the name will recognise the face,
whos in control. He can lose it, but which has become an increasingly
hell be back in the saddle. Thats familiar presence on our screens.
quite similar to Le Chiffre, of course. And much like fellow Scandinavian
Alicia Vikanderwho Mads starred
THIS IS A REFERENCE to the role alongside in A Royal Affairhes
that, after a decade of acting, pushed someone equally at home in low-
Mads into the mainstream: the budget art-house projects and big
villainous, poker-playing Le Chiffre Hollywood blockbusters.
in Casino Royale, the 2006 film that Yes, pretty much so, says Mads,
rebooted the James Bond franchise. with a thoughtful pause. Its always

AF ARCHIVE/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO 072016 | 27|



a balance. Certain things that

pay you a lot dont interest you,
but certain things that pay you
a lot do interest you. And, of
course, certain things that dont
pay much also interest you,
and vice versa. So I do what I
like, which is lucky because not
everybody can do that. But so
far I havent done anything that
I didnt like doing.
I slightly raise my eyebrow,
momentarily thinking of
the big-budget clunker Clash
of the Titans, but Mads adds
a small proviso: Of course,
some things havent turned
out exactly how I wanted them,
but the start of everything has
to be, I like this.
Mads as Le Chiffre in Casino Royale.
His performance was praised for its
A KEY FACTOR in Mads
wordless communication
success is undoubtedly his
great screen presence. I
mention a previous interview I did This can be really interesting and
with Danish director Kristian Levring, funny if youre Woody Allen, but
in which he praised Mikkelsens some people can tell stories without
ability to communicate a lot without doing much. The camera can do the
Z UM A PRESS , IN C/ALA MY STOC K PH OTO
saying much. work instead.
Well, Im very happy he says that, Indeed, one thinks of Le Chiffres
says Mads, grinning. I think theres long, malevolent stares, or Mads
been a trend in the world of motion chilling portrayal of Dr Hannibal
pictures for characters to talk and talk Lecter in NBCs recent series. This
and talk. You end up forgetting what silent and inscrutable quality also
its all about, which is the image. A informed one of his most acclaimed
small character in a big background performances, as the suspected
can say a lot, a close-up can say a lot. paedophile Lucas in The Hunt,
Instead, we tend to have everyone which netted Mads the Best Actor
explaining what they think and feel. award at the Cannes Film Festival.

28 | 072016
 READERS DIGEST

Does he ever worry about playing Well, there goes my chance of a

such controversial characters? scoop. In response, I cheekily ask
Not really, he replies. Whats to Mads about his status as Denmarks
be afraid of? Everyone loves the dark sexiest man, as proclaimed in more
side of the coin. Its true that certain than one poll. How does he feel
Americans said [of his character about that?
in The Hunt], Oh, you should stay I feel very happy that you guys
away from that one. Youre accused get it so wrong, he replies, with a
of being a paedophileit might ruin slight roll of the eyes. It was actually
your career. I was like, Seriously? over 15 years agothey must have
Id play a paedophile tomorrow if been drinking that day. When I was
it was a good story.
Frankly, a serious actor In award-
would never hesitate winning
if it was a good story. form in
The Hunt
NONETHELESS,
his lighter side will
soon be on display in
two high-profile roles:
as a sorcerer in the
upcoming superhero
film Doctor Strange;
and father figure
Galen Erso in Rogue
One, the first of
Disneys many Star
Wars spin-offs. This
last project, especially,
will throw Mads back
into the Hollywood hype machine. younger I got a little annoyed by it,
Oh yeah, a huge number of people but I can take it with a smile today.
want to know what its all about, who I mean, the guy that does the weather
Im playing, whats going to happen, reports is on the list as well, so I dont
chuckles Mads. pay too much attention.
Obviously I could tell you, but
then Id have to kill you and bury you Mads Mikkelsen is the brand ambassador
with all the other fansthey might for XTB. Doctor Strange and Rogue One
never find you. are released later this year.

MOVIESTORE COLLECTION LTD/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO 072016 | 29|

entertainment

Fern Britton, 58, is one of the nations best-loved

broadcasters and novelists, fronting Ready Steady
Cook and ITVs This Morning. She currently hosts
BBC1 antiques quiz show For What Its Worth.

Fern Britton
I Remember
MY FIRST MEMORY. I used to always wore lipstick. And very
sit outside in a big old-fashioned glamorous she looked too, with
pram while my mother tended her her jet-black hair and tall, slender
beloved garden; she was always figure. She smelt wonderful, Chanel
digging, planting or mowing. I was N5 or Dior, and attracted a lot
very cosy in that pram and theres of attention, but never had serious
a lovely photo of me with Mr Holly, boyfriends until she married my
Ken McKay/ITV/RE X/Shutt erstock

my teddy from that time. More than stepfather George. (My father, the
40 years later I had a similar pram actor Tony Britton, had left the family
for my daughter Winnie, and I took before I was born.)
a photo of her holding a rather older, She made life fun for my older
tattier-looking Mr Holly. sister Cherry and me, although it
cant always have been easyshe
MY MOTHERS SCARLET was a single mother with two young
LIPSTICK. No matter whether girls to bring up. Shes 92 now, has
she was building a bonfire or just had a hip operation and is still
at school sports day, my mother going strong.

30 | 072016
I r e m e mb e r 

in a different car every time and

was tall and handsome. I wasnt
scared of him, just in awe. When
I was 18 we started to have a
closer relationship.

Fern begins her love of cycling aged four; WARM SAND ON MY FEET. Every
(right) a trip to Portugal in 1975 year we went on holiday to Cornwall
and it always seemed to be sunny. I
BEING DRESSED UP AS A DOLLY felt secure and happy there, running
IN A BOX. My grandmother used up and down the beach. There was
to take Cherry and me on cruises a Punch and Judy man who walked
and thered always be a fancy-dress around on stilts, calling all the kids to
competition. The passengers were the puppet show. Id queue up for a
supposed to make do with what they 99 ice cream and lick it off my fingers
had packed or could find on board, as it ran down the cone before I could
but my grandmother would have get back to the spot where my mother,
us prepared weeks in advance so aunt and uncle sat. My mother used
we had the best chance of winning. secretly to put sixpences in the rock
My favourite costume was when I pools and encourage us to search for
went as a doll with long blonde hair, treasure. Magical times.
rosebud lips and a frilly dress, and
then was put inside a cardboard box. NEVER FEELING AMBITIOUS. I
only applied to do stage management
HARDLY ANYTHING OF MY at the Central School of Speech and
FATHER. On the rare occasions he Drama because our school career-
came to visit us, my mother would advice officer didnt know what else
get dressed up and Cherry would be to suggest for me. But I got a place
all ready to show him the latest piece and remember coming out of the tube
she had learned on the piano, but station at Swiss Cottage and walking
Id just stand and look. Hed arrive down Eton Avenue thinking, I cant

32 | 072016
 Readers Digest

believe Im at drama school! Many hall, wriggled it down the steps to the
of my contemporaries there are still front garden and dragged it through
close friends and have gone on to do the garden gate to the lane, where I
amazing things. plonked myself down on it. I sat there
weeping, thinking someone will
BUYING A COTTAGE WHEN I WAS definitely come past and find me and
23. After a couple of years working care for me. But of course nobody
in theatre Id got a job as a continuity came by. In the end I had to get the
announcer for Westward Television chair all the way back into the lounge
and had moved to Cornwall. After and, by then exhausted, I put the
renting for a while I was able to buy kettle on and had a cup of tea instead.
my first little homeit only cost
15,000! I had two cats and my career MY WORST TIME IN TELEVISION.
went from strength to strength. When I did Breakfast Time in the early
80s for 18 months, I learned more
SUFFERING FROM DEPRESSIVE about TV and myself than any time
EPISODES. I didnt really understand before or since. I just wasnt used
what was happening in the early to the sophisticated level of bullying
days and thought I just wasnt feeling that operated there, but it made me
well. Id spend a lot of time crying and
avoiding people, I wouldnt answer Fern at the start of her broadcasting
the door or the phone. I could put my career in the 1980s
smiley Fern Britton
face on to go to work,
but when I got home
Id have nothing else
to give.
Im able to laugh at
some of my behaviour
now, like the time I
felt so desperate for
someone to look after
me that I felt I had to
do something drastic.
I had one enormous
armchair in my
cottage and I picked
it up, got it out of
the lounge into the

R EX/Shu tt e rstoc k 072016 | 33|

I r e m e mb e r 

strong. I had a really hard time, but THINKING ID NEVER MAKE

knew I would never allow people to A GOOD ACTRESS, although the
make me feel that bad again and so times Ive been in pantomime Ive
Im grateful to have done it. thoroughly enjoyed it. The first time
was in Cinderella at the Mayflower
SEEING TWO DOTS ON MY Theatre in SouthamptonI played
ULTRASOUND SCAN. My husband Dandini to Jan Hunts leggy Prince
at the time Clive Jones and I were Charming. I thought I was the bees
on our fourth attempt at IVF when I knees in my suede jerkin, tights, hat
went for my first scan. The nurse said, and boots. But having trained to be
Congratulations, youre pregnant a stage manager, I understood and
with twins. I had to tell Clive to sit got on with the behind-the-scenes
down before I gave him the news crew rather better than I grasped the
he already had three children from principles of acting!
his first marriage. That day in 1993
when Jack and Harry were born was KNOWING I HAD TO LEAVE
blissful. I remember exactly how they MY MARRIAGE. Soon after Grace
looked and smelt, and theyve been was born, I knew I couldnt be in
nothing but a joy ever since. And a relationship that wasnt working
how blessed I was to experience that very well any more. My friends
twice more when my daughter Grace and family all thought I was having
was born in 1997 and Winnie (with another depressive episode, but
second husband Phil Vickery) in 2001. in fact I had done my mourning for
at least two years before I had the
With newborn Winnie and courage to start anew. I remember
four-year-old Grace in 2001 the sheer liberty of being free, but
it was a difficult time; you throw
a pebble in a pond and the ripples
go on a very long time.

THE CHEFS ON READY STEADY

COOK BEHAVED LIKE NAUGHTY
LITTLE BOYS. They were all so
competitive! One time Antony Worrall
Thompson crept in before filming
and turned the other chefs gas and
water off to prevent him cooking.
But that show has a special place in
my heart. It was my salvation, kept
 Readers Digest

me on the straight and Fern catching husband mind: Maybe one day I
narrow, and allowed Phil Vickerys eye might hold those hands.
me to be independent, We married in 2000 and
both financially and personally. Winnie was born the following year.

NOT NOTICING PHIL VICKERY. TEN YEARS ON THIS MORNING.

There were so many chefs on the Its a unique programme to British
show that I hadnt paid him any TV and I remember my very first day
attention. I was single and enjoying with Richard Madeley, when I filled
myself again; I wasnt interested in for Judy, to my last day ten years
in having someone new in my life. later, which fell on my 52nd birthday.
But one of the girls who worked on That morning in July, before I left
the show came up and said, Phil for work, I remember Phil being very
Vickery fancies you. I said, Which jumpy and taking all these phone
one is he? and she said, The one callsall before 6am. I said, Are you
who rolls his sleeves up. I knew who all right, darling? and he eventually
he was then as I always thought he admitted that there was supposed to
looked like an osteopath! be a helicopter landing in the football
The next time he came in I took field opposite our house to whisk
a look at him and noticed he had me to the studio, but thick fog had
lovely hands. A thought crossed my prevented it from landing. It was such

R EX/Shu tt e rstoc k 072016 | 35|

I r e m e mb e r 

a compliment that the last show was WATCHING MY DAUGHTER

all about me, and was the only time RUNNING ON THE BEACH. We
in my career that I didnt have a script were in Cornwall recently and Winnie
or talkback in my ears. was in the water, with her long hair
flowing. I was brought full circle back
IM AS NERVOUS AS A KITTEN to my own childhood memories. I do
WHEN MY BOOKS ARE PUBLISHED. try to take time to notice the special
The new novel is my sixth and writing moments in life. Weve all got bad and
them is harder work than anything good memories, but acknowledging
Ive ever done. It can be lonely and the difficult and sad ones makes the
frustrating, but I know Im not Jane real blessings all around us that much
Austen; I say to myself, Just do the more precious.
best you can. Im so grateful that my As told to Caroline Hutton
readers enjoy them. Having four
children to get through university Ferns new novel The Postcard is out now,
does sharpen my wits though! published by Harper Collins.

(VERY) ABRIDGED VOLUMES

Do you feel you ought to read some classic novels? No need.

Cartoonist John Atkinson has helpfully summarised all the key tomes
in as few words as possible (warning: spoilers):

War and Peace Everyone is sad. It snows.

The Grapes of Wrath Farming sucks. Road trip! Road trip sucks.

Don Quixote Guy attacks windmills. Also, hes mad.

The Sun Also Rises Lost generation gets drunk. Theyre still lost.

Moby Dick Man vs whale. Whale wins.

Ulysses Dublin, something, something, something, run-on sentence.

Dantes Inferno All hell breaks loose.

Wuthering Heights A sort-of brother and sister fall in love. Its foggy.

Crime and Punishment Murderer feels bad. Confesses. Goes to jail.

Feels better.

SOURCE: MENTALFLOSS.COM

36 | 072016 FOR MORE, GO TO READERSDIGEST.CO.UK/ENTERTAINMENT

Dirt has
nowhere
to hide

Does not apply to all models

The NEW SEBO AIRBELT E Range

The strong, silent type
Take your cleaning to a new level with
the SEBO AIRBELT E vacuum cleaner. The
super-quiet, yet extremely powerful motor,
variable suction, free-rolling castors, long
cleaning range and easy to hold handle,
make cleaning much easier and quieter.
It looks good too!
SEBO. Tough on dirt.

01494 465533 [email protected]

For a chance to win a SEBO vacuum
cleaner, enter our monthly draw at:
www.sebo.co.uk
HEALTH

Our Gut
Reactions
New research is beginning to uncover
how the trillions of bacteria in and on
our body are vital to our health

BY JO C ARLOWE

ILLUSTRATION SAM FALCONER

38
OUR GUT REACTIONS 

EARLY THIS YEAR, scientists made THE PAST

an extraordinary discovery. They un- By gathering data from fossilised
earthed bacteria from the stomach of faeces and the guts of mummies (in-
a 5,300-year-old mummy preserved cluding tzi), and studying modern
in permafrost. The iceman, dubbed hunter-gatherer populations, scien-
tzi, was dug up 16 years earlier, but tists are recognising that our insides
the bacteria had migrated into his arent what they used to be.
ribcage, where it remained hidden There appears to have been major
until January this year. The finding, and very recent changes in our gut
although minuscule in size, is gargan- microbiome, points out Dr Christina
tuan in significance. Warinner, assistant professor of
Over millennia, Western lifestyles anthropology at the University of
characterised by sterile living and Oklahoma. Both traditional peoples
a proclivity for the indoorshave and archaeological populations have

WESTERN LIFESTYLES HAVE CHANGED

OUR GUT FLORA, CONTRIBUTING TO
ASTHMA AND OBESITY

changed our gut flora, contributing more diverse gut microbiomes than
to modern scourges such as asthma people living urban, industrialised
and obesity. Only now are experts re- lifestyles today.
alising the extent to which the trillions Indeed, dwellers of farming com-
of bacteria that live in and on us exert munities in Burkina Faso, Malawi and
an influence on our lives. South Africa have a fuller complement
These diminutive crittersso tiny of bacteria in their guts than Euro-
that a million laid together would peans and North Americans.
cover a single pinheadhelp us digest One example is treponema, a class
food, break down toxins, make vita- of bacteria thats great at digesting
mins and metabolise medicines. They fibre and is believed to reduce in-
influence our hormones, our immune flammation in the gut. Its still found
systems and even our brains. Learning in Tanzanian and Peruvian hunter-
to understand better this relationship gatherer populations, but its virtually
may become as critical to modern absent in urbanised Western society.
science and medicine as cracking the And there are some gut bacteria that
genetic code. have upped and left completely.

40 | 072016
 READERS DIGEST

This isnt good news. The mummy known as to help humans defend
Says Professor Warinner, tzi. Scientists have against pathogens.
Reduced gut microbi- reconstructed his last meal She says that our gut
using samples from his
ome diversity is usually stomach and intestines
microbiota continually
associated with condi- engages in cross-talk
tions such as metabolic disease, along with the host to help us develop a
with gastrointestinal disorders. robust immune system and healthy
Dr Stephanie Schnorr, a researcher metabolism. If these channels of com-
in molecular anthropology from the munication are disrupted, the whole
University of Oklahoma, suspects the system is weakenedrather like try-
lost bacteria were also used for early ing to govern a country when half the
immune-system trainingthat is, Cabinet has resigned.

ROPI/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO 072016 | 41|

OUR GUT REACTIONS 

Were losing touch with our micro-

bial old friends, the experts warn; a
parting hastened by our obsession
with hyper-sanitation. We keep babies
away from germs, we grow up eating
pasteurised, canned or refrigerated
food (anything to avoid fermentation).
Experts describe this as starving our
microbial selves. We douse our hands
in antibacterial soaps and, if unwell,
we take antibiotics, which rids us of
infections but also kills off good gut
bacteria at the same time.
With asthma, eczema, food allergies,
hay fever, autoimmune disease and
obesity all on the rise, scientists are
looking to redress the balance.
Sanitisation, antibiotics, soaps and
pasteurisation are modern marvels
that allow us to live long, healthy adult
lives without worrying that a paper
cut will kill you, says Dr Schnorr. But
as with anything, weve been blinded Our use of antibiotics has killed
to the long-term consequences of off much of our guts good bacteria,
the unregulated use of these powerful which then needs to be replaced
tools. Now, hindsight is catching up
with us. involve ingesting live bacteria and
The gut ecosystem is like any other yeast (usually in drink, yogurt or sup-
it needs its predators, prey, oppor- plement form) to populate the gut with
tunists and symbionts in all varieties friendly microorganisms. Research
in order to achieve a kind of balance. on mice has shown probiotics make
BSIP SA/ALAM Y STOCK P HOTO

Its possible to find some good middle rodents fur shinier, cause improve-
ground so we can have our health and ments in behaviour and even reduce
play in the dirt too. obesity. In one study, probiotic-fed
mice were less anxious and depressed
THE PRESENT than their peersevidence of a gut-
The options for redressing the balance brain axis.
are limited to probiotics and, at the ex- Other studies suggest probiotics
treme end, faecal transplant. Probiotics help prevent inflammation caused by

42 | 072016
 READERS DIGEST

gastroenteritis and reduce antibiotic-

related diarrhoea in patients with THE BENEFITS OF FMT
Clostridium difficile (C.diff ).
But for treating severe antibiotic- Sam Howard, 31, from Essex,
resistant bacterial infections, such as opted to have a stool transplant
C.diff, a stool transplant is more over a colectomy.
effective. The concept dates back to
I was diagnosed with ulcerative
fourth-century China, when a man
colitis five years ago. It affected
called Ge Hong recorded adminis- everything I did. I constantly
trating a suspension of human faeces felt like I had flu and I was going
by mouth to treat food poisoning or to the toilet 40 times a day. I
severe diarrhoea. couldnt do the things I wanted
Nowadays, Faecal Microbiota Trans- like taking my kids to the park,
plant (FMT) involves passing healthy or playing rugby.
donor stools into the colon via a colon- Id tried steroids and other
medications, and the next step
scope, enema or nasogastric pipe. The
was the removal of the colon,
UK-based Taymount Clinic, (the only which would mean wearing a
dedicated FMT clinic in Europe) has colostomy bag. It was this that
performed over 6,000 procedures. The made me seek an alternative.
clinic uses stools from several different I heard about FMT on the news
donors to maximise diversity, and all and I was a bit squeamish about
are screened to ensure theyre healthy it, but I felt it had to be better
and infection-free. than a colectomy.
The procedure took half
We have 25 donors and that makes
an hour and the Taymount
us the largest stool bank in the UK, Clinic team helped me through
and probably the biggest donor bank it. There was no need for
in the world, says microbiologist anaesthetic. I was implanted
Glenn Taylor, director of science at using a syringe attached to
the clinic. a long tube. It felt slightly cold,
Relatives arent used as donors as but nothing more. I had ten
their bacterial profiles may be too days of treatments.
My recovery is still ongoing,
similar to the patient. Indeed, last year
but whereas pre-treatment
in the US, a woman became obese I couldnt leave the house
following a stool transplant from her and would be in agony, post-
overweight daughter. treatment I go to the toilet three
At Taymount, the sample is strained times a day. Ive taken the kids
in a sieve-stack oscillator down to 20 to the park for the first time by
microns (20 millionths of a millimetre), myself and I play rugby again.
and the bacterial pellet is centrifuged

072016 | 43|
OUR GUT REACTIONS 

and washed. A rectal catheter infusion THE FUTURE

is used to implant the FMT directly Research is still at an early stage, but
into the large intestine (colon). both probiotics and FMT look set to
In March 2014, NICE guidelines become more targeted and sophisti-
approved FMT as a treatment of last cated. Farmers already treat chicks
resort in recurrent, antibiotic-resistant with PREEMPTa preparation of 29
C. diff, with studies showing it to be bacterial strainsto help ward off
effective. As shown in the case study salmonella. Jon Turney adds that he
on p43, FMT can also used to treat in- imagines parents might similarly
flammatory bowel disease. inoculate their babies with a cocktail
But its hard to get beyond the yuck of designer probiotics.
factor. Jon Turney, British author of I, Made-to-measure probiotics are
also just around the cor-
ner. Two companies in
the US, Personalized
Probiotics and Sweet
Peach (which focuses
on vaginal health), are
launching services in
which customers send
in samples for genetic
sequencing and micro-
bial content analysis,
then receive a tailor-
made product. Probiotic
gum, which prevents
tooth decay by creating
a balanced oral envi-
ronment, already exists,
as does probiotic oint-
ment for acne.
Parents may soon choose to inoculate The world of FMT is also changing.
TIN YDEVIL/SHUTTERSTOCK

their babies with designer probiotics At the University of Guelph, Canada,

scientists developed RePOOPulate,
Superorganism: Learning to Love Your a probiotic made from a synthetic
Inner Ecosystem, likens it to trying to stool mix (developed by culturing
improve a disease-ravaged, depleted strains from healthy donor stools) for
shrubbery by transplanting an entire transplant. Such a blend was used
rainforest, all in one go. to cure two trial patients with C. diff.

44 | 072016
 READERS DIGEST

The treatment, Microbial Ecosystem with ones from more fragrant donors.
Therapy, is awaiting authorisation, Even more innovative is the pros-
but its founders visualise doctors pect of genetically engineered bugs,
being able to select from a choice of designed to maximise heath or fend
laboratory-brewed ecosystems to best off illness. In 2014, scientists reported
suit patients. reprogramming E. coli in mice, and
In another cutting-edge study, described a new class of engineered
C.diff patients received capsules con- probiotic bacteria tasked with diag-
taining spores of 50 species of ben- nosing and curing disease.
eficial bacteria, paving the way for a Only time will tell if these advance-
bacterial pill. ments succeed, but finding new ways
Other notable developments include to relate to our microscopic house-
localised microbial transplants, such mates has got to be worth a go.
as the transplant of armpit to armpit.
One example is drarmpit.com, which The Taymount Clinic is based in
aims to solve body odour by replacing Hertfordshire. Visit taymount.com
malodorous armpit microbiomes for more information.

HARD TO SAY

Have you ever thought something thats difficult to explain? It turns

out theres probably a word for it:

Sonder: the realisation that each passer-by has a life as vivid and
complex as your own.

Adronitis: frustration with how long it takes to get to know someone.

Vellichor: the strange wistfulness of used bookshops.

Monachopsis: the subtle but persistent feeling of being out of place.

Kenopsia: the eerie, forlorn atmosphere of a place thats usually bustling

with people but is now abandoned and quiet.

Chrysalism: the amniotic tranquility of being indoors during a thunderstorm.

Jouska: a hypothetical conversation that you compulsively play out in

your head.

SOURCE: DICTIONARYOFOBSCURESORROWS.COM

072016 | 45|
HEALTH

The Zero-Effort
Holiday Workout
BY S USA N N A H H I C K L I NG

BUILD FUN ACTIVITIES into your time away and you

may even counter the extra calories you consume. Try to be
active for at least two hours a day.

GO FOR AN EVENING STROLL Take a leaf out of the book

of people in southern Mediterranean countries and go for a
Susannah is walk when its a bit cooler. Try to make it a daily ritual while
twice winner youre away. Its a pleasant way to experience local life and
of the Guild of youll feel mentally and physically refreshed.
Health Writers
Best Consumer GET IN THE WATER Dont just veg out at the waters edge but
Magazine go for a swim from time to time, play games or just walk in the
Health Feature
water. Merely standing in waist-high water is a good workout,
thanks to the action of the water. Or if that all sounds a bit too
cold and wet, hire a paddle boat or rowing boat, or go sailing.
Messing about on the water burns calories and engages your
muscles more than being on dry land.

PLAY MINI GOLF Youve probably never thought of miniature

golf as an exercise, but itll burn more calories than sitting
around. Plus youll have a great time.

FLY A STUNT KITE An excellent activity for a windy day, it will

give your upper body a great workout as you grapple with that

46 | 072016
  READERS DIGEST

BITE BACK
AGAINST
MOZZIES

Bite-protection
expert Howard
Carter warns there
could be a 25
per cent increase
in mosquitoes
in the UK this year.
Flooding earlier
this year is partly
to blame because
standing water is
the perfect biter
breeding ground.

The best way to

make them buzz
off is to remember
the acronym
CLOAK:

C Cover up.
kite and run to keep it in the air or chase it down L Light-coloured
when it plummets to earth. clothing is less
likely to attract
mozzies.
FLING A FRISBEE Youll get your heart rate up
O Odours such
every time you have to run or leap for that errant
JUI CE I MAGES/ALA MY STOC K PH OTO

as BO and
plastic disc. And if you play Frisbee on a sandy perfumes attract
beach, youll be working those leg muscles that mosquitoes like,
much harder. well, flies. So
wash thoroughly.
HOLD A FAMILY OLYMPICS Have a daily A Apply an insect
competition in the swimming pool, such as repellent on any
swimming between peoples legs or making exposed skin.
the biggest splash, or a week-long badminton K Keep away from
tournament. And make sure you make it as stagnant water.
silly as possible.

072016 | 47|
 The science of
good bone
structure
Britains favourite bone health formula,
Osteocare provides natural source calcium
carefully balanced with magnesium, zinc
and vitamin D which all contribute to
the maintenance of normal bones.
Osteocares expert formula provides vitamin D,
in the preferred D3 form as produced naturally
by our skin when exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D,
the sunshine vitamin, contributes to the normal
absorption and utilisation of calcium.

Osteocare is especially recommended for:

3 Pregnancy & breast-feeding
3 During & after the menopause
3 Older men & women
The Department of Health recommends that
adults aged 65 years and over should take a
daily supplement of 10g of vitamin D.
Body painting by Sarah Bee, for Osteocare
The Art of Good Bone Structure

TABLETS / LIQUID

LIQUID ORIGINAL TABLETS CHEWABLE TABLETS BONES & CARTILAGE DUAL PACK WITH
OMEGA-3

from Britains No.1 Vitamin Company

*

*Nielsen GB ScanTrack Total Coverage Value Sales 52 w/e25 April 2015.

ADOSTCONP 22-02-16E

From , Holland & Barrett,

Superdrug, supermarkets,
GNC, pharmacies, health stores
and www.osteocare.com
UKs No.1 bone health supplement brand. Stockists may vary.
  READERS DIGEST

H2Ow! MENS HEALTH:

WHY MEN HAVE BACKACHE
My son learned to dive in
the sea last summerand Four out of five men suffer from back
picked up an ear infection. pain, but there are different causes:
Even prime ministers arent
immune: David Cameron Pushing your body too far
was also a victim of Overdoing the sport or heavy lifting are
swimmers ear, reportedly common triggers, but slouching in your
chair or sitting in a hunched position for
caught while surfing in the
too long can give you backache too.
Algarve. But what is it?
Swimmers earor to give A slipped disc
it its technical name, otitis This is when one of the discs between
externais inflammation the vertebrae is damaged. It presses on
of the outer ear canal, which the nerve, leading to pain in the back
runs from the eardrum to and neck, and sometimes numbness and
the outside world. Spending tingling. Its more likely to happen as you
get older, though smoking is a factor too.
a lot of time in water makes
you more vulnerable to the Arthritis
condition, as that constantly We think of arthritis affecting hips, knees
moist environment in your and hands, but your spine is also vulnerable.
ear is a perfect breeding
ground for bugs. Digging Osteoporosis
After about 65 or 70, men lose bone mass
WAVEBREA KM EDIA LTD PH 27L/A LAM Y STOCK PHOTO

around in your ear canal

with cotton buds doesnt at the same rate as women. This can result
in fractures of the spine, wrist or hip.
help either.
The infection is usually Kidney stones
bacterial and is responsible These affect more men than
for the mother of all ear- women. Drink plenty of water
aches, itchiness, pus and to help prevent them.
even temporary hearing
loss. Youll need to see a GP, Abdominal aortic aneurysm
who will often prescribe ear Persistent back pain can
be a symptom of a swelling
drops to be taken several
in the main artery leading
times a day for a week or so. from the heart. Its crucial
The easiest way to prevent to seek help without delay.
the affliction is to wear ear
plugs while swimming.

072016 | 49|
Home & Garden Reader Offer

The Perfect Gift

For Gardeners
And Nature-
Lovers Alike!
This award-winning Bee & Bug
Biome is an attractive bee and
bug habitat that acts as a home
for solitary bees, ladybirds and
other beneficial insects such as
lacewings. This provides the vital
role of pollination in your garden
and is great at predator control.

Visit our website for many Colourful gift

more styles of bee, insect and carton includes:
animal houses, available at FREE pack of British
shop.readersdigest.co.uk wildflower seeds especially
selected to attract gentle
pollinating bees
P12194 Bee & Bug Biome FREE bee-species guide.
RRP 34.99 Shop Price 32.99*

HOW TO ORDER
(Please quote RDP041 when ordering) Online: shop.readersdigest.co.uk
Phone: 0844 332 8080 (8am-8pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Sat-Sun)
By Post: Readers Digest, FREEPOST, RTHR-LLRY-ZHYS, Ringwood, BH24 1HD
(Cheques should be payable to Readers Digest. Please
remember to quote RDP041 and include your full name and
address, along with the details of the item(s) required).
* plus 1.99 postage and packing per order
  READERS DIGEST

9 Nifty Ways trip, even on holiday. Raisins are

a classic choice, but also try dried

To Eat Fruit
apricots or figs.
5 Keep a fruit bowl at hand.
Make sure you have a selection of
1 Make sure every breakfast fresh fruit, such as bananas, apples
contains a piece of fruit. Not only and grapes, wherever you spend
will you start your five a day early, most time, perhaps near your PC
fruit is also the ideal morning food. or even the telly.
Its crammed with natural, complex 6 Eat a rainbow. Well, not literally,
sugars for slow-release energy, fibre of course. What you do is make
and nutrients. Try cantaloupe melon, Monday red day, when you eat only
berries or orangedelicious! red apples, plums or strawberries,
2 Start your week with a slushy. for example, then on Tuesday
Every Monday morning put 160g of consume only orange fruits such as
fresh fruit, 125ml of fruit juice and a melons and apricotsand so on.
handful of ice cubes into a blender 7 Mix fruits in your salads. Raisins,
and liquidise. That gives you two a diced apple, strawberries or mango
servings of fruit before 8am. chunks all make a tasty addition to a
3 Eat fruit for pudding three days a savoury salad.
week. A peach, a bowl of blueberries 8 Get your fruit from bread or
or a slice of watermelon are all a cake. Once a week, tuck into apple
delicious ending to a meal. You cake, banana bread, pineapple
could even try poached upside-down cake, apple tartyum!
pears in red wine. 9 Choose sorbet not
4 Carry around some ice-cream. An easy
dried fruit. A packet pudding substitution
of dried fruit is could help you
perfect for taking to squeeze in an extra
work, on a shopping fruit serving.
RTIM AGES/SHUTTERSTOCK

WHICH FRUITS ARE BEST FOR YOU?

Out of the hundreds available, these are the fruits that pack the biggest
antioxidant punch, helping protect against cell damage:
PRUNES RAISINS BLUEBERRIES BLACKBERRIES STRAWBERRIES
RASPBERRIES PLUMS ORANGES RED GRAPES CHERRIES

072016 | 51|
HEALTH

Ties And
Tribulations
By max a man has just spat at me. It takes a while for
pe m b e r to n
whats happened to sink in. Im not sure what to do. No one
has ever spat at me before. No ones coming to my rescue
because Im not on a ward, and the person whos just spat
at me isnt a patient. Hes a random passer-by. I hadnt even
looked at him, let alone actually done something to provoke
such an attack. I turn to the man sitting next to me.
Dont worry, he says, theyre always doing that sort
of thing.
I stare at him and he takes a slurp of soup from the
Max is a hospital polystyrene cup, undeterred.
doctor, author
Ill be honest with you: when I took a job working with
and newspaper
columnist
homeless people, I was a little scared. I have to try and
engage with some pretty mean and nasty people. I knew
it was going to be tough at times, but I never thought Id
be on the receiving end of this. The man sitting next to me
isnt outraged because hes used to it.

as i sit there, it dawns on me that the man whod spat at

me thought I was someone else. He didnt realise that I was
a doctor, sitting down on the pavement trying to persuade
a patient with a gangrenous leg that he should come to the
hospital. He spat at me because he thought I was homeless
too. For a brief moment, I learned what it was like to be on the
lowest rung. I was on the receiving end of what the homeless
people I work with experience on a daily basis.

52 | 072016
 If, as Gandhi said, a society can be cover: while hed mistaken me for
judged by how it treats its weakest a homeless person because I was
members, then boy, are we in trouble. sitting on the pavement, I assumed
I got a kicking at the weekend, he was a decent bloke because he
said the homeless man sitting next looked presentable.
to me. Theyre always doing it. Im
an easy target, what with my leg. the man next to me agrees to
I look at his leg, which technically come into hospital and so I try and
is dead from the knee down and help him stand. I struggle. A boy
beginning to rot. It smells appalling. standing over the road is watching,
Sometimes they spit, sometimes and after a few minutes he saunters
illustration by DAN M Itchell

they just shout at you, he says, while over. Hes wearing a baseball cap
continuing to drink his soup. Other and trainers, and for a moment my
times it gets nasty and they try and heart sinks. Im really not in the
duff you up. mood for any more trouble. But as
It would be easy to blame this on he gets nearer he calls out: You
louts and thugs; the disaffected youth. wanna hand?
But the man who spat at me was Together, we help the homeless
wearing a tie. Perhaps it shows that man to standand we support him
one really cant judge a book by its until the ambulance arrives.

072016 | 53|
HEALTH

medical mythsbusted!

Your Urine Should

Be Almost Clear
Whats the truth?
It surprises many people to hear
that normal urine varies in colour
from person to person and that
healthy urine can be yellow and
not be any cause for concern. The
colour of urine depends on how
many chemicals are dissolved in it
it doesnt necessarily mean youre
dehydrated. In fact, in one study,
it was found that perfectly healthy
and well-hydrated peoples urine
had a urine concentration that was
better described as dark yellow.
Where did the myth come from?
Like all good myths, this one sounds So theres nothing to
believable because its based on a worry about?
half-truth. Its assumed that if your If your urine is very dark and your
Illustration By DAVID HUMP HRIES

urine is yellow in colour, then you stool is very light, then you should
must be dehydrated. speak to a doctor as this can mean
Its true that when people are you have a liver problem known as
severely dehydrated their kidneys obstructive jaundice. People with
the organs that filter the blood and certain medical conditions, such
make urineconserve fluid and as recurrent kidney stones, are often
therefore produce more concentrated advised to drink a lot of fluids and
urine. However, dark urine on its own to aim to have their urine almost
isnt a good indication of whether or colourless. For the rest of us, theres
not someones dehydrated. not too much to worry about.

54 | 072016
 Have you seen our
invisible hearing aid yet?
No? Not at all?
Exactly.

Our fantastic invisible hearing aid is small. Really small.

And, because it fits slightly deeper in the ear canal than your
average hearing aid, its virtually invisible when worn.
That means you get all the benefits of hearing better
without anyone understanding how you do it.
Whilst it cant be seen the difference can be heard.
Just because this hearing aid is small doesnt mean its less
effective. Weve made sure this tiny device has the high speed
processors and clarity enhancing features of the very latest
hearing aids. These are the things that make sure you get to
enjoy all the great things life has to offer like conversations with
friends and family, an evening out in your favourite restaurant or
a cosy night in front of the TV. And you can enjoy all this with the
confidence that whilst people might notice the difference in your
hearing they definitely wont notice your hearing aid.

If you like what you (dont) see, call 0345 203 7662 and book a free
appointment in store to find out more about this amazing little hearing aid.
I hear normally, its as if I dont have a loss and,
because you cant see them, no one else knows I do!

Free hearing check

To book your hearing check simply call
0345 203 7662
Terms: Only one hearing check per year. Free hearing check for over
18s only. Subject to availability and eligibility. By appointment only.
Call 0345 203 7662 (local call rates apply, calls may be recorded for training
purposes) between 8.30am and 8.00pm (Mon-Thurs), 8.30am and 6.00pm
(Fri) and 8.30am and 5.30pm (Sat) and 10.00am and 4.30pm (Sun).

For more information please visit Bootshearingcare.com

13955 Boots May Press Readers Digest v1.indd 1 29/04/2016 11:17

HEALTH

One in three adults over 50 will

develop this painful condition

Shingles:
Nasty&
Dangerous
By Lisa Fitterm an

F
or Franoise Fontaine, acne was
p hoto: Nicholas Evele igh/g e tty i m ages
but a long-ago memory of adolescence.
Yet there it was, unmistakable, little red
bumps in a straight line across the Paris
residents forehead that a friend noticed
after a day of shopping.
It must be an allergic reaction to the clothes I just
bought, she thought. But just in case, Franoise called
her long-time doctor the moment she got back home
and described her symptoms.
I think I know what you have, the doctor told her.
Theres no need to panic. My assistant will bring you
antiviral medication, which you should take right away,

56
s h i n g l e s : N ASTY & D A N G E R O U S 

and go see an eye specialist as soon Tropical Medicine, looked at the re-
as possible. cords of over 67,000 patients who had
The next morning, Fontaine was shingles and suffered either a stroke or
sitting in the specialists office, shocked a heart attack within a year.
as he informed her she had a virus We observed a 2.4-fold increase
called shingles, also called herpes in the ischemic-stroke rate and a 1.7-
zoster, or zona in French. fold increase in the heart-attack rate,
It occurs when a virus called vari- said researchers. The most marked
cella zoster, which causes chicken increase was observed during the first
pox, reactivates, he explained. week following zoster diagnosis.
Unbeknown to Fontaine, the virus Researchers suggested two possible
had been lurking in the nerve endings causes: the virus causes fatty build-
of her spinal cord ever since, dormant, ups in the arteries to break off and
waiting to catch her immune system cause a stroke or a heart attack, or the
off guard before pouncing again. stress caused by the pain sends blood
She also didnt realise that, while the pressure up, again resulting in a stroke
rashes and blisters fade, the tingling or a heart attack.
and burning from whats called post- Further research into shingles at
herpetic neuralgiaor nerve damage the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota also re-
can carry on with little respite for ported in December last year, showed
some patients. that adults with asthma appeared to
Six years later, Fontaine, now 86, have a 70 per cent higher risk of devel-
says, I was lucky. The outbreak didnt oping shingles, compared with those
affect my eyes. But no matter what I without asthma.
try, the pain persists to this day. In that
way I guess Im not so lucky. Theres no cure for shingles.
Its a name that comes from the Latin
Most shingles outbreaks last and French words for belt because
no more than a week or two, but some it often appears at waist level, partly
patients are at greater risk of develop- circling the body. Dr Allison McGeer, a
ing life-threatening complications, microbiologist at Mount Sinai Hospital
including those who are undergoing in Toronto enumerates the symptoms,
treatment for cancer. which tend to occur on one side of
Research released in December last the body because usually only a single
year found that a severe case of shin- nerve root is involved. These may
gles can raise the risk for stroke and include numbness or tingling, itching,
heart attackand kill. Caroline Minas- fatigue, headaches, high fever, a sen-
sian, PhD, along with colleagues from sitivity to light and excruciating nerve
the London School of Hygiene and pain that can upend your life, leaving

58 | 072016
 Readers Digest

you sleepless, unable to work or carry well into shingles territory, doctors are
out daily activities. girding themselves to see more cases
As you get older, your immune than ever before. Says Vesikari, Think
system stops paying attention to the of it this wayif we all lived for 200
virus for a period of time so that it years, then everyone would develop
grows down the nerve root, unim- shingles at some point.
peded, McGeer says. The resulting Given that one in three adults over
skin rashes have distinctive shapes 50 will develop the disease, its best
because they follow the to prevent an outbreak
pattern of the nerves in the first place. For
as they give feeling to this, you have to get a
our skin. Its best to vaccine, Vesikari says.
prevent an If youve not been
Shingles isnt conta- outbreak in the vaccinated, then you
gious. If youre exposed first place, need to act quickly at
to someone with shin- since shingles- the first sign of symp-
gles, you wont get the toms, as the antiviral
related pain
virus as long as youve medication is best used
had chicken pox, says
can be within 72 hours of an
McGeer. But if youve unrelenting outbreak. This is espe-
never had chicken pox cially important if you
and are exposed to a are hoping to mitigate
person with shingles, you may come the very painful post-infection pain
down with the childhood disease. that can often occur.
Timo Vesikari, a professor of virol- Right now theres one vaccine on
ogy at the University of Tampere in the market. Called Zostavax, it has
Finland, and director of the institu- been approved for use in Europe and
tions vaccine research centre, says North America for the past ten years,
most people will have only one shin- and has been proven to reduce the
gles outbreak in their lifetime be- chance of an outbreak overall by 64
cause it serves as a reminder for the per cent. But with ingredients such as
immune system to become vigilant live chicken-pox virus, its difficult to
again. Still, depending on how old you produce in large quantities The result
are when the first outbreak occurs, its is that a single shot costs about 140.
possible to have a second one and Although pricey, it been part of NHS
maybe even a third. recommendations for people between
With life expectancies in Europe and the ages of 70 to 78 for the past three
North America longer than ever before, years. But these ages are rather arbi-
and with the baby-boomer generation trary as even younger peopleeven,

072016 | 59|
s h i n g l e s : N ASTY & D A N G E R O U S 

in the rare instance, childrencan an adjuvant, or chemical substance,

develop shingles, and government that helps the bodys immune system
health plans dont cover the cost of the wake up. Adjuvants are already used in
vaccine for them. vaccines to prevent a host of condi-
But once vaccinated, experts still tions, including hepatitis A and B,
dont know for how long its effective, diphtheria and tetanus, but this is the
though five years is thought to be the first time one has been used in the
limit. So if you do get vaccinated in battle against shingles.
your 50s or early 60s, GlaxoSmithKline, the
its important to talk to vaccines manufacturer,
your doctor about if and is expected to submit
when to get a second A new, more its findings to the US
vaccination. If youve effective and Food and Drug Admin-
had shingles, theres no affordable istration later this year
need to get vaccinated vaccine is for approval, and after-
as your immune system coming in the wards to the authorities
has already been jump- in Canada and Europe.
started by the disease.
near future
When to be vacci-
perhaps early If youVE not been
nated or revaccinated next year vaccinated, learn to
may soon no longer be recognise the early signs
of concern. In the near of shingles and call your
futuremaybe early next yeara doctor as soon as you suspect some-
new vaccine should make it to market. thing is wrong.
Tentatively called Shingrix, experts in Vancouver resident Marilee Sigal
Europe and North America are excited wishes shed done just that when she
because throughout every research had a shingles outbreak three years
phase, it has proved at least 90 per cent ago. Just turned 55 at the time, she was
effective in adults 50 and older. sitting with guests in her back garden
The research trials, which took place on an evening in August 2013 when
in a number of countries, involved she felt a sharp pain high on the left
more than 16,000 patients aged 50 and side of her back. At first, she attributed
older, with some well into their 80s. it to fallout from a fierce childhood
The results are promising, with no battle with scoliosis, a sideways curva-
evidence so far of the vaccines efficacy ture of the spine.
diminishing over time. But the pain didnt subside. A day
Shingrix doesnt contain a live virus. later Sigal noticed a mark like an insect
Instead, it combines an easily repli- bite. Finally, she went to a walk-in
cated protein found in the virus with clinic. The doctor looked at it and said,

60 | 072016
 Readers Digest

I can wait for test results, but Ill tell burning pain. But nothing has worked.
you right now that its shingles. I have to protect my skin from the
Sigal, now 58, was surprised. As a sun and the wind because it hurts,
psychotherapist, she kept up on medi- she says. Some nights, its just awful.
cal literature and thought shed be at I cant sleep and I scratch myself until
risk only when she reached 60. I bleed.
The doctor prescribed antiviral Still, she goes on one day at a time,
medication but it was too late because spirited and determined to live each
Sigal had experienced the first symp- one to the fullest.
toms more than three days earlier. For others, with a new vaccine pos-
sibly just around the corner, shingles
F o r F r a n o i s e F o n ta i n e , may not pose a problem at all. Says
the journey has been difficult. Shes Dr Allison McGeer, Assuming the
tried all kinds of therapiesfrom vaccine passes all the safety hurdles,
acupuncture to hypnosisto stop the this is a very good news story.

BAD DAY AT WORK?

Disgruntled employees reveal the most outrageous things their bosses

have asked them to do:
File a police report about his missing trousers.
Travel across London to get her dog specialist food. When I got back
she made me redundant.
Asked to lose weight if I wanted a promotion. Im an accountant!
Called me from an overseas hotel at 11pm my time to ask me to call them
and ask for a late checkout. Dial 1, moron.
Change a bandage on his disgusting fungal nail. I gagged.
Apologise for not asking her to the pub.
Photoshop his credit-card statement to hide the jewellery hed bought
his mistress.
Sent me out to buy toilet roll, then made me exchange it when she
decided it was the wrong type of pattern.
Check his nose for residue.
SOURCE: TIMEOUT.COM

072016 | 61|
 READER OFFER

A classic collection of BBC adaptations of

SHAKESPEARES
HISTORY PLAYS
EXCLU
SIVE
DVD
OFFER
!
The Hollow Crown
RRP 29.99 RD Price 12.99* Save 17
4 DVDs Cert 12 8hrs 40 Product Code 137794
Comprising Richard II; Henry IV: Part One; Henry IV Part Two and
Henry V. Cast includes Jeremy Irons, Ben Whishaw, Rory Kinnear,
Simon Russell Beale, Julie Walters and Lindsay Duncan.

The Hollow Crown Season 2

RRP 26.99 RD Price 19.99* Save 7
3 DVDs Cert 15 6hrs 01 Product Code 167458
Tom Sturridge, Hugh Bonneville, Keeley Hawes and Judi Dench
and Benedict Cumberbatch star in: Henry VI: Part One, Henry VI:
Part Two, Henry VI: Part Three and Richard III.

HOW TO ORDER
(Please quote RDP041 when ordering) Online: shop.readersdigest.co.uk
Phone: 0844 332 8080 (8am-8pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Sat-Sun)
By Post: Readers Digest, FREEPOST, RTHR-LLRY-ZHYS, Ringwood, BH24 1HD
(Cheques should be payable to Readers Digest. Please remember to quote RDP041 and
include your full name and address, along with the details of the item(s) required).
* plus 2.99 postage and packing

Subscribers_Offer_July.indd 1 09/06/2016 10:06

 INSPIRE

Send us your
summer snaps
it could win you
a fabulous camera!

Summer
Happiness
Photo
Competition
what encapsulates summer so let your imagination run riot!
happiness for you? Is it maybe The competition will be judged
a day on the beach, a picnic with by the Readers Digest editorial
friends or a holiday with your family? team with the help of professional
Or something else entirely? Well, photographer James Eckersley, and
heres your chance to capture it in the winning entries will be published
a photo! All you have to do is take in our October issue. Turn the page
a compelling picture that sums up for entry details and some tips from
happy times and send it to us. Were a professional on how to take the
looking for unusual approaches, perfect photo!

63
 S U M M E r h a ppi n ess P H O T O C O M P E ti T I O N 

Raffy on a Swing

Wilde Fry (right) shares softer, or use fill-in flash.

his tips for taking great But be warnedits
photos and his own trial and error! The
favourite summer snaps. subject loses detail in
harsh sunlight, giving
Summer is a wonderful a silhouette effect. Is
opportunity for eye- this always a bad thing?
catching pictures, and its You decide.
terribly tempting. But its also
PHOTOS COURTESY OF WI LDE FRY

technically tricky due to the harsh RAFFY ON A SWING

lightthat perfect moment often Here, I wanted to capture the freedom
ends up sabotaged by overexposed and joy of a child at play. The green
or underexposed photos. canopy of the forest magically filtered
Always shoot your camera in its the light, making everything appear
manual setting and in RAW. This sub-aquatic. The sole technical issue
allows greater control on the final was that the green was too dominant.
picture. Also, shoot during early In this case, you have to decide if you
morning or dusk when the light is are willing to swim in the green.

64 | 072016 pre vious imag e : smspsy/shutterstock

 R ea d er s Diges t

WATER FOUNTAIN how to enter

I shot the people in the fountain on a
hot summers day. Although the light J Take a high-resolution photo with
was overpowering, I used it to my either a phone or digital camera. After
advantage and photographed into the saving it as a jpeg no larger than 2MB,
sun, creating a silhouette effect within go to readersdigest.co.uk/photo-comp
and use the form to upload. Entries must
a group. As the participants couldnt
be submitted by 5pm, August 25.
judge when the jets of water would
appear, this made for a spontaneous, J There are two categoriesone for
natural and happy composition! adults and one for under-18s. The adults
But even a seasoned photographer prize is a Nikon DSLR Camera worth
must experiment with the exposure 750; the under-18s prize is a Panasonic
settings. In this case, a silhouette was Lumix Bridge Camera worth 230.
best as the faces would have been too J Please mark your entry either Adult
distorted otherwise. or Under 18.

Water Fountain

RULES: Please ensure that pictures are original, not previously published and taken specifically for
this competition. If youre under 16, you must ask your parent or guardians permission to enter this
competition. We may use entries in all print and electronic media. Contributions become world copyright
of Vivat Direct Ltd (t/a Readers Digest). Entry is open only to residents of the UK, Channel Islands, Isle
of Man and Republic of Ireland. It is not open to employees of Vivat Direct Ltd (t/a Readers Digest), its
subsidiary companies and all other persons associated with this competition, their immediate families,
and relatives living in an employees household. The judges decision is final. n

072016 | 65|
INSPIRE

Campsites
From lush landscapes
to luxury amenities, get
back to nature in these
scenic spots

BY FIONA HICKS
67
BEST OF BRITISH 

Hooks House Farm many contented-looking cows grazing

GORDON BELL/SHUTTERSTOCK

YORKSHIRE on green slopes.

There are two great draws of this The second part of the appeal is
North Yorkshire locale. Firstly, the the sites welcoming vibe. Were a
view. The pitches are positioned on small, friendly, family-run campsite
a gently sloping hill, which creates on a working farm, says business
a wonderful vantage point over the partner Joanne Harrison, and theres
entire sweep of Robin Hoods Bay. been camping of some kind at Hooks
Look the other way and youre treated House for over 80 years.
to the sight of moors, woods and Theres no entertainment on offer,

68 | 072016 PREVIOUS IMAGE: BOKAN/SHUTTERSTOCK

 READERS DIGEST

The Secret Campsite

Happy campers have been visiting EAST SUSSEX
Hooks House Farm for more than
This beautiful area of woodland
80 years; (left) Robin Hoods Bay
meadow oozes tranquillity. The site
is resolutely tents-only, wildlife is
deliberately cultivated and owners
Tim and Lisa Bullen are keen to
welcome families (rather than huge
party-inclined groups).
Most of our campers are looking
to escape their everyday lives for
a couple of nights, explains Tim.
While here, they want to encounter
lots of wildlife, cook over a camp-
fire, enjoy the dawn chorus and see
the stars at night. Most of them are
keen to put down their phones and
connect with the family and friends
theyve come with.
Pitches are secluded (and large),
and each comes with a genuine
campfire pit. Campers can even opt
to spend a night or two in The Tree
Tenta giant, spherical structure
suspended between three oak trees.
Visit thesecretcampsite.co.uk
for details

but neither is there a long list of rules,

which combine to create a relaxed
atmosphere. Facilities are simple but,
in keeping with the sites civilised air,
theres a communal kettle to make
that crucial cup of tea. If you fancy a
day trip, the fishing village of Robin
Hoods Bay is within walking distance.
Visit hookshousefarm.co.uk
for details

ALAN CURTIS/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO / MAYNARD FRITH 072016 | 69|

BEST OF BRITISH 

Shell Island
GWYNEDD
Covering 300 acres, this is supposedly
Europes largest campsiteand with
a supermarket, shop and restaurant,
it certainly has enough facilities to
keep the masses happy. Such is its
popularity that theres never a lack
of new friends to meet, and you can
even arrange to meet them in the
Tavern Bar on site.
But dont let this commercial
element deter you as it also provides
a good old dose of the country-
side. Many of the pitches overlook
Cardigan Bay and Snowdonia
National Park, and there are three
easily accessible beaches: one with
large sand dunes for running up
and down, another thats perfect
for dinghies, and a quieter one that
often plays host to sunbathers.
Whats more, the rocky foreshore
stops shells from being washed
awayso you cant help but find a
sea-made souvenir to take home.
Visit shellisland.co.uk for details
Cleadale N ATA LIA MELNYCHUK/SHUTTERSTOCK
INNER HEBRIDES
J R R Tolkien holidayed on the
Isle of Eigg, and its reasonable to
suspect that his jaunts here provided
inspiration for the epic Lord of
the Rings trilogy. Jagged cliff faces,
majestic hills and rolling terrain
all come together to create the sort
of landscape that can only be carved
by time. Its breathtaking, beautiful
and just a little bit intimidatingthe

70 | 072016 BRINKSTOCK/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

 READERS DIGEST

The Isle of Eigg was a favourite

holiday destination of Lord of
the Rings author J R R Tolkien

Pleasant Streams Farm

CORNWALL
Our pretty, sheltered site offers
a very relaxed and back-to-nature
style of campingor, as some people
would call it, proper camping,
says marketing manager Josephine
Heath. Children love the freedom
to explore and their parents love
seeing them play outside, instead
of glued to a screen.
Theres a stream running through
sort of nature that really puts you the campsite (perfect for splashing),
in your place. a small lake complete with a rowing
The camping on offer here is, boat, plus a host of wildlife to keep
unsurprisingly, wild. The pitches the little ones entertained. Its not
lie at the bottom of a cliff and arent unusual to spy owls, badgers and
exactly flat, and the main toilet field mice, as well as miniature pigs
on offer is a compost one, but they Rodney and Del Boywho are always
come with staggering views. eager to greet newcomers.
Look west and youll see the Isle There arent designated pitches, so
of Rum, the Outer Hebrides and campers can erect tents where they
the Atlantic Ocean stretching out choose. The quaint village of Sticker
into the distancenot to mention is a ten-minute walk away, offering
extraordinary sunsets. You may a playpark for kids and an authentic
even catch sight of Gollum country pub for Mum and Dad.
Visit eiggorganics.co.uk Visit cornwallfarmcamping.co.uk
for details for details

EMMA GREENWOOD / COOLCAMPING.CO.UK 072016 | 71|

BEST OF BRITISH 

Troytown
ISLES OF SCILLY
If you havent visited the Isles of
Scilly, you must. Lying at the tip of
Cornwall, these Areas of Outstanding
Natural Beauty feel like a blend of
the Mediterranean and storybook
England, with regular sunny days and
a wonderful sense of community.
Troytown is the only campsite on
St Agnes (one of the islands) and it
really makes the most of its environs.
The pitches overlook the white-
sanded beach, theres a farm shop
selling produce to eat al fresco and
since the island measures only one
mile acrossthe view is a panorama
of the Atlantic Ocean.
The clear waters are perfect for
snorkelling, swimming and fishing,
while the rock pools provide endless
entertainment for adults and children
alike. If you prefer to travel light,
you can rent one of the four-person
bell tents already on site.
Visit troytown.co.uk for details

72 | 072016 SCYTV
 READERS DIGEST

Deepdale Farm offers

camping that caters to
all tastesincluding
the option to stay in
stylish tipis

Deepdale Farm
NORFOLK
Burnhan Deepdale is a pretty village a little bit, but youre there for a
poised on the North Norfolk coast. holiday, to get away from it all. Why
The farmencompassing five well- suffer? Quite so.
maintained paddockslies at its Augmenting the getting-back-
heart and is one of the most popular to-nature theme, all the camps
campsites in the county. amenities are eco-friendlyand
This may well be because theres theres something deeply satisfying
something to cater to every degree about having a shower heated
of camping enthusiasm: pitches for entirely by solar power. The early
regular tents, spaces for small camper bird gets the hot water, mind!
vans and even ready-made tipis and Visit deepdalebackpackers.co.uk
yurts. The latter are a particular treat, for details
complemented by their own private Whats your favourite campsite getaway?
garden and barbecue. As the owners Email [email protected]
say, You may feel like youre cheating and let us know!

ANDY DAVISON 072016 | 73|

INSPIRE

Michael Foley, 68, is the author of the best-selling

philosophical book The Age of Absurdity: Why Modern
Life Makes it Hard to be Happy. He was a teacher for
over 20 years and now writes full-time.

If I Ruled the World

Michael Foley
I guess Id have to do some serious stuff. So Id
reduce poverty, inequality, disease and pollution. With
that out the way, we can have some fun.

Id implement a three-day week and alleviate some

of the burdens of work. Everyone
thinks a five-day week is a God-given
absolute, but thats only half true;
God was responsible for the six-day
week, Sunday being the day of rest. It
was actually Henry Ford who, in 1926,
set the five-day, 40-hour working week
for employees at his Detroit automobile
ILLUSTRATED BY JAM ES S MITH

company. If a mortal can do that, I reckon

another mortal can reduce it to three daysmost
jobs can be done quite satisfactorily in that time.

Wed all play more. Playing has been discredited in

the modern world, but the Hindu religion believes the
world was created as a form of play. Contemporary
physics endorses this by suggesting that matter is

74 | 072016
completely random and jumping psychologist Robin Dunbar in which
about in all sorts of weird ways, so he asked a team of rowers first to
our universe is fundamentally playful. row on their own and then as a team,
Id like to see play areas for adults exerting themselves the same amount
in corporate environmentsbouncy both times. But when they rowed as
castles, sandpits, slides, the works. a team each participants endorphin
release was doubled. It goes to show
Id bring back the Roman Festival that doing things at the same time as
of Saturnalia. This took place at other people makes us happier. One
the end of December each year and, of the best synchronised activities is
along with feasting and gambling, dancing with a partner, learning the
masters and slaves changed roles. steps and moving together. For a man
Masters would wait on their slaves and woman, this is surely the ideal
and the slaves could do what they synchrony of all.
liked. Id like a modern-day version
where senior managers swapped Wed ruminate for half an hour
roles with the cleaning and catering a day. Among all these good times
staff, whod be free to lecture their were having, its worth remembering
bosses on mission statements, targets we cant live on fun alone. So a little
and empowering the brand. time to exercise the right side of
our brainthat part responsible for
World Naked Bike Rides would take imagination and creativity and all
place in every city. Theyre already the good thingsis important. You
hugely popular; theres one in London dont need to try and empty your
in June and in over 70 other cities. mind but just sit quietly in silence
They began as a protest against our and let your thoughts roam around in
dependency on oil and the car, but free association, making unexpected
theyre also a wonderful celebration connections and encouraging the
of fun. While writing my recent book, very best kind of thinking.
I came to realise that having fun is far
more complex than we might imagine No one would groan getting up from
and involves all kinds of different a chair. One of my biggest concerns is
elements including sexuality, comedy, not to turn into a cranky old man.
play and transgression; youve got all As told to Caroline Hutton
of these in a naked bike ride.
Michael Foleys new book Isnt This Fun?
Id encourage more synchronised Investigating the Experience Everyone
activities. There was a fascinating Wants is out on June 30, published by
experiment by the evolutionary Simon & Schuster.

072016 | 75|
 PARTNERSHIP PROMOTION

Lasting Power of Attorney

THE MYTH AND THE REALITY
You may have heard of a Lasting Power of Attorney
(previously an Enduring Power of Attorney), but did you
know its not just something you arrange later in life
when you start feeling iffy? Here we investigate some
of the myths and realities surrounding mental incapacity
and Lasting Power of Attorney

Myth Mental incapacity is something Reality Your spouse or children have

that only affects people in later life, no automatic right to act on your
through illnesses such as Alzheimers, behalf. They will be required to apply
so I dont need to do anything just yet. to the Court of Protection to be
appointed as your Deputya long,
Reality Accident or illness complex, costly and intrusive process.
can strike at any time,
often without warning. Myth I can simply add
The consequences of my spouse or children
Creating Lasting
failing to plan can be to my bank accounts, as
significant, as outlined Power of a joint-account holder
in this articleso why Attorney is as would just carry on as
leave something so vital as writing normal in the event of
important to chance? your Willdont my mental incapacity.

leave it too late

Myth If I suffer an Reality Banks are
accident or illness, my required to protect
spouse or children will automatically the interests of the account holder
be able to take over the running of my and will often freeze an account
affairs as my next of kin. (even a joint account) where they

Collective Legal Solutions DPS.indd 2 09/06/2016 10:09

 LEGAL

learn of an account holders mental foresight if you do. Its the

incapacityunless legal authority has only way to have your say
been granted through a Lasting (or about who you trust to
Enduring) Power of Attorney or an manage your affairs and
order from the Court of Protection. make things as simple
as possible for your
Myth An Enduring Power of Attorney loved ones.
provides my Attorneys with the
authority to make decisions about
my health and medical treatments
if I cant.

Reality An Enduring Power

of Attorney only provides the
nominated Attorney(s) with the
power to make financial decisions.
You may want to consider a
Health and Welfare Lasting
Power of Attorney to grant your
loved ones the power to make vital
decisions, including those about life-
sustaining treatment if you wish.

A Lasting Power of Attorney is often

likened to an insurance policyyou
hope youll never need it, but your
family will be very grateful for your

Call Readers Digest Legal today for your free information

pack on 0800 031 9516 and quote ref RDL13.
Free home visits Value for money
Specialist legal expertise All work fully insured

Readers Digest Legal is a service provided by the Collective Legal Solutions Group.

Collective Legal Solutions DPS.indd 3 09/06/2016 10:09

INSPIRE

Live Better, Help Often

Wonder
More
Former stand-up comedian
Sanderson Jones is on a mission
to take church to the godless
but will it catch on?

words and
ph otogr aphy
By n i ck cunar d

78
Sunday Assembly
co-founder
Sanderson Jones
speaking at the
secular church
in Londons
Conway Hall
LIVE BETTER, HELP OFTEN, WONDER MORE 

Proceedings commence much like a regular church

service: a familiar hymn with an uplifting chorus to stir the
congregation from their Sunday-morning slumber. But these arent
the lyrics of John Wesley being projected karaoke-style onto the
stage screen. Instead, the assembled band are strumming along to
the Beatles classic We Can Work It Out.

The priest then appears, bounding you can be a part of something bigger
onto the stagelong-limbed, bearded than yourself. Our motto is Live
and slightly manic, he cuts a hipster better, help often and wonder more.
Jesus-meets-John-Cleese figure. Ours is the creed of lifefulness.
I hope youre ready for an hour True to their mission statement,
and a bit of just celebrating that were the service is stirring of head, heart
alive! he booms out to the 300 or so and soul. As well as the singing and
cheery souls assembled in Londons sermon, Sunday Assembly (SA)
Conway Hall on this member and teacher
crisp morning. Kat Gibbard reflects
The austere art-deco on Aristotles take on
building in central Its like the joy as a pleasure that
London has hosted best bits of should be indulged
many alternative
church, but in guiltlessly and
organisations over the
past 90 years or so, but
without the often . Its a statement
that sounds vaguely
none so unashamedly
God part. you sacrilegious in this
fun-loving and life- can be a part context.
affirming as the Sunday of something A couple of minutes
Assembly. bigger of silent contemplation
Before he hands over is followed by a
to cognitive holistic collection to cover costs
therapist Gianna de Salvo for a such as venue hire. Contributions are
sermon on the theme of How to recommended on a sliding scale of
Rewire Your Brain for Joy, Sanderson 10, 5 or nothing depending on how
Jonesthe preacher man and former well-paid you are, or whatever you
comedianelaborates on his and co- can afford if you fall into the student
founder Pippa Evans vision. or unemployed camp.
Its like the best bits of church, The session wraps up an hour or
but without the God part, he says. so later with the very appropriate
Sunday Assembly is a place where Pharrell Williams hit Happy. The

80 | 072016
 Re a d e r s D i g e s t

godless congregation Sanderson endorses the echoed in 70 chapters

are on their feet, happily creed of lifefulness in in over ten countries,
worked up, while a the bi-monthly groups registering total monthly
breakaway group of six or congregations of around
so parishioners form a conga around 4,000. This is no mean achievement,
the edges. especially when you consider that
Finally, its time for a well-earned Sanderson and Pippa only came up
cuppa and a slice of cake. According with the idea three years ago while
to Ian Joliet, who co-ordinates the en route to a gig in Edinburgh.
Facebook group Sunday Assembly
Social, this is the moment the real For all its quirky originality,
work of the SA commences. Members the SA is not without historical
mingle and hatch plans to make good precedent. Nick Spencer, research
on SAs imperatives to build durable director at religion and society think
and moral communities. tank Theos, takes the long view.
Scenes similar to this are being He cites the example of the Ethical

072016 | 81|


movement of the 1800s that broke

away from the Anglican church,
encouraging people to exchange a
belief in God for one in the good life
based around helping others. More
recently, The School of Life in London
founded by TV philosopher Alain
de Botton has devised the Sunday
Sermons, where the educative, self-
improvement element is key.
But this might be the first time
anyone has attempted such a venture
on a global scaleand in such a
rollicking spirit. So how to explain
SAs rapid ascent to, dare one say
it, cult status?
The internet is crucial, of course.
Understandably, the concept of
a godless church run by a couple
of comedians got picked up by
the press and quickly went viral.
Sanderson drew on his experience
working at a tech start-up to capitalise
on the coverage, building an online
following. But the magic ingredient
that Sanderson believes explains the
avalanche of inquiries is this latent
desire for community and a massive
desire to help.
Its a desire that fits with the
zeitgeist. If you look at open-source
software and Wikipedia, people are
giving so much of their time for free, The concept of a
he continues. Theres all these godless church run
people participating in [group] things, by a couple of
giving them meaning in their lives. comedians got picked
The 34-year-old is certainly leading up by the press and
by example. Although, in his words, a quickly went viral
slightly misbranded crowd-funding

82 | 072016
 Re a d e r s D i g e s t

Clockwise from left: campaign at the start of last year

the SA congregation failed to raise anywhere near the
bond over coffee; 500,000 target, it did provide enough
53-year-old Sharon funds for him to ditch the day job
Little heads up
a burgeoning career as a stand-up
the Greeting Card
Association and
and go at the SA full throttle.
gave a talk on the
subject; co-founder Ironically, the SA has proved
Sanderson Jones the perfect vehicle for his comedic
sensibility. Formative experiences,
such as the death of his mother when
he was ten, have clearly informed his
concept of the SA.
Initially it was a matter of
processing deeply painful emotions
and coming to terms with this vast
loss, he says. This was replaced by
a sense of feeling privileged to have
known her for ten whole years
coming to this realisation made me
appreciate how you have to celebrate
and appreciate whats miraculous
about life.
The bi-monthly assemblies are
one of the primary mechanisms
through which the SA communities
are created and this credo expressed.
Their activities run the whole gamut.
Some are leisure-oriented (a theatre
group has been a big hit) while
others such as the weekly Resolve
groups aim to offer practical help
utilising SA members expertise in
particular areas. Sanderson availed
himself of an accountant who was
attached to one in order to complete
his tax return.
Further afield in Portland, US,
theres a team dedicated to helping

072016 | 83|


people move home. The LA chapter

puts care packages together for the
homeless. Closer to home, there
have been link-ups with prominent
charities such the Trussell Trust and
its food-bank schemes.
Although they encompass a range
of activities, Sanderson regards
them as godless congregations, or
moral communities that share a core
set of values and goals. Nick Spencer
comments, With the SA theres no
baggage. To many people, the church
still appears stuck in the 1880s.
People still have these
negative associations
that are incredibly
hard to shake off.
For example, SA congregations aim
there are many to build communities;
who find the (left) a mass karaoke
belief element is often a feature of
off-putting and the assemblies
stifling. One of
the attendees to Nevertheless, Nick
Sunday Assembly Spencer isnt convinced
is 23-year-old Dominic that the SA will be more
Smithson, a translator than a passing fad. Godless
from Guildford. congregations may ape the church
I liked a lot of things about in their ecclesiastical processes and
church, he says. The way it was practices, but Spencer doubts that
multi-generationalall these sharing a non-belief in something
people who youd never normally as your central belief will be enough
meet coming together and thinking to sustain them.
seriously about the worlds problems. But Sanderson doesnt regard the
But I also felt a sense of responsibility lack of belief in God as a weakness
to believe. I dont have that with the quite the opposite, in fact.
SA, which gives me more opportunity We dont talk about religion or
to grow as a person. atheism. We dont ask anyone what

84 | 072016
 Readers Digest

they believe in. Thats not interesting SA on a whim has actually turned
to us. Its more about what we can out to be an life-changing experience.
achieve regardless of what we believe. She met her current boyfriend
Our commitment to celebrating life is here, for a start. But she also talks
as transcendental as anyones god. about how it has created a less angry
Though many members may not person whos more conciliatory
have elevated it to quite this level, the in her dealings with her numerous
lifefulness creed seems to establish antagonists, as she calls them.
a positive context that yields concrete
results. Sharon Little, 53, another the SA brand and Sandersons
former churchgoer, says, When you uniqueness undoubtedly resonate
have regular positivity in your life, with members. The concept of the
it gives you a real boost. Being with godless congregation is certainly
upbeat people helps with the process central to its appealas is its message
of building community. that self-sacrifice and having a
Equally, for 23-year-old Seema, a thoroughly good time need not be
teacher who had a fairly strict Hindu mutually exclusive.
upbringing, the SAs laissez-faire Whether hes the man reconciling
attitude to religion was something she spirituality and secularism or the
found appealing. I may have grown worlds most benign cult leader, you
apart from my parents religion, but cant help but admire Sandersons
I dont want it trashed either, she conviction.
states. If the SA were too secular then
it would build wallsthe whole point Sunday Assemblies typically meet on
is to break those walls down. the first and third Sundays of the month.
Shes convinced that coming to the Visit sundayassembly.com for details.

TERRIBLY SORRY

This newspaper correction, from an August 2003 edition of The Guardian,

might just be the most British mistake ever:
In our interview with Sir Jack Hayward, the chairman of Wolverhampton
Wanderers, we mistakenly attributed to him the following comment: Our
team was the worst in the First Division and Im sure itll be the worst in the
Premier League. Sir Jack had just declined the offer of a hot drink. What
he actually said was, Our tea was the worst in the First Division and Im sure
itll be the worst in the Premier League. Profuse apologies.
SOURCE: REUTERS.COM

072016 | 85|
 PARTNERSHIP PROMOTION

6 Tips To
Protect Your
Property This
Summer
WITH WINTER WELL BEHIND US,
thoughts start to turn to the longer,
sunnier days that hopefully lie ahead.
But with the lighter mornings and
evenings, summer is unfortunately a
peak period for burglars to strike,
with many homeowners away on
their holiday or spending time in
their garden. Tip 1 Ask a friend or neighbour to
keep an eye on your home. They
Weve put together some top tips could park on your drive, clear your
for keeping your property and post from your letterbox, water your
possessions as safe as possible plants or even use your bins, making it
this summer. less obvious your property is vacant.

To discuss your home-insurance requirementsand to obtain a competitive

quotationcall us today on 020 8069 3102. One of our expert advisers will
help provide the home-insurance policy that matches your requirements.

Higos Insurance Services_DPS.indd 2 09/06/2016 17:07

 Tip 3 Ask your family to keep quiet
about holiday plans on social
media. Think twice about posting a
picture or status that makes it
obvious youre away on holiday.
You never know who can see whats
posted on sites such as Facebook,
Twitter and Instagram.

Tip 4 Ensure you have appropriate

travel insurance in place if you
are going on holiday. Readers Digest
Insurance Services offers a wide
range of travel-insurance solutions,
with no upper age limit and cover
for those who have pre-existing
medical conditions.

Tip 5 Make your property look lived-in

by setting timer switches so
lights, music and the television come
on throughout the day and evening.
Put all bicycles, tools, toys and
furniture away overnight.

Tip 6 Know who you need to contact

Tip 2 When sunbathing in your in case of an emergency. Keep
garden, do check all your all those useful numbers in one place
windows and doors are locked. Its so you can get in touch whenever
important not to leave any valuable you need to.
items such as jewellery, wallets or
mobile phones near any open These are simple but effective steps
windows. Make sure your alarms and to help avoid any nasty surprises this
locks are working and effective. summer. Enjoy the sunshine!

Vivat Finance Limited trading as Readers Digest are an Introducer Appointed Representative
of Higos Insurance Services Ltd trading as Readers Digest Insurance Services, who are
authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority FRN no 302690

Higos Insurance Services_DPS.indd 3 09/06/2016 17:07

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

The French city of Lyon has long embraced

the simple pleasures of traditional cuisine

Food
Soul
for the

BY M ARC EL TH ERO UX

View of Rue Saint-Jean near

Place Neuve Saint-Jean in the
medieval old city
89
I
FOOD FOR THE SOUL 

FIRST CAME TO LYON in a soft bolster of delicately fishy conso-

2011 to watch the Bocuse lation. It was sublime.
dOr, the worlds most pres- I asked the chef, Alain Vigneron,
tigious cooking competition. what it had to do with all those gran-
Held every two years, the diose offerings at the Bocuse dOr.
Bocuse takes place in a What I do, he replied modestly, is
cavernous auditorium amid grandmothers cooking.
a frenzy of flag-waving, Walking home from Abel, I had the
drum-beating spectators. In front of feeling of rediscovering something

PHOTO, P REVIOUS S PREA D: SI ME/ESTOC K OPP OSI TE PAGE, C LOCKWISE FROM TOP L E FT: COU RTE SY AU BE RG E
them, 24 chefs, competing for their that foreign visitors have been learn-
nations, strive to produce two courses ing in France for at least a century:
of impeccable food. that excellent food is not a contest, or

DU PON T DE COLLONGES ; C ELI NE C LANET X2; MAURI CE ROUGEMONT/CORBIS; CE L INE CL ANE T

Everything about the event is over a luxury, or a fashion, but something
the top. Each courseone of meat, more simple and intimatea daily
one of fishis presented to the judges act of conviviality. I felt I understood
on huge salvers. The finished food why Curnonsky, the renowned French
is unnaturally elaborate, bearing the early-20th-century food writer, had
same relation to something you might declared Lyon the capital of gastron-
actually eat as the physique of the omy. And I made a promise to return
Incredible Hulk does to a normal body one day and bring my family.
shape. The year I went, first, second, Earlier this year, judging that my
and third places were all taken by eight-year-old daughter and six-year-
teams from Scandinavia; a result that old son might finally be old enough for
prompted inevitable jeremiads about the adventure, I rented a flat in a 19th-
the decline of France as the ultimate century building on the Quai Saint-
culinary superpower. Antoine, in the heart of the city.
That evening, on the recommenda- From the moment we arrived, it was
tion of a friend, I went into the city clear that the life of the city centres on
centre to eat at Caf Comptoir Abel, a food. Six mornings a week, there was
tiny, typically Lyon restaurant known a huge outdoor food market on the
as a bouchon. It turned out to be four embankment directly beneath us,
homely, wood-panelled dining rooms, with more than a hundred bewitching
hung with posters and a dessert menu stalls of fresh vegetables, fish, meat,
written in chalk on a blackboard. I had cheese, bread and charcuterie. On our
been advised to try the pike quenelle. first visit, we came away with a roast
It arrived on a sizzling plate in creamy chicken, a sausage baked inside a
mushroom sauce. By an extraordinary brioche, a baguette and some cheese,
act of alchemy, the chef had turned a which we took for a picnic in the
bony and basically inedible pike into Roman amphitheatre on Fourvire hill.

90 | 072016
Clockwise from top left: Paul Bocuses
restaurant LAuberge du Pont de
Collonges; Chef Mathieu Viannay;
Caf Comptoir Abel; truffle soup
created by Bocuse for the lyse Palace;
veal sweetbreads fricassee and lobster
with peas from La Mre Brazier
FOOD FOR THE SOUL 

THE FOOD OF LYON has been praised ascendancy in the 20th century: Paul
for at least 2,000 years. In the citys Bocuse, the superstar chef who
Gallo-Roman Museum, we saw an- founded the Bocuse dOr. Not only is
cient testimonies to the quality of its the competition named after him, but
pork, wine and chicken. Its culinary its trophies are gold, silver and bronze
excellence is in part an accident of statuettes of the man himself. The fact
geography; the city sits at the inter- that Monsieur Bocuse can pull off this
section of several of Frances greatest kind of self-advertisement is a tribute
wine regions and its cooks are able to to his suavity and the genuine esteem
draw on nearby delicacies: great fruit in which hes held.
and vegetables, Charolais beef, blue- Paul Bocuse began his apprentice-
legged Bresse chickens, pork, snails, ship under Mre Brazier in 1946. Hes
game and freshwater fish. always acknowledged a debt to her.
But the citys modern reputation Now 88, Bocuse is virtually a gastro-
was made in the 19th century, when nomic deity. Lyons covered market
a cohort of young women founded was renamed in his honour in 2006.
restaurants and spent their lives per- His flagship restaurant, the Auberge
fecting and serving a handful of du Pont de Collonges, stands on the
dishes, all based around the local Sane, a 15-minute drive from the
produce. They became known as Les centre of Lyon. The evening I went, the
Mres, the mothers. slopes of Croix-Rousse hill were gilded
The most celebrated of all was in the late-afternoon light. As we drove,
Eugnie Brazier, born in 1895, whose I told my wife Id had job interviews
life was a culinary Cinderella story. that I felt less nervous about. I was in-
Aged 19 and unmarried, she gave birth timidated by the expenseenormous
to a son and had to leave her village in and the feeling of entering the rar-
disgrace. She found work under Mre efied air of a culinary Valhalla.
Fillioux, the most famous chef in Lyon, Bocuses other restaurants follow
and finally opened a restaurant of her recent innovations, offering foams
own. Relentless hard work, a commit- and the like. But here, in a strangely
ment to the best ingredients and rare garish former mill thats festooned
talent saw her become in 1933 the first with pictures of the master, Bocuses
chef to command six Michelin stars team serves his Greatest Hits.
three for each of her two restaurants. Bresse chicken, poached with slivers
She died in 1977. Plump and smiling of black truffle under its skin, is a dish
in her surviving photographs, she still Bocuse would have seen prepared by
exudes an unmistakable steeliness. Mre Brazier herself. It arrived at our
Mre Braziers true heir is the man table in the pigs bladder in which it
responsible for Lyons gastronomic had been poached, ballooning like a

92 | 072016
  READERS DIGEST
Looking across the Sane River
towards Fourvire hill

brontosaurus egg. The waiter punc- Lyon is an odd, binary place: it has
tured the bag, removed the bird and two hills (Fourvire and Croix-Rousse,
carved it expertly. First we ate the legs one historically a place of worship, the
in a sweet and woody morel mush- other a place of work) and two differ-
room sauce. Then the breasts were ent rivers, the slow-moving Sane and
served on a separate plate with dressed the more turbulent Rhne. It also has
endive. It was one of a handful of truly its two cuisinesthe celebrated in-
extraordinary meals Ive eaten. heritors of the traditions of Les Mres
and the demotic food served in the
WE QUICKLY FELL IN LOVE with citys bouchons.
Lyons big squares, its leafiness, its The bouchon is the platonic ideal
PHOTO: OLI VER STREWE/GETTY IM AGES

rational public transport system, its of a certain kind of restaurant. Inside,

relaxed pace of life, its lack of crowds. its always the year 1927. Theres dark
Beneath and behind the visible city lay wood, red-and-white-checked table-
hidden medieval courtyards, wells and cloths, framed prints, perhaps a big
steep Renaissance staircases. vase of roses. No one is in a hurry, but
At the cafe by our apartment, we everything is done with brisk exper-
dipped our morning croissants in hot tise. Its glories are simple ones: salade
chocolate and watched workers grab- lyonnaise with bacon and a poached
bing espresso and men slapping two- egg on top; pickled herring with pota-
euro coins on the zinc counter for an toes; sausage. There are often no more
8am glass of ros. than half a dozen main courses, with

072016 | 93|
FOOD FOR THE SOUL 

pork and tripe dishes well represented. that meet the criteria: a combination
The gutsy, affordable, unfussy food of ambience, a commitment to tradi-
grandmothers cookingis a demo- tional Lyon dishes and high culinary
cratic cuisine. These are the dishes of standards. We had to give up any hope
a proud and assertive urban working of eating at all of them. Theres only so
class. The leisurely bouchon meal is much tablier de sapeura thin square
a pointed riposte to the commercial of tripe prepared like a schnitzelthat
logic that drives harried workers to you can eat in a single day. Then there
gobble sandwiches at their desks. are Lyons newer maestros, playing
After all, what does it profit a man if variations on its traditions of excel-
he gains the entire world and lose his lence: Patrick Henriroux at Bocuses
lunch hour? other alma mater, La Pyramide; the
An appellation contrle system changing roster of chefs at Arsenic;
awards a label of authenticity to cer- the Japanese-inflected dishes of Arai
tain bouchons. There are currently 24 Tsuyoshi at Au 14 Fvrier; Mathieu

LEISURE TIME IN LYON

GETTING THERE: Connecting flights to Lyon are available from a number

of European cities, or take the two-hour TGV train from Pariss Gare de
Lyon, which departs every 30 to 90 minutes.
LODGING: Chteau de Bagnols is a classic 13th-century chteau-hotel
in Bagnols, outside Lyon (chateaudebagnols.com).
Mama Shelter offers Lyon modern high design in the city centre
(mamashelter.com).
DINING: Caf Comptoir Abel, 25 Rue Guynemer (). LAuberge du
Pont de Collonges, 40 Quai de la Plage, Collonges, au Mont dOr ().
La Mre Brazier, 12 Rue Royale (). La Meunire, 11 Rue Neuve ().
Arsenic, 132 Rue Pierre Corneille ().
SHOPPING: March Saint-Antoine is a local outdoor market for fresh
produce, Quai St-Antoine.
MORE INFORMATION: lyon-france.com
Pricing key: : 2050. : 50100. : more than 100.

94 | 072016
An Exclusive Offer For
Readers Digest Readers

ONLY
Sizzle the 29! THE TRADITIONAL
STEAK SELECTION

Ultimate
Full price INCLUDES
58
2 Sirloin Steaks,

Steak!
190g each
2 Ribeye Steaks,
190g each
1 Pav Rump
Fire up the barbecue for the finest quality, grass-fed, Steak, 150g
fully matured UK steak, with this outstanding offer
4 Pav Rump
from Royal Warrant holding butcher, Donald Russell. Medallions, in
This mouth-watering selection includes succulent, pack of 4, pack
juicy Sirloin Steaks, generously marbled Ribeye Steaks, weight 240g
and incredibly beefy Pav Rump Steak and Medallions.
Plus free-range Pork Sausages, 100% Mini Steak FREE GIFTS:
Burgers and a handy cooking guide absolutely free. 6 Mini Steak
Donald Russells premium quality Traditional Steak Burgers, in
Selection comes professionally frozen and delivered packs of 6, pack
direct to your door on a day to suit you. At only 29, weight 270g
with free delivery*, its what barbecues were made for! 4 Pork Sausages,
in pack of 4, pack
weight 280g
How to order: Order today by either 1 How To Meat
calling 01467 629666, quoting RDG1602 Perfection
Cooking Guide
or visit donaldrussell.com/rdg1602

The Small Print: Donald Russell Ltd, Harlaw Road, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, AB51 4FR. Strictly limited to 1 per
household. *Free delivery is available for UK mainland only. Additional surcharges may apply; if in doubt please call first to
check. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other Donald Russell offer. Offer expires 31st July 2016.
Home & Garden Reader Offer

LOVE BIRDS?
Introducing our new
range of attractive and
practical bird feeders:
an ideal gift or treat
for the wild bird lover.

Printed Fruit Feeder

RRP 19.99 Shop Price 17.99*

P13016 - Butterfly Plum

P13017 - Nest Red Raspberry
Size: 28.5cm H x 15.3cm W x 14.9cm D

P13027 Trellis Cottage

Style Birdhouse
RRP 24.99 Shop Price 22.99*

Visit our website for many more styles available at shop.readersdigest.co.uk

HOW TO ORDER
(Please quote RDP041 when ordering) Online: shop.readersdigest.co.uk
Phone: 0844 332 8080 (8am-8pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Sat-Sun)
By Post: Readers Digest, FREEPOST, RTHR-LLRY-ZHYS, Ringwood, BH24 1HD
(Cheques should be payable to Readers Digest. Please
remember to quote RDP041 and include your full name and
address, along with the details of the item(s) required).
* plus 4.95 postage and packing per order
 READERS DIGEST

Viannay at Mre Braziers old estab- the view of the Basilica of Notre-Dame
lishment, La Mre Brazier. de Fourvire on the other side, and
We did manage to take the children passed the old synagogue on Quai
to La Meunire, a lovely bouchon on Tilsitt. I had a salad of crayfish and
Rue Neuve, one lunchtime. I was slippery green beans, and the quenel-
nervous about the culture clash be- les, and we shared chestnut sorbet
tween French gastronomic hauteur with chocolate sauce. It was even bet-
and wriggly, 21st-century children, but ter than I remembered.
the whole thing went without a hitch. In a world where food has become
It was a success in part because of mixed up with aspiration, snobbery
the kindness of the matre d, in part and utopianism, Lyon felt like it repre-
because of the patience of the two sented an achievable ideal: a place still
young Frenchwomen who, in bouchon connected to a culinary tradition that
style, shared our table, but mainly combines thrift and pride and excel-
because I let my son play on my smart- lence and sustainability. The lesson of
phone for the entire meal. The kids the city is that food is a daily pleasure
tried the grattons (deep-fried pork to be shared. It isnt only the chicken
rinds), loved the bread, sampled our in the pigs bladder that Ill remember:
plates of saucisson and the confit of just as memorable were the Nutella
lamb shoulder. At the end, we ex- crpes my children devoured most
changed friendly au revoirs with our afternoons; the snail pt we sampled
accidental companions. in the market; the hot chocolate that
my son drank at breakfast and wore on
ON ONE OF OUR LAST EVENINGS, his T-shirt all day. Between now and
I returned with my wife to Caf Comp- our next visit, these will be the meals
toir Abel. There was a warm breeze as that linger in the memory; this was the
we dawdled along the river, admiring food that fed our souls.
TRAVEL & LEISURE (NOVEMBER 2014) BY MARCEL THEROUX. TRAVELANDLEISURE.COM

GENTLEMANLY INSULTS

Theres no reason to lose your coolor courtesyin a fracas. Try these:

You have diarrhoea of the mouth and constipation of the ideas.
If I throw a stick, will you leave?
You, Sir, are the reason God created the middle finger.
SOURCE: THEGENTLEMANSJOURNAL.COM

072016 | 97|
TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

Anne campe
d in a yurt,
Asian tent ; a tradition
(below) the al Central
bright city of
Samarkand

BY C ATH Y A DA M S

My Great
Escape:
Sand And
Starlight
Anne Rothwell from West Yorkshire fulfills a
childhood dream in Uzbekistan

WE STOOD IN A LINE on the hilltop, cameras poised,

waiting for the sun to set. This was the best time of the day,
not only for photography, but for relief from the heat. A
large dragonfly flew by. It was an unexpected sight in the
dry Uzbekistan desert.
Since reading The Golden Road to Samarkand as a child,
Cathy has Ive always wanted to go to Uzbekistan. I was finally here.
danced in
Rio, been
After the sun had set, we slithered down the sandy slope
microlighting to the yurts below. Entering through the wooden doors, the
in South four of us on the expedition flopped onto our mattresses and
Africa and gazed in the dim light. We ate a meal and went outside to
hiked the find a large campfire surrounded by chairs. A local musician
HEMIS /ALAMY STOCK P HOTO

mountains
began to sing. Happy yet weary, I went to the yurt, crawled
of Oman
into my sleeping bag and listened from there.
During the night, I came outside and looked up: what a
glorious sight! My patch of earth was completely enveloped
by the soft black night and myriad brilliant constellations.
No light, no sound; just nature in all her pristine glory.
The next morning, after an Uzbek breakfast of bread, meat,
cheese, boiled eggs, fruit and green tea, we set off with camels

98 | 072016
to walk to the Aydar Lake a few miles
away. We loped along in the heat,
my Bactrian camel stopping at every
thorny bush to snatch a mouthful,
which he crunched noisily.
Then the lake came into view: a
beautiful deep blue, mirroring the
cloudless sky. The water was clear Postcard
From ...
and clean and refreshingly cool. After
a picnic on the shore, we travelled to
see turquoise mosaic buildings and
the fabled Silk Road of Samarkand Rwanda
the city that inspired my trip!
JULY IS THE DRIEST MONTH IN
CENTRAL ASIAN EXCURSION RWANDA, so its the most enjoyable
Exodus offers a 12-day Uzbekistan time to catch a glimpse of its most
Uncovered trip from 1,699pp famous residents: silverback gorillas.
(020 3811 3008, exodus.co.uk). The central African countrys
Volcanoes National Park, so-called
thanks to the many volcanoes within
its borders, is home to around 400
mountain gorillas, along with buffalo,
monkeys and hyenas.
Once youve tracked some of the
worlds most legendary animals,
you can relax in Volcanoes Safaris
Virunga lodgeslated to have the
best view in the world.

SILVERBACKS AND SAFARIS

Volcanoes Safaris offers a four-day
tour from 3,200 per person (+44
3333 239 740, volcanoessafaris.com).

WE WANT Tell us about your favourite holiday (send a photo

TO HEAR
too) and if we include it on this page well pay you
FROM 50. Go to readersdigest.co.uk/contact-us
YOU!

PRISMA BILDAGENTUR AG/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO 072016 | 99|

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

Things To Do This Month

LONG/SHORT:
FOOD
FESTIVALS
LONG: Singapore
Food Festival
Singapore is one
of Asias most exciting foodie
destinations, and during July a
gastro frenzy comes to town.
Expect hawker stalls, celebrity chefs
TOULOUSE and plenty of delicious Singaporean
IN TWO MINUTES dishes (yoursingapore.com).
WATCH: FOOTBALL Euro 2016
kicks into Frances pink city at the SHORT: Whitstable Oyster Festival
start of July. If you dont manage to The Kent seaside town is famous for
get tickets to the Stade Toulousain, its oysterslocal restaurant Wheelers
soak up the atmosphere in the is packed most nights. This years
youthful city (uefa.com/uefaeuro). Oyster Festival includes eating
competitions, live music and food
SEE: MUSE AEROSCOPIA and drink stalls. From July 2131
Toulouse has a long history of (whitstableoysterfestival.co.uk).
aviation (its the home of plane-
maker Airbus), so its the perfect
location for the new Muse TRAVEL APP
Aeroscopia. Visitors can even OF THE MONTH
tour the inside of a plane cockpit
(musee-aeroscopia.fr). Airbnb, Free,
iOs, Android. The
HEMIS /ALAMY STOCK P HOTO

CYCLE: VELOTOULOUSE property-rental

Thanks to hundreds of bike-rental start-ups newly
stations dotted around the compact redesigned app
city centre, its easiest to discover has more listings,
its charms on two wheels. If thats including bars and
too urban, escape to the nearby restaurants, to help
countryside to cycle along the Canal you live like a local.
de Garonne (velo.toulouse.fr).

100 | 072016
Everything you need to know about

Selling your Timeshare

Its good to know that theres a company out there that

helps people with no-obligation timeshare advice.
Julie Peasgood 2016 - Writer, presenter, & travel expert

W hether youre worried about passing maintenance bills

to family, finding travel more difficult or perhaps you new
actually want to travel more - this FREE guides an excellent
place to start. With 40 pages of independent expert advice FREgeE
its easy to make your timeshare work for you. To find out 40 pa
GUIDE
more and to claim your FREE guide call TODAY!

Weve helped 1000s of consumers...

Last year we helped 1000s of people ensure that they were still getting the
most out of their investment. For whilst the sun may still shine, and the
locations still great, your needs and that of your loved ones will inevitably
change over time. Our Timeshare Health check helps you assess if your
property is still right for you and if it isnt, we offer straight talking
and totally independent advice on what to do next. To find out
more and to claim your FREE guide call TODAY!

Readers Digest readers can

receive a 30 VOUCHER
redeemable at over
120 high street stores
inc. M&S, Boots and
Waterstones*

Just some of our current free listings... Why should you choose SellMyTimeshare.tv?
Studio, Plas Talgarth, North Wales Timeshare specialists for resorts worldwide
Bed, Hollywood Mirage Club, Tenerife Floating weeks, fixed weeks, points & club memberships
1 Bed, Paradise Kings Club, Paphos
2 Bed, Lakeland Village, Cumbria Advertise your Timeshare with us for FREE
2 Bed, Royal Savoy Resort, Maderia
2 Bed, Clube Praia Da Oura, Portugal For more information & FREE 40 page BROCHURE CALL

0800 012 4686

3 Bed, Anfi Emerald Club, Gran Canaria
SellMyTimeshare.tv
3 Bed, Cameron House, Scotland cancelled & sold over
2,250 timeshares
in 2015!
SellMyTimeshare.tv offer services including timeshare resales, client purchases, trade-ins,
disposals, alternative leisure & lifestyle products as well as offering advice on getting the
most from their existing timeshare ownership *Terms & Conditions apply. or visit www.SellMyTimeshare.tv
Our children do not want to inherit our Timeshare We want freedom of choice Our maintenance bills are too high
TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

CRAZY
Festivals
are out there waiting to be celebrated.
Join us on a trip to the most unusual events
taking place around the globe

BY CO RNE LIA KUM FERT

PHOTO: ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

103
READERS DIGEST 
  READERS DIGEST

Every year in Nevada (US) there

is artwork and curiosities galore
AL AMY STOCK PHOTO; ( R IG H T ) R E U T E R S

to marvel at when the Black Rock

PHOTOS: ( TOP) G E TT Y IMAG E S; ( B E LOW )

Desert changes into a mammoth

art exhibition (previous page).
In August and September some
70,000 people come here to
celebrate the Burning Man Festival.
Superheroes dont queue? Well,
at San Diegos Comic Convention
they do. Each July they open their
doors to fans of Superman and other
comic figures. More than 100,000
annual visitors have paid homage to
their mythical heroes.

Nappy time! At the Crying Baby Festival

in Tokyo (Japan), sumo wrestlers do what
they can to bring babies to tears. Sadism
run riot? Certainly not! Its a 400-year-old
tradition based on a Japanese proverb,
which says that crying babies grow fastest
and parents believe the event brings good
health to their children.
Fame and honour await the winner
of the Palio contest in Siena (Italy).
In July and August, ten inhabitants of
different districts of the city jockey for
first place in a spectacular horse race.
The trophy goes to the contestant whose
horse crosses the finishing line first
whether hes still in the saddle or not.

072016 | 105|
C R A Z Y F E S T I VA L S 

A very special sporting event takes

place annually in September, when so-
called highliners meet up for concerted
action in the Italian Alps. At the Highline
Meeting in Monte Piana (Dolomites) they
join forces to balance their way from
peak to peak. From time to time they
take a breathernot in some cosy hotel,
but 7,545 feet up on the mountainside.

Monkey business in London.

The Great Gorilla Run will be
taking place for the 14th time
in September this year to raise
money for endangered mountain
gorillas. Each year hundreds of
(TOP AND RI GHT) A LAM Y STOCK PHOTO
people participateall wearing
gorilla costumes, of course!
PHOTOS: (LEF T) GETTY IMAGES;

Skulls, grotesquely colourful

sweets and paper skeletons?
Welcome to the Day of the Dead.
In early November, Mexicans
commemorate their deceased
with this opulent festival. The
streets turn into a garish fun-mile
full of people dancing, laughing
and eatingpreferably skulls
made of icing sugar.

106 | 072016
 READERS DIGEST
 PARTNERSHIP PROMOTION

Peer-To-Peer Lending
A whole new way of investing
FROM ITS INCEPTION IN 2005, Peer- force within the financial marketplace,
to-Peer has grown from strength to even when interest rates begin to climb,
strength to become the poster child due to its significantly leaner cost base
of the alternative finance industry. By relative to traditional lending providers.
the end of March this year, the sector Peer-to-Peer lending companies
had attracted over 5bn of investments, operate almost entirely online, and
with over 700m being invested in so can provide services much more
the first quarter alone. If the Peer-to- cheaply than traditional financial
Peer phenomenon has escaped your institutionshence their ability to offer
attention, now might be just the right more attractive terms to investors and
time to take note. borrowers alike.
Another key attraction of Peer-to-
A WIN-WIN PARTNERSHIP Peer investments is their flexibility.
Peer-to-Peer lending is the now well- Typically, you can choose to invest for
established practice of lending money growth, ie, to roll up your returns and
to individuals or businesses through take them all on maturity at the expiry
online services that match lenders of your investment term, or take those
(investors) directly with borrowers, returns regularly in the form of, say, a
enabling both parties to circumvent monthly income. Its often possible
traditional providers such as banks. to have those monthly payments
Investors typically achieve better rates paid regularly into a nominated bank
of return than would be available from account for added convenience.
traditional providers. By the same
token, borrowers gain access to flexible INTELLIGENT INVESTMENTS
and competitively priced loans. Wellesley & Co is a Peer-to-Peer lending
In short, its a win-win scenario for platform with a core principle to lend
both parties. Peer-to-Peer is confidently the money of its customers to carefully
anticipated to become an ever-increasing chosen borrowers whose loans are

Wellesley_July_DPS.indd 2 09/06/2016 17:05

 MONEY

secured upon tangible assets, such as automatically spread across all the
residential and commercial property. loans made, thereby spreading your
Wellesley uses the interest paid by investment as widely as possible.
those borrowers to pay competitive If youre suffering from all-time low
rates to you. It invests its own money interest rates, it really could be time
into every loan it makesand is the to consider trying out Peer-to-Peer
only Peer-to-Peer to do so. Every week lending. Do something interesting with
your money, along with its own, is your moneyTry The Wellesley Way.

Benefit from our exclusive offer for Reader's Digest

readers and receive 100 cashback when you invest
2,500*. Claim 100 cashback only at wellesley.co.uk/rd

Your capital is at risk and interest payments are not guaranteed if the borrower defaults. Your funds are
not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. Wellesley & Co is authorised and regulated
by the Financial Conduct Authority (registration number 655503) and has its registered office at St Albans
House, 57/59 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4QX. *Terms and conditions apply.

Wellesley_July_DPS.indd 3 09/06/2016 17:05

MONEY

The Hidden Value

Of Your Spare Room
Whether its a space for sporadic visitors or a forgotten-gift
dumping ground, an extra room can create some extra cash

BY A N DY ITS GREAT TO HAVE SPACE for friends and family

W E BB
to stay when they come to visit, but chances are your spare
room is really just a storage space most days of the year.
Why not put it to more profitable use?

Charge people to stay there

The Rent a Room scheme is open to anyone who lets out
a furnished room to a lodger in the home you live in, and
in return you can earn up to 7,500 tax-free each year. You
Andy Webb is can also include food and services such as laundry in the
a money expert rent you charge. However, any money earned above the
at the Money 7,500 allowance will be taxed and youll need to fill in a
Advice Service. self-assessment form each year. If you dont like the idea
Visit money
adviceservice.
of someone in your home all the time, a Monday-to-Friday
org.uk for rental agreement might suit you.
details You can also charge people for short-term stays through
sites such as Airbnb. Next April, a 1,000 tax-free allowance
will be introduced for people renting out parts of their
property like thisgarages, driveways and attics are also
in demand, and you could even rent your whole home out
while youre away.
With both schemes you dont need to own your property,
but mortgage and rental agreements might restrict who can
stay in your home for money, and insurance policies often
limit these activities, so check your documents first.

110 | 072016
 Clear it out Get rid of it
If theres anything in your spare Of course, the biggest value your
room you havent used for a year, spare room has is related to the
its unlikely youre ever going to use overall value of your property.
it. But rather than throw it away, see Though it can be a wrench to
if you can make some money first. leave the family home once the kids
We all know about online selling have moved out, you might find
sites such as eBay, but you can also downsizing to a smaller property
offer items through local groups on with fewer rooms frees up some
Facebook. If you dont fancy going cash to help you do more with your
online, car-boot sales can bring in life. It also has the added advantage
some cash, but dont expect to get as of making it easier to maintain your
MOPI C/ALAM Y STOCK P HOTO

much money as youd like. home with less cleaning and less
You might also be able to save clutter to deal with.
some money by regiftingessentially, But any move does come with
giving an unwanted item as a present additional costsfrom Stamp Duty
on birthdays, Christmas and other and legal fees on the new property
celebrations. This of course requires to solicitor fees on the home youre
a bit of tact, and make sure you dont selling. Make sure you consider these
give someone a gift they gave you! before you move on.

072016 | 111|
MONEY 

Dodging THOSE HIDDEN EXTRAS

Charges YOUR BAGS

Is there a charge to check

On No-Frills luggage in the hold?

How big is the bag youre

Flights
allowed to take in the cabin?

YOUR SEATS
Will you be charged more
The luxury of being able to fly all
for extra leg room, or even a
over Europe and the UK for less than window seat?
a return train ticket from London to
If you dont reserve a seat,
Manchester is amazing. But if you is there a risk you wont be
dont keep an eye on the extras, you sat together?
could end up paying far more than
you originally planned. BOOKING AND PAYMENT FEES
Unfortunately, the way most of Is there a charge to use your
the airline websites work means credit card?
you have to go through the process Will it cost you more to call
of booking a flight before you can up and book rather than do
see the real costa travel frustration it online?
we could all do without. To help Does checking in at the
you avoid getting caught out, watch airport cost more than doing
it at home?
out for the following when booking
with a budget airline. FOOD AND DRINK
Are food, drink and snacks
included?
Can you bring your own food
on board?

THE REST
Is there a pre-selected box
for insurance?
Have you accidentally clicked
to add car hire?
Does it cost you for a text-
message confirmation?

112 | 072016
  READERS DIGEST

ARE YOU OWED

MONEY?

The mild winter and

spring mean its likely
you spent less on your
heating than you had
done previously.
Since our energy
bills are estimated on
previous usage of gas
and electricity, and
often paid by direct
debit, anyone who did
not give regular meter
readings will probably
have overpaid.
To find out if you

Microchipping have, take meter

readings and ask your
GREGG VIGNA L/A LAM Y STOCK PHOTO / GTS /SH UTTERSTOCK

Your Mutt
supplier for a new bill
based on them. If you
find you now have a
Has your pet pooch been chipped? If not, it could large amount of credit,
cost you 500. you can ask for the
The main purpose of microchipping pets is to energy company to
make it easier for you to be reunited if little Fido pay it back to you.
is lost or stolen, but it also helps reduce the strain The company might
on animal charities dealing with strays and means suggest reducing your
fewer animals are put to sleep if their owner cant direct debits to cover
be found. Since April, all dogs over six months need the differencewhich
to be chipped, and its retrospective toomeaning you can opt forbut its
even your loyal 15-year-old mutt will need a chip often better to have the
fitted. If your dog is found to not have a chip, youll money in your account
be fined 500. earning interest than
Most vets will do this, but its also possible to find sitting where you cant
places that will do it for free. use it.

FOR MORE, GO TO READERSDIGEST.CO.UK/MONEY 072016 | 113|

FOOD & DRINK

Easy-to-prepare meals and accompanying drinks

Lamb Burgers
In Pitta Pockets
BY RAC H E L THIS RECIPE IS THE ANTITHESIS to towering
WAL K E R
restaurant burgers, which need to be deconstructed
before they fit in your mouth. Mini burgers enclosed
in pockets of pitta bread are easy to eat at a barbecue
and can be stuffed with lots of garnish.
Buy the best quality mince you can afford and try not
to flip the burgers too wildly during cooking. Hold your
nerve and only flip the patties once so they stay in tact!
Rachel Walker
is a food writer for Serves 4 1tbsp olive oil
numerous national 500g lamb mince 150g halloumi, sliced
publications. Visit 50g breadcrumbs 6tbsps plain yogurt
rachel-walker.co.uk
for more details
1 red chilli, deseeded 812 fresh mint leaves,
and sliced finely sliced
1tbsp cumin seeds, 4 handheld pitta breads,
ground halved
12 courgettes, cut on
the diagonal

1. Put the lamb mince in a mixing bowl and add the

breadcrumbs, chilli and cumin. Season with salt and
freshly ground pepper, and use your hands to mix
everything together until its well combinedbut dont
overwork or mash it.
2. Split the mince mixture into eight pieces and shape

114 | 072016
 into small patties. If needed, all this can be done
in advance and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
3. To cook the burgers on a barbecue, lightly brush TIP
them with oil. Put them on a grill over a bed of
If you ever have
white-hot coals, and cook them for 68 minutes
ends of stale,
in total, flipping halfway through cooking.
leftover bread
4. To cook the burgers in the kitchen, preheat
then blitz it into
the oven to 200C. Put the burgers in a hot griddle
breadcrumbs
pan, or under the grill, for two minutes on either
and freeze in a
side, until the top and bottom turn brown and
sandwich bag.
crisp. Then place them in the oven for a further
They have such a
68 minutes, until the patties are cooked through.
big surface area,
5. Meanwhile, place the sliced courgette and
they defrost quickly.
halloumi on a hot griddle pan or under the grill,
PHOTOGRAP HY BY TI M & ZO HI LL

and cook for 23 minutes on each side, until they

are lined with strips of char. Set aside on a plate.
6. Mix together the yogurt and mint in a dish, Dont miss our
then season. Finally, toast the pitta bread and ten delicious
vegetarian burger
slice in half.
recipes at
7. Slot a mini patty into each half of the pitta, readersdigest.
then splash on some of the mint-yogurt dressing. co.uk/veggie-
Squeeze in the halloumi and courgette round the burgers
sideplus any other garnishes you fancy!

072016 | 115|
FOOD AND DRINK 

Think Pink! from pomegranate extract. San

Franciscan cocktail The Greyhound
is also cropping up on bar menus,
ITS LONG BEEN THE CASE that using pink grapefruit as a mixer for
sartorial fashions change from traditional, clear gin.
season to season: soft pastels then For those who prefer a session
dark denim, coral then neons. drink, Cranes is a young company
Whats more recent is the way that behind hot-pink cranberry cider
the cycle has trickled into the drinks (Ocado, 1.99), and for soft
industry. Last summer bright-orange alternatives, cold-press teas is an
glasses were charged with aperol enduring trend. I always find that
spritz, negroni and campari on the hibiscus iced tea is the perfect thirst
rocks. This season, orange is on quencher for a hot summers day
its way out and drinks are turning (Hibiscus Tea, The Kent & Sussex
blush pink instead. Tea & Coffee Co, 1.95).
Pink Gin was first drunk by the
Royal Navy back in the 19th century.
The savage cocktail, believed to
help seasickness, mixed Plymouth
gin with a dash of angostura
bitters, which gave it a pink hue.
Fever Trees latest launch of
Aromatic Tonic (Waitrose, 1.69)
tonic water infused with South
American angostura barkmeans
that the mixer carries the colours
and flavour of the bitters, giving
the drink a more palatable, 21st-
century twist.
Its not the only way to give a
G&T a twist of pink, thanks to the
proliferation of pink gins hitting
the market. The Bitter Truth
(Harvey Nichols, 48) is mixed
with similar aromatic bitters, while
Pinkster (Ocado, 35) is infused
with raspberries, and Edgerton
Original Pink Gin (Fortnum &
Mason, 32.90) takes its colour

116 | 072016
  READERS DIGEST

Pink Cocktails BOOK

Hibiscus Iced Tea

1 litre water
15g dried hibiscus flowers
50ml sugar syrup
1 lime, cut into six wedges
Superfood Family
Pour the water into a large jug.
Classics by Jamie Oliver,
Add the dried hibiscus flowers
22. Enhance your
and steep overnight in the fridge.
repertoire of healthy
Strain to remove the dried flowers
and very tastydishes.
and sweeten with the sugar syrup. Fill tall
glasses with ice cubes, top up with cold-brew
BARGAIN
hibiscus tea and garnish with lime wedges.

Ultimate Pink G&T

50ml Plymouth gin
Fever Tree Aromatic Tonic
Strip of lemon zest
Small glass bowls, Tiger
stores, 1. Cheap and
WOLLERTZ / RAMON L. FARI NOS / MAXSOL/SH UTTERSTOCK

Fill a tall glass with ice cubes,

cheerful, these are great
pour in the gin and top up with
for salads and sides at
Fever Tree Aromatic Tonic.
summer barbecues.
Run the pith side of the lemon-zest
strip around the rim of the glass,
BLOW OUT
then pop it into the drink.

Greyhound
50ml gin or vodka
Pink grapefruit juice
Sprig of rosemary
Yellow glass pitcher
Fill a tumbler with ice cubes, pour and set of six tumblers,
in the gin or vodka and top up with Sophie Conran, 30.
grapefruit juice. Garnish with a A jug is always handy
sprig of fresh rosemary and serve. when dining al fresco.

FOR MORE, GO TO READERSDIGEST.CO.UK/FOOD-DRINK 072016 | 117|

home & Garden

By Ly n da
C la rk The Road To Rio
As we gear up to the Summer Olympics in Rio, why
not invite friends and family over to enjoy the sunshine?
Add a statement to your garden using vibrant colours and
accessoriesa scattering of striking cushions, Moroccan-
style lanterns, pretty outdoor lights and playful bunting
will all help set the scene. If your patio is small, its easy to
Lynda Clark
maximise space by choosing a round table preferably
is a homes, foldingalong with a set of stackable chairs.
property and
interiors expert, White wooden four-seater folding table and chairs, 259;
and is editor fern print cushion, 14.99; turquoise planters, 19.99;
of First Time
multicoloured ball solar lights, 12.99; coloured jar tea-
Buyer magazine
light holders, 2.49.
All available from Dobbies (dobbies.com)

Get The Look

Enjoy the sunny days and create
your own tropical paradise!

Pineapple garland, 7.99,

Lakeland (lakeland.co.uk).
Peru plate, 3, M&S
(marksandspencer.com).
Woven garden chair,
60, George Home at Asda
(george.com).
Pineapple vase, 10, George
Home at Asda (george.com).
Light-up flamingo, 34.99,
Lakeland (lakeland.co.uk).

118 | 072016
 Memories are
made of this
Looking forward to
your holiday? These
fun accessories will
get you in the mood

Travel the world with

the Goldfish orange
globe light, 79.95
(redcandy.co.uk).

The Great Outdoors

Umbra hanging photo
During the warmer months theres nothing quite display is perfect to show
like being outsideand a garden room where you off your favourite snaps,
can read, sit and watch the birds is ideal. Waltons 19 (redcandy.co.uk).
modern summerhouse (below) also features a
very useful side shed to keep your garden tidy. Its
unpainted but comes with a free tub of treatment
and a ten-year anti-rot guarantee. The fully-glazed
concertina doors open wide, making it easy to
move furniture in or
out, and allow plenty
of fresh air to circulate
during the summer Write your packing
months! Visit waltons. list on a fictional hotel
co.uk for details. notepad, 18 for eight
(herblester.com).

FOR MORE, GO TO READERSDIGEST.CO.UK/home-garden 072016 | 119|

TECHNOLOGY

From speedy coffee machines to sophisticated

e-readers, tech can help you to switch off

Easy Does It
BY OLLY MANN NESPRESSO PRODIGIO, 159
Current coffee technology isnt
about improving taste so much as
refining the speed with which you
get a cup into your caffeine-hungry
hands. First we saw supermarkets
offer up a torrent of ready-to-drink
coffees, then we got apps to tell us
Olly is a which nearby coffee chain has the
technology shortest queue. Now a gadget from
expert, radio
Magimix that is, essentially, the
presenter and
podcaster 21st-century teasmade: a Bluetooth-enabled Nespresso
machine. So, order your coffee from your bed, or on the
bus home, and have it ready when you get to the kitchen.
Quick enough for you?!

APPLE APP theres precious little

OF THE MONTH: room for your text.
ULYSSES, 34.99 Ulysses provides clean,
Attempt to write a novel on white space, yet with
most word-processing apps professional annotation
and your phone display tools a mere swipe away.
becomes so dominated by Documents sync to iCloud
the touch-screen keyboard and can be converted to
and formatting buttons, doc, PDF or ebook format.

120 | 072016
KINDLE OASIS, 269
Considering Amazon flog their Fire tablets for under 50 quid, its in some
ways surprising theyve launched this premium product: a Kindle with
a plush leather charging cover, which will
set you back over 300 if you want 3G. A bit
steep for a device running old-fashioned,
laggy, black-and-white E ink? Well, yes and
no: if you read a lot of books, youre buying
yourself hours of pleasurethe ergonomic
redesign has satisfying physical buttons
to turn the page and feels more like holding
a real paperback, as the weight is distributed
towards your hand as you read. Kindle
Paperwhite remains better value, but this
is the Rolls-Royce of e-readers.

ONJA STOVE, 100

When hipsters and camping collide, ANDROID APP
fashion takes a back seat. How can OF THE MONTH:
you come across all counter-cultural THE MORON TEST, FREE
cool while shlepping a tent, 20 beer Countless games have me
cans and an inflatable mattress across frustrated; very few make me laugh
a muddy field? out loud. But this app arouses
You cant (or at least I cant). But both reactions simultaneously.
at least your portable stove can look Apparently, under pressure, I cant
awesome. This two-burner folds rank cartoon eyeballs
down into a briefcase, replete with by size. I cannot
a cream finish and oak trim. Its a bit refrain from tapping
of a mad idea, the kind of thing that big red buttons,
will fox the future presenters of The even when theres
Antiques Roadshow when a clear command at
your grand- the top of the screen
children that says, Do Not
turn up Press The Button.
with one Am I a moron?
in 2095. Best keep playing
But it really to find out...
is very Now.

072016 | 121|
Fashion & beauty

Watertight Tip
By G e org i n a
yate s

applying eyeliner perfectly is one battle, but

keeping it smudge-free throughout the day is another
hurdle thats often more difficult to overcome. If you have
sensitive eyes, any number of environmental factors
such as wind, heat and pollen countcan encourage
them to water, thus ruining heavier kohl looks.
Georgina is a Unfortunately, after a number of trials, Ive found
fashion and
beauty editor
waterproof liners and mascaras ineffectual against
for numerous a flood of warm tears. However, Urban Decays Eye
travel titles and Primer Potion (18, urbandecay.co.uk) is so far the
a blogger at most successful defence against leaky eyes.
withgeorgia.com After moisturising, smooth a layer of primer over
your lids and then apply your eye shadow
and liner on top. The primer
serves as a barrier against
excess moisture
from the eyes
or skin.

Hold steady Summertime scents

If hot flushes and sweating cause Green-fingered folk will love
havoc with your make-up, the limited-edition Herb Garden
keep it in place with Urban Collection from Jo Malone (44,
Decays Chill setting spray jomalone.com).
(22, urbandecay.co.uk). Fragrant foliage
Used over freshly applied and fruit are
make-up, it cools the skin cleverly combined
and prevents liquid-based in five creative and
products from smudging. lively perfumes.

122 | 072016
 Taste of the Riviera

Channel the glamour

For of Audrey Hepburn
Her with a pair of Sixties-
inspired sunglasses.
Youll catch eyes and
see better tooas these
can even come in your
prescription (98,
baileynelson.co.uk).

Cruise along the Pair vibrant separates

harbour in these with something neutral
nautical wide-leg and comfortable, such
trousers from Boden as this crew-neck linen
(79, boden.co.uk). shirt (69, east.co.uk).

Stay on course with

For a personalised location
Him bracelet from designer
Sally Clay. You can
wear just one or stack
them to show all the
places youve been
(83, sallyclay.co.uk).

Look after your skin

Choose sophisticated and keep the sun
details over garish from your eyeswith
patterns with this off- a classic and stylish
white, finely striped tee wide-brimmed hat (30,
(25, whitestuff.com). debenhams.com).

072016 | 123|
BOOKS

Sophisticated womens fiction and middle-aged

male outrage are this months captivating reads

July Fiction
BY JAMES I Found You
WALTON
by Lisa Jewell (Century, 12.99)
Lisa Jewell is one of Britains best-selling
writersand reading her new novel, its not
hard to see why. I Found You is a high-class
combination of popular womens fiction (the
genre formerly known as chick-lit) and
gripping psychological thriller.
James writes In the classic manner, the central character Alice is slightly
and presents chaotic but fundamentally good-heartedand in this case
the BBC Radio living on the Yorkshire coast with her three children. By the
4 literary quiz
The Write Stuff
third page, the plot is already under way, when she spots
a handsome fortysomething man sitting on the beach. His
name iswell, he doesnt know, because hes suffering from
severe amnesia that also means he doesnt know why hes
there or where hes come from. Meanwhile in Surrey, a wife is
reporting the disappearance of her handsome fortysomething
husband to the police.
At this stage, people who havent read Jewell before
may think they realise whats going on. In fact, the truth
revealed with enormous teasing skillis packed with

NAME THE AUTHOR 1. For a year in the late 1970s, he was

(Answer on p128) the Doctor Who script editor.
Can you guess the writer from 2. H is most famous novel series began
these clues (and, of course, the as a radio programme.
fewer you need the better)? 3. 42.

124 | 072016
 more twists, and genuine sadness,
PAPERBACKS
than anybody could possibly expect.
Admittedly, the book does have
moments of contrivancebut theyre Dark Corners by Lynda
exceptionally well-contrived. La Plante (Simon & Schuster,
7.99). Her 66th and final
The Allegations novel serves up Rendells usual
by Mark Lawson satisfying mix of murder and
(Picador, 16.99) sharp reflections on modern life.
If I were Mark Lawson, Concorde by Jonathan
I might invest in a tin Glancey (Atlantic, 9.99).
hat this monthbecause The rise and fall of the supersonic
The Allegations seems airliner makes for an absorbing
bound to provoke the sort if slightly melancholy read.
of fight its clearly spoiling for. The Forgotten Summer by
In 2014, Lawson left BBC Radio 4s Carol Drinkwater (Penguin,
arts programme Front Row amid 7.99). The first adult novel by
accusations of bullying. Now, Tom the former actress, this is a rich
Pimm, one of the main characters and warm tale of secrets and
here, is a history professor accused feuds in Provence.
of the same thingeven though all Creative, Successful, Dyslexic
hes done is stand up for intellectual by Margaret Rooke (Jessica
rigour and common sense. Kingsley, 9.99). From Darcey
Worse, his friend and colleague Bussell to Richard Branson,
Ned Marriott is arrested for historic 23 high-achievers discuss how
sexual abusedespite not being dyslexia affected them as
guilty either. But what both men children and how theyve coped
come to understand is that at a time with its challenges. Also contains
when offence-taking has become practical advice for parents.
a national pastime and all accusers Reckless by Chrissie
WENN LTD/ALA MY STOC K PH OTO

are described as victims, innocence Hynde (Ebury, 8.99).

is largely irrelevant. Memoir from the
The result is a book that, although lead singer of The
highly readable, is essentially a howl Pretenders, with
of middle-aged male outrage at what plenty of terrific,
Ned calls the bonfire of the sanities sometimes hair-
in the age of censorious social media. raising, rock-and-
And for my money, Lawson hits most roll anecdotes.
of his targets bang-on.
BOOKS 

RDS RECOMMENDED READ

The unusual tactics of a select band of men attracted scorn,

yet they were crucial to victory in the Second World War

Uncivil Chivalry
THE CHARACTERS in Giles Miltons
(right) rollicking new book are
a suitably eccentric bunch. There
is, for example, Cecil Clarke, a
caravan maker from Bedford who
designed the first limpet mine using
a Woolworths tin bowl, a condom
and an aniseed ballwhich,
placed between the striker and
the detonator, dissolved at just the
right speed. (These mines were
soon in such demand that Clarke
had to order the aniseed balls
direct from Bassetts rather than
buying them at local sweet shops.)
Theres also the groups leader,
Colin Gubbins, a dapper figure with
a silver-topped cane whod learned a vital impact on the war. Many
about guerrilla war fighting Michael officers in the regular army regarded
Collins in Ireland. their methods of sabotage and
The Special Operations Executive, ambush as underhand and therefore
as they were officially known, had un-British. But it was with Churchills
full support that the SOE carried out
The Ministry of the spectacular raids across Occupied
Ungentlemanly Europe and North Africa that Milton
WarfareChurchills describes so vividly.
Mavericks: Plotting Here we join them (including Peter
Hitlers Defeat Fleming, older brother of James Bond
by Giles Milton is creator Ian) in 1940, when the focus
published by John was on preparing for the apparently
Murray at 20. inevitable German invasion of Britain.

126 | 072016
  READERS DIGEST

Within hours of Hitlers
issuing of Directive No.16, RD EXCLUSIVE:
Gubbins summoned a meeting of GILES MILTONS CHOICE OF
GREAT HISTORY BOOKS
his 12 newly appointed guerrilla
commanders, with Peter Fleming
the first among equals. Others Morocco That Was by Walter
included the veteran Greenland Harris (1921). An eye-popping,
explorer Andrew Croft, and Donald often wryly funny account of fin-
Hamilton-Hill, whose forebears had de-sicle opulence at the court of
fought against Napoleon in Egypt. the last Moroccan sultan. Packed
His briefing reflected the with tales of greed and murder.
depressing reality. In clear, concise
terms, said Hamilton-Hill, he The Longest Day by Cornelius
described the situation in Britain Ryan (1959). The classic
as it then stood. Gubbins reminded narrative of D-Day, including
the 12 that they were guerrillas, the memories of survivors
not regular soldiers, and had been and interviews with key voices
selected because they had a non- in German high command.
military and independent approach
to life. Bayonets to Lhasa by Peter
Peter Fleming was to display Fleming (1961). A brilliant
a professionalism sorely absent in account from Ians older brother
the regular army. He studied every of Britains little-known 1904
nook and hollow of the Thanet invasion of Tibet, complete with
countryside before deciding to first-hand testimonies.
establish his guerrilla headquarters
The Life and Death of St Kilda
in a half-timbered farmhouse
by Tom Steel (1965). The
called the Garth in Bilting, a village
extraordinary story of life on
GERAIN T LEWIS/A LAM Y STOCK PHOTO

15 miles inland from the east coast.

one of Britains most remote
It was likely to fall just outside
islandsa tale of hunger and
the initial German beachhead,
gruelling hardship.
making it the ideal place to master-
mind his operations. It also became The Great Game by Peter
his principal weapons dump, Hopkirk (1992). Still the best
with the big barn next to the house single-volume account of Britain
stashed from end to end and and Russias violent rivalry for
from floor to roof with explosives, the mastery of Central Asia.
ammunition and weapons, including
half a dozen longbows.

072016 | 127|
BOOKS 

Fleming had good reason for It was essential that they should
acquiring the longbows. He intended remain undiscovered. To this end,
to teach his men to use them to hurl the men concealed the entrances
incendiary charges into German and exits with gnarled, ivy-clad roots,
petrol dumps. Without fuel, Hitlers while the ventilation funnels and
tanks and jeeps would be trapped water-supply pipes were interwoven
inside their beachhead. with branches, leaves and man-made
Fleming was shrewd enough to camouflage. One of the key cells in

His men would need underground cells if they were

to fight a sustained dirty war against the Nazis

realise that his men would need the Kent area set the gold standard:
underground cells if they were to anyone wishing to enter had to
fight a sustained dirty war against drop a marble down a mouse-hole.
the Nazis. A guerrilla without a The marble rolled down a 12-foot-
base, he told them, is no better long pipe and into a tin can, a signal

LEBRECHT M USIC AN D ARTS P HOTO LI BRARY/A LAM Y STOCK PHOTO

than a desperate straggler. He also to the men below ground to open
knew that cells would need to be the trapdoor concealed in the roots
well stocked if the guerrillas were to of a tree.
continue their operations over many The planning of the cells was
weeks. Each was to be self-sufficient combined with an upper-class
and stocked with food rations, savoir faire about the finer things
chemical Elsan toilets, wireless sets in life. One group of army officers
and large quantities of explosives. was invited to a meal in one of these
cells and expected to be served
AND THE NAME OF powdered rations in an earthen hole.
THE AUTHOR IS But when they slipped down through
Douglas Adams. the trapdoor, they were faced with
(In The Hitchhikers a long dining table covered with a
Guide to the Galaxy, crisp damask cloth. The candles were
his most famous novel
in candelabras and the cutlery on the
series, the answer to
table gleamed. Even when training
life, the universe and

everything turns out for ungentlemanly warfare, Gubbinss
to be 42.) guerrillas remembered to dine
as gentlemen.

128 | 072016
 Books
that changed my life

Historian Tom Holland is the award-winning author

of Rubicon, Persian Fire and Millennium. He appears
regularly on radio, TV and in print. His latest book
Dynasty is published in paperback by Abacus.

Moominsummer I was rewarded with the stories Id

Madness been waiting for, like the battles of
By Tove Jansoon Marathon, Salamis and Thermopylae.
What I love about this Over the years, I came to value the
book, as a child and infectious curiosity of the first half
still today, is its mix and the portrait of the world in the
of the fantastical and fifth century BC seen through the eyes
normal. On the one of this extraordinary Greek historian.
hand, its about a family and their
friends all enjoying themselves, quite A Distant Mirror
happy not doing much. On the other By Barbara W
hand, its about characters that can Tuchman
change into odd shapes, magicians Tuchmans book The
coming down from the moon and Guns of August won
peculiar creatures emerging from the the Pulitzer Prize, but
loft. That mix of the familiar and the its this slightly less
extraordinary informs all my writing. well-known work that provided me
with a role model for my own writing.
The Histories Both scholarly and gripping, its a
By Herodotus portrait of the 14th century in Western
By the time I was 12, Europe and vividly evokes medieval
I was obsessed by civilisation buffeted by cataclysms:
Ancient Greece and the Black Death, the Peasants Revolt
Rome. At first, I found and the Great Papal Schism. I felt I
the early section of knew what it was to die of the plague
The Histories a real grind because its or to have a sword put through me
like a long shaggy dog story that never real stories told remarkably.
gets to the point. In the second half As told to Caroline Hutton

FOR MORE, GO TO READERSDIGEST.CO.UK/BOOKS 072016 | 129|

 FUn & Games

You Couldnt Make It Up

Win 50 for your true, funny stories! Go to readersdigest.
co.uk/contact-us or facebook.com/readersdigestuk

I OVERHEARD A WOMAN
purchasing tickets for a wine-
tasting event. She was attempting
to confirm, as advertised, that
there would be over 100 wines
to sample.
The sales assistant confirmed
that this was correct, before
helpfully adding, But just think
of it as a number, not a personal
challenge. LEIGH RENNIE, G l a s g o w

MY PARTNER rob was speeding

on the motorway because he was
late for a football match. He was
pulled over by the police.
Trying to pretend he didnt realise The following week, the school rang
he was speeding, he said to the to confirm and his wife answered.
policeman, Sorry, was I driving I dont know why he agreed to talk
too fast? about that, she remarked. Hes only
No, replied the officer, just flying done it twice. The first time he got lost
too low. KIRA AITKINS, Me r s e y s i d e and the second time he fell in.
 ROSS GUBBY, E d i n b u r g h
Cartoon: Guto Dias

THE MINISTER OF MY BROTHERS

CHURCH was asked by a local school MY son danny, whos three years
to give a sex-education talk. Rather old, was thrilled when I put biscuits
than write this in the parish diary, he in the shopping trolley. Theyre not
substituted sex education with the for now, though, I warned.
word sailing. Why, he asked.

130 | 072016
 Readers Digest

Its all right to eat food like that you help me wash my hair? My
sometimes, but not all the time, and wife usually helped my ten-year-
you had a cookie this morning. old with this task, but she was busy.
On the way home, a little voice in Being the type of person who
the back of the car piped up, Is it spends little time worrying about
sometimes yet? my hair, I searched the bathroom
 ALISON LOCONTE, L i n c o l n s h i r e for something that looked like the
popular brand of shampoo Wash
I WAS AT A FANCY-DRESS PARTY and Go. Soon all those hours learning
when a pregnant woman arrived French at school seemed not to have
dressed as a ballerina. been wasted after all; I was rewarded
It seemed an odd choice, until she with a green bottle and a name that
turned around to reveal a sign that seemed like the French for quick
read, I should have danced all night! (vite). I grabbed the Veet, not seeing
 CHRISSIE LUNT, B o u r n e m o u t h my mistake.
Only later did I discover what
I WAS AT AN AUCTION on a run- an immensely effective depilatory
down smallholding that had gone product it really was.
bankrupt in rural Lincolnshire. Most  JEREMY MEESON, b y e m a i l
of the lots were piles of junk that
went for 1, but during the sale of A WORK COLLEAGUE had just had
a particularly unappealing bucket quadruplets, so I went to see them
of rusty old nails, someones iPad with my partner. Proudly showing off
started bleeping. her three sons and a daughter, she
The auctioneer quipped, Looks asked us what we thought.
like weve got some international Before I could say anything, my
interest...come in, America! partner piped up, Well, if it were up
The owner of the iPad looked up to meId keep that one.
and said, Im sorry to disappoint My friends face was a picture!
you, but its just my wife asking me ELERI WEBBER, C h e s h i r e
if Id like fish and chips for tea.
ANDREW BERRY, L i n c o l n s h i r e MY SEVEN-YEAR-OLD SON was
attending an exhibition of abstract
LAST SUMMER my family stayed in paintings with his grandmother.
a villa in France. After a perfect day This picture, she told him, is
by the pool, my daughter and I went supposed to be a tractor in a field.
to shower while my wife got ready Well, replied my puzzled son,
for dinner. Why isnt it?
Papa, my daughter called, can  JASON TRUBY, He r t f o rd s h i r e

072016 | 131|
 Its never been easier to enjoy the Worlds favourite magazine!

R E A D E R S
Plus as a

D I G E S T
MAY 2016

subscribe
r get Im Having

|
S M A L L
Such Fun
10% off a

A N D
Patrick Stewart talks acting,

t
age and diversity PAGE 22

P E R F E C T LY
Readers
Crossing the
Greenland Ice Cap

Digest
PAGE 78

More Than
I N F O R M E D

Shop! |
A Minute
Nicholas Parsons on a lifetime
of broadcasting PAGE 30

How Gratitude
M A Y

Boosts Health
2 0 1 6

PAGE 40 readersdigest.co.uk

3 ISSUES
MAY 2016 3.79

FOR JUST 3.00!

Each must-read monthly issue covers life, culture,
health, books, films, food, humour and travel alongside
in-depth news features, memoirs and celebrity profiles.

YES I want to subscribe to Readers Digest

Magazine for just 3 for 3 issues (a saving of INSTRUCTIONS TO YOUR BANK OR BUILDING
8.37 on the shop price of 11.37 based on the cover SOCIETY TO PAY BY DIRECT DEBIT.
price of 3.79 per issue). Ill also receive Originators reference: 400162
a voucher code for my 10% discount off orders
placed via the Readers Digest shop. I understand
Please complete direct debit
that if I do not wish to continue receiving Readers
Digest after my first 3 issues I can simply cancel my mandate below
subscription by contacting customer services. If
I do want to continue to subscribe after my first Name of Bank ......................................................................
3 issues I need do nothing and my subscription Account Holder ............................................................
will automatically be renewed at the low rate of
4.99 for every 3 issues until I decide otherwise. Branch:
/ /
Name: Sort Code
Account No.
Address:
Instructions to your bank or Building Society: Pay Readers
Digest Direct Debits from the account detailed on this
instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the
Postcode:
Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this instruction
Telephone: may remain with Readers Digest and if so will be passed
electronically to my Bank or Building Society.
Email:
Signature .....................................................................
Return your completed form to:
FREEPOST RTHR-LLRY-ZHYS, Readers Digest, Date ..............................................................................
Pullman Way, Ringwood, BH24 1HD
Or call us today on 0844 332 4994 Data Protection: From time to time Readers Digest may contact you
with details of its products and services. Please tick here if you object
Quoting code RDN024 to receiving such information.

Subs_3for1_July.indd 2 08/06/2016 10:55

 IT PAYS TO INCREASE YOUR

Word Power
Endings such as -ism (belief), -mania (obsession) and -phobia
(fear) can tell you a lot about a words meaning. As you navigate
this months quiz, pay close attention to the suffix of each term for
helpful clues. At your wits end? Turn the page for answers.

BY E M ILY COX & H E NRY RATH VON

1. cryptology nA: raiding 8. pachyderm nA: elephant.

of tombs. B: series of puzzles. B: jellyfish. C: butterfly.
C: study of codes.
9. Kafkaesque adjA: nightmarishly
2. empathetic adjA: showing complex. B: gigantic. C: left-wing.
understanding or sensitivity.
B: sad. C: numb. 10. atrophy vA: waste away.
B: win a prize. C: speak out against.
3. ovoid adjA: egg-shaped.
B: empty. C: passionate. 11. knavish adj A: sticky. B: sharply
honed. C: deceitful or dishonest.
4. deify vA: treat as a god.
B: bring back to life. C: disregard. 12. legalese nA: passage of laws.
B: strict rules. C: legal language.
5. perspicacious adjA: finicky.
B: of acute mental vision. C: lucky 13. patriarch nA: Roman vault.
or fortunate. B: father figure. C: homeland.

6. indigenous adjA: poor. 14. obsolescent adjA: teenage.

B: native. C: mixed. B: quite fat. C: going out of use.

7. herbicide nA: greenhouse. 15. solarium nA: sun room.

B: skin lotion. C: agent used to B: private nook. C: answer to a
inhibit or kill plant growth. difficult problem.

072016 | 133|
WORD POWER 

Answers
1. cryptology[C] study of codes 8. pachyderm[A] elephant
(-ology = study). The Enigma code (-derm = skin). Many pachyderms
was cracked by aces in cryptology. are endangered mammals.
2. empathetic[A] showing 9. Kafkaesque[A] nightmarishly
understanding or sensitivity complex (-esque = resembling).
(-pathy = feeling). Do you think Getting my passport back involved
women are more empathetic a Kafkaesque maze of bureaucracies.
than men? 10. atrophy[A] waste away
3. ovoid[A] egg-shaped (-oid = (-trophy = nourishment). Without
resembling). Jays ovoid physique rehab, Alisons knee will atrophy.
made him a shoo-in for the role 11. knavish[C] deceitful or
of Falstaff. dishonest (-ish = like). Whos the
4. deify[A] treat as a god (-fy = knavish sneak who stole my drink?
make into). First we deify pop 12. legalese[C] legal language
stars, then we tear them down. (-ese = language style). Please, cut
5. perspicacious[B] of acute
the legalese and speak plain English.
mental vision (-acious = with a 13. patriarch[B] father figure
quality of). Shes too perspicacious (-arch = chief). That loudmouth
to fall for their hoax. is the patriarch of all
spin doctors.
6. indigenous WORD OF THE DAY*
[B] native (-genous = 14. obsolescent
OVOLO:
producing). The [C] going out of use
protesters argued a rounded convex (-escent = becoming).
that chemical testing moulding. Our landline is now
would disrupt Alternative suggestions: obsolescent.
the islands rare 15. solarium[A]
A confused Swedish car.
indigenous species. sun room (-arium =
When a glutton tried place). Let us retire
7. herbicide to answer the question,
[C] agent used to to my solarium for a
What is the capital
inhibit or kill plant of Norway? with his little more inspiration.
growth (-cide = mouth full.
VOCABULARY RATINGS
killing). Mother A famous Italian 9 & below: linguist
Nature isnt fond cricket ground. 1012: wordaholic
of lawn herbicides. 1315: brainiac

134 | 072016 *POST YOUR DEFINITIONS EVERY DAY AT FACEBOOK.COM/READERSDIGESTUK

 PROMOTION

Win
BIG Cash Prizes
GREAT Chat, GUARANTEED
Enjoy good-value bingo fun with
E ticket offers.
jackpots and even BUY-2-GET-1-FRE
1p and you coul d be a winner!
Play bingo from just

couple of

Having only been a member for a I had a lovely night out
rised to win the full with my family, and when
weeks, I was very surp
hich was 1,00 0p layin g bingo I got home I thought
housew
to take
on Sapphire Bingo. Im planning Id have a little play on
ed two
my family on holiday! Weve book Wonderland. All of a
in Norf olk boat ing arou nd the famous sudden it flashed up on
weeks
Broads! It was fantastic winn ing! screen, You have won
Michael G Won 1,000 on Sapphire
Bingo the progressive jackpot!
I couldnt believe my
eyes: 23,301. Thank you,
Readers Digest Bingo!
d
Diane H won 23,301 on Wonderlan

Join Readers Digest Bingo today!

Deposit 10 and get 35 to play *
1. Sign up at readersdigestbingo.com
2. Register with promo code RD716 and get 25 free-play*
3. Join the fun with 35

readersdigestbingo.com
*New customers only. Registration required. Minimum 10 deposit. You must be 18 or older. UK only. Offer ends
31 August 2016. You must enter the promo code RD716 on registration and accept the Welcome Bonus when
you deposit 10 to receive the 25 bonus. 250% Welcome Bonusmax 100. Bonus must be wagered four times
before withdrawals. Wager and cash-out requirement apply.
See full T&Cs at readersdigestbingo.com.
Play responsibly. For more information, visit gambleaware.co.uk

Mice & Dice FP_July.indd 1 09/06/2016 17:07

 FUN & GAMES

(THE TOWER) DARREN RI GBY; ( FI GURE EQUATI ONS) MARCEL DA NESI; (BU BBL E MATH RE D UX) ROD E RICK KIMBAL L OF PAT H PU ZZL E S.COM
BrainTeasers
Challenge yourself by solving these puzzles and mind stretchers,
then check your answers on page 139.

THE TOWER
How could you stack
these five shapes so that
the resulting tower has
the lowest height possible?

FIGURE EQUATIONS BUBBLE MATHS REDUX

How many dots are required to Assign a whole number between
complete the fourth equation below? 1 and 5 to each of the 10 bubbles.
Each number occurs twice, but no
two bubbles with the same number
are touching. The sums of some
of the numbers are revealed in the
areas where their bubbles overlap.
Can you figure out which number
goes in each bubble?

6 4
9
10 12

?
136 | 072016
 SUM OF ALL PARTS
Insert each of the tiles below into the larger
1 5
grid so that the numbers in each of the grids 8 2
rows and columns add up to the same sum.
Two tiles have already been inserted for you. 5 7

6 8 9
5 2 7
4 3 5 5 3
7 3 1
8 7
2 8
5 1 5
7 3 2
7 5 1
3 1 1
(SUM OF ALL PARTS ) MA RCEL DANESI ; ( A BRIDGE TOO FEW ) DARREN RIG BY

A BRIDGE TOO FEW

In the map below, it isnt possible to start on a riverbank or an island and
cross each of the bridges exactly one time, even if youre allowed to finish
somewhere other than where you started. Where can you place one more
identically sized bridge (in a straight line, over water) so that you can cross
each of the bridges once and only once?

072016 | 137|
BRAIN TEASERS 

CROSSWISE 1 2 3 4 5 6
Another chance
7
to test your general
knowledge 8

9 10

11 12

13

14 15 16 17 18

19
ACROSS
07 Alien, celestial or 20 21 22
daydreaming (5-7)
09 Mathematical
system (7) 23
10 Large African
animal (5)
11 Speaks (4)
12 Gradually do away 08  ubby, plump (6)
T
with (5,3) 11 Endure pain (6)
14 Subsequent (6-2) 13 Sightseeing holidaymaker (7)
17 Move to and fro (4) 15 Shallow inland sea (6)
20 Enthusiastic, keen (5) 16 Take up (a space) (6)
21  Photo taken with a 18 Round machinery parts (6)
zoom lens (5-2) 19 Areas inside a house (5)
23  Skin bumps caused 22 Friendly name for any cat (4)
by cold (5,7)
18 Wheels 19 Rooms 22 Puss
DOWN 13 Tourist 15 Lagoon 16 Occupy
01 Meat-substitute bean (4)
5 Florist 6 Albino 8 Portly 11 Suffer
1 Soya 2 Shaggy 3 Probe 4 Potash
02 Scooby Doos friend (6) Down:
03 Look into, explore (5)
04 Powerful alkali used as 20 Eager 21 Close up 23 Goose pimples
a garden fertiliser (6)
11 Says 12 Phase out 14 Follow on 17 Sway
7 Otherworldly 9 Algebra 10 Rhino
05 Bouquet seller (7) Across:
06 White rabbit with pink
eyes (6)
ANSWERS

138 | 072016
  READERS DIGEST

BrainTeasers: Answers
50 PRIZE QUESTION
THE TOWER
Place them sideways and then
Answer published in
stack them in any order. the August issue
FIGURE EQUATIONS
Which is the odd word out?
6. Add the number of sides
dangle
* Entry is open only to residents of the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Republic of Ireland aged 18 or over. It is not open to employees

in the first two figures in each

equation, then subtract the

pamper
number of sides in the last figure
of Vivat Direct Limited (t/a Readers Digest), its subsidiary companies and all other persons associated with the competition.

to find the number of dots.

BUBBLE MATHS REDUX

donate
1 2 1

5
9
6
3 5
4
3
kennel
10 12

4 2 4
timely
The first correct answer we
SUM OF ALL PARTS pick on July 8 wins 50!* Email
1 5 7 3 6 5 [email protected]
8 2 2 8 4 3
2 7 1 5 5 7
3 1 5 1 8 9 ANSWER TO JUNES
5 5 5 7 3 2 PRIZE QUESTION
8 7 7 3 1 1
C. Each line contains a
The constant sum is 27. group of 4 black dots,
a group of 4 white dots
A BRIDGE TOO FEW and a single white dot.
Each line contains a light green
symbol, a dark green symbol and
a black symbol. The missing picture
must be a black symbol with
4 black (and therefore invisible)
dots, thus figure C.
There are now many routes that
AND THE 50 GOES TO
work, beginning or ending at the
flagged islands. Gay Jacklin, Worthing

072016 | 139|
 FUN & GAMES

Laugh!
Win 50 for every readers joke we publish! Go to readersdigest.
co.uk/contact-us or facebook.com/readersdigestuk

ADAM, A CITY TRADER, lost his What went wrong? What did you do
job. He was tired of urban life and to them?
decided he was going to move to Well, said Adam, Im not sure
the country and become a chicken whether Im planting them too deep
farmer. He found a nice working or not far apart enough.
farm, which he bought.  GRAHAME JONES, L o n d o n
It turned out that his next-door
neighbour was also a chicken farmer. TV COMMERCIALS now show
The neighbour came for a visit one you how detergents take out
day and said, Chicken farming isnt bloodstainsa pretty violent image
easy. Tell you whatto help you get there. I think if youve got a T-shirt
started, Ill give you 100 chickens. with a bloodstain all over it, maybe
Adam was pleased to be accepted laundry isnt your biggest problem.
and jumped at the offer.  COMEDIAN JERRY SEINFELD
Two weeks later, the neighbour
stopped by to see how things were A MAN CALLS 999. Hello? I need
going. Not too good, said Adam. your help!
All 100 chickens died. Operator: Yes, what is it?
The neighbour said, Oh, I cant Man: Two women are fighting
believe that. Ive never had any over me!
trouble with my chickens. Ill give Operator: Erm, right...so whats
you 100 more. your emergency?
Another two weeks went by and Man: The ugly one is winning.
the neighbour stops in again. Adam HARRI BRYAN, L i v e r p o o l
says, Youre not going to believe
this, but the second 100 chickens TWO CHEMISTS WALK INTO A BAR.
died too. The first one says to the barman, Ill
Astounded, the neighbour asked, have some H2O.

140 | 072016
 READERS DIGEST

The second one says, Ill have BEARD-Y-FULL

some H2O too. The second chemist
dies. SEEN ONLINE
The trend for facial hair is still
going strongbut how far is too far?
A JEWISH MAN goes into a (from sadanduseless.com)
confession box. Father OMalley,
he says, my name is Emil Cohen.
Im 78 years old. Believe it or not,
Im currently involved with a 28-
year-old girl and also, on the side,
her 19-year-old sister. We engage in
all manner of pleasure, and in my
entire life Ive never felt better.
My good man, says the priest,
I think youve come to the wrong
place. Why are you telling me?
Im telling everyone! the man
replies. SEEN AT BLUEDONUT.COM

CHINA HAS A POPULATION of

one billion people. One billion. That
means even if youre a one-in-a-
million kind of guy, there are still
a thousand others exactly like you.
 COMEDIAN WHITNEY BROWN

A MILKMAN threw a carton of milk

at me. How dairy. SEEN ONLINE

A HUSBAND AND WIFE are watching

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? The
husband winks and says, Darling,
lets go upstairs.
The wife says no, so the husband
asks again. Again she says no.
The husband says, Is that your
final answer? The wife says yes.
Well, the husband says, can I
phone a friend?  SEEN AT JOKES.NET

072016 | 141|
LAUGH 

AN ELDERLY COUPLE are in church exactly 599, no less. So she buys

one Sunday morning. During the the bull and heads to town to contact
service, the wife leans over and her sister.
whispers in her husbands ear, Ive The only person she can find to
just let out a silent fart. What do you help her is a telegraph operator. The
think I should do? operator tells her, It costs 99p per
The husband replies, Put a new wordwhat would you like to send?
battery in your hearing aid. The brunette replies, Well, I only
 TRACY DAVIDSON, Wa r w i c k s h i r e have 1 left. She thinks for a while
and tells the operator she wants to
TWO SISTERS, one blonde and one send the word comfortable.
brunette, are trying to start a farm. The operator asks, How will your
The brunette sister finds a prize bull sister know you bought the bull and
listed in some classified adverts and want her to come and haul it back,
goes to check it out. She tells the all from the word comfortable?
blonde that shell contact her to come The brunette replies, Shes a slow
and haul the bull back to the farm reader. SEEN AT GOODRIDDLESNOW.COM
if she opts to buy it.
The brunette goes to the farm, likes DID YOU HEAR about the hungry
the bull and decides to buy it. The clock? It went back four seconds.
farmer tells her that the bull will cost  SEEN ONLINE

ITS A DADS LIFE

The wry @Daniel_bearman paints a brilliant picture of modern-day

fatherhood, one sentence at a time (as seen on Twitter):

Watching Star Wars with the kids and we get to the trash compactor
scene. Benjamin (six) is very concerned the Death Star doesnt recycle.

Things I had to remove from our bed before sleeping last night: five books,
three open markers, an apple core and a cat (we do not own a cat).

A woman is singing songs in elvish for my sons Tolkien-themed birthday

party. This is amazing.

Seven-year-old is out of bed to explain his theory about which prehistoric

reptile is the Loch Ness monster.

142 | 072016
 READERS DIGEST

Beat the Cartoonist!

IN THE
AUGUST
ISSUE

Think of a witty caption for this cartoonthe

three best suggestions, along with the cartoonists
original, will be posted on our website in mid-
July. If your entry gets the most votes, youll win Hello,
100 and a framed copy of the cartoon, with Sunshine!
your caption. As we light up
Submit to [email protected] or the BBQs and slap
online at readersdigest.co.uk/caption by July 15. on the suncream,
Well announce the winner in our September issue. we look back at
our changing
Mays Winner attitudes to the
sun, sunbathing
This month was a
and skin colour.
three-way dogfight,
and for a moment
Plus
PEPP ERSM INT/SHUTTERSTOCK

it looked as if the
professionals were How to Talk to
going to regain a Your Doctor
little bit of honour. Best of British:
But sadly (for him), Vineyards
cartoonist Steve Why We Should
Jones caption, To be honest, yesit has spoiled Care About Bees
the mood a bit, was pipped at the post by reader Swedens Most
David Taylors suggestion, I dont think your father Perfect Season
quite trusts me. Congratulations to David!

072016 | 143|
LAUGH 

60 Second Stand-Up
We caught up with lovely laugh-inducing lady Sara Pascoe

WHATS THE BEST PART OF

YOUR CURRENT TOUR OR SET?
I tell a story that I pretend is from
the apocryphal Bible about when
Moses goes to Paris.

HAVE YOU FOUND ANY

PARTS OF THE COUNTRY TO
BE FUNNIER THAN OTHERS?
Theres a wonderful sense of
humour in Essex. People tend to use
comedy to deflate other people, so
youre not allowed to get up yourself.

DO YOU HAVE ANY FUNNY TALES

ABOUT A TIME YOUVE BOMBED I went the conference I said, Ive
ON STAGE? mapped the human genome, D-NA!
Ive been in pubs that dont have
microphones, so Ive had to stand IF YOU WERE A FLY ON A WALL,
right next to peoples tables when WHOSE WALL WOULD YOU BE ON?
theyre having a drink in their local. Oooh. It would have to be the Houses
They dont know its meant to be of Parliament canteen, to see whos
happening, so they just talk louder. actually friends with whom.

WHATS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE IF YOU COULD HAVE A SUPER

HECKLE EXPERIENCE? POWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
I once got called the c-word by a man Tiny time hops, just so I could not
dressed as a bottle of ketchup. have said something, or not have
got as drunk the night before.
WHATS YOUR FAVOURITE
ONE-LINER?
For Saras tour dates and tickets, visit
Milton Jones: I discovered DNA. I sarapascoe.com. You can hear an interview
wasnt going to call it that, but when with Sara at readersdigest.co.uk/podcast

144 | 072016 FOR MORE, GO TO READERSDIGEST.CO.UK/FUN-GAMES

R E A D E R S
D I G E S T
JULY 2016

Summer

|
S M A L L
Is Here!
Best of British:

A N D
Campsites PAGE 66
Crazy Festivals

P E R F E C T LY
PAGE 102

Photo Competition
PAGE 63

Gatherings for

I N F O R M E D
the Godless
PAGE 78

Fern Britton
Looks Back
|

PAGE 30
J U LY

readersdigest.co.uk
2 0 1 6

JULY 2016 3.79