HEALTH • MONEY • TRAVEL • FOOD & DRINK • CULTURE • REAL STORIES

FEB R UA RY 2024

CATHERINE
O’HARA
Behind The
Scenes With
The Star Of
Schitt’s Creek

Ian Anderson

12 Memories
Of Jethro
Tull Frontman

Beyond GPS
Rediscovering
The Lost Art
Of Navigation
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Contents
FEBRUARY 2024

Features
16 IT’S A MANN’S WORLD
Olly Mann unveils the best of
2023 in an awards show of his
p43
own creation—The Mannies!
p100
ENTERTAINMENT
20 INTERVIEW:
CATHERINE O'HARA
The unparalleled improv talent
and actor of Home Alone and
Schitt's Creek fame looks back
on a life of making people laugh
INSPIRE
28 “I REMEMBER”: 58 THE POWER OF 26 LETTERS
IAN ANDERSON How one boy with autism learned to
The frontman of Jethro Tull speak with a letterboard—and
recounts how he became rock helped others in the process
music's most famous flautist
80 LOSING YOUR WAY
HEALTH Your brain maps out your path to
36 PRESSURE POINTS give you a sense of direction—but
More than a mental health Sat Nav may be compromising it
issue, stress has real, palpable
effects on your body that could 90 SHIPPING FORECAST AT 100
impact you in later life We celebrate a century of Britain's
beloved nautical broadcast
43 DIZZY SPELLS
If you struggle with vertigo, it TR AVEL
could signal an underlying 100 THE GATES OF HELL
health problem. We learn how A visit to Turkmenistan's fiery gas
to stop the world from spinning crater inspires awe and dread

FEBRUARY 2024 • 1
cover photograph by George Pimentel/Getty Images
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Contents
FEBRUARY 2024

In every issue
5 Editor's Letter
6 Over to You
12 See the World Differently

HEALTH
46 Advice: Susannah Hickling
50 Column: Dr Max Pemberton

DATING & RELATIONSHIPS

54 Column: Monica Karpinski

INSPIRE
64 If I Ruled the World: FOOD & DRINK
Martin Fry 124 A rich history of chocolate—and
68 Under the Grandfluence: some surprising ways to eat it
Judith "Style Crone" Boyd
70 My Britain: Wye Valley ENTERTAINMENT
128 February Cultural Highlights
TRAVEL & ADVENTURE
112 My Great Escape BOOKS
114 ´
Hidden Gems: Reykjavik 134 February Fiction: Miriam
Sallon’s book selections
MONEY 139 Books That Changed
116 Column: Andy Webb My Life: Lisa St Aubin de Terán

PETS TECHNOLOGY
120 How to really tell whether your 140 Column: James O’Malley
dog or cat loves you
FUN & GAMES
HOME & GARDEN 144 The tyranny of IKEA
122 Get the rustic country house 146 You Couldn't Make It Up
look with expert design tips 149 Word Power
152 Brain Games
156 Laugh!
p120 159
160
Beat the Cartoonist
Good News

FEBRUARY 2024 • 3
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 EDITOR’S LETTER

Style
ICONS
his month, we are beyond excited to have the amazing

T Catherine O’Hara gracing the cover of the magazine. From

the quirky Delia in Beetlejuice to the fabulously over-the-top
Moira in Schitt’s Creek, Catherine has not only brought us
some of film and TV’s most unforgettable characters, but has
also become a somewhat unlikely fashion icon: gloves as headbands;
wigs as hats—she’s done it all.
Dive into her fun conversation with Simon Button on p20, and
discover that the real Catherine is somehow even more colourful
and fascinating than the eccentric women she’s portrayed on screen.
Chatty, self-deprecating and charming, she offers a treasure trove of
anecdotes about growing up in a big family, shooting Home Alone
(asked if she’s anything like Kevin’s exasperated mother Kate, she
quips: “No. My hair moves!”), and, most importantly, the backstory
behind Moira’s famous pronunciation of “bébé.”
Turning the spotlight onto another style luminary, we’ve got the
incredible 80-year-old Judith Boyd, also known as Style Crone, in an
exclusive interview on p70, where she talks all about her
inspirations, fighting fast fashion and defying society’s
preconceptions about age. Check out her Instagram
@stylecrone for a visual feast of colours, leopard
prints and hats to die for.

Eva eva mackevic

Editor-in-Chief

Follow Us
facebook.com/readersdigestuk twitter.com/readersdigestuk @readersdigest_uk
You can also sign up to our newsletter at readersdigest.co.uk
Reader’s Digest is published in 23 editions in 10 languages

FEBRUARY 2024 • 5
 Over To You
LETTERS ON THE December ISSUE
We pay £30 for every published letter

New Treatments

I was impressed with Luke INSPIRE

Luke
What’s the point in all of these new teenager. I would want to stop Presidents should retire at 70 This is a

O'Neill's thoughts in "If I discoveries and medicines if people

don’t have access to them? I feel that
my discoveries have a lot more
trolling, to have restrictions on
trolling that can hurt young people. I
think social media can be
bit tongue in cheek. I think people
should be able to work as much as
they want, but I feel like, to be

O’Neill
meaning to them if they actually help undemocratic, people can be attacked president, you have to be so aware of

Ruled the World", especially people. This is especially true with

the ageing population. There’s a new
discovery with Alzheimer’s—people
for having their views. I had it myself
because I was advocating for vaccines
in the Irish media. People came at
the current times. You don’t want to
be so removed from the public. If I
was 70 though, maybe I’d have a
need access to that and the world me, but luckily I’m old, I can handle different opinion.

that healthcare should be If I Ruled economy needs to be set up in a way

that means people all over the world
that. If I was young, that could have
put me off. Social media can be so I would ban saying the same phrases

The World can access healthcare. damaging. We’ve evolved to listen to

the negative, to be on our guard the
over and over There’s this terrible
saying that is “Yeah, no.” For example,

made accessible. Luke O’Neill is a world

Everyone would do science up to 18
Science should be a critical part of a
child’s education. It’s more important
whole time and social media feeds
that part of us. Actually, it’s funny. I
was in a lecture once and the lecturer
when you say “What do you think of
spaghetti Bolognese?” and someone
says “Yeah, no” automatically. What
renowned scientist, than ever. Obviously every other said, “Can you swap phones with the does it mean? I’ve given my editor a

Healthcare changes author and educator,

and professor of
subject is important too, but the world
is becoming more and more scientific.
One example is vaccines. They save
person next to you?” and there was
just instant anxiety in the room.
Social media and phones can be an
huge thanks in my acknowledgements
because I used the word “huge” 150
times in the book. As writers we have
biochemistry at lives. Science allows you to enagage in addiction, almost. those little phrases, don’t we?

dramatically because Trinity College Dublin that complexity, to understand how

science and medicines can help you.
The jobs of the future are tech-based
I would regulate Artificial Intelligence
I don’t know how we regulate it; it’s
Someone actually gave me a poster
with all of my phrases on it as a
goodbye gift when they left the lab.
We would plant more trees There too, so it’s really beneficial. Also, just beginning, but it’s definitely One of my phrases is “very, very

of technological would be trees everywhere: native

trees, trees from your own country
planted. Wouldn’t it be marvellous?
science is just fun. My book, which
comes out in October, is all about the
fun in science. Schools could do with
something that needs our attention. It
can be a useful teaching aid. It’s
not all bad, but I’d set up a
interesting”, with “very” twice for
some reason. Going back to AI,
it could copy me very (very)
My wife is planting 6000 Irish trees a bit more investment, because commission to see where it easily. Maybe it has and I’m a

developments, from on some land, with a grant from the

Irish Forestry people. There’s this
Japanese term, “forest bathing”,
science is an experiential thing and
you need resources to make sure you
can do practical work in class.
could go. I think Oppenheimer
himself said, “We need to put
controls on this (the atom
deepfake robot? Q

AS TOLD TO OWEN SCOTT

which is where you walk through bomb) before it becomes a

anaesthetics and antibiotics trees and look up. It makes sense, we

came from the forest after all.
Better controls on social media
There’s a lot of malignancy online.
Who would have thought this
disaster.” AI is like the
atom bomb, something
where we really need to
To Boldly Go Where
No Book Has Gone
Before by Luke O’Neill
Healthcare would be made accessible marvellous thing called the internet consider where it could is published by

to magnetic resonance We need to keep working to make

healthcare accessible to everyone.
could become malignant? I didn’t
have this growing up, when I was a
go. It could be amazing,
if there are regulations.
Viking (out now,
£22 hardback)

imaging scanners and

76 • DECEMBER 2023 DECEMBER 2023 • 77

radiotherapy. No new
predictions can satisfy everybody, charities because they believe
but every patient should be allowed that their governments already
faster access to new discoveries and spend too much on foreign aid.
medicine. My uncle who suffers I'd like to see more money going
from Huntington's disease had to into medical research and the
fight “tooth and nail” to get a new world more willing to share
treatment then being trialled for medical breakthroughs. Look how
his condition. quickly they all came together for a
It is a shame that most people COVID-19 vaccination.
don't donate to international aid JANA COPLEY, North London

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Send letters to [email protected]
Include your full name, address, email and daytime phone number. We may edit letters
and use them in all print and electronic media

6 • FEBRUARY 2024
What Would Gran Eat? MYTH 1: Fresh fruits and
vegetables are always
healthier than canned,
frozen or dried varieties
HEALTH

Despite the enduring belief that

“fresh is best,” research has found
that frozen, canned and dried fruits
and vegetables can be just as

10
nutritious as fresh.
“They can also be a money saver

As we head into the new year, health

and an easy way to make sure there
are always fruits and vegetables

Nutrition
available at home,” says Sara Bleich,
a professor of public health policy at
Harvard University.
One caveat: some canned, frozen

is very much at the forefront of my Myths

and dried varieties contain added
sugars, saturated fats and sodium, so
be sure to read nutrition labels,
especially on prepared foods. Choose
the ones that keep those ingredients to As a result, says Vijaya Surampudi,
a minimum. an assistant professor of medicine at
the University of California, Los

mind, which is why I found “10 And what health experts want
you to know instead
MYTH 2: All fat is bad

When studies published in the late

1940s found correlations between
high-fat diets and high levels of
Angeles, Centre for Human Nutrition,
many people—and food
manufacturers—replaced calories
from fat with calories from refined
carbohydrates such as white flour
and added sugar.

Nutrition Myths” so informative.

BY Sophie Egan cholesterol, experts reasoned that if “Instead of this helping us stay slim,
FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES
you reduced the amount of total fats rates of overweight and obese people
in your diet, your risk for heart disease went up significantly,” she says.
would go down. The assumption was In reality, not all fats are bad. While
that a low-fat diet could benefit certain types, including trans fats, can
everyone, even though there was no increase your risk for heart disease or
solid evidence that doing so would stroke, healthy fats help reduce your

Eating well can often feel so 34

prevent heart disease, obesity and
other health issues.

photographs by K Synold
risk. Examples of those include
monounsaturated fats (olive oil,

DECEMBER 2023 • 35

complicated and yet, as your article

outlines, it’s actually really easy—eat need to tune back into our natural
whole foods with no nasty additives environment and tune out from the
and no unnecessary processing. This food industry. In fact, I think one
is what my grandparents did, and it of the best things we can all do is
certainly served them well. My gran cultivate a healthy scepticism of
used to say to us, “Eat what you want heavily packaged, ultra-processed,
and then finish.” And science has over-marketed pseudo-foods.
now shown that our guts are not Always ask yourself whether your
really big fans of snacking. She’d also grandparents would have eaten it.
eat fresh, local, seasonal foods, and And feel empowered to feed your
all in moderation. body, your mind and your soul real
Your article reminded me that whole food, this year and beyond.
eating well is actually simple—we just JENNIE GARDNER, Bath

Planting Roots cactus I’ve cactus. It’s

named a flowering
I was delighted to read Spike. species,
about Olly Mann’s My mum though
aloe vera plant and its bought it for Spike has
colourful, significant me when I was never flowered.
history. I think it’s 17 years old. I’m Perhaps that’s
fantastic that a plant now approaching 50 because it hasn’t had
can become one of and Spike has travelled consistent optimum
the family. I love with me from home to living conditions. At
houseplants, and home for over 30 years! the moment, Spike
there are many leafy It can be tricky to is sitting at a large
individuals crowded successfully identify south-facing window,
round the windows of a plant, but I think so maybe this year it
my flat. Spike is a Stenocereus will flower.
The head of my Pruinosus, or Grey RHIANNON LEWIS,
houseplant clan is a Ghost Organ Pipe Monmouthshire, Wales
FEBRUARY 2024 • 7
OVER TO YOU

Want to see your short poem published in

POETRY Reader’s Digest?
CORNER Whether you’re a seasoned poet or just getting started,
we’d love to see your work!

It’s In Your DNA To My Girl

by Pamela Lambie, Dorset by by Les Powell, Kent

Many characteristics one might say I’m sorry my love…I can’t

Are possibly down to your DNA dance any more, I have
Eyes that are the deepest blue been seized by the rust
Lights in the hair a reddish hue of time, but oh…to lead
you to that crowded floor,
Were these passed to the adolescents? with your delicate hand
Biologically extracted from their parents in mine.
Languages seemingly learned with ease
Not only Spanish but Japanese To treat you once more
as a lady, with a respectful
Painting or managing to recreate request for a dance,
Would this new skill be a DNA trait? To acquaint…admire…to
The strands that bind do come to mind talk and to laugh, having
A connective thread through all mankind met…once again…just
by chance.
Perhaps we’re not that different at all
If we are that difference is very small A romantic waltz…or a
Each culture has its different traits dance of our time…a cha
Some good, some bad, some love, some hates cha…twist…or jive, two
young people just living
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of time, I am so sorry…my
Email us at [email protected]. love…I can’t dance any
Include your full name, address and the title of the more, but I can still hold
poem. We’ll pay £30 for every published piece your hand…in mine.

8 • FEBRUARY 2024
 READER’S DIGEST

Memory Lane
To celebrate the rich legacy of Reader's Digest, we
share some of your most cherished, humorous and
nostalgic memories of the magazine...

Memories Of Mum at the time, but I immediately

said she had a detached retina. It
For as long as I can remember (I wasn't until after an emergency
know this started when I was in operation and all was well that I
primary school) I have read the told her that I had read about it in
Reader's Digest. My mother used Reader's Digest!
to buy it from the local newsagent. When she was first diagnosed
I would always go for the jokes with Alzheimer's disease, I would
first and Mum would try to solve ensure that she had her Reader's
the puzzles. We both used to Digest each month. When sadly
marvel at the big world out there she lost her battle and passed
via the pictures and articles. away, one of the first things I did
Back issues of the RD was subscribe to Reader's Digest.
that were saved became Every month it comes through
like a compilation of the door and I think of my
encyclopaedias. Pictures of beloved mum and our
places and sights that we special connection.
might never see, but were All I can say is that
magical all the same. Reader’s Digest
There was a time, takes me forward
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my mother was memories. Long
complaining of vision may it continue!
issues. I didn't know LISA LEE,
where it came from Middlesex

Email your Reader's Digest memories to [email protected]

FEBRUARY 2024 • 9
 SPONSORED CONTENT

A New Life In Property

R ob and Nicola McPhun have both retired early and

have an enhanced retirement thanks to their decision
to create an extra income from investing in property.

Rob, you had a very successful career in the

Police Force, rising to the rank of Chief Inspector,
then you retired, what made you want to invest in
property?

“People invest in property for all sorts of reasons, whether it’s to provide a safety net for a time
when they can’t work, or maybe it’s to provide a better future for their children and grand
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Why did you choose investing in property instead of other types of investments,
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“We looked at all sorts of investments but kept coming back to property, because it’s probably
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So how did you get started?

“As the head of learning and development in my last role in the Police,
I realise the importance of training. Unfortunately many people start
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mistakes as a result. Afterall, you don’t know what you don’t know. So
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We then went on a 3 day residential training course and there was a

banner that said it was possible to make a £50k income in 12 months.
To be honest, I didn’t believe it. It sounded like a scam to me. Having
_WZSMLNWZaMIZ[QV\PM.WZKMIVLUaXMV[QWV_I[[QOVQÅKIV\Ta
less than £50k a year, it just didn’t compute. However, I like to think
I have an open mind, the training was excellent, we liked Simon, his
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We still did not quite believe that you could create a £50k on going income in as little as 12
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within 8 months”
Do you need a lot of money to invest in property?

“Normally, there is some money required for each investment. However, there are some
strategies that do not need a lot of money. We had some savings and we released some equity
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true win win. Something we learned on our property
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And so what is life like for you both now?

“I am not someone for hype, but to say this has

changed our life, would be an understatement. Not
only has Nicola left the Force, but we now have enough
monthly income to really enjoy our retirement. Nicola
has got time to compete representing Great Britain as
an athlete in multi discipline events around the world
and we spend a lot of our time in our new second home in South Africa. We’ve visited it 5
\QUM[TI[\aMIZ[XMVLQVOÅ^MUWV\P[WN \PMaMIZPMZMIVLXTIV\W[XMVLUWZM\QUMQV\PQ[
beautiful part of the world next year. All thanks to our property investing”

That’s an amazing story Rob. What advice would you give people who might be
looking to get into property investing?

“It’s very important to educate yourself. First of all, buy a copy of

Property Magic from Amazon, it will open your eyes as to what
can be achieved. Then I recommend you go to one of the property
investor network (pin) meetings. There are 50+ monthly evening
meetings around the UK and also in the Netherlands and Dubai.
Find out more at www.pinMeeting.co.uk It’s a place to connect
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Then if you feel proeprty investing could be

right for you, invest in yourself and attend
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and some not so good ones. Do your own research. I can only talk
about experience with Simon Zutshi and his team and the property
investors network which has been amazing.

Thank you Rob for sharing your inspirational story.

:MILMZ[7‫ٺ‬MZ" If you have not been to a pin meeting before why not attend your FIRST pin
UM\\QVOI[W]ZO]M[\IVLZMKMQM^MŠW‫\ٺ‬PMVWZUITMV\ZaNMM=[M>W]KPMZ+WLM":,
14
 …DIFFERENTLY
The Napoleon wrasse impresses visually
with its markings, which include the eyes.
Most fish of this species are predominantly
blue or green in colour. Cheilinus
undulatus is at home in the coral reefs from
the Red Sea to the tropical Indo-Pacific.
When fully grown, it can reach a length of
up to seven-and-a-half feet and weigh an
impressive 30 stone. Its most astonishing
ability is that this fish—like some others—
can change sex. After several years as a
sexually mature female, some animals turn
into males.

PHOTO: © GETTY IMAGES/IMAGEBROKER RF/ROLF VON RIEDMATTEN

16
 The

From cats to cream t’s that time of year again: the red

I
carpets are being dusted off, the shortlists
cheese, here is scrutinised for diversity, and, suddenly,
Olly's official people care who Frances McDormand is
wearing. Yes, it’s Awards Season!
roundup of the best TV ratings for these star-studded shindigs
things 2023 had have been plummeting, as viewers feel
increasingly disconnected from the luvvies
to offer... on parade. Well, I’m here to correct that, as I
humbly present the winners of my awards…
an awards for the people: THE MANNIES.

Best Bedding

I used to be sniffy about Asda (“‘Extra Special’

brioche, eh? I’ll be the judge of that!”, I’d
snort, as I popped another M&S chargrilled
Olly Mann is a presenter calamari ring into my gob), but thanks to our
for Radio 4, and friend the Cost of Living Crisis, I’ve found
the podcasts The
myself frequenting the green supermarket
Modern Mann, The
Week Unwrapped quite a lot recently (and, yes, the yellow-and-
and Today in History with blue one too). As a result, when we needed
the Retrospectors a new duvet cover, we got one from George’s
"At Home With Stacey Solomon" range, and:

illustration by Sesame/iStock FEBRUARY 2024 • 17

IT’S A MANN’S WORLD

good Lord. It’s the warmest, softest, Cheese Mini Tubs—packs of four
cosiest envelopment I’ve ever single-serve cream cheese portions
experienced, like being hugged by a with individual lids. Good work,
giant teddy bear. Remember when Kraft. Just when you think the food
Loyd Grossman went from being an conglomerates have thought of
annoying TV presenter to Pasta God everything, they hit a home run.
thanks to his range of supermarket
sauces? Solomon has repeated the Best Listening
trick: no longer, in my mind, is she
"the toothy one off The X Factor." She Radio bosses
is Martha Stewart, 2.0. always want
"appointment
Best Garden Ornament to listen"
moments: Ken
There’s not much to enjoy about this Bruce’s Popmaster, say, or the
time of year in Britain, quite frankly, Today programme’s "Thought for
but frozen cobwebs always floor me the Day." These features are hard
with their beauty and complexity. to originate, and, in a world of on-
It’s like a reward for being too lazy demand media, vanishingly rare.
to clean the roof of my shed! The Yet Matt Chorley has managed it.
weather turns, the temperature drops, The chummy politico hosts PMQs
and, presto: free art. Unpacked on Times Radio, and every
Wednesday at midday, I religiously
Best Cream Cheese tune in. Instead of doing what every
other news network does—running
As someone who chomps through Prime Minister’s Questions live
multiple salmon bagels per week, from the Commons, then analysing
constantly having cream cheese at it afterwards—Chorley playfully
hand is a necessity. Unfortunately, pauses the tape between each round
I’m the only one in my house who of Sunak/Starmer action, pores over
eats it (except the cat, and even the exchanges with well-informed,
he’s suspicious). So, for years— cynical sidekicks like Tim Shipman
literally, years—each week I’ve been and Ayesha Hazarika, predicts what
buying a packet, eating half of it, might happen next, and scores the
and then, when it goes green and politicians’ performances. Suddenly,
furry, chucking it out and opening the sloganeering, Punch-and-Judy
another. A lamentable waste of exchanges take on a play-along,
money and food. But then…I Bingo-style quality, even when the
discovered Philadelphia Light Soft subject at hand is grim.

18 • FEBRUARY 2024
 READER’S DIGEST

Best Technological my keyring doesn’t dangle from the

Development trolley. Well worth the tenner I spent
on the box of crackers itself.
Did you know there’s an edit button
in WhatsApp? Well, there is, but for Best Rival Awards Ceremony
some reason Meta didn’t go round
plastering the fact on double-decker The best hour I spent on the web last
buses and creating a new Bank year was, hands down, voting
Holiday in celebration: instead, they in the National Cat Awards. Not
simply posted to their blog last May, only do you get to browse photos
“This feature has started rolling out of the supremely cute nominees,
to users globally and will be available but you also uncover their incredible
to everyone in the coming weeks.” stories: in 2023, the prestigious Cat
But it’s a game-changer. Made a typo? of the Year prize went to Zebby, a
Edit it! Sent an angry text to your ex? moggy who supports his deaf owner
Edit it! Forgot to congratulate your by alerting her to sounds around the
friend on their good news because home and bringing her post like a
you were too busy talking about dog. Plaudits to Cats Protection for
yourself? Edit it! Lifesaver. creating these awards, and trying to
turn round the public perception of
Best Christmas Cracker Gift cats as sociopathic killers, but that’s a
long old climb, I suspect (runner-up:
Forget your plastic dreidels, fortune- the British Kebab Awards. And yes,
telling fish and compact mirrors: this is me offering up my services as a
this Christmas I received the best well-qualified judge…).
cracker gift of all time: a little metal
hexagon that fits on my keyring to Ta-da! Thus ends this year’s
use in supermarket trolleys when you Mannies: no Lifetime Achievement
don’t have a pound coin. Because, Award, no post-awards interviews,
who carries coins these days? It even merely a useful list of winners. Just
has a quick-action release-button, so like Awards Season should be. Q

A Tiny Touchdown
The Juancho E Yrausquin Airport on the Dutch Caribbean island of Saba is widely
acknowledged as the shortest commercial runway in the world. With a strip
of tarmac just 1,300 feet long (about 400 metres), only 900 feet of which are
"useable," the runway is not much longer than an aircraft carrier
SOURCE: CNN TRAVEL

FEBRUARY 2024 • 19
20
 ENTERTAINMENT

Catherine O’Hara
A Humorous Heart-
To-Heart With A
Comedy Icon
By Simon Button

The star of Home Alone and Schitt’s Creek on family,

improv, and the importance of laughter

nterviewing Catherine O’Hara hilarity in all those Christopher

I
is a breathtaking experience. She’s Guest mockumentaries to, of course,
animated one minute, deadpan the side-splittingly eccentric Moira
the next, vocalising ten to the Rose on Schitt’s Creek—flash before
dozen as anecdotes and insights my eyes.
tumble over one another. At one
point she apologises for being so Now 69, O’Hara is such a familiar
GEORGE PIMENTEL/GETTY IMAGES

garrulous, saying: “I just keep talking, face with so much on her CV it’s
hoping something that makes sense perhaps no surprise that many
will come out at some point.” people have a hard time placing her
But I wouldn’t have it any other when they spot her in public. “I get
way, as all the iconic characters she’s that a lot,” she grins. “For the most
played—from the literally haunted part they say, ‘Hey, why do I know
sculptress in Beetlejuice to Kevin’s you?’. I don’t want to say, ‘I’m an
desperate-to-get-home mother in actor’ so I’ll go, ‘I don’t know, from a
Home Alone, via her improvised restaurant maybe?’”.

FEBRUARY 2024 • 21
I N T E R V I E W: C AT H E R I N E O ’ H A R A

Eventually they realise they’ve We’re talking on Zoom some 30

seen her in films or on TV. “They’ll minutes later than planned because
go, ‘Well, what have you done?’. “I asked for an extension so I could
You’re standing there giving your rush home and get some make-up
resume and they’ll go, ‘No, didn’t see on”. Wearing a pink jacket over a
that’. They lift you up and they take white shirt, her dark-rimmed specs
you down, which is as it should be.” are as stylish as the kitchen she’s
sitting in and she is, as I say, the
most garrulous of interviewees.
“But I love listening, I swear to
you,” Catherine insists, “and I hope
the people I work with would agree.
I love being off-camera and I love
watching other people work.” She
laughs. “I mean, obviously I can go
on and on but I don’t think I’m really
saying anything.”
That’s probably just as well when
it comes to her latest film Argylle, a
high-octane action comedy directed
by Matthew Vaughn in which Bryce
Dallas Howard’s spy novelist Elly
Conway is plunged Romancing the
Stone-style into the world she’s
been writing about. The script
hinges on so many twists
and turns that O’Hara isn’t
at liberty to say anything L A N D M A R K M E D I A / A L A M Y S TO C K P H OTO
about her character
beyond the fact she’s
connected to Elly but not
in the way we’re initially
led to believe.
Violently over-the-
top, it’s not something
you’d expect to see
her in, but that was
part of the appeal.
“It’s great when you
 READER’S DIGEST

(Left and right)

Catherine O’Hara
in the new action
comedy Argylle

get a phone call with an offer to do She’s very funny amid all of Argylle’s
something really different,” says the mayhem, but then she is one of the
woman who got her start in improv funniest people alive and has been
and doesn’t do the expected in that way ever since her childhood in
any of her roles. “I love Matthew’s Toronto as one of seven siblings. “It
artistry with action. It’s not the kind was just a given in our family,” O’Hara
of thing I’ve done before. It’s a says about wanting to make people
new adventure.” laugh. “Both my parents, God bless

FEBRUARY 2024 • 23
 (Top) In After
Hours; (Bottom)
As Kevin’s mum
in Home Alone
 READER’S DIGEST

them, are gone but they were both her fourth film, 1985’s dark comedy
really funny. Mum raised seven kids, After Hours, in which she played
then she went into real estate, and at a somewhat unhinged ice cream
dinner she would impersonate the truck driver. “That was so fun,” she
people that she met that day. And my recalls, “shooting in New York and
dad worked at the Canadian Pacific staying up all night, which back
Railway and was such a joke-teller he then I did anyway.”
would get in trouble for laughing too
much at work.”
She smiles at the memory. “Being PLAYING A
funny was a way to get attention at
the table but I’m not sure we even PERSON WHO WAS
thought of it like that. It was just the INCONSISTENT GAVE
way you had to be if you wanted to ME SUCH FREEDOM; IT
get a word in.” Then in high school
there was a theatre arts teacher who WAS REALLY JOYFUL
encouraged improvisation. “We were
given the freedom to come up with
our own ideas and characters, which She went on to work with Mike
was just wonderful.” Nichols on Heartburn, Tim Burton
A J P I C S / A L A M Y S TO C K P H OTO / TC D / P R O D. D B / A L A M Y S TO C K P H OTO

After school, O’Hara joined on Beetlejuice and Warren Beatty on

Toronto’s Second City improvisational Dick Tracy, then played Macaulay
comedy troupe where she Culkin’s mum Kate McCallister in
understudied for Gilda Radner, of Home Alone. “It was such a lovely
whom she says: “Gilda was wonderful experience, with such a perfect script
and ridiculously talented, but with by John Hughes. Chris Columbus
us she was just this regular, lovely is a great director who has a big
person. I thought, Oh, a real person family himself, so he really knew the
can get a job doing comedy and make dynamics of that.”
some kind of living out of it. She really Asked if she realised during filming
opened the doors. I don’t think I’d that it was going to be a huge hit,
ever have had any kind of acting she shakes her head. “No, but you
career if I hadn’t met Gilda.” never know what’s going to work and
what isn’t.” And is the mother of two
Catherine became a regular on anything like Kate in real life? “No.
Second City’s SCTV sketch show, did My hair moves!”.
voice-overs and other TV work and In the mid-1990s O’Hara
even found herself being directed by began a fruitful collaboration
none other than Martin Scorsese in with Christopher Guest, who has

FEBRUARY 2024 • 25
I N T E R V I E W: C AT H E R I N E O ’ H A R A

O’Hara in
A Mighty Wind;
(Right) As eccentric

A J P I C S / A L A M Y S TO C K P H OTO / P I C T U R E LU X / T H E H O L LY W O O D A R C H I V E / A L A M Y S TO C K
Moira Rose in
Schitt’s Creek

directed her in the likes of Waiting sign on for a long-running TV show.

for Guffman and A Mighty Wind. “I was so insecure about it that I kept
“People always ask, ‘Did you asking ‘What if I wear wigs all the
improvise some of that?’. Every word time?’ and ‘What if I have a different
of dialogue was improvised.” As accent?’. Playing a person who was
was her crazy injured-knee walk inconsistent gave me such freedom
in Best in Show, although she and it was really joyful.”
confesses: “That’s my dad’s walk. He In real life she’s a wife to
used to do that when walking ahead production designer Bo Welch and
of us. All the kids in our family, we a mother to grown-up sons Matthew
all do it but I got to do it in a movie. and Luke. “I love to hear their
Lucky me.” opinions,” she says of her boys. “I
It was also Catherine’s idea to love to hear what’s in their minds
pronounce “baby” as bébé in Schitt’s and what’s going on in their heads.
Creek. “I did that by mistake and I love laughing with them and I love
everyone laughed, so then they kept laughing with my husband and my
writing it into the script.” With her friends.” This most chatty of actors
weird way with words and out-there smiles again. “I just love sitting
fashion sense, Moira was the role of around talking.” Q
P H OTO

a lifetime, but when it came along in

2015 she wasn’t sure she wanted to Argylle is in cinemas from February 1

26 • FEBRUARY 2024
READER’S DIGEST

FEBRUARY 2024 • 27
 ENTERTAINMENT

ders o n
Ian A n MB E R …
M E
I RE

( 7 6 ) is the
A n d erson gwriter of ANDRE A RIPAMO NT I / ALAMY STO CK PH OTO
Ian d son
tm a n a n
o ck b and
fron sive r
e p r o g re s
o, o v er 23
th u ll, w h t less
r o T c o u n
Jeth u m s and y as
i o a lb h is to r
stud as m ade ier
o u r s , h p r em
t
c k m usic's lautist
ro - clad f
e c e
codpi

28
29
I REMEMBER: IAN ANDERSON

Ian was born in

Dunfermline,
Fife, before
moving south
with his family

MY EARLIEST MEMORIES ARE OF I WAS SHIPPED OFF TO SUNDAY

HAVING TWO VERY OLD SCHOOL IN EDINBURGH WHEN I
PARENTS. My mother was 42 when I WAS SEVEN YEARS OLD. I felt a
was born, which back then was proper Charlie, because I was the only
seriously old to have a baby, and a little boy among the Sunday school
little risky too. My oldest brother was children who was wearing a kilt. On
14 years older than me and the the two occasions I actually did go
middle brother ten years older. When into the Sunday school, I was teased
I was quite small they had both left and felt embarrassed. I also felt rather
home. I grew up almost like an only threatened by the stories we were
child. I tended to amuse myself and taught. Old-school Christianity was
play in the garden and draw and paint filled with retribution and anger that I
and shoot. I suppose you do learn as didn't really enjoy. For the rest of my
an only child that you're going to have attendance at Sunday school, I didn't
to get on with life and find your own get closer than climbing a tree outside
physical and intellectual titillation. the church and hiding in the
You're going to have to find things branches, waiting until the children
that excite and move you. came out, then dropping down to join

30 • FEBRUARY 2024
 READER’S DIGEST

the school crocodile and walking out happy to submit to some other
of the church to be met by my punishment, whether it's detention
parents, who were then reassured that or lines, but I'm afraid I can't let you
I'd been to Sunday school as I was cane me, sir.” He said, “What do you
supposed to. mean? That's the punishment you're
getting. Bend over.” I said, “I'm
I DIDN'T WANT TO BE BEATEN BY sorry, sir, I'm unable to do that. I
AN OLDER MAN WITH A CANE [AT can't help you out there.” He said,
SCHOOL]. I felt there was “Well, it's simple. Either you submit
something a bit weird about it. I to a caning, or you leave school right
couldn't help but think, Why does he now and don't come back.” I said,
seem to enjoy doing this? He got out “That's your decision, not mine. If
his cane and was flexing it in that's the way you feel, thank you
preparation for giving me six of the and the school for blessing me with
worst, and I said, “I would really a secondary education. Sadly, I
prefer, sir, if you didn't do that. I'm must wave you goodbye.” And I went

31
I REMEMBER: IAN ANDERSON

Blackpool’s ABC Theatre—

which, when I was 12 years
old, was a profound moment
of recognising that that isn't
what I wanted to do with the
rest of my life, because the
music they played was not
what I was enjoying. I was
drawn to the blues and Black
American folk music. It felt
very real and human.

WHEN WE MOVED DOWN

SOUTH, I did manage to
acquire a simple electric guitar.
I wanted to twang like Hank
Marvin of The Shadows, who I
thought was one of the great
guitar players of all time for his
absolute precision in which he
makes the instrument sing. It's
a human voice sound. Then
Ian and his family enjoy a day out in London along came Muddy Waters and
the blues guys. I started to pick
onto the street, walked past the out simple solos I could play and
headmaster’s study and paused to improvise upon. But this was a time
look through the window, only to when the guitar-playing world was
take my school cap and throw it into becoming very crowded. A lot of
the air as high as I could and walk hotshot guitarists down in London,
away, not seeing where it landed. It like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy
was a dramatic gesture, but I rather Page and Ritchie Blackmore, were
feel it made my point. doing sessions for various pop
releases and then went on to form
WHEN MY PARENTS MOVED US their own bands. I decided it would
TO BLACKPOOL, my paternal aunt, be better to find something other
who came to live with us, took me to than the guitar to play.
two or three concerts. I got to see
Cliff Richard, Adam Faith and the IN 1967 I EXCHANGED MY
early Rolling Stones performing at FENDER STRATOCASTER—

32 • FEBRUARY 2024
 READER’S DIGEST

PREVIOUSLY OWNED BY LEMMY say, “Oh yeah, that was pointless. I’ve
KILMISTER from Reverend Black, given up my idea to play guitar and
The Rocking Vicars and then I’m going to commit myself to
Motörhead— for a Shure Unidyne-3 working hard.” But I didn't go back.
microphone and a £30 basic model
student flute. That guitar today would [JETHRO TULL’S FIRST AMERICAN
probably fetch 50,000 US dollars on TOUR] WAS A LONG TOUR. It was
the market, but I will say it is the best 13 weeks away. We landed in Boston
deal I ever made. I got something that and our equipment didn't. We had to
allowed me to become visible in a borrow equipment to play the
very large world. Being a large fish in famous Tea Party and then a couple
a very small pool, playing the flute in of nights later at the Beacon Theatre.
a rock band, was infinitely preferable These were probably the two most
to being a very small minnow in a important venues in the eastern half
large pool of great guitar players. of the USA and luckily we did OK in
both. The thing I remember about it
I USED TO TAKE MY GUITAR INTO was an awful lot of nights of not
ART SCHOOL EVERY DAY, so I working, staying in the most
could go missing for a lesson or two appalling cheap hotel, sharing a
and practise playing. I got discovered room with another band member
by the principal of the finance and being hungry, because we were
department who asked, “Why have trying to struggle on a few dollars a
you got a guitar here?”. I said, “I'm day and earning almost nothing from
practising to play guitar.” He said, the few showcase gigs we did. It was
“Well, you should do that at home. a rough ride. But gradually we were
You’ve really got to make a
decision. Do you want to be a
painter? Or do you want to be a
musician?”. I said, “I'm
honestly not sure yet.” And he
said, “I'll tell you what, I'll keep
you on the roll of students, but
my suggestion is, don't show
up and don't bring your guitar.
Have a bit of time to think
about what
, you want to do.”
Which was great advice. I'm
sure he hoped I would, after a
week or two, come back and

FEBRUARY 2024 • 33
I REMEMBER: IAN ANDERSON

Ian has revived

the band with some
new faces

building up interest in the media. We sure whether to take it as the ultimate

continued with two other tours of the insult or some embedded form of
US in 1969, and by the end of that endearment. Whoever did it, though,
period we were headlining shows. they should take up darts. They could
win the World Championships with
ONCE I WAS HIT BY SOMETHING an unerring accuracy of aim.
ONSTAGE, and I assumed I'd been
shot in the chest, because there was I GOT TO KNOW [MY BROTHER]
blood. I felt the impact but I didn't IN HIS LATE THIRTIES when he
feel pain. My instinct was to carry on transitioned from being a
playing. Adrenaline had kicked in and pharmaceutical chemist to following
was covering up the pain. I felt his hidden dream as a theatre
something sort of wriggling inside my manager. He ended up working for
shirt, so I reached and pulled out 15 years at the Scottish Ballet and
what I thought was a dead rat, but I booked illustrious guest artists like
realised it was a string attached to a Rudolph Nureyev and Margot
used tampon that had been hurled at Fonteyn. My days prancing around
me. I don't believe any of the Beatles in tights and a codpiece go back to
ever got hit by a used tampon. I'm not 1972, when the costumier at the

34 • FEBRUARY 2024
 READER’S DIGEST

Royal Ballet designed my stage watch it grow. I was very interested in

clothes. I was just hoofing around the natural world. In terms of
onstage. I suppose that gave the conservation, at least the small
impression of my having some wildcat species, that’s something that
background in dance, which I didn't developed mostly in the Nineties and
at all, but led to my brother asking if beyond. I tend to be more supportive
I would write some music for the of the small cats—lions and anything
Scottish Ballet. Along with a couple that’s going to bite my head off,
of other members of Jethro Tull and frankly, I'm less inclined to get excited
John Anderson from the band Yes, about. It's the little guys, anything like
we wrote some stuff which was a Sereval or a Caracal—I have a deep
choreographed and performed by love for those creatures in the wild.
the Scottish ballet a year or two later. Unfortunately, my personal
That's my brief relationship with the interaction has been in zoos where
real world of dance. they've been repossessed from illegal
zoos or private ownership. There are
WHEN I BOUGHT PROPERTY IN some wildlife sanctuaries where I've
THE WEST COAST OF SCOTLAND, met these animals, but they belong in
I looked at aquaculture as one of the their natural environment. I would
things I might invest in to cover the encourage people to enjoy the
running costs of a bigger estate. Three plethora of brilliantly made wildlife
years later, we had our first programmes, many of them at the
commercial (very small) harvest. By behest of the BBC and, of course,
the year 2000, we had seven fish farm David Attenborough. What Winston
sites and three factories, and were Churchill was to the Second World
suppliers to a number of outlets in the War, David Attenborough is to British
supermarket world. It is very risky in television. He saved the day in terms
that game, being a food supplier. of bringing this huge awareness to
Anything can happen that could millions of people of the fragility of
result in a disastrous harvest. I would the planet that we live on and the
be sunk. I didn't have the backing of a effect that we've had upon it,
multinational company behind me. I particularly during his lifetime—and
was a lone gun. I decided that music indeed mine. Q
was probably a safer option, so I sold
off the different wings of the company As told to Becca Inglis
and left it all behind in 2002.
Ian Anderson fronts Jethro Tull on The
AS A CHILD, I USED TO COLLECT Seven Decades Tour in April and May
BEETLES AND POND LIFE and 2024. Visit ticketline.co.uk to book tickets

FEBRUARY 2024 • 35
 HEALTH

my jaw hurts. big deal, right? Right…at least

at first: it starts with a looming deadline or a
Eight compelling
tiff with my spouse, but tension leads to jaw reasons your
clenching and then pain. Soon chewing hurts, body wants you
so my blood sugar drops and my head starts
to ache. I cancel plans to exercise or see a
to dial back the
friend, and my mood goes south fast. A good stress in your life
night’s sleep is impossible. I toss and turn and
clench my jaw some more, then start it all
again tomorrow. BY Rosemary Counter
Even the tiniest seed of stress can quickly
snowball into debilitating symptoms. Not
anxious or irritable or depressed (though it
can do that as well). I mean physically ill in
the whole body—from dead stem cells
causing prematurely grey hairs down to
reduced blood flow in your toes (seriously:
“foot tingling” is common before and after a
panic attack).
If you need a reason to take a breath, here
are eight ways stress could be taking a toll on
your body right now.

illustrations by Kumé Pather FEBRUARY 2024 • 37

SIMMER DOWN

your brain: Firstly, let’s define stress. hormones to help you deal,” says
“Stress is a state of worry caused by Lewis. These hormones can destroy
an external trigger,” says Krystal neurons, particularly newly formed
Lewis, a Maryland-based clinical ones, leading to brain atrophy,
psychologist at the National Institute shrinkage or damage to the prefrontal
of Mental Health. It can be short- cortex—an area of the brain that’s
term and acute (like speeding out essential for cognitive function, focus
the door to get to work on time) and memory-making.
or long-term and chronic (like a
busy career). your head, jaw and shoulders: The
Ideally, your stress is acute and you first place you might actually feel
bounce back as soon as it stops. In stress settle in is what experts call the
reality, if you’re like one in 14 people “tension triangle.” “When you’re
in the UK who say they feel stressed stressed and your body is in active
every day, your stress is likely chronic. fight-or-flight mode, your muscles
tense up to prepare to protect you,”
says Lewis.
“WHATEVER IS Stay too long in that state—like
holding yourself in a plank at the
HAPPENING TO YOU gym—and soon you’ll feel muscle
EMOTIONALLY, THE fatigue and strain. Unconscious
GUT KNOWS IT AND clenching of the jaw can lead to or
exacerbate teeth grinding,
FEELS IT” temporomandibular joint (or TMJ)
disorder or a truly awful-sounding
“globus sensation” that makes it
Either way, your brain’s amygdala difficult and uncomfortable for you
jumps into high alert, causing the to swallow.
hypothalamus to release a chemical And have you noticed an
rush of cortisol, adrenaline and unfortunately-timed Friday night
norepinephrine. Hundreds of headache after a hard week? That’s
thousands of years ago, that might because as your stress hormones from
have helped you outrun a sabre- the week plummet, blood vessels
toothed tiger. It’s less helpful today, dilate (aka “vasodilation,” long
when you’re having the same tiger- associated with migraines) and you’re
sized response to being late. now in headachetown.
“Whatever it is, because you’re in a
situation you can’t control or manage, your gut: Stress feels “gut-wrenching”
your brain is releasing a flood of or “stomach-churning” because the

38 • FEBRUARY 2024
SIMMER DOWN

The effects of short-term stress are work harder amid any chronic
immediate and palpable, sure, but inflammation that’s already draining
there’s a reason that stealthier chronic the immune system.
stress is dubbed “the silent killer.”
“Stress wreaks all kinds of havoc on
your heart,” says Lindsay. Among “YOU CAN
them, increased heart rate, COUNTERACT ALL OF
arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat) and
excessive vasoconstriction—when THIS WITH SIMPLE
blood vessels constrict, the opposite TRICKS TO LOWER
of vasodilation and the cause of those YOUR STRESS”
aforementioned tingly toes.
The largest effect, however, is this:
living in a stressed state all the time
raises your blood pressure—the top your skin: If you’ve ever blushed with
risk factor for heart disease and embarrassment or broken into a
stroke. One in four adults worldwide sweat during an exam, you know that
has hypertension, which stiffens and the epidermis, your body’s biggest
damages arteries, decreases blood organ, reacts to stress-induced
and oxygen flow, and increases the cortisol almost instantly.
risk of blood clots. “Short-term stress, like feeling
anxious before a presentation, can
your lungs: Cursed with seemingly cause temporary problems like
endless colds every winter? A flushing, itching and sweating,” says
possible cause is unchecked stress Dr Alia Ahmed, a UK-based
levels slowly sapping your body’s psychodermatologist who specialises
resources. “Spiked cortisol dampens in the interaction of the mind and
your immune system so it’s less the skin. Cortisol also drives sebum
powerful in the fight against the bugs (oil) production, which is why you
that cause cold and flu,” says might break out the night before your
physiologist Laura Ginesi, fellow at wedding. All those will pass,
the UK’s International Stress thankfully, but that’s not the case
Management Association. with the long-term effects.
Among many complex interactions “Stress drives inflammation, which
between stress and the immune is implicated in aggravating existing
system is this double whammy: stress conditions like eczema, psoriasis and
reduces lymphocytes, your army of rosacea,” says Dr Ahmed. Even people
white blood cells often called “natural with crystal-clear complexions,
killers,” forcing those you do have to however, can suffer from dry, scaly and

40 • FEBRUARY 2024
 READER’S DIGEST

itchy skin when they are stressed. As also feel the burden. How does this
cortisol levels increase, collagen levels happen, scientifically?
decrease, causing lines, wrinkles, “Inflammation brings blood to the
pigmentation, signs of premature area to clear up any damage or debris,”
ageing and dull skin. says Ginesi. When your brain senses
Furthermore, stressed-out people pain, whether because you’ve sliced
sleep less, eat worse and are often your thumb or you keep clenching
dehydrated—all factors that take a toll your jaw, it works to repair the damage.
on your skin. “Stress makes neutrophils—white
blood cells that are part of the
your reproductive system: Ever inflammatory response—more active
charge through your front door after in order to heal tissue.” As with that
an awful day eager for romance? bleeding thumb, this can trigger nerve
Probably literally never. “Imagine impulses that may lead to physical
holding a fist all day, and then at 8pm, discomfort. “Inflammation causes
unclenching to grab a fork,” says Dr redness, soreness, swelling and pain,”
Uchenna Ossai, an Austin, Texas- Ginesi says.
based physical therapist and sex Chronic inflammation can feel like
educator. “Your hand won’t feel good, joint stiffness, tendonitis, or aches
and the same is true of your body.” and pains. Left untreated, it can lead
Chronically high cortisol levels have to irreversible scarring (fibrosis), DNA
demonstrable effects on sex damage and, because it affects the
hormones. For women, the way cells grow and divide, mutations
hypothalamus, which normally tells that cause tumours or cancer.
the pituitary gland to produce That stress can kill is a terrifying
menstruation-causing oestrogen and thought, admittedly, unless you
progesterone, is instead too busy choose to turn it upside down. “You
managing cortisol. This can cause can counteract all of this with some
irregular or missed periods, decreased simple tricks to lower your
ovulation and reduced fertility. experience of stress,” says Ginesi.
For men, chronically high stress For me, that’s yoga classes,
levels inhibit testosterone meditating for ten minutes in the
production, which can cause lowered morning and a monthly massage. For
sperm count, erectile dysfunction you, it could be something even
and impotence. easier: studies prove that just closing
your eyes and breathing deeply can
your muscles and joints: Sore backs help reduce and regulate your cortisol
are common during stress, of course, level—wherever you are, right now
but arms, legs, hands and feet may and for free. Q

FEBRUARY 2024 • 41
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 HEALTH

When The
World Spins
Vertigo is surprisingly
common. Here’s how
to handle it

BY Karen Robock

ne morning last winter, Lynn

O Smith was doing a series of

gentle yoga stretches in her
living room, trying to loosen up a stiff
lower back. When the 56-year-old sat
up, she felt a bit strange. “I started to
feel dizzy in a way I had not felt
before,” she says.
In bed that night, Smith had the
sensation that the room was
spinning. She would later learn that
she was experiencing her first
episode of vertigo.
Vertigo is often described as a
sensation of motion, but it’s more
complex than a dizzy spell. Ringing
in the ears, loss of balance, double
vision and trouble swallowing are
other common sensations,
depending on what is causing the
vertigo. Each episode can last
anywhere from a few minutes to a
few days.

illustrations by Kate Traynor FEBRUARY 2024 • 43

WHEN THE WORLD SPINS

Although it can affect people of all central nervous system, such as

ages, vertigo is most common in vestibular migraines (a type of
midlife and beyond. It’s also more migraine defined by extreme
prevalent in women, though experts dizziness) or stroke.
don’t fully understand why, says Dr With so many different causes of
Terry Fife, a neurologist at the Barrow vertigo, the treatment options are
Neurological Institute in Phoenix, equally diverse. “That’s why getting the
Arizona, who specialises in balance diagnosis right is especially important,”
disorders. Nearly 35 per cent of adults says Fife. A primary-care physician
will experience vertigo at least once may refer a patient to an ear, nose and
in their lifetime, according to one throat specialist (ENT), or they may
Canadian study. suggest a neurologist or a cardiologist.
It’s important to understand that BPPV will often resolve itself in a
vertigo is not a disease in itself: it’s a few weeks or months, but rather than
symptom. There are many reasons why wait, patients can try exercises to
someone may have vertigo, but it wiggle the canaliths, or ear crystals,
generally falls into one of two types: back out of the inner ear. The Epley
peripheral vertigo and central vertigo. manoeuvre, which Smith had success
With peripheral vertigo, the most with, is the most well-known.
common cause is a condition called According to a 2023 study published
benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, in the journal Medicine, it improved
or BPPV (less common causes are vertigo in 98 per cent of patients.
head injury or Ménière’s disease, a rare Medications, like those prescribed for
inner-ear condition). BPPV develops motion sickness, can help quell
when canaliths (tiny crystal-like symptoms when they strike.
calcium particles) that naturally occur Smith’s neurologist also
inside the ear become loose and move recommended she avoid alcohol,
deeper into the inner-ear canals. As sugar and caffeine, as they could
they roll around inside, they can potentially trigger episodes of
disrupt the transmission of vertigo. Stress and inadequate sleep
information to the brain about are other possible triggers.
balance. BPPV-caused vertigo can then “Feeling the room spin was
flare up when someone leans back to terrifying,” says Smith. As she shared
look up into a high kitchen cupboard, her experience with others, she was
bends over to tie their shoe or, as Smith surprised at how many people said
discovered, folds over in a yoga pose. they too had experienced vertigo.
Central vertigo is less common and “This is not some obscure medical
occurs in people who are condition,” she says. “It’s more
experiencing a problem with the common than you think.” Q

44 • FEBRUARY 2024
 HEALTH

Look
Beyond
The Ache 1. Because prevention is better
than cure
Nine solid reasons Regular dental check-ups are
recommended to maintain healthy
why regular dental teeth and gums. The interval varies
visits matter from three months to two years
depending on your oral health. Your
dentist will advise you on what’s
right for you. The aim of a check-up
is to nip any problems in the bud,
before you experience pain, lose
teeth or have other health problems.
Gum disease has been associated
with heart disease, for example.

2. You’ve got bad breath

Halitosis is embarrassing and can
sometimes leave a nasty taste in your
mouth. You might have a hole in
your tooth, an infection or gum
Susannah Hickling is disease. Your dentist can give you
twice winner of tips on cleaning your teeth more
the Guild of Health effectively and treat more serious
Writers Best Consumer periodontal disease. Your family and
Magazine Health Feature friends will thank you for it.

46 • FEBRUARY 2024
3. Your gums keep bleeding 6. You’ve started a radical diet
Persistent bleeding when you floss or Some food plans designed for weight
brush isn’t normal. You might just be loss or better health, including the
brushing too enthusiastically—yes, keto diet, can leave you deficient in
it’s possible to overdo it—but it could some vitamins and minerals. This
be gum disease. Your dentist will let can jeopardise the health of your
you know which it is and help you teeth and gums. A dentist can help
resolve it. you understand how to compensate.

4. To check for cancer 7. You’ve had a new medical diagnosis

Dentists don’t just look for cavities Certain conditions can affect your
and unhealthy gums; they can also oral health. For example, high blood
spot mouth cancer and refer patients glucose levels in saliva caused by
to hospital to see a specialist. Cases diabetes favour bacteria which can
have risen by 34 per cent in the past cause cavities. Some medications
decade, according to the Oral Health can cause oral problems ranging
Foundation, but early diagnosis can from dry mouth to stained teeth.
save your life.
8. Your jaw is painful
5. A tooth has changed colour There are various causes, including
Yellowing and staining on your teeth teeth grinding, a misaligned bite and
are often linked to lifestyle (including a tooth abscess. Pain has a tendency
drinking coffee, red wine, cola and to get worse, so make sure you ask
fruit juices, and eating curries) and your dentist to investigate.
can be improved with a good
brushing regime or whitening (have 9. You want to improve your confidence
it done under a dentist’s care rather More and more adults are having
than risk ruining your enamel or orthodontic treatment to straighten
sustaining chemical burns by using their teeth. Not only does it make a
a DIY kit). If the inside of a tooth huge difference to your smile, it can
looks brown or black, it might need also prevent gum disease, which is
a filling. A tooth that goes grey more likely to take hold if you
might be dying. struggle to clean crooked teeth. Q

For more weekly health tips and stories, sign up to

our newsletter at readersdigest.co.uk

FEBRUARY 2024 • 47
H E A LT H

De-mist-ifying Brain Fog

Once you know what’s causing your mental wooziness,
you can take action to start thinking straight again

What is brain fog? as well as people who were seriously

We all have the odd off-day when we affected, often causes memory issues
don’t think as clearly as we should, along with fatigue. Another post-viral
but when forgetfulness, trouble condition, myalgic encephalomyelitis
focusing or making decisions, and (ME), also known as chronic fatigue
feeling mentally sluggish become the syndrome, is similarly characterised
norm, then there might be something by problems with thinking, memory
behind it worth investigating. and concentration. An underactive
thyroid can sometimes be to blame,
What causes it? as can depression and stress. Some
Menopause is a time of hormonal medications affect cognitive function,
change when a drop in oestrogen and “chemo” brain is a common
levels is often to blame for sub- phenomenon after cancer treatment.
optimal brain power. Poor-quality
sleep, which also happens more at What can you do?
menopause, is another culprit, while A regular sleep pattern, healthy diet
sleeping too much can also make you and exercise are likely to help. But
feel befuddled. don’t exercise too vigorously if there’s
Take a look at other aspects of a chance you might have a post-viral
your lifestyle too. Do you drink problem, when sufferers are usually
enough water? Dehydration can advised to pace themselves. Exercises
cause mental fog. Is your diet lacking for your brain, such as word puzzles,
in vitamin B12? This vitamin on the other hand, might be
supports healthy brain function. It’s beneficial. Aim to manage your
found in animal products, such as stress—but not with alcohol.
fish, meat, poultry, eggs and cheese, See your GP if you’re worried and
so strict vegans might be at risk of describe any other symptoms you
vitamin B12 deficiency. have. They might order tests to get to
A number of diseases can trigger the bottom of your brain fog. Mention
brain fog. Long COVID, which can any medications you think might be
strike those who had the virus mildly causing the problem. Q

48 • FEBRUARY 2024
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 HEALTH

Adversity’s
Gift
Dr Max on the
importance of embracing
resilience in the face
of challenges

I
’m always wary of the tired old to people are just awful and that’s
mantra, “If it doesn’t kill you, the end of it.
it’ll make you stronger.” I mean, However, for many years I
what about polio? Or whiplash? worked in a specialist NHS clinic for
Or loads of other horrible things people with eating disorders. Eating
that if you survive you’re left scarred disorders are a greatly misunderstood
in one way or another. group of conditions. People often
I think it’s a tired cliché that mistakenly think it’s just about vanity
people trot out when they bump when instead it’s usually about
into you in the supermarket after control and many of those with them
something awful has happened have a history of profound trauma
and they don’t know what else or emotional difficulties. Eating
to say and feel a bit awkward. disorders have the highest mortality
Actually, some things that happen of any mental illness, with one in
five of those with an eating disorder
Max is a hospital doctor, dying from it. Treatment for it is long
author and columnist. He and arduous. So, it’s fair to say it’s not
currently works full-time in something to be taken lightly.
mental health for the NHS.
His new book, The Yet over my time there I was often
Marvellous Adventure of surprised by how many patients
Being Human, is out now would tell me how the experience

50 • FEBRUARY 2024
had changed them for the better after abnormal and she was frequently
receiving treatment. rushed into hospital. However, over
I’ve noticed the same with several years she worked incredibly
patients with all sort of other hard and gradually improved. She
conditions too, from depression to stopped drinking, stopped using
cancer. That’s not to say that they drugs and her eating disorder
would ever wish their condition on improved. She got back into work
anyone; just that through having and started doing several courses so
their illness, they then had a better she could get promoted. In just a few
understanding of themselves and years she had gone from someone
also a gentle, more sympathetic who we all feared might die, to
understanding of other people’s having a career and a mortgage and
plights and difficulties. It’s not so being infinitely happier.
much that what doesn’t kill you We were preparing to discharge
makes you stronger; more, it might her from the outpatient clinic when
she came to tell me some good
news. She had just got an amazing
CONDITIONS CAN GIVE new job on the board of a very big,
famous company. She had applied
PEOPLE DETERMINATION for this just for the experience—she
AND GRIT THEY NEVER never in her wildest dreams thought
HAD BEFORE she would get it. She’d leap-frogged
about five rungs on the career ladder
in landing this job. I was astonished.
She had had to go through a series
make you more understanding of gruelling, intense interviews but
and sympathetic to the battles she said that whenever she felt she
and struggles of others. It makes couldn’t handle it or doubted her
you softer and kinder, in a way. capabilities, she reminded herself
It can also give people a sense of that nothing would ever be as bad as
determination and grit they never what she had already gone through
had before. and nothing as hard as what she
I had one patient who was very had already done. She swore it was
unwell and at a real risk of dying. As this attitude that got her through
well as an eating disorder, she also the interviews. She had not only
used drugs and was an alcoholic. The managed to turn her life around, but
combination of her mental health somehow used the struggles with her
problems meant that the chemicals health to make the most of her life
in her blood were often dangerously now she was better. Q

FEBRUARY 2024 • 51
 HEALTH

The Doctor Is In
Dr Max Pemberton
Q: Dear Dr Max, a couple of weeks relatively rare.
ago I suddenly experienced some I was interested in the description
hearing loss in my left ear. It felt you gave of feeling like there was
like there was water in there. I had water in there. Another cause for
my ear drained in case it was hearing loss in one ear is an infection
because of a build-up of wax, but and I do wonder if this is what your
it’s still the same. What should I do problem is. People often describe
about it? either earache or a sensation of
pressure or fluid in the ear. If the
A: You were right to assume that the infection is behind the ear drum,
most likely cause of sudden hearing then it’s not always obvious without a
loss is a build-up of wax. This is the careful examination of the ear.
most common cause of sudden There are also a few other rarer,
hearing loss in one ear. It’s often but serious, causes of one-sided
accompanied by a feeling like your hearing loss, such as an acoustic
ear is blocked and sometimes neuroma—a type of small tumour
itchiness. Using an otoscope (a piece that affects the nerves to the ear
of equipment with a light that looks involved in hearing. On balance,
into the ear) a doctor can typically given that you are still having hearing
see a build-up of wax and so it’s an loss despite having your ears
easy diagnosis to make. syringed, I do wonder if it’s an
Sometimes when the wax is infection and therefore you
removed by syringing with should go to your doctor as
water, this can damage the quickly as possible to get this
very delicate membrane checked. If your doctor agrees
behind the build-up of after examining your ear, they
wax—sometimes called a will prescribe you some
“perforated ear drum”— antibiotic treatment. Q
which is why people
sometimes still have Got a health question for
problems hearing after our resident doctor?
they’ve had their ear Email it confidentially to
syringed, but this is [email protected]

52 • FEBRUARY 2024 illustration by Javier Muñoz

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he message is drummed into

Forgive T us from childhood: forgive

people who’ve wronged you,
because it’s the right thing
to do. Forgiveness is a virtue, we’re

And told—the only way for us to truly

move on and heal, freed from the

Forget? baggage of bearing ill will.

Call me unenlightened, but I’m
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It’s not always not always what’s best for us. In fact,
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happen. And if we get the memo
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we should simply get over it and
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Monica Karpinski is a smoothed over.
writer and editor focused This isn’t helpful. It pressures us to
on women’s health, sex, minimise our feelings and revise our
and relationships. She is boundaries—to say “it’s OK” when
the founder of women’s for us, it isn’t. While it’s not a good
health media platform idea to fixate on negative thoughts,
The Femedic recognising and processing all of that

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D AT I N G A N D R E L AT I O N S H I P S

pain is an important part of the forgiveness towards acts of

healing journey. aggression, and whether this caused
And when someone doesn’t make any changes in the perpetrator’s
us feel seen or safe, forgiving them behaviour. He found that when a
can actually chip away at our self- partner was more likely to forgive
esteem. A 2010 research paper those acts, the aggressor was more
published in the Journal of likely to keep committing them.
Personality and Social Psychology McNulty suggests that this is
called this the “the doormat effect”. because facing the consequences of
It found that folks who forgave their actions is what motivates
partners that didn’t make them feel people to change their ways, and
valued had less respect for being offered a clean slate can be
themselves, along with a a kind of pass to avoid
diminished sense of self. making changes. His
The same was true takeaway? Forgiving
when people granted frequent and major
forgiveness to partners offences, like verbal or
who didn’t try to make physical abuse, can do
amends after causing more harm than good.
them hurt. This is probably For me, this speaks to the
because the forgiving party felt core tension in the idea that we
like they’d failed to stand up for should always forgive: it puts the
themselves, note the authors: like onus on us to resolve things, rather
they’d let themselves be walked over. than on the other person to deal with
Things can get worse if you keep the fallout for what they’ve done.
on forgiving someone who’s done What if, instead of looking to
wrong. Letting minor offences that forgiveness like a magic salve, we put
happen now and again slide can be our energies towards accepting a
great for any relationship, but situation for what it is? This way, we
repeatedly forgiving bad behaviour can focus on recognising what
can encourage that person to keep happened and coming to terms with
hurting you. it, however that looks for us and
At least, that’s what 2011 research without any sense of obligation
by psychology professor James K towards our offender. It’ll still be a
McNulty argues. McNulty looked at process, sure, but it’s one centred
how 72 newlywed couples expressed around you and your needs. Q

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 READER’S DIGEST

Relationship Advice
Monica Karpinski

Q: My sister (42F) and I (46M) have It sounds like you want to make up
drifted apart as adults and I miss the with your sister. Reconnecting will be
closeness we had when growing up. a gradual exercise of rebuilding trust,
I’ve tried to get it back by spending so take it slowly and gently. When you
more time with her, but it’s been hang out, try not to react to her in an
hard for us to click or even to get angry or defensive way. Instead, be
along. We’ve had disagreements and kind and focus on the present.
hurt each other over the years and I You don’t have to air your
fear we’re past the point of no grievances right away—in fact, some
return. Should I keep trying to patch experts argue that you don’t
things up or let it go? necessarily need to at all. But you
know yourself and the relationship, so
A: Siblings are often the longest if there’s something you do feel you
relationships we have—and they can need to resolve, be patient and pick
also be the most complicated. There’s the right moment to bring it up. This
shared history and ups and downs could be weeks, months or even years
over decades, all while you’re each down the line.
going through a series of life changes. There is a chance that your sister
It’s wonderful that you were close to won’t want to move forward or that
your sister as children, and you you decide the relationship isn’t
should cherish those memories. But actually healthy for you. It’ll hurt if
you are now decades older and are, things don’t work out the way you’ve
essentially, different people. And hoped, but try to accept whatever you
rather than being lumped together have for what it is. You might be
under the same roof, now you need to friends, but not best friends—or
choose to show up for each other. perhaps even friendly acquaintances.
So, if you want a good relationship Whatever distance is healthiest for
as adults, you need a new start. This you is the right one. Q
relies on whether you extend an olive
branch and your sister accepts, and if Got a question for our resident sex and
you can have a healthy relationship relationships expert? Email it confidentially
as the people you are now. to [email protected]

FEBRUARY 2024 • 57
 INSPIRE

Susan Baker with her son

Andrew and his letterboard
 My son’s message
of support may
have changed a
The stranger’s life

Of
Letters BY Susan Baker
FROM THE GLOBE AND MAIL

AFTER A SLEEPY Saturday morning Andrew slips his socked feet into the
on my son Andrew’s 15th birthday, shoes with no protest or head banging
I whisk him off to a shoe shop near (signs of distress we have seen in the
our home in Toronto to get a pair past). A perfect fit. We box them up
of sandals. We know the exact style and pay, and I thank the staff.
and size he wants, and we time the As we head toward the door, I say,
trip to arrive right when the store “It’s Andrew’s birthday today. Fifteen!
opens. Andrew is nonspeaking Got our new shoes and now we’re off
autistic and prefers to go shopping to celebrate with family.”
when it’s not busy. “Happy birthday!” the sales
“Size 41 of those black slip-on assistants reply. “Have fun!”.
sandals, please,” I tell the two clerks at What comes next only happens
the shop when we arrive. when you act on intuition, when

photo by Brianna Roye FEBRUARY 2024 • 59

THE POWER OF 26 LETTERS

the voice inside tells you to do We came to realise that Andrew

things differently. would not initiate use of the
Instead of having Andrew point to letterboard on his own; with “motor
the “thank you” symbol on the picture planning” a challenge for his autistic
chart he carries with him, I pause and body, we had to present it to him. As
hold up his letterboard. his parents, we need to remember to
For ten years, we have carried offer it to Andrew, to give him time to
around a rudimentary picture chart, spell out what he wants to say and to
which Andrew uses to communicate. It respect his wishes if he pushes it away.
contains images that match his most Using the letterboard requires
important and most used words: significant time and effort for
people, places, food, greetings and Andrew, but we persevere because
activities. Over the years, we know it gives him an opportunity
neighbourhood kids, friends, cousins to share far more of who he is than
and classmates have studied the can be conveyed though basic
pictures and the strips at the top of the pictures and words.
chart that contain even more
“representations” of Andrew’s life.
The chart is banged up and dirty. It WHEN WE LOOK
has been lost, found and replaced. UP FROM THE
Andrew also uses a text-to-voice LETTERBOARD,
app on an iPad that conveys his
needs and wants, again through THE SHOP ASSISTANTS
words with picture symbols. These ARE AWESTRUCK
tools offer him the simplest, quickest
way to communicate. But they are
limited to specific objects, activities And so, instead of dashing out the
and statements. shoe-shop door, I hold up the
Years ago, we discovered that letterboard and ask Andrew how he’d
Andrew could communicate more like to respond.
than just his basic needs through the We never know what the receivers of
use of a letterboard—by pointing to Andrew’s words are thinking while he
individual letters on an alphabet grid is writing. Even as the two of us focus
to spell out words, statements, on the effort of using the letterboard—
thoughts. It’s a simple but profound the regulation, the concentration, the
tool. We have affixed a letterboard to transcribing—the shop assistants are
the back of his picture chart to spare us quiet, watching. Andrew points to each
the trouble of carrying multiple charts letter, one by one: “Thank you.” And
and boards. Brilliant. that’s that. When we look up, they are

60 • FEBRUARY 2024
 READER’S DIGEST

wide-eyed and awestruck. I smile and you think?”.

turn to leave. I hold up the letterboard, concerned
One of the staff, a man about my that our time might be running out,
age, speaks up: “Um, can I ask you… but Andrew willingly starts pointing to
what is that? How does he…what are letters: “Tell Jason…”
you using there? Because I have a I immediately choke up. Sometimes
brother-in-law…and he doesn’t talk.” I forget just how powerful the
“Oh! This is an alphabet board that letterboard is. Just how powerful
Andrew uses to communicate,” I reply. Andrew is.
“Right, Andrew? We’ve practised it for “Tell Jason he will change everyone’s
years. It’s quite incredible, as we just opinion of him in 26 letters.”
didn’t know Andrew was so ‘in there.’ We are all moved, inspired, thrilled.
We didn’t even know this tool “Wow,” the clerk says. “Thank you.”
existed—it’s relatively uncommon. It’s Andrew smiles. “It really does
changed everything for us, for our change everything,” I say.
family, for Andrew.” And we leave.
This is what happens when we show I am floating, and Andrew is singing,
up—in all of who we are—in our light, as he does.
our strengths and our “deficiencies.” This is how it happens, how we
We invite others into our humanness, impact another person’s life in a split
and we allow them to share theirs. second: by vulnerably leading with
“Let me give you my contact info, as our own.
well as the website of the spelling-to- Maybe Jason and the shop
communicate organisation. There, you assistant are reading this. I hope
can find practitioners who will teach their family’s life changed because
you this method,” I continue. “Are you Andrew showed up on his 15th
on Facebook? Our family writes a blog birthday to buy a pair of shoes. Q
and shares stories about our journey.”
I ask the shop assistant about his After Susan Baker originally posted this
brother-in-law. Jason is 30 and doesn’t story on Love, Life & Autism, her
speak, but he can do a lot for himself. Facebook blog, she received numerous
Still, no one really knows him. Maybe messages from people asking how to
there’s more there, the assistant they could help a loved one get started
wonders. Maybe the family could look with a letterboard. Later, she returned
into this. to the shoe shop, where she learned that
“Amazing!” I say. “We’ve met Jason now has a letterboard
people—haven’t we, Andrew?—who
© 2024, SUSAN BAKER. FROM “MY SON’S SPLIT-SECOND
started using this method when they DECISION MAY HAVE CHANGED ANOTHER PERSON’S LIFE,”
FROM THE GLOBE AND MAIL ( JULY 24, 2023),
were 50 or 15 or five! Andrew, what do THEGLOBEANDMAIL.COM

FEBRUARY 2024 • 61
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 INSPIRE

Everybody would sing

I’m a singer and I have to say, after 40
years of singing, I find it very
therapeutic. I joined a band and I got
forced to the front and centre, which
is usually where the singer stands,
and I became a singer by accident. I
think everybody should sing. I can see
the benefits of it for your health and
sanity. It doesn’t matter what voice
anyone has. Some people say they
can’t sing, but I don’t believe them.

I would ban Morris dancing*

I’ve always been a bit scared of Morris
dancers. I would encourage all other
forms of dance—like singing, dancing
is good for you, and as you get older

Martin Fry: you do less. But the one dance I

would prohibit would be anything
holding a stick and bells, and that will
If I Ruled include Morris dancing—sorry, guys.
Well, I’d soften the law on it. You’d
The World have to fill out a long questionnaire as
to why you want to do it. I’d have a
committee to oversee everything, and
Martin Fry is a singer if they were satisfied the Morris
and songwriter who began dancing could be done without any
danger to the community, they would
his career as the co- grant a license.
founder and frontman of
Kindness would be rewarded with a
new romantic four-piece, points system
ABC. He is the only band You know when you fly on an airline
and they give you Avios miles? I will
member to have been part introduce those for people who are
of ABC for the entirety of friendly to each other. At infant
school, they’d give you tiddlywinks or
its history a gold star, so we’d develop

64 • FEBRUARY 2024
something along those lines. I’ve enormous part of the planet, so I’d
spent a lot of time being pretty like us all to become seafarers and
sardonic and cruel, and when I look keep it as biodiverse and clean as
on social media I see a world out possible. Polluting the rivers and seas
there where people seem cynical. just seems suicidal. We’d have a new
I think we’ve all forgotten that we are form of police. They’d be like a semi-
part of one branch of a tree, rather aquatic police force—much more
than a separate forest. interesting than the police force
today. Their outfits would be more
I would ban weapons like Aquaman.
I would dig a hole and bury a lot of
weapons. It would be a big hole, but it My term would be limited
would be worth doing, because where I’d do an eight-year sentence, then
are we headed? It’s almost like people hand it over to somebody much
are getting nostalgic for wars again. younger. I’ve seen so many guys my
Things are coming full circle. age mess up badly. It’s time for a new
generation to take over. I don’t want a
Everybody would have an electric car crown. Power corrupts anyway,
We’re overdue on rethinking fossil doesn’t it? When you look across the
fuels. It seems like we’re moving world, every figurehead seems to run
backwards in that direction, so I’m out of steam eventually—just walk
happy to go compulsory—give into that hall of mirrors and get
everybody ten years to get it out of confused with their role. So I should
their system. I’ve had the Tesla for stress that my rules are there not to be
seven years and have not missed that broken, but at the same time I’m only
smell of petrol. I have navigated my going to be there a short while. I’m a
way around the UK on electric. I benevolent despot. Q
could see the occasional moments of
charge anxiety, but it scares me when AS TOLD TO BECCA INGLIS
I hear people talking about how
there’s not enough electricity to go *To read Christopher Somerville’s edict
around. I think there is. on Morris dancing, which Martin Fry is
responding to, visit readersdigest.co.uk
We’d have a closer relationship with
our seas and rivers ABC’s The Lexicon of Love: Orchestral
I spend a lot of time in Barbados, and Tour, with the Southbank Sinfonia, visits
it’s such a joy to swim in a sea that’s venues across the UK this February. The
not as contaminated as here in the 40th anniversary reissue of The Lexicon of
UK. The sea is geographically an Love is out now

FEBRUARY 2024 • 65
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 INSPIRE

Under The

GRANDFLUENCE
Judith Boyd (Style Crone)
Annie Dabb talks to the colourful
fashion influencer known as Style Crone

dressed in a burnt umber patterned priced. I got into wearing vintage hats
scarf, a hefty pair of vintage earrings and I would wear them to work—I
and a red velour fedora set at an angle, worked at a mental health centre on
sits the bright and bold Judith Boyd, an emergency team—they were OK
aka "Style Crone". She has over 120,000 with it.
followers on Instagram (@stylecrone)
and 38,000 on Facebook (/stylecrone), Has your style evolved over the years
and posts on her blog, stylecrone.com. and what has been the impact of
Against a background of multicoloured sustainability on your style? On
scarves, Judith reveals how she uses social media I see wonderful things
her fashion sense to fight fast fashion that I can incorporate into my own
and ageism. style, which is becoming more
experimental as I grow older. I
What inspires you to dress the way turned 80 last year, so I just wear
you do? I started getting interested in what I love.
what I wore during the 1960s. In the Due to climate change, we don’t
1970s I moved to Denver and started have much time. Fast fashion has had
going to estate sales. My friend then such a horrible impact. Now, when I
opened a vintage store—there were look back at the changes that I made
some really good vintage stores—so I in the Seventies, I’m very grateful that
just started wearing second-hand. In I did that, even though at the time I
the Seventies I was wearing a lot of wasn’t thinking about climate change
oversized 1940s dresses, belted, with as I am now.
boots. I just started to love not being
like everybody else. How was the process of building an
At that time there was no internet or online presence and community? I
anything, so vintage was reasonably started my blog in 2010. My husband

68 • FEBRUARY 2024
 of over 30 years, Nelson, had been Where did your name "Style Crone"
diagnosed with a very rare cancer in come from? If you look up the word
2005. My husband was very “crone” in the dictionary, the
supportive from the beginning. He definition now is “ugly old woman”.
was my first photographer even When I was deciding what to name
though he’d never done that before, my blog, there weren’t any words that
and I had never posted anything describe older women. “Mature”
online about what I was wearing. could be any age.
My blog became a very important I researched what "crone" has really
medium for me to not only dress up meant across the ages, and there were
and lighten the devastating situation, times in more matriarchal
but my husband and I connected cultures when it was a very
through the lens. positive word. Older women
Because my husband was were perceived as valuable
receiving chemo, I would get because they would pass on
dressed up and, as we were their experiences to the
in the exam room waiting younger generations.
for the oncologist, he I really wanted to turn
would take photos of it on its head and bring
me. I would post them it back as a word that
and talk about what I could be seen as
was wearing, but also valuable. That we as
what I was feeling older women are
and the valuable. I feel like
experience for it’s a political statement,
both of us. showing up on social
It felt like a gift media, because of ageism.
and a lifeline for me. I have to continually learn
When he died, I knew I because all the platforms
couldn’t stop because are constantly changing.
we had started all of When I’m afraid of
this together. something, I feel like that
I had to get off the is a thing I should
couch and get definitely do.
PHILLIP VUKELICH

dressed to post
online. I talked Read the full interview
about grief and with Judith at
death, and about readersdigest.co.uk
my reinvention.

FEBRUARY 2024 • 69
 My Britain:
Wye Valley
BY Alice Gawthrop

traddling the border between England and

S Wales sits the Wye Valley, an area known for

limestone gorge scenery, dense native
woodlands, and, of course, the winding River Wye.
The valley has been inhabited for at least 12,000
years, with caves near Symonds Yat and Chepstow
bearing evidence of human settlement dating back to
Palaeolithic times. Closely following the River Wye is
Offa’s Dyke, the longest archaeological monument in
Britain. It was built in the eighth century by King Offa
to mark the boundary between England and Wales.
As well as its lovely people, the Wye Valley is home
to rich wildlife habitats, with peregrine falcons and
nightjars roaming the skies while shad and twaite
swim in its waters. Three sites in the area are of
international importance, having been designated as
Special Areas of Conservation under the EU’s
Habitats Directive: these are the River Wye, the Wye
Valley and the Forest of Dean Bat Sites.
The Wye Valley is also known as the birthplace of
the British tourism industry: in the early 18th
century, John Kyrle developed the Prospect, a public
garden in Ross-on-Wye offering views over the Wye.
Later, in 1745, John Egerton began taking friends on
boat trips down the valley. The Wye Valley attracted
poets, writers and artists, including Samuel Taylor
Coleridge and William Thackery. The area drew
people in with its picturesque river scenery, and
continues to do so today. È

70
 INSPIRE

The view north from Symonds

Yat Rock and the Wye Valley
towards Ross-on-Wye
M Y B R I TA I N : T H E W Y E VA L L E Y

James Walton is the owner of the

Old Black Lion, a pub and bed-
and-breakfast in Hay-on-Wye

oldblacklion.co.uk

i’ve lived in Hay-on-Wye for about Around Hay-on-Wye you’ve got

two and a half years now. It’s such a countryside, you’ve got mountains,
lovely town, and the area around the you’ve got Hay Bluff, and you’ve got
town is also fantastic. We used to live the lovely River Wye. The Wye Valley
in the South East of England but we is situated right on the border
fancied a change, and we just fell in between England and Wales. Hay is
love with Hay. actually on the Welsh side, but there
There’s a huge independent spirit are bits of it that are in England. In
in Hay-on-Wye—other than the estate fact, our house is in England but our
agents and the Spar, I don’t think business is in Wales. It’s quite
we’ve got any chains at all. The big quirky—lots of fun around the
draw are the bookshops, but it’s got [rugby tournament] Six Nations!
loads of cafes and other little shops, There are a lot of people that have
all independents. It’s got a castle as lived in Hay-on-Wye for a very long
well, which is newly refurbished and time, so there’s a very deep sense of
is fantastic. community and everybody knows

A group of walkers on a
road near Hay-on-Wye

72
 READER’S DIGEST

The Olde Black Lion

and looks out for each other. But they known for our food and our great
also welcome new people into the service. It’s lovely to offer this to the
community. We’ve been made to feel community, not just to the people
extremely welcome, and we’ve grown that come and eat here but also to
into the community over time. We support other local businesses.
support local businesses, they all help Hay-on-Wye has a big outdoor
each other out. At the Old Black Lion, culture. We’re part of the Offa's Dyke,
we source as much food as we can which is the old land border between
locally, and we use the local brewery, England and Wales, so we have a lot
which is the Lucky 7 Beer Co, and Hay of walkers, cyclists and horse riders.
Distillery as well. There are some really good horse
The Old Black Lion is a 17th- riding companies in the area. We’ve
century pub that has a two AA Rosette got Hay Parkrun now too. My
restaurant, rooms and a bar area as favourite place in the Wye Valley is
well. We won Best Pub in Powys 2023 the mountains, either cycling or
and we just received our Gold Seal walking the dog. There are some
Good Food Award for 2023. We’re amazing views there!

FEBRUARY 2024 • 73
M Y B R I TA I N : T H E W Y E VA L L E Y

Caroline Bennett is the owner of boarding, and the beautiful flora

Country Made Catering, a catering and fauna along the way. The fields
company based in Ross-on-Wye along the valley are rich with
nutrients, growing the best
country-made-catering.business.site asparagus and soft fruits. The Wye
Valley spirit is, to me, a wonderful
i have lived here for 29 years, moving appreciation of this most beautiful
here to live with my now husband. river and the life it brings to us.
The Wye Valley is unique for its lovely My catering business provides
towns along the way of the river from meals for many of the large houses
Hay, passing our wonderful cathedral used as holiday accommodation
city of Hereford with the Mappa along the valley. It is a privilege to
Mundi (the largest medieval map still share this place and my delicious
known to exist) and chained library to food with tourists from all over the
Ross-on-Wye. It's the birthplace of world during their stay.
tourism when, in the 18th century, My favourite spot in the Wye Valley
William Gilpin popularised the Wye is the Prospect, a piece of land by the
Tour (a two-day boat trip down the church in Ross-on-Wye, gifted to the
River Wye). town by our most famous benefactor,
Being a Wye Valley resident John Kyrle, from where you can see
means enjoying all the water has to the horseshoe bend in the river and
offer, from fishing to paddle the countryside beyond.

74 • FEBRUARY 2024
 Rowers in the mist
in Ross-on-Wye;
(Below) Kerne Bridge;
Images courtesy of
Caz Holbrook
© CAZ HOL BRO OK PH OTOG RAPH Y

75
M Y B R I TA I N : T H E W Y E VA L L E Y

Caz Holbrook is a self-employed especially here in Ross-on-Wye.

photographer from Ross-on-Wye William Gilpin discovered tourism
who kindly provided her here (he wrote about it in his book
photographs for his piece Observations on the River Wye, first
published in 1782) and it still attracts
cazholbrookphotography.co.uk a lot of visitors to this day.
I'm self-employed as a
i have lived in the Wye Valley since photographer, which I have been for
1972. We relocated to the area from over 25 years now. I love the varied
Yorkshire when I was one for my dad’s nature of my work. One day I might
job. Although both of my parents have be documenting a wedding and the
now passed away and my three older next photographing an AirBnB or
siblings and their families no longer creating branding photographs for a
live in Ross-on-Wye, I really wouldn't local business. It really does keep life
want to live anywhere else now. interesting. I love being able to work
I love the beautiful countryside—as my own hours. It fits in really well
a photographer, it's often a feast for around being a single mum and a
the eyes living in such a gorgeous part lone parent, as it means I can often
of the UK. I feel very lucky to be work in the evenings. It also works
surrounded by so much green space. well for my little business being in a
Having lots of places to walk and closeknit community, as that often
explore is really important to me. results in word of mouth
Getting outside is great for your recommendations—the best
mental health and living in an Area of advertisement there is!
Outstanding Natural Beauty like the My favourite spot in the Wye Valley
Wye Valley means that you are spoilt is Ross-on-Wye of course! Though
for choice for walks and lovely views. Symonds Yat is another stunning spot
There is a really great sense of and there’s an iconic view from the
community in the Wye Valley and top of Symonds Yat Rock.

76
© CAZ HOL BRO OK PH OTOG RAPH Y

The view from Symonds Yat

Rock; (Left) River Wye; Images
courtesy of Caz Holbrook

77
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 INSPIRE

Do you get lost easily?

Are our phones making things worse?

Find out how our brains

help us stay on course,

and how you can improve

your wayfinding skills

PLIGHT
Of The
N AV I G AT O R
BY Liann Bobechko FROM COTTAGE LIFE

80 illustrations by Holly Stapleton

P L I G H T O F T H E N AV I G ATO R

I know my way
around our cottage
woods pretty well.
I can walk the path through the forest hemlock, where we discovered a
to the lake in the dark without a couple of deer beds under the
flashlight—my feet know the way. delicate branches. When had the
Around us, there are more than 40 animals last been there? Would a
hectares to explore, crossed by deer fawn snuggle up on its own in a small
trails and electricity corridors, creeks spot or beside its mama in a big one?
and valleys. I’ve been tromping over We knew there were wolves around;
that land my whole life, so it was a we’d seen the remains of their deer
shock when I found myself lost there. kill a few weeks earlier.
Late one bright, frigid afternoon in In the shade of the dense cover, our
February 2022, my two daughters, feet and fingers started to feel cold. We
aged 12 and nine, my husband, Steve, decided to head back—but rather than
and I strapped on our snowshoes and backtracking over our original trail,
struck out northwestward from the we’d make a loop and trek down the
house. While making our way up the steep side of the hill. I had a general
long, gradual slope, we stopped to sense that ahead of us lay the creek
look at the convoluted trails of mice that leads to the valley, and so we
running between trees, to investigate trudged onwards, trusting that the
lichen and bracket fungi, and to stream would funnel us to the road,
adjust the kids’ snowshoes when they where the going would be easier.
came loose. We made our way down the hillside,
As the shadows started to lengthen, into the glow of dusk, leaping from
we moved further up, clambering boulders into the deep, powdery snow
around fallen trees. Weariness began with our big umbrella feet, shouting
to outpace enthusiasm. At the top of and laughing. We picked up sticks and
the ridge, we came to a stand of became Jedi, exploring our way

82 • FEBRUARY 2024
 READER’S DIGEST

through a smashed it on a
strange, frozen rock—because he
planet. As the terrain was so frustrated. He
levelled out in the valley, I thought, I know this way is
felt my first pinprick of doubt. north, but the compass was telling him
Everything looked flattish, the ground it was this other direction.” Now, Ellard
disguised by deep drifts. Where was says, that ranger always takes two
the creek? Had we veered off course? compasses into the bush. It’s
I pulled out my phone to get my comforting to hear that sometimes
bearings, but in the cold air it died in even experienced outdoors people can
my hand. That pinprick of doubt now get disoriented.
felt more like panic: I hadn’t brought There’s a huge variation in humans’
any snacks. Or a flashlight. No one ability to find our way around the
even knew we were out. And it was environment, says Giuseppe Iaria, a
getting dark. We were going to die here professor of cognitive neuroscience,
in the woods on an afternoon hike. specialising in spatial orientation, at
the University of Calgary. Depending
“MOST OF US have boundless on factors including age, sex and
confidence that we can figure out genetics, a person’s ability to find their
where we are,” says Colin Ellard, a way varies considerably.
professor of psychology at the Most of us are pretty average at
University of Waterloo. He tells me orientation: not exceptional, and we
about a park ranger who was lost in the also don’t have significant problems
woods but was so sure he knew where navigating. “If you take 100 people, the
he was that he decided his compass majority are going to be within a wide,
was wrong. “So he destroyed it— normal range,” Iaria says, “with some

FEBRUARY 2024 • 83
P L I G H T O F T H E N AV I G ATO R

people quickly becoming familiar with All of these cells work together to
their environment and some taking help animals (including humans)
five to ten times longer.” One or two make sense of where they are. Recent
per cent of people have a profound research also points to the existence of
inability to find their way, even in time cells, which help us locate our
extremely familiar environments, such memories not only in space but in
as their workplace and time. “The hippocampus seems to be a
neighbourhood, a condition that Iaria’s central clearing house for
lab studies called developmental understanding where we are in the
topographical disorientation, or DTD. world,” says Ellard. “Ideally placed
In the 1970s, scientists studied rats near the centre of our brains, it
to try to understand how our brains receives a huge number of inputs and
navigate. They observed that certain helps create the story of where we are
cells in the hippocampus would “fire” and how we got there.”
when one of the rats was in certain So that’s where the magic happens.

WHETHER YOU’RE WALKING IN A FOREST OR

ARE STEERING A BOAT IN THE FOG, HOLDING
COURSE CAN BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT

locations. Over time, the idea that the But how does it happen? The strategy
brain might form some kind of we most commonly use in getting
cognitive map gained credence. In the around is procedural memory. Akin to
past 50 years, Iaria says, we’ve learned muscle memory, it lets us, say, drive to
that it’s not just these “place cells,” as work while listening to the radio. We
they are called, that help form mental don’t need to think about it—we’re on
maps by recognising places. There are autopilot. “It’s a system for the brain to
also head-direction cells that help with keep up without using higher cognitive
orientation by firing when you’re functions and becoming exhausted,”
looking one way versus another; says Iaria.
border cells that help with spatial Assume that in your neighbourhood
recognition, which fire when walking you have four places you go: your
around the boundaries of a space; and house, the shop, the bank and the bus
grid cells, which fire at regular intervals stop. Your brain can easily remember
and generate a grid-like mental map to the paths between those four points
help with spatial awareness. because you’ve walked them hundreds

84 • FEBRUARY 2024
P L I G H T O F T H E N AV I G ATO R

the fog, holding course can be My family and I were paying

extremely difficult. It relies on a skill attention to the details around us—the
that we humans are not very good at, fungi, the fallen trees and the mouse
according to Ellard. trails. But as soon as we decided to
Called “path integration,” it gives head down the hillside rather than
animals information about how far turning back, we left our landmarks
they’ve gone from a starting place by behind and set off across a new snow-
keeping track of and integrating their covered landscape.

BEFORE PHONES GOT SO SMART, I WOULD

CHART MY ROUTE ON A PAPER MAP AND STOP
ALONG THE WAY TO CHECK MY PROGRESS

own motion over time. Ellard says BUT WHAT ABOUT that instinct to
that path integration is very difficult, check my phone on that winter’s day?
and that once the mental If my phone had worked, I would have
representation of the path is lost, it’s used its GPS to figure out where we
unlikely to be recovered. were. But it’s possible that the GPS
So what other tools can we rely on? may have contributed to my situation
Paying attention to landmarks that in the first place.
help orient you is another strategy the It’s a useful crutch, one that has
experts recommend. “It’s easier in an often helped me get unlost in the
urban environment to identify city and along unfamiliar country
landmarks, such as a Starbucks or ‘the roads. Before phones got so smart, I
beautiful red building,’” says Iaria. would chart my route on the paper
The challenge when you’re in the map I kept in my glove compartment
forest or up the mountains is to find and stop along the way to check
the equivalent of the beautiful red my progress or ask for help. With
building. How do you do this? The the ubiquity of GPS on our phones,
trees may look the same superficially, are our brains out of practice?
but once you remark on the details Even lazy?
that make one tree, one rock, one If we always use GPS when going to
bend in the creek different from an unfamiliar place, “we are going to
another, you can use them as lose some of those skills,” Iaria says.
landmarks. You must consciously The brain is constantly optimising.
look for these critical details. That’s good if you want to learn a

86 • FEBRUARY 2024
P L I G H T O F T H E N AV I G ATO R

If we don’t want to lose our skills, place, you can practise building a
then, does that mean we should we stop cognitive map.
using GPS altogether? That afternoon, after my phone died
Navigation can be a challenge for in the cold, I quietly admitted to Steve
most people, especially at a time that I wasn’t sure where we were. He
when we travel far and fast, so there’s calmly assured me to stay the course.
no harm in getting the occasional We kept walking—with me trying not
help from apps and tools on devices. to freak out—and suddenly made out
“I use one myself,” Iaria admits. “I just the curve of the road, lit slightly
use it strategically—to keep from brighter where the tree canopy parted.
being late, or if I don’t need to know Everything snapped back into place.
where that place is because I won’t be My brain made a connection between
there again.” my current location and a familiar
On the other hand, there are times place on my cognitive map. I
when we should practise without that recognised where I had been, and my
crutch. “If I’m in a new town and have paths became aligned, allowing me to
time to explore, I don’t use GPS,” Iaria find my way without feeling lost. It’s an
explains. His website gettinglost.ca embarrassing story to tell, especially
offers resources and videos for those because we came out to the road
with DTD (and that can also help almost within sight of the house.
anyone, especially people with But that embarrassment taught me
declining memory). an important lesson. Whether I’m at
“I may use a map to get a sense of home, on the road or in the forest, I
where things are, but that’s where it’s need to keep exploring and pushing
important to use our cognitive skills,” my boundaries to expand my mental
Iaria says. He suggests strategies such as maps and practise moving around in
exploring an area of about one square them. Like the mice in the snow, I
kilometre, learning to discern need to make new paths—both on the
landmarks as you go, then expanding ground and in my mind. Q
from there. As you explore, you learn to
@2022, LIANN BOBECHKO. FROM “OFF THE MAP,”
connect landmarks together. In a new COTTAGE LIFE (MAY 2022), COTTAGELIFE.COM

Lovebirds
The common name for the genus Agapornis, lovebirds are small parrots native
to the African continent, and include nine speices. Their name comes from their
strong, mongomaous bonding—they mate for life and don’t like being alone
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S H I P S T H AT PA S S I N T H E N I G H T

BACK IN 1994, THAT NASCENT

YEAR THAT PROMPTED COOL
BRITANNIA, THE UK SEEMED TO
BE RIDING A HEDONISTIC HIGH
NOT SEEN SINCE THE MID-1960S.
Oasis sang about cigarettes and remained, even amid Britpop, an
alcohol; celebrities, models and pop isolated place; an island whose
stars were photographed falling out of coastline is fraught with tempests
London’s Met Bar. Danny Boyle made and mystery.
a film about heroin which had a
poster and soundtrack CD that no For exactly 100 years now, the
bedroom belonging to someone aged Shipping Forecast has kept mariners
between 15 and 25 could be without. safe at sea from the storms and deep,
But amid the tequila slammers, retro watery unknowns Damon sang about.
trainers and Trainspotting was a very But this strangely dislocated
different kind of song; one that meteorological mantra means so
climaxed arguably the most venerated much more to people, even those
album of the era. whose connection to the waters that
“This Is A Low”, the penultimate surround Britain doesn’t extend
track on Blur’s Parklife, was four further than taking the ferry to Calais
minutes of quintessential Englishness once a year to buy duty free.
bedding down, unforgettably, with “It is a trusted forecast, and not
pathos. The lyrical subject matter that automated or of dubious quality, so
frontman Damon Albarn chose was it’s kind of like the gold standard. All
the Shipping Forecast. vessels, even huge ships, will be
“Hit traffic on the Dogger bank/Up affected in a hurricane.”
the Thames to find a taxi rank/Sail on So says Chris Almond, a
by with the tide and go to sleep/And the meteorologist who leads on marine
radio says/ This is a low. But it won’t forecasting for the Met Office, the
hurt you/When you are alone/It will be Exeter-based national weather service
there with you/Finding ways to stay” for the United Kingdom. Chris is part
Albarn seemed to know that, of the team that compiles the Shipping
behind the shiny façade, England Forecast on behalf of the Maritime and

92 • FEBRUARY 2024
 READER’S DIGEST

(L-R) Damon Albarn sang about the forecast; the Maritime and Coastguard Agency
responsible for the forecast; Dame Judi Dench selected the forecast on a radio show

Coastguard Agency, before the BBC

broadcast it—four times a day on FOR EXACTLY 100
longwave radio and twice a day on FM, YEARS NOW, THE
DAB and also on the internet. SHIPPING FORECAST
Although neither the BBC nor the
Met Office seem to know how many HAS KEPT MARINERS
people actually listen to the forecast, SAFE AT SEA
it’s somnambulistic qualities in
solving insomnia—or simply being a
comforting ever-present in people’s lampooned the forecast in the 1980s
lives—have been vouched for over the with a surrealistic broadcast which
decades. The likes of Dame Judi contained lines such as, “…Shetland,
Dench, who chose the forecast when Jersey, Fair Isle, turtleneck, tank-top,
she appeared on Desert Island Discs, quite misty, seasickness,” are just two
and Stephen Fry, who lovingly names to sing its praises.

FEBRUARY 2024 • 93
S H I P S T H AT PA S S I N T H E N I G H T

“I’ve heard a few misunderstandings Forecast is as much a hymn to our

before,” says Chris at the Met Office. seafaring island as it is a formal
“Firstly, that it’s made up just to sound meteorological bulletin.
good! Others think it is written by a “While I will always bang the drum
computer or by the BBC. And I suspect for the shipping forecast’s primacy as
a lot of people probably don’t realise an instrument of safety at sea, it has
the very strict terminology and been part of the soundtrack of my
structure of the forecast, and the exact land-lubbing life for as long as I can
JOHN BENTLEY / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

meaning of the terms.” remember,” says Charlie Connelly, a

But the scientific information London-based author who travelled to
imparted is just the spume that lightly every area on the Shipping Forecast
flicks over the sand when it comes to map for his book, Attention All
the true strength of the forecast and Shipping, which is being republished
the hold it has over so many of us. in January.
Gazing into the depths of the night, a “The forecast invokes a comforting
seascape of indigo swept by a distant nostalgia whenever I hear it,” says
lighthouse beam, the Shipping Charlie. “I’m far from being alone in

94 • FEBRUARY 2024
 READER’S DIGEST

(L-R) Filey Promenande compass;

navigational boat equipment;
lighthouse on Tory Island off
County Donegal; Robert Fitzroy

that—I’ve been contacted by scores more than 100 ships and killed
of shipping forecast fans over the hundreds of men, Vice Admiral Robert
years sharing their love of it; I’ve also Fitzroy, founder of the UK’s
heard from people abroad who find it Meteorological Department, designed
a reassuring reminder of home. a telegraph maritime storm-warning
I remember talking to the captain of system in 1861. It was only on New
a cruise ship at Leith docks once who Year’s Day, 1924, that the Air Ministry
told me that when he first picks up began a daily “Weather Shipping”
the Shipping Forecast on long wave, broadcast over its frequency signals.
DAVID LYONS / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

when he’s heading east across the In October of the following year, the
Atlantic, he experiences a surge of nascent BBC took over broadcasting
emotion every time, realising that the bulletin, a four-times daily routine
he’s nearly home.” that, in slow, impartial, non-emotive
Before the Shipping Forecast, there tones read by a Radio 4 announcer,
were infinitely more deaths at sea than gives us the incoming weather
there are today. After a tempest in the conditions for all the areas on the
Irish Sea storm in 1859 destroyed Shipping Forecast map. The names of

FEBRUARY 2024 • 95
S H I P S T H AT PA S S I N T H E N I G H T

these areas, from German Bight to Forecast issues warnings for F8

Dogger to Fastnet to Lundy, are the (gales) and above, which is of more
armature of the modernist poetry of interest to larger boats.”
the forecast; starting in the North-East So the forecast would seem to still
of the map in Viking and ending in be a pretty vital tool. Though the Met
the North-West of the map with Office hasn’t always got it right. Back
South-East Iceland, taking in 31 sea in 1979, 19 people died in the Fastnet
areas en route. Yacht Race, after the Shipping
To the horror of many forecast Forecast failed to predict the ferocity
lovers, the traditional long wave form of incoming storms between Land’s
End and Fastnet. The Met Office
believes advances in technology
TO THE HORROR OF mean such an erroneous forecast
FORECAST LOVERS, THE could never happen today. It’s a view
TRADITIONAL LONG substantiated by stats that show
Britain loses, on average, fewer than
WAVE FORM IS ABOUT 200 people a year in the seas around
TO BE SEVERED the UK; a remarkably low number
given that thousands of people are
out there at any one time on ferries,
of communication is about to be cruise ships, cargo vessels, trawlers
severed when the BBC shuts down its and yachts.
long wave transmitters this year.
Critics claim that the forecast is a vital Although traditionalists will always
back up for mariners should their claim that the Shipping Forecast
more modern digital tech fail. Could sounds best on slightly muffled long
ships manage without the forecast at wave, the joy of the bulletin for its
all in 2024? most loyal devotees comes not with
“The smaller the vessel, the lower the frequency, but with the timing. It’s
the wind speed that affects them the 0048 forecast, preceded by the
generally,” Chris Almond explains. soothing tones of “Sailing By”—a piece
“The Inshore Waters Forecast of instrumental string music by
(which has the same basics as the Ronald Binge (actually composed to
Shipping Forecast but contains more be the musical soundtrack to a 1960s
local detail for all around the UK BBC documentary about a hot air
coast) focuses warnings on winds balloon race)—that is where the true
reaching F6 (strong winds) and soul of the Forecast lives.
above. This is more relevant for To listen is to embrace a
smaller craft, whereas the Shipping contemplative sense of looking at

96 • FEBRUARY 2024
 READER’S DIGEST

(L-R) Listening to the shipping forecast tucked up in bed; St Ives tide times and
shipping forecast; a ship in rough seas

distant horizons with a rhythmic, gales and giving thanks that

habitual calm. It’s all but impossible to you’re not out there,” concludes
WAY OUT WEST PHOTOGRAPHY / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

tune in without conjuring up a picture Charlie Connelly.

of someone, alone with his vessel, “If you are out there, the Shipping
clutching his sou’wester closer to his Forecast is a calm, authoritative voice
chest, throwing a damp cigarette butt coming out of the darkness like a
overboard before clomping back down beacon of safety, ensuring that even in
below deck. The whip and slather of the middle of a raging sea, you’re
storm and fog enveloping him amid a never alone.” Q
century of epithets and latitudes,
navigating and intoning, imminently Charlie Connelly is touring his show
and intimately. Attention All Shipping: A Celebration
“It is best heard tucked up in bed, of the Shipping Forecast throughout
safe and sound, hearing about 2024. His book, Attention All Shipping is
violent storms and hurricane force published by Little, Brown Book Group

FEBRUARY 2024 • 97
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 TR AVEL & ADVENTURE

The Darvaza crater in Turkmenistan

is known as the Gates of Hell. I stood on
its edge—and lived to tell the tale

TO HELL AND BACK

BY Tim Johnson

100
The Darvaza Gas Crater
in Turkmenistan’s
Karakum Desert
TO HELL AND BACK

his country do it for the good of the

(PREVIOUS SPREAD) WU SWEE ONG/GETTY IMAGES;

whole world.
The crater is in one of
Turkmenistan’s two main gas fields,

(ASHGABAT) DOVLET ON UNSPLASH.COM

CIR C L IN G both of which are huge contributors to
climate change (satellite data gathered

T HE G LO BE on behalf of The Guardian shows that

methane leaks from those fields
as a travel writer, visiting almost 150 caused more global heating in 2022
countries over about 20 years, I have than all the carbon emissions of the
seen a lot of remarkable things. I’ve United Kingdom).
stood in the basket of a hot-air balloon According to the United Nations
and watched herds of elephants Environment Programme, methane is
crossing the Serengeti. I have travelled responsible for more than 25 per
by helicopter in Antarctica to see cent of the global warming we
humpback whales feeding in the frigid are experiencing today; it traps
waters. I’ve been awestruck by the Taj more heat in the atmosphere
Mahal in India, Machu Picchu in Peru per molecule than carbon
and the Pyramids of Giza. I have even dioxide (CO2), making it 80
felt the last rays of a sunset quickly times more potent than CO2,
fading over Cambodia’s Angkor Wat as and for longer—20 years after it
I sat atop a temple. is released.
But I have never, ever seen or The United States in particular
experienced anything like the Gates of has been earnest in this matter,
Hell, its flames dazzling from the with top brass, including former
bottom of the crater 98 feet below, senator and now special envoy
lighting up the Karakum Desert with for climate John Kerry, and
burning methane. My visit, nearly a Secretary of State Antony
decade ago now, was truly an Blinken, meeting with
unforgettable experience. Turkmenistan’s president and
That place is on my mind these days other officials in spring 2023.
because it has been in the news Taking care of the Darvaza
recently. Darvaza, Turkmenistan’s crater was one of the main goals
famous flaming gas crater, is finally of the global community
about to be extinguished, its polluting heading into the United Nations
abyss plugged, hopefully forever. The COP28 climate change summit
country’s new president, Serdar in Dubai last November. That’s a
Berdimuhamedov, has announced good thing. But allow me to
that the United States is going to help indulge in my memories.

102 • FEBRUARY 2024

 READER’S DIGEST

my visit back in 2015 to the heart and soul of the conqueror

(MAP) FREEVECTORFLAGS.COM; (CRATER) SNOWSCAT

Turkmenistan’s biggest tourist Tamerlane’s 14th-century empire.

attraction was near the end of an I got a haircut and shave, traditional
epic overland trip across Central style—meaning that the barber used
Asia, on the trail of the old Silk Road. an open flame to shear excess hairs
I had landed in Tashkent, the from my face. I washed down hearty
bustling capital of Uzbekistan, the meals like shashlik (mutton skewers)
country to the northeast of and manty (dumplings filled with
Turkmenistan, and spent some time spiced lamb) with cold local beer.
ON UNSPLASH.COM

with a small international tour group Then it was time for the long drive to
exploring that country: the blue Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan.
domes and busy bazaars of Bukhara I couldn’t wait to see it; I’d heard it had
and the grand old city of Samarkand, the most white-marble-clad buildings

Ashgabat; KAZAKHSTAN
(Bottom right)
Gates of Hell in
UZBEKISTAN
the daytime
Darvaza
Gas Crater

TURKMENISTAN

Caspian Ashgabat
Sea

IRAN

AFGHANISTAN

FEBRUARY 2024 • 103

 READER’S DIGEST

by in the shadows. We spotted a lone rapped about his favourite horse

camel, up high on a copper-coloured breed—the same breed that, a few
knoll to our left. But both were soon years earlier, he’d commissioned a
left in the dust as we hustled toward a gold-coated statue of, with himself in
flaming crater on the horizon. the saddle. It sits on a busy roundabout
And there it was. in Ashgabat. And in 2020 he unveiled a
Seeing the flames, my companions statue of his favourite canine breed. A
and I twitched with excitement. “Hell,” large gold-plated Alabai dog, a symbol
said my seatmate in a crisp Liverpool of Turkmen pride, stands on another
accent, “here we come!”. Ashgabat roundabout. A video screen
at its base shows children playing with
turkmenistan was, until 1991, one of the breed, running through grass and
the southern republics of the Soviet the desert. He stepped down in 2022,
Union, which eagerly harvested its though he still bears the nickname
vast natural-gas resources. Since the “Arkadag” (Hero Protector).
fall of communism, the country, with His successor is one of his offspring,
a population of 6.5 million, has been Serdar Berdimuhamedov, who appears
ruled by a succession of three to be continuing down the same road
eccentric dictators. (like father, like son). The new regime
The first, Saparmurat Niyazov, is building a city 18 miles from the
declared himself “president for life,” capital at a cost of nearly £4 billion. Its
renaming the months of the year after name? Arkadag.
his family members and erecting dozens
of golden statues of himself across the
country before his death in 2006.
THE DANGER WAS
After him, President Gurbanguly PART OF THE THRILL,
Berdimuhamedov allowed for a KNOWING THE
greater opening of the country—one
that led to a remarkable influx of GROUND COULD GIVE
tourists, who come here to gaze up at WAY AT ANY TIME
shimmering minarets and down into
the depths of Hades. And he continued
his predecessor’s authoritarian ways turkmenistan’s biggest tourist
while settling for a more modest attraction is still, for now, the flames
personality cult. in the desert. Roughly halfway
Well, I say “modest,” but as leader he between the Unesco World Heritage
was also a little eccentric. For example, Site of Kunya-Urgench at the
on the Turkmen national holiday in northern border and Ashgabat in the
2018, he released a video in which he south of the country, the Darvaza

FEBRUARY 2024 • 105

TO HELL AND BACK

Gas Crater sits near the geographic Climbing out of the Land Cruiser, I
centre of Turkmenistan. made my way to the edge, peering
But it’s been here for only around down at the central flame. It was a
50 years. In the early 1970s, Soviet surreal, otherworldly sight: a hole
geologists, believing they were sitting just glimmering and smouldering in
on an oil patch, started drilling on this the desert.
spot. To their surprise, they hit a large I had expected the rotten-egg smell
pocket of methane. The ground of sulphur, but the gas was almost
opened up, creating a hole some 226 odourless. And when the shifting
feet wide and 98 feet deep. winds chased the heat out of the crater,
The geologists then doubled down it was an intense, dry, sauna-like
on their mistake by setting the crater smack to the face—like being hit with
on fire, believing they could burn off the powerful wash from a jet engine. I
the methane pouring forth from it had to check my eyebrows to make
within a few weeks. Five decades later, sure they hadn’t been singed off
Darvaza still burns. (which would have been fitting, given
my barber shop treatment earlier in
the trip). The gusts were also stifling;
THE FLAMES BELOW, methane isn’t toxic, but it displaces
FEARSOME AND oxygen, making it hard to breathe for a
SUBLIME, BURNED few seconds.
We were there roughly three hours.
THROUGH THE I circumnavigated the crater several
GLOAMING times under the darkening sky,
standing perilously close to the lip,
even venturing out on a small,
Before we arrived at the crater, we overhanging spit of soil reinforced by
had been warned to stay ten feet from some old, now-broken pipes to get a
the edge, because pieces of the dry, better vantage point. The danger was
cracked desert are known to crumble part of the thrill, knowing the ground
into the pit (countless spiders also could give way at any time, casting me
plunge into its depths, apparently into a burning pit. I felt a bit like
pulled there by the light within). At the Indiana Jones.
time of my visit, the site had no We took turns posing in front
designated pathways or guardrails. I’ve of the great, flaming chasm for
read that a modest fence was installed once-in-a-lifetime photos. One
in 2018. couple unfolded chairs and sipped
Like those spiders, most of our little cheap Uzbek wine, their faces and
group were drawn to the glow. glasses illuminated by the nearby

106 • FEBRUARY 2024

 READER’S DIGEST

flames as they enjoyed a weird, the surface along new pathways.”

romantic moment. It seems these theories will be tested,
Too soon, we were on our way back and soon. Even attempting to plug it
to our ersatz campsite, those same will be a mammoth project. Just the
vaguely Middle Eastern beats first task—extinguishing the flames—
thumping from the speakers, a nearly could involve dousing it with a mind-
full moon illuminating the desert. boggling amount of foam (picture a
You could say I had been to hell and giant fire extinguisher) or suffocating it
back, but it felt like something else. A with a colossal fire blanket.
visit to a strange land, certainly, or a And even if there were no flames,
different planet, maybe. It could have there’s still the problem of all that
been the gas (or the adrenaline) methane that would continue to rush
affecting my senses, but I felt the glow up from the depths and leak out.
all the way back to camp. There is a possibility that the methane
could actually be captured before it
looking back on my visit, that chasm hits the atmosphere and be used as an
seemed ferocious, unquenchable. And energy source, but there doesn’t yet
indeed, despite the current excitement seem to be a firm plan in place for the
about closing the crater, some experts Darvaza crater.
have serious doubts that it will help. But in my mind, Darvaza will
Even if the flames can be extinguished always be that moment the sun faded,
and the crater and the surrounding and the stars came up. Standing there
area are filled with cement, the gas will on the edge, the night cooling, so
still likely find a way to leak out, says many miles of desert around me, in
Mark Tingay, a professor with expertise that faraway land. The flames below,
in petroleum geo-mechanics at fearsome and sublime, burning
Australia’s University of Adelaide. through the gloaming. Something
“The gas is likely coming up from its from a fantasy, or a dream. On the
deep source through fractures and brink of one of the Earth’s great
through the rock’s natural curiosities, somewhere between the
permeability,” he says. If it were heavens and—yes—hell. Q
somehow corked, “the gas would likely
@2023, TIM JOHNSON. PORTIONS OF THIS ARTICLE FIRST
still flow around that cap and escape to APPEARED IN THE GLOBE AND MAIL

Lifelong Learners
Why should society feel responsible only for the education of children,
and not for the education of all adults of every age?
ERICH FROMM

FEBRUARY 2024 • 107

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Spring in Italy Naples, where mammoth Mount Vesuvius
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SORRENTO swimming pool is ideal for sunbathing
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LAKE GARDA WHERE TO STAY:
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LAKE COMO
Luxurious lakefront mansions and
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the shores of Lake Como. For a true
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is the place to be. It’s a popular
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lush gardens, and charming towns
that take you back in time.

WHERE TO STAY:
GRAND HOTEL VICTORIA
Set on the glistening shores of Lake
Como, Grand Hotel Victoria offers
some of the best views of the rolling
green hills and the crisp blue waters
of Lake Como. The onsite Lago
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Italian cuisine with a glorious view.
 TAORMINA
Step into one of Sicily’s most beautiful
towns, rich in Greek Mythology. Perched
on top of Monte Tauro on the foothills of
the mammoth Mount Etna, Taormina is an
ancient town that allows you to step back
in time and discover the well-preserved
history. The coastal setting is also the best
place for a romantic sunset cruise or water
sports adventure.
TUSCANY COAST
Holidays to the Tuscany Coast take you WHERE TO STAY:
on a tranquil Italian getaway filled with HOTEL VILLA BELVEDERE
golden sandy bays, romantic sunsets, Situated on the east coast of Sicily in
and charming restaurants. If you’re after Taormina, Hotel Villa Belvedere welcomes
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offers kilometres of gentle sand for you to hotel offers gorgeous views from its
enjoy a day of exploring the crystal waters hilltop location, with a swimming pool for
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WHERE TO STAY:
GRAND HOTEL ROYAL
Located on the coast of the Tyrrhenian
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 TR AVEL & ADVENTURE

My Great Escape:

Costa Brava: Then And Now

Our reader Sharon Haston takes a nostalgic trip to
the Costa Brava with her family

ecently, we went on a trip costumes and returned home with a

R down memory lane to the

Costa Brava, which turned out
to have an interesting twist!
flamenco doll.
This year, we decided to revisit the
Costa Brava for the first time in 45
In 1978, my family’s first trip years and stayed at the Rosamar Spa
abroad was to Malgrat de Mar, and Hotel in Lloret de Mar.
we loved it. We explored Lloret’s castles and
We marvelled at the hotel’s beaches and took a day trip to the
turquoise swimming pool, and I can charming Tossa de Mar.
still smell our coconut suntan oil. Some evenings, we watched the
Sunshine all the way! hotel entertainment, which was
One evening, we went to a in a room with a small stage. We
nightclub in Lloret de Mar and saw a duo singing Zumba songs,
enjoyed a meal, with the waitress a flamenco, and an Argentinian
pouring drink directly into our Gaucho show. I mused it was like
mouths from a porron. going back to the 1970s as these days
We then watched a cabaret show most entertainment is outdoors by
which included flamenco the pool.
dancing. I adored We’d decided that a must
the ladies’ frilly do was to

112
revisit Malgrat de Mar. We’d
researched online and knew
that the hotel we stayed in
all those years ago, the Rosa
Nautica, was still there.
When we told the
receptionists we were
revisiting our first trip abroad
in their hotel, they were
delighted and said it was still
owned by the same family.
We had a cool drink by
the Rosa Nautica’s pool, with
Mum, Dad and me telling
my husband, Robert, our
memories of staying there all
those years ago.
Dad remembered looking
up from the beach and seeing me on Sharon takes a trip to the past on a
the hotel balcony, covered in a towel reprised family holiday
as I didn’t want freckles.
We had a fabulous holiday in Lloret We couldn’t believe it. Out of all
and when we got home I dug out our the hotels in Lloret, what were the
original photos from 1978 to compare. chances we’d pick the one we’d been
What an amazing surprise! One in for such a memorable night 45
photo revealed that the nightclub years before?
we’d gone to all those years ago was It also turns out a friend from work
called “Nightclub Rosamar” and was had been to Hotel Rosa Nautica in
actually the hotel we’d stayed in this Malgrat for her first holiday abroad
year! The drawing on the photo’s in1978.
gatefold sleeve was, without doubt, We might have been there at the
the outside of our hotel, which has same time!
been extended over the years. And one final coincidence. The
In fact, our hotel Rosamar Spa’s book I took with me to read this year
entertainment room was the very was Freckles by Cecilia Ahern. Q
same one in which we’d watched the
cabaret show in 1978. If we’d been Tell us about your favourite holiday (send
able to travel back in time, we could a photo too) and if we print it, we’ll pay
have met ourselves! £50. Email [email protected]

FEBRUARY 2024 • 113

 TR AVEL & ADVENTURE

114
 Geothermal Beach
HIDDEN Nauthólsvík, Iceland
GEMS behind reykjavik university campus, just a short walk
down a lupine-lined footpath, an unexpected sight
emerges before the steel-grey sea—a golden beach.
Unlike the famed black coasts of this volcanic island,
Iceland’s Nauthólsvík Geothermal Beach is a man-made
landmark, originally constructed from thousands of tonnes of
imported sand. While visitors flock to the Blue Lagoon, or
paddle apprehensively in Reynisfjara’s frigid waters, locals
come here to get their fix of the increasingly popular sea swim.
Geothermal energy is Iceland’s greatest asset, used to
heat homes, produce electricity and melt snow on the
roads. Here in Reykjavík, geothermally-heated water powers
the city’s heating system, before the excess is expelled
into the bay. You couldn’t call the sea here warm, but it is
artificially heated enough to tempt Icelanders to submerge
themselves—either within the safety of a walled cove, or out
in the open water.
Once successfully dunked, bathers recuperate inside the
“hot pot”—an angular concrete hot tub where the water sits
at 38°C and a tell-tale eggy odour hovers on the brisk air.
Soaking in a body of water, here, is a social affair. The tub is
JUS TIN H ANNAFO RD / ALAMY STO C K PHOTO

alive with chatter, some gazing out to the bay beyond and
others hopping in and out to sample the steam room or grab
a coffee from the changing facilities.
Nauthólsvík was once key for the Allied Forces, who
stored seaplanes in the cove during the Second World War.
Evidence of the British military occupation remains in the
abandoned barracks behind the beach, which in 2018 were
converted into a student bar called Bragginn—another
example of an Icelandic culture that wastes nothing in its
pursuit of health and pleasure. Q

By Becca Inglis

FEBRUARY 2024 • 115

 Supermarket Hacks
With just a few changes, you can bring down
the cost of your weekly shop

E
very time I go to the scrimpflation. The former is when
supermarket, it’s as if I’m packaging gets smaller but not by
in a fever dream. Surely enough for us to immediately realise
butter isn’t that expensive? we’re getting less for our money.
It’s how much for a block The latter is when products are
of cheddar? Sadly, the harsh reality is changed to make the production
food prices are high and they’re not cost less but charge us the same.
going to fall. Perhaps there’s less meat in a pie, or
And even when things don’t premium ingredients are swapped
appear to have increased in price, it for a cheaper alternative.
could be we’re being hoodwinked But we don’t have to just accept
by shrinkflation and its cousin this bashing of our budgets. A few

116 • FEBRUARY 2024

 MONEY

changes to how we shop at the you might have some favourites you
supermarket could help us bring really want to stick with, it might be
down the bill at the checkout to that you don’t actually notice any
something a little more manageable. difference. And if you do, you can
First up, plan your trip. At its most always switch back next time.
simple, it’s writing a list of what you Similarly, you can drop down levels
actually need (and sticking to it) so to basic ranges within most
you don’t get tempted by offers that supermarkets, which will generally
are not relevant to you. be cheaper again.
Ideally you’ll work this all out When you’re checking the shelves,
before you leave home, but if you’re it can pay to look up and down, as
pushed for time, take a snap of the cheaper alternatives might be out of
inside of your fridge and main your natural eye-line. Be careful,
cupboards with your phone. A quick too, of anything at the end of an
glance at this photo when walking aisle—there might be better
the aisles will let you know if you’ve alternatives elsewhere.
already got milk. Cutting out food In fact, some items might even be
waste will also be a big money saver. cheaper depending on which aisle
You can reduce what you throw you add them to your trolley. The
away further by working out exactly big ones are items you find in the
what your meals will be over the world food sections, such as spices
coming week (and putting all the or coconut milk, and on the baby
ingredients on the list). Perhaps even product shelves, such as cotton
include recipes you can batch cook so buds. It’s easier to spot these if
they’ll cover dinner one night and you’re shopping online, but you’ll
lunch the next, or be added to the need to try to hunt them down
freezer ready to defrost at a later date. yourself in-store.
Armed with your list, don’t just You can also cut costs and
head to your usual supermarket. A decipher deals by checking the price
quick look at a comparison site such per unit. You’ll find this on the shelf
as Trolley.co.uk, will help you assess label, below the price, and it’ll say
whether switching to a different shop how much something costs per
could save you money. But don’t go
out of your way to save just a few Andy Webb is a
pennies—remember your time (and personal finance
petrol) aren’t free. journalist and runs
You can try own-label products the award-winning
too, often cheaper than the big money blog, Be
name brand equivalents. Though Clever With Your Cash

FEBRUARY 2024 • 117

MONEY

gram, litre and so on. Though these specific products. Be sure to check
can sometimes be a little misleading what’s available on there while you
(grams on one item, kilograms on plan your list.
another), it’ll still help you work out Although you can still get coupons
when faced with different sizes in magazines, you’re more likely to
which pack is cheaper. Of course, come across them via cashback apps.
don’t buy one that’s so big that you’ll However you take advantage, watch
end up wasting some of it, even if it out that you’re not just buying the
does cost less. item simply because of the money off.
Make room in your freezer, not just Finally, change how you pay. A
for those leftovers, but to allow you good start is to get a decent
to take advantage of anything cashback credit or debit card—but
reduced to clear. Be sure to check don’t assume the supermarket’s
the item can be frozen (some meat own card is the best bet. Though the
or fish may have been pre-frozen Asda (1% back) and John Lewis
and defrosted), and of course only (1.25% back at Waitrose) ones are
buy something you will actually use. decent to use in their own stores,
But this can be a great way to buy the others can easily be beaten. In
premium products at a lower price. fact, a different brand might be
Most of the big supermarkets have better for all your spending, not just
been adding in member prices, on groceries. Look at the Chase
activated when you swipe their debit card or American Express
loyalty card at the till. Without these Nectar card to earn a solid 1% back
you’ll be paying over the odds, so on all your spending.
make sure you’re signed up. Perhaps it is better to buy gift
However, don’t buy something just cards from the likes of TopGiftcards
because it’s on offer. If it’s not on the or HyperJar and earn cashback on
list, you don’t need it. that purchase. If you’re able
There are other to get 3% back on a £100
discounts linked supermarket card, it’s
to these loyalty only £3 back. But if
schemes, though you do this every
you might need to couple of weeks, it will
delve into the app to all add up over 12
find them. It could be months. You might also
coupons you need to be able to buy these at a
activate and then scan low price from any work
at the till, or bonus perk scheme offered by
points linked to your employer. Q

118 • FEBRUARY 2024

 PET CORNER

Puppy Love
The British public share a special bond with their pets.
Here’s how to tell if your dog or cat loves you
while you may get flowers or a card Cuddles (on your pet’s terms)
from the one you love on Valentine’s Your dog can choose to curl up
Day, it can be hard to know how our wherever they like, so when they
four-legged friends feel about us. cuddle into you they are actively
Our cats and dogs can’t tell us how choosing you.
they feel, so what are the other signs This can vary from full body
that you share a special bond? cuddles to them leaning into you to
ask for some love.
Signs your dog loves you However, any cuddles must always
be on your pet’s terms. Some dogs
Soft eye contact will find having someone’s arms
When your pet chooses to look at around them stressful and restrictive.
you with soft, relaxed eyes, they trust
you and are happy in your company, Happy greeting
accepting you as non-threatening. It’s great to be welcomed home by
And, it could be argued, that trust our pet and your dog isn’t doing this
is the highest form of love. for the sake of it; it’s a sign that they
are genuinely happy to see you.
Tail wagging This is also the case if your dog
A wagging tail can display a whole greets you when they are already
range of emotions from your dog, but wrapped up in another activity, like
you’ll know it’s a sign of love when playing or eating. We all know how
they treat you to a full body wiggle. much they like their treats, so you
Their tail will spin around know you’re well-loved if they
in circular motions like choose you over that!
helicopter propellers.
This type of tail wagging Licking you
is usually reserved for Your dog may lick you for a
people that are special variety of reasons, but one of
to them, and is mostly them is affection. They are
used when dogs see ultimately seeking attention
their owners—need we from you because they want to
say more? interact with you.

120 • FEBRUARY 2024

Signs your cat loves you Licking or grooming you
Cats will lick other cats in their social
Headbutting group, partly to create a bond, but
Cats usually only bump heads to also because it creates a group
reinforce their bond. They have scent odour. The group smell helps both
glands in their cheeks and head so domesticated and feral cats to tell
they can create a group scent when who is in their social group.
they rub against each other. Your cat is probably licking you
When they headbutt you, they are because they know they’re a part of
essentially seeing you as one of their your family.
family and are trying to mingle their
smell with yours. In cat language, Sleeping with you
that’s love. Cats make themselves vulnerable
when they sleep, so if they choose to
Kneading sleep near you this is a sign of trust.
If your cat kneads you, they could You are their chosen quiet and
be connecting the secure safe spot.
relationship they had with
their mother to the one they For more expert pet advice from
have with you. Blue Cross, visit bluecross.org.uk

READER’S DIGEST’S PET OF THE MONTH

Lulu
Age: 12 years
Breed: Labradoodle
Owner: Leona Heckman
Fun Fact: Lulu would spend most of
her day in the river, but she hates
getting wet in the bath! It does not
make sense to me, but she’s a real cutie.
Email your pet’s picture to
[email protected]

WIN! £100 gift voucher to

spend at Pet Planet
Enter our monthly Pet of the Month contest at the email above

FEBRUARY 2024 • 121

 HOME & GARDEN

through 100 flowery plates to find the

How To Adopt five I want. I’m a bit like Burglar Bill,
“I’ll ‘ave that!”. It’s always worth
The Country walking around car boots or markets
twice as I almost always find things
House Aesthetic the second time around.

In Your Home Be imaginative

An expert on the You can pick up design ideas from

anywhere and, with a bit of
charming country imagination, there are always new
house look gives tips ways to recycle and repurpose
things. Try using small terracotta

A
new style of country hotel, flowerpots as chip bowls and old
THE PIGs aren’t just famous milk churns as umbrella stands. One
for their glorious stays— of our carpenters was getting rid of
the hotels don charming an old workbench and we asked if
interiors too. Exuding a classic we could buy it from him—it’s now
country aesthetic, the look was the bar at THE PIG near Bath!
spearheaded by Judy Hutson, and
she has been behind every design Go for tactile interiors
detail since the first PIG opened in
2011. The mastermind behind all the Use a lot of textures, like soft velvets,
spaces, from the bedrooms to the linens and woollen rugs. When
bars and cosy lounge areas, Judy styling a new room, I like to
shares her tips for adopting this start with curtain fabrics
timeless, forever-elegant look. because it’s much easier to
find a paint colour to match
Mix and don’t match a fabric than the other way
around. I’m influenced by
The aim of the country house the architecture of a
aesthetic is for rooms to building and what you
feel a bit lived-in—not can see when you
too glossy or matchy- look out of the
© emli bendixen

matchy. Achieving windows. I want the

this look takes lots of fabrics and furniture
visits to car boot and paintings to
sales; I might look connect with that.

122 • FEBRUARY 2024 Judy Hutson

 Plan your lighting

Lighting is a tricky area to get right,

but it’s essential for setting the right
mood. Add both floor and table like but it’s in
lamps with characterful a dodgy frame,
lampshades—I love the ones that are buy it anyway and
made using reclaimed fabrics, like get it reframed.
our pleated designs, which are made
from vintage sari material. Think about fireplaces

Bring the outside in Fireplaces play an important role in

creating the overall character of a
I like to create dining rooms that room. Do you want it to make a real
feel more like conservatories. This is statement? If so, go as grand as you
an easy trick you can pull off with can and keep everything else in the
decorative tiled floors, nicely worn, room relatively plain and simple. If
unvarnished wooden tables, lots of something more modest suits the
terracotta and masses of potted room, go for plain wood and repaint
herbs. In the summer, you can it in a colour that works with the rest
reverse the whole “outside in” idea of the colour scheme. You could
and turn your outside space into even paint the fireplace the same
living and dining rooms with long colour as the walls or add some
rustic wooden tables and parasols. dado-height panelling and paint the
fire and surround the same colour.
Create a theme
Let there be white
Another trick is to create mini
collections of similarly themed When in doubt, you can paint the
things on a shelf, wall or a walls white and put your money into
mantlepiece. It could be anything one really stand-out piece—like an
from kitchen garden inspiration to a over-the-top lampshade or a
little grouping of old tools. What we beautifully framed mirror leaning
find works well is to decide on a against a wall. I always want our
theme for a blank wall and build interiors to feel lovely and
© jake eastham

around it—like 1950s flower comforting but never too intrusive.

paintings, old oil “ancestor” It’s a bit like theatre, really. Q
paintings or prints with a seafaring
theme. If you find something you As told to Felicity Carter

FEBRUARY 2024 • 123

124
 FOOD

Chocolate

Paola Westbeek hile dining at a hip ‘n’

W
happening plant-based
looks at chocolate's restaurant in Norway
rich history and a few years ago, I was
deliciously captivated by the
how to use it to gastronomic prowess of the young, bright
create romantic chef who had managed to make the place a
huge success in the few short months since
dishes and treats its opening. Every dish delighted the senses
with an unsurpassable level of creativity,
and, as each course progressed, I became
ever more smitten. Especially when this
culinary wunderkind placed before me a
dish consisting of a small wedge of blue
Paola Westbeek is a food, cheese crowning a delicate chocolate
wine and travel journalist biscuit. I then watched in awe and
who has tasted her way admiration as he deftly drizzled it
through Europe, with dark, molten chocolate. To this
interviewing chefs, day I can still recall how the bitter
visiting vineyards and
chocolate complemented the smoky
reviewing restaurants. Her
work has appeared pepperiness of the cheese. It
in FRANCE dawned on me that chocolate is
Magazine and one of the most versatile—not to
other publications mention intriguing—foods. One
which we often take for granted,
not realising that up until the

FEBRUARY 2024 • 125

C H O C O L AT E U N V E I L E D

second half of the 19th century, we and it helps to digest ill humours”
were pretty much deprived of its (The Indian Nectar, or, A Discourse
many pleasures. Concerning Chocolata, 1662).
Though chocolate was introduced In 1828, Dutchman Casparus van
to Europe via Spain in the early 16th Houten invented the cocoa pressing
century, it was a commodity only method, a development that not
few could afford. Much like with only made chocolate tastier but
coffee and tea, sipping chocolate also easier to mass produce. Using
was a privilege reserved for the a hydraulic press, he separated the
well-heeled, who served the drink fat from the cocoa solids, which
in fine china and made it more were then turned into a powder
palatable with exotic ingredients that was treated with alkaline
such as cinnamon, vanilla, chilli salts, neutralising the acids and

CHOCOLATE CAN BE USED IN MYRIAD SAVOURY

DISHES AND IS SIMPLY INDISPENSABLE
pepper, aniseed softening the flavour. This
and other costly process became known
spices. But chocolate as “Dutching” and
beverages weren’t only resulted in an easily
chic. They were also soluble powder that
believed to promote could be used to make
good health and lift a better digestible, less
the spirits. In the 17th heavy chocolate drink.
century, doctors often Additionally, the cocoa
prescribed chocolate butter was used to make
to their patients, firmly candy bars and other
believing in the drink’s confections. The chocolate
restorative properties. Henry revolution had started in earnest and
Stubbe, physician to King Charles continued in the hands of chocolate
II, called hot chocolate “one of the barons like Richard Cadbury (who
most wholesome drinks”. It treated travelled to the Netherlands to buy a
everything from stomach aches to cocoa press from Van Houten), Henri
coughs and, he wrote, “conduceth Nestlé and Milton Hershey.
much to the lengthening of life; More than just an ingredient
the reason is, because it yields in desserts, a hot drink or
good nourishment to the body, confectionary, chocolate can be

126 • FEBRUARY 2024

 READER’S DIGEST

used in myriad savoury dishes. In wine or port. Trust me, after trying
fact, in my kitchen, a bar of high- this, glazed carrots or parsnips will
quality dark chocolate (at least 82 pale in comparison.
per cent) and a tub of cocoa powder Robust Mediterranean herbs such
are just as indispensable as garlic, as rosemary and lavender tend to
sea salt and good olive oil. I add go very well with chocolate. This
squares of chocolate to my hearty Valentine’s Day, if you’re really
bean chillis, letting them slowly in the mood to spoil that special
melt as they infuse the dish with someone (or yourself ), try infusing
incredible richness and balance the your chocolate mousse with a sprig
bold flavours with silky sweetness. of rosemary and then finishing it
In tomato-based stews and sauces, off with a few flakes of fleur de sel.
chocolate tempers the acidity and Or, add a teaspoon or two of dried
even acts as a thickener. Homemade (edible) lavender to your favourite
barbecue sauce without the chocolate cookie recipe. A glass
delicious complexity of chocolate? of Banyuls (a warm and unctuous
Simply unthinkable. fortified wine from the south of
When roasting root vegetables, France) will make either of these
I often make a marinade of thick tasty treats—or anything with
balsamic syrup, cocoa powder and chocolate, for that matter—all the
thyme, loosening it with a shot of red more delightful. Q

Year Of The Dragon

Chinese New Year falls on February 10, 2024 and will usher in the Year of the
Dragon in the Chinese zodiac signs—specifically the Year of the Wood Dragon

Recent years of the Dragon have included 2012, 2000 and 1988. The next
Dragon year will be in 2036 (Year of the Fire Dragon)

In London, February 11 will see the biggest Chinese New Year celebrations
outside Asia, with a colourful parade, free performances and tasty Chinese food

SOURCE: CHINESENEWYEAR.NET AND VISITLONDON.COM

FEBRUARY 2024 • 127

 ART

S TATE OF THE ART:

Gayle Chong Kwan

Gayle Chong Kwan is an award-winning multidisciplinary
artist whose exhibition A Pocket Full of Sand is on at the John
Hansard Gallery from February 10 to May 11, 2024
When did you first become excited work is an individual methodology of
about art? I became excited about art fine art practice, but it is also one that
when I was at school. I thought what manifests through social practices
artists did was the most exciting thing that engender change in the way that
ever; they had the power to change organisations and institutions can
the way we look at and experience work with audiences and artists.
the world. On a school trip to Russia,
I remember visiting the Hermitage Who are your artistic inspirations and
Museum in St Petersburg and feeling why? Most recently, I have been
like I was levitating with sheer joy at inspired by Lygia Clark’s
seeing Matisse’s painting Dance. Caminhando, a piece that connects
with my own work in terms of
As a multidisciplinary artist, can you proposition, immanence and “rite
talk us through your artistic process? without myth” and how these can
I make large-scale photographic facilitate the active sensory,
works, installations, spiritual and psychological
performances, ritual engagement of a participant. In
activities and sensory Caminhando, a participant is
events in galleries, invited to make a Mobius
museums and in the strip out of paper then cut
public realm. I’ve made along its length until it
landscapes out of rotting becomes too narrow
food and transformed a to cut any further.
concrete underpass into a Clark’s work is
cave using 20,000 not concerned
discarded milk bottles. I with the object
have worked with or product that
significant historical results from
collections and archives. My the activity;

128 • FEBRUARY 2024

 Screenshots of moving image
works from Gayle Chong Kwan’s
upcoming exhibition
by bringing into it their own
interiority or histories.

Can you tell us a bit about your

upcoming work with the John
Hansard Gallery? In my exhibition,
A Pocket Full of Sand, I explore
colonial histories, geology and
ecological deep time, and unearth
both historic and contemporary
rather it is concerned with the connections between Mauritius and
activity itself. It is a form of the Isle of Wight. Inspired by my
interiority of movement rather than family heritage, I undertook
an activity carried out for external research into Mauritius, where
appreciation or spectacle. historically people had arrived from
India, China, Africa and Madagascar
A lot of your work has an interactive for servitude and as economic
element, engaging viewers to migrants. Connections to the Isle of
become part of the artwork. Why is Wight came about through both the
audience immersion important for geological similarities and also
your work? I think artists are activists through historical research into
when we invite people to imagine the East India Company. I connect
with us. In my work I create stopping my research of the islands with
points or moments so that the political and physical structures of
viewers can bring themselves and power, labour, leisure, childhood
decide how they move between these and play. Q
different elements. They can create 
their own relationships with the work As told to Alice Gawthrop

FEBRUARY 2024 • 129

 TH E
ON F TH
M O
LM
FI

+++++

THE TASTE OF THINGS

france’s submission for the Best conversation, which only begins
International Film category of this around the 20-minute mark.
year’s Oscars is a sumptuous culinary The culinary narrative takes centre
masterpiece from director Tran Anh stage, with Eugenie bringing Dodin’s
Hùng, which sizzles with passion for wildest, most intricate dish fantasies
the art of gastronomy. Set against the to life—a relationship that develops
backdrop of the 19th century, the film over two decades and evolves into a
unfolds the love story between cook playful, magnetic romance.
Eugenie (Juliette Binoche) and her As you’d expect, the film brims with
boss, the renowned gourmet Dodin jaw-dropping beauty shots of various
(Binoche’s former partner, Benoît dishes, but it’s cinematographer
Magimel)—a tale that’s carefully told Jonathan Ricquebourg’s inspired play
through dishes that could seduce with light that really steals the
even the most discerning of palates. spotlight here; from sultry golds of the
From the very start, The Taste of afternoon to mossy twilight hues, he
Things immerses the audience in the paints the film like a canvas.
sensory delights of food preparation. Reminiscent of culinary classics
The characters’ meticulous such as Tampopo and Babette’s Feast,
chopping, braising, peeling and The Taste of Things is the ultimate
searing become a mesmerising, guide to seduction through food.
hypnotic dance that allows for the
anticipation of a more significant By Eva Mackevic

130 • FEBRUARY 2024

 FILM
ALSO OUT THIS MONTH
Their new landscape is one of
submerged cities, crowded shelters
where tensions run high, and island
communes where the residents
choose to lead a life of ignorant bliss.
It is an understated survival film:
there are no big CGI waves or stunt-
riddled action scenes; just a woman
grappling with motherhood and
trying to hold her family together.
Realism trumps spectacle, and the
verisimilitude is heightened by
the fact that while this may be a
speculative vision of the UK’s future,
such scenes are already playing out
every day. It’s hard to watch The End
We Start From without thinking of
++++ Pakistan’s devastating floods, or the
mothers giving birth in hospitals
THE END WE without electricity in Gaza.
Though often bleak, the film is not
START FROM entirely without hope, thanks in part
mahalia belo’s feature debut, The to the cutest baby who plays Comer’s
End We Start From, is a quiet survival newborn. Strong performances
drama that imagines the UK in the elevate the story—Fry is excellent
grip of extreme flooding. The opening as a husband and father reckoning
scene won’t look unfamiliar at first to with the fact that he can’t protect his
anyone who has spent time in loved ones, and there are some great
England—heavy rain. The situation’s supporting turns from Katherine
urgent nature becomes apparent Waterston (Fantastic Beasts and
when water bursts into a pregnant Where to Find Them) and Benedict
Jodie Comer’s London home. As her Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game).
house is flooded, she goes into labour Comer herself is quietly powerful
in an overwhelmed hospital that is as a mother finding her place both
© ANIKA MO LNAR

running out of electricity. Shortly after in new motherhood and a world

the delivery, she and her partner R that is unrecognisable yet perhaps,
(Joel Fry, Plebs) are rushed out of the unfortunately, inevitable.
hospital by harried staff. As London
drowns, the couple evacuate the city. Alice Gawthrop

RE A DE R S DI GE S T.C O.U K/ C ULT U RE FEBRUARY 2024 • 131

 TELEVISION

dance into the New season (Prime

Year. Disco: Video) unfolds as
Soundtrack of a 2019 gives way to
Revolution (iPlayer), 2020. Initially, this
the BBC’s three-part season seemed a
overview of a scene return to Fargo first
that came and went principals: kidnapped
almost overnight in the wife (Ted Lasso’s Juno
late 1970s, strikes several Temple), scheming husband
neat balances: it takes the (Mad Men’s Jon Hamm as a
phenomenon of disco more seriously libertarian sheriff from Trump
than many did at the time, without country), eccentric hired gun making
losing sight of the fact that many of a botch of the job. Several episodes in,
these songs were fun, joyous sources however, a flashback involving the
of both escape and—in certain cases— practice of so-called “sin eating” in
liberation. The soundtrack is all killer, medieval Wales threw everybody’s
no filler: “Rock Your Baby” and “Rock assumptions for a loop. Exactly what
the Boat”, “Stayin’ Alive” and “I Will writer-showrunner Noah Hawley is
Survive”. And by pirouetting nimbly getting at will only be revealed in the
between the recollections of key weeks ahead: history’s sorrowful
acts and keen aficionados, the tendency to repeat itself, maybe
series begins to reposition disco as its (draw your own conclusions as to
own, short-lived civil rights how this connects with 2024)? Either
movement: a million-man march, way, it’s the kind of superbly
albeit one conducted on the spot, executed surprise this underrated
often shirtless and always beneath a show has delivered for a decade
gleaming mirrorball. now—expect more to come.
Returning us to a less harmonious
present, Fargo’s in-progress fifth By Mike McCahill

Retro Pick:
Arena (iPlayer)
A great start to the year for documentary buffs:
the BBC has made five decades of top-notch
arts programming—profiles of everyone from
Billy Wilder to the Rolling Stones—available on
the iPlayer.

132 • FEBRUARY 2024

 MUSIC

Paloma Faith Lee Scratch Perry

The Glorification of Sadness King Perry

one moment you’re settled, Dub father Lee “Scratch”

managing the humdrum (if Perry leaves one last
near-constant) minutae of parting gift in his final
family life; the next your tribe posthumous record, made
has shattered, and you’re left to reckon with the in the months before his
leftover pieces. These are the searing highs and death. Alternately ghostly,
lows of heartbreak that Paloma Faith surveys in The punchy and mesmeric, it
Glorification of Sadness, following her separation examines the many
from her partner of ten years. tendrils that have sprung
Breakups are a well-trodden terrain in from dub since Perry’s
songwriting, but one fresh trend now emerging is 1970s experiments—
the divorce album—made possible by the drawing from drum &
lengthening careers of women in pop. For soloists bass’s low-end bass
like Faith, Adele and Kelly Clarkson, all the high science in “No Illusion”, for
drama is there, but also the domesticity. Children’s instance, or ska’s
voices form a fitting backdrop in Faith’s “Divorce”, boisterous brass in
signalling the single motherhood she must rally for “100lbs of Summer”.
even as her marriage is breaking down. In “The Big Featuring contributions
Bang Failure (Interlude)”, she acknowledges the from Greentea Peng,
“slow dripping tap of neglect”—less glamorous than Shaun Ryder and Tricky,
young love’s sudden severing, but more true. the record makes an
At times there is too much bombast, with Faith’s appropriate compendium
most bankable asset—that treacle-rich, colossal of the beneficiaries of
belter of a voice—masked behind autotone, a Perry’s dub legacy, yet still
squeaky clean drum machine or superfluous guitar allows the king to have the
wails. Where she shines best is where her voice has last word. “Goodbye,”
room to breathe. “Enjoy Yourself” is a soaring plea he bids us simply on the
to seek joy, which pairs shuffling hip hop rhythms closing track, in what
with Faith’s expansive vocals. “Already Broken” is a would be his last
moving pop ballad for the mature sweetheart, vocal performance.
acknowledging the baggage that now colours new
love’s rush. One particularly standout phrase sums
up the record: “I’m falling in slow motion, damaged
but I’m hoping.”

By Becca Inglis
 BOOKS

February Fiction
The new novel of a Pulitzer-winning author and an
exploration of the Seven Ancient Wonders are Miriam
Sallon’s top literary picks this month

Day by Michael
Cunningham
is published by hile Covid-19 yet to be entirely
4th Estate
W will no
doubt
inspire a whole slew
clarified. But it’s also
a very tricky subject to
cover because, for the
of literature and art majority of us, there
in the coming years, was a marked lack of
we’ve only seen the activity. How do you
first few attempts. write about mass stasis
Most likely because with interest?
it’s still very fresh, and Day shows a snapshot
the consequences— of a family on the same
biological, economical day over three years: the
and cultural—have year before, the year of

134 • FEBRUARY 2024

and the year after the COVID-19 WILL brother Robbie taking
first Covid lockdown. up the top floor. Entirely
Dividing a book into
NO DOUBT unaware of the strange
three has become INSPIRE A global devastation
somewhat of a WHOLE SLEW ahead, each is
Cunningham concerned only with
trademark. His Pulitzer-
OF LITERATURE their own relationships
prize-winning and AND ART IN and hardships. While to
major-film-adapted The THE COMING some extent, Covid will
Hours told the stories of render these worries
three women affected by
YEARS moot, for the most part,
Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway, life simply carries on:
and, my personal favourite, Specimen relationships continue to be
Days trod the same streets of New York complicated, and most of us are still
across three different time periods. torn between our own selfish desires
It might seem like a gimmick, but it’s and the desires of people we love. Covid
an ingenious way of layering meaning is simply a gossamer of melancholy that
and interpretation across the same now gently sits atop it all.
ground. And in this case, it’s a brilliant This is a quiet story to say the least,
loophole to the repetitions of daily but it lingers, as with all of
lockdown life. Cunningham’s work, and his ability to
In April 2019, Isabel and Danny live make exquisite the most banal detail
in a Brooklyn brownstone with their pairs perfectly with a whole world
two young children, and Isabel’s confined to their living rooms. Q

NAME THE CHARACTER

Can you guess the fictional character from these clues
(and, of course, the fewer you need the better)?
1. This character is the female protagonist in a famous Shakespearean play
known for its tragic love story.
2. She utters the words, “O, swear not by the moon, th’ inconstant moon, that
monthly changes in her circled orb”.
3. She consumes a potion that induces a death-like slumber.

Answer on p138

FEBRUARY 2024 • 135

BOOKS

RECOMMENDED READ:

A World Of Wonders
From the pyramids of Giza to the Colossus
of Rhodes, Bettany Hughes explores some of
the world’s most thrilling landscapes

n a landscape that leaders and kings long,

I values expediency
and quick-fire
progress over all
else, it’s a treat to
delve into the BCE
long dead, some of
which still baffle the
modern mind.
Hughes takes us
through each of
years and discover the Seven Ancient
the astonishing Wonders, not only
accomplishments of marvelling at the

136 • FEBRUARY 2024

 READER’S DIGEST

The Seven
construction and grandeur but, Wonders of the
perhaps more interestingly, Ancient World
the experiences of those who by Bettany Hughes
imagined, built and enjoyed them. is published by
This is not a book to be quickly Weidenfeld
devoured, but enjoyed in delicious
morsels, regularly glancing from
& Nicolson
the page to inform whomever is in
close proximity of the curiosities
expounded: “Did you know the E XC E R P T
Temple of Artemis was destroyed

“
and rebuilt three times, each In 1303 a monstrous
more impressive than the last?” earthquake ripped through the
or, “Did you know that when Eastern Mediterranean. The trauma
the Pyramid of Giza was built, it shook glittering casing stones loose
was a waterside feature, and the from the Great Pyramid at Giza in
Egyptian landscape was verdant?” Egypt—the most ancient of our Seven
Thoroughly researched and Wonders—and brought the remains of
cited, Hughes also appears the youngest, the towering Pharos
to have visited many of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, crashing to
locations, even those we can’t the ground. The Great Pyramid
be sure of, and this first-hand embodied enormous effort for the sake
accounting adds a much-needed of one, virtually omnipotent man.
element of engagement to the Alexandria’s Pharos Lighthouse had
otherwise fact- and date-heavy been a public beacon to keep travellers
narrative. Recounting the stench from four continents safe, and to
of bat dung while crawling announce a repository of all the
through pyramid passageways, knowledge that was possible for
doing her own on-foot detective humankind to know. But across that
work at Rhodes to discover the complex arc of experience, spanning
location of the Colossus, you can nearly 4,000 years, from the vision of a
imagine her, not in a dusty library single, almighty human to a network of
(as lovely as that also sounds) human minds, no human-made Wonder
but donning an Indiana Jones- could prove a match for the might of
style hat and adventuring for Mother Earth.
numerous legendary treasures. Q The Seven Wonders of the Ancient
World were staggeringly audacious

FEBRUARY 2024 • 137

BOOKS

impositions on our planet. Incarnations empathy, and that interest and empathy
of the beautiful, mournful, axiomatic nourishes connection.
truth of our species that we are We process and internalise these
compelled to make the world in our connections. Intellectually and
image and to modify it to our will. They emotionally, via the physical process of
were also brilliant adventures of the thought, we realise we are, truly, one
mind, test cases of the reaches of human world. So we seek wonders—natural,
imagination. This book walks through man-made, philosophical, scientific,
the landscapes of both ancient and whether they are near or far—as a
modern time; a journey whose purpose socialising act.
is to ask why we wonder, why we create, How then do we collectively decide
why we choose to remember the wonder what is wonderful?
of others. I have travelled as the ancients One time-honoured way is to create
did across continents to explore traces of Wonder lists. There have been many
the Wonders themselves, and the traces wonders at many times. There are
they have left in history. My aim has wonders of the ancient, the modern,
been to discover what the Seven the engineered and the natural worlds.
Wonders of the ancient world meant to At the last count, 70 monuments have
“them”—to our relatives across time— been officially claimed as catalogued
and what they do and can mean to us. wonders of history. There
The word wonder is pliable: wonder is is now a vogue for the nationalism of
both a phenomenon and a process. wonders—the Seven Wonders of
Wonders are potent because wondering Everywhere, from Azerbaijan to
helps us to realise that the world is Zimbabwe, from Canada to Colombia.
bigger than ourselves. The wonderful Spiritual too, the Seven Wonders of
generates interest, and frequently the Buddhist, Islamic, Hindu and
Christian faiths have all been eagerly
Answer to gathered together.
But there was one international
NAME THE CHARACTER: wonder selection which seems to have
The character is of course Juliet from formed a blueprint for all others. The
Shakespeare’s tragic play about star- discovery, and indeed survival, of this
crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet. The fragmentary alpha-to-omega inventory
words “O, swear not by the moon, th’ is close to miraculous. Compiled in the
inconstant moon, that monthly second century BC, the earliest extant
changes in her circled orb” are spoken recording of a Seven Wonders of the
by Juliet in the balcony scene, World compendium was found on a
expressing her love for Romeo. scrap of papyrus used to wrap an ancient
Egyptian mummified body.

138 • FEBRUARY 2024

”
Books
THAT CHANGED MY LIFE
Better Broken Than New: A Fragmented Memoir
by Lisa St Aubin de Terán is an autobiography that
reveals much about the award-winning novelist and
is out now (Amaurea Press, hardback, £19.95)

A Woman Named Solitude by André Schwarz-Bart

This is set in the idyllic 17th-century Senegal, showing the brutal world of
Caribbean slavery. A little girl is captured, raped and sold, and her
daughter is a lonely misfit until she joins, then leads, the slave rebellion
that threatened to end slavery on every Caribbean island. From the
moment I first read it (from a second-hand shop in Bristol), she has
inspired me. I’ve re-read her story dozens of times and she lured me to find
my own African roots via Mozambique and Benin.

Life of Modigliani A People’s History of the United

When I was 12, I filched a States by Howard Zinn
booklet from the school library This book was urged on me by
and always kept it with me like a Matt Damon when he was filming
sort of talisman. It was a very short, The Talented Mr Ripley and the
illustrated book called Life of Modigliani director invited me down for a couple of
and my introduction to love and days to meet the actors. I was told “it
passion—for Modigliani’s painting and should be on the set reading list of every
for Modigliani, the painter, and his life. school in America” and that it was a “must
From the cover, Portrait of Jeanne read.” So I read it and was so moved and
Hebuterne, to the photo of the stunningly upset by the harrowing, seemingly
handsome artist, to his deep love of Italy endless stream of injustices that I fast-
and his belief that “it is our duty to follow forwarded my resolution to give back
our dream”, I became his disciple. For 50 some of my good fortune to as many
years it suffered many indignities inside a African villagers as I could. By 2003, I was
string of handbags before finally being living in a mud hut village in
consumed by termites in Mozambique. Mozambique, following my dream and
However, after many marriages and running Terán Foundation, a charity that
affairs, Amedeo Modigliani has always helps rural Mozambican communities to
been my one true love. help themselves.

FOR MORE, GO TO READERSDIGEST.CO.UK/CULTURE FEBRUARY 2024 • 139

 TECHNOLOGY

sometimes if i want to horrify myself, I

think back to the thousands of hours
of my life that I’ve spent playing video
games and aimlessly flipping through
TV channels. Because imagine if I’d
spent that time instead learning to
draw or paint? Perhaps by now I could
be a great artist?
However, recently I’ve not felt so
bad about it, as perhaps there was no
need for me to learn anyway. Over
the last year we’ve seen an incredible
proliferation in artistic tools powered
by artificial intelligence—to the point
where computers can now generate

An Artist
photo-realistic images and masterful
paintings that are virtually
indistinguishable from the works of

WITH AI
the greatest human photographers
and artists.
For example, recently I’ve been
playing around with an AI image
generation tool called “DALL-E"—a
pun combining the Spanish
James O'Malley surrealist with the Pixar robot,
examines the which is made by the same
company that is behind ChatGPT.
benefits of and The way it works is not by using
controversies the mouse as a virtual brush or
around AI art touching the screen and drawing
with fingers—instead you simply
have to type in a text prompt. “Draw
a guinea pig soldier on parade,” you
can ask it—and within seconds
you’ll have a more than passable
image, no talent required.
What I find genuinely jaw-
dropping, even as someone who
follows tech closely, is just how

140 • FEBRUARY 2024

quickly the tools are evolving. The AI boom has also led to the
When the first AI art apps were creation of smaller start-ups that
released about a year ago, generated specialise in doing one extremely
images were often fuzzy, or not clever thing with images. For
right in obvious ways: humans example, a company called Krea has
would have the wrong number of a tool where you sketch out an image
fingers, missing limbs, or even with your mouse and it will turn your
additional arms poking out where scribbles into a photo-realistic
they shouldn’t. drawing. Your crude house on top of
a hill, which looks like something a
six-year-old might draw, will be
NOT ONLY ARE IMAGES instantly transformed into a photo-
NEARLY PERFECT A LOT OF realistic rendering of a rural cottage
on a Highland mountain-top.
THE TIME, BUT THERE ARE Then there’s an app called
MORE WAYS THAN EVER TO Runway, which will take a still
GENERATE AI IMAGES image—either a real photo or
something you’ve made with AI
elsewhere—and turn it into a short
video. There are many more I could
But in just a few months, the mention too.
quality of what is being generated However, the rise of the technology
has got so much better. Fast forward has of course been hugely
to today and not only are images controversial. Because to make these
nearly perfect a lot of the time, but tools as powerful as they are, the AI
there are more ways than ever to needs to be "trained" on millions of
generate AI images. other images—images that were
For example, Adobe, which for created by real artists using their real
decades has made the Photoshop talents. So some artists view AI as a
photo-editing app, recently added form of plagiarism.
an AI feature where you can Then there’s the grim downstream
highlight a part of a photo and swap consequence of image generation
it out for something artificial. Wish
it was less cloudy when you took the James is a technology
photo? Or even want to remove your writer and journalist.
ex from that family picture? Now A former editor of tech
website Gizmodo UK,
there’s no need to spend hours James can be found mostly
carefully editing your photo—you on Twitter posting jokes of
can do it in seconds. variable quality @Psythor

FEBRUARY 2024 • 141

TECHNOLOGY

being as easy as it is: social media is

already being flooded with fakery. Ask The Tech Expert
I’ve experienced this myself. With James O'Malley
DALL-E, I did an experiment and
asked it to generate a photo of some
soldiers in the Middle East, and it Q: How can I look professional in
happily complied. Then I asked it to video calls?
generate an image of some dead
bodies covered in blood, and A: If you want to make a good first
mercifully it refused to do it. impression in that important
But, unfortunately, I figured out it business meeting, it is no longer
was very easy to get around—as I just about wearing the sharpest suit or
asked it to generate some the firmest handshake. In the
mannequins lying on the ground and modern world, it’s about making
to cover them in jam. And the results, sure that the little Zoom window
which I’m not going to publish, are with your face in it projects
realistic enough that you can easily professionalism. So what can you do
imagine them being misused by to make sure your video calls project
people with bad intentions. the right image? Here are some tips.
So it really is important to no longer
believe your eyes when you see a Don’t hold your phone
photo that is too good to be true.
However, for all of the potential Let’s start really basic: if you
harms, the fact is that AI artwork absolutely must join the meeting on
exists now, and no one is going to your phone and not your computer,
un-invent it. The tools to make then don’t hold it in your hand—
images are already widely spread, so prop it up against some books, or
the genie is out of the bottle. better still obtain a tripod or phone
And though we should care about stand to hold it. Your colleagues
the negative consequences, we won’t see your picture swinging
should also look forward to the about wildly, distracting everyone,
positives. For example, my art skills and the camera won’t suddenly look
have just received an unexpected up your nose when you naturally
bump. And it really makes me pull your phone closer to your face.
wonder if the greatest artists of the
future won’t be people who are Lighting makes the difference
handy with a brush, but those who
have mastered the art of writing the How the light falls on our faces can
perfect prompt. Q make a big difference. So make sure

142 • FEBRUARY 2024

 READER’S DIGEST

that you don’t have a big, direct source As a dedicated piece of hardware
of light behind you, like a window, that you can mount on a microphone
because all it will do is make your face stand, you can ensure that it is
dark and hard to see—and that’s the perfectly placed to pick up your
most important part! words, and it will make you sound as
If you can make it work, the best good as a professional broadcaster.
thing to do is to design your lighting in If the call is really important, don’t
the classic “three point” format: one forget to wear headphones. That will
light directly on your face (the “key” minimise the feedback of the sound
light), one pointing at you from from your speakers going straight back
another angle to reduce the shadows, into the microphone and giving
perhaps slightly more low down, or on everyone on the call a headache.
the other side of your face (the “fill”
light), and then a light low down, Don’t rely on the default camera
pointing up at you from behind (the
“back” light). The ideal position for your camera is
It sounds complicated but it can be straight-on, roughly at your eye-level,
achieved with relative ease. For to create the illusion of eye contact.
example, you could pick up a ring- However, this isn’t always easy if
light designed for video calls to sit you’re using a laptop and are sitting at
directly behind your camera, then use a desk, towering above it.
your desk lamp as the fill—and then It might be worth getting an external
use either the light from your window camera you can put on top of a
or another lamp as the backlight. monitor or a tripod. Most built-in
cameras aren’t very good.
A professional microphone I’m a big fan of an app called Camo
makes up for bad video Studio, which lets you use what might
be the best camera you own as a
The built-in microphones inside our webcam: the one on your phone.
computers can be pretty good, but Simply install the app, buy a phone
they’re never truly great. So if mount for your monitor and tell
you have the budget, it’s the app on your computer to
worth spending the money connect to the phone—and it
on a dedicated external will seamlessly work just like
microphone like one made a webcam. Brilliant. Q
by Shure or Blue. The most
important thing is that Email all your tech questions
people should be able to for James to readersletters@
hear what you’re saying. readersdigest.co.uk

illustration by
Daniel Garcia FEBRUARY 2024 • 143
“SOME
S
A S E M B L Y
REQUIRED” leaflet that needs a magnifying glass to
decode. If I bought a new car, I’m sure I
would be given 1,043 pieces, a wrench
BY Richard Glover and an oxy-acetylene welding set.
Recently my wife, Jocasta, ordered
flat–pack furniture was once a small two outdoor lounge chairs so we
segment of the market. Those who could enjoy some time together in
were up for a challenge could visit the sun. When they arrived, she
IKEA and test their wits against the evil suggested that I assemble them. The
geniuses who wrote their instruction instruction pamphlet had a picture of
manuals. It all worked out, provided a tiny, straight-shouldered man and a
you were attentive to every tiny detail clock indicating that the job would
and had the patience of a saint. take 45 minutes.
These days, though, nearly They could have entered the
everything you buy has “some pamphlet in the Booker Prize for
assembly required.” When you order a Fiction. A more accurate ideogram
chair, a bed or a barbecue, you get a would have been a clock spinning to
bag of tiny parts and an instruction infinity and a bent-double fellow

144 • FEBRUARY 2024 illustration by Sam Island

 FUN AND GAMES

whose spirit was broken. I started strawberries, a dollop of cream cheese

work on the chairs at noon and and a crumbled-up biscuit and call it
finished, ironically, just as the sun “trendsetting”? Soon they’ll give you a
was going down. cleaver and a pot, then point you to the
There were endless possibilities for chicken coop out back. “Enjoy!”.
error. Which was the chair’s left leg and
which was the right? The tiny arrows
indicated that you must get this correct I FINALLY COMPLETE
or much misery would ensue. Yet there PUTTING THE LOUNGE
was no way of telling. CHAIRS TOGETHER,
Worse, the mesh fabric on which
you would hopefully lie had to be WITH ONE SCREW
stretched across the frame under high LEFT OVER
tension. This was achieved with a
series of bolts that had to be turned
with an Allen key whose movement And at the supermarket these days,
was restricted by the crossbeams of you’re encouraged to use the self-
the frame. checkouts. Oh, and if you could stack a
And so I laboured, making a series of few shelves before you go, it would be
quarter turns, grunting with effort, the most appreciated.
bolts moving with reluctance as the Social media companies represent
fabric slowly tightened. My only point the high point of this trend. Why
of gratitude: the possibility that at least employ anyone to create content when
one chair might emerge; after this, I you can invite the customers to
would definitely need to lie down. entertain each other? And if there’s
Since when did companies palm disinformation, defamation or cruelty,
off so much of their basic work onto you can say it has nothing to do with
their customers? It’s not only you—you just sell the ads that
furniture. Airlines now require you to surround the field of battle.
print your own boarding pass, affix Back in the gathering dusk, I finally
your own luggage labels and heave complete my task, with one screw left
your own bags onto the conveyor. over. I gingerly lower my bulk onto one
They are three steps away from, “Sir, of the chairs. Miraculously, it holds.
could you please turn left upon As Jocasta settles into the other one I
boarding the plane? You’ve been offer her a celebratory beer, which,
chosen to fly the aircraft today.” amazingly, the brewery has actually
At restaurants, the “deconstructed” made; all I have to do is pour it into a
meal is the big thing. Why make a glass. I wonder if they know how
cheesecake when you can serve up two outdated their business model is. Q

FEBRUARY 2024 • 145

 FUN & GAMES

£50 PRIZE You Couldn’t

QUESTION Make It Up
DOUBLETALK Win £30 for your
Homophones are words that share
true, funny stories!
the same pronunciation, no matter Go to readersdigest.co.uk/contact-us
how they are spelled. If they are or facebook.com/readersdigestuk
spelled differently then they are
called heterographs. Find My friend went on a date in
heterographs meaning: February and was delighted to come
LIGHT AND home a few days later on Valentine’s
GRACEFUL Day to find a dozen red roses on her
doorstep along with an anonymous
& Valentine’s Day card.
EAGLE'S NEST She instantly sent a text to her date
to thank him.
THE FIRST CORRECT ANSWER It wasn’t until a few days later that
he confessed that sadly they weren’t
WE PICK WINS £50!* from him. She discovered a secret
admirer had sent them. Oops!
Email [email protected]
EMILY BULMAN, Herts

ANSWER TO JANUARY'S Being a little hard of hearing, I put

on the subtitles during a recent TV
PRIZE QUESTION
show, and was doubly entertained
when the speaker said they wished
FRIENDS? "Grandpa Stavros" a happy 100th
EACH CAN HAVE THE PREFIX birthday, but the subtitles were
INTER- TO FORM A NEW WORD "Grandpa stabbed Ross".
MARY TAPPENDEN, Kent

AND THE £50 GOES TO… During a family picnic, my aunt,

determined to showcase her culinary
MARY TAPPENDEN, Kent
skills, presented her "world-famous"

146 • FEBRUARY 2024

barbecue sauce. With great gusto,
she unveiled her secret recipe, only
to realise she had forgotten a crucial
ingredient—the spice!
Undeterred, she improvised,
grabbing the nearest bottle,
assuming it was paprika.
As everyone eagerly tasted her
creation, their expressions morphed
from enthusiasm to sheer horror. It
turned out she had mistaken
cinnamon for paprika! The sauce,
now an utterly bizarre mix of
sweetness and heat, sparked a
chorus of surprised reactions.
To this day, "Aunt Cinnamon's
Spicy Sweet Surprise" remains a treasure certain items. This led to a
cautionary tale at family gatherings. discussion on what things we would
PARIN WALJEE, Birmingham immediately take with us, in case of a
house fire.
Some time ago, my wife and I were My granddaughter said she would
thinking of moving house. I called grab Misty’s and Cody’s urns from her
in at the local estate agent and was house, the family’s deceased dog and
met by a pretty young girl who was cat ashes. I was touched, yet I wanted
clearly Russian. to smile. The irony is not lost on me.
Once our business was concluded ERICA HENAULT, British Columbia, Canada
I thanked her for her assistance and
said what I believed to be Russian for My neighbour was moving and left a
"goodbye". The girl giggled and threw key with me for the landlord to collect
me a very peculiar look. in a few days’ time. She also asked me
Much later I realised that I hadn't to check to see if any of her mail was
said goodbye at all, but "I love you!". delivered there, even though she had
CRAWFORD IVIN, Isle of Wight given the post office her new address.
I duly went into No 24 to check on
My seven-year-old granddaughter mail and found several letters on the
was asking many questions about the floor—all of them addressed to my
family heirlooms in our living room. husband or me at our address next
I explained the concept of door, No 26!
sentimental value and why we may MARGARET ROBERTSON, Kent

cartoon by Royston Robertson FEBRUARY 2024 • 147

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 FUN AND GAMES

IT PAYS TO INCREASE YOUR

Word Power
Ramp up your fashion sense with this highly stylish word ensemble. It’s
been designed expressly for you, to expand your personal collection of
designer terms. The best part is, it won’t cost you a penny!

BY AL I S O N R AM SE Y

1. toile—A: inexpensive sample 9. ikat—A: Indonesian textile

garment. B: tissue-paper pattern. decoration. B: African geometric
C: male mannequin. design. C: South American weave
design on a garment.
2. ruche—A: embroidery. B: frill.
C: false pocket. 10. raglan—A: sleeve that is bell-
shaped. B: is three-quarter length.
3. empire waist—A: waist at hip C: lacks a shoulder seam.
level. B: waist just under the bust.
C: wide sash at waist. 11. bolo tie—A: neck scarf. B: cord
tie. C: clip-on tie.
4. bias-cut—A: cut in a zigzag.
B: slit up the side. C: cut diagonally.
12. appliqué—A: ribbon belt.
B: adding overlapping fabric. C: top
5. espadrille—A: shoe with a fabric
stitching a garment.
upper and flexible sole. B: leather
slip-on. C: buckled shoe.
13. yoke—A: fitted part of a shirt.
6. anorak—A: safari hat. B: front panel of a vest. C: fullest
B: insulated underwear. part of a skirt.
C: drawstring jacket.
14. seersucker—A: crinkly cotton,
7. French cuff—A: ruffled cuff. usually striped. B: sheerest silk.
B: double cuff. C: elongated cuff. C: elasticised blend.

8. welt—A: to trim with fur. B: 15. haberdashery—A: hair

create a reinforced strip of fabric. ornaments. B: men’s accessories.
C: tie straps in a criss-cross. C: buttons and zippers.

FEBRUARY 2024 • 149

WORD POWER

Answers
1. toile—[A] inexpensive sample 9. ikat—[A] Indonesian textile
garment; Designers use toile mock- decoration; Intricate ikat work
ups to save on costly fabrics. From involves tying threads at intervals,
Latin tela (web). then dying them before weaving.
From Malay (fasten).
2. ruche—[B] frill; A ruched collar
can soften a jacket’s severe lines. 10. raglan—[C] sleeve that lacks a
From Medieval Latin rusca (bark). shoulder seam; The raglan style is a
fashion lifesaver for the narrow-
3. empire waist—[B] waist just shouldered. Named for British
under the bust; The empire waist Commander Lord Raglan.
dominated last summer’s cropped
dresses. It was popular during the 11. bolo tie—[B] cord tie with
first French Empire. decorative clasp and tips; The bolo
tie was invented by a jewellery-
4. bias-cut—[C] cut diagonally; making horse rider in Arizona. Likely
Body-hugging gowns can be made from Spanish/Portuguese bola (ball).
using bias-cut fabrics. From Middle
12. appliqué—[B] adding overlapping
French biais (slant).
fabric; Flared cocktail dresses detailed
5. espadrille—[A] shoe with a with appliqués defined 1950s chic.
fabric upper and flexible sole; Light Latin applicare (to fold).
and comfortable, espadrilles are
13. yoke—[A] fitted part of a shirt or
perfect spring wear. From Greek
skirt; Cowboy shirts often sport
sparton (rope).
decorative yokes, sometimes trimmed
6. anorak—[C] drawstring jacket; A with braid. Old English geoc (to join).
Canadian without an anorak is a bit 14. seersucker—[A] crinkly cotton,
like a Floridian without a swimsuit. usually striped; Seersucker suits make
From Inuit annoraaq. headlines in spring. Persian sir o sakar
7. French cuff—[B] cuff doubled (milk and sugar).
back on itself; Elegant French cuffs 15. haberdashery—[B] men’s
on shirts are often held in place with accessories; His use of haberdashery
stylish cufflinks. made him a sharp dresser. Likely
8. welt—[B] to create a reinforced
from Anglo-French hapertas (a type
strip of fabric; Welting sleeves helps of fabric).
them withstand wear and tear. From VOCABULARY RATINGS
Middle English welte. 7–10: fair, 11–12: good, 13–15: excellent

150 • FEBRUARY 2024

 COMPETITIONS

Reader’s Digest
Competitions – FEBRUARY 2024
Enter today for your ENTRY FORM
chance to win! Fill in all your answers below:
(enter as many as you like – one entry per
competition per person)

Photo Finder Page 42 Prize Wordsearch/£200 Hello Fresh

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WIN! Page 98 City break in Edinburgh

photograph somewhere 3 X £50

inside this issue of the
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can you find it? Once you have, simply
write the page number on your entry
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Competitions – How to enter

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FEBRUARY 2024 • 151

 FUN & GAMES

Brain

GAMES
Sharpen Your Mind

Pic-A-Pix: Antlered
medium Reveal a hidden picture by
shading in groups of horizontally or
vertically adjacent cells. The
numbers represent how many 1 2 1 1 1 3 2 2 1
shaded cells are in each of the 3 4 4 3 3 3 10 6 5 4
corresponding row’s or
column’s groups (for 1 1 1
example, a “3” next to
a row represents three 10

pic-a-pix: antlered by diane baher; cumulative review by darren rigby

horizontally adjacent 3
shaded cells in that
row). There must be at 6
least one empty cell 5 2
between each group.
The numbers read in 9
the same horizontal or
vertical order as the 3 5
groups they represent. 5
There is only one
possible picture; can 4
you shade it in? 4

Cumulative Review
difficult What is the next digit in this series?

2 5 7 6 1 3 4 1 7 9 2 6 8 3 __
152 • FEBRUARY 2024
 Set Free
medium Place an A, B or C
in each empty cell of this
grid. No three consecutive
cells in a horizontal,
All Sorted vertical or diagonal line
easy The mail for four postal carriers—Mary, Jiri, may contain a set of
Sanjay and Teresa—has been mixed up. Using the identical letters (such as
following clues, can you put each piece of mail B-B-B) or a set of three
(parcel, magazine, Valentine’s Day card, registered different letters (such as
letter) on the correct delivery route and identify C-A-B).
who delivers it?

) The Valentine’s Day card was meant for

Sanjay’s route downtown.
C
) No magazines were going to route 2 or 4. C B
all sorted by beth shillibeer; set free by fraser simpson; going places by darren rigby

)The registered letter was for route 4

) The parcel was for Jiri’s route, 2.
) Teresa has never worked route 1 or 2.
C A
) Mary loves the trees and gardens along her
route, 3. A

Going Places
easy These four pieces of checked luggage have lost their tags. Can you figure out
which airport each bag should to go? The airport codes are SVT, GOH, BAU and ECI.

For answers, turn to PAGE 155

FEBRUARY 2024 • 153

 CROSSWISE
Test your
general
knowledge.
Answers
on p158

ACROSS DOWN
9 Al fresco (4-3) 1 On one side of a notorious DMZ (5,5)
10 Deadly intestinal ailment (7) 2 High level of excitement (5,5)
11 What Rapunzel grew (5) 3 Your personal "equator"? (5)
12 Collection point for passage fees (9) 4 Rhetorical skill (7)
13 Retained (4) 5 Living things and their habitat (7)
14 It might be proscribed or it could be 6 Not allowed (9)
prescribed (4) 7 Turn down (4)
15 --- Winger, A Dangerous Woman (5) 8 Hasty, unwise decision (4)
19 Furrowed (6) 16 They can mix zombies (10)
20 Face hardship bravely (4,2) 17 Sources of Dabinetts, for example
23 Despise (5) (5,5)
24 Sullen (4) 18 Gaiety (9)
25 Yield (4) 21 Eventful, long journey (7)
27 Community tunes and songs (4,5) 22 Give in (7)
29 Rock bottom (5) 26 Lay to rest (5)
30 Entourage (7) 27 Grange (4)
31 John ---, tempestuous court star (7) 28 Mandolin-like instrument (4)
 READER’S DIGEST

BRAIN GAMES
SUDOKU ANSWERS
FROM PAGE 152
BY Louis-Luc Beaudoin

Pic-A-Pix: Antlered

8 2 1 5
6 3
7 8 Cumulative Review
4. The numbers form a
3 8 5 continuous addition
sequence: 2 + 5 = 7;
4 7 + 6 = 13; + 4 = 17;
+ 9 = 26; + 8 = 34.
2 9 6 1 All Sorted
Sanjay has the Valentine’s
2 4 3 card on route 1, Jiri has the
parcel on route 2, Mary has
6 9 the magazine on route 3,
and Teresa has the
5 1 8 registered letter on route 4.

Set Free
To Solve This Puzzle
A A C A
Put a number from 1 to 9 in B C C B
each empty square so that: SOLUTION A C A A
2 6 8 4 7 3 1 5 9 A A C A
) every horizontal row and 7 1 5 8 9 6 4 2 3
vertical column contains all 3 9 4 2 1 5 6 8 7 Going Places
nine numbers (1-9) without 1 8 6 9 3 4 5 7 2 The bags’ designs are
repeating any of them. 5 7 3 6 2 1 8 9 4 made up of the letters
4 2 9 7 5 8 3 1 6
in the codes for their
) each of the outlined 3 x 3 destinations: tan, BAU;
8 3 2 5 6 7 9 4 1
9 4 1 3 8 2 7 6 5
boxes has all nine numbers, 6 5 7 1 4 9 2 3 8 green, ECI; red, SVT;
none repeated. blue, GOH.

FEBRUARY 2024 • 155

 FUN & GAMES

Laugh! WIN £30

for the reader’s joke we publish!
Go to readersdigest.co.uk/contact-us
or facebook.com/readersdigestuk

Rhetorical questions. What’s that all I was feeling lonely so I started a

about then? small business. It’s nice to have a
GLENNY RODGE (@GlennyRodge) little company.
MARIANA Z (@mariana057)
No, I will not help you mate a cheetah
with a deer. It’s clear that you’re just Don’t you ever feel like maybe the
trying to make a quick buck. name “Newfoundland” was
T’OTHER SIMON (@Tother_Simon) intended as a placeholder?
GINNY HOGAN (@ginnyhogan)
My grandad always used to say to me,
“Pints, gallons, litres, cubic inches,” Directing your first feature film is
which, I think, speaks volumes. actually called a debut because it
OLAF FALAFEL (@OFalafel) puts u in debt.
ADAM LAVIS (@AdamLavis)
I was disappointed to find out a
sexagenarian is someone in their I watched Location Location Location
sixties and not a career option. last night, a TV show all about trying
JOEL JEFFREY (@joeljeffrey) to find a thesaurus.
MOOSE ALLAIN (@MooseAllain)

I just don’t know how a cemetery can raise

burial prices and blame it on the cost of living!
DAVID ELLIOT
 ASK A COMEDIAN Ed Patrick
Ed Patrick is an anaesthetist, author and comedian whose book caught the
attention of comedians and celebrities across the UK. Ian Chaddock
asks him about his funniest experiences…

What stand-up special or What has been your funniest

comedy film made you fall live show experience? I
in love with comedy? I once made someone
don’t know if there was laugh so much at
one thing. I think my first Newcastle Stand
memories of comedy comedy club that they
films I watched were Half fell off their chair.
Baked and Clerks and
listening to Jerry Seinfeld’s I’m As well as stand-up, your
Telling You for the Last Time. book of the same name as your
But going to see live comedy in upcoming tour Catch Your Breath
Nottingham under my brother’s has won plaudits from the likes of
wing when I wasn’t quite old Matt Lucas, Jay Rayner, Dr Phil
enough was my first exposure to live Hammond and Colin Mochrie. How
comedy, which then led to Ross does that feel? Wonderful, it would
Noble cutting my hair live on stage. make a great dinner party too.
I never looked back (and sides). Especially if we went to a Jay Rayner
recommended establishment.
What do you remember about your
first time doing stand-up? It was all What’s the funniest thing that’s ever
white noise, an assault on the happened to you in your life? One of
senses. My lips moved and noises the most impressive funny things
emerged, which was met by largely was during a game of beach cricket
positive noises from the audience. It with friends in Norfolk. When
went extremely fast. batting, I smacked the ball high and
away, a brilliant shot, truly Ben
What’s the weirdest heckle you’ve Stokes-esque.
ever heard? Someone at a show had A man far away was walking with
a unique laugh and would keep his family, he saw the ball in the air
© CHRIS COX

laughing when others had already then suddenly raced away from his
stopped. I was being heckled…just children and made a ridiculous
by laughter. diving catch into the sand,

FEBRUARY 2024 • 157

LAUGH

sunglasses dislodged, hat at the mercy of

the sea. He jumped up and held his sand-
covered hands and ball in the air to
rapturous applause across the bay, then
threw the ball back, returned to his
bemused family and continued walking.
He wasn’t even part of the game, but I was
still given out.

Your new stand-up comedy show is about

Funny Food Photos
the trials and tribulations of your life as a STOP PLAYING WITH
junior doctor. Does comedy play a key role YOUR FOOD? IT SEEMS
in coping, both for doctors and medical
staff and for patients? Absolutely. Just like
TO BE PLAYING WITH US
Via boredpanda.com and
with any workplace. Anything that can Chaotic Foods (@chaoticfoods)
lighten the mood in what can often be
quite a stressful environment. Plus coffee
and snacks.

What else can people expect from your

tour in February? Well, they can expect a
show at Leicester Comedy festival, and
then the tour continues in April and May.
Expect medicine, body parts, body fluids
and difficulty finding a seat.
So not too dissimilar to visiting a
hospital really.

Ed Patrick tours the UK with his show Catch

Your Breath in February. His book Catch Your
Breath is published by Brazen

CROSSWORD ANSWERS
Across: 9 Open-air, 10 Cholera, 11 Tress, 12 Tollbooth, 13 Kept, 14 Drug, 15 Debra, 19
Rutted, 20 Bear up, 23 Abhor, 24 Dour, 25 Cede, 27 Folk music, 29 Nadir, 30 Retinue, 31
McEnroe.
Down: 1 South Korea, 2 Fever pitch, 3 Waist, 4 Oratory, 5 Ecology, 6 Forbidden, 7 Veto,
8 Rash, 16 Bartenders, 17 Apple trees, 18 Merriment, 21 Odyssey, 22 Succumb, 26
Inter, 27 Farm, 28 Lute.
 READER’S DIGEST

Beat the Cartoonist! IN THE

MARCH ISSUE

I REMEMBER:
Jonathan Yeo
The world-renowned
portrait artist looks
Think of a witty caption for this cartoon—the back on his life and
three best suggestions, along with the cartoonist’s most notable sitters
original, will be posted on our website in mid-February. If your
entry gets the most votes, you’ll win £50.
Submit to [email protected]
by February 7. We’ll announce the winner
in our April issue.

DECEMBER WINNER

Chris Lintott:
If I Ruled
The World
The world according to
an astrophysicist

Green Wonders
Discover the beauty
Our cartoonist’s caption, “Do guide my sleigh tonight, and history of the
but you really must get that checked out by a vet,” failed
most important
to beat our reader Mary Tappenden, who won the vote
with “I hate to tell you Rudolf, but the red light
botanic gardens
should be in the back.” Congrats Mary! across the globe

cartoons by Michael Parkin & Royston Robertson FEBRUARY 2024 • 159

 GOOD
NEWS
from around
the World
must already have committed to
rehabilitation programmes, for
The prisoners training example, and they may be required to
have a certain amount of time left to
assistance dogs serve in order to provide consistency
in a dog’s training. The rewards are
ogs in prisons? It may be great all-round. For prisoners, the

D more likely than you think.

But don’t worry, these dogs
aren’t in any trouble!
Based in the UK, Restart Dogs is a
vocational education programme
therapeutic benefits of dogs have
been well researched and
documented. Working with
professionals to train dogs
responsibly allows prisoners to
that trains adult offenders to become improve their social skills, empathy
assistance dog trainers. They raise and self-regulation, which are all key
and train dogs to become assistance for social re-integration later down
dogs, teaching them key skills such the line.
as door manners, staying where they Meanwhile, for people in need of
are asked and walking to heel. And an assistance dog, there can often be
the dogs teach their handlers a thing a long waiting list due to the length
or two as well, such as responsibility of time it takes to train an assistance
and respect. The programme is paid dog—it usually takes two to three
for by the Prisoners Fund, raised by years. Thanks to the work that
the work that prisoners do while they Restart Dogs is doing, there are more
are serving their sentences. happy, healthy assistance dogs, and
There are a few conditions that prisoners who are able to get a
prisoners must meet before they can second chance in society!
take part in the programme: they by alice gawthrop

160 • FEBRUARY 2024