319

Your dream garden made easy
45 affordable ideas for instant impact
Britain’s No.1 fortnightly
yours.co.uk
ISSUE 319
Why moving mealtimes could
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Sarah Lancashire
The truth about
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Mar 12-25,
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Find Sammy Squirrel…
For how to join the search see page 113
I’ve never been much of a gardener. Until
last summer our patch was somewhere
to be avoided – an overgrown source of
guilt that felt too overwhelming to even
know where to start.
Then last year, spurred on partly by my
feeling healthier and more energised and
partly by the amazing weather (and willing
assistance from my husband) we finally
managed to make some progress and create
a little woodland
oasis in our inner-city garden (right).
We are very much learning as we go and
have had a few failures along the way (turns
out rhododendrons don’t like our soil!)
but I can’t wait for the evenings to get a
little lighter and the weather to get a little
brighter so I can get out there and keep up
the good work. If you are similarly inspired
to get outside, turn to page 71 for our
seven-page garden special packed with
inspiration and easy jobs for spring.
See you next issue…
Sharon Reid, Editor
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This macrame
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Stowe hand tools
are just perfect.
From £9.99 each
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Inside this issue…
Real life
6 In the picture:
wonderful waterfalls
6
18 Action Nan’s beach
clean mission!
24 ‘We rescue animals…
and people too’
Star chat
12 Cover Sarah Lancashire
14 Cheat – the new drama
starring Katherine Kelly
14
16 Lynda La Plante
27 Mary Berry’s new series
128 Our pick of the best TV!
Your best life now!
30 Cover Move your
mealtimes to
trim your waist!
32 Keeping eyes healthy
34 ‘How my cat saved my
life’
38 Cover Must-have
spring fashion
43 New beauty treats
45 Cover Healthy hair
43
Good to know
47 Pans to be proud of!
51 How to write a children’s
book
55 Cap on energy bills
to rise
Nostalgia
82 125 years of Heinz!
86 Our much-loved pets
remembered
Leisure time
63 Cover James Martin’s
great British dishes
82
66 Craft: made with love!
68 Make a storage basket
71 Cover Plan your perfect
garden
100 Cover Days out inspired by
our childhood books
Your favourites
8 Meeting Place WIN
80 Short story
a steam
91 Roy Hudd
cleaner
93 Friends of Yours
p117
105 Cover Free bracelet for
every reader offer
106 Carers in touch
113 Puzzles to test you &
Cover prizes to win
130 Horoscopes and
what’s in our next issue!
51

feeling great
Hayfever help
Reduce your risk of streaming
eyes and a runny nose
by eating these foods
that contain quercetin to
help reduce the release of
histamine in your body...
Raspberries
Black grapes
Spring
onions
Blueberries
Red wine
Kale
Brain training vs eating your greens
While sudoku might help keep your brain sharp, eating plenty of fruit
and veg could definitely make a
difference. US researchers found
that eating large amounts of
leafy greens, red and dark orange
vegetables, berry fruits and orange
juice could significantly reduce
your risk of a decline in memory
and thinking skills.
Stress less
Feeling anxious and
overwhelmed? Just think about your
partner. Imagining your loved one’s
support could help you feel less stressed
and help you cope better, even if they
aren’t physically there with you, say US
scientists. Keeping them in your
thoughts could even help lower
your blood pressure.
48%
of us are too
embarrassed to talk
to our friends about
bladder weakness,
despite it
affecting one in
three of us! *
Sharing
might help
you to find
a solution.
*Research Ontex Healthcare
Long vs short workouts
You can no longer blame a lack of time for
not doing any exercise – short, sharp bursts
of activity are enough to improve your
heart health and your overall wellbeing.
Climbing three flights of stairs three times
a day, leaving between one and four hours
of rest time in between, could help to keep
your heart and lungs healthy, according
to Canadian researchers. Plus, it will help
tone up and strengthen your legs and
bottom too.
What’s
Better?
Find out what’s best for your
health right now and how
to help yourself
Free health
check
Less than half
of us have had
our free NHS
health check,
despite it being
available to
anyone over
40. Your
doctor will
assess your
risk of heart and
memory problems and
help you to reduce your
risk if needs be. Why not
book yours today at your
local surgery?
pics: alamy stock photo, shutterstock, getty images
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT
37

You are Amazing
How one grandmother made it her New
Year’s resolution to clean 52 beaches
in a year as well as fighting to help her
community cut single-use plastics
‘I had to
help our
beaches’
By Katharine Wootton
Pat Smith has always
loved the sea. Having
lived in Cornwall since
1978, the coast has been
both a treasured part of
her past and an integral part of her
day-to-day life. She runs a holiday
cottage business for tourists who
fall in love with her local beaches,
just as she has. But there’s a big
problem. Over the last few years
Pat’s cherished beaches – like so
many coastlines around
the country – have had
increasing problems
with litter and plastic
debris, spoiling the
spectacular scenery
and harming the marine
wildlife which call the
beaches their home.
Rather than getting
upset, at the start of
2018 Pat pledged to do
something, making a New
Year’s resolution to litterpick
52 local beaches over
the course of the year – and
What a lot of litter! Top: ‘Action Nan’ Pat
and grandchildren Sam and Megan (left)
and Jasmine (right) are happy to help
18
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT

eal life
she hasn’t stopped. “I’d already been
involved in a few local environmental
groups at that point, but I wanted to
do something as an individual, too,”
says Pat, (70).
So from January onwards, come
rain or shine, Pat headed out with her
litter picker and a handful of rubbish
bags, clearing up the litter she came
across as she walked along 52 different
beaches, all the way from Coverack
on the Lizard peninsula to Blackpool
Sands in Devon.
“I learned that the type of things
that get washed onto the beach give a
snapshot of how we live with plastic.
From toothpaste caps to plasters,
straws to cotton bud sticks, it became
clear this is a problem caused by the
single-use plastics we use every day.”
Because, as Pat makes clear, the
litter on the beach does not start life
at the beach. “This litter begins on our
streets and ends up going down drains
and into the sea,” she says. Throughout
her year of litter-picking, Pat, who also
Pat with Emily and Rob
Stephenson of ocean
and beach protection
charity, Beach Guardian
goes by the name Action Nan, was
joined on her mission by other
litter campaigners including
Wayne Dixon who is litterpicking
the entire UK
coast as an ambassador
for Keep Britain Tidy.
In fact, together, they
collected the largest
litter pick of Pat’s whole
year, amassing six sacks of
rubbish from just an hour of
walking the beach.
But Pat’s biggest helpers have been
her grandchildren, aged 11, 9, six and
four, who regularly joined her beach
clean-ups. “They love the beach – it’s
their backyard where they swim and
play so they want to look after it,”
says Pat. “And as David Attenborough
says, if you don’t know about it, you
won’t love it and if you don’t love it,
you won’t look after it. They, however,
love it and want to change things and
are very knowledgeable about plastic
which I think is so important to teach
young people.”
Since her resolution year
ended in December, Pat
has carried on her mission.
“I won’t stop – our beaches
need me!” she says.
“It’s also addictive as
I’ve found myself unable
to resist picking up litter
wherever I go.”
However, Pat is also
looking at how to try to
help solve the plastic
problem before it reaches
the beaches, with a big
campaign in Cornwall
called The Final Straw,
which encourages local
businesses to give up
plastic straws. Since the
campaign started, she’s had
hundreds of businesses
sign up and, on the back
of that, many of those
companies have also started looking
at other single-use plastic items
they could give up, such as
plastic coffee cups and
carrier bags. She’s now
working with a number
of other environmental
groups towards making
Cornwall a plasticfree
county where all
businesses actively seek
alternatives to single-use
plastics that are used for a matter
of minutes and discarded, often ending
life littering a beach.
“I’m not fooling myself with the
beach cleans as I know that even if a
million grannies did the same thing,
we would never solve the problem – it’s
an issue that has be treated at source,
‘I won’t stop – our beaches
need me! It’s also addictive
as I’ve found myself unable
to resist picking up litter
wherever I go’
stopping people dropping litter and
reducing the amount of plastic we use.
That’s why I do the campaign work and
the beach cleans to cover both ends
and try to make a difference.”
Nevertheless, ever-modest Pat has
been amazed by the attention she’s
received for all the voluntary work
she’s done helping the plastic problem.
“I’m delighted it’s raised awareness
about the issue but amazed at the
reaction as I don’t feel what I’ve done
is particularly merit-worthy, it’s just
something I did because it mattered
to me.
“I hope I can inspire people to make
a few small changes to the way they
live or litter pick in their own area as,
while the plastics issue can feel like an
overwhelming problem, if everyone
takes small actions it will make big
changes for our futures and those of
our grandchildren.”
n To find out more about Pat’s efforts and to discover how
you can help, visit www.finalstrawcornwall.co.uk or follow
her on Facebook @FinalStrawCornwall
n To find your next local organised beach clean event, call
the Marine Conservation Society on 01989 566017 or visit
www.mcsuk.org/beachwatch/volunteers
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT
19
PIC:

Could the secret to healthy eyes
be in your kitchen cupboard?
We all know the phrase ‘you
are what you eat,’ but it might
be more accurate to say ‘you
see what you eat!’ A healthy
diet has been proven to lower
your risk of age-related macular degeneration
(AMD) as well as slowing its progression. In fact,
a largely Mediterranean diet including fish, olive
oil and plenty of fruit and veg has been found to
reduce your risk by a whopping 41 per cent.
“There is evidence that eating a varied
diet which contains antioxidants and other
important nutrients could be of benefit to
the health of your eyes, reducing the risk of
conditions such as cataracts and macular
degeneration,” says Mohammed Rehmani, a
Director at Specsavers.
“Vitamin A may safeguard
against blindness and Vitamin C
may help prevent or alleviate
glaucoma. Omega-3 fatty acids could
help reduce symptoms of dry eyes
and guard against macula damage.”
Add these sight-saving ingredients to
your meals every week – it could make a
big difference to the health of your eyes.
Feast
for your
eyes
Salmon
Your retinas actually
contain high levels of
omega-3 fatty acids,
which are also found
in oily fish, such as
salmon, mackerel and
tuna. Eating omega-3
fatty acids is a great
way to stop your eyes
feeling dry, and an
American study found
that people with a diet
high in seafood had a
reduced risk
of AMD.
32
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT

feeling great
Strawberries
You might associate
Vitamin C with
immunity, but it’s
also great at helping to
protect your eyes against
cataracts, according to a
2016 study. It helps to
keep the connective
tissue and blood vessels
around your eyes healthy
and helps certain nerve cells in your
eyes to function properly. Strawberries
and other berries are all great sources.
Oranges
Forget apples – it’s an orange a
day that could keep the doctor
away, according to an Australian
study from last year. Researchers
discovered that people who
regularly eat oranges are 60 per
cent less likely to develop late
macular degeneration, thanks
to the protective flavonoids in
the fruit. Even eating just
one a week can offer a
significant benefit.
Walnuts
Vitamin E is a nutritional
superhero when it comes
to protecting your peepers.
Walnuts are a brilliant
source, as are Brazil nuts and
cashews. Like oily fish, they
also contain omega-3 fatty
acids, which were found
in a study from the USA to
reduce the likelihood of
dry eyes in women
who regularly
consumed them.
Carrots
When your mum swore that carrots
could help you see in the dark, she was
definitely on to something! While they might
not give you infrared vision, they are rich in
Vitamin A, which makes up part of a protein
called rhodopsin that helps your retinas
absorb light so you can see better.
Eggs
Eggs give you a good dose of lutein and zeaxanthin, which could reduce
your risk of age-related sight loss. They’re also a great source of Vitamin
D, and getting plenty of this makes you 6.7 times less likely to
develop AMD compared to women who are deficient.
Sweet
potatoes
Try them baked, mashed
or thrown into stews – sweet
potatoes are a fantastic source
of carotenoids, which have
been found to lower
your risk of macular
degeneration.
Kale
All hail, kale, and its leafy
green cousins (spinach
and collard greens)
for another dose of
lutein and zeaxanthin.
Make sure you get the
benefits by drizzling
your greens with olive
oil because your body
needs fat to absorb all
their nutrients. The nitrates
in leafy greens may also cut
your risk of early-stage AMD
and their antioxidants could help
to prevent cataracts.
More sight
savers
n Cut down alcohol to
two or fewer glasses per day
and lower your risk of macular
degeneration.
n Up your exercise to reduce
your glaucoma risk. One study
found that being moderately
physically active lowered the
chances by 25 per cent.
n Keep calm – too much
stress has been linked to agerelated
macular degeneration,
according to a US study. We
prescribe a warm bath and a
great magazine.
n Pop on some sunglasses
when it’s bright outside to
protect your peepers from UV
rays – long-term exposure can
lead to cataracts, AMD and
general damage to your vision.
n Most importantly – have
regular eye tests! Routine
eye exams are the best way to
detect any potential problems.
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT
33
PICs: shutterstock words: Lizzy Dening

If you’re a homeowner, you’ll
be familiar with the dilemma
of moving house or improving
your current one. Perhaps
you’ve got too much space and
need to downsize? Or maybe you
want to stay put but need to make
some big changes? Whatever your
circumstances, you need to weigh
up your options so you can make
the best decision for you.
48
Moving
The good…
Moving to a new property can provide
a fresh opportunity to gain more
suitable and functional space for any
existing or potential future needs.
For example, you might want
somewhere with fewer stairs to
climb, fewer rooms to clean, a
downstairs washroom or a more
manageable garden. It also provides
the opportunity to change your
surroundings, such as if your
neighbourhood has declined, or
relocate to a more connected
community with a greater choice of
transport links and amenities.
If your property has accrued
value over the years, selling up and
downsizing could free up some money
to spend on doing those things you’ve
always wanted to do such as jetting
off on a holiday of a lifetime, helping
out the grandchildren with higher
education fees or a funding a deposit
so they can buy their own place.
Browse online to check
if any other properties
take your fancy
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT
The bad…
Unfortunately, there’s no escaping the
cost of moving and it can come at a
pretty hefty price.
According to www.mybigmove.
co.uk the average cost of buying a
house – including mortgage valuation,
The average cost of buying
a house is £3,317 and the
average cost of selling can be
£6,893. That’s a total £10,210
property surveyors, conveyancing
fees and stamp duty – amounts to
£3,317. The average cost of selling a
house – including energy performance
certificates, estate agent fees and house
removals can be £6,893. That’s a total of
£10,210. Plus, depending on where you
Top moving tips
Estate agent fees can
range between 0.75 per
cent and 3.5 per cent
of the final selling price
– which can amount to
thousands of pounds.
You’ll typically pay more
if you appoint more
than one agent to sell
your property. So, if
properties are moving
quickly in your area,
stick with one to reduce
the cost. Alternatively,
look at doing it yourself.
There are now a number
of online agents – such
Move
Unsure about moving house? We
as www.purplebricks.
co.uk and www.emoov.
co.uk – who charge a
flat fee (around £900)
instead of a percentage
cost. They’ll also list
your property on online
search engines such
as Rightmove and
Zoopla, but you’ll have
the responsibility of
arranging viewings and
negotiating with buyers.
Once the move is
going ahead, avoid
stress by being
organised. Make a
move, there’s still a good chance you’ll
find yourself with work to do – whether
it’s simply giving the rooms a fresh lick
of paint or fitting a new bathroom or
kitchen.
record of the contents
of each box, either in
a notebook or on a
spreadsheet, and label
accordingly.
Established home
removal companies
often charge a high fee
for their services so, if
you don’t have a lot of
furniture, and a willing
friend to help, hiring
a trusted ‘man with
a van’ can be a much
cheaper option. Ask
for a recommendation
locally.
o

good to know
or
improve?
se?
We look at the pros and cons of staying put or saying goodbye
Improving
The good…
If you can’t bear the thought of leaving
your family home and all of the
memories that go with it, adapting
your existing space and giving it a
new lease of life can be a
win-win situation.
Plus, whether you
change the décor or
add a new extension,
renovation should
add value to your
home. So, when you
do eventually sell
up or pass it down to
family members – it’ll pay dividends.
It’s also a great way to delay selling
your property if the housing market is
going through an unstable period.
The bad…
Not up to negotiating ladders and
painting high ceilings? Hiring a
professional painter can take the
pressure off, but it can cost anywhere
between £375 and £500 for just one
room. If painting a three-bedroom
house, for instance (hallways and living
spaces included), you could be looking
at a minimum of £3,000.
On top of the cost
of an extension
you’ll need to
consider planning
permission
Thinking of taking on
a more ambitious project
such as building a new extension
or granny annexe? You’ll need to
consider hiring an architect, having
plans drawn up and applying for
planning permission. You can expect
to pay around £1,500 for the planning
package needed for a loft conversion
or standard extension. This includes a
measured survey, preliminary designs,
design development and preparing
the application documentation – and
that’s before the building even starts.
However, whether its cosmetic or
structural work, it’s worth factoring in
the possibility that you may have to
stay in temporary accommodation, or
with friends or relatives, until the work
is completed.
Home improvement tips
Look up the planning
permission documents
that have been recently
submitted in your area
on the council’s website.
They’ll contain names
and contact details of the
planner who submitted
them. Contact them to
arrange discussion
first – they shouldn’t
charge you for an
initial meeting.
A government Disabled Facility
Grant is available for disabled
individuals to support the cost
of installing essential facilities
in the home, such as bathroom adaptations.
Did you
know?
However, the amount that you will be eligible
for depends on your household income and
savings income and you must intend to be
living in the property for the next five years
to have the work done.
n www.gov.uk/disabled-facilities-grants
pics: ruth jenkinson, shutterstock, getty images, alamy stock photo. words: gabrielle albert

Daily shine boost
For killer shine plus silky locks, we love this new
range from Dove. Both the Dove Advanced Hair
Series Shine Revived Shampoo and Conditioner
contain macadamia oils
and collagen to leave
your locks soft, hydrated
and with a radiant gleam.
Perfect for transforming
tired, dry tresses, it’s
gentle enough to use
daily and smells
amazing too!
n £6.65/250ml each
Protect and perfect
Prevention is definitely better than
cure, so always use a heat protection
product before using your heated
hair appliances. Lee Stafford’s Heat
Protection Shine Mist contains
antioxidant green tea extract to protect
your tresses and also helps fend off
static, leaving you with gleaming hair.
n £6.49/200ml
Grey and gorgeous
If you have grey (or blonde) hair,
then chances are you’ll be fighting
off hair-dulling yellow tones from
time to time. Using a purple-toned
shampoo at least once a week will
help eliminate any brassiness for
instantly brighter hair. TRESemmé’s
Violet Blonde Shine shampoo also
contains pearl extract and keratin
to restore natural lustre.
n £4.99/250ml
Top shine tip
Always dry your hair
by squeezing rather
than rubbing with
a towel. Rubbing
can damage the
cuticles, leaving
your locks dull.
looking good
Try these hair health heroes for gloriously glossy
hair, says Beauty Editor Michelle Nightingale
Shiny
healthy locks
Quick fix
Argan oil is packed full
of Vitamin E and fatty
acids, adding instant
shine and hydration.
n Superdrug Hair
Therapy Everyday Oil
with Argan, £3.99/50ml
Hair health booster
If your locks need a boost, then a
daily hair supplement could help. Most
contain the B vitamin biotin, which helps
to combat hair loss. Other good hair-boosting
essentials to look for include
selenium and zinc – both of which
are thought to support healthy hair
growth. Superdrug’s Hair Vitamin
Gummies include all the essentials
in an easy-to-take (and pretty
tasty!) chewable vitamin.
n £9.99/60 gummies
Eat this...
Mackerel, salmon and
flax seeds are all rich
in omega-3 and good for
your hair health
Time short?
Healthy hair is shiny hair and using a
hair mask regularly is an easy way to
repair lacklustre locks but, let’s face it,
they can feel a bit time-consuming.
We love the new Elvive Rapid Reviver
Power Conditioner from L’Oréal Paris, which offers the
benefits of a mask with no leave-on time required.
Try the Extraordinary Oil formula for extra nourishment.
n £5.49/180ml
Stockists: Dove and Lee Stafford available from Boots 0345 070 8090; L’Oréal
available nationwide; Superdrug 0345 671 0709; TRESemmé available from Boots
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT
45
pic: getty images