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A
recent survey revealed some
fascinating answers to the question
‘What are the little things that make
you happy?’ (see p5). Interestingly a good
night’s sleep came top. I suppose it’s not
surprising we value good quality sleep so
highly when you realise recent YouGov
research found one in three of us say we
regularly sleep poorly.
I too have found shuteye eluding
me recently – especially in last month’s
heatwave – so I was fascinated to read the Good Sleep Menu (p37)
which reveals which foods contain ingredients that
encourage better sleep quality. There are
some tasty-looking recipes to try and the
chance to win a top-of-the-range bed (p41).
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Inside this issue…
Real life
6 70 years of
National Parks
22 Soldier dogs:
‘It’s a joy to reunite
old friends’
24 Taking the cold
water plunge!
26 ‘I want to give people
confidence’
Star chat
12 Cover ‘Mum’s words
still inspire me’
14 Cover Life lessons
with Arlene Phillips
16 Cover Countdown to
Bake Off 2019!
28 Alison Steadman
128 Our pick of the best TV!
Your best life now!
32 Cover Food intolerances
35 The pelvic floor challenge
37 Cover The good
sleep menu
41 Cover Win a bed!
42 Cover Steal her style
44 Cover Miracle masks
Good to know
44
47 Seven ways to save water
48 Keep your home safe
51 Changes to rental law
57 Lawnmowers tested
Nostalgia
80 Blackpool illuminations
83 Fragrant memories
85 The show must go on!
Leisure time
62 Cover Classic dishes
made healthy
66 Toys to treasure
71 Heat-loving plants
100 Cover Dip into Devon 71
102 Cover Make memories
in Mexico
Your favourites
8 Meeting Place WIN
75 Short story
a fish
86 Roy Hudd
tank!
89 Free for every
p117
reader offer
91 Friends of Yours
106 Carers in touch
113 Puzzles to test you
& prizes to win
130 Horoscopes and
what’s in our next issue!
6
12

feeling great
a Tight
Keep those little
leaks at bay by
taking the pelvic
floor challenge.
These simple
exercises will
strengthen your
muscles and help
you feel more
confident
By Rebecca Speechley
pics: ruth jenkinson
Stress incontinence
happens when
your pelvic floor,
a set of muscles
supporting your
bladder, uterus and back
passage, becomes weak.
“If the muscles aren’t
strong enough any
downward pressure
(a cough, laugh or
sneeze) could lead to an
accident,” says Jessica
Kostos Consultant Pelvic
Health Physiotherapist
at APPI Health Group
(appihealthgroup.com).
National guidelines in
the UK recommend that
we should all be doing
at least eight pelvic floor
contractions three times a
day. There’s even a handy
NHS app ‘Squeezy’ which
you can download onto
your smartphone for free to
remind you.
Challenge yourself to do
these exercises for six-toeight
weeks and see if you
can stop (or at least lessen)
leaks. “The exercises are
designed to progressively
challenge and strengthen
your pelvic floor muscles,”
says Jessica. “Once you feel
confident with the first
exercise, progress onto the
next at your own pace.”
Lying down
n Lie on your back with your knees bent and eyes
closed. Take a few big breaths to relax your whole body.
n Tighten around your back passage, vagina and
urethra as strongly as possible and pull forward in the
direction of your pubic bone. Your abdominal, leg and
glute muscles should stay completely relaxed while
you isolate your pelvic floor. Hold for 5-10 seconds.
When you relax your muscles, you should feel a
definite ‘letting go’ as the muscles drop back down.
This may take a few seconds to relax fully.
n Repeat up to ten times or until you feel your
pelvic floor muscles fatigue.
Seated
n Sit on a chair with your
feet on the floor.
n Tighten around your
back passage, vagina and
urethra as strongly as
possible and pull forward
in the direction
of your pubic bone. Hold
for 5-10 seconds.
n Repeat up to ten times.
Add weights
n Standing, hold small
weights (1-5kg) with your
palms facing forwards.
n Keeping your pelvic floor
muscles relaxed inhale and
as you exhale lift your pelvic
floor muscles as strongly as
possible while simultaneously
Keep your leg, bum
and stomach muscles
still and relaxed
Sit to stand
n Begin seated, with
your pelvic floor muscles
completely relaxed.
n Inhale and lean forward
preparing to stand. As you
exhale, push through your
heels and activate your pelvic
floor muscles to stand up tall.
n Inhale to return back to
the seat and relax your pelvic
floor muscles.
n Repeat 10-20 times.
After completing all the
exercises, have a rest
then repeat for 2-3 sets
curling the weights upwards.
n Inhale as you lower the
weights and simultaneously
relax your pelvic floor muscles.
n Repeat 10-20 times or until
you feel your pelvic floor
muscles fatigue.
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT
35

Much-loved actress Alison
Steadman, currently starring
in BBC1 sitcom Hold the
Sunset, chats to Yours
By Alison James
Alison Steadman is busier than ever.
She’s filming two TV projects backto-back
– new BBC drama Life by
Doctor Foster writer, Mike Bartlett,
and the eagerly anticipated Gavin
and Stacey Christmas special. And of course
she’s on TV at the moment in the second series
of the popular sitcom Hold The Sunset.
But being busy isn’t a problem. “Work – in
my case acting – does keep me feeling young,”
she says. “I don’t think about age when I’m
working. You turn up, go into make-up and
costume, and go on set to do your job. You’re
mixing with all kinds of different people of all
ages, loving the work and having fun. It’s lovely.
With each role, you’re taking on new challenges,
learning new things and that keeps you young,
too. I never sit back and think, ’Oh yeah, I can
do that!’ I have to step up to the plate every
time and that keeps me fresh.”
So retirement isn’t an option then? Does
she ever think about it? “No,” is Alison’s
reply. “I’d hate it. I love having time off and
‘I love wildlife, visiting animal
and bird reserves to which I
always take my binoculars’
thoroughly enjoy my life outside work.
I love wildlife, visiting animal and bird
reserves to which I always take my
binoculars. I love walking and visiting
galleries. Whenever I’m in a new city, I
make for the galleries. They’re like my
comfort blanket in a way. And then
there’s my lovely little grandson who
I see as often as I can. But, I’ll work for
as long as I possibly can. Actors are
lucky. We can carry on for as long as
we are able to, and dip in and out. It’s
not 9-5, 48 weeks a year and that’s
wonderful.
“A friend of mine – a headteacher
– retired at 65 because that tends
to be the way it is for people in
that profession. While she
enjoyed the break to begin with
because it had been a very
responsible job, later she felt
‘Having
fun helps
keep me
young’
28
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT

star chat
Alison with John
Cleese in Hold
the Sunset
sad because she’d loved it so much.”
Alison is of course currently on our
screens on BBC1 in Hold The Sunset.
The story follows the lives of two
pensioners, Edith played by Alison
and Phil (John Cleese), a pair of old
friends whose plans to get married
and move abroad to a place in the sun
are disrupted when a grown-up son
unexpectedly moves back home.
Filming took place over a six-week
period late last year. “It was great,”
says Alison. “The comedy is about two
people finding love again in later life – a
good premise which appeals to lots of
people my age. But there are younger
characters to balance it out.”
These primarily being Edith’s
children – Sandra (Joanna Scanlan) and
Roger (Jason Watkins). They’re in their
50s yet continue to be highly reliant on
their mother – Roger in particular, who,
having left his wife, Wendy, moved back
in with Edith in series one. Series two
and he’s still there! “Yes, well we live in
an age where grown-up children move
back into the family home, don’t we?”
says Alison. “The children can’t afford
to get their own places. That’s not the
case with Roger, of course, but Edith is
his mum – and she’s a very kind, loving
mum. Once a mum, always a mum
and when grown-up kids come back,
I imagine that most mums say, ‘Aww
– yes, of course I’ll make the bed up’,
even if they don’t always agree with
what the adult child is doing. Edith
continues to be torn. She really cares
for Phil but her children are still
her children, whatever their age. It
is quite complex.”
But it’s also very funny, though. “It
is a nice, gentle humour,” says Alison
(72). “There’s not lots of outrageous
shouting and screaming. Hopefully it
comes across as real and is something
that people can relate to – although
as it is comedy, it has been tweaked a
bit. John’s character, Phil, certainly isn’t
like Basil Fawlty! Phil can be caustic but
towards Edith, he is very gentle
and romantic.
“At its core, Hold the Sunset is about
two people trying to move together
into a new phase in their sunset years.
It is lovely to be in a show like this
where John and I get to play leads who
are around our real ages. It is a great
cast with everyone pulling their weight
and getting some really funny lines.”
n Hold The Sunset is on BBC1 on Friday
evenings. You can catch up with previous
episodes on BBC iPlayer
It’s fab being Alison’ s
daughter-in-law!
Actress Rosie Cavaliero who
plays Wendy, Edith’s needy
daughter-in-law, ex-wife
of the hapless Roger, says
having Alison Steadman as
an on-screen mother-in-law
is a dream come true.
“I adore her,” says Rosie.
“I grew up watching her,
longing for a career in any
way like hers, and wanting
to be her!” she laughs. “Quite
simply, she’s fabulous. She’s
like a chameleon – she
changes with every role she
plays. We got to know each
other working on a radio
drama by Hilary Mantel that
was quite dark – nothing
like Hold the Sunset.
Alison’s so positive and
tells great stories. She’s a
very funny, warm person to
be around.”
Rosie says that Hold
The Sunset is a very happy
production. “As you’d
expect, John Cleese is
hilarious. He’s a comedy
legend and I never ever
dreamed I’d one day work
with him. He only has
to give you a look and
you burst out laughing.
Beneath the humour,
though, he is a very kind,
caring man.”
And Jason Watkins is an
old friend. “We’ve played
husband and wife about
three or four times and
sparring against him is
great fun,” says Rosie.
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT
29
PICs: solo syndication/bradley page, bbc

As the world-famous
illuminations switch
on later this month,
Lorna White celebrates
the spectacular light
fantastic
The incredibly bright light
was nicknamed ‘artificial
sunlight’ by visitors
PICS: getty images, alamy stock photo, © visit blackpool
80
For generations, Blackpool
has been a mecca for
visitors who come to
marvel at the dazzling
illuminations that line the
seafront from late summer through
to November. This year marks the
event’s 140th anniversary since the
very first bulb along the promenade
was switched on. To celebrate the
iconic event, we look at the history
of Blackpool Illuminations and how
they have stood the test of time.
Leading the electric
light revolution
The first illuminations took place
in 1879 when Blackpool council
invested £5,000 to make the change
from gas lighting the promenade to
make it one of the very first streets
in the world to be illuminated by
electric lights.
Around 100,000 visitors from
across the country flocked to
see the switch-on of the original
eight arc lamps. Over the years,
the illuminations continued to
grow bigger and better. Then, in
1912 Queen Victoria’s daughter,
Princess Louise, visited Blackpool
and, to mark the occasion, 10,000
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT
bulbs were used to create a large-scale
permanent light display – it was a
runaway success.
The place to be
Blackpool became a mecca for
holidaymakers and, whether staying in
a caravan
or with a
battleaxe
Busy Blackpool seafront in
the Sixties and right, the
superbly illuminated ferris
wheel in the Fifties
The
of
br ght l
BLACK P
landlady a visit to Blackpool wouldn’t
be complete without seeing the
Illuminations.
Lots of us saw the bright-lights
for the first time on a work’s outing;
travelling by coach armed with flasks
of tea and sandwiches wrapped in
greaseproof paper.
We could tuck our
skirts in our knickers
or roll up our trouser
legs and have a paddle
in the cold North Sea or,
for a few pence, hire a
deckchair and soak up the
last of the summer sun.
We’d enjoy the thrills
of the Pleasure Beach then
grab a stick of Blackpool
rock to enjoy on the tram
ride back along the prom in
time to marvel at the light
displays – then back on the
bus for the long journey
home.

etro favourites
l ghts
POOL
In autumn
the lights
were even
more
spectacular
because
the nights
are longer
but then
you had to
contend with
those bitter
coastal winds and
ferocious tides!
In 1933, Health
& Safety was
unheard of as
workmen replaced
the bulbs on
Blackpool Tower
The big switch-on
Witnessing the lights being switched
on by a famous face was an event not
to be missed, in a tradition begun by
Lord Derby in 1934. Over the years,
well-known stars have been invited to
pull that all-important switch including
Gracie Fields, George Formby, Ken Dodd,
Shirley Bassey, Danny La Rue and even
Kermit the Frog!
Towering
centrepiece
Inspired by the Eiffel Tower
in Paris, Blackpool Tower,
completed in 1894, is a
major Blackpool attraction
all year round but during the
Illuminations it takes on a
special role with a stunning
sea of light and colours
projected on to the iconic
building.
When the lights
went out
During the First and Second World Wars
(and for a few years after) the lights
were turned off due to cost and national
security. Located as they are on the
seafront, the light displays can be
badly damaged by harsh storms but
today, a team of 28 staff are on hand
to maintain and make sure they are in
perfect condition.
Today, a trip to see the Illuminations
isn’t complete without a ride on an
iconic Blackpool Heritage
Tram. The first five
trams appeared in
1897 to celebrate
the Diamond
Jubilee of Queen
Victoria. Since
then, they have
been decorated
using various
themes and with
patriotic red,
white and blue
slogans to mark
royal occasions. One
of the most iconic was
the Gondola in 1925 which
carried a small orchestra up
and down the promenade while they
played music!
The lights
today
The most notable
change to the lights
in recent years has
been the shift to
greener electricity.
The Illuminations are
now powered solely
from renewable energy sources, combining
wind power, hydropower and bio-gas. This
includes two wind turbines introduced on
the South Promenade directly linked to the
Illuminations’ supply. Also new for 2019 will
be a Northern Lights display using the latest
technology to recreate the earth’s natural
phenomenon.
Make the most of
the Illuminations
This year the lights run from August 30
-November 3. During the October halfterm
there’s also a special event called
the Lightpool Festival featuring a mix of
free live performances and light-based art
installations. Sounds like a good time to
take the grandchildren to visit...
n To find out more, visit
www.visitblackpool.com/illuminations
In numbers...
1 million bulbs are used
£2 million is spent staging the lights extravaganza
4 million people are expected to attend this year
500 scenic designs and features will light up the seafront
22 weeks are spent erecting the lights and
9 weeks dismantling them
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT
81

Take
a trip
Exotic
B ri tai n
Dip into
Devon
Love to spend holidays by the pool? If you’re looking to make a splash
this summer, stay put in the UK and make Plymouth your next port of call
Situated on Plymouth’s historic
waterfront, the Tinside Lido is the
perfect spot for soaking up the last
rays of British summertime. Built in
1935 and Grade II listed, it’s far from
your average outdoor pool, boasting a semicircular
Art Deco design.
The 50m-wide pool has a shallow and a deep
end as well as fountains to frolic in. It is filled
with fresh, unheated seawater, making for a
bracing swim. Each year, this sparkling pool
gets a deep clean and a fresh lick of paint,
ready for another season of swimmers to
take the plunge.
After taking a dip, they can dry off on the
sun terrace, which commands a spectacular
vantage point overlooking the sea and
Plymouth Hoe – the perfect spot for enjoying
an ice cream in the gentle coastal breeze. If
you simply want to bask in the sun, there are
sunloungers and deckchairs available for hire.
Come sundown, the Lido transforms into
an open-air cinema, with regular screenings
taking place throughout the summer months.
Tinside Lido
is open between
May and September.
Call ahead for opening
times and a schedule
of current film
screenings
catch of the day
A trip to the coast wouldn’t
be complete without
sampling some freshly
caught seafood. Perched
on the quay by the
water’s edge, The
Harbour Seafood
Restaurant is where
diners can watch
bobbing fishing boats and
swooping seabirds go by as
they tuck into a slap-up
fish and chip supper.
You can sit inside
the glass-fronted
restaurant, or dine al
fresco in the outside
seating area.
As well as
haddock and
cod, the daily
specials menu
offers delicious grilled
monkfish, whole crabs,
lemon sole and turbot
for more adventurous
palates.

Saltram House, has beautiful views over the River Plym
and is a house ‘full of treasures, stories and intrigue’
Fancy a
tipple?
Dating back to the
early 1400s, Black
Friars Distillery is
the oldest working gin
distillery in England. Situated
in the heart of Plymouth, it is
said to be where the Pilgrim
Fathers spent their last night
before setting sail in the
Mayflower to the New World.
Take a guided
tour and learn
about the art
of making the
world-famous
Plymouth Gin,
enjoy a tasting of
the range and then
relax in the Refectory
cocktail lounge.
A National Trust bolthole
Just a 15-minute drive from
Plymouth’s harbour, Saltram
House and Gardens feels like
a different world. Perched
high above the River Plym,
it has magnificent views
across the estuary, 500 acres
of landscaped parkland,
peaceful gardens, blooming
meadows and an enchanting
woodland.
A step inside this Georgian
mansion will whisk you back
in time to life in a country
house through the centuries,
with collections of Chinese
wallpapers, period ceramics,
classical portraits and fine
china to admire.
Outside, the garden
offers something of interest
all year round with an 18th
Century orangery and a
number of follies to explore.
Did you know?
As you stroll around the estate you may
find the setting looks familiar as Saltram
House was a location for the
1995 film Sense and Sensibility, starring
Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet
A head for
heights
Standing tall on the verdant
green expanse of Plymouth
Hoe, Smeaton’s Tower
is one of the city’s most
recognisable and well-loved
landmarks. Admire its red
and white stripes from the
ground before climbing up
the 93 steps on the circular
stone staircase where you’ll
need to brace yourself for a
gusty 360-degree panoramic
view from the top. Look out
After wandering along its
scented pathways, treat
yourself to afternoon tea in
the Chapel tearoom or enjoy a
game of croquet on the lawn.
Should you visit with
the grandchildren, there’s
plenty to keep them
entertained, from dressing-up
in historic costume to family
trail packs available from the
Welcome Centre.
Handy contacts
n Visit Plymouth –
www.visitplymouth.co.uk
n Tinside Lido –
01752 261915
www.everyoneactive.com/
centre/tinside-lido
n The Harbour Seafood
Restaurant – 01752 228556
www.harbourbarbican.co.uk
n Saltram House –
01752 333500 www.
nationaltrust.org.uk/saltram
n Black Friars Distillery –
01752 665292
www.plymouthdistillery.com
across the Plymouth Sound,
with the hills of South Hams
to the east and the Cornish
countryside to the west.
On the way up, you’ll
get to see what life was
like for an 18th Century
lighthouse keeper and his
family, passing a kitchen
and tiny wooden beds, until
you reach the lantern room
at the top with its original
candelabra.
compiled By gabrielle albert; PICs: alamy stock photo
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT
99

time of our lives
Les Jobson tells
how he attracted a
dazzling array of stars
to a little theatre in
the north of England
Returning to a small
northern town after
the war years, I never
imagined I’d end up
running a theatre that
became globally famous. Seeing
Music Hall and Variety shows at
the Eden Theatre, County Durham,
originally run by Stan Laurel’s father,
ignited a lifelong love of theatre.
As secretary of the Billingham
Association Of The Arts, I worked
hard to get acts up north. In the
late Fifties I took a chance on an
unknown 18-year-old, the guitarist
John Williams. I sold just 24 tickets
for one of his first performances, but
the rest is history.
When I was made director of
the new Forum Theatre in 1968,
inheriting a resident repertory
company run by the actor Timothy
West, I was determined that northern
audiences would have their fair
share of culture and secured many
famous stars of the day, plus the great
European orchestras, the RSC, D’Oyly
Carte opera and Sadlers Wells theatre.
The Forum also had magnificent
workshops and I quickly realised
that building sets was the key to
the future – also that joining forces
with a West End company could get
us the stars! Working with London
impresario Duncan Weldon we built
sets and produced shows to a very
high standard, which then toured
85
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT
the country. We launched 15 West End
shows, 50 national tours and a raft of
careers.
Many shows went as far as the
USA, Canada and Hong Kong and as
the reputation grew, stars arrived in
‘I was determined northern
audiences would have their
fair share of culture’
Billingham such as Donald Pleasence,
Deborah Kerr, Penelope Keith and John
Mills. Great ideas were born there, from
a young David Jason accidently getting
his tie trapped which proved such a
hit with the
audience it was
Les with his wife Jean and
Hi-de-Hi! actor Paul Shane.
Right: Adam Faith as Jingle
in the musical Pickwick at
Billingham Forum theatre
The show
must go on!
incorporated into the play, to inventing
a way for a famous actor to escape the
tabloid journalists.
Edward Woodward was here
when an alleged affair hit the national
headlines, attracting clambering
photographers. He was trapped until
I realised that huge pieces of scenery
were leaving the loading bay, so I had
the idea of hiding him behind one so he
could escape!
My wife and I always tried to give
the actors a few home comforts and
visitors to the house included David
Kossoff, Wilfrid Pickles, Peter Ustinov
and Leonard Rossiter. My daughter Ann
recalls having the whole of Dad’s Army
arriving for dinner and encountering
Adam Faith on the stairs, a reality most
teenage girls could only dream of!
In the early Eighties I worked as
a company manager on shows such
as Hi-de-Hi and the star-encrusted
pantomime Cinderella at the Richmond
Theatre, featuring the likes of Patsy
Kensit and Lionel Blair.
Now aged 96, I appear in front of the
curtain instead, sharing my showbiz
memories and will continue until my
body, or my audience, cries... ‘enough!’
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT
85
pics: topfoto, shutterstock editorial