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Stratford-upon-Avon Living Jan - Feb 2021

Our first issue of 2021 - we are celebrating the good things COVID has brought - an appreciation of local businesses, a better sense of community, and more time to work on our homes. We have a real-life room transformation, plus the usual dose of recipes and interviews.

Our first issue of 2021 - we are celebrating the good things COVID has brought - an appreciation of local businesses, a better sense of community, and more time to work on our homes. We have a real-life room transformation, plus the usual dose of recipes and interviews.

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Contents<br />

A Note<br />

from the EDITOR<br />

08<br />

Comforting<br />

A Culinary Journey recipes through ready in<br />

Northern 30 minutes Ireland or less<br />

The New Year issue always brings<br />

with it a certain level of recollection<br />

and introspection, but gosh, we’ve<br />

never had to look back on a year like<br />

the one we’ve just experienced have<br />

we! I wonder at what point I’ll be able<br />

to stop sending off emails sounding<br />

like a <strong>Jan</strong>e Austen character, ‘I trust<br />

you and your family are in good<br />

health and prospering’!<br />

Putting my inner Elizabeth Bennet<br />

aside, I know we aren’t out of the<br />

woods yet, but this edition we have<br />

decided to focus firmly on all the good<br />

that has come from COVID, alongside<br />

the hopes for a brighter, better and<br />

perhaps more compassionate <strong>2021</strong>.<br />

The competition<br />

page returns<br />

04<br />

We very much enjoy creature<br />

comforts here at Minerva HQ, and<br />

in that vein, we’ve included a big<br />

serving of ‘hug-in-a-bowl’ type<br />

recipes that can be made in under 30<br />

minutes - for those nights when you<br />

want something tasty but don’t have<br />

the time or inclination to slave over<br />

the stove.<br />

A real-life before and<br />

after cellar renovation<br />

14<br />

Editor Katie Thomson<br />

e katie.thomson@minervapublications.co.uk<br />

Publisher Sally Thomson<br />

Pre-Press Manager Kate O’Connell<br />

Contributors Peter Thomson, Sue Cooke, Matthew Biggs, Angela Cave<br />

Front Cover courtesy of Gordon Buchanan<br />

Key Account Manager Marion Cassidy<br />

e marion@minervapublications.co.uk<br />

d/l 01225 984502<br />

twitter: @<strong>Living</strong><strong>Stratford</strong><br />

We interview<br />

Dr Hilary Jones<br />

29<br />

MINERVA PUBLICATIONS HQ<br />

Paxcroft Farm, Hilperton<br />

Trowbridge BA14 6JB<br />

t 01225 984 550<br />

visit our website www.stratford<strong>upon</strong>avonliving.co.uk<br />

Disclaimer: The publishers shall not be held liable for any loss occasioned by failure of an<br />

advertisement to appear, or any damage or inconvenience caused by errors, omissions and<br />

misprints. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission from the<br />

publishers. The opinions expressed within are not necessarily those of the publishers<br />

Then, if you’re considering<br />

a renovation, we look at a really<br />

unusual space - a Georgian vault -<br />

and how it was transformed from a<br />

damp and dark hovel into a luxurious<br />

snug - hopefully it inspires you to<br />

re-examine your own spaces that<br />

could be overdue a face lift - we can<br />

guarantee that can’t be much more<br />

challenging than this one!<br />

We had the chance to speak to TV’s<br />

favourite GP Dr Hilary Jones about<br />

the virus, looking after people as they<br />

get older and generally finding ways<br />

to keep as healthy as possible in the<br />

autumn years of life.<br />

We are also welcoming back a very<br />

popular addition to the magazine -<br />

our competition page! This edition<br />

has a bevy of fantastic new prizes to<br />

be won - make sure to check it out!<br />

Next time we see you it will be<br />

nearly spring - a new beginning<br />

many of us are hoping for. See you<br />

in March!<br />

Katie<br />

www.stratford<strong>upon</strong>avonliving.co.uk | 3


COMPETITION<br />

Time<br />

To enter any (or all!) of our competitions, head to<br />

www.minervamagazines.co.uk/competitions.<br />

Find the competition and enter on that post,<br />

using the appropriate keyword.<br />

T&C’s apply and no cash alternatives available. Winners chosen at<br />

random - entries made after closing date will not be accepted.<br />

You can win an elegant sporty zip-front one-piece swimsuit<br />

crafted to sculpt your silhouette, providing coverage and<br />

support for an active day in the ocean, from sustainable brand<br />

SLO Active. The ultimate thermal comfort while flattering<br />

and sculpting all body shapes, it’s perfect for the surfer,<br />

paddleboarder and ocean-loving girl that wants to look chic<br />

without compromising on style.<br />

Eco-friendly<br />

wetsuit material<br />

swimsuit worth<br />

£210<br />

Like all oceanwear from SLO Active, this piece is made<br />

using Yulex, the plant-based and sustainable alternative to<br />

neoprene. The raw natural rubber comes from sources that are<br />

Forest Stewardship Council certified by the Rainforest Alliance<br />

– meaning the trees aren’t grown on newly clear-cut rainforest<br />

land, like some of the world’s supply. See more pieces at<br />

sloactive.com<br />

Closes 24/02/<strong>2021</strong> - Competition keyword ‘SLO’<br />

Two winners will<br />

each receive a<br />

set of underwear<br />

worth<br />

£79<br />

When it comes to choosing a<br />

new bra why compromise on<br />

comfort or style? Thanks to<br />

the new Selma from Rosa Faia<br />

you won’t have to. Selma is a<br />

beautiful underwired bra with<br />

a delicate design for a luxury<br />

look and feel. The three-section<br />

stretch lace cup and pretty<br />

shaped straps ensure both<br />

comfort and femininity and the<br />

matching bra and brief set is<br />

now available in the stunning<br />

Patriot Blue colourway. Fitting<br />

up to a J Cup Selma is the<br />

bra everyone is choosing this<br />

winter. Available from www.<br />

embraceluxurylingerie.co.uk<br />

Bra £52 Brief £27<br />

Closes 24/02/<strong>2021</strong>- Competition<br />

keyword ‘SELMA’<br />

Müd pride themselves<br />

on providing high quality<br />

rubber Wellington/<br />

Gum boots, which are<br />

designed for maximum<br />

comfort and impeccable<br />

taste.<br />

They have a strong<br />

commitment to quality<br />

and delivering value to<br />

their customers. All their<br />

designs are made using<br />

100% natural rubber and<br />

they are proud of their<br />

dedication to fair-trade<br />

standards. mudwellies.<br />

com<br />

Closes 24/02/<strong>2021</strong> -<br />

Keyword ‘MUD’<br />

Two winners<br />

will each<br />

receive a pair<br />

of wellies of<br />

their choice!<br />

£100<br />

voucher to<br />

spend online!<br />

Inspired by the beautiful island of<br />

Skiathos, and with a focus on helping<br />

to protect the planet and contributing<br />

to the welfare of turtles, Kanula<br />

produces stylish garments<br />

designed to stand the test of<br />

time while encouraging fair<br />

treatment for all.<br />

Primus, the UK’s leading<br />

supplier of handcrafted home and<br />

gardenware into garden centres<br />

across the UK, have kindly donated a £100<br />

voucher to be redeemed against any products of<br />

the winner’s choosing. primus.co.uk<br />

Closes 24/02/<strong>2021</strong> - Competition keyword ‘PRIMUS’<br />

Using no plastic waste<br />

materials which often<br />

result in polluting the<br />

oceans and harming sea<br />

life, Kanula is proud to<br />

offer slow fashion with<br />

fast delivery. What’s more,<br />

for every purchase Kanula<br />

donates 8% to the Sea Turtle<br />

Conservancy!<br />

Kanula stocks a large range<br />

of children’s, ladies and<br />

unisex clothing. See the full<br />

collection at kanula.org<br />

Closes 24/02/<strong>2021</strong> -<br />

Competition keyword ‘KANULA’<br />

Two winners will<br />

each receive a<br />

hoodie and tote<br />

bag of their choice<br />

4 | www.stratford<strong>upon</strong>avonliving.co.uk


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www.stratford<strong>upon</strong>avonliving.co.uk | 5


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SUPPORTING BOARDING SCHOOLS<br />

How boarding schools are coping with the COVID-19 pandemic<br />

Like all organisations, boarding schools<br />

have quickly had to adapt to a ‘new<br />

normal.’ In recent months, they have<br />

supported pupils and parents through<br />

first-class online learning, and we have<br />

organised a variety of seminars for schools<br />

to help them modify their teaching and<br />

learning styles for this new world. Here<br />

Robin Fletcher tells us more.<br />

Through our BSA Academy, we’re<br />

continuing to offer a comprehensive range<br />

of online learning on a variety of subjects.<br />

These include the possible impact of<br />

COVID-19 and lockdown on the mental<br />

health and wellbeing of students; how to<br />

create positive and healthy routines for<br />

young people during the pandemic, and<br />

students’ future mental health. We have<br />

also just announced our ‘BSA COVID<br />

Conference: lessons learned and planning<br />

ahead,’ which will be taking place virtually<br />

on November 18.<br />

Supporting the health and wellbeing<br />

of boarding students is at the heart of<br />

everything we do; never more so than<br />

during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. In<br />

response to the pandemic, we developed<br />

our COVID-SAFE Charter, which schools<br />

can voluntarily adopt. The charter offers<br />

reassurance to boarders and their parents<br />

/ guardians that schools have done<br />

everything they can to ensure their safety<br />

and it has been welcomed enthusiastically<br />

by the boarding family across the world. We<br />

also translated the COVID-SAFE Charter<br />

into several different languages to keep<br />

international parents informed and also<br />

delivered a series of webinars to parents<br />

and agents in China, Hong Kong and<br />

Germany, designed to reassure them that<br />

UK boarding schools were safe places for<br />

their children.<br />

The main concern schools reported to us<br />

was that parents / guardians wanted to<br />

know their children were going to be as<br />

safe as they could possibly be when they<br />

returned. For example, they wanted to<br />

know what cleaning protocols the schools<br />

had in place; what their procedures were<br />

for testing students for coronavirus and<br />

what measures would be implemented for<br />

isolating pupils if there was a positive test;<br />

whether students could wear face masks or<br />

coverings in class if they wished, and that<br />

students would have an opportunity to raise<br />

any concerns. We responded by creating<br />

a COVID-19 supplier list to help schools<br />

find suppliers of products such as face<br />

coverings, sanitisers, testing and tracking<br />

devices and temperature camera systems.<br />

We’re continuing to work with a range of<br />

government departments to ensure all our<br />

member schools and staff receive the most<br />

comprehensive, up-to-date information as<br />

the coronavirus pandemic continues. We’re<br />

here to support to all our member schools<br />

and provide any advice and guidance<br />

they may need – we’d encourage them to<br />

contact us as soon as possible if they do<br />

require any assistance.<br />

Robin Fletcher, CEO, BSA and BSA Group<br />

A copy of the BSA COVID-SAFE Charter<br />

can be viewed by visiting their website<br />

www.boarding.org.uk where you will be able<br />

to link onto their advice.<br />

www.stratford<strong>upon</strong>avonliving.co.uk | 7


SPEEDY<br />

Comforting meals ready in 40<br />

minutes or less, when you want a<br />

hug in a bowl with minimal fuss.<br />

All courtesy of Waitrose<br />

CITRUSSY AVOCADO,<br />

PRAWN & LENTIL<br />

SALAD<br />

Preparation time: 20 minutes<br />

Cooking time: 5 minutes<br />

Total time: 25 minutes<br />

Serves: 2<br />

Suppers<br />

INGREDIENTS<br />

½ small red onion, sliced into thin rounds<br />

3 essential Waitrose Easy Peelers (sweet<br />

mandarins or clementines), 2 juiced, 1<br />

sliced<br />

1½ tsp red wine vinegar<br />

250g pouch Waitrose & Partners Puy<br />

Lentils<br />

180g large raw king prawns, patted dry<br />

1 tsp ground cumin<br />

1 garlic clove, crushed<br />

2 tsp sunflower or vegetable oil<br />

1 ripe avocado, ¼ diced, ¾ sliced<br />

28g pack coriander, leaves only<br />

1½ tbsp low-fat natural yogurt<br />

Chilli flakes (optional), to serve<br />

METHOD<br />

In a bowl, toss the onion in ½ of the<br />

citrus juice, plus 1 tsp vinegar and a little<br />

seasoning; set aside. Heat the lentils<br />

according to pack instructions and let<br />

them cool a little. In another bowl, toss<br />

the prawns with the cumin, ½ of the garlic<br />

and 1 tsp oil; leave to marinate for a few<br />

minutes.<br />

To make the dressing, put the chopped<br />

avocado, 1 tbsp water, the remaining<br />

citrus juice, vinegar, garlic and ½ the<br />

coriander leaves into a jug. Use a hand<br />

blender to whizz until smooth (or use a<br />

jug blender). Stir in the yogurt; season.<br />

Heat the remaining 1 tsp oil in a frying<br />

pan and sear the prawns on a high heat<br />

until fully cooked, opaque and pink<br />

throughout – about 3 minutes. Spoon the<br />

warm lentils onto plates, follow with the<br />

sliced mandarins or clementines, sliced<br />

avocado, prawns, dressing and the onion<br />

with a little of its juice. Serve scattered<br />

with the remaining coriander and a few<br />

chilli flakes.<br />

COOK’S TIP<br />

The avocado dressing in this dish is also<br />

a great match for roast chicken or grilled<br />

halloumi.<br />

​SPICY YUZU MISO<br />

RAMEN WITH PRAWNS<br />

Preparation time: 5 minutes<br />

Cooking time: 10 minutes<br />

Total time: 15 minutes<br />

Serves: 2<br />

INGREDIENTS<br />

100g buckwheat soba noodles (or your<br />

favourite variety, prepared according to<br />

pack instructions)<br />

1 tsp toasted sesame oil<br />

2 tbsp white miso paste<br />

150g shiitake mushrooms, sliced<br />

2 salad onions, white and green parts<br />

separated and chopped<br />

1 pak choi bulb, stem shredded, leaves<br />

left whole<br />

150g pack raw king prawns<br />

1 tsp Yuzu Juice<br />

1 red chilli, sliced (deseeded if liked)<br />

METHOD<br />

Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add<br />

the noodles and simmer for 4 minutes<br />

(watch carefully as buckwheat noodles<br />

can overboil easily). Drain and rinse under<br />

cold water, then toss with the sesame oil<br />

and divide between 2 bowls.<br />

Rinse out the pan and pour in 500ml<br />

just-boiled water. Whisk in the miso<br />

paste. Add the mushrooms and white<br />

parts of the salad onions; simmer for<br />

3 minutes. Add the pak choi stem and<br />

prawns; simmer for 3-4 minutes until the<br />

prawns are fully cooked, opaque and pink<br />

throughout, then stir through the pak choi<br />

leaves and yuzu juice.<br />

Ladle the soup over the noodles and<br />

scatter with the salad onion greens and<br />

sliced chilli.<br />

COOK’S TIP<br />

Yuzu is a Japanese citrus fruit with hints<br />

of mandarin and lime. Its juice is a great<br />

match for all types of fish and is lovely<br />

drizzled over salads and noodles.<br />

8 | www.stratford<strong>upon</strong>avonliving.co.uk


MISO MUSHROOMS WITH<br />

SWEET POTATO<br />

Preparation time: 10 minutes<br />

Cooking time: 20 minutes<br />

Total time: 30 minutes<br />

Serves: 2<br />

INGREDIENTS<br />

2 tbsp oil, plus 1 tsp extra<br />

2 tbsp Clearspring Organic Brown Rice Miso<br />

1 garlic clove, crushed<br />

15 sage leaves, 5 finely chopped<br />

4 portabella mushrooms, stalks trimmed<br />

2 sweet potatoes (about 640g), peeled and chopped<br />

6 tbsp single cream or cream alternative<br />

300ml vegetable stock<br />

1 tbsp maple syrup<br />

1 tsp arrowroot or cornflour, mixed with 1 tsp cold water<br />

Swiss chard or other seasonal greens, to serve<br />

METHOD<br />

Mix 1 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp miso, the garlic and chopped<br />

sage; brush over the mushrooms. Boil the potatoes in<br />

a covered pan of salted water for 10-12 minutes, until<br />

very soft. Drain and mash to a smooth purée. Stir in the<br />

cream alternative; season. Preheat the oven to 140˚C,<br />

gas mark 1.<br />

Meanwhile, fry the sage leaves in 1 tbsp oil for 2-3<br />

minutes until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper; keep warm.<br />

Wash out the pan, then boil the stock, the remaining<br />

1 tbsp miso and the maple syrup for 10 minutes, until<br />

reduced to 175ml. Set aside.<br />

Heat the remaining 1 tsp oil in an ovenproof non-stick<br />

frying pan. Fry the mushrooms, stalk-side down, on<br />

a medium-high heat for 2 minutes, pressing now and<br />

again with a fish slice, until deep golden. Turn, cook<br />

for 2 minutes, then put in the oven for 10 minutes.<br />

Reheat the gravy, add any mushroom juices and whisk<br />

in the arrowroot or cornfl our. Simmer until glossy and<br />

a little thick. Season and serve with the veg, sage and<br />

mushrooms.<br />

COOK’S TIP<br />

Arrowroot is really useful for vegetarian or vegan gravies,<br />

as it adds body without making the gravy cloudy. Avoid<br />

re-boiling once it has thickened.<br />

PORCINI BAVETTE STEAKS<br />

WITH MUSHROOMS<br />

Preparation time: 10 minutes (once meat is at room<br />

temperature)<br />

Cooking time: 15 minutes<br />

Total time: 25 minutes<br />

Serves: 2<br />

INGREDIENTS<br />

275g pack 2 beef bavette steaks, taken out of the fridge<br />

30 minutes ahead of cooking<br />

1 tsp Cooks’ Ingredients Porcini Mushroom Powder<br />

2 tsp sesame oil<br />

400g pack mashed potato<br />

200g sprouting broccoli, thick stems halved lengthways<br />

1 tbsp unsalted butter<br />

1 tbsp light soya sauce, plus more to serve<br />

200g mixed exotic mushrooms<br />

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced<br />

www.stratford<strong>upon</strong>avonliving.co.uk | 9


METHOD<br />

Preheat the oven to very low, warm 3 plates and<br />

prepare all the ingredients. Rub the steaks with the<br />

porcini powder and 1 tsp oil; season and set aside<br />

to marinate for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the<br />

mashed potato according to pack instructions.<br />

Steam the broccoli for 4-5 minutes until tender.<br />

Put a non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Sear<br />

the steaks for around 2 minutes on each side,<br />

depending on thickness, flipping after each minute.<br />

During the last 30 seconds, add 2 tsp butter to the<br />

pan, let it melt, then spoon over the meat a few<br />

times as it cooks. Lift the steaks onto a plate and<br />

splash with the soya sauce. Cover loosely and<br />

transfer to the oven.<br />

Add the remaining 1 tsp oil and butter to the hot<br />

pan, then toss in the mushrooms and garlic; season.<br />

Fry over a high heat for 2 minutes until golden; toss<br />

but allow the mushrooms to catch some colour.<br />

Slice the steaks across the grain, put on the warm<br />

plates and serve with the mushrooms and some of<br />

the resting juices, the mash and broccoli, and a dash<br />

more soya sauce, if liked.<br />

COOK’S TIP<br />

Try serving with fresh egg noodles, tossed with the<br />

cooked mushrooms and garlic, instead of the mash.<br />

KIWI LIME PIE<br />

This easy dessert recipe uses juicy kiwi fruit to top the<br />

creamy lime filling and crunchy ginger nut base. An<br />

ideal get-ahead pud. Whilst technically not ready in<br />

30 mins, it can chill whilst you eat your main meal.<br />

Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus chilling<br />

Cooking time: 10 minutes<br />

Total time: 30 minutes, plus chilling<br />

Serves: 8-10<br />

INGREDIENTS<br />

200g ginger nut biscuits<br />

75g unsalted butter, melted<br />

200ml double cream<br />

200g condensed milk<br />

4 unwaxed limes, zest and juice<br />

5 mint leaves, finely shredded<br />

2 Waitrose 1 Perfectly Ripe Kiwis<br />

METHOD<br />

Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Line the<br />

base of a 23cm loose-bottomed tart case with a<br />

circle of parchment. Whizz the biscuits in a food<br />

processor until crushed. Add the melted butter and<br />

whizz again. Tip into the tart case and press in the<br />

base and up the sides with the back of a spoon.<br />

Bake for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.<br />

Put the double cream, condensed milk and lime<br />

zest and juice into a mixing bowl and whisk together<br />

lightly with a balloon whisk. Stir through the mint<br />

then pour into the tart case. Chill for at least an hour.<br />

Top and tail the kiwi fruit, then use a vegetable<br />

peeler to remove the skin. Slice the kiwis, then<br />

tumble over the tart.<br />

COOK’S TIP<br />

Left over condensed milk is brilliant for making<br />

iced coffee, or it can be simmered down to make<br />

caramel. It also freezes well.<br />

10 | www.stratford<strong>upon</strong>avonliving.co.uk


Animal Families and me... with Gordon Buchanan<br />

Join Gordon Buchanan, the highly<br />

acclaimed television wildlife cameraman<br />

and presenter of the popular BBC ‘Grizzly<br />

Bear Cubs and Me’ series for a unique<br />

opportunity to hear personal recollections<br />

of his globe-trotting travels as Gordon<br />

delves into his world of wonderful wildlife<br />

- all illustrated with his own film footage<br />

and photography.<br />

Angela Cave was fortunate to have<br />

the opportunity of talking with Gordon<br />

Buchanan, the man the Daily Telegraph<br />

believes to be the one to step into David<br />

Attenborough’s shoes.<br />

I vividly remember watching Gordon<br />

Buchanan’s ‘close up and personal’<br />

moment with a polar bear and wanting<br />

to hide behind the sofa as the bear<br />

did its best to break into the specially<br />

constructed pod where Gordon was<br />

sitting to film. It is one of those omg tv<br />

moments one does not forget!<br />

I caught up with him as he prepared to<br />

head off to Australia to capture more<br />

amazing footage and spoke to him about<br />

his work and his forthcoming projects…<br />

Many people will watch your<br />

programmes and dream about doing<br />

what you do - perhaps without the polar<br />

bear moment - how did it come about?<br />

Well, as with many things I suppose, it<br />

was serendipity. I was washing pots in a<br />

restaurant and thinking about what I wanted<br />

to do. The owner’s husband was a wildlife<br />

cameraman and needed an assistant, and I<br />

was there, loved wildlife and available so, at<br />

17 I found myself in Sierra Leone and West<br />

Africa having never been abroad before!<br />

You were there for a considerable time<br />

with very little social life or interaction -<br />

what was that like for a 17 year-old?<br />

Well, if I am honest it was tough and quite a<br />

difficult time, in a way it was a time of two<br />

halves, the wildlife and the huge amount I<br />

was learning was amazing but I also longed<br />

to be down the pub with my mates. I spent<br />

all of my birthdays from 17 - 22 in amazing<br />

places but also isolated places. I spent my<br />

21 birthday in the Amazon, but I learnt so<br />

much and was so lucky to be there that it<br />

outweighed any other issues.<br />

The past year has been such a difficult<br />

one, how has it affected you?<br />

In one way I have been so lucky to spend<br />

time with my wife and children instead of<br />

galavanting all over the world, but in other<br />

ways it has put so many projects on hold.<br />

Not just for me but important environmental<br />

initiatives have been shelved and so I really,<br />

really hope that <strong>2021</strong> will see us all back<br />

on track.<br />

We will have seen you in a wonderful<br />

programme over the Christmas period<br />

and we will shortly see you on tour, do<br />

you have any unfinished business from a<br />

travel prospective?<br />

Yes! I have not been to Antarctica and the<br />

wildlife there is so incredibly special so that<br />

is a box I have yet to tick - but watch this<br />

space!<br />

Gordon will be touring UK theatres<br />

in <strong>Feb</strong>ruary and March <strong>2021</strong>. Social<br />

distancing measures will be in place and<br />

tickets are available at www.jsmlive.co.uk’<br />

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo4hizO9FF8<br />

TW: @gordonjbuchanan<br />

FB: @gordonjbuchanan<br />

IG: gordonbuchanan_wildlife<br />

Suitable for all ages<br />

www.stratford<strong>upon</strong>avonliving.co.uk | 11


MINI ELECTRIC<br />

ADVERTISING FEATURE<br />

MINI is more than just a car,<br />

it’s a feeling and the MINI<br />

Electric is no different...<br />

With the Trademark MINI look, contrasting roof and mirrors and<br />

characteristic wide set headlights it is every bit a MINI. With a<br />

driving range of up to 145 miles and costing as little as 4 pence<br />

mile, the MINI Electric will offer it’s driver some serious savings<br />

on energy. On top of that you’ve got government grants and<br />

cheaper maintenance to benefit from.<br />

MINI have kept the styling and customisation as easy as<br />

1,2,3 with the choice of three style packs, each with their own<br />

innovative technology and features. The MINI Electric comes with<br />

MINI Navigation, including Apple Car Play, Digital Cockpit and<br />

Cruise Control as standard; with the Level 3 specification offering<br />

Panoramic sunroof, full leather, head up display and Harman /<br />

Kardon speakers.<br />

Are you considering making the move to electric? With the MINI<br />

Electric you can make the switch to electric without losing any<br />

of the things you love about MINI. With zero exhaust emissions,<br />

you’re creating less pollution as you drive whilst cutting running<br />

costs by up to three quarters in comparison to a traditional petrol<br />

or diesel car.<br />

driving a MINI Electric is how calm it feels inside. Without the<br />

need to change gear, accelerating feels smooth and effortless<br />

with instant torque from the electric motor and when you put your<br />

foot down, there’s an immediate response and surge of speed<br />

which keeps the ‘go-kart’ feel of MINI present in MINIs first fully<br />

electric car.<br />

Rybrook MINI Shrewsbury decided to put the MINI Electric to<br />

the test, enlisting the help of local Go Kart track, Rednal Karting.<br />

They pitted it up against it’s petrol engine sibling – the MINI<br />

Cooper S, testing it’s acceleration and driveability around the<br />

tight turns of the Go Kart track.<br />

MINI is renowned for being a car inspired by the track but built<br />

for the open road. One of the first things you will notice when<br />

a better world is possible<br />

If you’d like to watch how the MINI Electric got on visit Rybrook’s<br />

YouTube channel RybrookTV.<br />

News about climate breakdown<br />

and the ecological emergency we’re<br />

facing can be really overwhelming.<br />

Author and Campaigner Natalie<br />

Fee tells us more...<br />

Over the last few years we’ve heard how bad things are getting –<br />

from losing half the world’s wildlife, to only having 10 years (from<br />

2020) to avoid irreversible climate breakdown.<br />

Yikes. It’s no wonder many of us turn the other way, feeling<br />

slightly guilty on the surface but deep down, a bit powerless.<br />

But what if even something seemingly trivial, like switching to a<br />

bamboo toothbrush, actually changed the world? Well, it does!<br />

And here’s why. Individual action is the most powerful thing<br />

you’ve got. We’re social creatures and we like to fit in - when we<br />

see more of our peers are carrying reusables bottles, or growing<br />

veg, or choosing a staycation, we shift our behaviour too. That<br />

creates a trend, trends drive demand, and demand drives<br />

investment. We’ve seen this happen again and again through our<br />

not-for-profit campaign group, City to Sea.<br />

I set it up in 2015, and we’ve since seen supermarkets change<br />

whole product lines (we got nine major UK retailers to switch to<br />

paper cotton buds) and now, big brands like Tampax bringing out<br />

a reusable menstrual cup, and Colgate launching their bamboo<br />

toothbrushes.<br />

My book, How to Save the<br />

World for Free, is packed full of<br />

differences we can all make in<br />

our day to day lives – from food<br />

to travel, sex to banking – as well<br />

as giving us ways to influence<br />

governments and corporations<br />

to pull their fingers out. And if<br />

plastic’s your pet peeve, sign<br />

up to get City to Sea’s monthly<br />

‘Plastic-free Journal’ delivered to<br />

your inbox at citytosea.org. uk.<br />

Can we make 2020 the year we turn things around for this<br />

magical blue planet we call home?<br />

With the UK reaching for net zero carbon emissions by 2030, I<br />

think we can answer that question with a big, green, YES.<br />

For more tips please visit: www.theaa.com<br />

Natalie Fee is an award-winning<br />

campaigner and founder of the national<br />

campaign group, City to Sea. Her book<br />

(an Amazon #1 Best-Seller!), How to<br />

Save the World for Free, is available<br />

from all good bookshops or from<br />

nataliefee.com/books<br />

www.stratford<strong>upon</strong>avonliving.co.uk | 13


With more of us working from home or putting<br />

off a move, we need to maximise every inch of<br />

space in our homes. This issue, we look at a<br />

real-life vault conversion which has given the<br />

homeowner ample new living space and room<br />

for guests...<br />

WORDS Katie Thomson<br />

PHOTOGRAPHY Lydia Booth Photography<br />

The side table is both practical and allows for cosy<br />

candlelight. Table and vase, jysk.com; candle, Pecksniffs<br />

Aromatherapy; Cushions, hauslife.co.uk; Tray, Homesense<br />

14 | www.stratford<strong>upon</strong>avonliving.co.uk


MAXIMISING<br />

f you’ve never ventured into the belly of a Georgian<br />

building, the term ‘vault’ might be an unfamiliar one to<br />

Iyou. During what was a hugely prolific building period,<br />

Regency architects created many of their characteristic<br />

town houses with an interconnected series of rooms below<br />

ground level, with vaulted ceilings. All houses except the<br />

poorest had basements containing a kitchen, scullery and<br />

other stores such as a pantry and larder. More generally,<br />

these allowed for the services of the household to operate<br />

without needing to use the front door.<br />

In the intervening years, many of these properties have<br />

been converted into flats and remedial works have<br />

been started on these vault spaces - so was the case<br />

with this room. Before work commenced (with relevant<br />

permissions), the vault was dark and the previous<br />

tanking system had failed entirely, leaving blown<br />

patches of plaster on the walls. The flooring was a thick<br />

carpet laid over a concrete substrate, only adding to the<br />

issues with damp.<br />

Unlike some spaces, this room had the benefit of a<br />

window, so for owners Dan and Kate, it made sense<br />

to be able to make it more habitable as a ‘snug’ with<br />

an option to accommodate guests. “The project was a<br />

daunting one, but the damp issue was getting worse and<br />

I knew we needed to take some action” explained Katie,<br />

“we wanted to make the space both dry for storage and<br />

somewhere we could actually use - but as you can see,<br />

the shapes of the walls made sure it wasn’t a standard<br />

project. The number one priority was getting it dry.”<br />

The first steps were removing the failed tanking and<br />

applying a new membrane. Where possible, Kate was<br />

very conscious not to harm the fabric of the building “I<br />

was adamant that I didn’t want wires channelled into the<br />

walls or any harm done to the building itself, so together<br />

with our builder we devised the panelling - the batons<br />

are secured to the walls and hide the myriad of cables to<br />

supply socket points and the LED up-lighting. The power<br />

for these comes from the original power source already in<br />

place in the room.”<br />

Once tanked and rendered, the next big challenge for the<br />

couple was the flooring. Even with all precautions taken,<br />

this is an underground space and the flooring needed<br />

to be able to withstand moisture but also be able to be<br />

laid in a space with such an unusual shape “there is not<br />

a single right angle in this room!” says Dan, “aside from<br />

making it challenging to plaster, the flooring had to be<br />

really easy to cut to size. We couldn’t go with laminate<br />

Space<br />

“The project was a daunting one,<br />

but the damp issue was getting<br />

worse and I knew we needed to<br />

take some action”<br />

www.stratford<strong>upon</strong>avonliving.co.uk | 15


ecause it doesn’t cope well with moisture, so<br />

the more obvious choice were luxury vinyl planks.<br />

We chose a product from the Colosseum range<br />

at Lifestyle Floors (lifestyle-floors.co.uk - you can<br />

find your local supplier on the website) which we<br />

had installed through a local fitter - the 7” plank<br />

width was perfect and the colour was exactly<br />

what we needed.”<br />

Before<br />

The colour of the flooring in a space like this is<br />

crucial too, “if you were to stand looking straight<br />

down the wall, you would see the floor undulates<br />

back and forth, like a wobbly line! We couldn’t<br />

have a dark coloured floor as this would highlight<br />

this - we went for the finish Limed Oak and it is<br />

perfect - it looks like real wood and gives us that<br />

nice Scandi look we love. I can’t recommend<br />

this flooring enough - whether your space is<br />

straightforward or tricky! It looks spectacular, is<br />

so cost effective and feels great underfoot. We<br />

finished it with this beautiful Savannah rug from<br />

Rug Love (ruglove.co.uk), which is the plushest,<br />

loveliest rug we’ve ever had! The colours really tie<br />

in well together and it’s handwoven.”<br />

Another challenge presented by this project was<br />

furnishing. Due to the huge curve and narrowness<br />

of the staircase down to the room, the owners<br />

knew most sofas and sofa beds would not fit<br />

into the room. Thankfully the answer was found<br />

with Snug Sofa (snugsofa.com). These ingenuous<br />

sofas arrive in their constituent parts in three<br />

“These ingenuous sofas<br />

arrive in their constituent<br />

parts in three boxes and<br />

are then assembled in<br />

under five minutes.”<br />

www.stratford<strong>upon</strong>avonliving.co.uk | 17


IMPORTANT NOTE:<br />

Today, renovation can only being<br />

with prior consent in the case of<br />

historically significant buildings<br />

and it is likely only granted if<br />

previous works have been started -<br />

it is important to check the details<br />

with your local planning authority<br />

before starting any works.<br />

Product Information:<br />

• Cushions, throw and floor<br />

cushions from hauslife.co.uk<br />

• Luxury bed linen set from<br />

riseandfall.co<br />

• Savannah Rug in Grey (160 x<br />

230cm) £319, from ruglove.<br />

co.uk<br />

• Prints and frames from<br />

desenio.co.uk<br />

Lydia Booth Photography -<br />

lydiaboothphotography.com<br />

lydia@lydiaboothphotography.com<br />

18 | www.stratford<strong>upon</strong>avonliving.co.uk


“We were just desperate for<br />

some extra space with us<br />

both working from home,<br />

and this has given a new<br />

lease of life to a space we<br />

hadn’t been using.”<br />

boxes and are then assembled in under five minutes. What’s more, Snug can usually<br />

deliver within a week - gone are the days of waiting eight weeks for a sofa to arrive, only<br />

to realise it won’t fit through the door. The other sofa options include modular elements,<br />

helping your sofa grow with your family - and they come in a whole host of stain-resistant<br />

(coffee, wine, small hand prints, paw prints) colours.<br />

Owner Dan was also sceptical about ordering a sofa online - Snug Sofa have UK stores to<br />

try out the products, but these were not in his locale. Though, he admits he needn’t have<br />

worried “the sofa is amazingly comfortable - my expectations were low as it was a sofa<br />

bed, but amazingly it’s even more comfy than my normal sofa upstairs. That, combined<br />

with lightning fast delivery, made something I was dreading incredibly easy. Because of<br />

lockdown, we haven’t had guests yet, but they’ll be able to sleep on a queen sized bed,<br />

which is pretty impressive for a sofa bed! It was a good opportunity to inject some colour<br />

into the room too!”<br />

Did the couple have any regrets from the project? “Only that I wish we’d done it sooner” says<br />

Kate. “Working on renovations this size are intimidating, but having a good plan of each step<br />

and executing it are the key points - you do have to consider the unique challenges of your<br />

own project and try to plan ahead to a degree. We were just desperate for some extra space<br />

with us both working from home, and this has given a new lease of life to an area we hadn’t<br />

been using. It feels like a natural extension of our home and I love all the products we’ve<br />

used - so much so that we are thinking of changing up some rooms upstairs!”<br />

www.stratford<strong>upon</strong>avonliving.co.uk | 19


NOTES FROM THE GARDEN<br />

Planting for the future...<br />

Garden lovers amongst us will<br />

appreciate the advice from our<br />

gardening expert Matt Biggs. Matt<br />

is a regular on Radio 4’s GQT’s<br />

expert panel, here he advises us to<br />

appreciate the landscape around us<br />

and perhaps invest in the future of<br />

our world by planting a tree.<br />

2020 has been a year many of us will wish<br />

to forget. One of the very few positive<br />

things to come from it however has been<br />

the appreciation so many of us have<br />

developed for our gardens and open<br />

spaces, parks and woodlands, places we<br />

can wonder at the natural beauty on our<br />

doorstep and that we may have looked at<br />

with fresh eyes.<br />

Trees are so important to our landscape<br />

and to our world and there are many tree<br />

planting initiatives that you can get involved<br />

in. Imagine the National Trust gardens and<br />

landscapes minus their majestic trees - and<br />

yet the people who planted them knew<br />

they would never live to see them in all<br />

their glory.<br />

With that in mind it is an idea perhaps for<br />

as many of us as can to plant for the future,<br />

and our children’s and grandchildren’s<br />

futures too.<br />

There are many initiatives, some local,<br />

some national and some international with<br />

which to get involved. His Royal Highness<br />

Prince Charles has given his support to<br />

Plant Britain, Trees for Climate, the World<br />

Land Trust and many others are also<br />

ongoing initiatives to green our planet and<br />

if you don’t want to get involved in that way<br />

then plant a tree where you live. It doesn’t<br />

have to be a mighty oak, there are so many<br />

trees, slow growing or otherwise that we<br />

can plant to enhance where we live - for<br />

ourselves and for others and indeed in<br />

memory of others, winter is still the best<br />

time to plant trees and lots of people have<br />

been busy - why don’t you plant some,<br />

too?<br />

Find out more from Matt Biggs by<br />

visiting his website matthewbiggs.com<br />

20 | www.stratford<strong>upon</strong>avonliving.co.uk<br />

“Gardening is a way<br />

of life, a passion which<br />

gives us a connection<br />

with the earth that<br />

sustains us.”<br />

Matt Biggs


Specialising in Block Paving,<br />

Tarmacing & Landscaping<br />

• Driveways & Patios<br />

• Resin Bound Driveways<br />

• Landscaping<br />

• Artificial Lawns and Decking<br />

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0121 392 6884 (Birmingham)<br />

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213 Station Road, Stechford,<br />

Birmingham B33 8BB<br />

www.silveroakdriveways.co.uk<br />

www.stratford<strong>upon</strong>avonliving.co.uk | 21


image from Studio McGee<br />

DECOR HOW TO:<br />

THE MODERN RUSTIC AESTHETIC<br />

What do you get when you mix<br />

mid-century modern furniture with<br />

rustic materials and accents? A<br />

perfectly modern rustic look! Kate,<br />

the founder of online homewares<br />

company Haus, delves into how you<br />

can achieve the look in your home.<br />

New to modern rustic style? You’ve<br />

probably seen it before and just<br />

didn’t know what to call it. It involves<br />

comfortable but streamlined furniture,<br />

natural elements, earth tones, and<br />

reliance on rustic materials and decor.<br />

This style is all over Instagram and<br />

Pinterest, and brilliant designers like<br />

Amber Interiors and Studio McGee often<br />

design rooms that you could easily say<br />

are of this style.<br />

Comfortable foundations<br />

Comfort is key with this look. So, the<br />

largest pieces of furniture in any modern<br />

rustic room should be streamlined<br />

but never skimp on comfort. In living<br />

rooms, start with cosy oversized sofas.<br />

In bedrooms, opt for plush, upholstered<br />

beds. For a dining room, look for an<br />

oversized, rustic wood dining table<br />

around which big groups can gather.<br />

But, while prioritizing comfort, make sure<br />

the furniture lines are clean and simple to<br />

keep the look modern.<br />

Add Mid-Century Modern<br />

Accents<br />

Once the comfortable foundation is<br />

laid, introduce a more mid-century or<br />

eclectic vibe. At first it may seem odd<br />

to mix these styles—but the contrast<br />

they create is what makes this look so<br />

dynamic and fun.<br />

An easy place to do this is with your<br />

accent furniture. Think of an eclectic<br />

woven leather armchair or a coffee or<br />

bedside table with an antique flair. In<br />

dining rooms, pair your farmhouse dining<br />

table with more modern seating, like<br />

Wishbone or Eames shell chairs.<br />

Create Conversational<br />

Layouts<br />

A family-friendly style by nature,<br />

modern rustic interiors often have more<br />

symmetrical layouts that are geared<br />

toward large gatherings and facilitate<br />

conversations. (Hence the huge, rustic<br />

dining table we suggested above.) This<br />

is where the look leans more rustic and<br />

formal rather than modern and eclectic.<br />

Layer on Natural<br />

Textures<br />

When bringing the modern<br />

rustic style to life, we love<br />

the opportunity to play<br />

with textures and different<br />

materials. This keeps a<br />

room looking liveable and<br />

approachable. Look for natural<br />

materials like seagrass, jute,<br />

ceramics, leather, and liveedge<br />

woods—then mix and<br />

match them together in one<br />

space, incorporating them<br />

in furniture, lighting, and decor accents!<br />

This helps the room feel dynamic and<br />

visually interesting<br />

We love introducing lots of texture with<br />

soft furnishings too - think of fringing<br />

and tufts plus artisanal products like the<br />

gorgeously tactile mudcloth cushions,<br />

with their handwoven texture and<br />

abundance of prints and patterns.<br />

Introduce Industrial<br />

Lighting<br />

With modern rustic, light fixtures are<br />

often industrial with sleek, streamlined<br />

forms that are sculptural in nature. Look<br />

for matte black or antique brass options,<br />

or even rattan and include multi-level<br />

light sources.<br />

Shop the range of artisanal<br />

homewares at www.hauslife.co.uk<br />

Fox Club Chair,<br />

£870, limelace.co.uk<br />

Tray, £40, sweetpeaandwillow.com<br />

22 | www.stratford<strong>upon</strong>avonliving.co.uk


image from modsy.com<br />

ADVERTISING FEATURE<br />

Cosmia Tassel Throw,<br />

£58, hauslife.co.uk<br />

Anouk Pillow Cover<br />

(also available in coral),<br />

£35, hauslife.co.uk<br />

image from One Affirmation<br />

image from Studio McGee<br />

SHOP<br />

THE<br />

LOOK<br />

Layer these<br />

items in your<br />

home to nail the<br />

modern rustic<br />

look<br />

Anouk Pillow Cover,<br />

£56, hauslife.co.uk<br />

Wells Bubble Vase<br />

Wide, £40,<br />

gardentrading.co.uk<br />

Lines Mudcloth<br />

Pillow, £58,<br />

hauslife.co.uk<br />

Boston Reclaimed Wood<br />

Coffee Table, £314,<br />

modishliving.co.uk<br />

Extra Long Calliope<br />

Lumbar Cushion, £75,<br />

hauslife.co.uk<br />

www.stratford<strong>upon</strong>avonliving.co.uk | 23


ambleside<br />

has it all<br />

Ambleside is a spacious purpose-built care<br />

home where our compassionate and expert<br />

team delivers quality care you can trust, in a<br />

safe, warm and welcoming environment...<br />

If you’ve not set foot in a care home before – or even if you have<br />

– Ambleside in Dodwell may surprise you. This modern home<br />

boasts luxury facilities including its own café, activity room, hair<br />

and beauty salon, and cinema – so whether you want to relax<br />

with a cup of coffee and slice of cake, get busy with a creative<br />

hobby, or enjoy a classic film they have it all at Ambleside<br />

Ambleside provides a full range of care services, including long<br />

and short term residential, nursing and dementia care. The<br />

experienced team receive the latest training in all areas of care,<br />

including dementia care. Most importantly, they bring a kind and<br />

caring approach and a passion for keeping residents safe, happy<br />

and well cared for.<br />

With safety top-of-mind for everyone right now, Ambleside has<br />

enhanced its already-robust infection control measures to keep<br />

current and new residents, as well as colleagues, safe. They<br />

use the very latest technology to keep their home clean and<br />

safe, including fogging machines to disinfect indoor spaces and<br />

thermal imaging cameras to check temperatures. Visits from<br />

loved ones are important to everyone – that is why they have<br />

safe outdoor visiting options such as garden, drive-in or closed<br />

window visits, and a dedicated indoor visiting space when the<br />

situation allows.<br />

Home manager, Julia Joy, and her team are doing all this while<br />

ensuring life stays as normal as possible for the people they care<br />

for – going the extra mile to make every day special for residents,<br />

with activities and experiences personalised to their unique<br />

needs and wishes.. The lifestyle team organise a huge variety of<br />

group as well as one-to-one activities, with plenty going on each<br />

day.<br />

If you’re considering care for yourself or a loved one, discover<br />

flexibility and assurance – ask about the Care UK 28 day<br />

guarantee*.<br />

Ambleside is part of award winning provider, Care UK – one of the<br />

UK’s most successful care home operators, with over 35 years’<br />

experience of delivering high quality care to older people.<br />

Ambleside care home, Dodwell,<br />

<strong>Stratford</strong>-Upon-<strong>Avon</strong> CV37 9TG<br />

Care.uk.com/ambleside<br />

Tel: 01789 867338<br />

ADVERTISING FEATURE<br />

The Limes – providing<br />

high quality care in<br />

<strong>Stratford</strong>-Upon-<strong>Avon</strong><br />

for over 28 years<br />

Speak to us today about how we can help you to<br />

keep doing the things that are important to you.<br />

Ask about our Coronavirus infection prevention measures:<br />

use of PPE<br />

safe admissions policies<br />

sanitising spraygates<br />

support for keeping in touch with family including<br />

pre-booked indoor and garden visits, and video calls<br />

The Limes Care Home, Alcester Road,<br />

<strong>Stratford</strong>-<strong>upon</strong>-<strong>Avon</strong>, CV37 6PH<br />

01789 267076 limes@wcs-care.co.uk<br />

wcs-care.co.uk<br />

Registered charity number 1012788<br />

/wcscare<br />

@WCS_Care<br />

www.stratford<strong>upon</strong>avonliving.co.uk | 25


TONIQ On Demand<br />

ADVERTISING FEATURE<br />

We caught up with personal trainer Arron Collins-Thomas to find out about his new<br />

online fitness offering, expanded from his very successful gym TONIQ...<br />

Your gym, with its fully-rounded approach to health and<br />

lifestyle, has made national news for its incredible client<br />

results – what will the app offer?<br />

At TONIQ we recognise that good health is more than just<br />

regular workouts, it encompasses taking care of every aspect<br />

of your body. We have created a solution where everything from<br />

nutrition, mindfulness, amazing workouts, yoga and more is<br />

available with guidance from fantastic trainers and experts in<br />

one place.<br />

Not only this, but as part of TOD you have access to your own<br />

coach, ensuring that you have someone you can speak to, to<br />

keep you on track and accountable as well as supporting you<br />

throughout.<br />

We have had some incredible results over the past few years at<br />

TONIQ and we want to be able to bring those results to more<br />

people. With the app we aim to give anyone, anywhere in the<br />

world, a taste of the TONIQ-life.<br />

As a TONIQ On Demand member you get to join the incredible<br />

community online, have access to our on demand workouts as<br />

well as live workouts, Q&As and educational talks. We have an<br />

incredible coaching team with a huge array of skills to bring to<br />

you including yoga, qigong, nutrition and mindfulness.<br />

The main workouts are written based on what we are up to at<br />

TONIQ in any given training block and a new phase of workouts<br />

launches every 6 weeks on the app as well as regular bonus<br />

content to keep the training varied and inspiring.<br />

Can you get a good experience with online coaching?<br />

Are you accountable and is it personalised?<br />

With TOD you have a designated TONIQ coach who you speak<br />

to on a one to one basis. When you first sign up with us you<br />

will have a call to help you set up your accountability sheets,<br />

help you curate your workout schedule and set you on the<br />

right nutrition plan for you. Then every month you get another<br />

call with your coach to help keep you on track and answer any<br />

questions you may have. Accountability is key if you really want<br />

to get results and that is one of the reasons why TONIQ has<br />

been so successful.<br />

Are the classes accessible no matter your fitness level?<br />

Some of us are self-conscious about going to the gym or<br />

nervous in COVID times.<br />

No matter what your levels of fitness we can help you. Our<br />

expert coach will advise what level to start at for you and<br />

how hard to push yourself in the first consultation you have<br />

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28 | www.stratford<strong>upon</strong>avonliving.co.uk


DOCTOR DOCTOR<br />

We talk to one of the UK’s favourite doctors - Dr Hilary Jones<br />

Dr Hilary Jones is one of best known TV<br />

doctors and has been ITV’s Health Editor<br />

on Good Morning Britain since 1989. Sally<br />

Thomson had the opportunity to have a<br />

discussion with him following his early start<br />

on the programme.<br />

Thank you very much for taking my call.<br />

Dr Hilary, have you had a long day?<br />

It’s been a fairly long day but I’m getting<br />

used to that at the moment.<br />

What time do you start in the mornings?<br />

4 o’clock starts usually 5 days a week for<br />

the last few months so, yeah it is what it is<br />

and it’s a challenging story.<br />

Most people know you from the breakfast<br />

programme you are on, but a lot of people<br />

don’t know why you actually chose to<br />

become a doctor?<br />

My dad was a doctor so I had an insight<br />

into what was involved and I think I was<br />

always a people person so I suppose in a<br />

corny way I wanted to do something that<br />

would make a difference. Whilst I had to<br />

change from Art A levels to science which<br />

was a struggle the clinical work was very<br />

satisfying, so it was an easy decision.<br />

Was there a particular field that you<br />

wanted to specialise in?<br />

No, I’ve always thought a specialist is<br />

someone who knows more and more about<br />

less and less until they know everything<br />

about nothing. I wanted to be a jack of<br />

all trades and have a broad spectrum of<br />

knowledge and the challenge of general<br />

practice is you never know what’s going to<br />

come through the door.<br />

How long ago did you enter it, when did<br />

you become fully qualified?<br />

1976 so 44 years ago.<br />

Would you recommend a young person<br />

goes into the profession?<br />

Yes, it’s a fantastic career still. It has its<br />

challenges and I think in the UK it’s not<br />

particularly appreciated enough by the<br />

doctors patients but I would say that its<br />

challenging, interesting, satisfying and<br />

nobody does it for the money but I think<br />

in terms of job satisfaction and going to<br />

bed at night thinking my goodness I’ve<br />

think I’ve made a difference it is a fantastic<br />

career.<br />

I guess it must be quite challenging at<br />

times, the other side of it that is quite<br />

difficult I should imagine.<br />

Of course, they are long hours and you<br />

have to impart bad news sometimes and<br />

you deal with death and dying as well as<br />

making people better.<br />

Is that a major part of the syllabus? How<br />

you handle those unpleasant and really<br />

heart rendering times when you have to<br />

give somebody bad news?<br />

What you learn in training is fairly superficial<br />

and it’s what you pick up through the<br />

experience of practice that makes the<br />

difference and you never stop learning in<br />

medicine.<br />

How did you get into TV? There appears<br />

to be a lot of doctors now on the box, but<br />

you have been there for a little time, now<br />

haven’t you?<br />

I was lucky enough to have gone to a<br />

school with a very good drama society<br />

and it was not unusual for us to perform in<br />

front of an audience and I think that when I<br />

was in general practice I realised we could<br />

reach a lot more people rather than dealing<br />

with one person in the surgery. Public<br />

health messages were capable of reaching<br />

hundreds of thousands of people in one hit<br />

so I wrote to TV AM asking for a job, then I<br />

got a letter back saying we like your ideas<br />

come and meet us and that was in 1989.<br />

I understand that you have been working<br />

on topics regarding keeping well during<br />

the wintertime and in light of the awful<br />

year we have had in particular, what<br />

advice would you like to give our<br />

readers?<br />

I think patience and perspective would<br />

be two words that come to mind. I think<br />

everyone is very impatient to get on with<br />

www.stratford<strong>upon</strong>avonliving.co.uk | 29


we have to be patient. We are in a society<br />

that is used to having instant gratification<br />

and if we want something, we want it now,<br />

unfortunately we can’t do that. The National<br />

Health Service is distracted by the worst<br />

global pandemic for over 100 years with<br />

very serious repercussions and we have to<br />

be grateful for what we have, make some<br />

adjustments, be patient and get through<br />

this by helping each other out as much as<br />

possible as well as looking after ourselves.<br />

It is quite scary and most of us are on<br />

tenterhooks with what’s going on and<br />

naturally if you go back to April when<br />

the weather was lovely and warm, but<br />

now rain, cold snap, bit of wind and<br />

the dark days it’s rather gloomy so is<br />

this a concern with you in the medical<br />

profession?<br />

Of course, and people are feeling down<br />

and tend to, get Seasonal Affective<br />

Disorder in the Winter anyway with the dark<br />

days and not much daylight “What is there<br />

to look forward to?” people might say.<br />

Mental Health Charities are being kept very<br />

busy, much more so though than in the last<br />

few years. It’s always been a challenge, but<br />

I think a lot of people are feeling particularly<br />

anxious even if they weren’t before or more<br />

anxious if they were before and feeling<br />

depressed, not sleeping very well. I think<br />

we have to be able to manage we have<br />

to be able to give people the support so<br />

they can reach out to mental health apps,<br />

counsellors, doctors and just talking to<br />

friends and family about our concerns<br />

as I think everybody has this degree of<br />

apprehension at the moment but that’s<br />

normal it’s a sort of protective mechanism<br />

but if we can share our fears and concerns<br />

that really helps.<br />

It’s worrying on so many levels for<br />

instance whether you are an employee<br />

and people you have worked around for<br />

years are being made redundant or the<br />

business you are working in is at threat,<br />

it’s going to make people very jittery<br />

and it really brings it home and makes it<br />

difficult for most of us and knowing how<br />

to keep above it?<br />

I think it’s choosing the things we can do<br />

despite it being Winter, we can still exercise<br />

as much as possible in daylight hours, we<br />

can cheer ourselves up with a good book,<br />

a good film or some uplifting music. We<br />

can talk to the people that we trust and we<br />

love, so there are many things that we can<br />

still do, there are some things we can’t do<br />

but there are still plenty that we can do and<br />

we need to hang onto those and spend as<br />

much time enjoying life as we possibly can.<br />

What’s concerning, and I have heard<br />

this from a lot of people is that they are<br />

worried about Christmas, worried about<br />

their families and the whole thing moving<br />

forward is unsettling. Christmas time<br />

is usually when we can see and spend<br />

time with our elderly relatives, and you<br />

would maybe notice any problems or if<br />

something is developing that you could<br />

help with?<br />

I suppose it’s the time of the year that<br />

30 | www.stratford<strong>upon</strong>avonliving.co.uk<br />

families get together after a long busy<br />

year so the thought of having to forego<br />

that is distressing for a lot of people but<br />

at the same time we don’t know where<br />

we are going to be in a couple of months’<br />

time. I think for me as a doctor health<br />

is paramount and we need to protect<br />

our elderly and people with pre-existing<br />

conditions but there are ways of connecting<br />

and communicating which are safer than<br />

others. If we care for our parents, then we<br />

are already caring for them however if we<br />

are in different households and there’s any<br />

risk of transmitting the virus then talk on<br />

the phone or online. It may be that we just<br />

have to wait a little longer and have what we<br />

would normally have at Christmas a couple<br />

of months later.<br />

Do you have faith in a vaccine being<br />

beneficial?<br />

Yes I think it’s likely that amongst all the<br />

hundreds of vaccines that are being worked<br />

on at the moment that we will have several<br />

that have a good protective effect it may be<br />

that we have to use a combination or use<br />

a combination several times a year. There<br />

are some very clever people working on this<br />

and we have created vaccines against all<br />

sorts of diseases that we couldn’t master<br />

before like meningococcal meningitis C and<br />

A and respiratory in situ virus in children. We<br />

are developing vaccines all the time which<br />

are effective and safe, and I do have faith<br />

that a vaccine would be the answer.<br />

With the measles jab, people stopped<br />

having it done and am I right in saying<br />

that rose again and more children were<br />

getting measles and it’s a very serious<br />

illness in children?<br />

Yes, before we had a measles vaccination<br />

hundreds of children died of complications<br />

of measles and of rubella and occasionally<br />

mumps so MMR has saved thousands of<br />

lives and whilst people were worried by a<br />

study from one just man that was dismissed<br />

the coverage for a vaccine is back up to<br />

where it was before, thank goodness.<br />

People have forgotten that a hundred years<br />

ago 1 in 4 children died before their 5th<br />

birthday of disease.<br />

We mentioned the care for our elderly<br />

relatives and I think it’s an opportunity<br />

when we don’t see them from year to year<br />

to see how they are getting on and we<br />

might as the middle aged children of elderly<br />

parents recognise changes in them that<br />

have been gradual that nobody else has<br />

noticed. We might find for example that<br />

their cognitive function is a bit slower, that<br />

their concentration is less, and they can’t<br />

find the words that they were looking for.<br />

They might be forgetful or hard of hearing. If<br />

they can’t hear you on the phone or online,<br />

then they are going to miss out on activity.<br />

We know that loss of hearing is the leading<br />

preventative cause of dementia. If we can<br />

correct peoples hearing, then they are less<br />

likely to develop dementia.<br />

34% of people aren’t aware that there are<br />

things that you can do to prevent or delay<br />

the onset of Dementia and top of the list is<br />

making sure that people can hear well. If<br />

people have a mild hearing loss it doubles<br />

their Dementia risk but if they have a severe<br />

hearing impairment the risk is 5 times that of<br />

someone that can hear normally. Checking<br />

on the elderly checking their hearing making<br />

sure their vision is good, making sure they<br />

are not too isolated, eating & drinking<br />

properly and keeping their mind busy<br />

with crosswords, books that sort of thing<br />

physical activity all of these things help.<br />

These are things you can discuss on the<br />

phone and you can encourage people to<br />

get their hearing checked for example.<br />

So if somebody does have bad hearing can<br />

a specialist visit them at home or do, we<br />

have to take them to a specialist?<br />

There are NHS services but they are very<br />

much under strain at the moment but there<br />

are some good high street outlets such<br />

as Hidden Hearing where you can go and<br />

have a free hearing test. You will be given<br />

advice about what level of hearing loss if<br />

any you have and what could be done. It<br />

may just be something simple such as wax<br />

removal is needed but it could be a degree<br />

of hearing loss caused by increasing age<br />

that could be corrected with a hearing<br />

aid. This can change people’s lives almost<br />

overnight and can have a dramatic effect.<br />

It reconnects them with the world, they can<br />

understand conversation, share jokes, they<br />

can socialise. It makes a huge difference<br />

and that means no more isolation or<br />

depression and happiness again.<br />

Finally, everybody has different things<br />

that they have missed since this has all<br />

happened. What have you missed most<br />

during this difficult year?<br />

I’ve got 5 children, 3 grandchildren and an<br />

elderly mother whom I look after. I would<br />

love to invite my children round or go to<br />

stay with them, but I haven’t been able to as<br />

it’s just too risky, I don’t want to put them at<br />

risk and vice versa. We speak on the phone<br />

a lot and I miss them terribly, but I look<br />

forward to the time when we can all meet<br />

up again.<br />

The interview took place before we<br />

had the news that a vaccine had been<br />

approved, and until fully implemented<br />

everyone should continue following the<br />

Government’s advice. Go to www.gov.uk<br />

for more information.


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