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Welcome... Win £100!
Find Sammy Squirrel…
For how to join the search see page 117
cover PIC: BBC/Ray Burmiston
PICS: alamy stock photo, shutterstock
I
always used to pride myself on having
a good memory. I could go shopping
without a list and juggle all sorts of
tasks. Sadly, since the menopause, I’m
increasingly realising that anything I haven’t
written down just isn’t happening!
I can still recall strange and obscure facts
for the pub quiz I go to each week, but my
desk is now covered in Post-It notes and my
mobile phone is full of lists and reminders.
Consequently, I was
eager to read Mind the Memory Gap (p36) which
is packed with research-backed advice to help
boost your brain. I was struck by the study that
says taking pictures can improve our recall.
I’ve often been disapproving when, at events
or travelling, I’m surrounded by people snapping
away – viewing everything through their mobile
phone screen instead of paying attention to
what’s happening right in front of them. But now
I shall view it differently and maybe capture a
few memories of my own.
See you next issue…
NEW!
Sammy
Squirrel
WIN £500
cash!
Find out what
Sammy would like for
Christmas and you
could win £500!
Sammy would like
a particular gift this
year and you could
help him get it! Turn to
p123 to find out more.
Get in
touch
Write to
Yours magazine, Media House,
Peterborough Business Park,
Peterborough PE2 6EA
editor’s choice
Let’s get a good night’s sleep!
Indulge in a pre-bedtime treat of
soothing lavender and vetivert
to soak away anxiety
£22 M&S
The gel beads inside this pillow
will keep you cool even if you
suffer from night sweats
£69 www.sussexbedcentre.co.uk
Email
yours@
bauermedia.
co.uk
A memory captured: The
spectacular Museum of the
Moon art installation on
display in Peterborough
Cathedral
Sharon Reid, Editor
Facebook
facebook.com/
Yoursmagazine
Sip a cup of
Sleep Easy tea
before bed, it’s
caffeine-free and
great tasting
£1.29
Holland & Barrett
Calming
camomile and
lavender scents
spritzed on your
pillow could
help you unwind
and de-stress.
£4.50
www.avon.uk.com
Join us online…
yours.co.uk
Inside this issue…
Real life
6 ‘Say cheese!‘
Animal snaps
16 Inspired by baby Kira
to help others
21 For the love of
animals
22 PAT dogs 2018
24 ‘It’s good to talk’ – chat
to beat loneliness
26 The Swan Song project
Star chat
12 Cover Darcey Bussell
15 Fiona Phillips
18 Bernard Cribbins
134 Our pick of the best TV!
Your best life now!
30 Cover Winter coats
34 Winter beauty
36 Cover Memory
boosters
39 Build better bones
Good to know
44 Put pen to paper for a
quick pick-me-up
39
46 Best buys and freebies
49 Your questions answered
52 Cover The best gifts this
Christmas!
Nostalgia
81 Where are they now?
Elkie Brooks
82 40th anniversary of
Grange Hill
87 Life on a busy city
67
newspaper
Leisure time
66 Cover Hairy Bikers’
British Classics
69 Cover Craft special:
part 2
101 Visit Bury St Edmunds
104 Cover Christmas escapes
Your favourites
8 Meeting Place WIN
77 Short story
a spa
89 Roy Hudd
break
p123
90 Cover Free for every
reader offer
95 Friends of Yours
109 Carers in touch
117 Puzzles to test you &
Cover prizes to win
138 Horoscopes and
what’s in our next issue!
22
30
73

For the
love of
animals
From pampered pets to birds, bugs and
wild beasties we celebrate all creatures
great and small…
our shared planet
Nature news
What a
stunner!
This lilac-breasted roller,
the national bird of Kenya,
was pictured in the Masai
Mara National Reserve.
Provide a safe home for
hedgehogs and insects
by placing fallen leaves
underneath hedges and
shrubs to create leaf piles.
Many animal and insect
species rely on these as vital
sources of food and shelter
over the winter months,
especially hedgehogs.
And come next spring the
insects, such as butterfly
and moth caterpillars, will
provide much-needed food
for birds feeding their babies.
This one stopped to
take in the view on
the back of a zebra!
Pet and wildlife treats
This Busy Buddy Grip ‘n’ Tug
features a handle, helping
protect your hands and
make it easier to play tug
of war with your beloved
dog. Rrp, £12.99.
n Call 0800 046 1414
or visit www.petsafe.
com/UK
This cute bird
nesting box,
£14.99 from
Alfresia,
will be a
colourful
addition to
your garden
at any time
of the year.
n To order,
call 01706 716 116 or visit
alfresia.co.uk
Pet of the
fortnight
Diane and Steve’s cat
Rupert is seven-years-old
and snores as loud as his
daddy. He has a strong
dislike of vacuums and
window cleaners!
n Send us a picture of your pet
with personality, tell us their likes,
dislikes and age and if we print it
you’ll receive a £10 voucher
Latest research has revealed
that older people who own
pets fall asleep more easily
and feel consistently more
positive about their local
environment than those who
don’t have animals.
pics: alamy stock photo, shutterstock
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT
21

With John Lennon
and George Harrison
The
View
from
Yours
Song challenge
Sir Paul McCartney has admitted he’s
had to relearn some Beatles and Wings
songs for his latest tour. Speaking on
an American chat show he said: “There’s
just too many words, too many notes.
It’s not like
they’re all just
three chords.”
Sir Paul’s
words certainly
strike a chord
with us!
Our round-up of the funny,
Highland
happiness
You may remember last year
hearing all about ‘hygge’, the
Danish tradition of cosiness
and contentment, as being
the secret to happiness.
But this year’s big trend
comes from much nearer
to home. Wellness experts
are singing the praises of
‘coorie’ a Scottish word
that’s all about enjoying
simple pleasures and
embracing the outdoors,
from swimming lochs and
bracing a Highland walk
to wrapping up in a tartan
blanket by the fire, to boost
your body and mind.
f
A sweet tribute
Cadbury’s is
marking
the 100th
anniversary of
the end of the
First World War,
with a special,
commemorative
Dairy Milk
Remembrance Bar. Given the
same wrapper design as the
Dairy Milk bar sold during the
War, but with poppies added,
30p of every sale goes to
support the work of the Royal
British Legion.
n For more ways to support the Royal British
Legion turn to page 84.
Bucket list dreams
Driving Route 66, going to pop concerts and
‘getting the kids to move out’ have emerged
among the top bucket list wishes for the over-
55s, according to a study. Getting a tattoo,
online dating and even learning to swim
all made the top 30. The study, by Legal &
General Home Finance, also found 78 per cent
believe having life goals is important and 32
per cent are keen to show that, regardless of
their age, they can do anything they want.
Too right! Age truly is just a number!
Real books
are back!
Demand for printed books is
growing again, while sales of
eBooks and Kindles are down.
‘Screen fatigue’ is thought to
be one of the reasons, with
readers tiring of staring at
a screen. While eBooks are
handy for travelling, there’s
certainly something special
about cuddling up with a
‘real’ book, particularly on
dark winter nights.
n What do you think? Let us
know at the Yours address.
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT

y, fascinating and unusual stories this fortnight
Almost 50 per cent
of Brits now count
musicals as their
favourite film genre.
The favourite
movie musical is
Grease, closely
followed by
Mamma Mia!
50%
according to research
by Showcase Cinema
Sheep’s
sleep
secret
What’s all the
fuss about?
Scientists say wearing wool
pyjamas helps you both drop
off to sleep quicker and sleep
for longer as it regulates body
temperature. With the colder
nights, it’s worth a try!
Bye-bye best before
Tesco has announced it will remove best-before dates
from more than 100 fresh lines in its latest bid to
fight food waste. Products that will no longer have
a best-before sticker include apples, oranges and
asparagus and will leave it to the customer to decide
when food has gone bad. We always used to do that!
What’s all the
fuss about?
Driving down
plastic waste
A pioneering green scheme that allows city centre drivers
to pay for pricey parking with plastic bottles has just been
launched. Handing in an empty bottle of at least 500ml
capacity is worth 20p off at the Merrion Centre car park in
Leeds. Hundreds have already been handed in and will be
recycled into items such as toys and furniture. Anything
that reduces plastic waste has to be a good idea.
PICS: alamy stock photo, rex/shutterstock
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT
5

Min d the
memory
Feeling forgetful?
Rebecca Speechley has
some brain-boosting tips
to help you stay sharp
We all have those
momentary
memory lapses.
How many
times have you gone into a
room and can’t remember
why, or arrived home
from the shops without
buying the very thing you
went out for? While some
forgetfulness is perfectly
natural – especially when
we’re busy – it’s by no means
inevitable. The human
brain has an astonishing
ability to adapt and change
– even into old age. Known
as neuroplasticity, with
the right stimulation,
your brain can form
new neural pathways
and adapt to increase your
cognitive ability.
Research has shown that
simple changes to diet and
lifestyle can boost brain
health and, while genetics
plays a role in more serious
neurological conditions such
as Alzheimer’s, there’s plenty
you can do to improve your
memory.
Hear say
Italian researchers recently
found that having hearing loss
could double your risk of developing
Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers
aren’t sure exactly how the two are
connected but tackling hearing loss
could help you keep your grey matter
in good shape. Specsavers offer free
hearing tests, ask in store
or call 0800 023 2949
Brain booster!
Need to remember something? Read it
or say it out loud. Hearing yourself speak it
could help your brain to store information
so that it becomes a longer-term memory,
say Canadian researchers
36
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT
Clever cuppa
A good old cuppa could
help improve attention
span, stress levels and
keep your mind clear,
according to Dr Tim
Bond of the Tea Advisory
Panel, “Compounds
found in black tea, such
as L-theanine, can help to
heighten memory skills.”

feeling great
Fuel up on fibre
Inflammation is one of the major
causes of memory problems so
tackling it could bolster your brain
power. Eating fibre-rich foods such
as broccoli, nuts, oats, beans and
wholegrain bread might help delay
brain ageing by triggering the
production of a short-chain fatty
acid that has anti-inflammatory
properties. Most of us don’t eat
enough fibre so try to pack in as
much as you can each day.
Eat a
Fibre
Maths
A bowl of
porridge with a
pear, plus a
banana and some
almonds
Brain
booster!
Challenge your
brain by doing
everything with
the wrong hand.
Brush your
teeth, write
your shopping
list, comb your
hair or use
your computer
mouse all
with your lessdominant
hand.
You could even
try switching
your knife and
fork around to
make your brain
work harder.
✚
baked potato
with baked
beans
Exercise it
US researchers say mild
cognitive decline could
be treated by just two
workouts a week. A
brisk walk, a dance class,
a bike ride or a game
of tennis twice a week
could help to improve
your memory. Being
active could help balance
blood sugar, keep your
heart healthy and fight
inflammation, all of
which benefit your brain.
Snap!
Taking pictures could help you to
remember things more clearly. US researchers
discovered that people who took photos on
a tour of a museum remembered things more
clearly than those who didn’t. Snapping pictures
makes you more aware of what you’re looking at
so you take more in – the perfect excuse to take
more pictures of your loved ones!
✚
chicken
stir-fry with
brown rice
the
recommended
30g of
fibre a day
Stand up
Get the blood pumping to your brain by getting up
and out of your chair as often as you can during the
day. People who sit a lot have more signs of thinning
in their medial temporal lobe (the area of your brain
that makes new memories) than people who are
on their feet more. Try to get up and walk around at
least once an hour to keep things moving.
rainbow
“Eat as many different colours
as you can each day to keep
you brain in great shape,” says
nutritionist Cassandra Burns.
Here are some of Cassandra's
memory-friendly favourites.
Pink
Salmon is packed with omega-3 fatty
acids, a well-known brain booster,
but its pink colour gives it an added
advantage. The colour comes from
astaxanthin, a carotenoid that’s
produced by microalgae and works
its way up the food chain into salmon.
Research has found that getting
plenty of astaxanthin could improve
cognitive function.
Yellow
Yellow foods such as egg yolks
and sweetcorn are rich in lutein.
While lutein is most famous for its
eye health benefits, it’s also stored
in our brain and is thought to have a
protective effect.
Blue
Blueberries are rich in polyphenols
that give them their blue colour, and
these are thought to be particularly
good for your brain, with one study
suggesting they might delay brain
ageing by two-and-a-half years.
Green
Dark green vegetables such as kale
and spinach are good sources of
magnesium and calcium. These
minerals are vital for transmitting
nerve impulses, allowing
communication between your brain
and your body.
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT
37
PICs: alamy stock photo, shutterstock, getty images

Christmas
with a
twist
Whether you want to escape
the festive madness or get some
winter sun, there are plenty of
alternative ways to
enjoy the season
By Katharine Wootton
PICs: alamy stock photo, getty images, antti pietikÄinen
104
Ho, Ho, Honolulu
Get away from the
British drizzle with
a Christmas trip to
Hawaii. In the baking
hot sun, Hawaiians enjoy
a month-long Christmas
party throughout December,
with fireworks, parades,
Christmas carolling with ukulele
accompaniments and a 50ft pine
tree in Honolulu – brought from
Norfolk! Meanwhile, Christmas
Day is the time to hit the beach,
swap snowmen for sandmen,
watch hula dancers and musicians
and wait for Father Christmas
to arrive on a canoe dressed in
flowery shirt and flip-flops.
If you want a complete
break, trek through the
Hawaiian rainforest,
see the flow of lava
from the Volcanoes
National Park
or head 761ft
above Honolulu
to the Diamond
Head of State
Monument,
with many trek
trails open
over Christmas.
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT
A shepherd’s hut
is now one of the
most popular forms
of glamping, offering all
the home comforts, and even
a roaring fire if you’re lucky, but in a
beautifully secluded (tinsel-free) setting.
We love Waingates handcrafted
Shepherd Huts (01423 740690/
waingatesfarmhuts.co.uk) in North
Yorkshire, just a short walk from the
banks of the River Ure. But if you do
Watch your flock by night
fancy some festive frolics, York Christmas
market and the yuletide wonderland of
Castle Howard are just under an hour’s
drive away.
At this time of year, wildlife watchers
would love Elmley Nature Reserve, Isle of
Sheppey, Kent (0793 084 7520/
www.elmleynaturereserve.co.uk/stay-atelmley-accommodation)
where vintage
huts are the perfect look-out point for
all the wildlife living in this 3,000-acre
nature reserve.
Sleigh bells ring
Dash through the snow in a sled pulled
by dogs in a husky safari through the
Finnish wilderness. Ideal for animal
lovers, there’s nothing quite like driving
a pack through the stunning scenery of
the Pallas- Ylläs National Park in northwestern
Lapland, through Christmascard
scenes of snowy forests and frozen
lakes. If you’re lucky you may even catch
a glimpse of the Northern Lights from
this well-known vantage point.
n Responsible Travel runs an eight-day
husky safari including accommodation in a
safari house and wilderness cabin. Call 01273
823700 or visit www.responsibletravel.com

take a trip
Take the Polar Express
Here’s your first-class
ticket to some festive
spirit – steaming through
the snowy lakes and
mountains of Switzerland
on the highest railway line
in Europe.
The Jungfrau Express
offers Christmas tours
through the unrivalled
winter scenery of the
Alps – a true wonderland
seen best from the soaring
heights of this legendary
railway that harks back
to the golden age of
glamorous steam travel.
And as Switzerland is also
the home of chocolatemaking,
you won’t have
to miss out on a sweet
Christmas treat or grab
some special gifts to take
back for the family, either!
n Great Rail Journeys offers
a seven-day trip including a
horse-drawn carriage ride in
Grindlewald, cable car to the
Alpen Tower, journey on the
Jungfrau Express, Christmas
Day dinner and all-inclusive
accommodation – call
01904 521936 or visit
www.greatrail.com
Christmas Day is the time to wait for Father
Christmas to arrive in flowery shirt and flip-flops
Try a ‘humble’ Shepherd’s
hut, or Christmas in style
at Castle Howard (inset)
A time for giving
Rediscover the true spirit
of Christmas by combining
a festive getaway with
some volunteering. Animal
lovers will revel in helping
conserve endangered
penguins in Peru,
where you’ll learn about
the threats facing these
adorable animals that
are synonymous with
winter, and even feed
and care for them.
n For more info call
0207 613 2422
/frontier.ac.uk/projects/828/
Peru-Penguin-Conservation
Madagascar Care and
Conservation Christmas
Project is looking for
volunteers to help run
childcare projects for
children unable to attend
school, while teaching
them more about
animals, plants and
local conservation.
n Call 01903 708300,
visit www.projectsabroad.co.uk
It’s Christmas time in the city
If you’ve done the traditional European Christmas
market destinations of Bruges and Berlin before, try
something a bit different by taking a trip to the Strasbourg
Christkindelsmärik in eastern France, home to one of
Europe’s oldest Christmas markets dating back to 1570.
With 300 stalls spread across ten locations, there really is
Christmas cheer on every street corner with illuminations,
pretty wooden chalets, hot Alsatian wine and piles of
steaming, spiced bread available wherever you go.
The city’s now-famous Great Christmas Tree in Place
Kleber, however, is the real star of the show, putting even the
spruce at New York’s Rockefeller Center to shame!
n The market runs from November 24-December 30
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT
105

etro favourites
We catch up with Seventies and Eighties
singing superstar Elkie Brooks
who has no intention of hanging up her
microphone just yet
Where are they now?
By Peter Robertson
At the age
of 73, Elkie
Brooks is still
as busy as
ever, touring
the world with her
unique voice that gave us
iconic international hits
such as Pearl’s a Singer,
Lilac Wine and Gasoline
Abbey.
It all started in 1945
when Elkie was born
Elaine Bookbinder into
a Polish Jewish family
in Salford. Music was
in the blood as Elkie’s
maternal grandmother,
Maude Newton, was
a fine classical pianist,
violinist and singer and it
wasn’t long before Elkie
was trying her hand at
singing, too.
“Neither of my parents
were musical, but my
brothers were; Tony
played drums for Billy J
Kramer, and Ray played
bass and trumpet. And
Singing sensation: Elkie, pictured
recently, is still regularly on tour
of course, I sang and
played piano,” explains
Elkie, who used to sing
at Bar Mitzvahs and
weddings as a little girl.
“I’ve always had a natural
low singing voice and my
headmistress said to me,
‘Wonderful voice, darling,
but you sound like a boy.’”
At the age of 13 Elkie
did her first professional
show at the Manchester
club The Laronde and
her music manager,
Don Arden (Sharon
Osbourne’s father)
persuaded her to change
her name.
Elkie learned her
trade on the cabaret
circuit, supporting bands
from The Beatles to The
Animals, before she
became frontwoman of
the rock group, Vinegar
Joe, featuring Robert
Palmer and her first
husband, Pete Gage.
After the band
split up in 1974, a solo
career beckoned for
Elkie and she released
her first album, Rich
Man’s Woman, in 1975.
She was also asked by
Tim Rice and Andrew
Lloyd Webber to do the
concept album for Evita,
including Don’t Cry For
Me, Argentina. But after
a meeting I was told they
felt I had far too much to
say for myself and I thought
‘Your loss!’.”
In 1977, Elkie’s career
rocketed up another notch
when she made the album
Two Days Away with the
single, Pearl’s a Singer,
being released on her
birthday that year. “I liked
making music and being
in the business but I never
thought it would take off.”
Since 1978, Elkie has
been married to her second
husband, sound engineer
Trevor Jordan. The couple
share a home in the West
Country with their sons,
Jay and Joey. As a family,
they enjoy paragliding
and handgliding. In recent
years, Jay has also become
Elkie’s manager, producing
her albums on their own
label, Eventful.
“I still enjoy performing
my old hits live,” says Elkie
who has just recently
finished her latest tour. But
she’s also keen to point out
there’s more to her life than
Elkie in the Sixties (top) and singing
with Vinegar Joe, above
her music. The important
thing is I’ve got my health
and a great family around
me. I do the Japanese
martial art Aikido every
day and I can’t see myself
retiring for quite a few years.
“I’ve still got lots to do
and I’m singing well. It’s
when I lose my fitness
levels and start warbling
that will be time to hang up
my microphone.”
n Elkie’s autobiography Finding
My Voice is published by
Biteback.To find out her latest
concert dates, visit
www.elkiebrooks.com
81
pics: getty images, rex/shutterstock, look press/avalon