Yours Magazine #78

your big value fortnightly

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Free cake at BHS… treat yourself & a friend

Fern‘My faith gets me through’

The toys we loved…

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*when you buy any hot drink

X-FACTOR EXCLUSIVE‘My grandson Joe is my hero’

‘I couldn’t stay silent while patients suffered’

�Natural remedies �Expert advice

Winter health guide

Our Women of Courage 2009

Why childhood

classics are

coming back!

BUMPER

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Prizes worth £6,000

16 pages

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YOUR078-cover.indd 1 7/12/09 14:29:28yourcover 78-3 price blob.pgs 07.12.2009 13:36 Rival Colour LTD BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN PANTONE 185 C

4 YOURS // EVERY FORTNIGHT

You could be forgiven for thinking this is a scene from a computer-animated movie, but these penguins are real. Photographer David Schultz snapped the Emperor penguins, who are clearly fans of the frozen image, as they cheekily investigated his camera. And when the adults had checked out the equipment their three fl uffy chicks happily, pictured inset above, posed for a p-p-p-perfect family portrait. Mr Schultz (53) says the curious birds approached him every day as he was photographing the Emperor rookery in the Weddell Sea. “The penguins were hilarious,

extremely curious and wonderfully photogenic,” he says. “One of the birds stayed behind the camera as the others moved to the front. It seriously seemed as if they were posing.” Let’s hope these photographic penguins don’t let their new modelling fame go to their heads!

The view from this fortnight…

57On December 25, 1952, Queen Elizabeth made her fi rst Christmas broadcast live from Sandringham House at 3pm. She used the same desk as her father, King George VI, and grandfather, George V, had done. Poignantly, her words: “I have a special thought for those who are serving their country in distant lands…” could be repeated verbatim this year. The broadcast was radio only - it would be fi ve years before her fi rst TV Christmas speech.

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YEARS AGO

41 YEARS AGOOn December 24, 1968,

the Apollo 8 spacecraft and its crew of three astronauts became the fi rst men to orbit the moon.

25 YEARS AGOOn December 26,

1984, we fi rst saw the wonderful Joan Hickson appear as Agatha Christie’s sleuth Miss Marple.

4YEARS AGOOn December 21, 2005,

Sir Elton John and David Furnish became one of the fi rst couples to have a same-sex civil marriage.

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A cold snap: these Emperor penguins get in the pictureSay freeze!

YOUR078-4-5 view.indd 4 8/12/09 09:38:43

5YOURS // EVERY FORTNIGHT

Poll results from www.yours.co.uk

46% 54%YES NO

out on January 1!

Is this Britain’s smallest library?When the Somerset villagers of Westbury-sub-Mendip were threatened with the loss of their treasured red phone box they came up with a brand new use for it and turned it into a library.

The library holds 100 books, CDs and DVDs and is open around the clock. Its users simply stock it with a book they’ve read, swapping it for one they haven’t.

Resident Janet Fisher (73) dreamed up the idea when the parish council bought the phone box from BT for just £1. Janet saw the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone as the tiny community had lost its mobile library around the same time. She says: “The facility has turned a piece of street furniture into a community service in constant use.”

Although no one works in the library full-time, Janet likes to give it the occasional clean to keep it free of snails but full of bookworms!

GREAT THINGS FOR YOU THIS

FORTNIGHT!

5 Don’t forget the next issue of…

1 ICE IS NICESkate your cares away this

winter – or simply have fun with the grandkids – at one of the country’s temporary Christmas ice rinks. Yours favourites include Winchester Cathedral, Clifford’s Tower in York and London’s Hyde Park, all of which are open until January 3, and Newcastle’s Life Science Centre, which lasts up to February 21. Booking is advised – contact the venues or visit www.enjoyengland.com. Not brave enough? Try Torvill & Dean’s Dancing on Ice: Bolero 25th Anniversary Tour DVD (Universal, £19.99) and watch out for the new series on ITV1 in January.

2WALKING IN A WINTER WONDERLANDWork off the Christmas excess with a winter

walk. The AA has produced Walks in a Box – a collection of pocket-sized cards covering several areas. Each walk is described on a laminated card with clear directions and maps. And there are choices to suit all fi tness levels. Find them at Morrisons petrol stations or see shop.theaa.com (30 walks for £6.99, 20 walks for £4.99).

3 BAKE THE ARCHBISHOP’S BISCUITS Impress your guests at Christmas by

serving ginger biscuits made to the Archbishop of Canterbury’s special recipe! It’s one of 70 recipes, including some from the BBC chef Kevin Woodford, that have been contributed to Loaves, Fishes and More..., a new cookbook in aid of Christian Aid. Available from high street bookshops, priced £11.99.

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4 GET THE MUSIC OF CRANFORDCranford, the period TV drama starring Judi

Dench, is about much more than the story – if you’re a fan, we’re sure you love the music that helps bring it to life too. Composed by Carl Davis, a CD of his score from the fi rst series is out in time for Christmas, just as you’re watching Series 2! It costs £11.99 from all the usual outlets. Or you can download individual tracks at 99p each, from www.carldaviscollection.com

Goodbye to a Corrie comedy legend

Are you superstitious when it comes to taking down your Christmas decorations late?

THE VIEW FROM YOU

With her biting put-downs and cheeky jibes, sharp-tongued Blanche Hunt was one of Corrie’s most loved characters so we were saddened to hear of the recent death of actress Maggie Jones. Maggie (75) played battleaxe Blanche for 35 years and had undergone a stomach operation in October. She had been in intensive care in Salford Royal Hospital but was believed to be making a full recovery. However, her condition deteriorated and she sadly passed away in her sleep. Yours columnist Roy Hudd who appeared in Corrie with Maggie says: “Maggie was a dyed-in-the-wool, 100 per cent, old-fashioned professional. She had a great sense of humour – which I loved – and total reliability in her work, which made everyone connected with the show love her.”

YOUR078-4-5 view.indd 5 8/12/09 09:39:00


…with Fern Britton

toH eart

❤❤AH eart

❤❤

Fern reveals how her faith has been her rock during diffi cult times

By Christine Smith

When Fern Britton quit This Morning earlier this year, she revealed she wanted to spend a well-deserved break with her family and

potter around her garden.After taking time out and starring as a

team captain on the comedy quiz show As Seen On TV, Fern is back doing what she loves best – interviewing – and the TV star has relished the opportunity to present a four-part series about faith for BBC1 in the run-up to Christmas.

So far we have seen her grilling Dolly Parton, Tony Blair and Desmond Tutu with Sheila Hancock due to come under

YOUR077-6-7 fern.indd 6 4/12/09 15:41:14

YOURS // EVERY FORTNIGHT 7

❙ star chat ❙

FERN SHARES A SECRET During the interview with

Fern, she revealed to Yours some of her plans for what we she

will be up to in the new year. “For 2010, I have one or two

programmes I am interested in, but I am also hoping to study for my

BSc in Acupuncture, as well as completing my fi rst novel, which must be

delivered to the publisher by the summer. The most important thing this year,

however, is to support my boys, Jack and Harry, through their GCSEs.”

Psst…

the microscope next. No subject was left unexplored as Fern talked to them about why their religious beliefs were so important and what part their faith played in their lives.

“As soon as the BBC phoned me up and said we want you to do four interviews, I said ‘yes please’,” explains Fern. “They are all such different people and it’s fascinating to hear all about their faith and how much it means to them in a world where people question faith and the role it has to play.

“I have enjoyed making this series so much. It’s been so satisfying to be able to conduct an interview with such a level of grit. It’s also nice to do such a lovely programme in the run-up to Christmas.”

Fern admits she fell in love with Desmond Tutu and Dolly Parton.

“I actually wished Dolly Parton could be my sister,” chuckles Fern. “She was bags of fun and she even gave me a bracelet that she had as it matched my necklace. She told me it was worth a dollar-and-a-half!

“Desmond Tutu was so charming. I was inspired by him and how his faith has helped him to forgive everyone. His offi ces were next to one of the townships, and to go over there and see it all for myself was an incredible experience.”

The series is entitled Fern Britton Meets and, given she enjoyed it so much, would she like to make more? She replies that, as a committed Christian herself, it has been liberating to make a programme where faith is accepted. “In Britain, if you mention God, some people look at you as if you are bonkers,” she says. “It’s been so liberating to make this programme, and what I like about it is the fact that we cover all different kinds of faith.”

She herself will be going to church this Christmas, which she is planning to spend at home in Buckinghamshire with her husband, Phil Vickery, their daughter Winnie and her three children from her fi rst marriage, Jack, Harry and Grace.

Christmas, she says, has and always will be special in the Britton household. “I love Christmas: the tinsel, the fairy lights, hanging up the stockings,” she says. “I get so excited, in fact, I am beside myself by Christmas Day and the children kindly let me enjoy all the magic of it.

“We are spending Christmas at home this year and I am really looking forward to it. It’s going to be lovely as it’s just me,

Phil and the children on Christmas Day, and then everyone will be over at ours on Boxing Day. Who does the cooking? Phil, of course! I get to lay the table.

“We will go to Church too. I am a strong Christian and my faith is important to me. I don’t go to Church all the time as I don’t feel you need to go there to speak to God, but my faith has helped me a lot over the years.”

She says she doesn’t want any lavish gifts this year, preferring some thought to have gone into the choice of present instead. “Everyone is skint this year, and what with budgets getting thinner, myself and my family have talked about how we’d all like thought to go into the presents this year.

“I am really looking forward to it all though. I do like Christmas shopping – even though I haven’t even started yet and I always get swept away with all the festivities. Christmas tends to be fairly calm and good natured in our house. We enjoy

each other’s company and eat, play, walk or ignore each other in peaceful telly-

watching mode!”She says she will be watching

Coronation Street and Mr and Mrs, which she has fi lmed with her old This Morning partner, Phillip Schofi eld, but loves a good fi lm you

can cry at. “I love any black-and-white weepie!” she says laughing.

As she chats, she sounds very relaxed and happy, and she comes across as just as warm, likeable, down to earth and friendly as she does on TV. And 2010 will certainly be a busy year for the 52-year-old. Family, however, will be – and remains – her top priority. Sounding very happy, she

says: “I am loving life after This Morning. I am up to speed with the vegetable plot and my sweet peas are in the

greenhouse already 3ft tall. I watch This Morning when I am

ironing and my Phil is cooking!”And will she be making any New Year

Resolutions? “No way,” comes the response.

“I break them within two minutes,” she adds, laughing. // The fi inal Fern Britton Meets with Sheila Hancock is due to be shown on Sunday, December 20, at 10am.

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‘I actually wished Dolly

Parton could be my sister’

Fern with her sons Jack and Harry, who are studying for their GCSEs

YOUR077-6-7 fern.indd 7 8/12/09 15:51:03

If you usually buy separate presents for different family members, why not save money by

giving one shared gift – such as a

board game or hamper full of festive homemade goodies – which they can all enjoy together?

The Yours money expert answers your questions


Greenwatch// Only boil the water you need in your kettle.// De-scale your kettle – it will boil more quickly.// Defrost your frozen meals in the fridge overnight, instead of using the heat of an oven for defrosting.// Opening the oven door loses a lot of heat, so if you keep the glass clean, you can check on your meal without opening the door.// Put lids on your pans to help retain the heat.// Use the right size pan for the hob.// Chop veg into smaller pieces so it cooks quicker.Source: Sainsbury’s

MONEY

QI still have some Christmas shopping to do and have run

out of cash. What is the best form of credit to use?

MICHAEL SAYS: I suppose I should say don’t use credit at all but I recognise there are times when it isn’t unreasonable to borrow relatively small sums.I spoke to Chris Tapp, director of the charity Credit Action who advises: “Before taking any decision, it’s vital to ask whether we really need to borrow, especially if it is to buy non-essential wants. It’s all too easy, around Christmas, to borrow more than we can afford to pay back. We can end up with a nasty New Year shock.” But what if we feel we have no alternative? “Make sure you do your homework,” says Chris. “It might be best to organise an authorised overdraft, especially for a modest amount over a short period. You can even use a credit card if you are happy you will be able to repay quickly. But make sure you do some maths to work out how long it’s going to take you to repay - and how much that’s going to cost you. Doing those sums is not exciting but it can save you a lot of stress later.”For more advice call Credit Action on 020 7380 3391 or visit the website www.creditaction.org.uk

Cut entertaining costs on the big day. Ask guests to bring a dish, such as a starter or pudding. It means less stress and cooking for the host, and everyone shares the cost. Leave buying a turkey until late afternoon on Christmas Eve, when prices at supermarkets tend to tumble.

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TURN THE PAGE FOR MORE USEFUL MONEY TIPS

BUDGET BEATERS

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ATC

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G THE PENNIES WITH YOU

Ask Michael…

// Michael J Wilson, fi nancial writer, is on hand to answer your money questions every fortnight

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ENERGY SAVERS

By Sarah Jagger

Findings from A Which? survey

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Yours

CASH

SAVER

WISE

CHARITIES EARN £50m A YEAR

FROM SELLING CARDS BUT ON

AVERAGE THEY ONLY GET ABOUT

13 PER CENT OF THE CARD PRICE

YOUR078-25-26 MONEYWISE.indd 25 4/12/09 10:05:55


Get valuations from a few local jewellers as they might offer more than the gold-buying websites, advises Jasmine Birtles of moneymagpie.com. “Be wary of websites that spend millions on TV ads as they give you a fraction of the value, often as little as 20 per cent. You may be better off selling to local shops once you know its value.” But according to moneymagpie.com there are some fi rms who offer good returns,

MONEY

WISE

Claiming benefi ts when you have cancer

Ninety-one per cent of people affected by cancer suffer loss

of income and/or higher costs because of their illness, says a Macmillan Cancer Costs report. If you have cancer, are under 65 and need help looking after yourself or getting around, you may qualify for Disability Living Allowance (DLA). If you are 65 or over, and have care needs only, you may be entitled to Attendance Allowance (AA). Ask your local Social Security offi ce for claim forms.

If you claim DLA or AA and someone is looking after

you, they may be able to claim Carer’s Allowance (CA). If they claim CA, it may affect your means-tested benefi ts, so seek advice. If you are terminally ill, you can apply for certain benefi ts under ‘special rules’ which means your claim is dealt with more quickly and you can get a higher rate of benefi t.

If you are on a low income you may also be entitled

to help with NHS costs, including travel for hospital treatment, dental treatment, wigs, glasses and sight tests. All cancer patients are now entitled to free prescriptions. Apply for a medical exemption certifi cate by collecting an application form from your GP surgery or oncology clinic. Enquire about the Hospital Travel Costs scheme at your hospital. If you are on certain benefi ts, you may be entitled to claim back the cost of your travel to hospital.// Source: Macmillan Cancer Support. Call 0808 808 00 00 to talk to a benefi ts adviser or to get a copy of Macmillan’s Help With the Cost of Cancer booklet.

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MINUTE SPENDING CHECK-UP

10

Thinking about making a Will? The Yours guide to Wills & Legacies sets out all the options in a simple-to-follow format to help you understand the process.To receive a copy write to: Diane Pitts, Yours Wills and Legacies Guide, Yours magazine, Media House, Peterborough PE2 6EA.

YoursGUIDE FOR FREE

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Christmas cards allow you to share the joys of the season, but they can also show a profi t. Sir Henry Cole, founder of the Victoria and Albert Museum, commissioned what is believed to be the fi rst commercially printed Christmas card in 1843. Only 1,000 cards of the fi rst design were printed and sold for one shilling each (5p). About 20 are thought to have survived. One of the original hand-painted cards sold for £8,469 at auction in 2005. // Source: timesonline

CASH IN THE ATTIC

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WE WASTE AN ESTIMATED

£78 MILLION ON UNWANTED GIFTS

EVERY YEAR WITH 79 PER CENT

OF PEOPLE ADMITTING TO

RETURNING PRESENTS, according to research by Pay Pal

MAKE THE MOST OF… SELLING YOUR GOLD

more than 80 per cent of the market value, including Howcashforgold.co.uk (0800 680 0421) and Falkosgold.co.uk (020 7096 1749).

YoursMONEY SAVER

YOUR078-25-26 MONEYWISE.indd 26 4/12/09 10:06:10

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Traditional toys are back in fashion. So join us on a nostalgic journey to revisit the ones we used to love…..

By Claire Williams

If you thought all your grandchildren were interested in receiving this festive season were video games and

iPods, then think again. This Christmas, it seems traditional children’s toys are making a huge comeback and many of the classic toys of our youth are predicted to be the most popular must-have presents this year.

Department store John Lewis expects Teddy bears, wooden train sets, dolls’ houses and Jack in the

boxes to be at the top of many children’s Christmas lists. Plus many of the toys invented in our youth are still just as popular with today’s children. Toys such as Twister, Mr Potato Head and Spirograph are still fi rm favourites and available in most toyshops, so your grandchildren could well be unwrapping your old toys this Christmas.

With this in mind, we thought we’d take you on a trip down memory lane to look back at the most popular toys of our youth – from nearly 50, 60 and 70 years ago!

1940s… a bear to love

We might not have had much during the 40s, but the nation’s wartime spirit meant that we made do. Few new toys were produced, as several factories either closed or temporarily ceased production as they helped to produce goods for the war effort.

The toy fi rms that were permitted access to rationed materials certainly made them stretch. Teddy bear makers either used blankets to stuff our bears or made them slimmer so less stuffi ng was required. The arms and snouts of our beloved bears got smaller – but

we still loved them! Thankfully we still had plenty of board games, but as a morale booster, many of our favourites were produced in a wartime issue. Wartime Monopoly and other games like Bombing Berlin and Blackout were made.

Many of us will remember receiving completely unique toys for Christmas made by our parents and grandparents. From knitted dolls’ outfi ts to wooden trains, our clever relatives could put their hands to anything and certainly made sure that we had something to open up on Christmas Day.

A 1940s slimline bear (left) and a traditional boys’ train set (right)

Dear Santa…

‘Have you been a good boy this year?’ asks Father Christmas

YOUR078-28-29 toys.indd 28 9/12/09 10:30:48


❙ childhood toys ❙

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1960s… Sindy the girl next doorThe Swinging Sixties saw our toys infl uenced by the changing world around us. The 60s fashion explosion meant we suddenly had more choice when it came to clothes and dressing up became fun.

Two iconic 60s dolls were produced – enter Barbie, who was fi rst introduced in America. Then came the British version, Sindy, marketed as ‘the doll you love to dress’. Barbie and Sindy were the modern girls we wanted to be and, more importantly, wanted to look like. We lived out our fashion fantasies through our new dolls.

Not only did Sixties fashion change the face of our toys,

xxxxxxxxtttttttt dddddd dd oo oo oo oo oooooooorrrrrrrrso did the space race. We were fascinated by the unknown universe. And as we watched Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, space travel became a reality, not just a fantasy. One of the fi rst toys inspired by space was Fireball XL5 (a model of the spacecraft featured in the show) in 1962. Dr Who’s enemies the Daleks, Stingray, Lost in Space and Thunderbirds toys all followed in 1965.

The 60s was also a time of radical and quirky designs and a number of unusual toys appeared. Spirograph was invented by a British electronics engineer who came up with it while researching a new design for bomb detonators. Other quirky classics included Twister, Etch-a Sketch and the Trolls.

The world was becoming a more creative and free-thinking place and even our toys refl ected that.

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saw the birth of television and

this changed the face of our toys

forever. Muffi n The Mule was the very fi rst star of children’s TV and when an authentic Muffi n the Mule toy puppet appeared on the shelves we all desperately wanted one – galloping down to the shops to pick up our very own Muffi n.

Suddenly all our favourite television shows began to bring out toys. Merchandise from Andy Pandy, Bill and Ben and Sooty rapidly became the must-have toys. There were

also board games inspired by our favourite TV shows such as Beat The Clock, Whacko!, The Lone Ranger and Double Your Money.

Many of Britain’s most enduringly popular toys were fi rst created in the 50s. Still a fi rm favourite with children today, Mr Potato Head was introduced. The original kit contained only parts and parents had to supply us children with real potatoes to be used as the head.

Scalextric, the famous Airfi x Spitfi re kit and the Slinky were all introduced in the 50s and still give kids today hours of fun.

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Creative design-based games were big in the 60s

Muffi n the Mule was one of the most popular toys of the 1950s. And our favourite television shows were soon available as board games

YOUR078-28-29 toys.indd 29 9/12/09 10:31:58


Snuggle up this winter with our pick of the cosiest and most stylish knitwear

Winter warmers

V-neck teal knit, £25, sizes 8-22, M&S

Dusky pink polo neck, £22, sizes 6-22, Next

Pink pattered roll-neck,£12, sizes 8-22, George at Asda

Deep purple chunky knit cardigan, £35, sizes 8-22, M&S

Deep purple batwing knit, £35, sizes 10-22, Bhs

Teal chunky knit short sleeve wrap cardigan, £25, sizes 14-32, Evans

Flatterssmall busts

Addscurves

By Rebecca Speechley

Hidesbig

arms

YOUR078-42-43 Fashion.indd 42 30/11/09 10:10:42

YOURS // EVERY FORTNIGHT 43YYYYYYYYOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUU RRRR RR RR SSSSSSSS //////// //////// EEEEEEEE VVVVVVVV EEEEEEEE RRRRRRRR YYYYYYYY FFFF

❙ fashion ❙

Q My skin is quite sensitive and

red. I’ve tried to cover it with my usual foundation, but it only seems to make it look worse – any ideas?

Felicity Cole, Buxton

Yours Beauty Editor says: Skin redness is very common, particularly as we age and experience the hot fl ushes that can be a symptom of the menopause. If your skin is sensitive and reactive, you may need to adopt a trial and error method before fi nding a skin care regime that suits you. Avoid harsh scrubs and choose products that are fragrance and alcohol free. Make sure you wear a moisturiser containing SPF all year round, too.

Mineral make-up may be gentler on your skin as it doesn’t contain any nasty chemicals. Try Clinique’s Redness Solutions Instant Relief Mineral Powder (£24/24g). This mineral powder can be used under or over make-up to reduce skin redness and cover visible capillaries. The Redness Solutions range also includes a cleanser, daily relief cream and a protective base. Frequent blushing, persistent redness, pimples and small visible blood vessels are all early symptoms of rosacea. If you’re concerned, check with your doctor – for more advice visit www.myrosacea.co.uk // Send your questions to: Beauty Dilemma, Yours Magazine, Media House, Peterborough Business Park, Peterborough PE2 6EA

Beauty Dilemma

Stockists: Boots 0845 0708 090 www.boots.com; Clinique 0870 034 2566 www.clinique.co.uk

rsDebbie Wears: Embellished long cardigan £50, sizes 8-18, Next;silk top £19.50, sizes 8-22, M&S;gold belt £39, sizes XS-XL, Boden;jeans £20, sizes 10-22, Bhs;bangle £7.50, M&S;pearl stud earrings model’s own

AD

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Let our experts help you keep younger looking for longer

Stockists: Bhs 0845 196 0000 www.bhs.co.uk; Boden 0845 677 5000; Evans 0845 121 4516 www.evans.co.uk; George at Asda 0500 100 055; Marks & Spencer 0845 302 1234 www.marksandspencer.com; Next 0844 844 8939 www.next.co.uk

If you’re going to splash out on one item this fortnight...Then get dry nails in extra quick time with these Quick Dry Drops from Nail Doctor (£6.99/15ml), available from Boots nationwide.

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YOURS // EVERY FORTNIGHT

YOUR078-42-43 Fashion.indd 43 30/11/09 10:10:59


What carol do they sing in the desert?

Last-minute stocking fi llersThese novelty iced gingerbread biscuits are guaranteed to put a smile on the grandkids’ faces. Priced £1.49 each from Marks & Spencer (call 0845 302 1234 www.

marksandspencer.com).

Christmas tree cakesYour grandkids will love baking (and eating) these festive cakes

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RIB TICKLER

It’s Christmas!

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1 Heat oven to 180°C, 350°F, gas mark 4. Grease and line a baking tin.2 Sift the fl our into a large bowl. Add the margarine, milk, baking powder, sugar and vanilla essence.3 Break the eggs into a separate bowl and

beat with a fork before stirring into the fl our mixture.4 Spoon the mixture into the tin. Smooth the top. Bake it in the oven

for 40-45 mins until the middle is springy. Leave to cool in the tin. 5 To make the icing: In a small bowl, beat the butter until it’s creamy. Sift the icing sugar and stir in, a little at a time.

Stir in the lemon juice and a little green food dye. 6 Cut the cake in half lengthwise then cut ten

triangles. Ice them with green icing. Press sweets on to the cakes for decoration.

You will need• 275g (91⁄2oz) self-raising fl our• 225g (8oz) soft margarine• 4 tbsp of milk• 1 level tsp of baking powder• 225g (8oz) caster sugar• 2-3 drops of vanilla essence• 4 medium eggs• A roasting tin• Greaseproof paperFor the butter icing:• 75g (3oz) butter, softened• 175g (6oz) icing sugar• 2 tsp of lemon juice • Green food dye• Sweets for decoration

Festive gamesTo help get the party started, we’ve found some ideas for great games to play with the grandchildren.

Kim’s Christmas gameGather together ten to 20 small Christmas items (such as bows, stocking, bells, tinsel, candles and nutcrackers) and place on a tray. Allow the children to study the tray and its contents for 30 seconds. Cover the tray with a cloth and discreetly remove one item. Show the tray again and ask the players to tell you which item is missing. Your grandkids will also enjoy turning the tables and testing your memory!

Stocking surprisePlace various Christmas items one at a time in a Christmas stocking. You might stuff the stockings with a tree ornament, roll of tape, a fi r cone etc. The object of the game is to take it in turns to guess the contents of the stocking by touch alone.

Frosty the festive snowmanThis is a great word game to keep older children occupied. Give them a pen and paper with ‘Frosty the festive snowman’ written at the top. The challenge is to see how many words they can fi nd using only the letters given. You could offer a prize for the most words or the longest word found.

Fungrandkids

with the

Poundland has a great range of stocking fi llers – all for just £1. How about these Fairy Girl bath fi zzers for the girls, or a fabulous stunt truck for the boys? (Call 0800 731 5622 for your nearest store).

Camel ye faithful!

// Extracted from 30 Yummy Things to Cook and Eat © 2002-2008 Usborne Publishing Ltd.

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EASY TO MAKE

If you’re running out of time, why not buy a stocking already crammed full of goodies to delight your little ones? Priced £14.99, available for boys or girls, ages 3-plus, 8-plus and 14-plus. Call 0844 573 4424 or visit www.stocking-fi llers.co.uk

£1.49

each

£14.99each

Get into the festive spirit with these Christmas ideas and fun-fi lled activities

£1

each

YOUR078-73 Fun with g-kids.indd 73 30/11/09 16:25:51


writes just for youwwwwwwwwrrrrrrrrRoy Hudd

I’m always tickled pink when something, or someone, I’ve written about in Yours sparks memories from our readers and I’ve had some real good ’uns recently.

Letters from fans of Danny La Rue are still pouring in. Tales, too many to quote, of his generosity, his

thoughtfulness and his quick wit arrive every day.Once, in a revue Danny and I did together I had to interview

him in a sketch based on the Miss World competition. He was Miss UK and made a spectacular entrance – in a bikini! The entire audience had the same thought and fi fteen hundred pairs of eyes focused on just one spot. Danny let the hubbub die down before confi ding: “I know. I know. Listen, I’ve been doing it so long I just whistle and it goes away on its own!” Not a swear word, not a rude gesture, just the perfect line.

My few words about the loss of that most offbeat of ventriloquists, Neville King, brought many stories of other voice throwers who are remembered with affection.

An old pal of mine, Anne Ling, who used to be a secretary at BBC Radio recalled having telephone conversations with Daisy May, the ‘schoolgirl’ dummy of Albert Saveen. Albert himself never answered the phone – it was always Daisy

May who promised Anne she’d pass her message on to ‘Mr Saveen’. Anne says that ‘Mr Saveen’ always rang back “just a little too swiftly.”

I was reminded by a brother Water Rat of another legendary ventriloquist act, Coram and Jerry – although Coram wasn’t really the best when it came to making his dummy come alive. Coram’s wife once said to a stagehand: “Isn’t he marvellous – you can’t see his lips move, can you?” The boy replied: “No, lady. Only when the dummy’s talking!”

Known for his catchphrase ‘Can you hear me, mother?’, the great comedian and Water Rat, Sandy Powell, did a stage act as the world’s worst ventriloquist. Many folk wrote about him and his ‘little man’. They were both dressed like soldiers and Sandy’s huge moustache hid his lips perfectly – and you still couldn’t understand a word he said! My favourite moment in

the act was when the dummy’s head fell off and rolled across the stage and Sandy muttered despairingly: “Oh dear. Now I’ve given the game away!”

My own favourite ventriloquy story happened during the annual showbiz service held by the Babbacombe Theatre Company at the United Reform Church in Torquay. Our usual vicar was away on holiday, so a locum – an RAF padre – took the service. Just as he was about to start his sermon he reached down, plonked a ventriloquist’s dummy on the edge of the pulpit and

proceeded to give his sermon via the ‘little man’. The kids in the congregation loved it – and so did we. I remember one member of our company whispering: “If I put another few bob on the plate, do you think he could do it while drinking a glass of Holy Water?”

Good gye, all the gest, and a gright and greasy New Year!

// A Fart in a Colander: The Autobiography by Roy Hudd is published by Michael O’Mara Books at £20. Yours readers can

buy the hardback book for the special price of £17 with free p&p

by calling 01903 828503 and quoting YOUR/ROY (UK mainland only, while stocks last).

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Main pic: the ‘world’s worst ventriloquist’, Sandy Powell; below left: Coram, Jerry and friends

Sandy muttered

despairingly: “Oh dear.

Now I’ve given the

game away!”

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The all-round entertainer and Yours columnist gives us a peep inside his postbag

YOUR078-75 Roy Hudd.indd 75 7/12/09 14:35:51

Yours Magazine #78

Documents

Transcript of Yours Magazine #78