of a lady who spoke no English but whose smile conveyed her welcome, our daughter tried her hand at mat-weaving from coconut husks, squatting beside the custodian of this dying trade. One of our sons attempted to spin thread from coir while the other undertook to climb a coconut tree. A lithe man, clad in a lungi (the traditional garment somewhat like a skirt), slid down another tree with fresh toddy (palm wine) to quench our thirst. Before we said goodbye, our guide leaned over the boat to pluck a waterlily. This, he fashioned into a delicate necklace for me. It sits here now, its fragrance forgotten, petals almost all gone, stem wilted, but keeping afresh the memory of our wonderful time in what truly seems like God’s chosen land. Q Tell us about your favourite holiday (send a photo too) and if we print it, we’ll pay £50. Email [email protected] NOVEMBER 2022 • 99 SUBSCRIBER BENEFIT: Exclusive travel discounts with Tripbeat See page 96 for details TRAVEL & ADVENTURE before our eyes—cooked fresh onboard, washed down with coconut water, which is ubiquitous here. Afterwards, the silence of the lake and the boat’s gentle motion lulled us to sleep in Mother Nature’s lap. On another day, we took a government-run tour that provides a glimpse of village life. In the house
AUDIORAMA MexicoCity For us rain-soaked Brits, the very notion of an outdoor library sounds sufficiently exotic. But an outdoor library in a sacred, leafy Aztec grotto? Where do we sign? You’ll find this edition of Audiorama inside Chapultepec Forest, Latin America’s second-largest city park and home to many sights that lure tourists. Chiefly, the national history museum is here, inside the former presidential home of Chapultepec Castle. But while those can be busy, Audiorama’s vibe is far sleepier. Found along one of the park’s numerous wiggly walking paths behind that castle—immediate access is behind the Monumento a los Héroes del Escuadrón 201 obelisk—and close to Chapultepec metro station, it’s a circular, shady and lush grove that’s sheltered on three sides by rock faces. Yonks ago, the Aztecs believed that the cave entrance here—now blocked up—was a gateway to the underworld, and that the overall space was considered to be capable of energising visitors. Today, however, you’ll find a smattering of supine guests lulled into a snooze. There’s a lovely petrichor aroma mingling with the perfume of calla lilies and small rose bushes. Occasional fruit trees overhang some of the many benches. A table stocks mostlySpanish books, which are free to borrow as you lounge, as music originates from speakers attached to trunks. That music changes each day. Mexican folk songs are played on Wednesdays; jazz soundtracks Fridays, on Saturdays it’s chill-out and Sundays see classical music, including occasional live performances. Q By Richard Mellor 100 POWERED BY
SUBSCRIBER BENEFIT: Exclusive travel discounts with Tripbeat See page 96 for details GEMS HIDDEN
100 ON THE MONEY SPECIAL 102 You This Christmas? Can Afford MONEY
NOVEMBER 2022 • 103 C hristmas is one of the key times of the year when we like to splash out. Whether it’s getting in a few luxuries to eat and drink, making sure we celebrate with family and friends or showing our love with gifts, big money can easily be spent. The desire to do the same will be strong this year, but the circumstances will mean that might not be possible. For a start, everything, from presents to travel to food, will be more expensive than usual thanks to ever-increasing inflation. Add to this higher costs and bills which may dramatically reduce the budget you have available. Essentially, you’ll have less spare money and your money will buy you less. So you’ll be faced with a choice: spend more or prepare for a paredback celebration. It might be that you can afford to get your usual Christmas, or close to it, without racking up debts. But if you don’t have the cash, or you feel that money would be better spent elsewhere, then the next month is going to be key. These tips should help you to get as close to a perfect Christmas as you can on your budget. Work out what you can afford This is an important first step every Christmas, but especially this year. Take a look at what you’ve got available to spend, or what you are likely to be able to add to your funds from the next few pay cheques. When working this out, don’t forget to factor in whether you’ll need to also save a little bit more for other costs. Energy bills are set to go up again in January, and that’ll have an impact on spending elsewhere too. Prioritise where you will spend You probably won’t be able to do everything you usually do, so work out what’s most important. Is it all about gifts for the kids and grandkids? Or will the bulk of your money have to go on trains so you can be with your family? From this you can start to break down your available Christmas money into a spending plan. Split it out based on what you think those priorities require, then work out if other things will have to be ditched, or if you’ll need to steal money from one area to fund another. Plan your shopping Don’t just pop to the shops and see if you spot anything suitable as a gift. You’ll end up overspending. First you need to set a budget for each person and shop within that. It will help to let the person know your budget when you ask them what they want.
not be in your account to help with Christmas this year, but you’ll have a little extra to ease the strain next year. Do things differently If you can’t afford the Christmas you want, you could look at making changes that mix things up a little, rather than do a budget version of how you’d normally go about things. You could introduce a one gift maximum, or set individual present price caps. Perhaps go further and give your time and skills, on anything from babysitting to DIY. This works elsewhere too. Rather than a traditional meal, does it have to be turkey? Or even a roast? You Once you’ve found something you want to buy, shop around to see if you can get it for less. Price trackers such as PriceSpy and Idealo can notify you when there are sales and offers, while buying things online at the same time can save you on delivery costs too. Do the same for your food and drink shopping. A plan and list will prevent you buying more than you need. Opt for cheaper brands or special offers to make things more affordable. Earn as you spend Use cash back cards and websites so that you get a little back on all your spending. The money might M O N E Y 104 • NOVEMBER 2022
NOVEMBER 2022 • 105 R E A D E R ’ S D I G E S T could choose to send email Christmas cards rather than physical ones in the post. Leave it late I wouldn’t do this for absolute essentials, but if there are things you can give or take, buying them right before Christmas might mean you can pick them up in the sales. This is particularly good for decorations and festive food, though it can work for gifts too. Have conversations about Christmas spending If costs will force you to make changes to your traditional celebrations, it’s well worth discussing that with others involved. That way, you’ll be able to manage their expectations. This kind of chat could also come as a relief to friends or family members who are equally worried about their own spending at this time. It could take the pressure off them if you tell them that it’s OK if they don’t buy you a present, and it’s a chance to make cheaper plans together. Be wary of borrowing It might be tempting to use services like Buy Now, Pay Later so you can spend a little more now and deal with it next month. Be careful here that you don’t overextend yourself. You’ll still need to pay the money back, and it’ll just mean things are a lot tighter in the new year. And if other costs grow, you might not have the available cash to cover these delayed payments. It’s best avoided and sticking to what you can afford now. Give if you can If you’re fortunate to have enough money to weather the cost of living crisis, do consider if you can do anything to help those who will barely be keeping their heads about the rising water. Food banks are always in particular need at Christmas time, and this year things will be much worse as people struggling to cover their owns costs are less likely to donate supplies. Most supermarkets have drop off points where you can leave food, or you can check the Trussell Trust website (trusselltrust.org) to find details of your local food banks. Ideally, try to provide essential foods that don’t require much energy to cook or heat. Q Andy Webb is a personal finance journalist and runs the award-winning money blog, Be Clever With Your Cash
I mean, who doesn’t love a dog in a hat? I love dressing up dogs; the first item I was photographed knitting at the Olympics was a jumper for Izzy the Frenchie! This fun and playful hat is knitted in neon colour stripes with contrast black, and two pompoms for added cute factor. Ideal for all pooches, from your neighbour’s greyhound to your auntie’s poodle—and of course Ned, pictured opposite. Note of caution: a dog should never be left alone wearing any garment or with a pompom. The diver-turned-knitterextraordinaire shares his skills Tom Daley Shows Us How To Knit A Cute Hat For Your Furry Friend DIY Measurements (one size) Head circumference 32cm (12½ in) Finished length 22cm (8¾ in) Will fit medium to large size dog breeds What you will need • Schachenmayr Bravo: 100% acrylic, 133m (145 yards) per 50g (1 ¾ oz) Quantity: • A 1 x 50g (1 ¾ oz) ball in black (08226) • B 1 x 50g (1 ¾ oz) ball in neon pink (08234) • C 1 x 50g (1 ¾ oz) ball in neon green (08233) • 1 pair 3.25mm (US 3) knitting needles • 1 pair 3.75mm (US 5) knitting needles • Stitch holders • Pompom maker or cardboard for pompoms • Scissors • Yarn needle Tension (gauge) 23 stitches and 30 rows to 10cm (4 in) over stocking/stockinette stitch on 3.75mm (US 5) needles. Change needle size as necessary to achieve correct tension (gauge). Abbreviations St(s): stitch(es) St st: Stocking (stonkinette) stitch K: Knit *: Repeat instructions following a single asterisk as many times as directed afterwards. P: Purl Dec: Decrease/decreasing Tog: Together Tbl: Through back loop RS: Right side
107 To make Stripe sequence 2 rows A 2 rows B 2 rows C Using 3.25mm (US 3) needles and A, cast on 71 sts and follow stripe sequence as given working in rib as follows: Row 1 (RS): *K1, p1, rep from* to last st, k1. Row 2: *P1, k1, rep from * to last st, p1. Repeat last 2 rows a further 11 times. Next row: Rib to last 9 sts and slip these unworked sts onto a holder. 62 sts. Next row: Rib to last 9 sts and slip these unworked sts onto a second holder. 53 sts. Change to 3.75mm (US 5) needles and starting with a knit row, continue in St st and follow stripe sequence as set until work meas 23cm (9 in) from cast-on edge, ending with RS facing for next row. Shape crown Row 1 (RS): K34, k2tog tbl, turn. 1st dec. Row 2: Sl1, p15, p2tog, turn. 1st dec. Row 3: Sl1, k15, k2tog tbl, turn. 1st dec. Rep last 2 rows until 17 sts rem. Leave rem 17 sts on stitch holder. With RS facing, slip 9 sts from second holder onto a 3.25mm (US 3)
needle, keeping stripe sequence correct pick up and knit 33 sts along side of hat, k17 sts from crown holder, pick up and knit 33 sts along other side of hat, then rib as set across 9 sts from remaining holder. 101 sts. Starting with A and following stripe sequence as set, work 9 rows in rib. Cast off (bind off) using a 3.75mm (US 5) needle. To finish Weave in any yarn ends. Join neckband at front. Masterclass: adding pompoms Who doesn’t love a pompom? They bring such joy and they’re a great way to use up scraps of yarn. They’re really easy to make, either with a store-bought pompom maker or in the traditional way with two circles of stiff cardboard, slightly wider in diameter than the finished size of the pompom with a hole in the centre of each, measuring just under half the diameter. Pompoms (make two) Make two pompoms using a pompom maker or cardboard circles approx. 6cm (2½ in) in diameter. Measure 8m (9 yards) each of two colours and hold together to wind the pompom. Using the long yarn ends on the pompoms, sew securely to the hat in the ear positions. 1. If you’re using a pompom maker, open out the two parts and hold them together. Wind two yarns along each half in turn until the semicircular gap is filled, then fasten the catches. If you’re using cardboard, thread a large-eyed needle with two long strands of yarn. Holding the circles together, stitch the yarn continually through the centre and around the outer edges, keeping the strands close together, until the centre space is almost filled. 2. Insert the tip of sharp scissors between the two sides of the pompom maker or two cardboard circles and snip through the layers of yarn all around the edge. 3. Slip a length of yarn through the centre space and wrap it tightly around the yarn strands. This will be the centre of the pompom. Firmly knot the yarn, leaving long ends that can later be used to attach the pompom. Remove the pompom maker or cardboard circles. Made with Love by Tom Daley is published by HQ, HarperCollins on October 27, 2022 (Hardback, £28) A H A T F O R A F U R R Y F R I E N D 108
WILL YOUBE OUR PROTECTION AT SEA WITH A GIFTIN YOUR WILL? Writing a Will is easier than you might think. And you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your loved ones are looked after. It’s easier still when you use Farewill, the UK’s favourite Will-writing service. 6 in 10 launches are only possible thanks to the generosity of supporters, like you, who leave us a gift in their Will. We’ve teamed up with Farewill to offer you a free Will writing service. Although there in no obligation to leave us a gift, we do hope that you consider it. Write your Will for free with The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea The Royal National Lifeboat Institution, a charity registered in England and Wales (209603), Scotland (SC037736), the Republic of Ireland (CHY 2678 and 20003326), the Bailiwick of Jersey (14), the Isle of Man (1308 and 006329F), the Bailiwick of L Guernsey and Alderney, of West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1HZ PA/F5/09/22 Photo: RNLI/Nathan Williams Visit farewill.com/rnli-digest to write your free Will today
110 PET CORNER Grieving the loss of a pet can be a sad and difficult experience. Many of us see pets as part of the family; for others, their pet may have been their only family. We all tend to share an incredible bond with our pets. They provide companionship, bring happiness and for some, even provide a sense of purpose. So, when a pet passes away, or goes missing or is stolen, it can trigger all sorts of painful emotions. Life can suddenly feel very empty. Remember: • You are normal. Some may not understand how upsetting the loss of a pet can be and can make you feel as though you are overreacting. You should not feel ashamed of your emotions, and the grieving process cannot be forced or sped along. Be patient with yourself. Understand that what and how you are feeling is perfectly normal. • Don’t ignore pain. Bottling up your feelings will only make matters worse in the long run. To heal, you need to actively face your grief. Don’t be Grieving FourLegged Friends How to cope with the loss of a furry friend
afraid to show your emotions. It’s OK to cry or feel angry, after all you have lost someone very special and dear to you. Try not to be hard on yourself if you find that some days are more difficult than others. There will be events that trigger your grief. These can be places you often went to, the date of your pet’s arrival or their birthday, for example. • Open up. Talking about your feelings and your pet can really help. Don’t be afraid to speak to family and friends, especially if they knew your pet, as they can support you. If a pet is lost or stolen, then there is often no closure, and this can be very difficult. One thing we suggest is writing down how you feel and what you would have said to your pet. This can work for any form of loss. • Seek help. If you find that your grief is severely impacting your ability to function day to day, seek professional help. • Practise self-care. Losing a beloved pet can be very stressful, often throwing your normal routine into havoc. Make sure you continue to care for any other animals in your home and of course, yourself. Q The Blue Cross Pet Bereavement Support Service is available 365 days a year between 8.30am-8.30pmvia a free and confidential helpline on 0800 096 6606 or email [email protected] Age: 12 Breed: Burmese Owner: David M Fun Fact: I have debilitating arthritis. Suu will walk all around my body to find a flare-up, taps it with her paw, and rubs her head on it, purring. Sometimes she washes the area too! Suu NOVEMBER 2022 • 111 Email your pet’s picture to [email protected] READER’S DIGEST’S PET OF THE MONTH
HOME A TASTE OF Spiced cod loin and puy lentil dhal with sautéed greens and samphire I have been privileged to live on the south coast of England for a big part of my life and have spent the last 20 years in sunny Worthing. I always remember days spent on the seaside with my mum, dad, and brother, jumping in and out of rock pools and learning about the bounty that the sea provides. In later years I have enjoyed nothing more than getting to the fisherman’s first catch. I love to cook with local produce, and the array of fresh fish and shellfish available in this part of England is fantastic. This dish is packed with healthy lean protein and packs a comforting spiced flavour. Pollock or haddock would also work just as well. A perfectly simple but also impressive meal to serve up to family and friends. Kenny Tutt is a chef and restaurateur. He won MasterChef in 2018, and went on to open his first restaurant, Pitch in Worthing just a year later. Since then, he has gone on to launch Ox Block and Patty Guy at Brighton’s Shelter Hall, and Bayside Social on Worthing Seafront. Most recently, Kenny took part in BBC1’s MasterChef Champion of Champions, and appeared as a guest judge on the latest series of MasterChef. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter at @kennytutt Kenny Tutt 112 • NOVEMBER 2022
NOVEMBER 2022 • 113 FOOD Ingredients: Spiced cod loin •2skinless codloinpieces, approximately200geach •1tbsplightrapeseedoil andadrizzle tocook •2tspmild/medium currypowder •1tspgroundturmeric •Squeezeoflemon •Pinchof salt Quick Puy lentil Dhal •250gpacketofpre-cooked puyorgreenlentils •1mediumbrown onion,finelydiced •2clovesgarlic, finely chopped •1thumb-sizedpiece ofginger,peeledand finely chopped •½greenchilli,finely chopped •½tinof cherrytomatoes •2tspgroundcumin •1tbspwhitewinevinegar •2tspgroundcoriander •Freshcoriander, stalks removed,finely chopped •Seasalttotaste Sautéed greens and samphire •1headofbabyor spring greens, stalks removed andfinely sliced •Goodhandful offreshsamphire •2tspofnigella/onionseeds •Pinchof seasalt •Squeezeoflemon •Smalldrizzleofvegetable/ rapeseedoil Method: 1. Start by making the spice rub for the cod. Mix the oil, curry powder, turmeric and a squeeze of lemon in a bowl with a pinch of sea salt. Brush the mix all over the cod loin and set the cod aside in the fridge. This can be done in advance and is best left to marinade for 1-2 hours. 2. To make the dhal, sweat off the onions, garlic, ginger and chilli in a large saucepan for a few minutes over a medium heat until soft. Add the ground cumin and coriander and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Gently stir in the lentils and then add the cherry tomatoes, chopped coriander and a touch of vinegar. Season to taste and cook for a few minutes until hot through. If it seems a little dry add a small splash of water. This can be made in advance and lasts well in the fridge for up to three days. 3. To sauté the greens, add a little oil to a pan over a medium high heat and add the sliced greens and a handful of samphire. Sauté for a minute and then add the onion seeds, a touch of salt and a squeeze of lemon before giving a final stir. Set aside. 4. Now for the cod. Like most proteins it’s best to take out of the fridge 15-30 minutes before you cook. Heat a non-stick pan over a medium/high heat with a splash of oil. When the pan is hot, place the cod into the pan skin side down. The main thing now is patience. Let it cook for 4-5 minutes. Keep an eye on the heat and take the temperature down if the heat is too fierce. Gently turn the cod over and cook for a further 2-3 minutes on the other side. Squeeze a little lemon over the cod and then let it rest for a few minutes. The fish is done when it is golden and flakes away easily. 5. Serve the sauteed greens and samphire on top of the hot puy dahl then carefully top with the spiced cod fillet. This dish goes really well with a light, slightly chilled Pinot Noir-style red wine.
Originally from Talaván in Cáceres, a beautiful village in Extremadura, celebrated chef José Pizarro now considers London his home and has restaurants in the City, Bermondsey and at the Royal Academy. José believes that tapas is for everyone and that home cooks shouldn’t be scared by the idea of cooking lots of dishes—it’s all in the preparation and keeping it simple. Here he shares his mother’s recipe for “caldereta de cabrito”, a very popular stew in Extremadura made from a kid goat. It’s a long-held family tradition to have the stew on Christmas Day, when his mum prepares it in the morning. The goat meat is so tender that it only requires minimum preparation and one hour of cooking over a medium heat. CÁCERES, SPAIN Caldereta De Cabrito FOOD 114 ESTEBAN MARTINENA GUERRERO / WENN RIGHTS LTD / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
Method: 1. Season the kid with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a big casserole over a medium to high heat, add the kid goat and the peppers and fry until the joints are browned. 2. Remove the peppers and pound them in a pestle and mortar with the garlic cloves to make a paste (if you are using pimentón instead of the peppers, simply add this to the mortar with the garlic). Mix the wine with this paste and stir it into the meat. 3. Add the bay leaves, then cover the casserole with a close-fitting lid and simmer slowly for about one hour, until the kid is tender. Add water or more wine from time to time to keep the meat moist. 4. Serve with a green salad. For my dressing I use one part honey, one part Moscatel vinegar and two parts extra virgin olive oil. Serves: 8-10 Cooking time: 1 hour Ingredients: • 1 whole kid goat (approx 5kg), jointed • Sea salt • Freshly ground black pepper • 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil • 4 choricero peppers, or 1 tbsp pimentón de la Vera dulce (mild smoked paprika) • 4 garlic cloves, peeled • 1 bottle dry white wine • 2 bay leaves NOVEMBER 2022 • 115 KITCHEN WORLD José Pizarro
State Of The Art: How would you describe your art? I’m a figurative artist. Drawing is very important to me, and it underpins all the work that I do. Art school was a terrible disappointment, because it was all about abstract expressionism. Drawing and figurative work weren’t really encouraged. Who are your influences? I think I’ve been influenced by all the usual brilliant ones, you know— Rembrandt, Johannes Vermeer, John Singer Sargent, Edgar Degas. A lot of the figures in your art are female figures. Is this deliberate? I do draw a lot of male figures too but female figures appeal to me. Award-winning figurative artist Jo Dixon speaks to Alice Gawthrop about what inspires her, from her travels to her family, via the female figure Jo Dixon Perhaps it’s because I grew up in a family of mostly women. My dad used to get fed up, because I’ve got three sisters and he’d say even the pets were all female, too. I suppose there’s just something about female figures, perhaps women are prettier? But last year I had a solo exhibition on India and that one featured a lot of male figures. How have your travels influenced your work? I’m quite captured by the images that I’ve seen while travelling, which can influence my work in various ways. For example, while figurative work is my preferred genre, I will do landscapes and waterscapes inspired by India, Japan, Morocco. It depends on where you are, what moves you and what you really want to capture. The work is defined by where you are in space and time. You’re currently based in Devon. Has that influenced your work? It has in a way. I’m a member of the 116 • NOVEMBER 2022
NOVEMBER 2022 • 117 it is. When my youngest daughter had finished university and was finally leaving the nest, I painted this canary on a shocking pink background for her because I thought it was funny. She absolutely loved it, and then so did a lot of other people! I thought, this is extraordinary—I was really only amusing myself with the painting! That’s how you find these amazing things that come out of a moment’s passing thought. She’s had that painting on her wall ever since, and people always ask me about the birds. Q Jo Dixon is an award-winning figurative artist working mostly in oils and charcoal. Her work has been widely exhibited, including recently at The Brownston Gallery and Zari Gallery. Learn more at jodixonart.com Southwest Academy of Fine and Applied Arts, which promotes and supports the arts in the southwest. Being able to work alongside artists who work in all sorts of different genres influences what you do, I find. I’m a member of the Society of Women Artists in London, too, which is a wonderful outfit. It’s rubbing shoulders with all sorts of different artists working right across the spectrum. What do you hope people take away from your art when they see it? It’s interesting, because one can be in a gallery with all sorts of different types of art around, and somebody will come in and a specific painting will speak to that person. You can produce a sort of resonance that means something to somebody else, and you may never quite know what
118 • NOVEMBER 2022 READERSDIGEST.CO.UK/CULTURE F rom the double Palme d’Or winner Ruben Östlund (Force Majeure, The Square), comes this biting modern twist on The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie. Split into three distinct chapters, the movie follows a young couple of social media “influencers”, Carl and Yaya, who embark on a luxury cruise for the ultra-rich. To no one’s surprise, the world they inhabit is a tad weird: requests so bizarre they seem surreal, a staggering lack of self-awareness, and the occasional outbursts of absurdly ostentatious generosity— whether called for or not. When an unexpected tragedy strikes (the cause of which we won’t reveal, but let’s just say it’s Östlund’s satirical genius in précis), the ship sinks, and the few remaining survivors find themselves on an uninhabited island where the tables are turned, and practical life skills become the new currency. The film is far from perfect; the run time is considerably overstretched, the allegories are too on the nose, and the three chapters—too incohesive. Nevertheless, it’s a riotously fun spectacle, and Östlund doing what he does best: mercilessly skewering Western society. Bonus points include Woody Harrelson as an alcoholic captain, a fantastically orchestrated sequence featuring a grotesque symphony of vomit and diarrhea, and one of the best film intros we’ve seen in recent months, explaining the film’s cryptic title— which, by the way, is pretty genius in itself. By Eva Mackevic TRIANGLEOF SADNESS ++++
119 FILM DECISION TO LEAVE Director park chan-wook, the notorious maestro of gory violence, epic tales of insurmountable tragedy and over-the-top revenge, surprises us with one of his biggest twists yet: a relatively mild romantic thriller. Mind you, the emphasis lies on the word “romantic” here, with the “thriller” aspect amped up by the PR messaging around the film. Nobody does obsessive fixation quite like Chan-wook and he returns to his pet subject yet again. The obsessed: do-good detective Hae-joon (the captivatingly earnest Park Hae-il) investigating the death of a man who fell off a mountain under suspicious circumstances. The obsession: the man’s quietly alluring widow, Seo-rae (the steely but soft Tang Wei) who seems all too composed after her husband’s demise. The film unravels like a simmering game of cat and mouse, twisting and turning so that we’re never too certain who’s the hunter and who’s the hunted. Typically for Chan-wook, the film is brimming with atmospheric symbolism and slightly hamfisted recurring motifs, that begin to feel a bit tiresome in the course of the film’s hefty two-and-ahalf-hour runtime. Nevertheless, Decision to Leave has already won Chan-wook the Best Director award at this year’s Cannes festival and a Best International Feature nomination at the upcoming Oscars. Regardless of the occasional selfindulgent tedium, it’s a cracking film noir number with a razing gut-punch ending that’ll haunt you for days. +++
TELEVISION The most discussed show online in recent weeks has been The Rehearsal (NOW), the latest from Canadian superbrain Nathan Fielder. Fielder broke through with Nathan for You, a send-up of a familiar reality-TV format in which our troubleshooting host provided real-life business owners with just about the worst advice imaginable. The Rehearsal takes the form of a much bigger social experiment, offering its participants the chance to run through potentially tricky or unmanageable situations (addressing a lie, raising a child, etc.) with the help of trained actors and expensive sets built to resemble actual locations. It’s a supremely clever conceit, an exercise in generating empathy without ever letting on it’s about anything that sappy—I have only one note, concerning whether it’s especially funny, or even means to be. No such doubts about the Fielderproduced How To with John Wilson Nathan for You S1-4 (PrimeVideo/YouTube) Fielder as a malevolentJohnHarvey-Jones in the showthat made his name:watch him bamboozlebigbusiness andincur thewrath ofthe Starbucks legalteam. 120 • NOVEMBER 2022 (BBC2; iPlayer), the most original new comedy series in years. Wilson is a lifelong videographer who takes snapshots of everyday life in New York—people in parks, shop signage, objects left at the kerb—and stitches them into halting yet oddly touching and philosophical essays. With, it turns out, unexpected twists in the telling: Wilson’s quest to dispose of old batteries leads him into the field of reincarnation, while his attempt to cook the perfect risotto… well, best discover where that one goes for yourself. If for Fielder, life’s something that needs controlling, Wilson finds value in simply setting out into the world, even if just to the end of the road, sensing something can be gained from every interaction, however fleeting or awkward. Each episode here is its own adventure. by Mike McCahill Retro Pick:
MUSIC 121 The latest stopover on the genre-spanning evolution of Arctic Monkeys, The Car, finds the band brooding in a darkened corner of a lavish ballroom, dirty confetti stuck to the floor, all the other guests long gone. Vibrating through the air are tangles of gorgeous string arrangements, smoothly cascading piano notes and Alex Turner’s measured but tender vocals. A lush, yearning album that leaks heady Sixties nostalgia out of every nook and cranny, it faithfully pays homage to David Bowie, navigates Scott Walker’s well-trodden lyrical paths and occasionally nods to the rich ensemble pieces of The Moody Blues. The lead single “There’d Better Be A Mirrorball” is a beautifully crafted, doleful ballad that makes heartache sound like a maddeningly stylish affair, while “Jet Skis on the Moat” offers some sun-soaked respite with its funky wah-wah guitar. “Body Paint” channels Queen through its playful harmonies and whimsical lyrics easing off the tongue like it’s a verbal sparring session. The stylistic allure and listenability of each track belie the carefully planned complexity; The Car is packed with hidden little audio morsels and deliberately humble touches that are only detectable with a good pair of headphones. It’s a delectably sombre album, marking a new, poetic era for Arctic Monkeys—and they wear it well. By EvaMackevic Album Of The Month: TheCar byArcticMonkeys NOVEMBER 2022 • 121 Also outthismonth… LaDolceVita Filmbuffsrejoice;on October28,CAMSugar willreleasetherestored andremastered soundtrackforwhatis oftenregardedasoneof thegreatestfilmsever made.Directedby FedericoFellini,thisOscarwinningmasterpiece features thetimeless soundtrackbycomposer NinoRota,whoscored over150filmsduringhis lifetime,includingthefirst twofilmsofFrancisFord Coppola’sGodfather trilogy,thesecondof whichearnedhimthe AcademyAwardforBest OriginalScore. Aninstantly recognisableblendofjazz, rock‘n’rollandcircus music,thiscolourfulscore isinseparablefromthe iconicscenesofRoman nightlifeofFellini’sopus.
BOOKS LongShadows byDavidBaldacci (Macmillan, £22) D on’t get me wrong. When it comes to fiction, I’m all in favour of sensitive renderings of one woman’s journey into something or other; one man’s anguished struggles to understand himself; thoughtful if largely plotfree mediations on today’s world. Nonetheless, there are times when nothing hits the spot like a no-frills, foot-to-the-floor American thriller of the kind that David Baldacci has been producing for 26 years. Sure enough,hisnewonedoesn’t disappoint.ThemaincharacterisFBI operativeAmosDecker,wholoves life andwouldratherplayby the rules than getresults.I am,of course,only kidding. Evenby thriller-protagonist standards, Deckeris fantasticallyworld-weary, andhiswildlyunorthodoxmethods meanthathis exasperatedbosses alternatebetweenwanting tosackhim andbeing forcedtoadmitthat “theman gotthe jobdone” (this is the seventh novelhe’s featuredin,butby regularly remindingusofDecker’spast,Baldacci ensures thatitworks as a stand-alone). Here,Deckerheads toFlorida to investigate themurderof a judge and herbodyguard—andtogiveus American-thrillerfans exactlywhatwe want allover again.Ina seriesoflean, short chapters,he andhis latestlongsufferingpartnerfollowanynumberof leads inordertodiscoverthatnothing is November Fiction This month, we review yet another riveting read from the master of the thriller genre James Walton is a book reviewer and broadcaster, and has written and presented 17 series of the BBC Radio 4 literary quiz The Write Stuff 122 • NOVEMBER 2022
as it seems.Theirinterviewees are brisklybuttellinglydescribed(“Jerome Drakewas a soft-spoken,moroselooking fellow”; “GloriaChasewas a knockoutinhermid-thirties”).The dialogue isunfailingly taut.Onthe whole,if anybody appears a likely suspect,itwon’tbe longbefore they’re killedtoo. And yet, despite sticking so closely to the trusty methods of his genre, Baldacci always keeps us guessing, dropping in twists atjustthe right moment and serving up a plotthat’s both spectacularly tangled and satisfyingly coherent. Soquicklydothepages turn,infact, thatittakes awhile tonoticehowvivid allofthemany characters are, andhow neatlyBaldacci creates a senseofplace withhisunflatteringportraitofFlorida. Long Shadows,inshort, confirms the huge amountof entertainmenttobe hadfromspending a fewhours inthe handsof anoldpro. Q Can you guess the fictional character from these clues (and, of course,the fewer you needthebetter)? 1.He first appeared in the 1975 novel Last Bus to Woodstock. 2.His first name is the same as Captain Cook’s ship on the first voyage to Australia. 3.He’s been played on TV by Shaun Evans and John Thaw. Answer on p126 Name the character TheOxfordBookofTheatrical AnecdotesedbyGylesBrandreth (OUP, £12.99).Brilliantlywide-ranging collection of showbiz taleswith an anecdote-packedintroduction from theman himself.No loo shouldbe without one. TheHidingPlacebyAmandaMason (Zaffre, £8.99).Aghost story setin modern-dayWhitby, completewith a spooky house. Properly creepy andunsettling. AnimalVegetableCriminal:When NatureBreaks the LawbyMary Roach(Oneworld, £9.99).Roach is one ofthebest non-fictionwriters around—a thorough researcher who’s also very funny—andthis historical compendiumof animals behaving illegallydoesn’tdisappoint. The FellbySarahMoss (Picador, £8.99). Page-turning thriller set againstthe still-strangebackground ofCOVIDlockdown. AVillage inthe ThirdReichbyJulia BoydandAngelikaPatel(Elliott& Thompson, £10.99).Asuperbwork of micro-history, exploring howthe ordinary inhabitants of apicturesque Bavarian village reactedto the coming ofNazism. NOVEMBER 2022 • 123 Paperbacks
T wo of the biggest British screen hits of recent times—Downton Abbey and the Paddington films— have a couple of obvious things in common: bags of charm and Hugh Bonneville. Reading Playing under the Piano, it’s clear that these are closely related. Bonneville tells of his life with appealing modesty and, while it’s not exactly unusual for actors to stress how lucky they’ve been, he really seems to mean it. His big break, for instance, came while touring Europe in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. By complete chance, one performance in Florence was attended by Jonathan Lynn, best-known for co-writing Yes Minister but at the time directing plays at the National Theatre. Lynn was impressed enough to get the 22-year-old Hugh a National audition—after which his professional life hasn’t done much in the way of looking back. “Had Jonathan Lynn not chosen Florence for a long weekend in the autumn of 1986, would I have played Henry Brown in the Paddington films?” Bonneville wonders. “Or been asked to write this book?” Once his theatrical career takes off, he gives us plenty of backstage gossip, including a rather hair-raising anecdote about Judi Dench’s taste for rudery. He does the same after landing a lead part in a new countryhouse TV drama that even its own executive producer didn’t think would last more than seven episodes. Instead, as we know, Downton Abbey became a global smash, so In The Spotlight B O O K S In his new book, Hugh Bonneville opens up about luck, Downton Abbey and meeting Barack Obama RECOMMENDED READ: 124 • NOVEMBER 2022 © GAVIN BOND
NOVEMBER 2022 • 125 much so that in 2012 Bonneville was invited to the White House as part of a delegation of famous Brits. Following a State Department lunch hosted by Hillary Clinton, he found himself preparing to meet President Obama— and on a mission for his son Felix… “That evening we joined a line to shake hands with the President and the First Lady. Just before we’d left for the trip, Felix, then aged ten, had thrust a letter into my hands. ‘Will you give this to Mr Obama?’ It asked two specific questions, about the President’s views on the police being armed and what he felt about the potential effects of violent video games on children. ‘If you could get back to me,’ Felix’s letter concluded, ‘that would be hugely appreciated. It’s OK if you don’t reply – I’m only 10.’ ‘Right, well. Um . . . ’ I said. ‘Just make sure you give it to the President.’ “ I didn’t tell him this was about as likely as him getting the raise in pocket money he’d been campaigning for, but I said I’d do my best. So, during lunch at the State Department I asked what the protocol was on such things. If I were to reach for something in my inside pocket on being introduced to the President, would I immediately sense four red dots on my forehead? My lunch companion assured me it would be fine and the President wouldn’t mind in the least. It was my turn next, as the line of guests in black tie moved into the Blue Room. ‘Oooh look, he’s taller than on the telly,’ I thought. The President’s handshake was firm, his smile efficient. I asked if he watched Downton Abbey with the First Lady, as we’d heard she liked the show. He replied that he was currently glued to Homeland but maybe some time he’d get to a Downton Abbey box set on Air Force One. It was my cue to move on. Carpe diem, I told myself. ‘Mr President, my son would never forgive me if I didn’t at least give you this.’ I pulled the envelope from my inside pocket. No red dots on my forehead. His smile was broad now. ‘Tell you what, let’s get a photograph, so you can prove you did.’ A turn to the photographer. The handover of the envelope. Click. R E A D E R ’ S D I G E S T PlayingUnder thePiano: From Downtonto DarkestPeru byHugh Bonneville is publishedby Abacusat £22
B O O K S ” The dinner was memorable. The President remarked in his speech that the last time there were this many Brits in the White House, they burned it down, in 1814. Next day we boarded the plane home. Some weeks later a letter arrived in a cream envelope. ‘Dear Felix, thank you for your thoughtful letter,’ it began. ‘It was a pleasure to meet your Dad this spring, and I appreciate hearing from you . . . ’ The letter went on to commend Felix for addressing the challenges of the age as his generation had an important role to play in shaping the future. It finished by urging him to improve the lives of others. And below the text, the unmistakable signature of Barack Obama. ‘Felix,’ I said, choking up, ‘that is from the President of the United States of America.’ ‘I know,’ said the ten-year-old, ‘but he hasn’t answered my questions.’ Answer toName theCharacter: InspectorMorse, as createdbyColin Dexter.WhenMorse’s first name is finally revealed,we learn that hewas named Endeavour because his dadwas a bigCaptain Cook fan. 126 • NOVEMBER 2022 Other new celebrity autobiographies this autumn RisingtotheSurfacebyLenny Henry. Sir Lenny remembers the 1980sand90s,whenhisBritishTV success ledtoastarringroleina(not sosuccessful)Hollywoodmovie.He alsoreflectsmovinglyonthedeath ofhismother. CallingtheShotsbySueBarker. TennisandtelevisionstarBarker pullsnopunchesonher sacking fromAQuestionofSport—oron what sheconsiders theexcessive focusonherrelationshipwithCliff Richard(includingbySirCliff). CallMeMrsBrownbyBrendan O’Carroll.O’Carrollwas the youngestof11children,whose fatherdiedwhenO’Carrollwas nine,andwhosemotherbecame Ireland’s firstfemaleLabourMP. Allthatandworldstardomtoo— thanks toMrsBrown’sBoys. The FirstHalfbyGabbyLogan. Loganpicksoutherlife’sbiggest highsandlows,fromdancingon Strictly todealingwithherfather’s alcoholism,hertimeasan internationalgymnasttoher brother’s tragicearlydeath.
NOVEMBER 2022 • 127 Chocky byJohnWyndham Whatreallygotmehooked onreadingwasscience fictionandfantasy.Thefirst bookofthatgenrethatI rememberisChocky,by JohnWyndham.It’squiteshort,and almostdry,aboutayoungboywhohasan alienlivinginhismindthatmakeshimsee thingsfromadifferentpointofview. Sometimeshegetsupsetwiththealien, andwhenhesays,“I’mhearingvoices” peoplestartwonderingwhat’sgoingon. Mysistermentionedthebookandit soundedsointriguing.Itwasthefirst bookIreadcovertocoverinaday.I’mabit obsessivewithbooks.WhenI’minagood storyIdon’twantittoend—Iwasoneof thosekidsunderthecoverswithatorch! Flowersfor Algernon byDanielKeyes This tells thestoryofayoung chapwithareadingdisorder andI couldreally identify becauseofmydyslexia.He’s thengivenadrugthatmakeshisbrain morepowerfulandhebecomesmore intelligentthanhis teachersandthe professorwho’s runningtheexperiment. Idon’twanttogivetoomuchaway,butit wasaroller-coasterrideseeingallthe thingshebecameawareofashis intelligencegrew.Sciencefictionplaysan importantroleinthelivesofmany scientistsandwhatwedo.Alotofthebest sci-fi comes fromakernelof something that’s reallyhappeningandisexplored andexpandeduponinamagicalway. FOR MORE, GO TO READERSDIGEST.CO.UK/CULTURE Heidiby JohannaSpyri As I’mdyslexic,readingat schoolwasneverfun.WatchingtheTVseries Heidi,though,as shewenttolivewithhergrandfatherandthe adventures shehad,inspiredmetoreadthebook.Thenovelopened upawholenewworldtome.ItwasmagicalbecauseIrealisedthe powerofmyownimaginationthroughpicturingthemountainsand theversionofHeidithatIwantedtosee.Ihadn’trealisedthatbooks coulddothat.Itledmeontootherthings,like TheSecretGarden,whichIalsoloved. Heidi iswhatgotmestartedinreading. Books THAT CHANGED MY LIFE Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock is a space scientist, science communicator and presenter of the BBC’s The Sky at Night. Her new book, Am I Made of Stardust? is available now, £12.99, published by Buster Books
128 • NOVEMBER 2022 need to mentally prepare yourself to spend hours on the phone, or pingponging emails back and forth to wrestle through the bureaucracy. I know that whenever I need to phone a utility company, I brace for a long, annoying call. So why are passport renewal and a surprisingly comprehensive range of government services so straightforward? It all stems from the decision over a decade ago to radically transform the way the government organises digital services, with the launch of GOV.UK. It was more than just a new website. It was a new philosophy about how public services should work in the age of the internet. The genius of GOV.UK is that it breaks down the barriers between government departments. The idea is that you don’t need to know whether it is HMRC or the S omething that you might not expect happened last time I renewed my passport: it was completely painless. All I had to do was log on to the government’s GOV.UK website and click a few buttons on a page that was clearly laid out, which explained what I had to do in simple terms. No printing out forms or trips to the post office required. I didn’t even need to find a photo booth to take a formal picture—I could upload a photo from my phone, as long as I’d taken it against a blank wall with a fairly miserable expression on my face. Within a few minutes, I was done, and just had to wait for the new passport to arrive in the post. This might sound crazy if you’ve not experienced it for yourself. Everyone knows that if you ever have to do some tedious life admin, you James O'Malley hits "refresh" on government websites How Britain Started The Digital Government Revolution TECHNOLOGY DAVID BURTON / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
129 Department of Work & Pensions where you need to file your tax return—instead, the website is organised around “user-centred” design principles, and is focused on improving the user experiences where people interact with government the most: things like pensions, benefits, passports and so on. Unusually though, the goal of GOV.UK is different from almost every other website on the internet. Unlike everything from Facebook, to your local newspaper’s website, the goal isn’t to make you stay on the site for as long as possible, but to help you solve whatever problem it is that you’re having as speedily as possible, knowing that the less time you spend interacting with public services the happier you will be. These simple principles have revolutionised how the government works on the internet. Today, doing everything from checking your taxes to registering to vote is a breeze. But ten years on, GOV.UK is a long way from being "finished". Because the government is big and lumbering, some government departments are changing how they work faster than others—sometimes all the GOV.UK website does is put a shiny cover on a system stuck in the digital stone age. I saw this myself recently when updating the address on my driving licence. After clicking through from the modern webpage, I was taken to the old DVLA website, which looks like it hasn’t changed since around 2002. Then the worst thing happened. The digital form refused to let me update my address because it hadn’t been programmed to handle the apostrophe in my name. So after trying many times and getting increasingly frustrated, I, a professional technology journalist and someone who knows a thing or two about computers, found myself at the post office, filling in a paper form. But at least it's all heading in the right direction. And though there are still problems, surprisingly this is something we should actually be proud of, as when it comes to digital government, Britain is arguably the best in the world. So much so that since the launch of GOV.UK, other countries have copied how we do it. In fact, some governments have even taken advantage of the fact that lots of the designs of GOV.UK webpages are “open source”, meaning anyone can use them. So if you go to GOVT.NZ, the New Zealand government’s website, or the websites of the governments of Canada, or the Republic of Ireland too, you might notice it looking strangely familiar—because it’s literally running on the same code. Let’s just hope they remembered to change the name of the country on the passport page. Q NOVEMBER 2022 • 129
Win £30 for your true, funny stories! YouCouldn’t Make ItUp 130 • NOVEMBER 2022 Go to readersdigest.co.uk/contact-us or facebook.com/readersdigestuk As a passionate Beatles fan, it gives me great pleasure to teach and hear my primary-aged pupils sing some of their songs. I recently taught them the final repetitive part of "Hey Jude". However, my pronunciation skills obviously need improving, as some pupils in the playground asked me why we sing the song "Hate You"! KEITH LODGE, Hull Our church was in its 75th year and a meal to be held in the church hall was planned by way of celebration. The minister and a handful of members were to say a few words after the meal. One of the elder members, who was well into his eighties, surprised and delighted some of us when he stood up and said, "I have calculated, making allowance for holidays and sickness, that over the years I must have listened to over 3,250 sermons. FUN & GAMES AND THE £50 GOES TO… WILLIAM CHEUNG, Southall £50 PRIZE QUESTION ANSWER TO OCTOBER'S PRIZE QUESTION SYMBOL SUMS 21 + 21 −3 ÷ 3 = 13 THEFIRST CORRECT ANSWER WE PICK WINS £50!* Email [email protected] SANDWICH What four-letter word belongs between the word on the left and the word on the right, so that the first and second word, and the second and third word, each form a common compound word or phrase? AUDIO _ _ _ _ BINDER
And do you know what? I haven't understood one of them!" COLIN BOWES, Lancashire When I was working on the electronic security to a home for people with dementia, we were asked to ensure that no residents left through the main door, and told that they would try anything to leave. A short while later, a small man shuffled towards us and reached for the door handle. “Sorry,” we said, “we can’t let you through.” He looked quite confused, and said in a soft Irish accent, “But I must go. I have places to be and people to see." Not being fooled and leading him back along the hall, we insisted that we had been told not to let him out. At that time, a member of staff appeared and said to him, “Everything alright, Mr O’Connor?”. “Well, no,” he replied. “These gentlemen won’t let me through, and I have calls to make.” My colleague and I looked at each other and smiled sympathetically. “Oh no,” said the member of staff, “I didn’t mean him. He is the local priest and visits all the local retirement homes in the area.” IVAN DUNNE, South London When the lady in front of me presented her new bus pass the wrong way up, it didn't register and she flew into a panic. "It's all right, Madam," the driver said patiently. "It NOVEMBER 2022 • 131 only works if you put your face onto the scanner." She did just that, and I'll never know how that man kept his own face straight. MAGGIE COBBETT, Ripon My bank manager rejected me for a much-needed car loan, so I arrived at work late and preoccupied. I quickly sent my husband a text message—just three little words— and hurried to my desk. Suddenly, my telephone rang and my bank manager’s name flashed on the display. Chuckling, he said, “Thank you for your message. I’m very flattered that you love me, but I think my wife might have something to say about that!”. Humiliating, but those three little words got me my car loan in the end. LEAH ROTTIER, Epenede, France cartoon by Guto Dias "KIDS, IS EVERYTHING READY?"
P R I Z E D R A W For your chance to win the new 2022 Sovereign gold coin simply answer the question below The new 2022 Sovereign gold coin from The Royal Mint (current value £392) Online at www.readersdigest.co.uk/gold-sovereign By post: complete and send the coupon to FREEPOST: WARNERSGROUP (READ) WAY S T O E N T E R : Where did the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on June 2, 1953 take place? A) Windsor Castle B) Westminster Abbey C) St Paul’s Cathedral Name:.......................................................................................................................................................................................... Address: ..................................................................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ Email:........................................................................................................................................................................................... Please sign me up to your email newsletter so I hear about all future prize draws and competitions Answer to the question above: A B C Terms & conditions: All correctly answered entries will be entered into a prize draw. Total of one winning entry and one prize of the new 2022 Sovereign gold coin currently worth £392. Closing date 30/11/2022. Winner will be selected at random and contacted no later than 15/12/2022 to arrange special delivery. No cash alternative. No purchase necessary and entries can be made by post or online. The coin will be presented in a beautiful wooden gift box with a smart black velvet lining Reader’s Digest Gold Sovereign Prize Draw Entry Form
NOVEMBER 2022 • 133 FUN AND GAMES Word Power IT PAYS TO INCREASE YOUR BY ROB LUTES Our species sure accomplishes a lot. In fact, some psychologists suggest we should be called human doings rather than human beings. In celebration of our need to keep busy, here’s a quiz featuring words from our endlessly active language 1. quash— A: suppress completely. B: scrape clean. C: mix together. 2. shear— A: cling to. B: cut something off. C: prolonged and high-pitched scream. 3. abscond— A: scramble up a difficult incline. B: slip and fall. C: leave with something that doesn’t belong to you. 4. inculcate— A: ward off. B: teach through frequent instruction. C: breathe deeply. 5. lambaste— A: soak in brine. B: criticise harshly. C: cook at very low heat. 6. skulk— A: move secretively. B: worry excessively. C: excavate hurriedly. 7. lollygag— A: laugh out loud. B: spend time idly. C: eat sweets. 8. vitiate— A: impair the quality of. B: talk negatively about. C: embark on a new journey or activity. 9. nettle— A: cause physical harm. B: prevent someone from escaping. C: aggravate. 10. convoke— A: make more bearable or less severe. B: quick and clever reply to an insult. C: call a meeting. 11. impute— A: attribute blame. B: gauge importance. C: complain about. 12. blandish— A: bore. B: coax with flattery. C: conceal from view. 13. cadge— A: tease about a physical limitation. B: to make a defamatory statement. C: receive something without paying for it. 14. avulse— A: tear away. B: twist. C: immerse in water. 15. yammer— A: snore deafeningly. B: talk loudly and at length. C: prop with planks.
VOCABULARY RATINGS 7–10: fair 11–12: good 13–15: excellent W O R D P O W E R Answers 134 • NOVEMBER 2022 1. quash—[A] suppress completely. A day after the president fled the country, the military sent in troops to quash the uprising. 2. shear—[B] cut something off. Each autumn, Angus would shear every sheep in the flock and sell the wool to private traders. 3. abscond—[C] leave with something that doesn’t belong to you. Kelly hoped none of the tenants would abscond with the crystal light fixtures in her rental home. 4. inculcate—[B] teach through frequent instruction. It took just one summer for Todd, a staunch environmentalist, to inculcate Oleka with respect for the natural world. 5. lambaste—[B] criticise harshly. After every performance, the obsessive director would lambaste any cast member who made errors. 6. skulk—[A] move secretively. With closing time near, thieves skulked behind the restaurant. 7. lollygag—[B] spend time idly. Alvaro didn’t lollygag after the tour, and recorded six new songs in his first week at home. 8. vitiate—[A] impair the quality of. The rookie lawyer’s many mistakes vitiated the contract, rendering it worthless. 9. nettle—[C] aggravate. The tour guide’s superior attitude nettled Ted, but he soon grew to appreciate her depth of knowledge. 10. convoke—[C] call a meeting. Seeing the dire quarterly report, Sameer decided to convoke his advisers to discuss the future of the firm. 11. impute—[A] attribute blame. With subtle jibes, Irene imputed the broken chair to Harry’s fit of anger. 12. blandish—[B] coax with flattery. Telling him he was the best student in the school, Jenny tried to blandish Jeong into sharing his class notes with her. 13. cadge—[C] receive something without paying for it. Billy cadged not only drinks but a meal from the wealthy club members. 14. avulse—[A] tear away. Elijah’s awkward sideways move with his right ankle was enough to avulse a part of bone from his tendon. 15. yammer—[B] talk loudly and at length. Glenda tends to yammer on, unaware no one is listening.
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136 • NOVEMBER 2022 FUN & GAMES BRAIN TEASERS darren rigby (cookie cutter). fraser simpson (shopping spree) Cookie Cutter difficult Everything in this neighbourhood is logical.What number should be painted on the blank mailbox? Shopping Spree mediumNizam has been shopping online using an amount of money he saved.On Monday, he spent one-fifth ofthe money. On Tuesday, he spent one-third ofthe money he had left.OnWednesday, he spent one-half ofwhatremained after Tuesday’s purchases. After allthis shopping,Nizam still has £60 remaining.How much money did Nazim have originally?
NOVEMBER 2022 • 137 For answers, turn to p139 + - = 4 - + = 2 + + = 7 - + = ? 2 3 5 2 7 7 5 4 1 0 2 9 1 0 2 3 6 3 3 0 5 6 6 3 3 6 2 1 4 9 5 1 8 7 8 8 9 5 9 2 3 4 5 3 4 9 5 6 1 2 4 5 6 3 2 1 8 9 0 5 4 1 1 2 Number Search easy Find two identicalthree-digit sequences (one vertical, one horizontal)thatintersect atthe middle to form the shape of a plus sign. Shapely Math difficult Find the pattern to complete the missing number in the last equation. Speed Reading mediumFive young friends competed to see who could read the most books in one month. From the following clues, determine whowon (assume no ties). Kids: John,Mary, Robert,Michael, and Ann Clues: ) Robertread one more book than Ann did. ) Ann read more than John but less thanMichael. ) John did notfinish last. emily goodman (speed reading). marcel danesi (shapely math; number search).
CROSSWISE Test your general knowledge. Answers on p142 ACROSS 1 Summer sky sights (8) 5 Desisted (6) 9 Made suitable (7) 10 Put in writing (3,4) 11 Grasp (10) 12 PIN points? (1,1,2) 14 Up till now (2,4) 16 Faith-based fight (4,3) 19 --- Oak (“Far from the Madding Crowd”) (7) 20 Grieve (6) 23 Portal (4) 24 So careless about some hot dishes (10) 26 Declines (7) 28 Hibernia (7) 29 Spotting (6) 30 Becomes rigid (8) DOWN 1 Dearth (8) 2 Sleep stopper (5) 3 The written classics (10) 4 Side-to-side measurements (6) 6 Corrode (3) 7 Cat breed (9) 8 Coffee accompaniment (6) 10 Elder (6) 13 Without assistance (2,8) 15 Large flying insect (9) 17 Flower attractions (6) 18 Every story has them (3,5) 21 Puts on a pedestal (6) 22 Holiday memento (1-5) 25 Depart (5) 27 Transgression (3) 138 • NOVEMBER 2022
NOVEMBER 2022• 139 R E A D E R ’ S D I G E S T SUDOKU BRAINTEASERS ANSWERS By Jeff Widderich SOLUTION To Solve This Puzzle Put a numberfrom1 to 9 in each empty square so that: ) every horizontalrowand vertical column contains all nine numbers (1-9)without repeating any ofthem; ) each ofthe outlined 3 x 3 boxes has all nine numbers, none repeated. Cookie Cutter 55.Eachmailboxdisplays the total yougetwhen youmultiply thenumber ofpanelsonthedoorby the totalnumberof windowpanes. Shopping Spree £225 Speed Reading Michaelwon, followed by Robert, Ann, John, and Mary, in that order. Shapely Math 3 (a three-dimensional figure has a value of 3; a two-dimensional one has a value of 2). Number Search 2 3 5 2 7 7 5 4 1 0 2 9 1 0 2 3 6 3 3 0 5 6 6 3 3 6 2 1 4 9 5 1 8 7 8 8 9 5 9 2 3 4 5 3 4 9 5 6 1 2 4 5 6 3 2 1 8 9 0 5 4 1 1 2 1 8 6 9 4 5 7 4 4 8 6 3 5 9 1 2 3 4 6 5 8 7 9 8 1 7 6 9 3 8 7 2 1 4 5 7 1 8 5 6 4 3 2 9 2 4 5 3 1 9 8 7 6 5 3 6 2 8 7 9 1 4 1 7 2 9 4 5 6 8 3 4 8 9 1 3 6 2 5 7 8 5 1 4 9 3 7 6 2 9 6 4 7 2 8 5 3 1 3 2 7 6 5 1 4 9 8
WIN £30 for every reader’s joke we publish! 140 • NOVEMBER 2022 Me: I hate U2. My pro Bono lawyer: This won’t work. JOHN DARBY, via Twitter Instead of a swear jar, I have a negativity jar. Every time I have a pessimistic thought, I put a pound in the jar. It’s currently half empty. Seen on Reddit I called into work this morning and whispered, “Sorry boss, I can’t come in today, I have a wee cough.” He exclaimed back to me, “You have a wee cough?” I said, “Really?! Thanks boss, see you next week.” Seen on Reddit Laugh! I just finished a job interview for a new position. They asked me, “Can you perform under pressure?” I replied, “I’m not sure, but I do an amazing ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’!” Seen on Twitter I wish that room temperature water was as cold as room temperature coffee. NOAH GARFINKEL, via Twitter My attempts to combine nitrous oxide and OXO cubes made me a laughing stock. Comedian OLAF FALAFEL I used to live hand-to-mouth, do you know what changed my life? Cutlery. Comedian TIM VINE Go to readersdigest.co.uk/contact-us or facebook.com/readersdigestuk FUN & GAMES
NOVEMBER 2022 • 141 My dad recently suggested that I register as an organ donor. He’s a man after my own heart. Comedian MASAI GRAHAM I was in the gym yesterday, and I decided to jump on the treadmill. People started giving me weird looks though, so I decided to jog instead. @THEPUNNYWORLD, via Twitter What’s the difference between a literalist and a kleptomaniac? A literalist takes things literally, and a kleptomaniac takes things, literally. Seen on Twitter My friend asked if I wanted to hear a really good Batman impression, so I replied, “Go for it!” Full of energy, he shouted, “No! Not the Kryptonite!” Slightly puzzled by this I replied, “That’s Superman.” What kinds of magazines do cows read? CATTLE LOGS! Submitted via Twitter NATURE GETS ITS REVENGE ON MAN-MADE INTERVENTIONS IN THESE FUNNY PICS viaboredpanda.com ANatural Win
L A U G H CROSSWORD ANSWERS Across: 1 Swallows, 5Ceased, 9 Adapted, 10 Set down, 11Comprehend, 12 A TMs, 14 To date, 16Holywar, 19Gabriel, 20 Sorrow, 23Door, 24Casseroles, 26 Refuses, 28 Ireland, 29 Spying, 30 Stiffens Down:3Scarcity,2Alarm,3Literature,4Widths,6Eat,7Shorthair,8Danish,10Senior, 13By yourself,15Dragonfly,17Petals,18Twosides,21Adores,22T-shirt,25Leave,27Sin “Thanks man”, he laughed. “I’ve been practising a lot.” Seen on Reddit A man walks into a library and asks for books about paranoia. The librarian leans in and whispers, “They’re right behind you!” KEVIN KLEIN, via email Google Earth is incredible. They’ve photographed every road in the world and put them on the computer. You just type it in and you go there. You sit in front of the computer and you think, I can go anywhere in the world. Where shall I go? And we all come to the same conclusion: My house. Comedian MICHAEL MCINTYRE I like an escalator because an escalator can never break. It can only become stairs. There should never be an “Escalator Temporarily Out of Order” sign, only “Escalator Temporarily Stairs”. Comedian MITCH HEDBERG I enjoy doing stand-up. Especially now that my life is so busy and so hectic. With stand-up, I can just go out and relax, and enjoy the silence. Comedian STEVE MARTIN The Loneliest Number Twitteruserssharethe relatablereasonthey’resingle @StayBarefoot:My ex girlfriend textedme asking ifshe’d gainedweight. I answered “Nooo”, butit autocorrected to, “Mooo”. @RyanRawlings: Even though Itellmyself notto, at the end of every first date I can’t help but blurt out, “Good night, I love you!” @VashoKanath: I playHide and Seekwithmy cats at night. @SabinaEGarcia: Books are generally better. @DunLahfAtMae: I askeda cuteguy ifI couldborrowhis pen.WhenIfinishedusingit,he smiledandheldhishandout.I thoughthewantedtoholdmy hand,soIdid…Hewasjust waitingforme to returnhispen. 142 • NOVEMBER 2022
R E A D E R ’ S D I G E S T NOVEMBER 2022 • 143 Think of awitty caption forthis cartoon—the three best suggestions, alongwith the cartoonist’s original,will be posted on ourwebsite inmid-November. If your entry gets themost votes, you’llwin £50. Submit to [email protected] byNovember 7. We’ll announce thewinner in ourDecemberissue. Our cartoonist’s caption, “I’m guessing your children have gone back to school?” failed to beat our reader Paul Sarre this month, who won the vote with his caption, “I come from the year 2022. You might wantto sit down. And you won’t be needing that banner.” Congratulations, Paul! SEPTEMBER WINNER Beat the Cartoonist! cartoons by Royston Robertson The iconic Sixties model looks back on hanging out with The Beatles and being a muse for Eric Clapton The beloved British actor opens up about his remarkable life and working on The Crown IN THE DECEMBER ISSUE The heartwarming story of a 70-year friendship between two goalkeepers + FOOTBALL FRIENDSHIP Timothy Dalton Pattie Boyd I R E M E M B E R …
A h, Bonfire Night: the glowing sparklers, the vibrant fireworks and the smell of smoke in your hair for days afterwards. There’s nothing like it! It’s changed a little over the years, of course. For a start, its name has undergone some variations. Initially known primarily as Guy Fawkes Night and then Bonfire Night, in the early 1900s firework manufacturers started branding it as “Fireworks Night”. It was an efficient marketing tactic, as it saw their sales increase by 20 per cent year on year. All three names are used interchangeably, although Guy Fawkes Night has fallen in popularity, as has the practice of burning effigies of Guy Fawkes. This used to be a Bonfire Night staple, with Guys being made weeks before the event. Children would take their effigy from door to door to collect money, or display it on street corners. These days it’s less common to see, although the town of Lewes has kept up the tradition. Every year, up to 5,000 people take part in a parade, with spectators numbering up to 80,000. Effigies are carried through the streets and then burned at the bonfires. Some health and safety changes have occurred in the last hundred years, too. In 2004, laws were passed making it illegal to sell fireworks to under-18s. I think we can all agree that that’s probably for the best! Nowadays, Bonfire Night is all about getting down to your local park, being talked into buying an extortionately priced flashing toy that will break within 20 minutes, and enjoying the show! Q by alice gawthrop A Century 1 0 0 Y E A R S As we continue our centenary celebrations, we look at the evolution of Bonfire Night over the last 100 years… 144 • NOVEMBER 2022 Of Change
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