IT training readers digest UK TruePDF march 2019

R E A D E R ’ S

HEALTH • MONEY • TRAVEL • RECIPES • FASHION • TECHNOLOGY

D I G E S T

MARCH 2019

|
S M A L L
A N D

HIGH TIME

P E R F E C T LY

Is Britain Ready For
Legalised Cannabis?

Suzi Quatro

I N F O R M E D

On Grief, Guitars
And Gender

|

INSPIRE

M A R C H

Best Of British

2 0 1 9

7

Homes Of
Great Artists

readersdigest.co.uk

MARCH 2019

£3.79



Contents
MARCH 2019

Features
16 IT’S A MANN’S WORLD

28

Olly Mann ponders Britain’s
unique relationship with booze

p

ENTERTAINMENT

20 INTERVIEW:
SIMON AMSTELL
The actor and comedian on
overcoming his fear of intimacy
and finding inner peace

28 “I REMEMBER”:
SUZI QUATRO
The rock star looks back on
her fascinating life and career

78

p

HEALTH

38 BEATING ARRHYTHMIA
More than 2 million people in
the UK experience irregular
heartbeat—are you one of them?

56 PARENTS SAYING NO
TO ‘KEEPING MUM’
Could mental health troubles
actually improve your parenting?

64 LISTEN UP
Amazing facts about the human
ear and the fascinating
process of hearing
COVER ILLUSTRATION © DANNY ALLISON

70

INSPIRE

MEDICAL MARIJUANA
Is Britain headed down the path
to legalising cannabis?

78

BEST OF BRITISH:
ARTISTS’ HOUSES
We explore the houses of some
of Britain’s most vibrant artists
TR AVEL & ADVENTURE

90 CELEBRATING CIDER

Delve into the rich culture of
cider in Spain’s Basque region
MARCH 2019 • 1


DIGESTED

N E W M O N T H LY P O D CA S T
Each month Reader’s Digest navigate the woes and wonders of modern life, weighing in with
leading experts on the everyday tools we need to survive and thrive in 2019.
To subscribe to Digested for monthly episodes—including our latest,
“The Happy Ever After Myth”—visit readersdigest.co.uk/podcast
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Contents
MARCH 2019

In every issue
8
12

Over to You
See the World Differently

46
50

HEALTH
Advice: Susannah Hickling
Column: Dr Max Pemberton

106

INSPIRE
If I Ruled the World:
Alfie Boe

p

98
100

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE
My Great Escape
Foodie Retreats

114

102

MONEY
Column: Andy Webb

86

FOOD & DRINK
Tasty recipes and ideas
from Rachel Walker

106

HOME & GARDEN
Column: Cassie Pryce

110

86

p

116

FASHION & BEAUTY
Column: Lisa Lennkh on
how to look your best
Beauty

118

ENTERTAINMENT
March’s cultural highlights

122
127

BOOKS
March Fiction: James Walton’s
recommended reads
Books That Changed
My Life: Peter May

128

TECHNOLOGY
Column: Olly Mann

130
133
136
140
143
144

FUN & GAMES
You Couldn’t Make It Up
Word Power
Brain Teasers
Laugh!
60-Second Stand-Up
Beat the Cartoonist

MARCH 2019 • 3


“ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR
WEST END MUSICALS EVER.”
Evening Standard

THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE WITCHES OF OZ

©WLPL.

Acclaimed
Acc
a ed as “the hit musical with brains,, heart
a d courage”” (The
( Sunday
S
and
Telegraph),) the multi
a d i i musical
i l phenomenon
h
i now celebrating
lb i
award-winning
is
12 spellbinding years in the West End. This celebrated
d i transports audiences
di
i l
production
to a stunningly
r
O providing wonders beyond
re-imagined
world off Oz,
th imagination…
i
i i …
the

IIngeniously
i l re-imagining
i
i i the
h stories
i andd characters
h
L Frank
F k Baum
B m in ‘The
‘ Wonderful
f Wizard
createdd by L.
C
off OOz’, WICKED
tells the incredible untold story off
aan unlikely ffriendship between two sorcery students.
Their extraordinary adventures in OOz will ultimately
ssee them ffulfifil their destinies as Glinda
G
G d
The Good
aandd the
h Wicked Witch off the West
West.t.

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MARCH 2019 • 5

In This Issue…

EDITORS’ LETTERS

Holidaying in Amsterdam in January, I was surprised
by the proliferation of casual cannabis use in the city.
Of course, I knew that the drug was decriminalised,
but I wasn’t prepared for the sheer volume of “coffeeshops”
(where patrons can legally smoke the weed) and
cannabis-infused products—from lollipops, to bath
salts, to herbal teas—that were readily available to the
passing tourist. It was hard to avoid the nagging
thought—if cannabis use has been so readily and
smoothly accepted in the Netherlands, what exactly is all the fuss about
back home? On p70, Californian writer Danielle Simone Brand asks
just that, explaining the effect legalisation has had on her home state,
and musing on whether Britain is close to making the same move.

Anna
Ever since I watched one of his stand-up shows many years
ago, I’ve been a big fan of Simon Amstell. I was struck by his
unique brand of boldness, lightning wit, and the willingness
to expose his most vulnerable self to the world, turning his
weaknesses into an ample source of comedy and growth
rather than a reason for self-flagellation. As expected, our
conversation turned out to be one of the most unusual
interviews I’ve ever done. To be in Simon’s presence is to

witness an incredibly complex but kind human mind that’s constantly
running at breakneck speed. Read all about his discerning yet giggly
musings on life, love and intimacy in the modern age on p20.

Eva

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MARCH 2019 • 7


Over To You
LETTERS ON THE JANUARY ISSUE

We pay £50 for Letter of the Month and £30 for all others

Letter of
THE MONTH
I have just been reintroduced to
your magazine after an
abstention of a number of years
and I have to say, I had
forgotten how good and
interesting the articles are.
I couldn’t put your January
issue down until I had finished it.

I found the short article by
Jonathon Hancock, in relation to
memory training, particularly
interesting and a little poignant.
I come from a family who are
susceptible to Alzheimer’s
disease in old age (I lost my
father two years ago to this
terrible illness) and while I
accept the genetically likely
consequences, I do not believe
in its inevitability. The

old adage of “use it or lose it” is
as true today as it has always
been. The brain is a muscle that
must regularly be exercised. I
have just acquired the Twitter
app on my mobile so that I can
access your daily challenge.
For the same reason I enjoyed
your review, “The Art of Ageing”
on Carl Honore’s book which I
am considering purchasing.
Doesn’t life seem better when
we adopt a positive approach?
Well, I will go and organise
my Reader’s Digest subscription
right away!
Mel Ogden, North Lincolnshire

READER’S DIGEST

A MAN OF MANY LIVES

THERE’S SOMETHING
ABOUT GINGE

I found Don McCullin’s “I Remember”
absolutely riveting! Such modesty, yet
a life truly lived on the edge. Each of
his memories was so evocative, from
growing up in Britain during the war
with the realities of being a school-boy
in London, then an evacuee in the
countryside, to how he came to be a
photographer, and the different
civilisations he has been a part of
around the globe.
It made me reflect on how lucky I
am to have been born in this time. This
year, I’ve resolved to get more involved
with cultural activities. Soon, I shall be
meeting up with old school friends in
London, and I will suggest that before
we go for afternoon tea, we must visit
Sir Don’s exhibition at the Tate Britain.

I was very amused to read your

article, “You’ve Got To Be Kitten
Me”. I found myself in the same
situation with my own mature feline
friend who needed the company of
another cat.
We had home checks—which the
cattery insisted on—and into our life
came little Lola, a new companion to
a very disgruntled Ginge, who
thought, I’m doing very nicely, thank
you very much, who is this creature
you’ve brought to my house?
Fortunately, the amount of hackles
are reducing and the hissing appears
to have stopped.
Good article and it made me howl
with laughter.

Catherine Lucas, Hampshire

Marie Smith, Leicestershire

THE DYNAMIC DUO

I wanted to say just how much I enjoyed your interview with Steve Coogan. I
was particularly fascinated by Steve’s observations about Stan Laurel’s
obsessive nature, and his inability to “switch off” from comedy even when his
famous partnership with Hardy was flagging. After reading
the interview I couldn’t wait to see Stan and Ollie. Laurel
and Hardy performed in my home town as part of that

fated tour, and I was interested to discover what went
on behind the scenes. Coogan certainly shares Stan
Laurel’s comic talent. In spite of the film’s emotional
storyline, I was still chuckling throughout. I will certainly
be going back to watch the original skits.
Amber Phillips, Essex

MARCH 2019 • 9


OV E R TO YO U

SEXUAL HEALING
I found Amanda Riley’s article “Sex After
50” in the January issue very moving as
so many of the comments resonated
with my own experience.
I’m in my mid-fifties and, like Aggie
MacKenzie and Sarah Morris, I hadn’t had
sex for around ten years. I was happy enough
but then, just over a year ago, I began a
relationship. I was anxious about stripping off and
whether I’d be any good after a ten-year gap. What I
discovered was that none of that mattered because having
sex was now more about intimacy, being at ease with one another and, most
importantly, relaxing and enjoying it. Sex in later life is different to the
enthusiastic athleticism of youth. It can be just as passionate, but somehow
more intimate, more caring and delightfully enjoyable.
Denise Morton, Nottinghamshire

HOME COMFORTS
Helen Sanderson’s “Ask the Expert”
interview on de-cluttering really
struck a chord with me. Since having
my third baby last August we have
been planning a loft and a garage
conversion and I’ve been on a quest
to de-clutter our house. It’s incredible
how many things we accumulate that
are “lost” in cupboards. My strategies
for decluttering are: passing things on
to friends or family, selling anything of
value, taking old clothes to a charity
shop (they even take rags, which are

weighed and they earn 50p per kilo)
or putting things on sites such as
Freecycle, where people will come to
collect from your house.
While it would be so easy to just
put everything into the bin, it’s our
responsibility to recycle and avoid
waste which will end up in landfill
sites. With three children, it will no
doubt be an ongoing process, but
at least I have made a start.
Susannah Harrison, East Sussex

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10 • MARCH 2019

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IT’S A MANN’S WORLD

Mastering

The Martini
This month, Olly Mann, who’s not much of a drinker,
raves about his favourite cocktail in the world

I

drink alcohol every night, but
I’m not much of a drinker. In
Britain, this isn’t especially
contradictory. We inhabit such a
boozy nation that someone like
me—who takes wine with most
meals, welcomes each weekend with
a G&T, and even subscribes to a craft
beer club, for goodness sake—can
comfortably herald himself “not
much of a drinker.” Since I rarely
embark upon an evening with the
sole intention of knocking back shots
until I can’t remember my name,
I identify as not much of a drinker.
Mind you, our nation’s
relationship with drunkenness is
subtly shifting: millenials are
spurning the sauce to keep hold of
Olly Mann presents
Four Thought for
BBC Radio 4, and
the award-winning
podcasts The Modern
Mann and Answer
Me This!

16 • MARCH 2019

their cash and their Instagramfriendly abs, and middle-aged
personalities such as Clare Pooley (in
her book, The Sober Diaries) and
Adrian Chiles (in his documentary,
Drinkers Like Me) are questioning
whether their middle-class,
Waitrose-style drinking is as
addictive and potentially life-ruining
as the Wetherspoon variety (answer:
almost certainly). Meanwhile, “Dry
January” is growing in popularity, for
reasons I cannot fathom. Why would
you voluntarily reject the liquid
solace that offers the only relief
from the dampest, dankest, darkest,
most depressing month of drudgery
we face? Can’t we just do Dry
September, instead?
If I have a problem—and I’m not
saying I do, folks, I’m just indulging
in a bit of exploratory thinking
here—it’s that I’ve mentally adjoined
alcohol with an ever-increasing
roster of events. Champagne for
Valentine’s Day. Prosecco for


12

PHOTO: © PRADEEP RAJA KA NN AI AH/ALA MY STOCK

See the world
TURN THE PAGE…


14

PHOTO: © STOC KINASIA/ALAMY STOCK PH OTO


…differently
In the evening, when the temperatures
in Bangkok are at least a little more
agreeable, the gates open to the Talad
Rot Fai Night Market. It has roughly
2000 stalls which offer everything
from antique cars to Japanese action
figures—in fact there is very little here
that can’t be found, that is, outside of
a train. Ironically enough “Talad Rot
Fai” translated actually means “train
market”. This name derives from the
fact that the location was once directly
next to the train tracks. When the
railway company decided to expand,
the market simply moved to a new
location, taking its name with it.

ILLUSTRATION BY EVA BEE


IT’S A MANN’S WORLD

birthdays. Pimm’s in the summer.
Mulled wine at Christmas; well, all
December, really. Beer with a
barbecue. Port with cheese. Cocktails
on a Friday night. Sherry in the trifle.
An aperitif while cooking—lager
shandy if it’s something spicy. Aperol
Spritz when I’m on a plane—with a
Bailey’s nightcap if transatlantic.
Drinks when a colleague switches
jobs, drinks for football, drinks for
Eurovision, drinks for the theatre,
drinks in the interval, drinks drinks
drinks. The only time this strikes me
as truly problematic is when I
observe myself rushing to tuck my
son into bed so I can begin the
night’s drinking. But I shove that
concern to the back of my
mind, because I am
NOT much of
a drinker.
ANYWAY, I
MENTION ALL
THIS BECAUSE—

despite not being
much of a drinker—I am
in in love with the Dirty
Martini. I can’t recall when I
first encountered it, but I
suspect it was after Mad Men. (I
used to just drink beer and
wine, but when I saw Mad Men,
and all those cool guys in suits
glugging bourbon and
whisky and petrol, I
found myself reaching
for the cocktail cabinet
18 • MARCH 2019

more often). The Dirty Martini
matches the glamour of its rival
cocktails—it’s shaken over ice, it
comes in its own classy little glass—
but it’s not sweet, or naff, or bright
orange. It’s just a proper hard hit of
cold spirit, with a savoury olive kick.
When I’m in the States I drink it is
as often as possible (but never before
6pm, because that would mean I
have an alcohol problem—and, as
I’ve explained, I’m not much of a
drinker.) You can go to virtually any
bar over there—in an airport, a

casino, or at the side
of the motorway—
and get an
exceptional Dirty
Martini. I like mine
with vodka rather
than gin, a twist of
lemon and “extra
dirty,” ie, with
about two
tablespoons of brine
in it—which is disgusting
when you think about it,
but I don’t think about it,
I just drink it.
But I’ve struggled to find a
comparable one in the UK.
Obviously it’s not a regular order
down at the Dog and Duck, and
that’s to be expected, but I’ve really
scoured London—The Ivy, the
American Bar at the Savoy, even a
bar in City that’s actually
called Dirty Martini—and
I’ve yet to find one as perfect


READER’S DIGEST

“When I saw Mad Men,

and all those cool guys in
suits glugging bourbon,
I found myself reaching
for the cocktail cabinet
more often”

as I routinely enjoy in the US. So,
I started to make them at home.
I add two parts vodka to one part
vermouth, shake over ice, add a
spritz of lemon bitters, rim the glass
with lemon and serve with an olive,
a slice of lemon and LOADS of brine.
I’m very proud of my Dirty Martini.
All my friends have been forced to try
one. I’ve been drinking it, probably

twice a week, for at least five years.
But then, last week, I stumbled
across an online article about my
favourite tipple, and suddenly
realised for all this time I’ve been
USING THE WRONG VERMOUTH!
I’ve been casually buying Martini
Bianco whenever I trudge through
Duty Free, but apparently that’s a
“sweet, pale vermouth best served
with tonic water,” and for a “real”
Dirty Martini I should be using dry
vermouth, such as Noilly Prat.

I have taken this news badly,
immediately spending £15 in the
supermarket buying the “right” kind
of vermouth, to make sure no more
evenings of sipping Dirty Martinis
are WASTED.
But who can blame me for this
schoolboy error? I’m not much of a
drinker, after all. n

FACTS OF THE STAGE
Shakespeare’s Globe is the only building in London allowed to have a
thatched roof since the Great Fire in 1666
Prior to becoming Pope, Pope John Paul II wrote a play called The Jeweller’s
Shop which played the Westminster Theatre in 1982

William Shakespeare once lived in a house on the present day site of The
Barbican Centre
Two seats are permantly bolted open at the Palace Theatre for the theatre
ghosts to sit in

William Shakespeare once had to play Lady Macbeth when Hal Berridge, the
boy playing her, died suddenly
SOURCE: WHATSONSTAGE.COM

MARCH 2019 • 19


“I Was Terrified

Of Intimacy”
Simon Amstell

H

e’s best known for his
controversial stint as the
host of Never Mind the
Buzzcocks between 2006–2008, as well
as for his introspective, hilariously
neurotic stand-up shows and his work
on such projects as the comedy series,
Grandma’s House and the bonkers
veganism mockumentary, Carnage.
Now 39, Simon Amstell returns with
his second feature film, Benjamin,
a journey deep into his formerly
troubled, 20-something psyche.
I wasn’t sure which Simon to
expect when I met him at a busy Soho
café on a crisp winter morning: the
mocking Buzzcocks host or the fragile
ego-ed comedian who once professed
that instead of easing it, his cat had
become a mascot for his loneliness.
I found him sitting in a secluded

20 • MARCH 2019

corner of the room, his lanky frame

hunched over the tiny table. Oddly,
he seemed restless and giggly, as if he
was nervous to talk to me. “Look! I’m
wearing long johns!” he exclaimed,
frantically pulling up his socks, when I
mentioned the weather. We were off to
a strange start.
Simon’s new film, Benjamin, tells
the story of a rising young filmmaker
(played exquisitely by Northern Irish
actor, Colin Morgan), who’s struggling
with self-doubt and severe social
anxiety brought on by the impending
release of his second film, and a
burgeoning romance with the dreamy
French musician, Noah.
“I looked at the relationships
and friendships I’d been in, and
slowly found that it was a film
about someone who’s terrified of

© HARRY CARR

Actor and comedian Simon Amstell opens up to
Eva Mackevic about his troubled past, what drives
his comedy, and his new film, Benjamin


ENTERTAINMENT

INTERVIEW: SIMON AMSTELL

that
“II thought
had to be

intimacy, but eventually lets himself
be vulnerable enough to love
and be loved,” he tells me in that
characteristically high-pitched tone,
avoiding direct eye-contact.
It’s hard not to draw analogies
between Benjamin and Amstell who,
like the character, is in the process
of releasing his second film and
frequently pokes fun at his own social
ineptness and insecurities in his
stand-up routines.
“It is autobiographical but not
in terms of the exact events that
happened in the film. I’d felt all the
things that the character feels but not
in the locations or with the characters
that he feels them. I think the film is
emotionally true,” he explains.
The comedian claims that he
22 • MARCH 2019

struggled with opening up and letting

himself be vulnerable throughout
his twenties, using humour as a
defence mechanism. Perhaps it’s no
coincidence that it was around that
time that Simon started hosting Never
Mind the Buzzcocks, gaining notoriety
for his scathing wit and ruthless
treatment of guests, which resulted
in several walk-offs, including the
infamous Preston episode.
“I thought that I had to be funny
in every situation or I was worthless.
It was a panic button that I pressed
when I didn’t know what else to do.
I was incredibly defensive. I felt I
wasn’t enough. It can’t be that this
beautiful boy wants to kiss you. You
have to show him something first. You
have to put on a bit of a performance
before they’ll want to. I think I

KEN M CKAY/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK

funny in every
situation or I
was worthless”


READER’S DIGEST

Clockwise from top:
Phénix Brossard and
Colin Morgan in
Benjamin; Simon at
The British Comedy
Awards, 2007;
directing on the set
of Benjamin

learned that I’ve just been trying very
hard to get people’s attention.”
I wonder aloud whether that
problem is typical of a whole
generation of young people who can
no longer connect with each other
organically, due to heavy reliance on
social media and dating apps.
Simon pauses, formulating his
thoughts before unexpectedly bursting
into laughter: “Everything you’re
saying is so much better than what I’m
saying, you should just probably write
that down.
But it’s true,” he gets serious. “All
young people are writer-performers.
Everyone’s presenting a version of
themselves in a way that’s incredibly
disconnecting. Apps just exaggerate
problems that have always been
there with dating. If your head is in

MARCH 2019 • 23