BY MUDYARD KIPLING I was twelve or perhaps just thirteen years of age when my great aunt died at her terraced house in Leeds, over fifty years ago. The year would be 1970, near enough. She was an old spinster who lived at home with her sister, my maternal grandmother, also of advanced years. Something had gone wrong with the great aunt and when I … Continue reading No Fuss in Old Yorkshire
BY SEAN WALSH Let’s get smoking again, if only to help the easily offended “I believe that pipe smoking contributes to a somewhat calm and objective judgment in all human affairs.” —Albert Einstein If we’re serious about arresting our spiritual, cultural, moral, and aesthetic decline—and if we wish to push back against the general entropy of good manners—then we need to get people smoking again. Not … Continue reading Light Up, Children
BY DOMINIC WIGHTMAN We walk on concrete, but we live on bread. The modern world hums with the illusion of self-sufficiency – our smartphones deliver groceries with a tap, restaurants materialise meals on demand, and supermarkets present endless abundance as if by nature’s own hand. Yet this is a collective delusion. The truth is simpler, starker: every society rests upon the bowed backs of farmers. … Continue reading Why We Should All Respect Farmers
BY THE EDITOR The bookshops sag with promises these days. Shelf after shelf of bright spines shouting cures, secrets, revolutions. Most are lies. Some are dangerous. A few might keep you alive a little longer. I met the good doctor on Zoom—her face calm on the screen, mine carefully framed to hide the humidor in the glass cabinet behind me. She had the look of … Continue reading 99 Not Out! by Dr Sujata Kelkar Shetty
Maintaining enthusiasm for a health and fitness routine can often feel like an uphill battle. Life’s demands can overshadow initial excitement, leaving many feeling disheartened. Yet, nurturing motivation is essential for achieving personal goals and fostering long-term health benefits. Effective strategies can reignite your passion for fitness and turn your wellness journey into a rewarding experience. Set Clear and Achievable Goals Establishing clear and realistic … Continue reading Top Tips For Staying Motivated In Your Health And Fitness Routine
BY ANTONIA FILMER At the end of 2022 Professor Sir Mike Richards gave a presentation at the Royal Free Hospital in North London. Sir Mike is currently working with NHS England to help implement a major expansion of diagnostic capacity and a new model of service delivery. He is also a trustee of Cancer Research UK and since April 2022 he was appointed as Chair … Continue reading Remembering William Marsden the Compassionate Surgeon
BY JACK WATSON Vaping, according to Wikipedia, involves the use of ‘an electronic device that simulates tobacco smoking. It consists of an atomizer, a power source such as a battery, and a container such as a cartridge or tank. Instead of smoke, the user inhales vapour.’ The original ‘vapes’ were refillable but the latest generation of vapes are disposable, and people are not disposing of … Continue reading Evil Bars?
VICAR Dear Readers of Country Squire Magazine, I trust that You are well and healthy. I imagine that many of You have started a New Year’s fitness regime or diet, like the Squires, and that therefore these days are not as indulgent for You as they might be otherwise. This week let us all pray for good health. One can be the richest man or … Continue reading A Prayer for Good Health
BY ANTONIA FILMER Nowadays good health seems to be all about the microbiome, an eco-system of trillions of microbiota which inhabit the human gut; each person’s microbiome is unique and requires thoughtful management to avoid the many illnesses that can result from poor digestion. Some symptoms of microbiome imbalance include, bloating, food intolerances, bad breath, IBS, acid-reflux, candida, fatigue, auto-immune conditions and depression; Hippocrates was an … Continue reading Homage to Ayurveda in the Malvern Hills
BY ALEX STORY Sometimes the world moves in an unexpected direction. When it does, there isn’t much an individual can do about it. Indeed, 2020 will be remembered as the defining year of the 21st century. For many, the year started with resolutions, few of which lasted much beyond their pronouncements. However, soon, everything changed. Having heard the distant drums of another flu from China … Continue reading The Great Reset
BY NICK PEARCE One interesting development yesterday on Mental Health Day was how the countryside was being touted as the route out of depression and back to good health. Nature “prescriptions” by GPs could be a cheaper way to improve the UK’s mental health, a pioneering new study found – research conducted by Leeds Beckett University found that swapping regular prescriptions for nature activities could … Continue reading Countryside Helps Mental Health
BY ANDREW MOODY Yesterday I had my fourth bout of ECT (Electro Convulsive Therapy) – so-called because they pass an electrical current through your brain while you are unconscious. Where I once tried to put a positive spin on it, I am now firmly against the procedure, owing to irritability, confusion and memory loss that does not look like fading away – not to mention … Continue reading 4 Rounds
BY ANASTASIA CHOO As the NHS approaches its 70th Anniversary, I thought it appropriate to hear from NHS employees with their thoughts on the NHS. As one would expect there are both fans and detractors. Here are the comments of NHS staff below: ‘It was a privilege to work for the NHS and if I had my time again, I would still choose to work … Continue reading #NHS70
BY ANDY COLLIDGE What a world we live in, overstating almost everything, with entire social groups applying pressure upon themselves because they read something, heard something, or some media ass**** said something. Pressures that are not actually real, but, for an awful lot of people nowadays, an actuality that they seem to have to adhere to; their mindset overruled by the concept that it is … Continue reading Really? You’re Allergic?
