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Delving into the treasure trove of 100-word-story submissions never fails to fill us with immense joy here at Reader’s Digest. Within these concise narratives, we find a rich tapestry of emotions—heartbreak entwines with tales of love and empowerment

Want to see your short poem published in Reader’s Digest? Whether you’re a seasoned poet or just getting started, we’d love to see your work! Email us at readersletters@readersdigest.co.uk. Include your full name, address and the title of the poem. W

Monday is our fun day When tennis is our game And Lorna is our hostess And tea is not the same. For Lorna bakes to tempt us With cakes and scones galore And we are all on Weighless But we still ask for more! So Sheila is our volley queen And Margo pl

I DON’T MEAN to be smug, but I’ve just attended my favourite event of the year. And, almost certainly, you weren’t there because there are only 10,000 tickets available. Indeed, it’s an event so good, I hesitated before putting pen to paper today—les

Set a goal of 30 minutes five days a week. If you walk briskly, this will give you your recommended 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise, bringing you better cardiovascular fitness, stronger bones and muscles, and the mental health benefits of bei

The most common kind is an ischaemic stroke, where a clot cuts off blood flow to part of the brain. This causes 85 per cent of strokes. Less common is a haemorrhagic stroke, caused by bleeding in or around the brain when a blood vessel bursts or leak

Are you happy? Take a moment to think about it. It’s an important question because we are constantly told that being happy is important, aren’t we? What does occur to me though is that there is more to life than simply the pursuit of happiness. Pure

Q: Dear Dr Max, I’m going through the menopause and my hot flushes are having a negative impact on my daily life, but I’m worried about the risks of HRT. What would you suggest? A: Over the past few years there’s been a lot of discussion about HRT, w

I STARE AT MY phone for five hours a day. At least, that’s what an impertinent weekly notification tells me. As a result, I’ve developed “tech neck”—head forward, shoulders rounded and back slumped—and it causes pain in my back, shoulders and neck. I

IF, AS A MAN, you’ve ever wondered how to date a woman who is taller than you, today is your lucky day. I’m going to share some tips helpfully laid out by the website wikiHow: first, make peace with the fact she’s taller, but you must never bring thi

Q: One of my best friends leans on me a lot for emotional support. She feels things very deeply and lately, our hangouts have basically become free therapy for her: she spills her anxieties and wants reassurance. It’s too much and is really starting

Balmonds began when a mother needed an extra gentle moisturiser for her little girl’s sore skin. She made an all-natural balm which is now known as Balmonds Skin Salvation. Balmonds makes extra-gentle, naturally nourishing skincare that’s particularl

Every child would have a bed to sleep in I’m really passionate about this, and I can’t believe it’s still an issue. We’ve touched upon this in Morning Live. Local groups are still searching for beds for young kids, whether it’s cots or beds. It’s an

How was the experience of starting Alternative Ageing in 2014? I had to learn a lot of new skills, which I think is really important to take on board when you get well over 60, to keep using your head. There were elements of photography I couldn't ge

To celebrate the launch of their NEW Crackable Cheesecake Pots, the English Cheesecake Company are giving 2 lucky winners a £100 voucher each to spend on their online shop. The NEW Crackable range includes 3 brand new cheesecake flavours, all made wi

SPRING HAS SPRUNG and for many of us that means time for a good clean and tidy of our homes. Anna Ewers Clark, veterinary research and standards lead at national pet charity Blue Cross, has top tips to make sure you keep your pet safe during your dee

THE WEATHER IS starting to warm up now, so outdoor summer parties and barbecues will soon be in full swing, and that’s a cause for celebration in itself! However, if your patio isn’t currently quite up to scratch and is in need of a little tidying, s

How did you come to be an artist? I grew up on a council estate in Wakefield in West Yorkshire, the last of eight children. There wasn’t much money in the household, but I was never discouraged from being creative. My earliest memories are of drawing

TIME TO BID FAREWELL to our old friend How To with John Wilson (iPlayer), as its third and final season reaches these shores. To the last, Wilson’s curiosity remains boundless; his searchingly idiosyncratic mini-essays continue to marry big themes wi

There was a time, circa 1994, when the lounge noir of Portishead drifted from every angsty 20-something’s bedroom, giving voice to the loneliness and anxiety in a romantic spark. Blending gloomy hip hop beats produced by Geoff Barrow and Beth Gibbons

Another band with an instantly recognisable aesthetic is Ibibio Sound Machine, who have upped the ante yet again on their club-driven Afrofuturist pop with their latest album, Pull the Rope. Finding that sweet spot between Afrobeat and electro, the I

James by Percival Everett is published by Mantle at £20 FOR THOSE WHO have recently enjoyed American Fiction, the film adapted from Percival Everett’s novel Erasure, you will understand that I am reticent to say this book is important, raw or real. W

This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a blinding light thousands of times brighter than the midday sun. In 1960 a group of US scientists calculated that it would take just 26 minutes and 40 seconds for an ICBM (Intercontinental Ballisti

26 minutes, 40 seconds to Armageddon Ballistic missile trajectory in three phases of flight: Boost, Midcourse, and Terminal (US Missile Defense Agency) Back in 1960, when the intercontinental ballistic missile had just been invented, the Pentagon’s c

Naomi Wood is the award-winning author of three novels, including the bestselling Mrs Hemingway. Her first short story collection This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things (published by Phoenix) explores what happens when women stop playing nice and succ

WHEN YOU THINK of the most innovative organisations, then chances are that your mind will immediately go to the likes of Apple, Google, or perhaps OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT that is leading the AI revolution. These companies are undoubtedly w

Q: How can I listen to music from my phone in my car? A: Back in the day, if you wanted to continue listening to an album in the car, it would simply be a case of popping the cassette or CD out of your home hi-fi and taking it with you to the car. To

DO YOU WANT to save 1.5 seconds every day of your life? According to the dishwasher expert at the consumer organisation Choice, there’s no need to insert the dishwashing tablet into the compartment inside the door. It’s fiddly and unnecessary work. T

Go to readersdigest.co.uk/contact-us or facebook.com/readersdigestuk I was driving my dog-walking van with my neighbour Sally when suddenly the alarm started going off loudly. We stopped and could not work out how to turn it off. I rang my mechanic f

1. pelagic—A: tree-dwelling. B: high-flying. C: inhabiting open seas. 2. incubate—A: keep eggs warm until they hatch. B: teach young to fly. C: find a mate. 3. keratin—A: young parrot. B: birdseed mix. C: fibrous protein. 4. dip—A: point binoculars b

WIN! 3 X £50 You will find this photograph somewhere inside this issue of the Reader’s Digest magazine, but can you find it? Once you have, simply write the page number on your entry form, or enter online. Enter By Post Or Online – May 2024 closing d

Email your jokes to excerpts@readersdigest.co.uk or send them at facebook.com/readersdigestuk Why can’t humans hear a dog whistle? Because dogs can’t whistle. MAGGIE COBBETT, Yorkshire Being a silly goose? You mean delusions of gander? UGH (@ughfinew

What do you remember about your first time doing stand-up? Trying desperately not to step in a wet patch on the floor while I changed out of my work clothes in a toilet cubicle in an M&S next to the venue I had an open spot at (I didn’t realise comed

Think of a witty caption for this cartoon—the three best suggestions, along with the cartoonist’s original, will be posted on our website in mid-May. If your entry gets the most votes, you’ll win £50. Submit to captions@readersdigest.co.uk by May 7.

The legendary actor and comedian on his upcoming Fawlty Towers stage show British motorsports legend looks back on his remarkable life and career The world according to the TV and radio presenter ■