Averys is delighted to unveil a new range of wines celebrating a tradition of pioneering that goes back to 1793. The wines of Averys Pioneer Range are selected by John Avery MW from winemaking countries he began working with back in the 1960s and 70s. He has been identified by Stephen Spurrier in Decanter as being one of the most significant individuals in bringing New World wines to the attention of UK wine enthusiasts.
(more…)

Get into the Scottish spirit this May. Whisky Month is just one of the many reasons head up to Scotland for Homecoming this year. Whisky Month is a diverse range of more than 30 unmissable events and experiences happening across Scotland this May, held in honour of Scotland’s famous national drink as part of the year-long Homecoming 2009 celebrations.
(more…)

Sovio Wines, a small wine company that makes a lighter style wine with 40% less alcohol than most mainstream wines, was recently granted permission to go to the High Court next month to challenge Food Standard Agency rulings that banned Sovio’s sale in 2007. This is despite Government policy which has been urging more sensible drinking for some time and the ever increasing level of wine alcohols which has been heavily criticized in the industry.
(more…)

WIN! Funkyfogey has a pair of top price tickets to see SYLVIA by the Birmingham Royal Ballet

As part of the exciting season of Spring Dance at the London Coliseum for 2009 the Birmingham Royal Ballet makes a long-awaited return to the London Coliseum with a refreshing programme of works.
(more…)

As part of the exciting season of Spring Dance at the London Coliseum for 2009 the highly distinguished American Ballet Theatre company is performing SWAN LAKE set to Tchaikovsky’s magnificent score at the London Coliseum.
(more…)

Funkyfogey offer! –
2 FOR 1 ON TOP PRICE TICKETS TO SEE ALAN AYCKBOURN’S WOMAN IN MIND
STARRING JANIE DEE AT THE VAUDEVILLE THEATRE! Usually £46.00 each

(more…)

Donmar West End at the Wyndham’s Theatre

Further casting announced for Hamlet
Director: Michael Grandage; Designer: Christopher Oram; Lighting Designer: Neil Austin; Composer & Sound Designer: Adam Cork
29 May – 22 August
Press night: Wednesday 3 June

Jude Law will be joined by Ron Cook, Peter Eyre, Gwilym Lee, John MacMillan, Kevin R McNally, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Matt Ryan, Alex Waldmann and Penelope Wilton in Michael Grandage’s production of Hamlet – the final production in the Donmar’s year long residency at the Wyndham’s Theatre.
(more…)

The Everyman Theatre Brings The Game Of A Lifetime!
With more energy than a fast-paced match this new play, by one of the North West’s most prominent young writers, Nick Leather, tells the story of young Billy who dreams of fame and fortune as a footballer. Directed by Serdar Bilis (The May Queen, Proper Clever) and with a cast that includes Liverpool actors Neil Caple and David Lyons, Billy Wonderful plays away for a month during February at community venues across Merseyside before returning to its home ground, the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool from Thursday 12 March to Saturday 4 April.
(more…)

Funkyfogey Special Offer!

Have you heard of the Couserans? The Mercantour? The Majella? The Rhinogs? You have heard of Gran Canaria, but probably not for a walking holiday. Award-winning tour operator Upland Escapes really does reach the parts that other tour operators don’t reach. They specialise in finding beautiful corners of mountain Europe that very few, if any, people have heard of – all very different but all offering spectacular upland walking to make your soul sing.
(more…)

Don’t drag feet on walking

The Ramblers has today cautiously welcomed government plans to give walking a key place in its Be Active Be Healthy strategy, but warned ministers that the funding is still a drop in the ocean given the vast cost of inactivity to the nation.
(more…)

Walkers in Somerset are celebrating being able to walk freely along an ancient drovers’ way once more, after a judge at Bristol Crown Court this week ordered local landowners to remove the gates that have obstructed Barcroft Lane since 2004.
(more…)

Walking specialist operator, Ramblers Worldwide Holidays is offering a 6 day, half board tour of Amsterdam, with accommodation aboard ‘Botel Amstel’ – the perfect base for exploring this fascinating city.
(more…)

and support cancer charity, Myeloma UK

Tired of big tour groups, ‘one size fits all’ operators and impersonal package holidays? Bespoke walking and cycling holiday company, High Point Holidays, offers customers made-to-measure tours off the beaten track in Europe and Africa, including two mountain treks in unspoilt areas of Spain and Bulgaria – new for 2009.
(more…)

On April 6th The Blockheads, one of the punk and new wave era’s best loved bands, are set to return to the forefront of the British music scene with a brand new studio album “Staring Down The Barrel” via EMI Records, and will also embark on a Nationwide UK Tour.
(more…)

Gary Barlow and Robbie Williams is the duet Brits would most like to see, according to new research. Fans could get their wish if rumours of a reunion on the Take That tour come true this summer. Williams famously left the band back in 1996, and the two stars have been feuding ever since. However, following the band’s successful reunion in 2007, Barlow and Williams met in Los Angeles to bury the hatchet. Ever since there has been endless speculation about Williams joining the band, and the remaining four members have hinted they would welcome the comeback.
(more…)

Hot on the heels of their 30th Anniversary Celebration Tour that saw them playing to over a quarter of a million people during their sold out 2008 European/UK arena tour, and their performance at Nelson Mandela’s 90th Birthday concert in London’s Hyde Park, Simple Minds are about to enter the most prolific period within their extensive career with the highly anticipated brand new album ‘Graffiti Soul’ due for international release on May 25th by The Universal Music Records label.
(more…)

‘The Very Best of Perry Como’ will be released by Sony Music to celebrate the career of one of the giants of easy listening, Perry Como. From the release of his first UK single, that went to #1 in 1953, ‘Don’t Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes’, Perry became a huge star. He followed this success with 12 top ten hits including ‘Magic Moments’, and ‘It’s Impossible’.
(more…)

Active pensioners seek thrills and adventure
Britain’s older generation is casting off the traditional image of a sedate lifestyle snoozing in front of the fire for a more action packed way of life, a study revealed today.
(more…)

Kenya is the home of magnificent safaris, amazing wildlife and stunning scenery that surrounds visitors with every turn. It is fast becoming known as a top golfing destination and was recently awarded the “Undiscovered Golf Destination of the Year 2009” at the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO) Awards.
(more…)

by Emma Elsworthy
I have to admit I wasn’t overly thrilled at the prospect of a long weekend away, finding it hard to see past the mounting workload as I took a day off work, and the organisation required for travelling with two young boys. My husband Chris worked until midnight the evening before to ensure he could have Friday off work – was it really worth it? (more…)

One of the ultimate wildlife viewing destinations
Travellers looking to follow in the footsteps of famous naturalist Charles Darwin in this anniversary year should look no further than the Falkland Islands. (more…)

This is the Age of the Brain – Here at Funkyfogey.com we are pleased to announce our Brain Gym for the over 45s!

A sharper mind and a brighter future could be no more than a mouse-click away with the launch of a revolutionary new Brain Gym by Funkyfogey.com, the lifestyle web portal. The Brain Gym’s purpose is to help people aged 45 plus enjoy a longer, happier, and healthier life by spending a little time each day on ‘Neurobics’ – mental exercises that do for the brain what aerobics does for the body.
(more…)

Researchers at London Metropolitan University have joined forces with the world’s largest health and fitness operator, Fitness First, to discover just what keeps people returning to the gym again and again.
(more…)

Part two

As the ‘older generation’ we are living very different lives from our mothers and fathers. Being over 50 is not considered ‘old’ any more because most of us believe that we are too young to be old.
(more…)

by Carina Norris
published by Haynes,
RRP: £18.99,
Hardback, ISBN: 9 781844 255122

It’s hard to define ‘elderly’. Most of us know someone who is sprightly and mentally as sharp as a pin well into their eighties, nineties or beyond. But however young we may look and feel, there are some biological processes we can’t deny, and our nutritional needs do change. (more…)

It’s good news for families! The Royal Horticultural Society has announced that from 2009 under 16 year olds will be admitted, free of charge, to all of its gardens in the month of August and to the RHS shows at Cardiff, Hampton Court and Tatton Park.
(more…)

Compost producers need to up their game in order to produce good quality, peat-free composts that live up to their peat-based counterparts, according to new research by Gardening Which?.
(more…)

…visit The International Wild Flower Festival In Slovenia to find out more!

For anyone interested in wild flowers – including how to cook with them – the third International Wild Flower Festival between 23rd May and 6th June, near Bohinj in Slovenia’s Triglav National Park, is the perfect opportunity to find out more.
(more…)

Selected highlights of the Great Pavilion at the 2009 RHS Chelsea Flower Show – 19-23 May

The Great Pavilion is the jewel in the crown of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and in 2009 it’s set to sparkle brightly. New plants, creative displays, and a profusion of perfect blooms will create the explosion of colours and scents which, year after year, is many show visitors’ favourite experience. (more…)

So you’ve got your boarding pass, you’re pretty sure you haven’t left any loved-ones home alone and for the fourteenth time in little over an hour you’ve checked you’ve still got your passport; that’s everything, right? One thing many people forget to take on holiday with them is their right to vote.
(more…)

Increase in demand for equity release expected
A rise in equity release schemes is predicted in 2009 by Intune, provider of financial products and services for older people, set up and owned by Help the Aged. Despite falling house prices, many retired people still have considerable equity in their homes, having paid off their mortgages and benefited from the growth in the housing market. (more…)

Most people who save for their future can expect to benefit from saving under the Government’s pension reform according to research published recently by the Department for Work and Pensions. (more…)

Artist Arthur Lockwood has won the 2008 de Laszlo medal and will have ten works on display at the Royal Society of British Artists’ annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries in March 2009. Inspired by the landscapes that were created during the last recession, Arthur’s derelict houses and rusting machinery show a nostalgia for departed industry and highlight the beauty in urban decay

(more…)

New Year value from Motability Car Scheme

Disabled drivers can continue to obtain great value when it comes to choosing a new car. Motability, the leading car scheme for disabled people, has unveiled its prices for the first quarter of 2009 and there are still plenty of great value options, new cars and greener models on offer all at the best possible prices. Some popular models have even seen a price reduction. There are over 40 manufacturers to choose from including specialist converters for Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles.
(more…)

UK green chief says ‘hands off our A-G rating’
Seven out of 10 Europeans prefer the current EU-wide energy efficiency label

A leading UK environment boss has slammed Eurocrats after it emerged the EU is considering changing a scheme that helps consumers choose the most energy efficient washing machines, fridges and lightbulbs. (more…)

4 March – 31 May 2009
Everything that was new in British art a hundred years ago came from Sickert and he is known as the father of modern British art. Sickert was one of the most important British artists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. A pupil of Whistler, friend of Degas and acquaintance of Manet, he introduced Impressionism and Post-Impressionism to a younger generation of British painters.
(more…)

Leading Housing Organisation Issues 3,000 Cat Bells to Elderly Residents to Combat Crime Toll

Thousands of elderly residents in Bolton are ringing time on pickpockets by attaching cat bells to their belongings in a bid to combat personal theft. Issued by Bolton at Home – a leading UK housing organisation – the bells are being used by pensioners as part of a widespread programme to enhance the safety and well-being of council housing tenants in the town. Bolton at Home, which manages approximately 18,000 properties, has teamed up with Greater Manchester Police to provide 3,000 bells to older people across the borough to tackle the growing issue of pickpocketing.
(more…)

Heinz Tomato Ketchup is the household brand British mums refuse to go without, according to a new survey. Despite falling on hard times, 52 per cent of mums won’t give up on their favourite branded products in light of the credit crunch. In fact, Heinz appears three times in the top 20 list of best household brands, with tomato ketchup at number one, baked beans at two and tomato soup at number seven.
(more…)

Booths has become Britain’s first food retailer to ensure that 100% of its Lakeland Herdwick lamb is “Freedom Food” accredited. Freedom Food is an independent charity set up by the RSPCA in 1994 to improve farm animal welfare, insisting on higher welfare standards than other UK farm assurance schemes. Booths is backing the Freedom Food scheme to offer customers assurance of Herdwick quality and provenance, as well as the animal’s welfare standards.
(more…)

The regional finalists for this year’s Roux Scholarship – the 26th year of the competition – have just been announced. A total of 20 young chefs will compete for a place in the finals, four of whom have been national finalists before. The judges were delighted by the quality and particularly high number of entries this year, especially in the light of the current economic climate. “During a recession, kitchens will have quiet times, and chefs should use the extra time they have to their advantage – we certainly saw evidence of this in the standard and range of entries this year” commented Michel Roux, co-chairman of the judges.
(more…)

A life-sized pie in the form of Shane Williams has been created by one of Wales’ leading food manufactures ahead of the Wales England rugby game this weekend. The pie took two weeks to make and has been created using the exact ingredients of Peter’s and Brains steak and ale pie. It has been made completely edible.
(more…)

Celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight (23 Feb – 9 March) in style with a devilish dairy-free fairtrade chocolate espresso torte. This cake is extremely rich and luxurious, but completely dairy-free. It is ideal for any celebration. The addition of espresso gives the flavour an exiting twist. For more delicious vegetarian recipes visit www.vegsoc.org/cordonvert/recipes
(more…)

A Sixties Journey To Colonial Hong Kong
Marianne MacKinnon

£16.99
Hardback

A vivid journey of the 60’s to a colonial Hong Kong
In 1961, Marianne MacKinnon’s husband receives a posting to Hong Kong. The couple and their three small children travel by cargo boat through the Suez Canal and across the Indian Ocean, calling in at one exotic port after another. Entertaining the then popular image of Hong Kong as a place of opium dens, Suzie Wong bars and all the mysteries of the Far East, Marianne excitedly anticipates life in the Colony.
(more…)

by Leah Fleming
Published by Avon on 4th March 2009 in paperback original at £6.99

Best friends, worst enemies and a bond that can never be broken.
Crete, present day. A woman anxiously awaits the arrival of someone who could change her life for ever. Lancashire, the 1950s. Three young girls make their way in a brave new post-war world. But can they escape the trappings of the past?
(more…)

Introducing the PERSONAL HEALTH GUIDES from Summersdale
Inexpensive, expert, down-to-earth advice helping sufferers to help themselves

Here’s news of books on migraines, eczema, insomnia, and the menopause.
(more…)

By Peter Purves

Green Umbrella Publishing
Publication Date: 10th February (Peter’s 70th Birthday)
RRP: £18.99, Hardback, ISBN: 978 1 906635 34 3

Peter Purves is the actor, presenter and talented director who first shot to fame appearing with William Hartnell in 44 episodes of Doctor Who playing his companion Steven Taylor. (more…)

Created by David Elliot Cohen
Sterling Publishing, £17.99 hardback

The world’s pre-eminent photojournalists and thinkers depict essential issues of our time. For more than 150 years, photography has revealed truths, exposed lies, advanced public disclosure and inspired people to demand change. (more…)