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BBC News
24 minutes ago
- BBC News
Telford's treasured WW2 book to be republished on VJ Day's 80th
A battered World War Two book telling the stories of people from part of old Telford who fought during the hostilities, is to be republished as part of events to mark 80 years since VJ (Victory in Japan) Day ended the global book, Hadley and District Welcome Home Fund's Memorial & Souvenir Brochure, was produced by a local newspaper at the time to raise money for those returning from the war, and only a few copies includes the stories of 500 people who fought in the war, including the units they served Jill Hine gave her treasured copy to the parish council and local historian Rob Davis has scanned each page to create an online version. The original will be kept in Shropshire Archives and the free online edition will be published on the anniversary of VJ Day next Day saw Japan announce its surrender to Allied forces on 15 August Hine gave her copy to Hadley and Leegomery parish councillor Phil Millward after the pair met at a summer fete. The parish council described the brochure as a "heartfelt tribute" to the men and women who served."It not only honours those who returned but also serves as a memorial to those who did not," the authority said the book painted a "vivid picture" of where people lived and where they served, offering "a deeply personal connection to our shared past".Millward said people would be able to find out who lived in their home, and maybe even discover the faces of long-lost relatives in the yellowing pages."There are still a few of these books about, but not many," he said. The Welcome Home fundraising effort began in October 1944 and the brochure, printed by Shrewsbury Chronicle and the Newport and Market Drayton Advertiser, cost two shillings and six old pence – about £4.92 46 newspaper staff served in the war, with one killed, six wounded and two taken members of staff who came back returned to their old jobs. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Guardian
24 minutes ago
- The Guardian
The best blenders in the US: five favorites for smoothies, soups and frozen drinks
There are few breakfasts that feel as healthy and refreshing as the ever-mutable smoothie. You can make them virtuous, with lots of greens and nut milk, or luscious, with full-fat dairy and cocoa powder – but in order to make a good one, you need a really good blender. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. And while smoothies are the classic use for a blender, these appliances can do so much more; a truly great blender is a kitchen workhorse that can make your morning smoothie, your afternoon dip, your evening soup and even a frozen drink if you're feeling frisky. While blender technology has definitely improved in the last few decades – we now have high-speed contraptions that can make peanut butter in less than a minute – they're all basically attempting to turn large pieces of food into a smoother result. If you're looking for a new one, we've tested the best in the business. Best overall: Vitamix 5200$499.95 at Vitamix Best budget blender: Breville Fresh & Furious$186 at Amazon Best personal blender: The Beast Mega 1200 Plus$219 at Beast Best blender for smoothies on the go:Nutribullet Pro 900$89.19 at Amazon Best blender for the plastic-averse:Oster Classic Series Heritage Blender with 6-Cup Glass Jar$99.99 at Walmart All prices current at time of publication. I've been writing about food for more than a decade, whether that's writing recipes, editing cookbooks or reviewing restaurants. I'm an obsessive home cook with a small kitchen: I love an efficient kitchen tool and don't have patience for useless bits and bobs. I'm also a habitual smoothie maker, meaning that I've made hundreds of morning drinks, as well as plenty of pesto and endless sauces, in my own refurbished Vitamix – and cleaned it by hand each time. After spending a few weeks researching the wide world of blender options, I selected nine blenders to test: six full-sized blenders and three personal blenders. (I skipped immersion blenders, because comparing them to high-powered blenders felt like comparing a bike to a Hummer: they have different uses and vastly different power levels.) I tested each blender's ability to make the following: crushed ice (to replicate frozen drinks), peanut butter, pesto, smoothies and a broccoli-potato-white bean soup. After each test, I washed the blenders by hand, making note of how annoying they were to wash without the luxury of a dishwasher. I also made note of what 'extras' they came with, how they were packaged and what they were made of. I'm donating the blenders I tested to St Mary's Clothing Drive in Brooklyn, a wonderful charity near my apartment. $464.99 at Amazon$499.95 at Vitamix Why we love itAcross all my rounds of testing, the two Vitamix blenders I tested consistently produced the smoothest product, though this one – the 5200 – had the edge. Whether I was sipping a smoothie, spooning a soup or (let's be real) dipping a finger into a batch of pesto, this blender produced luscious, vibrant results, even keeping green and purple smoothies from turning muddy in color. It also worked quickly, turning a chunky soup into a puree in less than a minute, while other competitors took 90 seconds or more to create a mulchier result. After a few rounds of testing, the touchscreen of the more expensive Ascent ($750 compared to the 5200's $470) stopped working, and the blender was unusable. Even if the Ascent had kept working throughout my testing, the results were basically the same as those of the 5200. I also appreciated that the 5200 offered an array of speeds, without an excess of settings. There's an on/off switch and a switch that lets you choose high speed or variable speed; if you choose variable, a dial at the center of the control panel lets you go from zero to 10 as you like. The device will also 'pulse' in case you want to make something chunkier, such as salsa. And it comes with a tamper, to help break down anything super thick like peanut butter. Finally, it has a seven-year warranty. It's a shame that … It's definitely loud. At just over 20in tall, it's also too large to fit under some people's cupboards. Capacity: 64 ouncesPower: 1,380 watts / 120 voltsSpeeds: 10 $198.99 at Target$186 at Amazon Why we love itOut of the gate, I was impressed by the Breville because it was one of only two blenders that could crush ice without the assistance of a tamper or a splash of water. If you're looking to make frozen margaritas on the cheap, this blender is for you. The Breville website claims that the blades offer a mix of blending and food processing functionality; I tried chopping some carrots, and it was more of a shred. Still, it's a useful option. It also whipped up a bright-green pesto quickly. While it wasn't as silky smooth as the Vitamix pesto, it got pretty close. The smoothie, too, had a bit more texture than the Vitamix smoothie, but at nearly a third of the price, it feels like an acceptable tradeoff. I also liked the lid design: it fits very tightly and securely into the jug and features a loop that helps you pull it off easily. It's a shame that … Although it comes in seven different colors, from 'red velvet cake' to 'olive tapenada', this isn't the sleekest-looking blender of the bunch. And if you're obsessive about texture, you may find that your smoothies and soups aren't perfectly smooth. Capacity: 50 ouncesPower: 1,100 wattsSpeeds: five, plus other features such as crushed ice and pulse $219 at Macys$219 at Beast Why we love itThe Beast is the newest brand on this list. Their personal blenders have a very strong motor at 1,200 watts, and this option, the Mega Plus, comes with three jars, for XL smoothies, little batches of sauce and everything in between. The Mega Plus came with more bits and bobs than any other blender I tried: in addition to the jars there are a drinking lid, two straws, a straw cleaner and a blade cleaner. If you like gear, this is likely the blender for you. Of the three personal blenders I tested, the Beast consistently produced the best results, blending everything evenly from pesto to soup. While it couldn't blend nut butter or crush ice, I'm not sure that there's a personal blender on the market that can, and it was definitely the best for thick smoothies. I also liked the color options – I tested a dark blue model. It offers two speeds: 'pulse' and 'blend'. It's a shame that … While the Beast's jars are made of plastic – the same BPA-free material that the Vitamix uses – they're so heavy I briefly thought they might be made from very thick glass. I recently deadlifted nearly 240lbs, but even I wouldn't want to carry a smoothie this heavy to the gym. Capacity: 28.75 ouncesPower: 1,200 watts / 120 voltsSpeeds: two (pulse and blend) $89.19 at Amazon$79.99 at Kohl's If you want a personal blender that will make good smoothies and shakes you can take to the gym – or you balked at the Beast's $219 price tag – the Nutribullet is your friend. At just $88, the Nutribullet blended smoothies that were only slightly more textured than those of its more expensive counterpart, and it handily blended soup and pesto without any problem. It also comes with a second jar, a lid for drinking and a clunky-looking but totally effective detachable handle. This jar was basically designed to be thrown in a gym bag. It didn't make the final cut because … Its smoothies weren't the smoothest, but they still did the trick. Capacity: 32 ounces Power: 900 watts Speeds: one $99.99 at Walmart The Oster felt decidedly nostalgic – I'm pretty sure that my parents had the same one in the 90s, with its flip-on switch and tapered glass jug. It's also the only blender that arrived with zero plastic packaging: all cardboard, no useless baggies. If you're looking for a blender that will minimize potential exposure to microplastics, this is a great option, thanks to its glass jug. The lid is still plastic, but has less contact with your food. It also offers a 10-year warranty – even longer than the Vitamix's. It didn't make the final cut because … Its blending capabilities left something to be desired: it produced a decidedly mulchy green smoothie, and it never got soup as smooth as its competitors. Because the base is so narrow, it's difficult to clean by hand, as the area beneath the blades is a challenge to reach. Capacity: 48 ounces Power: 1,000 power watts/600 blending watts Speeds: two Choosing your blender will have a lot to do with how you want to use it. Do you just want to make shakes for the gym, or are you an obsessive home cook who has always wanted to make hummus? When it comes to jug blenders, the motor's power is the factor that most contributes to the blender's ability to do its job, but jug shape also comes into play. A more narrow, round base will blend small quantities better than a wider, square base. If you're just looking for a smoothie-making machine, or you have very limited counter space or budget, a personal blender is likely your best bet, thanks to its small footprint and because the jar turns into a to-go vessel for your drink. Jug blenders are better for larger jobs, or thicker mixtures, such as thick smoothies, nut butters, spreads and soups. A higher-power blender is going to offer a smoother consistency and faster results. Most high-speed blenders can clean themselves with a little help. Rinse out your blender as best you can, add a squeeze of dish soap and fill halfway with water. Then blend on high for a minute. Unless you were blending something particularly sticky, this should clean out your blender, and all you have to do is rinse it. You may have to wash the lid by hand. Personal blenders are a little different. Cleaning the jars is the same as cleaning a water glass. Be careful when cleaning the blades. I like to soak them in hot soapy water for about 20 minutes, which will loosen any bits of soup that have lodged in crevices. These are the blenders that I tested, in alphabetical order: The Beast Mega 1200 Plus Blendtec Total Blender Classic Breville Fresh & Furious Cuisinart Hurricane Nutribullet Pro 900 Classic Series Heritage Blender with 6-Cup Glass Jar Vitamix 5200 Vitamix Ascent X5 Zwilling Enfinigy Personal Blender Marian Bull has 10 years' experience in recipe reviewing – and in cleaning her blender. She has written about food for publications including Bon Appétit, the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. This article was originally published on 7 August 2025. Reviews published in the Filter may be periodically updated to reflect new products and at the editor's discretion. The date of an article's most recent update can be found in the timestamp at the top of the page.
The Guardian
24 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Maureen Watson obituary
My aunt Maureen Watson, who has died aged 98, lived her life with great energy, to the point that even when she began to slow down in her 80s it felt as if she was maintaining the same pace as other people. A literacy and numeracy teacher in the prison sector for many years, including while she raised her family, she was involved in local politics with the Labour party from the second world war onwards, and was a community volunteer in the Lake District. She also led walking holidays in Greece. Maureen was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, the only child of Edith (nee Wray), an office worker, and Frank Symington, a commercial traveller. During the second world war, at the age of 14, she was evacuated, with the rest of her school, Dame Allan's, to Ambleside in the Lake District, where she lived for three years. There she fell in love with the lakes and fells, with the result that hiking and camping always played an important part in her life. At King's College in Newcastle (at the time part of Durham University), where she gained a first class degree in economics after the war, she met Jack Watson, a fellow student, and they married in 1950. Three children were born in the 1950s: Kath, Judith and John, and the family settled in Wetherby, West Yorkshire, where Maureen worked as a part-time literacy and numeracy teacher in a local prison, and later at a drop-in centre in Leeds. After her marriage ended in divorce in the 80s, she decided to move back to Ambleside, and took early retirement. She became a National Park voluntary warden and was active on the Ambleside Civic Trust committee. She also led guided walks in the area and was a stalwart of the local Scottish dancing group. In her 50s Maureen taught herself Greek, after which she led walking holidays on four different Greek islands. In her early 60s she also fulfilled a long-held ambition to hike in the Himalayas, climbing to Everest base camp. Maureen helped with canvassing for Labour in the 1945 election in Newcastle upon Tyne. Later she was active in party branches in Wetherby and Ambleside/Windermere, while also taking part in many anti-war and anti-nuclear protests, including at Menwith Hill and Greenham Common. In her last few years she still liked to get out and walk each day, even if no further than Zeffirelli's cafe in Ambleside for lunch and then the nearby library for a regular read of the Guardian. She remained engaged in current affairs almost to the end. Reluctantly accepting that she finally needed some help, Maureen moved into a care home at the end of 2023. Kath predeceased her. She is survived by Judith and John, four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
