A herbal remedy that cuts the garlic mustard
My Kentish great-grandmother used 'Jack-in-the-'edge' as she called it (garlic mustard) to make an all-purpose salve for her large family (Nell Frizzell, 24 May). The minced leaves were put in a dish with pork fat and cooked gently overnight in the kitchen range's slow oven. This produced a fragrant ointment thought to have antiseptic properties.Vivien BaileySt Albans, Hertfordshire
Barbara Stewart-Knox's assertion that meat producers are 'the most greedy industry on the planet' (Letters, 23 May) misses some far stronger candidates for greediness. Private equity, for example, takes far higher profits, and manages to pay less tax, than most meat producers; and others in the financial sector come close in their pursuit of high pay and bonuses.William WallaceLiberal Democrat, House of Lords
That anyone can be 'accused' of writing outside their own experience is ludicrous (American Dirt author Jeanine Cummins: 'I didn't need to justify my right to write that book, 25 May). Just imagine, if Shakespeare had been so constrained, the world would never have known Othello.Joan LewisSt Etienne de Gourgas, France
What's the difference between a sentence and a cat? Well, one has pauses at the end of its clauses while the other has clawses at the end of its pawses (Letters, 29 May).Jaki BrienNeston, Cheshire
Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
33 minutes ago
- BBC News
Primary school near Matlock sets up pop-up pool in playground
Children at a Derbyshire primary school have been having a splashing time enjoying a pop-up swimming pool set up in their Primary near Matlock has installed a pool for children to take two-week intensive swimming lessons have been arranged for every child from Reception to Year of school Laura Duncker Brown said: "Historically only Reception to Year 2 would swim, whereas this has meant the Juniors can really work on their skills - it's brilliant for all of them." She said the programme inside the 10m-x5m heated, marquee-covered pool included water safety alongside regular swimming lessons. "Generally you do lessons at a leisure centre. The cost of transport is rising and that's making it really difficult for a lot of schools," she said."This is actually quite cost-effective, the children are getting to swim so much more, and all the children are getting to swim."The Pool2School initiative is run by Nottingham-based Next Level Sports for schools across Derbyshire and instructor Josh Kynoch said: "Usually we have between 10-12 kids in the pool at a time, so really small groups and intensive lessons, it's nice and fun." Children at the Brassington school have said how much they have enjoyed having the temporary pool on their Finley said: "It's really warm, not very crowded, it's just really nice."His sister Holly said the pool was "ten out of ten".
BBC News
33 minutes ago
- BBC News
'I've reported three Leicestershire care homes in four years'
"One home would be bad enough but not three, all in a short time."Former milkman Tony Fowler, 66, from Leicestershire said he had raised concerns he had about three care homes in the last four years to the Care Quality Commission (CQC).Mr Fowler said he had been a regular visitor to care homes in the Melton area as he had built up relationships with some of his elderly customers, which he maintained after they went into is now calling on the CQC to inspect homes annually and hand out fines. A CQC spokesperson said the frequency of its inspections depended on previous findings and information received. Tony Fowler, who ran a milk and grocery delivery business, said he used to check in on his elderly customers across 26 villages in north Leicestershire."We all expect as we get elderly to be looked after and cared for in a comfortable manner and when this doesn't happen, small things add up to make life a misery really," Mr Fowler latest care home which Mr Fowler complained about was The Amwell near was rated as inadequate by the CQC last month after an inspection in December 2024. A spokesperson for the home said a new leadership team has now been put in place."The quality of life that my friend received had been very poor, often he hadn't been washed or changed [he was incontinent]. "You'd often go into his room and the smell of urination sometimes brought tears to your eyes, you couldn't be in the room for more than half an hour," he said. Mr Fowler admitted that caring for the elderly was a difficult job but said at times he would find it upsetting to visit and had witnessed residents left in their rooms calling for help in the evenings. "One of them was a blind person who'd been left some food but nobody was helping her to eat. "It can be quite upsetting for the person seeing it and obviously the person involved as well," he said. A spokesperson for The Amwell Care Home said the "health and wellbeing of our residents is our absolute priority"."We take all feedback extremely seriously and have invested in long-term action, working tirelessly to ensure we are delivering the highest standards of care."We are in discussion with Mr Fowler to address his concerns about previous challenges in the home, and we would like to reassure our residents and their families that the findings of last year's CQC inspection are in no way reflective of the current high quality of care being delivered at the home today."We remain committed to delivering the highest standards for the people in our care, and our significant progress has been recognised by the local authority which is satisfied with the action we have taken. "We look forward to welcoming the CQC back to our home, and we are confident that they will reaffirm the positive steps that have been made." 'Heart breaking' Mr Fowler said he had made complaints about two other care homes, including one where he said his friend received inadequate care."I had to wash his hair, cut his hair and shave him," he said."When he was done you showed him himself in the mirror and he smiled, he felt good."Mr Fowler is now calling on the CQC to hold annual checks on all care homes similar to a car MOT. "These are people who are vulnerable and elderly, when you've worked hard all your life you expect the minimum at least of care, not to be short changed. It's heart breaking," he said. A CQC spokesperson said: "The frequency of our inspections depends on previous inspection findings and ratings, information we receive and evidence we collect. "The CQC can use its enforcement powers when care isn't meeting the standard that people should expect. This can include imposing conditions, suspending or cancelling a service's registration, issuing fines, and in some cases a prosecution."
BBC News
33 minutes ago
- BBC News
Paralysed councillor defeated by one vote plans to stand again
A councillor who lost his seat at this year's local elections while recovering from a rare condition that left him paralysed has said he plans to have his name on the ballot in four years' Pardy had represented Sundorne and Old Heath for Labour on Shropshire Council since 2013, but lost to Reform's Mandy Duncan by a single vote in May. The election came after he collapsed at home in December with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare condition that affects the nervous system, leaving him unable to fully campaign. Mr Pardy said, while disappointed with the result, he was determined to stand again at the next election. "I really was disappointed, knowing I'd lost by a vote," he told the BBC. "It was a miserable night. "It was so close - I'd have preferred to lose by 201 votes, but I look forward to the next election." 'Extraordinarily frightening' It is not known what causes Guillain-Barré syndrome and it affects patients' senses and movement, as well as their breathing and heartbeat, according to the NHS."When I first contracted it, I can't remember what happened," Mr Pardy said. "I was put into an induced coma, I wasn't aware of what was happening."But he said it was "extraordinarily frightening" for his wife, a nurse of more than 40 years, who feared he could die."I was in a pretty bad way," he said, and was in hospital until March when he was moved to a rehabilitation centre in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent. "I realised the election was coming up, so I turned to my Labour colleagues who worked so hard," Mr Pardy said. Meanwhile, he did what he could to campaign using social he lost his unitary council seat, Mr Pardy won his seat on Shrewsbury Town Council - again by a narrow margin of just two votes. Since then, he has almost fully recovered use of his upper body and is starting to walk with a said the support he had received had been "tremendous"."I got support from people right across the parties. "People are substituting for me on my committees and I'm waiting on a laptop so I can join remotely."The 66-year-old said getting back to his work in the community, as well as his family, is driving his recovery."As a town councillor, there's plenty to be getting on with," he said."It's going to be difficult, but if I can, I will."
