thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-01--This Teacher's Been Tweeting Her Kids' Poems – And They're Brilliant

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To anyone who thinks that poetry is mostly written by stuffy, old dead men, think again – because there’s a whole new group of poets taking the literary world by storm... and they’re kids.
Kate Clanchy, award-winning poet, writer and teacher for 30 years, has become a viral sensation for the poems she has been posting on Twitter this year – and they’re all written by the children she teaches.
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Among these writers is Nadim Shamma-Sourgen, the famous ‘four-year-old poet’ (now five), who’s recently got a book deal. Clanchy met his mother, Yasmine Shamma, a lecturer in literature at the University of Reading, and began sharing some of Nadim’s poems on social media.
One of them, ‘Coming Home’, contains the lines: “You take off your brave feeling / Because there’s nothing / to be scared of in the house”.
Nadim the 4 year old poet is now 5 and started big school today. I expect it was still good to come home. pic.twitter.com/XcFIQuftPr — Kate Clanchy (@KateClanchy1) September 8, 2020
Clanchy has now put her tips for writing poems into a new book, How to Grow Your Own Poem, to help all wannabe-writers – kids or grown-ups.
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In the book, she begins with four published poems – and encourages readers of all ages to ‘borrow’ their form. “Now you are going to write your own version,” Clanchy writes. “All you have to do is bring your own experience with you and be true to it. Start with someone coming home home – a man, a woman, a boy. Who is coming home? How are they feeling?”
“It’s based on my teaching practice,” she tells HuffPost UK. “I’m a teacher and I’m also a writer, and for the last 10 years I’ve been working in my local comprehensive. It’s very multicultural – many of the children come from cultures where poems are an ‘everyday’ thing.
“To anyone who comes from Syria, for example, poems are very important – there’s a long tradition of singing or sharing them at home, with their families and community.”
Clanchy mentions a couple of her students – one of whom came to Britain from Syria, and, she says, “feels very affirmed and better” now that his poems have been published. Another, Clanchy says, is “a very good poet, but very dyslexic” – yet her poems have got her into university.
One of Clanchy’s students was a refugee from Afghanistan. Shukria Rezaei won a poetry competition at Oxford Spires Academy, when she was just 15, and went on to become a scholarship student at the University of London.
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Shukria wrote this for her uncle, presumed drowned between Afghanistan and Australia. He got in a boat because he faced persecution in his country. She was 18. pic.twitter.com/8uCxKB2YPV — Kate Clanchy (@KateClanchy1) September 5, 2020
“Kids poems are authentic and truthful and they’re good – and there’s a hunger for things that are authentic and truthful and good,” Clanchy says.
“All the poems are asking for is a reader. People’s experiences are widened by reading them, and it’s a genuinely good way to use social media.”
What’s more, poetry can be a comfort in this current, challenging climate – for writers and readers. “It’s a very difficult and dark time – we don’t know what’s truthful, anymore; and we feel a loss of security because we don’t know whose voices we can trust.”
Clanchy says that in her experience, kids find bigger audiences than most adult poets, because they’re sharing them, phone to phone – and they’re happy about it, too.
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“They like it very much,” she says. “I don’t usually publish their full names, and I protect their identities. Mostly, it’s a very affirmative thing for them.”
And here is a My Poem by Nadim's little sister. She's three. pic.twitter.com/YZ0tfSRKot — Kate Clanchy (@KateClanchy1) September 30, 2020
“Anyone can write a poem,” Clanchy adds. “And social media is a great way to put a poem up. You can fit it on a phone screen and read it easily and share it in the moment.
“Not all Instagram poems are good, by a long shot, but that doesn’t matter. To make a poem and be a poet is more accessible – and that will lead to good things. There’s no point being hierarchical about poetry, or thinking it’s ‘only for clever people’.
“Poetry is about our language and our own personal experience about community and individualism. You share your language with others, and in doing so, you create a new language. It’s about helping people hear themselves.”
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How to Grow Your Own Poem by Kate Clanchy is published by Pan Macmillan.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-01--Kate Garraway Makes Impassioned Plea To Follow Coronavirus Guidelines: 'You Don't Want This In Your

Kate Garraway Makes Impassioned Plea To Follow Coronavirus Guidelines: 'You Don't Want This In Your Life'

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Kate Garraway has made an impassioned plea for people to follow guidelines to prevent the spread of her coronavirus, after her husband Derek Draper remains in intensive case six months after contracting Covid-19.
During Thursday’s edition of Good Morning Britain, Kate spoke about the nation’s attitude towards the ongoing restrictions, saying she has “huge sympathy” for those who feel “fed up”.
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“I think, if you haven’t been directly touched by it, and you haven’t seen the devastation, but your life has been devastated – your livelihood, your ability to feel a sense of joy – then of course you’re going to get frustrated,” she said.
Kate Garraway on Good Morning Britain ITV
She then added that she wished she could give those who doubt the seriousness of the pandemic a glimpse at her life as things stand.
“It does make me tempted to show a picture of Derek in his current state and say, ‘You don’t want this in your life’,” Kate revealed.
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“You don’t know who it will affect and how, so stick to it.”
Kate also admitted she understands the confusion surrounding what is and isn’t allowed under the current restrictions, blaming misinformation for people’s lack of understanding.
She explained: “I think there’s huge confusion around it and we’ve been told different messages at different times.
“But we kind of know that wearing a mask, not mixing with people, social distancing…we know the basics and we just have to do our best.”
Kate with her husband Derek Draper, pictured after she left I'm A Celebrity last year James Gourley/ITV/Shutterstock
Kate’s husband Derek was first admitted to hospital in March, after contracting Covid-19, and was placed in an induced coma.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-01--How A Three-Tier Lockdown System In England Could Work

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Local lockdown rules are pretty confusing. Even the prime minister got them wrong. To ease some of the confusion, England could be heading towards a three-tier lockdown system as soon as next week, iNews has reported.
Areas with outbreaks would be classified as ‘tier one’ and would be subject to the tightest restrictions. It’s believed this could involve a strict social lockdown in order to curb transmission. If you think of it in terms of a traffic light system, this would be a red area.
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‘Tier two’ (think of it as amber) would cover areas with less tough measures in place – such as a ban on households mixing, while ‘tier three’ (green-ish) would cover areas not under local lockdown.
A similar system is in operation in France at the moment. Their equivalent of tier three is the ‘Alert Zone’, where gatherings are limited to 30 people and local authorities can put in place further restrictions to reduce the spread of the virus.
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The equivalent of tier two in France is the ‘High Alert Zone’, where there are restrictions on how many can attend sporting events, student parties are prohibited and bars must close at 10pm. Public gatherings are limited to 10 people, gyms are closed and people are advised to only have private gatherings with immediate family and loved ones.
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In France’s equivalent of tier one – aka the ‘Critical Alert Zone’ – all the previously mentioned measures apply, with some extra measures in place. Restaurants and bars are closed completely, and venues open to the public that don’t have strict health procedures will close. Theatres and cinemas remain open, however.
There are seven different types of lockdown in force in England at the moment, with rules varying between regions, which is pretty confusing for people to keep on top of – politicians included.
iNews reports that under the proposed system, people could type in their postcode to find out which tier their local area falls under.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-01--Archie Lyndhurst, CBBC Star And Son Of Nicholas Lyndhurst, Dies Aged 19

CBBC star Archie Lyndhurst – son of Only Fools And Horses star Nicholas Lyndhurst – has died aged 19, following a short illness.
The young actor was known for his role as Ollie Coulton in the CBBC series So Awkward.
A statement from CBBC confirmed news of his death on Thursday.
Archie Lyndhurst with parents Nicholas and Lucy, pictured in 2017 Joe Maher via Getty Images
It read: “We’re so sorry to have to tell you that Archie Lyndhurst, who so brilliantly played Ollie in So Awkward on CBBC, has very sadly died after a short illness.
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“Archie will be hugely missed by all who worked with him, and by all the fans who laughed along with Ollie in the show.”
We're so sorry to have to tell you that Archie Lyndhurst, who so brilliantly played Ollie in So Awkward on CBBC, has very sadly died after a short illness.
Archie will be hugely missed by all who worked with him, and by all the fans who laughed along with Ollie in the show. ❤ pic.twitter.com/SfXP8TIz2Q — CBBC (@cbbc) October 1, 2020
His father Nicholas later issued a statement, which said: “Lucy and I are utterly grief stricken and respectfully request privacy.”
Speaking to the BBC, CBBC’s head of content Cheryl Taylor described Archie as “such a talented young actor”, saying: “All of us at BBC Children’s are devastated.
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“He will be greatly missed by us all and our deepest condolences go out to his family and friends at this time.”
Channel X North, the independent production company that makes So Awkward, also said it was “deeply shocked and saddened” by Archie’s death.
It said in a statement: “He was an incredibly talented performer and his contribution to So Awkward, on and off screen, will not be forgotten.
“As well as hilarious, he was a generous, kind-hearted young man who we had the honour to work with on the show for seven years.
“Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.”
Nicholas and Archie in So Awkward BBC
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As well as his role on So Awkward, Archie also starred as a young version of Jack Whitehall’s Bad Education character Alfie Wickers in the sitcom in 2014.
Archie’s friend and So Awkward co-star Samuel Small is among those who have paid tribute online.
He said the late actor was “so full of life and had touched so many people’s hearts” in a post on Instagram.
“To my brother Archie. I still can’t quite comprehend that you have passed. You still had so much life to live and I’d give anything for you to keep on living it,” Samuel wrote.
“My heart aches all day and everyday thinking about you and I just wish I could talk to you just one more time so you could know how much I loved you. I vow to make you proud with every last breath. Love you from now until infinity. Rest in power bro.”
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He continued: “I wish you could’ve all known Archie how we knew him. I’ve never met someone so full of life and had touched so many peoples hearts. Archie was there for me in my lowest lows but my highest highs were with him. Archie’s my best friend and to say goodbye so soon is absolutely devastating, but his calling was obviously somewhere else and I hope he is brightening up wherever he is.
“To be honest, I still can’t find the words that do him justice and show how much of a beautiful soul he was, but his mission was to make as many people happy as he could and trust me, he really really did.
“Archie loved his friends and family so so dearly and we hope he knows how much he truly was loved. We never know what tomorrow will bring so hug the ones you love extra tight as Archie always did.”
Archie’s mum Lucy Lyndhurst commented: “He will love you and watch over you forever. Love you dearly.”
Fellow CBBC stars and former X Factor: Celebrity contestants Max and Harvey added: “I’m honestly speechless. RIP Archie, sending love to you and his family bro.”
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John Challis, who appeared alongside Nicholas in Only Fools And Horses, said his “heart ached” for his former co-star and his wife.
The saddest news of all today.The death of Archie Lyndhurst,just starting out on his chosen career in acting. My heart aches for Nick and Lucy.They could not have loved him more. pic.twitter.com/TkoGB1nxio — John Challis (@BeingBoycie) October 1, 2020
He tweeted: “The saddest news of all today. The death of Archie Lyndhurst, just starting out on his chosen career in acting.
“My heart aches for Nick and Lucy. They could not have loved him more.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-01--Brits Still Have To Learn To Appreciate Black People As Much As Their Music

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Forgive me. This isn’t me dropping a single or announcing a new album.
Instead, what has pulled me out from my creative bunker is the call to arms that is the movement for Black lives that has spurred an overwhelming desire for conversation about Black history in the UK.
Events such as the ‘forcible removal’ of Edward Colston’s statue from Bristol’s town centre, and the ongoing debate about the African artifacts being kept in The British Museum, have challenged Britain about where it really stands on Blackness.
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As a singer-songwriter, what came to mind during this period of introspection – perhaps selfishly – was the history of Black British music.
I suddenly wondered whether my knowledge of my expert subject was missing as many entries about black British history as my formal history education did at school.
What was Black British music history? Where was it? And why couldn’t I recall more about the contributions of Black Brits to our culture? My memory crassly told me that they didn’t exist before Windrush – that they were simply absent from all innovation and creativity until the Second World War. That’s what living in Britain had seemingly taught me.
But of course, I knew, that couldn’t be true.
When you dig a little deeper, you see there is plenty of Black musical heritage to be found here. It stretches back as far as the early 16th century, when John Blanke, an African trumpeter, played for Henry VIII.
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It includes classical Violinist, George Bridgetower who lived much of his life in England, and was by all accounts (including Beethoven’s) a highly accomplished player.
“Black people’s place in the musical landscape of this country runs longer and deeper than can be explained in my brief introduction.”
During the Victorian era, Holborn-born composer Samuel Coleridge Taylor achieved great success in Britain and overseas. And in the early 20th century, jazz musicians Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington visited and performed here, long before the introduction of the Windrush generation and the Calypso music that came with it.
Black people’s place in the musical landscape of this country runs longer and deeper than can be explained in my brief introduction. And yet it is missing from my knowledge of Britain, seemingly hidden beneath a general British desire to avoid dwelling too long on the parts of history that may “embarrass” us.
But this history isn’t embarrassing. It’s enlightening. This is history we should dwell on. Few of us could have pictured Black musicians living in Victorian London. Fewer still could imagine that those musicians were contemporaries of national “institutions” such as Edward Elgar – composer of Pomp and Circumstance (or, as most people know it, Land of Hope and Glory).
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“This gap in our education about Black British creativity represents a problem with how we think of our culture.”
This fuller, more accurate picture is much more interesting to me. But here we are, stuck toting a version of history that doesn’t pay Black musicians their full dues, while keeping the achievements of their non-Black peers permanently visible.
This gap in our education about Black British creativity represents a problem with how we think of our culture. It pervades and inhibits our ability to accept that UK culture is the sum of several diverse parts, from distinct perspectives.
And it lets us slide into a tendency to see Black contributions as secondary, outside influences, rather than being valuable and canon in the long history of our nation.
Nowadays evidence of this is written all over our responses to Black artistic expression. Stormzy and Dave’s BRIT Awards performances garnered hundreds of complaints to Ofcom this year, many citing that their lyrics – challenging the political establishment and bringing light to anti-Black marginalisation – constituted racism on their part.
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It doesn’t make sense that two of the most successful and credible artists in the country would suddenly become the objects of such targeted negativity, unless, perhaps, that pervasive perception of Black people as outsiders is at play, making their critiques of Britain harder to hear than when they come from their non-Black peers (think Plan B and his song, “Ill Manors”). This trend continued with reactions to dance group Diversity’s BLM-inspired piece on Britain’s Got Talent, which brought in 24,500 similar complaints.
“We have to actively educate ourselves and talk with our friends about the history behind this music we all love”
It’s clear that British people enjoy the output and cultural influence of Black musicians. It’s also true that music has the ability to bring people of all cultures and races “to the table” as listeners and fans, but still, some of us bristle at the mention of Black people’s experiences in that context.
So it raises the question: do we love Black music more than the people it represents? When I say “love” I mean that generalised feeling of empathy we have for our fellow person’s pain, happiness or anger; the willingness we have to see others win in life and our ability to see ourselves in others. The erasure of Blackness from our memories of history has made that empathy harder to feel, as we all battle with our perceptions of ignorance or being ignored and generally find ourselves not on the same page.
So what do we do with this frustrating discrepancy?
The answer is that we push through it. It doesn’t matter that doing so is awkward or difficult. We have to actively educate ourselves and talk with our friends about the history behind this music we all love. We must continue to uplift and support the output of Black musicians and artists we enjoy, knowing that they may have views that challenge and expand our perception of Britain, and being ready to defend them in the aftermath of criticism for expressing those views. And lastly we should encourage them, and by extension our black peers, to feel they can speak about those views freely, celebrating that our shared love of Black music may also give rise to important conversations about Black people in this Britain.
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Our history – Black history – is British History, now and forever. And Black music is huge part of it – it’s popularity reminding us who we’re supposed to be: a nation that sees value in people across cultural and racial borders.
Music remains eternally capable of binding us through a shared love of its greatness, despite the divisiveness in today’s world. But if we really want to access its power of unity then we must learn to love the people it represents.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-01--Your Intense Pandemic Dreams Might Be Helping You – Here's Why

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If people have been wearing face masks in your dreams, you’re not alone. Research has shown our dreams now regularly represent a Covid-19 world – and it could be our brain’s way of learning new rules or behaviour.
Researchers in Finland have analysed the dream content of almost one thousand people and found we’re regularly dreaming about the virus and social distancing.
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Over the course of a week, 811 people agreed to share the content of their dreams. The research team then used artificial intelligence software to identify common themes in their reports, which they termed “dream clusters”.
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Twenty of the dream clusters were classified as bad dreams, and 55% of those had pandemic-specific content.
The results showed that we’re dreaming about failures in social distancing, coronavirus contagion and personal protective equipment, such as face masks.
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Other themes that emerged were dreams featuring hugs, handshakes and crowds – but these were often associated with negativity or words such as “restriction” or “mistake”.
“We were thrilled to observe repeating dream content associations across individuals that reflected the apocalyptic ambience of Covid-19 lockdown,” said lead author Dr Anu-Katriina Pesonen, head of the Sleep & Mind Research Group at the University of Helsinki.
“The results allowed us to speculate that dreaming in extreme circumstances reveal shared visual imagery and memory traces, and in this way, dreams can indicate some form of shared mindscape across individuals.”
More than half of those who participated in the study also reported an increase in stress during the pandemic and these people were also found to have higher incidences of bad dreams.
But speaking to The Times about the research, Dr Pesonen said these dreams may actually serve a purpose as they suggest our subconscious is trying to learn the new rules of living.
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“We measured the dreams in a period where people were forced to learn a new code of conduct,” she said. “People were dreaming about not being able to touch, or about making mistakes in distancing — this suggests it’s about learning. Dreaming helps us to consolidate changing our behaviour.”
If you’ve been struggling to sleep during the pandemic or have been plagued by Covid-19 nightmares, sleep consultant Maryanne Taylor previously told HuffPost UK you should take some proactive steps to regain control over your dreams.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-01--Merseyside Placed Under Stricter Lockdown Rules, Announces Matt Hancock

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People living in Liverpool, Warrington, Hartlepool and Middlesbrough will be placed under stricter lockdown restrictions, Matt Hancock has announced.
Under the new rules, people will be banned from mixing with those they do not live with “all settings” apart from outdoor public spaces.
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“We recommend against all social-mixing between people in different households,” the health secretary told the Commons on Thursday.
“We will bring in regulations, as we have in the North East, to prevent in law social mixing between people in different households in all settings except outdoor public spaces like parks and outdoor hospitality.
“We also recommend that people should not attend professional or amateur sporting events as spectators in the areas that are affected.
He added: “We recommend that people only visit care homes in exceptional circumstances and there will be guidance against all but essential travel. Essential travel, of course, includes going to work or school.”
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Boris Johnson on Wednesday warned he “will not hesitate” to introduce harsher coronavirus restrictions across the country as hospital admissions increase.
The prime minister said no matter how “fed up” people were of the measures being imposed, they were the only way to curb the spread of the virus.
His comments at a Downing Street press conference were echoed by a warning from England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty, who said there was a “long winter ahead of us”.
It comes as a large-scale study has found evidence that the measures introduced in the north-east and north-west of England are having an effect.
Professor Paul Elliott, director of the React study – the largest research of its kind in England – said the most recent data suggests the rate of infection is slowing.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-01--Bill Bailey Says He's 'Still In The Dark' About Strictly Come Dancing Stint

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The new series of Strictly Come Dancing is less than a month away, but one contestant still has no idea what is going on.
Bill Bailey has admitted he is “still in the dark” about his upcoming stint on the BBC ballroom show.
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Appearing on Good Morning Britain on Thursday, Bill said: “I don’t really know much about what’s going on.
“We haven’t really started properly at all. At this stage, I’m a little bit in the dark about it.”
Bill Bailey on Good Morning Britain ITV/Shutterstock
He said: “Obviously I’ve seen the show”, but he added: “As far as the training and who I’m going to be dancing with… I’m still in the dark.”
Bill is one of 12 contestants competing on this year’s Strictly, along with the likes of former home secretary Jacqui Smith, Radio 1 DJ Clara Amfo, actor Caroline Quentin, reality star Jamie Laing and boxer Nicola Adams.
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The show has made a number of changes due to the coronavirus pandemic, including running for four weeks less than usual.
Fresh from the news he’s been confirmed for @bbcstrictly this year, animal lover @BillBailey reveals how he is running an animal rescue centre from his own house!
He’s supporting @The_Blue_Cross to care for abandoned, unwanted or ill pets.
Watch GMB👉https://t.co/fzcHkA6S4k pic.twitter.com/GWGtbug9e2 — Good Morning Britain (@GMB) October 1, 2020
According to the BBC, the stars and professionals will be required to form a support bubble together, so they won’t need to social distance while they’re performing.
This means at last one half of each partnership will have to live alone for the duration of the series.
It’s also been revealed that the cast will be regularly tested for coronavirus, and if they are positive for Covid-19, they will need to self-isolate for two weeks, meaning they will lose their spot on the show.
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The BBC also been teased that some class of pre-recorded show, potentially this year’s launch episode, will be filmed on 12 October, prior to the competition launching on 24 October.
Find out more about all the changes to this year’s Strictly here.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-01--Why It’s Good When Your Child Can Play… Even When They Are Alone

MoMo Productions via Getty Images
The pressure placed on the shoulders of modern-day parents is astounding. All too often, it feels as though they’re expected to juggle work with immaculate, Instagram-worthy domestic spaces, feed their kids homemade organic meals, educate their offspring (sometimes full-time, at home, with no school on, as in lockdown) and also entertain their children around the clock.
While we don’t have the answer to how to solve 2020’s myriad parenting dilemmas, here’s one thing we do know: kids don’t constantly need stimulation from their parents, other adults or even other children.
Independent play - by that we mean leaving your child play with their toys, solo - is really good for your child’s emotional and intellectual development.
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“When children can play in their own way, they have to practice making decisions, they find things that they are interested in and it even helps them build healthy bodies, moving around, growing their dexterity and generally increasing their physical activity,” Dr. Hayley Van Zwanenberg, an Oxford-based child and adolescent psychiatrist, tells HuffPost UK.
“Play has also been shown to be beneficial in school environments, it helps children learn and develops them both socially and emotionally,” she adds.
From encouraging confidence and self-awareness to helping kids be more reliant on themselves, independent play can have benefits you might not even know about.
© Barbie
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Some perks of independent play for kids
Balance is key to everything, which is why independent play works best when combined with proper socialisation with other children, both in school and out. Guided play from parents can also provide an opportunity for a child to learn through play, as well as improve their communication skills.
Children learn to negotiate a variety of different skill sets through play; playing on their own can help to encourage their creativity since they are in charge of where their make-believe story goes, and independent play can also be meditative and a form of mindfulness for kids (think of children crafting or playing with a dollhouse, as opposed to running around or throwing a ball at each other outdoors).
Children playing on their own not only tend to invent their own games, they can also come up with innovative, skill-building ideas as they play, like giving their classroom of dolls a lesson plan for the “school day” ahead - an opportunity to revise what they may have learned in school that week.
Independent play is also beneficial in that it teaches children to be self-reliant as well as how to feel comfortable in their own skin, and to enjoy their own company. Solo play can also help with a child’s focus and attention span.
From a parent’s perspective, it’s necessary for a child to learn to play independently, at least some of the time, whether they need a break to work, to focus on another child or they just need a cup of tea and a biscuit.
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Types of play to encourage for your little one
With so many types of toys to choose from, which are the best ones when it comes to engaging your child in solo play that will excite and occupy them?
Many parents assume that kids need to be entertained with a device, so hand their kids tablets and phones as a default, before even trying to see how they might react to other types of toys. Often, these have an educational slant, but you’d be amazed at how much your child can learn, intellectually and socially, without a screen.
A new study, led by Dr. Sarah Gerson and fellow researchers at Cardiff University, in collaboration with Mattel – makers of Barbie – explored the impact of doll’s play on children using neuroscience and found that playing with dolls gives children the chance to rehearse, use and perform social information processing skills like empathy - even when playing on their own.
What’s more, it allows children to develop these skills more so than tablet play, in a statistically significant way, with equal benefits across genders. Empathy is a hugely important life skill for children that can help predict future emotional, academic and social success. Empathy teaches kids to consider others, encourages them to use their imaginations and helps kids see things from different perspectives.
Unlike play that yields an output, e.g. constructing something out of blocks, or finishing a jigsaw puzzle, parents tend to place less value on doll play, which isn’t known for its STEM potential or for encouraging the development of fine motor skills. This study shows the significance of doll’s play in its own right.
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The importance of play for kids - and what it tells us about their emotional state
The importance of play for children, no matter what they choose to play with, can’t be underestimated - it’s essential for every aspect of their development.
“Play helps a child’s brain develop in a healthy way. Children can tackle their fears through play, they can test out roles that adults have; it helps build their confidence and teaches them skills to be resilient,” says Dr. Van Zwanenberg, who notes that when children play with dolls, they often speak to them, which can help their speech development.
“If the young person role plays taking care of the doll, this can assist learning of how to take care of others and even assist with empathy development,” she adds.
Since young children communicate through play, parents can often get a glimpse as to the inner workings of a child’s mind and emotional state through their interactions with their toys.
“They tend to feel free to express their emotional experiences. It can give people access to what they are really thinking internally,” says Dr. Van Zwanenberg.
It’s one of the reasons for the success of play therapy in children - they are able to express what’s going on inside without having to verbalise what they’re feeling.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-01--Here Are The Social Skills Your Kid Can Learn From Play

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We really send mixed messages to our children, don’t we? As adults, we dismiss the idea of “all work and no play” as boring and uninspired, yet we panic regularly that our kids aren’t “learning” enough when they pull out their building blocks or cuddle their favourite baby dolls.
Guess what? Next time your child wants to dress and undress a Barbie for the next hour, relax and let them enjoy. Better still, remember that they’re negotiating important life skills in these moments - that you might not even be aware of!
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Play is not only educational for kids - enhancing a child’s desire to learn and understand a variety of concepts - it’s also incredibly beneficial for children’s mental and social development, especially when it comes to sharpening their emotional intelligence and those highly sought after social skills.
Children benefit from playing with their favourite toys both with another child, a friend or sibling who helps them to communicate their needs, and teaches them that oh-so-difficult yet crucial art of sharing, as well as with an adult, who can help to guide and encourage them as they play.
For children, all play is beneficial - even when they’re playing on their own, as a recent study commissioned by Barbie found. It partnered with psychologists at Cardiff University to explore the benefits of doll’s play in this first-of-its-kind study, and discovered that when children play with dolls, the parts of their brain that lead to developing empathy and social information processing skills are stimulated.
Great news for parents: out of 15,000 surveyed, 6 out of 10 declared they would rather see their children grow up with well-developed social skills over high academic qualifications, according to new research from Barbie.
91% of parents agreed empathy was the key social attribute they wanted their kids to develop, followed by the ability to understand other people’s perspectives and being good at cooperating.
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Reading stories to kids, social interactions with others and encouraging a child’s curiosity can all help children develop social skills, as can playing with toys.
Here are just some of the prized social skills your kid can learn from play - so keep that toy box lively.
© Barbie
1. Empathy - thinking about the emotions of others
“Parents always ask me what matters for children’s happiness, mental health and success, and my answer is always empathy. Empathy plays a key role in predicting kids’ well-being, academic success, authentic happiness, relationship satisfaction, as well as their ability to have resilience and bounce back from adversity,” writes Dr. Michele Borba, a psychologist and author of Unselfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All About Me World. Dr. Borba has been working alongside Barbie to develop resources to help kids develop their social processing skills.
“It’s been shown that children who have developed empathy and social skills early in life can have better grades, stay in school longer and make healthier choices overall,” explains Dr Borba. “Empathetic children might also be more likely to stand up for a child being bullied and try to engage and resolve the conflict. Understanding that kids can help develop these skills through playing with dolls like Barbie, is remarkable and a helpful tool for parents.”
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With everything going on in the world at the moment, from fears about the global pandemic and having to go through another homeschool lockdown-style scenario to the global reckoning around issues of institutionalised prejudices and racism, children need to be taught empathy from their earliest days.
Play can help teach empathy in varied ways: listening in on your children’s encounters with their toys and dolls can help you tune in to their feelings, worries and interests.
Giving our children toys and books that showcase different experiences - disabilities, different skin tones, various family backgrounds and set-ups that don’t resemble our own - can all help our children learn to empathise with those living varied experiences, in places all around the world. This deeper understanding and interest in others can translate from their playtime into real-world encounters.
2. Diplomacy and conflict resolution
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Listening to children play - without adult intervention - is a fascinating exercise (not that parents ever have the time to do it!). Listen to kids playing with friends or siblings: they’ll negotiate, they’ll squabble and they’ll often act out real-world scenarios with their toys, building classrooms out of blocks, typing manically on laptops they’ve just crafted from old cereal boxes or having dolls become medical experts checking for sore throats and coughs.
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You don’t need a professional qualification to know that children react to the environment and stressors around them, like homeschool, parents working from home, COVID-19 anxieties, etc. They are manifesting these feelings and worries through their play, so it can be a therapeutic tool that helps them cope with their changing realities.
Similarly, if your child is stressed about something happening in the school playground like bullying, they may struggle to verbalise it. However, they might replicate the behaviours they’re seeing or experiencing through their toys.
Playing with toys, especially with other children involved, will also teach your child the basics of sharing and compromise: you wear this costume first, but I get to push this baby in her buggy while we do it. There is often an unspoken set of rules that the participants in the make believe must adhere to for it to run smoothly - developing that understanding is crucial for kids.
Not only does this help children with conflict resolution in life, it also encourages them to think about cooperation, collaboration and understanding different points of view, as well as boosting their self-regulation abilities. These are skills that serve them well long beyond childhood.
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3. Independence and self-discipline
As we learned all too well over lockdown, even the best-intentioned parents can’t spend every waking minute playing with their children. Truth be told, they probably shouldn’t - as there’s plenty kids can glean from playing on their own.
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Even when a child is playing on their own, they’re boosting their social and emotional development, indulging their creativity and unleashing their imaginations. They’re also cultivating that critical life skill: an ability to happily exist with themselves, and themselves alone.
Even more crucial? Encouraging kids to embrace their boredom, especially if they see you at home and think you should be playing with them instead of preparing for a client presentation.
While it’s important to ensure that kids have a range of age-appropriate activities to engage with, from books to blocks to baby dolls, it’s also good for them to feel bored once in a while: boredom will ultimately encourage them to think more creatively, and make them more self-sufficient human beings.
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4. Developing friendships
Here’s how young kids decide who they’re going to be friends with: 1) their parents hit it off and host regular playdates with each other’s kids so it becomes sort-of inevitable. Or 2) they bond, often over toys, games and other characters they’re obsessing over.
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Toys can play a pivotal role in helping children negotiate friendships and playmates, while these play sessions together can teach them to anticipate the needs of others, to share (no one wants to play with the kid who can’t!), to compromise and to be more self-aware. A child quickly learns that antisocial behaviour - pushing, hitting - won’t be tolerated and playtime is over.
The ability to cultivate friendships links back to being empathetic: children who understand empathy can intuit what their friends need, so they can play together collaboratively and enjoyably. In turn, these children are better placed to deal with bullying behaviour.
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5. Courage and curiosity
There is something to learn from all sorts of play: a child obsessed by climbing trees and running around is building up their strength and courage, and is likely to challenge themselves physically and mentally by reaching for that higher branch or running farther and faster on their next tour round the park.
Children who prefer indoor play like crafting, building, constructing and taking things apart to see how they work are also fostering skill sets, learning how to think creatively, critically and to use their mathematical prowess.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-01--Parents Are Worried That The Covid Lockdown Will Have Affected Their Child’s Development

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We are living in uncertain times, and children around the globe have had their worlds upended for months. Unable to see friends, learning at a distance, often on a screen, with parents who were attempting to hold down their own jobs, it’s understandable that parents are concerned about the impact that the past several months may have on their kids, long-term.
A new OnePoll survey of 15,000 parents, commissioned by Barbie, found that over two thirds of parents are worried about how lockdown has affected their children. They are particularly concerned about the social ramifications of social contact exclusively via a screen. They’re also worried about the impact not seeing relatives and shielding family members for weeks and months may have on their little ones and are looking for ways to help their children with pandemic-related anxiety.
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Even now, as case numbers around the country have started to soar and government officials are announcing an ever-changing landscape of restrictions, schools and nurseries are expected to stay open, highlighting how important social interaction and school-based learning is for children.
Looking for ways to support your children’s social development at home? We’ve got a few pro tips to make things easier.
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Ensure you have ‘quality’ interactions with your children
As with so many other things in life, it’s not about how much you’re with the kids, especially if you’re distracted on your phone trying to send work emails while hanging out with them. It’s all about spending quality time where possible.
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“It’s quality interactions that will make a difference to your child’s social skills,” says Dr. Abigail Miranda, a London-based educational and child psychologist. Quality interactions can differ by age, so you might play peek-a-boo with a baby, and join in games and imaginary play with a toddler or school kid, commenting and asking questions throughout. “It’s getting them to think about what they’re doing in a purposeful way,” Dr. Miranda says.
Dr. Miranda notes that sometimes, social interactions will happen through a screen - and that’s OK. From calling grandparents on Zoom to playing Minecraft online (in a safe, monitored way), children can develop social interaction skills that will help them learn how to negotiate amongst themselves.
Quality interactions also mean ones where a child isn’t too exhausted.
“Don’t feel that you have to catch up for lost time by overscheduling. Activities or structured social engagements do tend to happen quite naturally. If a child is tired they will be less inclined to have positive social interactions, they need to have rest,” says Dr. Miranda.
© Barbie
Look in the toy box for toys that can help encourage social skills
Play is vastly important for children: improves their physicality, hones their fine motor and critical thinking skills and even aids them with their social development.
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Barbie’s OnePoll survey found that 74% of parents are more likely to encourage their child to play with a toy that’s proven to help them develop social and emotional skills, but parents don’t always know which toys are best-equipped to do that.
Only 24% of parents surveyed, for example, realised that playing with dolls can help their children to develop various social skills, like empathy.
“Children process a lot of what’s happening in their world through small world play,” says Dr. Miranda. “Something that they’ve experienced as an onlooker or experienced themselves, they may reenact it with their dolls and figurines.”
In our current climate, children may also be play-acting medical scenarios after seeing and hearing about the pandemic for months. This is perfectly normal behaviour and parents can help their children process these feelings and anxieties by validating their children’s emotions.
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Be a role model for your child
Parents can model behaviour for their kids to help them navigate all things social, like empathy. Dr. Miranda suggests one way to do this involves not letting them win every time they play a game, or teaching them they can’t always choose the movie night movie or dinner menu that evening.
“The child learns the ability to self soothe and manage their own emotions. It gives them resilience to cope with change and the words they need to cope with what they’re feeling.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-01--8 Simple Things You Can Do To Raise A Socially Confident Kid

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We all want our children to be happy, curious, intelligent, kind, loving, courageous, honest and fair.
We also really, really want them to be confident in themselves.
A new survey conducted by OnePoll, with Barbie, asked 15,000 parents in 22 countries what key social skill they wanted their children to develop, and 91% emphatically stated it was empathy.
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The ability to understand and share the feelings of another person is a good skill to have, one which can help predict future emotional, academic and social success for children. Studies have found that kids with higher emotional intelligence tend to earn better grades and do better in achievement tests.
Low emotional awareness may be linked to higher instances of depression and anxiety, while students with high emotional intelligence tend to be lauded by teachers as cooperative. They’re also considered good leaders in the classroom.
There are lots of things parents can do at home to help children’s social development and confidence - and they’re pretty straightforward, too. Here are eight to try at home this weekend.
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Talk about your feelings with them
As adults, we’re not always comfortable talking about our feelings - but if we can’t do it, how do we expect our children to?
The quicker our children learn to identify what emotions they’re feeling, the easier they’ll find it is to discuss them. They’ll also start to feel more confident verbalising their feelings: the good, the bad and the awkward.
Sharing how you would feel in a comparable situation to one your child finds themselves in (after an argument with a friend, or feeling anxious about not knowing all of the answers in a quiz, for example), will help your child feel more comfortable and at ease discussing their own emotions. Ask them questions, too, using a variety of feeling words, to help expand their vocabulary on the subject.
Empathy expert and educational psychologist, Dr. Michele Borba, is a big fan of talking feelings with the kids, and increasing your child’s range of terminology relating to emotions with feeling flashcards. Challenge yourself by acting out the word you’ve chosen without any sounds, just facial and body movements, she advises in her latest book, UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World.
Something to be wary of: we tend to express more feeling words with daughters rather than sons, so it’s especially important to ensure you’re discussing emotions with boys, too.
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Encourage independent play
Parents don’t always need to be hovering over their kids in play situations (we see you, helicopter!), or even directing them every time they pick up a toy.
Kids can learn important lessons about self-regulation from trying - and failing - to do something on their own, before eventually enjoying the satisfaction of achievement (made all the sweeter because they’ve accomplished something by themselves).
Also, listen in to your child’s imaginative play sessions with dolls and soft toys: this dramatic style of play allows kids to take on the role of different characters and personas, which will help them learn to empathise with the experiences and perspectives of others.
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Animals = empathy
Kids who are exposed to animals learn kindness and care skills, as well as the responsibility of how to keep an animal safe, protected and loved.
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No wonder, then, that studies regularly show that kids who interact with animals have higher confidence and self-esteem, and lower anxiety levels, than those who don’t.
Children with pets also have enhanced social skills and tend to be less lonely.
If you don’t have a pet at home, not a problem: from checking out the pooches in the local park to getting to know animals at the zoo or city farm, there are plenty of ways to add animal love to your child’s life.
© Barbie
Let them play with dolls
We often dismiss children playing with their dolls as just play, but it’s so much more than that: they care for their dolls, dressing them, bathing them, soothing them. They act out real life events through their dolls, like being in school or at the doctor’s office. Kids also confide in dolls, telling them their interests and even their worries.
Free play with dolls can be hugely beneficial to kids - and it boosts empathy, too, from reenacting caring scenarios with their dolls to helping children practice acts of kindness that they start to internalise.
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Dr. Borba encourages parents to prompt their children as they play, saying things like: “Daisy can’t find her guitar. How can Barbie help?” or “Ned looks lonely and left out. What would you want someone to say if you were lonely? What can Ted do?”
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Let them see other perspectives and experiences
As important as it is for kids to see themselves reflected in books and toys, it will also help their social skills if they’re exposed to characters from different backgrounds and environments.
Buy them books with protagonists of a different gender, race, cultural background, sexual orientation and age, and give them dolls and toys that feature differently abled bodies or a different skin colour to their own.
These books and toys will help them to get inside the heads of those living totally different lives to theirs. Take it to the next level and engage your child in conversation about the differences and similarities between themselves and these toys.
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Praise them for the effort, not the outcome
We live in a results-orientated society so it’s tempting to get excited when our kids succeed, coming first in the spelling bee, winning the running race, being chosen for the singing solo.
However, instilling confidence in a child isn’t about making them happy when they achieve something they’re excited about - rather, it’s about making them feel good about themselves even when they don’t.
Give your child positive affirmations when they’re kind, when they share with a sibling, when they try hard for something… that will help give them a sense of self worth that exists whether or not they ultimately win the prize.
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Don’t let them get their way all the time
In the moment - especially the moment of a full-blown, raging tantrum - giving in to your child and letting them get what they want might feel like the easiest solution. In the long run, they will struggle as a result, and it will undermine their confidence because the real world doesn’t work that way.
In order to be truly empathetic, kids need to feel frustrated and disappointed sometimes - and they also need to understand that other people have feelings that need to be respected.
The earlier children can learn these diplomacy and conflict resolution skills, the better placed they are for future confidence.
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Listen to them when they speak to you
Listening isn’t always the easiest skill to learn as a parent, especially when we’re trying to finish up a report, help a child with homework and get dinner ready, all while our child is talking animatedly about their school day.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-01--EU Launches Legal Action Over UK's Law-Breaking Brexit Plan

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The EU has launched legal action against the UK over Boris Johnson’s international law-breaking Brexit plan, according to reports.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said Brussels has begun infringement procedures over the UK’s internal market bill, which was backed by the Commons last week.
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Von der Leyen called the bill a “breach of the obligation of good faith” and if in force would be “in full contradiction” of the Brexit deal agreed last year.
It comes after it was revealed the UK bill rips up parts of the withdrawal agreement Johnson signed with Brussels and which was backed by parliament in December.
Specifically, it reneges on the Northern Ireland protocol, which says that the region would follow some EU rules with the aim of avoiding a hard border with the EU.
She said: “We had invited our British friends to remove the problematic parts of their draft internal market bill by the end of September.
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“This draft bill is, by its very nature, a breach of the obligation of good faith laid down in the withdrawal agreement.
“Moreover, if adopted as is it will be in full contradiction of the protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.
“The deadline lapsed yesterday, the problematic provisions have not been removed.
“Therefore this morning the commission have decided to send a letter of formal notice to the UK government. This is the first step in an infringement procedure.”
🇪🇺🇬🇧 @vonderleyen: “We stand by our commitments”.
We have launched legal proceedings against #UK for breaching the Withdrawal Agreement - an agreement aimed at protecting peace & stability on the island of Ireland.
Read more (in all EU languages): https://t.co/SbQI6SoM9Q pic.twitter.com/i8NO1ViXMm — Daniel Ferrie (@DanielFerrie) October 1, 2020
The commission president went on to say the UK now has one month to respond with “its observations” to the EU.
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Von der Leyen said: “The commission will continue to work hard towards a full and timely implementation of the withdrawal agreement.
“We stand by our commitments.”
The EU had called for the UK to withdraw elements of the legislation, which cleared the Commons last week and would breach international law, by the end of September.
The government said it would “respond to the letter in due course”.
A spokesperson said: “We have clearly set out our reasons for introducing the measures related to the Northern Ireland protocol.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-01--Netflix Unveils Photos From Chadwick Boseman's Final Film Role In Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

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Photos from Chadwick Boseman’s final film role have now been unveiled.
Last year, Chadwick completed filming on Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, a new Netflix drama co-starring Viola Davis, based on the play of the same name.
In the film, Viola takes on the lead role of influential blues artist Ma Rainey, with Chadwick cast as her trumpeter, Levee.
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In the early hours of Thursday morning, Netflix debuted the first photos from the film, showing the cast, including the late Black Panther star in character for the first time:
Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman star in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, a new film based on August Wilson’s award-winning play from director George C. Wolfe and producer Denzel Washington. @MaRaineyFilm premieres December 18. pic.twitter.com/ErhrQAW4nU — Netflix (@netflix) September 30, 2020
Chadwick died in August at the age of 43, following a private battle with colon cancer.
The late star never disclosed his illness publicly, and had been undergoing treatment during production on his last films, including Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
The news of his death shocked the world, with tributes pouring in from former US president Barack Obama and vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris, as well as stars who knew and worked with Chadwick, including Lupita Nyong’o, Angela Bassett and Michael B Jordan.
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Chadwick Boseman Michael Kovac via Getty Images
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is adapted from the play by August Wilson.
Viola Davis previously starred in the big-screen version of another of Wilson’s plays, Fences, which earned the star her first Academy Award.
The Mother of the Blues is coming to @Netflix in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, based on the play by August Wilson and directed by George C. Wolfe. Watch it December 18. @MaRaineyFilm https://t.co/QD0QzO5gFi pic.twitter.com/sMHd18ovbE — Viola Davis (@violadavis) October 1, 2020
Her Fences co-star and director Denzel Washington serves as a producer on Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, telling the New York Times of Chadwick’s work in the film: “He did a brilliant job, and he’s gone. I still can’t believe it.”
Denzel and Chadwick actually already have a link, with the former paying the fees for the latter to attend an acting course at Oxford more than 20 years ago.
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Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom will debut on Netflix on 18 December.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-01--The Masked Singer US Sees Oscar-Nominated Star Unmasking Himself... Because He's Too Hot

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Producers pulled out all the stops when it came to booking big names for the last series of The Masked Singer US, and two weeks into the new season, it’s clear they’ve pulled it off once again.
Having already said goodbye to rapper Busta Ryhmes in the first week of the competition, the latest instalment saw an actual Oscar nominee unmasking themself.
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Alright, it was former boxer Mickey Rourke, but an Oscar nominee is an Oscar nominee, folks.
But rather than being voted out of the competition by the judges, Mickey actually took off his own mask after his performance, complaining that he was too hot in his costume (which was a giant furry Gremlin, to be fair to him).
Mickey’s self-elimination meant the rest of his masked competitors could remain in the competition for another week, with host Nick Cannon pointing out that it marked a first for the show.
Asked why he signed up for The Masked Singer, Mickey joked: “I was in the neighbourhood.
“I do like the show. I watched, like, four episodes, you know. They asked me, ‘Would you be interested?’ So I watched, like, from the very beginning.”
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His elimination came after a performance of Stand By Me, which he dedicated to a close friend who had recently died.
Host Joel Dommett said earlier this week: “It was mad, obviously, there were a lot of rules and regulations so the relief when we got it done was amazing.
“However, they had many strict rules in place so they could adhere to the social distancing guidelines.
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“There were a lot of rule changes at the time and everyone was scared it was going to get shut down halfway through.
“The scale of the production of that show is so big, so I am so pleased that it’s done and ITV managed to get it done.“
Joel Dommett David M. Benett via Getty Images
Former Girls Aloud star Nicola Roberts won the first series of The Masked Singer UK, which aired earlier this year.
Nicola – known on the show as Queen Bee – beat stiff competition from opera star Katherine Jenkins and comedian Jason Manford, who performed as Octopus and Hedgehog, respectively.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-01--Shirley Ballas Reveals She Had Showdown With Craig Revel Horwood Over ‘Very Painful’ Comments About

Shirley Ballas Reveals She Had Showdown With Craig Revel Horwood Over ‘Very Painful’ Comments About Her Breasts

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The 60-year-old professional dancer says Craig’s hurtful comments left her having to face things from her past that she thought she’d “dealt with” and “unleashed years of pain”.
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Craig made the comments about Shirley’s appearance at her first audition for the BBC show, during his book tour in 2018.
Craig Revel Horwood and Shirley Ballas Dave J Hogan via Getty Images
Writing in her new autobiography, Shirley says: “It was awful and very, very painful. It brought up a lot of things from my past that I thought I’d dealt with.
“Once again, I was propelled back to my toughest days with [ex-husband] Corky, when he would make comments about my appearance: my crooked teeth, my nose, my arse that was too big.
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“All those insults just came flying back as I read what Craig had said, apparently in jest.”
Shirley, who joined Strictly Come Dancing as head judge back in 2017, confronted Craig and says she “told him exactly how I felt”.
She said to him: ”’I’m your colleague. I should feel safe around you. You should feel like a protector to me and I should to you.
″‘If I have to worry every time you go out that you’re going to talk about me, that doesn’t make me feel good about being on this show’.”
Craig and Shirley with fellow Strictly judges Bruno Tonioli and Motsi Mabuse at last year's launch show Karwai Tang via Getty Images
Shirley adds: “I can tell you, when a man makes remarks about a woman’s appearance, what they don’t realise is, they might think it’s funny and other women may even laugh along but it’s not funny at all.
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“Women don’t need anyone else to make critical remarks about them – we’re quite critical enough of ourselves without them chipping in.”
Shirley revealed that Craig apologised profusely and sent her flowers following their conversation.
She previously told The Sun: “I don’t think it’s appropriate for anyone to make comments about anyone else – be it about their body or anything they do – when working as a team.
“I’m a team player and I have the backs of my fellow people. Yes, I got an apology – a sincere apology.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-01--Subway Sandwich Loaves Too Sugary To Be Called Bread, Says Irish Court

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Chew on this: The loaves used to make the sandwiches at Subway apparently don’t count as bread.
At least not in Ireland, where the country’s Supreme Court has ruled that the starch used in the loaves is too sugary to meet the country’s legal definition of bread, according to the New York Post.
Apparently, the sugar content in the loaves is 10% of the weight of the flour included in the dough, according to the Irish Independent.
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The court ruling could cost Subway shops on the Emerald Isle some dough. The high sugar content means the bread can’t be deemed a staple food and therefore isn’t eligible for a zero value-added tax rate in Ireland.
For the chain to get that deal, the sugar, fat and bread improver in the loaves would have to be only 2% of the weight of flour in the dough.
Joe Raedle via Getty Images
Customers in the European Union typically pay a VAT on goods or services that is usually included in the price. But the VAT doesn’t apply to staple food items like bread, according to Newsweek.
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The court ruling is only a legal definition for tax purposes: Subway can still refer the doughy loaves on its sandwiches as “bread.”
This isn’t the first time that Subway has been chewed out for the way it makes its bread.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-30--Before Henry VIII Was King There Were Black Musicians In Britain

Before Henry VIII Was King There Were Black Musicians In Britain
Music of Black origin’s impact on British culture and its history is discussed in this episode of ‘Black Voices HuffPost UK’. Host Yinka Bokinni is joined by MC Rodney P, singer/songwriter Kwabs and Arike Oke from the Black Cultural Archives. ‘Black Voices HuffPost UK’ is a conversation about race, society and change in contemporary Britain and beyond.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-01--Coronavirus Spread In England 'Slowing', Latest Study Suggests

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The spread of coronavirus across England appears to be “slowing”, the leader of a large-scale Covid-19 study has said, and restrictions across the north of the country may be pushing down the number of new infections.
Professor Paul Elliott, director of the React study – the largest research of its kind in England – said although the numbers of people who now have the virus has “grown substantially”, there is reason for cautious optimism.
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He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “In the very recent data, and we’re talking about people who did swabs last Saturday, it does seem that the rate of increase of the infection may have slowed a bit.
“We’ve seen the doubling time – from the last time we did the survey to now – has reduced to about 10 days … from seven to eight days, so that has been slowing.”
Prof Elliott stressed that this slowdown was from “high levels of the virus”, adding: “We do seem to still have a bit of an upward trajectory, but that very fast increase in the virus seems to have slowed and that’s very encouraging.”
He attributed the slowdown to tighter restrictions and general changes in behaviour since the pandemic began, saying: “So that does suggest that perhaps some of the recent announcements and the biggest focus again on people paying attention to the public health message, which is social distancing, handwashing, face covers and getting tested if they have symptoms and then isolation, seems to be beginning to work.”
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Prof Elliott urged people to “redouble” their efforts to follow the guidance, adding the country is in “a very critical period right now”.
On Thursday, Boris Johnson said the latest data showed hospital admissions rising sharply for over-65s since the end of August, showing the danger was far from over.
Prof Elliott said: “So we really need to get the virus turning down and the R value going below one and we haven’t yet seen that.
“We’ve seen a seven-fold increase in the number of people carrying the virus at the age of 65 and over.
“So clearly this is happening across the whole population, not just in the younger people.”
A woman wearing a face mask walks past shops and a mural created by artist Camille Walala, amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Leyton, London, Britain, September 29, 2020. REUTERS/Peter Cziborra Peter Cziborra / Reuters
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The research, by a team at Imperial College London, took samples from more than 80,000 volunteers in England from September 18-26.
It found around one in 200 people were infected with coronavirus.
The study is examining levels of infection in the general population by testing more than 150,000 participants each month over a two-week period.
Interim results from the fourth report of the study, published on Thursday, show around 55 people per 10,000 tested positive, which is an increase on 13 people per 10,000 in the previous study between August 24 and September 7.
This implies 411,000 people in England have the virus, meaning over one in 200 people were infected at any one time.
Findings also show that the prevalence of infection was the highest among those aged 18-24 – with one in 100 people infected – while cases increased seven-fold in those aged over 65 from 0.04% to 0.29% compared to the last report.
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The north-west of England, which has seen areas such as Burnley and Liverpool placed under local restrictions, had the highest levels of infection, while the number of infections in London increased five-fold from 0.10% to 0.49%.
The final report and findings of all 150,000 volunteers tested between September 18 and October 5 will be published next week.
While findings of the study, commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care, show the R rate has decreased from 1.7 to 1.1, scientists say this could suggest some deceleration “but with considerable uncertainty”.
Half of the volunteers who tested positive did not have symptoms at the time of testing or the week before, but it was noted that this did not mean they did not later develop symptoms.
The study also found people of Asian and black ethnicity are twice as likely to have the virus compared to white people.
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Kelly Beaver, managing director of public affairs at Ipsos Mori, which worked on the study, said: “The continuing support of the public by taking part in the study is something we remain immensely grateful for.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-01--Trump's Family Didn't Wear Masks During Presidential Debate — Except On Social Media

The topic of mask-wearing was quite contentious during the debate, with Donald Trump mocking Biden for wearing a mask too much and pushing back on the notion that people be told to wear masks.
After Biden argued that “masks make a big difference” and lives would’ve been saved had the president put out a mask-wearing mandate early in the pandemic, Trump attempted to put the blame on infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci, who said masks were not effective back in March.
Fauci would later change his advice the following month after research gleaned that the masks did help stop the spread of the virus.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-01--Justin Bieber Thanks Wife Hailey For 'Making Me A Better Man' On First Wedding Anniversary

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Justin Bieber has credited his wife Hailey for making him “ a better man” as the pair celebrate their first wedding anniversary.
On Wednesday night, the chart-topping singer shared a black-and-white photo from his wedding day, showing Hailey in her wedding dress and her epic veil, including an adornment which read “Till Death Do Us Part”.
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Heaping praise on his wife of one year, he wrote: “Hailey Bieber. I am so lucky to be YOUR husband! You teach me so much everyday and make me such a better man!
“I am committed for the rest of our lives to empower you to be the woman God has called you to be!”
Justin continued: “My heart is to enable you to achieve all of your wildest dreams! I promise to always put you first, to lead with patience and kindness!!
“Happy anniversary my beautiful sweet girl.”
Justin and Hailey Bieber at the launch of his YouTube series earlier this year Jon Kopaloff via Getty Images
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In her own post, Hailey wrote: “One year ago we had the best wedding. Wish I could live this day over and over.”
The pair have known each other for years, but began dating seriously in 2018, eventually getting engaged after a matter of weeks.
Last year, Justin reflected on a dark period of “heavy drug use” and “disrespecting women”, writing on Instagram: “It’s taken years for me to bounce back from all of these terrible decisions, fix broken relationships and change relationship habits.
“Luckily God blessed me with extraordinary people who love me. Now I am navigating the best season of my life ‘MARRIAGE’!! Which is an amazing crazy new responsibility. You learn patience, trust, commitment, kindness, humility and all of the things it looks like to be a good man.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-02--UK Coronavirus R-Rate Jumps Again To Between 1.3 And 1.6

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The “R-rate” of Covid-19 has jumped again to between 1.3 and 1.6, the government’s scientific advisers have found.
The reproduction number, or R value, tracks coronavirus transmission across the UK, with any value above 1.0 indicating that the pandemic is growing.
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Last week, the R number was between 1.2 and 1.5.
An number between 1.3 and 1.6 means that “on average every 10 people infected will infect between 13 and 16 other people”.
The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) growth rate of the virus is between 5% and 9%.
A spokesman said it is “highly likely” the virus was still growing exponentially, adding: “While there are some early indications suggesting that the growth of the epidemic might be slowing, SAGE urges caution and believes it is too early to draw firm conclusions.
R rate and growth of the virus R rate and growth of the virus
“More data are needed to accurately assess any recent changes in transmission and it is still highly likely that the epidemic is growing exponentially across the country.”
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The R value is estimated to be at its highest, and as high as 1.6, in the North East and London, followed closely by the North West.
“Over the next few weeks, it will be important that we understand this in the UK and do not become complacent,” the spokesman for SAGE added.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-02--Keir Starmer Says Raising Taxes For Top 5% Of Earners Remains His ‘Priority’

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Keir Starmer has insisted that his priority at the next election will be to hike taxes for the top 5% of Britons and signalled that he may go even further in squeezing the very richest.
In an interview with HuffPost UK, the Labour leader moved to quash suggestions that he had abandoned his leadership pledge to jack up income tax on anyone earning over £80,000.
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Although the party has a current policy of opposing government tax rises during the pandemic, Starmer said that if he became prime minister in 2024 he may have to “be bolder than we imagined” to rebalance the UK’s economy and invest in public services.
In the interview, he also:
responds to Gogglebox viewers’ criticism of him, saying Boris Johnson is “governing by hindsight”;
says that, unlike the PM, he “won’t be complaining” about his salary, housekeepers and nannies if he gets into No.10;
defends the BBC and says shadow ministers were wrong to say it played any part in Labour’s 2019 defeat;
reveals he ‘passed’ unconscious bias training;
admits his wife does more of the housework but says during lockdown he’s been “hoovering the stairs”.
During his leadership campaign earlier this year, the first of Starmer’s 10 “pledges” to Labour members was “to increase income tax for the top 5% of earners, reverse the Tories’ cuts in corporation tax and clamp down on tax avoidance, particularly of large corporations”.
He was, however, careful to avoid committing himself to the last manifesto’s detailed promises, which were to create a 45p tax rate for earners over £80,000 and 50p for those over £150,000.
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Since the coronavirus crisis, Labour has developed a policy of opposing any tax rises, believing that they would harm any recovery and hit people on average incomes.
Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy last week suggested Starmer’s first pledge had been scrapped as a result of the new opposition to any Tory tax hikes.
But when asked directly by HuffPost UK if his leadership pledges had changed, Starmer replied: “No, they were important pledges – very important pledges – in terms of the approach I would take and the priorities I would have as leader of the Labour party, and they remain my priorities.
“What I’m saying is, the work and the challenge now is so much more profound than we thought it was in 2019. Or even this year before the pandemic hit. It actually means we might have to be bolder than we might have imagined.”
The reference to “bolder” solutions may spark fresh speculation that Labour is considering a “wealth tax” at the next election, which would target the assets rather than just the income of the very richest.
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A YouGov survey in May suggested that 61% of the public would approve of a wealth tax for those with assets of over £750,000.
A new book by journalist Owen Jones revealed that the £80,000 salary target was set by John McDonnell in 2017 because internal polling showed that many people on lower incomes thought they might be earning £60,000 in five years’ time but no one thought they would hit the £80,000 limit.
Starmer added: “The next general election is in 2024, so I don’t think it’s prudent at this stage to set out tax arrangements for 2024, when we don’t know the size of the debt, we don’t know the damage that has been done.
“And we haven’t yet set out what the strategic priorities will be for the next Labour government. So that’s the kind of work that will necessarily have to be done closer to the election. We will then set it out in full detail and in a costed way.
“We’re going to have to confront a completely different world, where the economy is going to take a massive hit. The fragility of our public services has been completely exposed.
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“One of the reasons I think that we have fared so badly in the UK is because of the effect of austerity and the fragility of our economy. We’ve got to face up to that. We’ve got to rebuild in a better way.”
The Labour leader said that he didn’t have “any problem” with publishing his tax returns, as Jeremy Corbyn had done, and suggested that Boris Johnson should follow suit. The PM has failed to do so, despite having done so before he became a cabinet minister.
Asked about reports in The Times recently that Johnson was “struggling” on his £150,000 salary and was worried about being able to afford a nanny and to live without a housekeeper, Starmer said he would not be “complaining” if he got into No.10.
“I didn’t know whether any of that was true or whether it was spun by others. If it is true it doesn’t reflect well on the prime minister,” he said.
“Look, my plan between now and 2024 is to make sure we are in No.10 and I won’t be complaining when I get there.”
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Gogglebox verdict
Gogglebox last night had Keir Starmer bang to rights. Watch every second of this.
pic.twitter.com/bjfl0AiaLP — Ben (@BenJolly9) September 26, 2020
Starmer also responded for the first time to Labour voters on Channel 4’s Gogglebox show, who last week ridiculed his position of supporting the government on coronavirus without having his own alternative plans. One family said he was “a lot of wind”, one that he had to stop being “Captain Hindsight”, while others were confused which party he stood for.
Starmer said he had watched the show and insisted that he would not be changing his stance of supporting some government pandemic measures while challenging them where necessary.
“You’ve got to take all this on the chin. Frankly if you can get through my household with my kids not taking anything I do seriously, then you can take Gogglebox. This is all part and parcel of being leader of a political party. It’s perfectly open to everybody to challenge, laugh, joke, cajole. All of my friends and family do it to me all of the time, so I’m pretty used to it.
“Some people do think that if you’re the opposition you should oppose everything the government does. I don’t agree. I think in a crisis like this pandemic there are some issues where we need to support what the government is doing. That’s why we supported national lockdown, that’s why we supported restrictions. We also supported the furlough scheme.
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“Actually the government’s complaint against me is that we are doing too much challenging – they don’t like it. But we are challenging them in areas where they need to be challenged and where the challenge can actually bring around some change.”
Asked about the advice from Gogglebox’s Sophie Sandiford that he should tell the prime minister: “Don’t call me Captain Hindsight, call me Bruce Foresight”, Starmer said: “Actually, if you look at what we’ve done over the past few months, we have flagged up in advance what the problem is going to be.
“The prime minister has ignored it and walked into the problem, then when he’s realised where the problem is he’s blamed everyone else for hindsight. He’s governing by hindsight. He’s always looking back at the car crash and wondering how he got into the problem.”
‘Structural inequalities’
Starmer, who has been criticised by some Black members of the party for his handling of Black Lives Matter issues, said that he had learned more about himself after unconscious bias training this summer.
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Asked if he had “passed” the test, he said: “Yes that’s the way to describe it.” But he added: “On its own it’s obviously not enough because we have got structural inequalities baked into almost every part of the system and we need to be more understanding. Eradicating structural inequality has to be a defining cause of the next Labour government.”
He also said that Labour would tackle the educational inequality that saw white working class boys rank lowest of any group in getting into university.
“It’s not just university, it’s through schooling as well. Of course we have to address it. Wherever we see inequality we have to address it in terms,” he said.
“Put your money into young people, put your money into zero-to-five SureStart, have adequate housing and facilities for people.
“You can see it across the country. I have it in my constituency where inequality starts so young. If you don’t invest there, then trying to sort out the inequality 10, 20, 30 years down the line is so much more difficult.
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“You have to start at the very beginning. That’s why SureStart was such an important part of what the last Labour government did.”
The BBC
Starmer also defended the BBC, after Andrew Marr said this week that it was “in a dangerous place” given the speculation about the future of the licence fee. And he condemned Labour activists who booed Laura Kuenssberg during the election campaign.
“I think the BBC is really important – has got incredible services and programmes on it, including the World Service. I don’t subscribe to this view, whether it’s the BBC or anyone else, of attacking journalists asking difficult questions. It’s a really important part of accountability.”
Asked whether he agreed with shadow minister Andy McDonald who said that the BBC had “played a part” in Labour’s loss last December, Starmer replied: “No, I don’t. [...] You don’t turn around and start blaming the electorate or other people – you look in the mirror and ask yourself: ‘What did we do wrong?’ We need to learn that lesson as a party if we are going to get from where we are now to where we need to be in 2024.”
Starmer also rejected suggestions that he was destined to become like Neil Kinnock, rebuilding the party after a shattering defeat but not managing to win an election. He said he would “own” the next four years, rather than referring to the past.
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“I don’t know how many times I have to say that I’m not a past Labour leader. People are forever trying to get me to hug a past Labour leader, or be that person. We can learn from all of them but I’m not any of them.
“I’m deeply conscious, and this is really serious for me and for the party, that the next stage of the journey is for us. It’s for us in the circumstances as they confront us, the circumstances framed by the pandemic but obviously with the context of huge cuts to public services, austerity, baked-in injustice. That part of the journey is for us.
“And this leadership team and this party has to own those next four years and therefore pointing back to what other people did is helpful where you can draw lessons from that – but actually this is for us. We have to accept that responsibility and what happens the next four years will reflect on us and not on anybody else.”
Handling lockdown
Asked about how he had handled lockdown this year, and whether he had done his fair share of household duties, Starmer replied: “I would say yes, but you need to double check that with my wife. She would say no.
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“But have I been the one hoovering the stairs? Yes, I have. And dealing with the bins and that sort of thing. But she does far more than I do.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-02--Trick Or Treat Ban For Children In Local Lockdown This Halloween, No.10 Confirms

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Halloween trick or treating will be cancelled for children in local lockdowns that currently restrict the activities of 16.8m people, Downing Street has confirmed.
No.10 said the rules were “clear” and that parents living under restrictions which state that households should not mix will not be allowed to send their kids door knocking on October 31.
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In areas which are not in local lockdown, children will have to abide by the rule of six.
Parents face fines of at least £200 for breaking the rules, which are designed to stop the spread of coronavirus.
This means that in practice a group of trick or treating children will have to number five or smaller, as the person answering the door would become part of their group while they hand sweets over or subject themselves to a trick.
But Halloween has effectively been cancelled for many children living in local lockdowns in cities like Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester, with rules varying across the country.
Asked about whether Halloween trick or treat could take place, a Downing Street spokesperson told reporters: “The rules are clear on household mixing, dependent on whether you are in a local lockdown area or not.
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“We are clear that everybody needs to follow the rule of six to ensure we can control and try and reduce the spread of the virus.
“The rule of six will be asked of the public.”
Teenager playing trick or treat in London on Halloween night, UK Godong via Getty Images
Asked if that meant no trick or treat at all in areas where household mixing is banned, the spokesperson said: “In local lockdown areas we have been clear that households should not mix.
“Anywhere else where there isn’t a local lockdown, the rule of six applies.”
In areas where households are allowed to mix but the rule of six applies, children should mitigate against the threat of coronavirus infection, the spokesperson suggested.
They said: “The guidance is clear in terms of what we are asking the public to do in terms of making sure they abide by the rule of six, and making sure that they continue to wash their hands, making continue to try and socially distance where possible and use mitigations where that isn’t possible.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-02--Lenny Kravitz's Men's Health Photo-Shoot Has Got The World Saying '56?!?!'

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Lenny Kravitz has been unveiled as the latest star to grace the cover of Men’s Health magazine, and the accompanying photo-shoot has basically got the whole internet pondering the same thing.
“How in the world is that man 56 years old?”
Cover of @MensHealthMag November 2020. Read the full story here: https://t.co/vE625ceChW
📸: Mark Seliger pic.twitter.com/7YYLLP0MXJ — Lenny Kravitz (@LennyKravitz) October 1, 2020
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The legendary musician is seen on the cover of the fitness magazine holding a surfboard and sporting just a pair of jeans (not two things you’d usually associate with one another, but it’s Lenny Kravitz so we’re choosing to look the other way).
And as soon as the cover shoot was unveiled, people had a lot of thoughts…
In a divided nation, I believe we can all come together over the fact that @lennykravitz is fine as frog hair. I'm not talking politics for the rest of the year. Only discussing the ratio of dew drops to moonbeams he uses in his moisturizer to look like this at 56. #LennyKravitz pic.twitter.com/tEBGcnop7R — Lisa Respers France (@LisaFranceCNN) October 2, 2020
Dammit. I'm so mad at how hot Lenny Kravitz is at 56. https://t.co/ZqOdth5Obp — Darby Schnarfus (@tokenliberal) October 1, 2020
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what witchcraft is this? Lenny Kravitz hasn't aged in 20 years. https://t.co/aClnMLpcuY — Enrique Rea (@HankRea) October 1, 2020
Lenny is 56 years old!! Whew a grown man... That's it, that's the tweet. https://t.co/ifK4ApMxRA — Vanessa Croft (@IamVanessaCroft) October 2, 2020
Only Lenny Kravitz can go stand up paddle boarding in boots, jeans and a hubcap for a belt buckle. Then again if you look like that at 56 you can do as you damn well please. pic.twitter.com/Ys7SZr9leh — Rob Van Vuuren (@RobVanVuuren) October 2, 2020
I just can’t get over Lenny Kravitz is 56 and looking fine AF! — Gerald Joseph, MSW, ACM (@geraldunf) October 2, 2020
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I hope When I get to 56 I haven’t let myself go like Lenny Kravitz 😂😂 https://t.co/xTBnGkPEDo — Marc Lloyd (@outspokenoneuk) October 2, 2020
Our personal favourite comment came from fellow artist Lionel Richie, who joked: “I hope I look as good as him when I’m his age.”
I hope I look as good as him when I’m his age. 😆 https://t.co/wY5njGAbpH — Lionel Richie (@LionelRichie) October 1, 2020
Needless to say, Lenny does go into detail about his work-out routine in the accompanying interview (he lifts weights on a coconut tree, which we feel probably isn’t the most relatable of exercise regimes), but also discusses his friendship with Jason Momoa.
Yes, that would be the Jason Momoa who is now married to his ex-wife, Lisa Bonet.
“People can’t believe how tight Jason and I are, or how tight I still am with Zoë’s mom [Lenny and Lisa’s daughter, actor Zoë Kravitz] how we all relate,” he told the magazine. “We just do it because that’s what you do. You let love rule, right?
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“I mean, obviously, after a breakup, it’s work—it takes some work and time, healing and reflection, et cetera. But as far as Jason and I? Literally the moment we met, we were like, ‘Oh, yeah. I love this dude’.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-02--Here's How To Keep Yourself Safe In Covid Hotspots

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Not all activities are created equal when it comes to your risk of catching Covid-19. Data from Public Health England (PHE) suggests shopping, eating out, and attending a childcare educational setting (so basically, school) could be the activities more likely to fuel the spread of coronavirus.
The PHE report shows a graph, detailing events and activities reported by people testing positive, prior to them having symptoms. Visiting friends or relatives, healthcare settings, and exercising were also among the events and activities people did before they tested positive.
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While this data can’t say for certain this is where someone picked up the infection, it may be helpful to indicate possible places where transmission is happening.
HuffPost UK Public Health England
An infographic widely shared on social media charted the most risky and least risky activities for catching Covid-19. It suggested nightclubs are the ultimate high-risk activity, followed by seeing a concert or play, attending an indoor party, visiting an indoor bar, attending a sports stadium, and going to church.
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In July, doctors from the Texas Medical Association (TMA) shared a similar graphic charting high-risk activities: eating at a buffet, going to an amusement park, going to a cinema, attending a concert, visiting a sports stadium, attending a religious service with 500+ people, and going to a bar.
An analysis by London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) also found care homes, bars, religious settings and workplaces were associated with more clusters of cases (where more people became infected). Of course, people are still able to visit such places (providing they’re not in an area that’s locked down) and it’s important we do so for the sake of the economy. But we also need to be careful.
So, how can you stay safe in Covid hotspots?
Choose well-ventilated, open spaces. Is the restaurant or pub you’re going to tiny and crowded? If you’re worried about catching Covid-19, you might want to choose a venue that’s a little bigger so tables will be properly spread out. Or, if they have an outdoor seating area, grab your coat and opt for that. Remember the ‘Space’ part of ‘Hands, Face, Space’. Keeping a distance of 2m (or 1m at a push) from others is important.
Dr Julian Tang, a consultant virologist and Professor in the Department of Respiratory Sciences at University of Leicester, told HuffPost UK: “If there are many people inside, the probability that someone may be infected is higher and the smaller air volume is less able to dilute the virus.”
Consider your seating arrangements. If you’re in one of the few areas that is still able to meet with other households indoors (tier 1 in England), there are some things to consider before you do.
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Professor Sally Bloomfield, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told HuffPost UK people should strive to maintain social distancing “as much as possible”. If you’re sitting in a lounge area, for example, you should make sure you’ve got enough chairs so people aren’t sitting close together on sofas. And if you’ve got a dinner table, make sure that people are properly spaced. “Even grouping people at the table, you should try and do things like put one household at one end of the table and the other at the opposite end,” she said.
Michele Ursi via Getty Images
Wear a face mask. Dr Jenna Macciochi, an immunologist based at the University of Sussex, recommends wearing a face covering “in any situation where you are indoors and can’t keep at least 1m from people outside of your family bubble” – and most experts agree. There is evidence to suggest wearing a cloth mask isn’t just protecting others but is also protecting the wearer.
If you’re visiting a pub, bar or restaurant you should be wearing face masks on entering the venue until you’re seated, while getting up to go to the toilet and also on leaving the venue. Some people might choose to wear their masks outdoors, too – although experts are divided on the benefits of doing this.
Stop touching your face. If you’re out and about – whether shopping or with mates – you really don’t want to be touching your face as you could be unknowingly spreading the virus near your eyes, nose and mouth.
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Say no to hugs and kisses. One of the biggest ways the virus is spreading is through household transmission, the government’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty recently confirmed – adding that we “have to break unnecessary links between households”.
One of the ways Covid-19 spreads is through close contact interactions between people – so that’s hugging, kissing, standing or sitting close (within six feet) to each other. The virus can spread in droplets and smaller aerosols which are expelled from the nose and mouth when a person is chatting, laughing, singing and even breathing. These particles can then be inhaled into the nose, mouth, airways, and lungs of others, and cause infection.
Clean your hands. We all know it, it’s been drummed into us, but it’s worth saying again – wash or sanitise your hands as much as you can if you’re out and about. This includes before and after eating; after touching tables or menus; and obviously after using the loo.
Open a window. If you’re visiting somewhere that has windows which can be opened, crack them open and let some air in. You might want to dress for the occasion – an extra jumper will come in handy. This is easier at home, but you can also try to grab a window seat at the pub or restaurant you visit. “Any airborne virus concentration will gradually increase if the ventilation is poor,” explained Dr Tang.
Don’t share food. Tapas and small plates are not a particularly Covid-19-friendly way to dine these days. Stick to individual plates if you want to lower your risk of picking up any unwanted germs from others.
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Opt for quieter venues. You know what’s not great when it comes to spreading Covid-19? Shouting. If you’re in a noisy, crowded venue then the chances of rogue virus-infected aerosols floating about in the air for you to breathe in is higher. Quieter venues are your best bet. They’ll also be delighted to have the business.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-02--Keir Starmer Talks To HuffPost UK About Lockdown, Covid And Taxes

Keir Starmer Talks To HuffPost UK About Lockdown, Covid And Taxes
In an interview with HuffPost UK, the Labour leader says that he is not ditching his campaign pledge and may be even "bolder".