Sorted Magazine

Category: Featured

  • Find a winter woodland walk near you

    Find a winter woodland walk near you

    The Woodland Trust has more than 1,000 woods which are free to visit and open every day. Woodland Trust site manager James Jesson said: “If you’d rather not spend the entire festive season overindulging, head out for a woodland adventure. Our woods are real winter wonderlands, so whether it’s a crisp, frosty morning or a damp soggy afternoon, it’s great to pull on your boots and thermals or waterproofs and head out for an invigorating stroll. Winter woods take on a whole new character. Spectacular, frosty landscapes and bare branches expose elusive wildlife and hidden history.” Locate a woodland by entering a postcode at woodlandtrust.org.uk/findawood

    Here’s a selection of winter walks:

    Archers Wood, Cambridgeshire is an ancient woodland nestling in an agricultural landscape, Archers is a real oasis for nature. Wander among majestic oak and field maple trees and watch carefully for a shy fox or deer in the distance.

    Londonthorpe Wood, Lincolnshire is just a stone’s throw from historic Belton House and neighbouring a wild deer sanctuary. There are new all weather paths and there’s a mix of old and new woodland to explore.

    Tring Park, Hertfordshire is a ten minute stroll from Tring’s famous Natural History Museum. Climb the hill for amazing views of Hertfordshire and the Chilterns.

    Low Burnhall, Durham is an important haven for wildlife on the outskirts of Durham. Look out for signs of otters in the rivers which border the site. Owls, kestrels and sparrowhawks are known to frequent the area. Waymarked trails lead past some interesting features; including a sculpture of a miner in a nod to the wood’s historic coal mine.

    Hackfall, Grewelthorpe, North Yorkshire is set in a 350ft gorge along the River Ure on the edge of the village of Grewelthorpe. This fragile ancient woodland habitat has been restored since the Woodland Trust took over. Footpaths and woodland walks take in glades, waterfalls, kingfisher and grey wagtail.

    Smithhills Estate, Bolton, Lancashire is the Woodland Trust’s largest site. It’s steeped in history and shadowed by the famous Winter Hill TV mast, with panoramic views across to Bolton and Manchester. In its vast expanses of moorland there are patches of woodland, peat bog and elusive brown hare.

    Hainault Forest, London boasts herds of majestic red deer roaming through this ancient hunting forest which once provided venison for the King’s table. Just 15 miles from central London with 158 species of bird recorded, it’s a popular destination for ornithologists.

    Home Farm, Hampshire has eight miles of pathway winding through a mosaic of old and new woodland habitats. Red kite and kestrel can often be spotted wheeling overhead.

    Hucking Estate, Kent has breathtaking views of the Kent Downs, ancient woodland to explore and swathes of open grassland.

    Avon Valley Woods, Devon is set in the rolling hills of South Hams. Small birds tend to flock there in large groups during the winter months. While the riverside walk can be muddy, the extensive path network at the top of the site offers grassy tracks and views across Devon.

    Credenhill Park Wood, Herefordshire is a local landmark on an imposing wooded hill topped by one of the largest Iron Age Hill forts in England. It’s thought to have once been an Iron Age tribal capital. The walk to the top has views across to Wales when the trees are bare.

    Lineover Wood, Gloucestershire is a patchwork of ancient woodland. Recent planting and limestone grassland creates a diverse haven for wildlife where rare plants and fungi flourish. The wood lies within the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and offers views across Cheltenham and the Malvern Hills.

    Carnmoney Hill, Northern Ireland offers views of Belfast and the coast. Steeped in history and folklore with a mix of ancient woodland, grassland and wetland, it’s home to a wealth of wildlife and has a range of walks to suit all abilities.

  • Interview: “We would find drug dealers and rob them …”

    Interview: “We would find drug dealers and rob them …”

    Last Saturday on The Big Lunch radio show I chatted with my mate, John Lawson, a former violent criminal, bouncer and body guard. John’s worked with some famous household names such as the Rolling Stones and Neil Diamond and in this interview he opened up to me and gave an incredibly honest account of what some of those experiences were really like for him. He’s also been a significant player in the criminal underworld and I was privileged to hear first hand about John’s mindset during that dark season of his life. John went into great detail about some of the staggering exploits and risks he took. Here are a few highlights from the show:

    On emigrating from Scotland to South Africa:

    John Lawson (JL): “I was born in Glasgow, we emigrated (to South Africa) when I was three, that was a huge contrast!”

    On being abandoned by his father as a child:

    JL: “Unfortunately I was a bit of a wild child really … came to the UK … raised on one of the toughest housing estates in Europe, just developed a violent mentality. By the time I left school I got involved with my uncles who were running most of the sex industry in Soho.”

    On leaving prison and working as a bouncer:

    “I enjoyed the violent aspect of it … we were a tight team … for a bit of pocket money we would find drug dealers and rob them the night before they bought their drugs. Believing we were good guys we would flush all their drugs down the toilet, believing we were doing society a favour, but really it was nothing but pure violence.”

    On the police catching up with him:

    “The police caught up with me … they had my voice recording, they had CCTV footage, I got done for four years for attempted extortion … I was a foolish idiot … but that prison was the best place that I could ever be cos that’s where my life completely changed.”

    I asked John how it was for him to walk into prison on the first day and what his experience was like during all those years inside. I was aware that John came to faith in prison and was interested to know exactly how that came about. What followed was one of the most dramatic, inspirational and emotional stories I have ever heard. Listen to the full interview here. Read John’s autobiography in novel form here, his ministry work is here and there’s a song inspired by a poem he wrote for his wife here.

  • Interview: From shaky and shy to confident communicator

    Interview: From shaky and shy to confident communicator

    Diana Robertson helps people gain confidence through her work as a Communication Skills Trainer with Toastmasters International, but she was a shy teenager and has learned her techniques through the school of hard knocks. She was often crushed by her own lack of confidence and revealed to Sorted Magazine: “I used to be extremely bad at speaking in public. In fact, on the occasion of my first presentation, I ended up totally forgetting my script despite spending three days memorising it. I felt so terrible, that my hands started to shake, which made my job even harder; not only did I forget what to say but I could not even read it from my script due to all the shaking! As you can imagine, this experience absolutely shattered my confidence. But after a couple of days, instead of focusing on how bad I was overall, I chose to focus only on how poor my skill of speaking in front of the public was. Separating myself from my skill was crucial because it gave me clarity on what I could do about it. The next thing I did was to join one of Toastmasters’ public speaking clubs where I received the help and support I needed to become a confident presenter.”

    Diana shares four actionable ways she has used to effectively build confidence:

    1. Cash in on current confidence

    The first and most important step towards building confidence is to be aware of what you have already been successfully doing in your life. Diana has this advice: “All of us feel confident about particular aspects we know we are good at. Equally, each and every one of us struggles with a specific area that needs improvement. And yet, when we face our pain points, instead of offering constructive solutions, our minds may find that there is something wrong with our whole being. This is a trap because each of us is a completely whole being with numerous qualities. Once you start working on developing a new skill, your confidence will grow with it. Thus, you track what you’re good at and don’t let yourself identify your overall confidence with the areas you feel least certain about.”

    2. Change your negative thoughts with positive statements

    Use positive affirmations. When Diana was learning to speak in front of a crowd she found that saying, “I’m excited to be called out onto the stage” worked like magic. She repeated it to herself as her turn approached. She enthused: “After six presentations I started to get genuinely excited about my turn instead of being terrified.”

    3. Challenge your negative thoughts

    Diana invites you to ask the questions below. She said: “You will find out the fears that are hidden behind your lack of confidence and learn how to transform your destructive thought patterns into constructive ones.”

    • How can I describe the exact negative thoughts on this particular subject in only one sentence?
    • Is this thought 100% true? Is it a fact or is it my assumption?
    • What proves that this negative thought is completely or partially false?
    • If the event that I most fear happened, how would it truly affect my life? What would I do (realistically and without exaggeration)?
    • If my best friend had this exact thought, what would I tell them?

    4. Celebrate small achievements

    “Sometimes, when we take on difficult projects they don’t go according to plan. In such situations, it’s easy to forget that one unsuccessful event means little, and that true success is achieved by taking small but consistent steps towards the goal. So, if you’ve just failed at something, remember; the key to becoming better at anything is to shift your focus onto your progress over longer periods rather than holding on to the setbacks along the way.”

    Find out more about Diana Robertson’s work with Toastmasters International here

  • Sleeping on the streets

    Sleeping on the streets

    London City Mission (LCM) is challenging Christians across the UK to spend a night on the streets in its Big Winter Sleepout on November 19th.

    Anni Uddin, Field Director for homeless and marginalised at London City Mission, said: “The reality of homelessness in this country is heartbreaking and it’s likely to be significantly worse this winter.”

    “The Big Winter Sleepout is a powerful way to step into the life of those on our streets, experience what they face, and hopefully stir our hearts to engage with them in our daily lives. This is beyond just donating money; it is giving time and effort to change your perceptions about homelessness as you help make a change in the lives of people who are homeless.”

    This winter, it’s estimated that 1.2 million households in the UK are at the risk of becoming homeless. After a decrease in homelessness from 2021 to the summer of 2022, this forecast would mean the undoing of the efforts of so many who have been supported out of homelessness.

    Funds raised from the Sleepout will go towards the charity’s Webber Street day centre in Waterloo. Webber Street is a place where those struggling with homelessness can go to during the day and receive hot breakfasts, clean clothes, help with finding accommodation, career advice and a chance to hear the good news of Jesus shared to them lovingly. Last year, Webber Street provided more than 10,000 breakfasts, 2,000 showers and hundreds of clothes and toiletries. The centre is also home to the Corner House, a short-term accommodation home, where mid-term housing is provided for four men at a time.

    Sign-up for the Sleepout here: lcm.org.uk/sleepout. Participants can complete the sleepout at the Webber Street day centre or it can done in a back garden, balcony or doorstep.

  • Comment: The guy on the train

    Comment: The guy on the train

    ‘You’re advised not to travel by train today.’ Notifications of rail strikes and ‘planned disruption’ were all over the media. I’m not a big risk taker so felt it wise to heed the warnings. I patiently worked my way through an ongoing exchange of emails to rearrange an important face-to-face meeting with a potential new client based in London. Undeterred I agreed to a new date for the meeting, while hoping and praying that the opportunity hadn’t been blown.

    ‘Your return train has been cancelled.’ The email pinged in at 5.00am, 45 minutes before my alarm was due to go off. My initial disappointment at losing precious moments of sleep was instantly over shadowed by a wave of mild panic, followed by a double shot of adrenaline, a coffee, a quick search for alternative trains and a few deep breaths. Undeterred I set off for the train station, while hoping and praying that I would somehow be able to find my way home.

    ‘Your outgoing train has been delayed by 40 minutes’ announced a very apologetic voice over the tannoy. I found a seat on the platform, watched the world go by for a while, and listened to the repeated apologies. Undeterred I got on the train, while hoping and praying that the delay wouldn’t make me late for said meeting.

    Long journeys hold a special sort of dread for me. All my life I’ve suffered from chronic motion sickness. And I don’t use the word suffer lightly. Travel pills render me almost unconscious so I’m left with no other options but to manage the process by practical means. I must travel on a completely empty stomach, keep my eyes firmly shut for the entire time and keep my head, neck and body as still as I possibly can. In addition to this I practise the deep breathing exercises which I’ve previously used during 19 hours of un-medicated labour. It may look weird but hey, lots of travellers nap, so I just kind of zoned out all the way from Manchester to London.

    Upon arrival at Euston there was a 20 minute queue for the toilets and a 20 minute queue for a taxi. This involved the mildly inconvenient but mostly pleasant and settling experience of standing on solid ground with both of my eyes open. Both of these tasks sit well within my skill set and I completed them with a great deal of satisfaction. The meeting involved chatting to lovely people about creative things. Also good. Another 20 minute queue for the taxi back to the station was followed by a 20 minute stop-start journey over every speed bump in London, but I just about managed to keep myself together.

    Another long queue for the toilet. Another long queue at the ticket office. A forward facing seat is vital for me, but my attempts to book one on a later train failed. I explained to the ticket attendant that standing up for the journey would likely cause me to puke and pass out, but he’d obviously heard that one before, and told me seats were pot luck. Then a helpful member of staff intervened and suggested I tried to board the next train north which was leaving any minute now. Running wasn’t allowed in the station, but I did my fastest walking dash and arrived at the platform just in time. The train was filling up with disgruntled travellers.

    There were no empty seats left but it was absolutely critical that I got my bum on a seat before the train started moving and my innards along with it. With just moments until departure I quickly squashed myself into a tiny space on the floor and managed to lean my back against a lumpy pile of luggage. Another weary traveller came to mind, a pregnant refugee longing for rest and safety. But there was no room at the inn for her, she had to make do with the only lowly place she could find. As fellow travellers scurried around or stepped over me I pondered the significance of this bottom-of-the-pile story anew.

    By now the repeated assaults upon my system were beginning to take their toll. My head ached from lack of food. My stomach felt like a washing machine. I really wanted to go home. I told myself that I had to stay on that train no matter what happened.

    A man was working on his laptop just a few feet away. He was chatty and friendly and asked me if I was ok. He was a kindly presence. His appearance, voice and manner were so much like one of my relatives that I had to do a double take. He was a comforting presence. A mobile fan was linked to his laptop and he asked me if I would like him to aim it at me so I said yes please. He was a generous presence. That cool breeze was precisely what I needed. When it was time for me to get up from the floor he stooped down and offered me his enormous hand. I took it. He lifted me up as if I was just a doll. He was a strong reassuring presence. He didn’t know about my difficulties that day, he was just a guy on the train, but he seemed like an angel to me.

    Main photo credit: Victor Rodriguez via Unsplash

  • Want quicker results from your workout?

    Want quicker results from your workout?

    What are the best foods to add to your diet to see quicker results from your workout? What would make all that gruelling hard work and discipline even more beneficial? With some trepidation I grilled the Fitness Experts at Breaking Muscle and was pleasantly surprised by their answers!

    Their Fitness Experts explained: “While you may be clued up on the necessary exercises to meeting your fitness goals, it’s not always so simple. Your diet is crucial when it comes to working out, as it plays an important role in achieving optimum results. Proteins and carbohydrate are vital nutrients, whether your aim be to lose weight or build muscle.”

    Five yummy foods for optimum fitness

    1. Greek yoghurt 

    High in protein and low in fat, Greek yoghurt helps to promote weight loss while simultaneously building muscle. It contains probiotics to improve immune and digestive health and contributes to a healthy gut biome. Adding a handful of almonds to the yoghurt (six grams of protein per ounce) will create an even more effective snack.

    2. Brown rice 

    High in fibre, complex carbohydrates, proteins, healthy fat and antioxidants, brown rice is an excellent food for exercise, supplying long-term energy during workouts. Add kidney or black beans for an increased intake of protein.

    3. Oatmeal 

    Oatmeal can help with endurance and strength. It provides complex carbohydrates and protein to aid workout progress and is rich in fibre. Adding berries, with their inflammation-fighting antioxidants, can contribute to healing after exercise. 

    4. Sweet potatoes 

    A source of complex carbohydrates sweet potatoes have a high fibre and water content. This contributes to the feeling of being full. They contain vitamin A, potassium and riboflavin which all aid the muscle building process. Adding red peppers, with their anti-inflammatory antioxidants, could ease post-workout pain.

    5. Eggs 

    Eggs are high in protein and healthy fats. These combined properties build muscle and cause a feeling of fullness, which can aid with weight loss. Adding whole grain bread increases the protein content and adds fibre.

    To my great relief the Breaking Muscle Fitness Experts were all in agreement when I asked them about food preparation: “Snacks don’t need to be anything complicated, and something as simple as oatmeal and bananas for breakfast won’t take a chunk of time out of a busy day.”

  • Mental health boost

    Mental health boost

    Kintsugi Hope has seen 5,000 people go through their well-being groups all over the UK. The groups are run by 390 Churches and Organisations, and 1400 Group Leaders, in settings such as Homeless Hostels, coffee shops, schools, universities and churches.

    The stories that Kintsugi Hope hears back of lives that have been saved, changed, and restored are so inspiring.

    They strongly believe there has never been such an important time as a global community to be supporting people’s mental health.

    Iranian women being killed for seeking freedom, children being shot in Thailand, war continuing in Europe, nurses threatening strike action, bills going up –  the world doesn’t feel very certain, safe, or healthy right now.

    It can be very difficult to live in a world that feels this way, 66% of therapists say that cost of living concerns is causing a decline in people’s mental health.

    Kintsugi Hope is taking their message of safe and supportive spaces on the tour all over the UK. The tour, titled “Bouncing Forwards” aims to equip people to deal with life’s challenges with practical support, live inspirational music, and community.

    Jess Cooper, Communication Manager at Kintsugi Hope comments; “For millions of people, just living is costing them everything. We are encouraging people to prioritise their mental health, community, and honesty at this difficult time, so none of us feels alone when we are struggling.”

    Find out more about the Bouncing Forwards Tour events at www.kintsugihope.com/tour

  • Arise, the king of sketch

     

    Ever wondered who’s behind the whacky doodles dotted throughout the printed version of Sorted? Val Fraser caught up with Andy Gray, a multi-talented illustrator with a quarter of a century of commercial experience of drawing pictures for storytellers and companies behind him. Her task was simple: to find out more about the man whose cartoons put a smile on the faces of our readers…

    Recently, Andy Gray was invited to put pencils to paper and create representations of the bible characters which feature in the children’s book Whistlestop Tales, a tome written by Krish and Miriam Kandiah (and published by Hodder & Stoughton). Andy’s creative input to the project also included the typesetting, or as he modestly puts it: “I did the scribbles and layouts!”

    Catching up with him when he wasn’t drawing or administering his faith duties (yes, Andy is also a practising vicar), I asked him how this particular collaboration came about?

    PICTURE OF CONCENTRATION: Andy Gray snapped while hard at work.

    “An awesome bloke called Joe Fisher wrote a book through lockdown and asked on social media for an illustrator. Another awesome bloke, Andy Taylor, who knows Joe from Greenbelt, tagged me in the post. I illustrated for Joe. The story is a kid-friendly, focussed reflection in rhyme on the pandemic called When the Bugs Came. We turned it around in record time from a Kickstarter, to sending out in under three months.”

    “Unknown to me, Joe was that pleased with it, he sent it to Hodder. And Hodder asked if I would do a sample piece for a couple of projects they needed illustrators for.”

    And that, as they say, was that! Now Andy is working on a follow-up book for his friend Joe (appropriately titled When the Hugs Came).

    “I don’t try hard to get work. I follow my nose, and my nose follows God,” he explains. “Well, I guess that means I follow God since I’m attached to my nose! I just trust him. He’s the friend who will never leave me or forget me. And he’s done that since I was eight years old. It’s awesome and quite the adventure. You just have to follow each day; do what He says to do each day, and stuff happens.”

    Whistlestop Tales is the first children’s book written by the Kandiah’s. They have brilliantly re-imagined 10 bible stories in an exciting global adventure, showing how a wonderful array of characters are swept up in God’s plan for the whole world.

    HAMMERED: this illustration graced the pages of the August-September 2021 edition of Sorted.

    During his creative career Andy has worked on several children’s books; each one embraces a unique style. Some of his drawings seem very controlled, delicate and magical, while others are cute and whimsical. His fluffy animals look soft enough to stroke.

    In contrast, the illustrations for Whistlestop Tales seem scribbly and a bit messy – more out of control and not unlike the ones readers of Sorted will be familiar with. It may appear they have simply exploded onto the page. It would be a mistake to think so, for each one has been forged in the painstaking process of immersive artistic expression. Each one is carefully crafted to tell a story in miniature, often laced with humour. The character’s facial expressions are priceless and Gray admits: “I can’t draw camels!” Often there are tiny details which reveal themselves only upon a second viewing.

    In addition to illustrating books, Andy leads activities and events in schools. He seems at home in this playful environment and has designed elaborate murals which cover an entire wall, eight metres long by two metres tall!

    The mural came about as a result of Andy’s work with the Diocese of Bath and Wells. He’d help them to create and develop ‘chat mat doodle sheets’.

    He explained “The diocese’s GoTeam came up with the idea of a printable placemat kind of thing; a verse, a bible reading and some questions. The idea is to help people just chat about the bible.

    “The chat mats have ended up around the world, from schools to churches to prisons. We have over 40 so far, and are about to do a load with a slightly different style for young people. One of our ministers realised that it would look great in their church school on a wall that needed updating from a mural done 20 years ago.”

    OUCH: Another of Andy Gray’s wonderful magazine illustrations.

    To create the fully customised mural (pictured, below) Andy tapped into the ‘school hive mind’.

    “I got the school to work with all the kids to identify the main things that had meaning for the school,” he says. “I trawled the school paperwork digging out the values. And designed the chat wall for them – the idea being that the kids could think about the wall together. And prospective parents could be shown the school values as much as read about them in a pack.

    “I did the design work and used augmented reality to transfer it to the wall. Emma King, the community worker employed by the church, and a regular face at the school, did the painting. Then I went back in and blacklined the whole thing. It took four days to design and colour. Two days to draw on the wall. Two weeks to paint (Emma was awesome). And another day to blackline.”

    You can see Andy’s latest ‘scribbles’ in the new edition of Sorted, which hits the newsstands this Friday (15 October). To connect directly with Andy, click here and to check out the Whistlestop Tales click here.