Delicious hand-crafted cocktails, inspired by nature, delivered direct to your door
Wild foragers, Buck & Birch, are bringing you the epitome in thirst-quenching treats this Bank Holiday weekend.
With the pubs back in full-swing and the sun guaranteed to (well, fingers crossed!) make an appearance, you can be sure of one thing – no free seats to be had at your local. To avoid disappointment, we suggest you remove the queues, the lukewarm pints and the sticky tables and instead enjoy one of Buck & Birch’s bottled cocktails, delivered straight to your door.
Each hand-crafted drink is individually bottled and can be ordered online, giving customers a true taste of the wilderness from the comfort (and peace) of their back gardens.
Purchased individually for £8, with 2 servings per bottle, or bought as part of signature gift pack combining all three flavours for £24, there is surely a tempting tipple to tickle your tastebuds. For those ready to completely let go of the last year, there is also the option to purchase an ‘Adventurer Pack’ containing all five cocktails (£40).
To start us off, is the incredibly popular Thornstar Martini– anew wild twist on the classic Pornstar martini. The combination of Amarosa, woodruff vodka, hawthorn syrup and sea buckthorn results in a tasty tropical treat. The ingredients may all be from Scotland, but this little number will transport you straight to a Caribbean paradise.
Next up is the The Aelder Sour, known for its rich, dark and fruity flavours. The cocktail combines their award-winning elderberry liqueur and Aelder elixir, with whisky and citrus. Smooth as silk, casually complex and with a gentle whisky glow.
Then we have The Amarosa Old Fashioned which blends aromatic rose-hip rum liqueur with dark rum and wild bitters, creating a delicious twist on this classic cocktail. With hints of juicy green apple, honey, herbs and a spiced vanilla and molasses finish, this is the perfect end of evening drink.
And who could forget the almighty Espresso Martana? This cocktail packs a powerful punch. Sweet, smooth and indulgent, Ana liqueur is combined with the finest birch vodka and coffee resulting in a delightfully sweet espresso martini laced with notes of butter caramel and toasted nuts.
Then there’s The Atkinson, which has been cleverly crafted from all things rowan. Bitter sweet notes of almond and vanilla combine beautifully with a touch of red currant sharpness for a cocktail perfect as a dessert substitute. Great served with an afternoon tea – the drinkable equivalent to a lovely slice of Battenberg.
Last but certainly not least, we have The Dandy Lion. Perhaps the most fitting for Bank Holiday with its beautifully light and refreshing taste. Dandelion wine, birch caramel vodka, and sweet dandelion jam are combined with apple juice and a touch of citrus for the perfect summer sipper – a drop of golden sunshine in a glass.
To view and purchase the full selection of their bottled cocktails, visit www.aelderelixir.com
Scottish uptake for electric car home charging grants has fallen behind English regions, according to figures from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles.
The Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme’s (EVHS) demand across Scotland amounted to 410 grants per 100,000 homes last year, lower than any rate in England barring London.
It was not all bad news though, with almost 3,000 Scottish electric vehicle owners taking advantage of the scheme in 2020, a 45% increase on 2019, and the highest number since the scheme was launched in 2014.
The EVHS provides 75% of the cost of installing electric vehicle charging devices at domestic properties.
Across the country, over 42,000 grants for home charging devices were made last year, worth nearly £17m, which was over a quarter of the value of grants made since EVHS started.
The figures are hot on the heels of last week’s news, showing new electric vehicle registrations rocketed in 2020, hitting 87% growth for alternative fuel vehicles. Total vehicle registrations dropped 27% during 2020, with diesel vehicles being particularly badly hit, down 51%.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced in November that wholly powered petrol and diesel cars will no longer be sold in the UK from 2030 as part of the ‘green industrial revolution’ to tackle climate change.
Johnson says the government plans to ‘invest more than £2.8 billion in electric vehicles, lacing the land with charging points’.
Greg Wilson, Quotezone.co.uk’s Founder says: “Easy access to recharging points is crucial to meeting the government’s ambitious targets for electric vehicle use, but there is much work to do to meet these government plans. Research suggests that an investment of £16.7bn is needed on the public charging infrastructure alone – excluding local grid network updates.”
“While grant funding take-up for charging devices shot up last year, it will need to increase even more in order to ensure that more than two million new vehicles sold each year can access electric charging points as the 2030 deadline draws closer.”
“Scottish electric vehicle showrooms and car owners might be disappointed with the latest figures but we have to note local factors such as the region’s rural character, the proportion of tenancy properties and access to off-street parking could all affect the practicalities of going green.”
Recommended by 97% of reviewers, Quotezone.co.uk helps around 3 million users every year, with over 400 insurance brands across 60 different products including electric car insurance.
We will be holding our AGM via Zoom on Wednesday 26th May from5:30 – 6.30pm.
It is open to everyone who would like an update on the progress of the charity.
If you would like to attend, please email grantongarden@gmail.com and we will send you the Zoom link the day before.
If you would like to have a say in what goes on and be able to vote, we would ask you to become a member, which is free and can be done by filling out the attached form (below) and returning it to us via email, post or in-person.
More than 300,000 Scottish adults have never had their eyes tested
More than three quarters (78 per cent) of Scottish adults say their eye health is very important to them
Worryingly, a fifth (19 per cent) believe no diseases can be spotted during eye exams
Scottish adults are willing to pay more for the most advanced technology in their eye exams
Survey commissioned by Dunfermline-based retinal imaging tech experts, Optos
Thousands of adults (355,840[1]) in Scotland have never had their eyes tested by an optician – potentially putting their vision at risk.
The survey of Scottish adults was commissioned by retinal imaging technology experts, Optos. It revealed that more than three quarters (78 per cent) of people in Scotland considered their eye health as very important to them. In Edinburgh, this increased to more than 80 per cent while in Glasgow, this figure dropped to 74 per cent.
Despite caring about the health of their eyes, the pandemic had prevented two-fifths (40 per cent) from attending appointments. Half (50 per cent) of those surveyed said it was because they worried about how safe it was to attend, while 24 per cent said there were no appointments available and 15 per cent were shielding or self-isolating.
Gareth Steer, VP of European Sales at Optos said: “Over the past year, we’ve all been spending more time at home and in front of screens. From working at a laptop or sitting watching TV, there are increasing concerns around eye health and a rise in cases of eye strain.
“Sight loss prevention charity, Fight for Sight, recently found that more than a third[2] of people felt their eyesight had worsened since the start of the pandemic.
“We want people across Scotland to know that opticians using advanced retinal imaging technology are able to carry out their appointments in a safe way and will be able to identify any potential problems early, reducing the risk of eye disease and protecting eyesight.”
Encouragingly, people in Scotland do see the value in having the best eye exam possible and value expert advice. More than two thirds (64 per cent) state that they want the reassurance that potential issues are found early.
Opticians were considered the number one authority on eye health. Almost three quarters (72 per cent) said that they always follow the advice of their optician, above GPs (57 per cent), nurses (40 per cent) and pharmacists (35 per cent).
Six in 10 (63 per cent) said they would pay more for an eye exam that uses more advanced imaging technology because their eye health is so important to them.
Despite this, more than half (54 per cent) do not realise signs of diabetes are visible in a retinal eye exam, 49 per cent do not realise certain cancers can be detected, while 19 per cent don’t believe any eye diseases can be found in a retinal eye exam at all.
Gareth Steer added:“Advanced imaging technology is proven to support opticians in spotting potential vision and life-altering issues early. This includes diabetes, certain cancers, high blood pressure and detached retinas.
“A big part of this is education. We need to be more aware of the importance of eye care and attending eye appointments, even if you don’t think you have any issues. Advanced retinal imaging technology means opticians can carry out a very detailed exam quickly and from a safe distance.
“At Optos, we’re doing all we can to help raise awareness around the benefits of regular eye care examinations. The survey clearly shows that eye health is very important to people across Scotland so it’s essential we all make our vision a priority and ensure we find problems and treat them early.”
This year’s hybrid Festival consists of a digital programme (available to watch 25 May-6 June) and a mostly outdoor programme presented over the Festival’s two weekends (29-30 May and 5-6 June).
The Digital Programme includes a mixture of streamed performances which you can watch at any time during the Festival and innovative digital interactions presented live over Zoom (book now).
Family Encounters programme presents FREE innovative performances and activities mostly outdoor.
Events will take place in the stunning Royal Botanic Garden (book now), as well as in site-specific venues (book now).
Employers claim just 2.5% of working-age Covid deaths are from exposure to Coronavirus at work
System for reporting workplace deaths and infections is “letting bad bosses off the hook”, says TUC
Under-reporting has badly undermined health and safety regulation and enforcement during the pandemic
The number of people who have died from exposure to Covid at work is being “massively under-reported” by employers, according to a new TUC report published yesterday (Sunday).
The report highlights a huge discrepancy between Covid work-related deaths reported by employers and data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and Public Health England.
Between April 2020 and April 2021 the ONS reported that 15,263 people of working age died from Covid. But according to reports filed by employers just 387 (2.5 per cent) of these deaths came from workers contracting Covid at work.
The union body says this under-reporting has badly undermined health and safety regulation enforcement during the pandemic with employers less likely to face action from regulators for putting staff at risk.
Under-reporting in at-risk sectors
The TUC’s report shows that in sectors with high numbers of deaths during the pandemic – like food production and transport – only a small fraction of deaths have been reported as work-related by employers.
Figures from the ONS show that between March 2020 and December 2020 more than 600 people working in the transport sector died.
But according to reports filed by employers (over the longer period of April 2020 to April 2021) just 10 deaths in the transport sector were work-related.
And figures from the ONS show that 63 food production workers died between March 2020 and December 2020.
But according to data supplied by employers (over the longer period of April 2020 to April 2021) just three of these deaths were the result of work.
The TUC believes the true number of work-related deaths in these and other sectors are much higher, especially considering the high number of breaches of safety protocols we have seen during the pandemic and the high numbers of outbreaks.
Reporting system “letting bad bosses off the hook”
Employers are required by law to report deaths, injuries and illnesses that take place at work or in connection with work.
This is done through a mechanism called RIDDOR (The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013) which logs work-related deaths, illnesses and injuries for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
But under the current reporting system employers are given “free rein” to decide whether a Covid-19 diagnosis is the result of occupational exposure or from exposure outside of work premises.
The TUC says this loophole has led to employers not reporting the true scale of Covid work-related deaths and infections to the HSE, despite this information being vital to containing the spread of the virus.
Enforcement crisis
The TUC says that for the HSE to do its job effectively it must possess an accurate and up-to-date picture of where and when work-related deaths and infections are taking place.
But during the pandemic it has only been provided with very partial information from employers.
This has prevented the HSE from carrying out potentially urgent inspections and ensuring employers take the necessary action to keep workers and the public safe, says the report.
TUC analysis shows that just 1 in 218 workplaces has been inspected by the HSE (between March 2020 and April 2021) and not one single employer has been prosecuted for putting staff at risk.
The union body says this “crisis of regulation and enforcement” has allowed bad bosses to get away with flagrant labour rights abuses – adding that the pandemic has highlighted Britain’s enforcement system’s long-standing deficiencies.
New approach needed to health and safety
As well as calling for improvements in the way work-related delated deaths and infections are reported, the union body says government must reverse cuts to the HSE of the past decade, which it says left the country “under-prepared and vulnerable” to the pandemic.
The last ten years has seen real term cuts of 50 per cent to the HSE budget, on top of local authority budgets being slashed.
There has also been a dramatic decline in inspections. There were 27 per cent fewer HSE inspections carried out in the UK in 2019 than 2011, amounting to a fall of over 5,700 a year.
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Everybody deserves to be safe at work. But this pandemic has exposed a crisis in health and safety regulation and enforcement.
“Employers have massively under-reported Covid work-related deaths and infections. This has made it much harder for regulators to track where outbreaks are happening and allowed bad bosses to get away with flagrant labour rights abuses.
“It’s staggering that not a single employer has been prosecuted for putting workers at risk of contracting Covid-19.
“The government must fix the deficiencies in how workplace deaths, illnesses and injuries are reported. The current system is letting bosses off the hook.
“And ministers must fund enforcement bodies properly so they can recruit and train qualified workplace inspectors, inspect more workplaces, and prosecute companies who don’t keep their workers safe.”
‘one of the greatest achievements in Health Service history’
Over 60 million doses of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine have been administered, with 37.9 million people across the UK receiving at least one jab.
More than 22.6 million people in the UK have been vaccinated with both doses for the strongest possible protection
Public urged to get vaccine when eligible
Around 72% of UK adults have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the latest figures published yesterday (Sunday 23 May) show.
Health services across the UK have now administered a total of around 60.6 million vaccines since 8 December, including around 37.9 million people with their first dose (72%) and 22.6 million with both doses (43%), ensuring they have the strongest possible protection against COVID-19 from a second dose.
This comes as new real-world data shows the vaccines are reducing hospitalisations and deaths, saving more than 13,000 lives and preventing 39,100 hospitalisations in England by 9 May.
The government met its target of offering a vaccine to the most vulnerable by 15 April and remains on track to offer a first dose to all adults by the end of July. NHS England are sending texts inviting people to book a vaccination to those aged 32 and 33.
Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock said: “Shortly after vaccinating over 70% of adults in the UK with a first dose, we have hit yet another incredible milestone with over 60 million doses delivered in total.
“Our trailblazing vaccination programme – the biggest and most successful in NHS history – is another great British success story and a testament to what can be achieved when all 4 corners of country comes together to defeat this virus.
“Our country has one of the highest uptake rates in the world and I’m delighted that so many have answered our call to arms. If you have not yet come forward, and you are eligible, I urge you to take up the offer – it could save your life and protect your loved ones.”
To ensure people have the strongest possible protection against COVID-19, appointments for second doses have been brought forward from 12 to 8 weeks for the remaining people in the top 9 priority groups who have yet to receive both doses.
The move follows updated advice from the independent experts at the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which has considered the latest available evidence and has recommended reducing the dosing interval to counter the threat of new variants of concern.
The UK government announced new ‘decisive actions’ to halt the spread of the B1.617.2 variant of concern first identified in India last week. Targeted activity is taking place to continue to drive vaccine uptake amongst eligible cohorts to protect the most vulnerable.
The government continues to work in close partnership with local authorities to ensure the right action is taken at the right time, and to boost uptake of the approved vaccines for those eligible in these areas.
The UK Government says they are also providing support to the Scottish government, who are adopting similar action to control the spread of variants in Glasgow and Moray.
The government and its scientific experts are monitoring the evolving situation and rates of variants closely, and will not hesitate to take additional action as necessary.
Vaccines Minister, Nadhim Zahawi said: “Today we hit yet another phenomenal achievement, with 60 million jabs in arms and over 4 in 10 people fully vaccinated with two doses.
“I want to pay tribute to the heroic work of NHS workers, volunteers, local authorities and civil servants across the whole country who have worked tirelessly to help make this happen.
“The vaccine is saving thousands of lives and provides invaluable protection from this virus, so when you get the offer please come forward for the jab.”
NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said: “This latest milestone in our ongoing fight against COVID-19 is another opportunity to thank everyone again working throughout this weekend to deliver the NHS COVID-19 vaccination programme come rain or shine, through thick and thin – undoubtedly one of the greatest achievements in Health Service history.
UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said: “It’s superb to hear more great news about the vaccine rollout. This milestone underscores the incredible progress we are making right across the country in our fight against COVID-19.
“The UK government is supplying vaccines for people in all parts of the United Kingdom, and our fantastic NHS is working tirelessly to administer first and second doses.
“I’d encourage everyone to please take up the invitation to get the jab when it comes to help us all through this pandemic.”
The vaccine offers high levels of protection against symptomatic disease and even higher levels of protection against severe illness, hospitalisation and death from COVID-19.
Protection increases with the second dose which is why it’s vital that everyone gets both doses of the vaccine as soon as they are offered to them. Getting the vaccine makes people less likely to get infected and growing evidence shows that it also helps to prevent them from passing the virus on to others.
The latest data from Public Health England’s (PHE’s) real-world study shows the vaccines are already having a significant impact in the UK, reducing hospitalisations and deaths, saving at least 13,000 lives and preventing at least 39,100 hospitalisations in England by the 9 May. For the over 80s, it is estimated that 2 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine reduces the risk of hospitalisation by 93% from the B.1.1.7 (Kent) variant.
PHE analysis also shows that individuals who receive a single dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine have approximately 80% lower risk of death against the B.1.1.7 coronavirus variant originating in Kent and a second dose of the vaccine can provide 85-90% protection against symptomatic disease. Protection against death from the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine rises from approximately 80% after one dose to 97% after 2 doses against the Kent variant.
A new study by PHE shows that 2 doses of the COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective against the B.1.617.2 variant first identified in India. Vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic disease from the B.1.617.2 variant is similar after 2 doses compared to the B.1.1.7 (Kent) variant dominant in the UK, and we expect to see even higher levels of effectiveness against hospitalisation and death.
Data published by YouGov shows the UK continues to top the list of nations where people are willing to have a COVID-19 vaccine or have already been vaccinated.
ONS data published on 6 May found that more than 9 in 10 (93%) adults reported positive sentiment towards the vaccine.
Approved vaccines are available from thousands of NHS vaccine centres, GP practices and pharmacies. Around 98% of people live within 10 miles of a vaccination centre in England and vaccinations are taking place at sites including mosques, community centres and football stadiums.
The latest UK-wide vaccination statistics are published here
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK
Get on your bike
During lockdown many of us ventured into the shed and dusted down our old bikes to escape from the house and get our daily exercise.
Cycling is a fun way to improve your overall health and wellbeing as well as enabling you to get out and explore your local area. As cycling is a low impact activity it is safer on your joints, whilst still strengthening your muscles and improving your cardiovascular system.
We have some tips to get you started with cycling this summer …
If you don’t currently own a bike …
Check whether your employer offers a Cycle to Work scheme as this can make buying a bike more affordable.
If cost is the issue have a look at some stationary pedals. These are pedals that can be used indoors without having to buy a full home-exercise bike or road bike.
Additionally, this way you can watch your favourite TV show whilst cycling and don’t have to be worried about getting caught in the rain!
Social cycle
Cycling can be a great way to meet up with friends or make new friends and be active together. Evidence shows that we are more likely to complete exercise when doing so with a partner or in a group. Additionally, we work physically harder when surrounded by others than when exercising alone.
Look up your local cycle groups, or have a look at Ride Social –
Get outside with your bike. Perhaps take the bike to a local cycling trail, woodland or park. Being outdoors will enable you to be more aware of your surroundings, thoughts, feelings and body.
This is a way to actively practice mindfulness without even realising you’re doing it. It doesn’t have to be a super-fast cycle, you’re still doing physical exercise, so go slow and take in the beauty of the world around you.
