Don’t forget these vital fire safety tips

It’s pretty much the greatest nightmare of any reader of the Ask Granny (http://www.askgranny.com) senior citizens online guide – what if a fire breaks out in your home, and you and your loved ones, potentially including grandchildren, are trapped inside? It’s a horrible thing to think about, but think about it we must, because to give just one example, 226 people in the UK died in house fires last year. Indeed, the following fire safety tips and statistics are British-centric, although many of the same tips are also applicable anywhere in the world.

If you’ve ever been involved in a domestic fire, then you’ll already know about the panicking and the rush to get yourself and your loved ones to a safe place, before calling the emergency services. We are all thankful for the sterling and brave work done by fire and rescue services every day, but avoiding a fire in the first place is obviously infinitely preferable – which is why you may want to ask your local fire service whether they can give you a free home safety check and/or smoke alarm. Fitting and knowing how to maintain a smoke alarm is especially vital for anyone who is concerned about their grandparents health in the event of fire.

To determine whether your smoke alarm’s battery is still charged and the alarm is ready and working, simply press the test button – which we’d recommend you do every week. You might want to set a reminder on your phone or tablet computer to ensure that you don’t forget. We would also urge all readers of our online guide for grandparents to have a fire action plan, communicating it to every member of the household. That way, everyone will know how to escape the property if the worst does happen.

There are loads more things that you can do to minimise the risk of fire – such as never leaving lit candles unattended or smoking in bed. If you do smoke, then you should ensure that you stub out cigarettes and dispose of them carefully. Lighters and matches should also be kept away from the wandering hands of grandchildren, and clothing should also be kept out of the way of heating appliances. Oh, and be sure to take care when cooking with grandchildren, because cooking actually accounts for 59% of home fires. You should be especially careful when you are cooking with hot oil, and might want to consider thermostatically controlled deep fat fryers.

Special care should also be taken when you are tired or have been drinking, given that half of all domestic fire deaths take place between 10pm and 8am. Indeed, although many of these tips from the Ask Granny (http://www.askgranny.com) grandparents journal may seem like simple common sense, it is so often the simple – but vitally important – advice that people fail to follow. By making yourself aware of these tips, you can take those vital steps to safeguarding you and your loved ones.

Editor’s Note: Ask Granny (http://www.askgranny.com) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

What’s going on for grandparents in London this summer?

Whether you live in the UK, Europe, US or maybe even the English capital itself, it’s impossible to ignore the excitement of London. The city is a heaving metropolis for people from all cultures, races and backgrounds, and we’re sure you won’t need the writers of this online guide for grandparents, Ask Granny (http://www.askgranny.com) to remind you of its many appealing permanent attractions, from Buckingham Palace to the London Eye. But what one-off events are happening in the city this summer that you just can’t miss?

Well, you could always visit the zoo and do something a bit more than just looking at the animals, as interesting as that is. Yes, that’s right: we’re referring to one of last summer’s sold out successes, the Zoo Lates at ZSL London Zoo, Regent’s Park. Every Friday night throughout June and July, the doors of the zoo are thrown open for after-hours events. Listen to some of the capital’s finest acoustic musicians, watch some improvised comedy in the aquarium or even sample the street food festival’s delectable delights. You might even find some interesting food for grandkids.

Another yearly attraction that is making a much-welcomed comeback this summer is BP Big Screens, bringing the finest al fresco opera and ballet to various London locations, such as Trafalgar Square and Victoria Park. The productions are set to be beamed live and direct from the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, where UK broadcaster (and firm favourite with this particular senior citizens online guide!) Alan Titchmarsh will be serving as live anchor. He’ll be ably assisted by a special guest presenter in the Trafalgar Square crowd, and the best news of all is that it’s all free. Set your watch for a starting time of 7:30pm for all performances.

Speaking of fine performances, July also sees the return of the world’s greatest classical music festival, BBC Proms, to the Royal Albert Hall. There will be 92 concerts in all in the period up to September, including the famous Last Night performances. Oh, and as we also know how many of our readers are gardeners and how positive an effect a bit of horticulture can have on a grandparents health, we also can’t resist telling you about the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. It runs from 9^th to 14^th July and is quite simply the largest annual flower show in the world. There’s even the chance to learn about growing your own fruit and vegetables, alongside the legendary floral displays.

With London being such a teeming epicentre for culture, fun and frolics, we sense you’ll have already realised that these are just a few highlights from an absolutely vast range of events taking place in the capital over the next few months, that may happen to appeal to you as a reader of the Ask Granny (http://www.askgranny.com) grandparents guide. Book hotels and tickets quickly to avoid missing out, and above all, have fun in the sun in London this summer!

Editor’s Note: Ask Granny (http://www.askgranny.com) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

Easy ways to improve your diet

Even just looking at this blog post, we sense that you’ve read the title and are quickly getting your excuses ready. “Yes, of course it’s important to eat well as part of a healthy lifestyle,” you might reason to yourself, “but I’ll get started after scoffing this chocolate bar...” Or maybe you’re not yet retired, and think that you don’t have enough time for anything other than ready meals? Well, today, the online grandparents journal Ask Granny (http://www.askgranny.com) is coming to the rescue with some much-needed simple diet tips.

Indeed, people often get their diets wrong from the very first meal of the day... that is, if they even have it. Breakfast is so often skipped by people who either perceive themselves to lack time, or reckon it could be a good way of reducing weight – and yet, numerous studies have shown that it’s the ‘skippers’ who actually put on more pounds as a result. Even many of those who do eat breakfast could do better, however. The next time you go shopping, look for a wholegrain cereal, and combine it with skimmed milk and fruit.

Opting for wholegrain cereal and the above items on your next supermarket visit gives you a fast meal that also delivers protein, complex carbohydrates, calcium, fibre and antioxidants. Indeed, according to recent research, getting at least one serving of wholegrain each day could reduce your weight and give you a slimmer waist. Dinner is also an all-too-easy excuse for people to cut corners with cheap and nasty microwavable meals, but it doesn’t take you as long as you think to rustle up some steamed green beans, grilled fresh fish, mixed green salad and/or wholegrain bread. Cooking with grandchildren can be a particularly good excuse to blow the dust off those old recipe books in the kitchen and have some fun.

Some of us like to graze over the course of the day, and that can be made much healthier, too. Ditch those crisps and chocolate for the likes of non-fat yoghurt, dried fruit, fresh fruit, nuts and seeds and maybe even the odd diced pepper or baby carrot so that you always have something healthy to munch on when you get peckish. It only takes two minutes of your day to prepare such a snack pack, and yet it can have such a profoundly positive effect on grandparents health in the long run.

For a lot of us, even the best intentions can end with unhealthy eating. You might not be able to resist the temptation one day and instead find yourself walking into that fast food restaurant, or you may be hungry when you’re out and about and only have some chocolate bars from a vending machine to choose from. But even these dilemmas can be combated if you simply prepare well in advance.

From the most nutritious foods to cooking games, there are so many aspects of healthy eating that we’ll keep you educated on here at Ask Granny (http://www.askgranny.com).

Editor’s Note: Ask Granny (http://www.askgranny.com) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

The art of the UK ‘staycation’

With another year, comes another spring and summer for the reader of the Ask Granny (http://www.askgranny.com) online grandparents journal to fill. Of course, you may have ideas for where you want to go yourself, but it’s also possible that you’ll be asked to look after the grandchildren, perhaps while the parents go on a romantic overseas trip. So, what is left for you to do? Well, you could always consider our many great ‘staycation’ ideas if you live in the UK.

As daft a word as ‘staycation’ may seem, the staycation itself has undeniable substance in an age that has seen more and more people struggle with money as fuel bills rise and cuts are made to public services to balance the country’s books. In addition, more and more people are realising that there are so many parts of their own country – or maybe even their own region – that they have thus far ignored. Not only can shorter journeys to attractions and activities be better for grandparents health in some cases, but they also somewhat ward off that refrain that has echoed from grandchildren across the generations: “are we there yet?”

Naturally, many UK holidays offer more obvious attractions to kids than others, with plenty of holiday and caravan parks around offering enthralling activities for miles around. It is very good advice, though, to ensure that you are at least comfortable with whatever you do for a staycation, given that it is you, after all, who will be paying for it. Somewhere like Cornwall, with its high temperatures, stunning beaches and great tourist attractions like the Eden Project and the tidal island of St Michael’s Mount with its enchanting castle, could be the perfect choice in case of doubt.

Discount travel for senior citizens is available to many of the most popular UK destinations, and if it’s just a case of having to bring you and perhaps your partner, your exact choice of destination should be much easier. If you always have your head in a Jane Austen novel, for example, perhaps you could pay a visit to the World Heritage Site of Bath, with its streets that inspired Persuasion? The area along the canal is also the perfect place for a relaxing stroll. For sheer beauty, tranquillity and closeness to nature, the Cotswold and Lake District also come up trumps.

But of course, readers of the Ask Granny (http://www.askgranny.com) online guide for grandparents have to ask themselves what it is exactly that they would like to do on a staycation. Major cities like London, Leeds and Manchester are great places for shopping, for example, also being a great source of grandchildren’s gifts to bring home, while there are also many fascinating museums, galleries and theatres for those that simply must get their culture fix while on holiday. With such a wide range of activities and attractions on offer right here in the UK, you might even be able to overlook the occasional bit of British drizzle!

Editor’s Note: Ask Granny (http://www.askgranny.com) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.