FG March 2015

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FRANCE isahead of thecurve when itcomes to makingorganic wine,official figuresreveal.The news comes

as consumers areturning more andmore to theorganic product,outstrippingdemand for thechemically enhanced versions.Eric Pfifferling proprietor of an

organic vineyard or ‘domaine’ in theLanguedoc region of southern Francetold FG this month: “There is a generalawareness [of organic wine] in allgenerations in lots of countries, inJapan and Denmark for example whereI export my wine. It's not just a fashioncraze.”There are an estimated 1500-2000

organic wine producers globally,including (emerging) labels, with morethan 885 of these organic domaines inFrance alone.

The Languedoc is France’s biggestorganic region.The consumption of organic wine

grew at a rate of 3.7 per cent over theyear ending September 19, 2009, out-pacing growth in the consumption ofnon-organic wine which grew 2%during a similar period.And the organic trail has attracted

some stardust in recent years.In a blaze of publicity recently

Hollywood A-list couple Brad Pitt andAngelina Jolie announced that theywere becoming ‘vignerons bio’. (p.6)

FRIENDS’ GAZETTEYour articles look at moral reasons for being vegetarianor vegan which is a very interesting mix and unique …

France leadsworld in ‘vinbio’ challenge

E-mail: friendsgazette@gmail.com - Tel: +44 (0) 7710 692550 - Victoria, London SW1P 1HJ - Tavel 30126, France

MARCH 2015 ISSN: 2053-4426

Tim Barford - VegFestUK founder

Organic wine sales soar as drinkers seek less chemicals in their glass

TUCK INTO

£10WORTH OFFREE NOSH

HUNDREDS of vegans, vegetariansand health freaks visiting the FGstand at VegFest Brighton thismonth will get the chance to win£10 worth of free nosh at one ofthe town’s best veggie eateries. In an exclusive deal with WaiKika Moo Kau, new FG readers canfeast themselves right in the heartof one of the hippest area oftown, gratis!One recent customer had this to

say on an on-line comparison site:“Had an excellent lunch in (p.6)

Nectar of the gods . . . A French vineyard

FG March 2015

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Neal’s Yard in foodpoisoning scare

ONE of London's oldest and bestknown vegetarian providers wasthis month caught up in a foodpoisoning shock.Neil's Yard which first set up shop in

an eponymous alleyway in CoventGarden in the 60s has pulled itsRagstone unpasteurised goat’smilk cheese because it couldcause food poisoning.The cheese was produced in its

farm in Herefordshire andtransported from there to itsoutlets in Covent Garden andSouthwark.Borough Market, in Southwark,

has become a must-go southLondon destination for touristsand capital dwellers alike inrecent years.An extensive food market

nestling under railway arches andwinding alleys cheek by jowel withSouthwark cathedral betweenSouthwark and Blackfriars bridges it

has grown up offering all things to allpeople including cheese, vegetables,meat, fish, eggs, drinks, snacks andmore recently even fashion items.Many products are brought to market

directly by growers or cooperatives.In an official statement the Food

Standards Authority said: "Neals YardCreamery has recalled a batch of its200g Ragstone unpasteurised goat’smilk cheese because high levels of

Listeria monocytogenes have beenfound in the product.“Listeria monocytogenes is a

bacterium that can cause foodpoisoning, particularly among keyvulnerable groups, including pregnantwomen, unborn and newborn babies,

those over 60 years old, and anyonewith reduced immunity.“Neal’s Yard recalled the affected

batch from customers as aprecaution [earlier this month].“Most of the product that was sold

has been returned.“The remaining product has been

sold over the counter at two Neal’sYard Dairy Shops in Covent Gardenand Borough Market.“If you have bought the product,

do not eat it. Instead, return it tothe store from where it was bought

or contact: Neal’s Yard Creamery,Dorstone, Herefordshire.”No spokesman for Neil's Yard was

available at the time FG went to press.

Come and meetus at VegFest

Brighton28/29 MarchAND Bristol23/24 May

Special report by FGinvestigative team

POPE Francis has celebrated the co-operative movement while at thesame time criticising those whoworship “the god of money”.Speaking at the Confederazione

Cooperative Italiane he said co-opsmust continue to be “the motor thatuplifts and develops the weakestparts of our local community andcivil society.”And he slammed those who think it

is up to companies to “bestow thecrumbs of accumulated wealth”.As reported in the Independent

Catholic News recently he said: “Yourun the risk of deluding yourself thatyou are doing good while,unfortunately you continue only todo marketing.” He warned that the“fatal loop” of egoism which has“the god of money at the centre”remains unbroken.

Pope hails co-ops -slams ‘marketing’

FG March 2015

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A TUNISIAN mum who now lives inFrance has praised the reaction ofher former countrymen andwomen after the ‘shameful’attack on the National BardoMuseum in capital, Tunis, thismonth. Twenty-one people perished in theatrocity.Nineteen were foreign tourists,

including at least one Briton, on atrip to the cultural centre when twoterrorists attacked.Two locals including one security

guard also died.The terrorists, acting as agents of

Daesh (also known as ISIS), werekilled by police and a number havebeen arrested on suspicion of helpingthem.The atrocity brought out Muslim

Tunisians in their hundreds in supportof the victims and by inferenceagainst Daesh.Dolly Barjol, who lives in Marseilles

just across the water from thecountry of her birth said: “This eventcould have happened anywhere.“Tunisian people are very kind, not

violent.“They came out in the streets

[against the atrocity].“We have never seen that in Arab

countries."Dolly who is Jewish and whose son

Obadia lives in Jerusalem told how

citizens of the holy city are'frightened and worried' even thoughthey are living in their own country.She expressed her fears as the

country re-elected right-wingerBenjamin Netanyahuas leader in thismonth’s generalelections.“He is too rigid. He is

on the right.“But it's difficult to

have an opinionbecause I don't live inthe country [Israel].“My son is living in

Jerusalem. They arefrightened. They arevery worried,” shesaid.Netanyahu has

promised to continuebuilding settlementson disputed territory,a highly contentiousissue which inflamesPalestians. He is alsoon a collision coursewith the United Statesand the EuropeanUnion after hereneged on an earlierpromise to worktowards a two-statesolution betweenPalestinians and Jews.

Asked if the two events were linkedin any way at all Dolly insisted:“There is no link betweenNetanyahu’s re-election and thebombing of the museum.”

Tunisianmum

praises‘kindness’

of Arabstreet

COME ANDWRITE FOR YOUR

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sales people* to join ourteam - the right rewardpackage and word rateawaits the right people

Send a covering letter and cv statingclearly why you’d be the right person for

the job to friendsgazette@gmail.com

Dolly Barjol

* see separate ad

FG March 2015

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I wouldn’t be heretoday if it wasn’t fora Great MasterA NEWCASTLE man is convinced hewould not be alive today were itnot for the intervention of anIndian mystic.Naren Sonkhla has been living

happily in the capital of the north forthree years now.But his grandfather, Balbir Singh

Lahol, was a resident of HimachalPradesh in Nari, now in Pakistan.The town was the scene of a

horrific massacre in 1947 during thePartition of India in which Muslimsand Hindus were forced to leavetheir homes and move to their ‘new’countries in a divided land.But grandad, then just 10, escaped

certain death when he and his familymoved a year before the carnage onthe advice of his father’s guru.Naren tells the incredible story:This is the true story of my

grandfather Mr Balbir Singh Lahol age78, born on the 11th August 1937.He was the son of Mast Ram Lahol

who born into a satsangi (followers ofa living guru) family and gave hiswhole life to seva (voluntary work) atDera Baba Jaimal Singh Amritsar (anashram in the Punjab).His mother was Manso Devi. He

spent his childhood in Pakistan,Lahore before partition.Mast Ram Lahol was a well-known

businessman and owned a hotel inLahore called the Dhobi Mandi Old

Anarkali Mohalla Madhoram HinduHoshiyarpuri Hotel, Lahore.His father was famous as a chaudhry

(landowner) at Lahore.Mr Balbir Singh told me how on the

20th December, 1942 when he wasjust five years old Great MasterSawan Singh Ji Maharaj came to hishouse. He was in his village to visitfollowers and hold meetings. He said it was a golden period of

time. He was so excited to see theGreat Master at his house. It was justa dream come true. The GreatMaster, as he was known, stayedthree days.During his stay the guru asked his

host if he could talk with his son, mygrandfather.He sat the boy on his lap.The Great

Master covered him with his warmblanket. Then he said to Mast RamLahol: “Leave Lahore with yourfamily and set up new business inPunjab or somewhere”.My great-grandfather took this

lightly and stayed put.

But on his next visit the GreatMaster repeated the warning.My great-grandfather said: “My

hotel business is well establishedhere so how can I leave and why?”The guru replied: “Do what I say.”My great-grandfather agreed but

was still puzzled but put the wordaround that he wanted to move.Then one day a man walked into the

hotel out of the blue and said:“Chaudhry Sahib I heard you want tosell this hotel.”My great-grandfather said he did.The man immediately replied: “I

want to buy this hotel.”The deal was finalized for 2000

rupees. My family left Lahore inNovember 1946.In 1947 when they were in Shimla,

across the border, they heard thenews on the radio. They were callingit “the biggest massacre on earth”.Then they realised why the Great

Master had told them to leaveLahore. Without that warning I wouldnot be here today.

In the riots which preceded the partition in the Punjab region, between 200,000 to500,000 people were killed in the retributive genocide. UNHCR estimates 14 millionHindus, Sikhs and Muslims were displaced during the partition; it was the largestmass migration in human history. (Wikipedia)

In the lap of a master- Balbir Singh Lahol

Feature story of themonth by Naren Sonkhla

FG March 2015

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Makefriendswith abookA TRAILBLAZING volume which throws new lighton such existential questions as how did ourcosmos start? who am I? where did I come from?has been launched this month.Science and the Soul (SAS) by Mike Pitman

reconditions a well-known philosophical structureto reconcile apparent contradictions betweenreligion and science.In blurb supplied to FG Pitman says: “This book

coordinates the major scientific disciplines ofphysics, psychology, biology and informationtechnology. It employs a simple, polar frameworkcalled natural dialectic into which to load factsand philosophy.”Pitman took degrees in classics at Oxford and

science at the Open University. He penned SAS inCambridge where he lives with his wife Suzanne.

THE ADVENTURES of aprivate detectivecaught the attentionof crowds in Paris thismonth. Guy Marais,detective privé, isthe creation ofauthor and travellerJean-JacquesSandras. Speaking just afterthe exhibition at theprestigious Musé deLouvre in theFrench captial Sandras revealed to FGthat he was “pleased” with the reaction of thecrowd, who snapped up copies of the latest tale. Catch up on Guy’s thrilling life and Sandras’other works at Amazon.

FILM-MAKER and author Nigel Lesmoir-Gordon isbusy with a sequel to his popular novel Nothingand Everywhere. This time round we’re in for a‘trip’ in the hands, or maybe in the mind, of a guycalled Felix who’s just ‘dropped’ some fly agaric(amanita muscaria) mushrooms. Felix is John and Susie’s son, the heroes ofNothing and Everywhere and is a prisoner of theevil Tigran Gevorkian who also featured in theoriginal story. Lesmoir-Gordon’s bid to fund amovie based on the original novel is underway.

Written something recently you think the world should knowabout? Tell us and we’ll do our best to put it in FG. Reviewsundertaken only at the editor’s discretion.

FG March 2015

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Their 2012 Jolie-Pitt & Perrin Côtes de ProvenceRosé Miraval romped in 84th in the top 100 winesnamed by US magazine Wine Spectator in 2013.The legal definition of organic wine varies from

country to country. The primary difference in the way that organicwine is defined relates to the use (or non-use) ofpreservatives during the wine-making process.Traditional wine has sulphur dioxide added during

fermentation to extend its life. Organic wine does not, resulting in a shorter shelflife. It therefore usually has to be consumed within afew years of harvesting as distinct from traditionalwines which can be left to 'mature', often fordecades.But this does not necessarily mean it cannot hold

its own with the traditional variety.Bertrand Clavières, director of Gault et Millau,

one of France’s most prestigious and influentialrestaurant guides, said recently: “Organic wine hada bad reputation in the early days – it was unstableand did not keep well – but as vignerons have learntmore about what is needed, the wine has becomemuch better.”M. Clavières, whose guide is a byword for quality

in high society in France and worldwide, added:“You cannot say a vineyard like Domaine de laRomanée Conti is not producing world-class winesand it has been organic for decades.”

France leads world . . . Continued from page 1

Brad Pitt and Angela Jolene launch their organic tipple.

Veggie breaksin the south of

FranceWe can help organise vegetarian and/orvegan-friendly bed and breakfasts andrecommend restaurants and places to

visit. We even meet and greet at stationor airport.

To find out moreemail: friendsgazette@gmail.com

Or call:

07710 692550

this restaurant and neither myself nor my husbandare vegetarian.“The food was tasty, fresh, beautifully presented,

nor over-priced either.“Service was excellent, helpful and friendly. We

would recommend this restaurant to anyone,vegetarian or not.”But this delicious offer isn’t limited to visitors to

the show. Any email contacts passed on to us by ourcurrent readers will go into the lucky draw andcould well come up trumps.So just send us the names of your friends and

rellies who fancy going veggie for a day or, betterstill, who are veggie already and they’ll be put inthe hat.Of course they’ll also go on the FG distribution list

so they won’t miss out on similar offers in thefuture. The winner will be notified directly.The editor’s decision is final.

WIN £10 FREE FOOD from p.1

See our interview with M. Pifferling on page 10

FG March 2015

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*See separate ad on next page

Call to banHindubloodbathHOPEFUL campaigners aredetermined to bring an end to theslaughter of hundreds of innocentanimals as part of a gory IndianHindu festival.The Gadhimai Festival is held every

five years in Nepal, on India’snorthern border, about 100 milessouth of Kathmandu.The area is covered in blood and

strewn with dead bodies after thehorrific event which involves theritual slaughter of water buffaloes,pigs, goats, chicken, rats and pigeons.The bloodbath is supposed to please

Gadhimai, the goddess of power andis carried out by a group of peopleknown as Madheshis.

A spokes-man for theAnimal Wel-fare NetworkNepal saidthe ritual “hurt animals, hurt humans,strengthened vested interests, con-tradicted the spirit of laws and trea-ties and is bad for tourism.”The network is calling on the Nepa-

lese government to ban the ceremonyand has launched a petition to outlawblood sacrifices in general.“Nepal in the past banned human

sacrifice and widow burning. We feelthe time has come to ban blood sacri-fices,” a spokesman said.

Hindu scripture is clear on its view ofcreation and animals’ place in it.Divine teacher Krishna is quoted as

saying: “ . . . a wise person recognisesthe value of life, the soul, within allspecies of living beings. Because herecognizes the soul in all bodies, hedoes not cause any cruelty to them.”A Nepalese government official com-

mented that it would not "interfere inthe centuries-old tradition of theMadheshi people.”

By FG reporters

FG March 2015

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INGREDIENTS(measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)

● 2 medium sized juicy semi ripemangoes

● ½ tsp panch phoran - equal mix ofcumin, fennel, mustard, nigella &fenugreek seeds

● 2 tbsp powdered jaggery or asrequired (adjust as per thesweetness of the mangoes)

● 1 tbsp peanut oil or any vegetableoil

● ½ inch ginger, grated or finelychopped

● ¼ tsp red chili powder● a pinch of garam masala powder● a pinch of asafoetida/hing● salt as required

INSTRUCTIONS1. peel and finely chop the mangoes.2. if the mangoes are very juicy and

fibrous, you can just remove thepulp.

3. heat oil in the pan.4. fry the panch phoran spices till

fragrant.5. now add the ginger and fry for some

seconds till its raw aroma goesaway.

6. add the finely chopped mango ormango pulp/puree.

7. add the red chili powder, garammasala powder and asafoetida.

8. stir.9. simmer for 1-2 minutes.

10. add the powdered jaggery and salt.11. stir and cook for 2-3 minutes.12. don't overcook as the mixture will

become thick.13. remove the mango chutney in a

bowl.14. serve mango chutney warm or at

room temperature as dip or spread.

Easy MangoChutney

Aspartame nothealth hazardFOODS watchdog,the Food StandardsAgency, has thismonth backed astudy giving aspar-tame a clean bill ofhealth.Claims circulating on

the internet andelsewhere sitedblindness, tinnitus, epi-leptic seizures, severedepression and irrever-sible brain damage amongst ahost of other side-effectscaused by ingesting theadditive which can be foundin a number of low-cal foodsand drinks where it is used asa sugar substitute.But the study concluded

that those who reckoned theywere sensitive to aspartameshowed no difference in theirresponse after eating a cerealbar, whether it hadaspartame or not.The research, now officially

adopted by the FSA, lookedat various factors includingpsychological testing, clinical

observations, clinical bio-chemistry and also meta-bolomics (which looks at smallmolecules generated by thedigestive system).It was carried out by Hull

York Medical School andchecked by the Committee onToxicity of Chemicals in Food,Consumer Products and theEnvironment (COT).Aspartame is approximately

200 times sweeter than sugar.Though it contains calories

it’s so sweet not much has tobe used to obtain the sameamount of sweet taste forvirtually nil calories.

A FRENCH caterer may bekeeping her hand sealedwhile she knocks out sand-wich lunches.But she's certainly not cov-

ering up her support forFrench mag Charlie Hebdowhere 17 journalists wererecently gunned down for

depicting the Prophet intheir pages.The atrocity was counter

productive and ‘Je suisCharlie’ has now becomean international bywordfor freedom of expressionand freedom of the pressspecifically.All to the utter delight

of Candice (left) who toldFG: “I want to show my

support for freedom of thepress and freedom of speech.I'm not worried. It’s importantto make a stand.”Millions of French citizens

and people around the worldcame out in quiet support ofthe magazine at the time, in-cluding Muslims.

Candice est Charlie

FG March 2015

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CORRECTIONS ANDCLARIFICATIONS

Something not quite right? If you spotan error, misinterpretation or generalgoof-off then get off your backside and

let us know onfriendsgazette@gmail.com

NOW that we are wellinto March we should beputting in some rows oflettuce. I like to buylittle plants, two to two-and-half inches, organicvarieties, if possible.

Put the tray in theshade and make sure theplants don’t dry out.

Place the pots into alarge basin. Fill the basinwith water to the top ofthe pots. Don’t leavethem longer than 24hours before planting.

Dig the soil to a depthof approx eight inches. Afork is best and is theeasiest to work with. Nowrake over the surface andlevel it. Mark out therows with a strong stickat each end and strongstring stretched between.

Width between rowsshould be around 15-18”.

If the soil is alreadyfertilised make sure it is

well mixed in. If you feedthe soil yourself do it whenplanting ensuring it is wellmixed in, around andbelow the plant. Also make sure the eartharound the plant is moistwhen planting. Dig a hole abit bigger than root ball. Put the root ball into thehole. Start at thebeginning of your row. Check the soil on the rootis at the same level as theground. If the hole isn’t bigenough, widen or deepen itbut not too big or the plantdisappears. Once in, pressdown the earth around theplant firmly, filling in anygaps with more soil. Plantthe next lettuce roughlyfive inches from the first. If, later, the spaces aretoo big pop a few raddishseeds in the gaps. Keep a watchful eye onthe growing plants.

If the leaves are limpand the soil very dry,then water carefully. Check if they needcovering with‘fleece’ because ofrabbits. Pick off anycaterpillars andthrow them away asfar as possible.

Flea’s veggie garden

All the tips to keep you growing

FG March 2015

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JOHN Short was an amazingly giftedcommunicator who used his talentsas a journalist, winning the admira-tion and respect of his colleagues.He loved nothing better than telling

a story and, whether his audiencewas a single listener or many thou-sands of readers, was a trifle toJohn.Born and raised in the heart of Liv-

erpool, he was the son of a GPOtechnician and one of five childrenraised in a devout Catholic familywhere he inherited the gift of thegab, from Irish roots.

As launch news editor of the Liver-pool Catholic Pictorial in 1962, Johnled from the front to make the papera huge success and saw it achieve apeak circulation of 43,000. Despitethe dismay of the clergy and his edi-tor alike he was determined to keepthe paper fiercely independent.He was a graduate of the school of

hard knocks and cut his sharpjournalistic teeth on the St HelensReporter, before working for a yearon the Liverpool Daily Post.He trained and mentored scores of

journalists and photographers, manyof whom went on to reach the upperechelons of the profession, creditingJohn as their great inspiration.In the 1950s John had been accept-

ed to train for holy orders.

But he decided the church wasn’t histrue calling and returned to Merseysidewhere, after a stint of national service,he landed his first writing job, on theBirkenhead Advertiser.After The Pic was sold John opted

for a career change and obtained asocial studies degree supplementinghis income with subbing shifts at theGuardian in Manchester.John's death at the age of 83, after

a battle with cancer, writes the finalchapter in the account of a manwho was respected and renowned forhis unfailing honesty, his talent as araconteur, his great sense of fun andChristian love for others. He is sur-vived by wife Hilda, their daughterEmma and son David. (For full obitu-ary see Independent Catholic News).

Trainee priest turnedjourno dies, aged 83

FORMER honey maker, EricPfifferling, created L’Anglorenearly a decade ago. In 2002 hequit the cooperative and beganmaking his own wine. L’Anglore’s ancient vines arelocated near the village of Tavel. Eric farms his seven hectars ofgallet-strewn vines organically. He hand-harvests his grapes andavoids all shortcuts in the vineyardand winery, such as adding artificialyeasts, enzymes or sulfites. Hisstrict attention to detail has

produced a stunning array ofcomplex wines. L’Anglore has been aconstant source for elegantand fresh wine for nearly adecade. Eric’s wines have helpedrevolutionize organicwinemaking in the southernRhône. (Jenny and Francois selection)

You are considered differentto the Tavel wine growers ?Well, I have very strong ideasabout how to work the soil. Istarted very early on with

organic methods of culture. I makemy wine naturally with no addition ofchemical products; I have just beenre-reading the book “Bare feet onsacred land.” What is important forme is the beauty of the countryside,the beauty of the soil and therespect I feel for this living earth.I have often thought of making a

special wine in honour of theAmerican Indians.There seems to be a generalawareness regarding our relationto nature, notably by those

directly concerned with theproduction of food or wine ?I try to respect nature with gentlemethods of culture. There is ageneral awareness in all generationsin lots of countries, in Japan andDenmark for example - I export mywine there. It’s not just a fashioncraze. With the Salon de l'Agriculturein Paris opening now it is a realpleasure to talk about the life of awine grower with a cultural anglerather than an economic one.You appear often in national pressmedia, does this surprise you?I am happy to be acknowledged and

rewarded for my years of work - ofdoubt sometimes; risk-taking for meand those working with me. And I amhappy for my clients who trust me.

‘My clientstrust me . .’Frances Ashley asks the

questions for FG

Eric Pfifferling

FG March 2015

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FRIENDLY FEEDBACK

Dear Ed,Hi! I am sending this to enter thegiveaway for Brighton VegFesttickets! My favorite thing aboutthe FG is to be reminded thatthere are indeed plenty (thoughnot enough!) people who agreethat eating animals is wrong formoral reasons. I am new to the UK. It seemsharder to be vegan here than itwas on the east coast of the USA. But resources like the FG andevents like the VegFests show methat the veg scene here has a lotto offer! Thanks!

Randi MilgramWinner of two free VegfestUK2015 Brighton tickets

Dear Stephen (and Elaine),Thanks for sharing this February'sFriends Gazette and thanks aswell for publishing my letter toyou and Elaine. I was surprised but grateful.I pray that all satsangis(followers of the Radha Soamiphilosophy), initiates anddevotees keep Gurinder Singh JiMaharaj in their meditation andprayers (Spiritual meeting isscrapped as guru’s health back indoubt FG February, 2015). It isthis love and remembrance thatwill help the master. Truly thereis little that any of us can do;yet, remembrance, right conducton our parts, keeping GurinderSingh Ji Maharaj in our prayers isthe most positive and lovingthing that we can do. I always

remember mymasterCharan SinghJi's words.They were:“When you'rehappy, I'mhappy.”Those fivewords are, inand ofthemselves, a

worthy discourse; and the veryfoundation of each and everydiscourse mystics deliver. Bewell and love each other. With love and affectionateRadha Soami,

Doug BrookinsNew Jersey, USA

Dear Ed,I really enjoy reading FG. I find itvery informative. Can I askwhere you get your stories?

Numerous un-named readers

IF we had a quid for every timesomeone asked us where we getour information we’d be richpeople. The answer is simple –you. A newspaper or magazine isa mirror. Many publications take ‘mirror’for their names; see the DailyMirror in the UK, Der Spiegel inGermany etc. Other favouritetitles for the ‘printed’ press areThe Express (quick); TheTelegraph (also quick?); TheObserver (obvious); Le Monde(the world). All of these reflect(pun intended) their function. We chose Gazette – which datesback to “Gazeta de la novità” a17th century Venetian newssheet which sold for a gazzetta –a Venetian coin of small value.(See pic above). And just think – you’re gettingit for nowt, not even a gazzetta! Enjoy. And keep the tip-offs,story ideas and feedback coming. It’s your ‘paper’. Thanks. ED.

Feel strongly about an article or related subject?Tell us about it now! friendsgazette@gmail.com(Annonymous letters not published but contact details can be witheld upon request).

FRIENDLYCOMMENT

The opinions and views expressed here are those of the authors only. Friends’Gazette does not necessarily agree or disagree with them or any part of them andapart from Friendly Comment holds no opinions or views of its own throughout.

SACCHARIN gives me migrane. Too muchand I find my vision shattering, a scaryblind spot developing and low-and-beholda splitting headache ensues.I’ve actually found a spot-on remedy for

me. It’s called Bidor and you can get itfrom Weleda.But enough with the free advertising and

personal medical conditions.You’ll notice, however, I’ve chosen my

words carefully. I used ‘for me’ and ‘me’.Not ‘everyone’.To try and slam saccharin, or another

additive or food in general as having nastyside effects on everybody, when it’s justyou, or a few people or, even, manypeople, is a mistake.If I wanted to prove that saccharin caused

headaches or migraines for EVERYBODY I’dhave to make sure of my facts.I’d have to carry out some pretty

thorough experiments before I made a foolof myself and gave everyone a headache.Yet one sees anecdotal evidence on

‘harmful’ foods and additives all over theplace, and not just on the internet.Some wild claims are made - terminal

illnesses, horrific disabilities and chronicconditions among them.The claims sometimes make column

inches in the press. But that doesn’t makethem true!A variety of ‘guilty’ items are involved.But NONE of these wild claims stand up to

objective scrutiny.So let’s keep personal tastes, dislikes and

reactions within the bounds of reason.Scaremongering serves no purpose.Let’s remember that one man’s ‘meat’ is

another man’s poison, or maybe in mycase, the other way round. ED

Flea digs inA REGULAR Friends’ Gazette reader andstrict lacto-vegetarian has joined ourteam with her regular gardening column.(See Flea’s veggie FG garden, p9).Actually Flea Robertson is an

accomplished artist specialising inlandscapes, often inspired by the sweepingcountryside of the south of France whereshe has lived for more than six years.She manages a vibrant and renowned art

gallery which shows works from variousartists from the local area and beyond.Luckily for us she also keeps a very fertile

and thriving garden and happily shares herun-missable tips with us here in FG.Thanks, Flea! ED

FG March 2015

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