1. Claire Lippold, 23, works for the Bat Conservation Trust

I did a degree in biology, and studied bats as part of my thesis. When I saw the ad for this job, I thought it would be perfect for me. We get about ten thousand calls a year, many from people worried that if they have bats in their attics they can't have any building work done. They need the right advice, because the law protects bats. We're contracted by an organisation called Natural England to arrange a service whereby anybody with bats on their property can have a specialist volunteer come out and give information and advice about the creatures they're living with. Generally, once they have the information, they're happy.

2. Anthea McNufty, 26, works for NHS Direct, the phone-in helpline operated by the National Health Service

Having worked in nurse training for a while, I found I missed the patient contact I'd enjoyed doing nursing itself. When I saw this job, I thought of it as a way of getting some of that contact back - without the cleaning up! I remember the dread of what the calls might be about on my first day, but they give you so much training before you're let loose that you can handle it. It was a bit difficult not having the physical clues I'd have been able to pick up on the wards. But you very quickly get used to working with the computer, it makes you feel safe.

3. Agnes Thomson, 60, works for a major broadcasting company

Yesterday, I got lots of calls relating to weekly programmes, though there was quite a contrast: the radio show for the blind, 'In Touch", and "Watchdog' on TV. The 'In Touch' callers had heard of some new equipment and wanted further details. Watchdog is a consumer programme and people generally call me because they have a problem with a product from a company we've covered on the show. Quite often people phone to complain spontaneously, and when we call them again within ten days with a response, which we promise to do in some cases, they've forgotten what made them cross.

4. Caroline Hickman, 34, works for a company with a wide range of household products

I really get a lot out of the work. We have such a wide range of products - from beauty and haircare through to nappies (nenehuku) and household cleaners - that no two calls are ever the same. With laundry products, for example, we get lots of Specific queries - people want to know what to use with certain types of material. We can't always go into details of all the settings of different brands of machine, though. We also get a lot of calls about skincare from people who want to know about specific ingredients in our products. You also get fascinating insight into the country's lifestyles. For instance, we tend to get lots of calls about cleaning products on a Monday, presumably because people buy them over the weekend, then, towards Friday we'll get haircare and beauty because they're planning a night out.

1. Halloween

Halloween was originally a Celtic festival for the dead, celebrated on the last day of the Celtic year, October 31. One story says that, on that day, the spirits of all those who had died throughout the preceding year would come back in search of living bodies to possess for the next year. Naturally, the still-living did not want to be possessed. So, on the night of October 31, villagers would put out the fires in their homes, to make them cold and undesirable. They would then dress up in all manner of devilish costumes and noisily parade around the neighbourhood, in order to frighten away spirits looking for bodies to possess. The custom of "trick-or-treating (when children go from house to house on Halloween to get Small presents) is thought to have originated with a ninth-century European custom called 'souling where early Christians would walk from village to village begging for 'soul cakes', made out of square pieces of bread with currants.

2. Independence Day

Independence Day is the national holiday of the USA commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. At the time of the signing, the US was under the rule of England's King George III. There was growing protest in the 13 colonies concerning the taxes that had to be paid to England. King George sent extra troops to help control any rebellion (вос­ста­ние). In April 1775 the King's troops reached Concord. The battle of Concord would mark the beginning of the war for Independence. By June 1776 a committee was formed to compose a formal declaration of independence. Thomas Jefferson was chosen to write the first draft which was presented to the Congress.

3. Carnival

The Origins of Carnival are unclear, but most agree that it started as a pagan (язы­че­ское) celebration in ancient Rome or Greece. In Brazil, Carnival rules the country for four days a year. It happens at the peak of summer, attracting thgusands of visitors from all corners of the world. Carnival changes dates every year but it usually happens some time in February or early March. Carnival is supposed to be a time to 'forget or recall an old love affair, to celebrate new passion or search for new romantic experiences'.

4. Guy Fawkes' Night

In 1605, Guy Fawkes and a group of his supporters attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament to kill the King, James I and the entire Parliament. The conspirators were angered because King James had been forcing Jesuits to leave England. The plotters (за­го­вор­щи­ки) wanted to take power away from the king and return the country to the Catholic faith. However, in an attempt to protect a friend, one of the group members sent an anonymous letter warning him to stay away from the Parliament. The warning letter reached the King, and the conspirators were caught and sentenced to death.

Do you ever wonder what will become of your classmates? Can you spot who's going to become famous or get a really interesting job? Colin Bacon decided to look up some people he'd known at secondary school to find out just that.

1. The first person I found was Andrew. He'd always wanted to work in the music industry. He reminded me, "As a student, I used to do DJ work at the weekends. The academic side of university wasn't my main priority. After graduation, I did temporary jobs before getting into a record company as assistant to the marketing manager. I learnt a lot from him and progressed quickly. I'm now in charge of signing new bands. A typical week involves meetings with artists and producers. No two days are ever the same in this job and an average day can change in an instant if you hear a new band and you realise you're on to something big. The thrill of that makes all the dull days worthwhile."

2. Barbara was much more of a shock. She was always rather quiet at school. She explained, "After school I got a place at Art College,to do a four-year degree, but after a year I swapped to a Geography degree which I thought was more interesting. On that course, I met some people who were thinking of joining the army. I suddenly realised it was just the thing for me too. After graduation, I spent a year doing officer training and then shadowed another officer for two months before getting my own first commission." She now has fifty-five soldiers under her command. "Promotion depends on performance and time served, but I hope to have been promoted to the rank of captain in two years' time."

3. Carl was always a patient sort, so I wasn't surprised to find him still in the classroom. He told me, "In my last year at school, I considered teaching as a career, but I ended up doing two years of a medical degree instead. I never really felt committed to it and after two years switched to Biology. I chose a very practical training course where I spent a lot of time in Schools rather than in a lecture theatre. The advantage is that you build up a teaching style quite quickly, but you do miss out a bit on the educational theory behind it. I now work in an inner-city secondary school and the challenge is motivating the rather troublesome pupils to learn."

4. Biggest shock of all was Diane. She was quite scruffy at school and the last person I expected to be working as a fashion model. As she explained, "Anyone who says you become a model just because you're pretty is totally wrong. To be successful you need personality, drive, maturity as well as good looks. A model's job involves getting up early, performing miracles in front of the camera even when you feel awful. It is often exhausting. It's glamorous enough if you make it to the top, but most don't. Fortunately, I'm building up the experience necessary to start my own agency because modelling is not something you can do forever."

1. School student Carla Ruiz lives in a hot country and has become very aware of the need to save water. 'Spring and autumn used to be quite wet, but these days it hardly rains at all,' she says. 'Nearly all the rivers have dried up, destroying all the wildlife in and around them, and no matter what we do they'll never be the same again. At least, though, we can use water more sensibly. That's why at home I recently decided to do simple things like making sure there are no dripping taps, or taps left on while I'm brushing my teeth or washing food. Within a few days I was regularly doing these things without even thinking, I know they made a difference because the water bills went down quite a bit. My parents noticed that so they started doing the same.'

2. Trainee manager, Vincent Owen, is doing his bit to save the planet by using less electricity around the home. 'I was talking to this guy at work and he told me that we waste a huge amount of energy every year by leaving things like the TV, DVD and computer on standby all the time, so nowadays I try to remember  — not always successfullyto switch them off at night. Incidentally, I've now got solar panels on the roof so that all the hot water is powered by the sun. That was a big investment, and it ended up well over budget, but I'm sure it'll pay for itself in the end.'

3. While Lin Chen is on a gap year, she is travelling round Europe with friends. 'We had intended to fly everywhere, she says, 'but when we worked out just how much extra pollution that would cause, we decided to do it by train instead. It was cheaper, too.' They began their tour in Greece: 'We all felt the obvious place to start was where European civilization began, so our first rail journey began in Athens. We travelled to Patras on the west coast, taking the ferry across to Bari in southern Italy. From there we took the overnight train to Paris, and a few days later we went on the Eurostar to London. We saw far more of the countryside than we would have done by plane.'

4. Tanya Petrova works in a restaurant with an extensive menu, but at home she will only eat local or seasonal food: 'I strongly believe that transporting food thousands of kilometers, or storing it under refrigeration for months on end, ultimately has a highly negative impact on the environment. I always try to buy food that is produced locally, and I have a special calendar to show me which kinds of food are in season so that I know what I'm buying is really fresh. Apart from the environmental considerations, I'm convinced the food I eat, which has far fewer chemicals in it, helps me avoid the kind of illnesses that seem to be so common these days.'

1. Spellometric Language Schools

The Spellometric Organisation has been running courses in Britain for the last 25 years and now has five schools in the south and south-west of England. The schools use a well-practised and proven teaching technique which recognises that spelling and numerical skills are the basis of all languages and so should form a central part of all lessons. The schools cater mainly for students aged twelve to eighteen years. Lessons take place in the mornings, starting at 8:00am and finishing at 1:00 pm. The school arranges accommodation for students with local families.

2. Gattegno School of English

Situated in Central London, the internationally renowned Gattegno school opened in 1967 and uses Gattegno's "silent way" methodology to teach students. Teaching throughout the year, the school also organises summer courses with students attending from all over the world. Students must be over the age of eighteen and the maximum class size in this school is six.

3. Lancing English Association

The Lancing English Association runs two summer schools, one in Bath, and one in Bristol, mostly attended by young students from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Teachers use the audio-lingual method. The maximum class size is ten. The school day starts at 9:00am and finishes at 1:00 pm. In the afternoons and evenings students take part in a varied activity programme which includes cricket, football and horse-riding. Students can also enjoy the schools' indoor swimming pools. School trips to London and other tourist destinations take place at weekends. Courses last from two to eight weeks and are residential, with students staying in accommodation on the school site.

4. Pangloss School of English

The Pangloss School specialises in intensive English courses for students who wish to improve their English rapidly in the space of a few weeks. The school day lasts from 10:00am to 8:00pm, with intensive instruction in all aspects of the English language, from grammar structures to vocabulary. The course is particularly appropriate for students about to study at English Universities or business people looking for more specialised language skills. The maximum class size is five students. The school is situated in the Cambridgeshire countryside, just outside Cambridge itself.

1. Alice Chan, 29

Not having a clear idea what career path to take, I opted for something I knew my parents would approve of - in my case, advertising. It couldn't have been a more glamorous job, dining with clients in Smart restaurants, jetting around the world to film ads. But I just couldn't be myself. So one day I just handed in my notice and retrained as a social worker, working with kids from disadvantaged families. And I've never looked back. It's meant a huge drop in my income but it's a sacrifice I'm happy to make for the sake of doing something worthwhile.

2. Jon Golding, 32

I used to work for an IT firm. I was never interested in progressing within the company but I was too scared to let go of the guaranteed income. I was a keen guitarist in my spare time. One day I was on holiday with a group of friends and we were chatting about our dreams. That was a turning point for me and I came home and enrolled on an evening course in guitar-making. I quit my job, converted my garage into a studio and set up my own business building guitars. My company is now one of the UK's leading guitar-builders. Needless to say, I haven't regretted my decision for a moment

3. Felix Mason, 34

I wanted to do something useful with my life and my dad was a science teacher so I decided to follow in his footsteps. But it turned out to be a thankless job. I was putting all my energy into it but getting very little back, apart from increasing demands from managers and parents. Finally, after 10 years, I quit. I was quite keen on writing. So I took on a very junior role as assistant editor for a technology magazine. After just three months, I was made editor, and four years on, I'm publisher of the magazine. Much as I miss the students, office life suits me far better. Being able to just get up and get a coffee whenever you want is amazing. You can't do that when you're teaching until the bell goes.

4. Debbie Fielding, 27

I'd been working as a veterinary nurse and the routine nature of the job was starting to get to me. I didn't get on with my boss, so when I was made redundant last year it came as quite a relief. I'd often dreamt of starting a company which provides specially trained animals to the film industry and it seemed like the right moment to give it ago. So I retrained and researched the opportunities available to me. It's taken a while to get the business up and running. I'm building up client contacts slowly and I expect things to take off properly within the next few months.

John McGregor talks to four performers who have made a career out of entertaining others.

1. The Illusionist

Who would expect to find England's answer to Harry Houdini in the sleepy Lancashire village of Mawdsley? Well, Matthew Tate has built up an impressive range of illusions and spectacular magic tricks to shock and thrill his audience, but many attribute his success to the way he manages to involve and excite his audience. They watch as he frees himself after being submerged handcuffed in a water-filled tank. He reminds his audience that failure would mean certain death and even asks them to hold their breath with him, just as Houdini did I ask him if he can tell me just one of his secrets. My question is met with a cheeky grin and, of course, complete silence!

2. The Living Statue

When people ask Maria Marks what she does for a living, she often tells them "nothing". Every day, she makes her living by dressing in an antique wedding dress, covering her skin in white clown paint and standing absolutely motionless on a pedestal in London's Covent Garden until a coin is thrown into her hat. So, what exactly draws the crowd when Maria "performs"? "Well, people want me to prove that I'm human." I ask Maria if she gets bored just standing there day after day. "No," she says. "I enter an almost trance-like state and an hour passes like a minute."

3. The Actor

Michael Webster has been an actor in London for almost fifteen years. Michael tells me all about the ups and downs of a typical actor's life. "You constantly strive to deliver a perfect performance, often under imperfect or unpleasant conditions."

I ask Michael how he feels when he's performing. "One of the most amazing feelings I have," he tells me, "is standing in front of an audience knowing that they expressly came to see me perform. It fills me with two overwhelming sensations: joy and extreme gratitude!"

4. The Circus Performer

Zhao Jian explains to me how she came to be touring the world as a hand balancer with a circus troupe. "As a young girl I was always jumping around," she tells me, "so one day my mum suggested that I enrol in one of the many acrobatic schools in Wuqiao county. We followed an exceptionally harsh programme, waking at five thirty in the morning each day to begin eight hours of tough physical exercises." And now that she has a job in the circus? "I practise an acrobatic move over and over again before I'm ready to perform it." I ask her if she has any regrets. She answers me without the least hesitation: "No, I was made for this life."

1. Camping Safari

This safari in the Masai Mara Game Reserve offers comfortable accommodation in tents which are fully equipped with beds, sheets, blankets and mosquito nets. Each day there is a drive through the reserve. Back at the camp in the evening you will enjoy a meal cooked over a traditional wood fire. Optional activities include guided nature walks and a visit to Lake Bogoria, which is generally covered with huge flocks of flamingos. However, there are other attractions at the lake, such as the magnificent hotsprings.

2. Family Safari

This safari has been created with families particularly in mind. Guests will stay at the comfortable, family-friendly Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi, which boasts one of the best swimming pools in Kenya. Don't miss a visit to the Giraffe Centre, a self-guided forest hike followed by an up-close encounter with tame giraffes. But this is not just a city holiday. There are morning and evening game drives against the magnificent backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro, all suitable for small children as there are always plenty of big wild animals to see, including elephants, leopards and the now rare Serval cat. The hotel also offers an evening babysitting service.

3. Cultural Safari

All visitors spend their first night at a small lodge situated in a lush wooded area close to the Masai Mara. Game Reserve in Kenya. Thereafter, you will stay in several locations, including in a tribal bush village where you will have the wonderful opportunity to learn about the Masai culture and traditions and purchase some of their unique handicrafts. A short drive from the village will also take you to meet nomadic hunters or 'bushmen' from the Hadzabe and Datoga tribes. This safari experience also includes several game drives through the reserve, where you may be lucky enough to have the chance to photograph the spectacular annual migration of one million wildebeest (ан­ти­ло­па гну) across the plains.

4. Chimpanzee Safari

At the beginning of this tour, visitors are treated to an overnight stay in a cottage built in the colonial style of a hundred years ago and overlooking Lake Tanganyika, estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake in the world. Then, three days are spent tracking chimps in the forest, which is a truly unforgettable experience. Photography is permitted but care should be taken not to upset or frighten the animals. During this part of the tour, accommodation is in luxury tents. The safari ends with a climb to the majestic Kakombe Waterfalls.

1. Paula West: Seville, Spain

For our first ever visit to Andalucia we based ourselves in the splendid Parador de Carmona, a former 14th century Arabic fortress, which has been converted into a hotel and restaurant. The small town of Carmona is just a half-hour bus ride from Seville, Spain's fourth largest city and the capital of Andalucia. We spent the morning climbing La Giralda tower before stopping for lunch. The temperatures at midday are very high in Seville, so we cooled down with gazpacho, the delicious cold soup made with tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.

2. Jo Smith: Dubai

Dubai has clearly grown in popularity as a holiday destination since my first visit five years ago. The number of hotels has risen and there are now far more activities on offer to tourists. On my recent holiday there in April, I avoided the water-skiing, windsurfing and horse-riding, and chose instead to visit the oasis town of Dhaid. Being early spring, it was pleasantly warm with daytime temperatures in the low 30s, dropping to a cool 15 °C at night. Dubai has always been a marvellous place to shop, with a wide range of souvenirs on offer in the Bedouin markets. I resisted the temptation, however, promising myself I would buy something on my next visit.

3. Katie Smart: Marrakech, Morocco

I never tire of going to Marrakech, and the market, or 'souk', in the old town is always first on my itinerary. It has a wonderful selection of rugs, jewellery, pottery and leather bags, and I normally come home with enough items to fill a suitcase  — and my last visit there was no exception. But I am particularly attracted by the tremendous warmth and good humour of the inhabitants of Marrakech, who are delighted to be able to offer their hospitality and welcome foreign visitors to their city.

4. Fiona Miller: Lake Garda, Italy

My husband and I chose Lake Garda as our honeymoon destination and fell in love with its magnificent mountain setting and pretty lakeside villages. Based in the medieval town of Garda, we took advantage of the numerous outings organised by our tour operator to the many other resorts on the shores of the lake: Desenzano, with its 16th century cathedral; Malcesine, with its impressive castle built on a huge rock; and Limone, with its distinctive lemon groves and charming beach. We were so taken with the beauty of the area that we barely noticed the light showers which accompanied us on all our trips.

1. Stacey

I had lessons in Hindi at a local language school. Unfortunately the only class available at my level was late in the evening. So after a long day at school, and then all the written homework we have to do, I didn't have a lot of energy left for language learning. Also, some of my classmates were much older than me and I didn't really get to know them. But that didn't matter because whenever we did group activities, which I'd never done before, but took to straight away, I made sure I was with the younger ones. I was having lessons every evening and that was costing my parents quite a lot, but we'd booked to go to India later that year so there was no time to lose.

2. Chloe

I really want to learn Polish so I bought a course of language lessons as an MP3 to play on my iPod. That meant I could work on it anywhere I went, particularly at those times when you've got nothing to do, like standing at the bus stop. Once I was concentrating so hard on getting a grammar point right that I completely forgot I was on the bus and I started repeating restaurant phrases aloud. I felt a bit uncomfortable when I noticed everyone looking at me, so I didn't do that again. Actually, one problem with learning on my own was not knowing when I was saying words properly and when I wasn't. Overall, though, it was a useful course and I think it was good value for money.

3. Amy

I used the Internet to improve my Spanish. It cost nothing, of course, and although at first I didn't know quite where to look, in the end I came across some great websites where I could practise reading and listening and do grammar exercises. At the same time, I was joining social networking sites and getting in touch with Spanish-speaking teenagers from various parts of the world. I also tried online chat in Spanish, but I couldn't keep up with people. All the time I was thinking about my grammar and it was taking me so long to reply to each sentence after I'd read it that I didn't think it was fair on them, so I gave up. I'll try again sometime, though.

4. Laura

I was living with an English-speaking family and the idea was that I'd pick up a lot of language by being there with them, but it just wasn't happening. Everyone watched television all the time and rarely spoke to me. After a week I left and moved in with a couple who had young children, and that was better. They were all very friendly and I could chat with them anytime, really. When I got things wrong they would often correct me and I think that helped me improve my speaking a lot. I would also have liked to be nearer the city centre, because the house was so far out of town that I couldn't get to the kinds of places where other teenagers went in the evenings.

1.  Primary-school teacher Anisha Kapoor went to the Green Magic Nature Resort in Kerala, south-west India. "It wasn't my first experience of tree-house living," she says, but it was certainly the best. The houses are entirely built and maintained by workers from the area, using traditional techniques and local materials. For instance, the lifts up to the front doors are made of cane (трост­ник) grown in nearby fields. They work fine, by the way, and I was glad there were no stairs to climb  — the houses are 25 metres up! That's good, though, because at that height there's often a cool breeze blowing through the branches."

2.  Ever since TV researcher Whitney Martin worked on a programme about tree houses, she'd dreamt about staying in one. So when her neighbours happened to mention they had just such a place in Alaska, and asked whether she'd like to spend a fortnight there in July, she said 'yes' without a moment's hesitation. "I couldn't believe it when I saw it," she says, "it had everything: even hot running water and cable TV. The only disadvantage of being there at that time of the year was the huge number of mosquitoes. I must have been bitten a hundred times."

3.  Australian technician Richie O'Hara was a guest at the Hinchinbrook Island Wilderness Lodge, on an island off the north coast of tropical Queensland. "The wooden tree house was quite comfortable," he says, "and they had all the advertised facilities such as running water and a fridge. Actually, I hadn't fully read the brochure, so when I arrived, I was surprised to find an internet connection in the house. I found plenty of healthy things to do, like canoeing and diving. That was great. After a week or so, though, I was a little tired of the climb to and from the house, so I doubt whether I'd repeat the tree-top experience. But I'm sure kids would love it  — it's just a pity I didn't go there when I was about ten!'

4.  Medical student Kirsty Hammond spent a week in Tanzania's Lake Manyara National park, at the Lake Manyara Tree Lodge. As we approached it," she says, "we glimpsed the buildings up among the branches, with the Great Rift Valley in the background. It was a wonderful sight. The houses were comfortable, too, with running water, a well-equipped bathroom and, fortunately, large mosquito nets above the beds  — I'm very aware of the dangers if they bite you. I also liked the fact that almost everything was above ground, even the restaurant. The only problem there was the high night-time temperature: although my bedroom had an overhead fan, I didn't sleep very well. But generally I had a great time."

1.  School student Ester Montoya knows she has to improve her marks in her main subjects. She's trying hard, but it's not easy and sometimes she feels she's doing too much work, "I have to get away from it now and then," she says, "so recently I've joined a local youth theatre It really helps because it takes my mind off everything, it's a kind of escape from reality. Also I'm meeting other people of my age and I'm hoping to make some friends there. Something I've been meaning to try, though, is work helping others, perhaps old people. A friend of mine does it, and she says it really makes a difference  — both to them and to her."

2.  For seventeen-year-old Steve Ellison, life is particularly busy right now. He's revising for some important exams but he still manages to find time for his favourite free-time activities, which include long-distance running. As well as doing plenty of exercise, he also tries to maintain a healthy diet. "I've told myself I must always eat a variety of healthy food, with lots of fruit and green vegetables, though if I'm out with my mates I may give in to temptation and have a and chips. I never drink coffee because it makes you talk and act nervously, and it keeps you awake at night, too, which is bad for your stress level."

3.  First-year university student Amelie Lefevre believes that the best way to beat stress is to organise your life more sensibly. "My life used to be pretty chaotic, there always seemed to be so much to do, often jobs that other people should E. doing. So what eventually learned to do was to say no, politely, to extra work. That helped, as did making a list of priorities for each day, with somethings scheduled for today, others for tomorrow and some that could be postponed for longer. I also make rules for myself about the amount of sleep I need. There was a time when I was staying up until all hours, but I was exhausted the next day so I don't do that any more. I think I managemy time quite well now."

4.  Student Ndali Traore likes to get up early so he has a relaxed start to the day. "I hate leaving jobs till the last minute, and I always try to do those I like least first, he says. When he has some free time, he goes to the cinema, or out with friends. If something's bothering me," he says, "I often find that just talking to them about it helps. Particularly if you can make a joke about it, because it always seems a lot less serious when you do that.' If he's on his own, he has a special way of dealing with stress: "I try to recall occasions when I was really relaxed, such as spending the day by a beautiful lake in the sunshine. That often works, he says.

1. Tania Ferreira

I was walking along the pavement looking for something new to wear when a sign in a shop window saying cotton jackets 50% off caught my eye, so I went in. They didn't have one in my size but said they could order it for me. A few days later I went back to the shop to collect it. It fitted me perfectly, but I just didn't take to the colour. Again I had to wait, and again I went back to the shop. This time everything seemed fine, and I paid for it and took it home. After I'd worn it twice, though, I put it through the washing machine and was most upset to find it'd shrunk (да­вать усад­ку). It was a waste of money, really.

2. Ali Haddad

I'd picked up lots of things like books and computer games online, but that was the first time I'd actually got myself something to wear over the Internet. It looked like a really lovely shirt and the price was incredibly low, so I clicked on "Buy it now', paid by credit card and waited for it to arrive. I thought afterwards that perhaps I should have emailed the seller to check the colour, because although it looked fine in the photo, it might not be exactly what I wanted. In the event I needn't have worried, and I was absolutely delighted when I saw it. I would have got another one if I'd known how good it would look.

3. Brad Stevens

I was food shopping in the big supermarket near here and I saw they were selling jeans at a ridiculously low price, so I thought I'd pick up a pair. I spent quite a bit of time going through this great pile of jeans because all the different sizes were mixed up and they weren't very clearly marked "large' or 'extra large' or whatever. Eventually I came across a pair that seemed about my size and headed for the checkout. It was very slow there, and I got fed up standing in a line of about ten customers. Why they don't open more checkouts at busy times I really don't know.

4. Sara Desai

I saw a stall selling sweaters when I was wandering around my usual clothes market and there was such a wide range of lovely ones that I was spoilt for choice. In the end I made my mind up and I enquired whether they had a particularly attractive pale blue one in medium. The stall holder said they had. I couldn't try it on there and then but I was sure it would fit me, so I paid and took it home. There I discovered that the sleeves were far too short so I had to take it back. The man on the stall quickly found me a larger one for the same very reasonable price and that turned out to be just right on me. I'd wasted an hour or so travelling to and from the market, but I still wouldn't dream of shopping for things like that anywhere else.

Four people talk about how they have cleared the clutter (не­нуж­ные вещи) from their lives and are now living in style with relatively few possessions.

1. Melanie Martin

Having a simple orderly wardrobe makes life less complicated. These days I am much more careful about clothes than I used to be. I buy one well-made piece of clothing that I'm going to love and cherish, rather than several inexpensive items which will soon wear out. I've limited my wardrobe to a couple of well-known labels and I take a lot of care whenever I buy something to make sure it's right for me. A few years ago, I would just take clothes off the rails (ве­шал­ка) without really thinking about whether they'd suit me. Inevitably, some of them would get thrown away unworn.

2. Annabella Bevan

My flat is uncluttered (не за­гро­мож­де­на), I have wooden floors and only a few pieces of furniture, but I have chosen what I own with care. But if I go off something, I won't hesitate to throw it out because, for me, things have to be right. I work from home and I am setting up my own company to sell things on the Internet, but I'd like to work in a soothing, relaxing environment. Having an orderly home and wardrobe helps me to cope with the frantic lifestyle people around me lead in London. It sounds strange, but when I switch on my computer here, I feel a lot calmer than I would in an office. Of course, the look of things does come into it too, but I think if you keep your clothes and possessions tidy, it can improve your mood.

3. Graham Knight

The design of my flat is not a fashion statement. It's meant to be modern and contemporary, but I did it because I like it, not because it's the current trend. It's very much my space because I designed the interior myself. It's very homely. It's also very functional. I love cooking and the focal point of the flat is the steel worktop in the kitchen area. There's no dining table, so I both cook and eat on the worktop. I am always having people round for dinner and they seem to like the informality of it. In the living room, there are two cream sofas and a black side table. I don't feel the need for anything else because I'm not a very materialistic person really.

4. Barbara Clayton

I don't have a wardrobe. My clothes hang behind a see-through curtain so that I can take in everything at a glance. Above the rail is a transparent plastic shelf on which I put my scarves and jumpers. I buy a lot cream-coloured things and I'm prepared to spend quite a lot of money on one item. But it lasts so much longer than cheaper clothes that I think the expenditure evens itself out over time, because I end up buying fewer things overall. I usually have a shopping spree (по­ку­па­тель­ный бум) at the start of each season and resist the temptation to buy things on impulse in between. I will only buy things in one or two quality fabrics and, as I get older, I think I know what suits me, so I don't make many mistakes.

Many people go away on holiday and discover as much about themselves as they do about the places they visit.

1. Hugo

When my eldest daughter, Alice, was ten, she asked for a holiday with me  — just the two of us. I have four children So it can be difficult for Alice to get a word in, and I understood what she wanted. I decided to show her Venice and Alice was curious to see it. We arrived at night, which was completely magical. The water gives the city a sense of mystery. Even if you've been down a street before, the next time you find it you see something different and that stops you recognising it. So you constantly get lost. Alice loved Venice. We laughed a lot, and the best thing for me was seeing her excited face.

2. Danie

I went to Jamaica with a friend. We had so much fun  — it was one of the best holidays I've ever had. Everyone and everything is very relaxed in Jamaica. The thing you hear most often is 'No problem, man'. At first I thought they were just saying it, but then you realise nothing is a problem because the whole place is so relaxed. And that attitude makes you relax and forget about all the things you usually worry about. We spent one day at a port watching a cruise ship come in. When that happens, all the shops double their prices and you have to bargain for anything you want to buy. You look at something and shake your head and they lower the price and you still shake your head, but you eventually find out at what stage you should agree on a price. I bought some really great wooden statues for half the original price!

3. Krystyna

I thought I would try an activity holiday last year as l reckoned an activity holiday would help me discover hidden talents. Perhaps I would turn out to be a brilliant canoeist, mountain climber or skydiver. The trouble with holidays like this is that you may not like what you discover. I had forgotten that I would be with a group of people each day. It had never occurred to me how competitive some people would be. Whatever we did, they had to be first. They will also have the loudest voices and make the most irritating remarks. Such daily companions can come as a shock if you are more used to quiet conversations with your best friend.

4. Robin

We arranged to go on safari. Part of the holiday included a canoe safari on the Zambezi river. In our canoe there was just my friend and myself and the guide. I'm not terribly athletic and when I got into the canoe I managed to tip it over and we all ended up in the water. I was quite frightened because of the crocodiles there. We couldn't turn the canoe upright but the guide was very calm. He pointed to a rock in the middle of the river and told us to swim to it as fast as we could, while he went to get help. Then he came back with another canoe, but after that I refused to go back on the water. I was quite surprised by my reaction. Not that I'd thought of myself as a particularly brave person, but the shock of what happened left me feeling very nervous.

1. David Mulcahy

David Mulcahy is a high-powered stock broker. He owns a beautiful flat in London's exclusive Notting Hill area. As well as a delightful home, David owns a brand new Mercedes, the car of his dreams "The only problem," David says, "is that I never get to drive it to work! I refuse to pay £8 to get in and out of the centre, so instead I take the tube!" "The tube', which is London's metro system, is a cheaper alternative, but David still thinks it's far too expensive. "A day pass on the tube is around £5. So, I pay over £100 each month, just to get to and back from the office!" He goes on, "I wish I could drive my car to work, but it seems that the car of my dreams is turning out to be a complete waste of money!"

2. Rachel Childress

Rachel Childress is the director of a large multinational organisation. Her commute is quite different to that of others. While most people get on the bus, Rachel takes the Channel Tunnel (or "Chunnel'). She lives in England but works in France. One of Rachel's close friends suggested that she should either move to France or give up her active role in the company. But she didn't think so... "Well, it's a brief 35 minute journey and manage to avoid all those horrible, long queues." The 'chunnel' train can accelerate to speeds of up to 160 km/h, so Rachel can even get to work faster than some of her friends who work in London. She says, "If it wasn't for this marvellous feat of engineering, I wouldn't know what to do."

3. Benjamin Goldstein

Benjamin Goldstein is a naval architect and his job requires him to travel to many parts of the world to oversee projects that he is responsible for. "I was offered this job as soon as I finished getting my qualifications and I almost turned it down, because I didn't think I would be able to stand all the travelling. I ់ it would be just too tiring. Fortunately, a good friend of mine, who also does a lot of travelling, gave me tips on how to cope with it and I've never regretted accepting the job." He says, "If you keep yourself fit and make sure you get plenty of rest before and during long flights, it isn't actually that bad. And good nutrition helps, too."

4. Judith Kettering

Judith Kettering made a big move last year. After completing university, she decided that she wanted to start a new life in another country. She wanted to teach English to foreign children, so she hopped on the aeroplane to Greece and, since then, she has never looked back. "I'm so happy here in Athens, but if there's one thing that annoys me it's the traffic jams! The buses are so slow!" She claims that, sometimes, buses have been up to 45 minutes later than the time stated on the schedule. "I've been late for work several times because of traffic jams and it's caused me a lot of bother!" She has a proposal though. "If more people got on the bus instead of driving, the roads would be clearer and services could run more efficiently. Plus, if you're a bit of an 'earth child' like me, you'll know that getting on the bus or tram is a great way to fight against air pollution!"

1. Django

Coming second in the free running world championships has landed me roles in music videos, but it doesn't bring in quite enough to get by, so I'm a bike courier. That isn't ideal, but it won't make me quit, and I try to stop it getting me down. I'm always looking out for new opportunities. For instance, I'm currently working on a deal with a potential sponsor  — a sportswear company called Free Spirit. That's me! I don't run on a track, I go wherever I want. I don't let any obstacles or worries about danger hold me back. Not when I'm running, nor any other time! There are too many distractions when you play sports in groups. Alone, you can concentrate on each movement, completely in tune your body and your surroundings.

2. Monica

There's still this stereotype of relaxed, supercool surfer. If only it were true! You can't be relaxed if you want to succeed, and for me, second place is as bad as last place. If I see someone doing a new trick it obsesses me. I study all their moves and work out how to copy them. I don't care how many times I fall off the board or how many bruises I get as long as I can do it perfectly in the end. It can be a lonely sport. If you're getting up at dawn every day to catch the best waves, then you don't want to go out much in the evenings. But I figure, I'm young, and all that can wait  — I just want a few more trophies first!

3. Mario

My parents were initially against my taking up wheelchair rugby because it's often perceived to be dangerous. Some people even call it 'murderball'! So far I've managed to avoid any crashes on the court myself, although I've had a few near misses. I reckon if you're speedy enough you can avoid most collisions! Anyway, luckily, I managed to persuade my parents to change their minds and so I wasn't forced to give it up. Now I regularly hear them cheering in the stands  — they nearly deafen me each time I scorel Wheelchair rugby's so exciting it's becoming increasingly popular with spectators, which is great because that may mean more funding. Sadly, the modified chairs don't come cheap! It'd be a shame if that put anyone off the sport.

4. Gabriella

When I tell people what I do they often laugh, which drives me mad. If I hadn't trained really hard, I wouldn't be where I am today. Looks aren't enough; you've got to have talent, determination and strength. And I mean that in both ways. I work out a lot, often to the point of being completely worn out. As part of an acrobatic routine I sometimes have to carry other girls on my shoulders, and they're not as skinny as they look on TV You also need inner strength. Cheerleading is largely an amateur sport, so you don't get paid, but that doesn't stop it from being very competitive. I have seen instances of bullying among team mates, which is just terrible. I wish it wasn't an issue; I want to feel proud of my sport.

1.  I'm no good at mixed days  — it's either work or play. If it's a work day, then I'll start with a huge mug of strong black coffee and then I'll go to my study at the top of the house. I've learned to start writing early and to have a scene hanging over from the day before. I'm obsessive about silence. I can't talk in the middle of work  — if I talk, the morning is over. When I go out, I do all the things you're supposed to as a writer, like going out to London clubs. But when people see you at book launches (пре­зен­та­ция) they forget that being a writer is also about that little thing in between  — sittin on your own all day. But you've got to have contact with the outside world and real people or you can go completely mad.

2.  I'm envious of people who write in the mornings and do what they like in the afternoon. I work through the day and treat writing like an office job. My office is in a flat about ten minutes from our house. It's good to have a geographical break between home and work. I arrive about 9 am, have a coffee and then I'll just get on with it and work through until lunchtime. There's a definite post-lunch dip  — that's when I have another coffee. But in the end, the only way I get concentration back is by pushing it. My wife picks me up about 6.30 and we go home together. I've been doing this for ten years now. It's a routine that suits me and, to be honest, I'm always a little worried about breaking it.

3.  My seven-month-old daughter, Matilda, gets me up around 6.30 and I'll play with her for a couple of hours, then go to my desk. I officially sit there for three hours but I'll do an hour's work. Like a lot of writers, I tend to get a great sense of achievement very easily. One good sentence entitles me to half an hour off  — two or three lines means I can watch daytime TV. My study is at one end of the flat and my wife and daughter are at the other. In theory, no congress takes place until lunchtime, but actually we pop in and out all the time. I've never been one of those writers who likes being isolated  — I want people around me R the time.

4.  I have a really slow start to the day. I'll do anything to put off starting work. I have toast, read newspapers  — I have to do the crossword every morning  — and deal with my post. I write quite slowly and not in chronological order. I've structured the story before I start, so I can hop around which I think keeps my writing fresh. Sometimes I wake up and just know it's not going to work  — because I'm just not in the right mood  — but I know that it's only temporary. Once you've got the first draft down, you know that it's going to be OK. When I started writing and just stayed at home I felt incredibly guilty but now it feels normal. Lots of my friends are creative and don't go to offices, which helps. When we go out we don't talk about work  — we gossip about the people we know instead. But if I want to use anything my friends have told me, I always ask.

1. Homes For All

Organisations that help the homeless are warning that people will face even greater problems this winter unless urgent action is taken to offer shelter to those without a home. This warning follows publication of figures showing an increase in the number of homeless people. Susan Evans of the organisation "Homes for All' said: "With not enough accommodation, more people than ever before  — young and old  — are having to sleep in the open. A cold winter is predicted this year which means that these people will have to put up with sub-zero temperatures. Action must be taken urgently to offer these people shelter." A nationwide demonstration to draw attention to the problem will take place this weekend. Supporters welcome.

2. Village Protest

Residents of local village, Shilden, are preparing for a night of protest to save their village from Government planners. Proposals for a new motorway to be built that will run within 2 kilometres of Shilden have caused protests among the population. They claim that they were given insufficient time to respond to the proposal. Tony Fellows, spokesperson for the 'Village Protest' campaign explains: "The planned route cuts across some of the most picturesque countryside in the region. Shilden welcomes thousands of tourists each year. Many of the shopkeepers depend on this trade and would almost certainly face ruin if tourists were put off coming by the damage this road is likely to cause." The all-night protest will take place in the fields where the building work is likely to begin.

3. New Youth Club

Youngsters in the city-centre will lose out on a much-loved project if sufficient funds are not found this year. The New Youth Club', which is open to young people from the ages of 10 to 17, is being threatened with closure by Health and Safety officials who claim the building is unsafe. The club, built 30 years ago, was badly damaged by heavy storms last year and city engineers estimate that one hundred thousand pounds is needed to repair structural damage. With only limited funds that they possess, managers fear the club will have to close. Youngsters from the club have organised an Open Day on Tuesday in an effort to raise some of the money needed to enable the repairs to be undertaken. "This alone won't be enough, however" warned Adam Ross, Youth Leader.

4. Save Lea Valley

A rare species of butterfly and many native plants face extinction if the "Lea Valley office complex' project goes ahead. This is the complaint made by local environmentalists involved in the 'Save Lea Valley' campaign. They argue that the proposed development, to be built on the site of woodland that has a history of hundreds of years, will rob the country of several rare species of wildlife. "Local people would be horrified if they knew of the consequences of this project," claimed environmentalist Ian Wilson yesterday. "We need to start a local campaign to warn everyone about the dangers. We are starting by writing letters to everyone in the area asking for their support. The office complex developers must not be allowed to do this."

1. Roger Bates, knew he wanted his own restaurant when he was 23. But he didn't make his move until he was 39. The property he and his wife, Sandra, bought is a restaurant with rooms for guests, which is down a quiet lane on the wooded slopes of a beautiful valley. "People will come and find you if you are good enough. That was the challenge." Roger says the only unpredicted difficulty was the attitude of some of the customers. "It was hard to get used to being treated like servants.' For Sandra, the most demanding part was the physical work. She also had the difficulty of taking over someone else's staff and someone else's menus. She gradually changed the menus, and she has a little more time off now that the business is established.

2. Tony and Gina Wignell of Strathlachlan in Scotland, have spent their whole lives in the hotel and catering industry. They have made one major sacrifice, however, as by moving into a restaurant they have taken a considerable drop in income for a better quality of life. Tony and Gina used to manage a hotel, which provided financial security but never-ending work. Moving to the restaurant has meant working seven days a week in the high season, but they can make time for themselves by shutting in the afternoon. And by closing down entirely during the off-season, they get a clear two months off. But they found it hard to combine being in the restaurant trade with bringing up a family. Despite this they carried on and their children, now 18 and 20, look back and say that they never realised that there was any other life.

3. It's a similar story for Tina Bricknell-Webb and her husband Tony. "I'm on my feet for such long hours. You have to be incredibly strong to do this job.' Tina's first experience of cooking in a restaurant was when the chef walked out three days after it opened. Gradually, her confidence has built up. For Tony and Tina the hard work has been made worthwhile by a special award for excellent food. Tony believes their restaurant works because they run the show themselves. "If you have a place like this, the customers want to see you there every time they come in. You're an actor and they've bought your performance with the price of a dinner." Clearly proud of their achievement, the Bricknell-Webbs admit there have been sacrifices. They have no social life and no children. If they did start a family, the restaurant would have to go.

4. David and Jane Blackford found this to be true. When their restaurant opened for business they had two small children. "When they were very small we could manage by putting them to bed early but later there was a real conflict of interest. On Saturdays and Sundays we'd sit them down in front of videos. I ended up feeling it was David and the restaurant against me and the children.’ When David caught pneumonia, they made their decision. The family had to come first. "One day we may have another adventure in the restaurant trade, but for the time being putting up the "closed" sign has been a great relief.'

The reporter Stuart Harris, the inventor Tom Granger and the broadcaster Paul Bridges tested four clock radios currently available to pick a good one.

1.  The "dual alarm function' that is advertised with this model does not allow you, as Stuart Harris first supposed, to be woken by the buzzer (зво­нок), have a sleep and then finally be driven out of bed. The instruction booklet advises you to use this function to set two different wake-up times, one for work days and one for weekends, but whose life is programmed to this extent? Since this model is relatively cheap, the inclusion of a cassette player is quite a bargain  — you can fall asleep to your own soothing tapes and wake up to a day without news. The men all thought the quality of the radio excellent, too - if only the whole thing was smaller. It's as big as a rugby ball. Paul Bridges said, "Any clock radio I buy has to leave enough space on the bedside table for my keys, wallet, glasses and telephone. Anyway, I'm completely paranoid and always book a wake-up call in case the alarm doesn't go off."

2.  Tom Granger described this model with its extra built-in lamp as "incredibly tasteless' in the way it's made. He complained that he had to read the instruction booklet twice before he could get it to work; the clock kept jumping from 12.00 to 0200 so he had to go round again. The light was certainly hard to position; you would never be able to read by it  — it only shines on the clock, which is illuminated anyway. Paul Bridges said he was 'very amused by the lamp idea but agreed that the radio was hard to tune (на­стро­ить). Interestingly, however, this model is the third most popular on the market.

3.  Clearly aimed at young people, with its brightly coloured casing (кор­пус), this one appealed to the child in Tom Granger. "I would choose this one because it doesn't disappear into the background like the others," he said. In fact, the traditional design of the controls made it the only one the men managed to set up without reading the instruction booklet. Too bad the alarm is allowed a 20-minute margin for error; the manual (ин­струк­ция) notes, "the alarm may sound about 10 minutes earlier or later than the pre-set time". Paul Bridges made fun of such a notion, adding that this model was "terribly difficult" and, indeed, "completely useless".

4.  The simplest and cheapest of all the models tested, this scored points with Tom Granger because it 'seemed very standard and took up little space', but also because it has old-fashioned dial tuning. "It's more intuitive to set up. With modern push-button tuning you're never really sure if you've pressed all the buttons in the right order so you can't have confidence that the thing will actually work. He accepted, however, that manufacturers had been obliged to improve the quality of radios because of the advent (вве­де­ние) of button-tuning. Stuart Harris thought the tuning rather approximate, as did Paul Bridges, but they agreed that the radio quality was fine. The buzzer on this model certainly works; it succeeded in getting them out of bed in just two beeps!

1. David Crossland, 50, was on holiday with his wife, Louise, in the Bahamas when the giant Hurricane Floyd hit New Providence Island.

"We were on holiday on Providence Island last year when Hurricane George was due to hit, but it changed direction. So this year, when Hurricane Floyd was heading towards us, Louise and I were convinced it would change course. But a week into our holiday the island was in the direct path of the hurricane and the hotel staff feared the worst. All of the ground-floor windows and balcony doors in the hotel were boarded up. At one point I tried to open the balcony door in our bedroom to catch a glimpse of the hurricane but the winds were so strong I couldn't move it. All we could do was lie in our bed in the candlelight and wait. It was shocking."

2. Doug Glenwright, 33, was sitting in his front room in Birmingham, England, when he had the shock of his life.

"Last week we were watching on the television how tornadoes wrecked Oklahoma, where you'd expect to see them. Then suddenly last night one of them came down our street. The first I became aware of it was when I saw a dustbin bag come up from the street and fly past the window like a kite. Then branches of trees and all sorts of other debris were pulled up into the air. Telephone lines were knocked down by the hurricane-force winds and the heavy rain caused four feet of flood water in some people's kitchens."

3. Teacher Caroline Casterton, 25, was visiting friends in Istanbul when an earthquake struck.

"I was fast asleep in my friends' apartment when the tremor shook. It lasted only 45 seconds but it felt like an eternity. It was absolutely terrifying. For the next four days and nights I slept on the streets with thousands of others and the scale of the devastation gradually began to sink in. Yet out of the chaos there was the most incredible sense of camaraderie. Everyone seemed so united and I witnessed so much courage and kindness. Since that day I have taken far less for granted and I really do feel life is for living in the present."

4. When Pat Beddows reached 40, she set herself a mountainous challenge in the Himalayas. During the trek disaster struck.

"I set off in a group of 20 from Gangotri, a village at 4,000 metres in the foothills of the Himalayas. As we sat having lunch, we watched huge chunks of ice break away from a glacier, then fall into the water. Unaware of the risk we were taking we climbed down into the glacier to take a closer look. Suddenly, our guide started screaming: "Run Run! Climb up!" A tidal wave of water and ice was heading straight for us and we scrambled up the rocky slopes to safety. Chunks of ice the size of cars were being thrown into the air barely five metres away. If the guide hadn't shouted at us to get out of the way, the consequences would have been tragic. When we got back to camp we were told that, three years earlier, 16 people had died there in a similar incident. I realized how lucky we all were and I burst into tears."

1. Mary Elton Mark

I loved photography from the moment I first picked up a camera and knew my life would be devoted to it. I don't think you can develop or learn a "way of seeing or a "point of view'. It's something that's inside you. It's how you look at the world. I want my photographs not only to be real but to portray the essence of my subjects, too. To do that, you have to be patient  — it can't be rushed. I prefer doing portraiture on location. On a subject's home ground you pick up certain hints that tell you personal things and they come up with ideas.

2. Tina Barney

I don't know how my brain works, but I do know that I work really fast. My shoots don't vary: an hour to set up, an hour to take the shots. And the minute I walk into a room I know what I'm going to shoot, although what that is only becomes clear to me after seeing the result. So it's a subconscious (под­со­зна­тель­ный) process. I started taking pictures in the 1970s for all the beautiful reasons photography was known for. Then all of a sudden digital technology booms and darkrooms get disappeared from photography schools. But I really believe in the classical way. It all comes down to looking at a piece of art and dissecting it and understanding how it's put together. I think the most important thing is to go out in the world and see.

3. Rankin

I think if you aren't fascinated by people, you'll never succeed as a portrait photographer, because your pictures will look cold. You don't have to know anything about the people in advance of the session, you just tap into them  — it's a skill. Every shoot is different and you have to alter your approach accordingly. You have to try to get into people's heads, so that they can open up to you and give you something. Sometimes we chat first, but sometimes it's good for everyone to be fresh and tense when you start out. I use the technique of being casual and informal and rude or asking my subjects to do ridiculous things, but I don't set out to upset anyone. I hope the viewer sees what I see. I think two words that would describe my work well are: humour and honesty.

4. Sebastião Salgado

It's difficult to explain why we're more attracted to certain images than others. For me, black and white photography has a certain kind of power. I'm talking about instantaneous photography, the kind that happens in a fraction of a second. A great picture is one that transmits a lot of emotion and where you can see who took it; who that person is. I come from a Latin American world, where you believe in things and you form a relationship with your surroundings. I also grew up with a sense of mysticism and belonging. The cynicism that exists in certain kinds of photography, and that pleasure of seeing oneself as a deep individualist, that's not for me. We're a gregarious species made to live together. That's the point of view of my photography and the starting point of all my work.

Drinking water can protect your health, improve your concentration and even prevent depression. Kate Hilpern reports on the dangers of dehydration (обез­во­жи­ва­ние).

1.  Practically the only time I drink water is when I'm working out at the gym and can feel my body crying out for it. Like millions of people, the rest of the time I prefer some flavour to my drink. Insufficient consumption of water is a serious problem, according to scientists, who claim that anyone drinking less than eight glasses of pure water per day is at risk of dehydration. The consequences, they say, include poor performance at work, depression, allergies and even some cancers. Adding to the problem of getting this message across to the public is the fact that recent studies show drinking too much water can also do harm to your health, causing 'acute water intoxication'. Salt in the blood is weakened in its effect, depriving the brain, heart and muscles of the amounts they need to function properly.

2.  One recent poll (опрос) suggests that only one in 10 of us drinks the right amount to meet the body's needs. And it's not only adults who are affected. A quarter of children drink no water during the school day and their performance is affected as a result. Indeed, thirst can cause mental performance to drop by at least 10 percent. Studies of primary schools have found that test results significantly improve when pupils are encouraged to drink water throughout the day.

3.  Fizzy drinks (га­зи­ро­ван­ные на­пит­ки) are four and a half times more popular than water among children. "But soft drinks, including fizzy drinks and fruit juices, contain high levels of sugar," says Barrie Clarke of Water UK, the umbrella organization for water suppliers. This means they are absorbed much more slowly than water so they don't hydrate the brain as quickly." Really high sugar drinks cause a rapid rise in blood sugar level, followed by a sudden drop, which can cause lack of concentration. "Most people know that drinking water is good for you but few realise the huge range of risks that can affect us every day, t lack of concentration, fatigue and irritability," he adds. Then there's your appearance to think of. Lack of water leads to dry and tired looking skin as well as ageing.

4.  Recognizing that dehydration is a major health problem, primary schools in one region are taking action by providing water coolers. For every cooler installed in a school, the regional water authority gives away refillable water bottles which children can take into classes with them. "There is still a lot of work to be done around explaining to teachers about the importance of drinking water," said Abusin. 'So part of our campaign is getting them not only to allow children to have water bottles on their desks, but to encourage them to drink from them before they get thirsty."

Four readers suggest great locations where you can watch wildlife in its natural surroundings.

1. Kevin: Hallo Bay, Alaska

The first time you see a bear your mouth definitely goes dry. Unlike in other more frequently visited areas, the bears at Hallo Bay don't associate humans with food, so they pose no risk to people. For me, Hallo Bay's a magical place. I've always been a person who was structured and organised, but I've said for years now that I lost my list in Alaska. One thing which makes Hallo Bay so special is that the remote camp has just a dozen guests at a time, with guided groups of no more than half that many heading out to search for the bears. For me, even without the bears it would be a gorgeous place to visit.

2. Ray: Playa Grands Sanctuary, Costa Rica

With concerns mounting about the pressure on the Galapagos Islands, Costa Rica's popularity as a wildlife venue could be about to take off, and deservedly so. Costa Rica has it all: iguanas at your feet, capuchin monkeys overhead, sloths (ле­ни­вец) and jaguars are to be seen. However, perhaps the most magical thing to do here is to watch turtles lay their eggs on a moonlight beach. It does require patience; we waited two nights, napping on hard benches at the Playa Grande sanctuary, before one of the wardens shook us awake. We were allowed quite close to watch the turtle dig a hole with her flippers and deposit hundreds of eggs. She then casually covered them up and headed off back down the beach.

3. Sarah: Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa

It's so hard to recommend just one location in Africa to go in search of the big five! However, if you've never been on Safari before, then travel is straightforward in South Africa and its parks are the cheapest if you're short of money. The parks have well-equipped campsites and good-quality roads, so it's perfectly possible to hire a four-by-four and head off on your own. There's also an impressive selection of volunteer projects involving animals, particularly around the country's biggest parks. I spent four weeks helping at a veterinary practice with African Conservation Experience. I got the chance to work with lion, cheetah, elephant and buffalo. The work's extremely hands-on and you have to be ready for anything, whether it's taking a lion's temperature or treating a dog for a snake bite!

4. Amy: Chitwan National Park, Nepal

With tigers, snow leopards and one-horned rhinoceros, Nepal certainly has its share of endangered animals. visited Chitwan at the foot of the Himalayas. The park was set aside for wildlife in 1959 and is the place to see Indian rhinoceros as well as being one of the last refuges of the Bengal tiger. One of the best ways to view both is from the back of an elephant  — something that is rather fabulous in itself. We were having breakfast one day when two elephants were being taken for their daily wash on the river bank near our hotel. We made a small donation and asked to help  — it was one of the most amazing animal encounters possible, sitting on the backs of those huge elephants scrubbing their backs whilst they knelt in the water and sprayed us from their trunk!

1. Claire Lippold, 23, works for the Bat Conservation Trust

I did a degree in biology, and studied bats as part of my thesis. When I saw the ad for this job, I thought it would be perfect for me. We get about ten thousand calls a year, many from people worried that if they have bats in their attics they can't have any building work done. They need the right advice, because the law protects bats. We're contracted by an organisation called Natural England to arrange a service whereby anybody with bats on their property can have a specialist volunteer come out and give information and advice about the creatures they're living with. Generally, once they have the information, they're happy.

2. Anthea McNufty, 26, works for NHS Direct, the phone-in helpline operated by the National Health Service

Having worked in nurse training for a while, I found I missed the patient contact I'd enjoyed doing nursing itself. When I saw this job, I thought of it as a way of getting some of that contact back - without the cleaning up! I remember the dread of what the calls might be about on my first day, but they give you so much training before you're let loose that you can handle it. It was a bit difficult not having the physical clues I'd have been able to pick up on the wards. But you very quickly get used to working with the computer, it makes you feel safe.

3. Agnes Thomson, 60, works for a major broadcasting company

Yesterday, I got lots of calls relating to weekly programmes, though there was quite a contrast: the radio show for the blind, 'In Touch", and "Watchdog' on TV. The 'In Touch' callers had heard of some new equipment and wanted further details. Watchdog is a consumer programme and people generally call me because they have a problem with a product from a company we've covered on the show. Quite often people phone to complain spontaneously, and when we call them again within ten days with a response, which we promise to do in some cases, they've forgotten what made them cross.

4. Caroline Hickman, 34, works for a company with a wide range of household products

I really get a lot out of the work. We have such a wide range of products - from beauty and haircare through to nappies (nenehuku) and household cleaners - that no two calls are ever the same. With laundry products, for example, we get lots of Specific queries - people want to know what to use with certain types of material. We can't always go into details of all the settings of different brands of machine, though. We also get a lot of calls about skincare from people who want to know about specific ingredients in our products. You also get fascinating insight into the country's lifestyles. For instance, we tend to get lots of calls about cleaning products on a Monday, presumably because people buy them over the weekend, then, towards Friday we'll get haircare and beauty because they're planning a night out.

1. Claire Lippold, 23, works for the Bat Conservation Trust

I did a degree in biology, and studied bats as part of my thesis. When I saw the ad for this job, I thought it would be perfect for me. We get about ten thousand calls a year, many from people worried that if they have bats in their attics they can't have any building work done. They need the right advice, because the law protects bats. We're contracted by an organisation called Natural England to arrange a service whereby anybody with bats on their property can have a specialist volunteer come out and give information and advice about the creatures they're living with. Generally, once they have the information, they're happy.

2. Anthea McNufty, 26, works for NHS Direct, the phone-in helpline operated by the National Health Service

Having worked in nurse training for a while, I found I missed the patient contact I'd enjoyed doing nursing itself. When I saw this job, I thought of it as a way of getting some of that contact back - without the cleaning up! I remember the dread of what the calls might be about on my first day, but they give you so much training before you're let loose that you can handle it. It was a bit difficult not having the physical clues I'd have been able to pick up on the wards. But you very quickly get used to working with the computer, it makes you feel safe.

3. Agnes Thomson, 60, works for a major broadcasting company

Yesterday, I got lots of calls relating to weekly programmes, though there was quite a contrast: the radio show for the blind, 'In Touch", and "Watchdog' on TV. The 'In Touch' callers had heard of some new equipment and wanted further details. Watchdog is a consumer programme and people generally call me because they have a problem with a product from a company we've covered on the show. Quite often people phone to complain spontaneously, and when we call them again within ten days with a response, which we promise to do in some cases, they've forgotten what made them cross.

4. Caroline Hickman, 34, works for a company with a wide range of household products

I really get a lot out of the work. We have such a wide range of products - from beauty and haircare through to nappies (nenehuku) and household cleaners - that no two calls are ever the same. With laundry products, for example, we get lots of Specific queries - people want to know what to use with certain types of material. We can't always go into details of all the settings of different brands of machine, though. We also get a lot of calls about skincare from people who want to know about specific ingredients in our products. You also get fascinating insight into the country's lifestyles. For instance, we tend to get lots of calls about cleaning products on a Monday, presumably because people buy them over the weekend, then, towards Friday we'll get haircare and beauty because they're planning a night out.

1. Claire Lippold, 23, works for the Bat Conservation Trust

I did a degree in biology, and studied bats as part of my thesis. When I saw the ad for this job, I thought it would be perfect for me. We get about ten thousand calls a year, many from people worried that if they have bats in their attics they can't have any building work done. They need the right advice, because the law protects bats. We're contracted by an organisation called Natural England to arrange a service whereby anybody with bats on their property can have a specialist volunteer come out and give information and advice about the creatures they're living with. Generally, once they have the information, they're happy.

2. Anthea McNufty, 26, works for NHS Direct, the phone-in helpline operated by the National Health Service

Having worked in nurse training for a while, I found I missed the patient contact I'd enjoyed doing nursing itself. When I saw this job, I thought of it as a way of getting some of that contact back - without the cleaning up! I remember the dread of what the calls might be about on my first day, but they give you so much training before you're let loose that you can handle it. It was a bit difficult not having the physical clues I'd have been able to pick up on the wards. But you very quickly get used to working with the computer, it makes you feel safe.

3. Agnes Thomson, 60, works for a major broadcasting company

Yesterday, I got lots of calls relating to weekly programmes, though there was quite a contrast: the radio show for the blind, 'In Touch", and "Watchdog' on TV. The 'In Touch' callers had heard of some new equipment and wanted further details. Watchdog is a consumer programme and people generally call me because they have a problem with a product from a company we've covered on the show. Quite often people phone to complain spontaneously, and when we call them again within ten days with a response, which we promise to do in some cases, they've forgotten what made them cross.

4. Caroline Hickman, 34, works for a company with a wide range of household products

I really get a lot out of the work. We have such a wide range of products - from beauty and haircare through to nappies (nenehuku) and household cleaners - that no two calls are ever the same. With laundry products, for example, we get lots of Specific queries - people want to know what to use with certain types of material. We can't always go into details of all the settings of different brands of machine, though. We also get a lot of calls about skincare from people who want to know about specific ingredients in our products. You also get fascinating insight into the country's lifestyles. For instance, we tend to get lots of calls about cleaning products on a Monday, presumably because people buy them over the weekend, then, towards Friday we'll get haircare and beauty because they're planning a night out.

1. Halloween

Halloween was originally a Celtic festival for the dead, celebrated on the last day of the Celtic year, October 31. One story says that, on that day, the spirits of all those who had died throughout the preceding year would come back in search of living bodies to possess for the next year. Naturally, the still-living did not want to be possessed. So, on the night of October 31, villagers would put out the fires in their homes, to make them cold and undesirable. They would then dress up in all manner of devilish costumes and noisily parade around the neighbourhood, in order to frighten away spirits looking for bodies to possess. The custom of "trick-or-treating (when children go from house to house on Halloween to get Small presents) is thought to have originated with a ninth-century European custom called 'souling where early Christians would walk from village to village begging for 'soul cakes', made out of square pieces of bread with currants.

2. Independence Day

Independence Day is the national holiday of the USA commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. At the time of the signing, the US was under the rule of England's King George III. There was growing protest in the 13 colonies concerning the taxes that had to be paid to England. King George sent extra troops to help control any rebellion (вос­ста­ние). In April 1775 the King's troops reached Concord. The battle of Concord would mark the beginning of the war for Independence. By June 1776 a committee was formed to compose a formal declaration of independence. Thomas Jefferson was chosen to write the first draft which was presented to the Congress.

3. Carnival

The Origins of Carnival are unclear, but most agree that it started as a pagan (язы­че­ское) celebration in ancient Rome or Greece. In Brazil, Carnival rules the country for four days a year. It happens at the peak of summer, attracting thgusands of visitors from all corners of the world. Carnival changes dates every year but it usually happens some time in February or early March. Carnival is supposed to be a time to 'forget or recall an old love affair, to celebrate new passion or search for new romantic experiences'.

4. Guy Fawkes' Night

In 1605, Guy Fawkes and a group of his supporters attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament to kill the King, James I and the entire Parliament. The conspirators were angered because King James had been forcing Jesuits to leave England. The plotters (за­го­вор­щи­ки) wanted to take power away from the king and return the country to the Catholic faith. However, in an attempt to protect a friend, one of the group members sent an anonymous letter warning him to stay away from the Parliament. The warning letter reached the King, and the conspirators were caught and sentenced to death.

1. Halloween

Halloween was originally a Celtic festival for the dead, celebrated on the last day of the Celtic year, October 31. One story says that, on that day, the spirits of all those who had died throughout the preceding year would come back in search of living bodies to possess for the next year. Naturally, the still-living did not want to be possessed. So, on the night of October 31, villagers would put out the fires in their homes, to make them cold and undesirable. They would then dress up in all manner of devilish costumes and noisily parade around the neighbourhood, in order to frighten away spirits looking for bodies to possess. The custom of "trick-or-treating (when children go from house to house on Halloween to get Small presents) is thought to have originated with a ninth-century European custom called 'souling where early Christians would walk from village to village begging for 'soul cakes', made out of square pieces of bread with currants.

2. Independence Day

Independence Day is the national holiday of the USA commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. At the time of the signing, the US was under the rule of England's King George III. There was growing protest in the 13 colonies concerning the taxes that had to be paid to England. King George sent extra troops to help control any rebellion (вос­ста­ние). In April 1775 the King's troops reached Concord. The battle of Concord would mark the beginning of the war for Independence. By June 1776 a committee was formed to compose a formal declaration of independence. Thomas Jefferson was chosen to write the first draft which was presented to the Congress.

3. Carnival

The Origins of Carnival are unclear, but most agree that it started as a pagan (язы­че­ское) celebration in ancient Rome or Greece. In Brazil, Carnival rules the country for four days a year. It happens at the peak of summer, attracting thgusands of visitors from all corners of the world. Carnival changes dates every year but it usually happens some time in February or early March. Carnival is supposed to be a time to 'forget or recall an old love affair, to celebrate new passion or search for new romantic experiences'.

4. Guy Fawkes' Night

In 1605, Guy Fawkes and a group of his supporters attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament to kill the King, James I and the entire Parliament. The conspirators were angered because King James had been forcing Jesuits to leave England. The plotters (за­го­вор­щи­ки) wanted to take power away from the king and return the country to the Catholic faith. However, in an attempt to protect a friend, one of the group members sent an anonymous letter warning him to stay away from the Parliament. The warning letter reached the King, and the conspirators were caught and sentenced to death.

1. Halloween

Halloween was originally a Celtic festival for the dead, celebrated on the last day of the Celtic year, October 31. One story says that, on that day, the spirits of all those who had died throughout the preceding year would come back in search of living bodies to possess for the next year. Naturally, the still-living did not want to be possessed. So, on the night of October 31, villagers would put out the fires in their homes, to make them cold and undesirable. They would then dress up in all manner of devilish costumes and noisily parade around the neighbourhood, in order to frighten away spirits looking for bodies to possess. The custom of "trick-or-treating (when children go from house to house on Halloween to get Small presents) is thought to have originated with a ninth-century European custom called 'souling where early Christians would walk from village to village begging for 'soul cakes', made out of square pieces of bread with currants.

2. Independence Day

Independence Day is the national holiday of the USA commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. At the time of the signing, the US was under the rule of England's King George III. There was growing protest in the 13 colonies concerning the taxes that had to be paid to England. King George sent extra troops to help control any rebellion (вос­ста­ние). In April 1775 the King's troops reached Concord. The battle of Concord would mark the beginning of the war for Independence. By June 1776 a committee was formed to compose a formal declaration of independence. Thomas Jefferson was chosen to write the first draft which was presented to the Congress.

3. Carnival

The Origins of Carnival are unclear, but most agree that it started as a pagan (язы­че­ское) celebration in ancient Rome or Greece. In Brazil, Carnival rules the country for four days a year. It happens at the peak of summer, attracting thgusands of visitors from all corners of the world. Carnival changes dates every year but it usually happens some time in February or early March. Carnival is supposed to be a time to 'forget or recall an old love affair, to celebrate new passion or search for new romantic experiences'.

4. Guy Fawkes' Night

In 1605, Guy Fawkes and a group of his supporters attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament to kill the King, James I and the entire Parliament. The conspirators were angered because King James had been forcing Jesuits to leave England. The plotters (за­го­вор­щи­ки) wanted to take power away from the king and return the country to the Catholic faith. However, in an attempt to protect a friend, one of the group members sent an anonymous letter warning him to stay away from the Parliament. The warning letter reached the King, and the conspirators were caught and sentenced to death.

Do you ever wonder what will become of your classmates? Can you spot who's going to become famous or get a really interesting job? Colin Bacon decided to look up some people he'd known at secondary school to find out just that.

1. The first person I found was Andrew. He'd always wanted to work in the music industry. He reminded me, "As a student, I used to do DJ work at the weekends. The academic side of university wasn't my main priority. After graduation, I did temporary jobs before getting into a record company as assistant to the marketing manager. I learnt a lot from him and progressed quickly. I'm now in charge of signing new bands. A typical week involves meetings with artists and producers. No two days are ever the same in this job and an average day can change in an instant if you hear a new band and you realise you're on to something big. The thrill of that makes all the dull days worthwhile."

2. Barbara was much more of a shock. She was always rather quiet at school. She explained, "After school I got a place at Art College,to do a four-year degree, but after a year I swapped to a Geography degree which I thought was more interesting. On that course, I met some people who were thinking of joining the army. I suddenly realised it was just the thing for me too. After graduation, I spent a year doing officer training and then shadowed another officer for two months before getting my own first commission." She now has fifty-five soldiers under her command. "Promotion depends on performance and time served, but I hope to have been promoted to the rank of captain in two years' time."

3. Carl was always a patient sort, so I wasn't surprised to find him still in the classroom. He told me, "In my last year at school, I considered teaching as a career, but I ended up doing two years of a medical degree instead. I never really felt committed to it and after two years switched to Biology. I chose a very practical training course where I spent a lot of time in Schools rather than in a lecture theatre. The advantage is that you build up a teaching style quite quickly, but you do miss out a bit on the educational theory behind it. I now work in an inner-city secondary school and the challenge is motivating the rather troublesome pupils to learn."

4. Biggest shock of all was Diane. She was quite scruffy at school and the last person I expected to be working as a fashion model. As she explained, "Anyone who says you become a model just because you're pretty is totally wrong. To be successful you need personality, drive, maturity as well as good looks. A model's job involves getting up early, performing miracles in front of the camera even when you feel awful. It is often exhausting. It's glamorous enough if you make it to the top, but most don't. Fortunately, I'm building up the experience necessary to start my own agency because modelling is not something you can do forever."

Do you ever wonder what will become of your classmates? Can you spot who's going to become famous or get a really interesting job? Colin Bacon decided to look up some people he'd known at secondary school to find out just that.

1. The first person I found was Andrew. He'd always wanted to work in the music industry. He reminded me, "As a student, I used to do DJ work at the weekends. The academic side of university wasn't my main priority. After graduation, I did temporary jobs before getting into a record company as assistant to the marketing manager. I learnt a lot from him and progressed quickly. I'm now in charge of signing new bands. A typical week involves meetings with artists and producers. No two days are ever the same in this job and an average day can change in an instant if you hear a new band and you realise you're on to something big. The thrill of that makes all the dull days worthwhile."

2. Barbara was much more of a shock. She was always rather quiet at school. She explained, "After school I got a place at Art College,to do a four-year degree, but after a year I swapped to a Geography degree which I thought was more interesting. On that course, I met some people who were thinking of joining the army. I suddenly realised it was just the thing for me too. After graduation, I spent a year doing officer training and then shadowed another officer for two months before getting my own first commission." She now has fifty-five soldiers under her command. "Promotion depends on performance and time served, but I hope to have been promoted to the rank of captain in two years' time."

3. Carl was always a patient sort, so I wasn't surprised to find him still in the classroom. He told me, "In my last year at school, I considered teaching as a career, but I ended up doing two years of a medical degree instead. I never really felt committed to it and after two years switched to Biology. I chose a very practical training course where I spent a lot of time in Schools rather than in a lecture theatre. The advantage is that you build up a teaching style quite quickly, but you do miss out a bit on the educational theory behind it. I now work in an inner-city secondary school and the challenge is motivating the rather troublesome pupils to learn."

4. Biggest shock of all was Diane. She was quite scruffy at school and the last person I expected to be working as a fashion model. As she explained, "Anyone who says you become a model just because you're pretty is totally wrong. To be successful you need personality, drive, maturity as well as good looks. A model's job involves getting up early, performing miracles in front of the camera even when you feel awful. It is often exhausting. It's glamorous enough if you make it to the top, but most don't. Fortunately, I'm building up the experience necessary to start my own agency because modelling is not something you can do forever."

Do you ever wonder what will become of your classmates? Can you spot who's going to become famous or get a really interesting job? Colin Bacon decided to look up some people he'd known at secondary school to find out just that.

1. The first person I found was Andrew. He'd always wanted to work in the music industry. He reminded me, "As a student, I used to do DJ work at the weekends. The academic side of university wasn't my main priority. After graduation, I did temporary jobs before getting into a record company as assistant to the marketing manager. I learnt a lot from him and progressed quickly. I'm now in charge of signing new bands. A typical week involves meetings with artists and producers. No two days are ever the same in this job and an average day can change in an instant if you hear a new band and you realise you're on to something big. The thrill of that makes all the dull days worthwhile."

2. Barbara was much more of a shock. She was always rather quiet at school. She explained, "After school I got a place at Art College,to do a four-year degree, but after a year I swapped to a Geography degree which I thought was more interesting. On that course, I met some people who were thinking of joining the army. I suddenly realised it was just the thing for me too. After graduation, I spent a year doing officer training and then shadowed another officer for two months before getting my own first commission." She now has fifty-five soldiers under her command. "Promotion depends on performance and time served, but I hope to have been promoted to the rank of captain in two years' time."

3. Carl was always a patient sort, so I wasn't surprised to find him still in the classroom. He told me, "In my last year at school, I considered teaching as a career, but I ended up doing two years of a medical degree instead. I never really felt committed to it and after two years switched to Biology. I chose a very practical training course where I spent a lot of time in Schools rather than in a lecture theatre. The advantage is that you build up a teaching style quite quickly, but you do miss out a bit on the educational theory behind it. I now work in an inner-city secondary school and the challenge is motivating the rather troublesome pupils to learn."

4. Biggest shock of all was Diane. She was quite scruffy at school and the last person I expected to be working as a fashion model. As she explained, "Anyone who says you become a model just because you're pretty is totally wrong. To be successful you need personality, drive, maturity as well as good looks. A model's job involves getting up early, performing miracles in front of the camera even when you feel awful. It is often exhausting. It's glamorous enough if you make it to the top, but most don't. Fortunately, I'm building up the experience necessary to start my own agency because modelling is not something you can do forever."

1. School student Carla Ruiz lives in a hot country and has become very aware of the need to save water. 'Spring and autumn used to be quite wet, but these days it hardly rains at all,' she says. 'Nearly all the rivers have dried up, destroying all the wildlife in and around them, and no matter what we do they'll never be the same again. At least, though, we can use water more sensibly. That's why at home I recently decided to do simple things like making sure there are no dripping taps, or taps left on while I'm brushing my teeth or washing food. Within a few days I was regularly doing these things without even thinking, I know they made a difference because the water bills went down quite a bit. My parents noticed that so they started doing the same.'

2. Trainee manager, Vincent Owen, is doing his bit to save the planet by using less electricity around the home. 'I was talking to this guy at work and he told me that we waste a huge amount of energy every year by leaving things like the TV, DVD and computer on standby all the time, so nowadays I try to remember  — not always successfullyto switch them off at night. Incidentally, I've now got solar panels on the roof so that all the hot water is powered by the sun. That was a big investment, and it ended up well over budget, but I'm sure it'll pay for itself in the end.'

3. While Lin Chen is on a gap year, she is travelling round Europe with friends. 'We had intended to fly everywhere, she says, 'but when we worked out just how much extra pollution that would cause, we decided to do it by train instead. It was cheaper, too.' They began their tour in Greece: 'We all felt the obvious place to start was where European civilization began, so our first rail journey began in Athens. We travelled to Patras on the west coast, taking the ferry across to Bari in southern Italy. From there we took the overnight train to Paris, and a few days later we went on the Eurostar to London. We saw far more of the countryside than we would have done by plane.'

4. Tanya Petrova works in a restaurant with an extensive menu, but at home she will only eat local or seasonal food: 'I strongly believe that transporting food thousands of kilometers, or storing it under refrigeration for months on end, ultimately has a highly negative impact on the environment. I always try to buy food that is produced locally, and I have a special calendar to show me which kinds of food are in season so that I know what I'm buying is really fresh. Apart from the environmental considerations, I'm convinced the food I eat, which has far fewer chemicals in it, helps me avoid the kind of illnesses that seem to be so common these days.'

1. School student Carla Ruiz lives in a hot country and has become very aware of the need to save water. 'Spring and autumn used to be quite wet, but these days it hardly rains at all,' she says. 'Nearly all the rivers have dried up, destroying all the wildlife in and around them, and no matter what we do they'll never be the same again. At least, though, we can use water more sensibly. That's why at home I recently decided to do simple things like making sure there are no dripping taps, or taps left on while I'm brushing my teeth or washing food. Within a few days I was regularly doing these things without even thinking, I know they made a difference because the water bills went down quite a bit. My parents noticed that so they started doing the same.'

2. Trainee manager, Vincent Owen, is doing his bit to save the planet by using less electricity around the home. 'I was talking to this guy at work and he told me that we waste a huge amount of energy every year by leaving things like the TV, DVD and computer on standby all the time, so nowadays I try to remember  — not always successfullyto switch them off at night. Incidentally, I've now got solar panels on the roof so that all the hot water is powered by the sun. That was a big investment, and it ended up well over budget, but I'm sure it'll pay for itself in the end.'

3. While Lin Chen is on a gap year, she is travelling round Europe with friends. 'We had intended to fly everywhere, she says, 'but when we worked out just how much extra pollution that would cause, we decided to do it by train instead. It was cheaper, too.' They began their tour in Greece: 'We all felt the obvious place to start was where European civilization began, so our first rail journey began in Athens. We travelled to Patras on the west coast, taking the ferry across to Bari in southern Italy. From there we took the overnight train to Paris, and a few days later we went on the Eurostar to London. We saw far more of the countryside than we would have done by plane.'

4. Tanya Petrova works in a restaurant with an extensive menu, but at home she will only eat local or seasonal food: 'I strongly believe that transporting food thousands of kilometers, or storing it under refrigeration for months on end, ultimately has a highly negative impact on the environment. I always try to buy food that is produced locally, and I have a special calendar to show me which kinds of food are in season so that I know what I'm buying is really fresh. Apart from the environmental considerations, I'm convinced the food I eat, which has far fewer chemicals in it, helps me avoid the kind of illnesses that seem to be so common these days.'

1. School student Carla Ruiz lives in a hot country and has become very aware of the need to save water. 'Spring and autumn used to be quite wet, but these days it hardly rains at all,' she says. 'Nearly all the rivers have dried up, destroying all the wildlife in and around them, and no matter what we do they'll never be the same again. At least, though, we can use water more sensibly. That's why at home I recently decided to do simple things like making sure there are no dripping taps, or taps left on while I'm brushing my teeth or washing food. Within a few days I was regularly doing these things without even thinking, I know they made a difference because the water bills went down quite a bit. My parents noticed that so they started doing the same.'

2. Trainee manager, Vincent Owen, is doing his bit to save the planet by using less electricity around the home. 'I was talking to this guy at work and he told me that we waste a huge amount of energy every year by leaving things like the TV, DVD and computer on standby all the time, so nowadays I try to remember  — not always successfullyto switch them off at night. Incidentally, I've now got solar panels on the roof so that all the hot water is powered by the sun. That was a big investment, and it ended up well over budget, but I'm sure it'll pay for itself in the end.'

3. While Lin Chen is on a gap year, she is travelling round Europe with friends. 'We had intended to fly everywhere, she says, 'but when we worked out just how much extra pollution that would cause, we decided to do it by train instead. It was cheaper, too.' They began their tour in Greece: 'We all felt the obvious place to start was where European civilization began, so our first rail journey began in Athens. We travelled to Patras on the west coast, taking the ferry across to Bari in southern Italy. From there we took the overnight train to Paris, and a few days later we went on the Eurostar to London. We saw far more of the countryside than we would have done by plane.'

4. Tanya Petrova works in a restaurant with an extensive menu, but at home she will only eat local or seasonal food: 'I strongly believe that transporting food thousands of kilometers, or storing it under refrigeration for months on end, ultimately has a highly negative impact on the environment. I always try to buy food that is produced locally, and I have a special calendar to show me which kinds of food are in season so that I know what I'm buying is really fresh. Apart from the environmental considerations, I'm convinced the food I eat, which has far fewer chemicals in it, helps me avoid the kind of illnesses that seem to be so common these days.'

1. Spellometric Language Schools

The Spellometric Organisation has been running courses in Britain for the last 25 years and now has five schools in the south and south-west of England. The schools use a well-practised and proven teaching technique which recognises that spelling and numerical skills are the basis of all languages and so should form a central part of all lessons. The schools cater mainly for students aged twelve to eighteen years. Lessons take place in the mornings, starting at 8:00am and finishing at 1:00 pm. The school arranges accommodation for students with local families.

2. Gattegno School of English

Situated in Central London, the internationally renowned Gattegno school opened in 1967 and uses Gattegno's "silent way" methodology to teach students. Teaching throughout the year, the school also organises summer courses with students attending from all over the world. Students must be over the age of eighteen and the maximum class size in this school is six.

3. Lancing English Association

The Lancing English Association runs two summer schools, one in Bath, and one in Bristol, mostly attended by young students from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Teachers use the audio-lingual method. The maximum class size is ten. The school day starts at 9:00am and finishes at 1:00 pm. In the afternoons and evenings students take part in a varied activity programme which includes cricket, football and horse-riding. Students can also enjoy the schools' indoor swimming pools. School trips to London and other tourist destinations take place at weekends. Courses last from two to eight weeks and are residential, with students staying in accommodation on the school site.

4. Pangloss School of English

The Pangloss School specialises in intensive English courses for students who wish to improve their English rapidly in the space of a few weeks. The school day lasts from 10:00am to 8:00pm, with intensive instruction in all aspects of the English language, from grammar structures to vocabulary. The course is particularly appropriate for students about to study at English Universities or business people looking for more specialised language skills. The maximum class size is five students. The school is situated in the Cambridgeshire countryside, just outside Cambridge itself.

1. Spellometric Language Schools

The Spellometric Organisation has been running courses in Britain for the last 25 years and now has five schools in the south and south-west of England. The schools use a well-practised and proven teaching technique which recognises that spelling and numerical skills are the basis of all languages and so should form a central part of all lessons. The schools cater mainly for students aged twelve to eighteen years. Lessons take place in the mornings, starting at 8:00am and finishing at 1:00 pm. The school arranges accommodation for students with local families.

2. Gattegno School of English

Situated in Central London, the internationally renowned Gattegno school opened in 1967 and uses Gattegno's "silent way" methodology to teach students. Teaching throughout the year, the school also organises summer courses with students attending from all over the world. Students must be over the age of eighteen and the maximum class size in this school is six.

3. Lancing English Association

The Lancing English Association runs two summer schools, one in Bath, and one in Bristol, mostly attended by young students from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Teachers use the audio-lingual method. The maximum class size is ten. The school day starts at 9:00am and finishes at 1:00 pm. In the afternoons and evenings students take part in a varied activity programme which includes cricket, football and horse-riding. Students can also enjoy the schools' indoor swimming pools. School trips to London and other tourist destinations take place at weekends. Courses last from two to eight weeks and are residential, with students staying in accommodation on the school site.

4. Pangloss School of English

The Pangloss School specialises in intensive English courses for students who wish to improve their English rapidly in the space of a few weeks. The school day lasts from 10:00am to 8:00pm, with intensive instruction in all aspects of the English language, from grammar structures to vocabulary. The course is particularly appropriate for students about to study at English Universities or business people looking for more specialised language skills. The maximum class size is five students. The school is situated in the Cambridgeshire countryside, just outside Cambridge itself.

1. Spellometric Language Schools

The Spellometric Organisation has been running courses in Britain for the last 25 years and now has five schools in the south and south-west of England. The schools use a well-practised and proven teaching technique which recognises that spelling and numerical skills are the basis of all languages and so should form a central part of all lessons. The schools cater mainly for students aged twelve to eighteen years. Lessons take place in the mornings, starting at 8:00am and finishing at 1:00 pm. The school arranges accommodation for students with local families.

2. Gattegno School of English

Situated in Central London, the internationally renowned Gattegno school opened in 1967 and uses Gattegno's "silent way" methodology to teach students. Teaching throughout the year, the school also organises summer courses with students attending from all over the world. Students must be over the age of eighteen and the maximum class size in this school is six.

3. Lancing English Association

The Lancing English Association runs two summer schools, one in Bath, and one in Bristol, mostly attended by young students from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Teachers use the audio-lingual method. The maximum class size is ten. The school day starts at 9:00am and finishes at 1:00 pm. In the afternoons and evenings students take part in a varied activity programme which includes cricket, football and horse-riding. Students can also enjoy the schools' indoor swimming pools. School trips to London and other tourist destinations take place at weekends. Courses last from two to eight weeks and are residential, with students staying in accommodation on the school site.

4. Pangloss School of English

The Pangloss School specialises in intensive English courses for students who wish to improve their English rapidly in the space of a few weeks. The school day lasts from 10:00am to 8:00pm, with intensive instruction in all aspects of the English language, from grammar structures to vocabulary. The course is particularly appropriate for students about to study at English Universities or business people looking for more specialised language skills. The maximum class size is five students. The school is situated in the Cambridgeshire countryside, just outside Cambridge itself.

1. Alice Chan, 29

Not having a clear idea what career path to take, I opted for something I knew my parents would approve of - in my case, advertising. It couldn't have been a more glamorous job, dining with clients in Smart restaurants, jetting around the world to film ads. But I just couldn't be myself. So one day I just handed in my notice and retrained as a social worker, working with kids from disadvantaged families. And I've never looked back. It's meant a huge drop in my income but it's a sacrifice I'm happy to make for the sake of doing something worthwhile.

2. Jon Golding, 32

I used to work for an IT firm. I was never interested in progressing within the company but I was too scared to let go of the guaranteed income. I was a keen guitarist in my spare time. One day I was on holiday with a group of friends and we were chatting about our dreams. That was a turning point for me and I came home and enrolled on an evening course in guitar-making. I quit my job, converted my garage into a studio and set up my own business building guitars. My company is now one of the UK's leading guitar-builders. Needless to say, I haven't regretted my decision for a moment

3. Felix Mason, 34

I wanted to do something useful with my life and my dad was a science teacher so I decided to follow in his footsteps. But it turned out to be a thankless job. I was putting all my energy into it but getting very little back, apart from increasing demands from managers and parents. Finally, after 10 years, I quit. I was quite keen on writing. So I took on a very junior role as assistant editor for a technology magazine. After just three months, I was made editor, and four years on, I'm publisher of the magazine. Much as I miss the students, office life suits me far better. Being able to just get up and get a coffee whenever you want is amazing. You can't do that when you're teaching until the bell goes.

4. Debbie Fielding, 27

I'd been working as a veterinary nurse and the routine nature of the job was starting to get to me. I didn't get on with my boss, so when I was made redundant last year it came as quite a relief. I'd often dreamt of starting a company which provides specially trained animals to the film industry and it seemed like the right moment to give it ago. So I retrained and researched the opportunities available to me. It's taken a while to get the business up and running. I'm building up client contacts slowly and I expect things to take off properly within the next few months.

1. Alice Chan, 29

Not having a clear idea what career path to take, I opted for something I knew my parents would approve of - in my case, advertising. It couldn't have been a more glamorous job, dining with clients in Smart restaurants, jetting around the world to film ads. But I just couldn't be myself. So one day I just handed in my notice and retrained as a social worker, working with kids from disadvantaged families. And I've never looked back. It's meant a huge drop in my income but it's a sacrifice I'm happy to make for the sake of doing something worthwhile.

2. Jon Golding, 32

I used to work for an IT firm. I was never interested in progressing within the company but I was too scared to let go of the guaranteed income. I was a keen guitarist in my spare time. One day I was on holiday with a group of friends and we were chatting about our dreams. That was a turning point for me and I came home and enrolled on an evening course in guitar-making. I quit my job, converted my garage into a studio and set up my own business building guitars. My company is now one of the UK's leading guitar-builders. Needless to say, I haven't regretted my decision for a moment

3. Felix Mason, 34

I wanted to do something useful with my life and my dad was a science teacher so I decided to follow in his footsteps. But it turned out to be a thankless job. I was putting all my energy into it but getting very little back, apart from increasing demands from managers and parents. Finally, after 10 years, I quit. I was quite keen on writing. So I took on a very junior role as assistant editor for a technology magazine. After just three months, I was made editor, and four years on, I'm publisher of the magazine. Much as I miss the students, office life suits me far better. Being able to just get up and get a coffee whenever you want is amazing. You can't do that when you're teaching until the bell goes.

4. Debbie Fielding, 27

I'd been working as a veterinary nurse and the routine nature of the job was starting to get to me. I didn't get on with my boss, so when I was made redundant last year it came as quite a relief. I'd often dreamt of starting a company which provides specially trained animals to the film industry and it seemed like the right moment to give it ago. So I retrained and researched the opportunities available to me. It's taken a while to get the business up and running. I'm building up client contacts slowly and I expect things to take off properly within the next few months.

1. Alice Chan, 29

Not having a clear idea what career path to take, I opted for something I knew my parents would approve of - in my case, advertising. It couldn't have been a more glamorous job, dining with clients in Smart restaurants, jetting around the world to film ads. But I just couldn't be myself. So one day I just handed in my notice and retrained as a social worker, working with kids from disadvantaged families. And I've never looked back. It's meant a huge drop in my income but it's a sacrifice I'm happy to make for the sake of doing something worthwhile.

2. Jon Golding, 32

I used to work for an IT firm. I was never interested in progressing within the company but I was too scared to let go of the guaranteed income. I was a keen guitarist in my spare time. One day I was on holiday with a group of friends and we were chatting about our dreams. That was a turning point for me and I came home and enrolled on an evening course in guitar-making. I quit my job, converted my garage into a studio and set up my own business building guitars. My company is now one of the UK's leading guitar-builders. Needless to say, I haven't regretted my decision for a moment

3. Felix Mason, 34

I wanted to do something useful with my life and my dad was a science teacher so I decided to follow in his footsteps. But it turned out to be a thankless job. I was putting all my energy into it but getting very little back, apart from increasing demands from managers and parents. Finally, after 10 years, I quit. I was quite keen on writing. So I took on a very junior role as assistant editor for a technology magazine. After just three months, I was made editor, and four years on, I'm publisher of the magazine. Much as I miss the students, office life suits me far better. Being able to just get up and get a coffee whenever you want is amazing. You can't do that when you're teaching until the bell goes.

4. Debbie Fielding, 27

I'd been working as a veterinary nurse and the routine nature of the job was starting to get to me. I didn't get on with my boss, so when I was made redundant last year it came as quite a relief. I'd often dreamt of starting a company which provides specially trained animals to the film industry and it seemed like the right moment to give it ago. So I retrained and researched the opportunities available to me. It's taken a while to get the business up and running. I'm building up client contacts slowly and I expect things to take off properly within the next few months.

John McGregor talks to four performers who have made a career out of entertaining others.

1. The Illusionist

Who would expect to find England's answer to Harry Houdini in the sleepy Lancashire village of Mawdsley? Well, Matthew Tate has built up an impressive range of illusions and spectacular magic tricks to shock and thrill his audience, but many attribute his success to the way he manages to involve and excite his audience. They watch as he frees himself after being submerged handcuffed in a water-filled tank. He reminds his audience that failure would mean certain death and even asks them to hold their breath with him, just as Houdini did I ask him if he can tell me just one of his secrets. My question is met with a cheeky grin and, of course, complete silence!

2. The Living Statue

When people ask Maria Marks what she does for a living, she often tells them "nothing". Every day, she makes her living by dressing in an antique wedding dress, covering her skin in white clown paint and standing absolutely motionless on a pedestal in London's Covent Garden until a coin is thrown into her hat. So, what exactly draws the crowd when Maria "performs"? "Well, people want me to prove that I'm human." I ask Maria if she gets bored just standing there day after day. "No," she says. "I enter an almost trance-like state and an hour passes like a minute."

3. The Actor

Michael Webster has been an actor in London for almost fifteen years. Michael tells me all about the ups and downs of a typical actor's life. "You constantly strive to deliver a perfect performance, often under imperfect or unpleasant conditions."

I ask Michael how he feels when he's performing. "One of the most amazing feelings I have," he tells me, "is standing in front of an audience knowing that they expressly came to see me perform. It fills me with two overwhelming sensations: joy and extreme gratitude!"

4. The Circus Performer

Zhao Jian explains to me how she came to be touring the world as a hand balancer with a circus troupe. "As a young girl I was always jumping around," she tells me, "so one day my mum suggested that I enrol in one of the many acrobatic schools in Wuqiao county. We followed an exceptionally harsh programme, waking at five thirty in the morning each day to begin eight hours of tough physical exercises." And now that she has a job in the circus? "I practise an acrobatic move over and over again before I'm ready to perform it." I ask her if she has any regrets. She answers me without the least hesitation: "No, I was made for this life."

John McGregor talks to four performers who have made a career out of entertaining others.

1. The Illusionist

Who would expect to find England's answer to Harry Houdini in the sleepy Lancashire village of Mawdsley? Well, Matthew Tate has built up an impressive range of illusions and spectacular magic tricks to shock and thrill his audience, but many attribute his success to the way he manages to involve and excite his audience. They watch as he frees himself after being submerged handcuffed in a water-filled tank. He reminds his audience that failure would mean certain death and even asks them to hold their breath with him, just as Houdini did I ask him if he can tell me just one of his secrets. My question is met with a cheeky grin and, of course, complete silence!

2. The Living Statue

When people ask Maria Marks what she does for a living, she often tells them "nothing". Every day, she makes her living by dressing in an antique wedding dress, covering her skin in white clown paint and standing absolutely motionless on a pedestal in London's Covent Garden until a coin is thrown into her hat. So, what exactly draws the crowd when Maria "performs"? "Well, people want me to prove that I'm human." I ask Maria if she gets bored just standing there day after day. "No," she says. "I enter an almost trance-like state and an hour passes like a minute."

3. The Actor

Michael Webster has been an actor in London for almost fifteen years. Michael tells me all about the ups and downs of a typical actor's life. "You constantly strive to deliver a perfect performance, often under imperfect or unpleasant conditions."

I ask Michael how he feels when he's performing. "One of the most amazing feelings I have," he tells me, "is standing in front of an audience knowing that they expressly came to see me perform. It fills me with two overwhelming sensations: joy and extreme gratitude!"

4. The Circus Performer

Zhao Jian explains to me how she came to be touring the world as a hand balancer with a circus troupe. "As a young girl I was always jumping around," she tells me, "so one day my mum suggested that I enrol in one of the many acrobatic schools in Wuqiao county. We followed an exceptionally harsh programme, waking at five thirty in the morning each day to begin eight hours of tough physical exercises." And now that she has a job in the circus? "I practise an acrobatic move over and over again before I'm ready to perform it." I ask her if she has any regrets. She answers me without the least hesitation: "No, I was made for this life."

John McGregor talks to four performers who have made a career out of entertaining others.

1. The Illusionist

Who would expect to find England's answer to Harry Houdini in the sleepy Lancashire village of Mawdsley? Well, Matthew Tate has built up an impressive range of illusions and spectacular magic tricks to shock and thrill his audience, but many attribute his success to the way he manages to involve and excite his audience. They watch as he frees himself after being submerged handcuffed in a water-filled tank. He reminds his audience that failure would mean certain death and even asks them to hold their breath with him, just as Houdini did I ask him if he can tell me just one of his secrets. My question is met with a cheeky grin and, of course, complete silence!

2. The Living Statue

When people ask Maria Marks what she does for a living, she often tells them "nothing". Every day, she makes her living by dressing in an antique wedding dress, covering her skin in white clown paint and standing absolutely motionless on a pedestal in London's Covent Garden until a coin is thrown into her hat. So, what exactly draws the crowd when Maria "performs"? "Well, people want me to prove that I'm human." I ask Maria if she gets bored just standing there day after day. "No," she says. "I enter an almost trance-like state and an hour passes like a minute."

3. The Actor

Michael Webster has been an actor in London for almost fifteen years. Michael tells me all about the ups and downs of a typical actor's life. "You constantly strive to deliver a perfect performance, often under imperfect or unpleasant conditions."

I ask Michael how he feels when he's performing. "One of the most amazing feelings I have," he tells me, "is standing in front of an audience knowing that they expressly came to see me perform. It fills me with two overwhelming sensations: joy and extreme gratitude!"

4. The Circus Performer

Zhao Jian explains to me how she came to be touring the world as a hand balancer with a circus troupe. "As a young girl I was always jumping around," she tells me, "so one day my mum suggested that I enrol in one of the many acrobatic schools in Wuqiao county. We followed an exceptionally harsh programme, waking at five thirty in the morning each day to begin eight hours of tough physical exercises." And now that she has a job in the circus? "I practise an acrobatic move over and over again before I'm ready to perform it." I ask her if she has any regrets. She answers me without the least hesitation: "No, I was made for this life."

1. Camping Safari

This safari in the Masai Mara Game Reserve offers comfortable accommodation in tents which are fully equipped with beds, sheets, blankets and mosquito nets. Each day there is a drive through the reserve. Back at the camp in the evening you will enjoy a meal cooked over a traditional wood fire. Optional activities include guided nature walks and a visit to Lake Bogoria, which is generally covered with huge flocks of flamingos. However, there are other attractions at the lake, such as the magnificent hotsprings.

2. Family Safari

This safari has been created with families particularly in mind. Guests will stay at the comfortable, family-friendly Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi, which boasts one of the best swimming pools in Kenya. Don't miss a visit to the Giraffe Centre, a self-guided forest hike followed by an up-close encounter with tame giraffes. But this is not just a city holiday. There are morning and evening game drives against the magnificent backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro, all suitable for small children as there are always plenty of big wild animals to see, including elephants, leopards and the now rare Serval cat. The hotel also offers an evening babysitting service.

3. Cultural Safari

All visitors spend their first night at a small lodge situated in a lush wooded area close to the Masai Mara. Game Reserve in Kenya. Thereafter, you will stay in several locations, including in a tribal bush village where you will have the wonderful opportunity to learn about the Masai culture and traditions and purchase some of their unique handicrafts. A short drive from the village will also take you to meet nomadic hunters or 'bushmen' from the Hadzabe and Datoga tribes. This safari experience also includes several game drives through the reserve, where you may be lucky enough to have the chance to photograph the spectacular annual migration of one million wildebeest (ан­ти­ло­па гну) across the plains.

4. Chimpanzee Safari

At the beginning of this tour, visitors are treated to an overnight stay in a cottage built in the colonial style of a hundred years ago and overlooking Lake Tanganyika, estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake in the world. Then, three days are spent tracking chimps in the forest, which is a truly unforgettable experience. Photography is permitted but care should be taken not to upset or frighten the animals. During this part of the tour, accommodation is in luxury tents. The safari ends with a climb to the majestic Kakombe Waterfalls.

1. Camping Safari

This safari in the Masai Mara Game Reserve offers comfortable accommodation in tents which are fully equipped with beds, sheets, blankets and mosquito nets. Each day there is a drive through the reserve. Back at the camp in the evening you will enjoy a meal cooked over a traditional wood fire. Optional activities include guided nature walks and a visit to Lake Bogoria, which is generally covered with huge flocks of flamingos. However, there are other attractions at the lake, such as the magnificent hotsprings.

2. Family Safari

This safari has been created with families particularly in mind. Guests will stay at the comfortable, family-friendly Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi, which boasts one of the best swimming pools in Kenya. Don't miss a visit to the Giraffe Centre, a self-guided forest hike followed by an up-close encounter with tame giraffes. But this is not just a city holiday. There are morning and evening game drives against the magnificent backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro, all suitable for small children as there are always plenty of big wild animals to see, including elephants, leopards and the now rare Serval cat. The hotel also offers an evening babysitting service.

3. Cultural Safari

All visitors spend their first night at a small lodge situated in a lush wooded area close to the Masai Mara. Game Reserve in Kenya. Thereafter, you will stay in several locations, including in a tribal bush village where you will have the wonderful opportunity to learn about the Masai culture and traditions and purchase some of their unique handicrafts. A short drive from the village will also take you to meet nomadic hunters or 'bushmen' from the Hadzabe and Datoga tribes. This safari experience also includes several game drives through the reserve, where you may be lucky enough to have the chance to photograph the spectacular annual migration of one million wildebeest (ан­ти­ло­па гну) across the plains.

4. Chimpanzee Safari

At the beginning of this tour, visitors are treated to an overnight stay in a cottage built in the colonial style of a hundred years ago and overlooking Lake Tanganyika, estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake in the world. Then, three days are spent tracking chimps in the forest, which is a truly unforgettable experience. Photography is permitted but care should be taken not to upset or frighten the animals. During this part of the tour, accommodation is in luxury tents. The safari ends with a climb to the majestic Kakombe Waterfalls.

1. Camping Safari

This safari in the Masai Mara Game Reserve offers comfortable accommodation in tents which are fully equipped with beds, sheets, blankets and mosquito nets. Each day there is a drive through the reserve. Back at the camp in the evening you will enjoy a meal cooked over a traditional wood fire. Optional activities include guided nature walks and a visit to Lake Bogoria, which is generally covered with huge flocks of flamingos. However, there are other attractions at the lake, such as the magnificent hotsprings.

2. Family Safari

This safari has been created with families particularly in mind. Guests will stay at the comfortable, family-friendly Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi, which boasts one of the best swimming pools in Kenya. Don't miss a visit to the Giraffe Centre, a self-guided forest hike followed by an up-close encounter with tame giraffes. But this is not just a city holiday. There are morning and evening game drives against the magnificent backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro, all suitable for small children as there are always plenty of big wild animals to see, including elephants, leopards and the now rare Serval cat. The hotel also offers an evening babysitting service.

3. Cultural Safari

All visitors spend their first night at a small lodge situated in a lush wooded area close to the Masai Mara. Game Reserve in Kenya. Thereafter, you will stay in several locations, including in a tribal bush village where you will have the wonderful opportunity to learn about the Masai culture and traditions and purchase some of their unique handicrafts. A short drive from the village will also take you to meet nomadic hunters or 'bushmen' from the Hadzabe and Datoga tribes. This safari experience also includes several game drives through the reserve, where you may be lucky enough to have the chance to photograph the spectacular annual migration of one million wildebeest (ан­ти­ло­па гну) across the plains.

4. Chimpanzee Safari

At the beginning of this tour, visitors are treated to an overnight stay in a cottage built in the colonial style of a hundred years ago and overlooking Lake Tanganyika, estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake in the world. Then, three days are spent tracking chimps in the forest, which is a truly unforgettable experience. Photography is permitted but care should be taken not to upset or frighten the animals. During this part of the tour, accommodation is in luxury tents. The safari ends with a climb to the majestic Kakombe Waterfalls.

1. Paula West: Seville, Spain

For our first ever visit to Andalucia we based ourselves in the splendid Parador de Carmona, a former 14th century Arabic fortress, which has been converted into a hotel and restaurant. The small town of Carmona is just a half-hour bus ride from Seville, Spain's fourth largest city and the capital of Andalucia. We spent the morning climbing La Giralda tower before stopping for lunch. The temperatures at midday are very high in Seville, so we cooled down with gazpacho, the delicious cold soup made with tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.

2. Jo Smith: Dubai

Dubai has clearly grown in popularity as a holiday destination since my first visit five years ago. The number of hotels has risen and there are now far more activities on offer to tourists. On my recent holiday there in April, I avoided the water-skiing, windsurfing and horse-riding, and chose instead to visit the oasis town of Dhaid. Being early spring, it was pleasantly warm with daytime temperatures in the low 30s, dropping to a cool 15 °C at night. Dubai has always been a marvellous place to shop, with a wide range of souvenirs on offer in the Bedouin markets. I resisted the temptation, however, promising myself I would buy something on my next visit.

3. Katie Smart: Marrakech, Morocco

I never tire of going to Marrakech, and the market, or 'souk', in the old town is always first on my itinerary. It has a wonderful selection of rugs, jewellery, pottery and leather bags, and I normally come home with enough items to fill a suitcase  — and my last visit there was no exception. But I am particularly attracted by the tremendous warmth and good humour of the inhabitants of Marrakech, who are delighted to be able to offer their hospitality and welcome foreign visitors to their city.

4. Fiona Miller: Lake Garda, Italy

My husband and I chose Lake Garda as our honeymoon destination and fell in love with its magnificent mountain setting and pretty lakeside villages. Based in the medieval town of Garda, we took advantage of the numerous outings organised by our tour operator to the many other resorts on the shores of the lake: Desenzano, with its 16th century cathedral; Malcesine, with its impressive castle built on a huge rock; and Limone, with its distinctive lemon groves and charming beach. We were so taken with the beauty of the area that we barely noticed the light showers which accompanied us on all our trips.

1. Paula West: Seville, Spain

For our first ever visit to Andalucia we based ourselves in the splendid Parador de Carmona, a former 14th century Arabic fortress, which has been converted into a hotel and restaurant. The small town of Carmona is just a half-hour bus ride from Seville, Spain's fourth largest city and the capital of Andalucia. We spent the morning climbing La Giralda tower before stopping for lunch. The temperatures at midday are very high in Seville, so we cooled down with gazpacho, the delicious cold soup made with tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.

2. Jo Smith: Dubai

Dubai has clearly grown in popularity as a holiday destination since my first visit five years ago. The number of hotels has risen and there are now far more activities on offer to tourists. On my recent holiday there in April, I avoided the water-skiing, windsurfing and horse-riding, and chose instead to visit the oasis town of Dhaid. Being early spring, it was pleasantly warm with daytime temperatures in the low 30s, dropping to a cool 15 °C at night. Dubai has always been a marvellous place to shop, with a wide range of souvenirs on offer in the Bedouin markets. I resisted the temptation, however, promising myself I would buy something on my next visit.

3. Katie Smart: Marrakech, Morocco

I never tire of going to Marrakech, and the market, or 'souk', in the old town is always first on my itinerary. It has a wonderful selection of rugs, jewellery, pottery and leather bags, and I normally come home with enough items to fill a suitcase  — and my last visit there was no exception. But I am particularly attracted by the tremendous warmth and good humour of the inhabitants of Marrakech, who are delighted to be able to offer their hospitality and welcome foreign visitors to their city.

4. Fiona Miller: Lake Garda, Italy

My husband and I chose Lake Garda as our honeymoon destination and fell in love with its magnificent mountain setting and pretty lakeside villages. Based in the medieval town of Garda, we took advantage of the numerous outings organised by our tour operator to the many other resorts on the shores of the lake: Desenzano, with its 16th century cathedral; Malcesine, with its impressive castle built on a huge rock; and Limone, with its distinctive lemon groves and charming beach. We were so taken with the beauty of the area that we barely noticed the light showers which accompanied us on all our trips.

1. Paula West: Seville, Spain

For our first ever visit to Andalucia we based ourselves in the splendid Parador de Carmona, a former 14th century Arabic fortress, which has been converted into a hotel and restaurant. The small town of Carmona is just a half-hour bus ride from Seville, Spain's fourth largest city and the capital of Andalucia. We spent the morning climbing La Giralda tower before stopping for lunch. The temperatures at midday are very high in Seville, so we cooled down with gazpacho, the delicious cold soup made with tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.

2. Jo Smith: Dubai

Dubai has clearly grown in popularity as a holiday destination since my first visit five years ago. The number of hotels has risen and there are now far more activities on offer to tourists. On my recent holiday there in April, I avoided the water-skiing, windsurfing and horse-riding, and chose instead to visit the oasis town of Dhaid. Being early spring, it was pleasantly warm with daytime temperatures in the low 30s, dropping to a cool 15 °C at night. Dubai has always been a marvellous place to shop, with a wide range of souvenirs on offer in the Bedouin markets. I resisted the temptation, however, promising myself I would buy something on my next visit.

3. Katie Smart: Marrakech, Morocco

I never tire of going to Marrakech, and the market, or 'souk', in the old town is always first on my itinerary. It has a wonderful selection of rugs, jewellery, pottery and leather bags, and I normally come home with enough items to fill a suitcase  — and my last visit there was no exception. But I am particularly attracted by the tremendous warmth and good humour of the inhabitants of Marrakech, who are delighted to be able to offer their hospitality and welcome foreign visitors to their city.

4. Fiona Miller: Lake Garda, Italy

My husband and I chose Lake Garda as our honeymoon destination and fell in love with its magnificent mountain setting and pretty lakeside villages. Based in the medieval town of Garda, we took advantage of the numerous outings organised by our tour operator to the many other resorts on the shores of the lake: Desenzano, with its 16th century cathedral; Malcesine, with its impressive castle built on a huge rock; and Limone, with its distinctive lemon groves and charming beach. We were so taken with the beauty of the area that we barely noticed the light showers which accompanied us on all our trips.

1. Stacey

I had lessons in Hindi at a local language school. Unfortunately the only class available at my level was late in the evening. So after a long day at school, and then all the written homework we have to do, I didn't have a lot of energy left for language learning. Also, some of my classmates were much older than me and I didn't really get to know them. But that didn't matter because whenever we did group activities, which I'd never done before, but took to straight away, I made sure I was with the younger ones. I was having lessons every evening and that was costing my parents quite a lot, but we'd booked to go to India later that year so there was no time to lose.

2. Chloe

I really want to learn Polish so I bought a course of language lessons as an MP3 to play on my iPod. That meant I could work on it anywhere I went, particularly at those times when you've got nothing to do, like standing at the bus stop. Once I was concentrating so hard on getting a grammar point right that I completely forgot I was on the bus and I started repeating restaurant phrases aloud. I felt a bit uncomfortable when I noticed everyone looking at me, so I didn't do that again. Actually, one problem with learning on my own was not knowing when I was saying words properly and when I wasn't. Overall, though, it was a useful course and I think it was good value for money.

3. Amy

I used the Internet to improve my Spanish. It cost nothing, of course, and although at first I didn't know quite where to look, in the end I came across some great websites where I could practise reading and listening and do grammar exercises. At the same time, I was joining social networking sites and getting in touch with Spanish-speaking teenagers from various parts of the world. I also tried online chat in Spanish, but I couldn't keep up with people. All the time I was thinking about my grammar and it was taking me so long to reply to each sentence after I'd read it that I didn't think it was fair on them, so I gave up. I'll try again sometime, though.

4. Laura

I was living with an English-speaking family and the idea was that I'd pick up a lot of language by being there with them, but it just wasn't happening. Everyone watched television all the time and rarely spoke to me. After a week I left and moved in with a couple who had young children, and that was better. They were all very friendly and I could chat with them anytime, really. When I got things wrong they would often correct me and I think that helped me improve my speaking a lot. I would also have liked to be nearer the city centre, because the house was so far out of town that I couldn't get to the kinds of places where other teenagers went in the evenings.

1. Stacey

I had lessons in Hindi at a local language school. Unfortunately the only class available at my level was late in the evening. So after a long day at school, and then all the written homework we have to do, I didn't have a lot of energy left for language learning. Also, some of my classmates were much older than me and I didn't really get to know them. But that didn't matter because whenever we did group activities, which I'd never done before, but took to straight away, I made sure I was with the younger ones. I was having lessons every evening and that was costing my parents quite a lot, but we'd booked to go to India later that year so there was no time to lose.

2. Chloe

I really want to learn Polish so I bought a course of language lessons as an MP3 to play on my iPod. That meant I could work on it anywhere I went, particularly at those times when you've got nothing to do, like standing at the bus stop. Once I was concentrating so hard on getting a grammar point right that I completely forgot I was on the bus and I started repeating restaurant phrases aloud. I felt a bit uncomfortable when I noticed everyone looking at me, so I didn't do that again. Actually, one problem with learning on my own was not knowing when I was saying words properly and when I wasn't. Overall, though, it was a useful course and I think it was good value for money.

3. Amy

I used the Internet to improve my Spanish. It cost nothing, of course, and although at first I didn't know quite where to look, in the end I came across some great websites where I could practise reading and listening and do grammar exercises. At the same time, I was joining social networking sites and getting in touch with Spanish-speaking teenagers from various parts of the world. I also tried online chat in Spanish, but I couldn't keep up with people. All the time I was thinking about my grammar and it was taking me so long to reply to each sentence after I'd read it that I didn't think it was fair on them, so I gave up. I'll try again sometime, though.

4. Laura

I was living with an English-speaking family and the idea was that I'd pick up a lot of language by being there with them, but it just wasn't happening. Everyone watched television all the time and rarely spoke to me. After a week I left and moved in with a couple who had young children, and that was better. They were all very friendly and I could chat with them anytime, really. When I got things wrong they would often correct me and I think that helped me improve my speaking a lot. I would also have liked to be nearer the city centre, because the house was so far out of town that I couldn't get to the kinds of places where other teenagers went in the evenings.

1. Stacey

I had lessons in Hindi at a local language school. Unfortunately the only class available at my level was late in the evening. So after a long day at school, and then all the written homework we have to do, I didn't have a lot of energy left for language learning. Also, some of my classmates were much older than me and I didn't really get to know them. But that didn't matter because whenever we did group activities, which I'd never done before, but took to straight away, I made sure I was with the younger ones. I was having lessons every evening and that was costing my parents quite a lot, but we'd booked to go to India later that year so there was no time to lose.

2. Chloe

I really want to learn Polish so I bought a course of language lessons as an MP3 to play on my iPod. That meant I could work on it anywhere I went, particularly at those times when you've got nothing to do, like standing at the bus stop. Once I was concentrating so hard on getting a grammar point right that I completely forgot I was on the bus and I started repeating restaurant phrases aloud. I felt a bit uncomfortable when I noticed everyone looking at me, so I didn't do that again. Actually, one problem with learning on my own was not knowing when I was saying words properly and when I wasn't. Overall, though, it was a useful course and I think it was good value for money.

3. Amy

I used the Internet to improve my Spanish. It cost nothing, of course, and although at first I didn't know quite where to look, in the end I came across some great websites where I could practise reading and listening and do grammar exercises. At the same time, I was joining social networking sites and getting in touch with Spanish-speaking teenagers from various parts of the world. I also tried online chat in Spanish, but I couldn't keep up with people. All the time I was thinking about my grammar and it was taking me so long to reply to each sentence after I'd read it that I didn't think it was fair on them, so I gave up. I'll try again sometime, though.

4. Laura

I was living with an English-speaking family and the idea was that I'd pick up a lot of language by being there with them, but it just wasn't happening. Everyone watched television all the time and rarely spoke to me. After a week I left and moved in with a couple who had young children, and that was better. They were all very friendly and I could chat with them anytime, really. When I got things wrong they would often correct me and I think that helped me improve my speaking a lot. I would also have liked to be nearer the city centre, because the house was so far out of town that I couldn't get to the kinds of places where other teenagers went in the evenings.

1.  Primary-school teacher Anisha Kapoor went to the Green Magic Nature Resort in Kerala, south-west India. "It wasn't my first experience of tree-house living," she says, but it was certainly the best. The houses are entirely built and maintained by workers from the area, using traditional techniques and local materials. For instance, the lifts up to the front doors are made of cane (трост­ник) grown in nearby fields. They work fine, by the way, and I was glad there were no stairs to climb  — the houses are 25 metres up! That's good, though, because at that height there's often a cool breeze blowing through the branches."

2.  Ever since TV researcher Whitney Martin worked on a programme about tree houses, she'd dreamt about staying in one. So when her neighbours happened to mention they had just such a place in Alaska, and asked whether she'd like to spend a fortnight there in July, she said 'yes' without a moment's hesitation. "I couldn't believe it when I saw it," she says, "it had everything: even hot running water and cable TV. The only disadvantage of being there at that time of the year was the huge number of mosquitoes. I must have been bitten a hundred times."

3.  Australian technician Richie O'Hara was a guest at the Hinchinbrook Island Wilderness Lodge, on an island off the north coast of tropical Queensland. "The wooden tree house was quite comfortable," he says, "and they had all the advertised facilities such as running water and a fridge. Actually, I hadn't fully read the brochure, so when I arrived, I was surprised to find an internet connection in the house. I found plenty of healthy things to do, like canoeing and diving. That was great. After a week or so, though, I was a little tired of the climb to and from the house, so I doubt whether I'd repeat the tree-top experience. But I'm sure kids would love it  — it's just a pity I didn't go there when I was about ten!'

4.  Medical student Kirsty Hammond spent a week in Tanzania's Lake Manyara National park, at the Lake Manyara Tree Lodge. As we approached it," she says, "we glimpsed the buildings up among the branches, with the Great Rift Valley in the background. It was a wonderful sight. The houses were comfortable, too, with running water, a well-equipped bathroom and, fortunately, large mosquito nets above the beds  — I'm very aware of the dangers if they bite you. I also liked the fact that almost everything was above ground, even the restaurant. The only problem there was the high night-time temperature: although my bedroom had an overhead fan, I didn't sleep very well. But generally I had a great time."

1.  Primary-school teacher Anisha Kapoor went to the Green Magic Nature Resort in Kerala, south-west India. "It wasn't my first experience of tree-house living," she says, but it was certainly the best. The houses are entirely built and maintained by workers from the area, using traditional techniques and local materials. For instance, the lifts up to the front doors are made of cane (трост­ник) grown in nearby fields. They work fine, by the way, and I was glad there were no stairs to climb  — the houses are 25 metres up! That's good, though, because at that height there's often a cool breeze blowing through the branches."

2.  Ever since TV researcher Whitney Martin worked on a programme about tree houses, she'd dreamt about staying in one. So when her neighbours happened to mention they had just such a place in Alaska, and asked whether she'd like to spend a fortnight there in July, she said 'yes' without a moment's hesitation. "I couldn't believe it when I saw it," she says, "it had everything: even hot running water and cable TV. The only disadvantage of being there at that time of the year was the huge number of mosquitoes. I must have been bitten a hundred times."

3.  Australian technician Richie O'Hara was a guest at the Hinchinbrook Island Wilderness Lodge, on an island off the north coast of tropical Queensland. "The wooden tree house was quite comfortable," he says, "and they had all the advertised facilities such as running water and a fridge. Actually, I hadn't fully read the brochure, so when I arrived, I was surprised to find an internet connection in the house. I found plenty of healthy things to do, like canoeing and diving. That was great. After a week or so, though, I was a little tired of the climb to and from the house, so I doubt whether I'd repeat the tree-top experience. But I'm sure kids would love it  — it's just a pity I didn't go there when I was about ten!'

4.  Medical student Kirsty Hammond spent a week in Tanzania's Lake Manyara National park, at the Lake Manyara Tree Lodge. As we approached it," she says, "we glimpsed the buildings up among the branches, with the Great Rift Valley in the background. It was a wonderful sight. The houses were comfortable, too, with running water, a well-equipped bathroom and, fortunately, large mosquito nets above the beds  — I'm very aware of the dangers if they bite you. I also liked the fact that almost everything was above ground, even the restaurant. The only problem there was the high night-time temperature: although my bedroom had an overhead fan, I didn't sleep very well. But generally I had a great time."

1.  Primary-school teacher Anisha Kapoor went to the Green Magic Nature Resort in Kerala, south-west India. "It wasn't my first experience of tree-house living," she says, but it was certainly the best. The houses are entirely built and maintained by workers from the area, using traditional techniques and local materials. For instance, the lifts up to the front doors are made of cane (трост­ник) grown in nearby fields. They work fine, by the way, and I was glad there were no stairs to climb  — the houses are 25 metres up! That's good, though, because at that height there's often a cool breeze blowing through the branches."

2.  Ever since TV researcher Whitney Martin worked on a programme about tree houses, she'd dreamt about staying in one. So when her neighbours happened to mention they had just such a place in Alaska, and asked whether she'd like to spend a fortnight there in July, she said 'yes' without a moment's hesitation. "I couldn't believe it when I saw it," she says, "it had everything: even hot running water and cable TV. The only disadvantage of being there at that time of the year was the huge number of mosquitoes. I must have been bitten a hundred times."

3.  Australian technician Richie O'Hara was a guest at the Hinchinbrook Island Wilderness Lodge, on an island off the north coast of tropical Queensland. "The wooden tree house was quite comfortable," he says, "and they had all the advertised facilities such as running water and a fridge. Actually, I hadn't fully read the brochure, so when I arrived, I was surprised to find an internet connection in the house. I found plenty of healthy things to do, like canoeing and diving. That was great. After a week or so, though, I was a little tired of the climb to and from the house, so I doubt whether I'd repeat the tree-top experience. But I'm sure kids would love it  — it's just a pity I didn't go there when I was about ten!'

4.  Medical student Kirsty Hammond spent a week in Tanzania's Lake Manyara National park, at the Lake Manyara Tree Lodge. As we approached it," she says, "we glimpsed the buildings up among the branches, with the Great Rift Valley in the background. It was a wonderful sight. The houses were comfortable, too, with running water, a well-equipped bathroom and, fortunately, large mosquito nets above the beds  — I'm very aware of the dangers if they bite you. I also liked the fact that almost everything was above ground, even the restaurant. The only problem there was the high night-time temperature: although my bedroom had an overhead fan, I didn't sleep very well. But generally I had a great time."

1.  School student Ester Montoya knows she has to improve her marks in her main subjects. She's trying hard, but it's not easy and sometimes she feels she's doing too much work, "I have to get away from it now and then," she says, "so recently I've joined a local youth theatre It really helps because it takes my mind off everything, it's a kind of escape from reality. Also I'm meeting other people of my age and I'm hoping to make some friends there. Something I've been meaning to try, though, is work helping others, perhaps old people. A friend of mine does it, and she says it really makes a difference  — both to them and to her."

2.  For seventeen-year-old Steve Ellison, life is particularly busy right now. He's revising for some important exams but he still manages to find time for his favourite free-time activities, which include long-distance running. As well as doing plenty of exercise, he also tries to maintain a healthy diet. "I've told myself I must always eat a variety of healthy food, with lots of fruit and green vegetables, though if I'm out with my mates I may give in to temptation and have a and chips. I never drink coffee because it makes you talk and act nervously, and it keeps you awake at night, too, which is bad for your stress level."

3.  First-year university student Amelie Lefevre believes that the best way to beat stress is to organise your life more sensibly. "My life used to be pretty chaotic, there always seemed to be so much to do, often jobs that other people should E. doing. So what eventually learned to do was to say no, politely, to extra work. That helped, as did making a list of priorities for each day, with somethings scheduled for today, others for tomorrow and some that could be postponed for longer. I also make rules for myself about the amount of sleep I need. There was a time when I was staying up until all hours, but I was exhausted the next day so I don't do that any more. I think I managemy time quite well now."

4.  Student Ndali Traore likes to get up early so he has a relaxed start to the day. "I hate leaving jobs till the last minute, and I always try to do those I like least first, he says. When he has some free time, he goes to the cinema, or out with friends. If something's bothering me," he says, "I often find that just talking to them about it helps. Particularly if you can make a joke about it, because it always seems a lot less serious when you do that.' If he's on his own, he has a special way of dealing with stress: "I try to recall occasions when I was really relaxed, such as spending the day by a beautiful lake in the sunshine. That often works, he says.

1.  School student Ester Montoya knows she has to improve her marks in her main subjects. She's trying hard, but it's not easy and sometimes she feels she's doing too much work, "I have to get away from it now and then," she says, "so recently I've joined a local youth theatre It really helps because it takes my mind off everything, it's a kind of escape from reality. Also I'm meeting other people of my age and I'm hoping to make some friends there. Something I've been meaning to try, though, is work helping others, perhaps old people. A friend of mine does it, and she says it really makes a difference  — both to them and to her."

2.  For seventeen-year-old Steve Ellison, life is particularly busy right now. He's revising for some important exams but he still manages to find time for his favourite free-time activities, which include long-distance running. As well as doing plenty of exercise, he also tries to maintain a healthy diet. "I've told myself I must always eat a variety of healthy food, with lots of fruit and green vegetables, though if I'm out with my mates I may give in to temptation and have a and chips. I never drink coffee because it makes you talk and act nervously, and it keeps you awake at night, too, which is bad for your stress level."

3.  First-year university student Amelie Lefevre believes that the best way to beat stress is to organise your life more sensibly. "My life used to be pretty chaotic, there always seemed to be so much to do, often jobs that other people should E. doing. So what eventually learned to do was to say no, politely, to extra work. That helped, as did making a list of priorities for each day, with somethings scheduled for today, others for tomorrow and some that could be postponed for longer. I also make rules for myself about the amount of sleep I need. There was a time when I was staying up until all hours, but I was exhausted the next day so I don't do that any more. I think I managemy time quite well now."

4.  Student Ndali Traore likes to get up early so he has a relaxed start to the day. "I hate leaving jobs till the last minute, and I always try to do those I like least first, he says. When he has some free time, he goes to the cinema, or out with friends. If something's bothering me," he says, "I often find that just talking to them about it helps. Particularly if you can make a joke about it, because it always seems a lot less serious when you do that.' If he's on his own, he has a special way of dealing with stress: "I try to recall occasions when I was really relaxed, such as spending the day by a beautiful lake in the sunshine. That often works, he says.

1.  School student Ester Montoya knows she has to improve her marks in her main subjects. She's trying hard, but it's not easy and sometimes she feels she's doing too much work, "I have to get away from it now and then," she says, "so recently I've joined a local youth theatre It really helps because it takes my mind off everything, it's a kind of escape from reality. Also I'm meeting other people of my age and I'm hoping to make some friends there. Something I've been meaning to try, though, is work helping others, perhaps old people. A friend of mine does it, and she says it really makes a difference  — both to them and to her."

2.  For seventeen-year-old Steve Ellison, life is particularly busy right now. He's revising for some important exams but he still manages to find time for his favourite free-time activities, which include long-distance running. As well as doing plenty of exercise, he also tries to maintain a healthy diet. "I've told myself I must always eat a variety of healthy food, with lots of fruit and green vegetables, though if I'm out with my mates I may give in to temptation and have a and chips. I never drink coffee because it makes you talk and act nervously, and it keeps you awake at night, too, which is bad for your stress level."

3.  First-year university student Amelie Lefevre believes that the best way to beat stress is to organise your life more sensibly. "My life used to be pretty chaotic, there always seemed to be so much to do, often jobs that other people should E. doing. So what eventually learned to do was to say no, politely, to extra work. That helped, as did making a list of priorities for each day, with somethings scheduled for today, others for tomorrow and some that could be postponed for longer. I also make rules for myself about the amount of sleep I need. There was a time when I was staying up until all hours, but I was exhausted the next day so I don't do that any more. I think I managemy time quite well now."

4.  Student Ndali Traore likes to get up early so he has a relaxed start to the day. "I hate leaving jobs till the last minute, and I always try to do those I like least first, he says. When he has some free time, he goes to the cinema, or out with friends. If something's bothering me," he says, "I often find that just talking to them about it helps. Particularly if you can make a joke about it, because it always seems a lot less serious when you do that.' If he's on his own, he has a special way of dealing with stress: "I try to recall occasions when I was really relaxed, such as spending the day by a beautiful lake in the sunshine. That often works, he says.

1. Tania Ferreira

I was walking along the pavement looking for something new to wear when a sign in a shop window saying cotton jackets 50% off caught my eye, so I went in. They didn't have one in my size but said they could order it for me. A few days later I went back to the shop to collect it. It fitted me perfectly, but I just didn't take to the colour. Again I had to wait, and again I went back to the shop. This time everything seemed fine, and I paid for it and took it home. After I'd worn it twice, though, I put it through the washing machine and was most upset to find it'd shrunk (да­вать усад­ку). It was a waste of money, really.

2. Ali Haddad

I'd picked up lots of things like books and computer games online, but that was the first time I'd actually got myself something to wear over the Internet. It looked like a really lovely shirt and the price was incredibly low, so I clicked on "Buy it now', paid by credit card and waited for it to arrive. I thought afterwards that perhaps I should have emailed the seller to check the colour, because although it looked fine in the photo, it might not be exactly what I wanted. In the event I needn't have worried, and I was absolutely delighted when I saw it. I would have got another one if I'd known how good it would look.

3. Brad Stevens

I was food shopping in the big supermarket near here and I saw they were selling jeans at a ridiculously low price, so I thought I'd pick up a pair. I spent quite a bit of time going through this great pile of jeans because all the different sizes were mixed up and they weren't very clearly marked "large' or 'extra large' or whatever. Eventually I came across a pair that seemed about my size and headed for the checkout. It was very slow there, and I got fed up standing in a line of about ten customers. Why they don't open more checkouts at busy times I really don't know.

4. Sara Desai

I saw a stall selling sweaters when I was wandering around my usual clothes market and there was such a wide range of lovely ones that I was spoilt for choice. In the end I made my mind up and I enquired whether they had a particularly attractive pale blue one in medium. The stall holder said they had. I couldn't try it on there and then but I was sure it would fit me, so I paid and took it home. There I discovered that the sleeves were far too short so I had to take it back. The man on the stall quickly found me a larger one for the same very reasonable price and that turned out to be just right on me. I'd wasted an hour or so travelling to and from the market, but I still wouldn't dream of shopping for things like that anywhere else.

1. Tania Ferreira

I was walking along the pavement looking for something new to wear when a sign in a shop window saying cotton jackets 50% off caught my eye, so I went in. They didn't have one in my size but said they could order it for me. A few days later I went back to the shop to collect it. It fitted me perfectly, but I just didn't take to the colour. Again I had to wait, and again I went back to the shop. This time everything seemed fine, and I paid for it and took it home. After I'd worn it twice, though, I put it through the washing machine and was most upset to find it'd shrunk (да­вать усад­ку). It was a waste of money, really.

2. Ali Haddad

I'd picked up lots of things like books and computer games online, but that was the first time I'd actually got myself something to wear over the Internet. It looked like a really lovely shirt and the price was incredibly low, so I clicked on "Buy it now', paid by credit card and waited for it to arrive. I thought afterwards that perhaps I should have emailed the seller to check the colour, because although it looked fine in the photo, it might not be exactly what I wanted. In the event I needn't have worried, and I was absolutely delighted when I saw it. I would have got another one if I'd known how good it would look.

3. Brad Stevens

I was food shopping in the big supermarket near here and I saw they were selling jeans at a ridiculously low price, so I thought I'd pick up a pair. I spent quite a bit of time going through this great pile of jeans because all the different sizes were mixed up and they weren't very clearly marked "large' or 'extra large' or whatever. Eventually I came across a pair that seemed about my size and headed for the checkout. It was very slow there, and I got fed up standing in a line of about ten customers. Why they don't open more checkouts at busy times I really don't know.

4. Sara Desai

I saw a stall selling sweaters when I was wandering around my usual clothes market and there was such a wide range of lovely ones that I was spoilt for choice. In the end I made my mind up and I enquired whether they had a particularly attractive pale blue one in medium. The stall holder said they had. I couldn't try it on there and then but I was sure it would fit me, so I paid and took it home. There I discovered that the sleeves were far too short so I had to take it back. The man on the stall quickly found me a larger one for the same very reasonable price and that turned out to be just right on me. I'd wasted an hour or so travelling to and from the market, but I still wouldn't dream of shopping for things like that anywhere else.

1. Tania Ferreira

I was walking along the pavement looking for something new to wear when a sign in a shop window saying cotton jackets 50% off caught my eye, so I went in. They didn't have one in my size but said they could order it for me. A few days later I went back to the shop to collect it. It fitted me perfectly, but I just didn't take to the colour. Again I had to wait, and again I went back to the shop. This time everything seemed fine, and I paid for it and took it home. After I'd worn it twice, though, I put it through the washing machine and was most upset to find it'd shrunk (да­вать усад­ку). It was a waste of money, really.

2. Ali Haddad

I'd picked up lots of things like books and computer games online, but that was the first time I'd actually got myself something to wear over the Internet. It looked like a really lovely shirt and the price was incredibly low, so I clicked on "Buy it now', paid by credit card and waited for it to arrive. I thought afterwards that perhaps I should have emailed the seller to check the colour, because although it looked fine in the photo, it might not be exactly what I wanted. In the event I needn't have worried, and I was absolutely delighted when I saw it. I would have got another one if I'd known how good it would look.

3. Brad Stevens

I was food shopping in the big supermarket near here and I saw they were selling jeans at a ridiculously low price, so I thought I'd pick up a pair. I spent quite a bit of time going through this great pile of jeans because all the different sizes were mixed up and they weren't very clearly marked "large' or 'extra large' or whatever. Eventually I came across a pair that seemed about my size and headed for the checkout. It was very slow there, and I got fed up standing in a line of about ten customers. Why they don't open more checkouts at busy times I really don't know.

4. Sara Desai

I saw a stall selling sweaters when I was wandering around my usual clothes market and there was such a wide range of lovely ones that I was spoilt for choice. In the end I made my mind up and I enquired whether they had a particularly attractive pale blue one in medium. The stall holder said they had. I couldn't try it on there and then but I was sure it would fit me, so I paid and took it home. There I discovered that the sleeves were far too short so I had to take it back. The man on the stall quickly found me a larger one for the same very reasonable price and that turned out to be just right on me. I'd wasted an hour or so travelling to and from the market, but I still wouldn't dream of shopping for things like that anywhere else.

Four people talk about how they have cleared the clutter (не­нуж­ные вещи) from their lives and are now living in style with relatively few possessions.

1. Melanie Martin

Having a simple orderly wardrobe makes life less complicated. These days I am much more careful about clothes than I used to be. I buy one well-made piece of clothing that I'm going to love and cherish, rather than several inexpensive items which will soon wear out. I've limited my wardrobe to a couple of well-known labels and I take a lot of care whenever I buy something to make sure it's right for me. A few years ago, I would just take clothes off the rails (ве­шал­ка) without really thinking about whether they'd suit me. Inevitably, some of them would get thrown away unworn.

2. Annabella Bevan

My flat is uncluttered (не за­гро­мож­де­на), I have wooden floors and only a few pieces of furniture, but I have chosen what I own with care. But if I go off something, I won't hesitate to throw it out because, for me, things have to be right. I work from home and I am setting up my own company to sell things on the Internet, but I'd like to work in a soothing, relaxing environment. Having an orderly home and wardrobe helps me to cope with the frantic lifestyle people around me lead in London. It sounds strange, but when I switch on my computer here, I feel a lot calmer than I would in an office. Of course, the look of things does come into it too, but I think if you keep your clothes and possessions tidy, it can improve your mood.

3. Graham Knight

The design of my flat is not a fashion statement. It's meant to be modern and contemporary, but I did it because I like it, not because it's the current trend. It's very much my space because I designed the interior myself. It's very homely. It's also very functional. I love cooking and the focal point of the flat is the steel worktop in the kitchen area. There's no dining table, so I both cook and eat on the worktop. I am always having people round for dinner and they seem to like the informality of it. In the living room, there are two cream sofas and a black side table. I don't feel the need for anything else because I'm not a very materialistic person really.

4. Barbara Clayton

I don't have a wardrobe. My clothes hang behind a see-through curtain so that I can take in everything at a glance. Above the rail is a transparent plastic shelf on which I put my scarves and jumpers. I buy a lot cream-coloured things and I'm prepared to spend quite a lot of money on one item. But it lasts so much longer than cheaper clothes that I think the expenditure evens itself out over time, because I end up buying fewer things overall. I usually have a shopping spree (по­ку­па­тель­ный бум) at the start of each season and resist the temptation to buy things on impulse in between. I will only buy things in one or two quality fabrics and, as I get older, I think I know what suits me, so I don't make many mistakes.

Four people talk about how they have cleared the clutter (не­нуж­ные вещи) from their lives and are now living in style with relatively few possessions.

1. Melanie Martin

Having a simple orderly wardrobe makes life less complicated. These days I am much more careful about clothes than I used to be. I buy one well-made piece of clothing that I'm going to love and cherish, rather than several inexpensive items which will soon wear out. I've limited my wardrobe to a couple of well-known labels and I take a lot of care whenever I buy something to make sure it's right for me. A few years ago, I would just take clothes off the rails (ве­шал­ка) without really thinking about whether they'd suit me. Inevitably, some of them would get thrown away unworn.

2. Annabella Bevan

My flat is uncluttered (не за­гро­мож­де­на), I have wooden floors and only a few pieces of furniture, but I have chosen what I own with care. But if I go off something, I won't hesitate to throw it out because, for me, things have to be right. I work from home and I am setting up my own company to sell things on the Internet, but I'd like to work in a soothing, relaxing environment. Having an orderly home and wardrobe helps me to cope with the frantic lifestyle people around me lead in London. It sounds strange, but when I switch on my computer here, I feel a lot calmer than I would in an office. Of course, the look of things does come into it too, but I think if you keep your clothes and possessions tidy, it can improve your mood.

3. Graham Knight

The design of my flat is not a fashion statement. It's meant to be modern and contemporary, but I did it because I like it, not because it's the current trend. It's very much my space because I designed the interior myself. It's very homely. It's also very functional. I love cooking and the focal point of the flat is the steel worktop in the kitchen area. There's no dining table, so I both cook and eat on the worktop. I am always having people round for dinner and they seem to like the informality of it. In the living room, there are two cream sofas and a black side table. I don't feel the need for anything else because I'm not a very materialistic person really.

4. Barbara Clayton

I don't have a wardrobe. My clothes hang behind a see-through curtain so that I can take in everything at a glance. Above the rail is a transparent plastic shelf on which I put my scarves and jumpers. I buy a lot cream-coloured things and I'm prepared to spend quite a lot of money on one item. But it lasts so much longer than cheaper clothes that I think the expenditure evens itself out over time, because I end up buying fewer things overall. I usually have a shopping spree (по­ку­па­тель­ный бум) at the start of each season and resist the temptation to buy things on impulse in between. I will only buy things in one or two quality fabrics and, as I get older, I think I know what suits me, so I don't make many mistakes.

Four people talk about how they have cleared the clutter (не­нуж­ные вещи) from their lives and are now living in style with relatively few possessions.

1. Melanie Martin

Having a simple orderly wardrobe makes life less complicated. These days I am much more careful about clothes than I used to be. I buy one well-made piece of clothing that I'm going to love and cherish, rather than several inexpensive items which will soon wear out. I've limited my wardrobe to a couple of well-known labels and I take a lot of care whenever I buy something to make sure it's right for me. A few years ago, I would just take clothes off the rails (ве­шал­ка) without really thinking about whether they'd suit me. Inevitably, some of them would get thrown away unworn.

2. Annabella Bevan

My flat is uncluttered (не за­гро­мож­де­на), I have wooden floors and only a few pieces of furniture, but I have chosen what I own with care. But if I go off something, I won't hesitate to throw it out because, for me, things have to be right. I work from home and I am setting up my own company to sell things on the Internet, but I'd like to work in a soothing, relaxing environment. Having an orderly home and wardrobe helps me to cope with the frantic lifestyle people around me lead in London. It sounds strange, but when I switch on my computer here, I feel a lot calmer than I would in an office. Of course, the look of things does come into it too, but I think if you keep your clothes and possessions tidy, it can improve your mood.

3. Graham Knight

The design of my flat is not a fashion statement. It's meant to be modern and contemporary, but I did it because I like it, not because it's the current trend. It's very much my space because I designed the interior myself. It's very homely. It's also very functional. I love cooking and the focal point of the flat is the steel worktop in the kitchen area. There's no dining table, so I both cook and eat on the worktop. I am always having people round for dinner and they seem to like the informality of it. In the living room, there are two cream sofas and a black side table. I don't feel the need for anything else because I'm not a very materialistic person really.

4. Barbara Clayton

I don't have a wardrobe. My clothes hang behind a see-through curtain so that I can take in everything at a glance. Above the rail is a transparent plastic shelf on which I put my scarves and jumpers. I buy a lot cream-coloured things and I'm prepared to spend quite a lot of money on one item. But it lasts so much longer than cheaper clothes that I think the expenditure evens itself out over time, because I end up buying fewer things overall. I usually have a shopping spree (по­ку­па­тель­ный бум) at the start of each season and resist the temptation to buy things on impulse in between. I will only buy things in one or two quality fabrics and, as I get older, I think I know what suits me, so I don't make many mistakes.

Many people go away on holiday and discover as much about themselves as they do about the places they visit.

1. Hugo

When my eldest daughter, Alice, was ten, she asked for a holiday with me  — just the two of us. I have four children So it can be difficult for Alice to get a word in, and I understood what she wanted. I decided to show her Venice and Alice was curious to see it. We arrived at night, which was completely magical. The water gives the city a sense of mystery. Even if you've been down a street before, the next time you find it you see something different and that stops you recognising it. So you constantly get lost. Alice loved Venice. We laughed a lot, and the best thing for me was seeing her excited face.

2. Danie

I went to Jamaica with a friend. We had so much fun  — it was one of the best holidays I've ever had. Everyone and everything is very relaxed in Jamaica. The thing you hear most often is 'No problem, man'. At first I thought they were just saying it, but then you realise nothing is a problem because the whole place is so relaxed. And that attitude makes you relax and forget about all the things you usually worry about. We spent one day at a port watching a cruise ship come in. When that happens, all the shops double their prices and you have to bargain for anything you want to buy. You look at something and shake your head and they lower the price and you still shake your head, but you eventually find out at what stage you should agree on a price. I bought some really great wooden statues for half the original price!

3. Krystyna

I thought I would try an activity holiday last year as l reckoned an activity holiday would help me discover hidden talents. Perhaps I would turn out to be a brilliant canoeist, mountain climber or skydiver. The trouble with holidays like this is that you may not like what you discover. I had forgotten that I would be with a group of people each day. It had never occurred to me how competitive some people would be. Whatever we did, they had to be first. They will also have the loudest voices and make the most irritating remarks. Such daily companions can come as a shock if you are more used to quiet conversations with your best friend.

4. Robin

We arranged to go on safari. Part of the holiday included a canoe safari on the Zambezi river. In our canoe there was just my friend and myself and the guide. I'm not terribly athletic and when I got into the canoe I managed to tip it over and we all ended up in the water. I was quite frightened because of the crocodiles there. We couldn't turn the canoe upright but the guide was very calm. He pointed to a rock in the middle of the river and told us to swim to it as fast as we could, while he went to get help. Then he came back with another canoe, but after that I refused to go back on the water. I was quite surprised by my reaction. Not that I'd thought of myself as a particularly brave person, but the shock of what happened left me feeling very nervous.

Many people go away on holiday and discover as much about themselves as they do about the places they visit.

1. Hugo

When my eldest daughter, Alice, was ten, she asked for a holiday with me  — just the two of us. I have four children So it can be difficult for Alice to get a word in, and I understood what she wanted. I decided to show her Venice and Alice was curious to see it. We arrived at night, which was completely magical. The water gives the city a sense of mystery. Even if you've been down a street before, the next time you find it you see something different and that stops you recognising it. So you constantly get lost. Alice loved Venice. We laughed a lot, and the best thing for me was seeing her excited face.

2. Danie

I went to Jamaica with a friend. We had so much fun  — it was one of the best holidays I've ever had. Everyone and everything is very relaxed in Jamaica. The thing you hear most often is 'No problem, man'. At first I thought they were just saying it, but then you realise nothing is a problem because the whole place is so relaxed. And that attitude makes you relax and forget about all the things you usually worry about. We spent one day at a port watching a cruise ship come in. When that happens, all the shops double their prices and you have to bargain for anything you want to buy. You look at something and shake your head and they lower the price and you still shake your head, but you eventually find out at what stage you should agree on a price. I bought some really great wooden statues for half the original price!

3. Krystyna

I thought I would try an activity holiday last year as l reckoned an activity holiday would help me discover hidden talents. Perhaps I would turn out to be a brilliant canoeist, mountain climber or skydiver. The trouble with holidays like this is that you may not like what you discover. I had forgotten that I would be with a group of people each day. It had never occurred to me how competitive some people would be. Whatever we did, they had to be first. They will also have the loudest voices and make the most irritating remarks. Such daily companions can come as a shock if you are more used to quiet conversations with your best friend.

4. Robin

We arranged to go on safari. Part of the holiday included a canoe safari on the Zambezi river. In our canoe there was just my friend and myself and the guide. I'm not terribly athletic and when I got into the canoe I managed to tip it over and we all ended up in the water. I was quite frightened because of the crocodiles there. We couldn't turn the canoe upright but the guide was very calm. He pointed to a rock in the middle of the river and told us to swim to it as fast as we could, while he went to get help. Then he came back with another canoe, but after that I refused to go back on the water. I was quite surprised by my reaction. Not that I'd thought of myself as a particularly brave person, but the shock of what happened left me feeling very nervous.

Many people go away on holiday and discover as much about themselves as they do about the places they visit.

1. Hugo

When my eldest daughter, Alice, was ten, she asked for a holiday with me  — just the two of us. I have four children So it can be difficult for Alice to get a word in, and I understood what she wanted. I decided to show her Venice and Alice was curious to see it. We arrived at night, which was completely magical. The water gives the city a sense of mystery. Even if you've been down a street before, the next time you find it you see something different and that stops you recognising it. So you constantly get lost. Alice loved Venice. We laughed a lot, and the best thing for me was seeing her excited face.

2. Danie

I went to Jamaica with a friend. We had so much fun  — it was one of the best holidays I've ever had. Everyone and everything is very relaxed in Jamaica. The thing you hear most often is 'No problem, man'. At first I thought they were just saying it, but then you realise nothing is a problem because the whole place is so relaxed. And that attitude makes you relax and forget about all the things you usually worry about. We spent one day at a port watching a cruise ship come in. When that happens, all the shops double their prices and you have to bargain for anything you want to buy. You look at something and shake your head and they lower the price and you still shake your head, but you eventually find out at what stage you should agree on a price. I bought some really great wooden statues for half the original price!

3. Krystyna

I thought I would try an activity holiday last year as l reckoned an activity holiday would help me discover hidden talents. Perhaps I would turn out to be a brilliant canoeist, mountain climber or skydiver. The trouble with holidays like this is that you may not like what you discover. I had forgotten that I would be with a group of people each day. It had never occurred to me how competitive some people would be. Whatever we did, they had to be first. They will also have the loudest voices and make the most irritating remarks. Such daily companions can come as a shock if you are more used to quiet conversations with your best friend.

4. Robin

We arranged to go on safari. Part of the holiday included a canoe safari on the Zambezi river. In our canoe there was just my friend and myself and the guide. I'm not terribly athletic and when I got into the canoe I managed to tip it over and we all ended up in the water. I was quite frightened because of the crocodiles there. We couldn't turn the canoe upright but the guide was very calm. He pointed to a rock in the middle of the river and told us to swim to it as fast as we could, while he went to get help. Then he came back with another canoe, but after that I refused to go back on the water. I was quite surprised by my reaction. Not that I'd thought of myself as a particularly brave person, but the shock of what happened left me feeling very nervous.

1. David Mulcahy

David Mulcahy is a high-powered stock broker. He owns a beautiful flat in London's exclusive Notting Hill area. As well as a delightful home, David owns a brand new Mercedes, the car of his dreams "The only problem," David says, "is that I never get to drive it to work! I refuse to pay £8 to get in and out of the centre, so instead I take the tube!" "The tube', which is London's metro system, is a cheaper alternative, but David still thinks it's far too expensive. "A day pass on the tube is around £5. So, I pay over £100 each month, just to get to and back from the office!" He goes on, "I wish I could drive my car to work, but it seems that the car of my dreams is turning out to be a complete waste of money!"

2. Rachel Childress

Rachel Childress is the director of a large multinational organisation. Her commute is quite different to that of others. While most people get on the bus, Rachel takes the Channel Tunnel (or "Chunnel'). She lives in England but works in France. One of Rachel's close friends suggested that she should either move to France or give up her active role in the company. But she didn't think so... "Well, it's a brief 35 minute journey and manage to avoid all those horrible, long queues." The 'chunnel' train can accelerate to speeds of up to 160 km/h, so Rachel can even get to work faster than some of her friends who work in London. She says, "If it wasn't for this marvellous feat of engineering, I wouldn't know what to do."

3. Benjamin Goldstein

Benjamin Goldstein is a naval architect and his job requires him to travel to many parts of the world to oversee projects that he is responsible for. "I was offered this job as soon as I finished getting my qualifications and I almost turned it down, because I didn't think I would be able to stand all the travelling. I ់ it would be just too tiring. Fortunately, a good friend of mine, who also does a lot of travelling, gave me tips on how to cope with it and I've never regretted accepting the job." He says, "If you keep yourself fit and make sure you get plenty of rest before and during long flights, it isn't actually that bad. And good nutrition helps, too."

4. Judith Kettering

Judith Kettering made a big move last year. After completing university, she decided that she wanted to start a new life in another country. She wanted to teach English to foreign children, so she hopped on the aeroplane to Greece and, since then, she has never looked back. "I'm so happy here in Athens, but if there's one thing that annoys me it's the traffic jams! The buses are so slow!" She claims that, sometimes, buses have been up to 45 minutes later than the time stated on the schedule. "I've been late for work several times because of traffic jams and it's caused me a lot of bother!" She has a proposal though. "If more people got on the bus instead of driving, the roads would be clearer and services could run more efficiently. Plus, if you're a bit of an 'earth child' like me, you'll know that getting on the bus or tram is a great way to fight against air pollution!"

1. David Mulcahy

David Mulcahy is a high-powered stock broker. He owns a beautiful flat in London's exclusive Notting Hill area. As well as a delightful home, David owns a brand new Mercedes, the car of his dreams "The only problem," David says, "is that I never get to drive it to work! I refuse to pay £8 to get in and out of the centre, so instead I take the tube!" "The tube', which is London's metro system, is a cheaper alternative, but David still thinks it's far too expensive. "A day pass on the tube is around £5. So, I pay over £100 each month, just to get to and back from the office!" He goes on, "I wish I could drive my car to work, but it seems that the car of my dreams is turning out to be a complete waste of money!"

2. Rachel Childress

Rachel Childress is the director of a large multinational organisation. Her commute is quite different to that of others. While most people get on the bus, Rachel takes the Channel Tunnel (or "Chunnel'). She lives in England but works in France. One of Rachel's close friends suggested that she should either move to France or give up her active role in the company. But she didn't think so... "Well, it's a brief 35 minute journey and manage to avoid all those horrible, long queues." The 'chunnel' train can accelerate to speeds of up to 160 km/h, so Rachel can even get to work faster than some of her friends who work in London. She says, "If it wasn't for this marvellous feat of engineering, I wouldn't know what to do."

3. Benjamin Goldstein

Benjamin Goldstein is a naval architect and his job requires him to travel to many parts of the world to oversee projects that he is responsible for. "I was offered this job as soon as I finished getting my qualifications and I almost turned it down, because I didn't think I would be able to stand all the travelling. I ់ it would be just too tiring. Fortunately, a good friend of mine, who also does a lot of travelling, gave me tips on how to cope with it and I've never regretted accepting the job." He says, "If you keep yourself fit and make sure you get plenty of rest before and during long flights, it isn't actually that bad. And good nutrition helps, too."

4. Judith Kettering

Judith Kettering made a big move last year. After completing university, she decided that she wanted to start a new life in another country. She wanted to teach English to foreign children, so she hopped on the aeroplane to Greece and, since then, she has never looked back. "I'm so happy here in Athens, but if there's one thing that annoys me it's the traffic jams! The buses are so slow!" She claims that, sometimes, buses have been up to 45 minutes later than the time stated on the schedule. "I've been late for work several times because of traffic jams and it's caused me a lot of bother!" She has a proposal though. "If more people got on the bus instead of driving, the roads would be clearer and services could run more efficiently. Plus, if you're a bit of an 'earth child' like me, you'll know that getting on the bus or tram is a great way to fight against air pollution!"

1. David Mulcahy

David Mulcahy is a high-powered stock broker. He owns a beautiful flat in London's exclusive Notting Hill area. As well as a delightful home, David owns a brand new Mercedes, the car of his dreams "The only problem," David says, "is that I never get to drive it to work! I refuse to pay £8 to get in and out of the centre, so instead I take the tube!" "The tube', which is London's metro system, is a cheaper alternative, but David still thinks it's far too expensive. "A day pass on the tube is around £5. So, I pay over £100 each month, just to get to and back from the office!" He goes on, "I wish I could drive my car to work, but it seems that the car of my dreams is turning out to be a complete waste of money!"

2. Rachel Childress

Rachel Childress is the director of a large multinational organisation. Her commute is quite different to that of others. While most people get on the bus, Rachel takes the Channel Tunnel (or "Chunnel'). She lives in England but works in France. One of Rachel's close friends suggested that she should either move to France or give up her active role in the company. But she didn't think so... "Well, it's a brief 35 minute journey and manage to avoid all those horrible, long queues." The 'chunnel' train can accelerate to speeds of up to 160 km/h, so Rachel can even get to work faster than some of her friends who work in London. She says, "If it wasn't for this marvellous feat of engineering, I wouldn't know what to do."

3. Benjamin Goldstein

Benjamin Goldstein is a naval architect and his job requires him to travel to many parts of the world to oversee projects that he is responsible for. "I was offered this job as soon as I finished getting my qualifications and I almost turned it down, because I didn't think I would be able to stand all the travelling. I ់ it would be just too tiring. Fortunately, a good friend of mine, who also does a lot of travelling, gave me tips on how to cope with it and I've never regretted accepting the job." He says, "If you keep yourself fit and make sure you get plenty of rest before and during long flights, it isn't actually that bad. And good nutrition helps, too."

4. Judith Kettering

Judith Kettering made a big move last year. After completing university, she decided that she wanted to start a new life in another country. She wanted to teach English to foreign children, so she hopped on the aeroplane to Greece and, since then, she has never looked back. "I'm so happy here in Athens, but if there's one thing that annoys me it's the traffic jams! The buses are so slow!" She claims that, sometimes, buses have been up to 45 minutes later than the time stated on the schedule. "I've been late for work several times because of traffic jams and it's caused me a lot of bother!" She has a proposal though. "If more people got on the bus instead of driving, the roads would be clearer and services could run more efficiently. Plus, if you're a bit of an 'earth child' like me, you'll know that getting on the bus or tram is a great way to fight against air pollution!"

1. Django

Coming second in the free running world championships has landed me roles in music videos, but it doesn't bring in quite enough to get by, so I'm a bike courier. That isn't ideal, but it won't make me quit, and I try to stop it getting me down. I'm always looking out for new opportunities. For instance, I'm currently working on a deal with a potential sponsor  — a sportswear company called Free Spirit. That's me! I don't run on a track, I go wherever I want. I don't let any obstacles or worries about danger hold me back. Not when I'm running, nor any other time! There are too many distractions when you play sports in groups. Alone, you can concentrate on each movement, completely in tune your body and your surroundings.

2. Monica

There's still this stereotype of relaxed, supercool surfer. If only it were true! You can't be relaxed if you want to succeed, and for me, second place is as bad as last place. If I see someone doing a new trick it obsesses me. I study all their moves and work out how to copy them. I don't care how many times I fall off the board or how many bruises I get as long as I can do it perfectly in the end. It can be a lonely sport. If you're getting up at dawn every day to catch the best waves, then you don't want to go out much in the evenings. But I figure, I'm young, and all that can wait  — I just want a few more trophies first!

3. Mario

My parents were initially against my taking up wheelchair rugby because it's often perceived to be dangerous. Some people even call it 'murderball'! So far I've managed to avoid any crashes on the court myself, although I've had a few near misses. I reckon if you're speedy enough you can avoid most collisions! Anyway, luckily, I managed to persuade my parents to change their minds and so I wasn't forced to give it up. Now I regularly hear them cheering in the stands  — they nearly deafen me each time I scorel Wheelchair rugby's so exciting it's becoming increasingly popular with spectators, which is great because that may mean more funding. Sadly, the modified chairs don't come cheap! It'd be a shame if that put anyone off the sport.

4. Gabriella

When I tell people what I do they often laugh, which drives me mad. If I hadn't trained really hard, I wouldn't be where I am today. Looks aren't enough; you've got to have talent, determination and strength. And I mean that in both ways. I work out a lot, often to the point of being completely worn out. As part of an acrobatic routine I sometimes have to carry other girls on my shoulders, and they're not as skinny as they look on TV You also need inner strength. Cheerleading is largely an amateur sport, so you don't get paid, but that doesn't stop it from being very competitive. I have seen instances of bullying among team mates, which is just terrible. I wish it wasn't an issue; I want to feel proud of my sport.

1. Django

Coming second in the free running world championships has landed me roles in music videos, but it doesn't bring in quite enough to get by, so I'm a bike courier. That isn't ideal, but it won't make me quit, and I try to stop it getting me down. I'm always looking out for new opportunities. For instance, I'm currently working on a deal with a potential sponsor  — a sportswear company called Free Spirit. That's me! I don't run on a track, I go wherever I want. I don't let any obstacles or worries about danger hold me back. Not when I'm running, nor any other time! There are too many distractions when you play sports in groups. Alone, you can concentrate on each movement, completely in tune your body and your surroundings.

2. Monica

There's still this stereotype of relaxed, supercool surfer. If only it were true! You can't be relaxed if you want to succeed, and for me, second place is as bad as last place. If I see someone doing a new trick it obsesses me. I study all their moves and work out how to copy them. I don't care how many times I fall off the board or how many bruises I get as long as I can do it perfectly in the end. It can be a lonely sport. If you're getting up at dawn every day to catch the best waves, then you don't want to go out much in the evenings. But I figure, I'm young, and all that can wait  — I just want a few more trophies first!

3. Mario

My parents were initially against my taking up wheelchair rugby because it's often perceived to be dangerous. Some people even call it 'murderball'! So far I've managed to avoid any crashes on the court myself, although I've had a few near misses. I reckon if you're speedy enough you can avoid most collisions! Anyway, luckily, I managed to persuade my parents to change their minds and so I wasn't forced to give it up. Now I regularly hear them cheering in the stands  — they nearly deafen me each time I scorel Wheelchair rugby's so exciting it's becoming increasingly popular with spectators, which is great because that may mean more funding. Sadly, the modified chairs don't come cheap! It'd be a shame if that put anyone off the sport.

4. Gabriella

When I tell people what I do they often laugh, which drives me mad. If I hadn't trained really hard, I wouldn't be where I am today. Looks aren't enough; you've got to have talent, determination and strength. And I mean that in both ways. I work out a lot, often to the point of being completely worn out. As part of an acrobatic routine I sometimes have to carry other girls on my shoulders, and they're not as skinny as they look on TV You also need inner strength. Cheerleading is largely an amateur sport, so you don't get paid, but that doesn't stop it from being very competitive. I have seen instances of bullying among team mates, which is just terrible. I wish it wasn't an issue; I want to feel proud of my sport.

1. Django

Coming second in the free running world championships has landed me roles in music videos, but it doesn't bring in quite enough to get by, so I'm a bike courier. That isn't ideal, but it won't make me quit, and I try to stop it getting me down. I'm always looking out for new opportunities. For instance, I'm currently working on a deal with a potential sponsor  — a sportswear company called Free Spirit. That's me! I don't run on a track, I go wherever I want. I don't let any obstacles or worries about danger hold me back. Not when I'm running, nor any other time! There are too many distractions when you play sports in groups. Alone, you can concentrate on each movement, completely in tune your body and your surroundings.

2. Monica

There's still this stereotype of relaxed, supercool surfer. If only it were true! You can't be relaxed if you want to succeed, and for me, second place is as bad as last place. If I see someone doing a new trick it obsesses me. I study all their moves and work out how to copy them. I don't care how many times I fall off the board or how many bruises I get as long as I can do it perfectly in the end. It can be a lonely sport. If you're getting up at dawn every day to catch the best waves, then you don't want to go out much in the evenings. But I figure, I'm young, and all that can wait  — I just want a few more trophies first!

3. Mario

My parents were initially against my taking up wheelchair rugby because it's often perceived to be dangerous. Some people even call it 'murderball'! So far I've managed to avoid any crashes on the court myself, although I've had a few near misses. I reckon if you're speedy enough you can avoid most collisions! Anyway, luckily, I managed to persuade my parents to change their minds and so I wasn't forced to give it up. Now I regularly hear them cheering in the stands  — they nearly deafen me each time I scorel Wheelchair rugby's so exciting it's becoming increasingly popular with spectators, which is great because that may mean more funding. Sadly, the modified chairs don't come cheap! It'd be a shame if that put anyone off the sport.

4. Gabriella

When I tell people what I do they often laugh, which drives me mad. If I hadn't trained really hard, I wouldn't be where I am today. Looks aren't enough; you've got to have talent, determination and strength. And I mean that in both ways. I work out a lot, often to the point of being completely worn out. As part of an acrobatic routine I sometimes have to carry other girls on my shoulders, and they're not as skinny as they look on TV You also need inner strength. Cheerleading is largely an amateur sport, so you don't get paid, but that doesn't stop it from being very competitive. I have seen instances of bullying among team mates, which is just terrible. I wish it wasn't an issue; I want to feel proud of my sport.

1.  I'm no good at mixed days  — it's either work or play. If it's a work day, then I'll start with a huge mug of strong black coffee and then I'll go to my study at the top of the house. I've learned to start writing early and to have a scene hanging over from the day before. I'm obsessive about silence. I can't talk in the middle of work  — if I talk, the morning is over. When I go out, I do all the things you're supposed to as a writer, like going out to London clubs. But when people see you at book launches (пре­зен­та­ция) they forget that being a writer is also about that little thing in between  — sittin on your own all day. But you've got to have contact with the outside world and real people or you can go completely mad.

2.  I'm envious of people who write in the mornings and do what they like in the afternoon. I work through the day and treat writing like an office job. My office is in a flat about ten minutes from our house. It's good to have a geographical break between home and work. I arrive about 9 am, have a coffee and then I'll just get on with it and work through until lunchtime. There's a definite post-lunch dip  — that's when I have another coffee. But in the end, the only way I get concentration back is by pushing it. My wife picks me up about 6.30 and we go home together. I've been doing this for ten years now. It's a routine that suits me and, to be honest, I'm always a little worried about breaking it.

3.  My seven-month-old daughter, Matilda, gets me up around 6.30 and I'll play with her for a couple of hours, then go to my desk. I officially sit there for three hours but I'll do an hour's work. Like a lot of writers, I tend to get a great sense of achievement very easily. One good sentence entitles me to half an hour off  — two or three lines means I can watch daytime TV. My study is at one end of the flat and my wife and daughter are at the other. In theory, no congress takes place until lunchtime, but actually we pop in and out all the time. I've never been one of those writers who likes being isolated  — I want people around me R the time.

4.  I have a really slow start to the day. I'll do anything to put off starting work. I have toast, read newspapers  — I have to do the crossword every morning  — and deal with my post. I write quite slowly and not in chronological order. I've structured the story before I start, so I can hop around which I think keeps my writing fresh. Sometimes I wake up and just know it's not going to work  — because I'm just not in the right mood  — but I know that it's only temporary. Once you've got the first draft down, you know that it's going to be OK. When I started writing and just stayed at home I felt incredibly guilty but now it feels normal. Lots of my friends are creative and don't go to offices, which helps. When we go out we don't talk about work  — we gossip about the people we know instead. But if I want to use anything my friends have told me, I always ask.

1.  I'm no good at mixed days  — it's either work or play. If it's a work day, then I'll start with a huge mug of strong black coffee and then I'll go to my study at the top of the house. I've learned to start writing early and to have a scene hanging over from the day before. I'm obsessive about silence. I can't talk in the middle of work  — if I talk, the morning is over. When I go out, I do all the things you're supposed to as a writer, like going out to London clubs. But when people see you at book launches (пре­зен­та­ция) they forget that being a writer is also about that little thing in between  — sittin on your own all day. But you've got to have contact with the outside world and real people or you can go completely mad.

2.  I'm envious of people who write in the mornings and do what they like in the afternoon. I work through the day and treat writing like an office job. My office is in a flat about ten minutes from our house. It's good to have a geographical break between home and work. I arrive about 9 am, have a coffee and then I'll just get on with it and work through until lunchtime. There's a definite post-lunch dip  — that's when I have another coffee. But in the end, the only way I get concentration back is by pushing it. My wife picks me up about 6.30 and we go home together. I've been doing this for ten years now. It's a routine that suits me and, to be honest, I'm always a little worried about breaking it.

3.  My seven-month-old daughter, Matilda, gets me up around 6.30 and I'll play with her for a couple of hours, then go to my desk. I officially sit there for three hours but I'll do an hour's work. Like a lot of writers, I tend to get a great sense of achievement very easily. One good sentence entitles me to half an hour off  — two or three lines means I can watch daytime TV. My study is at one end of the flat and my wife and daughter are at the other. In theory, no congress takes place until lunchtime, but actually we pop in and out all the time. I've never been one of those writers who likes being isolated  — I want people around me R the time.

4.  I have a really slow start to the day. I'll do anything to put off starting work. I have toast, read newspapers  — I have to do the crossword every morning  — and deal with my post. I write quite slowly and not in chronological order. I've structured the story before I start, so I can hop around which I think keeps my writing fresh. Sometimes I wake up and just know it's not going to work  — because I'm just not in the right mood  — but I know that it's only temporary. Once you've got the first draft down, you know that it's going to be OK. When I started writing and just stayed at home I felt incredibly guilty but now it feels normal. Lots of my friends are creative and don't go to offices, which helps. When we go out we don't talk about work  — we gossip about the people we know instead. But if I want to use anything my friends have told me, I always ask.

1.  I'm no good at mixed days  — it's either work or play. If it's a work day, then I'll start with a huge mug of strong black coffee and then I'll go to my study at the top of the house. I've learned to start writing early and to have a scene hanging over from the day before. I'm obsessive about silence. I can't talk in the middle of work  — if I talk, the morning is over. When I go out, I do all the things you're supposed to as a writer, like going out to London clubs. But when people see you at book launches (пре­зен­та­ция) they forget that being a writer is also about that little thing in between  — sittin on your own all day. But you've got to have contact with the outside world and real people or you can go completely mad.

2.  I'm envious of people who write in the mornings and do what they like in the afternoon. I work through the day and treat writing like an office job. My office is in a flat about ten minutes from our house. It's good to have a geographical break between home and work. I arrive about 9 am, have a coffee and then I'll just get on with it and work through until lunchtime. There's a definite post-lunch dip  — that's when I have another coffee. But in the end, the only way I get concentration back is by pushing it. My wife picks me up about 6.30 and we go home together. I've been doing this for ten years now. It's a routine that suits me and, to be honest, I'm always a little worried about breaking it.

3.  My seven-month-old daughter, Matilda, gets me up around 6.30 and I'll play with her for a couple of hours, then go to my desk. I officially sit there for three hours but I'll do an hour's work. Like a lot of writers, I tend to get a great sense of achievement very easily. One good sentence entitles me to half an hour off  — two or three lines means I can watch daytime TV. My study is at one end of the flat and my wife and daughter are at the other. In theory, no congress takes place until lunchtime, but actually we pop in and out all the time. I've never been one of those writers who likes being isolated  — I want people around me R the time.

4.  I have a really slow start to the day. I'll do anything to put off starting work. I have toast, read newspapers  — I have to do the crossword every morning  — and deal with my post. I write quite slowly and not in chronological order. I've structured the story before I start, so I can hop around which I think keeps my writing fresh. Sometimes I wake up and just know it's not going to work  — because I'm just not in the right mood  — but I know that it's only temporary. Once you've got the first draft down, you know that it's going to be OK. When I started writing and just stayed at home I felt incredibly guilty but now it feels normal. Lots of my friends are creative and don't go to offices, which helps. When we go out we don't talk about work  — we gossip about the people we know instead. But if I want to use anything my friends have told me, I always ask.

1. Homes For All

Organisations that help the homeless are warning that people will face even greater problems this winter unless urgent action is taken to offer shelter to those without a home. This warning follows publication of figures showing an increase in the number of homeless people. Susan Evans of the organisation "Homes for All' said: "With not enough accommodation, more people than ever before  — young and old  — are having to sleep in the open. A cold winter is predicted this year which means that these people will have to put up with sub-zero temperatures. Action must be taken urgently to offer these people shelter." A nationwide demonstration to draw attention to the problem will take place this weekend. Supporters welcome.

2. Village Protest

Residents of local village, Shilden, are preparing for a night of protest to save their village from Government planners. Proposals for a new motorway to be built that will run within 2 kilometres of Shilden have caused protests among the population. They claim that they were given insufficient time to respond to the proposal. Tony Fellows, spokesperson for the 'Village Protest' campaign explains: "The planned route cuts across some of the most picturesque countryside in the region. Shilden welcomes thousands of tourists each year. Many of the shopkeepers depend on this trade and would almost certainly face ruin if tourists were put off coming by the damage this road is likely to cause." The all-night protest will take place in the fields where the building work is likely to begin.

3. New Youth Club

Youngsters in the city-centre will lose out on a much-loved project if sufficient funds are not found this year. The New Youth Club', which is open to young people from the ages of 10 to 17, is being threatened with closure by Health and Safety officials who claim the building is unsafe. The club, built 30 years ago, was badly damaged by heavy storms last year and city engineers estimate that one hundred thousand pounds is needed to repair structural damage. With only limited funds that they possess, managers fear the club will have to close. Youngsters from the club have organised an Open Day on Tuesday in an effort to raise some of the money needed to enable the repairs to be undertaken. "This alone won't be enough, however" warned Adam Ross, Youth Leader.

4. Save Lea Valley

A rare species of butterfly and many native plants face extinction if the "Lea Valley office complex' project goes ahead. This is the complaint made by local environmentalists involved in the 'Save Lea Valley' campaign. They argue that the proposed development, to be built on the site of woodland that has a history of hundreds of years, will rob the country of several rare species of wildlife. "Local people would be horrified if they knew of the consequences of this project," claimed environmentalist Ian Wilson yesterday. "We need to start a local campaign to warn everyone about the dangers. We are starting by writing letters to everyone in the area asking for their support. The office complex developers must not be allowed to do this."

1. Homes For All

Organisations that help the homeless are warning that people will face even greater problems this winter unless urgent action is taken to offer shelter to those without a home. This warning follows publication of figures showing an increase in the number of homeless people. Susan Evans of the organisation "Homes for All' said: "With not enough accommodation, more people than ever before  — young and old  — are having to sleep in the open. A cold winter is predicted this year which means that these people will have to put up with sub-zero temperatures. Action must be taken urgently to offer these people shelter." A nationwide demonstration to draw attention to the problem will take place this weekend. Supporters welcome.

2. Village Protest

Residents of local village, Shilden, are preparing for a night of protest to save their village from Government planners. Proposals for a new motorway to be built that will run within 2 kilometres of Shilden have caused protests among the population. They claim that they were given insufficient time to respond to the proposal. Tony Fellows, spokesperson for the 'Village Protest' campaign explains: "The planned route cuts across some of the most picturesque countryside in the region. Shilden welcomes thousands of tourists each year. Many of the shopkeepers depend on this trade and would almost certainly face ruin if tourists were put off coming by the damage this road is likely to cause." The all-night protest will take place in the fields where the building work is likely to begin.

3. New Youth Club

Youngsters in the city-centre will lose out on a much-loved project if sufficient funds are not found this year. The New Youth Club', which is open to young people from the ages of 10 to 17, is being threatened with closure by Health and Safety officials who claim the building is unsafe. The club, built 30 years ago, was badly damaged by heavy storms last year and city engineers estimate that one hundred thousand pounds is needed to repair structural damage. With only limited funds that they possess, managers fear the club will have to close. Youngsters from the club have organised an Open Day on Tuesday in an effort to raise some of the money needed to enable the repairs to be undertaken. "This alone won't be enough, however" warned Adam Ross, Youth Leader.

4. Save Lea Valley

A rare species of butterfly and many native plants face extinction if the "Lea Valley office complex' project goes ahead. This is the complaint made by local environmentalists involved in the 'Save Lea Valley' campaign. They argue that the proposed development, to be built on the site of woodland that has a history of hundreds of years, will rob the country of several rare species of wildlife. "Local people would be horrified if they knew of the consequences of this project," claimed environmentalist Ian Wilson yesterday. "We need to start a local campaign to warn everyone about the dangers. We are starting by writing letters to everyone in the area asking for their support. The office complex developers must not be allowed to do this."

1. Homes For All

Organisations that help the homeless are warning that people will face even greater problems this winter unless urgent action is taken to offer shelter to those without a home. This warning follows publication of figures showing an increase in the number of homeless people. Susan Evans of the organisation "Homes for All' said: "With not enough accommodation, more people than ever before  — young and old  — are having to sleep in the open. A cold winter is predicted this year which means that these people will have to put up with sub-zero temperatures. Action must be taken urgently to offer these people shelter." A nationwide demonstration to draw attention to the problem will take place this weekend. Supporters welcome.

2. Village Protest

Residents of local village, Shilden, are preparing for a night of protest to save their village from Government planners. Proposals for a new motorway to be built that will run within 2 kilometres of Shilden have caused protests among the population. They claim that they were given insufficient time to respond to the proposal. Tony Fellows, spokesperson for the 'Village Protest' campaign explains: "The planned route cuts across some of the most picturesque countryside in the region. Shilden welcomes thousands of tourists each year. Many of the shopkeepers depend on this trade and would almost certainly face ruin if tourists were put off coming by the damage this road is likely to cause." The all-night protest will take place in the fields where the building work is likely to begin.

3. New Youth Club

Youngsters in the city-centre will lose out on a much-loved project if sufficient funds are not found this year. The New Youth Club', which is open to young people from the ages of 10 to 17, is being threatened with closure by Health and Safety officials who claim the building is unsafe. The club, built 30 years ago, was badly damaged by heavy storms last year and city engineers estimate that one hundred thousand pounds is needed to repair structural damage. With only limited funds that they possess, managers fear the club will have to close. Youngsters from the club have organised an Open Day on Tuesday in an effort to raise some of the money needed to enable the repairs to be undertaken. "This alone won't be enough, however" warned Adam Ross, Youth Leader.

4. Save Lea Valley

A rare species of butterfly and many native plants face extinction if the "Lea Valley office complex' project goes ahead. This is the complaint made by local environmentalists involved in the 'Save Lea Valley' campaign. They argue that the proposed development, to be built on the site of woodland that has a history of hundreds of years, will rob the country of several rare species of wildlife. "Local people would be horrified if they knew of the consequences of this project," claimed environmentalist Ian Wilson yesterday. "We need to start a local campaign to warn everyone about the dangers. We are starting by writing letters to everyone in the area asking for their support. The office complex developers must not be allowed to do this."

1. Roger Bates, knew he wanted his own restaurant when he was 23. But he didn't make his move until he was 39. The property he and his wife, Sandra, bought is a restaurant with rooms for guests, which is down a quiet lane on the wooded slopes of a beautiful valley. "People will come and find you if you are good enough. That was the challenge." Roger says the only unpredicted difficulty was the attitude of some of the customers. "It was hard to get used to being treated like servants.' For Sandra, the most demanding part was the physical work. She also had the difficulty of taking over someone else's staff and someone else's menus. She gradually changed the menus, and she has a little more time off now that the business is established.

2. Tony and Gina Wignell of Strathlachlan in Scotland, have spent their whole lives in the hotel and catering industry. They have made one major sacrifice, however, as by moving into a restaurant they have taken a considerable drop in income for a better quality of life. Tony and Gina used to manage a hotel, which provided financial security but never-ending work. Moving to the restaurant has meant working seven days a week in the high season, but they can make time for themselves by shutting in the afternoon. And by closing down entirely during the off-season, they get a clear two months off. But they found it hard to combine being in the restaurant trade with bringing up a family. Despite this they carried on and their children, now 18 and 20, look back and say that they never realised that there was any other life.

3. It's a similar story for Tina Bricknell-Webb and her husband Tony. "I'm on my feet for such long hours. You have to be incredibly strong to do this job.' Tina's first experience of cooking in a restaurant was when the chef walked out three days after it opened. Gradually, her confidence has built up. For Tony and Tina the hard work has been made worthwhile by a special award for excellent food. Tony believes their restaurant works because they run the show themselves. "If you have a place like this, the customers want to see you there every time they come in. You're an actor and they've bought your performance with the price of a dinner." Clearly proud of their achievement, the Bricknell-Webbs admit there have been sacrifices. They have no social life and no children. If they did start a family, the restaurant would have to go.

4. David and Jane Blackford found this to be true. When their restaurant opened for business they had two small children. "When they were very small we could manage by putting them to bed early but later there was a real conflict of interest. On Saturdays and Sundays we'd sit them down in front of videos. I ended up feeling it was David and the restaurant against me and the children.’ When David caught pneumonia, they made their decision. The family had to come first. "One day we may have another adventure in the restaurant trade, but for the time being putting up the "closed" sign has been a great relief.'

1. Roger Bates, knew he wanted his own restaurant when he was 23. But he didn't make his move until he was 39. The property he and his wife, Sandra, bought is a restaurant with rooms for guests, which is down a quiet lane on the wooded slopes of a beautiful valley. "People will come and find you if you are good enough. That was the challenge." Roger says the only unpredicted difficulty was the attitude of some of the customers. "It was hard to get used to being treated like servants.' For Sandra, the most demanding part was the physical work. She also had the difficulty of taking over someone else's staff and someone else's menus. She gradually changed the menus, and she has a little more time off now that the business is established.

2. Tony and Gina Wignell of Strathlachlan in Scotland, have spent their whole lives in the hotel and catering industry. They have made one major sacrifice, however, as by moving into a restaurant they have taken a considerable drop in income for a better quality of life. Tony and Gina used to manage a hotel, which provided financial security but never-ending work. Moving to the restaurant has meant working seven days a week in the high season, but they can make time for themselves by shutting in the afternoon. And by closing down entirely during the off-season, they get a clear two months off. But they found it hard to combine being in the restaurant trade with bringing up a family. Despite this they carried on and their children, now 18 and 20, look back and say that they never realised that there was any other life.

3. It's a similar story for Tina Bricknell-Webb and her husband Tony. "I'm on my feet for such long hours. You have to be incredibly strong to do this job.' Tina's first experience of cooking in a restaurant was when the chef walked out three days after it opened. Gradually, her confidence has built up. For Tony and Tina the hard work has been made worthwhile by a special award for excellent food. Tony believes their restaurant works because they run the show themselves. "If you have a place like this, the customers want to see you there every time they come in. You're an actor and they've bought your performance with the price of a dinner." Clearly proud of their achievement, the Bricknell-Webbs admit there have been sacrifices. They have no social life and no children. If they did start a family, the restaurant would have to go.

4. David and Jane Blackford found this to be true. When their restaurant opened for business they had two small children. "When they were very small we could manage by putting them to bed early but later there was a real conflict of interest. On Saturdays and Sundays we'd sit them down in front of videos. I ended up feeling it was David and the restaurant against me and the children.’ When David caught pneumonia, they made their decision. The family had to come first. "One day we may have another adventure in the restaurant trade, but for the time being putting up the "closed" sign has been a great relief.'

1. Roger Bates, knew he wanted his own restaurant when he was 23. But he didn't make his move until he was 39. The property he and his wife, Sandra, bought is a restaurant with rooms for guests, which is down a quiet lane on the wooded slopes of a beautiful valley. "People will come and find you if you are good enough. That was the challenge." Roger says the only unpredicted difficulty was the attitude of some of the customers. "It was hard to get used to being treated like servants.' For Sandra, the most demanding part was the physical work. She also had the difficulty of taking over someone else's staff and someone else's menus. She gradually changed the menus, and she has a little more time off now that the business is established.

2. Tony and Gina Wignell of Strathlachlan in Scotland, have spent their whole lives in the hotel and catering industry. They have made one major sacrifice, however, as by moving into a restaurant they have taken a considerable drop in income for a better quality of life. Tony and Gina used to manage a hotel, which provided financial security but never-ending work. Moving to the restaurant has meant working seven days a week in the high season, but they can make time for themselves by shutting in the afternoon. And by closing down entirely during the off-season, they get a clear two months off. But they found it hard to combine being in the restaurant trade with bringing up a family. Despite this they carried on and their children, now 18 and 20, look back and say that they never realised that there was any other life.

3. It's a similar story for Tina Bricknell-Webb and her husband Tony. "I'm on my feet for such long hours. You have to be incredibly strong to do this job.' Tina's first experience of cooking in a restaurant was when the chef walked out three days after it opened. Gradually, her confidence has built up. For Tony and Tina the hard work has been made worthwhile by a special award for excellent food. Tony believes their restaurant works because they run the show themselves. "If you have a place like this, the customers want to see you there every time they come in. You're an actor and they've bought your performance with the price of a dinner." Clearly proud of their achievement, the Bricknell-Webbs admit there have been sacrifices. They have no social life and no children. If they did start a family, the restaurant would have to go.

4. David and Jane Blackford found this to be true. When their restaurant opened for business they had two small children. "When they were very small we could manage by putting them to bed early but later there was a real conflict of interest. On Saturdays and Sundays we'd sit them down in front of videos. I ended up feeling it was David and the restaurant against me and the children.’ When David caught pneumonia, they made their decision. The family had to come first. "One day we may have another adventure in the restaurant trade, but for the time being putting up the "closed" sign has been a great relief.'

The reporter Stuart Harris, the inventor Tom Granger and the broadcaster Paul Bridges tested four clock radios currently available to pick a good one.

1.  The "dual alarm function' that is advertised with this model does not allow you, as Stuart Harris first supposed, to be woken by the buzzer (зво­нок), have a sleep and then finally be driven out of bed. The instruction booklet advises you to use this function to set two different wake-up times, one for work days and one for weekends, but whose life is programmed to this extent? Since this model is relatively cheap, the inclusion of a cassette player is quite a bargain  — you can fall asleep to your own soothing tapes and wake up to a day without news. The men all thought the quality of the radio excellent, too - if only the whole thing was smaller. It's as big as a rugby ball. Paul Bridges said, "Any clock radio I buy has to leave enough space on the bedside table for my keys, wallet, glasses and telephone. Anyway, I'm completely paranoid and always book a wake-up call in case the alarm doesn't go off."

2.  Tom Granger described this model with its extra built-in lamp as "incredibly tasteless' in the way it's made. He complained that he had to read the instruction booklet twice before he could get it to work; the clock kept jumping from 12.00 to 0200 so he had to go round again. The light was certainly hard to position; you would never be able to read by it  — it only shines on the clock, which is illuminated anyway. Paul Bridges said he was 'very amused by the lamp idea but agreed that the radio was hard to tune (на­стро­ить). Interestingly, however, this model is the third most popular on the market.

3.  Clearly aimed at young people, with its brightly coloured casing (кор­пус), this one appealed to the child in Tom Granger. "I would choose this one because it doesn't disappear into the background like the others," he said. In fact, the traditional design of the controls made it the only one the men managed to set up without reading the instruction booklet. Too bad the alarm is allowed a 20-minute margin for error; the manual (ин­струк­ция) notes, "the alarm may sound about 10 minutes earlier or later than the pre-set time". Paul Bridges made fun of such a notion, adding that this model was "terribly difficult" and, indeed, "completely useless".

4.  The simplest and cheapest of all the models tested, this scored points with Tom Granger because it 'seemed very standard and took up little space', but also because it has old-fashioned dial tuning. "It's more intuitive to set up. With modern push-button tuning you're never really sure if you've pressed all the buttons in the right order so you can't have confidence that the thing will actually work. He accepted, however, that manufacturers had been obliged to improve the quality of radios because of the advent (вве­де­ние) of button-tuning. Stuart Harris thought the tuning rather approximate, as did Paul Bridges, but they agreed that the radio quality was fine. The buzzer on this model certainly works; it succeeded in getting them out of bed in just two beeps!

The reporter Stuart Harris, the inventor Tom Granger and the broadcaster Paul Bridges tested four clock radios currently available to pick a good one.

1.  The "dual alarm function' that is advertised with this model does not allow you, as Stuart Harris first supposed, to be woken by the buzzer (зво­нок), have a sleep and then finally be driven out of bed. The instruction booklet advises you to use this function to set two different wake-up times, one for work days and one for weekends, but whose life is programmed to this extent? Since this model is relatively cheap, the inclusion of a cassette player is quite a bargain  — you can fall asleep to your own soothing tapes and wake up to a day without news. The men all thought the quality of the radio excellent, too - if only the whole thing was smaller. It's as big as a rugby ball. Paul Bridges said, "Any clock radio I buy has to leave enough space on the bedside table for my keys, wallet, glasses and telephone. Anyway, I'm completely paranoid and always book a wake-up call in case the alarm doesn't go off."

2.  Tom Granger described this model with its extra built-in lamp as "incredibly tasteless' in the way it's made. He complained that he had to read the instruction booklet twice before he could get it to work; the clock kept jumping from 12.00 to 0200 so he had to go round again. The light was certainly hard to position; you would never be able to read by it  — it only shines on the clock, which is illuminated anyway. Paul Bridges said he was 'very amused by the lamp idea but agreed that the radio was hard to tune (на­стро­ить). Interestingly, however, this model is the third most popular on the market.

3.  Clearly aimed at young people, with its brightly coloured casing (кор­пус), this one appealed to the child in Tom Granger. "I would choose this one because it doesn't disappear into the background like the others," he said. In fact, the traditional design of the controls made it the only one the men managed to set up without reading the instruction booklet. Too bad the alarm is allowed a 20-minute margin for error; the manual (ин­струк­ция) notes, "the alarm may sound about 10 minutes earlier or later than the pre-set time". Paul Bridges made fun of such a notion, adding that this model was "terribly difficult" and, indeed, "completely useless".

4.  The simplest and cheapest of all the models tested, this scored points with Tom Granger because it 'seemed very standard and took up little space', but also because it has old-fashioned dial tuning. "It's more intuitive to set up. With modern push-button tuning you're never really sure if you've pressed all the buttons in the right order so you can't have confidence that the thing will actually work. He accepted, however, that manufacturers had been obliged to improve the quality of radios because of the advent (вве­де­ние) of button-tuning. Stuart Harris thought the tuning rather approximate, as did Paul Bridges, but they agreed that the radio quality was fine. The buzzer on this model certainly works; it succeeded in getting them out of bed in just two beeps!

The reporter Stuart Harris, the inventor Tom Granger and the broadcaster Paul Bridges tested four clock radios currently available to pick a good one.

1.  The "dual alarm function' that is advertised with this model does not allow you, as Stuart Harris first supposed, to be woken by the buzzer (зво­нок), have a sleep and then finally be driven out of bed. The instruction booklet advises you to use this function to set two different wake-up times, one for work days and one for weekends, but whose life is programmed to this extent? Since this model is relatively cheap, the inclusion of a cassette player is quite a bargain  — you can fall asleep to your own soothing tapes and wake up to a day without news. The men all thought the quality of the radio excellent, too - if only the whole thing was smaller. It's as big as a rugby ball. Paul Bridges said, "Any clock radio I buy has to leave enough space on the bedside table for my keys, wallet, glasses and telephone. Anyway, I'm completely paranoid and always book a wake-up call in case the alarm doesn't go off."

2.  Tom Granger described this model with its extra built-in lamp as "incredibly tasteless' in the way it's made. He complained that he had to read the instruction booklet twice before he could get it to work; the clock kept jumping from 12.00 to 0200 so he had to go round again. The light was certainly hard to position; you would never be able to read by it  — it only shines on the clock, which is illuminated anyway. Paul Bridges said he was 'very amused by the lamp idea but agreed that the radio was hard to tune (на­стро­ить). Interestingly, however, this model is the third most popular on the market.

3.  Clearly aimed at young people, with its brightly coloured casing (кор­пус), this one appealed to the child in Tom Granger. "I would choose this one because it doesn't disappear into the background like the others," he said. In fact, the traditional design of the controls made it the only one the men managed to set up without reading the instruction booklet. Too bad the alarm is allowed a 20-minute margin for error; the manual (ин­струк­ция) notes, "the alarm may sound about 10 minutes earlier or later than the pre-set time". Paul Bridges made fun of such a notion, adding that this model was "terribly difficult" and, indeed, "completely useless".

4.  The simplest and cheapest of all the models tested, this scored points with Tom Granger because it 'seemed very standard and took up little space', but also because it has old-fashioned dial tuning. "It's more intuitive to set up. With modern push-button tuning you're never really sure if you've pressed all the buttons in the right order so you can't have confidence that the thing will actually work. He accepted, however, that manufacturers had been obliged to improve the quality of radios because of the advent (вве­де­ние) of button-tuning. Stuart Harris thought the tuning rather approximate, as did Paul Bridges, but they agreed that the radio quality was fine. The buzzer on this model certainly works; it succeeded in getting them out of bed in just two beeps!

1. David Crossland, 50, was on holiday with his wife, Louise, in the Bahamas when the giant Hurricane Floyd hit New Providence Island.

"We were on holiday on Providence Island last year when Hurricane George was due to hit, but it changed direction. So this year, when Hurricane Floyd was heading towards us, Louise and I were convinced it would change course. But a week into our holiday the island was in the direct path of the hurricane and the hotel staff feared the worst. All of the ground-floor windows and balcony doors in the hotel were boarded up. At one point I tried to open the balcony door in our bedroom to catch a glimpse of the hurricane but the winds were so strong I couldn't move it. All we could do was lie in our bed in the candlelight and wait. It was shocking."

2. Doug Glenwright, 33, was sitting in his front room in Birmingham, England, when he had the shock of his life.

"Last week we were watching on the television how tornadoes wrecked Oklahoma, where you'd expect to see them. Then suddenly last night one of them came down our street. The first I became aware of it was when I saw a dustbin bag come up from the street and fly past the window like a kite. Then branches of trees and all sorts of other debris were pulled up into the air. Telephone lines were knocked down by the hurricane-force winds and the heavy rain caused four feet of flood water in some people's kitchens."

3. Teacher Caroline Casterton, 25, was visiting friends in Istanbul when an earthquake struck.

"I was fast asleep in my friends' apartment when the tremor shook. It lasted only 45 seconds but it felt like an eternity. It was absolutely terrifying. For the next four days and nights I slept on the streets with thousands of others and the scale of the devastation gradually began to sink in. Yet out of the chaos there was the most incredible sense of camaraderie. Everyone seemed so united and I witnessed so much courage and kindness. Since that day I have taken far less for granted and I really do feel life is for living in the present."

4. When Pat Beddows reached 40, she set herself a mountainous challenge in the Himalayas. During the trek disaster struck.

"I set off in a group of 20 from Gangotri, a village at 4,000 metres in the foothills of the Himalayas. As we sat having lunch, we watched huge chunks of ice break away from a glacier, then fall into the water. Unaware of the risk we were taking we climbed down into the glacier to take a closer look. Suddenly, our guide started screaming: "Run Run! Climb up!" A tidal wave of water and ice was heading straight for us and we scrambled up the rocky slopes to safety. Chunks of ice the size of cars were being thrown into the air barely five metres away. If the guide hadn't shouted at us to get out of the way, the consequences would have been tragic. When we got back to camp we were told that, three years earlier, 16 people had died there in a similar incident. I realized how lucky we all were and I burst into tears."

1. David Crossland, 50, was on holiday with his wife, Louise, in the Bahamas when the giant Hurricane Floyd hit New Providence Island.

"We were on holiday on Providence Island last year when Hurricane George was due to hit, but it changed direction. So this year, when Hurricane Floyd was heading towards us, Louise and I were convinced it would change course. But a week into our holiday the island was in the direct path of the hurricane and the hotel staff feared the worst. All of the ground-floor windows and balcony doors in the hotel were boarded up. At one point I tried to open the balcony door in our bedroom to catch a glimpse of the hurricane but the winds were so strong I couldn't move it. All we could do was lie in our bed in the candlelight and wait. It was shocking."

2. Doug Glenwright, 33, was sitting in his front room in Birmingham, England, when he had the shock of his life.

"Last week we were watching on the television how tornadoes wrecked Oklahoma, where you'd expect to see them. Then suddenly last night one of them came down our street. The first I became aware of it was when I saw a dustbin bag come up from the street and fly past the window like a kite. Then branches of trees and all sorts of other debris were pulled up into the air. Telephone lines were knocked down by the hurricane-force winds and the heavy rain caused four feet of flood water in some people's kitchens."

3. Teacher Caroline Casterton, 25, was visiting friends in Istanbul when an earthquake struck.

"I was fast asleep in my friends' apartment when the tremor shook. It lasted only 45 seconds but it felt like an eternity. It was absolutely terrifying. For the next four days and nights I slept on the streets with thousands of others and the scale of the devastation gradually began to sink in. Yet out of the chaos there was the most incredible sense of camaraderie. Everyone seemed so united and I witnessed so much courage and kindness. Since that day I have taken far less for granted and I really do feel life is for living in the present."

4. When Pat Beddows reached 40, she set herself a mountainous challenge in the Himalayas. During the trek disaster struck.

"I set off in a group of 20 from Gangotri, a village at 4,000 metres in the foothills of the Himalayas. As we sat having lunch, we watched huge chunks of ice break away from a glacier, then fall into the water. Unaware of the risk we were taking we climbed down into the glacier to take a closer look. Suddenly, our guide started screaming: "Run Run! Climb up!" A tidal wave of water and ice was heading straight for us and we scrambled up the rocky slopes to safety. Chunks of ice the size of cars were being thrown into the air barely five metres away. If the guide hadn't shouted at us to get out of the way, the consequences would have been tragic. When we got back to camp we were told that, three years earlier, 16 people had died there in a similar incident. I realized how lucky we all were and I burst into tears."

1. David Crossland, 50, was on holiday with his wife, Louise, in the Bahamas when the giant Hurricane Floyd hit New Providence Island.

"We were on holiday on Providence Island last year when Hurricane George was due to hit, but it changed direction. So this year, when Hurricane Floyd was heading towards us, Louise and I were convinced it would change course. But a week into our holiday the island was in the direct path of the hurricane and the hotel staff feared the worst. All of the ground-floor windows and balcony doors in the hotel were boarded up. At one point I tried to open the balcony door in our bedroom to catch a glimpse of the hurricane but the winds were so strong I couldn't move it. All we could do was lie in our bed in the candlelight and wait. It was shocking."

2. Doug Glenwright, 33, was sitting in his front room in Birmingham, England, when he had the shock of his life.

"Last week we were watching on the television how tornadoes wrecked Oklahoma, where you'd expect to see them. Then suddenly last night one of them came down our street. The first I became aware of it was when I saw a dustbin bag come up from the street and fly past the window like a kite. Then branches of trees and all sorts of other debris were pulled up into the air. Telephone lines were knocked down by the hurricane-force winds and the heavy rain caused four feet of flood water in some people's kitchens."

3. Teacher Caroline Casterton, 25, was visiting friends in Istanbul when an earthquake struck.

"I was fast asleep in my friends' apartment when the tremor shook. It lasted only 45 seconds but it felt like an eternity. It was absolutely terrifying. For the next four days and nights I slept on the streets with thousands of others and the scale of the devastation gradually began to sink in. Yet out of the chaos there was the most incredible sense of camaraderie. Everyone seemed so united and I witnessed so much courage and kindness. Since that day I have taken far less for granted and I really do feel life is for living in the present."

4. When Pat Beddows reached 40, she set herself a mountainous challenge in the Himalayas. During the trek disaster struck.

"I set off in a group of 20 from Gangotri, a village at 4,000 metres in the foothills of the Himalayas. As we sat having lunch, we watched huge chunks of ice break away from a glacier, then fall into the water. Unaware of the risk we were taking we climbed down into the glacier to take a closer look. Suddenly, our guide started screaming: "Run Run! Climb up!" A tidal wave of water and ice was heading straight for us and we scrambled up the rocky slopes to safety. Chunks of ice the size of cars were being thrown into the air barely five metres away. If the guide hadn't shouted at us to get out of the way, the consequences would have been tragic. When we got back to camp we were told that, three years earlier, 16 people had died there in a similar incident. I realized how lucky we all were and I burst into tears."

1. Mary Elton Mark

I loved photography from the moment I first picked up a camera and knew my life would be devoted to it. I don't think you can develop or learn a "way of seeing or a "point of view'. It's something that's inside you. It's how you look at the world. I want my photographs not only to be real but to portray the essence of my subjects, too. To do that, you have to be patient  — it can't be rushed. I prefer doing portraiture on location. On a subject's home ground you pick up certain hints that tell you personal things and they come up with ideas.

2. Tina Barney

I don't know how my brain works, but I do know that I work really fast. My shoots don't vary: an hour to set up, an hour to take the shots. And the minute I walk into a room I know what I'm going to shoot, although what that is only becomes clear to me after seeing the result. So it's a subconscious (под­со­зна­тель­ный) process. I started taking pictures in the 1970s for all the beautiful reasons photography was known for. Then all of a sudden digital technology booms and darkrooms get disappeared from photography schools. But I really believe in the classical way. It all comes down to looking at a piece of art and dissecting it and understanding how it's put together. I think the most important thing is to go out in the world and see.

3. Rankin

I think if you aren't fascinated by people, you'll never succeed as a portrait photographer, because your pictures will look cold. You don't have to know anything about the people in advance of the session, you just tap into them  — it's a skill. Every shoot is different and you have to alter your approach accordingly. You have to try to get into people's heads, so that they can open up to you and give you something. Sometimes we chat first, but sometimes it's good for everyone to be fresh and tense when you start out. I use the technique of being casual and informal and rude or asking my subjects to do ridiculous things, but I don't set out to upset anyone. I hope the viewer sees what I see. I think two words that would describe my work well are: humour and honesty.

4. Sebastião Salgado

It's difficult to explain why we're more attracted to certain images than others. For me, black and white photography has a certain kind of power. I'm talking about instantaneous photography, the kind that happens in a fraction of a second. A great picture is one that transmits a lot of emotion and where you can see who took it; who that person is. I come from a Latin American world, where you believe in things and you form a relationship with your surroundings. I also grew up with a sense of mysticism and belonging. The cynicism that exists in certain kinds of photography, and that pleasure of seeing oneself as a deep individualist, that's not for me. We're a gregarious species made to live together. That's the point of view of my photography and the starting point of all my work.

1. Mary Elton Mark

I loved photography from the moment I first picked up a camera and knew my life would be devoted to it. I don't think you can develop or learn a "way of seeing or a "point of view'. It's something that's inside you. It's how you look at the world. I want my photographs not only to be real but to portray the essence of my subjects, too. To do that, you have to be patient  — it can't be rushed. I prefer doing portraiture on location. On a subject's home ground you pick up certain hints that tell you personal things and they come up with ideas.

2. Tina Barney

I don't know how my brain works, but I do know that I work really fast. My shoots don't vary: an hour to set up, an hour to take the shots. And the minute I walk into a room I know what I'm going to shoot, although what that is only becomes clear to me after seeing the result. So it's a subconscious (под­со­зна­тель­ный) process. I started taking pictures in the 1970s for all the beautiful reasons photography was known for. Then all of a sudden digital technology booms and darkrooms get disappeared from photography schools. But I really believe in the classical way. It all comes down to looking at a piece of art and dissecting it and understanding how it's put together. I think the most important thing is to go out in the world and see.

3. Rankin

I think if you aren't fascinated by people, you'll never succeed as a portrait photographer, because your pictures will look cold. You don't have to know anything about the people in advance of the session, you just tap into them  — it's a skill. Every shoot is different and you have to alter your approach accordingly. You have to try to get into people's heads, so that they can open up to you and give you something. Sometimes we chat first, but sometimes it's good for everyone to be fresh and tense when you start out. I use the technique of being casual and informal and rude or asking my subjects to do ridiculous things, but I don't set out to upset anyone. I hope the viewer sees what I see. I think two words that would describe my work well are: humour and honesty.

4. Sebastião Salgado

It's difficult to explain why we're more attracted to certain images than others. For me, black and white photography has a certain kind of power. I'm talking about instantaneous photography, the kind that happens in a fraction of a second. A great picture is one that transmits a lot of emotion and where you can see who took it; who that person is. I come from a Latin American world, where you believe in things and you form a relationship with your surroundings. I also grew up with a sense of mysticism and belonging. The cynicism that exists in certain kinds of photography, and that pleasure of seeing oneself as a deep individualist, that's not for me. We're a gregarious species made to live together. That's the point of view of my photography and the starting point of all my work.

1. Mary Elton Mark

I loved photography from the moment I first picked up a camera and knew my life would be devoted to it. I don't think you can develop or learn a "way of seeing or a "point of view'. It's something that's inside you. It's how you look at the world. I want my photographs not only to be real but to portray the essence of my subjects, too. To do that, you have to be patient  — it can't be rushed. I prefer doing portraiture on location. On a subject's home ground you pick up certain hints that tell you personal things and they come up with ideas.

2. Tina Barney

I don't know how my brain works, but I do know that I work really fast. My shoots don't vary: an hour to set up, an hour to take the shots. And the minute I walk into a room I know what I'm going to shoot, although what that is only becomes clear to me after seeing the result. So it's a subconscious (под­со­зна­тель­ный) process. I started taking pictures in the 1970s for all the beautiful reasons photography was known for. Then all of a sudden digital technology booms and darkrooms get disappeared from photography schools. But I really believe in the classical way. It all comes down to looking at a piece of art and dissecting it and understanding how it's put together. I think the most important thing is to go out in the world and see.

3. Rankin

I think if you aren't fascinated by people, you'll never succeed as a portrait photographer, because your pictures will look cold. You don't have to know anything about the people in advance of the session, you just tap into them  — it's a skill. Every shoot is different and you have to alter your approach accordingly. You have to try to get into people's heads, so that they can open up to you and give you something. Sometimes we chat first, but sometimes it's good for everyone to be fresh and tense when you start out. I use the technique of being casual and informal and rude or asking my subjects to do ridiculous things, but I don't set out to upset anyone. I hope the viewer sees what I see. I think two words that would describe my work well are: humour and honesty.

4. Sebastião Salgado

It's difficult to explain why we're more attracted to certain images than others. For me, black and white photography has a certain kind of power. I'm talking about instantaneous photography, the kind that happens in a fraction of a second. A great picture is one that transmits a lot of emotion and where you can see who took it; who that person is. I come from a Latin American world, where you believe in things and you form a relationship with your surroundings. I also grew up with a sense of mysticism and belonging. The cynicism that exists in certain kinds of photography, and that pleasure of seeing oneself as a deep individualist, that's not for me. We're a gregarious species made to live together. That's the point of view of my photography and the starting point of all my work.

Drinking water can protect your health, improve your concentration and even prevent depression. Kate Hilpern reports on the dangers of dehydration (обез­во­жи­ва­ние).

1.  Practically the only time I drink water is when I'm working out at the gym and can feel my body crying out for it. Like millions of people, the rest of the time I prefer some flavour to my drink. Insufficient consumption of water is a serious problem, according to scientists, who claim that anyone drinking less than eight glasses of pure water per day is at risk of dehydration. The consequences, they say, include poor performance at work, depression, allergies and even some cancers. Adding to the problem of getting this message across to the public is the fact that recent studies show drinking too much water can also do harm to your health, causing 'acute water intoxication'. Salt in the blood is weakened in its effect, depriving the brain, heart and muscles of the amounts they need to function properly.

2.  One recent poll (опрос) suggests that only one in 10 of us drinks the right amount to meet the body's needs. And it's not only adults who are affected. A quarter of children drink no water during the school day and their performance is affected as a result. Indeed, thirst can cause mental performance to drop by at least 10 percent. Studies of primary schools have found that test results significantly improve when pupils are encouraged to drink water throughout the day.

3.  Fizzy drinks (га­зи­ро­ван­ные на­пит­ки) are four and a half times more popular than water among children. "But soft drinks, including fizzy drinks and fruit juices, contain high levels of sugar," says Barrie Clarke of Water UK, the umbrella organization for water suppliers. This means they are absorbed much more slowly than water so they don't hydrate the brain as quickly." Really high sugar drinks cause a rapid rise in blood sugar level, followed by a sudden drop, which can cause lack of concentration. "Most people know that drinking water is good for you but few realise the huge range of risks that can affect us every day, t lack of concentration, fatigue and irritability," he adds. Then there's your appearance to think of. Lack of water leads to dry and tired looking skin as well as ageing.

4.  Recognizing that dehydration is a major health problem, primary schools in one region are taking action by providing water coolers. For every cooler installed in a school, the regional water authority gives away refillable water bottles which children can take into classes with them. "There is still a lot of work to be done around explaining to teachers about the importance of drinking water," said Abusin. 'So part of our campaign is getting them not only to allow children to have water bottles on their desks, but to encourage them to drink from them before they get thirsty."

Drinking water can protect your health, improve your concentration and even prevent depression. Kate Hilpern reports on the dangers of dehydration (обез­во­жи­ва­ние).

1.  Practically the only time I drink water is when I'm working out at the gym and can feel my body crying out for it. Like millions of people, the rest of the time I prefer some flavour to my drink. Insufficient consumption of water is a serious problem, according to scientists, who claim that anyone drinking less than eight glasses of pure water per day is at risk of dehydration. The consequences, they say, include poor performance at work, depression, allergies and even some cancers. Adding to the problem of getting this message across to the public is the fact that recent studies show drinking too much water can also do harm to your health, causing 'acute water intoxication'. Salt in the blood is weakened in its effect, depriving the brain, heart and muscles of the amounts they need to function properly.

2.  One recent poll (опрос) suggests that only one in 10 of us drinks the right amount to meet the body's needs. And it's not only adults who are affected. A quarter of children drink no water during the school day and their performance is affected as a result. Indeed, thirst can cause mental performance to drop by at least 10 percent. Studies of primary schools have found that test results significantly improve when pupils are encouraged to drink water throughout the day.

3.  Fizzy drinks (га­зи­ро­ван­ные на­пит­ки) are four and a half times more popular than water among children. "But soft drinks, including fizzy drinks and fruit juices, contain high levels of sugar," says Barrie Clarke of Water UK, the umbrella organization for water suppliers. This means they are absorbed much more slowly than water so they don't hydrate the brain as quickly." Really high sugar drinks cause a rapid rise in blood sugar level, followed by a sudden drop, which can cause lack of concentration. "Most people know that drinking water is good for you but few realise the huge range of risks that can affect us every day, t lack of concentration, fatigue and irritability," he adds. Then there's your appearance to think of. Lack of water leads to dry and tired looking skin as well as ageing.

4.  Recognizing that dehydration is a major health problem, primary schools in one region are taking action by providing water coolers. For every cooler installed in a school, the regional water authority gives away refillable water bottles which children can take into classes with them. "There is still a lot of work to be done around explaining to teachers about the importance of drinking water," said Abusin. 'So part of our campaign is getting them not only to allow children to have water bottles on their desks, but to encourage them to drink from them before they get thirsty."

Drinking water can protect your health, improve your concentration and even prevent depression. Kate Hilpern reports on the dangers of dehydration (обез­во­жи­ва­ние).

1.  Practically the only time I drink water is when I'm working out at the gym and can feel my body crying out for it. Like millions of people, the rest of the time I prefer some flavour to my drink. Insufficient consumption of water is a serious problem, according to scientists, who claim that anyone drinking less than eight glasses of pure water per day is at risk of dehydration. The consequences, they say, include poor performance at work, depression, allergies and even some cancers. Adding to the problem of getting this message across to the public is the fact that recent studies show drinking too much water can also do harm to your health, causing 'acute water intoxication'. Salt in the blood is weakened in its effect, depriving the brain, heart and muscles of the amounts they need to function properly.

2.  One recent poll (опрос) suggests that only one in 10 of us drinks the right amount to meet the body's needs. And it's not only adults who are affected. A quarter of children drink no water during the school day and their performance is affected as a result. Indeed, thirst can cause mental performance to drop by at least 10 percent. Studies of primary schools have found that test results significantly improve when pupils are encouraged to drink water throughout the day.

3.  Fizzy drinks (га­зи­ро­ван­ные на­пит­ки) are four and a half times more popular than water among children. "But soft drinks, including fizzy drinks and fruit juices, contain high levels of sugar," says Barrie Clarke of Water UK, the umbrella organization for water suppliers. This means they are absorbed much more slowly than water so they don't hydrate the brain as quickly." Really high sugar drinks cause a rapid rise in blood sugar level, followed by a sudden drop, which can cause lack of concentration. "Most people know that drinking water is good for you but few realise the huge range of risks that can affect us every day, t lack of concentration, fatigue and irritability," he adds. Then there's your appearance to think of. Lack of water leads to dry and tired looking skin as well as ageing.

4.  Recognizing that dehydration is a major health problem, primary schools in one region are taking action by providing water coolers. For every cooler installed in a school, the regional water authority gives away refillable water bottles which children can take into classes with them. "There is still a lot of work to be done around explaining to teachers about the importance of drinking water," said Abusin. 'So part of our campaign is getting them not only to allow children to have water bottles on their desks, but to encourage them to drink from them before they get thirsty."

Four readers suggest great locations where you can watch wildlife in its natural surroundings.

1. Kevin: Hallo Bay, Alaska

The first time you see a bear your mouth definitely goes dry. Unlike in other more frequently visited areas, the bears at Hallo Bay don't associate humans with food, so they pose no risk to people. For me, Hallo Bay's a magical place. I've always been a person who was structured and organised, but I've said for years now that I lost my list in Alaska. One thing which makes Hallo Bay so special is that the remote camp has just a dozen guests at a time, with guided groups of no more than half that many heading out to search for the bears. For me, even without the bears it would be a gorgeous place to visit.

2. Ray: Playa Grands Sanctuary, Costa Rica

With concerns mounting about the pressure on the Galapagos Islands, Costa Rica's popularity as a wildlife venue could be about to take off, and deservedly so. Costa Rica has it all: iguanas at your feet, capuchin monkeys overhead, sloths (ле­ни­вец) and jaguars are to be seen. However, perhaps the most magical thing to do here is to watch turtles lay their eggs on a moonlight beach. It does require patience; we waited two nights, napping on hard benches at the Playa Grande sanctuary, before one of the wardens shook us awake. We were allowed quite close to watch the turtle dig a hole with her flippers and deposit hundreds of eggs. She then casually covered them up and headed off back down the beach.

3. Sarah: Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa

It's so hard to recommend just one location in Africa to go in search of the big five! However, if you've never been on Safari before, then travel is straightforward in South Africa and its parks are the cheapest if you're short of money. The parks have well-equipped campsites and good-quality roads, so it's perfectly possible to hire a four-by-four and head off on your own. There's also an impressive selection of volunteer projects involving animals, particularly around the country's biggest parks. I spent four weeks helping at a veterinary practice with African Conservation Experience. I got the chance to work with lion, cheetah, elephant and buffalo. The work's extremely hands-on and you have to be ready for anything, whether it's taking a lion's temperature or treating a dog for a snake bite!

4. Amy: Chitwan National Park, Nepal

With tigers, snow leopards and one-horned rhinoceros, Nepal certainly has its share of endangered animals. visited Chitwan at the foot of the Himalayas. The park was set aside for wildlife in 1959 and is the place to see Indian rhinoceros as well as being one of the last refuges of the Bengal tiger. One of the best ways to view both is from the back of an elephant  — something that is rather fabulous in itself. We were having breakfast one day when two elephants were being taken for their daily wash on the river bank near our hotel. We made a small donation and asked to help  — it was one of the most amazing animal encounters possible, sitting on the backs of those huge elephants scrubbing their backs whilst they knelt in the water and sprayed us from their trunk!

Four readers suggest great locations where you can watch wildlife in its natural surroundings.

1. Kevin: Hallo Bay, Alaska

The first time you see a bear your mouth definitely goes dry. Unlike in other more frequently visited areas, the bears at Hallo Bay don't associate humans with food, so they pose no risk to people. For me, Hallo Bay's a magical place. I've always been a person who was structured and organised, but I've said for years now that I lost my list in Alaska. One thing which makes Hallo Bay so special is that the remote camp has just a dozen guests at a time, with guided groups of no more than half that many heading out to search for the bears. For me, even without the bears it would be a gorgeous place to visit.

2. Ray: Playa Grands Sanctuary, Costa Rica

With concerns mounting about the pressure on the Galapagos Islands, Costa Rica's popularity as a wildlife venue could be about to take off, and deservedly so. Costa Rica has it all: iguanas at your feet, capuchin monkeys overhead, sloths (ле­ни­вец) and jaguars are to be seen. However, perhaps the most magical thing to do here is to watch turtles lay their eggs on a moonlight beach. It does require patience; we waited two nights, napping on hard benches at the Playa Grande sanctuary, before one of the wardens shook us awake. We were allowed quite close to watch the turtle dig a hole with her flippers and deposit hundreds of eggs. She then casually covered them up and headed off back down the beach.

3. Sarah: Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa

It's so hard to recommend just one location in Africa to go in search of the big five! However, if you've never been on Safari before, then travel is straightforward in South Africa and its parks are the cheapest if you're short of money. The parks have well-equipped campsites and good-quality roads, so it's perfectly possible to hire a four-by-four and head off on your own. There's also an impressive selection of volunteer projects involving animals, particularly around the country's biggest parks. I spent four weeks helping at a veterinary practice with African Conservation Experience. I got the chance to work with lion, cheetah, elephant and buffalo. The work's extremely hands-on and you have to be ready for anything, whether it's taking a lion's temperature or treating a dog for a snake bite!

4. Amy: Chitwan National Park, Nepal

With tigers, snow leopards and one-horned rhinoceros, Nepal certainly has its share of endangered animals. visited Chitwan at the foot of the Himalayas. The park was set aside for wildlife in 1959 and is the place to see Indian rhinoceros as well as being one of the last refuges of the Bengal tiger. One of the best ways to view both is from the back of an elephant  — something that is rather fabulous in itself. We were having breakfast one day when two elephants were being taken for their daily wash on the river bank near our hotel. We made a small donation and asked to help  — it was one of the most amazing animal encounters possible, sitting on the backs of those huge elephants scrubbing their backs whilst they knelt in the water and sprayed us from their trunk!

Four readers suggest great locations where you can watch wildlife in its natural surroundings.

1. Kevin: Hallo Bay, Alaska

The first time you see a bear your mouth definitely goes dry. Unlike in other more frequently visited areas, the bears at Hallo Bay don't associate humans with food, so they pose no risk to people. For me, Hallo Bay's a magical place. I've always been a person who was structured and organised, but I've said for years now that I lost my list in Alaska. One thing which makes Hallo Bay so special is that the remote camp has just a dozen guests at a time, with guided groups of no more than half that many heading out to search for the bears. For me, even without the bears it would be a gorgeous place to visit.

2. Ray: Playa Grands Sanctuary, Costa Rica

With concerns mounting about the pressure on the Galapagos Islands, Costa Rica's popularity as a wildlife venue could be about to take off, and deservedly so. Costa Rica has it all: iguanas at your feet, capuchin monkeys overhead, sloths (ле­ни­вец) and jaguars are to be seen. However, perhaps the most magical thing to do here is to watch turtles lay their eggs on a moonlight beach. It does require patience; we waited two nights, napping on hard benches at the Playa Grande sanctuary, before one of the wardens shook us awake. We were allowed quite close to watch the turtle dig a hole with her flippers and deposit hundreds of eggs. She then casually covered them up and headed off back down the beach.

3. Sarah: Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa

It's so hard to recommend just one location in Africa to go in search of the big five! However, if you've never been on Safari before, then travel is straightforward in South Africa and its parks are the cheapest if you're short of money. The parks have well-equipped campsites and good-quality roads, so it's perfectly possible to hire a four-by-four and head off on your own. There's also an impressive selection of volunteer projects involving animals, particularly around the country's biggest parks. I spent four weeks helping at a veterinary practice with African Conservation Experience. I got the chance to work with lion, cheetah, elephant and buffalo. The work's extremely hands-on and you have to be ready for anything, whether it's taking a lion's temperature or treating a dog for a snake bite!

4. Amy: Chitwan National Park, Nepal

With tigers, snow leopards and one-horned rhinoceros, Nepal certainly has its share of endangered animals. visited Chitwan at the foot of the Himalayas. The park was set aside for wildlife in 1959 and is the place to see Indian rhinoceros as well as being one of the last refuges of the Bengal tiger. One of the best ways to view both is from the back of an elephant  — something that is rather fabulous in itself. We were having breakfast one day when two elephants were being taken for their daily wash on the river bank near our hotel. We made a small donation and asked to help  — it was one of the most amazing animal encounters possible, sitting on the backs of those huge elephants scrubbing their backs whilst they knelt in the water and sprayed us from their trunk!

1. Claire Lippold, 23, works for the Bat Conservation Trust

I did a degree in biology, and studied bats as part of my thesis. When I saw the ad for this job, I thought it would be perfect for me. We get about ten thousand calls a year, many from people worried that if they have bats in their attics they can't have any building work done. They need the right advice, because the law protects bats. We're contracted by an organisation called Natural England to arrange a service whereby anybody with bats on their property can have a specialist volunteer come out and give information and advice about the creatures they're living with. Generally, once they have the information, they're happy.

2. Anthea McNufty, 26, works for NHS Direct, the phone-in helpline operated by the National Health Service

Having worked in nurse training for a while, I found I missed the patient contact I'd enjoyed doing nursing itself. When I saw this job, I thought of it as a way of getting some of that contact back - without the cleaning up! I remember the dread of what the calls might be about on my first day, but they give you so much training before you're let loose that you can handle it. It was a bit difficult not having the physical clues I'd have been able to pick up on the wards. But you very quickly get used to working with the computer, it makes you feel safe.

3. Agnes Thomson, 60, works for a major broadcasting company

Yesterday, I got lots of calls relating to weekly programmes, though there was quite a contrast: the radio show for the blind, 'In Touch", and "Watchdog' on TV. The 'In Touch' callers had heard of some new equipment and wanted further details. Watchdog is a consumer programme and people generally call me because they have a problem with a product from a company we've covered on the show. Quite often people phone to complain spontaneously, and when we call them again within ten days with a response, which we promise to do in some cases, they've forgotten what made them cross.

4. Caroline Hickman, 34, works for a company with a wide range of household products

I really get a lot out of the work. We have such a wide range of products - from beauty and haircare through to nappies (nenehuku) and household cleaners - that no two calls are ever the same. With laundry products, for example, we get lots of Specific queries - people want to know what to use with certain types of material. We can't always go into details of all the settings of different brands of machine, though. We also get a lot of calls about skincare from people who want to know about specific ingredients in our products. You also get fascinating insight into the country's lifestyles. For instance, we tend to get lots of calls about cleaning products on a Monday, presumably because people buy them over the weekend, then, towards Friday we'll get haircare and beauty because they're planning a night out.

1. Claire Lippold, 23, works for the Bat Conservation Trust

I did a degree in biology, and studied bats as part of my thesis. When I saw the ad for this job, I thought it would be perfect for me. We get about ten thousand calls a year, many from people worried that if they have bats in their attics they can't have any building work done. They need the right advice, because the law protects bats. We're contracted by an organisation called Natural England to arrange a service whereby anybody with bats on their property can have a specialist volunteer come out and give information and advice about the creatures they're living with. Generally, once they have the information, they're happy.

2. Anthea McNufty, 26, works for NHS Direct, the phone-in helpline operated by the National Health Service

Having worked in nurse training for a while, I found I missed the patient contact I'd enjoyed doing nursing itself. When I saw this job, I thought of it as a way of getting some of that contact back - without the cleaning up! I remember the dread of what the calls might be about on my first day, but they give you so much training before you're let loose that you can handle it. It was a bit difficult not having the physical clues I'd have been able to pick up on the wards. But you very quickly get used to working with the computer, it makes you feel safe.

3. Agnes Thomson, 60, works for a major broadcasting company

Yesterday, I got lots of calls relating to weekly programmes, though there was quite a contrast: the radio show for the blind, 'In Touch", and "Watchdog' on TV. The 'In Touch' callers had heard of some new equipment and wanted further details. Watchdog is a consumer programme and people generally call me because they have a problem with a product from a company we've covered on the show. Quite often people phone to complain spontaneously, and when we call them again within ten days with a response, which we promise to do in some cases, they've forgotten what made them cross.

4. Caroline Hickman, 34, works for a company with a wide range of household products

I really get a lot out of the work. We have such a wide range of products - from beauty and haircare through to nappies (nenehuku) and household cleaners - that no two calls are ever the same. With laundry products, for example, we get lots of Specific queries - people want to know what to use with certain types of material. We can't always go into details of all the settings of different brands of machine, though. We also get a lot of calls about skincare from people who want to know about specific ingredients in our products. You also get fascinating insight into the country's lifestyles. For instance, we tend to get lots of calls about cleaning products on a Monday, presumably because people buy them over the weekend, then, towards Friday we'll get haircare and beauty because they're planning a night out.

1. Halloween

Halloween was originally a Celtic festival for the dead, celebrated on the last day of the Celtic year, October 31. One story says that, on that day, the spirits of all those who had died throughout the preceding year would come back in search of living bodies to possess for the next year. Naturally, the still-living did not want to be possessed. So, on the night of October 31, villagers would put out the fires in their homes, to make them cold and undesirable. They would then dress up in all manner of devilish costumes and noisily parade around the neighbourhood, in order to frighten away spirits looking for bodies to possess. The custom of "trick-or-treating (when children go from house to house on Halloween to get Small presents) is thought to have originated with a ninth-century European custom called 'souling where early Christians would walk from village to village begging for 'soul cakes', made out of square pieces of bread with currants.

2. Independence Day

Independence Day is the national holiday of the USA commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. At the time of the signing, the US was under the rule of England's King George III. There was growing protest in the 13 colonies concerning the taxes that had to be paid to England. King George sent extra troops to help control any rebellion (вос­ста­ние). In April 1775 the King's troops reached Concord. The battle of Concord would mark the beginning of the war for Independence. By June 1776 a committee was formed to compose a formal declaration of independence. Thomas Jefferson was chosen to write the first draft which was presented to the Congress.

3. Carnival

The Origins of Carnival are unclear, but most agree that it started as a pagan (язы­че­ское) celebration in ancient Rome or Greece. In Brazil, Carnival rules the country for four days a year. It happens at the peak of summer, attracting thgusands of visitors from all corners of the world. Carnival changes dates every year but it usually happens some time in February or early March. Carnival is supposed to be a time to 'forget or recall an old love affair, to celebrate new passion or search for new romantic experiences'.

4. Guy Fawkes' Night

In 1605, Guy Fawkes and a group of his supporters attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament to kill the King, James I and the entire Parliament. The conspirators were angered because King James had been forcing Jesuits to leave England. The plotters (за­го­вор­щи­ки) wanted to take power away from the king and return the country to the Catholic faith. However, in an attempt to protect a friend, one of the group members sent an anonymous letter warning him to stay away from the Parliament. The warning letter reached the King, and the conspirators were caught and sentenced to death.

1. Halloween

Halloween was originally a Celtic festival for the dead, celebrated on the last day of the Celtic year, October 31. One story says that, on that day, the spirits of all those who had died throughout the preceding year would come back in search of living bodies to possess for the next year. Naturally, the still-living did not want to be possessed. So, on the night of October 31, villagers would put out the fires in their homes, to make them cold and undesirable. They would then dress up in all manner of devilish costumes and noisily parade around the neighbourhood, in order to frighten away spirits looking for bodies to possess. The custom of "trick-or-treating (when children go from house to house on Halloween to get Small presents) is thought to have originated with a ninth-century European custom called 'souling where early Christians would walk from village to village begging for 'soul cakes', made out of square pieces of bread with currants.

2. Independence Day

Independence Day is the national holiday of the USA commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. At the time of the signing, the US was under the rule of England's King George III. There was growing protest in the 13 colonies concerning the taxes that had to be paid to England. King George sent extra troops to help control any rebellion (вос­ста­ние). In April 1775 the King's troops reached Concord. The battle of Concord would mark the beginning of the war for Independence. By June 1776 a committee was formed to compose a formal declaration of independence. Thomas Jefferson was chosen to write the first draft which was presented to the Congress.

3. Carnival

The Origins of Carnival are unclear, but most agree that it started as a pagan (язы­че­ское) celebration in ancient Rome or Greece. In Brazil, Carnival rules the country for four days a year. It happens at the peak of summer, attracting thgusands of visitors from all corners of the world. Carnival changes dates every year but it usually happens some time in February or early March. Carnival is supposed to be a time to 'forget or recall an old love affair, to celebrate new passion or search for new romantic experiences'.

4. Guy Fawkes' Night

In 1605, Guy Fawkes and a group of his supporters attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament to kill the King, James I and the entire Parliament. The conspirators were angered because King James had been forcing Jesuits to leave England. The plotters (за­го­вор­щи­ки) wanted to take power away from the king and return the country to the Catholic faith. However, in an attempt to protect a friend, one of the group members sent an anonymous letter warning him to stay away from the Parliament. The warning letter reached the King, and the conspirators were caught and sentenced to death.

Do you ever wonder what will become of your classmates? Can you spot who's going to become famous or get a really interesting job? Colin Bacon decided to look up some people he'd known at secondary school to find out just that.

1. The first person I found was Andrew. He'd always wanted to work in the music industry. He reminded me, "As a student, I used to do DJ work at the weekends. The academic side of university wasn't my main priority. After graduation, I did temporary jobs before getting into a record company as assistant to the marketing manager. I learnt a lot from him and progressed quickly. I'm now in charge of signing new bands. A typical week involves meetings with artists and producers. No two days are ever the same in this job and an average day can change in an instant if you hear a new band and you realise you're on to something big. The thrill of that makes all the dull days worthwhile."

2. Barbara was much more of a shock. She was always rather quiet at school. She explained, "After school I got a place at Art College,to do a four-year degree, but after a year I swapped to a Geography degree which I thought was more interesting. On that course, I met some people who were thinking of joining the army. I suddenly realised it was just the thing for me too. After graduation, I spent a year doing officer training and then shadowed another officer for two months before getting my own first commission." She now has fifty-five soldiers under her command. "Promotion depends on performance and time served, but I hope to have been promoted to the rank of captain in two years' time."

3. Carl was always a patient sort, so I wasn't surprised to find him still in the classroom. He told me, "In my last year at school, I considered teaching as a career, but I ended up doing two years of a medical degree instead. I never really felt committed to it and after two years switched to Biology. I chose a very practical training course where I spent a lot of time in Schools rather than in a lecture theatre. The advantage is that you build up a teaching style quite quickly, but you do miss out a bit on the educational theory behind it. I now work in an inner-city secondary school and the challenge is motivating the rather troublesome pupils to learn."

4. Biggest shock of all was Diane. She was quite scruffy at school and the last person I expected to be working as a fashion model. As she explained, "Anyone who says you become a model just because you're pretty is totally wrong. To be successful you need personality, drive, maturity as well as good looks. A model's job involves getting up early, performing miracles in front of the camera even when you feel awful. It is often exhausting. It's glamorous enough if you make it to the top, but most don't. Fortunately, I'm building up the experience necessary to start my own agency because modelling is not something you can do forever."

Do you ever wonder what will become of your classmates? Can you spot who's going to become famous or get a really interesting job? Colin Bacon decided to look up some people he'd known at secondary school to find out just that.

1. The first person I found was Andrew. He'd always wanted to work in the music industry. He reminded me, "As a student, I used to do DJ work at the weekends. The academic side of university wasn't my main priority. After graduation, I did temporary jobs before getting into a record company as assistant to the marketing manager. I learnt a lot from him and progressed quickly. I'm now in charge of signing new bands. A typical week involves meetings with artists and producers. No two days are ever the same in this job and an average day can change in an instant if you hear a new band and you realise you're on to something big. The thrill of that makes all the dull days worthwhile."

2. Barbara was much more of a shock. She was always rather quiet at school. She explained, "After school I got a place at Art College,to do a four-year degree, but after a year I swapped to a Geography degree which I thought was more interesting. On that course, I met some people who were thinking of joining the army. I suddenly realised it was just the thing for me too. After graduation, I spent a year doing officer training and then shadowed another officer for two months before getting my own first commission." She now has fifty-five soldiers under her command. "Promotion depends on performance and time served, but I hope to have been promoted to the rank of captain in two years' time."

3. Carl was always a patient sort, so I wasn't surprised to find him still in the classroom. He told me, "In my last year at school, I considered teaching as a career, but I ended up doing two years of a medical degree instead. I never really felt committed to it and after two years switched to Biology. I chose a very practical training course where I spent a lot of time in Schools rather than in a lecture theatre. The advantage is that you build up a teaching style quite quickly, but you do miss out a bit on the educational theory behind it. I now work in an inner-city secondary school and the challenge is motivating the rather troublesome pupils to learn."

4. Biggest shock of all was Diane. She was quite scruffy at school and the last person I expected to be working as a fashion model. As she explained, "Anyone who says you become a model just because you're pretty is totally wrong. To be successful you need personality, drive, maturity as well as good looks. A model's job involves getting up early, performing miracles in front of the camera even when you feel awful. It is often exhausting. It's glamorous enough if you make it to the top, but most don't. Fortunately, I'm building up the experience necessary to start my own agency because modelling is not something you can do forever."

1. School student Carla Ruiz lives in a hot country and has become very aware of the need to save water. 'Spring and autumn used to be quite wet, but these days it hardly rains at all,' she says. 'Nearly all the rivers have dried up, destroying all the wildlife in and around them, and no matter what we do they'll never be the same again. At least, though, we can use water more sensibly. That's why at home I recently decided to do simple things like making sure there are no dripping taps, or taps left on while I'm brushing my teeth or washing food. Within a few days I was regularly doing these things without even thinking, I know they made a difference because the water bills went down quite a bit. My parents noticed that so they started doing the same.'

2. Trainee manager, Vincent Owen, is doing his bit to save the planet by using less electricity around the home. 'I was talking to this guy at work and he told me that we waste a huge amount of energy every year by leaving things like the TV, DVD and computer on standby all the time, so nowadays I try to remember  — not always successfullyto switch them off at night. Incidentally, I've now got solar panels on the roof so that all the hot water is powered by the sun. That was a big investment, and it ended up well over budget, but I'm sure it'll pay for itself in the end.'

3. While Lin Chen is on a gap year, she is travelling round Europe with friends. 'We had intended to fly everywhere, she says, 'but when we worked out just how much extra pollution that would cause, we decided to do it by train instead. It was cheaper, too.' They began their tour in Greece: 'We all felt the obvious place to start was where European civilization began, so our first rail journey began in Athens. We travelled to Patras on the west coast, taking the ferry across to Bari in southern Italy. From there we took the overnight train to Paris, and a few days later we went on the Eurostar to London. We saw far more of the countryside than we would have done by plane.'

4. Tanya Petrova works in a restaurant with an extensive menu, but at home she will only eat local or seasonal food: 'I strongly believe that transporting food thousands of kilometers, or storing it under refrigeration for months on end, ultimately has a highly negative impact on the environment. I always try to buy food that is produced locally, and I have a special calendar to show me which kinds of food are in season so that I know what I'm buying is really fresh. Apart from the environmental considerations, I'm convinced the food I eat, which has far fewer chemicals in it, helps me avoid the kind of illnesses that seem to be so common these days.'

1. School student Carla Ruiz lives in a hot country and has become very aware of the need to save water. 'Spring and autumn used to be quite wet, but these days it hardly rains at all,' she says. 'Nearly all the rivers have dried up, destroying all the wildlife in and around them, and no matter what we do they'll never be the same again. At least, though, we can use water more sensibly. That's why at home I recently decided to do simple things like making sure there are no dripping taps, or taps left on while I'm brushing my teeth or washing food. Within a few days I was regularly doing these things without even thinking, I know they made a difference because the water bills went down quite a bit. My parents noticed that so they started doing the same.'

2. Trainee manager, Vincent Owen, is doing his bit to save the planet by using less electricity around the home. 'I was talking to this guy at work and he told me that we waste a huge amount of energy every year by leaving things like the TV, DVD and computer on standby all the time, so nowadays I try to remember  — not always successfullyto switch them off at night. Incidentally, I've now got solar panels on the roof so that all the hot water is powered by the sun. That was a big investment, and it ended up well over budget, but I'm sure it'll pay for itself in the end.'

3. While Lin Chen is on a gap year, she is travelling round Europe with friends. 'We had intended to fly everywhere, she says, 'but when we worked out just how much extra pollution that would cause, we decided to do it by train instead. It was cheaper, too.' They began their tour in Greece: 'We all felt the obvious place to start was where European civilization began, so our first rail journey began in Athens. We travelled to Patras on the west coast, taking the ferry across to Bari in southern Italy. From there we took the overnight train to Paris, and a few days later we went on the Eurostar to London. We saw far more of the countryside than we would have done by plane.'

4. Tanya Petrova works in a restaurant with an extensive menu, but at home she will only eat local or seasonal food: 'I strongly believe that transporting food thousands of kilometers, or storing it under refrigeration for months on end, ultimately has a highly negative impact on the environment. I always try to buy food that is produced locally, and I have a special calendar to show me which kinds of food are in season so that I know what I'm buying is really fresh. Apart from the environmental considerations, I'm convinced the food I eat, which has far fewer chemicals in it, helps me avoid the kind of illnesses that seem to be so common these days.'

1. Spellometric Language Schools

The Spellometric Organisation has been running courses in Britain for the last 25 years and now has five schools in the south and south-west of England. The schools use a well-practised and proven teaching technique which recognises that spelling and numerical skills are the basis of all languages and so should form a central part of all lessons. The schools cater mainly for students aged twelve to eighteen years. Lessons take place in the mornings, starting at 8:00am and finishing at 1:00 pm. The school arranges accommodation for students with local families.

2. Gattegno School of English

Situated in Central London, the internationally renowned Gattegno school opened in 1967 and uses Gattegno's "silent way" methodology to teach students. Teaching throughout the year, the school also organises summer courses with students attending from all over the world. Students must be over the age of eighteen and the maximum class size in this school is six.

3. Lancing English Association

The Lancing English Association runs two summer schools, one in Bath, and one in Bristol, mostly attended by young students from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Teachers use the audio-lingual method. The maximum class size is ten. The school day starts at 9:00am and finishes at 1:00 pm. In the afternoons and evenings students take part in a varied activity programme which includes cricket, football and horse-riding. Students can also enjoy the schools' indoor swimming pools. School trips to London and other tourist destinations take place at weekends. Courses last from two to eight weeks and are residential, with students staying in accommodation on the school site.

4. Pangloss School of English

The Pangloss School specialises in intensive English courses for students who wish to improve their English rapidly in the space of a few weeks. The school day lasts from 10:00am to 8:00pm, with intensive instruction in all aspects of the English language, from grammar structures to vocabulary. The course is particularly appropriate for students about to study at English Universities or business people looking for more specialised language skills. The maximum class size is five students. The school is situated in the Cambridgeshire countryside, just outside Cambridge itself.

1. Spellometric Language Schools

The Spellometric Organisation has been running courses in Britain for the last 25 years and now has five schools in the south and south-west of England. The schools use a well-practised and proven teaching technique which recognises that spelling and numerical skills are the basis of all languages and so should form a central part of all lessons. The schools cater mainly for students aged twelve to eighteen years. Lessons take place in the mornings, starting at 8:00am and finishing at 1:00 pm. The school arranges accommodation for students with local families.

2. Gattegno School of English

Situated in Central London, the internationally renowned Gattegno school opened in 1967 and uses Gattegno's "silent way" methodology to teach students. Teaching throughout the year, the school also organises summer courses with students attending from all over the world. Students must be over the age of eighteen and the maximum class size in this school is six.

3. Lancing English Association

The Lancing English Association runs two summer schools, one in Bath, and one in Bristol, mostly attended by young students from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Teachers use the audio-lingual method. The maximum class size is ten. The school day starts at 9:00am and finishes at 1:00 pm. In the afternoons and evenings students take part in a varied activity programme which includes cricket, football and horse-riding. Students can also enjoy the schools' indoor swimming pools. School trips to London and other tourist destinations take place at weekends. Courses last from two to eight weeks and are residential, with students staying in accommodation on the school site.

4. Pangloss School of English

The Pangloss School specialises in intensive English courses for students who wish to improve their English rapidly in the space of a few weeks. The school day lasts from 10:00am to 8:00pm, with intensive instruction in all aspects of the English language, from grammar structures to vocabulary. The course is particularly appropriate for students about to study at English Universities or business people looking for more specialised language skills. The maximum class size is five students. The school is situated in the Cambridgeshire countryside, just outside Cambridge itself.

1. Alice Chan, 29

Not having a clear idea what career path to take, I opted for something I knew my parents would approve of - in my case, advertising. It couldn't have been a more glamorous job, dining with clients in Smart restaurants, jetting around the world to film ads. But I just couldn't be myself. So one day I just handed in my notice and retrained as a social worker, working with kids from disadvantaged families. And I've never looked back. It's meant a huge drop in my income but it's a sacrifice I'm happy to make for the sake of doing something worthwhile.

2. Jon Golding, 32

I used to work for an IT firm. I was never interested in progressing within the company but I was too scared to let go of the guaranteed income. I was a keen guitarist in my spare time. One day I was on holiday with a group of friends and we were chatting about our dreams. That was a turning point for me and I came home and enrolled on an evening course in guitar-making. I quit my job, converted my garage into a studio and set up my own business building guitars. My company is now one of the UK's leading guitar-builders. Needless to say, I haven't regretted my decision for a moment

3. Felix Mason, 34

I wanted to do something useful with my life and my dad was a science teacher so I decided to follow in his footsteps. But it turned out to be a thankless job. I was putting all my energy into it but getting very little back, apart from increasing demands from managers and parents. Finally, after 10 years, I quit. I was quite keen on writing. So I took on a very junior role as assistant editor for a technology magazine. After just three months, I was made editor, and four years on, I'm publisher of the magazine. Much as I miss the students, office life suits me far better. Being able to just get up and get a coffee whenever you want is amazing. You can't do that when you're teaching until the bell goes.

4. Debbie Fielding, 27

I'd been working as a veterinary nurse and the routine nature of the job was starting to get to me. I didn't get on with my boss, so when I was made redundant last year it came as quite a relief. I'd often dreamt of starting a company which provides specially trained animals to the film industry and it seemed like the right moment to give it ago. So I retrained and researched the opportunities available to me. It's taken a while to get the business up and running. I'm building up client contacts slowly and I expect things to take off properly within the next few months.

1. Alice Chan, 29

Not having a clear idea what career path to take, I opted for something I knew my parents would approve of - in my case, advertising. It couldn't have been a more glamorous job, dining with clients in Smart restaurants, jetting around the world to film ads. But I just couldn't be myself. So one day I just handed in my notice and retrained as a social worker, working with kids from disadvantaged families. And I've never looked back. It's meant a huge drop in my income but it's a sacrifice I'm happy to make for the sake of doing something worthwhile.

2. Jon Golding, 32

I used to work for an IT firm. I was never interested in progressing within the company but I was too scared to let go of the guaranteed income. I was a keen guitarist in my spare time. One day I was on holiday with a group of friends and we were chatting about our dreams. That was a turning point for me and I came home and enrolled on an evening course in guitar-making. I quit my job, converted my garage into a studio and set up my own business building guitars. My company is now one of the UK's leading guitar-builders. Needless to say, I haven't regretted my decision for a moment

3. Felix Mason, 34

I wanted to do something useful with my life and my dad was a science teacher so I decided to follow in his footsteps. But it turned out to be a thankless job. I was putting all my energy into it but getting very little back, apart from increasing demands from managers and parents. Finally, after 10 years, I quit. I was quite keen on writing. So I took on a very junior role as assistant editor for a technology magazine. After just three months, I was made editor, and four years on, I'm publisher of the magazine. Much as I miss the students, office life suits me far better. Being able to just get up and get a coffee whenever you want is amazing. You can't do that when you're teaching until the bell goes.

4. Debbie Fielding, 27

I'd been working as a veterinary nurse and the routine nature of the job was starting to get to me. I didn't get on with my boss, so when I was made redundant last year it came as quite a relief. I'd often dreamt of starting a company which provides specially trained animals to the film industry and it seemed like the right moment to give it ago. So I retrained and researched the opportunities available to me. It's taken a while to get the business up and running. I'm building up client contacts slowly and I expect things to take off properly within the next few months.

John McGregor talks to four performers who have made a career out of entertaining others.

1. The Illusionist

Who would expect to find England's answer to Harry Houdini in the sleepy Lancashire village of Mawdsley? Well, Matthew Tate has built up an impressive range of illusions and spectacular magic tricks to shock and thrill his audience, but many attribute his success to the way he manages to involve and excite his audience. They watch as he frees himself after being submerged handcuffed in a water-filled tank. He reminds his audience that failure would mean certain death and even asks them to hold their breath with him, just as Houdini did I ask him if he can tell me just one of his secrets. My question is met with a cheeky grin and, of course, complete silence!

2. The Living Statue

When people ask Maria Marks what she does for a living, she often tells them "nothing". Every day, she makes her living by dressing in an antique wedding dress, covering her skin in white clown paint and standing absolutely motionless on a pedestal in London's Covent Garden until a coin is thrown into her hat. So, what exactly draws the crowd when Maria "performs"? "Well, people want me to prove that I'm human." I ask Maria if she gets bored just standing there day after day. "No," she says. "I enter an almost trance-like state and an hour passes like a minute."

3. The Actor

Michael Webster has been an actor in London for almost fifteen years. Michael tells me all about the ups and downs of a typical actor's life. "You constantly strive to deliver a perfect performance, often under imperfect or unpleasant conditions."

I ask Michael how he feels when he's performing. "One of the most amazing feelings I have," he tells me, "is standing in front of an audience knowing that they expressly came to see me perform. It fills me with two overwhelming sensations: joy and extreme gratitude!"

4. The Circus Performer

Zhao Jian explains to me how she came to be touring the world as a hand balancer with a circus troupe. "As a young girl I was always jumping around," she tells me, "so one day my mum suggested that I enrol in one of the many acrobatic schools in Wuqiao county. We followed an exceptionally harsh programme, waking at five thirty in the morning each day to begin eight hours of tough physical exercises." And now that she has a job in the circus? "I practise an acrobatic move over and over again before I'm ready to perform it." I ask her if she has any regrets. She answers me without the least hesitation: "No, I was made for this life."

John McGregor talks to four performers who have made a career out of entertaining others.

1. The Illusionist

Who would expect to find England's answer to Harry Houdini in the sleepy Lancashire village of Mawdsley? Well, Matthew Tate has built up an impressive range of illusions and spectacular magic tricks to shock and thrill his audience, but many attribute his success to the way he manages to involve and excite his audience. They watch as he frees himself after being submerged handcuffed in a water-filled tank. He reminds his audience that failure would mean certain death and even asks them to hold their breath with him, just as Houdini did I ask him if he can tell me just one of his secrets. My question is met with a cheeky grin and, of course, complete silence!

2. The Living Statue

When people ask Maria Marks what she does for a living, she often tells them "nothing". Every day, she makes her living by dressing in an antique wedding dress, covering her skin in white clown paint and standing absolutely motionless on a pedestal in London's Covent Garden until a coin is thrown into her hat. So, what exactly draws the crowd when Maria "performs"? "Well, people want me to prove that I'm human." I ask Maria if she gets bored just standing there day after day. "No," she says. "I enter an almost trance-like state and an hour passes like a minute."

3. The Actor

Michael Webster has been an actor in London for almost fifteen years. Michael tells me all about the ups and downs of a typical actor's life. "You constantly strive to deliver a perfect performance, often under imperfect or unpleasant conditions."

I ask Michael how he feels when he's performing. "One of the most amazing feelings I have," he tells me, "is standing in front of an audience knowing that they expressly came to see me perform. It fills me with two overwhelming sensations: joy and extreme gratitude!"

4. The Circus Performer

Zhao Jian explains to me how she came to be touring the world as a hand balancer with a circus troupe. "As a young girl I was always jumping around," she tells me, "so one day my mum suggested that I enrol in one of the many acrobatic schools in Wuqiao county. We followed an exceptionally harsh programme, waking at five thirty in the morning each day to begin eight hours of tough physical exercises." And now that she has a job in the circus? "I practise an acrobatic move over and over again before I'm ready to perform it." I ask her if she has any regrets. She answers me without the least hesitation: "No, I was made for this life."

1. Camping Safari

This safari in the Masai Mara Game Reserve offers comfortable accommodation in tents which are fully equipped with beds, sheets, blankets and mosquito nets. Each day there is a drive through the reserve. Back at the camp in the evening you will enjoy a meal cooked over a traditional wood fire. Optional activities include guided nature walks and a visit to Lake Bogoria, which is generally covered with huge flocks of flamingos. However, there are other attractions at the lake, such as the magnificent hotsprings.

2. Family Safari

This safari has been created with families particularly in mind. Guests will stay at the comfortable, family-friendly Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi, which boasts one of the best swimming pools in Kenya. Don't miss a visit to the Giraffe Centre, a self-guided forest hike followed by an up-close encounter with tame giraffes. But this is not just a city holiday. There are morning and evening game drives against the magnificent backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro, all suitable for small children as there are always plenty of big wild animals to see, including elephants, leopards and the now rare Serval cat. The hotel also offers an evening babysitting service.

3. Cultural Safari

All visitors spend their first night at a small lodge situated in a lush wooded area close to the Masai Mara. Game Reserve in Kenya. Thereafter, you will stay in several locations, including in a tribal bush village where you will have the wonderful opportunity to learn about the Masai culture and traditions and purchase some of their unique handicrafts. A short drive from the village will also take you to meet nomadic hunters or 'bushmen' from the Hadzabe and Datoga tribes. This safari experience also includes several game drives through the reserve, where you may be lucky enough to have the chance to photograph the spectacular annual migration of one million wildebeest (ан­ти­ло­па гну) across the plains.

4. Chimpanzee Safari

At the beginning of this tour, visitors are treated to an overnight stay in a cottage built in the colonial style of a hundred years ago and overlooking Lake Tanganyika, estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake in the world. Then, three days are spent tracking chimps in the forest, which is a truly unforgettable experience. Photography is permitted but care should be taken not to upset or frighten the animals. During this part of the tour, accommodation is in luxury tents. The safari ends with a climb to the majestic Kakombe Waterfalls.

1. Camping Safari

This safari in the Masai Mara Game Reserve offers comfortable accommodation in tents which are fully equipped with beds, sheets, blankets and mosquito nets. Each day there is a drive through the reserve. Back at the camp in the evening you will enjoy a meal cooked over a traditional wood fire. Optional activities include guided nature walks and a visit to Lake Bogoria, which is generally covered with huge flocks of flamingos. However, there are other attractions at the lake, such as the magnificent hotsprings.

2. Family Safari

This safari has been created with families particularly in mind. Guests will stay at the comfortable, family-friendly Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi, which boasts one of the best swimming pools in Kenya. Don't miss a visit to the Giraffe Centre, a self-guided forest hike followed by an up-close encounter with tame giraffes. But this is not just a city holiday. There are morning and evening game drives against the magnificent backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro, all suitable for small children as there are always plenty of big wild animals to see, including elephants, leopards and the now rare Serval cat. The hotel also offers an evening babysitting service.

3. Cultural Safari

All visitors spend their first night at a small lodge situated in a lush wooded area close to the Masai Mara. Game Reserve in Kenya. Thereafter, you will stay in several locations, including in a tribal bush village where you will have the wonderful opportunity to learn about the Masai culture and traditions and purchase some of their unique handicrafts. A short drive from the village will also take you to meet nomadic hunters or 'bushmen' from the Hadzabe and Datoga tribes. This safari experience also includes several game drives through the reserve, where you may be lucky enough to have the chance to photograph the spectacular annual migration of one million wildebeest (ан­ти­ло­па гну) across the plains.

4. Chimpanzee Safari

At the beginning of this tour, visitors are treated to an overnight stay in a cottage built in the colonial style of a hundred years ago and overlooking Lake Tanganyika, estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake in the world. Then, three days are spent tracking chimps in the forest, which is a truly unforgettable experience. Photography is permitted but care should be taken not to upset or frighten the animals. During this part of the tour, accommodation is in luxury tents. The safari ends with a climb to the majestic Kakombe Waterfalls.

1. Paula West: Seville, Spain

For our first ever visit to Andalucia we based ourselves in the splendid Parador de Carmona, a former 14th century Arabic fortress, which has been converted into a hotel and restaurant. The small town of Carmona is just a half-hour bus ride from Seville, Spain's fourth largest city and the capital of Andalucia. We spent the morning climbing La Giralda tower before stopping for lunch. The temperatures at midday are very high in Seville, so we cooled down with gazpacho, the delicious cold soup made with tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.

2. Jo Smith: Dubai

Dubai has clearly grown in popularity as a holiday destination since my first visit five years ago. The number of hotels has risen and there are now far more activities on offer to tourists. On my recent holiday there in April, I avoided the water-skiing, windsurfing and horse-riding, and chose instead to visit the oasis town of Dhaid. Being early spring, it was pleasantly warm with daytime temperatures in the low 30s, dropping to a cool 15 °C at night. Dubai has always been a marvellous place to shop, with a wide range of souvenirs on offer in the Bedouin markets. I resisted the temptation, however, promising myself I would buy something on my next visit.

3. Katie Smart: Marrakech, Morocco

I never tire of going to Marrakech, and the market, or 'souk', in the old town is always first on my itinerary. It has a wonderful selection of rugs, jewellery, pottery and leather bags, and I normally come home with enough items to fill a suitcase  — and my last visit there was no exception. But I am particularly attracted by the tremendous warmth and good humour of the inhabitants of Marrakech, who are delighted to be able to offer their hospitality and welcome foreign visitors to their city.

4. Fiona Miller: Lake Garda, Italy

My husband and I chose Lake Garda as our honeymoon destination and fell in love with its magnificent mountain setting and pretty lakeside villages. Based in the medieval town of Garda, we took advantage of the numerous outings organised by our tour operator to the many other resorts on the shores of the lake: Desenzano, with its 16th century cathedral; Malcesine, with its impressive castle built on a huge rock; and Limone, with its distinctive lemon groves and charming beach. We were so taken with the beauty of the area that we barely noticed the light showers which accompanied us on all our trips.

1. Paula West: Seville, Spain

For our first ever visit to Andalucia we based ourselves in the splendid Parador de Carmona, a former 14th century Arabic fortress, which has been converted into a hotel and restaurant. The small town of Carmona is just a half-hour bus ride from Seville, Spain's fourth largest city and the capital of Andalucia. We spent the morning climbing La Giralda tower before stopping for lunch. The temperatures at midday are very high in Seville, so we cooled down with gazpacho, the delicious cold soup made with tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.

2. Jo Smith: Dubai

Dubai has clearly grown in popularity as a holiday destination since my first visit five years ago. The number of hotels has risen and there are now far more activities on offer to tourists. On my recent holiday there in April, I avoided the water-skiing, windsurfing and horse-riding, and chose instead to visit the oasis town of Dhaid. Being early spring, it was pleasantly warm with daytime temperatures in the low 30s, dropping to a cool 15 °C at night. Dubai has always been a marvellous place to shop, with a wide range of souvenirs on offer in the Bedouin markets. I resisted the temptation, however, promising myself I would buy something on my next visit.

3. Katie Smart: Marrakech, Morocco

I never tire of going to Marrakech, and the market, or 'souk', in the old town is always first on my itinerary. It has a wonderful selection of rugs, jewellery, pottery and leather bags, and I normally come home with enough items to fill a suitcase  — and my last visit there was no exception. But I am particularly attracted by the tremendous warmth and good humour of the inhabitants of Marrakech, who are delighted to be able to offer their hospitality and welcome foreign visitors to their city.

4. Fiona Miller: Lake Garda, Italy

My husband and I chose Lake Garda as our honeymoon destination and fell in love with its magnificent mountain setting and pretty lakeside villages. Based in the medieval town of Garda, we took advantage of the numerous outings organised by our tour operator to the many other resorts on the shores of the lake: Desenzano, with its 16th century cathedral; Malcesine, with its impressive castle built on a huge rock; and Limone, with its distinctive lemon groves and charming beach. We were so taken with the beauty of the area that we barely noticed the light showers which accompanied us on all our trips.

1. Stacey

I had lessons in Hindi at a local language school. Unfortunately the only class available at my level was late in the evening. So after a long day at school, and then all the written homework we have to do, I didn't have a lot of energy left for language learning. Also, some of my classmates were much older than me and I didn't really get to know them. But that didn't matter because whenever we did group activities, which I'd never done before, but took to straight away, I made sure I was with the younger ones. I was having lessons every evening and that was costing my parents quite a lot, but we'd booked to go to India later that year so there was no time to lose.

2. Chloe

I really want to learn Polish so I bought a course of language lessons as an MP3 to play on my iPod. That meant I could work on it anywhere I went, particularly at those times when you've got nothing to do, like standing at the bus stop. Once I was concentrating so hard on getting a grammar point right that I completely forgot I was on the bus and I started repeating restaurant phrases aloud. I felt a bit uncomfortable when I noticed everyone looking at me, so I didn't do that again. Actually, one problem with learning on my own was not knowing when I was saying words properly and when I wasn't. Overall, though, it was a useful course and I think it was good value for money.

3. Amy

I used the Internet to improve my Spanish. It cost nothing, of course, and although at first I didn't know quite where to look, in the end I came across some great websites where I could practise reading and listening and do grammar exercises. At the same time, I was joining social networking sites and getting in touch with Spanish-speaking teenagers from various parts of the world. I also tried online chat in Spanish, but I couldn't keep up with people. All the time I was thinking about my grammar and it was taking me so long to reply to each sentence after I'd read it that I didn't think it was fair on them, so I gave up. I'll try again sometime, though.

4. Laura

I was living with an English-speaking family and the idea was that I'd pick up a lot of language by being there with them, but it just wasn't happening. Everyone watched television all the time and rarely spoke to me. After a week I left and moved in with a couple who had young children, and that was better. They were all very friendly and I could chat with them anytime, really. When I got things wrong they would often correct me and I think that helped me improve my speaking a lot. I would also have liked to be nearer the city centre, because the house was so far out of town that I couldn't get to the kinds of places where other teenagers went in the evenings.

1. Stacey

I had lessons in Hindi at a local language school. Unfortunately the only class available at my level was late in the evening. So after a long day at school, and then all the written homework we have to do, I didn't have a lot of energy left for language learning. Also, some of my classmates were much older than me and I didn't really get to know them. But that didn't matter because whenever we did group activities, which I'd never done before, but took to straight away, I made sure I was with the younger ones. I was having lessons every evening and that was costing my parents quite a lot, but we'd booked to go to India later that year so there was no time to lose.

2. Chloe

I really want to learn Polish so I bought a course of language lessons as an MP3 to play on my iPod. That meant I could work on it anywhere I went, particularly at those times when you've got nothing to do, like standing at the bus stop. Once I was concentrating so hard on getting a grammar point right that I completely forgot I was on the bus and I started repeating restaurant phrases aloud. I felt a bit uncomfortable when I noticed everyone looking at me, so I didn't do that again. Actually, one problem with learning on my own was not knowing when I was saying words properly and when I wasn't. Overall, though, it was a useful course and I think it was good value for money.

3. Amy

I used the Internet to improve my Spanish. It cost nothing, of course, and although at first I didn't know quite where to look, in the end I came across some great websites where I could practise reading and listening and do grammar exercises. At the same time, I was joining social networking sites and getting in touch with Spanish-speaking teenagers from various parts of the world. I also tried online chat in Spanish, but I couldn't keep up with people. All the time I was thinking about my grammar and it was taking me so long to reply to each sentence after I'd read it that I didn't think it was fair on them, so I gave up. I'll try again sometime, though.

4. Laura

I was living with an English-speaking family and the idea was that I'd pick up a lot of language by being there with them, but it just wasn't happening. Everyone watched television all the time and rarely spoke to me. After a week I left and moved in with a couple who had young children, and that was better. They were all very friendly and I could chat with them anytime, really. When I got things wrong they would often correct me and I think that helped me improve my speaking a lot. I would also have liked to be nearer the city centre, because the house was so far out of town that I couldn't get to the kinds of places where other teenagers went in the evenings.

1.  Primary-school teacher Anisha Kapoor went to the Green Magic Nature Resort in Kerala, south-west India. "It wasn't my first experience of tree-house living," she says, but it was certainly the best. The houses are entirely built and maintained by workers from the area, using traditional techniques and local materials. For instance, the lifts up to the front doors are made of cane (трост­ник) grown in nearby fields. They work fine, by the way, and I was glad there were no stairs to climb  — the houses are 25 metres up! That's good, though, because at that height there's often a cool breeze blowing through the branches."

2.  Ever since TV researcher Whitney Martin worked on a programme about tree houses, she'd dreamt about staying in one. So when her neighbours happened to mention they had just such a place in Alaska, and asked whether she'd like to spend a fortnight there in July, she said 'yes' without a moment's hesitation. "I couldn't believe it when I saw it," she says, "it had everything: even hot running water and cable TV. The only disadvantage of being there at that time of the year was the huge number of mosquitoes. I must have been bitten a hundred times."

3.  Australian technician Richie O'Hara was a guest at the Hinchinbrook Island Wilderness Lodge, on an island off the north coast of tropical Queensland. "The wooden tree house was quite comfortable," he says, "and they had all the advertised facilities such as running water and a fridge. Actually, I hadn't fully read the brochure, so when I arrived, I was surprised to find an internet connection in the house. I found plenty of healthy things to do, like canoeing and diving. That was great. After a week or so, though, I was a little tired of the climb to and from the house, so I doubt whether I'd repeat the tree-top experience. But I'm sure kids would love it  — it's just a pity I didn't go there when I was about ten!'

4.  Medical student Kirsty Hammond spent a week in Tanzania's Lake Manyara National park, at the Lake Manyara Tree Lodge. As we approached it," she says, "we glimpsed the buildings up among the branches, with the Great Rift Valley in the background. It was a wonderful sight. The houses were comfortable, too, with running water, a well-equipped bathroom and, fortunately, large mosquito nets above the beds  — I'm very aware of the dangers if they bite you. I also liked the fact that almost everything was above ground, even the restaurant. The only problem there was the high night-time temperature: although my bedroom had an overhead fan, I didn't sleep very well. But generally I had a great time."

1.  Primary-school teacher Anisha Kapoor went to the Green Magic Nature Resort in Kerala, south-west India. "It wasn't my first experience of tree-house living," she says, but it was certainly the best. The houses are entirely built and maintained by workers from the area, using traditional techniques and local materials. For instance, the lifts up to the front doors are made of cane (трост­ник) grown in nearby fields. They work fine, by the way, and I was glad there were no stairs to climb  — the houses are 25 metres up! That's good, though, because at that height there's often a cool breeze blowing through the branches."

2.  Ever since TV researcher Whitney Martin worked on a programme about tree houses, she'd dreamt about staying in one. So when her neighbours happened to mention they had just such a place in Alaska, and asked whether she'd like to spend a fortnight there in July, she said 'yes' without a moment's hesitation. "I couldn't believe it when I saw it," she says, "it had everything: even hot running water and cable TV. The only disadvantage of being there at that time of the year was the huge number of mosquitoes. I must have been bitten a hundred times."

3.  Australian technician Richie O'Hara was a guest at the Hinchinbrook Island Wilderness Lodge, on an island off the north coast of tropical Queensland. "The wooden tree house was quite comfortable," he says, "and they had all the advertised facilities such as running water and a fridge. Actually, I hadn't fully read the brochure, so when I arrived, I was surprised to find an internet connection in the house. I found plenty of healthy things to do, like canoeing and diving. That was great. After a week or so, though, I was a little tired of the climb to and from the house, so I doubt whether I'd repeat the tree-top experience. But I'm sure kids would love it  — it's just a pity I didn't go there when I was about ten!'

4.  Medical student Kirsty Hammond spent a week in Tanzania's Lake Manyara National park, at the Lake Manyara Tree Lodge. As we approached it," she says, "we glimpsed the buildings up among the branches, with the Great Rift Valley in the background. It was a wonderful sight. The houses were comfortable, too, with running water, a well-equipped bathroom and, fortunately, large mosquito nets above the beds  — I'm very aware of the dangers if they bite you. I also liked the fact that almost everything was above ground, even the restaurant. The only problem there was the high night-time temperature: although my bedroom had an overhead fan, I didn't sleep very well. But generally I had a great time."