Today is national NoSmokingDay. – Quit4Covid and for your mental health.

There’s never been a better time to quit – and if you’re worried about how you’ll cope, quitting can actually improve your mental wellbeing, as well as your physical health.  

Many smokers believe that smoking helps to relieve stress, anxiety and low mood, when in fact the opposite is true. Today, for the first time, the national No Smoking Day campaign will focus on the significant benefits of quitting for mental health and wellbeing. This is the start of a new conversation that feels particularly relevant as we set our sights towards the national recovery from COVID-19. Find out more here: https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/2021/03/10/time-to-talk-about-smoking-and-mental-health-in-a-pandemic-no-smoking-day-2021/

For help and support in Leeds visit https://oneyouleeds.co.uk/be-smoke-free/ or call 0800 169 4219

In the past year, One You Leeds – the city’s stop smoking service – has seen a significant increase in the number of people accessing support. Meanwhile nationally, over half a million people have made a quit attempt since the COVID-19 outbreak.

Smokers risk a range of serious long-term health problems.

Most importantly at this time, smoking impairs lung function, making it more difficult for the body to fight off diseases such as COVID 19. Furthermore, the repetitive hand-to-mouth motion associated with smoking provides an easy route of entry, putting smokers at greater risk of contracting the virus.

Wider health benefits of stopping smoking include improved circulation, breathing and mental health – as well as a significantly reduced risk of cancer.

Poetry Corner: ‘Kid Stuff’ by Brian Bendall

Many, many years ago
When I was just a kid,
And I had just began to grow,
There’s stuff I had and did.

I’m thinking back on all those things
That life saw fit to give me.
If I can’t remember everything,
I hope you will forgive me.

Chocolate candy cigarettes
And big bubble gum cigars.
Mini Bricks and Red Ball Jets,
Hopscotch and Dinky cars.

Mercurochrome and iodine;
Band-aids in a can.
Your watch required a daily wind,
And Etch-A-Sketch was grand.

In school, the teacher had to see
Just what you had to do.
You held one finger up for pee;
You held up two for poo!

Marbles, Slinkys, Lincoln Logs,
Ker Plunk and Pick Up Sticks,
With Yo-yos, you could “walk the dog,”
And ice cream came in bricks.

Arrows all had suction cups
And guns had rolls of caps.
Paddle Balls and Tonka Trucks
Big red lips were wax,

Measles, mumps, and chicken pox
Always seemed to flare.
They opened up Pandora’s Box
And caught us unaware!

With medicine and care from mom,
Our time in bed was cut!
But I can’t remember anyone
Allergic to a nut!

Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys
And also Brothers Grimm.
But Mark Twain was my pride and joy!
I never could resist him!

Hide and seek and tag were there.
New energy we found!
No more teacher scorns to bear
When summer came around.

PF Flyer running shoes,
Steel roller skates had keys.
There were phone booths we could use
If there’s emergencies.

Rolling down a grassy hill
In parks was a delight.
Nicky Nine Doors was a thrill,
But only played at night!

We rode our bikes with playing cards
Flapping on our spokes.
We played in all our friends’ backyards
And told our “Knock Knock” jokes.

Climbing fences, climbing trees
Were common things to do.
Getting bruised or skinning knees?
That was nothing new!

Two wheel scooters, kiddy cars,
We had Soap Box Rallies.
Baseball teams and monkey bars
And close by bowling alleys.

In winter, there were snowball fights
And snow forts for protection.
And when a bitter wind would bite,
Few kids raised objection!

Speeding down a snowy slope
On sleds and blown up tires.
“Is it too steep?” We all said, “Nope!”
We wanted to go higher!

In our teens were Levi jeans,
Duck and pony tails.
Sock hops were a common scene
Where dancing would prevail.

Bobby socks and poodle skirts
And continental slacks.
White buck shoes and fancy shirts,
Guitars and wailing sax!

Computers? What on Earth were they?!
Well, they would show up later.
And none I knew could dare display
Cell phones or calculators!

Many things I’ve mentioned here
Are still with us today.
But lots of kids, it does appear,
Ignore this great buffet!

What happened to the world I knew?
Have kids today stopped growing?
If time machines were really true,
I know where I’d be going!

Source: www familyfriendpoems com

Monday Mind Work answers for Monday 8th March 2021 celebrating International Women’s Day

Monday Mind Work’ answers from yesterday’s workout themed in celebration of International Women’s Day

1.Which suffragette stepped in front of King George V’s horse Anmer at the Epsom Derby on 4 June 1913 and suffered fatal injuries?

a) Emily Davison

2.1975: Junko Tabei, first woman to achieve?
b) Climb Mount Everest

3. Marie Curie discovery of two elements, can you name both?

a) Polonium and radium

4. 1955, Rosa Parks (‘The First Lady of Civil Rights’) became famous for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger in which American city?

b) Montgomery, Alabama

5. Margaret Susan Ryder was born in Leeds in 1924 and opened the Sue Ryder Foundation in what year?
b) 1953

6. Which actress became the first to win a Best Actress Academy Award for a non-English language performance with her 1961 role in Two Women?

b) Sophia Loren

7. Who said: ‘I married beneath me. All women do.’?
a) Lady Nancy Astor

8. Who is generally regarded as the richest self-made woman in America?

b) Oprah Winfrey

9. Can you name the first Woman Yorkshire MP in 1945, was it?

a) Alice Bacon

10 Nicola Adams was the first woman to win an Olympic gold at London 2012 for what?

b) boxing

Covid vaccine for those aged 56-59

As the vaccine programme continues to move down the priority groups, people aged 56-59 are now being offered their first dose.

People in this age group will be receiving letters inviting them to book an appointment either through the online booking service http://www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination or by calling 119.  Those who receive a letter can choose from more than 100 large scale vaccination centres or almost 200 pharmacy services.  However, if you would rather wait to be called by your GP you do not need to respond to the letter and your GP will be in touch – you may have to wait a bit longer though.

You don’t need to call your GP – they will be in touch with you in due course.

The COVID-19 vaccine, just like any other vaccine, works by teaching your immune system how to defend itself against attack from the virus.

 

‘Monday Mind Work’: Monday 8th March 2021 celebrating International Women’s Day

Monday Mind Work’ today is in celebration of International Women’s Day

Welcome to ‘some’ Famous Women Quiz Questions and Trivia

1.Which suffragette stepped in front of King George V’s horse Anmer at the Epsom Derby on 4 June 1913 and suffered fatal injuries?

a) Emily Davison or c) Emily BraveIn

2.1975: Junko Tabei, first woman to achieve?
a) swam the channel or b) Climb Mount Everest

3. Marie Curie discovery of two elements, can you name both?

a) Polonium and radium or b) Flourine and NitrogenIn

4. 1955, Rosa Parks (‘The First Lady of Civil Rights’) became famous for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger in which American city?
a) New York City or b) Montgomery, Alabama

5. Margaret Susan Ryder was born in Leeds in 1924 and opened the Sue Ryder Foundation in what year?
a) 1943 or b) 1953

6. Which actress became the first to win a Best Actress Academy Award for a non-English language performance with her 1961 role in Two Women?

a) Marilyne Monroe or b) Sophia Loren

7. Who said: ‘I married beneath me. All women do.’?
a) Lady Nancy Astor or b) The Queen

8. Who is generally regarded as the richest self-made woman in America?

a) Madonna or b) Oprah Winfrey

9. Can you name the first Woman Yorkshire MP in 1945, was it?

a) Alice Bacon or b) Alice in Wonderland.

10 Nicola Adams was the first woman to win an Olympic gold at London 2012 for what?

a) running or b) boxing

Online event – M&S’s Welfare Warrior: Flora Solomon

An online talk to celebrate International Women’s Day, discover the lasting legacy of Flora Solomon, who established M&S’s pioneering Employee Welfare Department in the 1930s.

Online event - M&S's Welfare Warrior: Flora Solomon

Online Event

This is a pre-recorded talk featuring original archive images introduced by our Archivist, who will be available to respond to questions during and following the talk.

Event starts at 12:30pm (running time – 40 minutes).

Booking Details

Advance booking is essential, please follow the link below to book your free ticket.

Click here to book your free ticket

You will receive full details of how to join the event 30 minutes before the start time by email. 

If you don’t get an email, please check your junk folder as it may be there – if not, get in touch with us at company.archive@marks-and-spencer.com or on Twitter @MandSHeritage for further advice.

 

Leeds in Conversation – all episodes

The Leeds in Conversation podcast was launched last year and you can  listen to series one in full by searching Leeds in Conversation on all major audio platforms including Spotify, Google Podcasts and iTunes.  Or find more details here: https://leedsinconversation.podbean.com/
Leeds In Conversation
The podcast brings together a diverse range of voices (including Kevin Sinfield!) from across Leeds to talk about all of the exciting changes and developments happening across the city.

Dedication Friday: ‘Wake Me Up’

Today’s dedication is by Aloe Bacc and is called ‘Wake Me Up’
Such a lovely tune.
Click on the link below
ps. If it asks you to sign into Youtube, just click on ‘no thanks’ and then click on ‘I agree’, you may also have to watch the start of an advert first, you can skip ad once it shows bottom right – enjoy!
Aloe Blacc - Wake Me Up (Official) - YouTube