WINNERS LOSERS?

THUMBS UP

RADIO 4 presenter Jane Garvey wins for honesty this week after admitting she spends three-and-a-half hours a day on her mobile.

She reveals a phone app confirmed the astonishing time, and admits she’s a warning to her daughters. But she didn’t say if she called them to tell them the news.

SUSANNA REID struck another blow for womankind when the Good Morning Britain again took her co-host Piers Morgan to task, this time on the issue of hothousing child sports stars. Reid called him “deluded” and said: “I’m glad you’re not the father of my children,” as most female viewers probably nodded in agreement.

All of my memories growing up are of the outdoors and freedom. I’m from New Zealand and grew up with only two black-and-white TV channels. Now people can have a TV in every room but I feel more comfortable with nature. Seaweed foraging is something I stumbled on. I’ve been living in Scotland for eight years and worked for 12 years as a qualified chef. There’s a focus on getting people outside and into nature connection so I started community gardening in Glasgow. I taught workshops to show people how to supplement their gardens and their dinner table and foraged in my own time.

I wake up at 5am and meet my group at an arranged point. I have a core group of four who stick with me in the ocean; they appreciate being in nature. Even numbers are good because if something happens we can split into pairs. I have to be cautious as the tide can change unexpectedly. Once I was out harvesting and six-foot waves started rolling towards me in a matter of minutes.

The rocks with the seaweed are dangerous, so it’s important to wear special footwear that has spikes. The drysuits are recreational and used for kayaking but I use them for scrambling on rocks and they take a hammering. For the areas I can’t reach I use a canoe. My favourite part of the job is the environment. I love when sea life come right up to me and my team. I often see things most people don’t.

Different types of seaweed are available seasonally. I cut a 6ft long type of kelp called kombu. It’s heavy and after four hours of cutting with knives, I have it all. At that point, there are no rocks, just ocean, and that’s when the tide turns and the winds pick up. Most people doing activities leave