Dear Readers . . .

Our new Special is full of great ideas for summer days out. Pat Coulter visits the Weald and Downland Living Museum in West Sussex, home of TV’s “The Repair Shop”, Lorna Cowan takes a literary tour in Yorkshire inspired by the Brontë sisters and Polly Pullar continues her odyssey around the islands of Scotland’s Inner Hebrides.

Dianne Boardman enjoys a South Seas adventure on the Windward Isles, while Laura Brown celebrates the achievements of female cyclists through the decades and Ali Henderson meets a woman whose life was changed by a fox.

Fiction fans will love our selection of 14 original short stories by favourite authors and a thrilling eight-page murder mystery by Hilary Spiers.

We also have healthy Japanese-style recipes to try, pretty lavender bags to make and puzzles to keep your mind sharp.