Daily Express Wednesday, April 8, 2020 11TO LIFT THE GLOOM
Pictures: PA0LUUHQ &XOWLYDWHNLGVWREHJDUGHQHUV
Dame Helen says schools should teach gardeningDAME Helen Mirren has called By Mark Jefferies
on schools to teach pupils
gardening as too few know
how to grow plants.
As households focus on their
gardens during the lockdown,
the Oscar-winning actress has
revealed how her long-standing
passion for horticulture has
helped keep her “dark
dragons” at bay.
She says it should be included
in school curriculums so future
generations can benefit too.
Dame Helen, 74, said: “It
satisfies what I call my appetite
for solitude. Gardens and greenspaces are vital for people and
the planet. Not enough young
people garden or even know
how to. They should teach it in
schools. It’s such a positive
thing to do and very useful.
Gardening is learning, learning,
learning. That’s part of the fun
of it. You are always learning.”
In an article in Yours
magazine, the star – who even
creates temporary gardens
while filming – says she took to
horticulture as an aspiring
actress in the 1960s. She said:“My penchant for gardening
came during my time at the
Royal Shakespeare Company
in Stratford.
“It was while I was at
Stratford that I developed a
passion for the outdoors.
Getting your hands dirty, diving
down to the root of it all and
finding the real joy of growth.”
Dame Helen has used
gardening as a way to stay close
to nature. She said: “Nature has
become a passion and a tonic
for me so finding a way to keep
it close is a priority. I even
made a garden outside mytrailer in Lithuania while I was
shooting (2005 TV series)
Elizabeth I.
“I am not very good at
turning off and doing nothing
but gardening is a wonderful
thing to do because it is
absorbing, meditative, a
learning process and it is
physical. I love to spend time in
my garden.
“If I have a few
free hours I love to dig around
in the dirt. It’s so calming and a
really good way of keeping
those dark dragons away which
I do have at times.”Glamorous
By News Reporter0\ROG0DQGVD
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BRITAIN’S Got Talent judge
Amanda Holden proves she
never looks rubbish – even
when she’s taking out her bin.
The star shared her funny
snap while dressed in a pink
evening gown at a time most of
us have been slobbing around
in old tracksuits and pyjamas.
Amanda, 49, who is known
for wearing slinky gowns on
the ITV show, captioned the
photo: “Wheelie wanted to
dress up tonight!”
She also posted other
pictures including one where
she showed some leg while
taking the bin to the end
of her drive.Her glamorous photos, just
days before BGT begins its
14th series on ITV, inspired
her celebrity pal Alan Carr, 43,
to take out his bin in a
shimmering silver jumpsuit
and bright orange wig.
He was recorded in the
outrageous get-up by his
husband Paul Drayton, who
posted the video to Instagram.
Paul wrote: “At last I’ve
managed to get him to put the
bins out!!” before thanking
Amanda for inspiring Alan
to get dressed up for
the occasion.
Several of the comedian’s
followers commented on the
picture, with one writing: “Oh
dear, that’s made my day,”
while another joked: “I’m
gonna do this tonight.”
● Britain’s Got Talent starts at
8pm on Saturday on ITV.Amanda in her pink
evening frock which
inspired TV star
Alan Carr, right