The Week - UK (2021-02-13)

LEISURE 41

13 February 2021 THE WEEK

Consumer

New cars: whatthe critics say

Tips oftheweek... how to

make your own herbaltea

And for those who

have everything...

VolkswagenID.3

from£32,990

TheDaily Telegraph

“Moveover Golf.” There

is anew “VWofchoice”

–oratleast therewillbe

once we’re all committed

to owning electric cars.

The ID.3 is acompact,

efficientfamily car that,

just like theGolf, is

“sensible without feeling

boring,andcomfo rtable

without beingdull”. It’s

relativelyaffordable, and

is great even in its cheapest

form.Thismightjust

be the“most important

new car”around.

What Car?

There’s no denying that

this isareally good car.

It has “morethan enough

space” inside, andplenty

of roomfor storage, too,

with asolid 385-litre

boot.But if one thing lets

it down,it’s the interior

quality andtech.While

it ha sanice“futuristic

feel” about it,the touch-

sensitive controls (in place

of buttons) areirritating,

andthe infotainment

system is laggyand

confusinglylaidout.

Auto Express

At launch, the ID.3has

a201bhpmotorthat can

be powered bya58kWh

battery witha263-m ile

range, ora77kW h(336

miles). The carfeels“eager

and smooth” to drive, and

the suspension offers

“plenty of comfort”. It is

noticeably quieter thana

Golf on the move, andits

greatturning circle makes

it very manoeuvrable.

As a“snapshot of VW’s

future”, this carlooks

“extremely competitive”.

● Consider planting herbs that go well

in tea together, to createa“tea pot”. Try

lemon verbena, lemon bee balm (or

bergamot) and Indian mint. If you prefer

astron gminty tea, go for Spanish mint,

which hasaspearmint flavour, or black

peppermint, which goes well with black tea.

● Pick leaves, flowers or ripe seed heads

early in the morning before the Sun has

evaporated the essential oils. Older,

stronger leaves are best for tea.

● Hang bunches of herbs upside down in

awarmdry place, withapaper bag tied

around them, to air-dry. You can also lay

them onadrying frame (muslin stretched

overawooden frame, turning every 12

hours), useadehydrator, or an oven at 38°C.

● Dried herbs stored in sterilised, airtight

jars out of sunlight can keep for 12 months.

● One cup needsateaspoon of dried herbs

or two teaspoons of crushed fresh herbs.

● Usingalittl edried stevia or honey can

improve or enhance the flavour.

SOURCE:THE DAILY TELEGRAPH SOURCE: WIRED SOURCE: THE SUNDAY TIMES

SOURCES: T3/THE INDEPENDENT/EXPERT REVIEWS

With Voy’sTurnable glassesyoucan wear

the same pair for reading,driving,working

or distance viewing.Atiny dialat th etop

of thelensescan adjus tthem from -5D to

+2D. The frames,whichcome inarange of

colours, willstart shippingnext month.

from $79; voyglasses.com

Createdbythe“enthusiasmpowerhouse”

Nikki Pebbles, US-basedRock Your Body

Methodoffers classes focused on fun and

body positivity. Find them on YouTube and

the website, with sessions themed around

the music of pop stars including Lizzo and

Ariana Grande (rockyourbodyonline.com).

The London gymMove Your Frameis

offering online classes for £7, or £25 for six.

Lessons include 90s Dance Cardio, Frame

Rave, Strictly Come Frame (including

rumba, jive and samba), and Music Video

(hip-hop) (moveyourframe.com).

Trainer Caleb Marshall uploads free,

inclusive classes to his YouTube channel,

The Fitness Marshall.They are filled with

short, step by step routines to fun cheesy

pop (youtube.com/TheFitnessMarshall).

Learn beginner breakdancing in nine

easy-to-follow ten-minute classes with the

dancer Bboy Machine atSteezy Studios.

The US studio teaches plenty of other

styles too, from krump to K-pop (steezy.co).

The best... sewing machines

Where tofind...

dance workoutsonline

BernettebyBernina

B35SewingMachine

Berninaisthe“brand

ofchoice”formost

professionals;thisis

intheirvaluerange,but

ithasallthebasics,

including 23 stitch

styles(£269;singer

outlet.co.uk).

Janome 6234XL

OverlockerThis

advanced model has

an overlocker, for a

professional finish

on hems and seams.

It gives precision

control over all

kinds of fabric,

and comes with a

useful instructional

DVD (£479; sewing

machines.co.uk).

Silver 12 StitchMini

SewingMachineSuited

tobeginnerslookingfor

acheapmachinetoget

started,thismodelhas 12

stitchoptionswithclearly

labelledbuttons.Bearin

mindthatitwillworkbest

onlightweightfabrics

(£59;johnlewis.com).

Brother

Innov-isV5LE

Atthetopofthe

range,thishas

hundredsofpre-

setembroidery

patterns,fonts

anddesignsthat

itcanstitchonto

fabricsforyou.Italsohasautomatedthreading

andwindingfunctions;onthedownside,itis

largeandheavy(£2,999;brothermachines.com).

SingerHeavyDuty

4432 SewingMachine

Ifyouwanttoworkon

heavyfabricssuchas

denimorleather,or

multiplelayersoffabric,

thisheavy-duty,

quick-working

modelisagood

option(£335;

johnlewis.com).

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