Monique Callado's Open Salon Blog

It’s too easy to blame dads

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:11:56 -0500

When my stepson, Alex, was a child, he lived in Birmingham, and his father and I lived in London. My husband used to scour the capital every weekend for postcards — from museums, galleries, anywhere to send to him. For several years, almost very day, he’d compose some awful bit of doggerel about the picture and send it off — a way of saying “I may not be seeing you today but I’m thinking about you.” Alex now has a child of his own; and a box on a shelf that contains every single one of those postcards.

When he fetched the box out last Christmas — postcard after postcard keeping the link — we were reminded how important it was to keep that contact. Adults may be able to hold on to a relationship many miles and many days apart, but it’s far harder for children. They need their parents to be there for them.

This kind of regular contact between separated families seems to be getting harder to maintain. Most parents will say that their child’s welfare is their main priority during a separation, but according to a new study of more than 4,000 people by the law firm Mishcon de Reya, more than a third of children lose touch with their father after their parents separate.

‘Obama effect’ lures British school-leavers to US universiti

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:11:29 -0500

More British school-leavers are heading to American universities to avoid a culture that produces exam junkies, according to a leading headmaster. The “Obama effect” has also been credited for encouraging record numbers of British teenagers to begin studying in the United States this autumn.

America is the most popular foreign destination for British school-leavers but Britain is also the No 1 choice for American teenagers studying abroad.

The British Council has just announced that it will contribute $500,000 (£300,000) to facilitate partnerships between universities in the two countries because of the Obama Administration and a change in US foreign policy.

Sausage with rocket and rigatoni

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:11:18 -0500

Method

1 Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the rigatoni. Reduce the heat and simmer for 12 minutes, or according to packet instructions, until al dente.

2 Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, tossing occasionally for three to four minutes until it is nicely sautéed.

3 Add the tomato sauce and the dried chilli to the sausage reduce the heat and simmer gently for two to three minutes.

4 Drain the pasta and add it to the tomato sauce. Stir in the rocket and serve immediately with Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.

Salisbury: an über-town that has bucked the recession

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:11:54 -0500

Does the Teflon town exist? A place where the ravages of recession have not hit jobs and house prices, where affluence has acquired a certain resilience? A few months ago, the answer would have been no — even in Kensington and Chelsea, house prices fell by 16 per cent in the seven months to February. But it’s now well on the way to recovery, accompanied quietly by towns with attractive period housing stock, excellent state schools, fast transport connections and beautiful countryside on the doorstep. This specific combination has allowed these über-towns to buck the trend.

Salisbury in Wiltshire is one such. Close enough to London to attract second-home owners, it is far enough away to put off the commuting hordes. It is technically a city, though with a population of around 50,000, it feels more like a big market town. Simon Powell, of Chesterton Humberts’ Castle Street office, says: “The magic of Salisbury is the five river valleys, which mean you cannot see the city from any of the approach roads, only the spire of the cathedral.”