3 28 MARCH 2024 GOOD NEWS IN BRIEF This week’s uplifting stories from Anna Shepard Positive moves Keeping up simple habits, such as writing a journal, speaking to strangers and expressing gratitude, can have a lasting impact on your overall happiness, according to a study by the University of Bristol. As part of the Science of Happiness programme it runs for students, it found that those taught a range of ‘happiness hacks’ had better mental wellbeing two years later, but only if they practised them consistently. Four times the cuteness The UK’s rst quadruplets of a rare sheep breed have been born in Scotland. The Valais Blacknose lambs, dubbed ‘the world’s cutest sheep’, have been winning hearts with their shaggy coats and black noses at Whitehall Farm in Dumfriesshire. Emily Duncan, who runs the farm with her husband Henry, says it’s not just their looks drawing attention: “They are exceptionally friendly, which is another reason why people love them so much.” Fruitful giving BanktheFood, a charity that runs an app linking shoppers with local food banks, has teamed up with The Trussell Trust, to make it easier for people to nd out the best items to donate. As a result of the partnership, the charity is aiming to increase its food donations by 100,000 over the next year, and raise the number of people using the app. Seaside success If you fancy sur ng after work, lunching on lobster and being able to commute to Edinburgh in 25 minutes, all this is possible in North Berwick (below). The town has just become the rst in Scotland to be crowned the best place to live in the UK by The Sunday Times. The seaside spot o ers outdoor pursuits, such as sur ng, sailing and paddleboarding, and hosts a summer arts festival called Fringe by the Sea. After years of buying semi-skimmed or skimmed milk, shoppers are now reaching for full-fat as the trend for lessprocessed whole foods continues. Whole milk from grass-fed cows has a richer, creamier taste which has proven to be popular. At Waitrose, own-label whole milk sales are up more than 6% compared to this time last year, with Waitrose Duchy Organic whole milk up more than 11%. “The milk industry is down about 2% year-on-year, so these are huge swings,” says Rachel Aldridge, Waitrose Partner and milk buyer. “Customers see whole milk as less processed and more natural than semi-skimmed or skimmed, and better for their gut health. Whole milk is also naturally high in protein, so is a great source of nutrition.” Whole milk contains the most saturated fat, however nutrition experts including Dr Michael Mosley and professor Tim Spector are still fans, enjoying it as part of a healthy balanced diet, and their influence is being felt. In the Waitrose Food & Drink Report 2024, a third of people surveyed had switched from a low-fat dairy product to a full-fat one in the past 12 months, most commonly milk. Rachel says shoppers are also opting for unhomogenised rather than homogenised milk (which has been processed to disperse fat globules for an even texture). “Waitrose Duchy whole milk is closer to its natural state than homogenised milk, and preferred by some customers,” she says. Emma Higginbotham Tired egg puns – such as eggstraordinary and eggciting – have been banned by Waitrose this Easter, in a bid to give the festival the respect it deserves. In a lighthearted letter to shoppers, Partner & customer director Nathan Ansell apologises for the industry’s ‘atrocious’ egg gags, and says the retailer is taking a stand. “Easter deserves more than a bad pun,” he writes. “It’s a joyous season that should be celebrated with time together and plenty of fine British produce. That’s why we’re making a no egg-pun pledge. For the whole of Easter, we promise to not use any.” He signs off the letter saying: “I do hope you have an extraordinary, exceptional and exciting Easter. (Isn’t that so much nicer?)” The true spirit of Easter Renaissance for blue label milk Scotland is undergoing a huge rewilding programme, with more than 150 projects currently covering around 160,000 hectares. The gures were released by the Scottish Rewilding Alliance to mark the launch of its Rewilding Nation Charter, calling for Scotland to declare itself the world’s rst rewilding nation. The charter believes that rewilding 30% of Scotland can be achieved by restoring habitats, including peatlands, native woodlands, wetlands and rivers, with no loss of productive farmland. RETURN TO THE WILD Photographs: Sarah Cuttle, RHS / Charlotte Graham, Getty Images, Alamy
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