Category: NEWS

On October 15, the 2024 “Autumn and Winter Tours in Guangxi” product procurement conference took place in Nanning, Guangxi. During the event, 67 travel agencies in Guangxi showcased over 180 travel itineraries aimed at promoting Guangxi’s beautiful landscapes to both domestic and international travel businesses.

Ye Ping, Director of the Promotion and Marketing Department of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region’s Culture and Tourism Bureau, expressed confidence in the range of offerings. “The itineraries cover various types, including leisure vacations, wellness trips, educational travel, and self-driving tours. We believe these products will effectively meet the needs of buyers from around the world.” He emphasized the goal of the event: to encourage cross-industry, cross-border, and cross-regional collaboration among cultural and tourism enterprises, ultimately fostering market co-construction, resource sharing, product complementarity, and visitor exchange.

Gao Lin, Vice President and Secretary-General of the Guangxi Tourism Association, noted that the popularity of “Autumn and Winter Tours in Guangxi” has been increasing year by year. This year, Guangxi has introduced unique wellness tourism options, integrating local fruits and snacks into agricultural tourism to attract visitors from both near and far. Moreover, capitalizing on Guangxi’s geographical advantage bordering Vietnam, the conference included the introduction of the Guangxi-Vietnam cultural exchange routes, aimed at elevating the appeal of “Autumn and Winter Tours in Guangxi.”

The conference employed a hybrid format, combining online and offline elements through product promotion, travel product purchasing, live streaming sales, and corporate incentive policies, creating a “face-to-face” platform for Guangxi’s travel agencies, scenic spots, star-rated hotels, and homestays to engage with key global travel businesses.

At the promotion event, over 150 domestic and international travel merchants engaged in in-depth discussions with Guangxi tourism enterprises, resulting in more than 70 cooperation agreements, covering everything from attraction tickets and hotel bookings to homestay promotions and tour package sales.

Following the procurement conference, the organizers arranged for international guests to visit the border area between Guangxi and Vietnam to explore two specific travel routes called “Water Rhythm at the Border” and “Charming Guangxi.” The event was organized by the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and hosted by the Guangxi Tourism Association.

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said that many Nigerians lack basic hand washing facilities in their homes.
A WASH specialist from Enugu Field Officer of UNICEF, Mrs. Rebecca Gabriel stated this during a zonal press conference held in Enugu to commemorate this year’s Global Handwashing Day.
She identified lack of hand washing at critical times as some of the reason why people fall sick frequently.
Speaking on this year’s theme: Why clean hands are still important; Gabriel frowned at the level of awareness among the people and the unavailability of facilities for hand washing.
She said: “Data shows that only 35 percent of schools in Nigeria have hand washing facilities, and that is not good enough. Imagine a child in nursery or primary school coming to eat lunch after playing during break, without washing their hands, because the facilities are not there.
“Also, only eight percent of markets have hand washing facilities available, and you can imagine that. Up to 163million of Nigeria’s population, and that is about 83 percent do not have access to basic hand washing services.
“Government can begin to take action on these. They can provide for this in their budgets, especially now that states are preparing their budgets.“Beyond the good roads that we seek, beyond the fancy things government plan to do for the people, they can budget for provision of hand washing facilities.”
She mentioned five critical times to wash the hands to include; before cooking, before eating, before feeding children, after changing children’s diapers and after using the convenience.
She added that washing the hands with soap can curtail respiratory diseases by 20 percent, and 30 percent in diarrhea. She encouraged all to always ensure they wash their hands.
Earlier, Mr. Francis Nwaubani, the Managing Director of Broadcasting Corporation of Abia State (BCA), sponsors of the event said it has partnered with UNICEF to educate Nigerians on health and hygiene for five years, and will continue to do.

BBCThe couple fell in the water at Dovestone Reservoir at about 14:30 BST, GMP saidUnderwater teams are searching for a missing man after a couple in their 20s, believed to have been paddleboarding, fell into a reservoir.
Emergency services rescued a woman who went into the water at about 14:30 BST at Dovestone Reservoir, near Oldham, and were still searching for the man, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.
The woman was being treated by paramedics, the force said.
The Coastguard and Mountain Rescue are among those involved in the search rescue which will continue overnight. GMP urged people to avoid the area.
The force said: "The scene will be in place overnight and people are reminded to stay away from the search area.
"We are not stopping our search and are doing everything we can to locate the missing man."
Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas to [email protected] and via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.

By Akin Osuntokun 
A Bauole Chief does not see his Successor-Houphouet Boigny 
1 ) Oyo Empire 
Succession crisis in different degrees and manifestations is second nature to human society. One of the more intriguing aspects of the history of the Oyo empire was the ill starred role of Bashorun Gaa. The Alaafin (monarch) was at the pinnacle of the political power configuration of the empire but his monarchical authority was subject to the veto power of a state council comprising the seven leading kingmakers called the Oyomesi. At the head of this council was the Bashorun. In an intricate display of the constitutional regime of checks and balances, “all decisions of the Alafin (King) of Oyo required the approval of his council of chiefs… In former times, a gift of parrot’s eggs from the leader of the council was a sign to the Alafin that his death was desired by the chiefs and the people. Invariably the Alafin complied by taking poison, so the threat of a dread gift was a safeguard against tyrannical rule., the proscription of this custom by the British “dislocated the checks and balances of the old constitution” (Richard Sklar)
Within a timespan of twenty years,1754 to 1774, Bashorun Gaa (the head of the Oyomesi) exercised this power to an infernal extreme. In usurpation and subversion of the inbuilt checks and balances, he fostered the aberration of compelling five reigning Alaafins to commit suicide, one after another. His reign of terror ended with the ascension of Alaafin Abiodun who teamed up with the Aare Ona Kakanfo (the supreme commander of the armed forces) Oyabi, Alaafin Abiodun to cut him down.
The Bashorun Gaa syndrome magnified the perception of the Oyomesi as a mortal threat to the reign of successor Alaafins. Hence the consequential stipulation that the war generals (the Are ona Kakanfo and the Bashorun) are barred from cohabiting with the Alaafin in the Oyo metropolitan capital. This was in acknowledgement rather than blindness to the reality of the mutual paranoia between the Alaafin and his generals. The syndrome was captured in the Yoruba idiomatic saying that Afobaje l’oba n koko pa (kingmakers are potentially the first target of newly crowned monarchs).
Several Alaafins down the road, Alaafin Atiba (1837-1859), sought the abrogation of the mandatory ritual suicide of a Prince as concomitant burial rite of passage of a dead Alaafin. Arrayed against the will of Atiba, was the insistence of Are ona Kakanfo Kurumi that the requisite ritual death should remain sacrosanct. With the support of the Ibadan army, Kurumi was vanquished in the ensuing Ijaiye war (1861-1863) and the wish of Atiba ultimately prevailed.
2) The Awolowo/Akintola succession crisis 
Who could have penned the following birthday tribute to Chief Obafemi Awolowo on the occasion of his 50th birthday ceremony? “To Chief Awolowo, passivity is a bane and inaction an anathema. How could it be otherwise to a life which thrives on industry and to a man with fanatical faith in hard work? That was why he made himself a terror to the demagogues and Mountebanks who, with neither a chart nor a rudder, believed that they could steer the Nigerian ship of state to its destination. No pilot has a clearer vision and none a keener sense of mission than Chief Awolowo…a good blend of Gandhi’s philosophy and Nehru’s dynamism”
“In the political changes which took place in Nigeria from 1947 onwards, Dr. Azikiwe has been spasmodic and casual; Sir Ahmadu Bello has been leisurely and care-free; but Awolowo has been constant and calculating…To know Chief Awolowo as a man is to respect him. It has been my pride and pleasure to know him. He is by every standard a genius. His unimpeachable character, his faith in God, his confidence in his fellowmen, his personal devotion to duty and his loyalty…have conspired together to make him a great pillar of strength. He never lets a friend down…”
“As a political leader, Chief Awolowo is miles ahead of his colleagues. His sincerity of purpose, his democratic leadership and inspiring example are yet to be equaled by any of the leaders of other major political parties in the country…Awolowo is the nearest approximation to Mahatma Gandhi. He is a good blend of Gandhi’s philosophy and Nehru’s dynamism and the only hope for democracy in Africa”.
It is difficult to imagine that the author of this endearing eulogy was none other than the first and last Premier of the defunct Western region, Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola. Less than three years later the predecessor and successor were at the threshold of a bitter personality war that spiralled into the murder of Akintola and military overthrow of the first republic on January 15th 1966.
My fascination with this theme partly stems from my personal (family) experience. My dad, Chief Oduola Osuntokun, was a Cabinet Minister of the Western Region from 1955 to 1966 straddling the Premiership of both Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Ladoke Akintola. In the bitter factional feud of the Action Group, within the then ruling party in the Western Region in 1962, my dad took sides with Akintola. My full name is Akintola suggesting I was named after the Premier on account of which I was given an early lesson in the politics of demonisation. Adjudged guilty in the popular imagination, the name Akintola became a byword for Yoruba-wide malicious derision.
I pleaded with my parents that I wanted to change my name to Akinjide. They were heedless and dismissive and my dad took to lecturing me on the virtues of the late Premier and how history was not fair to him. Well, victors write the. Don’t they? In the event I took the unilateral decision to effect a change of name-something akin to a unilateral declaration of independence (UDI). At the age of six years, I must be the youngest guy to resort to this degree of autonomy.
3) Abiola martyrdom and the ascendance of Tinubu 
For the Yoruba, 1998/1999 was a triumphant interlude in the political history of Nigeria albeit a bittersweet passage. Given his epicurean lifestyle, who could have projected that Chief Moshood Abiola was most capable of rising up to the challenge of political martyrdom. In tandem, I marvelled at the level of sacrifice many non-partisan Yoruba luminaries were prepared to make in the rejection of the annulment of the 1993 presidential election. No less proactive were those of us in the media, especially the op-ed columnists.
Between 1996 and 1999 there was no work station I desired more than the editorial board of the Guardian newspaper. At the peak of the Guardian pyramid of resistance were Mr Alex Ibru (the publisher) and Mr Lade Bonuola (the Chief Executive). The newspaper had gone through the tribulation of being shut down, an arson attack on its premises and assassination attempt on Ibru.Yet not once did either of the duo express any reservation about the relentless barrage of criticism we piled on the Sani Abacha dictatorship.
Of groups like Afenifere and the National Democratic Coalition, NADECO (both in and outside Nigeria), it could be said of them that this was their finest hour. In their midst was a certain Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu for whom the Lagos state governorship ticket was ‘rigged’ by Afenifere leaders, in recognition of his pro democracy activism. In an ironic twist of fate, he was central to the successful subversion and belittling of the Afenifere patriarchy. There were rumours to the effect that this grievance fast forwarded the exit of Senator Abraham Adesanya to the great beyond.
4) In the matter concerning the kidney of Fubara 
According to the former keeper of the secrets of Nyesome Wike (turned rebellious protégé in full flight) the
embattled Governor of Rivers state, Siminalayi Fubara, the rejection of the demand for his kidney was non negotiable. “As a matter of fact, I belong to that school of thought, and if I am the only person that needs to stand on that side of right, I will stand there. I don’t need anybody to stand with me. I cannot give my kidney or liver to anybody, I won’t.”. I do not know the particular details of the kidney transaction but I do know that kidneys come in a pair of two lobes and it is possible to survive on one lobe. So even if the Rivers state governor were to suffer the loss of a lobe, he could still live a full life. Beyond the contention over Fubara’s kidney and in the spirit of full disclosure, I urge the governor, in the spirit of full disclosure, to serve us the other details of his dinner with the devil.
Quite a number of observers have misread the precedence of the Awolowo/Akintola succession crisis into the Wike/Fubara crisis. My first reaction to this analogy is that the Rivers state case does not rise to the scale and domino effect of the Western Region. Whereas Rivers state is one of 36 states, the Western region was one of three/four regions. For that matter, the federal government was even a tenant of the Western region writ-large. Hence, we are hard put to suggest that Rivers state has the capacity to follow the precedent that snowballed into the violent upheaval that rocked the Western Region in 1964/65 and became precipitous of the January 15th 1966 coup.
Fubara had no input whatsoever to his ‘election’ as governor other than his instrumentality to the pillage and plunder of the resources of Rivers state for eight years. Not unlike Theodore Oji, who was ‘elected’ governor of Abia state while serving a prison term, Fubara was warehoused in the government house completely insulated from the voters who purportedly voted him into office.
Beyond the proverbial sympathy that accrues to the perceived underdog, the choice between Wike and Fubara is akin to that between the rock and the hard place. He is the beneficiary of one of the most villainous instances of the grand and crude subversion of the 2023 general election. If Wike was the Satan then his chief acolyte was none other than Fubara. It was the relationship between the thief and the receiver of stolen goods.
Fanning the embers of their discord is the bottomless wealth of Rivers state and the Ministry of the capital territory and thus the capacity to become a growth industry for endless proxy fighters. It is not in the interest of those milking the crisis for there to be a quick end to the cash cow. If, however, it is possible to have peace and stability in Rivers state without regard to these two protagonists, I would say a pox on both their houses.

Hanging those artworks isn’t easy, so follow these dos and don’ts to bring the most out from your art
How to buy art at prices you can affordZoe WoodSat 12 Oct 2024 05.00 EDTLast modified on Sat 12 Oct 2024 09.10 EDTShareWherever you get your pictures, in your mind’s eye you want them to be as expertly hung as the Royal Academy of Arts’ Summer Exhibition. But poorly spaced frames and wonky canvases can spoil the final effect.
In the first instance, think about where a piece of art will look its best and the hanging system – picture rail or hooks – that suits your home.
“Pictures look different depending on where you hang them,” says Henry Miller, an east London-based art dealer and gallery owner. “Try them in different places.”
He says direct sunlight should be avoided if possible: “Some mediums can take more light than others. Oil paintings are more resilient, but watercolours, drawings and photographs are not.”
You could consider using UV glass, he says, as this will “protect the works for years to come” – you can buy sheets to fit your frames on websites including Etsy.
View image in fullscreenHenry Miller’s home is also a gallery offering art for sale. Photograph: Paul Tucker/Henry Miller Fine ArtThe next step is tackling the hanging system. “If you live in a period home, you may have a picture rail already and all you will need is the hooks and wires,” says Miller. “It will save you making endless holes in the walls. It also frees you up to try different pictures without messing up the wall.”
Think about the look you are trying to create. Some collectors break up walls into small feature areas and treat each one separately. On Instagram trends include creating a salon wall, where a number of pictures of varying mediums and sizes are hung next to one another, or curating a picture ledge – a narrow shelf on which you can prop your pictures.
Generally speaking, the size of the gap between pictures is less important than keeping it consistent. Many interiors sites suggest a 5cm gap works well but if the frames are larger, then up to 15cm provides some breathing space.
Lay the art on the floor or even use a piece of paper to come up with a scale that fits your room. A strict grid look more formal, whereas a group hung within a square or rectangle appears more relaxed.
View image in fullscreenMany art buyers like to hang pictures together on a ‘salon’ wall’. Photograph: Hinterhaus Productions/Getty ImagesOne of the most common mistakes to make is hanging pictures too high or low, with most professionals taking the view that art should be hung at eye level. This usually means positioning the midpoint of the picture 145cm-152cm from the floor or 20cm above a piece of furniture.
Another approach is to visually your wall and divide into four horizontally – ideally your work should be in the third section when counting up from the floor.
Before you reach for the hammer gather the other tools you are going to need. These include a tape measure (some experts suggest “trusting your eye” but this could end in tears), pencil, hammer, a range of hooks and nails. Also try to enlist a friend or family member to help.
If your picture isn’t too heavy you can use regular picture-hanging hooks but if it is on the larger side, opt for a big hook with multiple nails to secure it. If it is really heavy, you may need to use a drill, raw plug and screw to fix a sturdier hook in the wall.
Once you have used your measuring tape, lightly mark the wall where the centre of the picture should be and ask your assistant to hold the picture in place so you can step back to double check. When you are happy, place another mark on the wall at the top edge of the frame.
Next, measure the distance between the top of the frame down to the wire or D-ring (if it’s a wire hold it taut). Returning to the wall, measure down from the point that marks the top of the frame to find the exact spot where the hook should go.
What could possibly go wrong?

Shropshire CouncilWhitchurch Library has operated as a pop-up serviceWhitchurch library, which has been without a home due to the discovery crumbling concrete, could reopen in a local shopping centre.
Last year, engineers found reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) in the Civic Centre complex where the library was based.
Since then, a pop-up stand has been used to provide a book pick-up and drop-off service.
Shropshire Council has now put forward a plan to open a temporary library in St Mary's Arcade.
More than 20 potential sites were considered during the search for a new base before the arcade – previously a Woolworths store – was identified, the council said.
Under the plan, a change of use application is being submitted for Unit C and it could be operational by the new year.
The council said this would offer a better solution while a permanent location was considered.
Councillor Robert Macey, cabinet member for culture, said the plans were "a positive step forwards to secure a future home" for the library.
He said the search had been unrelenting and he thanked residents for their patience.
Councillor Peggy Mullock, representing Whitchurch North, said the library had been "deeply missed by residents".
Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.

Ebere Nwoji
AIICO Insurance Plc, has expressed its commitment towards achieving the 17
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the federal government by the year
2030.
The underwriting firm said it would be doing this through much more
commitment to the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues around it.
The ESG is a framework used to assess various sustainability and ethical issues.
While Environmental focuses on a company’s impact on the planet including how businesses manage energy use, waste, pollution, and compliance with environmental regulations; Social refers to a company’s relationship with employees, suppliers, customers, and communities including issues like human rights, diversity, equity, and employee safety.
Governance concerns leadership, executive pay, audits, internal controls, shareholder rights, and strong governance that ensures a company operates ethically and transparently.
On the other hand, SGDs are set of 17 global goals established by the United
Nations in 2015, designed to address pressing global challenges by 2030.
AIICO said to achieve the goal, it would be showing more commitment to ESG issues around it.
In her presentation recently at a one-day training workshop organised by the underwriting company for members of the Nigerian Association of Insurance and
Pension Editors (NAIPE), in Lagos, its Head, Corporate Responsibility, and
Sustainability, Mrs. Abimbola Shobanjo, highlighted the company’s commitment
to ESG and contribution to SDGs.
She said AIICO introduced Climate-smart initiatives, Green office practices and sustainable resource management such as calculating baseline emissions, reducing paper consumption as well as adopting hybrid work arrangements aimed at protecting the environment.
She hinted at the company’s upcoming employee engagement survey to include a diversity and inclusion section, community programmes and outreach (CSR initiatives like health, education, financial inclusion).
She listed three key areas that ESG matters including investor interest, long-term business value and regulatory pressure.
According to her, increasingly, investors prioritise companies that show a strong commitment to ESG as they tend to be more sustainable and lower risk.
On regulatory pressure, she said international standards like the UN SDGs, UNEP
Principles for Sustainable Insurance (PSI), and the UN Global Compact, were driving companies to take action, adding that AIICO has resolved to ensure that it plays along this line.

Today, our Cultural China tour takes us to Wuhan, where we find the Panlongcheng site, the most significant and richest archaeological site from the early Shang Dynasty, located in the Yangtze River basin.

Panlongcheng is an archaeological site that has been preserved for over 300 years, proving that the Xia and Shang Dynasties extended their influence into the Yangtze River region. It serves as a historical testament to the co-development of Yangtze and Yellow River civilizations during the formation of Huaxia culture. Walking through this site, visitors can sense a strong archaeological ambiance, as if the past 3,500 years are being directly connected.

The site isn’t adorned with manicured lawns or artificial gardens; instead, visitors are immersed in a raw, primeval atmosphere. I asked Bian Xiaoyan, a reporter from CCTV, why the park maintains such a wild environment. She explained, “This is because, 3,500 years ago, the ancestors of Panlongcheng thrived in a similar natural landscape, filled with extensive evergreen and deciduous forests.”

The archaeological park has made a significant effort to retain its original ecological scenery, where sunlight glimmers on the reeds, and people stroll along the compacted earth walls of the city. This scene evokes a sense of ancient history while converging with ongoing archaeological discoveries in the area.

Every museum possesses its treasures, and for the Panlongcheng site museum, that treasure is the land itself. Wan Lin, the museum’s director, shared insights about the former site of the palace where the rulers made decisions and resided. This is the earliest example in China of a “front hall and back bedroom” architectural layout, predating the ruins of Yinxu by two to three centuries. He recounted how in 1974 and 1976, faculty and students from Peking University excavated this site, revealing Shang Dynasty relics for the first time.

“The excavation grid measures 5 by 5 meters,” Wan Lin elaborated. “They dug down along these gridlines, and soon, the remains began to unfold before the archaeologists.”

One of the biggest surprises lies within the museum, where visitors can stand face-to-face with the very moment the palace was discovered. A hand-drawn cross-section illustrates the moment it was uncovered, detailing five distinct soil layers. In the fourth quadrant, at coordinates 11 and 19, it captures how archaeologists employed grid digging techniques. This page belongs to the excavation journal of lead archaeologist Yu Weichao. It documents the exact day when the No. 1 palace of Panlongcheng was discovered, with elegant characters narrating new discoveries each day.

Wan Lin noted, “As we gradually uncovered pillar bases, excitement surged among the archaeological team. Some even found it difficult to sleep at night, grabbing flashlights to rush back to the palace area. Everyone viewed the excavation of Panlongcheng as a challenging poem of archaeology.”

Tools like measuring tapes and compasses, though simple, recreate the living conditions of archaeologists in the 1970s and 80s. Despite their rudimentary circumstances, they uncovered palaces, city walls, and noble tombs—evidence that both the Yangtze and Yellow River civilizations share a common cradle of Chinese culture. It’s remarkable how the act of archaeology itself resembles writing a poem about civilization on the earth.

Since its discovery in 1954, archaeological work at the Panlongcheng site has continued. Curators here are all archaeological experts, and the young creators in the exhibition team are graduates of archaeology programs. As a result, the exhibition hall showcases both archaeological achievements and educational displays about the field. For instance, one segment features soil layers that archaeologists extracted from the lakebed before the museum was constructed, vividly illustrating the transformations that have occurred over centuries.

Qiu Chenhui, a museum guide, explained, “At the bottom, we see virgin soil, untouched by human activity. Above it, we encounter the cultural accumulation from the Shang Dynasty, rich with pottery shards. Just a meter higher, we find layers from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, filled with porcelain remnants, mapping the historical activities of our ancestors about three meters below our feet.”

Now, let’s appreciate the archaeological finds at Panlongcheng. This turquoise and gold ornament is recognized as the earliest gold-inlaid item found in China.

This bronze ding (cauldron) is the largest of its kind discovered from that period, with its thinnest wall measuring only 0.2 centimeters.

The bronze mask boasts flowing lines and prominent eye sockets, reminiscent of artifacts from Sanxingdui.

I was struck by the excavation records maintained by the archaeologists, which convey their palpable excitement. Over decades of work, more than 3,000 exquisite artifacts have been unearthed from Panlongcheng.

In addition to high-ranking noble tombs, evidence of bronze-making workshops was also found. Today, children can engage in simulated archaeological experiences here, while just nearby, archaeologists continue to pen an enduring and evocative poem on the canvas of the Earth.

Rejoice in autumn fruits with this sweet midweek treat
Nigel SlaterTue 15 Oct 2024 07.00 EDTShareAutumn-fruiting raspberries and tart, new-season cooking apples are a fine marriage. They work as stewed fruit, simply stir the raspberries into the stewed and slightly sweetened apples.
Peel 1kg of cooking apples. Roughly chop them, removing the cores as you go. Cut the apples into thick slices, then put them in a saucepan with the sugar and the juice of half a lemon and a couple of pinches of cinnamon. Let them soften for a few minutes over a moderate heat, then scatter in 200g of raspberries. Transfer to a baking dish. (I use a shallow casserole 26cm in diameter.)
The most appropriate apples for this are sharp, Bramley-type ‘cooking’ applesPreheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Reduce 175g of white bread to coarse crumbs in a food processor or by crumbling the bread between your fingers. Tip the crumbs into a bowl, then stir in 90g of demerara sugar and 80g of rolled oats.
In a small pan, melt 90g of butter, then pour over the crumbs and sugar and toss together gently until the crumbs are evenly coated. Scatter the buttered crumbs over the apples and raspberries.
Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes until the crust is crisp and golden and the apples have fluffed up around the edges. Serves 4. Ready in 1 hour
The most appropriate apples for this are sharp, Bramley-type cooking apples. If you use dessert apples, then you will need less sugar.
Any soft, white bread will do here: open textured bread, such as ciabatta, is a good choice. Heavier breads, such as sourdough, will produce a slightly stodgy crust. Brioche can be good, though expect a sweeter result.
Chilled double cream is a fine accompaniment, but I particularly like the contrast of the hot pudding with cold vanilla ice-cream.
Follow Nigel on Instagram @NigelSlater

BBCBrendan O'Carroll plays Irish matriarch and "mammy" Agnes BrownBrendan O'Carroll, the Irish star of BBC One sitcom Mrs Brown's Boys, has apologised for making a "clumsy" joke where a "racial term was implied" during rehearsals for the series' upcoming Christmas special.
The BBC temporarily suspended production of the series and launched an investigation, with the shows now going ahead as planned.
O'Carroll, who is also the show's creator, said he had made a "clumsy attempt at a joke" during a read-through of the scripts, where he was in character as Agnes Brown.
"It backfired and caused offence which I deeply regret and for which I have apologised," he told The Mirror newspaper.
Those present were said to have been "left shocked by the slur", The Mirror said, adding they "flagged it with the BBC afterwards". The corporation said it "acted immediately".
The episodes, filmed in the BBC's Pacific Quay studios in Glasgow, marked the first mini-series run since 2013.
The BBC said: "Whilst we don't comment on individuals, the BBC is against all forms of racism, and we have robust processes in place should issues ever arise."
BBC/Joe TaylorBrendan O'Carroll said his joke "backfired and caused offence which I deeply regret"The programme, first shown on BBC One in 2011, has had four series and has long been a fixture on the BBC's Christmas TV schedules.
It won a National TV Award last month for best comedy.
The slapstick show stars O'Carroll as a foul-mouthed Irish matriarch, who is "mammy" to her surrounding family and friends, who gather for laughter and tears in her kitchen and living room.
It has a pantomime theatricality to it, featuring shots of the audience and including moments when the actors corpse – a term used to describe breaking character and laughing – and ad-lib on stage.
Last month, at the National TV Awards, O'Carroll told The Sun: "It’s hard to believe this Christmas Day episode will be our 50th episode."
He added: "I think we’re going to be doing another mini series for April, but whenever the BBC broadcast them."
Speaking about the award, he told the newspaper it was "tremendous, to get this award is our sixth".
"It’s voted for by the audience and viewers. This is the icing on the cake it’s amazing," he added.
Although it is not necessarily a universal hit with TV critics, the show has proved to be an enduring success with its fans.
Dick Fiddy, archive TV programmer at the BFI, told the BBC in 2020 he thought it "thrived in the gulf between critics and audiences… because there's a certain section of the audience that feels disenfranchised by modern comedy; an audience that enjoyed the broad, double entendre comedy of On The Buses and Are You Being Served?"
O'Carroll has said the success of the show has been, at least in part, down to an audience" that has felt "left behind", as TV comedy has evolved and changed.