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Is Britain really a Christian nation?

Issue 1098

Is Britain really a Christian nation?

“We’re a Christian nation,” said communities secretary Eric Pickles recently. Is he right? The Big Issue investigates faith in the land…

And as if you didn’t know, this month is the 250th anniversary of the Sugar Act. As a sugar tax has again been proposed to solve our obesity epidemic, Alex Massie points out that it’s worth keeping in mind that the last time the government taxed sugar we lost America. What’s could possibly go wrong this time?!

Also, take our sugar quiz to find out how much of the sweet stuff can be found inside the everyday items on your shopping list. Nothing will put you off Easter like finding out how much sugar is inside one little Cadbury’s Crème Egg. How do you eat yours? Guiltily.

While on the High Street, Adrian Lobb pops into a community record store in Sunderland to see how it’s bucking the high street trend and galvanising a community through culture and coffee.

Sending a Letter to my Younger Self this week is soap queen Michelle Collins, who talks about how the pressures of showbiz led to anorexia.

Doyen of classical music Tom Service reveals that Handel’s Messiah could be seen as the first Live Aid.

Ed Stafford was the first man to walk the entire length of the Amazon river. As if that wasn’t punishment enough, he now maroons himself in extreme locations and ends up obsessing over Mr Kipling’s French Fancies. Don’t we all? He tells us about it in our My Week slot.

Straight out the pages of the Dark Lord series books, none other than the Dark Lord himself selects the books that will definitely not bore the kids this Easter, while we review The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Paolo Nutini’s barnstorming new album and keep it in the family by interviewing Ron Howard’s brother Clint and Gary Busey’s son Jake about their new superhero film Sparks.

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