CARRY on gardening: that's the summertime message from the Royal National Institute for the Blind, whose free postal catalogue offers competitively priced tools designed for easy use by blind and partially-sighted people.

A new book, Getting On With Gardening, gives practical tips for those with poor or failing sight and comes in large print, braille or on tape at #3. Phone customer services on 0345 023153.

RNIB's Talking Books service sends out 13,000 titles every

day and is planning to switch to CDs that are easier to use and give more playing time. To

join or for information phone 0181 903 6666.

To raise funds, the institute has teamed up with Bank of Scotland to issue a MasterCard, with a contribution to the charity each time it's used. There is no first-year fee, or in subsequent years if more than #2000 is spent. Phone 0171 391 2184.

NINE out of 10 parents leave medicines where children can get at them, says a new survey - even tablets stored on the highest shelves can be discovered, with fatal consequences.

An advice leaflet from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society includes this safety checklist:

n Lock all tablets and bottles away - lock the fridge, too, if you have to keep them there.

n Tell children not to play with medicines and warn them not to swallow anything unfamiliar.

n Ask for a pharmacy to dispose of old and unwanted medicines.

If you think a child has swallowed a medicine or poison, get to the nearest hospital emergency department as quickly as possible, remembering to take the suspect container with you. Don't try to make victims sick. To stop vomit being inhaled, lay unconscious children on their sides to make breathing easier.

For a copy of the leaflet Medicines Are Not Child's Play, ask at your pharmacy or send an sae to RPS, 1 Lambeth High Street, London SE1 7JN.

HOW would you like to experience the wonders of India on a 10-day, 400km journey

of a lifetime from the Himal-ayas to the Ganges, with a climactic visit to the magnificent Taj Mahal?

Not a luxurious holiday offer, but a fund-raising initiative being peddled by the charity Enable, supported by celebrity explorer Michael Palin. For

the ''awesome'' adventure in November, you will need a bike and #300 to register, with the promise of sponsorship to help people with learning difficulties. Says Palin: ''You don't

have to be a born athlete, team spirit counts. We provide fund-raising tips and there's a pre-

ride get together to meet your

fellow cyclists.''

For an India Bike Ride

pack, write to Enable, Freepost GW1376, Glasgow G1 3BR, phone 0141 226 4541.

HIGH-pressure sales techniques and too few regulations for funeral directors mean families should take extra care when handling the already stressful matter of a funeral, says What To Do When Someone Dies, from Which? Books.

The guide reports today that many small, independent businesses have sold out to big multinational corporations, and supermarket-style funeral stores have started to appear. Funeral directors do not need qualifications or to register themselves - almost anybody can

set up a business and

start trading.

The guide offers

easy-to-follow advice on coping with bereavement, with sympathetic practical guidance on working through grief. It explains how to register a death, choose between burial and cremation, and how to claim state benefits. Humanist and woodland burials are also covered.

From bookshops #9.99 or order, post free, from Freephone 0800 252 100.

TEENAGERS can display their rebellious side with 17's Tattoo Kit, the latest in accessory style from Boots. According to mood, decorate with six body art design transfers, including ethnic scroll, rose, butterfly, cherub, tiger, and scorpion (all easily removed!). The kits come in a silver tin case complete with paint brush, price #7 . . . Week-long summer courses for children at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, are being held from July 20-24 and July 27-31, fee #75. For details and to book phone 0131 248 2841 . . . After Beanies Talking Teletubbies stand by for fab four backpacks and belt bags, from #10.99 to #25. Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa, and Po come in a plush fabric with zip closure and arms and legs that act as shoulder straps. At toy shops and department stores throughout Scotland now.