Bolton & bury issue 58

MARCH APRIL - JUNE - MAY2018 2018

BOLTON & BURY EDITION 58

James Martin

AMERICAN ADVENTURE

Joanna Lumley

Free Ice Cream at Curleys T & Cs APPLY

IT'S ALL ABOUT ME

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Twittering on With Angela Kelly Help -The English Language is being murdered!

AS a fan of the English language I get positively bad-tempered when I hear it being mangled and manipulated.

It’s not just people who pronounce “th” as “f” or fail to sound the “g” in words ending in “ing” or “endin’” in “in’” as it comes out.

JOANNA LUMLEY

it's all about me tour 14-15

travel

trans canadian rail odyssey 6-7

What really gets my linguistic goat is the current obsession with creating your own words. For example, why put “ness” on the end of a word just because you fancy doing so when a perfectly good word covering that meaning already exists?

It’s enough to make you break out in a bout of angriness!

And, when one of Radio 4’s presenters told A Point of View that he hated the expression “going forward”, it heralded a flow of listeners’ pet word hates.

These included “cheeky” as in “I’m just having a cheeky beer” (why have an insubordinate beer at all then?) and using “so” to start a question (so what has “so” to do with anything?).

I’m sure there are plenty of words that irritate people today but among my annoying choices are “meet with” when “meet” is enough on its own, “go figure” (an Americanism that strings two pointless words together).

HOME

SPRING YOUR HOME BACK TO LIFE 23-26

JAMES MARTIN'S AMERICAN ADVENTURE 47-49

It would be easy to blame social media but I actually think that TV and laziness are mostly at fault here. I mean, why bother thinking about the best way to express anything when you can probably construct whole sentences just using trendy modern phrases that mean nothing at all? It’s a no-brainer!

Irritating over-used phrases include “car-crash interview” (upsetting for anyone who has ever been in a car crash and a bit over-the-top for any kind of interview), “going forward” (as opposed to going backwards? What’s wrong with “in the future”?) and “Listen up, people” (more Americanisms used as a means of getting attention: try “Hello, everyone” as an opening gambit).

Anyone who tries to qualify “unique” as in “completely unique” is on a loser as “unique” means one of a kind so needs nothing else with it. “Fit for purpose” has become wildly over-used as a “onesize fits all” phrase (another couple of words we hear far too much about and in every kind of situation). “For free” is also one word too many as “free” also stands alone in this context.

Harry and Meghan’s modern fairytale WE do love a Royal Wedding – especially when it involves such a likeable lad as Prince Harry.

The comparisons between Meghan and Princess Diana have already been made quite favourably, although time will tell if the former comes close to the latter in the hearts of ordinary people. She’s probably got a long way to go in the charity and personality stakes currently but it is early days.

Meghan is already proving to be an effective style icon, especially for the British fashion industry. Every coat and dress she wears to a public occasion tends to sell out immediately.

One tiny denim firm now has back orders for three months after the brideto-be wore a pair of £230 black Hiut jeans on a visit to Cardiff. The small company, based in Cardigan in West Wales, has already had to move to a bigger factory to meet demand as

Bridgeman House | 77 Bridgeman Street | Bolton | BL3 6BY. Sales Enquiries : T: (01204) 238180 E: artwork@mcgrathmedia.co.uk

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orders flood in from Paris and New York – all thanks to the Meghan effect.

work colleagues for banter and approval, being your own boss can actually be better for you.

Interestingly, Meghan does seem to be a universally-approved choice of partner for the popular young prince. Even the Queen, who must be hard to impress, has sanctioned the match (both officially and unofficially).

It’s probably no real surprise that the public seem to like her as well. In 2018, we are obsessed with celebrities of all kinds and particularly entertainers so to have an actress marrying our prince seems like the right kind of modern fairytale.

You just hope, don’t you, that the two of them find their place in society and that they’re happy. Harry needs to have the kind of fulfilling work that a young man with so much energy demands and his new bride will want to step into some kind of meaningful role in public life that allows everyone to get to know her better.

In the meantime, let’s just wish them a very happy married life.

Coffee and crème eggs on tap for home-workers WORKING from home – or remote working as it’s known – is a modern trend that has been happily embraced by thousands.

An office is now almost an essential home area for the many who have chosen to work either independently or just away from head-office.

Now, perhaps not too surprisingly, a study has shown that people who work for themselves are happier, too. In spite of the long hours, the possible stress of finding and keeping work and the lack of

The study, by experts from the universities of Sheffield and Exeter, looked at 5,000 people from various fields around the world. It found that the self-employed felt more engaged with their work, mostly because they enjoyed more freedom around their working environment, took on bigger challenges and met higher standards.

There are more than four million people in Britain who spend at least half their time working at home. I’ve been a home-worker for the past 12 years and never regretted the move.

Networking provides plenty of opportunities for meeting people and is a genuine source of work offers. And I can wear my PJs until 11am if I want to – provided I don’t Skype anyone.

I can have a coffee when I want, stick on a wash load or even binge on Cadbury’s crème eggs between jobs if that’s my choice. No wonder we’re a happier lot!

National Helpline 0800 917 7650 www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk

Alcoholics Anonymous has over 4,400 groups throughout Great Britain dedicated to helping those with a serious alcohol problem learn how to stay sober. Groups are made up of people from all walks of life and all age groups. Through friendship and mutual support, members assist each other in coping which is made easier by meeting others with the same problem. There are no dues or fees for membership and anonymity is carefully preserved.

Anyone who believes they have a drink problem can contact Alcoholics Anonymous by using the helpline number above or email; help@aamail.org Further information may be obtained from the web site above or from the General Service Office at the address below.

For information: P.O. Box 1, 10 Toft Green, York. YO1 7NJ Tel: 01904 644 026

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5

Trans Canadian Rail Odyssey

with Titan Tours Toronto to Jasper Our cabin had private facilities, and a shared shower at the end of the carriage. Bijou is definitely the first impression! One of you has to climb the stepladder to top bunk - not as bad as it sounds as the beds are comfy and a good width. The sink and separate WC are tiny, and storage is extremely limited. While at breakfast, your room steward puts the beds away, so two armchairs create a cosy private space to relax (short for ‘nod off’).

This is a wonderful way to experience Canada, travelling across the Canadian Rockies over 14 nights from Toronto to Vancouver, three nights aboard The Canadian sleeper train plus two days on the prestigious Rocky Mountaineer.

Toronto is a fascinating mix of modern high-rise buildings and occasional traditional buildings in the old part of town. It is beautifully lit up after dark, especially the central square opposite Hudson’s Bay Store.

After an overnight stay, the full-day trip to Niagara Falls was wonderful! Words such as stunning, amazing, aweinspiring are unavoidable. It was even more spectacular than we expected.

Snow Capped Mountains

We had pre-booked the Hornblower Cruise (optional), and donning red ponchos, chose a spot on the deck for the best views. It was a brilliant experience, under the Falls with a real feel for the power of this tremendous flow of water.

After visiting Niagara on the Lake, a pretty village nearby, the day ended at Toronto rail station to catch VIA Rail’s sleeper train, “The Canadian”.

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Toronto Skyline

An Activity Coach includes beer-tasting, bingo or a movie, plus free tea, coffee and cakes all day.

Three sittings for lunch and dinner, the food is excellent and beautifully presented - amazing they can produce such high quality in this environment.

From Toronto through industrial areas, vast lakes and dense pine forest then on through Ontario towards Manitoba, where the scenery is more diverse. After a break to explore the city of Winnipeg, there is a definite change in scenery as you travel towards Saskatchewan.

Vast plains, yellow wheat fields and a strange ‘singing’ sound of the train along this stretch of the railway, different from before.

TRAVEL which is “not really free, we just paid for you”!

Banff has a variety of shops and restaurants, and you might even see a moose or bear wandering around.

The first day includes an excursion to Lake Louise and optional Gondola (cable car) ride plus lunch with an early start next morning to join the Rocky Mountaineer for two days. A delicious breakfast awaited us on board, and we were constantly fed or provided with drinks startin at 9.30am!

Winnipeg Bridge Jasper and Banff to the Rocky Mountaineer After brunch, we said good-bye to The Canadian and on to Jasper by coach. This is a fabulous area, rich with lakes and waterfalls and strange rock formations. We stopped at several places to photograph pale-turquoise lakes and rivers coloured by minerals seeping from the hills.

Maligne Lake is a great place to stop, eat at the Chilli Bar, hire a canoe or just enjoy the backdrop of snow-topped mountains.

Along the Icefield Parkway is the included excursion onto the Athabasca Glacier.

Board the Ice Explorer truck which trundles slowly onto the designated walkways for visitors. Wrap up warm and enjoy the spectacle of this ancient glacier which is shrinking by the day.

Two nights in Banff at the excellent Fox Hotel and Suites. Phone rates were reasonable, all rooms had free WiFi, and there is also a free public transport pass

We enjoyed the luxury of the Gold Leaf service, comfortable seats on the top deck of the sightseeing carriage and a restaurant downstairs. Standard Silver Leaf service is also in comfortable, allocated seating with meals served at your table and plenty of viewing opportunities. Overnight is at The Coast hotel in Kamloops, then back onboard in the morning.

We were all sorry to say goodbye to the Rocky Mountaineer. If only you could travel the whole way across Canada in such style!

Vancouver Our last 3 nights were spent in central Vancouver. We loved the city, especially Stanley Park, enjoyed an evening Harbour Cruise dinner, (meeting a racoon in the street on the way home), and a cable-car trip up Grouse Mountain the next day.

September was a perfect time to visit and in hindsight, an extension of a few days in Vancouver at the end of the trip would be ideal.

By Jacqueline Jeynes from Silver Travel Advisor.

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7

ROBINSONS OWN HOTELS 2018

Book from listedprices pricesbelow* below* Book fromthis thisleaflet advertand andsave save £10.00 £10.00 off off the the listed

South West Coast, Torquay Abbey Lawn Hotel

A stunning seaside resort located in Devon, Torquay is a jewel in the English Riviera. The iconic palm trees and international marina could fool you into thinking you were in the Mediterranean!

Price Includes: 4 or 7 nights dinner, bed and breakfast at the Abbey Lawn Hotel 5 day tour: visits to Plymouth & Newton Abbot

Abbey Lawn Hotel Hotel Facilities ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Ensuite Rooms Traditional English Breakfast Lunch available Waiter service Table d’hote menu *A la carte menu Lift to all floors Lounge & Bar Wifi in public areas Garden Conservatory Heated indoor swimming pool ✓ Ballroom/dance floor ✓ 24hr reception ✓ Porterage *supplement applies

8 day tour: visits to Dartmoor & Exeter and Teignmouth

South Coast, Eastbourne Imperial Hotel

Eastbourne, of Saxon origin, is an unspoilt elegant Victorian seaside resort. Nestling under the Sussex Downs it enjoys a very clement climate all year round, it has one of the top sunshine records in the UK and offers a variety of ways for you to unwind and relax.

Price Includes:

4 or 7 nights dinner, bed and breakfast at the Imperial Hotel 5 day tour: visits to Brighton & Battle and Hastings (1066 Country) 8 day tour 15A: visits to Windsor & Royal Tunbridge Wells 8 day tour 15B: visits to Chartwell House & Brighton

Shanklin, Isle of Wight Ocean View Hotel

Located on the historical Isle of Wight, Shanklin is home to our very own Ocean View Hotel. The Isle of Wight has captured the hearts of many household names we all know and love today, from Winston Churchill, Charles Darwin and Charles Dickens to the Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Price Includes:

4 or 7 nights dinner, bed and breakfast at the Ocean View Hotel 5 day tour: visits to Osborne House & Ryde & the Military Museum 8 day tour 18A: visits to West Island Tour & Ryde via Havenstreet & Ashley 8 day tour 18B: visits to West Island Tour & Osborne House

Imperial Hotel Hotel Facilities ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Ensuite Rooms Traditional English Breakfast Lunch available Waiter service Table d’hote menu *A la carte menu Lift to all floors Lounge & Bar Coffee Lounge Wifi in public areas Ballroom/dance floor 24hr reception

✓ Porterage *supplement applies

Ocean View Hotel Hotel Facilities ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Ensuite Rooms Traditional English Breakfast Lunch available Waiter service Table d’hote menu *A la carte menu Lift to all floors Lounge & Bar Wifi in public areas Garden Heated indoor swimming pool ✓ Ballroom/dance floor ✓ 24hr reception ✓ Porterage *supplement applies

5 day tours: 01M 4 nights, DBB Sat 05 May 2018

£199.00

Mon 04 Jun 2018

£239.00

Thu 10 May 2018

£219.00

Sat 09 Jun 2018

£239.00

Tue 15 May 2018

£219.00

Thu 14 Jun 2018

£239.00

Sun 20 May 2018

£225.00

Tue 19 Jun 2018

£249.00

Fri 25 May 2018

£225.00

Sun 24 Jun 2018

£249.00

Wed 30 May 2018

£229.00

Fri 29 Jun 2018

£249.00

8 day tours: 11A 7 nights, DBB Sat 28 Apr 2018

£349.00

Sat 30 Jun 2018

£409.00

Sat 12 May 2018

£369.00

Sat 28 Jul 2018

£409.00

5 & 8 Day tour supplements per person: Front Facing Room £5.00 per person per night / Premier Room (including front facing view) / £10.00 per person per night

5 day tours: 05M 4 nights, DBB Sat 05 May 2018 Thu 10 May 2018 Tue 15 May 2018 Sun 20 May 2018 Fri 25 May 2018 Wed 30 May 2018 Mon 04 Jun 2018

£199.00 £219.00 £219.00 £225.00

£225.00

£229.00

£239.00

Sat 09 Jun 2018

£239.00

Thu 14 Jun 2018

£239.00

Tue 19 Jun 2018 Sun 24 Jun 2018 Fri 29 Jun 2018 Wed 04 Jul 2018 Mon 09 Jul 2018 Sat 14 Jul 2018 Thu 19 Jul 2018 Sun 29 Jul 2018

£249.00 £249.00 £249.00

£249.00

£249.00

£249.00 £249.00 £249.00

8 day tours: 15A/15B 7 nights, DBB Sat 07 Apr 2018 Sun 08 Apr 2018 Sat 21 Apr 2018 Sun 22 Apr 2018 Sat 28 Apr 2018

£289.00 £289.00 £325.00 £325.00

£349.00

Sat 12 May 2018 Sat 19 May 2018 Sat 26 May 2018 Sat 02 Jun 2018 Sat 28 Jul 2018

£369.00 £379.00 £389.00

£399.00

£409.00

5 & 8 Day tour supplements per person: Premier Room £5.00 per person per night

5 day tours: 08M 4 nights, DBB Mon 30 Apr 2018 Sat 05 May 2018 Thu 10 May 2018 Sun 20 May 2018 Fri 25 May 2018 Wed 30 May 2018 Mon 04 Jun 2018 Sat 09 Jun 2018

£189.00 £199.00 £219.00 £225.00 £225.00 £229.00 £239.00 £239.00

Tue 19 Jun 2018 Sun 24 Jun 2018 Fri 29 Jun 2018 Wed 04 Jul 2018 Sat 14 Jul 2018 Thu 19 Jul 2018 Tue 24 Jul 2018 Sun 29 Jul 2018

£249.00 £249.00 £249.00 £249.00 £249.00 £249.00 £249.00 £249.00

Sat 07 Apr 2018 Sat 14 Apr 2018 Sun 15 Apr 2018 Sat 21 Apr 2018 Sat 28 Apr 2018 Sun 29 Apr 2018 Sat 05 May 2018 Sun 06 May 2018

£289.00 £299.00 £299.00 £325.00 £349.00 £349.00 £359.00 £359.00

Sun 13 May 2018 Sat 19 May 2018 Sat 09 Jun 2018 Sun 10 Jun 2018 Sat 16 Jun 2018 Sat 23 Jun 2018 Sun 22 Jul 2018 Sat 28 Jul 2018

£369.00 £379.00 £409.00 £409.00 £409.00 £409.00 £409.00 £409.00

8 day tours: 18A/18B 7 nights, DBB

Sat 12 May 2018 £369.00 5 & 8 Day tour supplements per person: Sea View Room £5.00 per person per night / Premier Room (including sea view) / £10.00 per person per night

Freephone 0800 083 9900 or contact your local travel agent • Visit us online at: www.robinsons-holidays.co.uk

*offer applies to new bookings only Offer Ends 30th April 2018

CONTINENTAL OFFERS 2018

Bookfrom fromthis thisleaflet advertand andreceive receivesavings savingsof ofup up to to £40.00 £40.00per per couple* couple* Book

Ostend

Costa Brava

Bruges and Antwerp - 5 days

The Black Forest Hideaway

Roses - 10 days

NO

Baden-Baden and Titisee - 8 days

NO

WO

NO

WO

£34 NLY 9 PP

WO

£69 NLY 5 PP

£71 NLY 5 PP

Monday 4th June 2018

Tuesday 5th June 2018

Saturday 16th June 2018

Ostend is the largest and most popular resort on the Belgian North Sea coast with fine sandy beaches stretching for miles with shops, cafes, bars and restaurants.

The former Greek colony of Roses stretches between the sea and the mountains in the northern area of Costa Brava. The town is popular for its splendid beaches.

The Black Forest or Schwarzwald, is one of the most beautiful regions of Germany, bordered by the Rhine to the west. A wonderfully picturesque region.

Single Room Supplement - £89

Single Room Supplement - £199

Single Room Supplement - £130

Price Includes:

Price Includes:

Price Includes:

✓ Pickup from your local joining point

✓ Door to Door transport ✓ Channel crossing via Eurotunnel ✓ 1 night bed and breakfast in the Orlean area ✓ 7 nights dinner, bed and breakfast at the Hotel Coral Platja ✓ 1 night bed and breakfast in the Reims area ✓ Visits to Girona, Costa Brava, Figueres

✓ Pickup from your local joining point

✓ Channel crossing via Eurotunnel ✓ 4 nights Dinner bed and Breakfast at the Princess Hotel ✓ Visit to the Historic city of Bruges ✓ Visit to Antwerp

Tour Code: OSTE / 4 nights DBB

Lake Garda

The Dolomites and Venice - 10 days

Tour Code: SPAI / 2 nights BB / 7 nights DBB

Treasures of Tuscany 10 days

NO

✓ Channel crossing via Eurotunnel ✓ 5 nights dinner, bed and breakfast at the Landhotel Rebstock ✓ 1 night dinner, bed and breakfast on the outward and return journeys in Douai ✓ Visits to Freudenstadt and Baden-Baden & Triberg and Lake Titisee

Tour Code: BLAC / 7 nights DBB

Lake Como

the Italian Lakes & Switzerland - 10 days

NO

WO

NO

WO

£82 NLY 5 PP

WO

£74 NLY 5 PP

£95 NLY 9 PP

Tuesday 19th June 2018

Tuesday 3rd July 2018

Tuesday 24th July 2018

The sheer splendour of Italy’s largest lake is legendary. Charming waterside resorts and villages lie sheltered before a stunning backdrop of mountain scenery.

Tuscany is a remarkable region of unspoilt beauty where historic cities and ancient villages lie amidst rolling green hills. Our base is the famous spa town of Montecatini.

Lake Como is regarded as one of the most spectacular of all Italian Lakes and the deepest in Italy, with pretty villages that line its shore.

Single Room Supplement - £179

Single Room Supplement - £229

Single Room Supplement - £179

Price Includes:

Price Includes:

Price Includes:

✓ Door to Door transport

✓ Door to Door transport

✓ Channel crossing via Eurotunnel

✓ Channel crossing via Eurotunnel

✓ 1 night bed and breakfast in Metz

✓ 1 night bed and breakfast on both the outward and return journeys in Troyes

✓ Door to Door transport ✓ Channel crossing via Eurotunnel ✓ 1 night bed and breakfast in the Metz area ✓ 7 nights dinner, bed and breakfast at the Grand Hotel Cadenabbia ✓ 1 night bed and breakfast in the Reims area ✓ Visits to Lugano, Milan & St Moritz

✓ 7 nights dinner bed and breakfast at the Hotel Sole ✓ 1 night bed and breakfast in Reims ✓ Visits to Verona, Venice & The Dolomites

Tour Code: GARD / 2 nights BB / 7 nights DBB

✓ 7 nights dinner, bed and breakfast at the Grand Hotel Plaza ✓ Visits to Florence, Lucca & Siena

Tour Code: TUSC / 2 nights BB / 7 nights DBB

Tour Code: COMO / 2 nights BB / 7 nights DBB

Freephone 0800 083 9900 or contact your local travel agent • Visit us online at: www.robinsons-holidays.co.uk

*offer applies to new bookings only Offer Ends 30th April 2018

Time and tide wait for no man (or woman) Our wedding in Tobago – Valentine’s Day 2018 witnesses, decorated venue, bouquet

By Carole Tidball from Silver Travel Advisor

and button hole, wedding cake, sparkling

We’d planned to exchange our vows

trip around the bay.

wine for a toast, and a champagne boat

whilst standing barefoot on a warm sandy

We chose February as it’s Tobago’s “dry”

beach, and had chosen the beautiful

season and were delighted to snag

Caribbean island of Tobago for our

Valentine’s Day for our wedding day. As

wedding as it is one of the few countries

an added bonus, the days preceding

that allows on-the-beach ceremonies.

our wedding were the Carnival season.

The island also offers great birdwatching,

Tropical Sky arranged flights, booked

deep-sea fishing and snorkelling opportunities, all of which we love.

the hotel and wedding package, and

After delving into the complexities of

with local regulations. All I had to worry

checked that our paperwork complied about was ordering our handmade gold

overseas weddings, I decided to hand

Mot, Mot Bird

over the planning to the experts and spoke with the lovely Paula at Tropical Sky

Irish warrior/soulmate rings and finding a dress. Sourcing a suitable outfit for a 60-something tropical bride in the middle

Weddings. We agreed that the “Classic

of a British winter proved too challenging,

Wedding Package” at the Blue Waters Inn on the northeast of Tobago promised all we needed and more, including the services of a minister/registrar,

so I recycled a much-loved slinky red number. A jewelled hairband from Debenhams completed the look.

PUT YOUR DAY TRIP IN SAFE HANDS WHY NOT TRY ONE OF OUR FANTASTIC DAY TRIPS WE VISIT MOST POPULAR DESTINATIONS INCLUDING:

OUR FULL 2018 SCHEDULE IS NOW ONLINE, EARLY BOOKING RECOMMENDED

MARCH

30 March 2018 BLACKPOOL, CLEVELEYS OR FLEETWOOD £13.99 31 March 2018 WHITBY £18.50

APRIL

02 April 2018 BLACKPOOL, CLEVELEYS OR FLEETWOOD £13.99 02 April 2018 CHESTER OR ZOO OR CHESHIRE OAKS £13.99 03 April 2018 SETTLE (MARKET DAY) & MORECAMBE £16.00 04 April 2018 LLANDUDDNO £18.50 05 April 2018 ORMSKIRK MARKET & SOUTHPORT £13.99

06 April 2018 BLACKPOOL, CLEVELEYS OR FLEETWOOD £13.99 07 April 2018 BRIDLINGTON £18.50 09 April 2018 BLACKPOOL, CLEVELEYS OR FLEETWOOD £13.99 10 April 2018 OSWALDTWISTLE MILLS “MUSIC TO WATCH GIRLS GO BY” £29.00 11 April 2018 SKIPTON & BOUNDARY MILL £13.99 12 April 2018 WHITBY £18.50 13 April 2018 ST ANNES & BARTON GRANGE GARDEN CENTRE £13.99

14 April 2018 BLACKPOOL, CLEVELEYS OR FLEETWOOD £13.99 21 April 2018 MANCHESTER SHIP CANAL CRUISE £49.99 28 April 2018 HARROGATE SPRING FLOWER SHOW INC ENTRY £33.99 05 May 2018 LLANDUDDNO VICTORIAN EXTRAVAGANZA £18.50

WE PICK UP FROM BOLTON, BURY, HEYWOOD SUMMIT, HEYWOOD, MIDDLETON & ROCHDALE FOR EVERY TRIP!!!

2018 EXCURSIONS PROGRAMME www.yellowayexcursions.co.uk/day-trips

Booking Hotline: 0161 287 5566

• Email: tours@yelloway.co.uk • Web: www.yellowayexcursions.co.uk Like our Facebook page • Search Yelloway Excursions on Facebook @yelloway

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TRAVEL delayed, allowing time to move the decorations and repair my makeup – I had been howling with tears of laughter.

At last, the sun came out and the service itself was magical. I suppressed my surprise at being asked to “obey” my husband (he knows better than to test this). We were not whisked away on our romantic boat trip, but we enjoyed lobster and champagne for our wedding breakfast followed by sumptuous red velvet wedding cake.

Our Caribbean beach wedding was certainly an

The Carnival - photo by Terry Lister (hotel guest)

adventure. If you’re happy to go with the flow, expect the unexpected and accept that you can’t control the weather, then it’s a great way for a pair of sloppy silver romantics to tie the knot.

We arrived the week before our wedding to fit in the required residency days prior to travelling to the Ministry in Scarborough at the opposite end of the island to buy a marriage licence. The carnival celebrations caused road and public building closures on several days immediately before our wedding leaving us very tight on time, although we managed to get all the paperwork completed correctly. All we needed to do was to look

Tropical Sky can help create the wedding of your dreams with a dedicated team of experts who are on hand every step of the way. They offer a range of amazing wedding destinations and venues from St. Lucia to the Maldives, and all holidays are ATOL protected for peace of mind.

Visit www.tropicalsky.co.uk/weddings for more details or call 01342 889166.

forward to the big day itself.

DOOR TO DOOR EXCURSIONS We offer individuals the opportunity to go out on day/evening trips to various destinations and provide a door-to-door service.

BOLTON COMMUNITY TRANSPORT CAL.indd 28

Our wedding day dawned and we watched in growing disbelief as our wedding venue disappeared, first beneath mountains of seaweed thrown up by an exceptionally high tide and then beneath the tide itself!

Our back-up venue was the hotel jetty and our wedding coordinator Jeannette gamely battled against the wind to decorate the area with balloons and chiffon drapes.

However, as the pounding from huge waves started lifting the jetty’s wooden planks, Jeannette declared it unsafe and we relocated to our third choice – a wooden arch on the hotel lawn. Fortunately, our preacher was

06/12/2016 13:29

3rd June Bowness on Windermere £35

20th July Blackpool or Lytham St Annes £21.50

30th July Southport £20

CALL NOW FOR A FULL EXCURSION BROCHURE! Or if you prefer, you can book a trip of your own.

We can provide the transport and driver for you.

For a brochure of excursions, a quote or further information, please contact 01204 393777 email: admin@bctfs.co.uk www.bctfs.co.uk

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The All-New Kia Stinger wins Best Performance Car 2018 at the UK Car of the Year Awards Following a successful introduction to the UK last year, the Kia Stinger has been awarded ‘Best Performance Car’ in the UK Car of the Year Awards (COTY) 2018.

Evaluated and compared by a wellrespected panel of UK journalists, the Stinger came top of its class, fighting off stiff competition in a segment normally associated with more premium brands.

The Stinger impressed judges with its striking styling, excellent handling, high levels of equipment and value for money.

Commenting on the Stinger win, Paul Barker – UK COTY judge, said: “A brave

move by Kia to produce a great-looking grand tourer and an interesting addition to the sector. The 3.3-litre petrol engine is an absolute stormer.”

The Kia Stinger, which is available at Bolton Kia boasts a twin-turbo V6 with the capability to launch the fiveseater gran turismo from 0-60pmh in a time of 4.7 seconds, making it the fastest-accelerating Kia ever.

Kevin Howard, Dealer Principal at Bolton Kia said: “Stinger is such an important car for Kia because it says so much about the brand. We are delighted that it has been recognised by the UK COTY

judges as the Best Performance Car for 2018. The Stinger is on sale now in the UK, and we are very confident our award winning performance car will be a great success.”

The thirteen category winners in the UK Car of the Year Awards 2018 were all put forward to the main ‘UK Car of the Year 2018’ award, with winners having been announced in January.

Stinger was also shortlisted for European Car of the Year as well as being nominated for World Car of the Year, making this a great start for Kia in 2018.

Kia is proud to be Europe’s No.1 Kia Dealer, conveniently located on Middlebrook Retail Park, off Junction 6 of the M61. Find our latest offers at kia.co.uk/bolton.

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kia.co.uk/bolton

The All-New Kia Stinger Available at Bolton Kia

Rediscover driving with Kia’s gran turismo. Every inch, every curve, every polished surface of the All-New Kia Stinger is a prelude to what’s to come: a breath-taking performance.

The All-New Kia Stinger ‘GT S’ features 19” Alloy Wheels, LED Headlamps with dynamic bending, Smart Power Tailgate, 360° Around View Monitor, Electronic Controlled Suspension (ECS), Wide Sunroof, 15-speaker Harmon / Kardon® Premium Sound System, Head-Up Display

Bolton Kia 79 The Linkway, Middlebrook Retail Park, Horwich, BL6 6JA • 01204 664800 @bolton_kia

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Fuel consumption in mpg (l/100km): Urban 20.8 (13.6) – 38.7 (7.3), Extra Urban 36.2 (7.8) – 56.5 (5.0), Combined 28.5 (9.9) – 48.7 (5.8). CO2 emissions 225 – 154g/km. MPG figures are official EU test figures for comparative purposes and may not reflect

real driving results. Model shown All-New Kia Stinger ‘GT S’ 3.3 T-GDi 365bhp 8-speed auto ISG at £41,140 including HiChroma Red premium paint at £645. All-New Kia Stinger range available from £31,995. Specification varies across the range and is subject to change without notice. 7 year / 100,000 mile manufacturer’s warranty.

Kia Motors UK trading as Bolton Kia are a credit broker (not a lender) for the purposes of this financial promotion and can introduce you to a limited number of carefully selected finance providers and may receive a commission from them for the introduction.

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Joanna Lumley

IT’S ALL ABOUT ME NOT many people can go from championing the Ghurkas to starring as a crazy fashion guru to presenting the BAFTAs and still remain absolutely fabulous but Joanna Lumley can.

Now, the 71 year-old is embarking on her first ever live tour, All About Me, later this year when she hits the road for a 30date itinerary all over the UK and Ireland, finishing in Boston, USA. “The thought of this tour, travelling across the British Isles and Ireland, has completely taken over my waking hours,” she admitted.

“It’s utterly thrilling to start planning the stories I can tell and the rapture (and gratitude, to be fair) with which I shall greet the audiences. Nothing like this has come my way before, and I may have to be dragged off with a hook at the end of each show.”

The tour should prove a fascinating one as Joanna’s life so far has certainly been full and interesting and began in the same out-of-the-ordinary way it has continued. She was born in Kashmir, India, to British parents. Her father was a major in the Ghurka Rifles and she spent most of her early childhood in the Far East where he was posted.

Although she was an aspiring actress, it was as a model in the Swinging Sixties in London that she first found success. Statuesque and with striking good looks, she caught the attention of famous-name photographers including the late Lord Patrick Lichfield.

She was designer Jean Muir’s muse and house model for several years before going freelance to become one of the top 10 most-booked models of this exciting decade.

Her acting career included appearances in On the Buses, Dracula and Coronation Street (where she was Ken Barlow’s early love interest) and she was a Bond girl in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

Her acting breakthrough, though, came as Purdey in The New Avengers’ TV series in 1976. More than 800 girls auditioned for this role to appear alongside actor Patrick McNee but producers obviously saw something special in Joanna and her subsequent success in the series – along with her trademark Purdey haircut which became a musthave style – made her a hit with the public as an all-action heroine.

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Roles which followed included Sapphire in Sapphire & Steel in 1979, opposite David McCallum, in a cult sci-fi series which gained many fans. During the 1980s, Joanna honed her theatrical skills in Hedda Gabler and as Elvira in Blythe Spirit.

Joanna also made appearances in several films including the 1982 hit Trail of the Pink Panther and Curse of the Pink Panther the following year. She also had a screen-stealing role in iconic hit film Shirley Valentine in 1989.

While the public had long ago accepted her versatile acting talents, the role that really shot her to international acclaim came along in 1992 when she joined Jennifer Saunders in the TV comedy series Absolutely Fabulous.

She played fun-loving fashionista Patsy Stone to Saunders’ PR guru Edina “Eddy” Monsoon and this re-invention as a comic actress caught the public’s enduring attention. It also won Joanna a string of awards including BAFTAs and cemented her status as a muchloved and admired entertainer.

She has always been quick to attribute Ab Fab’s success to the writing of Jennifer Saunders, commenting: “You cannot get better than the writing. The writing has to be the best you can get, then you can build on it. You can’t make bricks without straw “Jennifer’s writing for Ab Fab was absolutely stunning and unbeatable and individual and hysterically funny.”

The public, however, long ago embraced both Patsy and Joanna as their own and she has been a regular fixture on national TV screens ever since. She has also built up a successful film career as a character and voice-over actress. Her silky, upper-class English tones are immediately identifiable and her enduring beauty and charm have made her a natural for presenting programmes of all kinds.

In 2009, she became a strident spokeswoman for the Gurkhas in the UK and helped persuade the British Government to allow those who had served in the Army the right to settle here.

Not too surprisingly, when she visited Nepal she was feted by crowds and thanked by Nepal’s President and

CELEBRITY INTERVIEW Prime Minister for her work in championing the Ghurkas’ cause.

She does have strong views about standing up to be counted and once stated: “You have to feel more involved than just writing out a cheque. Charity is almost the wrong word – I think people are beginning to feel more responsible for the world.”

And, however unlikely another Ab Fab series might currently seem, what is certain is that thousands of fans are about to be fascinated by a glimpse into the world of Joanna Lumley on her tour.

As for Joanna, she is both excited and grateful for this, insisting:

“Oh people! This is especially for you from me, with masses of love. I think it will be fabulous!”

NORTH WEST TOUR DATES 13 October 2018 Opera House, Blackpool 14 October 2018 Lowry, Manchester 27 October 2018 Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool 7 November 2018 St Georges Hall, Blackburn * For full details of Joanna Lumley’s tour and tickets go to www.ticketmaster.co.uk

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Judith Bromley Russell & Russell

Giving away or selling your home to avoid care fees isn’t always in your best interests

The issue of care home fees has become a thorny subject in recent years. While some accept it as a part and parcel of getting older, others view it as a drain on years of hard earned saving.

If you’re having difficulty looking after yourself, the local council will assess whether you need social care. This can be anything from having more support at home, right through to moving in to a residential care home.

But, whatever your view, the reality is that if you posses a significant asset, such as a home, it gives you a distinct advantage when it comes to care. Having a property you can draw funds from allows you the benefit of choosing how comfortable you want to be if residential care ends up being your destiny.

Currently, if you have assets worth more than £23,250 you are liable for all your costs. If you have less than £23,250 in capital, the council will pay for all or part of your care. How much you pay is calculated on a sliding scale via a means test, which takes into account your savings and any income you may be in receipt of. Of course, there could be other factors involved, for example, if you’re already in living in residential social care or a nursing home, whether there’s a dependent relative living with you or if you have dementia and are living at home, but the broad thrust of it is that if you need to be moved in to full time residential care, the council can also include your property in the value of your assets.

There are lots of people out there who profess that they can help you avoid paying care home fees, but much of that simply isn’t true. It’s a hugely complex area and people can easily fall foul of the law if they don’t take advice from a qualified and regulated professional.

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LEGAL

Deliberately reducing your assets to avoid paying for care fees is known as ‘deprivation of assets’. Your assets can include money, property or any income you receive. It has been known for people to give their money or home away so that they’re not included in the means test, but if your local authority comes to the conclusion that you’ve done this on purpose, it will view it as a deprivation of assets.

As such, even if you no longer have the asset, the council can still include the value of it when calculating your contribution towards the cost of your care fees.

The local authority will base its decision on whether you’ve engaged in a deliberate deprivation of assets by taking into consideration two key factors. Firstly, it will decide if you knew you may need care or support and, secondly, that you’ve intentionally got rid of your assets to avoid paying for care.

And it’s not just about whether you’ve sold your home or transferred the title deeds of your property to someone else that the council will look in to. It will investigate whether you’ve given away large sums of money or you’ve started spending much more than you would do normally.

It also looks in to whether you’ve gambled your money away or if you’ve spent your money on buying jewellery or cars which are exempt from the means test.

This may appear harsh; after all who wants to give up the home and possessions they’ve worked so hard to acquire, but it’s all part of paying for care in the 21st Century. This, I believe, is why timing is critical.

Local authorities will make exceptions if you gave up your home or assets at a time when you genuinely thought you wouldn’t need care or support. In these instances, the council will review your situation and ascertain what reasons you had for doing it. If it deems that, at the time of giving away your assets, you were fit and healthy and didn’t for one minute think you would end up needing care, the council may view that deprivation of assets don’t apply.

While you may believe this is desperately unfair, if you think about it, you’re not really losing your asset, you’re just transferring the value of it in to something else that can help you buy a better life for yourself. Isn’t that exactly why we save in the first place?

Russell and Russell can provide advice and guidance on residential care home fees. The firm offers a free, no obligation consultation so you can decide what’s right for you. russellrussell.co.uk

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Award winning bed RECEIVES BACKING FROM BOLTON'S OWN DRAGON Hailing from Bolton, award-winning entrepreneur (and former BBC Dragon) Hilary Devey CBE is the Founder, CEO and Chairman of The Pall-Ex Group. An outstanding role model for entrepreneurs, she has driven her company to an international marketleading position which boasts an annual turnover of more than £100 million.

Hilary is part owner of Duvalay (Britain’s newly-crowned NBF Bed Manufacturer of the Year 2017), after investing in the company during her time on Dragons' Den, and which has gone from strength to strength over the course of the last seven years.

Here, Hilary recounts her experience meeting entrepreneurs inside Dragons’ Den, her first encounter with Liz and Alan Colleran - the husband-and-wife team behind Duvalay - and of the much-loved, heroic flagship product that accompanied them into the Den - the Duvalay memory foam sleeping bag.

“When I look at the entrepreneurial community in the UK today, I do feel

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as though a lot more could be done to open doors for new businesses.

Although many of the entrepreneurs that entered Dragons’ Den did not come away with a financial boost, a great many more of them did leave with their fair share of advice, which is something I’ve always been rather more generous with. An encouraging word or some constructive feedback can mean the world to an entrepreneur who is just starting out, and who might not have the cash to be able to literally afford any early mistakes.

“Despite my willingness to offer business advice off-camera during my

two years in the Den, I think I built up something of a reputation as a difficult Dragon to please! Countless would-be entrepreneurs entered the Den looking for my investment, but Duvalay was one of the very few businesses that successfully departed having obtained it. What helped to swing it for me, was the fact that Liz and Alan Colleran’s passion and commitment to their company and core product was evident from the minute they walked in.

“Their brilliant pitch and the unique selling point of the Duvalay business appealed to my entrepreneurial instincts instantly. I knew that Liz and Alan had a team and the right kind of mind-set that, with my backing, could take the company to new levels of success.

Watching Duvalay grow and develop over the past seven years, opening a new factory, and picking up industry awards and accolades along the way, has been just fantastic. It will be enjoyable to see what heights Duvalay can reach in the next seven years.”

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Since we opened our specialised bathroom showrooms in Bury and Rochdale we have been pleased to coordinate the supply, design and fitting of numerous bathroom projects ranging from small cloakroom bathrooms to spacious family bathrooms and everything in between.

Our staff have a collective experience of over 100 years from within the bathroom industry. With this kind of expertise, we are able to give honest, unbiased advice to give you the best possible results for your budget.

Bathroom Design and Installation Service We manage your whole bathroom installation project from the moment you walk into our showroom up until

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you can hop into your new shower or bath.

fitting team over many years, and only work with talented, dedicated and professional installers who we know can do our designs justice and represent Boro Bathrooms superbly.

This model enables us to deliver the best value and the best choice to our customers by sending you workmen that have a wealth of knowledge, creativity and who are completely loyal to us and our customers.

Pop into our showroom and browse through the displays to get an idea of what styles, colours and products you love. Have a chat with our expert staff who will help you make the most of your space, and give you honest advice about what works well.

Bathroom Supplies Throughout The UK

Bring the measurements of the room with you and we will put together a detailed 3D design for you so that we can bring your ideas to life. Then, once you are 100% satisfied with the bathroom design we have created, it’s go time! We will order your products and arrange for one of our talented and friendly bathroom fitting team to come and create your dream bathroom.

We can ship all of our products including bathroom suites, tiles, accessories and any of our bathroom products to addresses all over the UK. Whether you are an individual looking to reduce costs on your bathroom project, or if you are a fitter who would like to purchase products from our vast range of stockists, just get in touch with us and our friendly and experienced staff will be happy to help.

Our Fitting Service

Over our 43 years in the industry, we have curated an incredible selection of brands that we purchase beautiful bathroom suites, tiles, accessories and more from to create amazing bathrooms for our customers. Browse just a few of the brands that we supply below, or get in touch if you are looking for something specific.

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HOME

Spring your home

BACK TO LIFE THIS is definitely the time of year we take a fresh look at our home and think about change.

Spring is not just a time for Spring-cleaning but also altering and improving our lifestyle and streamlining the way we live with less clutter. As the brighter days come along, the fresh light on often tired furnishings and décor can galvanize us to action. But where to start?

Although it may be your rooms that look like they need some immediate rejuvenating, it’s worth first checking the OUTSIDE of your property and seeing if work needs doing there.

The fascia board and soffits – the wooden bits around the outside of your home – may be looking tired and in need of some work. You may just need a new coat of paint on the outside or even new WINDOWS. Today, windows are not only very effective in keeping out the bad weather and ensuring your home is well-insulated but also look good and can modernise the most tiredlooking property.

And now spring is here and the days get longer property maintenance tends to be foremost in people’s minds, with lighter mornings and evenings any failed double glazed units (Misty Glass) become more obvious.

BACK TO NATURE – It’s the natural look by Valspar paints for this lovely room STEAMY WINDOWS offers a unique service with no salesmen and no pressure to buy. Simply measure the approximate size of each unit that has failed and contact STEAMY WINDOWS (see advert) and we will price them for you. When you are happy with the price we survey the work and fit them within 7 – 10 days.

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HOME We are an established family run company that offers a professional and friendly service. We have served over 10,000 customers since 2003 who regularly return and recommend STEAMY WINDOWS to their family and friends.

If you require replacement double glazed units contact STEAMY WINDOWS for a free no obligation quotation or visit our website www. steamywindows.net If you don’t want to spend quite that amount, check that your FRONT DOOR is still effective as a welcoming portal to your home. Front doors come in all kinds of designs these days and are ideal for ensuring light in your hallway.

You may want to build onto your home in 2018 with an EXTENSION, SUNROOM or ORANGERIE. You may prefer a CONSERVATORY as a means of extra light and space. They can all add both value and quality to your home and daily living but it’s worth choosing your builder carefully.

An approved official body like the Federation of Master Builders is a good place to start; go to www.fmb.org.uk for information about a suitable local builder. Your builder should be able to show you previous work which is why having one recommended to you often helps.

KEEN ON GREEN – Cool greens are used by Valspar paints for this relaxing lounge Check all your rooms carefully before you start any work as, once you’ve got one room much improved, it can make the others look rather dull!

Unwanted Furniture?

FURNITURE DONATIONS:

We collect unwanted, re-usable furniture FREE of charge from any household within the Bolton borough.

VOLUNTEERS: We are always looking for new volunteers to help us with providing our services. We always need minibus drivers, van drivers and crew.

All donations of furniture are then displayed in our showrooms at Bolton Community Transport & Furniture Services Unit A1, Lecturers Close, Bolton BL3 6DG also Market Street, Farnworth BL4 8EX If you can help us please tel: 01204 364777 email: admin@bctfs.co.uk www.bctfs.co.uk Registered Charity 1101339

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Keep your HALLWAY bright with good lighting and possibly new wallpaper and paint. Mirrors are also a great way to maximise space and light.

Decorating might be the answer around the house, especially in areas like the lounge and kitchen where you spend a large amount of time. The paint experts at Valspar advise that “light colours will always uplift a small room and make it appear bigger. In larger rooms, you can use dark colours to make the room feel cosier or create a more dramatic effect.”

If you don’t want to invest in a new SOFA or CHAIRS, having new covers made or even buying attractive throws will definitely brighten them up.

been stacking up over the weeks in time for paper recycling day, for instance, are both great motivators.

2. Pick a time and a place – Whilst in certain circumstances it makes sense to sort all of a particular “type” of thing in one hit – books, clothes, photographs etc – if you’re simply trying to give yourself a sensible clearout and freshen up your home, I’d suggest working either room-by-room or space-by-space. So, find yourself a free morning or afternoon when you can get stuck into a room, or just 30 minutes to work on a set of drawers or a shelf, put the radio on and get to work!

The same applies in the KITCHEN where new unit doors, for example, can create the illusion of a completely new kitchen. Or, splash out on a large, freestanding fridge if you’ve got the room to stylishly add to storage and drinks’ capacity.

Even new pots and pans, displayed attractively, can improve the look of you kitchen or new, brightly-coloured utensils. You can buy complete ranges of coffee-makers, kettles and containers now in lively colours.

3. Bags, boxes and all that jazz – You don’t need to go overboard here by any means but it’s good to have at hand some suitable containers for sorting your items. There are things to keep, to donate to charity, to pass on to friends or where, needs must, to put into the bin. Cardboard boxes, bin bags plastic tubs or simple marked-up spaces on the floor (use a post-it note) or table are a good starting point. Simply moving things around and not into a specific category means it’s easier to mix up and get into a muddle again.

4. Need it? Use it? Love it? – These are the questions you need to ask yourself when going through your possessions.

If you can’t answer “yes” to any of these, you’ll then need

The same applies in the BATHROOM where a new suite will do wonders for the look here and make it much more contemporary. Bright shower curtains and accessories can complete your makeover.

BEDROOMS definitely benefit from decoration in soft, relaxing colours, complemented by new bedding in similar shades and new flooring.

Nothing will work well in the way of home improvements, though, if you don’t seriously address the matter of clutter. Professional de-clutterer Amanda Manson from Orderly Office and Home suggests some simple, tried and tested tips to help you tackle those niggling areas and create a feeling of calm.

1. Decide on your goal – Getting started requires a mindset that is open to letting things go, a sense of acceptance and the ability to move forward. I speak to many people who say they have too much stuff in the spare room or that their loft is ful of “goodness knows what” and they just can’t seem to make a start tackling it. So first I’d suggest setting yourself a goal and a timeframe in which to achieve it. Clearing the overflowing sideboard or dining table before you have guests over for lunch or going through a pile of newspapers and magazines that have

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HOME to ask yourself why you still have it!

Easier for some items than others, granted, but for the purpose of a Springclean it’s likely you’ll be tackling things that you’re less emotionally attached to.

5. Sort, group and purge – When going through your possessions, start by gathering together things from one place. For instance in your kitchen just empty out that utensil drawer onto the countertop and try to group all of the same kinds of items together. Lay out all the knives, whisks, measuring spoons and so on. Then it’s time to assess what you have and decide if you have enough, too many or need more.

A simple trick here is, over the course of a week, to only put back into that drawer the items that you have used. Look at what’s left at the end of the week and decide if you really need what’s left in the box.

whichever area of your home needs a tickle then you can enjoy finding something suitable to fit in your space.

Try to re-purpose storage items that don’t work in other rooms. You’ll often find they work wonders when given a new job.

7. Clean and be cleaned – Of course, you’ll want to give the area you’re sorting a good Springclean whilst you’re at it. Just think how much easier a bookshelf will be to dust when there are fewer items cluttering up the surface space. Likewise for your laundry cupboard. Three fewer duvets and a new way of storing them (duvet cover and bottom sheets stored inside the matching pillowcase) will make life much easier going forwards.

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Emmaus Communities are a unique way of dealing with homelessness.

It is a sad, but true fact that homelessness in the UK is on the increase.... and no one really knows how many people are living rough on our streets. In London, Broadway - a homeless charity, counted 6437 people living rough on the streets of our capital on just one night! Multiply this across our cities and towns and one soon realises homelessness is a real and significant problem.

Emmaus Communities enable homeless people to make a new life and move on.

An Emmaus Community is not a hostel or night shelter; It does not just provide a bed for a night or two - it provides a home, a family within our community and work for as long as an individual needs, to rebuild their life and return to ‘normal living’. People who come to live in the community are not residents - they are Companions.

All we ask is; • that companions work for 40 hours per week, or give as much time as they are able, in the community’s social enterprise; • that they behave in a respectful way towards one another; • that no alcohol or illegal drugs are used on the premises;

• that they sign off all mainstream benefits; In return, companions get a room of their own, food, clothes, a small weekly allowance and the opportunity to rebuild their confidence, self worth and learn new skills in a dignified manner and in a non judgmental environment that respects people for who they are and not what they have been.

Social enterprise is central to Emmaus Communities, it provides meaningful work for companions and also generates an income that allows us to be self-sustaining and not dependant on hand-outs or the state. The main business activity for Emmaus communities is the recycling of donated furniture and household goods and selling them in our shops. Some items are refurbished or, in the case of electrical items, PAT tested for safety. Our enterprise ensures that 1000’s of tons of unwanted items are not buried as landfill.

A major aspect of the ethos of Emmaus Communities is the concept of Solidarity.

The perception of people who are homeless is that they are a drain on society,

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Solidarity takes many forms within Emmaus Communities; sometimes surplus income generated from the business of the Community goes towards starting new Emmaus Communities, sometimes it is donated to other local charities or to disaster appeals.

The concept of Solidarity and the ethos of Emmaus is perhaps best embodied in the words “Serve first those who suffer most”.

Please come and visit our community soon, We have a number of shops, selling all sorts of household items, furniture, electricals, music, clothes, books, colectables and we have a fantastic café that serves freshly made food, homemade soups, homemade cakes, scones, and drinks.

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GARDEN

Outdoor

LIVING It may be anything from a tiny patch of grass to a paved garden or something lush that stretches over a large area.

Whatever the size of your garden, this time of year is when we really appreciate getting outside on fine days and enjoying that private piece of England. And more and more we are now making the very best of our gardens.

If you’re planning a garden or improving one, it’s worth deciding first of all how you want to use it. Is it purely a place to grow flowers and vegs? Is it for relaxing, for cooking and entertaining or as a children’s playspace? Is it a “working” garden that has additional storage or even a garden studio?

Once you have decided on its main purpose, come up with a wish-list of things you would like in it – and prune this to fit your budget. Some garden experts suggest, as a rule of green thumb, living with your garden for a year to experience every season and what this means to your garden.

Each garden has its own subtle annual patterns and styles – and it needs to suit the property it adjoins to complement it properly. Make the garden that fits the right location: if you’ve got a city garden your space will probably be overlooked by buildings creating shade so use plants that have a chance of blooming.

If your garden overlooks your neighbours consider hedges and trees for privacy, but if it’s bordered by open rural space and lovely views think about lowering fences so it blends in seamlessly with the surrounding landscape. All this helps you to enjoy your garden more.

PATHS can create an illusion of space and areas of greater interest; a winding path makes a more fluid design than a straight one and you can make individual areas for sitting or just admiring the greenery.

Use path materials to complement those used on the house, matching the tones but varying the layout, perhaps adding a secondary, smaller material to give the path a more distinctive look.

Do you want to stride boldly around your paths or are they a more subtle way of enticing people through the garden?

In a narrow garden, a fan effect of paths can help the space look wider, or just lay wide rectangular slabs in a less formal way.

A PATIO can prove to be a real sun-trap and a place where you can enjoy al fresco dining and entertaining. You can

make your own decked area relatively easily, but don’t forget to treat it with stain and preserver products that will protect it from sunlight, water damage and mould.

POTS and PLANTERS placed distinctively around your garden can look great on a patio with a large shrub, can screen areas or make small areas of fascination throughout your garden. Ensure, however, that they are portable enough to move around – if you get tired of them in one place then you can move them to another.

Highlight all this with subtle LIGHTING. Invest in beautiful lanterns or LED lights in styles to complement your garden and spotlight your hard work.

To take your lifestyle out into the fresh air, AWNINGS are a welcome all-year-round home accessory. They allow for outdoor dining and entertainment and can easily extend living areas outside day or night. They offer shade when it’s hot and protection when it’s not and these days come in beautiful shades and with smooth mechanisms that make using them a pleasure.

PERGOLAS, GAZEBOS and ARBOURS come in all shapes and sizes, too, offering a quirky and interesting attraction or simply as a way to enhance your garden walks. The wood used blends in beautifully with the surroundings yet they offer a talking-point and bring a different element to your garden.

Everyone loves a BARBECUE in the garden and gas or charcoal-burning mobile models are available in various styles and prices to suit all pockets.

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GARDEN

There are even brazier-like barbecues that heat the area on chilly evenings.

at home. Find out more at the British and Irish Spa Hot Tub Association (BISHTA) on www.bishta.co.uk

You can, of course, build your own barbecue from brick, ensuring beforehand that it’s at the most practical and comfortable height for the people using it and that it doesn’t pose a fire-risk.

Gardens are great places in which children and grandchildren can play and there’s a wealth of PLAY EQUIPMENT available – everything from climbing frames, slides and swings to exotic treehouses.

Gardens are also wonderful for their relaxing qualities, so finding ways to get nearer to it – and even work within it – make sense for many of us. GARDEN STUDIOS are one clever way of doing this – individually built rooms with plenty of glass and airiness that allow us another handy room outside the house.

And if all you really want to do in your home outdoor space is garden, you can make your life easier with every kind of GARDEN EQUIPMENT. Choose from the latest labour-saving lawnmowers, trimmers and strimmers to all manner of small tools to create the garden of your dreams – and even be kind to your knees with the latest comfy kneeler!

We all know the healing and relaxing power of water which is why PONDS and WATER FEATURES are all so popular in our gardens today. They don’t have to cost a fortune – you can create a small pond on quite a modest budget, install a pump and put in suitable plants plus fish for a reasonable amount. And water features can be as big or small as you want, all involving that lovely sound of trickling water that calms the soul.

If you really want to, literally, push the boat out you could invest in a SWIMMING POOL. You could have a small one in the open air or something larger in its own purposebuilt home. Choose carefully and this could provide luxury swimming on site all the months of the year.

HOT TUBS have also become very popular in this country over the last decade. Again, these can be used all year round and provide a relaxing and healthy way to chill out

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GARDEN

Health Benefits OF GARDENING

Gardening is a fun, rewarding hobby that’s enjoyed by many of us. And with spring here already, it’s the perfect time to start thinking about getting out in the garden. There are some surprising health benefits too. So we recently spoke with Eleanor Atkins, a doctor from Bupa UK, who shared these unexpected benefits with us: It’s a fun way to exercise Physical activity and exercise can help you stay healthy and energetic as you get older. Gardening is a great way to

keep fit because it can involve using your whole body, depending on the type of gardening you do. Activities like raking and carrying leaves can help tone your upper arms and increase your strength and flexibility.

It can be good for your heart Being physically active is important in maintaining a good heart health.

Regular, moderate exercise that lasts for around 30 minutes can help reduce your risk of heart disease. Try some gardening activities that raises your heart rate like mowing the lawn, raking the leaves or trimming a tree. Activities that raise your heart rate are great for your cardiovascular health.

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You can grow your own nutritious fruit and vegetables Having a diet high in fruit and vegetables may help to reduce your blood pressure, lower your risk of heart disease and some types of cancer. A good diet can also help to protect oral and dental health, and bone and joint health in later life. So growing your own fruit and vegetables is a great way you can include them more in your diet.

Vitamin D exposure

Grow your own fruit and vegetables It’s social

It can reduce stress levels

Enjoying the company of others who have similar interests can be good for our emotional wellbeing. Gardening is a great way of meeting new people and there are plenty of local gardening groups out there, so get involved! It’s also a fun way to socialise with your family too, as you can plant seeds, flowers and other kinds of greenery together.

Studies show that gardening can lower your levels of cortisol (your stress hormone) and can make you feel more relaxed. When compared to reading a book inside, gardening had a much greater effect of reducing stress levels.

It can also feel therapeutic and distract you from thinking about stressful situations.

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With spring here already, many of us will be taking advantage of the nicer weather and gardening over the next few months. Our bodies need vitamin D to help build strong and healthy bones and we can get this naturally from our diet (oily fish like salmon and mackerel) and the sun. So gardening is a great way of spending some time out in the sunshine! But as always, make sure you protect yourself from getting burnt in the sun. Cover up, wear good sunglasses, use sunscreen and check the UV index.

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GARDEN

The Smell of Spring Garden Designer, Sarah Plested celebrates the Spring Garden Is it the longer days, the sun beginning to warm the earth or buds beginning to break that I can smell in the air?

Even on cold days that are more akin to midwinter, something’s changed. For me, spring brings with it anticipation, renewed enthusiasm and a determination to savour every minute of the new season.

Spring flowers follow a familiar and comforting rhythm, snowdrops and winter aconites are the first signs of life, closely followed by the bright blues and purples of iris reticulata, cheery yellows of Narcissus ‘Tete a Tete’ and blankets of crocus opening in the sunshine. An explosion of daffodils, tulips, primroses and cowslips confirm we are officially in Spring and the annual visit to the fritillary fields and the bluebell woods beckon.

Bluebells in the grounds of Ashe Park, Overton, Hampshire Other scented spring plants for your garden include, Lily of the Valley, Wallflowers, early flowering clematis such as Clematis ‘Apple Blossom’ and a wide range of shrubs and trees such as Choisya ternata, Magnolia stellata, Lilacs and Cherries. Position highly scented plants near entrances, windows and paths so that even if you are not out in the garden, the scent can lift your spirits on a dreary day.

Whilst large areas planted with bulbs create an impressive display, the same impact can be achieved in a much smaller space. The trick is to keep your selection limited to a couple of varieties and plant plenty of them together; 10 crocus bulbs will be lost in a border, but 50 planted together will provide a bold splash of colour. Choose bulbs that flower at different times through the Spring and as one display dies back the next will be blooming.

In a small garden pots crammed full of bulbs can be brought out into the limelight when they are in full bloom and then swapped for the next display, providing continuous pleasure from early February right through to May. The bulbs can be lifted as they die back and replaced with summer bedding, perennials or grasses for colour right through the summer.

Spring gardens can be designed under trees where the leaves shade the area later in the year, keeping the ground cool during the summer months. Try Anemone nemorosa planted en masse combined with bluebells, as their flowering time overlaps. Other bulbs suitable for a woodland garden include Scilla siberica, Muscari armeniacum and Erythronium ‘Pagoda’ and perennials such as Pulmonaria ‘Opal’, Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’ and Tiarella ‘Spring Symphony’ are ‘go to’ choices when I’m designing a woodland planting scheme.

Narcissus ‘Tete a Tete’ Spring is accompanied by a bouquet of fragrance to attract pollinators, fresh and lighter than the heady months of summer. The scent of Narcissus poeticus on the breeze, bluebells disturbed whilst walking the dog and spotting the tiny sweet violet (Viola odorata), take me through the months of Spring.

42 | WWW.50PLUSMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Swathes of bulbs can be planted in grass creating a mass of colour; crocus tommasinianus, naturalising narcissus, Camassia leichtlinii subsp. suksdorfii (amazing display at RHS Wisley) and snowdrops create a striking effect for a few short weeks. Allow the leaves to die back naturally and leave at least six weeks after flowering before mowing, ideally leaving the foliage to go yellow and straw-like.

Iris reticulata ‘Lady Beatrix Stanley’ Finally, bring a few cut stems of Spring flowering shrubs indoors to brighten up the kitchen. Favourites are the twisted stems of Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’ dripping with catkins, the scented flowers of Viburnum-bodnantense ‘Dawn’ or the cheerful yellow of Forsythia-intermedia ‘Lynwood Variety’.

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GARDEN

Top Tips For WAKING UP YOUR GARDEN If you’re a gardening novice or if you’re simply just itching to get started on your garden this year, you might think that you can just leave it ‘til the last minute before rushing in to get everything done in the throes of Spring.

But Rome wasn’t built in a day, and there are certain preparations you should be making now in order to really get the most out of your garden during blooming season.

YARD TASKS WASH AND POLISH YOUR GARDEN TOOLS Your tools will likely need some TLC after months of non-use and hiding in the garden shed or basement.

Shears and hand pruners may have accumulated dirt that, if left unwashed, could infect your newlypruned plants. Almost all tools are easier to work with when cleaned and sharpened so take the time to hone those spades, trowels and hoes with a file and apply lubricating oil.

TRACK DOWN GARDEN PESTS Slugs, snails, aphids and larvae may have been sheltering in the crowns or flip sides of your plants for the winter. Go after these hibernating pests before putting in new plants.

There’s a slew of pest control materials and methods to choose from but it’s best to start with more natural means like homemade remedies or beneficial insects that will prey on the harmful ones.

CLEAN UP YOUR YARD OR GARDEN Spend some time doing some general cleaning and tidying jobs by removing leaves and debris from your lawn, taking note of areas that need reseeding. If you have perennials from last year, cut down foliage and reserve it for your compost bin. Divide clumped perennials for later replanting or sharing with friends. You can also start fixing fences, gates and trellis so you’ll have more time focusing on your plants after tidying up.

PREPARE THE BEDS AND REINVIGORATE THE SOIL It’s a lot easier to pull out weeds now so go through it and rake the mulch that remained on the bed over the winter.

But how will you know if your soil is ready for gardening since winter weather takes a hard toll on garden soil?

An easy guide is to grab a handful of soil, squeeze it

tightly, then open your fist. The soil should crumble instead of forming clumps. Take a soil test for pH level if necessary and enrich accordingly: add dolomitic lime to raise pH or sulphur to lower pH. Add in some compost or well-rotted manure too, using a spading fork to mix in everything perfectly well.

PRUNE SHRUBS AND TREES If you haven’t got around to pruning your trees before or during Winter, now is the best time to do so. Remove damaged, dead and diseased branches, but take note whether a certain plant is best pruned before Spring growth or right after flowering. Pruning fruit trees is best done in late winter or early spring.

Also take time to thin dead foliage now before new growth begins and thinning becomes too difficult.

PREPARE FOR PLANTING Here are some of the plants to consider growing in your garden this season: Bulbs: Tulip, Crocus, Daffodils, Hyacinths, Dahlia, Lily, Amaryllis Spring-planted bulbs make some of the most colourful garden flowers. Make sure not to cut off their leaves when they have finished flowering.

Fruits: Avocados, Blueberries, Lemons, Pineapple, Apricot, Strawberries, Kiwi Growing fruits in the UK can be difficult but not impossible, and it will definitely give your garden an edge.

Vegetables: Lettuce, Cabbage, Kale, Broccoli, Turnips, Radish, Cucumber, Onions Garden vegetables are usually planted when the soil is warm, but March can be a great time to plant cool-season vegetables that can withstand the last frosty days of the month.

You may opt to plant these vegetables directly in the soil, underneath a row cover, or in containers. For a continual harvest, plant several varieties of each.

Herbs: Chives, Lavender, Rosemary, Thyme, Parsley, Basil, Mint.

Compliment your springtime recipes with the unmistakable flavours and fragrance of fresh, home-grown herbs this season. Dedicate a row for herbs in your garden or grow them on your kitchen windowsill for easy reach.

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GARDEN range of hanging baskets and we also offer a bespoke planting service.

Bring in your empty basket and we will refill and care for it until you’re ready to collect.

Shrubs: Rhododendron, Camellia, Viburnum, Forsythia, Lilac, Azalea.

Some of these bushes provide a bigger visual impact than flowers and produce blooms that are fragrant, too.

If you are interested in growing your own we have a range of seeds to get you started or fruit, veg and herb plug plants for you to nurture including chillies, rainbow carrots and cucumelons.

Blossom Trees: Snowy Mespilus, Hawthorn, Crab Apple, Pyrus, Flowering Dogwood, Cherry Tree.

Deciduous as they may be, these trees give a year-round delight starting of course with dream-like blooms during Spring.

Add interest with hard landscaping New in this season we have a large display of decorative gravels including cobbles, slates and rockery stone and we always have a choice of pots, troughs and planters.

Written by the horticulture experts at BillyOh.com

Heaton Fold Garden Centre… Bolton’s hidden gem.

As the weather warms up and Spring flowers are making an appearance now is the perfect time to visit Heaton Fold Garden Centre. We’ve undergone a fantastic transformation over the past year and we are now open 7 days a week for all your planting and gardening needs.

Spring Planting We’re busy growing beautiful summer bedding in every colour and perennials, shrubs and fruit trees are all displayed around the centre. We always have a gorgeous

Perhaps you want to encourage wildlife into your garden with our range of bird tables and feed or our bug hotels – great for the kids!

And relax…

Once you’ve chosen your plants and pots why not take a seat and have a glass of wine or cold beer as you take in the view across the golf course. Heaton Fold Garden Centre… we make dream gardens happen.

Bolton’s Hidden Gem...

.

Overlooking the picturesque Middlebrook Valley behind Overdale Crematorium. Open 7 days a week. ● ●

Heaton Fold Garden Centre and Café

Vegetable Plants ● Herbs ● Perennials ● Annuals Shrubs ● Seeds ● Fruit Trees ● Bird Tables & Feed ● Large Selection of Composts & Decorative Stone Chipping, Rocks and Cobbles.

BESP HAN G O K E BA I N G RE FI S KET LLS F ROM

£12.0

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Lots of exciting new products and plants in stock

Bigger and Better!

See out and about section

Heaton Fold Garden Centre & Café | Overdale Drive | Heaton | Bolton BL1 5BU Tel 01204 336848 www.heatonfold.co.uk

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FOOD & DRINK

James Martin's

AMERICAN ADVENTURE Chicken ‘Bonne Femme’ Bonne femme translates as ‘good woman’ or ‘good wife’, and refers to the simplicity of this tasty dish. In culinary terms, it has come to refer to a dish with a mushroom-based sauce. There are lots of versions of Bonne Femme, made using oysters or sole as well as chicken. This is my version of a Louisiana Creole classic. The Worcestershire sauce adds a great depth of flavour.

4 tablespoons olive oil 100g (31/2 oz) lardons or chopped streaky bacon 100g (3/4 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1.5kg (3lb) whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces 1 green pepper (bell pepper), deseeded and diced 3 large Spanish onions, sliced

Place a large roasting tray over a medium heat. Drizzle half the oil into the tray, then add the lardons or bacon. Stir into the hot oil and fry until crispy, tossing every now and then.

Once the bacon is cooked, lift out with a slotted spoon and place in a large bowl.

Spread the flour on to a plate and season well. Dip each piece of chicken into it to coat completely. Fry the pieces in the tray, in batches and over a medium heat, adding the remaining oil, as you need to.

When each piece is golden on one side, flip over and brown the other side, then place in

the bowl with the bacon. With the tray still over a medium heat, add the vegetables, potatoes, garlic and chorizo, stir in, then pour in the wine.

Deglaze, stirring in the sticky bits and juices from the base of the pan, then add the Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco.

Return the cooked bacon and chicken to the tray and season.

Transfer to the preheated oven and cook for 35–40 minutes.

Sprinkle with tarragon before serving.

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Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.

2 celery sticks, diced 125g (41/2 oz) white button mushrooms, sliced 300g (101/2 oz) new potatoes 5 garlic cloves, chopped 150g (51/4 oz) chorizo sausage, diced 4 tablespoons white wine 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 15 drops of Tabasco a few sprigs of tarrago

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Registered Office Oddfellows House 184 – 186 Deansgate, Manchester M3 3WB.

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FOOD & DRINK

Philly Cheesesteak Invented by a hot dog guy for a taxi diver who wanted to grab something quick to eat, the Philly cheesesteak has become massive in its home city of Philadelphia.

Its fame has come at a price, however, and unfortunately it is now easier to find a bad one than a tasty one. This has to be made with great beef, normally rib-eye, cooked quickly then sliced up. Provolone cheese is another must. Other than the hoagie – the type of bread it sits in – the rest is up to you.

SERVES 3 4 tablespoons olive oil 3 x 20cm (8 in) hoagies or baguettes, cut in half lengthways 6 large spring onions (scallions), cut in half lengthways 2 little gem lettuces, leaves pulled apart

50g (3/4oz) cherry tomatoes 500g (1lb 2oz) rib-eye steak, thinly sliced 3 pickled onions, sliced 2 mozzarella balls, torn 300g (3 cups) grated provolone cheese

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/ gas mark 6. Heat a griddle pan to hot.

Place the baguettes in a parcel of foil or baking parchment, top with the lettuce and tomatoes.

Drizzle the oil over the cut sides of the baguettes and place cut-side down onto the griddle. Toast until charred. Brush a little oil over the spring onions (scallions) and griddle them for 2–3 minutes, again until charred.

Oil the griddle and place the steak on the griddle to cook for 1 minute on each side. Then cut up in to strips while on the griddle.

Place the strips of steak into the baguettes. Add the slices of pickled

onion, mozzarella, provolone cheese, and top with the spring onions. Place in the oven for 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy a Pub Lunch with no need to drive ...

We offer individuals the opportunity to go out on day trips to various destinations listed in our brochure and provide a door-to-door service. For more trips and full details call for a free brochure.

IF YOU E PUB L NJOY UNCH ES WE H OTHER AVE D AVAIL ATES ABLE BOLTON COMMUNITY TRANSPORT CAL.indd 28

Friday 20th April 2018 BRIDGEWATER, WORSLEY

Victorian style building in a picturesque surrounding.

Family pub restaurant offering a great range of food.

£11.00 per person

Thursday 31st May 2018 THE RED ROBIN AND ROBIN PARK, WIGAN

Tuesday 19th June 2018 TOBY CARVERY AND NEW BANK GARDEN CENTRE

The Red Robin offers local pub food, serving a selection of menus including fresh carvery served all day. Then onto Robin Park retail complex offering a wide range of shops for some retail therapy.

Enjoy a roast dinner and carvery then on to Newbank Garden Centre for garden, gift and home accessories.

£11.00 per person

£11.00 per person

BOLTON COMMUNITY TRANSPORT AND FURNITURE SERVICES UNIT A1 LECTURERS CLOSE, BOLTON BL3 6DG

48 | WWW.50PLUSMAGAZINE.CO.UK

T: 01204 393777 www.bctfs.co.uk

Bow Pasta with Clams, Crayfish & Cajun Spices

SERVES 6

We definitely need to eat more of these little fellas, as American crayfish have taken over from the UK crayfish in our rivers and streams. It’s easy to find containers of the cooked tails in the supermarket. This pasta dish is so simple to make and uses American kale, also called ‘black cabbage’ or cavolo nero.

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, add the salt and the pasta, stir in and simmer for 10 minutes until al dente.

Mix the paprika, white pepper, thyme, oregano and celery salt together in a bowl.

Melt the butter in a large pan over a low to medium heat.

Once the butter has stopped foaming, add the garlic, herbs and spices and cook for a minute or two. Pour in the white wine, then add the clams and

cream and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and cook for 2 minutes.

As the clams start to open, add the cavolo nero followed by the crayfish.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Drain the pasta, keeping a little of the water, and tip into the pan with the sauce. Season and keep cooking for another 2 minutes.

Add the Tabasco and grate half the Parmesan into the sauce. Spoon onto a large serving bowl and grate over the rest of the cheese.

1 tablespoon salt 500g (1lb 2oz) bow pasta 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 teaspoon ground white pepper 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon celery salt 4 tablespoons butter 5 garlic cloves, chopped 4 tablespoons white wine 500g (lb 2oz) clams 300ml (1/4 cup) double (heavy) cream large handful of cavolo nero, chopped 500g (1lb 2 oz) crayfish tails sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 10 drops of Tabasco 25g (oz) Parmesan cheese

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FOOD & DRINK

Bourbon Pecan Tart Another classic American dessert, this moreish tart is packed with crunchy pecans, smothered in bourbonflavoured sticky goodness. If you’d like to glaze the cake, warm 2 tablespoons golden syrup (light corn syrup) in a pan and brush all over the tart after baking.

SERVES 8 For the pastry 250g (I3/4cups plus 2 tablespoons) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for rolling out 125g (1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon) butter, diced, at room temperature 1 medium egg, beaten For the filling 4 tablespoons butter 100g (3oz) treacle 4 medium eggs 175g (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) caster (superfine) sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 6 tablespoons bourbon whiskey 500g (1lb 2oz) pecans To serve double (heavy) cream or vanilla ice cream

To make the pastry, put the flour into a large bowl, add the butter and rub in using your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Pour the egg into the middle of the mixture and stir in well, then lightly knead the mixture to bring it together. Add 1 tablespoon of water if the mixture feels a bit dry and doesn’t come together into a smooth dough. Shape the dough into a disc, wrap in clingfilm (plastic wrap) and rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Lightly flour a clean work surface then roll out the pastry into a large circle, around 2mm (1/8in) thick. Keep turning the pastry every time you roll it to keep the shape even. Use to line

a 26cm (10 in) fluted loose-bottomed tart tin, 3cm (1.in) deep.

Line the tin with the pastry. Press into the flutes and edge of the base of the tin, then leave the remainder hanging over the edge.

Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/gas mark 3. Make the filling. Put the butter and treacle into a small pan and heat gently to melt the butter. Stir together.

Take the pan off the heat and cool a little.

Put the tart tin on a baking sheet.

Spread the pecans all over the tart case, then pour the filling over the top. Bake for 35–45 minutes until the filling is firm.

Once cooked, cut all the overhanging edges off the tart using a sharp serrated knife. Cool the tart until warm, then lift the tart out of the tin and transfer to a plate.

Cut the tart into slices and serve with cream or ice cream.

Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl until mixed well then pour in the cooled butter mixture, cinnamon and bourbon and stir everything together.

James Martin’s American Adventure by James Martin (Quadrille, £25) Photography © Peter Cassidy

50 | WWW.50PLUSMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Spring Time at

Bolton's Award Winning Fish and Chips Restaurant Wonderful Location Curley’s Dining Room is a little piece of heaven right in the heart of Horwich and is set in a picturesque corner of the idyllic countryside on the banks of the Wallsuches Reservoir.

A perfect place close to Bolton for traditional home cooked food, freshly prepared daily on the premises.

and a perfect highlight for the amazing real fireplace. The walls are decorated with an eclectic mix of pictures and mirrors which are reflected in the piano. The superb décor is cleverly brought together with a mix of earthy tweed fabrics to compliment the classic look, giving it a modern edge.

50 Plus Special

We offer separate lunch and evening menus plus daily specials. We are renowned for our breakfasts and our award winning fish, chips and peas (gluten free batter available) and to compliment our menu there is also a selection of wines, real ales and draft beers. Cakes, fresh coffee and a selection of teas are also available daily.

A smaller portion of Fish, served with Chipped Potatoes, Mushy Peas, Bread & Butter and a Pot of Tea £7-95 Prime Cod or haddock, deep fried in our own batter. Served with handcut chips, homemade tartare sauce and your choice of mushy peas or garden peas £9-95

Amazing Decor

Deep fried cod, served with handcut chips and your choice of mushy peas or garden peas and homemade tartare sauce. £7-95

Inside the restaurant and enjoy its striking décor. Instantly the vibrant colour of the main wall is both warm and welcoming

Evenings at Curleys Wed - Sun From 5pm

Outside dining area

New arlour P m a e r ! n C e p e O c I Now M A E

We Sell Wallsuches, Horwich, Bolton, BL6 6PP w: www.curleysdiningrooms.co.uk t: 01204 691783

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THE NORTH WEST’S

Bolton Market

....

The market has over 200 stalls to choose from located both indoor and outdoor which are all under cover. Customers travel for miles just to visit the famous fresh fish, meat, fruit and vegetable halls, lifestyle hall and food court seating area.

The outdoor, undercover market compliments all our halls on Bolton Market.

The Lifestyle section offers everything from furniture to flowers, bedding to broomsticks. Plus much, much, more along with a friendly service, hints and tips.

There are plenty of eateries to choose from and a food court for the more leisurely where you can sit and watch the world go by whilst eating and drinking both continental and traditional foods.

Bolton Market provides everything you need for your weekly shop and more, all at fantastic value. Fruit and vegetables can be plain or exotic, but always fresh and healthy.

The famous fish and meat market is considered to be the best and largest in the north west, offering outstanding variety, low prices and excellent quality

fish, meat, eggs, poultry & frozen foods.

So there is only one place to be when planning for great shopping and free family fun, Bolton Market.

How To Find Us Bolton Market Ashburner Street Bolton BL1 1TQ Tel: 01204 336825 Opening Times Tuesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday 9am-5pm Contact Us Customer Services: 01204 336825 Business Enquiries: 01204 336824 or 336823 email: bolton.markets@bolton.gov.uk If you are interested in becoming a trader at Bolton Markets call 01204 336825

www.bolton.gov.uk

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THE NORTH WEST’S

market

....

Ashburner Street Bolton BL1 1TJ Open : Every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday from 9am to 5pm.

Bolton's award winning market is a great day out and has everything you need for a freshly prepared meal.

With everything under one roof at good prices and from all local businesses.

Contact: 01204 336825

Email: bolton.markets@bolton.gov.uk www.bolton.gov.uk

@ Bolton Markets

Bolton Markets

boltonmarkets

www.bolton.gov.uk

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OUT & ABOUT

Out & About

A GUIDE to the amazing events around Bolton & Bury for 2018 Thursday 5 April, 7pm

Bolton’s Egypt talk Join us for a talk about daily life in Ancient Egypt with Kha and Meryt. Professor Joann Fletcher and Dr Stephen Buckley will lead the talk.

Bolton Central Library and Museum Tuesday 24 April, 6.30pm

Spring Live Literature - Poetry Book Special Bolton Central Library and the University of Bolton will be welcoming poets, Karen McCarthy Woolf and Michael Symmons Roberts, as part of the Live Literature series. Light refreshments will be available.

Bolton Central Library and Museum Wednesday 11 April, 2pm

Silver Screenings - Dunkirk Come along to our matinee film screenings on the second Wednesday of the month at 2pm in the Central Library Lecture Theatre. Light refreshments for sale.

Bolton Central Library and Museum

Friday May 4, 1pm to 2.30pm

Join us for National Crime Reading Month with Rebecca Fleet Exciting debut crime writer Rebecca Fleet will be talking about her explosive new thriller ‘The House Swap’. There will be an opportunity to buy a signed copy of Rebecca’s new book. Light refreshments available.

Please book your free place on Eventbrite or call 01204 332853.

Thursday 7 June 7pm

Bolton’s Egypt talk Dr Stephen Snape, from the University of Liverpool, will be giving a talk about religion in Ancient Egypt.

Bolton Central Library and Museum

Tuesday May 8, 1pm to 2.30pm

Celebrate National Crime Reading Month with Rachel Abbott and Sharon Bolton Award winning crime writers Rachel Abbott and Sharon Bolton will be talking about their thrilling new books. Rachel's new book ‘Come a little closer’ in the DI Tom Douglas series, has been described as ‘Intriguing, creepy and compelling’.

The ‘Craftsman’ by Sharon Bolton is dark, disturbing and a real page turner. There will be an opportunity to buy a signed copy of Rachel’s and Sharon’s new books.

Light refreshments available.

Please book your free place on Eventbrite or call 01204 332853.

Wednesday 13 June, 2pm

Silver Screenings - Murder on the Orient Express Come along to our matinee film screenings on the second Wednesday of the month at 2pm in the Central Library Lecture Theatre.

Light refreshments for sale.

Bolton Central Library and Museum Thursday 21 June, 7pm

Wednesday 9 May, 2pm

Silver Screenings - The Mountain Between Us Join us for our matinee film screenings on the second Wednesday of the month at 2pm in the Central Library Lecture Theatre. Light refreshments for sale.

Bolton Central Library and Museum Thursday 19 April, 7pm

Thursday 17 May, 7pm

Cinema at the Crescent - Gods of Egypt (2016)

Cinema at the Crescent - The Mummy’s Tomb (1942)

Watch the Bolton’s Egypt screening of ‘Gods of Egypt’ (2016).

Bolton Central Library and Museum

See the Bolton’s Egypt screening of ‘The Mummy’s Tomb’ (1942).

Bolton Central Library and Museum

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Cinema at the Crescent - Agora (2016) Watch the Bolton’s Egypt screening of ‘Agora’ (2016).

Bolton Central Library and Museum Wednesday 27 June, 2pm

Silver Screenings with subtitles Borg McEnroe Watch drama sport film ‘Borg McEnroe’ with English subtitles for deaf and hard of hearing.

Bolton Central Library and Museum

26th and 27th May 2018

Boltfest 2018 – 15,000 music lovers are set to descend on Bolton’s Queen’s Park for a FREE 2-day tribute festival.

Bolton will see the return of Boltfest this year, one of the UK’s Biggest Free tribute festivals, following on from last year’s successful Festival, the fun-filled tribute festival will take place on May Bank Holiday weekend Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th in Queens Park.

Fifteen thousand music enthusiasts are expected to turn out for a weekend of music, activities, food and drink for all the family to enjoy and what’s the best it’s free!

The Festival music extravaganza is promised to please all in attendance with

well-known professional tribute bands of the likes of Queen, Fleetwood Mac, Foo Fighters, Bowie, Pink Floyd, Elvis, Metallica and many more.

Boltfest attendees can choose between two music stages, chill-out in the many beer tents or VIP area, eat at the abundance of food stalls or join in with the fun activities for the kids.

For more information & tickets - visit

www.boltfest.com

2 VIP TICKETS 50 Plus Magazine has 4 VIP tickets per day to give away, simply email your name and address to admin@mcgrathmedia.co.uk or enter via our website www.50plusmagazine.co.uk and you and a friend could be attending Bolfest as a VIP. Draw will take place on 11th May 2018.

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OUT & ABOUT Be Part Of An Amazing Story With a rousing rendition of the ‘Hallelujah Chorus’, Bolton Cancer Voices have commenced rehearsals for their forthcoming appearance at the Royal Albert Hall, London, in November.

The Choir, which welcomes cancer patients and cancer survivors, is participating in the Festival of Brass and Voices at one of the world’s iconic concert venues, to help raise money for Cancer research UK: a concert that will see over 1,000 voices from across the United Kingdom, come together with two Brass Bands of international repute – The Cory Band and Grimethorpe Colliery Band, in what promises to be outstanding musical extravaganza.

But such an ambitious and high profile opportunity comes at a cost for this inspirational Choir, who don’t levy membership fees, to ensure accessibility of the Choir for all. This year they will need to raise an additional £13,715 to cover the cost of participating in this once in a lifetime opportunity: monies required for transport to regional rehearsals, travel to London, 2 nights’ accommodation, meals and a contingency.

They have already realized £2,000 towards this target and are now reaching out to individuals, businesses and groups in the hope that people will want to be a part of this amazing story and help them on their way through a donation to their fundraising campaign.

donate online via their Just Giving crowd funding page https://www.justgiving.com/ crowdfunding/bolton-cancervoices The Choir welcomes new members throughout the year and membership is open to over 18s, anywhere, who have received a cancer diagnosis of any type, at any time. Members are at all points in their cancer journeys: some are quite newly diagnosed and in treatment, some living with cancer as a non-curable condition and others are cancer survivors, now many years on from their diagnosis.

There will be lots of photographs and memorabilia and a delicious buffet on the night so why not go along and meet up with old friends and even meet some new?

People need not have previous choral experience or be able to read music and there are no auditions to worry about.

Though cancer brings this Choir together, it has never been allowed to define or restrict them. They are united by their love of singing, sense of fun and desire to inspire and entertain others.

Rehearsals for Bolton Cancer Voices, take place in the centre of Bolton on Monday evenings, 7-30pm-9pm

Welcome To The Over 50S Lads' Club

Saturday 21 April

Our members can get active playing table tennis, playing pool (we have now taken delivery of our new pool table), go on day outings and on the first Tuesday of the month we sometimes get a guest speaker who comes to address the club.

Bolton County Grammar School Reunion Are you a past pupil or teacher of the Bolton County Grammar School? If so, you may be interested to know that there will be a reunion of all years of the past schools on Saturday 21 April, at St Catherine's Academy, Stitch-Mi-Lane, Harwood.

Whether you attended at Great Moor Street, Newby Road, Breightmet or even if you were evacuated to one of the town's golf clubs during the war, you will be very welcome.

People can either contact the Choir directly through their Chair, Karen Elliott on 01204 595562 / 07773 164235 or

14th and 15th July 2018 Burrs Park, Bury

WIN TICKETS 50 Plus Magazine has 4 sets of tickets per day to give away, simply email your name and address to admin@mcgrathmedia.co.uk or enter via our website www.50plusmagazine.co.uk and you and a friend could be attending The Big Grill UK. Draw will take place on 24th June 2018.

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Entry is by ticket and full details and ticket arrangements can be found on the website, BCGSOSA. at St Catherine's Academy, Stitch-MiLane, Harwood Every Tuesday afternoon between 2pm to 4.30pm

We are now looking for over 50s men to come along and join in. We are based at Horwich Community Centre, Horwich, Bolton. The Over 50s Lads' Club is a free social club for men aged 50 or over who may otherwise be isolated. We provide an informal and safe environment to chat, share interests, socialise and make new friends.

The group has other activies too, with games, darts and quizzes. It’s a drop in group, so there is no need to book ahead, although if you are nervous, a volunteer can meet you before the group starts. Everyone will be welcome in the group, and the group will respect others opinions, as well as being a supportive environment to meet and build friendships.

The Community Centre is wi-fi enabled and wheelchair / mobility scooter friendly.

Our membership is free. All we ask is for a small donation of £2.00 which covers the cost of unlimited tea, coffee, soft drinks and biscuits. You do not even have to be a resident of Horwich to attend.

Everyone is welcome.

Horwich Community Centre, Main Hall, Beaumont Road BL6 7BG (Through the big red doors)

14th & 15th July 2018

The Big Grill Uk – Food & Music Festival returns to Burrs Park Bury Meat, music and madness ! On the weekend of 14th & 15th July 2018 Burrs Park Bury will be transformed into one hell of an outdoor shin dig ! Food lovers will be greeted by barbecues & smoking meats, set amongst a scene of fire pits, craft ales and liquid luxuries for all.

The challenge has been set, willing audience participants will have the chance to compete at The Purgartorium, one man’s heaven is another man’s hell ! If you have got an appetite for destruction then the Big Grill’s Purgatorium Is for you !

Step inside to compete in an array of gargantuan gastronomical food

challenges, designed to punish even the most ravenous.

Leave your table manners at the door you’re not going to need them.

In honour of the decade that brought us, Cell Phones, MTV, the CD, Big Hair, Hoop Earrings, Leg Warmers and Dallas.

Mr Grill will be hosting his very own 1980’s Kitchen Party, where the people look good, where the music is loud, add your voice to the sound of the Crowd and as for Mr Grill, well, you will always find him in the kitchen at parties!

Visit the Bone yard to watch BBQ teams battle it out in a back yard style, 2 day BBQ style competition, make sure to visit to sample their delights !

For 2 days only, The amazing Mr Grill is in Town and will be Presenting – Medicine for your Soul. From acoustic elixirs to rocking electric snake oil, The Amazing Mr Grill and his band of performers will amaze you with their musical Tonics, Good for what ails you!

Including tributes to Fleetwood Mac & UB40 A range of kids activities will be on hand to keep them entertained.

Day Tickets only £12 & Children 12 and under go free.

Full Music Lineup & tickets see www.thebiggrilluk.com

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OUT & ABOUT Thu 31 May - Sat 23 June

Summer Holiday Join us for our first off-site production with the feel good 1960’s musical - brought to life as never seen before...

A Lake District Hotel Sawrey House Hotel is set in the picturesque hamlet of Near Sawrey, the once home of author Beatrix Potter. Inside we offer a very special combination of comfort and elegance set amidst the stunning beauty of the Lakeland Fells.

Midweek Breaks Relax and unwind with Midweek Lake District break at Sawrey House Hotel. Enjoy a peaceful and comfy accommodation, a delicious 3 course evening meal each evening, our tasty Cumbrian breakfast each morning, as well as a complementary cream tea on arrival and tickets for a cruise on Lake Windermere.

What’s included; • Cream Tea on arrival.

• Complementary Windermere cruise tickets.

• 3 Course dinner each evening.

• Full Cumbrian Breakfast each morning.

• Choice of rooms available

Prices from £150 per couple per night

Thu 19 April - Sat 5 May

The Big Corner Bill and Alf, two young Bolton lads hungry for adventure, discover the mystery and the delights of girls as they grow up together.

Every night they meet at the “Big Corner” at the end of the road to tell (and exaggerate) the stories of their days. One day they meet a girl and both fall in love.

After choosing Alf, they marry and every night as they go to bed he tells her a story recounting his escapades growing up as she falls asleep. A kaleidoscope of Bolton life, The Big Corner is a story of hope, young friendship, love and heartache.

Bill Naughton wrote over a thousand short stories and memoirs of his time growing up in Bolton. For our 50th anniversary former Artistic Director Lawrence Till writes a new play that weaves together Naughton’s stories into a heartwarming and uplifting comedy.

Octagon Theatre, Bolton octagonbolton.co.uk/whats-on/theatre/ the-big-corner/ 23rd – 28th April

Reveal 2018

Terms; Minimum 2 night stay required. Prices based on 2 adults sharing a double room. Discount based on our full price standard tariff.

Excludes Bank Holiday weekends.

www.sawreyhouse.com Tel: 015394 36387 Sawrey House Country Hotel, Near Sawrey, Hawkshead, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 0LF

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Our annual REVEAL Festival showcases a range of original and new work created by local and emerging theatre makers. The Festival brings together a diverse mix of artists and theatre companies to put on a wide-ranging selection of exciting and engaging performances, experiences and events inside, outside and online at the Octagon.

Contact us for details about the festival line up for 2018 with exciting shows being performed across Bolton - we hope you can join us to see this exciting new work.

Octagon Theatre, Bolton octagonbolton.co.uk/whats-on/

During a miserable wet British summer, Don arrives with a borrowed doubledecker bus ready to take his friends on a journey to sunny Athens. Join us as we tell the story of their summer adventure beginning in Bolton’s new interchange before we take you on a musical bus journey to the beautifully renovated Albert Halls to see the conclusion of Don’s fun-filled summer escapade across Europe.

Featuring songs such as Bachelor Boy, The Next Time and, of course, the title track Summer Holiday , this retelling of Cliff Richard’s classic musical promises to be an experience not to be missed.

Bolton Travel Interchange and Albert Halls

9th – 14th April

The Cemetery Club A comedy about friendship and late autumn romance, by Ivan Menchell. The place is New York. Three Jewish widows meet once a month for tea before going to visit their husband’s graves. Ida is sweet tempered and ready to begin a new life, Lucille is a feisty embodiment of the girl who just wants to have fun, and Doris is priggish and judgemental, particularly when Sam the butcher enters the scene.

Sam meets the widows while visiting his wife’s grave, his arrival unintentionally provoking rivalry between the three friends. The consequences lead to revelations, guilt and eventually reconciliation.

Bolton Little Theatre boltonlittletheatre.co.uk/the-cemeteryclub-12-19-may-2018/

7th April

10th May

11th May

12th & 13th April

17th May

For more info, visit; www.alberthalls-bolton.co.uk For tickets, visit; www.quaytickets.com/boltonalberthalls or call 0843 2080500

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OUT & ABOUT 12th – 19th May

Agnes of God A psychological drama by John Pielmeier At an American convent, fragile, unearthly Sister Agnes gives birth, but the child dies and Agnes retains no memory of the event. The police soon are involved because of the death of the baby.

However, the main conflict is between Mother Superior Miriam Ruth, who wants Agnes left alone, and Dr. Martha Livingston, the court psychiatrist determined to help Agnes gain a stronger grasp on reality and uncover any evidence of abuse.

Bolton Little Theatre boltonlittletheatre.co.uk/agnes-of-god-9-14-april-2018/ 18th - 23rd June

Funny Money One day Henry A. Perkins, a mild-mannered C.P.A, accidentally picks up the wrong briefcase – one full of money. Henry assumes it is illicit cash and he decides to keep it. Knowing that the former owner must have his briefcase, he rushes home to book one way fares to Barcelona. He tells his confused wife to leave everything behind; if she doesn’t like Barcelona, they can go to Bali. In fact, they can buy Bali! The doorbell rings as they wait for their taxi. A police detective at the door suspects Henry was soliciting in the men’s room of the local pub! Actually, he was sitting in the loo counting the cash.

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Now another detective arrives thinking Henry is dead; a man with bullet holes in his head and Henry’s briefcase were found in the Thames! Henry’s inept attempts to extricate himself from this impossible situation lead to increasingly hysterical situations.

Bolton Little Theatre boltonlittletheatre.co.uk/funny-money-18-23-june-2018/ May 19th to 26th

A View From The Bridge Set in 1950s America in an Italian-American neighborhood near Brooklyn Bridge New York. It has been described as a modern tragedy of Shakespearian proportions. Central character longshoreman Eddie Carbone's overprotective obsessive emotions toward his niece, amid the arrival of 2 illegal immigrant cousins from Italy lead to family destruction and tragedy.

Farnworth Little, Cross St, Farnworth, Bolton BL4 7AJ Phone: 0845 643 0808

A range of fantastic stalls selling quality artisan products, gifts and food!

3rd Sunday of Every Month* 10am - 3pm *Except July due to Ironman-UK 15th April l 20th May l 17th June l 22nd July l 19th August l 16th September l 21st October l

Christmas Markets l 18th

November

l 16th

December

Heaton Fold Garden Centre & Café | Overdale Drive Heaton | Bolton BL1 5BU Tel 01204 336848 www.heatonfold.co.uk

Are your finances heading in the right direction?

We provide a comprehensive wealth management service, offering specialist face-to-face advice tailored to you. Our services include: • Investment Planning • Retirement Planning

• Inheritance Tax Planning • Intergenerational Planning

For further details please contact:

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H2SJP28632 03/18

How to Create A DEMENTIA FRIENDLY HOME Unfamiliar environments can be stressful and daunting for a person living with Dementia, so it can be important to keep a loved one surrounded by their home comforts and in the same routine for as long as possible.

Living room

According to Alzheimer’s Society, there are 850,000 people with Dementia in the UK and that number is predicted to grow to over one million by 2025. With the number of people being diagnosed with Dementia growing yearly, home care is becoming imperative to keeping those with the condition cared for.

• Consider surrounding living spaces with photographs displaying fond memories to evoke a sense of comfort and belonging, to assure your loved one and make them feel at home.

Leading care experts have created a new interactive guide on how to make your loved one’s home Dementia friendly so that family members can have peace of mind that their home is safe and secure.

They recommend the below ten tips to make a home safe for those living with Dementia:

• Those living with Dementia struggle to recognise their own surroundings due to confusion, memory loss and difficulty with vision. To create the ideal living space, refrain from using carpets and furnishings with strong patterns as these can disrupt eyesight and keep the room well lit so they are able to see well.

Kitchen/Dining Room • During mealtimes use bold plates and coloured crockery that contrasts with the food they are going to eat and always lay a table with a tablecloth to make it more recognisable. Colours can be difficult to recognise for those living with Dementia.

• Our pictorial memory is stronger than our memory for words. Placing signs on cupboards and doors around the house

will help those with Dementia distinguish what they are looking at and what they are looking for.

• Label hot and cold taps so that your loved one does not get confused between the two.

• Create a memory wall or add images of loved ones and family to the fridge as a reminder of those that care.

Bathroom • Dementia can affect vision, which makes it difficult to distinguish between objects of the same colour. With this in mind, if a toilet seat is white, try changing it for a black one. If the floor is a light colour, this might explain why your loved one cannot differentiate between a toilet seat and a cream floor.

• Shiny bathroom floors can be confusing for those living with Dementia as they can easily mistake it for water. Consider placing a taped down, non-slip bathmat to the floor so that they can decipher different parts of

PROFESSIONAL HOME CARE SERVICES

Care in your home If you live in Bury, Radcliffe, Whitefield, Prestwich, Tottington and Ramsbottom, we can provide you support with: • Your daily routine, helping you get up and having a wash, to getting dressed and ready • Help with taking medication and medication collection from the pharmacy • House work tasks including laundry and cleaning • Help with your shopping, pension collection and anything else you may need • Support with activities such as gardening, visiting people, going for a walk and pet walking • Awake Night Care

Contact us now for a no obligation chat on:

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Care Connect Homecare Services www.careconnectbury.co.uk

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Unit 7, Brenton Business Complex, Bond St, Bury, BL9 7BE T: 0161 763 4228

CARE the room, and if a shiny floor is becoming troublesome, it may be best to remove it.

• Cover up mirrors as it can be confusing for those with Dementia as they may not recognise their reflection.

meet individual needs. This service has been running now for over two years and has secured further funding to continue for a further two.

Bedroom

Six to eight sessions enabling the person living with dementia to gain confidence to take an active role within the community.

• Place a lamp at the side of the bed so it can be easily accessed.

• Consider installing an adjustable bed to ensure your loved one doesn’t fall out or struggle to get in.

A more involved service covering for a family crisis.

Garden

The home should be a safe place for those living with Dementia, but at times it can be disorientating. Home care is incredibly beneficial for those with Dementia as it enables them to be cared for in their familiar, comfortable surroundings.

Applying some of these recommendations for a loved one’s home will not only leave them feeling safe and secure, but it also enables relatives to have peace of mind when they are not around.

Bolton Dementia Support COMMUNITY OUTREACH SERVICE In order to support people living with dementia and those who care for them in the community Bolton Dementia Support has a Community Outreach Service to

The Worker will meet with the person living with dementia and the carer and devise a six to eight week programme to suit the individual needs of both parties.

Support can take a variety of paths:

• Leave interior room doors open so that they can see clearly where everything is in each room.

• Gardening is a great activity for those with Dementia as it keeps the mind active. Encourage your loved one to try potting plants and weed the garden, but remember to keep any gates closed so they are not tempted to wander.

as family carers and people living with dementia.

Alison Lowe Community Outreach Worker Our Outreach Worker will support the person living with dementia to remain in the community for as long as possible and ensure they have a happy, productive and fulfilling life within the community.

Former interests and hobbies can be rekindled and an individual programme can be planned and developed as further visits take place.

The Worker will work to ensure people with dementia are not excluded from services because of their diagnosis, age, communication difficulty or any learning disability.

The service operates an open referral system accepting referrals from health and social care professionals as well

Advocacy service, accompanying a carer or person living with dementia to a multi disciplinary meeting and advocating on their behalf. It can be daunting to attend meetings regarding your loved one if they are involved with a lot of agencies.

Our Community Outreach Worker can accompany you to these meeting and even speak on your behalf if you feel unable to do so. The Outreach Worker will also offer support and assistance to carers and the person they are supporting.

A bespoke service of Involvement tailored to meet individual expressed needs.

At the end of the term of involvement the Worker will work with the family to formulate an effective exit strategy which is acceptable to all parties and help to involve other agencies if necessary.

If you feel you would like to know more about this and other services we offer please contact: 01204 386696 or email. boltondsg@gmail.com

Bolton’s own Dementia Support

The Dementia Support Group.

The Dementia Support Group.

Bolton Dementia Support

Supporting people with dementia and those who care for them.

Proud to serve the people of Bolton.

If you would like information or advice please contact:

Bolton Dementia Support Registered Charity No : 1123776

Carers Resource, Thicketford Road, Bolton BL2 2LW.

Bolton’s own Dementia Support Group.

Telephone: 01204 386696 www.boltondementiasupport.btck.co.uk

porting people with dementia and those who care for email: boltondsg@gmail.com them.

Proud to serve the people of Bolton.

ou would like information or advice please contact:

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Tomato Lycopene and Prostate Health

By Prof T G Truscott (Keele University) and Prof Fritz Boehm (Medical Consultant, Berlin)

As men get older the risk of prostate diseases, from prostate enlargement to aggressive prostate cancer, increases. While enlargement is common in men aged over 50, the risk of getting prostate cancer is no more for such men than it is without this problem.

The main prostate disease, which DOES concern older men, is prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with near 1000 new cases diagnosed every week – it can develop slowly. If you have a close male relative, such as your father or brother, with prostate cancer you are at a higher risk. This means if you have this disease your son(s) are also at a higher risk, especially so if another male relative has the disease.

One of the most common tests for prostate cancer is a blood PSA test (Protein-Specific Antigen) - while this test can sometimes be unreliable (a high PSA level may not be due to cancer) it can be useful in detecting early prostate cancer.

Lycopene and Prostate Cancer

Another trial comes from America - Omer Kucuk (Oncology Professor, Detroit) studied men with existing prostate cancer who were to have radical prostatectomy. The trial results, (published in The American Institute of Cancer Research) led Professor Kucuk to report: “Lycopene from tomato extract may not only prevent prostate cancer but may also be useful to treat prostate cancer”.

As well as these and other promising results for men with established prostate disease, what about those currently free of the disease but possibly at higher risk? Here, we believe the results of a large trial from the USA are important.

Professor Edward Giovannucci, (Harvard Medical School), has followed 50,000 men, investigating the relationship between the incidence of prostate cancer and lycopene intake. In a recent paper (published in ‘The Journal of National Cancer Institute’ - Oxford University Press), he concluded: “Dietary intake of lycopene was associated with reduced risk of prostate cancer, especially lethal prostate cancer”.

Lycopene is the red colour in tomatoes - it is known to accumulate in the prostate and there is evidence that lycopene can help those with established disease as well as those at a higher risk.

A trial at Kings College Hospital, London, used Lycoplus (10mg Lycopene per day). All the men on this 1 year trial had established prostate cancer, an average age of 70, average PSA 23ng/ml and they were monitored during and at the end of the trial.

The trial results (published in the journal Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases) showed that 70% of those on the trial had a significant reduction in the PSA rate or a PSA reduction. The urologists running the trial reported ‘‘Our clinical study lends weight to the probability that dietary supplementation from Lycopene [from Lycoplus] slows disease progression in men with prostate cancer”.

The reason why only 7 out of 10 men showed an improvement and 3 showed no improvement is not explained in this work. We believe some men are unable to take up sufficient lycopene and so a higher dose may have increased the number who would have benefited. This is why we have increased to dose of bio-available lycopene in Lycoplus capsules, since this trial, from 10mg to 15mg/capsule.

Nigel Johnson BBC Radio Stoke Football Commentator says:

“Tomato feast may keep prostate tumours away”

“Tomato pills that could fight prostate cancer”

The Times

Daily Mail (online)

“Tomato pill to save your life - a cancer-fighting extract found in tomatoes”

“Lycopene’s effect on preventing cancer of the prostate is near miraculous”

Daily Telegraph

The Times

While the trials so far indicate the benefits of tomato lycopene for those men with established prostate cancer, more extensive trials would be worthwhile.

However, many men are not waiting but are taking bio-available lycopene, such as Lycoplus, to reduce the risk of prostate disease and, we believe, mitigating the disease if it is already present.

What our customers say: We get many letters, emails and phone calls telling us of the success of Lycoplus. Often these tell us of a rising PSA value being stabilised or sometimes actually falling. Typically, recently a new customer from South Wales has told us his PSA has fallen 25% after only 12 weeks of taking Lycoplus.

Stay Informed: To order or for a free newsletter please call 08000 234 235 or visit www.lycoplus.co.uk

“I take Lycoplus every day to reduce prostate problems and maintain my good health.”

Natural Lycopene

What the papers say:

Supplement

Each lycoplus one-a-day capsule contains 15mg of natural lycopene plus 60mg of Vitamin C and 10 mg of vitamin E. These enhance the effect of the lycopene supplement.

One box of 30 capsules (one month’s supply) £17.95 Save

Save

Save

£5.00

£16.00

£49.50

£30.90

£55.80

£130.00

2 boxes

4 boxes

10 boxes

George & Partners Limited, Keele University Science Park, Staffordshire ST5 5NL

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All prices include free UK postage & packing

To order or for a FREE Newsletter call freephone 08000 234 235 or visit www.lycoplus.co.uk

It’s important. If you’re aged 60-74 and registered with a GP, the kit arrives by post every 2 years.

The free NHS bowel screening kit is quick and easy to do.

The kit takes a few minutes to complete and could reduce the risk of more serious illness. Then you can just get on with life.

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0800 707 6060 (Call free)

Visit our website for tips on how to complete the kit.

Call for any advice, or to request a replacement kit.

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“Mum was on her own when she fell...

...but she wasn’t alone” help at the touch of a button

0161 253 5151

adultcareservices@bury.gov.uk www.bury.gov.uk/carelink 68 | WWW.50PLUSMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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Please note insurance breakdown and servicing only applies to Motability scheme.All images for illustration purposes only

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