DECEMBER
FREE
2020
south edition
YO U R L O C A L C O M M U N I T Y M A G A Z I N E A N D W E B S I T E
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Best Christmas Card Design
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18th - 25th Nov
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CONTENTS
Don’t forget to check out our website www.bedslifemagazine.co.uk for even more local articles and lots of interesting and helpful local information! LIKE our Facebook page BedsLife Magazine to keep up to date with events, offers and local businesses and services. FOLLOW us on
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Community News The Arc Volunteering Opportunities Mammas House Blog Charity Christmas Appeals What's On Christmas Prize Crossword
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Christmas Gift Ideas The Composing Cook Recipe Page Milton Keynes Theatre Robin Redbreast Gardening Last Months Crossword Answers
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Advertising Christa Tel 01234 962929 07827 015170 E: christa@bedslifemagazine.co.uk Design and Artwork Doug Dawson Creative Ltd www.dougdawson.co.uk
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The Knife & Cleaver competition winner – Lisa Lee, Marston Moretaine BedsLife Magazine would like to thank all our advertisers for their continued support, without which we would not have a publication.
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COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY NEWS WILSTEAD CHRISTMAS DISCOVERY TRAIL Houses around the village will create a special Christmas display or model in their front garden or at their front gate. On the weekend of the 5th and 6th of December families and friends can follow the discovery map to find them. There will be prizes for the top three displays, and every completed trail map will be entered into a prize for an exciting Christmas hamper, packed with goodies. Maps will be available at the Wilstead post office from the 23rd November and will be £3 each. Maps will also be available from the school directly for those who have pupils who attend.
MARSTON NURSERY PARENTS’ KIND-HEARTED DONATIONS TO FEED BEDFORD CHILDREN The Marston Day Nursery, located on Marston Business Park, put a call out to families of children attending the Nursery, to donate food and supplies in response to the Government’s decision to not extend free school meals across the October half-term. Team members from the Marston Day Nursery visited the Bedford Foodbank recently to drop off the generous donations, which will now be distributed to local families in need. The donated supplies weighed enough to provide 23 meals to people in the Bedford Borough who may be experiencing food poverty. Nursery Manager Clare Eggelton said: “We’re extremely proud of our Nursery family for coming together during these difficult times in order to help others. We’re keen to continue our budding relationship with the Bedford Foodbank and other local initiatives, in order to give back to a community which has welcomed us so warmly.” 4
EIGHT BRAND NEW BUSINESS UNITS UNDER DEVELOPMENT IN STEWARTBY Stewartby Business Park is a new development of eight business units with B1/2/8 planning. It is arranged as two terraces around a generous yard with additional car parking. The units have a clear internal height of 7.5m, each has a goods loading door, office and kitchenette. The Stewartby site is situated close to Bedford and Milton Keynes and just off the A421 dual carriageway, which links the M1 at J13 and the A1 at Black Cat Roundabout. The size of the units are between 5,970 sq ft to 17,956 sq ft and will be available from March 2021 on new leases. For more information contact: Richard Last richard.last@brownandlee.com M: 07921 166595
s r e l l i F Stocking
E R O T S N I S N O I T O M O R P & S R E F F O Y L H T MON
CHICKSANDS, SHEFFORD SG17 5QB | 01462 810190 www.chandlers-countrystores.co.uk
WELCOME TO THE ARC IN BEDFORD The Ark is a little side street emporium designed to browse. We have our own framing studio next door, a gallery wall with exhibitions all year round and tonnes of art supplies for every ability. We also have an excellent home and interiors section with everything from candles to lampshades and vintage pieces. Our Kids Corner has everything you need to keep the kids happy with art and craft, to decorate their bedroom and to give them great presents. Our selection of cards, gift wrap and bags is the final cherry on the cake. Come see us and say hi. During Lockdown 2 we are operating a Click & Collect service, have a look at the website www.thearcbedford.co.uk where new products are being loaded daily for you to buy and pick up. Stay safe.
6
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JANUARY 2021 Discover a fascinating hobby or interest, develop skills to move on at work, or start training for a whole new career. However you’re looking to spend your spare time, turn it into time well spent with part-time study at Bedford College and Shuttleworth College.
TAKE YOUR HOBBY TO ANOTHER LEVEL WITH OUR LEISURE COURSES From Photography to Practical Garden Design, our short leisure courses vary in length from a few hours to a few weeks. They are perfect for exploring a new or existing hobby, brushing up on skills or making new friends.
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VOLUNTEERING
VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES
Volunteering brings great rewards and we have opportunities for all. View hundreds of options through our online facility where you can register as a volunteer and apply. Search for this month’s featured roles by adding the name of the organisation into the keyword field on our on-line role search facility at cvsbeds.org.uk/volunteer Companions Real Bread CIC Volunteers will work alongside and build positive relationships with ex-offenders who may recently have been released from custody, fulfilling tasks that support the business of the bakery. Roles might be flexible or specific depending on the particular skills, experience and interests of the applicant. Friends for Life Company Secretary Bring your excellent communication skills and understanding of charity law to join the board of trustees as a company secretary of the Friends for Life charity, providing effective oversight and reporting of governance matters and advice to the board on legal and regulatory matters pertaining to the charity.
Linking Lives Befriending Service Befriending Service volunteers contact/visit people who are aged 18+ in need of a listening ear and friendship. Initially contact will be through weekly telephone calls (until the Covid situation resolves). Eventually a weekly 1-1 visit in the home is the aim and, when a good relationship has been established, support may be offered to help people to integrate into other activities in the local community. Keech Hospice Care Retail Help in the shop at Great Denham – with all sorts of tasks including sorting and tagging donated goods, steaming, customer service and displaying stock. Suitable for volunteers from age 14 upwards.
Living it Up Events CIC Living It Up is looking for people who would like to be a Covid volunteer at their performing arts centre in St Cuthberts Hall, Bedford – confident individuals over the age of 16 who would like to help them stay safe during the pandemic. Community Led Initiatives Mentors will produce support plans helping service users to identify achievable goals focussed on personal recovery and reintegration into the community. They will promote the value of lifestyle changes, provide practical support, link to local agencies and review progress. This role is for volunteers who are confident, outgoing, positive, resourceful and believe that people can make lasting changes.
43 Bromham Road, Bedford Call 01234 354 366 or Email: volunteering@cvsbeds.org.uk www.cvsbeds.org.uk 8
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DECK THE HALLS WITH YOUR OWN DECORATIONS THIS CHRISTMAS
Christmas is here! And if you haven’t already, your decorations are about to go up. I love buying decorations to put up around the home. But what I love even more is making crafts and keep sakes from the kids. There is no denying that this year is going to be a little different. For us, Christmas is about spending time together, making memories and this is a great way of getting into the festive spirit. So here are 5 ideas to get you and your little ones ready for the run up to Christmas, using things you have around the house. Some might even make a lovely gift for a loved one too. 1. Salt dough – check out my Instagram page for a fool proof salt dough recipe. Roll out the dough to about 1cm thick. Next, make imprints of your child’s hand in the salt dough. Cut around the imprint, use a straw to make a small hole at the top so you can hang it and bake very low for a few hours until the dough dries out, or leave to dry in an airing cupboard for a couple of days. Then get creative and decorate or paint to look like santa, elves or anything festive. Your child will love hanging what they’ve made on the Christmas Tree. 2. Mini Christmas Trees – paint a paper plate green. Once dry cut the paper plate in half and curl round to resemble a cone. Stick on pom-poms or coloured confetti to resemble baubles as well as adding a pom-pom to the top for a star. 3. Reindeer Food – enjoy mixing up magical porridge oats with glitter, and spooning them into small bags, ready for Christmas Eve. 4. Christmas Cards – make your own Christmas cards. Make a Christmas tree template out of card. Fold a separate piece of A4 card in half and place the Christmas tree template on the front. Hold this down firmly, and let your little one finger paint all around the template. Make sure you finger paint along the edge of the template so you can see it on the finished card. Once dry peel the template off for a lovely homemade Christmas card. 5. Christmas Wreath – cut out the middle section of a paper plate, whilst keeping the rim in tact and paint the rimmed section green. On separate card make hand prints with your child, we used red paint, and cut around. Stick them to the top of your wreath so that both thumbs are touching. Paint some red berries to finish it off, we used red glitter paint. Happy Christmas x
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For more ideas like this follow @mammas_house on Instagram
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watchwords are Quality, Integrity and Value. Quality in the materials that we use for all our installations and the fact that all our loft packages are fitted by time served tradesmen, so our customers are assured of the best job.
- that simply wouldn’t happen if we didn’t adhere to our overriding principles. At the end of the day the old adage that happy customers lead to more happy customers is true and we work hard to make that happen for
every installation we carry out!’ So, if you want to make use of your loft space, call Jamie free on 0808 301 9559 and he’ll be happy to pop round and give you a no obligation quote so you too can make use of your loft!
Integrity in that we will turn up at the time we say and make sure the house is spotless when we leave, and value in that we offer our services at a price people can afford. Our business relies on referrals and we get a huge amount of our calls from people who have been referred to us by our existing customers
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Christmas charity appeals FEWER HOURS ON CAMPUS
In addition to the free distance learning, other courses at the college will have additional online study elements from September. CHRISTMAS PRESENT APPEAL These are still be decided, what it means that a “full-time” Please support ourbut Christmas appealisby donating new,course unwrapped toys and gifts for children who college could nowa actually bepresent. fewer than 21 hours might notatotherwise receive Christmas a week in the “classroom”. This flexibillity will mean that you fit youratstudy around work or Centre, family MK41 0PW Mon – Friday 10am – Donations can becan dropped Church Laneyour Community commitments. The “new normal” will make it easier 3pm by Monday 14th December. for you to gain vital qualifications. The gifts will then be wrapped and distributed by our amazing team of volunteers to those in need Take a look at our websites for further in Bedford Borough. information and how to find out more. www.bedford.ac.uk | tresham.ac.uk
CHRISTMAS IN A BOX.
Locally Bedford foodbank is seeing an increasing number of clients on a regular basis. Here at All Nations Church, we want to further support the foodbank’s work, helping their clients and other vulnerable people at Christmas. We need your help There are a number of ways you can help out and be involved: Option 1: One way you can help is by purchasing the items on the shopping list on our website and donating them in an opened box wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper.
Option 3: Donate the cost of a box (£30 for a family box or £12 for a single box). We will then purchase the contents on your behalf and make the box up. If you would like to give via electronic payment, please follow the details on our website www.allnationsbedford.org/christmasinabox If you choose to get a box and fill it or even donate a few items to the project, please return them to All Nations Church on: Sunday 6th December, 3.00pm – 5.00pm or Tuesday 8th December, 4.00pm – 6.00pm
FAMILY SHOPPING LIST
So get a box, wrap it, fill it, and make a difference to the lives of local people in crisis this Christmas.
SINGLE PERSON SHOPPING LIST
Thank you for your support
Option 2: Buy one or two items from the list and donate them to Christmas in a Box and we will make up a box for you.
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FAMILY FUN
What’sON Please ensure to check with organisers before attending any events in case of any changes or cancellations CHRISTMAS MARKETS Christmas Craft Market at Hudsons Plant Centre Saturday 5th 10am to 4pm – Sunday 6th December 10am to 3pm Lovely variety of handcrafted stalls, lots of gifts and decorative ideas, raffle and activities. Proceeds for Sue Ryder Foundation Bedford Road, Willington MK44 3PR Made in Bedford presents Christmas Artisan Market Sunday 6th December 10am to 3.30pm With local arts, crafts and produce it’s the perfect event to buy unique and original Christmas gifts. St Pauls Square, Bedford MK40 1SL Christmas Market at the Friendly Nettle Cafe Sunday 6th December 11am to 3pm Come and celebrating the end of lockdown with a Christmas Market in funfair style! Besides the market and loads of fun activities there will be mince pies, ginger biscuits, and non-alcoholic mulled wine. Beauvais Square, Shortstown MK42 0GE Festive Pop Up Craft & Food Fayre at Jordans Mill Saturday 12th December 10am – 3pm A fantastic range of stalls including; sweet treats, hand-made items, locally made foods and more, there is something for everyone! They are thrilled to be working with ‘Love Local Craft & Food Fayre’ to bring you this fantastic event. Please follow Government and organiser guidelines, including social distancing and rule of 6. Holme Mills, Langford Road, Broom, Biggleswade SG18 9JY
14 Please mention bedslife when responding to adverts
Christmas Adventure Quest at Wrest Park Saturday 26th December – Sunday 3rd January 2021 10am – 4pm Visit Wrest Park in Silsoe, Bedfordshire, for a festivelyfun adventure quest which will allow you and your family to explore and discover fun facts and untold stories in the places where history happened! Hunt for clues and QR codes which reveal quirky tales and lead you to a small reward. It’s a great way for the whole family to get out and about in Christmas week. Entry to the event is included in the standard admission ticket price. Advance booking is now essential to visit Wrest Park. https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/
THEATRE The Sharnbrook Mill Theatre presents A Christmas Carol Saturday December 12th 3pm & 7.30pm The great, great, grandson of Charles Dickens, Gerald Dickens will present his own adaptation of “A Christmas Carol”, playing over 30 characters using vocal and physical talents to bring each scene vividly to life. Tickets are limited, so book early to avoid disappointment. www.sharnbrookmilltheatre.co.uk 103 Mill Road, Sharnbrook MK44 1NP The Quarry Theatre at St Luke’s presents It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas Saturday December 12th 7.30pm A fun-filled evening of Christmas Jazz, hosted by a trio led by vocalist James Hudson, fresh from his sell out 2019 Christmas show at Pizza Express Jazz Club, Soho. It also features trumpeter Tom Syson and pianist Joe Hill. Be sure to buy your tickets now for this lighthearted show. www.quarrytheatre.ticketsolve.com 26 St Peter S Street, Bedford MK40 2NN Tel 01234 362337 / 01234 362269 The Place Theatre presents Every Time a Bell Rings (Indoor/Digital Theatre) Friday 18th to Wednesday 23rd December (times vary) A festive collection of heart-warming, emotional and comical stories inspired by the diverse Bedford community. Using a mixture of live and pre-recorded performances, including interviews and stories, all collected and reworked in Mangled Yarn’s own raucous style – so expect lots of music, laughs and silliness thrown into the mix. Alongside a live, socially distanced audience, Every Time a Bell Rings will also be available to Live Stream or Download at a later date. For tickets visit www.theplacebedford.co.uk Bradgate Road, Bedford MK40 3DE Tel 01234 354321
SUE RYDER
LAUNCHES SECOND URGENT FUNDRAISING APPEAL OF 2020 Sue Ryder, which runs Bedfordshire’s Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice, has launched its second urgent fundraising appeal of 2020, as it experiences a £2million a month shortfall whilst its teams play a vital part in the Coronavirus effort. The charity’s asking people in Bedfordshire to support its urgent fundraising campaign ‘We can’t stop’ so it can continue to provide the expert and compassionate care it’s so well known for. Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice Director, Allison Mann said: “Coronavirus has hit us hard. We received a wonderful response to our emergency appeal earlier in the year. This, along with emergency funding from the government, covered our funding shortfall until the end of June 2020.
“Unfortunately, however, our struggle continues with fundraising events remaining cancelled and our high street shops closed a second time. “Everyone at Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice wants to help local families in the months ahead and continue to relieve pressure on the NHS. However, to keep our services running through the winter and beyond we urgently need to secure more funding now. “We know times are tough for everybody, and we want you to know every bit really does help. Thank you.” To support vist: sueryder.org/winterappeal20
Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice
We can t stop caring. Sue Ryder Nurses and staff are needed more than ever – at a time when we simply don’t have enough funding. We’re facing an end-of-life care crisis. £21 from you could help pay for an hour of care for someone at the end of life.
Donate today at: sueryder.org/winterappeal Sue Ryder is a charity registered in England and Wales (1052076) and in Scotland (SCO39578). Ref. No. 07222. © Sue Ryder. November 2020.
To advertise with us please get in touch – christa@bedslifemagazine.co.uk
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AT HARPUR
Christmas is not cancelled! We can’t wait to keep safe and celebrate with you this year! THE WISHING TREE
KEEPING CHRISTMAS SAFE
We all want to keep ourselves and our families safe this Christmas, so when visiting the Centre please use our hand sanitiser, follow our one way systems and wear a face covering, unless exempt. Our full social distancing guidelines can be found at harpurcentre.co.uk/covid-19
ONLINE CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES November - December Head to our website to find downloadable festive crafts, recipes and activities to keep the kids entertained! Plus, send us your designs on social media to be in with the chance to win a prize from retailers!
The Wishing Tree is back at the Harpur Centre from 3rd - 17th December helping to give children across Bedfordshire a better Christmas. Head to our website for full information.
SANTA CALLING!
This year Santa can’t meet you in his Harpur Centre Grotto due to Covid-19. So instead, he’s making personalized, live video messages with you! For more information visit: www.santa-calling.co.uk Or call 07973 143406 to book.
SANTA SHOPS
25th November - 16th December Head over to our Facebook page each week and guess which shop Santa’s gift is from to be in with the chance to WIN it!
WE’RE HERE FOR YOU, ALWAYS Head to our website for full information
HARPURCENTRE.CO.UK
OPENING TIMES Thursday 3rd December Thursday 10th December Wednesday 16th December Thursday 17th December Friday 18th December Saturday 19th December Sunday 20th December Monday 21st December Tuesday 22nd December Wednesday 23rd December Christmas Eve Christmas Day Boxing Day Sunday 27th December Monday 28th December Tuesday 29th December Wednesday 30th December New Year’s Eve New Year’s Day Saturday 2nd January Sunday 3rd January
9am - 8pm 9am - 8pm 9am - 6pm 9am - 8pm 9am - 8pm 8am - 6pm 10am - 4pm 8am - 8pm 8am - 8pm 8am - 8pm 8am - 5pm CLOSED 9am - 6pm 10am - 4pm 10am - 5pm 9am - 5:30pm 9am - 5:30pm 9am - 5:30pm CLOSED 9am - 5:30pm 10am - 4pm
Head to our website for individual store opening times
HARPURCENTRE.CO.UK
ÂŁ50
Christmas
BUMPER PRIZE CROSSWORD
Complete the crossword, fill in your details below, cut out this section and send to the address below before Friday 11th December Prize Crossword, BedsLife, 17 Foxbrook, Stevington, Bedfordshire MK43 7QY Last Months Crossword Winner – Ian Smith, Bedford
ACROSS
1 Ploy (6) 4 Unknowable, occult (6) 9 Disapproves (7) 10 Angry (5) 11 Land measure (4) 12 Perplexing (8) 14 Dwarf planet (5) 16 Mournful poem (5) 20 Scorn (8) 21 Fencing sword (4)
24 Female relative (5) 25 Pills (7) 26 Unmarried (6) 27 Precious (6)
DOWN 1 2 3 5
Worldwide (6) Type of musical scale (5) 2.54cm. (4) Precipitation (8)
6 Fantastic (7) 7 Appear, loom (6) 8 Ordinary (5) 13 Celestial (8) 15 Beacon (7) 17 Parts of a play (6) 18 Catches sight of (5) 19 Creatures (6) 22 Fragment (5) 23 Woodwind instrument (4)
For last months answers please turn to P46
Name: Address:
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Tel:
SERVICES
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Plastering of ceilings and walls Damaged ceilings and walls repaired Covering artex Plasterboarding Skimming Patch repairs Insurance work
Tel: 07847 307334 E | info@cmplastering.net W | www.cmplastering.net
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19
GIFT GUIDE
Christmas gift guide Independant women’s wear store in the heart of Bedford. Minimal classics to fashion with an edge and with sustainability in mind. Meraki organic pure soy candle Fig and Apricot £8.00
Huggy hoop diamanté snake earrings £25.00
Shop address is 13 The Arcade, Bedford MK40 1NS Tel: 07900 804417
Mads Norgaard Violet alpaca wool blend hat £35.00
WWW.ANORAKSHOP.COM
A family run footwear shop for men, women and children with over 40 years of experience. Nordikas Nicola Slippers £54.00
14 Mill Street, Bedford MK40 3HD sales@howorths-shoes-online.co.uk +44(0)1234 355101
Local family run business, trading since 1966. Offering a wide range of domestic appliances, Washing machines, Dishwashers, Cookers, Tumble dryers, Fridges, Freezers, LCD & LCD televisions, Blu ray players and recorders. Same day delivery available on stock items purchased before 12 noon.
Josef Seibel Neele 02 Shoes £89.99
Legero 009913 Boots £115.00
WWW.HOWORTHS-SHOES-ONLINE.CO.UK
Bosch Toaster and Kettle (also available in white) £39.99 (each)
19 The Broadway, Bedford MK40 2TL Tel 01234 352107
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Dyson V7Animal+
Dimplex Danville OptiMyst Fireplace
£249.99
£549.99
WWW.MICHAELRPETERS.CO.UK
Supporting local businesses in store and online
The Arc is a local side street emporium with Art, Framing, Home, Kids and Vintage Pieces. With a wide range of Christmas cards, wrap, and boxes we can help you sort out Christmas this year.
Charlie The Lion Xylophone £19.95
Derwent Colour Soft Pencils £24.59
WWW.THEARCBEDFORD.CO.UK
7 Howard Street, Bedford, MK40 3HS
Purveyors of fine cheese, wine and artisan food
St Eval Orange & Cinnamon White Christmas Pot £13.30
Local Hamper – a selection of goodies made in Bedfordshire.
French Hamper – indulge in Christmas with a french cheese and wine hamper
Snowdonia Cheese Hamper – a fantastic present for the cheese fanatic in your family
£39.50
£48.00
£30.00
20 Castle Lane Bedford MK40 3US Tel: 01234 352129
WWW.BEDFORDCHEESECOMPANY.CO.UK
Tavistock Sound & Vision is part of the Michael R Peters Group
Sony WHCH710NL Wireless Headphones £99.99
21 The Broadway, Bedford MK40 2TL Tel 01234 356323
Roberts Sound 48 DABCD-Clock Radio £99.99
Sony SRS-XB33 Wireless Speaker £119.99
WWW.MICHAELRPETERS.CO.UK
To advertise with us please get in touch – christa@bedslifemagazine.co.uk
21
The Composing Cook The Composing Cook
APPLE AND CINNAMON CAKE In this recipe, I take the humble cooking apple to the next level. This comforting cake is great to have with a cup of tea just watching the world go by. You can watch me making this recipe and many others by visiting my YouTube channel, The Composing Cook. All you have to do is go to: www.youtube.com and in the search engine type: The Composing Cook, and there you will find me. Make it. Enjoy it. You will LOVE IT!!
INGREDIENTS:
175g soft butter 100g caster sugar 2 large eggs a pinch of salt 250g self raising flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 peeled & diced cooking apples (approximately 350g) 100g sultanas 3 teaspoons caster sugar Serves 6-8 22 Please mention bedslife when responding to adverts
Pre-heat the oven to 180°. Grease and line a deep 20cm cake tin. Start by mixing the butter with the caster sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs. Sift in the salt, self raising flour and add the ground cinnamon. Mix well. Stir in the apples and sultanas. Tip into the prepared tin and even out the surface. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Let it cool for 10 minutes, remove from tin and sprinkle with extra caster sugar. Now allow it to cool completely. ENJOY!!!
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PANTO RETURNS FOR 2020! SLEEPING BEAUTY AT MILTON KEYNES THEATRE ALL TICKETS FOR THE FIRST PERFORMANCE TO BE GIFTED TO NHS WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES – SUPPORTED BY THE NATIONAL LOTTERY Milton Keynes Theatre are delighted to announce that all tickets for the first performance of Sleeping Beauty, produced by Qdos Entertainment, will be gifted to NHS workers and their families. Thanks to support from The National Lottery, the new sociallydistanced pantomime will run from Saturday 19 December 2020 to Sunday 10 January 2021 with tickets available from Wednesday 18 November at 10.00am. Emma Sullivan, Theatre Director of Milton Keynes Theatre said ‘We are totally overjoyed to be opening our doors again for a fantastic family pantomime! With thanks to Qdos and The National Lottery we will be able to host an unforgettable festive experience with all the laughs and thrills you would expect, while making sure the theatre is absolutely safe for our audiences. To express our gratitude to the incredible NHS workers, we will also be inviting them and their loved ones to the first performance free of charge. This year, we hope to give Milton Keynes a muchneeded Christmas to remember!’
NHS workers just need to head to healthservicediscounts.com and register for the ballot. Full details below. The production is able to go ahead thanks to the support of The National Lottery, giving thousands of theatregoers in each city and across the country the chance to enjoy socially distanced pantomimes this Christmas. This initiative between The National Lottery and Qdos Entertainment is providing financial support for theatres to stage socially distanced live pantomimes making it viable for venues to open their doors to the general public, generating vital income for the theatre and helping to restore jobs whilst also providing much needed cheer. This new production will be packed full of comedy routines, audience-safe participation and all the unmissable magic that Milton Keynes Theatre audiences have come to expect from their annual festive pantomime. The previously advertised production of Jack and the Beanstalk will be staged in 2021 and existing bookers have already been contacted with details of their new tickets. ATGTICKETS.COM/MiltonKeynes
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ROBIN REDBREAST How the robin came to symbolise Christmas Think of winter in the garden and you'll most likely think of a robin. Think of Christmas cards and you'll probably think of the same. Why do robins have such a strong association with winter? There is actually an increase in robin numbers during the winter months. They migrate from Scandinavia, Russia and Europe swelling the ranks of our resident robins when the days become too cold and food becomes scarce in their own countries. There are several legends relating robins to winter and Christmas in particular. The first legend hails from Victorian times, when the tradition of sending Christmas cards started. Royal Mail postmen of the time wore bright red uniforms, which earned them the nickname of ‘robin’ or ‘redbreast’. Victorian artists usually illustrated Christmas cards with pictures relating to the delivery of letters, such as post-boxes and postmen. Eventually artists began to play on this word association and postman 'robin' was exchanged for the familiar little brown and red bird, who began to appear in illustrations, sometimes delivering the letters. Middle class Victorians loved all things sentimental and charming, so the trend caught on and continues to this day, with the robin adorning everything from wrapping paper to Christmas jumpers. Even before the Victorian era, robins had a strong association with the traditional Christmas story and Christianity. In one tale, it is said that when Mary was giving birth to baby Jesus in the stable, she noticed the fire Joseph had lit was in danger of going out. Suddenly, a small brown bird appeared and started flapping its wings in front of the fire, fanning the embers, and causing it to roar back to life. As the bird flew around tending to the fire, a stray ember made its way towards the tiny creature, scorching
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its breast bright red. Mary declared that the red breast was a sign of the bird’s kind heart, which would be passed on to its descendants to wear proudly ever after. There are also Celtic-based tales which link the robin with wintertime. One tells of the feud between the wren, known as the Holly King of Winter, and the robin who was known as the Oak King of Summer. The Holly King was driven away by the Oak King on the Winter Solstice, and the robin took his rightful place. However, on the Summer Solstice, the Holly King gets to take his revenge, and the wren replaces the robin. This story repeats every year and represents the changing of the seasons. It was probably told by way of explaining why we see more robins during the winter months. Whatever the truth, the robin is a beautiful cheery symbol of this time of year, and if you can spare a little food, particularly meal worms, and some water, he will reward you by visiting your garden daily. Happy Christmas. By Tracey Anderson
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HARDWORKING IVY Holly is much coveted festive greenery but what about ivy, or Hedera to give it the botanical name? It makes up the trio of festive plants, the other being mistletoe, and frankly it’s usually seen as a bit of a poor relation, misunderstood and mostly unloved. Yet ivy is a great workhorse in the garden. It’s evergreen, it attracts wildlife and is excellent on those north-facing walls and fences where nothing else seems to grow. It’s not just a dark green cloak either; there are many cultivars with different leaf shapes and variegated foliage. The variegated varieties are great in those areas that catch just a little sunlight during part of the day as they suddenly seem to illuminate a usually dull spot. Ivy is great for disguising an ugly wall, a bare fence, or an old tree stump. It’s a reliable and self-clinging climber if you choose the right variety and remember to prune it correctly. The young climbing stems are slender and flexible with small aerial roots that fix the shoot to a surface. Adult stems are thicker, self-supporting and do not have roots. Unlike mistletoe ivy isn’t parasitic so won’t harm trees but be careful about letting it grow on the walls of your house as it will damage weak mortar and pebbledash. If growing on a property it needs to be clipped back in spring and summer, so it doesn’t do any damage to structure underneath. Don’t let it get into gutters because it will clog them then infiltrate under tiles or slates. 28 Please mention bedslife when responding to adverts
Ivy is excellent ground cover. It will scramble over areas of poor soil and brighten the ground between shrubs during the dark winter months. Persian ivy, Hedera colchica ‘Dentata Variegata’, is lovely because of its large, yellow-edged leaves. Hedera canariensis ‘Gloire de Marengo’ is also good. Its red stems and large leaves with splashes of yellow looks rather splendid. If you need an area covered quickly try Hedera Hibernica, which is a vigorous native ivy. Hedera helix is the other native ivy and this one has numerous cultivars including Goldheart, which has yellow-centred leaves, Green Ripple, with frilly edged leaves and ‘Buttercup’ which is bright yellow. If you love to support the wildlife in your garden, then ivy is a terrific plant. During autumn and early winter adult ivies produce small greenishyellow flowers. These are especially rich in nectar so attract bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and other insects, providing them with a place to overwinter. Birds like thrushes, blackbirds and robins enjoy the purple black berries which ripen from late winter to mid-spring, providing a much-needed winter food source. Happy gardening and Merry Christmas, Rachael Leverton
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