September 2016 issuu 111

Month: September 2016 Issue No: 111 Independent monthly community news and business directory for KT5 & KT6

Delivered free each month to homes in Berrylands, plus Surbiton or Tolworth

Inside this issue: * Lewis Hamilton Interview * Recipes * Puzzles & Quizzes * Articles and Community pages * New Advertisers And more......

Page 15

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Hello Readers

I

t has been stop and start as far as the weather goes for the last couple of months. A bit like the magazine!

there will always be room for more advertisers and businesses to feature in the magazine, so why not try local advertising? Just call me.

During the summer I was invited to two clubs to talk about A Berrylands Companion and why, how and when I started it, as well as what is it like to run the magazine. It made me sit and think about exactly what I do all on my own, mainly.

I am amazed with myself, considering this is nothing like what I originally trained for! I just hope it was interesting for the club members.

I know this may be early, but Christmas will soon be here, so if you are planning a Christmas Fair, Fête, or Sale, send in your details for the ‘What’s On page. Better still, send in the artwork for your advert in good time. Remember that there is a combined December/January edition, so New Year dates should be included.

This month we have an interesting interview with the wonder that is Lewis Hamilton!! Great news.

Also, following last month’s introduction to the family at ‘What Dad Cooked’, they have given us a special recipe, ‘hot off the press’, or should that be off the stove? It looks lovely, and quite a tasty treat. Hope you try it and enjoy the dish.

Good luck to those going back to school and those off to academia further afield.

Best wishes,

Karen

We have some new advertisers, one is opposite, and the others elsewhere in the magazine. As ever,

Useful Numbers Kingston Council www.kingston.gov.uk Action Fraud (Trading Standards) Refuse Collection Electoral Registration Council Tax Citizens Advice Customs & Excise (VAT) Inland Revenue Helpline Environmental Agency Surbiton Library Kingston Police Non Emergency Services Emergency Services Non Emergency NHS Transport: National Rail Enquiries Public Transport Traveline Gatwick Airport Heathrow Airport

020 8547 5757 020 8547 4654 020 8547 5560 020 85474630 020 8547 5196 0870 126 4019 0845 010 9000 08459 000 444 0870 850 6506 020 8547 6444 020 8541 1212 101 999 111

Emergencies/Utilities: Gas Emergency Electricity Emergency Water Emergency BT Fault Line Virgin Media Crimestoppers Kingston Hospital NHS Direct (24/7) Childline Samaritans Age Concern Kingston Relate www.relatekh.org Domestic Violence Helpline www.victimsupport.org.uk Surbiton Safer Neighbourhood Team based at Millbank House surbitonhill.snt@met.police.uk

0800 111 999 0800 783 8866 0845 920 0800 0800 800 151 0845 142 0000 0800 555 111 020 8546 7711 0845 4647 0800 1111 0845 790 9090 0800 00 99 66 020 8549 3318 020 8547 3202

020 8721 2518 08457 484 950 0870 608 2608 0844 335 1802 A Berrylands Companion 0844 335 1801 18 Kingsdowne Road, Surbiton, KT6 6JZ

020 8274 0096 karen@berrylands-companion.co.uk www.berrylands-companion.co.uk Please mention A Berrylands Companion when responding to adverts

3

Hobbies The Genteel World Of Vintage China

By Kate McLelland

Ever since the trend for ‘Shabby Chic’ furniture and accessories started to emerge in the ‘90s and ‘00s, the use of vintage china has risen in popularity.

Drinking from a ‘proper’ tea cup harks back to a more genteel time, when tea had visible leaves and we didn’t drink it out of a mug. Nowadays you’ll find vintage tea ware everywhere, from village fetes to wedding breakfasts.

It’s not just the charm of these elegantly-shaped drinking vessels that appeals, it’s their cost, too. In many charity shops you can buy a full set including cups, saucers, sugar bowl, milk jug and tea pot, for less than £15 (compare that with a medium-priced, 4-piece contemporary tea set from a popular high street chain store, which will set you back around £80).

Of course, not every vintage tea set is cheap. In 2011 a Chinese silver-gilt tea service, auctioned

by Sotheby’s Amsterdam, exceeded its estimate of €50,000 to fetch €204,750, while a 19th century 6-piece sterling silver tea and coffee service by Tiffany & Co. sold for over $20,000 at auction in Boston - four times more than

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the expected amount. But the prize for the most costly tea set goes to a Half-Figure Service Meissen porcelain set, which sold for over £500,000 when it went under the hammer in 2012.

or manufacturer. For example, you might put together a collection of cups and saucers with a floral pattern or with an oriental theme, or you could simply collect items of matching colour.

If you are buying a vintage tea set for your personal use, here are some tips to keep the china in tip-top condition: - Never put it in the dishwasher: always hand wash with a mild soap such as baby shampoo.

- Don’t soak vintage china as this can cause problems with the glaze, or even remove gold leaf decoration.

- Avoid acidic substances like lemon juice. If you use lemon in your tea, be sure to remove it quickly after you’ve finished.

- If you want to store your teacups, use a sealable plastic container. Stack carefully, placing a folded tea towel in the bottom of the box and putting a sheet of cardboard over the first layer before adding a second.

If you fancy spreading the vintage love, catering for vintage tea parties is now big business. Sybil Worsley-Cundall runs a company called Once Upon a Teacup in Manchester, providing tea parties for birthdays, hen parties, weddings, baby showers and christenings. She started out by buying a couple of tea sets for a vintage tea party and now runs a successful business.

“Combined with the love I have for sourcing and collecting vintage pieces … sharing my vintage tea parties with others seemed a logical way to go,” says Sybil.

If you don’t want to collect whole tea sets but enjoy collecting individual cups and saucers, you can purchase items by pattern or type, colour

You can track down great vintage buys in charity shops, at local auctions and on Ebay, but before you buy it pays to examine every item for cracks and chips. Once you’ve bought your delicate china tea set, don’t be afraid to use and enjoy it: with careful handling and maintenance it should last for generations to come.

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5

Finance

By Ann Haldon

What Exactly Is A Credit Score, And How Does It Impact On Your Life? payment, or if you have been made bankrupt in the past.

• If you are on the electoral roll.

• How many times you have applied for credit.

When you apply for credit or other types of borrowing, the lender will check your credit score to see if you are a good or bad risk. Your credit rating also comes into play in other situations, and has the potential to affect every aspect of your life.

A low score means that you may have to pay an increased rate of interest to counteract the risk to a lender. This has massive implications if you’re trying to obtain a mortgage, as a poor credit rating can mean less product choice and higher monthly repayments.

How is a credit score formulated?

A number between zero and 999 is used as a guide to lenders and other interested parties, such as landlords and utility companies, about your ability to repay. Scores between 721 and 999 are generally considered a lower risk, but there are other factors that influence your overall rating: • Your previous history of repayment.

• How much credit is available to you.

• The level of debt.

• Whether any County Court Judgements have been made against you for non-

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so How could a low credit score impact on your life?

Difficulty in getting a mortgage Even if you find a lender willing to offer you a mortgage, the interest rate will probably be much higher, and you won’t have access to the better deals.

Having a low credit score is often an indication that you can’t afford a mortgage, but unfortunately it can also affect your ability to rent.

Problems renting A landlord will check your credit score - if they see that payments have been missed or that you are not on the electoral role, they could view you as untrustworthy and an unnecessary risk.

Personal loans and other finance Obtaining car finance will be difficult if your credit score is low, as this is the main factor on which a lender bases their decision. It’s not only the large purchases that can be stifled, however – you may also encounter problems when trying to increase your bank overdraft or when requesting a higher limit on your credit card.

How to improve your credit score over time If your credit rating is low, or

you feel that it could be better, there are specific actions you can take to improve it over the long-term: • Make sure you’re on the electoral register, as a permanent address increases confidence that you’re trustworthy.

• Pay at least the monthly minimum on your credit cards.

• Cancel any unused credit cards appearing on your credit report - too much available credit adds to your risk from the lender’s viewpoint.

• Check for mistakes on your credit report, with all three agencies – you can request that they amend your report, and add a comment against the entry to explain that it is incorrect.

• If a spouse or partner has a poor credit score, you can apply for a financial disassociation .

A good credit score can make your life more straightforward, so it’s worthwhile reviewing your credit report every so often to make sure that all the details are correct, and also to check for any suspicious activity. It’s possible to obtain a copy from any of the credit reference agencies for a few pounds. http://uk.businessinsider. com/how-your-credit-scorecan-impact-your-life-20165?r=US&IR=T https://www.sainsburysbank. co.uk/money-matters/guide-tocredit-scores.shtml

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RICHEY BRICKWORK

MRS BENNET’S BALLROOM Regency Dance Classes Celebrate the defeat of Napoleon and the Duke of Wellington’s victory! His order: Every officer should know how to dance!

St Mark’s Church Hall, Church Hill Rd, Surbiton KT6 4LS

Brickwork Blockwork Garden Walls Structural Alterations Damaged Walls Repaired No job too small 35 years experience

Wednesday evenings 8pm - 10.30pm

Classes: Sept 14 & 28, Oct 12 & 26 Nov 9 & 23, Dec 7 All day Workshop £15 on Saturday Oct 8 Dickens Ball £45 on Sunday Nov 27

We must polish up our drill!

Please call Paul

0208 390 0771

07836 200 489

Contact: Libby

Entry £5 per class, tea included

mrsbennetsballroom@gmail.com

www.MrsBennet.co.uk MrsBennetsBallroom 020 8391 1215

Taxation advice and guidance to local businesses Taxation advice and sole traders and guidance to for more than local businesses 15 years. and sole traders for more than 20 years.

To advertise call Karen: 020 8274 0096

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• Accounts and Taxation Accounts and Taxation • Assessment Self Assessment Tax Self Tax Returns Returns CIS and Payroll • Returns CIS and Payroll VAT • VAT Returns Tax Planning and Advice • Tax Planning and Advice Book Keeping Services

• Book Keeping Services

Contact Mark Baker Contact Mark Baker 020 3044 2747 020 3044 2747 07909 703463 07909 703463 Email: markbaker@mbaccountancy.co.uk Email: markbaker@mbaccountancy.co.uk email: karen@berrylands-companion.co.uk

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September! A great month at Surbiton Racket & Fitness Club

T

his is one of the months when the Club’s many facilities really come into their own. Weather permitting , our beautiful grass courts will be with us for some time yet, and although the nights are drawing in, the new floodlights on eight of our nine hard courts will ensure a full evening’s play.

Altogether we offer eleven grass courts and nine fast-draining hard courts, of which three are laid in synthetic clay and always in demand with our Members. And at the end of the month we will have our Tennis Dome to guarantee tennis for the next six months whatever the weather!

Our many hard courts are ideal for our extensive programmes of tennis coaching, which are devised to suit all ages from three to eighty and continue throughout the year.

Indoors at the Club everything’s buzzing as usual. Our spacious Fitness Suite seems to become more popular every week. We have some of the latest equipment, from cardiovascular aids to resistance machines and free weights and we have recently purchased the latest Indoor Cycling bikes.

Why not come and try them? You’ll be very welcome!

Our Studio is always well patronised. We have regular classes in Zumba, Pilates, Yoga and Indoor Cycling. And you can enjoy Cardiotennis and Racketball as well.

Squash has always been very popular at the Club. Our four state-of-the-art courts are all air-conditioned and heated as necessary.

Saturday nights are special, when our Squash Club Nights offer the opportunity to

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meet new opponents. From 5.30pm onwards, every Saturday, so don’t miss the fun!

There’s also a Beginners’ Squash Evening on Sundays from 5pm to 6pm.

We also offer Professional Sports Massage in its own dedicated Studio. This has become extremely popular along with our Physiotherapy facility, which is run in conhjunction with Kingston Physiotherapy.

We’re a friendly Club, as you would soon find if you came to see us. Our Clubhouse Bar is an excellent social meeting-place, where you can relax with coffee or any one of a range of drinks. And cooked meals can be ordered from the menu. Why not pop in and look us over? You’ll be very welcome!

Perhaps I should mention that we have recently introduced a number of new membership options at the Club. One that is especially popular is Off Peak Gym membership, which applies to weekdays only and up to 5pm. This offers remarkable value at only £360 for a full year or £30 a month. Terms and Conditions apply. Our growing Junior Membership also benefits from very generous terms.

Best wishes Roy Roy Staniland is Director of Surbiton Racket and Fitness Club, Berrylands, KT5 8JT 0208 399 1594 www.Surbiton.org

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To advertise call Karen: 020 8274 0096

email: karen@berrylands-companion.co.uk

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Building new friendships in the community... because everyone deserves a friend

I

t’s never too late in life to make new friends – this is something Joan, aged 92, and Nicole , 43, agree on. Joan and Nicole were introduced to each other through the Alfriston Outreach Volunteer Befriending Service, and Nicole (a Volunteer Befriender) has been a regular visitor to Joan ever since.

Just 2 years ago Joan was living a full and independent life, until a nasty fall changed everything.

Following her recovery in hospital and returning home, her reduced mobility stopped her being able to go out and she received only brief visits each day from carers. Joan missed the daily contact with people that she had enjoyed before her fall and quickly became isolated and lonely. Luckily,

the warden at Joan’s block of flats knew about Alfriston’s Befriending Service and referred her to them.

Talking about her friendship with Nicole, Joan says “It’s been great – it really has. When I first met Nicole I thought ‘she’s a young girl, what will we talk about?’ but time flies when we’re chatting. When Nicole puts on her coat to leave, I can’t believe it’s time for her to go!”

“The age difference is not important. We chat about all sorts of things, from old times to

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telly programmes or what’s going on in the news.”

Nicole adds: “When I first became a Volunteer Befriender I felt shy and was worried there would be silences and gaps in the conversation. But none of that happens with Joan – we have so much to talk about every time I see her and we both look forward to our visits together. Also, the training I received from Alfriston gave me the confidence to be a volunteer and the team there are always on hand for support if I need it.”

So why volunteer? Nicole says: “I wanted to do something for my community. Being a Befriender is perfect because it is a much needed service and it also fits in with looking after my two children and my part-time job. And I’ve made a new friend!”

The Alfriston Outreach Volunteer Befriending Service was set up four years ago by Alfriston Day Centre to provide a free service to older people living in the Borough of Kingston who were experiencing loneliness or isolation and were unable to visit the Day Centre.

Referrals to the service are accepted from family members, neighbours, health and social care professionals – even self-referrals . All Volunteer Befrienders are DBS checked and receive training and ongoing support from the coordinators.

If you are interested in becoming a Volunteer Befriender, or know an older person who would benefit from regular companionship, please call or email Lisa or Tina at Alfriston Day Centre on 020 83994289, email alfriston_ day@yahoo.co.uk.

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ST R N NO YLE AN EW W S & GE AV C OF AI OL LA OU BL RS E

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Hidato Starting at 1 and finishing at 49, track your way from one square to another, either horizontally, vertically or diagonally, placing consecutive numbers into the empty squares as you go. Some numbers are already given.

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LOCAL CARPENTER GARDENER William Stallion

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Aspen Veterinary Surgery

HOME WANTED!

Your pet matters to us

Sausage and Scoobie

Handsome 9-year-old brothers Sausage (on the left) and Scoobie were incredibly traumatised when they first came into care but they have gradually regained their trust in humans. They are gentle boys who love other cats and attention.

They have both blossomed tremendously over the last couple of months. Sausage is still the more confident out of the pair, he is especially friendly now and he has even begun chatting to us!

They would love an adult only home with experienced owners.

Join Aspen Pet Care Plan These handsome boys are real characters, and in time, in the right home, would both be very loving companions.

If you feel you could give Sausage and Scoobie the loving home they both so deserve please call ROSEMARY on 01737 350307 for further information.

Save Money, Spread Costs, Pay Monthly, Open Mon-Fri: 8am-7.30pm Sat: 8.30-11am 24 hour Emergency Service

Epsom Ewell & District Branch http://www.epsom.cats.org.uk If you cannot adopt a cat but would still like to help us please go to https://www.justgiving.com/Epsom-Cats-Protection

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As we have around 7,000 cats and kittens in our care at any one time, we will find you the perfect feline friend.

351 Ewell Road, Tolworth, KT6 7BZ

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Use the summer months to help your dog become fit and healthy

PETS

As we all know, it’s very easy to put on weight during the winter without even realising it. The same applies to your dog who might currently be displaying a larger than expected stomach, but it’s easy to help them lose weight and become fitter.

play into their exercise regime will work wonders. You can build a home-made agility course using large boxes and tubes, or buy the ready-made versions from pet stores and supermarkets. Hide and seek, or playing ball games on the beach will also go down well.

It’s not always obvious that your dog is gaining weight though, so it’s a good idea to have regular checks using your vet’s scales. Taking photos of your dog every few weeks during the whole year will also reveal any additional pounds.

Portion control Exercise plus careful control over how much your dog eats is a powerful combination for losing weight. It’s so easy to lose track of their food intake during a day, but choose a good quality food that will be easily digested.

So what else can you do to help them shed the excess weight during the longer days of summer?

Not just walks Variety is the key to faster weight loss, and incorporating

To advertise call Karen: 020 8274 0096

Help from your vet Most vets run weight-loss clinics which are useful if you also have any health concerns about your dog. The vet can offer valuable advice and make sure you’re giving them the correct food.

By Ann Haldon

email: karen@berrylands-companion.co.uk

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When Words Don’t Seem Enough

by Kate McLelland Dealing with somebody who has recently lost a loved one can leave you literally lost for words. You know what it’s like: you worry about what to say and how to say it, and often end up saying nothing at all.

How grief can affect us People experience grief in different ways: in addition to an overwhelming sense of sadness, a bereaved person may struggle with a number of complex and frightening feelings, including depression, anger and guilt, leading to a rollercoaster of highs, lows and unexpected setbacks. Close friends or relatives may find themselves in the firing line at this time, but it’s important not to take these outbursts personally.

Why it’s important to listen Everybody worries about what to say, but there’s no need for you to give advice or come up with answers just as long as you are there for the person in question. Dr Bill Webster from the organisation Grief Journey (www.griefjourney. com) points out that at times of stress people may be barely aware of what you are doing and saying anyway. He goes

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on to quote the famous author Maya Angelou: “People may not remember what you do, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”

It’s more important to know how to listen. Let the bereaved person know that he or she has permission to talk about their loss. If the deceased’s name comes up, don’t be afraid to speak openly about them.

Opening up a dialogue Asking questions such as “How are you feeling today?” or “Do you feel like talking?” is better than trying to lead the discussion: you should never try to force someone to open up if they don’t want to.

Accept and acknowledge every shade of emotion – from silence to shouting and tears – but don’t judge or try to snap them out of it. It’s vital that a bereaved person should feel free to express their feelings without fear of argument or criticism. A squeeze of the hand or a reassuring hug at times of high emotion is all that’s needed to show support.

You may find that they repeat the same story over and over again, in minute detail. This

may, of course, relate to their loved one’s death. If that’s difficult to hear, try not to overreact.

Taking a practical approach Finally, remember that someone who has lost a loved one will inevitably have responsibilities that relate to the death. Duties may include acting as legal executor, clearing up the deceased’s possessions and maybe even selling a property. if you’re able to lend a hand with practical things, you’re more likely to have your help accepted if you make a specific offer rather than a generalised offer of help. “Shall I go through his files for you?” or “Would you like me to come with you when you visit the undertaker?” are simple, direct questions that are more likely to be taken up.

There’s no blueprint for dealing with grief: because everyone experiences the shock of loss in a different way, there can be no absolute rules to guide us.

Bereavement counsellor Dr Bill Webster sums it up perfectly when he says: “You can’t fix anything, but you can make a difference, and that’s really what it’s all about.”

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Back To School Tech The best kit to pack for your kids

As if buying new clothes, bags and accessories wasn’t expensive enough, the back to school period also means buying gadgets - but which ones will actually benefit your child when they head to school, college or university? The right gadgets really do make a difference, but don’t rush to spend more money than you need to.

Some form of computer is essential, especially for students away from home: it’s not just a tool for learning, but for communicating, music, movies and TV too. The key question today is whether a laptop or a tablet is better. Both cost around the same - unless you’re going for an Apple laptop, you can get a very good laptop for less than £400, which is around the same price as an iPad - but it’s important to check whether your child’s school, college or university has specific requirements.

For example, some statistical software requires Windows, and while you can make Windows work on a Mac that involves extra expense - and it isn’t an option at all on an iPad. If you’re buying software, look for student versions: programs such as Microsoft Office come in student editions that cost a fraction of the normal price.

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There’s no doubt that Apple computers are the most desirable computers for students, but they’re also the most expensive ones: Apple’s cheapest laptop, the MacBook Air, starts at £749. A better option may be to buy a second-hand MacBook Pro, as the 2012 model is still current, available online for around £400 and can be upgraded with fast SSD storage for around £50. Alternatively, keep an eye out for “refurb” deals.

That’s when brand new laptops have been returned for some reason, checked and put on sale again. They can’t be sold as new anymore so they attract significant discounts.

The other essential, for older children at least, is a smartphone. If he or she doesn’t already have one, the best buy on the market is the Moto G4. It’s a powerful Android phone with a price tag of just £169, and it’s powerful enough to remain current for several academic years. Once you’ve got the phone you can then shop around for either a pay as you go deal, where you buy credit in advance and top it up as required, or a SIM-only deal, which is a monthly contract giving you a certain amount of data, calls and texts.

Reading is a big part of the

educational process, of course, and electronic books can save you a great deal of money.

Amazon has just updated its Kindle range of ebook readers, and the £59.99 model is arguably the best value Kindle so far. You can spend more on Kindles with all kinds of whizzy features, but we wouldn’t.

One other product you might want to consider is gadget insurance. That isn’t the same as an extended warranty, and it’s important to understand the difference: extended warranties such as Apple’s AppleCare don’t cover accidental damage such as water spills, which can easily do hundreds of pounds worth of damage to a laptop. Your home insurance or current account may already provide such insurance, but it’s worth checking the small print carefully to ensure the kids’ gadgets are covered away from home and that the excesses aren’t excessive. Lots of companies have insurance policies specifically designed for students’ computers and smartphones, and sites such as money.co.uk enable you to compare the cover, cost and excesses quickly.

Images L to R: Apple iPad mini 4; Toshiba Satellite C55; Motorola Moto G4; Amazon Kindle (2016 model)

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Email: surbiton@timeforyou.co.uk To advertise call Karen: 020 8274 0096

email: karen@berrylands-companion.co.uk

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Cake and Bake Tart Bourdaloue This classic French tart has a lovely rich almond frangipane filling. Choose pears that are firm, but not rock hard.

Ingredients: • 225g ready-made puff pastry • 75g unsalted butter, softened • 75g caster sugar • 2 medium eggs, beaten • 1 tsp almond extract • 75g plain flour • 100g ground almonds • 3 firm pears, peeled, halved and cored • 2 tbsp apricot glaze, warmed (see Tip)

Serves 6 - 8 Ready in 1 hour 30 minutes, plus chilling

TIP

Look out for small jars of apricot glaze in the baking sections of supermarkets, rr make your own by pushing 3-4tbsp of warmed apricot jam through a fine-holed sieve.

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1. Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface

and use to line a 23cm round fluted flan tin. Trim the edges and prick the pastry all over with a fork. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

2. Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl until

pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, then the almond extract. Sift over the flour and fold in with the ground almonds to make a smooth mixture. Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/Gas 6. Place a heavy baking sheet in the oven to heat up.

3. Spread the mixture in an even layer in the chilled

pastry case. Place one pear half, cut side down, on a board. Using a sharp knife, carefully slice widthways through the pear half about 10 times. Repeat with the other pear halves, keeping them in their shape.

4. Arrange the sliced pears on top of the almond

mixture, fanning them out slightly. Place the flan tin on the hot baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 180C/fan 160C/ Gas 4 and bake for a further 20-25 minutes until golden.

Cover the tart loosely with foil for the last 15-20 minutes of the cooking time to prevent the top from over-browning.

5. Leave the tart to cool for 10-15 minutes then glaze

the top with the warmed apricot glaze. Serve warm or cold with crème fraiche, if liked.

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0208 390 7564

Book Now for your Christmas Party

We are now taking bookings for Christmas Day and New Years Eve

Celebrate Christmas with us • 3 Course Lunch £25.00 • 3 Course Dinner £29.50 • Private Function Room Available • Late Licence till 1 a.m • Live Music Book Your Table Today!

To advertise call Karen: 020 8274 0096

CONTACT US E: info@langleysrestaurant.co.uk T: 0208 390 7564 F: 0208 390 4596 158 Ewell Road | Surbiton | Surrey KT6 6HE

www.langleysrestaurant.co.uk

email: karen@berrylands-companion.co.uk

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Cod, Prawn and Parsley Pie Serves 6

Ready in 1 hour 15 minutes

Cod and prawns in a smooth herby white sauce topped with fluffy mash – it’s the ultimate fish pie!

Cook the potatoes in a large pan of boiling, lightly salted water for 15-20 minutes until tender.

Ingredients: • 1.6kg floury potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

Meanwhile, place the cod in a large frying pan and pour over the milk. Add the bay leaf and peppercorns and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes then remove from the heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove the cod from the pan and set aside. Strain the milk into a large heatproof jug.

• 750g cod fillet • 1L milk • 1 bay leaf • Few black peppercorns • 75g butter • 50g plain flour

Melt 50g of the butter in a medium saucepan.

Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.

Gradually whisk in 850ml of the milk. Bring to the boil, stirring all the time, then simmer for 3-4 minutes until you have a smooth, thick sauce.

• 3 tbsp freshly chopped parsley • 175g frozen peas, thawed • 225g large peeled prawns, thawed if frozen

Preheat the oven to 200C, fan 180C, Gas 6.

Flake the fish, discarding any skin and bones, and stir into the sauce with the parsley, peas and prawns. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Transfer the mixture to a deep ovenproof dish.

• 15ml olive oil • Sprig of fresh parsley, to garnish

TIP You can use any white fish fillet for this pie - haddock or coley will work just as well.

Alternatively, replace half the cod with salmon fillet or smoked haddock, if liked.

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5

Mash the potatoes with the rest of the butter and milk and season to taste. Spoon the mash over the fish mixture to cover. Drizzle over the olive oil and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Serve garnished with a sprig of parsley.

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C.D Jennings & Sons Surbiton’s High Class Traditional Family Butchers Meat of the Highest Quality from the Finest Sources

Serving Surbiton Since 1962 .

Proud Suppliers of:

Scotch Beef Scotch Highland & Romney Salt Marsh Lamb Free Range & Gloucester Old Spot Pork Free Range Chickens & Ducks Balmoral & Royal Deeside Venison Kelly Bronze Free Range Turkeys Own Make Sausages, Burgers & Kebabs

Opening Hours Tuesday to Thursday 8.00 am – 5.30 pm Friday 8.00 am – 6.00 pm Saturday 7.00 am – 4.00 pm Sunday & Monday - Closed Visit our shop at 146 Ewell Road, Surbiton, KT6 6HE (Opposite Sainsbury’s Local) or call us to place an order on 020 8399 4870

To advertise call Karen: 020 8274 0096

www.cdjenningsandsons.com Facebook: CDjenningsandSons Twitter @surbitonbutcher email: karen@berrylands-companion.co.uk

21

Summery Lemon Possets served with Shortbread Here's a pudding that's sure to impress. The beauty of this recipe is that it only uses three ingredients and it's so easy to make. Possets were a medieval curdled hot drink made from milk and wine. Here the same natural curdling effect of cream and lemon is used to make a kind of 'set' syllabub pudding.

Tip: The perfect accompaniment to these possets are almond-based shortbread and fresh summer berries.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

For the possets 600ml double cream 6tbs lemon juice (2-3 lemons) Zest from one lemon 130g caster sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla To make the shortbread (makes 24 x 8cm rounds) 250g white flour 65g ground almonds 20g cornflour 1 medium egg 250g unsalted butter 100g caster sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla Zest of one lemon Pinch of salt To serve Summer berries, mint springs & lemon zest.

Serves: 6 Time: Half hour for the possets plus time in fridge

Recipe supplied by What Dad Cooked, with thanks!

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1. Make the possets. Bring the lemon juice sugar and vanilla to a simmer in a pan.

Make sure the sugar has dissolved and then take off the heat. Bring the cream to the boil in wide saucepan and boil for 2 minutes.

Take off the heat and mix with the lemon and sugar, add the lemon zest and whisk.

Cool for about 20 minutes and then strain into containers. Refrigerate for 3 hours.

2. Make the shortbread dough. Mix the flour, almonds and cornflour into a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the butter, sugar, lemon zest and a pinch of salt, until soft and fluffy.

Add the egg to the butter and sugar and continue to beat until well mixed. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until the dough just comes together. Flour a surface and work the dough into a ball then press down to make a slab, cover with cling film and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

3. Bake the shortbread. Preheat the oven to 180C, Gas 4. Flour a surface and roll out the dough to a 7mm-8mm thickness. Cut the dough with an 8cm round cutter (or similar), placing the rounds on baking sheets. Gather the scraps and re-roll cutting out more rounds. The dough will be very fragile – handle gently. Bake for 10 -15 minutes or until lightly browned on the edges. Sprinkle with caster sugar and cool.

4. Serve the possets. Serve with berries and biscuits. Mint sprigs and grated lemon zest add a final flourish.

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Fruiterer & Greengrocer

155 Surbiton Hill Park, Berrylands, Surbiton Tel: 020 8399 5550 Mob: 07753 690 518 Fax: 020 8390 9231

Fruits in Season

Vegetables in Season

Melons, Gala, Orange Flesh & Watermelon All Berries, English Strawberries & Raspberries Peaches, Nectarines, Flat Peaches & Jazz Apples, New crop English Cooking Apples, Eating Apples & Pears, Wet Walnuts & Cobnuts

Brussel Tops, Bunched Carrots, Runner Beans, Spring Greens & Sprouts, Spring Cabbage, New crop Swede & Turnips, New Crop Maris Pipers & King Edwards First English Mixed Tomatoes Baby Plum & Cherry Vine Tomatoes

We have the following available: Dairy products, milk, cream, yogurt, cheese and fresh bread daily

We can supply any items for your special occasion - 24 hours notice required.

Please contact us to discuss your requirements: Tel: 020 8399 5550

Daily delivery & 24 hr answering service. All types of restaurants, bars, cafes, schools, pubs, nursing homes and deli bars supplied.

Free Local Home Delivery Available

WORDWHEEL

SOFT DRINKS AVAILABLE

Using only the letters in the Wordwheel, you have ten minutes to find as many words as possible, none of which may be plurals, foreign words or proper nouns. Each word must be of three letters or more, all must contain the central letter and letters can only be used once in every word. There is at least one word that uses all of the letters in the wheel.

ÂŁ11.95

TARGET Excellent: 120 or more words Good: 95 words Fair: 80 words

*Please note King Prawn & Fish Dishes are ÂŁ2 extra

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285 Ewell Road, Surbiton

www.prithicuisine.co.uk

CHESSINGTON HYPNOTHERAPY CLINIC Hypnotherapist, Psychologist

Stress, Weight, Smoking, Phobias, Insomnia, Depression, Lack of Confidence, Panic Attacks, Exam nerves, Migraine and many other problems.

Also regression and self hypnosis.

Catherine Bayliss D.H.D.P., M.B.C.H.

Principal of the British College of Hypnotherapy Established 1981

020 8397 3146

To advertise call Karen: 020 8274 0096

H T

A O

R S E

R C

CARTHORSE / ORCHESTRA email:Answer: karen@berrylands-companion.co.uk 23

24

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Monkey Music Kingston, Surbiton and Thames Ditton E: kingston.surbiton@monkeymusic.co.uk T: 0208 224 3971

KING GEORGE FIELD INDOOR BOWLS CLUB

O D O M E N

Learn to Bowl, Free Coaching, All Ages & Abilities Welcome

You have two minutes to find all the words of three or more letters that can be made from the letters above. Plurals are allowed, proper nouns are not. The 6 letter word will always be just a normal everyday word.

Bar . Restaurant Social Events Large Car Park

3 letters: 11 4 letters: 11 5 letters: 2 6 letters: 1

If your club or society is not listed on the Local Events, send in the details!!

FUNCTION ROOM FOR ALL OCCASIONS

Jubilee Way,.Chessington, KT9 1TR Tel: 020 8397 7025 www.kgfindoorbowlsclub.co.uk

To advertise call Karen: 020 8274 0096

Why not send in your events for Autumn?

Schools, Churches, & Charity events for Christmas should be submitted to karen@berrylands-companion.co.uk

email: karen@berrylands-companion.co.uk

25

3 Lette DEN DOE DON END EON MEN MOD MOO NOD

Historical Fiction Whether you’re time traveling back to the middle ages, or just revisiting the sixties, historical fiction is a great way to escape the present for a few hours.

The Muse – Jessie Burton Burton’s The Miniaturist was one of 2014’s bestsellers, and personally I think her latest novel is even better. West Indian-born Odelle lands a job at a London art institute in 1967. Her friend, Lawrie, has a painting he thinks the institute might be interested in, but Odelle’s boss seems to know more about the picture than she’s willing to admit. Back in 1936, Olive is attempting to hide her artistic talents from her father, while building a life for herself in Spain. A brilliant portrayal of forging one’s identity in a foreign country.

The Harrowing – James Aitcheson It’s 1066 and a Norman army is marching through England, destroying anyone and anything in their path. Five travellers are fleeing to the last Saxon stronghold, but will they reach it in time, and is it just the Normans they’re running from? There’s action scenes aplenty, interspersed with the individual stories of the five travellers – a servant, a lady, a priest, a warrior and a minstrel.

Aitcheson has clearly done his homework on this era, and also manages to create characters that are every bit as human and flawed as their modern-day counterparts.

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Let Me Tell You About A Man I Knew – Susan Fletcher Jeanne Trabuc is a dutiful wife and mother, but her sons have left home and the boredom and loneliness of life in rural Provence in the 1880s are settling over her in a quiet depression. So when a new patient arrives at the asylum that her husband runs, Jeanne can’t resist reaching out to him.

An artist, with wild red hair, selfmutilated ear and attitude so different to anyone she knows, he has the power to reawaken the spark within Jeanne that she’s subdued for so long. A beautiful, fictional reimagining of Vincent Van Gogh’s time at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole institution.

Stolen Years – Kazia Myers It’s 1940 and Poland is under occupation. Seventeen year old Anna is forced to leave her home near Krakow to work on an Austrian farm, where she is little more than a slave. But she finds solace, friendship and love amongst her fellow workers, even as the situation they find themselves in becomes progressively harder. The author’s parents were Polish refugees and survivors of Stalin’s labour camps, and this personal connection certainly comes across in this poignant tale.

The Farm at the Edge of the World – Sarah Vaughan Will and Alice are evacuated to a Cornish farm to escape war-torn London. There they find safety, although it’s not the picture-postcard life they may have imagined. Friendship between Will and the farmer’s daughter Maggie blossoms into love, but a lie will change things between the three forever.

Seventy years on, Alice wants to atone, but is it too late to make amends? An enjoyable story of love, friendship and how sometimes the hardest person to forgive is yourself.

The Plague Charmer – Karen Maitland It’s 1361 and plague is once more stealing through England.

In its wake is an even deadlier curse – fear. As neighbours turn against each other and hysteria sweeps the nation, can Sara protect her family?

Up in the manor house, 16 year old Christina and her secret baby are hiding from the world, waiting to see whether her abusive husband will come home from France and claim the child. With a long cast of characters, and plenty of plot twists and turns, The Plague Charmer could well stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page.

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Word Ladder

“The Ultimate Class for Mums and Babies” The Times

Change one letter at a time (but not the position of any letter) to make a new word - and move from the word at the top of the ladder to the word at the bottom, using the exact number of rungs provided.

Here is one possible solution (others may exist)

S L O W

SLOW slot soot

This power walking class, with a mix of cardio, strengthening & toning exercises is proving to be the answer sown to shifting postnatal weight & re-toning your body after giving birth!

DOWN • Burns fat, improves posture & strengthens , ITON core muscles • A one hour social class with SURB LDEN, A M time to chat to other Mums • For all levels NEW STON KING of fitness • Suitable for all buggies/pushchairs • It’s fun & your baby or toddler comes too!

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D O W N

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LEWIS DICK

solicitors

Need a DIVORCE, SEPARATION OR HELP WITH CONTACT speak to Carol Stevens-Stratten Need to MOVE HOUSE OR GET HELP WITH YOUR BUSINESS speak to Jonathan Owens Need to MAKE A WILL OR POWER OF ATTORNEY OR ADMINISTER AN ESTATE speak to James Winfield

WE ARE YOUR LOCAL LAW FIRM, AND PROVIDE A HIGH QUALITY SERVICE For more information or a no obligation quote

Call: 020 8393 0055

Email: ewell@lewis-dick.com or visit our Website: www.lewis-dick.com Lewis & Dick, 443 Kingston Road, Ewell, Surrey, KT19 0DG

To advertise call Karen: 020 8274 0096

email: karen@berrylands-companion.co.uk

27

Home & Interiors Use Colour with Confidence

Katherine Sorrell outlines how you can employ paint to colour your home beautiful.

It’s fair to say that most of us are cautious about using colour; in fact, a survey by Dulux found that three-quarters of respondents were afraid of making the wrong colour choice.

So how can we boost our colour confidence? Easy: arm yourself with a little knowledge and make the effort to experiment. You can always repaint if you don’t like the results.

Where to start? Well, it’s a good idea to leaf through as many interiors books and magazines as you can get your hands on. A wealth of effort and experience has gone into producing room sets that work for all kinds of tastes. And don’t forget that all the leading paint manufacturers

28

produce masses of helpful information, from colour cards to brochures that demonstrate how different shades can be put together – and even interactive free apps where you can paint a virtual room without having to apply a single drop of paint: try Dulux’s Visualizer or Crown’s MyRoomPainter, for example.

Consider the sizes of your rooms. Would you like to make a small room seem bigger, or a large room more cosy? The basic principles are that pale colours, because they contain a lot of white, seem to recede, enhancing a feeling of spaciousness, while darker colours absorb light and therefore appear more enclosing. Similarly, ‘cool’ colours such as blue and green are more distancing than ‘warm’ colours such as red and yellow. This is why people tend to use paler, cooler colours in small rooms, and white on low ceilings, reserving bolder or darker colours for large, bright rooms. That said, you can break the rules if you wish: perhaps by using a dark, warm colour to make a small room

By Katherine Sorrell feel welcoming and intimate.

From a practical point of view, paint those parts of the house that show the dirt most quickly (a busy hallway or a child’s bedroom, for example) in a darkish shade. You might want to consider a high-gloss, washable surface finish, too.

A simple, one-colour scheme is relatively easy to get right – provided you choose the right colour. Combining two or more can be more challenging, but hugely rewarding. As Little Greene MD David Mottershead says: “Using paints effectively in interior design is a much more sophisticated process than selecting a single colour from a paint chart. One colour in isolation can be attractive, two in combination can be beautiful and three shades used together can be quite exquisite.” Once you have narrowed down your choices and tried the apps, Fired Earth’s creative director Rob Whitaker has some further tips that will help: “Think about creating a mood board of magazine cuttings and swatches to inspire you, layering colours and textures to build a balanced palette. Buy tester pots of the paints you’re considering so that you can see what they look like as the light changes throughout the day. To really get a feel for the colours, paint A4-sized pieces of paper and stick them to all of the walls that you’re planning to paint. Another trick is to paint the inside of a cardboard box so that you can see how the colour changes as the walls

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reflect off each other.”

You may be happy with a classic colour palette that will last for years but, if you want to get on-trend, look out for fashion-forward hues. Dulux’s colour of the year is Cherished Gold, an earthy metallic that works well with both fresh pastels and rich jewel tones, while Pantone’s colours of the year are Rose Quartz and

a soft blue called Serenity.

Crown’s autumn/winter palette is based around three looks: Out of the Dark, with black and charcoal plus dashes of bright yellow, pink and orange; Skyscapes, employing shades of blue mixed with grey and chalky neutrals; and Faded Berries, offsetting deep berry tones with mossy and grassy greens.

To conclude? Do your research, seek out your favourite style and either follow fashion or go your own way.

The colour possibilities are endless.

IMAGEGreen

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Pastures emulsion; all £13.94 for 2.5 L matt emulsion. Colours at B&Q 0333 014 3098. www.diy.com

NATURAL PAINTS Natural paints are generally made using combinations of ingredients such as linseed oil, lime, turpentine, citrus oil, chalk and earth and mineral pigments. They allow walls to breathe, so moisture is not trapped beneath - useful if your house is slightly damp - and they don’t become statically charged, thus reducing the build-up of dust on painted surfaces (good for allergy sufferers). Because they are more flexible, they tend not to crack or flake. They use either fully renewable raw materials or those that are in plentiful supply, and energy waste during manufacture is kept to a minimum. Manufacturers claim they are just as effective as conventional paints – if not more so – and, what’s more, they smell nice! Brands include Earthborn, Lakeland, Auro, Nutshell, Aglaia, Pots of Paint and Eico.

Zoe Rourke Interiors

See examples of my work and testimonials at: http://zoe_rourke.houzz.co.uk or call to book an appointment on 07941 018109

Based in Surbiton, offering a personal home service, making beautiful bespoke handmade curtains and Roman blinds. Full measurements and hanging service undertaken.

Individual design ideas and advice on what suits your window and how to work within your budget.

Simple, affordable luxury that can transform any room.

To advertise call Karen: 020 8274 0096

email: karen@berrylands-companion.co.uk

29

Short Story The Bucket of Damsons The presence of a muddy bike abandoned on the grass verge made Marion suspect that the creature perched high in the branches of her damson tree was no bird.

“You’d better not be scrumping,” Marion said, wrapping her pashmina tightly around her shoulders, “I’ll be having a word with your mother.”

“You don’t know her.” A girl, no older than twelve, peered down through the foliage. She’d come prepared. A large bucket swung from her juice-stained hand.

“You’re trespassing,” Marion said with annoyance. “That tree borders my property. All the fruit belongs to me.”

“You can’t own a tree,” the girl said, “it’s a living thing.”

“What utter nonsense,” Marion said crossly. “Of course you can.”

“Why don’t you climb down with your bucket?”

Marion said cunningly, “And I will take my share from what you’ve picked.

The rest you can keep as a picker’s fee.”

The girl considered this for a moment.

“How about,” she replied, “I take my share from the bucket and you get what’s left instead?”

“Certainly not,” said Marion.

This child really had some cheek. “Don’t forget those are my damsons and you are a thief.”

“If you cared about them you’d have picked them already,” the girl said. “I’m the one who’s taken all the risks.”

“But you didn’t ask permission,” Marion said, outraged.

The girl looked dubious.

There was a steely look in the girl’s eye. Then she smiled.

“Last year all the plums just fell into the lane and got ruined,” the girl said. “That’s a waste, and we’re taught not to waste food.”

“How about we play a game?” she said. “I tip this bucket and whatever you catch you keep, and whatever falls on the ground I keep.”

Marion felt a twinge of guilt.

Last year she had intended to pick the damsons, but it meant getting the step ladder out of the garage and she’d never got round to it.

“But I’ve got nothing to catch them in,” Marion said, annoyed.

She didn’t much like games.

“They’re not plums,” she said firmly, “they’re damsons.”

“I don’t trust you,” Marion said, “the minute I’m gone you’ll be off with the lot.”

“They taste like plums,” the girl replied tartly.

“So you’ve been eating them as well?” Marion asked.

“Just the one,” the girl grinned.

“It was juicy.”

30

“Then nip into your house for a bowl.” The girl smiled sweetly.

“As big as you like.”

The girl looked offended.

“Brownie’s honour I would not,” she said. “Alright then, why not catch them in your scarf?”

“It’s not a scarf, it’s a

pashmina,” Marion said, then realised what a good idea that was. The girl clearly wasn’t aware just how big her pashmina was. If she held it taut she could catch every damson, and the annoying child would end up with none at all.

“Alright then,” Marion agreed, “you’ve got yourself a deal.”

She unfolded the length of fabric.

“Not fair!” the girl cried. “It’s massive.”

“You can’t back out now,” Marion said, pleased that the balance of power had been redressed.

“Alright,” the girl conceded reluctantly, “get ready then.”

Marion squinted up into the branches of the tree with the pashmina outstretched like a fireman’s net. The girl wedged herself against a branch and held up the bucket. Slowly it began to tip. Marion braced herself.

Frist there was a strange rattling sound, then a slurry of wet damson stones rained down upon her.

“You know how I said I’d only eaten one?” the girl laughed, swinging nimbly down with her empty bucket. “Well, I might have been lying.”

By Jackie Brewster

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•Extensions BERRYLANDS BERRYLANDS •Conversions Property Maintenance Ltd •All types of Paving

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31

Brilliant Bulbs

by Pippa Greenwood

It is spring bulb time in all the garden centres now.

Every one up and down the country should be crammed full of bulbs, many at an incredibly reasonable price, and all of which promise to provide glorious masses of colour, sometimes with scent, for many years to come.

By all means plant bulbs in beds and borders, but make this the year that you are a touch more adventurous and, if you don’t have any open ground in your garden and do your gardening purely on a terrace, patio or in a back yard, then don’t forget that there are still plenty of bulb planting opportunities to be had!

Bulbs have the potential to make any garden look gorgeous but you can use them to add an element of fun as well as glamour, colour and perfume.

Bulbs look fantastic if allowed to naturalise beneath trees, but if you’ve no space for trees then

32

miniature bulb varieties look equally good beneath shrubs. Simply choose a suitable selection such as miniature daffodils or crocuses and plant them in a random or scattered effect beneath the shrub, taking care to minimise damage to the shrub’s roots. Keep them well watered in spring and you should have a fantastic display.

On special occasions you may have been sent some flowers and these are often delivered in ornamental plastic-lined woven baskets, which are also available inexpensively from local markets or on the internet. These make perfect planting containers provided they are at least 3” (8 cm) deep. Shallower baskets can be used for smaller bulbs such as crocuses - simply fill them with bulb fibre and then plant up in the same way as you would a bowl of bulbs for an indoor display.

To ensure that drainage

is definitely not a problem, puncture some holes in the plastic liner and then use any normal multi-purpose or loam based compost mixture. Baskets like this look particularly decorative in the spring, and if you add a couple of ferns or ivies to larger baskets they will look even better.

Make use of an outdoor table which is normally left out throughout the year.

In spring it is unlikely that you are going to use it for outdoor entertaining, so simply cover it to prevent the surface being spoiled and arrange a selection of pots full of spring bulbs on it – the effect can be really splendid and will make eating out of doors even more fun and stylish.

An old bucket - particularly an enamelled or galvanized one - makes a fabulous planter, but remember to drill some holes in the base, or if this isn’t possible, ensure that you place a layer of pebbles or grit at

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least 2” (5cm) deep in the bottom, so that excess water accumulates below the level of the roots and the bulbs do not rot off.

If your garden or back yard is a good size, then make sure that you use some large containers as these look particularly handsome if you can afford the space. Packed full of a single variety of one of the daffodils or tulips or any other spring bulbs, they will look absolutely gorgeous and make a very striking and bold display. Plant the container up in two layers, so that one lot of bulbs is planted a couple of inches deeper than the other, and you will find that the display is prolonged slightly

as the deeper ones will flower somewhat later than those planted closer to the surface If you want something really wacky, why not consider using an old bathroom suite or parts of it to make some very unusual planters?

A bath may need a lot of compost to fill it – and don’t forget that good drainage will be necessary - but it can act like a full-sized flowerbed. Even a hand basin, lavatory or perhaps just the cistern can be planted up to great effect.

For a truly ornamental look, put an old watering can or wheelbarrow to good use by turning it into a planter; it’s the sort of thing you pay

a fortune for in a garden centre! And then, guess how to make a decrepit pair of wellies or the pair of boots with a hole in them look fun: yes, these too make wonderful bulb containers!

Visit Pippa’s website www. pippagreenwood.com and make the best use of your vegetable plot rather than leaving it empty over winter, with Pippa’s ‘Winter thru’ Spring’ collection of vegetables for planting next month, along with a really useful selection of Pippa’s favourite gardening items including Nemaslug to control slugs, pop-up crop covers, SpeedHoes, SpeedWeeders, ladybirds to control greenfly, pull-out mini tunnels, signed books and lots more besides.

‘Working with nature for a greener future’ Services include:

Garden Maintenance Hedge/Shrub Pruning Garden Clearance Landscape Construction For further enquiries please contact:

Rob: 07738298391 James: 07741262226 enquiries@crystal-landscapes.co.uk To advertise call Karen: 020 8274 0096

07714 592 592 650 650 020 8390 7151 07714 07714 592 650 mem.allyourgardenneeds@gmail.com

maintenance Trimming, tidying & mowing tidying & mowing maintenance Fencing, decking, gates & sheds timberwork Trimming, decking, gates & sheds timberwork Fencing, paving Patios & paths paving Patios & paths Scaled drawings & planting plans design Scaled drawings & planting plans design For a friendly, reliable service at a competitive rate For a friendly, reliable service at a competitive rate

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email: karen@berrylands-companion.co.uk

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r.J.tree Services, Berrylands, Surbiton 020 8399 0103 07980 903 881 our websitewhen for information andAdvertisers videos on all aspects of our work Please mention Visit the magazine contacting

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35

Tenerife Off The Beaten Track The Teno Rural Park

By Solange Hando In the north-west corner of Tenerife, the Teno Rural Park may not be as famous as Teide or Anaga but this six million year old volcanic range casts a magic spell on anyone who discovers it. Covering just over 8,000 hectares above the lovely village of Buenavista del Norte (meaning ‘nice view’), it climbs to over 1,300 metres at Cruz de Gala, much of it along a windswept ribbon of road with glorious mountain and ocean views.

In these green bucolic hills, every bend of the road reveals something new, a colourful Guanche hamlet clinging to a slope, a vineyard or two, a row of prickly pear, a fabulous viewpoint where deserted trails head into the mountains suspended between ocean and sky.

There you might catch a glimpse of the mighty Mount Teide rising in the distance, the highest point on the island, or come across a young man practising his shepherd’s leap, clutching a long heavy pole to bounce like a goat from rock to rock. In days gone by, it was the only way to keep up with your flock; today it’s a competitive sport which keeps the skill alive.

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Traditions remain strong in these rural heartlands where farmers toil on terraces carved into the slopes and old folks still weave baskets and palm leaf hats. Others have joined the burgeoning tourist trade and a few rustic inns pop up along the road, serving tiny Canarian potatoes eaten with mojo sauce, meat balls, cod, goat’s cheese or honey-based desserts.

The higher you go, the more dramatic the scenery, with deep gorges and cliffs created by ancient lava flows which left in their wake a rich variety of ecosystems. There are all sorts of endemic plants, laurel forest, succulents such as the candle-like spurge which grows the size of a small tree, coastal thistles, palm, dragon trees and myriad grasses and wild flowers. Hawks, kestrels and falcons hover high above, great colonies of pigeons gather in the forest and if you’re lucky, you might just spot a rare native lizard basking on the stones.

At around 700 metres, the road reaches the mountain village of Masca, the Machu Picchu of Tenerife, they say, and when you set eyes on the rocky amphitheatre towering all around and the

razor sharp peak guarding the entrance to the gorge, it’s easy to understand. Draped in bougainvillaea, clinging to a knoll sprinkled with palms and orange trees, it’s a pretty little place, home to barely 100 but attracting ramblers and visitors alike, with a shaded square and steep cobbled lanes leading down to the viewpoint over the gorge. The Atlantic beckons far below, deep blue in the sunshine, but the trail plunging down the ravine is a two to three hour challenge: jumping from rock to rock (and no room for a shepherd’s leap), tackling loose lava grit, boulders, streams, here a flimsy bridge, there a waterfall where you wish you could stop, but there is no turning back. Finally, hot and tired but smiling, hikers emerge on a small sandy beach but exploring the rich ocean life is best left for another time.

The beach is totally isolated and the only escape is back up the ravine or a boat ride to the majestic cliffs of Los Gigantes along the coast on the edge of the Park. Meanwhile, on the westernmost tip of this most popular Canary island, the Teno lighthouse offers yet more spectacular views right off the beaten track.

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ALL OF YOUR PLUMBING NEEDS. GAS APPLIANCE SERVICING AND REPAIRS, LANDLORD AND SAFETY CERTIFICATES

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Health

By Alison Runham www.alison.runham.co.uk

Migraine Awareness Week: It’s Not ‘Just’ A Headache

Migraine is one of the WHO’s ‘most disabling lifetime conditions’. Yet it’s often poorly understood and trivialised.

Migraine Awareness Week, from 4th–10th September, aims to change that.

What is Migraine?

Migraine isn’t ‘just a bad headache’. Suffered by three times as many women as men, it’s a complex set of symptoms often including headache, triggered by physiological changes yet with no known ‘cause’. However, triggers have been identified: • Stress or excitement – although some migraines start when stress is relieved.

• Hunger/lack of food, causing fluctuating/low blood sugar levels.

• Dehydration.

• Sleep (too little or too much).

• Change of routine.

• Alcohol.

• Caffeine.

• Prolonged screen time – due to screen glare or flickering and muscle tension.

• Hormonal changes in women.

• Environmental factors – changes in temperature, humidity and altitude, loud noises, flickering or glaring lights, smells.

• Jaw tension, coughing, unaccustomed exertion or illness.

Most experts now discount tyramine, found in soft cheeses and wine, as a trigger.

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Types and Symptoms Most common are: Migraine with aura (10-30% of migraines). Neurological symptoms occur first, usually lasting less than an hour, normally followed by a headache.

Most common symptoms are tunnel vision, double vision, blind spots or temporary blindness, flashing lights and sparkling/coloured spots, stars or zigzags. However, some people also experience weakness on one side or partial paralysis, dizziness, vertigo, numbness or tingling, disturbance to speech, hearing and memory, fear or confusion, and fainting, particularly if they suffer from migraine with brainstem aura and hemiplegic migraine, which are rare subtypes.

Migraine without aura: (70-90% of migraines). Attacks usually last 4-72 hours if untreated.

The headache is usually a throbbing pain, often on one side, which worsens on exertion.

It’s frequently accompanied by nausea and sometimes vomiting, diarrhoea and light or sound sensitivity.

Menstrual Migraine (usually without aura) affects fewer than 10% of women. Experts believe it’s triggered by falling oestrogen levels and/or prostaglandin release during the menstrual cycle. It normally occurs on the two days before, and the first three days during, a period, and often lasts longer than other types.

Preventing Migraine Avoiding triggers, following a regular routine, and eating, sleeping and exercising healthily can help. Your GP may recommend preventative medications such as topiramate

and propranolol for severe and/or frequent migraines.

Treating Migraine Take medications swiftly, as the stomach often stops working effectively during a migraine. Try: • Over-the-counter painkillers.

• From pharmacies: medications containing pain relief and an anti-emetic that alleviates nausea and vomiting and aids painkiller absorption.

• From your GP: triptan medications, which reverse the blood vessel dilation thought to cause migraine. For menstrual migraine, ask about hormonal contraceptives, oestrogen supplements and mefenamic acid (an anti-inflammatory painkiller that can also alleviate heavy periods).

• Botox injections – which may work by interrupting the pain feedback pathway to the brain.

• Resting in a darkened room or having a nap.

See Your GP if you’ve never had migraine before or suffer from migraine more than 5 days in a month, even if your pain is under control with medication. You may require a preventative medicine.

Seek Emergency Medical Advice if you experience: • Paralysis or weakness in either arm or face.

• Slurred/ garbled speech.

• A sudden agonising headache.

• Headache with a high temperature, stiff neck, mental confusion, seizures, double vision and rash.

For support and more information: Migraine Action: www.migraine.org.uk The Migraine Trust: www. migrainetrust.org/ The National Migraine Centre: www.nationalmigrainecentre. org.uk/

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JAMES ANTHONY DECORATORS

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CODEWORD Each letter in this puzzle is represented by a number between 1 and 26. The codes for three letters are shown. As you find the letters enter them in the box below.

24

26

20

18 3

4

18

15 12

9 5

13

5

8 4

4

19

17

12

15

25

12

12

23

5

19

To advertise call Karen: 020 8274 0096

14

15

12

15

6

12

12

23

5

21

T

4

12 15

5

16

22

22

2

17

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4

4 24

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23

5

5 12

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24

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21

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12 19

19 10 4

18 25

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12

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21 12

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17

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3 11

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7

25

12 15

12

email: karen@berrylands-companion.co.uk

19

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ALAN SURSHAM (MOTOR VEHICLE TECHNICIAN)

Registered Office: 1, Orchard Close, West Ewell, Epsom, Surrey, KT19 9NS

Your local MOT TESTER AND SERVICE REPAIRER

ALL CARS COLLECTED AND DELIVERED (LOCAL AREAS)

Interim Service - £85 Full Service - £145 (Parts and Labour included) CARS UP TO 2000 CC Quotes for cars over 2000 cc - please phone

Diagnostics - Brakes - Clutches - Bodywork - Welding etc.

Labour Rate £37.50 per hour Telephone:

Office - 020 8397 8654 Garage - 07784 716 567 (For instant attention)

TALKING OF TRAINS IN SURBITON A new series of informative and entertaining presentations on railway subjects will start at Surbiton Library Hall on Wednesday 21st September from 7 to 9 pm.

All interests are catered for in the weekly programme of talks which run throughout the winter months. The first meeting is free; the fee for the complete year is just £50.

Topics this season will range from the Upgrade of London Bridge railway and station, the Railways of North Korea and the changed railway scene in the county of Norfolk. Along with several guest speakers, TV personality Nicholas Owen will be the speaker at a special Christmas social and party.

Returning again for his 14th year will be our regular railway expert Dick Crane who will cover

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many other varied subjects.

All with any interest in railways, both men and women, will find something to fascinate them and they will find a warm welcome at the T o T classes.

Full details of the programmes are available on the website ‘www.talkingoftrains.co.uk’ ‘Talking of Trains’ is a WEA educational class which has been running continuously in Surbiton for 56 years. Although run as an educational evening class ‘Talking of Trains’ is a very social institution where many lasting friendships have been made amongst its members.

Attached photo is of a South West Trains Class 455 at Surbiton platform 4 en route to Woking.

These are now 32 years old and the oldest in the SWT fleet!

FURTHER INFORMATION David Blackmore, Publicity Officer 020 8391 1116 Email: dandp@blueyonder.co.uk

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Berrylands Autocare * MOT Testing (while you wait) * Diagnostic Testing * Servicing & Mechanical Repairs * Open until 5.30pm weekdays * Saturdays: 9.00am to 1.00pm

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Mini Cryptic Crossword

Across 1. Determined where a camper might be found (6) 6. Twisted Malian beast (6) 7. Puny crustacean? (6) 8. Hissing noises on the radio still (6) 12. Moral kind of biter (5) 14. Top card in faces (3) 15. Rinse out harnesses (5) 16. A wren’s form of reply (6) 20. Failed turning far from home (6) 21. Like collections, they have value (6) 22. He’s on board for the money (6)

S

Down 1. Post-retirement problem? (8) 2. Unflagging lies rest badly (8) 3. Flow controllers spat back (4) 4. Crystalline substance found in formic 11. Red icons forced to acid (4) think (8) 5. Teresa rises, holding a garment (4) 9. Level that might fall from an eye, we hear 13. Degenerate garden tool (4) (4) 17. One’s deformed 10. Teachers’ soft shoes? (8)

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facial organ (4) 18. Time period sounding feeble (4) 19. Raps round a file (4)

email: karen@berrylands-companion.co.uk

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42

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KINGSTON & DISTRICT PHILATELIC SOCIETY

O

n 20th May, Barbara Priddy gave a display of French West African Airmails which proved both interesting and informative as Barbara's research on these matters is second to none.

Our visiting displays were interdispersed with some enjoyable members display evenings.

Regular meetings of K.D.P.S. will start again on Thursday, 1st September.

The Society is still busy preparing for the Stamp Day at Claygate Village Hall, Surrey KT10 0JP which we are hosting for the Federation of Surrey Philatelic Societies on Saturday, 29th October 2016, less than two months away. This show follows the usual format with competitions, good dealers and catering par excellence, as visitors to previous Stamp Days at Claygate will be aware.

All are welcome to any of our Society meetings, which are held at 8.00pm in Surbiton Library New Hall, Ewell Road, Surbiton KT6 6AF on the 1st Thursday and 3rd Friday in each month b e t w e e n September and June.

Details of these, and other meetings of the Society will be obtained by contacting the Hon Secretary, Brian Sole, F.R.P.S.L. on 01932 220677 or on brian.sole@btinternet.com

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43

The Great Fire Of London

by Alison Runham This month marks the 350th anniversary of the fire that destroyed most of London in just five days.

Sunday, 2nd September 1666 Just after midnight, an easterly wind rises, blowing down narrow streets crammed with tall, tinder-dry timber houses towards Thomas Faynor’s Pudding Lane bakery. It carries sparks from the stillsmouldering ovens to a nearby woodpile and soon the nearby Star Inn is aflame. The Great Fire of London has begun.

Thomas and his family escaped, but their terrified maid was the first fatality. Many locals fled rather than helping local militia tackle the fire, while some people living further away dismissed the fire as trivial – including the Lord Mayor, Thomas Bloodworth, who refused to allow the demolition of houses to form a firebreak.

“Pish, a woman could piss it out,” he declared, returning to his bed.

Samuel Pepys, clerk of the Privy Seal, dismissed the warning of “a great fire” at 3am too and returned to bed.

But by the time he arose, the fire had reached Fish Street Hill - destroying the Thames waterworks with its machinery that could have pumped water to halt the fire and threatening the river’s warehouses, filled with brandy, butter and other inflammable goods. When told that 300 houses had already

44

burned down, he went out to investigate.

Houses were burning on London Bridge, and from a boat he watched “poor people staying in their houses ... till the very fire touched them, and then, running into boats, or clambering from one pair of stairs, by the waterside, to another.”

Horrified, Pepys informed the King, who immediately ordered the destruction of all houses in the fire’s path and sent military help. However, City officials with republican sympathies spurned help at first, delaying establishment of command posts. By the time the King’s brother James, Duke of York, took control, the fire was already out of hand.

Monday Pepys abandoned his home in Seething Lane at 4am with his wife. Sightseers and refugees jammed the roads, jeopardising fire-fighting operations, while panic and paranoia erupted from seemingly isolated fires and explosions to create firebreaks. With little information, people suspected foreigners, Catholics or republicans of terrorism.

Only an unintentional firebreak on the bridge, created by the big fire of 1632, prevented the fire spreading to the south bank. However, it continued spreading north, reaching the banking heart of the City.

Tuesday Charles II himself joined the fire-fighting effort, creating firebreaks and passing water buckets. The fire continued on, destroying St Paul’s Cathedral and forcing the garrison at the Tower of London to destroy their own houses to protect the gunpowder stores.

Pepys made a desperate dash to his house to retrieve his valuable wine and Parmesan cheese, burying them in a friend’s garden for safety.

But although Tuesday saw immense destruction, the end was in sight.

Wednesday Overnight, the wind dropped and changed direction. This, together with the firebreaks, probably saved the rest of London; the blaze was under control by the evening, although isolated fires burned until Thursday.

However, the damage was already done. Less than onesixth of London’s buildings remained and although the Great Fire is renowned for a minimal loss of life (based on recorded deaths of below ten) this is almost certainly undeserved; deaths were probably in the hundreds.

The fast-burning tenements were crammed with the poorest Londoners and recent archaeological evidence shows the fire reached 1700°C, which would destroy human remains.

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Switching To Autopilot? I Hope Not! The results of an eye-opening survey landed on my desk the other day. I hope you weren’t one of those questioned and, more importantly, don’t get near anyone who was.

The University of Hull have a professor of driving psychology (yes really). His name is John Groeger and he has conducted research into drivers who switch to “autopilot” when behind the wheel.

The study of 2,000 responders found that 80% of road users admit to zoning out when driving. This is up from 6 in10 in a similar study conducted in 2009.

25% of drivers admitted to be thinking of other things whilst driving and, here’s the scary thing: 1 in 6 said they couldn’t remember their entire journey!

To advertise call Karen: 020 8274 0096

24/07/2015 14:02

Unfortunately women came out in the survey as worse drivers, as the results showed they were nearly twice as likely as men to compile mental “to do” lists and thus be distracted. The moral here is whilst the ability to multi-task is good, it does have its place. But on balance perhaps the ladies were just more honest in their answers than the men?

Blokes, on the other hand, were far less worried about not concentrating 100% on the road - a sizable 41% said it did not bother them. (That’s really comforting to know.)

Professor Groeger states the blinking obvious when he says: “Driving is a complex task that requires our attention.”

But he does have a point. Stuff is happening outside the windscreen all the time and if you need to react to it and you’re not 100% “there”, it may be too late.

By Iain Betson

email: karen@berrylands-companion.co.uk

45

And Another Thing...

by Tom Hughes

I knew from Sarah’s desperate phone call that the situation was urgent.

“Tom, has it arrived or not?”

“Yes, the courier’s just been.”

“Right, let’s just hope it fits.

We have to be there for seven!”

The Chairman’s annual dinner dance is the highlight of our social calendar (the other important dates being Christmas and my Mum coming for Sunday tea) so what to wear is a stress known only to the fairer sex.

I on the other hand have no such conundrum, needing only to dust down my penguin suit (although sometimes the previous twelve months over-indulgence can result in a fight to the death with the trousers).

So my problems were as nothing compared to Sarah’s.

Rushing in from work, she ran upstairs to our bedroom, where on the bed lay her nemesis - the ball gown. I was half way up the stairs when an ear piercing scream froze me to the spot.

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“Tom!” I burst in to see my beloved stuck inside an oversized meringue.

“They’ve sent the wrong dress!”

Immediately I went into damage limitation mode. “It’s not too bad. Here, can I pin it?”

“Since when did you become a seamstress? It’s ok, I’ll just wear the black one. Thank goodness you never stuck it on eBay.” My grimace gave it away. “...

Tom?” “If it’s any consolation, my feedback score is excellent.”

“Right well that’s it. I’m not going. I can’t go.”

“I’ll tell you what, let’s ask our daughter.”

I shouted Hannah, our sassy, fifteen year old fashionista.

My eyes bored into her as I nodded furiously and said, “Doesn’t that dress look lovely on your Mum?” Hannah, glancing up

momentarily from her smartphone, took one look at her Mother and said, “Have you not got anything else?

What about that black one?”

Dragging the Apple of my Eye out onto the landing I said, “Word of advice, don’t ever apply to be a diplomat, will you?”

As Hannah rolled her eyes I heard Sarah call from the bedroom. “Right that’s it. I’m not going, you can go on your own.”

Disaster loomed. I had to think quick.

“Look, let’s see what Debi says.”

Debi was Sarah’s best friend and my last hope. Hurriedly, I took some pictures.

“You could at least smile darling.”

“Listen David Bailey, there isn’t time.”

With Sarah in the bathroom, I seized my chance as Debi’s messages pinged through.

“Sorry hon, that dress is awful!” (delete) “Is there

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nothing else? What about that gorgeous black -” (delete).

I whispered through my fixed grin.

Beep! The taxi arrived.

Bustling Sarah into the back of the cab, I handed over her phone.

“You’ve a lot to learn about women”, replied Sarah through gritted teeth.

“Debi hasn’t replied, but I’m sure she loved it.”

Outside the hotel, Sarah made a final adjustment to her dress as she looked me up and down.

“Have those trousers shrunk or something?”

“Let’s just go in shall we?”

Shuffling into the lobby, we were greeted by a glitter ball on legs - The Chairman’s Wife.

“Mrs Hughes, don’t you look... nice?”

“There you go, she loves it”,

The night wore on. We danced and drank our way through it. Eventually it was late enough to make our excuses and leavem so Sarah poured me into the taxi and we headed home.

“Be honest. Do I really look nice?”

“You look absolootelee deevine dahling (hic!) and I don’t care what Debi said.”

“Why, what did she say? You said she didn’t reply. Tom?” Then, our chauffeur, a skinny young man with a pierced nose decided to weigh in with his two penneth. “Take no

notice love, my wife has the exact same dress and it looks great on her. Mind you, hers isn’t white, it’s bla-” “Just here thank you!” Testily, I cut him dead.

Sipping coffee in the kitchen, I noticed Sarah busy on my phone.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m just ordering myself a new LBD online. It’s a bargain, only £200. And isn’t PayPal so convenient?”

“But you haven’t got a PayPal account.”

“I know. But you have.”

And so, the wheels of married life turn endlessly onwards....

Follow Tom @groomsdaybook groomsdaybook.com

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From a safety check, new build to a full service, all work and repairs will be quoted prior to commencing.

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Free pick up and drop off within a five mile radius of Surbiton.

Repair and service prices start from £10.00.

It could be your advert, and over 8,500 readers could be looking at it each month!

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Simples! email: karen@berrylands-companion.co.uk

47

Scouts Host First Berrylands Summer Festival

O

n a baking hot Sunday in July, a normally quiet and peaceful patch of grass in the heart of Berrylands burst into life with loud music and a large, milling crowd. The first Berrylands Summer Festival was here!

The Summer Festival was organised by the local Berrylands Scout Group whose headquarters is located next to the festival site. They were grateful to the help they Surbiton Fire Brigade, local fruit and vegetable business Stears, Radio Jackie and Kingston Council for helping out with the stalls and attractions.

After such a successful start, the Scouts hope to make this an annual event for the whole Berrylands community in addition to the annual Fireworks Display which has been popular for some years now.

Why Not Join Us? Scouting has been active for over 100 years and is a fantastic way for children and young adults of both sexes to have fun, make friends and develop life skills which will equip them well for adult life and successful future careers.

Local families turned up en masse to join in the fun.

While adults enjoyed a glass of Pimm’s in the heat, their children got a chance to run wild and enjoy the wide array of attractions on offer, including bouncy castles, face-painting, coconut shy and bicycle-powered racing cars. The local fire brigade showed children and adults a real fire engine and demonstrated how to put out a fire with a water hose. The highlight of the day was a mass tug-o’war competition with dozens of children and adults competing fiercely. Even local MP, James Berry came down to see what all the fuss was about and was very impressed.

Activities range from lively indoor games to outdoor hiking and camping under canvas.

This part of Surbiton had not seen such excitement in since summers of the distant past when the Surbiton Lagoon occupied the site.

Adults can get involved, too. There are opportunities to work directly with the children as Scout Leaders or just to lend a hand with the many jobs that are needed to keep the Group going. It is one way of contributing actively to the local community.

If you or your children live in Berrylands and think they would be interested in joining in on the fun, we run four sections for different age groups: Beavers for young children from 6 to 8 years old Cubs for 8- to 10½-year-olds Scouts for 10½- to 14-year-olds Explorers for 14- to 18-year-olds.

We have vacancies in all of our sections.

To find out more, contact James on 07523 381717 (email gsl@berrylandsscouts.co.uk) or any of the leaders. See also the Group Website: www.berrylandsscoutgroup.co.uk or find us on Facebook at @berrylandsscouts or on Twitter with #BerrylandsSG.

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The 2016 London to Scotland “Flog It” Walk

O

n May 26th, John Dodd, set out on a walk from London via various ‘Flog It’ locations to Scotland, arriving on June 10th in aid of several charities.

John is often called Father Christmas, as he usually does a Charity Walk at Christmas for local and national organisations.

On his latest walk he set off on May 26th, arriving in Scotland on June 10th. He was sponsored by several celebrities: Jason Merrills of ‘Emmerdale’, together with Gillian Wright of ‘Eastenders’, and both now currently appearing in the West End in ‘How the Other Half Loves’ Maggie Steed known from various TV roles, including ‘Pie in the Sky’ and ‘Midsomer

The Life List Classic Children’s TV Reconsidered Some people become teary-eyed when they remember the television of their childhood. Maybe I’m getting old and cynical, but I’m starting to see mine very differently.

BAGPUSS - capitalism’s failings A fat cat (literally coming apart at the seams) sits in a shop, dreaming big ideas. Meanwhile, the mice do all the work (berated by an intellectual woodpecker), for no pay. Saleable goods are then placed on view where they generate no profit at all.

MR BENN - customer service materclass A well-dressed gentleman keeps returning to a shop where he tries on various outfits and never buys anything. Worse, he loiters in the changing room, indulging in a rich fantasy life, only to

To advertise call Karen: 020 8274 0096

Murders, plus 4 current members of ‘Emmerdale’ Michael Parr, Thomas Atkinson, Louis Mabwood and Sophie Powles were all sponsors for the trip.

When John reached Scotland he met with Anita Manning, of Great Western Auctions and who stars in ‘Flog It’, ‘Bargain Hunt’ and Antiques Road Trip. Anita kindly offered £100 towards John’s Charity Fund.

John said that he was greeted by kindness all along his walk, with some B&B’s offering free lodgings overnight.

emerge with unexplained items that he insists on keeping as souvenirs.

RAINBOW - dysfunction begins at home Forward-thinking sitcom about Geoffrey’s blended family: Bungle - a low-achieving bear, George - a one-armed pink hippopotamus, and Zippy - a troublemaker with an extreme body piercing. Rainbow showed parents everywhere how to use music and play to distract children from their deep-seated behavioural problems.

WOMBLES - eco warriors Propaganda show about environmental extremists who upcycle junk and live under the ground, a bit like a cross between Kirstie Allsop and the Twyford Down protestors.

TRUMPTON - totalitarian state An ordinary town broadcasts mass surveillance of individuals and their lives. The police are often on the streets (well, only one - thanks to budget cuts), and the army at Camberwick Green is only a phone call away.

By Derek Thompson www.alongthewritelines.blogspot.co.uk

email: karen@berrylands-companion.co.uk

49

Beauty Holding onto Summer

by Kate Duggan www.kateduggan.co.uk

This month we’re making the most of the last of the rays with some summer-inspired beauty finds.

With its fresh, citrusy scent of mandarin and grapefruit, warmed by sandalwood, Weleda’s Agrume Jardin de Vie fragrance conjures up images of heady Tuscan nights. And at just £19.95 for 50ml, you can spritz it on whenever you’re missing your sun lounger. Post-holiday blues? Weleda’s Grenade Jardin de Vie contains notes of neroli and davana, both of which are believed to help lift the spirits and relieve stress. The final fragrance in Weleda’s collection, Rose Jardin de Vie, is a softly romantic mix of rose, geranium and ylang ylang. www.weleda.co.uk If you’re lucky enough to book a last minute break away, there are still some great travel kits on the market.

Neal’s Yard Remedies brought out their Limited Edition Travel Kit in July, so there may still be the odd one left on the shelf. The kit contains a refreshing White Tea Facial Mist

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and indulgent Wild Rose Beauty Balm, amongst other mini products.

If, like me, you love a long soak in a hotel bath, you might want to treat yourself to an Olverum Bath Oil Travel Set, £16. The bath oil is formulated with fragrant essential oils specially chosen to help you relax, destress and unwind. Each of the three bottles contains enough bath oil for three separate soaks. Pick your set up from Harvey Nichols, Fenwick or www.Olverum.com.

A face serum can help your skin to recover from the drying effects of too much sun, chlorine and air conditioning. This month I’ve been trying What Skin Needs’ Hydrating Facial Serum. A blend of plant extracts and seed oils, it’s packed with antioxidants, and leaves my skin feeling softer and more hydrated. The main active ingredient, plantolin, has been scientifically proven to soothe, renew and protect skin. The bergamot fragrance is pleasant, although it doesn’t quite

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mask the scent of olive oil. While the serum is an oil, rather than a lotion, it does absorb quickly and doesn’t leave your skin feeling greasy. £17.99, www.whatskinneeds.co.uk.

Bobbi Brown’s new Sunset Pink collection is apparently inspired by ‘the incredible twilight glow of Telluride skies at sunset’. Launched in July, the collection includes highlighting powders, gel eyeliners, lip glosses, cheek tints and cream eyeshadows. I’ve been trying the eyeshadow, £19.50, which comes in four very wearable shades, and is a dream to apply.

There’s still time to show off your tan (fake or otherwise) before long-sleeve-

Mrs Paula Maple (M.Ch.S. D.Pod.M) HPC Registered Chiropodist & Podiatrist

Tel: 020 8390 7777 by appointment

Ace Complementary Health Centre 304 Ewell Road, Surbiton Surrey, KT6 7AQ www.ace-osteopaths.com

10% Discount with this advert until end of October 2016 To advertise call Karen: 020 8274 0096

season is upon us. Cocoa Brown by Marissa Carter’s Golden Goddess Shimmering Dry Body Oil, £12.99, adds a subtle sheen to enhance your tan. You can also use it to highlight cheekbones, collar bones and other areas. A little goes a long way, so use it sparingly. Cocoa Brown by Marissa Carter is an awardwinning Irish brand and sold in numerous high street stores, including House Of Fraser, Superdrug, River Island, Tesco and Primark.

Deadlines for submitting new artwork for forthcoming issues of A Berrylands Companion Sept 8th for October issue 8th Oct for November issue 8th Nov for Dec/January issue 8th Jan for February issue 8th Feb for March issue 8th March for April issue 8th April for May issue 8th May for June issue June 8th for July/Aug issue Aug 8th for September issue For more information call Karen on 020 8274 0096 or send an email to

karen@berrylands-companion.co.uk email: karen@berrylands-companion.co.uk

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Golden Years

Memories of 50 Years Ago by Ted Bruning

It’s a constant source of amazement to me how close one of the most valuable franchises in TV history came to fizzling out. But Star Trek – first shown on NBC on 8th September 1966 and cancelled after only three seasons – only just escaped that fate and its creator, Gene Roddenberry, ruined his health and nearly went bankrupt fighting for its survival.

After war service as a bomber pilot Roddenberry became an airline pilot, but quit after a serious air-crash and joined the Los Angeles Police public information office instead.

He started writing TV scripts after acting as consultant on a courtroom drama series, and in 1956 he quit the police to go full-time, working mainly on cop shows and westerns. He was fired from a series about a Mississippi paddle-steamer for insisting that there ought to be at least one black cast member, a stance on racism that became a hallmark of his, but apart from that incident his career quickly blossomed and he soon started producing as well as writing.

His first successful pitch for a series of his own led to NBC commissioning The Lieutenant, a drama set in a US Marine Corps training camp. Guest roles in its 29 episodes went to many actors later to join Star Trek, including Leonard Nimoy

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and Nichelle Nichols – although her episode was never aired because its themes of racism and sexual violence were considered too controversial.

The Lieutenant was eventually cancelled, and Roddenberry revived an earlier idea for series about a round-the-world voyage in an airship crewed by multi-ethnic adventurers.

The revived idea put the crew aboard a starship, though – an unusual twist at the time since although science fiction writing was in its heyday, the reputation of sci-fi on film had been so tarnished by the B-movies of the 1950s that there was very little of it about. Nonetheless, NBC financed a pilot which was tested at the end of 1964 – and flopped.

But CBS was working on Lost In Space, so NBC decided to keep plugging away at sci-fi and financed a second pilot, Where No Man Has Gone Before. This time the test audiences were more receptive, and in May 1966 the first proper episode, The Man Trap, went into production. Five days before it went out, Roddenberry hosted a screening of Where No Man at the World Science Fiction Convention and got a standing ovation.

But ratings didn’t live up to expectations and Star Trek looked set to be cancelled after the first season. Roddenberry therefore enlisted the help of the leading sci-fi writers of the day including Isaac Asimov to write to NBC urging a second season. NBC was persuaded, and Asimov also suggested a few improvements. Even this didn’t help: a third season was made after 1,000 fans marched on the studio, but it was shifted

to a worse timeslot. Ratings fell again and the show was cancelled.

Roddenberry took it hard. He worked desperately to revive the franchise, but to no avail – a cartoon version was made in 1973, but achieved little.

Meanwhile Roddenberry had turned to drink and drugs, and a divorce left him penniless.

He produced several TV pilots which were never commissioned and scraped a thin living appearing at sci-fi conventions.

However, more and more foreign TV stations were buying the original series and it was slowly developing worldwide cult status. The release of Star Wars in 1977 made sci-fi popular, and a second series, Phase II, was considered. The script developed into Star Trek: The Movie, which was a huge hit; Roddenberry was taken on again to write Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; and the franchise snowballed from there. Unfortunately the drink and drugs had taken their toll on Roddenberry. He worked on Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987, had a stroke in 1989, and died in 1991. The franchise he created currently runs to 13 films and six TV treatments; so far it’s made $4 BILLION.

Happy 50tH BirtHdays to Salma Hayek (2nd); Toby Jones (7th); Adam Sandler (9th); Ruth Jones (22nd); and Shirley Manson (26th).

Cake and botox to you all!

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Do you feel in need of a boost now that Summer's over?

Then visit Kingston Museum where there are loads of fun and engaging things going on!

Until Saturday 17 September: Looking in Wonderland.

Sir John Tenniel's illustrations to the Alice books.

Exhibition and engaging activities. Free. Museum opening hours.

Saturday 3 September: Art Course, Longing for the Wonderland Final chance to explore Alice in Wonderland’s landscape through experimenting with a range of art techniques.

Fee applies, call the Museum to book and for more information.

10.30am-12.30pm Thursday 8 September: Teachers Twilight event Top up on the latest opportunities for schools and teachers’ workshops! First session free, then £10.

Refreshments provided. Call to book. 5.30-7.00pm 9-10 September: Heritage Open Days Kingston Museum is open for curator led lectures and a sensory tour.

The Heritage open Centre in the Guildhall is open for a tour of the Court Room. www.heritageopendays.org.uk/blog Saturday 10 September: How to draw an animal Family workshop taking you through exercises designed to get you sketching and giving tips on how to capture wildlife on paper! Led by artist and educator Tim Pond. £3. Call the Museum to book.

2-4pm 17-24 September: Surbiton Festival It’s festival time again, with a whole week of events and activities for all the family. Kingston Museum takes part every year, so look out for our stall. www.surbitonfestival. co.uk

evening event. 5-7pm 24-29 October: Half term Halloween Special!

Watch this space for ghosts, ghouls and monsters as the Museum will come alive with spine tingling events, Thumbs up it’s Thursday, and lots more! Ages 3+ 1-4pm Always on at the Museum First Thursday of each month: Collecting Kingston Stories of the borough told through a Curator's tour of the Museum Free. 6-6.30pm Every Thursday during school holidays: Holiday Family Fun Get creative and inventive with a range of activities, games and art competitions for the whole family.

Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

1-4pm Selected Thursdays, all year: Teacher’s twilight sessions Join our friendly teachers group to expand your teaching practice, network and meet educational experts in our handling collection twilight sessions.

First session free. Contact antoniettachiara.Russo@ kingston.gov.uk for further details.

Every Friday, all year: Snappity the Crocodile.

Activities for Under 5s Come along to our weekly, friendly and free sessions for songs, stories, messy play and sensory play. Fun for mums too, and a biscuit for everyone! Free.

10.15-11.00am

30 September - 15 October: Thames Valley Art Society Exhibition with Thames Valley Art Society, displaying a range of techniques and motifs. Free. Museum opening hours.

Selected Saturday afternoons, all year: Young Creative Board Are you enthusiastic, forward- thinking and dynamic?

Join us to plan events at the Museum and be part of a dedicated group run by young people for young people.

Free. Get in touch with Kingston.Museum@kingston.gov.uk

Thursday 6 October: Friends Lecture. Local Parks and Gardens Lecture by Barbara Deason, research co-ordinator for the London Parks & Gardens Trust. Call the Museum to book. Free. 7pm, with tea and coffee served 6.30pm.

Kingston Museum Wheatfield Way Kingston upon Thames, KT1 2PS Phone: 020 8547 5006 www.kingston.gov.uk/museum

Thursday 13 October: Young People Thursday late Our Thursday late this week looks at our latest exhibition: Thames Valley Arts Society. Our Young People’s Creative Board invites you to their special

Open: Tuesday, Friday, Saturday 10am-5pm, Thursday 10am-7pm Admission free

To advertise call Karen: 020 8274 0096

email: karen@berrylands-companion.co.uk

53

Motoring

By James Baggott

An Interview With Lewis Hamilton...

Engine settings Hamilton had a tough time in Baku after his team put him in the wrong engine setting, and radio rules didn’t let the team tell him how to fix it.

He’s a British hero and an F1 champion and, at the launch of the new Mercedes-AMG GT R just after he won the British Grand Prix, here are Lewis Hamilton’s views on road cars, racing outside F1 and gaining an inch…

he drove in a time when people were dying often…I think it is important for us in the sport to always be considering [safety] and always be working on it, but I hope the danger’s always going to be there, because otherwise anyone could do it.”

He wouldn’t drive in any other series than F1 On the subject of racing in something like the Nurburgring 24-hour race, he said: “I like that I can take [the AMG GT R] around the Nurburgring and have a lot of fun, but I don’t really have any desire to race anything else. The problem is, once you come out of F1, everything else is a step down.”

Bikes beat cars His garage might be full of luxury motors, but he rarely drives them, preferring to keep the mileage low and the value appreciating. So, he usually rides his motorbike!

Danger is exciting He does say he’d like to have a go in MotoGP, because even riding his bike on the motorway is scary.

On the subject of danger and improving safety, he says: “One of the exciting factors is when we get in that car and we know the danger factor is there.

When I see Niki [Lauda], he’s just awesome, he’s a legend,

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He thinks he’s matured For someone who has a reputation for speaking his mind, Hamilton portrays a calm aura and claims his years in racing have matured him.

He said: “Age, I’m sure, has helped, but as you grow with the team…you realise your place in the team, you know, what I say to the camera is what the guys back at the factory hear me say, and you realise that you’re affecting all of those people with the things you say, so I’m conscious of those things.”

He acknowledged having fast, technical racing that’s also exciting is a difficult balance to find, but says that the cars being so technical does cause a problem, with the engine switch settings allowing 508 possible combinations.

He does what he likes Hamilton has a reputation for enjoying a celebrity lifestyle, and has been seen having fun on jet skis on holiday.

Does the team tell him to reign in his extra-curricular activities?

“When I was at McLaren I said ‘these are the things I like to do, just so you’re aware’ and when I joined this team I already told them ‘these are the things I do, I’m not gonna stop!’ You know, I’m conscious, I never want to watch someone else drive my car, so I try to be as sensible as I can whilst having fun, which isn’t always the easiest balance.”

He wants to be a development driver “I was talking to Tobias [Moers, AMG boss] and I was like ‘you’ve got all this Formula 1 technology and you have the Formula 1 world champion driving your car – utilise that!”

He therefore wants to do a “limited edition series, which I can test, which I can set up and be hands-on with the design.”

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Lavender - the Colour of Summer

by Chris Williams

W

hat looked like a bruise on the landscape, vivid and dazzling against the hedges and traffic of Croydon Lane, proved to be one of Surrey’s best-kept secrets. At £1 entry per person (under 16s go free) and plenty of free parking, that was a small price to pay for the opportunity to enjoy the warmth and aroma of Provence...in Banstead.

Mayfield Lavender Farm, Shop and Café is a place for all ages – the children I saw were very happily running up and down the rows and watching the organicallygrown lavender being hand-cut and bunched, and the bees and other insects kept them interested. It was the perfect place to wander, ponder and relax among the rows of three varieties of lavender, and the background hum of bee activity, the warmth of the sun and the steady waft of heady lavender was a treat for the senses.

There were families on board a tractor and trailer on a tour of the fields, and I heard one family planning a birthday party under a shelter in the middle of a sea of purple.

The farm shop was heaving with lavender p r o d u c t s , some edible – my lavender shortbread biscuit filled my mouth with floral deliciousness. I wish I’d bought more. Of course there were plants to buy too, with handy guides to help with your choice of plant variety, the right growing conditions and the colour (I didn’t know lavender can be pink, or white) and how to get the most from your lavender oil, from helping you sleep to using as a bite and sting remedy. The Al Fresco Café was definitely worth a visit with so many fragrant goodies to choose from to have with a cup of tea.

Knowing that lavender was grown on this very spot in the 18th and 19th centuries was naturally satisfying, and the 25 acres of Mayfield Lavender Farm are clearly a passion for the Maye family.

There’s no easier way of getting back to nature from June to September than immersing yourself in Mayfield Lavender – and a lavender scone cream tea, of course. www.mayfieldlavender.com

To advertise call Karen: 020 8274 0096

email: karen@berrylands-companion.co.uk

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QUIZ SOLUTIONS

CODEWORD SOLUTION

WORDSEARCH ANSWER

We don’t get to choose our battles John Scatzi

HIDATO SOLUTION

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

3 LETTERS DEN DOE DON END EON MEN MOD MOO NOD ODE ONE

4 LETTERS DEMO DOME DONE DOOM MEND MODE MONO MOOD MOON NODE OMEN

5 LETTERS DEMON MOOED

6 LETTERS MOONED

WORD LADDER ANSWER (This is one solution, there may be others) Word Ladder

Change one letter at a time (but not the position of any letter) to make a new word - and move from the word at the top of the ladder to the word at the bottom, using the exact number of rungs provided.

S L O W slot

CHILDREN’S PAGE The animals in the dots are elephants

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soon ©Puzzlepress.co.uk

WORDWHEEL ANSWER CARTHORSE/ORCHESTRA

soot sown

D O W N

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Here is one possible solution (others may exis SLOW slot soot soon sown DOWN

Far From The Madding Crowds Gadgets for going off the beaten track

For many people, late summer is the perfect time to go off the beaten track and explore, whether that’s by hiking, cycling or a combination of the two. And with the right gadgets you can be sure that you’ll love to go a-wandering, no matter where you’re headed.

If you like to listen to music, podcasts or ebooks when you’re roaming, or if you just fancy some music while you swim in a lake, waterproof headphones are a great idea: sets such as the X-1 Surge Mini (£35) are 100% waterproof to a depth of 12 feet, but don’t forget to buy a waterproof case for your iPod or phone: you can pick up a universal waterproof case for less than £10, although make sure you check the specs carefully: water resistant and waterproof are very different things, and the former is only designed to protect your device against accidents, not deliberately going underwater.

If you’d rather drink water than swim in it, a refillable water bottle is a great investment. £14 gets you the leak-proof, durable Kleen Kanteen, while the £6 Snugpak is designed to be clipped to your

backpack. If you’re on a city trip with a messenger bag, the Memobottle (around £22) is shaped like a book rather than a bottle so it won’t make your bag all bulky. And of course, don’t forget the humble Thermos (from around £8), which is as good at keeping soup warm as it is at keeping water cool - a useful skill given the vagaries of the British weather.

If you have fond memories of the Swiss Army Knife you might be interested to see its latest incarnation, the Victorinox Expedition Kit. At £135 it’s a lot of money for a knife, but then it’s a lot of knife for the money: not only does it have the usual blades and screwdrivers but it also includes a digital clock, a barometer, a compass, an altimeter and a thermometer.

And of course you never know when you might need to get a stone out of a horse’s hoof.

If you’d rather take even more technology with you, the Earl Backcountry Survival Tablet ($299, around £205) will start shipping in the second half of 2016 after smashing its fundraising target on Kickstarter. It’s an Android-

To advertise call Karen: 020 8274 0096

based, ruggedised tablet with GPS, weather sensors and radio communication to ensure that you always know where you are and what’s coming, and that you’re never out of contact with the outside world.

It’s a bit of an overkill for a walk round a park, but for more serious expeditions it could be a very valuable travelling companion. The use of an E-Ink screen and a built-in solar panel means it should last for ages too, although unfortunately E-Ink’s slower updating does rule out a game of Angry Birds after the day’s travelling is over. If it’s even half as good as the Kickstarter campaign promises it could be really clever.

Fancy a tent that’s as techy as a tablet? The Heimplanet Cave inflates like an airbed, weighs just 5 kg and looks like it came from a spaceship.

At £480 it’s a little on the expensive side, but the structure is puncture-proof and it’s actually quite affordable by inflatable tent standards.

Images L to R: X-1 Surge Mini headphones; Memobottle A5 water bottle; ictorinox Expedition Kit; Heimplanet Cave tent

email: karen@berrylands-companion.co.uk

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What’s on in September:-

Urology Awareness Month;Childhood Cancer Month;Vascular Disease Month; Sickle Cell Awareness Month May- December: Royal School of Needlework Whitework Exhibition at Hampton Court Palace on set

days each month & pre-booking is essential. Tours 1.5 hrs, Tkts £16pp, groups welcome. tel:

020 3166 6941, visit: www.royal-needlework.org.uk

State Rooms at Buckingham Palace open until 2nd October

Events in August

28-29th Nottinghill Carnival 29th Late Summer Bank Holiday

Events in September:

1-30th Totally Thames Festival, with various events along the Thames 1-25th Thames River Relay 2-4th 350th Anniversary of The Great Fire of London at the Monument. Free entry to climb

311 steps

Meatopia at Tobacco Docks, tickets from £32.50, under 14 free, food not included.

3rd Great River Race 5-11th National Transplant Week 4th Kingston Carnival 8th The London Flower Show at Osterley House and Park 12th Know Your Numbers! Blood Pressure testing http://www.bpassoc.org.uk/kyn/ 14-18th Royal Greenwich Tall Ships Festival 16th Golf Tournament at Richmond Golf Club in aid of ‘Born Too Soon’ Charity 17-18th Open House London 17-24th SURBITON FESTIVAL 17th Surbiton Riverside 20th Photography 22nd Comedy

Surbexpo 24th Surbofest 19-24th Meningitis Awareness Week 21st Talking of Trains is a WEA class meeting every Tuesday evening at Surbiton Library

Hall, for 20 weeks. Starts Wednesday, 21stFirst meeting free, fee for complete year

is £50.For info: David Blackmore, Publicity Officer, Tel: 0208391 1116 Em: dandp@

blueyonder.co.uk 23rd Jeans for Genes Day 24th Burglary Reduction Talk, 10am. Kingston Quaker Centre, Fairfield East, Kingston,

KT1 2PT Book your place by emailing kingstonnhw@gmail.com or write to Alison

McWhinnie, Kingston Police Station, 5-7 High Street, Kingston, KT1 1LB 25th Pearly Kings and Queens’ Harvest Festival parade from City of London to St Mary-le-

Bow for 3pm service 29th World Heart Day 30-15th Oct Thames Valley Art Society Autumn Exhibition at Kingston Museum 30th World’s Biggest Coffee Morning in aid of Macmillan Charity. http://coffee.macmillan.

org.uk

1-31 October: Breast Cancer Awareness Month; International Walk to School Month; Lupus Awareness

3rd

8-9th 14-16th

24-31st

30th 21st 31st

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Month; National Cholesterol Month London Restaurant Festival. Fabulous foodie events and special menus. www.londonrestaurantfestival.com Staying Safe Event, 10am, St Mark’s Church Hall. Expert Personal Safety tips. for more informa tion Email: alison.mcwhinnie@gmail.com and to book your place.

Brixton Windmill Open Days Free. www.booking@brixtonwindmill.org.uk to book.

The Chocolate Show at Olympia. http://www.salonduchocolat.co.uk/tickets.aspx

Surbiton Arts Group 2015 Autumn Exhibition of our artists’ work. See details above.

Closed Wed. British Summer Time Ends Trafalgar Day Halloween

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What’s On/Local Events

1st Tuesday: NHS Retirement Club, 10-12pm at Christ Church Hall, Christ Church Road, Surbiton, KT5 8JJ. For information call Lorna: 020 8337 4121 Last Sunday of the month: Women on Wheels, meet outside Clas Ohlson Market Place 10.00. 020 8547 5865. E-mail: ccst@rbk.kingston.gov.uk St Marks Church:Weds mornings 10.00-11.30 Stay and Play for Toddlers and Carers at St Mark’s Church Hall, St Mark’s Hill. Friday Mornings Coffee and Cake corner 10-11.30am, drop in for coffee at St Andrew’s Church, Maple Road, no booking required for any of them.

Tiny Tunes: Mon 10am & 10.50am at Surbiton Library Hall. Tues 10am & 10.50am at St Nicholas Parish Church, Summer Rd, Thames Ditton. All sessions 40 mins long, features music, dance, parachutes, bubbles & pom-poms. Age 3 months -5 years, pay as you go £5, siblings £2.50 www. tinytuneslive.com Kingston Pensioners’ Forum: Meets 2nd Monday each month at Reform Church, Eden Street 2pm. New members welcome. Talks, outings and tea and coffee. For more info: Pam Wilson Secretary, 020 8241 9913, www.kingstonpensionersforum@hotmail.co.uk Kingston Camera Club: Camera enthusiasts welcome. Meet Mon eves, at St John’s Ambulance HQ, Athelstan Rd off Villiers Avenue. 7.30pm - 10pm with coffee break. New members welcome.

For more information visit: www.kingstoncameraclub.com Kingston Philatelic Society: Meets 8-10pm on 1st Thurs & 3rd Fri, at Surbiton Library Hall, Ewell Road. Info: Brian Sole Tel: 01932 220 677 or email: brian.sole@btinternet.com Surbiton Floral Club: 1st Weds of the month at Raeburn Hall United Reform Church, Elgar Avenue. 7.30 for 7.45pm start. Floral demos, talks, workshops & outings. Tel: 020 8399 8193 Mrs Bennet’s Ballroom:Wednesdays. Learn Regency dancing at St Mark’s Church Hall, Surbiton, 8pm - 10.30pm. Cost £5 per eve. Contact Libby Curzon, 020 8391 1215. Email: curzone@hotmail.com Surbiton Club for the Blind and Visually Impaired: Meets alternate Tues 2-4pm at Surbiton Hill Methodist Church, Ewell Road. Social club with entertainment and tea. Transport available if necessary. For information: 0744 364 3716 . Volunteer drivers very welcome.

Oasis daytime group for over 60s at Emmanuel Church, Grand Avenue, Tolworth. Plenty of opportunity to chat, play games, do puzzles. Meetings, Weds 7th & 21st September, include a 5 minute Bible-based talk. Meetings on Wednesdays fortnightly, at 2.30pm. Tel: 020 8390 6631.

Open Door: Alternate Thursdays, 2.45 - 4.30pm, 1st, 15th & 9th September. A friendship group aimed at Seniors with tea, chat and short talks from local organisations. Christ Church Lounge, King Charles Road, Surbiton. 020 8390 7215 Berrylands Women’s Club: Meets every Mon evening, 8pm at Elgar Hall, United Reform Church, Raeburn Avenue, . Talks, slides and outings. Contact: Joyce Johnson Tel: 020 8390 5817 Art Classes: Every Monday 10-12noon & 2-4pm, with Berrylands Artists at Berrylands Christian Centre, 41 King Charles Road, Surbiton, KT5 8PF. Info: 020 8644 0941 Chinese Brush Painting: Held once a month at Sunray Community Centre, Knollmead, Tolworth. 10-13.00pm Contact Gwen: 020 8398 7313. Beginners & intermediates welcome.

Encore Singing Group: Mondays, 10am - 12.15pm in Berrylands. For info: gillyvor@hotmail.com The Kingston upon Thames Festival of the Performing Arts invites applications from perfprmers of all ages for the 82nd Competitive Festival: 6th Nov - 12th Dec 2015, (Pianoforte, Dance, Speech & Drama, Instrumental, South-Asian music, Vocal). Check the website for application deadline!! http://www.kingstonperformingarts.co.uk Scottish Country Dancing from September to June, Thursdays 7.30pm - 10.30pm at St Mark’s Church Hall. Tuition from 7.30, we dance 12 Jig Reels & Strathspeys with tea

break at half way. Membership £5 a year, Members £3/evening, non-members £4.

Join our friendly, informal club for good fun and an easy way to excercise. Check website: www.surbitoncaledonian.co.uk

To advertise call Karen: 020 8274 0096

email: karen@berrylands-companion.co.uk 59

COMMUNITY PAGE Surbiton & District Historical Society Tues 6th Sept: Ms Julie F Chandler returns with an illustrated talk: “Pomp & Circumstance - The Lord Mayors of London”

Tues 4th Oct: Dr David Kennedy’s talk is “Bloodworth & Squire Kingston’s 18thC Transportees”

Tues 1st Nov: Mr Ralph Thompson’s lecture is: “For King & Parliament - Surrey & the Civil War”.

Meetings start time: 7.45pm at Surbiton Library Hall, Ewell Road, Surbiton. Visitors welcome, Contribution of £2 appreciated For more details about meetings and the Society, call The Secretary: 020 8399 4473 Email: lenandmarilyn@virginmedia.com

HOOK ALLOTMENTS AND GARDENS ASSOCIATION

Are you interested in gardening?

For all gardeners and allotment holders!

We are a small friendly local society providing gardening supplies at very reasonable prices to our members: 9 Seeds, summer and spring bulbs, onion sets, seed potatoes.

9 Summer bedding plants and other young plants according to season.

9 Traditional and organic fertilizers and soil improvers/conditioners.

9 Lawn and rose treatments, weedkillers, pest controls.

9 Growbags and bagged compost, pots, gloves, trays, canes, netting etc.

Annual membership just £2, senior citizens £1.

Website:www.horticultural.moonfruit.co.uk Email: chesshort@live.co.uk

Our trading hut is conveniently sited at Moor Lane Allotments (just off Moor Lane near The Bonesgate pub) Open every Sunday 10am to 12noon, except December.

In accordance with our "members only" policy, new members are always welcome to join!

Annual Membership just £2.50, senior citizens £1.50

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Did you know there is an association in Hook?

Our Association was founded over 50 years ago and is run by volunteers, can provide a wide range of composts, fertilisers, seeds and other gardening products at not-for-profit prices to our members. We support gardeners and allotment holders.

We currently have full and half plots available to rent. Contact: John on 07807 300 749 Membership is £2.50 a year and new allotment holders have free membership for the first year Our trading facility is situated next to the entrance to the allotment plots, beyond the rugby club pavillion, rear of King Edward’s Recreation Ground, Hook Road, Chessington Open: Sundays 10am - 12 noon Feb - Nov 10am - 11am Nov - Jan

Please mention the magazine when contacting Advertisers

27. Plant - sucking insects (5)

COMMUNITY PAGE

Down:

1. Terminate gradually (5,3) 2. A Sultanate in northwestern Borneo (6) 3. Horologist (10) 4. Slightly open (4) care is taken to ensure Whilst all reasonable Engage somebody to enterincluded the army (6) the5.accuracy of information in A 6. Represents or performs as if in a play (6) Berrylands Companion , the publisher takes 8. Come to terms with (7) no responsibility 9. Shortened for termthe for accuracy provocationof (5)statements 13. by Returning to political ce (10) made contributors oroffi advertisers, or for 15. Unusually great in size (7) the loss arising from non-publication of any 16. After sunrise and before sunset (8) advertisement.

17. Strong and sharp (5) 18. Having little emotion or sensibility (6) Any errors, omissions 20. Add to the very end (6)or offers are the resposibilty of thepoint; advertiser.

22. The highest culminateAll (6)artwork is 24. Compass point (4) that the advertiser has accepted on the condition

Disclaimer

obtained permission from any copyright holder for its use by A Berrylands Companion. Whilst every care isOctober taken when printing artwork, we Sudoku cannot guarantee an exact colour match due to variations in print processes. Bookings are accepted only on this basis.

It is the advertiser’s responsibility to submit any amendments to adverts by the deadline date of the 8th.

To advertise any event, or community activity in the magazine, please call: Karen on 020 8274 0096 or email: karen@berrylands-companion.co.uk

Remember, you can pick up a copy of A Berrylands Companion magazine at the following: C.D.Jennings, B&M Budget Store, Surbiton & Tolworth Libraries, Shan’s Pharmacy, Tolworth Recreation Centre, The Lamb, MBE Surbiton, Superstore Ewell Road, C.F Stears Greengrocer, Emmanuel Church Read it whilst you wait at: Aspen Vets, Berrylands Autocare Garage, Cornerhouse Dentist, Confidental Clinic If you would like copies at your business please call me on:

020 8274 0096

Ê

Free ‘Fit as a Fiddle’ courses for September 2016 E Page 33-40.indd 36

Are you over 50, live in the borough of Kingston,

22/01/2010 00:22:03

and want to get fit, lose weight and improve your wellbeing?

Why not join a free 6 week course !

Nordic walking: Richmond Park, Tues 6th Sept, 10.30am Aquacise: Kingfisher, Kingston, Wed 7th Sept, 11.45am Body Balance: Worcester Park Baptist Church, Thurs 8th Sept,12.30pm Chair based:St Pius Church, The Triangle,Norbiton, Fri 9th Sept, 12.30pm

All courses include healthy lifestyle/weight loss workshops

To book a place please contact Grace : 020 8942 8256Ê To advertise call Karen: 020 8274 0096

email: karen@berrylands-companion.co.uk

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Index Please mention the magazine when contacting advertisers 33 31 37 5 37 11 39 39 31 35 35 9 34 7 12 17 12 12

Home & Garden All Your Garden Needs Berrylands Building Company Berrylands Property Maintenance Carpets4U Chris Mould Plumber Dream Doors (Kingston Kitchens) George Curren Electrical James Anthony KB Design Kevin Robinson Decorators Leverett Electricals Pro-Fit Windows Systems R.J.Tree Services Richey Brickwork Shaun Overy Heating & Plumbing Time4U Will Lord William Stallion Electricals

2 23 51

Care & Health Confidental Clinic Chessington Hypnotherapy Clinic Paula Maple Chiropodist

27 25 7 47 8/64

Rest & Relaxation Anna Coe King George Field Bowls Club Mrs Bennet’s Ballroom Dance Rebel Waltz Cycle Solutions Surbiton Racket & Fitness Club

25

Children & Education Monkey Music

13 13

Veterinary Aspen Veterinary Surgery Cats Protection League

7

Accountant M&B Accountancy Services Ltd

27

Solicitors Lewis-Dick

62

40 41 42 43 45

Car Maintenance Alan Sursham Berrylands Autocare Community Motors K&P Tyres Walsh Vehicle Management

21 23 19 23 63 22

Food & Drink C.D.Jennings CF & MC Stears Greengrocer Langley’s Restaurant Prithi The French Table What Dad Cooked Recipe

Articles & Editorials 60/61 Community Pages Kids Page 24 58/59 What’s On & Local Events Pages Crossword 41 Book Review 26 Useful Telephone Numbers 3 Gardening by Pippa Greenwood 32 Recipe 20 Baking 18 Technology 16 Motor Special: Lewis Hamilton 54

Want To Advertise Your Business?

Just because there is already an advert for a similar one, please do not think we will not take your advert!

There are so many businesses, trades and services that are not represented in

A Berrylands Companion From as little as £33 a month your advert can feature here for a year!

An email with your artwork will ensure it is featured.

So What is Stopping You? Call Now!

Contact Karen: tel: 020 8274 0096 email: karen@berrylands-companion.co.uk

Magazine printed by Warwick Printing, Warwickshire

Surrey Restaurant of the Year 2015 | #3 Top 100 Best Restaurants UK 2016, OpenTable Contemporary French cuisine drawing on pedigree British ingredients | The Good Food Guide 2015 ‘You can go to many expensive restaurants in London and other countries but you still come back to The French Table as one of the best at delivering exciting, tasty and frankly fantastic food. Each course leaves you dwelling on what makes each morsel so delicious-is it the herb used, or is there cream added?

It’s simply heaven for any foodie.’ OpenTable Diner, 2015 ‘There is no pretence with this restaurant, a relaxed yet special feel. Nothing is too much trouble for these guys’ OpenTable Diner, 2015

85 Maple Road, Surbiton, Surrey KT6 4AW | Tel: 020 8399 2365 | www.thefrenchtable.co.uk

Please mention the magazine when contacting Advertisers

63

Free p

one d ay

Get active in autumn

ass* Text ‘Su rb it o n’ followe d by name a your addres nd s to 85500

Whatever the weather there’s always great activities at surbiton racket & Fitness Club, including: Indoor and Cardio Tennis (6 floodlit courts), squash, racketball, Zumba, pilates, Indoor Cycling, state of the art Gym and much, much more. *Text messages will cost your standard message rate. You will not be charged to receive texts from us.

With great food served all day, why not drop in and look for yourself!

Surbiton Racket & Fitness Club, Berrylands, Surbiton, Surrey, KT5 8JT T:64 020 8399 1594 | E: info@surbiton.org | www.surbiton.org