absolute
FREE
December 2012
Herefordshire
Win Tickets to see Andre Rieu at the LG Arena See Page 19
www.absoluteherefordshire.co.uk A very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our Readers and Advertisers
. . AL K WINES We are a small friendly local family run company who love what we do. We can supply your wine for your own personal needs, for your party or for your business. Our aim is to supply some of the best and most interesting wines from all around the globe along with an excellent level of service. Please visit our website www.alkwines.co.uk, we hope there is something for everybody’s taste and requirements, however if there is a style of wine not listed that you would like please do give us a call or e-mail to discuss.
Winter Warmers Case 1
1 x Kraemer Blancs de Blanc-French Spark ler 2 x Tierra del Rey Ch ardonnay – Chile 2 x San Vincenzo Pin ot Grigio – Italy 1 x Mirror Lake Sauvi gnon Blanc – New Ze aland 1 x Pink Fox White Zin fandel – Californian Sw eetie 2 x Dry River Shiraz – Australia 1 x DeAlto Rioja – Sp ain 1 x Umbrele Merlot – Romania 1 x Aresti Late Harve st Gewrztraminer 375 ml – Chilean Pudding win e
Special Xmas Price
£68.00
Case 2
1 x San Simone Prosec co – Italian Fizz 1 x Bella Modella Pin ot Grigio – Italy 1 x Domaine des Me nants Chablis - France 1 x Chateau les Mauri ns Claret - France 1x Lagar de Bouza Alb ariño 1 x DeAlto Rioja Crianz a - Spain 1 x Zephyr Sauvignon Blanc – New Zealand 1 x Witts End Chaed onnay - -Australia 1 x Witts End Shiraz - -Australia 1 x Wente Southern Hills Cab Sauv - Califo rnia 1 x Cherry Tree Hill Ch enin Blanc – South Afr ica 1 x Aresti Late Harve st Gewrztraminer 375 ml
Special Xmas Price
£98.00
a fresh approach to wine... Office Hours
Deliveries
Monday - Friday 9.00am - 5.00pm
Local deliveries will be carried out in our own van and will be delivered as promptly as possible normally within 3-4 days but can be sooner if required.
Please note that there may be occasions when no-one is in the office but please leave a message and someone will get back to you as soon as possible.
Please call 01981 541190 to discuss. Local deliveries are FOC provided a minimum of 12 bottles are ordered.
Telephone: (01981) 541190 e-mail: alan@alkwines.co.uk www.alkwines.co.uk
54 8 10
this issue... 5 8
Blooming good idea
absolute Herefordshire
What a busy month December always seems to be as we get ready for the Christmas and New Year holiday with a flurry of activity. There are presents to buy, special meals to prepare, friends and relative to visit – or
Game Birds
visiting us – and lots of events going on. We hope you’ll find some help with the first couple of those tasks, at least, in the pages of our latest issue.
10
You’ll certainly find some of the many things going on in the county in our Riversimple
listings. It seems from new government figures that here in Herefordshire we’re less likely to get stressed by all this activity. All of us at absolute are
10
20
Always looking to the future
18
Master Clogmaker
25
Fashion Health & Wellbeing
29
Make a date with Father Christmas
33
Eating and Drinking around the County
45
absolute Motoring
time in true Herefordshire style.
Bob Calver - Editor email: editor@absoluteherefordshire.co.uk Tel: 07943 741 827
Sales
absolute
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looking forward to 2013 but in the meantime we hope you have a restful
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Jill Warren: email: jill@absoluteherefordshire.co.uk Tel: 07943 741 805 Rachel Davies: email: rachel@absoluteherefordshire.co.uk Tel: 07943 741 810
Sarah JJane’s
Joy of Flowers
For all your Christmas Gifts Spend over £20 and claim 20% discount with this advertisement
Production: email: studio@absoluteherefordshire.co.uk Tel: 07943 741 828 Contributors: Debbie Blagg, Amanda & Phil Edwards, Amanda Hamuilton,Lindsay Jackson, Ailsa Main, Ruth E. Richardson, Leigh Scott & Sam Perry, J. M. Twelvetree, Wincey Willis, Fay Wrixon. Photographers: Tony Prime, Rachel Davies, Sam Amos absolute, PO Box 320, Hereford HR1 9JX www.absoluteherefordshire.co.uk
Exp 30/12/12 T&C Apply
24b King Street, Hereford HR4 9BX Tel:
01432 371221
Email: sarah-janes@fsmail.net www.SarahJanesFloristHereford.co.uk
Absolute HEREFORDSHIRE is produced by absolute HEREFORDSHIRE Ltd. All rights are reserved by the publishers. Every care has been taken to ensure the information in this magazine, and its associated website is accurate but neither the publisher nor any of its staff or contributors can accept any liability for loss or damage arising from errors or omissions. Absolute Herefordshire Ltd does not endorse any of the products, goods or services advertised in the magazine. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form (electronic, mechanical by photocopy or recording) without the prior written consent of the publisher. Absolute Herefordshire limited Reg Office: Franklin House, Commercial Road, Hereford, HR1 2AZ. Company No. 7264272. VAT No.132 2098 45
Heather Gorringe
Blooming good idea sown and grown in Britain To say that Heather Gorringe is a woman with a vision
them.”
to make Britain’s fields a patchwork of floral blooms
That admiration, though, doesn’t stretch to sitting back
would be a little grand – but it could well be one of the
and letting them get on with it. “I think there’s a gap in
consequences of her latest
the market for someone who says we
venture.
are not going to buy flowers from all
With her husband Phil, Heather is
over the world and we are just going
already the driving force behind a
to supply British flowers.”
successful Herefordshire business
Heather believes, too, that many
supplying specialist bird foods and
potential customers share the view
other products to a number of lead-
that there is something fundamentally
ing outlets as well as online. Wiggly
wrong about the way flowers are
Wigglers also offers a range of bouquets, posies and so
produced and flown to markets here and
on.
elsewhere. “I don’t want to imagine
Now, alongside that, their farm at Blakemere has
by flowers have
become home to The Great British Florist and a look at
been grown
the new business’s catchphrase - ‘Grown not flown’ – will give you an idea of the philosophy behind it. It’s underlined by the company’s website which declares: “Handtied British grown flowers scent with love.” “The British flower industry has been devastated,” Heather explains. “Britain supplies only 10 per cent of its flower sales.” The reason for that is the success of the Dutch flower industry which is expert at growing flowers and supplying blooms from around the globe to florists across Europe. “They’re brilliant producers,” says Heather. “They’re cost effective and I totally admire
6 absolute ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
somewhere there is a water shortage and by someone
the Blakemere florists create a brand new bouquet
who really needs a good meal, and then flown 4,000
with the best blooms available. Like all the products
miles probably to a warehouse in Holland,” she adds.
they are guaranteed to be hand-picked and prepared
All those thoughts have clearly been germinating in her
using the best stems with the minimum of flower miles.
mind for some time but it was a personal experience
Club members can discover the beauty of real seasonal
that added some important fertiliser to the blossoming
scented flowers that are often grown in small quantities
idea. “I was in the back of the car and I phoned up to
and so no longer available in the commercially produced
order some flowers for my Auntie Doris as it was her
market. Each arrangement comes with a list of the
birthday. They asked me what sort of flowers I wanted
flowers chosen and information about them. Through
and they read off this list but I just wanted my auntie to
another new service customers also have the option to
open the box and go ‘wow!’.”
design their own bouquet to be sent to a friend or loved
The Great British Florist has begun well. Heather
one. The client will be e-mailed a picture of the finished
and her team are already supplying arrangements to 82
item before it’s sent out.
different Jigsaw clothes shops and have other
There is no charge for standard deliveries on orders
‘corporate’ clients and the online business got off to
received by 5pm each day for next day delivery. The
a strong start with its range of stunning bouquets and
finished arrangements are collected from the farm by
arrangements. The Great British Florist also offers a
Hereford firm C. S. Couriers for transport to the lucky
niche service for weddings where brides will want to
recipients.
specify colours or themes and there are a range of
The joy of the new venture is that as the months pass
suitable flowers for funerals.
and the seasons change so do the flowers on offer and
In addition you can join the Flower Club. Each month
the colours and scents of the arrangements will change,
reflecting those seasons. “We will use berries in winter and in the spring we’ll have catkins in the bouquets, too,” Heather says. As she sits in her offices in a converted farm building, Heather’s enthusiasm for the new venture is infectious. It’s clearly more than just another strand to the business. She believes the success of the London Olympics means the time is right for the Great British Florist to catch the mood of the country and the desire of people to buy products that do more good. She describes the business as being about ‘bringing loveliness to everyone’ and says her aim is to become ‘the Hotel Chocolat of flowers’. Having said that, we are talking luxury that comes at truly competitive prices. “Thirty pounds will get you a really lovely bunch of British flowers all the year,” Heather says. So what about that vision of a more floral landscape in Herefordshire and elsewhere? “We want to see the British flower industry grow. We want to see it back up to 40 or 50 per cent of flower sales,” says Heather. “If we did that it would be joyous because as we drove around we’d see flowers all over the place.”
Game Birds calendar takes off A very special local calendar has been launched – and might just be the answer to the question ‘what do you get for Christmas for the man who has everything?’ Two dozen local women have stripped almost to the bare essentials for the Game Birds 2013 calendar. They’re aiming to raise money for the Midlands Air Ambulance in memory of their friend Richard Warr, who died in a car crash last year. Richard was known as a young man with a lust for life and who loved the outdoor life, including shooting and other country sports. The cheeky but tasteful calendar features the women in a series of appropriately rural poses. Zoe Hooper, one of the organisers of the Game Birds idea said: “We have raised in the region of £16,000 so far through internet sales of the calendar and aim to exceed £25,000 through local sales and continued internet orders.” Appropriately, the calendar was launched at the Air Ambulance’s base at Strensham. “The Air Ambulance had been called out on a mission when we
arrived so we chatted and waited for its return. It was an incredible experience for us to watch as a tiny purring spot in the sky grew bigger and louder as it approached its landing base. We observed from a distance while the Air Ambulance landed and was refuelled and prepared for its next mission. When all the work had been done we went in for a closer look and had our photographs taken in and around the helicopter itself.” The launch event also gave Rich’s parents a chance to speak to the pilot and to Annie Newell from the Air Ambulance team. Later a signed copy of the calendar was auctioned, raising £250. A second signed copy is being auctioned on E-Bay. It costs £6 million pounds a year to operate the three Midlands Air Ambulances and all that money has to be raised through charitable fund raising. Each of the aircraft – based at RAF Cosford, Strensham and Tatenhill - is called out on a mission on average 4 or 5 times a day, covering Herefordshire Gloucestershire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands, 365 days a year.
The sisters, Verity Warr, Gemma Thomas, Hannah Warr
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Police Choir on record again Hereford Police Male Choir has just released a new album. It follows the sell-out success of its previous recording after its acclaimed performances on the BBC TV show, ‘Last Choir Standing’. The new album, ‘Still Standing In Song’, shows the musical virtuosity of the 60-strong choir and includes ‘What A Wonderful World’, ‘You Raise Me Up,’ a trio of Irish folksongs, some great Welsh pieces, including ‘Cantilena’ by Karl Jenkins and a few more robust numbers, such as ‘Song of The Jolly Roger’, typical of male voice singing. It has been produced by Manchester-based Keith Farrington, who says: “It is the best CD the Police Choir has ever recorded, better even than ‘Still Standing.’ The selection of songs chosen by the musical director, Alison Holbrooke allows the choir to show off its great range and versatility, from ‘Hine Hine,’ a gentle Maori lullaby to powerful Welsh numbers. There is something in this CD for everyone.” It is on sale priced at £10 from The Outback, Church Street, Hereford. Or by mail from Mike Davis, 3 Siward James Close, Bodenham, Hereford, HR1 3LS. (£11 to include p&p. Cheques payable to The calendar is available through www.gamebirdscalendar.co.uk and from local stockists • Game & Country 13-14 Station Yard,Worcester Rd, Leominster, HR6 8TN. • Pye Powder Leominster 9-11 Drapers Lane, Leominster, HR6 9ND • Pye Powder Ludlow 50 The Bullring, Ludlow,Shropshire, SY8 1AB • Legges of Bromyard Tenbury Road, Bromyard, HR7 4LW • Laylocks Garden Centre Cotheridge, Bromyard Rd, Worcester, WR6 5LP • Heath Nurseries The Oaklands, Martley Road, Lower Broadheath,Worcester, WR2 6QG • David Christopher 32 The Cross, Worcester, WR1 3PL • David Christopher 3 The Maltings, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire HR67YB • Oswins 2 29 High Town, Hereford, HR1 2AB • Wheelwrights Pencombe, Bromyard, HR7 4RN • Pencombe Post Office (Tuesday & Thursday Morning) Pencombe Village Hall Bromyard, Herefordshire. • Ladygo Stores Main Road, Hallow,Worcester, WR2 6LD • Mccolls Bromyard Road, HR7 4EY • Cartridge World Leominster, 19A West Street, Leominster HR6 8EP • Cartridge World Hereford, Bastion Mews,Union Street, Hereford, HR1 2BT • Jazz Hair Studio The Old Chapel Warehouse, Burgess Street, Leominster, HR68DE • Alexander & Duncan Southern Avenue, Leominster, HR6 0QB • Gladwins Family Butchers 5 High Street, Bromyard, HR7 4AA • Gilberts Fruit & Veg, High Street,Bromyard HR7 4DT
Hereford Police Choir). The choir was founded in 1957 to sing at a special celebration in Hereford Cathedral to mark the centenary of the old Herefordshire Constabulary and was made up of police officers. Now it is open to men from all walks of life, but continues to be closely linked to West Mercia Police and the Chief Constable, David Shaw, is the choir’s president.
Track to the Future You could describe Riversimple as a company at the edge – and not just because it straddles the Herefordshire-Shropshire border with its workshop in Shobdon and its office in Ludlow. The description suits a business that’s at the leading edge of thinking about the future of motoring and even about the way companies are run. To begin at the beginning, the company’s own statement of its vision goes a long way to explaining just how different it is. It says its purpose is: “To systematically pursue the elimination of the environmental damage caused by personal transport.” That word ‘elimination’ is another key to understanding Riversimple. Lots of car companies talk about reducing pollution but, as company founder Hugo Spowers explains, this isn’t a car company. “We are never going to sell a car. We are selling a service and that service is mobility.” The idea behind the car it is developing and the way it will be brought to market is essentially simple but in a way that Hugo Spowers calls ‘sophisticated simplicity’. In fact it’s so brilliantly simple that it requires us to think of cars and our motoring habits in a completely new way. He’s well practised at laying out the thinking behind the car logically, clearly and in a way a non-engineer or non motor industry aficionado can understand. In fact he’s so good at it that it takes a while to realise just how exciting this idea is. So here’s an attempt at an explanation. * First, there is a car. It’ll be powered by a fuel cell and offer drivers the equivalent of about 300 miles to the gallon in the urban driving cycle – though this first car isn’t, as we’ll see, necessarily an urban vehicle. * The cell works on a principle which is a reverse form of the electrolysis experiment you may recall from your school
science classes. Instead of adding electricity and creating hydrogen, you put in hydrogen and produce electricity. * That electricity is used to drive four motors – one on each wheel – which become generators when braking. That system means energy lost through braking is kept to a minimum. * More importantly, the system means the 80% of the power to accelerate comes from the electricity stored from braking, so the car can have the same performance with a fuel cell of only one fifth the power – and cost. The car will reach its ideal operating speed quickly and there’ll be none of the ‘redundant top speed’ that’s part of traditional cars. * Moving parts are minimal too – no gear box, no transmission and so on. * The cars will be wirelessly enabled so the company can monitor mileage, fuel consumption and performance. * The body will be made of carbon fibre. “The cars will be much lighter and more nimble which will make them more fun to drive,” Hugo says. Next comes the different approach to ‘selling’ the vehicle. “We are targeting a segment which the industry doesn’t recognise. It will be a local car for journeys within a radius of about 25 miles. In fact it’ll have a range of 200 miles before it needs to be refuelled but we think there are a lot of people who never drive further afield than this,” Hugo says. That makes North Herefordshire and South Shropshire an ideal area for one of the two trials of the car that are being planned. The other is an urban trial in Leicester. “We will have one filling station in Ludlow and one in Hereford,” Hugo says. And (if you still haven’t got the idea of this being a wholly new concept) when you fill up with hydrogen you won’t pay
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for it as the bill will be covered by the monthly fee you pay for your mobility. That single payment will cover all your motoring costs, although drivers will most probably still have to buy their own insurance cover. The local trial has the full support of Herefordshire and Shropshire councils who can see the potential of this kind of vehicle in a large rural area. They’re also alive to the possibility of a car being available to a community as a civic amenity, reducing reliance on public transport. “That’s one reason why we are not going to London or Oxford. There’s the question that you couldn’t launch it ‘til you had ten filling stations but you would also become a political football. We have had full cross-party support.” One might imagine that Hugo and his team members come from the traditional motor industry so the fact that he began his working life in motor racing may cause an odd raised eyebrow. “I was always interested in the environment even then and I used
to justify this dichotomy by saying motor racing was the quickest way to improve engine efficiency. Once you’ve made an engine efficient you can tune it for power or fuel efficiency,” he says. “Then I reached the conclusion we should get rid of the internal combustion engine all together.” At that point he left the track and began studying for an MBA with the intention of finding a new career which had nothing to do with motorcars. (“My favourite joke is ‘if you want to make God laugh tell him your plans’,” he says.) “During my MBA I did a study of bringing composite bodied fuel cell cars to market. By and large everything we are doing was in that feasibility study,” he adds. What he learned built on his view that the traditional motor industry is incapable of delivering the transformation needed at a time when demand for cars is increasing, resources are diminishing towards vanishing point and pollutants are compounding global problems. “Efficiency isn’t a driver for the industry,” he says. “Customers always discount future costs.” As an example he points out that in 1948 a VW Beetle would deliver 38 miles to the gallon – a figure that’s unchanged in the present Beetle. This is no empty green dream but a hard-headed business confident that it will see healthy revenue streams. Evidence of that can be seen in the fact that Riversimple has had the formative and financial support of the Piëch family, whose members founded Porsche and established Volkswagen. “Sebastian Piëch, who’s Ferdinand Porsche’s great grandson, has been fantastically supportive,” Hugo says. At the moment there are four full time staff but the company can also draw on the expertise of a network of 30 experts. Sitting in the Riversimple office overlooking the Lugg the brand name may seem ideal but the company owes it to Hugo’s then 7-year-old son, Stirling. On the way home from a meeting organised by the Piëchs to find a name, he came up with four suggestions of his own, including Simple River and River Simple. So it’s not just Dad who has great ideas.
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Vintage time for tea
www.rachelspetportraits.co.uk Animal Portraiture By Rachel Davies
Colour & Graphite Pencil drawings of your beloved pet from photographs.
Ideal gifts for animal lovers
Taking bookings for Christmas
Tel: 07921 825933 Email: email@rachelspetportraits.co.uk
There’s nothing more traditionally British than a nice cup of tea – and nothing more iconically French than an old Citroen 2CV van. So what happens when you combine them? You get an original business idea and a vehicle with its own fan base and Facebook friends. Iris, a1963 Citroen is now known as The Little Vintage Tea Van, operated by Katrina Sparrow. Together they’re becoming a well known site at vintage and other events around the county. “I have owned her for about six years,” says Katrina.“She is mechanically maintained by my husband, who restores historical cars.” He’s not allowed to touch Iris, however, except mechanically. “The rest of her is very original and that’s how I like her. I think to restore her body would be like giving her a bad face lift,” Katrina adds. At first Katrina used Iris as what she calls ‘a donkey carrier’. “I run a small catering company with my business partner, catering for weddings christenings and so on using our beautiful vintage china and table linen to serve ‘high tea’. Iris was always used to carry things, but then people started asking after her and suddenly she had her own Facebook page.” The next step was to put Iris to work as a ‘pop up’ vintage tea shop, selling home-made cakes and tea or homemade soups and crusty bread on colder days. “She has recently toured
around Hereford giving tea and cake to the public in return for donations to MacMillan and raised over £200,” says Katrina. Iris is getting used to having her picture taken in photo shoots but is still working at the day job. “My main intention for next year is to travel round the country with her attending vintage fairs and similar events, parking up, setting out her table adorned with beautiful linen and china, wafting the smell of fresh home baked proper cakes - no mamzy pamzy cup cakes - to passers by to enjoy with a lovely cup of good old fashioned tea.”
Whats on......in the Shire
Mix magic
December 2012 • December 1st Organ Recital
Christmas Sparkle lunchtime organ recital at Hereford Cathedral by Peter Dyke, assistant organist, in support of the Perpetual Trust. 1.15pm – 2pm Retiring collection.
Men In General
Weobley Village Hall. An evening of a cappella quintuplets. 7pm 01544 318322 An Arts Alive event
• December 4th Light Up a Life Service
From December 4th, 27 services will take place across Herefordshire in aid of St. Michael’s Hospice. For a full list of services near you visit www.st-michaels-hospice.org.uk Dedication forms available at St Michael’s Hospice charity shops, service venues and the Hospice. Further information from the Fundraising Team on 01432 851000.
Late Night Christmas Shopping
STORKY’S Baby and Toddler, Callow
from 6.30pm Mulled wine and mince pies for all customers while they browse the barn full of great local, organic and UK-made products for Christmas. storkys@fsmail.net 01432 274466
• December 6th Walk around Garway
A moderate walk of 6.5 miles, with one fairly steep ascent and descent. 9.45 am starting near the Moon Public House and walking to Southwell Court, Daren Wood and the River Monnow, returning via Garway Court. Stout footwear essential, bring lunch and a drink. Pub at the end
• December 7th Young Farmers Club Fashion Show & Festive Shopping Event
Lyde Court, Hereford. 7pm. A range of crafts and items deal for Christmas presents. Pizza and Mulled wine available. Online www.LydeCourt.com 01432 357753 or YFC on 01432 264187 Advance tickets £8, £10 on the door Lyde Court, Hereford, HR1 3AE
• December 8th Jubilee Christmas Concert
Hopelands Village Hall, Weobley. Doors open 7pm for 7.30 pm start. The Birchpole Singers will open their concert with Paul Mealor’s Jubilate. Mulled wine and nibbles. Organised by Weobley Bowling Club. Tickets £8 from Ann Griffiths (01544 318178), Brenda Havard (01544 318727) or any Weobley Bowling Club member.
The Budapest Cafe Orchestra
Market Theatre, Ledbury. 8pm Tickets £13 (students £8) 01531 633760 (out of hours 07967 517125) or on-line at www.themarkettheatre.com An Arts Alive event
Handel’s Messiah
Candlelight performance by Hereford Choral Society at Hereford Cathedral 7.30 pm. Ticket information 0845 46 33 124 tickets@herefordchoralsociety.org.
• December 11th
Late Night Christmas Shopping STORKY’S Baby and Toddler, Callow from 6.30pm Mulled wine and mince pies for all customers while they browse the barn full of great local, organic and UK-made products for Christmas. storkys@fsmail.net 01432) 274466
• December 12th Gigi – the movie Market Theatre, Ledbury. 10.30am Tickets £5.50 to include interval Christmas refreshments. The 1958 film is certificate PG and runs for 115 mins. Cinema tickets 01531 631338 or 07967 517 125
• December 14th Christmas Bingo Evening Moccas Village Hall. Eyes Down at 8pm
Film – Dangerous Moonlight
Market Theatre, Ledbury, 8pm. Tickets £4.50. Free Tapas before the film The 1941, British black and white film runs for 94 minutes. Cinema tickets 01531 631338 or 07967 517 125
• December 15th Advent Fair and Carols for Shoppers Hereford Cathedral. More than 30 stalls of local crafts, produce and seasonal gifts. Mince pies, hot coffee and much more. Christmas Fair 11 am – 2 pm. Carols for Shoppers 12 noon
Flicks in the Sticks at Moccas Moccas Village Hall. The Pirates, in an Adventure with Scientists! Doors Open at 7pm
Ledbury Community Choir Concert
‘And so this is Christmas’. Market Theatre, Ledbury 7.30pm Tickets £10 - call 01531 636452 or 01531 634108
• December 16th Light Up a Life Service Hereford Cathedral. 5.30pm. The largest of the 27 services across Herefordshire taking place in aid of St Michaels’Hospice.
• December 21st The Wild Hare Club’s Solstice Special Lyde Court. Hereford, 8pm. Maizlish Mole yoB, The Jupiter Band and DJ Manatee all prime movers behind London’s Jupiter Club - http://thejupiterclub.blogspot.co.uk Feel free to dress in fabulous frocks, vintage threads, costume jewellery and spangly dancing shoes. Tickets £10. Online booking at www.LydeCourt.com 01432 357753 Lyde Court, Hereford, HR1 3AE
• December 31st Bollywood Style RSVP the UK’s number 1 festival Bhangra band at Canon Frome Court, HR8 2TD . Free curry buffet and dance tutorials. Dance ‘til midnight and beyond! Book at www.canonfromecourt.org.uk
Use the form on www.absoluteherefordshire.co.uk to include your event free of charge
Christmas cocktail... Add a touch of magic to your Christmas party by serving your guests a Christmas cocktail. A cocktail that tastes like Christmas, smells like Christmas and gives you that warm Christmassy feeling inside. What better tipple than mulled wine. Mulled wine or Hippocras as it was once known was said to have been created by Hippocrates as a tonic. Variations have been drunk all over the world, the Germans have Gluhwein, the Danish drink Glogg and in France they call it Vin Chaud (hot wine). Ingredients: 1 bottle of Red Wine. I prefer to use a soft and fruity Merlot 50ml of Brandy 50ml of Orange Liqueur (Grand Marnier or Cointreau 1 tsb Ground Nutmeg 1 Orange 2 Cinnamon Sticks 8 cloves 1 cup of sugar 2/3 cup of water Method: To start with you will need to make a flavoured syrup with sugar, ground nutmeg and cinnamon in a pan with the water. Slowly bring this to the boil until the nutmeg and sugar dissolve, then leave to simmer. While the syrup is thickening up cut the orange into quarters and add a clove to each wedge. Gently place these into the syrup and add the brandy and orange liqueur. Leave this a further few minutes to warm through and then add the wine. The idea is that you create a rich and spicy syrup that you can add wine to. This way you don’t burn off too much of the alcohol. You can leave this mix on a very low heat and serve to your guests as they arrive. The scent of Christmas will flood your house - the taste of Christmas will warm your heart. Try adding a little ginger when making the syrup or a couple of chillies when simmering for a real festive kick. This December at Zane Wine Bar we have Mojito Mondays where we will be serving new Mojitos every Monday night on a buy one get one free basis. Or you could pop to Gigi Bar & Grill where we will be serving our classic gin cocktails as well as some Christmassy extras. So come and join us and celebrate, ‘tis the season to be jolly after all! Joe Williams Joe@the-cocktail-bar.co.uk @cocktail_kid
Fast growing firm always looking to the future It is one of the UK’s fastest growing companies on one of the most secure sites in the country, but what is now the multi-million pound Herefordshire business that is allpay started because of the humble Giro book. allpay’s founder and Managing Director, Tony Killeen, came to Herefordshire to work as a council rent collector but soon realised the system he relied on was not only inefficient but costly. Council tenants in those days used pagenumbered Giro books, each costing five pounds but each with a life span of only six months. He became convinced there had to be a better way. “It was very frustrating working with a paper-based payment system and I thought there was an answer in technology,” he says. And, before we go any further, the one thing you need to know about Tony Killeen is that he is not only a man who follows his business instincts but, true to the saying, he ‘puts his money where his mouth is’. allpay began life as Financial Collection Services (FCS) in 1996 in a small office in Commercial Road with four members of staff, two clients and a swipe card machine. Today allpay has more than
Tony Killeen –ready everyday for the business battle
two hundred staff working from a rapidly expanding modern purpose-built site on the Whitestone Business Park. The company’s core business is still collecting payments such as rents, council tax, fines and sundry debt, but now the client base is made up of more than 750 private and public sector organisations (including the majority of the country’s Housing Associations). The work involves nearly 47 million transactions a year totalling nearly four billion pounds. And those transactions are completed in a multiplicity of ways – with swipe cards at Pay Points or the Post Office, via the Internet, on the phone, by direct debit, through text messages and even via a smart phone app. From the technology and skills that the company developed to deal with such a staggering number of payments and array of payment methods Tony Killeen added more branches to the trunk of the business. “It doesn’t make financial sense,” he says with a smile, “to stand still”. As allpay had the facility to manufacture plastic cards, the next step was to gain accreditation and install the eye-water-
ingly expensive equipment and security necessary to produce Visa and Mastercard cards. (Investment at Whitestone is in excess of £30 million.) Consequently, the Herefordshire card production and data storage area is reminiscent of a Bond film – retina recognition, pressure pads, time lock gates, sophisticated machinery, and boffins in white coats. How it all works, however, is, of course, strictly confidential! Prepaid cards were next on the development list – plastic cards already charged with funds so that, for example, companies can control employees’ expenses and keep tabs on where money is spent. And in keeping with the technological age we live in allpay has now devised an electronic cashless payment system for use in schools and colleges. It is quick, egalitarian and allows for parental control. The biometric version of the system works in the company’s restaurants and a small fingerprint recognition pad rests by the tills. Collect what you want, pop your index finger on the pad and, hey presto, your account is debited. In the educational environment the cashless system eliminates the stigma of free meals or
Hereford in Bloom is going for Gold in 2013 – and it needs everyone in the city to get involved and share the success. Trevor Swindells, who was secretary of the local organising committee when it was established in 1999’s and when the city won Gold four years running from 2002-2005, is determined to learn from the lessons of this year when Hereford won a Silver Gilt award. “We failed to get a Gold award by just one point five per cent of the marks,” he said. “The judges said we hadn’t got a close enough link with the community and we should have some shop window competitions and so on.” So for 2013 there are ambitious plans to have not just a contest for shop windows but another for front gardens, which Radway Bridge Nurseries have already agreed to sponsor.
The 2012 Britain in Bloom judges set off on their pedicab tour of the city watched by Trevor Swindells (right) of not having enough money as everyone follows the same routine. The system can also be extended to include other extracurricular items such as music lessons or school trips. The spin offs from all these developments include the print and design department, which not only produces the artwork for the various cards and the letters and leaflets that go with them but also offers printing services to local businesses; a legal department that specialises in employment law; and one of Tony’s pet projects, allpay’s wireless broadband service based on transmitters atop the county’s church steeples and towers. “It’s a very simple system that isn’t reliant on a telephone line, and while it’s never going to add to our profit margin it does mean that fast internet is now available to hundreds of homes that previously couldn’t get access,” he says.
“It’s part of our commitment to give back to the community and to enhance the county we live, and work in.” And so it goes on. The builders have started work again extending the site at Whitestone, an expansion that will result in a hundred new jobs for the county next year – principally in IT and software development. There are plans for a mobile phone branch of the business and, as a complete diversion, a wine club that will be based near Ledbury. “I like to look around the corner and keep up with technology,” says Tony Killeen. “Business is a constant war. You have to be battle-ready every day.” So says the man who ensures his company keeps marching as the front line keeps moving. Fay Wrixton For further information: www.allpay.net
“I want to do a competition with pubs and one with guest houses and hotels and one for businesses,” added Trevor. Getting everyone on board in that way will build on the achievements already recognised by the judges, even though their visit to the city in July came on one of the wettest days of the year. Hereford racked up some impressive scores, including 9 out of 10 under the Local Heritage heading, and 18 out of 20 in a couple of sections in the Horticultural Achievement category. The judges were also impressed by their visit to the Holmer allotment site which they said ‘boasts two of the most amazing plots either of the judges had ever seen’. In a separate area of the competition well-known city pub The Barrels was also awarded Gold. Trevor and his fellow committee members are working hard to build on those successes but he already has an eye beyond the 2013 competition. “What we are after now is not only getting Gold but we have five other small cities in our category and one of them will be chosen as best in class,” he said. “That one will not only be judged by the regional judges but next year it will be able to enter the national competition and the view is that can lift your tourism by 20 per cent,” he added. “We want to be in that national competition in 2014.” It won’t be just the city that is caught up in ‘bloom fever’. Trevor recalled that when the Hereford first became involved in the competition only places like Ross and Ledbury were taking part. Now more than 40 communities and organisations across the county enter their particular categories. Trevor and the team, though, are focussed on the city. “It’s vitally important that people get behind this and then we can show the judges that the community really is involved,” he said. absolute Herefordshire will keep you up to date with the bid for Gold as we move into 2013 – and there will be more information on the City Council website – www.herefordcitycouncil.gov.uk
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Lovely Local Christmas
Gift Ideas
County offers lots of shopping opportunities
As the county builds up to Christmas there are even more opportunities to combine shopping with getting into the seasonal mood.
Wednesdays will mean late night shopping in Hereford where Herefordshire Council’s carparks will be free of charge after 4pm. High Town will also be the scene of Christmas Past with a mini traditional fun-fair featuring Edwardian swing-boats and a vintage merrygo-round and a vintage sweet barrow selling winter favourites such as cinder toffee and fudge. It will be open until January 6th. The Christmas Past theme will be reflected, too, in free children’s craft events in the Old House on Wednesday evenings and with the Christmas Week of Markets. The week begins
with the Arts Market on December 8th and 9th, and a special Herefordshire Truffle Market on December 10th when you can use your Truffle Card. The next day will see the Charities Market and on Wednesday 12th you can try out a tipple at the Christmas Cheers Market.
these events, or to request the regular city events newsletter by email, contact Shelagh Callaghan, the City Events Manager on 07837 641857, email: herefordcityevents@hotmail.co.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/cityevents. hereford
If you’re in search of unusual stocking fillers the Victorian Market on Thursday the 13th might be just the place and any final gaps in your shopping list can be sorted out at the French Market in High Town on December 14th and 15th.
Elsewhere the Hop Pocket at Bishop’s Frome will be open seven days a week through December. As the home to 20 unique and independent businesses it’s a good place to find unusual presents from local food and drink to craft items. Each of Herefordshire’s market towns also offers the kind of specialist independent shops that can make Christmas gift buying a real joy as you explore what they have to offer. So happy shopping.
The Buttermarket will host Santa’s grotto until Christmas Eve with Santa himself in the grotto on Saturdays in December, between 10am and 3. For more information about
Great ideas for good gifts A Hereford based aid organisation is hoping you’ll be good this Christmas. Concern Universal, an international development charity has relaunched its fantastic range of virtual gifts in time for Christmas. The ‘gifts for good’ range starts from £5 and all the items have been used by Concern Universal in their country projects to help lift people out of poverty. You can choose from a ‘Lovely Loo’, a pair of ‘Great Goats’, or even some ‘Super Snails. Concern Universal has programmes in Africa, Asia and South America. Its work continues to offer people a hand-up out of poverty, and to try to give them things we take for granted, such as safe water, enough food or a safe place to live. This year has been especially tough in Malawi. The currency (Kwacha) has been devalued so much that people’s money is now worth just half as much as it was last year. This will have devastating and deadly consequences in a country where nine out of ten people live on less than £1.25 a day. Concern Universal will be working even harder to make sure people have enough food to stay alive. So, if you want to send presents this year that really mean something, why not choose a ‘gift for good’ and make a real difference to someone’s life. You can find gifts for good in the Concern Universal shop on King Street, Hereford, online at www.concern-universal/giftsforgood or call 01432 355111 for a ‘gifts for good’ catalogue.
Gifts with a touch of local loveliness
Lotions, potions, perfumes, soaps and smellies always make good Christmas presents and the award winning county company Herbfarmacy Organic Skincare has created a range of beautifully packaged gift packs which might help solve your ‘what to buy’ dilemma. One possibility is a Try-Me Gift Pack which includes Organic Rose Face Oil, Whole Body Lotion, Luxury Foot Cream, Starweed Face Cream and Working Hands Cream - all for £25 and all – like the entire Herbfarmacy range - produced in Herefordshire. Also on offer is a collection called Totally Balmy - Mallow Beauty Balm, Meadowsweet Muscle Balm and Skin Rescue Balm for £18.50. For the males in your life there’s a Maintenance Pack for Men at £39.50, which includes body oil, cream for working hands, luxury foot cream made from Comfrey and Hypericum and a hand made moisturising soap, made and cured on the farm with herbally infused olive oil and Marshmallow and Patchouli for extra moisturising. If you’re looking for a stocking filler you could opt for a £5 Fairtade Make-up Bag in white, purple or red and if you really can’t make up your mind there are Gift Vouchers from £15. The products are available online at www.herbfarmacy.co.uk and from selected UK retailers.
The spirit of giving
Imagine receiving a monthly delivery of a Herefordshire made liqueur. If you like the idea then you need to add Monkhide Wines to your present wish list before it goes off to Santa. The company is well known for its range of fruit liqueurs including raspberry, apple, elderberry, cherry and even chocolate. Its Christmas gift selections include a monthly subscription which will mean you – or the person you’re buying for – receive a specially packaged tipple each month. You can subscribe for a whole year (£78), six months (£40) or three months (£21). If you’re buying for someone who may be thinking of producing their own wine you can choose a Wine Making Gift Experience – a whole day of learning the skills you need to make great tasting wine. The practical course runs from 10 ‘til 4 and includes all ingredients and equipment as well as lunch. It’s just £70 and there are places available on Sundays January 13th, January 27th and February 2nd. More details and more gift ideas at www.freewebstore.org/Monkhide
2 x COALPORT HEREFORD LIMITED EDITION TANKARDS
with scenes of Hereford Cathedral, the Black and White House, Wye Bridge and the Old Town Hall. Made in 1976 to celebrate 1300 yrs of Hereford history (limited to 1000 pairs) High quality bone china associated with Coalport with their traditional gold work on each Tankard
RANGE OF VICTORIAN BROOCHES Large selection from £38.00 - £65.00
£75.00
COPPER AND BRASS
We have a changing varied selection of both copper and brass practical and decorative items
VICTORIAN CRANBERRY GLASS OR GOLD RUBY GLASS
ruby glass as it is known in Europe, is a red glass made by adding gold oxide to moulten glass. The glass is typically hand-blown or moulded and generally only for craft use rather than produced in large quantities due to the high cost of gold
Variety of Pieces from £10.00
VICTORIAN MAHOGANY WARDROBE
A typical style victorian triple wardrobe with central mirror opening to reveal original slides and drawers with a section either side for hanging
£695.00
A BOOK ON FOLKLORE OF HEREFORDSHIRE A scarce reprint of the original 1912 book The author Ella Mary Leather (1876 - 1928) was a collector of local folklore and songs of Herefordshire
£75.00
Gifts with a difference from
HEREFORD ANTIQUE CENTRE
128 Widemarsh Street 01432 266242 Open: Monday-Saturday 10am -5pm Sunday 11am-4pm
Master clogmaker is last of his kind Jeremy Atkinson is England’s last clogger – and we’re not talking football here. At his workshop in Kington, he is the last of the traditional clog makers producing bespoke products. “While other people claim to make handmade clogs the clog soles are machine cut, in part at least,” he says. That limits true customisation of the footwear. “I was taught by a man who was taught by a man who was taught by a man,” says Jeremy. “In other words I’m of a line stretching back centuries.” In his own turn he has passed on the skills of the craft to a Welshman. That, he says, is only fair as his own teacher was Welsh. English clogs were always made in part from wood and in part from leather. Indeed, the dictionary definition is ‘a composite of wood and leather.’ “I hand cut the leather uppers and hand carve the soles,” he says. He tends to use young – that’s 20 to 30 years old – sycamore from the Welsh Marches. The wood is cut green, allowing it to be cut following the grain, so minimising the risk of tensions which could cause the wood to split or lead to shrinkage. “ Shrinkage is minimal in sycamore and in bygone days sycamore clogs could be and were cut out of living trees and finished the same day,” he says but adds: “Central heating has made this a rather more risky proposition so I do allow the wood to lose much of its moisture before
lasting and nailing on the leather upper.” Sometimes he will respond to a request to use alder but the wood is softer and less durable than sycamore, although it was used throughout the industrial revolution. “It comfortably moulds to the shape of the foot over time and for an urban clog its durability is acceptable. It rots if permanently damp so is not so good in country mud,” explains Jeremy. Jeremy’s leather is all crust dyed chrome, two to four millimetres thick and waterproof. He hasn’t used vegetable tan leather for more than 20 years as it’s neither waterproof nor supple. “It was never used in traditional clogmaking. I don’t use pre-dyed chrome leather as it is altogether too thin and looks, I think, naff,” he says. “It only came to be used for clogs when makers were desperately trying to produce cheap footwear,” he adds. Each pair is finished by being hand dyed to the customer’s wishes, although he cannot promise to get an exact match as the oil in the leather influences the final colour. Jeremy has travelled in Spain and France studying clog making traditions and as well as making his clogs in Kington he gives demonstrations at county and craft fairs across the country. His clogs sell around the world and to order Jeremy suggests you draw round each foot wearing a pair of socks and holding the pen or pencil
at a slight angle so the point is directly below and in line with the edge of your foot. As well as sending the outline you should state your normal shoe size in your country. He then rough cuts the soles and sends them to the customer with simple fitting instructions. You then send the soles back and he completes your unique clogs. Orders take close to three months. Jeremy Atkinson, Master Clogmaker is at 44 Duke Street, Kington, Herefordshire, HR5 3DR (01544 231683). His pages at: www.clogmaker.co.uk have pictures of his clogs and are regularly updated. You can e-mail him at: jeremymark@atkinsontq.wanadoo. co.uk
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WIN TICKETS TO SEE ANDRE RIEU LIVE AT THE LG ARENA THIS DECEMBER!
Legendary Dutch violinist, conductor and composer, André Rieu is getting ready to perform live at the LG Arena in Birmingham and we’re giving you the chance to waltz away with a pair of tickets to see him on December 20th. Billed as ‘the world’s most popular classical artist’ Rieu is renowned for his energetic and festive live concerts, and we’ve teamed up with the LG Arena to get you to the show. Titled ‘An unforgettable evening with André Rieu’, the tour will show the maestro conducting his 60-piece Johann Strauss Orchestra and playing his world-famous Stradivarius violin – and fans are positively encouraged to get out of their seats and waltz in the aisles. Known as the ‘King of Waltz’, André Rieu is one of the best-selling live acts in the world, selling more than 30 million albums worldwide. He has broken all classical concert records, packing stadiums and arenas with more than 700,000 adoring fans each year. He has seven albums listed in the British music DVD top 40 and his latest release ‘Fiesta Mexicana!’ reached the number one.
We have three pairs of tickets to give away. They’ll go to the first three people to fill in the missing word from this André Rieu album title – ‘From ______ with love’. Send your answer by e-mail to editor@absoluteherefordshire.co.uk Include your name and full address so we can send the tickets to you in time to enjoy a great night out at the LG Arena. Remember the show is on December 20th so get your entry in quickly - and no later than December 16th To find out more about the show, visit www.lgarena.co.uk or André’s site at www.andrerieu.com We carry an extensive range of quality carpets,
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Friends in need for fragile families
When families need a helping hand Home-Start Herefordshire is there to support them. It’s one of 300 local Home Starts across the country working with fragile families in times of distress, making them strong again and avoiding crises. That network of local volunteers makes Home-Start one of the country’s leading family support charities all built on the principle of parents helping parents and women helping women. Alison Jones of Home-Start Hereford says that in an ideal world the organisation wouldn’t be needed but for many parents the pressures of family life are simply too much to cope with alone. That could be for a variety of reasons ranging from poverty, illness, family breakdown to isolation, addiction and mental health issues. Alison is Marketing and Volunteer Recruitment Coordinator for the Scheme in Herefordshire. “The charity is unique, as it recruits and trains volunteers - mainly female, although we would love more men
too - to offer emotional and practical support to families in their own homes once a week,” she says. We believe that children need a happy secure childhood and that parents play a key role in giving them a good start in life, helping them to achieve their full potential.” The Home-Start Service is offered to all families with children up to 19 years old and from all backgrounds, whether home is a high rise bed-sit or a manor house in beautiful surroundings. “We at HSH are non-judgmental, believing that all families deserve help and support if there is a need,” adds Alison. The volunteers all have a wide range of first hand life experiences. Alison says: “The women who volunteer all have one thing in common they all want to help and give their time to another parent who’s having a hard time. The rewarding feeling that helping others has on a person is invaluable and can help the volunteer’s self esteem as well as that of the family members. Often mothers that have been helped by a Home-Start Volunteer will decide to return the gesture and train to become a volunteer themselves once their lives are more settled.” Like the families who may need help the volunteers come from all walks of life and include young mums who’ve just got their children off to school, to mothers with time on their hands now their children have grown or flown the nest. Alison explains: “At Home-Start Herefordshire we have only two real requirements – that you are a parent or have parenting skills and that you undergo a CRB check that will take place during the training.” One volunteer summed up her role. “I felt privileged to be invited into Sarah’s home. I soon felt part of the family giving support to Sarah and her children. The experience of the last 18 months will be with me for ever. It was so amazing to see the changes that occurred. What a rewarding feeling. On the other side a mother who’d been helped said: “If it wasn’t for Home-Start, I wouldn’t be here anymore and my children would be in care.” For more details visit www.home-startherefrdshire.co.uk or call Alison on 01432 371212
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Alloy brings together jewellers Next year will mark the 20th anniversary of
Alloy, the organization which brings together professional jewellers and silversmiths at all stages of their careers in a non-competitive and supportive atmosphere.
The group was set up by Mike Gell, a jeweller based in East Street in Hereford, and now has about 20 members. The group is designed particularly to help up and coming designers, especially from Hereford College of Arts, through its scheme, which supports recent graduates’ through the first 18 months of their business. It also runs sessions for people interested in making jewellery. Alloy supports members in promoting their work and aims to bring designer jewellery and silverware to a wider audience. Members have access to a shared workshop based at The Courtyard, where their work is also displayed for sale in permanent showcases in the foyer. The Maker’s Showcase also features a changing display of all craft disciplines from Herefordshire and surrounding counties. From now until Friday February 1st, four
Alloy members - Anna Backman, Rebecca Lewis, Julia Smith and Debby Marsh – will be exhibiting their work alongside pieces by guest ceramicist Neil Spalding from Redditch. Neil, a former art and pottery teacher, creates raku pottery. “I have always been interested in buildings especially those designed and built for a functional purpose. They have curves and angles and a geometry that encourages ways of exaggeration, be they maltings, pottery kilns, tithe-barns, granaries or oast-houses. The raku process lends itself to the creation of these models by giving them an industrial and used look,” he says. The exhibition at The Courtyard is open from Monday - Saturday 10am-8pm or on Sundays 11am-2.30pm until February 1st. More information on Alloy is available at www.alloyjewellers.org.uk and Neil Spalding’s website is www.neilspaldingceramics.com
The Tea Room Open Christmas Late Night Shopping Evenings Until 9pm Mince Pies Christmas Muffins Hot Chicken and stuffing Rolls/Baguettes
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Come and Enjoy... 26 King Street, Hereford, HR4 9BX
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Fund raising fashion turns back the clock Hollywood icons James Dean and Marilyn Monroe took their places alongside a Second World War soldier and a Land Army girl at the Rotary Club of Hereford’s Charity Ball in aid of Cancer Research UK. The ‘stars’ were models taking part in a Vintage Fashion Show organised by Fran James-Hill and Sharon Podmore of Lizzie May Vintage who supplied the clothes and props with other items coming from Mrs Rob Bell, Keith Hazlewood, Andrew Biddlecomb and Tied Up with Strings Vintage. Hey Hair from Hay-on-Wye and Naomi Emmanuelle make-up Artist created 17 iconic looks of the 40s, 50s and 60s, which also included Audrey Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot and Grace Kelly look alikes as well as a Teddy Boy and a model sporting Dior’s famous ‘New Look’. Dr Imogen Goldsmith Du-Fours from DecoDolly Vintage Styling was the narrator and the models paraded to a soundtrack of music from the times.
(Pictures by Life’s Captured Moments)
Young squads are fit to spread cheer Cheerleading coaches Katie Bowcott-Hall and Ruth Litchfield launched the 3Degreez cheerleading squad in September with a host of new enthusiastic members and they’re already shaking up a storm. Katie and Ruth, who are both trained coaches through the British Cheerleading Association, now have two squads, Dynamoz – for six to 11-year-olds and 3Degreez for the 11s to 16s. Both squads work towards creating performances ready to show off skills at competitions. Katie says: “It’s a great way to gain self-esteem, integrity, self-discipline, teamwork, leadership, compassion, understanding, and most importantly friendship” Ruth says following the success of the original team at the 2010 national cheerleading competition, there’s real optimism in the new groups. “We have a brilliant new squad and we both have high hopes for successful achievements at competitions, showing Hereford what we can really do,” she says. Katie adds: “Anyone who watched the Olympics over the summer has got to have the buzz and want to do their bit and become active. Let’s continue that sporting magic in Hereford. Becoming a 3D will provide the opportunity.” You don’t need cheerleading experience to join the squads and any dance or gym abilities are welcome. Ruth says: “We’re still looking for more members, and you haven’t lost your chance to become a Hereford cheerleader yet as there are still spaces left in both squads, so don’t miss out.” She says cheerleading is a great way to keep fit and healthy, make new friends and learn new skills. You can find out more at www.3degreez.webs.com or call 07792254217/07837382816 or email threedegreez@hotmail.co.uk
Returning Christmas gifts
New Hospice store opens
Staff with Mike Pullin cutting the ribbon Ross-on-Wye is now home to the newest charity outlet for St Michael’s Hospice after the opening of its Home & Living Store. The store’s 5,500 square feet are filled with a wide range of gently-used goods including furniture, white goods and electrical items (all of which have been PAT tested). Manager Dave Holden and his team also oversee a separate area for clothing and a large bric-a-brac display and The Hospice offers a collection and delivery service for bulky items and can also undertake house clearances. The new outlet is in the Alton Road Industrial Estate. There’s parking directly outside to make shopping or dropping simple. It was officially opened by Mike Pullin from Grosmont who’s been honoured for his outstanding fundraising work for the Hospice.
Solar port idea shines
Herefordshire has a new green living company. My Solar Port has been created to meet the growing demand for greener energy solutions in rural homes and will appeal to the increasing number of electric car owners. The new business is the brainchild of local renewable energy company New Dawn Energy run by Neil Evans and Darren Morgan. Their solar carport is designed to complement rural buildings, using solid green oak frames and an integrated solar PV array for a striking, streamlined look. The solar PV array harnesses the sun’s rays and generates electricity for the home. It also has a built-in charging station to charge electric vehicles or household items. Neil explained: “Our motivation was to create something that is not only brilliant for the environment, but is also aesthetically appealing to customers.” A bespoke design service means the oak-framed solar carports and solar gazebos can be sympathetically designed to complement and enhance both traditional and contemporary buildings. All the carports and gazebos are handcrafted in Herefordshire, using top quality, sustainably sourced wood. The British manufactured solar array is installed on site. www.mysolarport.co.uk
Many of us are surprised that shops don’t have to accept returns unless an item is not of “satisfactory” quality, not as described or unfit for purpose. However, most retailers provide a ’goodwill’ returns policy offering an exchange, refund or credit note. Unless the retailer agrees, you can only return non-faulty goods if the retailer has a returns policy. These are usually displayed on receipts or at the counter. Most retailers impose time limits or other exceptions such as: DVDs, music and computer software e.g. if the seal or packaging is broken. Perishable items - e.g. food and flowers. Made to order - e.g. bespoke clothing or personalised items. Underwear and Jewellery - often excluded for hygiene reasons. However, none of this prevents whoever bought a faulty item from returning it. If you have received a gift and want to exchange it, the shop is not obliged to deal with you but many will, and your chances are greatly improved if you have a receipt or other proof of purchase, and the original packaging. Some shops may even have provided a “gift receipt” to the buyer for this purpose. T.A.Matthews would like to wish the readers of Absolute Herefordshire Magazine a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
6 King Street Hereford HR4 9BS Tel:
01432 352121
13A Broad Street Leominster HR6 8TZ Tel:
01568 615905
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Local film find sparks ‘rabbit hunt’
A Herefordshire discovery led to the launch by the world famous Disney Corporation of a nationwide search for items from the studio’s past. Last year a Disney cartoon featuring Oswald the Lucky Rabbit – thought to be an early prototype of the character who became Mickey Mouse was found at the Huntley Film Archives at Ewyas Harold and that set the giant animator thinking about what else might be lying undiscovered. A company spokesperson said: “It is very likely that there are more valuable and rare Mick ey Mouse and Friends items out there in the UK.” So this autumn Disney set up a special Facebook page where the public could share their discoveries and get feedback on the rarity and value of the items. The film found in Herefordshire featured Oswald, who was actually the first Disney character ever created by Walt Disney. He lost the rights to the character in 1928 and Oswald was confined to the archives, leading Walt Disney to create another character, Mickey Mouse who went on to become a worldwide star. Warren Spector, the creative director of Junction Point and a life-long Disney collector, said: “The discovery of a lost film is a rare and special event, of course, but if Hungry Hobos could be found, it’s possible other Oswald cartoons - and other bits of Disney history of all sorts - might be out there too, just waiting to be discovered in homes, garages or attics.” The ‘Hungry Hobos’ was sold by Bonhams at an auction in Los Angeles in December last year and fetched a little under £20,000.
Alex takes the chair Herefordshire Federation of Young Farmers Clubs has a new County Chairman. He is Alex Ross, a member of the Kington & District club. Alex, who is 28, has worked at J D Pritchard Contractors at Lilwall Farm near Kington for the past 5 years and was previously employed at Bigglestone Farm at Much Birch. He was born in Norwich but moved to Herefordshire at a very young age and was educated at John Beddoes School, Presteigne. At the age of 23 he spent four months working on a farm in Australia. He joined Kington YFC in 1994 and subsequently moved to the Eardisley club for a few years but re-joined Kington when the Club re-opened. He’s well-known around the county and enjoys encouraging new members to join what he believes is the best youth movement in the countryside. In the next year he’s aiming to visit all 18 Clubs in Herefordshire as often as possible. Alex is pictured here with ‘SuperMoo’ at the YFC’s display during Diamond Day earlier this year.
Peter Prosser Collection
Fashion Beauty &Wellbeing
Beautiful skin for the over 30s Our beauty expert Michaela Turner has advice this month on caring for your skin during those all important years from 30 to 50. By the time you reach your 30s, your skin is becoming dehydrated and showing signs of aging. Early indications include an uneven complexion as the process of cell renewal slows down and dead cells fill the outer layer. The skin becomes dull and sallow because of poor circulation. Collagen fibres are not as meshed as before and elastin coils slacken causing lax muscle tone. Smiling and frowning cause fat deep in the skin to be pushed into trenches, forming wrinkles. Expression lines become more and more visible and finally the deep layers of the skin are less able to support the blood vessels, resulting in thread veins. But it’s not all doom and gloom! There are steps you can take to keep your skin healthy and functioning to its optimum. The result gorgeous, more toned and glowing skin! You do need to be realistic and bear in mind that your skin will never return to how it was in your 20s but following the correct advice you can still look and feel fabulous. Suggested protocol A regular facial treatment to increase blood and lymphatic flow are a must to increase skin brightness and help the skin to function to the best of its ability. Ask your Skin Specialist to include some mild peeling. Monthly is best as the skin cells turnover every 28 days. Home maintenance programs are key to protect the skin against environmental attack. Vitamin A becomes important as it stimulates collagen production, as does vitamin C. Vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant that prevents free radicals. A well formulated Sunblock SPF 30 or above for your face will become your best friend. Moisturisers need to be slightly richer, more concentrated and may include a day and night cream. Your eye cream will need to target dark circles, fine lines, red, puffy and bags. My personal favourite is Eye Tone by Danne Montague-King. It is the only eye cream I know which rebuilds the fragile skin around the eye area, promotes normal cell turn over, revises wrinkles and fine lines, hydrates, smoothes and softens the skin, reduces dark circles and puffiness and prevents light from reaching and harming the capillaries. It does what it says on the tin. The onset of middle-age acne along with pigmentation can also occur because of the amount of products being used on the skin, or the premature use of anti-aging products or over treatment. It is important there is healthy renewal and that moisture and oil processes don’t speed up or slow down, but maintain a balance. If you have a question for Michaela you can send it to enquiries@michaelaturner.co.uk. Head you message ‘Ask the expert’ and your question may be featured in a future issue of absolute Herefordshire. Remember, there may be other people wanting the same advice but who could be too embarrassed to ask so in putting your question you’ll be helping them too.
Take a deep breath... Fiona Hamilton
The most important aspect of Yoga is the breath. Our nervous system takes its lead from the breath. If we breathe quickly, in the upper chest, our body says “I’m stressed/panicky”. If we breathe deeply, using the belly (loosen tight trousers if necessary at the waist), our body says “I’m safe, calm, and able to heal myself”. Unless the breath is flowing and steady, there is NO YOGA, so I can think of no better place to begin than by focusing on the breath. If you can lie down, do. If not, sit comfortably. Feel your sit bones on the chair beneath you. Deliberately lengthen the spine up to the ceiling. Draw the chin slightly into the chest to lengthen the back of the neck. Take the shoulders down away from the ears. The arms are peaceful, hands in your lap, or on your knees. Settle yourself and turn your attention inside. Begin to observe your natural breathing pattern … without making any changes. WATCH how your body breathes … no judgement, just observation. Slowly, for the next minute, we’re going to begin to create movement BELOW the navel -in the soft part of the belly between the navel and the pubic bone. Be patient … if you are used to breathing in the upper chest this could be an alien idea, so have a loving, gentle, curious approach and allow yourself to make mistakes. The rhythm we are aiming to reach is : As you INHALE, push the lower belly out as if there was a balloon in your belly As you EXHALE, draw the navel towards the spine flattening the stomach Persevere – remember some people take months to master this breathing technique. You’re doing great. Once you find this breathing style and rhythm becoming comfortable for you, begin to lengthen your EXHALATIONS. Ideally, the exhalation becomes twice the length of the inhalation – but without any stress or pressure. Allow the breath to develop in its own time. When 5 minutes is over, rotate your ankles and wrists, roll your neck in a circle, walk around your desk, and come back to your task in hand Find us on Twitter @HerefordYoga, or on Facebook as HerefordshireYoga!
Peter Prosser have been providing award winning hair care to their loyal clientele in and around Herefordshire for more than four decades. On the eve of a visit to London’s Grosvenor House where he’ll learn if his team will bring home the title of British Hairdressing Awards Men’s Hairdresser of the Year or indeed Midlands Hairdresser of the Year, Peter gets to grips with some Christmas spirit!
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By the time you read this column our fate will have been decided in the British Hairdressing Awards. Whatever happens, I’m proud as punch to be up their in these national awards for not just one but two amazing titles and I’d like to thank my team for their support. Although we all enjoy working in the salon, as a collective we really love undertaking professional photographic shoots, the team in fact have just returned from a fabulous shoot with consumer title HAIR magazine, shooting for not just one, but two issues of the publication. The first will hit the newsstands any day. Also Ashley and the men’s team have a location shoot coming up for HJ Men’s Magazine at the wonderful venue The Barrels with a group of male models. We’re really looking forward to it. Although (thankfully), we are a very busy salon group, nothing quite beats the run up to Christmas when everyone wants their hair done to look its very best over the festive season. Needless to say, by the time we’ve hung up our Santa stockings on Christmas Eve we all feel rather ‘done in’! So what a delight to take a couple of days off and endeavour to a) keep awake and b) enter the spirit of Christmas! While on the subject of goodwill – I’d personally like to use this column as a vehicle to thank all those valued clients who frequent the Peter Prosser hairdressing salons and to wish our fabulous team of experts an exceptionally happy Christmas and a healthy and wealthy New Year. If you are looking to ring the changes hairstyle wise – apart from adding the odd Christmas bauble – take time on your next visit to speak to your stylist and ask their advice about how you could elevate your hairstyle for celebratory purposes! It’s possibly easier than you think – either a fabulous ornate hairclip or an application of professional product can really transform your daily grind hairstyle. Give it a go! If you are looking for an award winning hair do then the team at Peter Prosser are always willing to provide complimentary consultations to ensure that your appointment with them will be a happy one. Peter Prosser 6/7 Church Street Hereford Tel: 01432 357588
Peter Prosser Commerical Road Hereford Tel: 01432 355080
Peter Prosser Mens Hairdressing 5 Church Street Hereford Tel: 01432 361996
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Take ‘Route 66’ to super suppers Having a few people round for dinner has taken on a whole new meaning for Annabel Oxford. She runs a supper club and much of her time is taken up with sourcing ingredients, studying recipes and preparing dishes for a seven course spread for 12 people at a time. “It’s all locally sourced seasonal food,” says Annabel who’d been busy looking for a supplier of good quality birds for a partridge and pear dish she was planning for a session at Supper@66. The name is taken from the address of her Hereford home. She has always liked food, making her own sausages and salamis as well as having a smoker in her cellar but it was being made redundant and the need to find a new outlet for her energies that was the spur for the suppers. “I was thinking of something to do with local meat but I haven’t got the room to keep pigs,” she says. “I went on a local meat weekend at a place near Monmouth and met lots of people who were doing different things like air-drying meat,” she adds. Among those people she met a couple from Bris-
tol who were running a supper club so she went along to try it. Supper@66 began with guests who were essentially friends. They arrived at 7.30 to be seated at the table for 7.45. “That first night people didn’t go home ‘til 3 in the morning,” she recalls. Now the evenings end at around 11. Annabel, who has completed a food hygiene course and the necessary qualifications, gathers her ingredients in a number of ways. “I have an allotment so I’ve always grown fruit and vegetables and I’m a great forager, “she says. “I found lots of grapes in a hedgerow recently.” Guests can book a place at one of Annabel’s suppers by e-mailing her at annabeloxford@btinternet.com Instead of being presented with a bill the end of the meal diners are asked to make a minimum donation of £30. Some opt to give more as a mark of their appreciation. Supper@66 has places available on Friday January 18th, Saturday January 26th, Friday February 15th and Saturday February 22nd.
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Make a date with Father Christmas
Santa and his Reindeer are returning to Herefordshire and hoping to meet lots of children who’ll tell them about their Christmas wishes.
They’ll be at the Small Breeds Farm Park and Owl Centre near Kington each weekend from December 8th and every day from Wednesday 19th. Jay Brittain, who founded the centre, has some useful advice for families planning to visit. “The Reindeer like fairy cabbages sprouts - more than carrots as they make them fly like the wind.” As well as getting a chance to meet Father Christmas and see his Reindeer close up, young visitors – and their mums and dads – can also see the rest of the Park’s animals who are now snug in their winter quarters.
Telephone booking is essential for a visit to the man himself and you should be ready to give the Park details of children’s ages. The number is 01544 231190. The Small Breeds Farm Park and Owl Centre will be open on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, although Father Christmas will be back at the North Pole by then taking a well-earned rest.
Adding body to spirit of local brewing ‘legend’’
A walk on the greener side of life with local business owner Alex Appleton- Pattison from www.hereford.cartridgeworld.co.uk @cartridgesHFD. This month is a piece of shameless self-promotion but it’s all in a good cause! Do you think your Head Teacher is a superhero in the making? If so, make sure they are involved in the Cartridge World Recycle It campaign. In 2013 we are searching for the greenest Head Teacher in the county. In our quest to find Herefordshire’s greenest superhero, Cartridge World is offering all Herefordshire schools 50p for every usable cartridge collected in our special collection bins. These funds can be used for important things like new equipment, better facilities and school trips. The Headteacher of the school that collects the most cartridges will be given the title of Green Superhero of the Year, and Cartridge World will donate an additional £50 to the school. Understanding the long-term benefits of recycling is an important lesson for us all, and we are also offering schools willing to participate in the campaign a visit from one of the key members of our team to talk to students about this topic. As we continue to promote environmentally responsible printing in the county, we hope this will encourage the next generation to think before they print. If you would like your school to become involved in the Recycle It project, please get in touch alex@cwhereford.co.uk Stay green and have a great Christmas. Alex
Dorothy Goodbody, that much-loved character from Wye Valley Brewery’s family of ales has come to life. ….and she’s featured on the cover of the brewery’s 2013 calendar. The brewery worked with vintage fashion designer Vivien of Holloway to transform a modern-day beauty into their 1950s character with authentic vintage style. It received more than 90 applications from potential Dorothys, all keen to represent the character in a 50s-style photo-shoot. The winning ‘Dorothy’ was Lucy Dearden, from Folkestone in Kent whose prizes included not just the photo-shoot among the hops at Pridewood Farm in Herefordshire but also a luxurious overnight stay, a beautiful vintage dress from Vivien, framed pictures from
the day and a case of Dorothy Goodbody’s ales! Lucy was joined on the big day by Hannah Tuffin from Hereford who knows a thing or two about beer as she works at the Bell in Tillington when she’s not away at University studying Weather and Climate. In her application she said: “I certainly haven’t got my head in the clouds when I am behind the bar, where every pint is perfectly poured with a kind word for every customer. It’s people that make me happy, so whether I’m a scientist or a barmaid, a smile, friendly chat or sassy banter will guarantee I’ll be there.” The calendar will be distributed to Wye Valley Brewery customers but Dorothy-fans can also buy them from the brewery shop. www.wyevalleybrewery. co.uk
Hannah enjoys a drink (above) and taking a break during the photoshoot with Lucy
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Help at hand for hardpressed farmers Herefordshire now has a branch of the national charity, Farm Crisis Network, which will offer practical and pastoral support to farmers and farming families in the county. Through its local volunteers FCN can help anyone in the farming community suffering difficulties, before they become too much for them to bear alone.
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Charles Smith, the national chief executive of FCN said: “Farmers and those working in agriculture are three times more likely to take their own lives than members of the general population and many experience anxiety and stress which can be caused by all manner of issues relating to the farm business or household.” The county chairman, local farmer Andrew Bower, added: “The current year has unfortunately turned out to be an illustration of why farmers sometimes need the modern equivalent of a good neighbour.”
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“Bad weather, fluctuating prices, increases in input costs and the on-going dominance of supermarkets’ buying power all add pressure which cannot always be unloaded onto family, friends or staff. The ever growing regulations and paperwork from national and European governments can often be the straw that breaks the camel’s back,” he said. The Herefordshire branch was officially launched alongside the planting of the National Farmers Union’s Diamond Jubilee Spinney at the new Hereford Livestock Centre. Previously local volunteers worked with people in the county as the Herefordshire Rural Support Network. As a branch of the national body, the Herefordshire group will benefit from the strong relationships which FCN has built with key figures in the farming industry and professional support organisations. This will add greatly to the help available to Herefordshire farmers. Nick Read OBE, the Herefordshire county co-ordinator, said: “We’re building on the platform of the network which was launched in 2001, a week before the foot and mouth outbreak,” and he added: “The farming year has been tough with the weather events and the continuation of bovine TB in the county. The community is helped by having an organisation that understands farming and which is able to offer practical and emotional support.” FCN runs a national confidential helpline from 7am to 11pm every day of the year, staffed by a team of volunteers. Talking with someone who understands farming but is not directly involved in their situation can be a real support and, when appropriate, callers are offered a visit from an FCN volunteer. Helpline: 0845 367 9990 This service is confidential and free of charge. www.farmcrisisnetwork.org.uk
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A season for healing
The charity Children of Peace was founded in 2004 by Hereford man Richard Martin. It aims to build a future without conflict for Israeli and Palestinian children by building bridges between communities wherever possible. It is a non partisan, conflict resolution charity that refuses to take sides. “If you take sides” says Richard,” you are simply prolonging hatred and conflict. Caught up in the middle are the children.” As Chrsitmas focuses our attention on the ‘Holy Land’ Richard reflects for absolute on the charity’s inspiring work. In the depths of the Herefordshire winter, when the frosts harden the land, our thoughts turn to Christmas carols, turkey and gifts under the tree. For many of us – religious or secular Christmas is a time for children – a time of magic and enchantment - with decorations, Santa Claus, crackers, Nativity Plays and robins in a frosty garden. It’s a time when the three great religions – Christianity, Islam and Judaism – look to the Holy Land to celebrate important festivals inspired by the region, the cradle of the Abrahamic faiths. If Christmas always falls on 25th December within the Gregorian calendar, Muslims and Jews follow a lunar calendar so their festivals fall on different dates each year. The Jewish Festival of Hannukah starts on 8th December and the Muslim New Year – Al-Hijari and the holy day of Ashura - were both commemorated this November. Yet for children in the Holy Land, life is quite different from the world our children grow up in. Many are caught up in the seemingly endless conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians. Often the forgotten victims of a depressing cycle of random hostilities, many children experience serious mental and physical duress. Children in the West Bank suffer from high levels of childhood diabetes and one in ten are prone to stunted growth. In Gaza, this rises to one in three where 60% of the population are under the age of 16, with more than half of families living under the poverty line. In Israel, children in the south endure random, daily rocket attacks from Gaza. Many Israeli children suffer from anxiety and morbidity. No one is immune from the consequences of arbitrary violence The charity works with 145 groups in Gaza, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and the West Bank who have joined its unique network – known as the Coalition of Peace – that works to protect all children and young people in the region through projects and programmes in the arts, education, healthcare and sports. The charity has the active support of it’s patrons, Madonna and
Dame Judi Dench and enjoys worldwide support from leading public figures including Prime Minister David Cameron and Labour leader Ed Miliband We have provided funds for clinics in the West Bank, musical instruments for multicultural schools in the Galilee, heating and air conditioning for Palestinian Christian youth centres in Bethlehem, grants for eye operations in the West Bank, our annual Abir Aramin Bursary for Israeli and Palestinian girls in honour of Bassam Aramin’s daughter, school equipment in Gaza City and books for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. Herefordshire has played a key role in the success of Children of Peace with support from interns, volunteers and local Trustees. This has been an important year for the charity with one of its Goodwill Ambassadors, Sally Becker , carrying the Olympic flag at the Opening Ceremony of London 2012 and the successful visit in July by the Israeli-Palestinian Shani Choir to open the Hereford 2012 Three Choirs Festival Plus and their live performance on BBC Breakfast The Holy Land is a fascinating, diverse place. People are often unaware that 30% of Palestinians are Christians. Or that Bedouins serve in the Israeli army. Or that the descendants of ancient peoples still live in Israel and Palestine like the Samaritans,the Copts, the Circassians, the Druze and Assyrians. Or that Afro-American Christians, Jewish Ethiopians and 150 Siberian Eskimos are now Israeli citizens It’s a complex landscape and despite the challenge, it’s one worth taking. It’s at this festive time of year – in the season of peace and goodwill - that our thoughts turn to the plight of the children in the Holy Land – on both sides of the divide. You can donate to this great cause and find out more about the work of Children of Peace at: www.childrenofpeace.org.uk
Amid the heightened tensions and conflict in the region, which saw 150 Palestinians and five Israelis killed in the latest round of attacks, Richard Martin issued a renewed plea on behalf of Children of Peace. “All eyes are on the Middle East right now but every single day the children in Israel and Palestine suffer the enduring consequences of conflict,” he said. “It affects their health and their well-being. It’s a daily round of distress, anxiety and arbitrary violence. Every so often the conflict flares up into open hostilities and inevitably children pay the price. They are frightened and distressed and those not maimed or killed might lose a loved one or a friend. Let’s hope the latest ceasefire will hold. But there is much work to do to help the children. Please donate now and make a real difference.” www.childrenofpeace.org.uk/donate.html info@childrenofpeace.org.uk Charity No: 1112301
Big treat for small theatre lovers
A theatre festival for very young children has been a sell-out in Herefordshire. The KinderGardens festival was designed by Arts Alive to bring shows for under-7s to venues in the county and in neighbouring Shropshire. The final touring production, ‘Little Red You Know Who’ – based on a well-known fairy tale – will be staged at the St. Peter’s Centre in Peterchurch on December 1st and at the Conquest Theatre in Bromyard the following day. Sian Kerry, director of Arts Alive says: “It’s great that the KinderGardens shows are so popular and lovely to be able to bring the magic of professional live theatre to our youngest audiences and their families to share.”
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Eating D rinking around the County
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Time for new treats not just turkey
Welcome to absolute Herefordshire’s new food columnist Stuart Fletcher – the Fat Butcher. He runs an award winning shop in Leominster well-known for its meats and pies and, more recently, for its range of fish and shellfish. This month, he says, it may be Christmas but it doesn’t have to be turkey. Any butcher worth his salt will agree that customers should get as much value for their money as possible. When you buy a turkey crown, for example, you indirectly pay for the legs, even if you don’t have them. So you’ll pay £8/kg for a whole bird and £12/kg for a crown. Butchers will happily divide your bird into a crown and separate the legs, at no extra charge. The process takes seconds and the results can make a tasty meal of the legs, at a later date, keeping the family and your purse happy. Game is hugely popular this year, here at Drapers Lane Butchers and if you’re never tried it, maybe this should be your Christmas or New Year treat to yourself after the family go home. Pheasant, partridge and Guinea Fowl take about 90 minutes to cook. You’ll get plenty of meat and gravy juices and they’re delicious. Ducks and cockerels are perfect for 4 to 6 people, moist, easy to cook and such a nice change from turkey. Your butcher will be happy to offer you suggestions that have worked for others previously, to deliver the family interesting, tasty and healthy options that you can afford without taking out a second mortgage. The family will also think you’re wonderful (which of course you are!). This year I have a lot of people who are tending to shy away from poultry. There are a lot of good quality meats at lower prices, if, like many, you’re working on a tight budget. For example, rolled shoulder of free range pork can be found at around £5.50/ kg or £2.50/lb. If you ask your butcher for a cut like rolled back rib of beef, again at around £7.25/kg or £3.30/lb, it takes a little longer to roast but the result is s tunning, the gravy from the juices is to die for and you’ll have plenty of good meat for the Boxing Day fry up and cold cuts. Another good tip for a thrifty ham joint is to buy a corner gammon joint. The weight range of these is from 1.5 – 2.8kg or 3lb to just over 6lb and costs run from around £4.80/kg or £2.20/lb. Part boil the joint for 40 minutes, then remove the rind and bake for an hour with a bit of brown sugar and honey. All good butchers will advise you honestly what size joint or bird you need for your family and I am sure that all the county’s butchers will join me in wishing all their customers a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Stuart Fletcher - The Fat Butcher
Heads up for wine lovers Alan Kaye I am being approached more and more by people saying ‘I enjoy my wine but get headaches’. This can be a very difficult subject to approach, most people (as I used to) blame the banging in their head on the sulphites in the wine. Yes it is true – wine contains sulphites, it says so on the bottle! In wine, as in other foods, some sulphites are naturally present. In winemaking, manufactured sulphites are added to wine to prevent bacterial growth, to protect against oxidation and used to clean the winemaking equipment. But sulphites are present in lots of other foods. Do we ever blame our headaches on that bacon butty we had for breakfast? Some experts say that only one percent of the general population has a genuine allergy to sulphites (usually people with asthma or those on steroid medications). A
lot of research suggests that the headache culprits might be histamine, tyramine and other chemical substances that are naturally present in wine. So, what to drink? My advice from my own experiences would be that if you’re going for an inexpensive wine, try an Italian, Spanish or French. I don’t generally suffer from headaches from these. Only go for Chilean, Australian, and South African if you’re spending over £6. I have experienced headaches from just one glass of cheap examples of wine from these countries. And remember over-indulgence is the biggest cause of headaches! So enjoy your wine in moderation over Christmas. One bottle at a time! Ho! Ho! Ho! You can learn more from Alan at www.alkwines.co.uk
Love ‘em or hate ‘em let’s hear it for sprouts
The forerunners to modern Brussels sprouts were probably cultivated in ancient Rome but we now know them the vegetables were grown as early as the 13th century in what is now Belgium – hence the name. After those early days in Belgium, sprouts became very popular in the Netherlands in the 16th century and their use spread slowly from there, reaching us in the late eighteenth century. Some people now claim they are the UK’s most hated vegetable. We don’t think so and see them as one of the positive features of winter. Apparently, the off-putting sulphurous and cabbagey smell is a sign of overcooking. They should be boiled for 6 to 10 minutes only but test with the tip of a knife. They contain only 43 calories per 100 grams, are a good source of vitamins A and C and also contain sulforaphane, a chemical believed to have potent anti-cancer properties. Looking like baby cabbages the sprout buds are 2.5 to 4 cm in diameter and each stalk can pro-
duce between 1 and 1.5 kilos of the balls of strength. Like many winter vegetables sprouts are said to taste better or sweeter after a good frost. In Europe the largest producers are the Netherlands, at 82,000 metric tons, and Germany, at 10,000 tons. Most of the United States production is in California. Canada produces approximately 1,000 tons per year. But never mind all that – they taste good and they’re as much a part of Christmas as mistletoe and mince pies. Recipe ideas Traditionally for Christmas dinner they’re cooked with chestnuts as a side dish. Cook 1 kilo of Brussels Sprouts in boiling water for 6 minutes or steam for 10. In a frying pan add 6 rashers of chopped smoked bacon. When the fat runs, add the spouts and 200/250 grams of pre-cooked or vacuum packed chestnuts or use tinned ones. Antonio Carlucci suggests coating a dish of sprouts with a Béchamel sauce with added blue cheese. You’ll
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A classic city centre pub tucked away in a quiet corner of Church Street, Hereford. The Lichfield Vaults offers customers a traditional pub experience with wood burners and open fires to create a cosy and relaxing atmosphere. Serving up some of the finest pub food in Herefordshire.
need 700 gms of cooked sprouts with a pint of white sauce. Add 30 gms of Dolcelatte and 60 gms of parmesan. Pour the sauce over the sprouts and cook for 15 minutes in the oven. Gas mark 4/5 or 180C/350F. And – when you have sprouts left over – there’s always Bubble and Squeak. Mix 200-250 gms of sliced leftover sprouts with twice as much cooked mashed potato. Add one egg to the mixture and season. In a frying pan add a chopped onion to a small amount of oil or oil and butter until soft then add the potato and sprouts and mix well. Let it cook as a large cake and when it’s browned on the underside tip onto a plate and slide back into the pan on the other side. Serve in wedges. Topped with cheese when turned over, this can make a substantial non-meat meal. Or you can try adding some finely chopped smoked bacon. Serve with salad or other vegetables.
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Mother’s ruin now Herefordshire’s pride It was a William - William of Orange to be exact – who brought Gin to Britain in 1689. Now another William – Chase – is producing the first single estate English gin to be created in over 200 years. Williams Great British Extra Dry Gin – or “GB Gin” for short. - is created at the Chase Distillery featured in the November issue of absolute Herefordshire. It’s proving a hit with drinkers and bartenders here and has been very well received in export markets, especially in Spain, the world’s biggest consumer of gin. William (Chase not Orange) says: “We take our spirits very seriously and this is a very, very fine gin so that you can sip it neat but it’s also perfect for creating a well-balanced gin and tonic or a sweet martini.” Gin is enjoying a resurgence of popularity which, according to William Chase, is all about consumers drinking less but being more discerning about quality. “Gin was being shunned by a lot of people due to its provenance,” he explains. “Historically, it was a cheap product made from poor quality grain that couldn’t be used for anything else. Our success is because we’re a real distiller, not a large company churning out stuff made from low quality ingredients. We make it with love from our own distilled spirit made from potatoes grown, fermented, distilled and bottled on our family farm deep in the middle of England.”
DRAPERS LANE BUTCHERS —Licensed to deal in game— Free Range Welsh Mountain Turkey, Gressingham Geese, Barbary Ducks, & Dickindale Farm Cockerels
Leominster’s Only Game Dealer Fresh fish available through the festive season
Freshly delivered Wednesday-Saturday Our meat is locally sourced and prepared by Stuart and Kevin who have over 60 years of experience between them
Tel: 01568 613981 16 Drapers Lane, Leominster
Boeuf Bourguignon There are many variations of this classic French dish, ours is made rich and delicious with the addition of port and red wine. It is best made a day or so before serving to enhance and develop the flavours Serves 6 Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • • •
1.5 kg rib steak 60g Butter 2 tablespoons brandy 250g button mushrooms 200g baby onions 30g butter, extra 2 cups of dry red wine 1 cup port 1 cup water ½ cup tomato puree (canned) 2 bay leaves 2 tablespoons cornflour
Preparation method 1. Cut the steak into large cubes. Heat the butter in a large frying pan, add the steak to the pan in small quantities, cook stirring over heat until well browned all over. This will give the dish a good rich colour. Remove the steak as it is browned 2. Return the steak to the pan with the brandy, flame the brandy and remove the steak when the flame has subsided 3. Remove the stalks from the mushrooms, remove the outer skins from the onions and add them to the pan with the extra butter, stirring continuously for 2 minutes, then remove from the pan 4. Return the steak to the pan, add the wine and port, half the water, tomato puree and bay leaves. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour or until the steak is tender 5. Add the mushrooms and onions to the pan and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes 6. Stir in the blended cornflour and remaining water over the heat until it boils and thickens
Recipe supplied by Robin Bakewell of Gilbies Bar and Bistro. To try this dish please call ‘01432 277863’
Brewery begins with a bang Normally local pyrotechnics expert Alistair Wray passes November 5th up to his elbows in mud but this year he lit the blue touch paper on a new venture – Herefordshire’s newest real ale microbrewery. The traditional bangs and sparks (not to mention the mud) were replaced with hops and grains as Alistair opened the doors of The Mulberry Duck. The idea is born out of his love of real ale, craft beer and many years of successful home brewing. The step up came with Alistair’s discovery of a redundant milking parlour near Burghill and the purchase of a three and a half barrel brewery. The aim is to produce beer for local outlets and private orders from individuals who would like their own beer at home – “Made to order, brewed to remember,” as Alistair puts it. Beginning with a golden light ale, (3.6% alcohol) and an amber bitter (4.1%), he is now also taking orders for “Drake’s Progress” a stronger, dark winter ale recipe. In spite of the reputation of his home brew this is a step away from Alistair’s past roles. He is well known for his pyrotechnical abilities, having been responsible for many shows, locally and internationally, including The Ludlow Festival Finale every year. An engineer by trade, he has worked on projects from Top Gear Live to physiotherapy equipment for people with spinal injuries. Beer making, though, has always been a love so he’s hatched The Mulberry Duck. You can find out more at www.MulberryDuck.co.uk or email: MulberryDuck@aol.com
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Vibrant but relaxing place to meet and eat
My colleague Rachel and I visited Zane’s on a Thursday evening expecting it to be quiet, so we were surprised that so many people were eating and, as the night went on, the Cocktail bar filled up with groups of both sexes. The cocktails here are to die for, but as I was driving I had to limit myself to a Mocktail instead! The one I chose was Fantasia consisting of lime and lemon juice, sugar syrup, soda and topped up with lemonade creating a sharp refreshing taste. For those revellers out partying the list includes all the favourites Woo Woo, Cosmopolitan, Moscow Mule, June Bug plus a new one called Bramble – Bombay Sapphire gin, juice of a whole lemon with sugar syrup over crushed ice and topped with Cassis. Zane’s, like its sister restaurant Gigi’s, uses local produce where possible and Joe Williams and barman Will are always creating new and innovative ways of enjoying our local tipple! The menu is varied and tempting with warm breads served while you are waiting, a selection of starters priced around £6/£7 including meatballs, pate, and deep fried brie plus fishy calamari, prawns or whitebait. I picked the Classic Garlic and Thyme Mushrooms served with warm bread which were tasty and a great prelude to my main meal. Rachel preferred to wait and sample the desserts! The choice of mains is extensive with pasta, steaks and a large selection of fish dishes on offer. Tuesday night is Fish Night at Zane’s and diners can enjoy two fish dishes for £25 when normally they start at £12.75 and range up to fillet of salmon at £16.00. I picked the Trio of Fish Fillets featuring sea bass, tilapia and red mullet pan-fried and served with Lyonnaise potatoes and seasonal vegetables. This was delightfully presented and delicious as the fish fillets all have a delicate but different flavour and the potatoes were served in a stack which made them more unusual. Rachel chose the 8oz Fillet Steak which at £19.95 is the most expensive item on the menu, but was worth it for its melt in the mouth texture and taste. The chunky chips are fast becoming one of the most mentioned items on the web reviews for their crispness and
Rachel agreed. The accompaniments included mushrooms and sliced buttered onions rather than the usual battered onion rings. The menu has suggested wines to complement your meal or you can select from the wine list. To go with the fish dishes a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc or an estate bottled Chilean wine is recommended. The range of wines is mainly New World so a little experimentation is required. The wine list is helpfully divided into Vibrant and Fruity, Soft and Smooth, Floral and Zesty or Crisp and Clean to assist your choice. Rachel finished off her meal with a baked vanilla cheesecake served with vanilla ice-cream, which again was well presented and liberally laced with chocolate sauce. The baked cheesecake was more substantial than some with a good texture and flavour and eaten with relish! Zane’s caters for larger gatherings such as birthdays, anniversaries and even small wedding parties or just a table ‘ a deux’ The layout of the bistro lends itself to seating intimate groups and the bar area has plenty of comfy chairs and squidgy stools to accommodate the cocktail quaffing drinkers. The barmen can be seen concocting the numerous cocktails available and the whole establishment has a great atmosphere. The food is all cooked to order which makes service slower at busy times, but it is all high quality and worth the slightly longer wait. Lighter meals are served at lunchtimes and office workers will often call in after a hectic day to unwind with a drink. The whole place has a chilled yet vibrant feel and is well worth a visit to experience the cocktails and selection of superb fish dishes. ZANE WINE BAR & BISTRO 9-13 St Owens Street, Hereford HR1 2JB Telephone: 01432 266075 Website: www.zanewinebarandbistro.co.uk Words and picture by J M Twelvetree
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A little bit of the Baltic on the menu
Busy shoppers and diners in search of different delights can try a taste of the Baltic and dismiss any idea that eastern European food is dull or stodgy. Roland and Birute Koveckis opened Amber Coast in Eign Gate a little over a year ago with the aim of encouraging Herefordshire people to try a new experience. The restaurant is Lithuanian but the menu also owes much to neighbouring states Latvia and Estonia. Immigrant populations from those countries have contributed greatly to Lithuania’s dishes and there are similarities to Russian, Polish and even Scandinavian diets. Potatoes, mushrooms, beets, cabbages, apples and berries are some of the staples of the region along with dairy products, pickled vegetables and jellied fruits. Dishes incorporating these foods are very popular and soups, stews and roasts are enjoyed regularly. Bortsch from Lithuania is made from beets and buttermilk served cold with sour cream. It may be a little unusual for an English palate but it’s well worth a try. There are several different types of Bortsch, but this would be best when the weather is hot and not on a December day. Kisel, meanwhile, is a bit like the American Jello, a thickened fruit juice to which fruits and sour cream can be added, and an ideal light sweet to finish a meal. Amber Coast is the only Lithuanian Restaurant in Herefordshire and incorporates local produce in its menus. Roland and Birute say their main aim is to become a meeting place for all nationalities in the centre of Hereford where people can enjoy a drink or a meal attended by the friendly staff.
Some of the dishes have strange sounding names – Little Pigeon is made from cabbage leaves stuffed with mincemeat and rice, Zeppelins are potato dumplings with mincemeat stuffing served with bacon and sour cream – but you can also enjoy some good English cooking like pork chops, roast chicken and a fried breakfast. Amber Coast guarantees a friendly welcome so when you’ve tired of Christmas shopping why not pop in to try something different.
Blow away the winter cobwebs
You may still be looking forward to Christmas but for their latest walking suggestion Amanda and Phil Edwards of Stepping Beyond are already planning how to blow away the post-holiday cobwebs. The tree, decorations and wrapping have gone. The turkey with all the trimmings has been eaten and we may have taken too much of the seasonal cheer. After Christmas it is all too easy to just sit on the sofa and do nothing! But if you pull on your boots, gloves and scarf you can experience Herefordshire at its most wild and wintry. Banish the winter blues, wrap up and blow away the cobwebs. Burn off any seasonal excesses and walk off that Christmas pudding by heading for the stunning Herefordshire countryside with a walk across what feels like a proper rural wilderness especially at this time of year. Few sights better convey nature’s vastness than our awesome Herefordshire landscape with a subtle tapestry of greens, browns and golds brought to life by the slanting winter sun. Whether you want to simply enjoy the surroundings, get a little exercise or learn something new about Herefordshire there are walks that offer something for everyone. Winter in the county is really is stunning. The views are truly magnificent; crisp blue skies, burnt oranges and golden tones that simply take your breath away even more so when the leaves have fallen from the trees and the views open up. A ramble with family through this beautiful landscape using quiet footpaths to explore the rich tapestry of fields and woods or a New Years walk with friends can make a very sociable, interesting and enjoyable event. The shorter days of winter can often provide exhilarating walking, and the clear light on a crisp day can invigorate the senses in one of the last remaining rural idylls. Winter walking in Herefordshire can offer super views and quieter villages making it a really glorious time of year. After you walk why not reward yourself with a glass of warm mulled local cider or a well-deserved afternoon tea. As Christine Couch’s says in her poem The Importance of Walking “The scenery is beautiful, the peacefulness is best…it clears our minds and souls of everything, holistically recharging us with every step.” What a way to start the New Year!
Amanda & Phil Stepping Beyond – Walking in Herefordshire www.steppingbeyond.co.uk
Step into the House of Dance Sisters Emma Dolloway, of Body Language School of Dance, and Cindy Watts, of Dolloway Dancers, often find people get confused over who’s who so now they’ve decided to share the Mortimer Road Studios to provide Hereford with a House of Dance. The sisters, who admit they’re excited about their joint venture, will each still run separate classes but are likely to work on some projects together. Cindy founded Dolloway Dancers more than 20 years ago. She’s been dancing since the age of five and was taught by Marion Bayliss, learning many styles including freestyle disco, Latin, ballroom, old time and sequence dancing before becoming qualified with the International Dance Teachers Association. Cindy, a former Disco Dance Champion didn’t enjoy sport at school but excelled in dance and believes that for many people dance is a better option for keeping active and as a way of improving confidence, social skills, co-ordination and self-esteem. Emma followed in Cindy’s footsteps and shares her view of dance. Emma was a shy child, but dance helped her find a new confidence. She trained with Dolloway Dancers from a young age, taking part in displays in and around Hereford with her sister’s dance school until in 2005, she too became a qualified teacher with the International Dance Teachers Association. She studied A-level dance, Health and Social Care, Makaton (sign language) and spent time volunteering in different local schools, nurseries, SEN schools, elderly care homes and day centres to gain knowledge and experience of working with people in her local community. Emma is currently studying Dance Science. In 2006 she founded Body Language School of Dance providing various classes and dance opportunities for children and adults. She took on the studios in Mortimer Road this year as a base. As a celebration of all of the hard work that her dancers have done in the last year, Emma took some of them to audition for Britain’s Got Talent. Both dance schools provide classes for all ages in various styles. For Emma’s classes call Body Language on 07796496400. For Cindy’s classes please call Dolloway Dancers on 01432 275553. You can visit www.bodylanguagedance.co.uk and www.dollowaydancers.com for more details. With Christmas in mind both schools are offering Gift Packages so you can give a child, family member or friend the magic of dance lessons.
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absolute PET DIRECTORY
Brits to Spend £595 million on Christmas Presents for Pets
Christmas is coming. It is a time when we bring unusual plants into the house and there are lots of interesting unattended presents under the Christmas tree and it is a time when we see a higher risk of poisonings in dogs. Some are more dangerous than other.
DANGER!
Chocolate: we all love chocolate but it can be very toxic to dogs. Chocolate contains theobromine and can cause vomiting, excitability and heart arrhythmias . The darker the chocolate the more poisonous it is. A Labrador only needs to eat a small (50g) bar of dark chocolate to be potentially toxic, or half a 500g bar of milk chocolate. Vine fruit- raisins, grapes, very fruity fruit cake! Can cause kidney failure. If you find that your dog has eaten any of these then please contact your vet as soon as possible!
Generous Brits will shell out £595 million on gifts for their pampered pets this Christmas. Half of pet owners will buy their beloved family pet at least two presents this Christmas, spending an average of £26.53 in the process, according to research. The study of 2,000 Brits revealed animal lovers prioritise their furry friends over other family members at Christmas. Half splash out on presents for their pets compared to just over a quarter (29 per cent) who will buy their aunt or uncle a Christmas gift.
WARNING!
Ilex aquifolium (Holly)- the leaves and berries contain saponins. Chewing them can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and salivation within a couple of hours but severe signs are rare. Viscum Album (Mistletoe)- the berries leaves and stems can potentially be toxic again cause vomiting, diarrhoea , salivation and weakness within a couple of hours. If symptoms seem severe then contact your vet.
In fact, one in ten will treat their pooch or kitty to four or more presents this Christmas and spend over £50 – that’s the equivalent of 72 jumbo dog biscuits. Nothing is too good for the posh pets of Oxford with their owners spoiling them rotten with an average of £101.78 worth of treats. The animal-loving residents of Brighton & Hove spend over double the national average on presents for their pets. Duncan Jennings, co-founder of VoucherCodes.co.uk said: “They say a dog is man’s best friend and our research confirms just that, with Brits making their pets as much a part of Christmas Day as any other family member. “With many families planning to tighten their purse strings this festive season, savvy shoppers looking to pamper their pets for less should look out for the big deals and discounts we can expect to see appearing on pet products in the run up to Christmas.”
SAFE!
Remember there are lots of lovely treats and toys specially designed for your dogs. However even doggy treats in excess can cause an upset- so everything in moderation and we will all have a great Christmas! Happy Christmas!
Ailsa Main BVMS MRCVS Belmont Veterinary Centre
Adding a tingle to Christmas
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With Christmas in mind, our local historian Ruth E. Richardson turns her attention to a seasonal custom that has its roots in the 18th Century but which has become a part of life in Herefordshire villages only in the last 40 or so years.
Three children looked at each other. Families were asked to take a gift to church but they were poor. The eldest slowly picked up an orange. It was the best they had, kept for a special occasion. They cut off the green top and incerted a small candle. The youngest tied her red hair ribbon round it so it looked festive and the middle child added dried fruit on sticks. That’s the Christingle story and it sums up what is needed - an orange to represent the world, a red ribbon for God’s encompassing love, four sticks for the seasons, sweets or dried fruit for the earth’s bounty, and a lit candle for Jesus Christ as the light of the world. Christingle started among Moravian Christians, whose local churches include those in Leominster and Brockweir. In 1747 a bishop wanted to make Christmas meaningful for children. The idea was introduced to the Church of England in 1968, by The Children’s Society. Many churches now hold Christingle services, with a voluntary small collection, just before Christmas. TV advertises presents to buy, food, drink and jolly programmes to look forward to. These adverts emphasise happy family get-togethers over the holiday period ... but it isn’t like that for everyone. Christmas can bring sadness too, perhaps with memories of loved ones we no longer see. Many people are on their own. Many cannot afford to spend vast sums of money. It’s not so long ago that most children’s Christmas stockings had an orange, a sugar mouse and perhaps one gift. Even where families do spend time together, with no expense spared, there can be friction. Happy Christmasses are not certain...
Hereford Cathedral where different schools have made the figures for the Chistmas crib
Christmas is a mixture of traditions. With dark nights the oldest is a festival of light to ensure the sun returns to help new crops grow. Carols were originally popular songs often sung in medieval pubs. Today’s carol services are happy occasions, and may be sung outside around a decorated Christmas tree. You can also search out Christmas cribs in different churches. The one in Hereford Cathedral is fascinating as schools have made the figures. However, one of the best ways to enjoy the season is to go to a Christingle. A Christingle service is fun. As you go in you are given a Christingle to hold so immediately everyone is chatting and children are excited. The atmosphere is friendly and welcoming. Carols are sung, candles lit and the affect is magical if, as in some churches, electric lights are turned off for a few minutes. As children are involved, the service is short and early in the evening. So, if you don’t want to be out late on a winter’s night, or if you want to find the real spirit of Christmas (whatever your beliefs), or if you just want to experience the colour and magic of a child’s Christmas, why not go to a Christingle service? No obligation, no questions, just a happy half-hour or so. There will be a Christingle near you ... Happy Christmas from me.
Ruth E. Richardson www.blancheparry.com Christingle: photograph modelled for The Children’s Society © Laurence Dutton
To find out more about Christingle visit The Children’s Society’s website - www.childrenssociety.org.uk
Win Billy’s first big adventure
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Move over Thomas the Tank Engine there’s a new kid on the block Billy the Bus. Billy a big red Routemaster London bus is the creation of author Trevor Hawes and illustrator Heather Murray. Trevor says: “Back when I was a child, buses were a part of my everyday life and far more interesting than the new ones of today. They had open platforms and conductors, and if you were lucky enough to get the front seat you could sit just behind the driver watching him steer and change gears, whilst listening to the distinctive sound of the engine. The highlight of my summer holidays was not the chance to play on the beach, but the opportunity to spy unfamiliar buses.” Now that lifelong interest has become a new stage in Trevor’s career with the publication of ‘Billy the Bus and the Great Tour of London’, which sees Billy taking a group of children on a trip round some of the capital’s best-known sites. Now you can win a specially signed copy of Billy’s book. All you have to do is answer this question. In Billy’s first adventure he passes St. Paul’s Cathedral. How many buses like Billy stacked on top of each other would it take to be the same height as the top of the cathedral’s dome? Is it 15, 22 or 31? Send your answers, marked Billy the Bus competition, to PO Box 320, Hereford HR1 9JX or by e-mail to editor@absoluteherefordshire.co.uk and don’t forget to include your postal address. ‘Billy the Bus and the Great Tour of London’ is available from www.billythebus.co.uk
Ten green years
A county company dedicated to renewable energy has celebrated its 10th anniversary. Greenearth Energy, which installed its first solar hot water panel at Garway Hill in 2002, marked the occasion by sponsoring h.Energy Week, the county’s celebration of all things sustainable. Since that first step, Greenearth has fitted over 5MWp of solar panels around Herefordshire, Wales and the South West. From listed castles to village halls, churches and barns it’s installed more than 25,000 panels - enough to power 1000 houses. The company also supplies Solar PV, Solar Hot Water, Biomass, Heat Pumps and Wind Turbines. Its ‘whole house’ approach to renewable energy also includes rainwater harvesting, heat recovery and eco-electrics. During an h.Energy Week event at Treago Castle, Greenearth presented a cheque for £300 to Lady Mynors for Bods, an outdoor education and adventure charity set in 80 acres of ancient Herefordshire wood-
Lady Minors receives the cheque from Greenearth Energy director Dai Rees
land. The charity provides an extensive range of outdoor activities and courses which encourage people to enjoy the natural world and to realise their potential. Their aim is to challenge the way young people view their world, helping them re-connect with their environment so that they can become participating members of their local communities.
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ChistmasGADGETGiftguide Warmawear Rechargeable Heated Insoles With Remote Control Far-infrared heating element gently warms the toes and surrounding area, as these are the parts most susceptible to cold Insoles can remain warm for up to 8 hours, depending on selected temperature setting. This time can be dramatically increased by switching them on for short bursts Three heat settings, so you can select the temperature best for you Battery is incorporated into insole, Easy-to-use remote control keychain in order to switch on/off, or flick between heat settings www.primrose.co.uk
Price: £15.95
Street Fighter 2
Description: Take a trip back to old school gaming with this brilliant arcade machine. Featuring the classic Street Fighter 2 this game will entertain you and your guests for hours! If retro fighting is your thing, then this is the perfect addition to your games room! Price: £1295 www.beautifulmodernthing.com
HM Armed Forces Night Vision Binoculars
Powered by real night vision technology, HM Armed Forces Night Vision Binoculars are the real deal. With brand new Dual Eye Display... Invisible infrared illumination means you can see them, but they can’t see you, thanks to the built in sensitive optics and LCD screen. With two viewing modes for short and long range vision, Maxim Surveillance and Close Proximity Stealth, they will not want to wait for night to fall! Requires 5 x AA batteries (not included) - Suitable for ages 8+. Price: £69.95 www.GettingPersonal.co.uk
Dr Who Tardis Smartsafe The smart way to store your items! Unlock the safe via your smart device, including iPhone, iPod and Android devices. Choose your unique 4 digit code via the included app and change as often as you like. This safe brings the fun, lights and sounds of the Tardis to your desktop and with ample room inside you can store several personal belongings. Compatible with iOS and Android systems. Price: £29.99 Website: www.bunkerbound.com
Le Whif Chocolate Inhaler Introducing Le Whif, an inhaler about the size of a lipstick which is packed with tiny particles of milk chocolate. You simply inhale on Le Whif and a small amount of those tiny particles are absorbed onto your tongue and taste buds leaving your chocolate cravings suppressed. This really is the ultimate way to enjoy chocolate everyday without even a fleeting thought of “a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips!”. With Le Whif a guilt-ridden chocolate fix is now a thing of the past! how on earth does this work?! So now for the science bit. Well, scientists from Harvard University claim that a whiff or two can give you all the pleasure of chocolate without any of the guilt. They put their (very clever) heads together and came up with a brainy idea of using particle engineering to create chocolate that was small enough to be airbourne but too large to enter the lungs so it won’t do you any damage. That sounds pretty clever to us! Each Le Whif is fully biodegradable and allows for eight to ten puffs so that is plenty of puff to get your chocolate fix. It can be closed and reused as desired so don’t worry you don’t have to go inhaling the whole thing at once! This sure is a brand new approach to calming those cravings and with no calories how can we complain!! Contents:3 x Chocolate Inhalers Price: £4.95 www.prezzybox.com
Heavy Metal Nutcracker
Glow Gloves
Using the latest glow in the dark technology these excellent Glow Gloves look better and will glow in the dark for longer. Novaglow Glow Gloves look like normal white gloves use the latest glow in the dark (photoluminescent) technology and are both practical & fun. With the ability to recharge again & again the glow gloves just keep on glowing! White in the day & green glow at night Charges easily with sunlight or any household light Glow lasts for approx 2hrs Glows continuously under UV black light Will not ‘run out’ - re-charge again & again No batteries required! Generates no heat Machine-washable for easy care Comfortable, stretchy, flexible fabric for a perfect fit One size fits all ages 8+ . Price: £7.99 Website: www.glow.co.uk
Heavy Metal Nutcracker works simply by dropping the heavy stone ball down, cracking the nut waiting below. A design deliberately kept simple and very tactile to use, the Heavy Metal Nutcracker works on the principle of gravity. To use, just raise the large, smooth stone ball to the top of the U-brackets. Then let it fall, and feel a sense of satisfaction as you watch and hear is it crack open the nut, waiting on the base below. With its modern good looks and fun sense of purpose, Heavy Metal Nutcracker is the ideal accessory to keep on your coffee table and almost certain to be a conversation piece. Price: £34.99 www.mocha.uk.com
absoluteMOTORING
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Anyone got lots of money for the meter? Riversimple’s hydrogen car may still look a little strange as it goes through its tests on the Herefordshire – Shropshire border, but it’s the cost of the Rimac Concept One electric car that’s making eyes open wide elsewhere in Europe. The electric supercar built by a Croatian startup business costs a cool £640,000 – about the price of three Lamborghini Aventadors. It was unveiled in production trim at the Frankfurt Motor Show and made its UK debut this autumn at the Salon Privé event in Syon Park, London. It features an electric driveline with four sets of electric motors, placed at each wheel, which produce a combined output of 1,073hp (1,088PS) and peak torque of 1,600Nm (1,180
lb-ft). It can accelerate to 60mph from standstill in 2.8 seconds and has the ability to reach a top speed of 190 miles an hour. Its 92kWh battery provides a driving range of up to 373 miles. The Croatian company is run by 24-year-old Mate Rimac, who says: “We started with a blank sheet of paper. The idea was to create an exceptional supercar with a new propulsion concept. What we have here is a fully-fledged hypercar that is as powerful as a Bugatti, as stylish as a Ferrari, and as luxurious as a Mercedes, all while managing to forsake even the tiniest sip of gasoline.” He’s aiming to reach just 88 customers in 2013. Concept One will be the world’s fastest electric production car, a title currently held by the Tesla Roadster.
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My first car...
Mini was a winner
In the latest in our series, Hereford City Events Manager Shelagh Callaghan looks back fondly.
My first car was Winnie the Mini, a white 1000cc rust bucket, so named because I bought her (it, I suppose to be politically correct!) on Winston Churchill’s birthday, but not the same year I hasten to add! Winnie was a dream to drive and I loved her because up until then I had shared my husband’s car, so to suddenly get my own set of wheels was amazing. I would load her up with two small children – and it is quite surprising what kit you can fit into a tiny boot – and off we’d go for trips and jaunts. There were a few issues with her; she sounded like she had a Tornado engine under the bonnet and lacked a speedometer that worked. However, I knew that if she started to rattle I was going too fast, which was probably more effective than knowing I was exceeding 60mph. Unfortunately, old age caught up with her and she began to exhibit rather eccentric behaviour. For example I could drive her straight from the garage to work in -5 degrees and she was a dream, but leave her for more than five minutes in a car park and she wouldn’t budge. Then everyone went into auto-pilot, phone call to husband, waiting around stamping feet and blowing hands until he arrived with the jump leads and got her going. Thanks to Winnie I am an expert with the bump-start! Sadly though she met her demise in the great floods of 1990. I vaguely recollect seeing a flood warning sign on the road near Eardisland, and then wham, straight into a good meter of water. I managed to drive her
through, with the mantra – keep foot on gas, keep foot on gas –running through my head. She stuttered home, but the experience was too much for her and she died that night in the garage. We were all gutted – no more adventures with the wildly eccentric yet lovable rogue. We waved her good bye as she was towed away to the great scrap yard in the sky and I put the £60 towards my next car. Quite new, shiny and reliable - but nothing has ever compared to the sheer delight and unpredictability of Winnie!
Growing Mini family gets new Hereford home A specially designed Mini showroom and dealership is taking shape in Hereford just in time to welcome two new additions to the Mini family. The premises on Roman Road are being built by Cotswold Hereford who are promising they’ll be state of the art, incorporating bright tiling, warm lighting and, like the cars, refreshingly different. Since the re-launch of the iconic car, the range has grown and now includes hatch, convertible, coupé, Clubman and 4x4 Countryman models. The New Year will see two more added to the family. The Paceman is based on the five-door Countryman but with a lowered roof and three doors. It will be offered with all the engines and trims available on the Countryman and ALL4 four-wheel-drive will be standard. The sporty Paceman will also be around 20kg lighter than the equivalent Countryman. The production model made its European debut at the Paris Motorshow having been previewed in Detroit last year. UK sales will begin in 2013. Mini describes the new model as ‘the world’s first Sports Activity Coupé in the premium small and compact segment’. Quite soon after the appearance of the frist Mini in the 1960s, businesses demanded a versionn of the car with extra load capacity. That led to the creation of the original Morris MINI Van, which was designed for commercial use. Now, history will repeat itself with the introduction of the Mini Clubvan which promises to be a stylish way to transport goods. It’ll carry a 500 kilo load while the driver gets padded seats and the latest intuitive functional tech. It will be available in Pepper White, Ice Blue or Midnight Black
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Sport, speed and stars at twin car shows
CAR BODY REPAIR SPECIALIST Dents to complete Re-sprays Private & Insurance - FREE ESTIMATES
Here’s a diary date for speed fans and petrol heads – The Performance Car Show: Powered by PistonHeads.com, returns to the NEC in Birmingham on January 12th and 13th. Last year more than 80,000 visitors enjoyed the highpowered and exotic exhibits, including the McLaren MP412C, Ferrari 458 Italia, Porsche 911 GT3 and Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4.Tghis year they’ll be able to wander through the Hand Built British Sports Car Pavilion, featuring designs from the UK’s brightest engineering talent. Also returning for 2013 will be replica kit car manufacturer Hawk Cars and the Ariel Motor Company, which last year showcased its 500bhp Atom V8 that accelerates from 0-60mph in a jaw-dropping 2.3 seconds. The Performance Car Show: Powered by PistonHeads.com
Servicing and Repairs to most vehicles MOT Repair Work 119 Lower Bridge Street Leominster HR6 8EA
Tel: 01568 615324 or 07549 822 359
Safe Winter Motoring...
Snow and ice can cause serious driving problems as we saw in the UK in early January 2010. A little preparation can help reduce the risk of accidents and car Here are a number of hints and tips for safer winter motoring Car preparation : ensure that your car is in tip top condition. This includes checking the battery, tyres, fluid levels, radiator, belts and hoses. It may be worthwhile have your car serviced prior to winter. Anti freeze is especially important to prevent hoses and radiators freezing. Also make sure your battery is in good condition. Winter motoring takes alot out of the battery. Winter weather survival kit: This should include the following items - first aid kit, warning triangle, map,phone charger, tow rope, fuel can, Hi–Viz vest, spade, blanket, spare bulb kit, torch, jump leads and tool kit. It would also be worthwhile making sure you have warm clothes in the car. Always make sure you have a full tank of petrol.
Formula 1 presenter Jake Humphrey who’ll be at Autosport International at the NEC
runs alongside Autosport International, the world’s greatest motorsport show, with tickets providing access to both shows. Autosport International shows off cars and stars from the motorsport arena. This year’s celebrity line-up will include Sir Jackie Stewart, F1 star Paul Di Resta, BBC F1 anchor Jake Humphrey, two-time of Le Mans 24-hours winner Allan McNish, newly-crowned FIA World Touring Car Champion Rob Huff and MSA British Touring Car Champion Gordon Shedden. Adult tickets are available from £31 and children’s tickets priced at £20, including entry to Autosport International. For more information call 0844 581 1420 or visit www.pistonheads.com/show.
Winter driving Do not idle a cold engine for an extended period of time to defrost windows as it could cause damage to the engine. Also cars are being stolen whilst owners leave the engines running. Instead use ice scrapers and de-icer to clear windows. When planning a trip or any distance, plan your route ahead of time, check the weather forecasts and road conditions, and inform someone at your destination when you are due to arrive. Skidding is the greatest danger. Drive carefully, with smooth, gentle application of accelerator, steering and brakes. If the vehicle starts to skid, gently lift off the accelerator and steer in the direction of the skid. If the road has not been gritted, be wary of driving in the wheeltracks or other vehicles as compressed snow is likely to be more icy than undisturbed snow. Do not tail gate. Every year, there is a large number of vehicle accidents during the winter. One can reduce the chances of becoming a statistic by being prepared and practicing safe driving habits.
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Competition time...
WHERE IS IT? Last month’s mystery picture stumped many of our readers – but by no means all. Our winner, Yvonne Tipton, of Tupsley, Hereford was first out of the hat of those who recognised the building as the office over the gateway to the Bishop’s Palace in Hereford. In fact, the office has a fictional role as well as its reallife function. In the series of novels by Phil Rickman it serves as the base for his heroine Merrily Watkins. Congratulations to Yvonne who wins the £25 prize. For your chance to be a winner this month you’ll need to identify the wise pair in this month’s picture.send your entry to: absolute Herefordshire at PO Box 320, Hereford HR1 9JX or by e-mail to: editor@absoluteherefordshire.co.uk, putting ‘competition’ in the subject box. Good luck!
On top of our growing door-to-door distribution - a copy of
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can be collected from the following Herefordshire locations
absolute and finally... It seems those of us lucky enough to live in Herefordshire have yet another reason to celebrate – we’re in one of the best place to ensure we have an ideal work-life balance and that might explain our happiness levels on a new government scale. Research from leisure information website realbuzz.com shows that while nine out of ten of us of us would like more free time to spend on our hobbies, an increasing number of people are turning to ‘free’ activities – like walking and cycling - to ensure life’s not all work. And, of course, our county is an ideal spot for such pastimes. The study found that 38 per cent of respondents do not actually spend any money on their hobby or pastime and that’s triggered a resurgence of free hobbies with walking, cycling, jogging and (more gently) reading leading the way. It’s perhaps not surprising then that the recently published National Measure of Wellbeing records around three-quarters of people in the county gave a rating of seven to ten on an eleven point scale in answer to the question, “Overall, how happy did you feel yesterday?” That’s just over 2 per cent above the national average. Other factors in the national exercise – the first of its kind – show we’re also much less likely to feel anxious than people in other areas. Almost eight out of ten of Herefordshire people in the study also said they were generally satisfied with their life - again that’s higher than the national average.
• Allensmore Lock’s Garage • Bishops Frome Community Shop • Bodenham Post Office • Burghill Golf Club • Burley Gate Post Office • Canon Pyon Post Office • Clehonger Top Shop Store • Credenhill One Stop Store • Dinmore Visitor Centre • Eardisley Village Store • Ewyas Harold Village Store • Hereford Kings Acre Post Office, Old Eign Hill Post Office, Tupsley The Co-Op, Bobblestock Applestore Gallery Bridge Street The Antique Centre & Lizzie May Vintage Widemarsh St Cartridge World Bewell Street Mark & Spencer Food Hall • Kington Ashbys, High Street, Cloud 9 Fitness Centre, Kington Tourist Information • Kingstone Post Office • Ledbury - Ice Bytes Cafe & TIC, Ledbury Books & Maps, Ledbury News • Leominster Etnam News, TIC • Madley Whitehall Stores and Post Office • Mordiford Post Office and Store • Moreton-on-Lugg Moreton Village Store • Pembridge Ye Olde Steppes Village Shop • Pontrilas Post Office • Ross Heritage Centre & TIC, Truffles Deli • Tillington Village Store • Weobley The Old School Shop • Wormbridge Village Store • Wormelow Village Store