The
Free
Feb/Mar 17 Issue 74
connection magazine N WI 5! ÂŁ2
Inside this issue...
What’s On Fostering February Thai Curry Recipe Puzzles Book Reviews Health Finance Interiors
The Connection is delivered free to homes in Aldham, Fordham, Great Tey, Chappel, Wakes Colne, White Colne, Colne Engaine, Countess Cross, Pebmarsh, Earls Colne, Bures St Mary, Bures Hamlet, Mount Bures , Wormingford, West Bergholt, Eight Ash Green, Copford, Braiswick, Lexden, Coggeshall, Kelvedon and Feering. Also available in Halstead, Sudbury, Assington, Stoke by Nayland, Nayland, and Waitrose in Colchester.
www.theconnectionmagazine.co.uk
Reaching the heart of the community!
1
Purpose built for babies from three months, Baby Pippins is set in idyllic orchards and staffed by a qualified, caring team. At two years our babies progress to Pippins, our accredited Montessori nursery.
01787 228 567 2
or visit www.pippinsnursery.co.uk
Pippins White’s Farm Bures Road White Colne Colchester CO6 2QF
Please mention The Connection when responding to adverts
www.theconnectionmagazine.co.uk
3
CPS : a r c h i t e c t u r e + d e s i g n L t d residential and commercial designs F R E E D E S I G N C O N S U LTATI O N
t:01206 581019 ColchesterPlann
SARA ANTON
I N T E R I O R S t: 01206 210222
m: 07900 908788
www.saraantoninteriors.co.uk
4
Please mention The Connection when responding to adverts
Inside
Hello I love this time of year. The stress of Christmas is behind me and spring is just around the corner and it’s a time to look forward, plan ahead and maybe take up a new hobby or pastime. Saving money is usually the top of my list and if you’re the same, it might be worth checking out the Finance page, which is all about PPI. I know of two people close to me who decided to give it a go, not really knowing if they were actually entitled or not and were pleasantly surprised when they received a good payout. If getting fit was one of your New Years resolutions, you might like to put your efforts to good use and take part in the family friendly Comic Hero Run in March which is featured in the What’s On pages, all in aid of St Helena Hospice. If you’re looking for a new pastime you’ll find lots of other things to try in What’s On such as learning to draw or even Nordic walking. There are also talks, shows, concerts and for those of us who’ve decided life’s too short to be counting calories there’s an abundance of great food to be found at the local farmers markets too!
Sarah.
6 - Book Reviews 8 - Interiors 10 - Health 12 - Recipe 15 - 19 What’s On 22 - Notice Board 23 - Fostering February 24 - Gardening 26 - Crossword 27 - Sara Pascoe 28 - Finance 30 - Sudoku 32 - Codeword 34 - Spot the Difference 34 - Puzzle solutions 35 - Health 36 - Useful Numbers 37 - Country Mutters 38 - Index
Please get in touch if you want to advertise your business. Call me on: Editor and Publisher: Sarah Banks Editorial Assistant: Amanda Findley Contributors: Amanda Findley , Pippa Greenwood, Ann Haldon,Alison Runham and Katherine Sorrell. Advertising and Editorial: 01787 210701 / 07527 489847 Email: editor@theconnectionmagazine.co.uk Address: Applegarth, Whitestreet Green, Boxford, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 5JL
01787 210701
Competition winner
www.facebook.com/ TheConnectionMagazineColchester
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval systems or transmitted in any form - electronic, mechanical , photocopying, recording or otherwise - without the prior permission of the publisher.
£25 cash sudoku winner - Mr Bradley from Kelvedon
Next issue: April/May 2017 Publication date 23rd March 2017
or email: editor@theconnectionmagazine.co.uk
Advertise from £30 plus VAT
Deadline date for advertising: 10th March Delivered to over 20 villages www.theconnectionmagazine.co.uk Deadline date for What’s On entries : 10th March See map on page 38
5
Page Turners Spring may be just around the corner, but there’s still plenty of temptation to lock the cold, dark winter out and curl up with a book. From gripping psychological thrillers to folklore inspired tales, these books will keep you turning the pages late into the night. The Silkworm – Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) Private Investigator Cormoran Strike is back. This time he’s been asked to find a missing writer. But when the writer turns up dead, his wife, Cormoran’s client, comes under suspicion. Are the clues to the real killer hidden in the writer’s last, unpublished book? A gripping crime novel with echoes of hard-boiled American classics, The Silkworm has plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. The Bear and The Nightingale – Katherine Arden In the wilds of Russia, folklore and fairy tales do battle with the Church for the villagers’ hearts and minds. As an enigmatic young priest starts to turn his flock away from their centuriesold traditions, the spirit guardians of the homes lose their strength, and darkness threatens to take hold. The only one who might be able to save the villagers is the girl they’ve turned against. Lyrical and beautiful, The Bear and The Nightingale is captivating from the very first page. Hygge – Charlotte Abrahams The Danish concept of hygge has taken the UK by storm. From candlelight and snuggly
6
blankets, to dinner with friends, hygge is about wellbeing, cosiness and appreciating the little things. Charlotte Abrahams talks us through how she’s embraced a more ‘hyggelig’ way of life and what it’s meant for her. There are no hard rules, no demands to cut back on this or stop doing that, just a focus on being kinder to ourselves, celebrating the ordinary and enjoying a simpler life. The Girl Before – JP Delaney At first glance One Folgate Street seems like a renter’s dream. Emma certainly thinks so, as does Jane, several months later. But the minimalist house comes with some very strict rules, and as Jane learns of Emma’s death, she starts to wonder whether there’s a darker side to the landlord’s stipulations. A tense psychological thriller, The Girl Before looks set to become one of 2017’s most talked about books. The Phantom Tree – Nicola Cornick Alison is stuck in modern day Britain, hundreds of years after she was born. Mary is back in Tudor England. But only Mary can reveal what happened to Alison’s son all those years
ago. As Alison tries to follow the clues Mary left behind, she uncovers more than she was expecting. Historical fiction with a twist, this is a must for fans of Kate Morton and Barbara Erskine. The Lauras – Sara Taylor When Ma bundles 13 year old Alex out of bed and into the car one night, neither knows just how long their road trip is going to last. Ma takes Alex across America, revisiting the places that shaped her as she was growing up, from foster homes to semi-derelict squats. As their journey progresses, she tells Alex about the ‘Lauras’ – the girls and women who played key roles in her early life. Enthralling. Three Daughters of Eve - Elif Shafak Peri spent her childhood negotiating the distance between her parents. Now she acts the part of a dutiful, Turkish housewife. But when a half-forgotten photograph reminds her of long ago freedoms, Peri struggles to keep up the charade. She can’t help but look back to her days as a student in Oxford, the choices she made, the friends she left behind and the scandal that tore everything apart.
Please mention The Connection when responding to adverts
B E YO N D B E A U T Y
A L D H A M
OPEN MID FEBRUARY
New Road, Aldham, Colchester, Essex CO6 3PN T: 01206 809175 E: beyondbeautyaldham@outlook.com
www.beyondbeautyaldham.co.uk Your Veterinary Centre serving the local community
• The new name for exceptional veterinary care devoted to you and your pet • The most advanced stress free care for your pet • Latest technology for fast diagnosis and treatment • Easy access and spacious car park • Registration is quick and simple • All pets, young and old, are welcome • We have separate dog and cat waiting areas and wards
New Road, Aldham, Colchester, Essex CO6 3PN Tel: 01206 809199 www.aldhamvets.co.uk www.theconnectionmagazine.co.uk
7
Home & Interiors Playtime
By Katherine Sorrell
If you have space for a dedicated playroom, or can allocate a section of another room, you can keep toys contained and your children happy – and it’s a great opportunity for some imaginative decorating, says Katherine Sorrell. The key to designing a playroom is flexibility. Unless money and time are no object, frequent redecorating is simply impractical, so keep the basics plain and simple – neutral walls, floor and major items of furniture, with only the less expensive and easily changed items (such as blinds, cushions or storage boxes) themed to colours or characters. Start by considering the major
8
factors. Is the room just going to be a playroom, or will it double as a child’s bedroom, family dining room, adult living room or other? How much space do you have and what shape is it? Who will use it and how often? How old are your children? What are their likes and dislikes? What is your budget? Sketching a floor plan on graph paper will help, as you may need to include one or more beds (plus room for friends to sleep over), a desk, seating, a music system and clothes storage, as well as space for books, toys, games, art and craft activities – and, of course, free floor space in which to enjoy the above. Place and space The more space you can allocate to a playroom the better, as children love to be able to run, jump, hop and generally scoot around. Not to mention the storage requirements (see below). A light, bright room that doesn’t get too hot or too cold is ideal, preferably not too far from a toilet or from the kitchen or living room – it’s nice to be able
to keep an eye or ear on what they’re up to. Direct access to outside space would, again, be ideal. Rather than a bland, box-shaped room, a space with interesting nooks and crannies, perhaps even different floor levels (within reason), will feed the imagination. Design basics Floors should be non-slip, easily cleanable, hard-wearing and not too hard underfoot. Wooden or laminate boards plus a soft rug (with an anti-slip mat beneath), vinyl, linoleum, cork or rubber are all ideal. If you must have wall-to-wall carpet, go for an inexpensive one, perhaps with a texture or pattern that won’t show the dirt, and ask for it to be given a stain-resistant treatment before installation. When it comes to lighting, inset ceiling lights and high-up wall lights are better than floor or table lamps that could get in the way of games and be knocked over. That said, decorative lighting looks lovely, and if you choose one specifically designed for children, use the correct wattage of bulb and position it so that there are no trailing flexes, safety should not be a problem. You may choose to keep walls plain and direct all the interest towards furniture, lighting and accessories, or make them the focal point of the room, in the form of a specially painted mural. The latter looks gorgeous and a quick internet
Please mention The Connection when responding to adverts
search will produce plenty of companies that will create one for you, but be careful that it won’t date. The alternative is to use framed pictures (your child’s own, maybe), removable stickers, or perhaps something more inventive such as artists’ canvases painted in bright blocks of colour, a camouflage net, flags, maps, blackboard or magnetic paint, or an entire wall of good-looking storage. Furniture and fun When furnishing a playroom you can let your imagination run riot, but bear in mind that floor cushions and bean bags are probably a better idea than miniature children’s sofas and chairs, which are quickly outgrown. Storage Always ensure that toys are easily accessible, not stuck on
high shelves or stacked in inaccessible towers. Cheap and colourful plastic tubs are ideal for many toys, while Lego, plastic people, farmyard animals and other small things can go in appropriately sized storage boxes. Depending on your child’s interests, you may also need storage/display space for elaborate railway or racing tracks, craft activities, pretend kitchens and shops, teddies, dolls and action figures and, for older kids, technology such as laptops and tablets. Last of all don’t forget peg rails, hooks
and hanging fabric organisers – all invaluable space savers. Ziel in Earls Colne stock padded bags with applique decoration and also small cases and peg rails. All ideal for storage solutions.
Ziel Design F O R
L I V I N G
Fabrics Wallpaper Bespoke Curtains Blinds Soft Furnishings Upholstery Distinctive Lamps Home & Garden Gifts
Images courtesy of Sanderson
The Old Forge, 39 High Street, Earls Colne CO6 2PA Tel: 01787 222989 • Monday - Saturday 10am - 5pm zielearlscolne • www.zieldesign.co.uk
www.theconnectionmagazine.co.uk
9
Health
By Alison Runham www.alison.runham.co.uk
Eating Disorders Awareness Week - 27th February to 5th March
Eating disorders affect over 725,000 people in the UK and one in five of those most seriously affected die prematurely through suicide or physical consequences. That’s why it’s essential we’re all aware of the dangers of eating disorders and our susceptibility to them. Forget the stereotypical teenage girl starving herself. There are several different eating disorders that can affect people of any age, gender or ethnicity. What Causes Eating Disorders? Often, it’s a combination of genetic, psychological, environmental, social and biological factors. Risk factors are: • Bereavement or abuse. • Being criticised about weight, body shape or eating habits. • Intense stress. • Family history of addiction, depression or eating disorders. • Pressure to be slim from themselves, society or a career/ hobby, e.g. dancing, sports. • Underlying issues such as anxiety, low self-esteem, perfectionism or obsessive personality. • Relationship issues. Types of Eating Disorder Anorexia Nervosa Around 1 in 250 women and 1 in 2,000 men will experience anorexia, becoming preoccupied with weighing as little as possible via excessive exercise and/or
10
starving themselves. It usually develops at age 16 or 17 but sometimes, as young as 7. Bulimia Bulimia sufferers alternate between binge eating and purging by inducing vomiting or using laxatives, and 90% are female. It’s more common than anorexia and usually develops at around 18 or 19. Binge eating disorder (BED) BED affects around 5% of adults, compelling them to eat large amounts of food very rapidly. It affects both sexes equally, usually developing between 30 and 40 years old. Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS) Some people may have some but not all of the symptoms of a specific eating disorder, so they receive an EDNOS diagnosis. Diagnosis and Treatment Doctors and healthcare professionals use internationally agreed criteria to diagnose eating disorders, normally using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) or International Classification of Diseases (ICD). They ask patients about their weight, self-image and relationship with food. But how do you know someone needs to be referred for diagnosis? Often, people with eating disorders will be in denial or try to hide symptoms, but they may: • Skip meals or claim they’ve already eaten/will eat when they’re out. • Only eat tiny/low-calorie meals. • Claim they’re fat when they’re a healthy weight/underweight. • Repeatedly weigh themselves/ study themselves in the mirror. • Cook large family meals yet eat little themselves. • Refuse to eat in public or
become stressed when they do. • Use ‘pro-anorexia’ websites. If you suspect you or someone else has an eating disorder, get professional help immediately. Rapid treatment makes full recovery more likely and minimises the impact on the patient’s body and life. However, recovery can be lengthy and, like the disorders themselves, complex. Physical health is monitored while the disorder’s underlying causes are treated. This may involve: • Self-help books. • Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), aiming to change thinking and in turn, behaviour. • Interpersonal psychotherapy: a talking therapy focusing on relationship issues. • Dietary counselling. • Psychodynamic therapy or cognitive analytic therapy (CAT), focusing on how personality and life experiences influence thoughts and behaviour. • Family therapy, considering the eating disorder’s effects on them and their family. • Medication: often SSRI antidepressants (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). Support and More Information: Beat (Beat Eating Disorders) www.b-eat.co.uk/ For over-18s/those concerned about a child: 0345 634 1414 help@b-eat.co.uk For under-18s: Youth Helpline 0345 634 7650 fyp@b-eat.co.uk Colchester and Tendring Youth Enquiry Service supports young people by providing a safe confidential environment and will guide you to access the exact help you need. You can contact them by calling 01206 710771, by emailing info@colchesteryes. org.uk or visiting www. yesyouthenquiryservice.org
Please mention The Connection when responding to adverts
R
ICKSU HAIRDRESSING LTD
Look Striking 25% off colour sale 14th February till 4th March
Permanent colours, semi-permanent colours, highlights and lowlights, offer available when you have cutting and styling at regular prices.
Book online at www.ricksu.co.uk 45 Church Street, Coggeshall 01376 562160
Sports Massage
Back, Neck & Head Massage
90 mins
£60
60 mins
£40
40 mins
£35
Leg Massage (Ideal for athletes) 40 mins
£35
Relaxation Massage 60 mins
54 High Street, Earls Colne 01787 224437
£40
40 mins
£35
Physiotherapy IA
£45
Follow-up
£40
Osteopathy IA
£50
Follow-up
£40
For all bookings please call Amy on 07718 284278 or email evergreenclinics2010@gmail.com www.theconnectionmagazine.co.uk
11
Thai Green Curry Serves 4
Ready in 35 minutes
This classic curry is great for a mid-week family supper – it’s quick to make and tastes delicious!
Ingredients: • 200g Thai jasmine rice • 1 tbsp sunflower oil • 1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced • 2 tbsp Thai green curry paste • 1 large red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced • 1 large courgette, sliced • 450g chicken breast fillets, cut into chunks
Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes until no longer pink, stirring all the time. Pour in the coconut milk and simmer gently for 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Stir in the soy and fish sauces and lime juice.
• 1 tbsp soy sauce • 1 tbsp fish sauce
TIP
• Squeeze of lime juice • 2 tsp nigella seeds
e
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onion for 5 minutes. Stir in the curry paste and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in the pepper and courgette and fry for a further minute.
Drain the rice and use a small heatproof cup or bowl to make four mounds of rice on warmed serving plates. Sprinkle the nigella seeds on top and spoon the curry on the side.
• 400ml can coconut milk
12
Cook the rice in a large pan of boiling, lightly salted water for about 15 minutes until tender, or follow the packet instructions.
Add a handful of freshly chopped coriander leaves to the curry at the end of cooking time, if liked. Or for a spicier flavour, garnish with shredded red chilli pepper.
ee
Please mention The Connection when responding to adverts
Happy Christmas!
STEAMED UP DOUBLE GLAZING? Don’t Replace The Frames... Just The Panes! Cloudy2Clear Are A ...
Which? Trusted Trader
All Glazing Backed By Our
25 YEAR GUARANTEE Priority Freephone
0800 61 21118 www.cloudy2clear.com
Broken Or Damaged Windows? Faulty Locks, Handles, Hinges?
THE ULTIMATE COOKING EXPERIENCE DESERVES THE BEST CARE
e
Aga Cooker Specialists Neal Rowland serv icing | r epair s conversions | mo vin g
01206 736060 | 07788 115831
e
agaovenservice.co.uk
www.theconnectionmagazine.co.uk
e
e
Thank you for supporting our village businesses!
13
Dementia UK invites everyone to make Time for a Cuppa. Tea parties will raise vital funds to help families face dementia
Anyone with questions or concerns about dementia can also call the Admiral Nurses Direct Helpline, open seven days a week, on 0800 888 6678.
Dementia UK is preparing for Time for a Cuppa week 2017, from March 1st to March 8th. People across the UK are invited to throw a tea party for friends, family and neighbours, to help raise funds for more much-needed Admiral Nurses. These dementia nurses provide the specialist help that families need - offering clinical, practical and emotional support to the carers of people with dementia and their families, ensuring they do not have to face it alone. Everyone who registers for Time for a Cuppa will receive a free party pack, crammed full of ideas, games, fundraising tips and promotional materials to help organise a tea party. Register at www.timeforacuppa.org or call 020 7697 4052. Dr. Hilda Hayo, Chief Admiral Nurse at Dementia UK said: “Living with dementia can be a hard and lonely experience. Our Admiral Nurses work together with families to come up with the practical solutions they need to live more positively with dementia each and every day. Time for a Cuppa tea parties help us fundraise for more much-needed Admiral Nurses, while giving people a lovely excuse to get together with the people they care about. We’re so grateful to everyone who holds one.” There are currently 184 Admiral Nurses working across England, Scotland and Wales, with a target to have 200 in place by the end of March 2017. Dementia UK’s mission is to eventually provide everyone caring for someone with dementia with access to an Admiral Nurse.
14
Please mention The Connection when responding to adverts
What’s On General The Bazaar at the Minories At The Minories, High St, Colchester Saturday 4th February 11.00am – 4.00pm A monthly market run by local designers, makers, artists and food producers from around Colchester. Every first Saturday of the month from February.
Comic Hero Run At Colchester Castle Park Sunday 19th March 10.00am – 3.30pm Unleash your superpower for St Helena Hospice! This family-friendly fundraising event will see hundreds of people dressed as comic book characters and superheroes or TV/ film character taking part in a fun run. Routes: 1k including a buggy dash (open to all); 5k (from age 5+), or a 10k (from age 16+). Adults (age 16+): 10k £20/ 5k £15/ 1k £5. Children (age 5 - 15): 5k £8/ 1k £5. Tots (age 4 and under): Free. Family rate 2 adults/2 children or 1 adult/3 children: £38. Register to take part at sthelenahospice.org. uk/comic17 or for more information email events@ sthelenahospice.org.uk or call 01206 931468.
Gee Vaucher – An Introspective At Firstsite, Colchester Now until 19th February. Gee Vaucher is an internationally renowned political artist living in Essex. She is best known for her ‘radical creativity’, montages and iconic artwork for the infamous anarcho-pacifist band Crass. Employing an eclectic range of styles and techniques, coupled with an essentially DIY aesthetic, she creates powerful images exploring political, cultural and personal issues. She sees her work as a tool for social change. This retrospective survey of Vaucher’s work is her premier in the UK, bringing together for the first time a comprehensive collection of her paintings, collages, prints, photographs, videos and sculptures as well as installation work and rare archive material. Free entry. For more information please visit: www.firstsite.uk/ whats-on/gee-vaucher-introspective/
preserve and erase history. This exhibition features ‘Evaders’, a two channel film and series of photographs which trace the journey used by the German-Jewish writer and philosopher, Walter Benjamin on his ill-fated journey in 1940 to escape Nazi-occupied France across the Pyrenees. For more information please call 01206 873184, email info@artexchange.org.uk or visit www.artexchange.org.uk
Dedham Arts Group Exhibition and Sale of Paintings At Colchester Library, Trinity Square, Colchester Monday 6th – Thursday 30th March 10.00am – 5.00pm each day except Sundays 1.00pm – 4.00pm An opportunity to see an exciting display of paintings by this enthusiastic and versatile group. For more information, please visit www. dedhamartsgroup.com
Wormingford Recreation Trust Community Coffee Morning At Wormingford Village Hall Saturday 18th March 10.00am – 12.30pm Bacon rolls, homemade cakes, tea/coffee. Free entry, all welcome.
Colchester Samaritans Book Fair & Coffee Mornings At Walsingham Road Community Hall, Walsingham Road, Colchester CO2 7BN Saturday 25th February and Saturday 25th March 10.00am – 2.00pm Samaritans Book Fairs have become ‘must attend’ events for book lovers with lots of varied books for sale. Also refreshments available and homemade cakes for sale. Colouring table for children. Free entry.
Nordic Walking: Group Sessions We are handmade Spring Craft Fair
At Coggeshall Village Hall, Coggeshall, CO6 1HU Saturday 25th March Ori Gehrsht: 10.30am – 4.30pm Evaders At Church Hall, Bear This fair will be the Street, Nayland CO6 4HY At Art Exchange perfect place to get University of Essex Saturday 25th March. some lovely handmade Wivenhoe Park Visitors 10.00am, cards, decorations Colchester CO4 3SQ entry free. Exhibits and gifts for Easter, or 8.15am – 9.00am. a last minute unique Now until Saturday gift for Mother’s Day. 18th February Enjoy the displays of spring flowers and relax Stalls include jewellery, Photographer and video with refreshments. Cakes ceramics, wood-turned artist Ori Gersht turns his on sale & raffle. More items, cards, soaps, textile lens on sites of collective information and schedules gifts and home-wares trauma, violence and loss, www.theconnectionmagazine.co.uk from 01206 262022 and much more. A full list examining the power of or www.naylandhortsoc.org.uk time and landscape to of makers will be on www.
Spring Flower Show
wearehandmade.co.uk nearer the event. There will be textile demonstrations by Norah Stocker from Fantasia Textiles. Norah runs a range of workshops and classes from her Coggeshall studio, including City & Guilds courses. Visitors can sit down and enjoy some delicious homemade cakes with a cup of tea, all served in lovely vintage style crockery, courtesy of Plum Fairy who will be running the tearoom. Free entry. Further information at www.wearehandmade.co.uk
At Highwoods Country Park, Colchester Every Wednesday 10.00 – 11.00am Nordic Walking is a unique form of exercise that benefits everybody, from those with medical problems to the super fit. In partnership with Kardia Health and Wellbeing. High Woods has become the first Nordic Walking Trail. Free entry. Walkers do need
What’s On continued 15 over page
What’s On to have taken the Learn to Nordic walk lessons before hand. Details of these and up and coming Taster sessions website www.nordicwalkingnortheastessex. co.uk. or Call Penny on 07711 133567 or visit www.colchester.gov.uk/countrypark
Music Colchester Symphony Orchestra – Viennese Classics At St Botolph’s Church, Colchester Saturday 25th March 7.30pm Mozart Symphony no. 39 in Eb; Haydn Trumpet Concerto with soloist, John Jermy and Beethoven Symphony no. 6 ‘The Pastoral.’ Tickets are £14, concession £12, student £3, under 17 admitted free and are available on the door or may be reserved in advance by ‘phoning 01206 271128 Please see www. colchestersymphonyorchestra. org.uk or www.facebook.com/ colchestersymphonyorchestra for further information.
Church Grove, Aldham, Colchester, CO6 3SA
Colchester Organ Society At Alderman Blaxill School, Paxman Avenue, Shrub End, Colchester On the first Friday of each month 7.45pm - 10.15pm Live keyboard concerts with music to suit all tastes, featuring top musicians from around the country. Friday 3rd February AGM followed by John Cooper Friday 3rd March Pete Shaw £4 members, £6 non members. Refreshments and raffle. Ample parking inside school grounds. Free entry for two non members upon production of this advert. Contact Alan Pilgrim on 01787 269458 or email alanwpilgrim@tiscali. co.uk for further details.
Fate, Love and Legends: University of Essex Choir At Ivor Crewe Lecture Hall, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ Saturday 4th February 7.00pm Holst: Choral Hymns from Rig Veda (Set no.3), Britten: The Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard, Grainger: 3 Folk song arrangements, The Lost Lady Found, I’m Seventeen come Sunday, Shallow Brown, Brahms: 4 Quartets (Opus 92), Stenhammar: Vårnatt. Tickets £6- £22 from 07989 839743 or www. universityofessexchoir.org/
open 7.00pm for 7.30pm start. Refreshments (wine, beer, soft drinks, tea and coffee) will be available before the film starts and during the interval. Tickets £3.50 per adult and £2 per child. You can now reserve your seat online at www. leavenheath.org.uk or please call Lesley 01206 262505 or Ken 01206 263266 for tickets. Saturday 4th February ‘Bridget Jones Baby’ (15) Starring Renee Zellweger, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth. Bridget’s focus on single life and her career is interrupted when she finds herself pregnant, but with one hitch… she can only be fifty percent sure of the identity of her baby’s father. Saturday 4th March ‘Ethel and Ernest (PG) Starring Pam Ferris, Jim Broadbent and Roger Allam. This hand drawn animated film, based on the award winning graphic novel by Raymond Briggs, is an intimate and affectionate depiction of the life and times of his parents, two ordinary Londoners living through extraordinary events.
honest and unflinching as she expounds on sexuality, empathy, art, God and pubic hair. Recommended 15+. All Tickets £12 from www.colchesterartscentre. com or 01206 500900.
Dedham Players Spring 2017 Production - “God of Carnage” At The Assembly Rooms, Dedham Wednesday 26th – Saturday 29th April Adults can often be far more childish than their offspring! Two very different couples meet for the first time to discuss their respective sons’ playground brawl, As their manners start to disintegrate, chaos ensues! Look out for our main advert nearer the time (tickets when available from www.dedhamplayers.org or Shakespeare House Gallery, Dedham).
Things for Children Arts La Olam presents Room to Move
At Colchester Arts Centre Sunday 12th, Monday Drama and 13th and Tuesday 14th February Dance At St. Nicolas Church, 3 days of African and Sara Pascoe: Chipping Hill, Chinese Music workshops Animal Witham CM8 2JS at 3 different venues across At Colchester Arts Centre Colchester Town with a Saturday 11th sharing performance on 24th March 7.30pm March 7.30pm the last day at Colchester for 8.00pm Beethoven Egmont Arts Centre. Swirling Sara Pascoe is an Overture, Handel Organ ribbons, harp string animal. After publishing Concerto and Parry melodies, drumming, a book exploring the Symphony no. 3 (English). strumming and singing. evolution of the female Ticket Prices for adults and Discover West African body, Sara now considers seniors £10, under 16’s and Chinese Music in a Cinema further issues - will £3. Ticket price includes fun creative way with pornography lead to our interval drink. Programmes super musicians Sefo Leavenheath extinction? Are humans £1. Tickets are available Kanuteh, Ling Peng, Hilary Village Hall naturally bad? How do on the door or via our box Cornell and Josh Doughty. Digital Cinema we become better? Do office on 01206 - 210933 Participants attending all 3 or from cpo-boxoffice@ At Leavenheath Village Hall, we really have to die? and days can achieve nationally 16 Please mention The Connection when responding to adverts gulp, should she have a bigfoot.com or by writing Wrights Way, (signposted recognised Arts Award baby? As always Sara is from the High Road)Doors to The CPO Box Office, 9 Discover. To find out more
Colne Philharmonic Orchestra Concert
What’s On about Arts awards please visit www.artsaward.org.uk. Most suitable for ages 5 17. Please bring a packed lunch each day. £18 for all 3 days. For more information please call Daisy on 07990 802 776 or visit www. la-olam.com. Book tickets from www.colchesterartscentre. com or 01206 500900.
Essex Book Festival Events: Young Essex Story Creation: Portals, Games and Secrets At Firstsite, Colchester Sunday 5th March 11.00am - 1.00pm Stories are easier to write than you may think. To make a great story you don’t need to be good at spelling or literacy, you just need an imagination and a sense of fun. Through a games workshop author D J Cattrell and illustrator Doug Smith teach you how easy it really is to write stories, revealing small and useful secrets that you can use now and for the rest of your life. They will show how illustrations can lift a story and give you a template that will help you to make your stories stand out from the crowd! Tickets £5 from Firstsite on 01206 713700
Style and Spoken Word Workshop: Leading to a Performance showcase
We will use drama and performance techniques, creative writing and poetry, movement and breath, the odd dance step and most of all your imagination and unique style. You have the opportunity to showcase your creative work to an audience. Let’s play! Free but booking essential (via Eventbrite). Suitable for 13-16 year olds. For a full list of Essex Book Festival events please visit www.essexbookfestival.org.uk
Talks, Courses and Workshops Katharina Luther. Nun. Rebel. Wife. At Paycockes House, West Street, Coggeshall CO6 1NS. Thursday 16th March 7.30pm - 9.00pm When a runaway nun marries the rebellious former monk Martin Luther there is mixed reaction. Discover the events that shook Europe 500 years ago in Wittenberg, as witnessed by a woman who was there, in the very eye of the storm. Anne Boileau tells the story, reads extracts from her novel and is happy to answer questions. Light refreshments, £7 entrance. Booking advisable by calling 01376 561305, 07813 593023 or email lizzie. dunford@nationaltrust.org.uk
Art Tuition
Register your interest at studio@suepownallartist.co.uk Quote CONNECTION to get the offer price of £65.
At the Victoria Inn, North Station Road, CO1 18.30-20.30pm. £2 to participate plus please buy a drink from the pub.
18th March Sketch Meet Wildlife in the Garden At Church Hall, Bear Street, Nayland CO6 4HY. Tuesday 21st March 7.30pm for 7.45pm Barry Kaufmann Wright will be giving an illustrated talk on ‘Wildlife in the Garden’. For more information please call 01206 262022 or visit www.naylandhortsoc.org.uk
Colchester Sketchers Untutored Sketching Opportunities Colchester Sketchers have sketch meets in and around Colchester, at a different location each time for on-location observational sketching. Everyone welcome, all ages and experience. Bring sketchbooks and pencils, paints, crayons etc. There is £2 fee to participate and some venues may have an entrance fee. A DrinkDraw involves an evening in a pub, sketching whatever takes our fancy. Our drinks, each other, the pub but still observational sketches. Turn up when you can, leave when you like. Please buy a drink to support the establishment.
Drawing Basics for Adults At Firstsite, Colchester Tutored 2-hour classes Saturday 4th March by professional artist 12.30pm – 2.00pm 11th Feb Sue Pownall. With Monika-Akila Richards, Sketch Meet Covers mark making, You are invited to take part shading, and simple At Natural History in a unique Style & Spoken perspective in pencil Museum Colchester Word workshop. Do you over 5 weeks. CO1, 2-4pm have a favourite item of clothing or object you Would suit beginners Entry free £2 to participate. love? A hat, a key ring or and improvers. Starts www.theconnectionmagazine.co.uk 22nd Feb book – bring them along! in May on Thursday Let them speak for you. DrinkDraw afternoons in Colchester.
At Asda Café, Colchester CO4 5TU. 10-12 noon. £2 to participate.
30th March DrinkDraw At the Queen Street Brew House. CO1 18.30-20.30pm. £2 to participate plus please buy a drink from the pub. For more information please contact studio@ suepownallartist.co.uk
Wormingford Talks At Wormingford Community Education Centre, Church Lane, Wormingford CO6 3AZ Friday 10th February 7.00pm for 7.30pm
‘Katharina Luther, Nun, Rebel, Wife.’ Polly Clarke (who writes under the name of Anne Boileau) will appear as Katharina Luther and read from her recently published book on the life of this fascinating woman. Katharina was sent to a convent as a child, but after secretly reading the revolutionary writings of Martin Luther, escaped to the secular world of 16th century Wittenberg, where after a range of romances, privations and difficulties, she married Martin Luther, much to the consternation of the established church. Even then her life was not
What’s On continued 17 over page
What’s On easy with near miscarriage, shortages of money and later widowhood to deal with. Come and enjoy an insight into the life of this amazing woman, nun, rebel, wife, and see how her situation resonates with ours today. Tickets £5 including a glass of wine or soft drink.
Essex Book Festival Events Hidden Stories: place and memory in the Essex landscape At The Minories, Colchester Saturday 4th March 2.00pm – 3.30pm Ken Worpole, Alan Hockett and Judith Wolton offer a presentation in words and images of work arising from their interest in where we live, its changes, dereliction and re-enchantment. Free, but booking recommended - Book via Eventbrite at bit.ly/HiddenStories
Writing the Place At Firstsite, Colchester Saturday 4th March 3.45pm – 5.00pm Essex-based Polish poet Wioletta Greg talks her about her wonderful memoir Swallowing Mercury, our writer-inresidence Sarah Perry discusses The Essex Serpent, and poet Philip Terry share insights into
his new volume Quennets, which will take us from Berlin to the Essex Estuary. Tickets £7 from Firstsite on 01206 713700
Walking the Roman Wall At Firstsite, Colchester Sunday 5th March 10.00am – 12.30pm Essex-based writers Ruth Raymer and Chris McCully take you on a literary journey following Colchester’s Roman Wall. An adventure for the curious, Ruth and Chris will tell stories and contemplate and question this ancient structure as they go, with the aim to develop a range of short writings about the wall, and about walking and exploring. Tickets £5 from Firstsite on 01206 713700
Essex Girls, Witches and Strange Magic At Colchester Castle Sunday 5th March 12.30 – 1.45 With author Syd Moore. Tickets £7, £5 from The Mercury Theatre on 01206 573948 For a full list of Essex Book Festival events please visit www.essexbookfestival.org.uk
Talks at Colchester Archaeological Trust At Colchester Roman Circus Centre, Roman Circus Walk, Colchester CO2 7GZ
Feature your not for profit, village, community or charity events FREE OF CHARGE in our What’s On pages by emailing your listing to info@theconnectionmagazine.co.uk
The Mildenhall Treasure & Fine Dining Monday 6th February 7.30pm A talk by Richard Hobbs, Curator, Romano-British Collections Roman Britain Department: Prehistory and Europe.
Colchester’s giant Roman monumental arcade
Contact Justine Paul 07704 627973
Colchester Farmers Market The Arts Centre, Colchester Friday 3rd February and Friday 3rd March at 9.30am - 12.30pm Contact Rowley Castiglione 01206 367776
Wivenhoe Farmers Market
Monday 27th February 7.30pm A talk by Philip Crummy, Colchester Archaeological Trust. Tickets: Members £2, nonmembers £4, students £1. For more information please call Anna Moore on 01621 860217, email annaemoore@btinternet.com or visit caguk.net/talks/
Congregational Hall, Wivenhoe
Farmers Markets
Friday 24th February and Friday 31st March at 9.30am - 2.00pm
Please note that some dates may be liable to change so for more information contact individual markets for details.
Contact Justine Paul 07704 627973
Lavenham Farmers Market
At Long Melford Village Memorial Hall
At The Village Hall, Lavenham Sunday 26th February and Sunday 26th March at 10.00am - 1.30pm
Saturday 18th February and Saturday 18th March at 10.00am - 1.00pm
Saturday 18th February and Saturday 18th March at 9.30am - 12.30 Contact Rowley Castiglione 01206 367776
Sudbury Farmers Market At St Peters Church, Sudbury
Long Melford Farmers Market
Contact Daryl Turner 07780 258202
The Connection has listed all the events in What’s On in good faith. We cannot accept responsibility for inaccuracies, changes to events or cancellations. It might be advisable to check with venues before attendance.
Next issue: April/May 2017 - published 23rd March
Deadline date for entries in the next issue 10th March 2017
We also welcome details of slimming groups, keep 18 Please mention The Connection when responding to adverts fit classes, language courses, farmers markets, boot sales and regular clubs, groups and societies. www.facebook.com/TheConnectionMagazineColchester
Chappel Winter Beer Festival Chappel & Wakes Colne Station, Chappel, Essex. CO6 2DS
Fri 3rd & Sat 4th March 11:00 to 23:00 on both days Come along to the atmospheric Chappel Goods Shed, and visit the famous Chappel Real Ale Festival’s little brother. With over 60 real ales as well as a selection of real Cider and Perries you’re sure of finding something to chase the winter blues away. There will be live music on both evenings as well as light bites to eat. Please see the website for ticket and price details. Remember that due to previous years popularity Friday night admission (after 17:30) is by advance ticket only to avoid overcrowding. www.chappelbeerfestival.org.uk/winter
ChappelBeerFestivals @ChappelBeer The Chappel Beer Festival is organised by the Essex branches of CAMRA as a fund raising event on behalf of the East Anglian Railway Museum (EARM). www.theconnectionmagazine.co.uk 19
We love our conservatories BUT...
SOLO & Sons TOTAL HOME IMPROVEMENTS
BEFORE
AFTER
BUT now there’s a NEW option! Why not CONVERT your conservatory into a fully functional living space? Perhaps you’ve been toying with the idea of having an extension? Then HERE’S the PERFECT SOLUTION from SOLO & SONS as it’s 25%+ more cost effective to both build and maintain... Super strong & lightweight • 25 year guarantee Tried & tested in Australia & USA in extreme weather Incredible ‘above regulation’ U-values 100% bespoke to suit your every need Large variation of both internal and external finishes Solo & Sons are the first company in Essex to fit and specialise in this brand new conversion system.
BEFORE
AFTER
• You will only ever deal with a family member from your initial enquiry to completed installation • Full product range available to suit all budgets • Established family run business with over 50 years experience in the building trade • 10 year insurance backed guarantee www.soloandsons.co.uk
01206 242438 07860 765467
DAY &THOMPSON
BUILDING SERVICES
Renovation Loft Conversions Garden Rooms Bathroom Refits Driveways Fencing & Gates
Extensions Conservatory’s Kitchen Refurbs Windows Patios Fully Insured
For a Quote & Quality Service
01376 563055 07850 239373 20
Please mention The Connection when responding to adverts
www.theconnectionmagazine.co.uk
21
Notice Board Colchester Timebank
Timebanking is a flexible way of volunteering by offering your skills to help others. The time you give can be ‘banked’ and then exchanged to get help for yourself or someone else. The exchanges of time can be varied - practical skills such as DIY or gardening, sewing, learning a new language or playing scrabble with someone and sharing a cup of tea - and are a fantastic way of pooling resources, expertise and experiences. Our monthly meetings take place on the last Saturday of every month and are a chance to meet new people, learn something new or have some fun. New members always welcome – please call 01206 505250 or email timebank@ccvs.org for more information.
The Big Schools’ Birdwatch
Tens of thousands of schoolchildren across the UK will be swapping books for binoculars this term to take part in the UK’s biggest schools wildlife survey. The RSPB’s Big Schools’ Birdwatch 2017 takes place during the first half of the spring term and helps children discover the wonderful wildlife they share their school grounds with, whilst providing a helpful insight into which species are thriving or declining. To register to take part in the 2017 RSPB Big Schools’ Birdwatch, which takes place now until 17th February visit rspb.org.uk/schoolswatch – everything schools need to take part is available to download from the RSPB website.
22
The Bazaar at the Minories
The Waiting Room Bazaar has found a new home at the Minories Galleries! The fantastic Bazaar is a monthly market run by local designers, makers, artists and food producers from around Colchester. Over the past year it has become a regular and much-loved part of the Waiting Room community at St Botolph’s in Colchester. The Waiting Room project came to a close on New Year’s Eve but the Bazaar will continue on at its close neighbour, the Minories Galleries. The local community and visitors to the town are invited to shop, feast, and enjoy great live music whilst interacting with local makers and taking the opportunity to stock up their cupboards with the very best that Colchester and our surrounding areas have to offer. There will also be opportunities to sign up for workshops and artist-led sessions that will run alongside the Bazaar. The Bazaar will run on the first Saturday of the month, 11.00am – 4.00pm starting from Saturday 4th February.
Share the joys of your garden for St Helena Hospice
If you enjoy gardening and would love the chance to share the fruits of your hard work with friends and family, your neighbours, or members of your community, then you may like to hold an Open Garden event in aid of St Helena Hospice.
April and September; and simply collect any donations from visitors on the day. There are many ways to raise even more funds at your event such as selling plants, garden produce and crafts, or serving tea and cake – each Open Garden is unique! St Helena Hospice can provide you with collection pots, posters and tips on promoting your event, and can advertise your event on the hospice website and social media if you decide to have a public event. To register your Open Garden event, or if you would like more information, please email fundraising@sthelenahospice. org.uk or telephone the community fundraising team on 01206 931468. All the public events will be added to sthelenahospice.org.uk/ opengardens17 as they are announced.
Magazine Distributors Required
Like walking? Get paid to exercise! We are looking for adult, mobile distributors for the Feering area. Please register your interest by emailing;
editor@theconnectionmagazine. co.uk
It’s free and easy to get involved. Decide if you want to open up your garden just to people you know or to your whole community; pick your own day and time any time between
Please mention The Connection when responding to adverts
Fostering February 2017 Fostering February is a campaign aiming to raise awareness about what foster caring involves, alongside dispelling some of the myths and misconceptions which surrounds it. No matter where you are in the country, there is someone near you making a difference to children and young people’s lives by offering them the love and everyday human needs they deserve- things which most of us take for granted.
So why couldn’t it be you? Fostering February is all about learning more about the facts and becoming properly informed on how to become a foster carer; for example, did you know you don’t need to own your own home or be married to become a foster carer? If you are thinking about life as a foster carer, the campaign takes time to answer your questions, and pushes to find out if you could make an amazing difference on a young person’s passage to adulthood. If you think you could make a difference, come along to our information events throughout the month across the country - and ‘Talk To Us’ https://www.facebook.com/fosteringfebruary www.fostercarers.com
www.theconnectionmagazine.co.uk
23
How To Hedge by Pippa Greenwood
There is nothing better than a living boundary around or within your garden, and it is difficult to beat a hedge. Hedges can be smart or informal, neat and compact or thicker and sturdier, evergreen or deciduous and can even have pretty flowers - and now is an ideal time to plant a new hedge. First, prepare the area by forking the soil over thoroughly and remove large stones, debris and pernicious weeds. This also helps to break up any compaction and to aerate the soil, making it a better place for plant roots. You should fork in well-rotted garden compost, manure or proprietary compost if the soil is either very sandy and light or very heavy with clay, and at the same time incorporate a complete fertilizer. Don’t plant right up against an existing fence, as the plants won’t grow well. At this time of year you can create a hedge very effectively using ‘bare-root’ plants, but if you want to plant a hedge at any other time you will need container-grown plants. If using pot-grown plants, water them thoroughly and then carefully remove each plant from its pot. If the roots are tightly packed, tease them out firmly before planting. If you’re using bare-root plants, plant them
24
immediately. It is essential to plant and space the plants correctly, to both achieve the desired effect and ensure the plants establish well. Once out of the pot, position the plant in the prepared soil at the same depth as it was in the pot; for bare-root plants only the roots should be beneath the soil. Firm the soil around each so that it is in good contact with the roots. Hedging plants should generally be spaced about 30-45cm apart. For a thicker or denser hedge, plant two parallel rows, each with a 45cm spacing between the plants, but positioned so that the planting is staggered like bricks in a wall. Once the whole hedge is planted, water the soil thoroughly to help settle the soil around the roots and so allow the plants to establish. On windy sites or with larger plants use small, temporary stakes such as bamboo canes to stabilise the plants. Keep the hedge well watered, especially during dry or windy weather. The first 18 months is the most vital period. Some great hedging plants: • Yew - a formal, evergreen hedge. • Thuja - a stunning conifer hedge for year round colour.
• Beech - a deciduous plant that gives a good effect for much of the year. Both purple and green-leafed forms. • Hornbeam - great as a neatly clipped hedge, but more prone to mildew than beech. • Cypress – excellent if kept well clipped and cut back regularly. • Pyracantha - spiny evergreen with pretty creamy-white flowers and red-orange or yellow berries. • Privet - the classic town hedge. • Euonymus - evergreen, some variegated green and cream, others green and yellow. • Hawthorn - deciduous and potentially thorny, good for wildlife. • Blackthorn - deciduous and very thorny, with pretty white flowers followed by sloes – but can easily get too vigorous! Visit Pippa’s website www. pippagreenwood.com to buy gorgeous UK grown vegetable plants accompanied by weekly advice emails from Pippa, or to peruse the really useful selection of Pippa’s favourite gardening items including pop-up crop covers, SpeedHoes, SpeedWeeders, raised bed kits, Nemaslug, pull-out EasyTunnels, signed books and lots more besides.
Please mention The Connection when responding to adverts
www.treetopservices.net info@treetopservices.net
An established Arborist & Tree Surgery Company based on the Essex/Suffolk borders FULLY INSURED AND N.P.T.C. QUALIFIED Tree Felling, Reductions, Pollarding, Thinning Crown Cleaning and Hedge Trimming Tom has over 15 years experience working as a professional arborist. Please call Tom Veater regarding any enquiries or for a free quote
Tel: 07758 305742 or 01787 267986
%6F /DQGVFDSH *DUGHQ 'HVLJQ
'HVLJQHU 6SHFLDOLVLQJ LQ *DUGHQ 'HVLJQ 3ODQWLQJ 3ODQV ,QLWLDO &RQVXOWDWLRQ 7KURXJK WR &RPSOHWLRQ 3RUWIROLR $YDLODEOH 0DLQWHQDQFH 2QH RII RU UHJXODU *UDVV +HGJH FXWWLQJ 7XUILQJ 3ODQWLQJ *DUGHQ &OHDUDQFH 3DWKV 3DWLRV
ZZZ QHLOZRRGOH\GHVLJQV FR XN 'D\WLPH (YHQLQJV www.theconnectionmagazine.co.uk
25
Quick Crossword Across 7. Stylish (13) 8. Talking (8) 9. Remove (4) 10. Soaked (7) 12. Attacks with knife (5) 14. Crawled (5) 16. Scratched (7) 19. Female sheep (4) 20. Ten hundred (8) 22. Support (13) Down 1. Wealthy (4) 2. Sculpture (6) 3. Motors (7) 4. Protrude (5) 5. Accompany (6) 6. Achievable (8) 11. Slinging (8) 13. Dicken’s character (7)
26
15. Type of gun (6) 17. Presume (6)
18. Mixes (5) 21. Zero (4)
Please mention The Connection when responding to adverts
2016 was a big year for Sara Pascoe - ‘Animal’ is her biggest tour yet, and coincided with the publication of her first book of the same name. So, what can we expect from her two beastly creations?
Is ‘Animal’ the stand-up show very different from ‘Animal’ the book? ‘Yes, they’re sort of two halves. The book came first and deals with evolution and humans beings as animals – particular female humans as animals – but after writing it I realised there were lots of other areas that I hadn’t been able to touch in the book that I have now mined for the show.’
The show covers a big range of topics, from evolution and Oedipus to Lewisham wildlife and Jason Donovan. How easy is it to mix such a range of subjects? ‘It’s about trying to find light and shade in things. The unspoken theme of the show is how we empathise with other people. So it’s dealing with that, but with really silly stories in between.’
Do you feel, as your audience grows, that you have a responsibility to use your platform to educate? ‘It’s tempting, because you want to feel like you’re a really good person. But you have to be careful how you do it. I have to remind myself that I am a comic, I’m not a politician, I didn’t say, “Oh, hey guys, I’m going to sort everything out for you and it’ll be perfect.” At the end of the day, sometimes it’s just trying to be funny.’
What made you decide to try stand-up? ‘It wasn’t a decision. I thought stand-up was really stupid. I had done open mic nights with my guitar, and I’d done spoken word nights with poetry; I was trying everything in order not to shrivel up. I went to watch a friend do standup and I thought absolutely everyone was terrible. I hadn’t
realised that you could take words up on a piece of paper, I thought all stand-up was improvised. So when I saw all these skinny boys with pads in their hands being rubbish I thought: Oh, I can do that. So I started it very arrogantly. But I did a standup gig and it was like: Oh, now I know what my whole life has been leading to, every job I’d done, it all made sense.’
After stand-up, acting and writing, is there anything else you’d like to try? ‘Professional gymnast! No, but I do think about things. I’ve been thinking about “Strictly Come Dancing” recently.’
Have you been offered it? ‘No, not “Strictly”. I was offered “Tumble”. Not the same. I watched the last series of “Strictly” and I loved it so much, but I thought: I’m not having my teeth whitened and being fake tanned, and I’m not wearing dresses! One of the great things about comedy is it bleeds out to everything else; people think you’re qualified for things that you’re not. But I think it’s more of the same for me rather than diversifying. Unless it’s “Strictly Come Dancing”.’
You’ve also said that stand-up has made you happy. How so? ‘Firstly, it’s given me all of my friends. People say, “It’s so important to have friends outside of your job.” I don’t. I only have comedian friends – I love their work and I love that they understand my life. But also stand-up is a form of self-improvement, if you choose to use it that way. You use it to work yourself out and to forgive yourself. It’s a form of self-acceptance. So that’s why it’s made me very, very happy.’ Sara Pascoe is on tour with ‘Animal’, March 10 2017 to April 29 2017. ‘Animal: An Autobiography of the Female Body’ is published by Faber in paperback in March 2017.
Sara Pascoe is playing at Colchester Arts Centre on March 24th.
www.theconnectionmagazine.co.uk
27
Finance It may not be too late to make a claim for Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) By Ann Haldon • They told you the loan would be more expensive if you didn’t sign up for PPI.
According to ‘Which?’ the banks have written to 5.5 million customers, letting them know they might have been mis-sold PPI and offering three years in which to make a claim. Although some of these letters were sent in 2013, people are still successfully claiming PPI from banks and other lenders. A potential final deadline of June 2019 has also been announced by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). If this is confirmed, it offers plenty of time to write to lenders and recover the money that should never have been taken from you. Could you have been missold PPI? PPI could have been mis-sold to you in a number of ways, including these scenarios: • You were pressured by the salesperson, or told it was compulsory. • You were self-employed, unemployed, or retired when the policy was taken out. • You had a pre-existing medical problem. • A clear explanation was not given of how much PPI you were going to pay, or if it was included in the total loan quote. • You already had cover in place within another policy – life insurance, for example. • You were not informed of the ‘cooling-off’ period.
28
Contacting the lender If you no longer have your loan agreement, write to or phone the company concerned. Many larger financial organisations will be able to tell you over the phone whether or not you’ve been sold Payment Protection Insurance. You can also request a copy of your original agreement. Some companies can deal with your entire claim by phone, or online. The Financial Ombudsman Service also has an online questionnaire, and allows you to upload any supporting documents. Otherwise, you should print it off and sent it by recorded delivery after taking a copy for yourself. When the company replies You receive a positive response Regular premiums Credit cards and mortgages generally had a regular PPI premium attached, rather than one single premium. If this was the case, you should receive a refund for the premiums paid. If interest had been added, this amount should also be refunded. Single premiums Single PPI premiums were often paid in relation to personal loans and finance agreements. How much you receive depends on whether the loan is still in force: • If your loan is ongoing, the lender will calculate the monthly amount you should have been paying (minus the PPI), and this will be deducted from the total amount
outstanding. • If the loan has been repaid in full, you’ll receive a refund for the amounts you paid. The lender should also calculate a new redemption figure as though the PPI had never been paid, and repay the difference between this and the amount you actually repaid on redemption. If the claim is rejected Should there be no response from the lender within eight weeks, they reject your claim, or you are unhappy with the refunded amount, you can contact the Financial Ombudsman Service for a decision. This must be done within six months of the lender’s final response to you. It may take up to two years to reach a decision, and any interim offers made by the lender will be forwarded to you. If you’re not happy with the final outcome, you can request that an official ombudsman reviews your case for a second opinion. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ business-36950803
http://www.moneysavingexpert. com/reclaim/ppi-loaninsurance#how
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/ money/cardsloans/article1606455/Reclaim-PPI-premiumspayment-protection-insurance. html
https://www.fca.org.uk/consumers/ payment-protection-insurance/ claim-mis-sold-ppi http://www.which.co.uk/consumerrights/advice/i-think-ive-been-missold-ppi-what-should-i-do http://www.which.co.uk/consumerrights/advice/how-to-reclaim-missold-ppi
Please mention The Connection when responding to adverts
CREPPING HALL LIVERY YARD WAKES COLNE, CO6 2AL
• DIY liveries to a range of service packages offered by full time groom • Summer/winter paddocks, range of loose boxes, Manege • Private estatefor summer riding • Adjoins East Anglian Farm Rides
All enquiries 07803 893807 or 01206 240345
COLCHESTER FOOT CLINIC
REGISTERED CHIROPODISTS & PODIATRISTS Anglian Podiatry Ltd, 292 Ipswich Road, Colchester, ESSEX CO4 0ES
Tel: 01206 854300
www.colchesterfootclinic.co.uk
MANNINGTREE OSTEOPATHIC CLINIC Exchange House 22 South Street Manningtree CO11 1BG
DEDHAM DOCTORS SURGERY Manningtree Road Dedham CO7 6DU
WIVENHOE OSTEOPATHY CLINIC Bacon & Associates 20 The Avenue Wivenhoe CO7 9AH
SYNERGY HEALTH CENTRE Hillcrest House The Street Hatfield Peverel CM3 2DL
TUESDAY 9.00 am – 1.00 pm
WEDNESDAY 2.00 pm – 6.00 pm
THURSDAY 3.00 pm – 7.00 pm
SATURDAY 9.30 am – 1.00 pm
SATURDAY 9.00 am – 12.30 pm
Please contact the receptionist here for more details, or to make an appointment, call us on 01206 854300 www.theconnectionmagazine.co.uk
29
Sudoku Competition
How to play
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3 x 3 box contains the digits 1 to 9, with no repetition! That’s all there is to it. You solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic - there’s no maths involved and no adding up.
WIN £25 Fill in and cut out and send to: Sarah Banks, The Connection, Applegarth, Whitestreet Green Boxford, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 5JL The first correct entry out of the hat will win the prize.
Closing date 10th March 2017
RO B B R E W E R Tree Surgery Landscaping Hedge trimming Fencing NPTC Qualified Fully Insured 01206 210209 07583 953576 rbtreeservices@hotmail.com
30
Please mention The Connection when responding to adverts
Property and Garden Maintenance Colchester Workhorse Paul Richardson
Property
Garden
Colchester Workhorse Paul Richardson
Gardening Grass Cutting Tree Topping Hedge Cutting Small Garden Walls Fish Ponds Sand & Ballast Deliveries HGV Tractor Driving
Lawn Mowers Serviced Including Ride-on Mowers Collection Service Available
FREE QUOTATIONS - SMALL JOBS WELCOME - FRIENDLY SERVICE
Tel: 01206 241530 Mob: 07889 805839
Brick & Block Work Rendering - Welding Punctures Mended Concreting - Fencing 3 Tonne mini-digger plus driver now available!
Tel: 01206 241530 Mob: 07889 805839
AR COOK PEST CONTROL
• Landscaping • Construc�on • Maintenance Based in Mount Bures, we work throughout Essex and Suffolk in all areas of hard and so� landscaping. Any size job welcome, call Mark for your free, personal quote.
Hedge and Tree Plan�ng Fencing and Gate Installa�on Brick Walls and Pa�os Tree Felling and Pruning Turf Laying and Decking
www.richardsonlandscapes.co.uk 01787 228292
07742 696766
Lakes Landscapes Small, friendly and reliable business. Garden design and maintenance.
Call Stuart on 07701302366 Architectural Design & Measured Surveying
WWW.CLOCKWORKLIME.COM Studio@clockworklime.com
01787 221 486
Small Bales of Wheat & Barley Straw (2016) Good condition please phone 07770397799
Rats • Mice • Wasps • All small insects Bird and Rabbit proofing Fully insured • 25 years in pest control No VAT • No call out charge
Ask for Arthur
Golden Acre, Rectory Road, Copford, Colchester, Essex, CO6 1DJ
T: 01206 211106 M: 07802 821537
Member of the National Pest Technician Association
Indoor Winter Storage Ideal for Caravans, Cars and Boats etc. Very competitive rates
Tel: 07770 397799
MDJ Landscapes Contract Grasscutting & Care, Hedging, Rotavating, Fencing, Turfing, Powerwashing, Weed control and all Grounds Maintenance
FREE ESTIMATES from Mark on 01787 220 396 07908 722 884
www.theconnectionmagazine.co.uk
31
Codeword Each letter in this puzzle is represented by a different number between 1 and 26. The codes for three letters are shown. Once you have filled these throughout the grid you can start guessing words and reveal other letters. As you find the letters enter them in the box below.
Non caustic Biodegradable products Fully Insured Trading standards approved and all technicians are CRB checked Trading since 2005
C J Wynn Tree Services Professional tree work from a qualified and fully insured tree surgeon � All forms of pruning � � Tree and stump removal � � Hedge trimming, reductions and removal � � Tree planting �
For a free quote or any enquiries please call Chris on 07704 572982 or 01787 223120 wynn_j_chris@yahoo.co.uk 32
We clean all makes of cookers inc. Aga’s, Ranges, Rayburn, Microwaves, BBQ, also clean Extractor Fans and Hobs, Fridges, Freezers and Dishwashers. Clean includes shelves, loose panels, grill pans and roasting trays supplied with the oven. We dismantle and clean inside the glass on your oven doors, remove and clean behind control knobs (where possible). We also carry some spares such as hinges and door seals and carry replacement lamps to suit most ovens.
Contact Essex Ovencleaners
Telephone: 01245 451 003 Mobile: 07816 762 869 Email: info@essexovencleaners.co.uk
Please mention The Connection when responding to adverts
COMBAT PESTS LTD RATS - MOLES - WASPS MICE - ANTS - FLEAS Pests cause 20 Years Disease & Experience Destruction DOMESTIC - COMMERCIAL - INDUSTRIAL
Free Estimates
East Anglia's Premier Pest Control Company
For all your pest control problems
Call 24 hour
01206 213738 Head Office: 22 Windmill Court, London Road, Copford, Colchester, CO6 1LH
Lady Interior Decorator 20 years experience Does your home need decorating, but you have no time to do it?
Ring Alison Walters 01787 221937 Good Work/Quick & Tidy Colour & Design advice available
www.theconnectionmagazine.co.uk
33
Spot the Difference
There are ten differences - can you find them?
Puzzle Solutions Codeword
Spot the Difference
Crossword
34
1.Egg on floor 2.Box colour changed 3.Ear missing 4.Glass colour 5.Rabbit mouth 6.Fork missing 7.Egg colour 8.Paper gone 9.Wheel hub 10.Nose Colour
Luxury Private Hire Swimming Pool
for your exclusive and regular use
swimming pool White Colne, Colchester CO6 2QF t 01787 227 064 e pool@whites-farm.co.uk
www.whitesfarmswimmingpool.com
Please mention The Connection when responding to adverts
Health
By Alison Runham www.alison.runham.co.uk
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month BRCA2, which also increase breast cancer risk.
Previous breast cancer doubles the risk, and pushes it even higher if you were diagnosed before age 40.
Around 7,300 UK women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer annually and less than half are alive 5 years later. Yet early diagnosis can increase 5-year survival to 90%. That’s why March’s Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month is vital. Reducing Risk: Taking the contraceptive pill, having children and breastfeeding are all proven to reduce ovarian cancer risk. Types of Ovarian Cancer About 90% of ovarian tumours are epithelial ovarian cancer, starting in the layer covering the ovary. Around 1 to 2% of ovarian cancers are germ cell cancers, formed in the ovary’s egg making cells. Rare stromal tumours and sarcomas can also affect the ovary and a few ovarian cancers are primary peritoneal carcinomas, which develop in the membrane around abdominal organs. Slowgrowing borderline ovarian tumours do not grow into the stroma (supportive tissue of the ovary). Risk Factors Increasing age: Most ovarian cancer sufferers are postmenopause.
Faulty genes: 5 to 15% of ovarian cancers are thought to be caused by an inherited faulty gene, including BRCA1 and
Infertility may increase risk, but fertility treatments are no longer believed to do so. There may be an increased risk of borderline ovarian tumours in infertile women treated with IVF. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is linked to less than 1% of ovarian cancers.
Being overweight or tall: A BMI of 28 or over increases risk in premenopausal women but has no effect on risk in postmenopausal women. Taller women also have a higher risk. Endometriosis
Using talcum powder between your legs is thought to increase ovarian cancer risk due to its irritant effect. Smoking: The longer you’ve smoked, the greater the risk increase for certain ovarian cancers.
Symptoms Ovarian cancer symptoms aren’t always easy to identify and may be mistaken for IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) or PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) symptoms in the early stages. However, if symptoms are new, severe, frequent or persistent (occurring most days for three weeks or more), you should see your GP immediately, although often, a less serious condition is to blame. Look out for: • Abdominal swelling and persistent bloating.
• Persistent pelvic and abdominal pain. • Difficulty eating, nausea and feeling full unusually quickly. • Back pain. • Needing to urinate more frequently. • Pain during sex.
Remember that ovarian cancer is rare in women under 40, but that you should be particularly cautious if you are over 50 or have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer.
Diagnosis Your GP may do some tests themselves or refer you straight to a specialist. You will be examined externally and internally to check for any lumps or swelling and will then have an abdominal or transvaginal ultrasound scan. They’ll also do a blood test for CA125, a protein that’s elevated in half of women with early stage ovarian cancer and 90% of women with advanced ovarian cancer (although other pelvic conditions and pregnancy can cause elevated levels too). They may also order a CT or MRI scan. However, sometimes it’s impossible to diagnose ovarian cancer definitively without surgery. Treatment Most women with ovarian cancer will require surgery. If your cancer is diagnosed early, you may only need the affected ovary and fallopian tube removed. More advanced cancers may need more extensive surgery, plus chemotherapy before and after, to treat cancerous cells and reduce reoccurrence risk.
www.theconnectionmagazine.co.uk
35
Useful Useful Numbers Numbers Local Schools Local St. Peter’sSchools C of E Primary School St.01376 Peter’s561328 C of E Primary School Tel: Tel: 01376 561328 Honywood Community Science School Honywood Community Science School Tel: 01376 561231 Tel: 01376St. 561231 Kelvedon Mary C of E Primary School Kelvedon St. Mary C of E Primary School Tel: 01376 570411 Tel: 01376 570411 Feering C of E Controlled Primary School Feering C of E Controlled Primary School Tel: 01376 570296 Tel: 01376 570296 Earls Colne Primary School and Nursery Earls Colne Primary School and Nursery Tel: 01787 222205 Tel: 01787 222205 Colne Engaine C of E (Aided) Primary School C of E (Aided) Colne Engaine Primary School Tel: 01787 222717 Tel: 01787 222717 Bures C.E V.C Primary School Bures C.E V.C Primary School Tel: 01787 227446 Tel: 01787 227446 Chappel C of E School Chappel C of E School Tel: 01787 222296 Tel:John 01787 222296 St. the Baptist C.E.V.A Primary St. JohnSchool the Baptist C.E.V.A Primary School Tel: 01787 269300 Tel: 01787 269300 Great Tey C.E Controlled Primary School Great Tey C.E Controlled Primary School Tel: 01206 210415 Tel: 01206 210415 Fordham All Saints C of E Primary School Fordham All Saints C of E Primary School Tel: 01206 240251 Tel: 01206 240251 Copford C of E Primary School Copford C of E Primary School Tel: 01206 210439 Tel: 01206 210439 Stanway Primary School Stanway Primary School Tel: 01206 574819 Tel:Mary’s 01206 574819 St. Lower School St.01206 211242 Mary’s Lower School Tel: Tel: 01206 211242 Stanway Fiveways Primary School Stanway Fiveways Primary School Tel: 01206 574849 Tel: 01206 574849 Holy Trinity C.E. Primary School Holy Ash Trinity C.E.&Primary Eight Green AldhamSchool Eight Ash240880 Green & Aldham Tel: 01206 Tel: 01206 240880 Soaring High Montessori Coggeshall Soaring High Montessori Coggeshall Tel: 01376 564392 Tel: 01376 564392 C.E. V.C.P School Stoke by Nayland Stoke by 262418 Nayland C.E. V.C.P School Tel: 01206 Tel: 01206 262418 Primary Nayland Community School Nayland Community Primary School Tel: 01206 262348 Tel: 01206 262348
Doctors Doctors Kelvedon and Feering Health
Centre Kelvedon and Feering Health Centre Tel: 01376 572906 Tel: 01376 572906 Kelvedon Surgery Kelvedon Surgery Tel: 01376 574560
36
Tel: 01376 574560 Coggeshall Surgery Coggeshall Surgery Tel: 01376 561242 Tel: 01376 561242
West Bergholt Surgery West Bergholt Surgery Tel: 01206 241137 Tel: 01206 241137 Marks Tey Surgery Marks Tey Surgery Tel: 01206 213513 Tel: 01206 213513 Tollgate Health Centre Tollgate Health Centre Tel: 01206 710030 Tel: 01206 710030 Stanway Surgery Stanway Surgery Tel: 01206 572372 Tel: Pump 01206 572372 The House Surgery/Earls Colne The Pump House Surgery/Earls Colne Tel: 01787 222022 Tel: 01787 222022 Bures Surgery Bures Surgery Tel: 01787 227529 Tel: 01787 227529 Branch Surgery Branch Tel: 01787Surgery 227529 Tel: 01787House 227529Group Practice Hardwick Hardwick House Group Practice Tel: 01787 310000 Tel: 01787 310000 Nayland Surgery Nayland Tel: 01206 Surgery 262202 Tel: 01206 262202
Support Support Crimestoppers Crimestoppers Tel: 0800 555 111 Tel: 0800 555 111 ChildLine ChildLine Tel: 0800 1111 Tel: 0800 1111 Samaritans Samaritans Tel: freecall 116 123 Tel: 08457 90 90 90 Cruse Cruse Tel: 0844 477 9400 Tel: 0844 477 9400 NSPCC NSPCC Tel: 0808 800 5000 Tel: 0808Persons 800 5000 Missing Helpline Missing Persons Tel: 0500 700 700 Helpline Tel: 0500Debtline 700 700 National National Debtline Tel: 0808 808 4000 Tel: 0808Domestic 808 4000 Violence National Helpline National Domestic Violence Helpline Tel: 0808 2000 247 Tel: 0808 2000 247 Victim Support Victim Tel: 0845Support 30 30 900 Tel: 0845 30 30 900 Inland Revenue Inland Tel: 0845Revenue 010 9000 Tel: 0845 010 9000 RSPCA RSPCA Tel: 0870 55 55 999 Tel:Breakdown 0870 55 55 999 AA AA0800 Breakdown Tel: 887 766 Tel: 0800 887 766 Floodline Floodline Tel: 0845 9881188 Tel: 0845emergency 9881188 service Transco Transco emergency service Tel: 0800 111 999 Tel: Enquiries 0800 111 999 Rail Rail Enquiries Tel: 08457 484950 Tel:roadwatch 08457 484950 AA AA09003 roadwatch Tel: 401100 Tel:Faultline 09003 401100 BT BT Faultline
Tel: 0800 800 151 Please mention The Connection Tel: 0800 800 151
Rivers/Floodline Rivers/Floodline Tel: 0845 988 1188 Tel: 0845Advice 988 1188 Citizens Bureau Citizens Advice Tel: 0870 126 4065Bureau Tel: 0870 126 4065 Samaritans/Colchester Samaritans/Colchester Tel: 01206 561234 Tel: 01206 561234 Volunteering Opportunities Volunteering Opportunities Tel: 01206 505250 Tel: 01206 505250 Al Anon Family Groups Helpline Al Anon Family Tel: 0207 403 0888Groups Helpline Tel: 0207 403 0888
Police Contacts Police Contacts Essex Police (non-emergency calls
to all stations and departments) Essex Police (non-emergency calls to all stations and departments) Tel: 0300 333 4444 Tel: 0300Of 333 4444 Police Ministry Defence Ministry Of Defence Police Tel: 01206 782917 Tel: 01206 782917
Councils Councils Colchester Borough Council Colchester Borough Council Tel: 01206 282222 Tel: 01206District 282222Council Braintree Braintree District Council Tel: 01376 552525 Tel: 01376Parish 552525Council Kelvedon Kelvedon Parish Council Tel: 01376 570285 Tel: 01376 570285 Feering Parish Council Feering Parish Council Tel: 01376 572882 Tel: 01376 572882 Coggeshall Parish Council Coggeshall Parish Council Tel: 01376 562346 Tel: 01376 562346 Stanway Parish Council Stanway Parish Council Tel: 01206 542221 Tel: 01206 542221
Post Offices Post Offices Fiveways Post Office Fiveways Post Office Tel: 01206 330451 Tel: 01206 330451 Marks Tey Marks Tey Tel: 01206 210314 Tel: 01206 210314 West Bergholt West Bergholt Tel: 01206 240355 Tel: 01206 240355 Fordham Village Store and Post Office Fordham Village Store and Post Office Tel: 01206 240391 Tel: 01206 240391 Earls Colne Post Office Earls Colne Post Office Tel: 01787 222258
Village Halls Village Halls Aldham Village Hall Aldham Tel: 01206Village 240682Hall Tel: 01206 240682 Mount Bures Mount Bures Tel: 01787 228055 Bures Community Tel: 01787 228055 Centre Tel: 01787 227278 Centre Bures Community Nayland Tel: 01787 227278 Tel: 0774 895 3175 Nayland Dedham Tel: 0774Assembly 895 3175 Rooms Tel: 01206 323921 Dedham Assembly Rooms Stoke by Nayland Tel: 01206 323921 Tel: 01206 Stoke by 262943 Nayland Wormingford Tel: 01206 262943 Tel: 01787 227631 Wormingford Little Horkesley Tel: 01787 227631 Tel: 01206 271841 Little Horkesley Leavenheath Tel: 01206 271841 Tel: 01206 263301 Leavenheath Assington Tel: 01206 263301 Tel: 01787 211162 Assington Stanway Village Hall Tel: 01787 211162 Tel: 01206 545062 Stanway Village Hall Feering Community Centre Tel: 01206 545062 Tel: 01376 572467
Feering Community Centre Marks Tey Village Hall Tel:01206 213250 01376 572467 Tel: MarksTey TeyVillage VillageHall Hall Great Tel:01206 01206 213250 Tel: 210248 WhiteColne ColneVillage VillageHall Hall White Tel:01787 01787221919 221919 Tel: ColneEngaine EngaineVillage VillageHall Hall Colne Tel:01787 223668 01787 223668 Tel: EarlsColne ColneVillage VillageHall Hall Earls Tel:01787 224370 01787 224370 Tel: BuresCommunity CommunityCentre Centre Bures Tel: Tel:01787 01787227278 227278 Eight EightAsh AshGreen GreenVillage VillageHall Hall Tel: Tel:01206 01206540245 562860 Copford CopfordVillage VillageHall Hall Tel: Tel:01206 01206211235 211235 Chappel Chappeland andWakes WakesColne Colne Tel: Tel:07771 07771622525 622525
Airports Airports
Stansted StanstedGeneral GeneralEnquiries Enquiries Tel: 0870 000 0303 Tel: 0870 000 0303 Stansted Express Tel: 01787 222449 Stansted Express Bures Post Office Tel: 0845 850 0150 Bures Post Office Tel: 0845 850 0150 Tel: 01787 227252 Gatwick General Enquiries Tel: 01787 227252 Park Street Gatwick General Enquiries Stoke by Nayland Tel: 0870 000 2468 Stores Post Office Stoke and by Nayland Park Street Tel: 0870 000 2468 Gatwick Express Stores and Post Office Tel: 01206 262335 Gatwick Express Tel: 0845 850 1530 Tel: 01206 262335 Nayland Post Office Tel: 0845 850 1530 Heathrow General Enquiries Nayland Office Tel: 01206 Post 262210 Heathrow General Enquiries Tel: 0870 000 0123 Tel: 01206St262210 Stratford Mary Post Office Tel: 0870 000 0123 Heathrow Express Stratford St Mary Post Office Tel: 01206 322150 Heathrow Tel: 600Express 1515 when responding to advertsTel:0845 Tel: 01206 322150 Dedham Post Office 0845 600 1515 Dedham Post Office Tel: 01206 323543
Tel: 01787 222258 Wakes Colne Post Office Wakes Colne Post Office Tel: 01787 222449
Tel: 01206 323543
Country Mutters Treading lightly...
By Lady Muck
As Sherlock Holmes says, once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth. This is how I know I was a mermaid in a previous life. It’s the only rational explanation for the unsurpassable difficulty I have in locating a pair of shoes to fit my feet. I have spent most of my life hobbling around in shoes which are too big, too small, too tight or too wide. I have fallen arches, toes like claws, permanent blisters and something called plantar fasciitis – and if you’ve never heard of that, just thank your lucky stars.
Half a size difference, I tell you. How is that possible?
And like most things, the older I get, the worse it gets. Every couple of months I psych myself up to go into a shoe shop. It will be fine. This time I’ll find a pair that fit me. A smiling assistant approaches saying ‘Can I help you?’ The mask falls away. I can’t help myself. ‘Probably not,’ I reply with a hollow laugh. I explain the complexities of my feet at great length as the assistant brings out shoe after shoe but I can see she doesn’t believe me. I wouldn’t believe me either. How is it possible for a shoe to feel lovely when I’m sitting down but to neatly and swiftly remove most of the skin on the back of my heel when I take one step? Eventually I limp out apologetically while the smiling assistant, cursing softly, tries to find the right boxes for the 14 pairs of abandoned shoes, not one of which has come remotely close to following the tortured contours of my feet.
Obviously I’ve abandoned all hope of ever having footwear which reflects my personality – you know, unusual, edgy and infinitely cool. No. Lately I’ve begun to eye up the sort of footwear that ladies of a certain age might wear to take part in a Crown Green bowling match. In lovely shades of pastels. How has it come to this? I’m being punished for giving up my tail and choosing to live a mortal life on this earth. Well, I won’t be doing that again. Then again, knowing my luck next time I’ll probably come back as a centipede.
At the moment I live in a pair of unseasonally light shoes which aren’t completely excruciating to wear. They also let in the rain and cold and the straps are so well worn they regularly spring open, propelling me down stairs, into puddles and making me look, well, a bit mad actually as I lunge around grabbing at lamp posts and swearing viciously at my feet.
I marvel at women who can spot a pair of shoes, like what they see, try them on and buy them. Just like that! Whereas I can try on a pair of shoes, put my feet in – ouch I think, far too small. I know, I’ll try the same pair half a size bigger, that ought to do it. But no – they flap around my feet like yard buckets.
www.theconnectionmagazine.co.uk
37
Index of Advertisers Aga Specialist Architect Beauty Therapist Building Services Carpentry Chiropodist Children’s Nursery Computer Services Coal Merchant Decorators Florist Flooring Garden Design Garden Services Hairdressers
13 4, 11 7 20 39 29 2 30 21 33 26 39 25 25, 31 11
Home Improvements 20 Interior Design 4, 9 IT Specialist 30 Kitchen Fitters 39 Kitchen Manufacturers 39 Landscaping 31 Livery Yard 29 Manicures 26 Massage Therapy 11 Optician 3 Oven Cleaning 32 Osteopathy 11 Physiotherapy 11 Pest Control 31, 33 Planning Services 4, 31
Podiatrist 29 Property Maintenance 20, 31 Plumber 33 Removals 33 School 2, 23 Storage 31 Sports Massage 11 Swimming Pool 34 Tree Surgeon 25, 30, 32 Veterinary Centre 7, 40 Window Repairs 13 Willow Fences 25
SUDBURY
River
Assington
Stour
A131
Stoke by Nayland
Bures
Pebmarsh
Riv
er C
HALSTEAD oln
e
Greenstead Green
Nayland
Colne Engaine
Earls Colne
White Colne Wakes Colne Chappel
Great Tey
A131
Aldham
Fordham River
Colne
Stratford St Mary Dedham
Little Mount Horkesley Bures Wormingford
Boxted
A12
West Bergholt Braiswick
A120
Eight Ash Green
COLCHESTER Copford
A120
Coggeshall
Feering Kelvedon
Lexden A12
������������������������������������ ���������������������������������������
Magazines delivered to selected homes in these areas
www.facebook.com/TheConnectionMagazineColchester
Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that data in this publication is accurate, neither the publisher nor its editorial contributors can accept, and hereby disclaim any liability to any party to loss or damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accident or any other cause. All adverts are published in good faith using information supplied by each company, on the understanding that relevant permissions for copy and images have been obtained. The Connection does not officially endorse any advertising material included within this publication. All rights part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval systems or transmitted 38 reserved. No Please mention The Connection when responding to adverts in any form - electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise - without the prior permission of the publisher
www.theconnectionmagazine.co.uk
39
Your Veterinary Centre serving the local community
Aldham Veterinary Centre
• The new name for exceptional veterinary care devoted to you and your pet • The most advanced stress free care for your pet • Latest technology for fast diagnosis and treatment • Easy access and spacious car park • Registration is quick and simple • All pets, young and old, are welcome • We have separate dog and cat waiting areas and wards
New Road, Aldham, Colchester, Essex CO6 3PN
40
Please mention The Connection when responding to adverts
Tel: 01206 809199 www.aldhamvets.co.uk