Bedford_Feb_13

VILLAGER The

Issue 24 - February 2013

and Town

FRYour co E py E

Life

LOCAL NEWS • LOCAL PEOPLE • LOCAL SERVICES • LOCAL CHARITIES • LOCAL PRODUCTS

Inside this issue...

Charity Focus

Wood Green, The Animals Charity

Alistair Burt

New Year Expectations

Tips

to help you REDUCE your electricity bill

Plus

Your chance to WIN £25 in our prize crossword 10,000 copies covering Bromham, Cardington, Cople, Great Barford, Great Denham, Oakley, Pavenham, Sharnbrook and Willington and surounding areas

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VILLAGER

F You coRE r py E

The

Issue 24 - February 2013

and Town

In this Issue

Life

LOCAL NEWS • LOCAL PEOPLE • LOCAL SERVICES • LOCAL CHARITIES • LOCAL PRODUCTS

4

Inside this issue...

Charity Focus

Alistair Burt MP

Wood Green, The Animals Charity

Alistair Burt

New Year Expectations

New Year Expectations

Tips

to help you REDUCE your electricity bill

Plus

15

Your chance to WIN £25 in our prize crossword 10,000 copies covering Bromham, Cardington, Cople, Great Barford, Great Denham, Oakley, Pavenham, Sharnbrook and Willington and surounding areas

Reduce Your Electricity Bill

Editorial

Alex Brown, Alistair Burt and Debbie Singh-Bhatti

Front Cover Image Amanda Fales Shaw

Advertising Sales Christa Hallam Tel: 07868 369257 Christa@villagermag.com

Design and Artwork Design 9 Tel 07762 969460

Publishers

Villager Publications Ltd 24 Market Square, Potton Bedfordshire SG19 2NP Tel: 01767 261122 nigel@villagermag.com

Are you paying too much?

16

Wood Green

Exciting half term activities

28

Prize Crossword £25 up for grabs!

Love in the 21st Century................................................. 6 The Food of Love.......................................................... 10 Functional Fitness......................................................... 12 The Secret to a Beautiful Lawn.................................... 19 Puzzle Page...................................................................24 What’s On......................................................................26 Safer Internet Day.........................................................30

You are now able to view the Villager Magazine online at

www.villagermag.com

VILLAGER The

and Town Life

Disclaimer

All adverts and editorial are printed in good faith, however, Villager Publications Ltd can not take any responsibility for the content of the adverts, the services provided by the advertisers or any statements given in the editorial. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored without the express permission of the publisher.

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Alistair Burt MP

NEW YEAR EXPECTATIONS A Happy New Year to all readers! I am still getting used to putting 2013 on letters, and like the rest of us cannot imagine where 2012 went to. Did it fly by when we were distracted by the Jubilee and the Olympics? Probably, but there we are. Another year gone.

Christmas for an MP provides the mixture you would expect. For me a temporary halt to my travel around the Middle East; visits to those providing for others in the community to say thank you; a bit of fun in terms of the Biggleswade AC Christmas ’Fairy Run’, and a few days with the family and relatives come to stay.

And also for a Minister there is ‘being on duty’, needing to respond to any emergency in the department whilst colleagues get a break, and I volunteered for the Christmas shift. In the event, it proved a relatively quiet time in a busy region.

And there is also the need to respond to any other, more local, crisis. Over the years I can recall snow clearances, sudden power failures or water bursts, and on one distressing Christmas morning a house fire which claimed nine lives in a terraced house in my constituency, prompting a lifelong interest in smoke alarms.

This year there were no such disasters, but our heavy rain and rising river levels required watching. I took the chance to visit the

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Environment Agency’s regional HQ at Brampton, to meet regional Director Geoff Brighty and his team who were on duty during the holiday. Their technology now allows them to track river levels very accurately, ensuring that flood warnings, or alarms are available when needed, giving added protection to householders. I had a look at the control room, listened in to a national briefing call covering the whole of the east coast and thanked those who were looking after us.

The Environment Agency web site enables anyone to look at river levels in their area, and if you have not yet done so, do have a look. You can follow the flow of the rivers nearest you, and can get up to date text alerts if you are in an area more prone to risk. It is worth a look.

While most of our area experienced heavy rain, I do not think I had any houses flooded in the constituency through the weather – beyond poor Tempsford, who suffered through a faulty pumping station. I went to visit some of those affected the other week-end, and sympathised with the misery of an incident right over the Christmas period. Time for Anglian Water to put their charges to good use, I think.

May the rain hold off, and the sun shine for you this coming month.

Alistair Burt MP

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5

Love in the 21st Century

By Debbie Singh-Bhatti Most couples meet in mundane ways that allow them to get to know each other over time through school, friends, work or hobbies for example - but if none of these methods is working for you, have you considered modern technology to help you find Mr or Miss Right?!

The internet offers dating sites (sometimes free of charge, but often with a monthly subscription) where your profile, containing a photo and other biographical details, as well as a description of the kind of person you are hoping to meet, is made available for others to see. If someone is interested in you, they can contact you by email and start a conversation to find out if you would both like to take the relationship further.

There are risks involved in this type of dating – so don’t give out personal identifying information and never fall for sob stories from poor men in faraway places who need you to give them money.

When meeting, make it somewhere public and busy and consider taking a friend along, and use a cheap pay-as-you-go phone to make it easier to get rid of unwelcome admirers!

Speed dating involves an even number of single men and women meeting in a room set out with tables. Each person is given a numbered badge and a card containing the names of all

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the people they will date that night. The ‘couple’ numbered 1 sits at table 1 and spends around 5 minutes chatting, with the man moving on to the next table at the sound of a bell. At the end of the evening, every woman will have met every man and all will have marked their cards with the names of people they would like to meet again.

If there is a match (i.e. woman A likes man B and vice versa), the dating service will provide them with contact information.

A speed dating session takes around two hours and you can expect to meet between ten and fifteen people. The cost is around £20, normally paid in advance through a speed dating website.

The dinner date is a variation on the speed date, where 4-8 men and women meet at a restaurant to chat over dinner and get to know one another better. These smaller, more intimate, groups often work better than speed dates as there are others present to help keep the conversation flowing, so it feels less pressurised. At the end of the meal, if you have connected with someone at the table, the host will help you exchange contact information.

Modern dating methods may not be the ideal way to meet a new partner, but they do at least open up a world of possibilities!

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Offering Quality 4kw Systems from ÂŁ6,500!

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Fish supper or Want a fresh sh supper but not keen on scaling and gutting? Let us do the hard work for you.

steak out?

Want a great tasting steak without having to

scrub your grill afterwards?

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Starters and mains

Freshly delivered from the market in the morning

Choice of ve sh dishes

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Add red wine jus, blue cheese or peppercorn sauce

Served with triple-cooked chips, crispy onions and dressed salad Steaks cut to any size and cooked just how you like it

First and third

Thursday of the month, from 6pm

12 Market Square, Potton, Bedfordshire, SG19 2NP To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261 122

9

The food of love

By Alex Brown

They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, so why not experiment with some tempting titbits this Valentine’s Day? In Japan feeling flirty can become – quite literally – a matter of life or death! Puffer fish is considered to be a great delicacy and an aphrodisiac, but it contains a poisonous gland that is deadly and must be removed before eating!

A safer seafood option is the oyster. A favourite with the Romans some oysters are able to change sex repeatedly and so are said to give you the ability to experience the male and female sides of love.

For a sophisticated saucy snack you can’t go wrong with asparagus. Served with hollandaise sauce and washed down with champagne it’s sure to pep things up.

And do you know where the term ‘honeymoon’ comes from? In Medieval times newlyweds drank mead – a fermented drink made with honey – to

sweeten their marriage.

But I reckon the ultimate palate pleaser has got to be chocolate. Described by the Aztecs as ‘nourishment of the Gods’, it contains both a relaxing sedative that lowers inhibitions and a stimulant to perk you up. Even better is the news that it is more effective when combined with that other antioxidant, red wine – but don’t have too much, or your suitor may become a snorer!

Activities include:

Hands On behind the scenes tours

Wood Green

Tuesday 12 February 10.00am – 12.00pm or 1.00pm – 3.00pm Godmanchester Centre

£4 per person, suitable for 5 year olds and over.*

Drop in family Hands On

Friday 15 February, 10.00am – 12.00pm, Godmanchester Learning Centre £4 per child, drop in session.

Go guinea pig workshop

Wednesday 20 Feb, 7.00pm – 9.30pm, Godmanchester Centre £20 per person, open to 11 and overs.*

Animal rehoming Charity Shop Restaurant Pet and Gift Shop Children’s play area Children’s ‘hands on’ events Open 7 days a week, 10.00am – 4.00pm FRee entry

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NeW! Family fun session at Heydon Thursday 21 February, 10.00am – 12.00pm, Heydon Centre

Suitable for toddlers up to 7 year olds. £4 per child.*

SQUeAK!

Saturday 23rd February, 10.00am – 4.00pm, Godmanchester Centre A fun family day celebrating all pets small and furry! FREE!

Godmanchester Centre (HQ) King’s Bush Farm London Road Godmanchester Cambridgeshire PE29 2NH

Heydon Centre

Highway Cottage Heydon Hertfordshire SG8 8PN

For further information on these events contact the Hands On Team Call: 0844 248 8181 Or email: handson@woodgreen.org.uk

Call: 0844 248 8181 Visit: www.woodgreen.org.uk Or email: info@woodgreen.org.uk

*Booking essential.

Wood Green, The Animals Charity is the Registered Trademark of Wood Green Animal Shelters, Registered Charity No. 298348.

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The Unforgettable Close Up and Cabaret Magic of Steve Dean Immerse yourselves and guests in the close up magic of Steve Dean or enjoy a Cabaret Show that includes mentalism and much more.

Have you ever witnessed unexplainable events or illusions so convincing that they leave you fascinated & completely spellbound? This is Cabaret, close up mix and mingle and table magic at it’s very best.

Steve is a master of his craft and a member of the prestigious Magic Circle. He has had many letters of thanks and testimonials from people from all walks of life. From a small dinner party to performing on a British Cruise Liner this sort of entertainment is second to none and will give your guests unusual and fantastic entertainment that they can get involved in and will talk about for months to come.

(Steve is a member of Equity with full public liability insurance).

Please phone or email for details

07719 261147 • 01767 260671 www.stevedeanmagic.co.uk email: stevedeanmagic@aol.com

New Banquet Menu at

Maharajah of Sandy 01767 689743/680475

OPEN 7 DAYS 5.30PM - 11.30PM 22 Market Square, Sandy SG19 1JA www.maharajahofsandy.co.uk

Available Wednesday 5.30pm to 11pm And Sunday 12.30 pm to 10pm Choose 1 item from each section Adults just £9.95 and Children Just £4.95 STARTER Shami Kebab Sheek Kebab Chicken Tikka Tandoori Chicken Chicken Chatt Chicken Pakora Vegetable Samosa Vegetable Pakora HoneyMushroom Garlic Mushroom Onion Bhajee

Exquisite, modern Indian cuisine

MAIN Lamb Pasanda Chicken Korma Chicken Tikka Mossala Lamb Dupiaza Rogan Gosth Prawn Garlic Prawn Saag Prawn Mushroom Bhoona Korahi/Chicken or Lamb Vegetable Dhansak Vegetable Rogan Malaie Chicken Komla Lamb Chicken Raipuri

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SIDE DISH Vegetable Curry Cauliflower Bhaji Bombay Potato Sag Bhajee Chana Massala CHOICE OF NAN OR RICE Pilau Rice Vegetable Rice Onion & Garlic Nan Peswari Nan Plain Nan

Takeaway menu available

Climate controlled

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11

FUNCTIONAL FITNESS

PERSONAL TRAINING

Hi, my name is Dan and Functional Fitness is my personal training company based in Great Barford Bedfordshire. My background comprises of 9 year’s service in the British Army and 7 years work in the UK and Caribbean as a close protection officer. During these careers I learnt the true value and benefit of having a healthy and capable body and I am passionate about helping others achieve their health and fitness goals to become the strongest version of themselves.

Making the decision to exercise and achieve whatever your goal is (weight loss, faster 10k etc) can be intimidating and this is the main thing I aim to remove. Training can be fun and different every time, your training is backed up with free guidance on your nutrition. I don’t use ‘diets’ I use healthy eating plans that encourage your goals with no need to starve yourself.

As well as one to one training I also train groups in my circuit classes and outdoor training sessions

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which you may know as bootcamps. If you have a friend with the similar goals to you I do a ‘train with a friend’ package that reduces the cost for both and gives you the comfort of having a friend working hard alongside you.

I could talk all day but I have to leave it there for now. Come and see me for a free no obligation consultation and find out if I can help you achieve your goals.

After

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Bold Imaginative Reflective Three words to define your daughter’s future.

Add three more:

Open Day Tuesday 5th March, 10am Telephone: 01234 361918 www.bedfordgirlsschool.co.uk Bedford Girls’ School is part of The Harpur Trust

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Absolutely ...

Positively ...

NO pressure to sell!

We give you FREE VALUATIONS ....

YOU DECIDE !

WE PAY

CASH Cambridge Coins and Jewellery Coins, Medals, Banknotes, Tokens, Postcards.

Anything GOLD any SILVER....even broken jewellery!

Buying and selling old Coins, Military Medals, Tokens, Banknotes and bullion ...as well as Jewellery.

52 High Street // Biggleswade // Beds // SG18 0LJ // (Opposite “The Codfather”) Open Wednesday to Saturday. 11am to 7pm

t: 01767 600 300 e: shop@cambridgecoins.co.uk

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Reduce your Electricity Bills

Are you paying too much?

Are you paying too much for your electricity bill?

Firstly: Compare, compare, compare. There is always a supplier that has a better pricing structure for your individual needs.

The best and easiest way to compare all of the prices is to use a comparison website. However one important point to note: when you find what you consider is the best deal for you DON’T go direct to the supplier, but instead link through to the supplier via the comparison site. By doing this you will probably get a cash back deal and therefore earn some money!

If the comparison site that you use does not have this offer, look at another one.

Key comparison sites • Energyhelpline.com • Simplyswitch.co.uk • Moneysupermarket.com • Uswitch.com Secondly: once you have grabbed yourself the best bargain on the market so far as the prices that you will pay for your electricity, you need

to consider what you can do to keep your bills down.

Keeping your Electricty Bills down • Make sure that your home is properly insulated – the better your insulation the more electricity you will save. There are various government grants available to help you with this.

• Replace your light bulbs with energy saving bulbs and switch off lights and electricity when you do not need them and only turn the heating on when necessary.

• Pay by monthly direct debit – many suppliers will give you a discount for paying like this • Take regular meter readings. If you don’t do this your supplier will estimate your usage until they next take a reading and this may cost you more.

• Unplug your electrical appliances when not in use For more information visit consumer champion and legal expert Dean Dunham’s website www.youandyourrights.com

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15

WOODGREEn

OFFER EXCITING HALF TERM ACTIVITIES

This half term Wood Green, The Animals Charity will be offering families exciting behind the scenes tours, workshops and drop in sessions at its Godmanchester and Heydon Centres.

Find out about some of the exciting events taking place and find out how you can get involved.

February 12th – morning and afternoon family fun workshops.

Join our Hands On Team for a behind the scenes workshop at our Godmanchester Centre. Find out more about dog, cat, small animal and field animal care, make fun pet toys and feed some of our animals tasty treats. £4 per person and suitable for 5 year olds and over. Booking essential as places limited.

February 15th 10.00am – 12.00pm drop in family hands on fun Join our Hands On Team at our Godmanchester Centre for drop in pet toy making activities suitable for all ages from toddlers upwards. Plus have fun with animal story time and meet some of our small animals looking for new homes. £4 per child, drop in session so no need to book.

21st February 10.00am – 12.00pm NEW! Family fun session Come along to our first ever family fun indoor session at our Heydon Centre and get hands on with the Education Team. Lots of fun, messy, making activities

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creating items to take home for your pets PLUS guinea pig story time at 11am with live, friendly guinea pigs! Suitable for toddlers up to 7 year olds. £4 per child, booking essential as spaces limited.

21st February 1.00pm – 3.00pm behind the scenes animal care workshop Join our Hands On Team this February half term for a behind the scenes workshop at our Heydon Centre full of extra surprises! Find out more about how we look after our cats, rabbits and guinea pigs and how they love to have friends. Visit our vet surgery, get

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hands on becoming a vet nurse and meet some of our lovely animals looking for new homes. Plus make fun toys to take home for your pets and help us find homes for our animals looking for loving new families.

Suitable for 5 years and over. £4 per person, booking essential as spaces limited.

To book a place on any of the events, please call 0844 248 8181 or email education@woodgreen.org.uk If you have a child’s birthday coming up soon then look out for our Animal Carer Experience Days this summer at the Charity’s Cambridgeshire Centre in Godmanchester. They make fantastic presents for animal enthusiasts who can become an animal carer for day – www.woodgreen.org.uk

woodgreen Godmanchester Centre

King’s Bush Farm, London Road Godmanchester PE29 2NH

Heydon Centre

Highway Cottage, Heydon, Herts SG8 8PN

www.woodgreen.org.uk

Wood Green’s vision is of a world where all pets are well cared for in loving homes for life.

We aim to achieve this vision by providing the best possible care for animals in need, promoting good animal welfare and responsible pet ownership by providing support, guidance and education to members of the public and setting standards of animal welfare in the UK and beyond.

Every year we find secure, loving new homes for around 5,500 animals. As well as rehoming cats and dogs, we rehome many other animals including rabbits, mice, guinea pigs, chickens and goats.

Fast facts at Wood Green in 2012 1. The cats ate 101,470 pouches of cat food in a year.

2. We prepared 26,645 kongs for the dogs in a year.

3. Our field animals got through 364 bales of hay.

4. Our Sandy Charity Shop celebrated its 10th birthday.

5. We featured in 1,005 news articles.

6. Ely Service celebrated its 25th year 7. We cleaned out 394,200 cat litter trays 8. 47 guinea pigs were born at our Godmanchester Centre 9. Our small animals ate 1,095 cabbages last year 10. 3,100 people attended our All About Animal Fun Day 11. 6,242 people joined us on Facebook and 2,415 on Twitter 12. 40 people raised £7,273.23 walking on fire 13. 17,745 people watched our fireworks films 14. Ned was our longest canine resident spending 5 dog years (over 260 days) at Wood Green 15. Our dedicated animal volunteers donated 34,203 hours of their time 16. The 33 metre wind turbine which has been a landmark at the Charity since 1990 was dismantled and replaced with one twice its height 17. We received 51,443 donations 18. 1,117 people donated to Rita’s appeal 19. We microchipped 2,600 dogs 20. Our Education Team have worked with over 33,000 young people and families teaching responsible pet ownership.

21. Our Outreach Team have microchipped, flead, wormed and neutered 8,000 animals in the community since 2009.

22. Income from our 5 charity shops has increased by 24%

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17

BEAVER SHEDS

Quality Bespoke Timber Buildings • Sheds • Kennels • Offices • Summer Houses • Playhouses • Cabins

23 Spinney Road, Chawston, Bedford, MK443BW Monday - Friday – 8am-5pm Saturday - 9am-3pm Sunday – Closed Tel: 01480 212336 www.beaversheds.co.uk

GILKS FENCING LTD Supplying of all types of gates and fencing to trade and public.

•Maintenance free •Environmentally friendly •Stronger and lighter than concrete posts •Unique natural wood-grain finish •Dual faced fencing posts and gravel boards •Will not rot, crack, chip or split We are looking for show gardens to promote this exciting new product. Excellent prices for the first few selected. Interested? Call us.

•Closeboard Fencing • TGV Gates • Trellis Made to Customers Design • Lap Panel Fencing • Railings • Chain Link • Knee Rail Fencing • Concrete Slotted Posts • Professional Installation Available

d g Lt 19 2HX n i c Fen ds SG s k l r Gi ndy, Be o f ress gay, Sa d d A in New , Gaml oad R e v QUALITY AND SERVICE

Membership No. 200424

Dro 18

Tel: 01767 681746 Fax: 01767 681776 www.gilksfencing.co.uk Email: gilksfencing@hotmail.com

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The Secret to a beautiful lawn

this spring

With spring just around the corner, now is the time for our thoughts to turn to the garden and our lawns in particular.

Is your lawn looking as green, healthy and weed free as it should?

If the grass is lacklustre, perhaps with unsightly bare patches or clumps of weeds or moss, then the chances are your lawn needs some TLC. But if the idea of going to the DIY store, buying preparations and spending precious time over the weekend putting down feed-and-weed products on your lawn does not appeal, then help is at hand.

GreenThumb Bedford are lawn care experts who will keep your lawn looking healthy and green for less than it would cost you to do the job yourself.

Our pictures – taken just weeks apart – show how in only a short time a patchy lawn can be transformed into a lush, green sward with no weeds.

Before

After 3 months with Green Thumb

GreenThumb’s value-for-money lawn treatments start at just £15 for a small garden and the average treatment is only £22.00 and you can spread the costs over the year with Direct Debit.

They can also help your lawn stay greener during hot summers, tackle pests or diseases that attack grass and give your grass the best chance of avoiding moss in the winter.

Why not call GreenThumb Bedford on 01234 709345 for a free lawn inspection and then sit back and enjoy ‘all your hard work’…

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Winter Injuries BREAKAGE FROM ICE/SNOW ACCUMULATIONS Trees and Shrubs with poor structure and heavy/long limbs are prone to breakage due to the added weight of ice and snow.

STEM SPLITTING DE-ICING/SALT ACCUMULATIONS Generally occurs on young thin (Road Rock Salt) Commonly used to de-ice barked trees such as Maple, Lime, highways and pavements. The Sycamore and Elm. The injury occurs from sudden drops high levels of salt in the soil from in temperature from a sunny pavement run off can kill plant roots. Sodium can be highly daytime high to very low nighttime temperatures. toxic to plants with salt spray significantly damages plant foliage.

Wood decay can pre-dispose branches and lead to failure from ice and snow loads. Evergreens that have a large surface area to hold snow are especially prone to breakage.

These may cause stem tissue Symptoms: Progressive decline in plant vigour, leaves become freezing of the plant cells dwarfed and brown with die-back resulting in frost cracks. and eventual death.

Recommendations Plants should be inspected by a professional arborist in late winter or early spring for symptoms of winter injuries. Plants stressed by winter injuries are more susceptible to pest and disease issues.

For more advice visit: www.bartlett.com or contact Bartlett Tree Experts on 01234 354 673 Visit us on Facebook at Bartlett Tree Experts – Bedford UK

Bartlett Tree Experts A Complete and Comprehensive Tree Careand Service since 1907 A Complete Comprehensive Tree Care Service Since 1907 For over 100 years, Bartlett Tree Experts has led both the science and services that make your landscape thrive. No matter the size or scope of your needs, our arborists bring a rare mix of groundbreaking research, global resources and a local service approach to every task at hand. Trees add so much value to our lives; Bartlett adds even more value to your trees.

Tree & Shrub Pruning | Planting | Tree Removal Hedge Cutting | Stump Grinding Woodland Management | Disease & Inseact Control For a free quote please contact your local arborist Tim Brown

01234 354 673 bedford@bartlettuk.com www.bartlett.com 20

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Qualified professional engineer 25 years experience I specialise in solving your plumbing problems Tap washers to boilers All work guaranteed No job too small Your local recommended engineer

Tel: 01234 772603 Mob: 07702 481 385

Gas Safe Reg No 112449

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LPG approved

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Oven Cleaning! - It’s a dirty job!

Why do it yourself?

We clean ovens using non-caustic, non-toxic products in your home.

Ovens • Ranges • Hobs • Extractors Agas • Microwaves • Barbecues (May - Sept) Single Oven (all racks/pans inc)........................£35 Single Oven & Grill Oven (all racks/pans inc).....£45 Single Separate Grill Oven (racks/pans inc)......£15 Microwaves & Combination Ovens....................£20 Extractor Fan (free filter for next clean).............£12 Hob..................................................................£12 . . .

Agas and Ranges priced accordingly Oven Bulbs replaced for free in all jobs V.A.T free

Contact James on: 01767 260188 or Mobile: 07812 666081 email: ovenmen@live.co.uk You can also book at www.ovenmen.com

parent company est. 1998

pk cash for cars Established 1987

All cars brought for cash £60 - £5000 Disposal for end of life vehicles with certification off distraction

• Top Prices Paid •

For a polite and friendly service call Paul:

07447 758 357 01462 850 928 22

Pat Kennedy

PAT’S CARS

& car disposal services

• • • • • • •

Private Hire Executive Travel Airports and Hospitals Long and Short Journeys Small Parcel Deliveries 7 Seater Barclays Pingit Mobile Payment

Blunham

T: 07714 217 112 E: pat_kennedy@o2.co.uk T: 01767 64 11 17

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CODEWORD

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

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ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

9 X 9 PUZZLE

How to play It’s simple! Fill in the grid so that each row, column and 3x3 box, contains the digits 1 through to 9 with no repetition.

Use your logic to solve the puzzle.

Watch out! Sudoku is highly addictive.

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DENTON WHISTON LIMITED

Telephone: 01234 317063 Fax: 01234 317760 Email: info@dentonwhiston.com Website: www.dentonwhiston.com

Call 01234 317063 for a rapid response and expert advice on property repairs following flood, fire or accidental damage

Has your home or your business been damaged by flood, fire, subsidence or another catastrophe? Do you need reputable builders, accustomed to dealing with insurance claims, to carry out your repairs? Contact Denton Whiston today for expert advice and a thoroughly professional approach. We specialise in carrying out insurance repairs to domestic and commercial properties and are experienced in dealing with the major British insurers and Loss Adjusters. We’ll dry your home out using our in house owned dehumidifiers and repair the damage following fire, flood, storm or any of the thousand natural shocks that buildings may suffer. Or if you prefer you can hire our dehumidifiers at very competitive prices.

Commercial Property Maintenance

Let us look after your buildings so that you can take care of your business. We provide both planned maintenance and emergency building repair services for businesses and institutions throughout Beds, Bucks and Northants.

Call us today on 01234 317063 to discuss your organisation’s planned and emergency building needs. We support customers with single and multiple locations, and in a variety of business sectors including retail, financial services, public sector and housing associations. Whatever your property maintenance needs, we can work with you to produce a tailored package, employing a range of fully qualified tradesmen across the region.

To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261 122

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what’S ON?

IN JANUARY

2 February Hardy Plant Society Talk 2pm The Wetherley Centre, Biggleswade Small charge for visitors Cambs and Beds Hardy Plant Society present a talk by Michael Warren on ‘Through the year with a horticultural photographer’. Michael has photographed plants and gardens around the world for over 40 years. All welcome – small charge applies.

Tel: Winifred 01234 721720 Web: www.hpscambsandbeds.co.uk 2 February Annual Quiz 7.15pm for 7.45pm start Blunham Village Hall £5 per person.

6 to 8 per team. Bar available.

Tel: Sandra 01767 641461 Web: www.blunhampfa.co.uk 4 February Night Sky Observing Evening 7.30-9.30pm Visitors Centre, Paxton Pits Nature Reserve, Little Paxton St Neots Astronomy Association. There will be several members with telescopes set up looking at various Constellations, Planets and other Celestial Objects. Whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned veteran we have something to offer you.

We are a small but friendly club that is always looking to welcome new members. The Association meets the first Monday of every month (second if Bank Holiday).

Committee members: David Roberts 01480 212960 david@snaa.co.uk Richard Elliott 01480 435309 richard@snaa.co.uk Nick Maudlin 01767 315678 nick@snaa.co.uk Graham Reedman graham@snaa.co.uk Web: www.snaa.co.uk 6, 13, 20 & 27 February Whist Drive 7.30pm Great Barford Bowls Club, School Lane, Great Barford Cost £1.50 Every Wednesday.

Tel: Beryl Seymour 01234 308844

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Entries into our What’s On sections are free. If you have an event you would like us to publicise please email the details to whatson@villagermag.com 7, 14, 21 & 28 February Bridge Club 7.30pm Roxton Village Hall, Roxton Cost £2.00 Every Thursday. Newcomers welcome.

Tel: Beryl Seymour 01234 308844 9 February Blunham Giant Book Sale 10am-3pm Blunham Parish Church Come and browse and buy our huge selection of nearly new books. Enjoy refreshments - teas/coffee cakes & biscuits, home-made soup. Also hand-made cards, raffle and a Fairtrade stall. All profits to Blunham Church Fabric Fund.

14 February Bedford RSPB Local Group Meeting 7.30pm A.R.A. Social Club, Manton Lane, Bedford All very Welcome. Tel: 01234 822035 Web: www.rspb.org.uk/groups/bedford 14 February Mid Beds Flower Club 7.45pm Flitwick Village Hall Practical Workshop Valentine card and arrangement. For more details or if you would like to come along please contact Marion Tucker on 01234 742396.

16 February Elvis Night 7.45-11.45pm Tickets £10 The Weatherley Centre, Biggleswade With Pete Webb as Elvis. Charity Fundraising night in aid of ‘Carers in Bedfordshire’, a network partner of Carers Trust which is a new charity formed by a merger of The Princess Royal Trust for Carers and Crossroads Care. Dress code 50s, 60s, 70s, Elvis style or character from an Elvis film, or just as you are. Disco included. Tel: 0300 111 1919 27 February Organ Concert 8-10.30pm Addison Centre, Kempston, Bedford Members £4, Non-members £5. Pay at door.

Bedford Organ & Keyboard Club present wellknown organist Andrew Nix. Tel: 01234 344423 Web: http://www.organfax.co.uk/clubs/bedford2

To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261 122

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Ty Interiors Prize Crossword

1st Prize £25 Name:

Sponsored by Ty Interiors, The Olde Watermill Shopping Village, Faldo Road, Barton Le Clay, MK45 4RF

Complete the crossword, fill in your details below, cut out this section and send to the address below before 15th February 2013.

Prize Crossword, Villager Publications Ltd 24 Market Square, Potton, Beds SG19 2NP Tel:

Address:

Please enter me into the prize draw to be drawn at end of 3 months for £1000 off a fully fitted kitchen. T&C’s apply. (Please tick) Last Month’s Crossword Winners. Congratulations to: 1st prize - Mrs P Stephens from Cambourne and 2nd prize - Mr Tom Newton from Letchworth For last month’s solution please visit www.villagermag.com Across 1 Hint (4) 3 Contrary (8) 9 Error (7) 10 Frolic (5) 11 Eager (12) 13 Informal (6) 15 Titbit (6) 17 Alphabetical reference books (12) 20 Propose (5) 21 Produces lava (7) 22 Vacations (8) 23 Wagers (4) Down 1 Business (8) 2 Distressed (5) 4 Lyrical (6) 5 From time to time (12) 6 Suggests (7) 7 Acquire (4) 8 Produced (12) 12 Flowers (8) 14 Talented (7) 16 Carry (6) 18 Picture (5) 19 Weapon (4)

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Pleasemention mentionThe TheVillager Villagerand andTown TownLife Lifewhen whenresponding respondingtotoadverts adverts Please

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Safer Internet Day

BY Debbie Singh-Bhatti The tenth annual Safer Internet Day takes place on 5th February, and is designed to help everyone use the internet and other new technologies safely and responsibly.

Passwords are the first line of defence against cyber criminals. Long passwords that use numbers, symbols and mixed-case letters, are the most secure. Use different passwords for each of your important accounts and change them regularly.

Malware is a type of computer programme that can be installed on your machine without your knowledge. It can be used to try to access your personal information, or to force your computer to visit websites, send spam email, or perform other actions without your knowledge.

To protect against malware, install at least one good quality anti-virus product and scan regularly. You should also upgrade your operating system and software to the latest versions and, if possible, turn on automatic updates.

Be careful about what you click and download.

If you’re not sure about an unfamiliar site, leave it and research the software before installing it.

If malware prevents you from leaving the page, for example by repeatedly opening a download prompt, use your computer’s task manager to close your browser – generally accessed by pressing ‘ctrl’, ‘alt’ and ‘delete’ at the same time .

Do not trust anything within an email that looks suspicious – even if it’s from people you know – and visit websites by entering the address directly

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in your browser instead of using links in emails.

Do not trust pop-up windows that ask you to download software to make your computer safe because it has been infected. Close the window and don’t click inside it.

There are tools and controls available to help you manage your online experience. Google SafeSearch excludes sites with sexually explicit content from search results, and Safety Mode on YouTube means that videos with mature or agerestricted content will not show up in searches.

Take an interest in your child’s internet activity and talk to them about their experience. Better still, spend time with them working online so that you know how they are using the internet.

Children need to know that the internet can be a dangerous place and that not everyone online can be trusted. They should not share personal information like their name, age, school, phone number, email address or photos and should always use a nickname as their screen name. To register on social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, they should be at least 13.

If your child wants to meet someone they have met online, make them aware of the potential dangers, encourage them always to inform you of their plans and insist that you go along too, especially for the first meeting.

With these systems and procedures in place, using the internet should be a safer experience for us all!

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