Cambs oct 14

VILLAGER The

and Town

Issue 66 - October 2014

Life

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

Inside this issue

The Great

Airship Disaster

Win Tickets

to the Festive Gift Fair

Win £25 in our Prize Crossword

Bringing Local Business to Local People

20,000 copies delivered to Buckden, Brampton, Cambourne, Godmanchester, The Hemingfords, Eaton Socon, Bourn, Grantchester and all surrounding villages every month

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Contents The Great Airship Disaster

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Where have all the farmers gone?....................................4 Should you bother with loyalty cards?.............................6 What is the Cambridgeshire Card Scheme?......................9 The Great Airship Disaster..............................................10 Luang Prabang - Ancient Capital of Laos........................14 Shannon Express............................................................16 School Phobia................................................................18 Travelogue - Bula!..........................................................20 What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?...............................24 Protect your property from cost of care home................27 The myth of the common law wife.................................29 G.R.O.W..........................................................................31

VILLAGER The

and Town

Issue 66 - October 2014

Life

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

Inside this issue

The Great

Airship Disaster

Win Tickets

to the Festive Gift Fair

Win £25 in our Prize Crossword

Bringing Local Business to Local People

20,000 copies delivered to Buckden, Brampton, Cambourne, Godmanchester, The Hemingfords, Eaton Socon, Bourn, Grantchester and all surrounding villages every month

ur Yo EE FRcopy

Kimbolton School Swimming Pool Timetable................32 Conifers..........................................................................34 Plant of the month.........................................................37 Remember remember your pets this November!............38 Beer of the month..........................................................40 Christmas Gift Fair Competition......................................43 Hinchingbrookes School’s Gap Year................................44 World Thrombosis Day....................................................47 Puzzle Page....................................................................48 Woodland Wishes - Natural Burials................................51 Prize Crossword..............................................................54 Fun Quiz.........................................................................56 What’s On.......................................................................58 Wordsearch....................................................................60 Book Review..................................................................62

Conifers

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20,000 copies delivered free of charge in the following areas: Hinchingbrooke, Hinchingbrooke Park, Brampton, Buckden, Offord Cluny, Offord D’arcy, Godmanchester, Hemingford Abbots and Hemingford Grey, Cambourne, Chawston, Croxton, Duloe, Graveley, Great Paxton, Hail Weston, Honeydon, Little Barford, Little Paxton, Eaton Socon, Bourn, Grantchester, Roxton, Southoe, Staploe, Tempsford, Toseland, Upper Staploe, Wintringham, Wyboston, Yelling.

(Further bulk drops are made to local shops and busineses in Huntingdon, St Neots, Eaton Ford, Eaton Socon and Eynesbury)

Editor - Catherine Rose Editorial - Peter Ibbett, Jonathan Vernon-Smith, Catherine Rose, Solange Hando, Susan Brookes-Morris, Melanie Ridley, Centre for Complementary Health, Leeds Day Solicitors, Fiona McLeman, Tony Larkins, Pippa Greenwood, Gareth Arscott, Cromwell Vets, Ted Bruning, Gad Mimran, Paul Westerman and Gareth Thomas Advertising Sales Nigel Frost - 01767 261122 - nigel@villagermag.com Photography - Catherine Rose, Generator and Nigel Frost 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 www.villagermag.com

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.

History

Where have all the farmers gone?

By Peter Ibbett

When did you last see a tractor in the high street?

The season of mists and mellow fruitfulness brings a change in local fields as the ripe yellows are rapidly replaced (with the help of satellite aided combines and tractors) with the earthy brown of newly seeded acres. The changes remind that there are farmers out there with their ‘technicians’ growing our food, looking after our landscape and occasionally driving their machinery through our towns.

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The detail on a 1757 map in Huntingdon Record Office shows that 250 years ago the land around St. Neots resembled a large allotment with the locals tending their collection of furlongs of land. A fair number of folk walked out from the town to their work in the fields, regulated by the ringing of the church bell. Our ‘modern’ farmer emerged as part of the enclosure movement which created a new pattern of large private fields. These were often tenants such as Adam Love who had a farm of 95 acres in 1809 just off the Cambridge road which was eventually acquired by the Rowley family at Priory Park. He died in 1825 aged 75 leaving a tombstone which included the line ‘this same monument records that Love with Adam died’! Where he once worked the latest crop is of new houses spreading over a landscape whose roots go back to Neolithic farmers. Our modern farmer is, like his ancestors, hard at work all day monitoring his fields through satellite data and computer programmes dreaming of the day his robotic machinery can run the farm without a single human foot to tread the fertile soil! You can find out more about local farming and agricultural equipment at the friendly St. Neots museum in New Street.

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Three Counties Radio

Should You Bother With Loyalty Cards? By Jonathan Vernon-Smith From the Tesco Clubcard to the Boots Advantage Card. The Morrison’s miles card to the Sainsbury’s Nectar card. All the big companies are doing it – encouraging us to be LOYAL to them and not to stray elsewhere.

But which of these schemes should we bother with, and which should we completely ignore?

The first thing you need to understand about loyalty schemes is that they’re NOT giving you anything for free. The shops that offer rewards for your loyalty, build the cost into their schemes. Ultimately their customers pay for it, but indirectly. Therefore it’s up to you to be a savvy consumer to maximise the benefit.

They’ll be furious at me for telling you this, but DO NOT LET THE LOYALTY CARDS MAKE LOYAL! Just because you get points for shopping at a certain supermarket doesn’t mean you’re getting the best deal on your groceries. Keep your eyes open and be prepared to shop around, and maybe even do your shopping at a company that doesn’t reward you in any way. When you empty the bags in your kitchen, you may still end up better off than you would have done with all your so called ‘loyalty’ points. Remember you can use cash in more shops than you can points! If you’ve saved cash, it means more.

That said, it’s still worth having them. You’ll notice I said ‘them’. I did so deliberately. My advice is to get THEM ALL! Either online or in-store, you should apply for ALL the (free) loyalty schemes in the shops you frequent. That way you can benefit both in price and in points. If you’ve researched and found the best price for a product you want to buy AND you benefit from getting loyalty points (that can eventually be redeemed for something meaningful), then you really have earned the right to consider yourself a ‘SAVVY’ consumer.

Some energy providers now provide points for certain loyalty cards. For example if you have your gas or electricity with E-On, you can link your account with your Tesco Clubcard and earn points every time you switch a light on. If you’re already with E-On and feel they offer you the best price, then this is an added benefit, but as I mentioned earlier, these loyalty incentives are rarely enough to switch supplier based on loyalty points alone.

Most petrol stations now provide a loyalty scheme for fuel. For example you can earn Nectar points by filling up at a BP garage. That’s fine if you were going to fill up at a BP station anyway, but please remember that it’s still more important to shop around for the best price on fuel, rather than choosing a garage based on the loyalty points you can earn. In the end you’re saving may be worth much more than the points are worth.

It’s also worth noting that many credit cards offer a ‘points’ system to keep customers loyal to them. This can be very beneficial. I recently had a statement telling me that I have used my credit card so much in the last year that I’m entitled to 24 bottles of Pinot Grigio!

Considering I practically bathe in the stuff, this made me do a little dance in my kitchen. I would have purchased the items anyway, but by ensuring I paid for them on my credit card (whilst paying off the balance in full), I have earned myself a little treat!!

Always do your research before you get a credit card. Make sure you look at the loyalty scheme they operate and ensure they reward buying things in shops you use the most.

Finally don’t forget to use them and ensure you have a big purse or wallet. If you follow the advice above, you’ll need one!

Jonathan Vernon-Smith not only offers you his consumer advice here but you can listen to The JVS Show tackling your consumer problems every weekday morning from 9am.

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Local News What is the

Cambridgeshire Care Card?

A new project run by volunteers in Cambridgeshire is holding a trial that aims to harness some of the 12.5 million bus pass holders to make these cards into life savers.

As there is room on the pass to include more electronic data than is currently held there, the brainwave is to include medical information such as diabetes, allergies, whether the holder is a blood or organ donor, their blood group and ICE details.

It is then hoped to install card readers at places like Hinchingbrooke A&E. This would mean that should an older person collapse and need taking to hospital in an emergency, there would be instant access to their medical and personal details via their bus pass.

Working with the county council who are part funding the project, the scheme is being technically masterminded by Christopher Curry of General

Information Systems Ltd and the team is hoping to create incentives whereby older people would be able to go to the library to be helped to learn to use the Internet and put data on their pass.

As a member of the free scheme, an elderly person will also have their own private portal on a website where they could provide medical feedback, learn about the latest in health and wellbeing and take part in socially rewarding volunteer activities.

You can join the Bus Pass Army at www.camcarecard.com or if you have no Internet access, you can ring 07949 927912.

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History

The Great Airship Disaster

By Catherine Rose

Autumn 1930 saw news headlines filled with tragic disaster and loss of life when the flagship R101 – one of two giant airships stationed in Bedfordshire - crashed and burned on its maiden voyage killing 46 of those on board. Today, the hangars at Cardington, Bedfordshire stand as a historic landmark and reminder of the brief life of two mammoth airships – the R101 and its sister the R100.

The R101 left Cardington at 7pm on Saturday, 4th October 1930 for India with 54 passengers. It had only got to France when it crashed into a hill near Beauvais, near Paris, at approximately 2am.

Sleeping passengers were engulfed in flames including the airship’s designer Col. V C Richmond, Assistant Director of Airship Development, Lord Thomson, and Minister for Air and Air ViceMarshall Sir Sefton Brancker. There had been no warning and the last contact from the airship was sent 15 minutes before the crash which said: “At the moment, the passengers, after an excellent meal and after enjoying a number of cigars, are getting ready to go to bed” followed by a “thank you” when the French Air Ministry informed them they were 1km from Beauvais.

Low lying clouds had prevented the airship flying to its designated height. When a storm hit, it resulted in masses of rainwater settling on the top of the ship which subsequently forced her down further until she struck a hill near the village

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of Allonne. Her droning engines woke French eye witnesses who stated that as she left the town “she appeared to be completely out of control…. lurching and travelling crab-wise in the air.”

A passing motorist watched the giant ship “fighting for feet” and “her belly” only touched the top of the hill. The lights in the cabin went out, the propellers dug into the earth and the 585 hp Tornado engines were pushed up into the airship itself. The hydrogen gas inside was ignited immediately and the explosion could be seen within a radius of seven miles. It was later described as being like “Dante’s Inferno” and “a sight so awful and terrible that one could not take it in at first”.

Photographs of the scene the following morning show the ship’s colossal charred skeleton and bodies (described as burnt beyond recognition) littered across the French countryside and shrouded in sheets that had been donated by local villagers.

Miraculously, there were eight survivors, five of whom were severely burned. They are said to have owed their lives to the fact that the water tanks burst and washed them through the flames to safety. Ship’s captain, Flight Lieutenant Irwin remained at his post giving orders until flames

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enveloped him.

Twelve men were on duty when disaster struck.

Engineer H J Leech was in a cabin with two colleagues and said: “We shook hands and swore we would not be burned to death but that somehow we would make our way out.”

Another survivor, Mr Bell, described his experience: “I had just got to my bunk when the explosion occurred. I saw a sheet of flame and then the rush of water from the water tanks swept me out of my bunk and kept off the flames. I managed to scramble to safety but without the aid of the water I should have been killed”.

Mr Church, told the press: “When the explosion occurred it rent in two my compartment and I fell to earth. One of my comrades was trapped. I tried to climb to him but the flames beat me back”.

Wireless operator Mr A Disley described biting and tearing his way through the fabric, saying: “I used my teeth and nails. I became exhausted then suddenly fell through a raging tornado of fire and found myself safe on wet grass.”

At 777 feet long and 132 wide at its maximum point, the airship’s construction began in 1924.

Accommodation was contained within a doubledecked structure slung inside the hull. On the upper deck was a large lounge with promenades and there was a separate dining room that could seat 50 people and a number of two-berth sleeping cabins. Downstairs were the kitchen, the captain’s control room, the wireless room, the smoking room and the crew’s quarters. The ship was designed to reach 75 mph.

After the crash, it came to light that the airship had had problems three months earlier on her first official public unveiling at Hendon - a fact that had allegedly been concealed. Her departure was delayed by 35 minutes when the starting engine failed. When she finally got going, a roar and a shower of sparks shot from the exhaust pipe, scaring the 3,000-strong crowd and witnesses

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were later to describe how her “slow, struggling ascent” from Cardington meant that the “wives and sweethearts who were clustered around the base of the mooring mast” were left to wonder if all was well with the ship as their men on board flashed torches through the windows of the gondola cabin in farewell.

When news of the tragedy hit Shortstown – the small hamlet on the edge of Cardington built to house airship workers and their families – the blinds of almost every cottage remained drawn.

Virtually every family suffered some sort of loss, whether it was a father, brother or friend.

After the crash, the R101’s sister ship, the R100 was broken up and all further development on the project abandoned.

The survivors were all crew, mostly from the Cardington area: Mr H J Leech of Shortstown, foreman engineer; Mr A V Bell of Shortstown, engineer; Mr J H Binks, engineer; Mr S Church of Cardington, rigger; Mr A Disley of Shortstown, wireless operator; Mr W G Radcliffe of Bedford, rigger; and Mr V Savory of Shortstown, engineer.

Following a state funeral procession from London, today there is a mass grave at Cardington cemetery containing those who died.

Drawings by Keith Lawrence whose father Geoffrey worked on the R101.

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Travel

Luang Prabang - Ancient Capital of Laos

by Solange Hando

In the lush northern hills of Laos, the old city of Luang Prabang is a delightful maze of pristine alleyways festooned in potted plants and bougainvillaea. The fragrance of frangipani lingers under the blue sky, mingling with the aroma of French baguettes and freshly-brewed coffee. Heavy traffic is banned from the historic centre where pedestrians and cyclists wander through the lanes.

Time seems to stand still.

Tucked on a scenic peninsula, Luang Prabang nestles at the confluence of the Mekong, all silvery waters dotted with boats and islands, and the emerald green river Khan, spanned by bouncy bamboo bridges washed away every year during the monsoon. Rustic hotels and quaint al fresco restaurants line the left bank where spirit houses ensure good luck. Across the water, tiny allotments tumble down the steep slopes, crickets sing in the trees and myriad frogs join in the chorus at night.

In 1995, Luang Prabang was awarded World Heritage status by UNESCO for its natural sites, including the nearby Kuang Si waterfalls and the Buddha caves of Pak Ou, and its finely restored architecture, from gilded temples to colonial bungalows and mansions.

Often converted into guest houses, the latter boast stylish verandahs and pastel-hued façades framed by lofty palm trees. Here and there, a traditional bamboo hut peeps through the greenery while a wooden house on stilts mirrors its amber-coloured walls in a lily pond. Buddhist flags flutter in the breeze and every morning at 6.00, drums beat in the temples to announce the start of the alms procession.

Even before the first rays of the sun light up the river Khan, the people of Luang Prabang line the main street, heads bowed, holding offerings of sticky rice, bananas, biscuits and more. For the

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monks, this is an act of humility, for the faithful an opportunity to share food and earn merits. Barefoot and clad in saffron robes, hundreds of monks hurry past in single file, taking only what they need and leaving plenty for families to take home. A few tourists join in but it is a dignified affair full of spiritual vibes.

Among the 30 or so temples in town, the 16th century Wat Xieng Thong claims centre stage with its overlapping roofs sweeping down almost to the ground, its Buddha images and its gold-stencil and mosaic decorations. At the far end of the complex, a stone lion guards the steps leading down to the Mekong where royalty used to land, paying respect in the temple before heading for their palace.

Right across town, tucked among flowering trees, the monasteries offer wonderful oases of peace sprinkled with shrines, chapels and stupas. All is quiet except when the haunting chant of evening prayers rises all around.

The former Royal Palace is now a museum, reached along a regal avenue of palms and filled with memorabilia. It was built to replace a wooden palace in the early 20th century, Lao style with a French touch. The gates close late afternoon then it’s time for the night market to set up its stalls along the street, brimming with silk scarves, tribal blankets, ceramics, bamboo lamps, silver and ethnic bags. It’s a great place to sample the local delicacies, from Lao noodles to barbecued fish and fried river moss.

Meanwhile, locals and visitors gather on the Phusi Hill to enjoy the most fabulous views over the peninsula, the river Khan and the legendary Mekong turning all shades of gold in the setting sun.

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Local News

Shannon Express Singing is our pleasure

It is a strange fact that the majority of people will tell you that they cannot sing. What they probably mean is that they have not been taught to sing and as a result, would be embarrassed to get it wrong in front of others. We understand this completely. Most of us in Shannon Express started out that way!

Our next recruitment evening followed by a Learn to Sing Course over six weeks is aimed at those with little or no experience and is completely free.

We will guide you from the first tentative steps through to public performance. We sing as a group and never put you on the spot to sing individually.

Confidence will grow and you will be amazed at what you can achieve.

Our music is slick, varied and thoroughly entertaining. Sentimental lullabies, stirring upbeat

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numbers, timeless classics, hits from the musical theatre and modern standards all have their place.

Ladies, play your part and win a £150 prize in our free draw. He sings in the shower, it’s time he took up a new hobby and you know that singing brings health benefits through physical and mental exercise. First prize is a £150 Maxwells Experience for the ladies and second prize for one of our lucky recruits is a £50 Maxwells Makeover, both courtesy of Maxwells Professional Hair and Beauty, Biggleswade.

Send your man to our Recruitment Evening on 9th October 2014, 7.30pm at the Holiday Inn, Sandy, SG19 1NA (A1 Sandy Roundabout) and we will do the rest. Accomplished singers welcome too, of course. Register on 07848 972689 or email pro@shannonexpress.org.uk Singing is our pleasure. Join us and make it yours.

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17

Education

School Phobia

By Susan Brookes- Morris

There seems to be growing evidence of a condition known as School Phobia. It was first recorded in America around 1941, then gained further attention in the 1960’s, and has become more commonly diagnosed in recent years.

Kay Mawson, the mother of sufferer Andrew, describes School Phobia as the ‘fear of school,’ which brings on debilitating symptoms. She says that to avoid the fear, children exhibit behaviour often called School Refusal. For her son the causes were a sensation of feeling trapped and out of control in school and therefore feeling insecure and unsafe.

He also suffered from separation anxiety resulting from being apart and out of contact with those he cared about, and being fearful that something might happen to them. Kay feels it is important to raise awareness of the condition because it is commonly misunderstood, and often remains untreated. Many parents become distressed at finding themselves struggling with courts, schools and truancy issues.

Last years Netmums and the TV programme This Morning carried out a poll of 1,054 parents. This suggested that one in five British children suffer from School Phobia but only half of parents are aware of it. Children aged five to six and 10 and 11 were the most frequent suffers. Common behaviours include

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faking illness to try to avoid school, or going for registration and then leaving. Many sufferers have temper tantrums and scream and kick if forced to attend. Forty six percent of those referred to in the study also became ill with genuine stress related conditions such as headaches and stomach aches.

Many had difficulty sleeping.

Whilst in some cases the factors were not related to specific instances at school, the parents of other sufferers felt the condition had been triggered by bullying, under-performance or a general sense of being overwhelmed by school expectations.

The study suggests that many parents struggled to get help; indeed some experts claim that parental behaviour has sometimes made cases worse.

Some parents have been able to get their children medically diagnosed with School Phobia, and pupils in the UK have obtained places at special units for anxious and school phobic children.

There remain differences of opinion on the best way to handle the condition. Some feel that getting the child into school is crucial even if it involves parental accompaniment and perhaps arranging special acclimatisation sessions. Some parents have found that moving their child to a more supportive school helped tremendously, while others believe that home schooling provides the solution.

Kay Mawson advises parents to research all of the available options and discuss them with their child and perhaps an educational psychologist. That way there is a consensus on the best way to move forward, though arrangements should be reviewed on a regular basis.

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Travelogue

Bula!

By Melanie Ridley

Fiji is situated in the south west Pacific sea above New Zealand and Australia and consists of 322 islands, 106 of which are inhabited. Once my adventures and travels down under had come to an end, the next stop was to be the Yasawas Islands, a group of islands situated to the north west of Viti Levu on the mainland.

While scuba diving in Australia, I had the privilege of swimming with an array of relatively small sharks, namely white tip and black tip reef sharks on the Great Barrier Reef, but this wasn’t enough to satisfy my adrenaline needs! So while staying at Coralview Island resort, Fiji, I signed myself up for another dive.

However, this was no ordinary scuba dive. It was one specifically designed to feed sharks! And after looking through my Dive Masters photographs from previous dives, I felt as though there was nothing I could do to prepare myself for what I was about to endure.

The dive was arranged for my last morning on the island. So after packing up my things (this seems to be all I ever do) and heading for breakfast, I was ready for my dive, physically rather than mentally.

As I headed for the dive site - Cathedral Reef - along with the 10 other divers and four dive masters, you could sense everybody’s mixed emotions. After jumping into the turquoise water,

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I dunked my head under to check how much visibility we had. Little did I know, I already had three bull sharks lurking below!

Once we had reached our maximum depth for the dive of 25 metres, we were led to a long line of rope which had been secured at both ends to the sea bed. In front of us was a metal box containing the sharks’ breakfast - tuna heads.

While we were watching a local Fijian man hand feed bull sharks, lemon sharks, grey reef sharks, and white and black tip reef sharks, I could feel my heart racing in my chest. To see them this close in their own habitat was something I believe I will never experience again. Even though I was so terrified I could hardly move, I still could not take my eyes off these beautiful aquatic animals.

Before we had set off on the dive boat that morning, one of my dive masters had explained I should keep an eye out not only for the sharks but also their teeth! However, I didn’t realise he meant the ones that had fallen out of their mouth!

Part way through the dive, he came up to me and placed his hand out towards me. In return, I outstretched my palm into which he placed a freshly shed shark tooth!

Once all the tuna heads had been devoured, I began our return to the surface, the whole time checking over my shoulder to catch my last glimpse of these monsters of the sea.

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Jazzercise got me back in my dress size. It fuels my mind and spirit while toning every inch of my body.

- Bo 44

£5 for 2 classes

New customers or those returning after 6 months only.

Other restrictions may apply.

Bring this Ad with you.

St Neots

Priory Jr School, Longsands Road Mon & Wed 6.45pm & 8pm, Sat 9am Express (30 min) Mon & Fri 6pm No need to book • Classes also in Cambourne, Sandy, St Ives, Cambridge, Longstanton & other areas. For further info go to

www.jazzfitness.co.uk

or call 01480 216090

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Easton Blinds and Curtains Cambridgeshire Foot Clinic Podiatry/Chiropody

Custom made soft furnishings in Cambridgeshire.

Beautiful hand made curtains, roman blinds and loose covers to your specification

Yvonne Siudak

BSc (Hons.) MChs, HPC Registered

Podiatrist / Chiropodist Private Podiatry / Chiropody Care in Cambridge, UK A comprehensive service for all your foot care needs

Hard Skin • Corns • Nail Cutting Ingrown Toe Nails • Fungal Nail Infections General Foot Care • Verrucae Treatment • Laser Treatment • Diabetic Assessments • Biomechanical Assessments Full details of our specialist treatments are available, call Yvonne for an appointment:

Cambridgeshire Foot Clinic

20 Chesterton Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB4 3AX. Tel: 01233 358 431 Mob: 07562 748 352 E: yvonne@yourfootclinic.co.uk

www.yourfootclinic.co.uk Also Bedfordshire Foot Clinic Tel: 01767 681 704

To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261122

www.eastonblindsandcurtains.co.uk Tel: 07717 058849

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Complementary Health

What is it

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)?

Centre for Complimentary Health The Centre for Complementary Health is seeing a significant increase in enquiries for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). CFS has a number of different names, these being: • Myalgic Encephalopathy or “ME” • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or “CFS” • Post-Viral Fatigue Syndrome or “PVFS” • Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome or “CFIDS” It is estimated that it currently affects some 250,000 people in Britain, yet there is still uncertainty about its cause. It seems to affect a range of different type of people and across all ages. It is about three times as common in women as in men.

“Sufferers experience widespread symptoms which vary from person to person. Whilst the most common symptom is persistent severe tiredness (fatigue), other symptoms range from painful muscles and joints, disturbed sleep patterns, gastric disturbances, poor memory and concentration. For some the effects may be minimal but in a large number, lives are changed dramatically” explains Jane Morris from the Centre for Complementary Health. “The cause of CFS is not known, in many cases, onset is linked to a viral infection, other triggers may include an operation or an accident, inherited genetic susceptibility (it is more common in some families), exhaustion and mental stress, depression, or traumatic event such as bereavement, divorce or redundancy” adds Jane.

There is no known cure for CFS although treatment may help to ease symptoms and manage the quality of life and function. Treatments and lifestyle changes that may be considered include the following.

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• Managing the symptoms with painkillers may help if muscle or joint pains are troublesome symptoms.

• Eating little and often may help any feeling of sickness (nausea).

• Managing sleep - any changes to your sleep pattern (for example, having too little, or even too much sleep) may actually make your tiredness (fatigue) worse.

• Managing rest - rest (rather than actual sleep) is very beneficial. You should introduce rest periods into your daily routine.

• Relaxation – this can help to improve pain, sleep problems and any stress or anxiety. There are various relaxation which you may find useful when there are built into your rest periods.

• Diet - it is very important that you have a wellbalanced diet. You should try to avoid any foods and drinks to which you are sensitive. Eating small, regular meals which contain some starchy foods is often beneficial.

There is currently no accepted cure and no universally effective treatment and therefore, many people with CFS find various complementary therapies helpful such as acupuncture, osteopathy, homeopathy and aromatherapy. “As there is no one cure for all and different people find different approaches helpful, if you speak to us at the Centre we will work with you to get the best options to help improve your situation” concludes Jane.

For more information see www. centreforcomphealth. com or contact us and we can discuss the options further for you.

More info: Phone: 01480 455221 Website: www.CentreForCompHealth.com Email: info@CentreForCompHealth.com Please mention The Villager and Town Life when responding to adverts

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Acupuncture FOR WELL-BEING

Judy obtained her Licentiate in Acupuncture, and B.A (Hons) degree in Traditional Acupuncture, from the College of Traditional Acupuncture, Warwickshire. Judy is a passionate believer in the positive benefits, on both physical and emotional levels, that may be obtained from receiving acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture originated in China and other far eastern cultures where it still features in mainstream healthcare, both as a stand-alone therapy and in combination with conventional western medicine. Judy has been trained as a classical Five Element Acupuncturist; treatment is aimed at the root cause of your condition as well as your main symptoms. This approach helps with resolving your problem and enhancing your feelings of wellbeing. You may notice other niggling problems resolve as your main health complaint improves. Judy continues to pursue her belief in excellence of care for her patients in her role as a dedicated acupuncture practitioner, and is a member of the British Acupuncture Council.

Please contact Judy for a free 20 minute consultation to discuss how acupuncture treatment can help you.

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Leeds Day Solicitors

Protect Your Property From the Cost of Care Home Fees With the cost of residential care currently being as much as £1,000 per week for any person with assets of more than £23,250, it is not surprising that people are keen to protect their property to pass on to their family.

When it becomes necessary for a person to move into residential care, a financial assessment is undertaken and any assets in that person’s sole name will normally be used to pay for their care. A share of joint assets will also normally be taken into account. However, the value of a home will be disregarded while a spouse (or certain other relatives) continues to live in the property.

However, if one spouse dies and the surviving spouse requires residential care, the full value of the house will be available and will be taken into account in assessing the funding of residential care fees.

An effective way to protect a share of a jointly owned property is for a couple to make Wills which include Life Interest Trusts. Trusts of this type allow a share of a jointly owned property to be held for the surviving spouse to have full use of it during a specified period (often for the whole of the survivor’s lifetime).

In practice, this enables the surviving joint owner to benefit from the whole property during his or her lifetime, whilst preserving a share of the capital value to pass to other named beneficiaries (often the couple’s children) following the death of the surviving

Our offices: Huntingdon Godwin House, George Street, Huntingdon, PE29 3BD T: 01480 454301

joint owner.

The trust protects the surviving joint owner, giving him or her the right to live in and make use of the property for as long as they wish to do so. If the survivor wishes to downsize, he or she will usually be free to do so. Similarly, if the survivor is not able to continue living in the property, he or she may receive any income (after expenses) generated from the share of the property held in the trust.

The surviving joint owner does not own the share of the property held in the trust but has the right to occupy it or receive an income from it. As such, the share of the property held within the trust will be protected for the ultimate beneficiaries and will not be taken into account if the surviving joint owner requires residential care.

Changes are proposed to the amount people will have to pay for their care in the future.

From 2017, this will be capped at £75,000 but this will not apply to the costs of food and accommodation. The potential benefits of using a Life Interest Trust will therefore remain.

If you would be interested in discussing this with one of our members of staff, please contact us on 0844 567 2222 by email at wills@leedsday.co.uk or visit our website www.leedsday.co.uk We have offices in St. Neots, St. Ives and Huntingdon

St. Ives 11 Station Road, St. Ives, Cambridgeshire PE27 5BH T: 01480 464600

To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261122

St. Neots 1A South Street, St. Neots, Cambridgeshire, PE19 2BW T: 01480 474661 27

Dedicated support for clients in relationship breakdown:

• • • • •

Separation Financial Settlements Change of Name Prenuptial Agreements Mediation

• • • • •

Divorce Living together agreements Adoption Children issues Collaborative family law

Fiona McLeman Family Law is accredited by Resolution and the Solicitors Regulation Authority as a Specialist in Family Law. For a free initial consultation contact Fiona:

fiona@fmfamilylaw.co.uk, 07894095775, www.fmfamilylaw.co.uk Regus House, 1010 Cambourne Business Park, Cambourne CB23 6DP

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Family Law

The Myth of the Common Law Wife

By Fiona McLeman

“We have lived together for 2 years so I have matrimonial rights against him/her don’t I?” Well, no. Not exactly. Many couples live together for years, sharing their finances, under the mistaken assumption that they “own half the house” or have rights if they separate. But in short, an unmarried couple who live together do not have the same rights as they might do if they were married.

If they own a property together, then they will each have rights in respect of that property.

There may be an argument as to whether the house should be divided equally or in other shares. If the property is in one of the couple’s sole name, the other may have no rights at

all even if they have been paying towards the household. To make matters more complicated it might be possible to claim that the non owning party has acquired some rights over the property if they can prove that they have contributed and that the property was intended to be held jointly either by things that were said or done or promised or inferred. It’s a complicated legal minefield.

It gets more complicated if the couple have children as it is possible to bring a claim on behalf of the children. The claim might be for child maintenance, but also possibly for money to help meet children’s costs. At worse, a home can be provided to the parent with care of the children, which will probably be returned to the other parent when the children are grown up.

Spouses have the right to ask for pension sharing orders as well as other arrangements with pensions. An unmarried couple have no rights to ask for a share of pension.

In short, if you are thinking of living with someone, why not take advice to find out what rights you do or don’t have. If you are already living with someone it’s not too late to find out where you stand and whether there are things you might want to do to protect your position.

And if you are already separated, it may be a legal minefield but sensible legal advice can help you get out of the mess amicably with your ex.

If you would like further information or would like an informal discussion, please call Fiona on 01223 229933 or Christina on 01223 355333.

Email: fiona@fmfamilylaw.co.uk christina@fmfamilylaw.co.uk

Fiona McLeman Tel: 07894 095775 www.fmfamilylaw.co.uk Visit our new community www.beds-local.co.uk

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Anstee Gorst

Chartered Certified Accountants

- Accounts preparation for Sole traders, Partnerships and Limited Companies - Self assessment tax returns - Cash Flow Forecasting - Vat, Payroll & Bookkeeping - Business Start Up

Free Initial Consultation Phone: Antoinette Gorst ACCA or Sally Anstee FCCA 01767 650700 Ground Floor Offices, Unit 30, Green End, Gamlingay, Sandy, Beds, SG19 3LF Email: office@ansteegorst.co.uk Website: www.ansteegorst.co.uk

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Beacon Wealth

G.R.O.W.

This is not an article about gardening or farming, but an acronym for part of how we encourage our clients, to think about their lives.

Goal – Many clients have reached a stage in their life when they feel it is now time to speak with an Independent Financial Planner. This could be, for example, due to a life changing event such as a recent bereavement or divorce. It could be because retirement is approaching, an inheritance has been received or because interest rates are low and returns are falling behind inflation.

We help clients decide what it is they wish to achieve and why. It is not ‘airy-fairy’, it is a simple discussion, which often results in the true goal being somewhat different.

Reality – These are the issues that exist and which can be used or need to be overcome to reach the goal, or to help focus on a realistic goal. Whilst almost anything is possible, it is always good to use a bit of common sense.

Options – There is, as they say, ‘more than one way to skin a cat’. There are, for example, lots of ways of travelling from here to Scotland; some cheap, some quick, some slow, and some not. Finance is the same; simple, cheap low risk, tax advantageous and others not. But the old adage usually rings true - if it looks

Tony Larkins CFP APFS Managing Director IFA Chartered and Certified Financial Planner

too good to be true, it probably is.

It is really interesting how for some clients we have helped them achieve a goal they set over 20 years ago, whilst for others, who become focussed, the goal changes.

Will – This really is the key because we have clients telling us they want to achieve X, Y, Z when in reality they are not committed to the goal and fall far short.

We do not have a problem with this because it is their life, but it is sometimes disappointing when they have expressed previously why the goal was so important to them.

I believe people should be happy in their life and not make themselves unhappy by striving for the ultimate. But, equally, I believe with continued guidance most goals can be achieved if realistic and desired. Why not spend a minute or two wherever you are on lifes path, just thinking – starting from here what would I like to be different and why? It does not have to be financial, but if it is why not call us or your trusted financial planner.

You should always seek qualified advice from an IFA, preferably a Certified (CFP) or Chartered Financial PlannerCM (APFS). If you have a financial question, e-mail: tlarkins@beaconwealth.co.uk

To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261122

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33

Garden

Conifers

By Pippa Greenwood www.pippagreenwood.com

Conifers are a great way to add colour, texture and living sculpture to your garden 365 days of the year.

With several hundred different cultivars of conifer to choose from in the UK, there really is one to suit every situation.

Dwarf Conifers - There are many conifers which reach a maximum height of 1m (3ft). These are obviously particularly useful for small gardens and will often add a great extra dimension to a rock garden or a small-scale border. They may need an occasional trimming, but generally hold their shape well.

Recommended: Picea abies ‘Little Gem’, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Gnome’ , Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Minima Aurea’, Cryptomeria japonica ‘Vilmoriniana’, Picea abies ‘Nidiformis’ Tall and Narrow - Very stylish, many of the columnar or tall, slim conifers look especially stunning when used to create a screen, or to add height to a mixed border or a shrub border. Being rather like a living sculpture they are also good grown as a single specimen tree in a lawn.

Recommended: Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata Aurea’, Juniperus scopulorum ‘Skyrocket’, Thuja plicata ‘Fastigiata’.

Pyramid-shaped Conifers - With their relatively wide bases and narrow tops, pyramidal conifers can bring welcome shape, texture and evergreen colour to your garden and if carefully position are often useful to hide an eyesore.

Recommended: Picea albertiana ‘Conica’, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Yvonne’ or Thymus occidentalis ‘Yellow Ribbon’ Spherical Conifers - With their prominently rounded shape these conifers naturally produce a sculptured look and are perfect for growing either side of a gateway or house entrance. They also look great in a mixed border, adding colour, texture and

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interest when many of the other border ingredients are below ground.

Recommended: Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Sunset’, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Minima Glauca’, Thuja occidentalis ‘Danice’ Ground-Cover Conifers - Great for hiding low-lying eyesores such as manhole covers, an evergreen groundcover hides them all year long.

Low growing conifers also work well for covering steep slopes and edging paths and beds. They will help to keep weeds at bay and are very low maintenance.

Recommended: Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Coat’, Juniperus conferata, Juniperus communis ‘Compressa’.

Conifers for Containers - Conifers can look great on their own or in a mixed planting where they help to bring structure, texture and colour.

Recommended: Juniperus compressa ‘Compressa’, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Ellwood’s Gold’, Cryptomeria japonica ‘Sekkan-Sugi’ , Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Springtime’, Pinus leucodermis ‘Schmidtii’ Conifer Planting and Growing Tips - Make the planting hole a minimum of 1m wide by 30cm deep and incorporate plenty of bulky organic matter such as garden compost, proprietary planting mix or well-rotted manure.

Tease or spread out the roots well and backfill the hole with garden soil mixed with planting compost.

Make sure that only the roots are below the soil surface, water in well.

Keep the soil moist at all times, especially during late spring and summer.Feed in April using a proprietary fertiliser to keep the growth good and ensure it is a good colour. Trim conifers regularly but remember if you cut back into old or brown growth you’ll end up expose all the old growth as they don’t produce dormant buds.

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GARDEN MACHINERY AND TRAILER CENTRE

 Personal customer service, collection and delivery available.  Assessment of individual requirements.  Full after sales backup and parts service.  NEW Oregon, the world's only unique battery operated, self-sharpening s In stock. chain saw.  Ride-on and pedestrian mowers, chainsaws, strimmers, hedge trimmers, cultivators, estate and equestrian equipment. Trailers - sales, hire, service.  Accessories, oils, Aspen fuel, batteries, spares, security locks for garden/ horticultural machinery and trailers. horticultu

Appointed dealers for:

 Main dealer for Briggs & Stratton, Honda, Kohler, Kawasaki & Mountfield engines.

Honeydon Road, Colmworth, Bedfordshire MK44 2LY

01234 376513 www.bri-ag.co.uk

Open Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm and Saturday 9am to 12pm

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 To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261122

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All Seasons

Garden & Property Maintenance

Some Services We Provide

Grass/Hedge-cutting, Turfing, Patios, Fencing Ground Preparation, Sheds/Conservatory Bases Repair Work - Internal/External Painting - Internal/External Clearances, Cleaning/pressure cleaning

No job too small

Certified Waste Carriers Fully Insured. Free estimates

Please call Nick

Mob: 07896668976 / Home: 01480 383605 Email: all_seasons123@hotmail.co.uk Find us on Facebook Located:St Neots

SAW GARDEN SERVICES

SURECLEAN

‘At The Cutting Edge’

DRIVEWAY AND PATIO CLEANING SPECIALISTS

Providing Fencing, Decking Lawn & Hedge Services

ROOF MOSS REMOVAL AND GUTTER CLEANING

• All types of Fencing & Gates supplied & erected • Decking installed/repaired • Turfing & Lawn Seeding • Hedge Cutting • Fully Licensed Waste Carrier • Full Liability Insurance

We use a revolutionary industrial pressure rotary cleaning system to restore exterior hard surfaces to as new condition.

Block Paving, Pathways, Patios Garden Wall and Stone Ornaments Ponds and Pools Also Re-sanding and Sealing Local Company

01480 468965/07870 338074

Call for a FREE estimate:

www.surecleancarpetcleaning.co.uk

01767 651 962 / 07762 096 089

E: simon@sawgardenservice.co.uk

www.sawgardenservice.co.uk

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In the Garden

PLANT OF THE month

Aster Amellus “King George”

By Gareth Arscott www.buckdenperennialplants.webs.com This is the last “Plant of the Month” this year and although it looks like the good weather may last a while, our perennials are making it clear that for most of them, the flowering season is over.

We like to recommend perennials that not only provide a good show but are also trouble-free – to a great extent. The Aster family (Michaelmas Daisies) are an old favourite, but trouble-free they are not. Varieties cultivated from Aster novi-belgii and Aster novae-angliae are notorious for their ability to suffer from mildew on a yearly basis.

Guaranteeing that other plants that are less prone, will shortly follow suit.

Fortunately, Aster amellus (European Aster) is described as never suffering from mildew. In our experience that is correct. Perhaps this is the reason that after its RHS trial, it won an Award of Garden Merit.

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They take a little while to get established, but will grow up to 2 feet in height and produce a mound of dark green leaves, topped with violet daisy flowers from late summer through autumn. It does not need stalking like many Asters and is as trouble free a plant as you will find. After flowering, simply cut to the ground.

It enjoys being planted in full sun and does not like its roots too wet in the winter. We added a good amount of gravel and grit when we planted ours. It can easily be propagated by division in spring.

You don’t need to avoid this Aster!

Note: A number of American Asters including Aster novi-belgii and Aster novae-angliae, have recently been reclassified under different names although these are likely to be the names commonly known at present.

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Pets

Remember, remember your pets this November!

Imagine you’re snuggled quietly at home. BANG! It comes from nowhere. BANG! The room flashes.

Where’s it coming from? Another room is safer.

BANG! It’s here too! BANG, FLASH! It’s everywhere!

Nowhere seems safe. You find somewhere to hide, hoping that whatever it is won’t hurt you.

This is what many pets experience during firework season. The loud noises can be bewildering and terrifying for animals and they show it in many ways: • Trembling and shaking • Toileting anywhere • Inter-animal tension • Excessive vocalisation • Pacing and panting • Refusing food • Hiding • Clinging to owner A staggering 80% of pet owners have an animal who is scared of fireworks. Fireworks are no longer restricted to a few nights a year, and with no let up,

some animals struggle to cope and take months to get back to normal.

Managing animals with sound phobia is challenging and can be approached using three methods: Specialist products – most effective given for at least a month beforehand.

Behavioural preparation – for longer term behavioural therapy.

Common sense – • Keep them indoors after dark • Provide a den in their favourite place • Ignore fearful behaviour – comforting them actually confirms to them that there’s something to be afraid of.

• Muffle the sound – close windows, doors and curtains and turn up the radio or TV. • Provide distraction – perhaps a new toy or chew.

If you need any advice about how to prepare and cope with fireworks season, book a free veterinary nurse appointment by calling 01480 52601.

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www.LuciesBakery.co.uk Lucie’s Bakery Ltd. Cambourne Busienss Park, Cambridge, England, UK CB23 6DP Registered in England & Wales Reg. No. 08929169

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Can I go to the Paddocks for my Holiday please?

Paddocks Boarding Cattery Peaceful location. No dogs boarded.

Spacious, individual, heated chalets with large covered runs.

Inspection welcome. Boarding from ÂŁ6.60/day.

Rabbits/guinea pigs also boarded.

64 Meadow Road, Great Gransden

Telephone 01767 677 759 www.catterybedfordshire.co.uk Open all year.

The cattery for caring owners.

Comfort and security for your pet.

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Food & Drink

Beer of the Month

by Ted Bruning One of the difficulties of being a composite nation like the UK is celebrating one’s nationhood without upsetting any of one’s constituent parts. I therefore declare October to be UK month because it includes the anniversary of our first great military triumph as a united country.

The Battle of Trafalgar was fought on 21st October 1805 when a fleet manned by English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh sailors trounced the navies of France and Spain. Trafalgar was an all-British affair with no allies involved.

But what beer to drink in October? Why, Bateman’s Victory, of course, from the plucky little Lincolnshire family brewery, celebrating its 140th anniversary this year, which in the 1980s faced a seemingly impossible fight to retain its independence and won. Victory Ale was first brewed soon after. The colour of turning leaves, it’s warming enough at 6% alcohol and although it’s a fresh, clean-tasting beer with a touch almost of pine in the nose, its underlying malty richness, suggestion of chocolate, and spirity finish are perfect for the season.

October’s second beer has been chosen to celebrate another great British oddity... Prince Charles.

Duchy Originals Organic Old Ruby is brewed by Wychwood for Waitrose from a very old strain of malting barley, Plumage Archer, which HRH decided to revive on his Highgrove Estate. More copper-coloured than ruby, it’s got some heft at 5% abv but what marks it out as apt to October is its warming toffee-ish, caramelly nose, flavour, and finish.

Like a beery Werther’s Original, really – very comforting.

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CD

Garage Door Problems?

Garage Doors All leading Makes of Doors Supplied, Fitted & Repaired Manual & Automatic Over 20 Years Experience

Phone Chris Day On:

07899 903973 Visit our new community www.beds-local.co.uk

01480 459 721

High Street, Brampton 41

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COMPETITION

Christmas

is around the corner!

More to see, try, touch, taste, enjoy… and buy at The Festive Gift Fair Join in the fun at the fabulous FESTIVE GIFT FAIR, the biggest and best Christmas Shopping Fair, returns to the NEC for four days from 20 - 23 November.

Christmas means gifts for your loved ones, hanging decorations on the tree, excitement on children’s faces, party clothes, stockings hanging over the hearth, a table fit for a festive feast!

The run up to Christmas Day involves lots of planning! The hardest and often most time consuming part is buying the presents. There’s no need to be stuck for ideas, Festive Gift Fair makes it so easy.

From the moment you arrive, you’ll get into the Christmas spirit, and be caught up in the excitement of browsing round over 325 stalls hunting for your perfect gifts. And when your bags are full, you can drop them off at the Present Crèche and continue to shop, stop for a bite to eat and enjoy some great Christmas music by bands and choirs. It’s no wonder this is one of the most popular events at the NEC! We love the challenge of finding unusual gift ideas – with so many to see at the Fair, selecting the best is a challenge indeed!

EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY! Raise a glass! That’s the spirit!

FOR THE WOMEN IN YOUR LIFE. Mum, Wife, Sister, Aunt, Girlfriend There’s nothing more satisfying than finding a special thoughtful surprise they will love. ….

FOR THE MEN IN YOUR LIFE. Chaps can be notoriously difficult to buy for – you’ll find Whisky, woollies, watches, clever gadgets and silly stocking fillers at Festive Gift Fair……….

KIDS STUFF. You’ve managed to keep the presents out of sight from little prying eyes for weeks, and NOW the big day is here. All smiles on Christmas Day! SET THE SCENE FOR A MAGICAL CHRISTMAS. Dressing the tree is just the start! Dressing your table, your hall, your mantle-piece can all help make Christmas Day really special. Light lots of twinkling candles, use elegant glasses, colour coordinated linen… you’ll find lots of inspiration at Festive Gift Fair.

We have 10 pairs of tickets to give away Simply send your name and address by Fri 7th Nov 2014 to: Villager Publications Ltd, 24 Market Square, Potton, Beds SG19 2NP The Winner will be drawn at random.

If you are not a lucky winner, adult tickets are priced from just £8.50.

Book now by calling NEC Ticket Hotline on 0844 581 0808/0809 or online at www.theticketfactory.com (£2.50 per booking transaction).

To advertise Visit our newincommunity The Villagerwww.beds-local.co.uk and Townlife please call 01767 261122

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Local News

Hinchingbrooke School’s

Gap Year

by Gad Mimran

Over the summer, Plan My Gap Year - an international volunteer travel organisation based in Tunbridge Wells, Kent - sent two groups from Hinchingbrooke School to their volunteer projects in New Delhi, India. Each trip lasted two weeks.

The groups were based in a town called Faridabad, which is on the outskirts of New Delhi.

Welcome to India!

After a lot of preparation, the first group, led by Mr Patrick Winter, touched down in Delhi on Sunday 27th July 2014. The group was warmly received by the PMGY India team and each student and staff member received an orange lei. The PMGY team in India was made up of locals and former PMGY India volunteers from the UK - a nice mixture of local and UK support. The second group arrived on Thursday 14th August 2014.

Over the course of the two weeks the group got involved in a range of community volunteering.

This involved renovating several classrooms at Ambdekar School, a slum school in the Faridabad district. The group also taught English at Nehru Academy and supported a girls’ orphanage called Arya Kanya Sadan. Despite their young age and the challenges of adapting to a new culture, each group excelled in making an impact on the projects. We are delighted with what they achieved.

The groups volunteered in the mornings and then engaged in cultural activities in the evening. These activities include watching a Bollywood Movie,

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visiting traditional Indian markets, yoga sessions, cookery classes and of course a game of cricket!

Each group also spent one weekend sightseeing in Delhi: a day visiting Old Delhi and the other visiting New Delhi. They also travelled to Agra to visit the spectacular Taj Mahal. One of the students commented, “The monuments are spectacular. I never imagined there would be anything like this in India”.

The purpose of the trip was to give the students a broad cultural experience where they will see the main highlights of northern India, whilst also learning about the people and culture. Through volunteering the students experience an authentic cultural exchange and leave a positive impact with the local community.

As a touching finale to the end of the trips, group leader Michelle Woolhouse and the rest of the team from the second group, made an extremely generous donation to Parkash Deep, a slum school. Alongside donating items such as clothing and school supplies, the Hinchingbrooke School also donated some important medical equipment to aid PMGY in our medical outreach efforts in the community.

The trip was a great eye-opener for the students about a completely different culture and the way of life for people in the developing world. The following quote from one of the students gives confidence that this will not be the last overseas volunteer trip the students embark on: “I felt that I made a small difference to someone’s life…I would like to do more”.

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mily to ty for all the fa An opportuni ic in a relaxed us m e liv y jo come and en ne welcome setting. Ever yo and informal . ts en grandpar from babies to lers FREE. bies and todd Adults £5, ba included in ke memade ca Coffee and ho ticket price!

0am on the place at 10.3 Concer ts take th in St on m ch ea ay of 3rd Wednesd idge and br m esterton, Ca Andrew ’s, Ch th in St on m ch ea of ay on 3rd Thursd s ot Ne St Socon, Mar y’s, Eaton o.uk or reconcerts.c Visit www.enco oncerts ec or ok.com/enc www.facebo rmation. for more info To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261122

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Contact Steven Hardie Mobile: 07837243558 Office: 01480 390725 Central Heating Installation Powerflushing Full Bathroom Refurbishments General Plumbing Boiler Service and Repairs Landlord Gas Safety Certificates Contact Steven Hardie Mobile 07837243558 Office 01480 390725 www.sjhardieplumbingandheating.co.uk Gas safe no. 512115

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Health

World Thrombosis Day

By Paul Westerman

13th October is World Thrombosis Day dedicated to raising awareness of a condition that takes an estimated 500,000 lives every year in Europe.

On the 12th April 2011, I walked into the bathroom at home, looked in the mirror, stopped, turned around, opened the bathroom door and with the now infamous last words said: “Ellisa, I don’t think I feel too well….!”

It was as simple and quick as that.

Three weeks earlier I had injured my knee playing tennis. On the 11th April (10 days before I was to marry Ellisa) my leg was aching and I felt tired but put it down to being immobilised on crutches. The following morning, according to my consultant Dr Buttery, I “quite literally collapsed down dead.” I don’t know a great deal about the commotion but the next two weeks in the ICU were a blur of scans, blood tests and oxygen. While I had the ‘easy’ job of lying there surrounded by machines that go beep, Ellisa had to unplan our wedding.

A lot has happened in the past three and a half years since. If you were to look at me from the outside, I look healthy. I can walk short distances unaided and can socialise again. It hasn’t always

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been so. Surviving a massive pulmonary embolism firstly is a rarity (I’m quite the celebrity at the doctor’s practice). Recuperation is both mental and physical. I still have fortnightly blood tests to ensure I’m safe from clotting. I’m on warfarin for life. I have to have injections before I fly. Recently, I was re-admitted to hospital with clots on my lungs.

Depression and post-traumatic stress disorder are just two of the gems I have been diagnosed with since April 2011. I used to be outgoing, sociable, and able to mix and communicate freely. Now, any group of more than six people is too much.

How do you spot a blood clot (DVT or PE)? Even the medical profession frequently fail. The public’s general perception is that “you get a DVT if you fly a lot” but DVTs are caused by many factors.

Commuters who travel more than an hour or office workers who stay sedentary increase their risk by 50%; 1 in 8 patients die of a blood clot that develops in hospital and 1 in 3 surgical patients can suffer a DVT with no preventative measures.

I was proud to be asked to become a board director of the UK’s main thrombosis charity Lifeblood in August 2014. Lifeblood works within the medical community raising awareness of the condition and developing new guidelines and research techniques.

To help raise funds I have set up Charity Oars, where two hand-crafted wooden oars are being signed by a range of sports people, television and film stars as well as popular public figures.

The Charity Oars will be auctioned off on World Thrombosis Day and all proceeds donated to Lifeblood.

Lifeblood www.thrombosis-charity.org.uk Charity Oars www.charityoars.org.uk Twitter @charityoars

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Codeword 1

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ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Easy Suduko

Hard Suduko

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 puzzles.

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49

GASWORKS

HEATING & PLUMBING • CENTRAL HEATING INSTALLATION • GAS COOKERS • GAS LEAKS • POWER FLUSHING • GENERAL PLUMBING • LANDLORD SAFETY CERTIFICATES • BOILER SERVICING AND REPAIR Contact Drew Donald, based in Little Paxton Office: 01480 470135 | Mobile: 07787 406011 Email: gasworks14@gmail.com

TELEVISION MOBILE SERVICE

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ST NEOTS, ST IVES, HUNTINGDON AREA REPAIR TV,VCR, DVD, FREEVIEW DIGITAL BOXES TUNING & DEMONSTRATION OF EQUIPMENT DIGITAL LOFT AERIALS SUPPLIED & FITTED Extension Aerial Points DAY OR EVENING CALL OUTS 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE

NICEIC Approved Domestic Installer Safety inspections Fuse board upgrades Replacements lights Additional power points Extensions For your free quote contact Rob Ambrose on 07553 922005 Or e-mail info@paxtonelectricaltesting.co.uk

PHONE JOHN FABISZ FOR ESTIMATE

01480 495408 OR 07887887319 50

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Local News

Woodland Wishes Natural Burials

Cambridgeshire is the region for a more relaxed and greener funeral.

The Good Funeral Awards celebrate the achievements of practitioners who, through a combination of high professionalism and human kindness, enable bereaved people to create great funerals. The awards are conferred by judges appointed by the Good Funeral Guide, a not-for-profit consumer advice and advocacy organisation.

Woodland Wishes, Natural Burials & Weaverman Baskets are delighted to announce they have both been awarded a top honour in the funeral industry.

Local Cambridgeshire Independent Lady Funeral Director, Woodland Wishes, Natural Burials of Cambridge & Huntingdon has been selected from hundreds of nominees to go through and now win this year’s glittering Good Funeral Awards ceremony which was announced in Birmingham on Saturday 6 September 2014. Local willow coffin maker Roger Fowle of Weaverman Baskets was also been nominated for the Eternal Slumber Award.

Woodland Wishes are now delighted to announce that they have won the prestigious national title of Green Funeral Director of the year 2014. “We are so pleased to be able to offer local people, more relaxed, affordable and greener funerals with a female touch ”.

Roger Fowle of Fowlmere, Cambridge has also been chosen to win the Eternal Slumber Award.

Charles Cowling, director of the Good Funeral

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Guide, said: “This is where we get to shine a spotlight on those many unsung heroes who work so hard for the bereaved and who can be so easily be overlooked. It’s where we can say to them: ‘Thank you for being there for us for the time when we shall need you’. The world needs to know that some of the nicest people in Britain work in the funeral industry, helping to make a sad time so much less of an ordeal.

The Good Funeral Awards are wholly independent of the funeral industry and are supported by consumer advocates the Good Funeral Guide and the Natural Death Centre.

For more information contact Tracy at Woodland Wishes on 01223 651653.

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everything matters

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HD smart TV’s , HDD Recorders, Audio Systems, & Camera’s, trust our expertise & tradition of best after sales service

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phone:- 01480 472071 e-mail sales@anaudio.co.uk Hours:- Monday-Friday 9am-6pm Tuesday 9am-1pm Saturday:- 9am-5.30 pm www.anaudio.co.uk

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Crossword Solution for The Villager September Edition Last Month’s Crossword Winner - Mrs P Bowles from St Neots

September’s Codeword and Suduko Solutions

Easy

Hard

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To find out more call Nigel on 01767 261122 or email nigel@villagermag.com Visit our new community www.beds-local.co.uk

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The Villager Prize Crossword

Prize

ÂŁ25

Across 1 Cars, vans and buses etc (7) 5 Type of sailing boat (5) 8 Enhance (7) 9 Perfect (5) 10 Severe (5) 11 Playhouse (7) 12 Reliable (6) 14 Shovels (6) 17 Extremely old (7) 19 Endangered species (5) 22 Tracks (5) 23 Sportsman (7) 24 Father (5) 25 Female relations (7)

17th October 2014 Prize Crossword, Villager Publications Ltd 24 Market Square, Potton, Beds SG19 2NP



Complete the crossword, fill in your details below, cut out this page and send to the address below before

Down 1 Works hard (5) 2 Type of fruit (5) 3 Grimaced (7) 4 Crates (6) 5 Dagger (5) 6 Given medical care (7) 7 Assistants (7) 12 Exchanged (7) 13 Elated (7) 15 Throws (7) 16 Used for drinking (6) 18 Assignment (5) 20 Waterfowl (5) 21 Scottish dances (5)

Name: Tel: Address:

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55

Fun Quiz - Creepy Crawlies 1. What type of insects would you keep in a formicarium?

2. The Colorado Beetle is particularly known for attacking which crop?

3. Which insect has a two word name with the first word being named according to the stance it typically adopts, and the second word being the Greek work for “fortune teller”?

4. The name of which insect comes from an old wives’ tale that it would burrow into the brains of humans and lay eggs?

5. Insects have bodies that are split into three parts. The head and the abdomen are two of these, but what name is given to the third part that lies in between these?

6. How many eyes do most spiders have?

7. By what three word name is the crane fly commonly known in the UK? 8. With a name derived from a Greek term meaning “stomach footed”, what is the name given to the class of animals to which snails and slugs belong?

9. What name is given to the fear of spiders?

10. Which traditonal Spanish song has a title that literally translates as “The Cockroach”?

Before

After

1. Ants 2. Potatoes 3. The praying mantis 4. Earwig 5. The thorax 6. Eight 7. Daddy long legs 8. Gastropods 9. Arachnophobia 10. La Cucaracha

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GDC HEATING

Plumbing, Gas and Oil Heating Engineers

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Tel: 01480 215821 01582 867152 www.gdcheating.com Email: enquiries@gdcheating.com Boiler Repairs/Servicing/Installation Full Heating Installations Efficiency Upgrades Bathroom Design and Installation Specialist Powercleaning Service 30 Years in Business

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• Property Maintenance & Improvements • Kitchens, Bedrooms & Bathrooms • Flat Pack Furniture Assembly • Extensions, Garage Conversions • New Build & Refurbishment

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Your local supplier of fitted floors in carpet, vinyl, laminate or Karndean Free visits to estimate or advise.

Best prices and quality with a friendly service.

Enquiries to 01480 475486

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n O s ’ t Wha 1 October The Battle of Assiago 18th June 1918 7pm for 7.30pm Comrades Club, Godmanchester The Cambridgeshire branch of the Western Front Association is pleased to present a talk by Dale Hjort examining this successful defensive action against Austro-Hungarian forces. Non-members welcome.

Web: www.westernfrontassociation.com 1 October Little Paxton Gardening Club 8pm Little Paxton Village Hall Trevor Gunton from Paxton Pits will be talking to us about Our Garden Birds. Everyone welcome.

Refreshments will be provided.

2 October Flu Clinic 8am-3.30pm Great Staughton Village Hall Come along and support the East Anglian Air Ambulance, Hearing Helps team, RNIB services together with a ‘World Famous’ cake stand provided by the Surgery Patient Group.

Tel: Appointments 01480 860770 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 October St Neots Country 8-11.30am Church Rooms, Church Walk, St Neots St Neots Country meets every Thursday. We sell homemade preserves, home cooking, home grown fruit, vegetables and plants plus knitwear and crafts.

We also serve refreshments including Tea, Coffee, soft drinks, homemade cakes and scones.

2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 October Great Staughton Youth Club 7-8.30pm Great Staughton Village Hall Newly formed Youth Club running every Thursday for 11-16 year olds from Great Staughton and Perry.

Email: gsyc2014@gmail.com 3 October Inaugural Meeting of the WWCP in Lusaka Quaker Meeting House, Godmanchester (opposite Mill Yard Car Park) Free admission World Wide Connection Project (WWCP) in Cambridgeshire. “First we sent soup - then quilts and sewing machines and then our ambassadors met our Zambian friends face to face.” Illustrated Talk by Matt Hall of his experiences. Light Refreshments.

Donations invited.

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Deadline for What’s On entries is the 12th of the previous month.

4 October Return of the Reptiles 2pm Wyboston, Chawston & Colesden Village Hall Children £2, Adults free Sally Shapter owns a reptile rescue sanctuary which now totals 150+ reptiles, insects and amphibians which she cares for within her home. She will bring some of the animals for visitors to handle.

4 October Cambs and Beds Hardy Plant Society 2pm Weatherley Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade Speaker will be Dr Keith Ferguson ‘Trilliums and the woodland plants of North America’. Keith is a trained botanist and was Deputy Keeper at Kew Gardens.

Plant may be on sale. Visitors welcome - small charge which includes refreshments.

4 October Chas & Dave and The Ouse Valley Singles Club 7.30pm The Castle Theatre, Wellingborough, NN8 1AX Tickets: £25 Chas ‘n’ Dave are great musicians and know how to give an audience a good time. They have gained a cult audience of both young and old and due to public demand they are about to be seen together on stage once more. Guest support will come from The Ouse Valley Singles Club. Tickets: The Castle Theatre 01933 229022 or www.thecastle.org.uk Web: www.thepadpresents.com for more information 5, 12, 19 & 26 October Kingfisher Church 10.30am Little Paxton Primary School Every Sunday - all welcome. Services include children’s groups and a crèche. Come and meet Richard Fairbairn the new Pastor. Refreshments.

Tel: 01480 214894 Web: www.kingfisherchurch.co.uk 6, 13, 20 & 27 October Comrades Chess Club 7.30pm Comrades Club, Godmanchester Keep your mind active and play chess. Over 18s only as it’s a licensed premises.

Every Monday except Bank Holidays.

9 October Clairvoyant Evening Doors open 6.45pm, 7.30pm start Wyboston, Chawston & Colesden Village Hall Admission £5 Warren Marriott is back by popular demand.

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11 October Craft and Gift Fair 9am-2pm United Reformed Church, St. Neots Free admission Held in aid of The Coffee Pot Memory Café; a local charity in St. Neots for those with memory loss and their carers, run by volunteers and support from local Rotarians. Tel: Mary 07717 158549 for details and stall hire. Email: maryjdcruz@gmail.com 11 October Car Boot and Table Top Sale 10am-1pm Stuart Memorial Hall, Tempsford Pitch or table top £5, Buyers free admission Tel: M Besant 01767 640873 11 October Clubs and Societies Fair Huntingdon Commemoration Hall 10am - 3.30pm Want to try something new? Visit the Clubs and Societies Fair. Free entry. Watch some groups perofrm during the day. Sponsored by Luminus Grou[ 15 October Huntingdonshire Family History Society 7.20-9.30pm WI Headquarters, 6a Walden Rd, Huntingdon, PE29 3AZ Non-members £1 donation Talk on “Researching Great War Soldiers at the National Archives” by Jonathan Farmer. Bookstall or help desk.

17 October The Love Punch (12) 7pm for 7.30pm Mandeville Hall, Kimbolton Adults £4, Concessions £3 With Pierce Brosnan and Emma Thompson. Tickets available from Watson’s, Dixi’s Deli, Bytes Café or on the door if available.

Tel: 01480 860297 for more information Web: http://e-voice.org.uk/ themandevillehallkimbolton 17 October Corona Brass Concert 7.30pm St. James Church, Little Paxton Tickets £6 including refreshments Corona Brass is a brass quintet and has an extensive repertoire of music from baroque to jazz.

Tickets: Alison Rogers 01480 215607 18 October “The Birds and the Butterflies” 7pm St Mary’s Church, Buckden Tickets £8 (including a complimentary glass of wine) A very special wildlife evening. Renowned artist Peter Partington (recently seen on BBC TV’s ‘Springwatch Unsprung’) will demonstrate how to draw birds and expert Nick Greatorex-Davies will give an illustrated talk on British Butterflies. Profits will go to St Mary’s Church, Paxton Pits Nature Reserve in Cambridgeshire and The Bob Scott Memorial Appeal for Trans-Saharan Migrant Birds. Tickets: Box Office 01480 431037

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18-19 October ‘Wildlife ArtWatch’ Weekend Sat 10.30am-5pm, Sun 1-5pm St Mary’s Church, Buckden St Mary’s Buckden presents ‘Wildlife ArtWatch’ Weekend. An exhibition of paintings and sculpture by Five East Anglian members of The Society of Wildlife Artists, all of which will be available to purchase.

Refreshments available.

19 October Autumn Craft Fair 12pm-4pm St Peter’s Church, High Street, Offord Darcy Free admission Traditional Autumn Fair within the beautiful setting of St Peter’s Church supporting the talent of local craft makers and charities. Local handmade crafts. Homemade refreshments and mulled wine.

Organised by the Friends of St Peter’s Church. Free parking all afternoon on adjacent archery field.

Web: www.stpetersofforddarcy.co.uk 21 October Kimbolton Flower Club 7.30pm Mandeville Hall, Kimbolton Visitors £6, including light refreshments Julie Woods will be demonstrating ‘Buds, Blooms and Beyond’. Arrangements will be raffled. Plant sales table and sales of flower arranging accessories.

23 October Social Evening 7pm for 7.30pm Barrington Village Hall Tickets £10 including refreshments, Under 12s free Green Hedges Group Riding for the Disabled are hosting a social evening with a talk by William Reddaway “One man, one horse, 2,500 miles”. A seven month journey around England with Strider to raise money for charity. Tickets: brontie@onetel.net 23 October St Neots & District Gardening Club 8pm St Mary’s Church Hall, Brook Street, St Neots Members £2, Non-members £2.50 ‘Growing Penstemons for pleasure’ by Roger Skipper.

Competition - A photo of your garden etc. taken in 2014, size 6x4ins.

25 October Quiz Night 7.30pm Wyboston, Chawston & Colesden Village Hall Adults £2, Under 14s £1 31 October The Hinchingbrooke Bösendorfer Piano Concerts 7.30pm Performing Arts Centre, Hinchingbrooke School, Huntingdon Once again we are delighted to welcome some of the world’s finest performers to the Mary Stuart Hall.

Masayuki Tayama - piano. His richly coloured, virtuosic and communicative playing continues to delight audiences around the world. Programme includes music by George Gershwin (Rhapsody in Blue) and Chopin (12 études op.10).

Tel: Box Office 01480 375678

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LESTER O’DRISCOLL CARPENTRY Door Hanging, Skirting, Flooring, Fitted Kitchens, Fencing, Decking, General Carpentry, Extensions

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Books

BOOK REVIEW

By Gareth Thomas

Once a Man, Twice a Boy

by Claude Banks Books are available from 57, Castle Gardens, Kimbolton, PE28 0JE price ÂŁ10 plus ÂŁ2 pp.

Open this independently published book, read whatever chapter appears and you will be transported back in time, Tardisstyle, into village life around Pertenhall and Kimbolton over the last 80 years. Claude treats the readers to a rich potpourri of stories with a wicked eye for detail.

Told with understated humour, they include his recollections of service in the Home Guard under a real life Captain Mainwaring and changes with the advent of World War Two, especially the influx of American Air Force personnel who brightened up village life, soon followed by Italian and German prisoners of war who worked on the land.

Whilst appreciative of past times, Claude shows huge adaptability to the challenges that every decade has put before him. He is a true old fashioned naturalist describing country pursuits, especially shooting and horse racing.

There are over 90 accounts and the book is liberally illustrated with historic photographs of homesteads, farm activities, shooting parties, cricket and football scenes, school days at Kimbolton Grammar School, family and friends.

They come to life with his unique descriptions. I particularly liked the accounts of farm life.

Once a Man Twice a boy provides 167 pages of superb insights into past county life with its full range of joy and tears, and a cast of characters that Chaucer would have been proud of.

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Classifieds Alterations

Electrician

Frank Plater Electrical Extra sockets - Lighting - Extensions - Re-wires Security Lighting - Showers - Inspections No job too small. Free estimates Established 13 years Tel: 01480 432154 Mob: 07976 797111

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Heating and Plumbing Services

Pet Services

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