Henlow dec 2013

VILLAGER The

Issue 61 - December 2013

and Town

Life

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

Inside this issue

The Ultimate

Christmas Survival Guide

How to Make a Christmas Wreath

Win

£50 in our Bumper Christmas Prize Crossword Bringing Local Business to Local People in

Langford, Henlow, Shefford, Stanford, Hinxworth, Ickleford, Caldecote, Radwell, Shillington, Pirton, Upper and Lower Stondon, Gravenhurst, Holwell, Baldock, Stotfold, Arlesey, Hitchin & Letchworth

ur E o Y E FRcopy

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Contents

VILLAGER The

Issue 61 - December 2013

and Town

Life

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

Inside this issue

The Ultimate

Christmas Survival Guide

How to Make a Christmas Wreath

Win

£50 in our Bumper Christmas Prize Crossword Bringing Local Business to Local People in

Langford, Henlow, Shefford, Stanford, Hinxworth, Ickleford, Caldecote, Radwell, Shillington, Pirton, Upper and Lower Stondon, Gravenhurst, Holwell, Baldock, Stotfold, Arlesey, Hitchin & Letchworth

ur Yo EE FRcopy

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.................................28 Sneaky Ways to Save..............................................30 Prepare for Bad Winter Weather.............................32 Gardening..............................................................35 A Christmas Wreath................................................36 Animal Know-How.................................................40 Children’s Page.......................................................43

Ginger Christmas Puddings

44

How to Purchase Safely on the Winter-Web.............4 The Ultimate Christmas Survival Guide....................6

Seasonal Delights...................................................44 Puzzle Page............................................................48 Bumper Christmas Prize Crossword........................54 What’s On...............................................................58

Official Opening of Preston Bypass...........................8 Colourful Grenada..................................................13 The Moonraker Challenge 2013..............................15 Video Tips...............................................................16 Christmas Cheers....................................................18 Ham Radio in Bedfordshire....................................22 Bedfordshire Regiment Memorial..........................24 Perfect Peepers......................................................26 Editorial - Jonathan Vernon-Smith, Susan Brookes-Morris, Solange Hando, James Smith, Victor Brand, Helen Taylor, Jasmine Birtles, Pippa Greenwood, Nicholas Clare and Katherine Sorrell Advertising Sales - Mary Williams - 07453 990655 mary@villagermag.com Photography - Barbara Helgason Design and Artwork - Design 9 Tel 07762 969460

Ham Radio in Bedfordshire

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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.

Three Counties Radio

How to Purchase Safely on the Winter-Web

By Jonathan Vernon-Smith

The internet has been with us since the mid 90s. Whilst it has of course brought some fantastic benefits to our lives, it has also created some absolute headaches as well.

The fact the entire world is accessible in our homes is a wonderful thing, but it is worth noting that there are lots of internet companies out there, particularly those in other countries that can provide a less than desirable service.

So how can you protect yourself against these companies, particularly when making purchases for Christmas?

The most important thing you can do, is to of course avoid buying items from dodgy internet companies in the first place. It sounds simple, but you’d be amazed how many people still find some weird company online that nobody’s ever heard of and hand over hundreds of pounds. They are then amazed when they find themselves out of pocket without the goods they’ve ordered.

Therefore, always make sure you research the internet company you are planning to buy from. Find out where they’re based, look for a UK telephone number, check reviews and complaints about them so you know exactly who you’re dealing with. Ensure that their delivery timeframe will ensure your gifts will arrive in plenty of time for Christmas.

Make sure you’re paying a sensible price. If a company is selling an item at a ridiculously low price compared to all other companies, there’s usually a reason why. Often the items are fake. Over the years I’ve dealt with my fair share of customers who thought they were getting a great deal with ‘Ugg boots’ or ‘GHD hair straighteners’, only to find they’ve bought fakes from a company abroad.

You should always pay for goods by credit card but particularly when buying over the internet. It is worth noting that you are not protected by the consumer credit act unless you’re paying over £100, but you’re still more likely to get your money back using a credit card rather than debit card, cheque or bank transfer. I would go so far as to say you should NEVER buy goods from a company that asks you to transfer money directly into their account.

If you decide you’re going to buy Christmas presents from an online auction site like ebay, it is worth familiarising yourself with their safety advice. You generally have fewer rights when buying goods in this way, particularly if they are second hand. Paying by paypal and ensuring that you NEVER collect items in person will go some way to protecting yourself. Only buy from highly rated sellers, based in the UK. It is worth remembering that when you buy brand new items over the internet, you are protected by the distance selling regulations. Because you haven’t had the chance to see the item in the flesh, you have 7 days from delivery to change your mind and send it back for a full refund. Unless the company specifies their returns postage policy, then they are liable for the postage too. Make sure you order things online in plenty of time to allow for this, after all, you don’t want unhappy friends and relatives whose presents are NOT under the tree.

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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Time of Year

By Susan Brookes-Morris

The Ultimate Christmas Survival Guide Christmas can be a time of stress and worry. What could you do to make things more enjoyable? Ask yourself - What is most important to me about Christmas? Then, keep focussed on that and let go of the rest. Don’t overburden yourself by believing everything has to be just like the ‘ideal version of a perfect family Christmas.’ Your Christmas is just that, the one that fits you and your circumstances.

It can be however you want it to be.

For most people being with friends and family is important at Christmas, but it’s not necessary to force everyone to be together just because it’s Christmas. If people haven’t got on for years, it’s very

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unlikely that some turkey and a spot of tinsel will heal the rift. Why risk a big row and be anxious all day? Choose to see small groups of people separately instead.

Whatever type of Christmas you want, you probably wouldn’t choose to burn the dinner or to forget anything. Try to avoid this by planning, and accepting help.

Find out about the closing times of shops you know you will need to visit, and about delivery times if ordering online. If posting cards and presents, ask about the latest posting dates. It’s also useful to keep details handy for pharmacies that will be open, and have medical numbers such as NHS Direct close by, and the vet too if you have pets. If travelling by car, find out which petrol stations will be open and check tyres, oil and water before you go. Revised bus and train timetables are usually published well in advance, so hunt these out too.

You are not alone. Sharing with friends, family and neighbours is part of the Christmas spirit. Let go of needing to do everything yourself. Some families split the meal duties: One part of the family brings a starter, the host household do the main and other guests bring along a pudding for example. Perhaps you know that your friend works right next to that shop on the other side of town that you can just never find time to get to - ask them to pop in and get what you need, you’d do the same for them wouldn’t you?

If things don’t go quite to plan- ask yourself will this matter in 5 years time? Chances are it won’t be significant at all. Many things that seem disastrous at the time are laughed at later.

However Christmas turns out, and however much you have or don’t have, choose to be grateful. No matter how difficult things are notice what you have rather than what you don’t have, and you will find plenty of Christmas joy.

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History

Official opening of Preston Bypass

December 5th 1958

What’s the most wretched thing about Christmas?

For many people, it’s the stop-start crawl up some sclerotic motorway in the murky winter night to reach whoever they’re staying with. The ordeal is worst for young couples with kids who still feel obligated to visit family for the festive season.

For them, it’s a misery sundae – the incessant noise from the back, guilt at being the cause of it, and a journey that’s twice as long as usual. Any roadworks they might encounter are just the crushed nut sprinkle on the top.

So it’s perhaps appropriate that Motorway Hell’s birthday falls this month. On December 5th 1958 Prime Minister Harold McMillan and Transport Minister Harold Atkinson officially cut the ribbon on the Preston Bypass, an 8¼-mile stretch of dual carriageway in Lancashire that was destined to become a section of the M6. This was Britain’s first bit of motorway – we had to wait another 11 months before the Watford-Crick section of the M1 was opened – and it was a very typically British achievement.

For a start, it was late – 21 years late, actually, having first been proposed by Lancashire County Council in 1937. Since the delay was caused by World War II and the consequent decade of austerity it can perhaps be forgiven, but it was still late: work started in June 1956 and it shouldn’t really have taken 2½ years to build eight miles of road and 22 bridges. And a month later, it had to close again due to frost damage because the designers hadn’t considered that water really ought to be allowed to run off the surface...

But as the motorway network began to spread throughout the 1960s – the M6 was officially completed in 1971, although the five-mile

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“Cumberland Gap” linking it to the A74(M) at Gretna had to wait until 2008 to be closed – people didn’t complain about its shortcomings. That was because they remembered what long-distance road travel had been like before.

Ever driven north up the A1? It seems inconceivable now, but as recently as the 1970s it ran straight through the heart of places like Baldock, Eaton Socon, and Buckden where it was no wider than a village street. The rows of old coaching inns and posting houses lining it are witness to the kind of traffic it was meant to bear; when two lorries met in a place like Buckden they must have had to climb the pavement to pass each other.

Hardly surprising that in the late 1950s there were well over 5,000 road deaths every year, despite there being only 12 million vehicles on the road. The respective figures today are fewer than 3,000 deaths to about 40 million vehicles. And things were even worse in the mid-1930s when the M6 was first mooted: 2.3 million vehicles on the country’s roads in 1936 and 6,477 deaths. My father was a travelling salesman at the time, with a territory that took in Manchester and Sheffield. He was full of hair-raising stories of paper-thin tires that burst at random, dynamo-driven windscreen wipers that slowed down when the car did, feeble headlights no stronger than torches that failed dismally to illuminate the tiny finger-post road-signs, and trunkroads piling through scarcely-lit town centres where children, old codgers, and horse-drawn carts and drays were all just begging to be hit.

So if you’re heading off anywhere this Christmas and you’re dreading the jams and delays, take a thermos and some sandwiches and don’t complain.

Because as the man who performed that opening ceremony on 5th December 1958 is supposed to have said: “You’ve never had it so good”.

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Everyone at The Villager would like to wish all our readers and advertisers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

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Travel

Colourful Grenada

By Solange Hando

Glowing like an emerald in the southern Caribbean, Grenada is small enough to drive around in a day but amazingly diverse, from the sheltered Caribbean coast in the west, fringed with white powdery sand, to the Atlantic shore on the eastern side and its sprinkling of volcanic beaches battered

by Trade Winds. There are quiet bays, forests and mountains, blessed by blue skies and the occasional shower of ‘liquid sunshine’. The air smells of flowers and spice and the picturesque capital of St George’s comes straight out of a fairy tale.

Basking on the west coast of this exotic Englishspeaking island, the town is laced with pastel-hued houses and quaint colonial dwellings clinging to luxuriant slopes. Fort George keeps watch on a rocky promontory, its old cannons pointing out to sea, an arduous climb on a sunny day but when you reach the windswept battlements festooned in valerian, the view takes your breath away, stretching over the hills, town and harbour, and along the coast meandering far into the distance.

The capital has three harbours, none prettier than the horseshoe-shaped Carenage glinting with sails and water taxis waiting to ferry beach lovers to the sweeping sands of Grand Anse across the bay.

Later, there will be time to explore the West Indian market selling palm leaf hats, batik, sweet potatoes and spices along the shore or feast on fresh fish and traditional spinach-like callaloo soup in a cool waterside restaurant. Sweetcorn sizzles on roadside barbecues and church bells chime crystal clear as the last cruise ship sails into the sunset.

You couldn’t dream of a better place to relax on a balmy evening, lulled by the beat of steel drums somewhere in the hills.

One sixth of Grenada is preserved as nature parks

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and wildlife sanctuaries, where copper-coloured monkeys swing in the trees and the call of tropical birds echoes all around. At over 2000 feet, the vast crater lake of Grand Etang glistens right at the heart of the National Park, a land of deep gorges and lush mountains with flamboyant and rainbow trees, bamboo groves, babbling streams and spectacular waterfalls tumbling through tangled rainforest. Below these steamy highlands, mangos, oranges and papaya grow on fertile slopes and nutmeg, the ‘black gold’ introduced by the British, leaves its scent wherever you go. It drifts around the hairpin bends, the telegraph poles painted red and green, the hamlets and their rickety wooden huts on stilts and the nostalgic plantation houses peeping through the trees among old sugar mills and sulphurous springs.

Far below, the fishing fleet bobs at anchor in Gouyave and Levada beach awaits the return of breeding turtles. On the glass-bottom boats, wideeyed visitors marvel at urchins, buttercup fish gleaming like gold, giant starfish, brightly-striped parrot fish and great clusters of underwater fern swaying in slow motion. On the secluded beach of La Sagesse, palms rustle in the breeze while the sun lights up Coral Cove and the lovely fjords indenting the south eastern shore. But most enticing of all are the tropical blooms, orchids, ginger lily, heliconia and many more splashing myriad scents and colours from shore to shore. It’s little wonder that in the past 15 years, Grenada has claimed as many medals, including ten gold, at the Chelsea Flower Show.

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Local

The Moonraker Challenge 2013 Ampthill & District Lions Club Thank you to all who took part in this year’s Moonraker Challenge. It is called the Moonraker Challenge because it’s a sponsored night walk and therefore more of a challenge. The weather this year was overcast and showery but all those who had booked in turned up with over one hundred walkers of all ages taking part. As well as some regular teams we were very pleased to welcome teams entering for the first time this year. We were delighted that over £3,000 was pledged on the night and this exceeded our expectations.

Our thanks to Flitwick and Ampthill Sea Cadets for allowing us the use of their Headquarters and our very grateful thanks to Flitwick Co-op for their sponsorship. We would also like to thank Midshires Search and Rescue for all their help on the night and St John Ambulance for being in attendance.

The walk proceeds this year will go to East Anglian Air Ambulance.

Don’t forget Ampthill Lights Switch On Sunday

17th November 2013 when Father Christmas will be there with his Christmas Sleigh and Lions helpers.

Our Christmas Santa Sleigh will be visiting the following locations: Harlington 1st December Maulden 2nd December Cranfield 3rd & 4th December Lidlington 5th December Marston Moretaine 7th - 9th December Ampthill 10th-16th December Shefford 17th & 18th December Houghton Conquest 19th December Westoning 21st December Lions work within the community, would you like to get involved? Call 0845 8332 883 or visit our website www.ampthilllions.btck.com for more information.

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Tips and Tricks

Video Tips

by James Smith

Here are some straightforward tips to make your holiday and home movies sparkle. You don’t even need the latest HD camera wizardry, just a little technique and patience.

Common Myths Some suggest that expensive film and video cameras will produce captivating films but the real skill is in how you use the equipment you own, to create an informative or interesting film. Even camera phones and small consumer video camcorders can produce impressive results if you work within their limitations. Your aim should be to obtain a video camera and start practicing.

Basics Let’s leap ahead to the final result, and the most common sin: making your film too long.

If you shoot a five-minute video and make your friends wait for the ‘good bit’ at four minutes in, you will have lost your audience after minute one.

So, above all other rules, cut out the superfluous footage and ensure your film is just a collection of those ‘good bits’ and nothing else.

Story Your holiday video or home movie might have a simple goal - to show granddad putting up the Christmas decorations – but you should think ahead about the story you wish to put across.

Consider that old classic: the beginning, middle and end. Perhaps granddad could be approaching the house with a big carrier bag (the beginning); then see him at work decorating the tree with the contents of the bag (the middle); and finally, a shot of him standing proudly beside the decorated tree (the end). The addition of a simple storyline will encourage more interest from your audience than a series of abstract shots.

Composition The great thing about working with video is that many of the principles of stills

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photography apply. So pick up any book on the subject and think about framing and composition.

Keep the horizon level, try not to cut people’s heads off in the frame, keep distracting details (‘clutter’) out of the shot if possible, and keep the camera at eye level.

Light Harsh light is a videographer’s nightmare, so shooting at midday with the sun bearing down from directly above will cast unflattering shadows under the eyes of your subjects. Try to move people into softer light, perhaps in a leafy area or under some other shade. Similarly inside, be sure that people’s faces are gently lit, but also be careful that they are not silhouetted by strong backlight, such as standing against a window.

Audio Many wonderful videos are ruined by unintelligible audio; the Best Man’s speech that’s inaudible because the cameraman was seated next to a child rustling sweet papers. The answer to this is to move closer to the subject, or even buy an external microphone that can be positioned very near to the subject with a cable back to the camera.

Editing Editing the footage is a great way to eliminate all of those boring shots that we mentioned before. Some cameras provide an editing facility, but this can be rather fiddly, so you might want to load the footage onto a computer and edit it with a program such as Movie Maker.

Try to keep it simple - rely on simple titles, a great story with straight ‘cuts’ (rather than swirling patterns and fancy graphics), and finish off with ‘THE END’ to wind things up.

Remember, follow these simple rules and practice as much as possible, and you’ll be surprised by how impressed your audience will be.

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SeeNe ew Year

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in with style.

We love celebrating, and we love celebrating with you even more. So put on your posh frocks & dinner jackets and join Chris, Belle and staff at The Coach House this New Year’s Eve. Dine from our á la carte menu, drink fine wines, sip cold beers and dance until the early hours...

www.coachhousepotton.co.uk • 01767 260221 17

Cocktails

Christmas Cheers!

So it’s that time of year again when the weather is cold, the fire is blazing and there are twinkling lights in every window, it’s CHRISTMAS!!

It’s the time of year when you are expected to go to that party, buy the presents, food, drink, have family round and visit that relative. You are also expected to cook a banquet, serve delicious drinks and do it all whilst looking like Nigella (or Nigel) gliding seductively and effortlessly across the kitchen in a ball gown. When in reality you are more likely to look like Waynetta than Nigella!

Well I can help you with the last thing, no not Nigella, the drinks!

Here are two simple yet impressive recipes to tantalise your guests and make you the star mixologist of the village.

The first cocktail is for all those people who love a glass of bubble on Christmas day but feel as its Christmas it should be extra special!

Poinsettia

½ a shot of Cointreau/triple sec 1 shot of cranberry juice Top up with champagne Add the Cointreau and cranberry to a champagne flute or coupe and then top with champagne.

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by Nicholas Clare

The second drink is …

The Kings Ginger mulled wine!

The king’s ginger is a deliciously ginger, zesty liquor that dates back 1903 when it was formulated for King Edward the VII. 750ml red wine 250ml The King’s Ginger 50g caster sugar 2 lemons zested (plus flesh of 1 lemon) 1 orange zested 1 stick of cinnamon A dash of nutmeg 1 star anise Add all the ingredients to a pan and heat gently to infuse all the flavours for 1-3hrs or to taste and decant into red wine glasses or a mulled wine glass.

If you would like to book a cocktail barman for an event or if you want to know more about cocktails please contact me.

Nicholas Clare nick@mixedupbars.co.uk www.mixedupbars.co.uk

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Local

‘Ham Radio’ In Bedfordshire

By Victor Brand, G3JNB

The hobby of amateur radio, or HAM RADIO as it is so often called, has long been established in Bedfordshire. Enthusiasts are licenced by Ofcom to operate their private short wave transmitters from their homes, garden sheds and cars and can be found, at any time of day, talking to fellow hams throughout Europe or around the world.

Unlike the Citizens Band, restricted to a single area of short wave and intended for local communications, amateurs have a wide range of operating frequencies throughout the shortwave, VHF and UHF radio bands. They become skilled in the use of telephony, Morse code and specialised data transmissions. Licences permit the use of television, satellites and even the highly sophisticated science involved in bouncing signals back off the surface of the Moon!

Long distance and experimental communication work is wide spread and many thousands of stations support special expeditions to remote parts of the globe, often a hazardous and expensive experience for the teams involved.

There are some 80,000 plus licence holders here in the UK and around four million around the world, with the USA and Japan by far the most populous and where ham radio is seen increasingly as an important resource at times of disaster such as ‘9/11’!

The Shefford and District Amateur Radio Society (SADARS) was established as long ago as 1949 and, since, has met weekly at the Shefford Community Hall in the town centre. Lectures and discussions

are well organised, twice yearly sales of surplus equipment are very popular and a number of trophies are presented for construction work and club events.

Club members are a mix of professional engineers and those whose daily lives are in no way connected with electronics but are enthusiastic about radio and the hobby. The Society has long been involved in the leading ‘edge’ of radio and electronics. Indeed, it was at the Shefford club that the very first public demonstration of amateur television took place in 1950 at an open meeting. Local dignitaries attended and press reports were most enthusiastic with suggestions that the pictures were “better than BBC quality”!

SADARS participates in national and international radio contests from remote locations, runs direction finding competitions, holds ‘fun’ quizzes and welcomes visiting speakers, eminent scientists and hosts trade events.

The Chairman Ken Amos who holds the call sign of G4YRF, says “We are open to anyone who is interested in radio and welcome complete beginners in the hobby as well as the long established and active amateurs”.

Meetings are held on Thursday evenings at 7.30 for 8pm. Refreshments are served following the lectures and parking is free on the Community Hall forecourt or in local streets. For more information and a brochure call the Secretary on 07860 804 793 or simply go to the web site at www.sadars.co.uk.

John Burnett operating the club’s short wave station ‘G3B’

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You will be working towards receiving a recognised industry qualification provided by VTCT (Vocational Training Charitable Trust).

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Local

Bedfordshire

The model memorial built to show what the money being raised is for

Regiment Memorial

While searching for a brass memorial plaque to the “Officers and Men of the Bedfordshire Regiment“ amongst many others in St George’s church in Ieper that I decided that something more was needed. There are memorials to many nationalities, divisions and individuals on the old Western Front but none to the regiment of the county of where I was born and have lived for over 40 years. The Bedfordshire Regiment was a small county regiment and yet it’s battalions fought in every major battle in France, Belgium, Gallipoli and Palestine. I pondered the practicalities and came across local historian, author and fellow Bedford’s enthusiast Steve Fuller and I was inspired act.

I was put in touch with a lady at the Passaendale memorial museum who explained that there were two in place just outside Tyne Cot British Military Cemetery, and she couldn’t see why there couldn’t be more. The site would be provided free

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of charge, all I had to do was raise the funds and build it.

To cut a long story short the memorial will be unveiled at 4pm on Monday 10th November 2014, the day after our remembrance Sunday and the day before the 1st Armistice ceremony of the 4 years of centenary activities .

For more information contact Ian Mould bedsregiment@hotmail.co.uk http://www.bedsregtmem.co.uk

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Health and Beauty

Perfect Peepers Eyelash Extensions

By Helen Taylor If you want to enhance your eyes, fancy taking a few years off your age or maybe just want to make yourself look that extra bit special, then there’s one beauty craze you really must try out - eyelash extensions.

A favourite with celebrities everywhere and a must for anyone who wants a quick fix to looking gorgeous, eyelash extensions transform lashes from short and sparse to long and luscious in no time.

They’re ideal for those all important occasions, like weddings and parties, where you not only want to look your best on the day, but look fabulous in photos too.

By adding shape and definition the extensions ‘open-up’ your peepers and leave you with pretty, seemingly lifted, younger-looking eyes.

Extensions are widely available in salons across the country and are specially applied by trained therapists; a consultation should be carried out so that you can determine exactly what look you want to achieve.

If you just want some subtle enhancement and a natural result then try a half set of lashes. However, if you fancy making a statement, then try a full set for a striking finish. You can choose how long, thick and curly your lashes will be.

The Application Each individual synthetic lash is carefully bonded to your own eyelashes; 80 to 100 individual lashes are usually applied. During the application your eyes will be closed and protected. You shouldn’t feel any pain or discomfort during this process whatsoever.

The Results After you’ve had the lashes applied it is essential to not touch or wet them for a 24 hour period, as the glue will be still be setting. You shouldn’t need

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to wear mascara, but if you still want to, it’s worth investing in a water soluble product, designed for use with extensions. These mascaras are usually sold at salons which offer the service. Remember to use a salon recommended oil free eye makeup remover too.

Staying Power Eyelash extensions typically last between six and eight weeks. Because they are attached to your own lashes they will fall off as your natural lash grows out. On average you’ll lose about 12-15 lashes every two to three weeks - that’s why salons recommend returning for touch-ups when needed to maintain the desired look. They’ll charge a small fee for replacing what has been lost.

What It Costs Prices vary from salon to salon, but on average eyelash extensions will set you back around £80£120 for a full set, or about £65 for a half set.

Be Safe Always be sure that the staff at the salon you’ve chosen are fully trained. Ask questions to gain an understanding of the therapist’s skill.

Your therapist should carry out a patch test 24 hours before your extensions to ensure that you have no adverse reaction to the glue. Your eyes are extremely delicate, and precious, so make sure you have the test before the treatment.

This industry isn’t regulated, so if you have any doubts about a salon or therapist, it’s a good idea to see if they are a member of The British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology (BABTAC). Being a member of BABTAC means that they are qualified to perform the treatment and insured in case anything goes amiss. BABTAC stickers are purple and usually found in the window of a salon.

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It’s nearly Christmas ladies, lets get ready to sparkle.

New to Faye’s Beauty Hut... Neal’s Yard Remedies. An exciting addition to the salon, Neal’s Yard products will be used in treatments and for sale in the salon! Great Christmas present ideas!

Thursday night is the new tan night, Sienna Spray Tans just £12 on Thurday evenings!

Fancy a girlie night in, a glass of wine, a few giggles and a pamper?

Book a pamper party and receive your treatment half price when 4 or more of your friends get pampered too! Full or mini treatments available.

Neal’s Yard products available to sample and buy at parties.

Book now for christmas parties! Go on... Treat Yourself!

Luxury Pedicures Dermalogica Facials Massage & Body treatments Waxing, Hollywood & Brazilian Eye Treatments

8 Cherry Trees, Lower Stondon, Beds, SG16 6DT e. faye@fayesbeautyhut.com www.fayesbeautyhut.com t. 07912 645310

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Local

Can You Help?

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People The Cambridge branch of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People was established in 2008, with the purpose of fundraising and promoting awareness of the charity. Hearing Dogs change lives for the better by alerting their deaf companions to household sounds such as the telephone, doorbell, smoke alarm etc. The training can take up to 18 months, including socialising and basic obedience classes for the first year, followed by sound work in designated residential training centres designed to suit the individual deaf person’s life style.

There is no direct government support for the charity; we therefore rely heavily on donations from individuals and companies. It costs in excess of ÂŁ40,000 to train and support just one Hearing Dog throughout its life.

This is why our local group is vital in helping the charity. If you think you could spare a little time and would be interested in

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occasionally helping at fundraising events, or feel you could help in any other way please contact our Branch Organiser, Debora Carter, by e-mail: debora. carter@yahoo.co.uk For more information about hearing dogs please visit www. hearingdogs.org.uk

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TEMPLARS CROSS LODGE www.templarscrosslodge.co.uk Close to Baldock town centre in spacious surroundings this motel style Bed & Breakfast offers off road parking.

• continental breakfast • large luxury en-suite rooms • free wifi internet access • sky tv/dvd player • fridge in room • private location • close to train station • major credit cards taken

Tel: 07970 162753

Email: ami@amcofm.co.uk or sally@amcofm.co.uk North Road, Baldock, Hertfordshire SG7 5DN

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Finance

Sneaky Ways To Save

By Jasmine Birtles, moneymagpie.com

Let’s face it, saving money is hard, but it doesn’t have to be a chore. Here are a few ways to save money without even realising it.

Pay yourself first Set up a standing order from your current account to a savings account on the day after your wages are paid. That way it’s like you never had the money in the first place, so now it’s tucked away earning interest in your savings account and you won’t miss it.

Get cash back If you use a cashback credit card or do your shopping through cashback websites, make sure that you put it straight in your savings account.

The best cashback credit card at the moment is the American Express Platinum Cashback card (bear in mind, you need a decent credit rating to be given this card).

When it comes to the best cashback sites, try ECashback for instant rewards of up to 35%.

Spend one pay rise behind If you are fortunate enough to receive a pay rise, you might be tempted to increase your spending.

Don’t. Instead, try and stick to the smaller budget you’re used to, and put the extra pay into your savings account. In fact, change your monthly standing order.

Set up a bad habits box It could be a swear box or a chocolate, fast food or crisps box. Whatever your secret, or not so secret, naughtiness is, fine yourself something when you indulge.

Come up with an amount that suits you – 10p or £1 – and stick it in the bad habits box. Putting the money in the box each time you succumb will help you kick the habit so you can save money and help yourself lose weight at the same time.

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Start your own in-house Laundromat Put a jar next to your washing machine (and dryer if you have one) and ‘charge’ yourself every time you use it. Again, it’s up to you how much you charge but after a few months you should have a decent amount to pour into your savings account.

Travel smart If you drive or take public transport to work, that costs money. Find a cheaper - or free - alternative and then you can put the savings away.

If you have to take the train try to get cash back on your journeys. TrainDelays (www.traindelays.co.uk ) is a website that does all the leg work for you and completes the claims process so all you have to do is register with your journey details for free.

Be the agent for your friends Be the one to book group holidays – you could be given a discount or even a whole holiday for free for yourself.

If you go out for a meal with your friends regularly, book it. If you use a site like Toptable.com you’ll receive better deals at fantastic restaurants anyway, and you earn points every time you book.

Plus if you have a car, join up to car-sharing websites like Liftshare or National Carshare or just arrange to give friends lifts. Once again, any money they give you for petrol should go straight into your savings pot.

Keep an eye on coins Spare change can be annoying especially if coins are rattling around in the bottom of your bag or worse, the washing machine - but they do all add up.

Pull all the cushions from the sofa; check in pots in the back of cupboards, on shelves and under the bed and who knows how much you could discover.

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Garden

Gardening

By Pippa Greenwood

The garden may be quieter than usual at this time of year, and certainly not likely to be yielding vast quantities of crops, but this near dormant time is perfect for planting fruit.

You can grow fruit trees in surprisingly small spaces, training them to espaliers (so that they have several sets of horizontal arms), cordons (as single main stems grown at an angle), fans (with their branches trained in to a fan shape) or as step-overs, (trained so that they make a neat edging for a bed or border about 45cm or so above ground level). You could also use a fruit tree to create a decorative and later a wonderfully productive arch. At this time of year fruit trees are great value because they are sold ‘bare root’, lifted from a field and not container grown. I find these establish particularly well and because you usually obtain them from a specialist supplier or nursery, the range of varieties available is second to none.

You can either buy one year old ‘maidens’ and train these yourself, or if you want to save time, you can often buy trained or part trained forms.

When you are choosing fruit trees it’s essential to get them on the right rootstock as this determines the ultimate size and vigour of the tree. Apples are particularly complicated, but as a rule, for step-overs, cordons, dwarf bushes and trees in containers try the extremely dwarfing but somewhat tricky M27 - but beware weak varieties or any tree grown on this rootstock in a poor soil as it may well fail. For bush, cordon, espaliers and half-standard try the easier to look after dwarfing rootstock M26 and for a cordon or espalier on a poor soil, for arches and for bush trees try the semi-dwarfing MM106.

You will need to choose the varieties you grow so that they can pollinate each other (if there is no suitable pollinator in the vicinity you will not get fruit) and on the basis of the taste and texture of the fruit and how well it stores and so forth. If you have space, it is good to grow apples for cooking as well as eating, or look out for those described as ‘dual purpose’, meaning they make very passable cookers as well as dessert apples.

As well as tree fruits such as apples, pears and maybe even a medlar or a plum or gorgeous gage, you could also consider some delicious bush fruits.

The great thing about these is that they take up even less space and again can often be trained into wacky shapes such as fan-trained or standard bushes, making them all the more ornamental and easier to fit into the smaller garden. Then there are raspberries - on my rather heavy and very alkaline soil I tend to stick to the autumn fruiting varieties such as Autumn Bliss and Joan J, but on freer draining and acidic soils you can try some of the more numerous summer fruiters too.

Bare root fruit trees, bushes and canes are generally available from about November through until early March, depending on the weather, so don’t delay, start ordering or better still, planting, today.

Visit Pippa’s website www.pippagreenwood.com for a great range of gardening-related Christmas gifts and stocking-fillers, including stylish ‘Grow Your Own with Pippa Greenwood’ gift cards, handmade pottery herb planters, Pippa’s favourite weeding tool, signed books and lots of seriously useful garden items for your friends and family, or yourself.

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Home and Interiors

A Christmas Wreath

By Katherine Sorrell

24 inch wreath with fruit, £20 from Tesco (0800 505555; www.tesco.com)

You know that Christmas is coming when you hang a festive wreath on your front door, says Katherine Sorrell.

Christmas is undoubtedly a time of traditions: perhaps midnight mass, roast turkey and the Queen’s Speech, followed by a snooze in front of the TV and a few board games. But some traditions are older than others. The custom of making wreaths goes all the way back to ancient Greece.

It was here that wearing a laurel wreath came to represent status, achievement and victory.

For the Romans, it was the supreme ruler who wore a wreath embellished with gold and jewels.

Meanwhile, in Celtic Germany and Scandinavia, wreaths were employed for a different purpose: sun worship. In the long, dark days of winter people prayed for the onset of spring, and to give extra power to their prayers they used a wreath, hung from the roof or placed on an altar or a table.

The wreath was woven with evergreens, a symbol of everlasting life, and decorated with candles, which represented the light of the sun.

As Christianity spread through Europe, the pagan evergreen wreath was reinterpreted. Its circular shape stood for God’s eternity, the immortality of the soul and the everlasting life found in Christ.

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Evergreens, as before, symbolised eternal life, while holly represented the crown of thorns. It is possible that using a wreath to count down the four weeks of advent became a Christian custom in 16th century Germany, and it is likely that the modern advent wreath was invented by a German pastor called Johann Hinrich Wichern. Asked by the children at his mission school how long it was until Christmas, Wichern took an old cartwheel and stuck 19 small candles into it as well as four large candles, then lit one small candle each weekday and one large candle every Sunday until Christmas arrived.

Christmas wreaths are still a powerful symbol of celebration. For some families, Christmas starts with the making of a natural wreath using leaves, flowers and seed heads from the garden; for others, tinsel, glitter or ribbon provide a chance to experiment. But Christmas wreaths don’t have to be home-made: there are endless varieties of ready-made styles, from traditional to modern, large or tiny, simple or extravagant. Whatever their style and wherever you display them, wreaths are a decorative essential for the Christmas season.

How to make your own Christmas wreath 1 If you don’t want to buy a ready-made base, you can easily make your own. Either shape a wire coat hanger into a circle (keeping the hook for hanging) or use bundles of twiggy growth from your garden (willow or honeysuckle vine work well) bound firmly with garden string, raffia, florist wire or climber stems.

2 Attach evergreen sprigs such as conifer, holly, laurel or ivy. Bind them at the bottom, then overlap the next sprig or group of sprigs in the same direction. Keep going until the base is completely covered.

3 Finish as you like, choosing from a variety of interesting decorations, such as fresh, dried or artificial flowers, ribbons, berries, raffia, moss, fir cones, seed heads, nuts, dried fruit, poppy heads, tinsel, glitter, baubles, sweets, feathers, buttons and beads.

4 Attach a strong loop of wire or string and hang where you wish, or simply prop your wreath on a shelf or mantelpiece.

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Pets

ANIMAL KNOW-HOW

Stopping the blue death

Most people are unaware of the hidden dangers to pets from antifreeze poisoning. Unfortunately, many animals find the taste of antifreeze very attractive, and ingesting even the smallest amount can lead to kidney failure and death, especially in cats.

Accidental poisonings due to spills and leaks from containers, as well as leaking water coolant from cars, happen every year – particularly in winter – but could often be avoided by following a few simple rules.

• Always keep antifreeze in clearly labeled, robust, sealed containers, away from pets and their environment.

• Clean up any spills immediately, no matter how small, and make sure pets cannot access the area until it is clean and safe.

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• Always dispose of antifreeze and water coolant safely and responsibly. Contact your local authority for advice.

There are times however, no matter how careful you are, when accidents can still happen. If you suspect your pet has come into contact with antifreeze, leaked water coolant – or if they show any of the following signs – get them to a vet immediately: vomiting, seeming depressed or sleepy, appearing drunk and uncoordinated, seizures (fits), difficulty breathing, increased thirst, increased urination.

Signs of antifreeze poisoning can start to show as soon as 30 minutes after ingestion, though it can be two or three days before signs of kidney failure are seen. The sooner your pet receives veterinary treatment, the better their chances of survival. If left untreated, antifreeze poisoning can cause animals pain, suffering and distress, and will lead to the death of your pet.

Because of this problem, the RSPCA is supporting a campaign to add bittering agent to antifreeze –making it unpalatable to animals. You can add your name to the petition on the website: www. rspca.org.uk Last year, the RSPCA was shocked by a spate of antifreeze poisonings in cats across Bedfordshire – many were much-loved pets. The deliberate poisoning of a cat can constitute a criminal offence. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 the maximum penalty for anyone found guilty of this offence is up to 6 months imprisonment and/or a fine of £20,000.

ANIMAL KNOW-HOW is one of a series of articles brought to you by the RSPCA Bedfordshire North branch www.rspca-bedfordshirenorth.org.uk

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Recipe

SEASONAL DELIGHTS

Ginger Christmas Puddings

Makes 6 Ready in 1 hour 30 minutes These fruity mini puds flavoured with stem ginger are much lighter than a traditional rich Christmas pudding and don’t need to be made weeks in advance.

INGREDIENTS 175g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing 175g self-raising flour ½ tsp baking powder 175g light muscovado sugar 1 tsp each ground mixed spice and ground ginger 3 large eggs 100g dried mixed fruit 50g glace cherries, chopped 50g stem ginger, finely chopped 4 tbsp stem ginger syrup Softly whipped cream or brandy butter, to serve 1 Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5.

Butter six small pudding basins (each about 200ml capacity) and line the bases with circles of baking parchment.

2 Place the butter, flour, baking powder, sugar,

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spices and eggs in a large mixing bowl and beat together with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes until pale and creamy. Fold in the dried mixed fruit and two-thirds of the cherries and stem ginger.

3 Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared pudding basins then cover each basin with a circle of greased and pleated baking parchment and secure with string. Cover each basin with pleated foil.

4 Stand the basins in a roasting tin and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the basins. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until risen, firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into a pudding comes out clean.

5 Leave the puddings to stand for 10 minutes then turn out onto serving plates. Mix the remaining cherries and ginger with the stem ginger syrup and spoon over the puddings.

Serve with cream or brandy butter.

Tip - For a boozy flavour, gently heat the stem ginger syrup with 1-2 tbsp of rum or brandy then pour over the hot puds just before serving.

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CHRISTMAS PARTIES AT ABBOTSLEY AN EVENING WITH FRANK SINATRA Saturday 21st December 5 course meal. Live Entertainment £35 pp CHRISTMAS BOOGIE NIGHTS Friday 14th December 3 course dinner – dance the night away £32.95 pp NEW YEARS EVE Canapes on arrival. 5 course meal Abba Tribute Act £65.00 pp Contact Josh Muir for further details or to make a booking 01480 474000 or sales@abbotsley.com

Abbotsley Golf Hotel, Potton Road, St Neots PE19 6XN, 01480 474000 www.abbotsley.com

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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.

Lambourn MOT and Service Centre Ltd

Ovens • Ranges • Hobs • Extractors Agas • Microwaves • Barbecues (May - Sept) Single Oven (all racks/pans inc) .......................£40 Single Oven & Grill Oven (all racks/pans inc) ....£50 Single Separate Grill Oven (racks/pans inc) .....£15 Microwaves & Combination Ovens ...................£20 Extractor Fan (free filter for next clean)............£15 Hob .................................................................£15 Bulbs ............................................................£2.50 Agas and Ranges priced accordingly V.A.T free

Contact James on: 01767 260188 or Mobile: 07812 666081

Your LOCAL MoT, tyre and service centre in Shefford

01462 811333 Pay us a visit – we’re near Morrisons!

Lambourn MoT & Service Centre Unit 10, Old Bridge Way, Shefford, SG17 5HQ

Visit: lambournservicecentre.co.uk

email: ovenmen@live.co.uk You can also book at www.ovenmen.com

parent company est. 1998

ANDREW BAKER WINDOWS CLOPHILL, BEDFORDSHIRE

We are an experienced company offering solutions to all aspects of electrical work, domestic and commercial.

We are fully insured and all work is guaranteed.

We are registered with Napit through the Part P scheme and also registered with Trustmark for peace of mind.

Land Lord Test Certificates Extra sockets to full re-wires

security lighting Fault Finding and trouble shooting

Underfloor Heating Consumer unit upgrades

24 hour call out

SPECIALISING IN UPVC WINDOWS, DOORS, CONSERVATORIES, FASCIA, SOFFITS, GUTTERS AND CLADDING. ALSO AVAILABLE FOR CARPENTRY WORK. NO JOB TOO SMALL OR LARGE. 20 Years experience.

Free local quotes.

These are just a small range of the works we carry out.

Please call for a free quotation, no job too small.

0800 511 8985 / 07956 467 411 www.mjtelectricalservices.co.uk enquiries@mjtelectricalservices.co.uk To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261122

Fensa Registered TEN YEAR GUARANTEE Contact Andrew: 01525 862804 / 07825 017855 Email: abakerwindows@gmail.com

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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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Visit our beautiful

Bathroom Showroom ...With more than 50 displays of bathrooms, furniture & fittings Free in-house 3D design service Quality products from leading manufacturers Experienced staff offering impartial advice Free delivery within a 20 mile radius of our showroom

01438 725309

bathrooms@stevenageplumbing.co.uk www.stevenageplumbing.co.uk

Caxton House, Caxton Way, Stevenage, Herts. SG1 2XS 50

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Stondon Local

14 Brittains Rise, Lower Stondon, SG16 6JT

Your local village shop Now open under new management For all your grocery needs at competitive prices.

Extensive range of fine wines, beers and spirits.

Freshly baked bread, rolls and snacks.

We stock many newspapers and magazines.

A wide selection of greeting cards and stationary.

Coming soon Post Office (open 7 days a week) National Lottery including scratch cards.

Monday to Saturday 7 am to 8 pm Sunday 8 am to 3 pm Tel: 01462 850 781 Bal and Miki would like to thank you all for your kind support and all your best wishes.

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Julian Biggs Plumbing Advert:Layout 1 17/05/2013 14

Alan George

Julian Biggs Plumbing& Heating

Painter & Decorator

All aspects of plumbing & heating work Oil fired boilers - Servicing, Repairs, Installation Bathroom, showers and taps leaking taps to full installation

Interior and Exterior Work Wallpapering and Coving Reliable and Local Specialist

NO CALL OUT CHARGE • COMPETITIVE RATES

City & Guilds trained with 30 years experience

Tel: 01767 627591 07950 705479

www.julianbiggsplumbingandheating.co.uk

Sole trader No VAT Free estimates

located in Northill, Beds

Call Alan on 01582 454604 Mob:07760198256

Fully qualified and insured • All work guaranteed Free Quotations • Local, professional & reliable

or E-Mail: george-a6@sky.com

Lots of Choice Immediate Availability

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Over 10,000sq ft of warehouse to choose from 100’s of designs, stock always changing Vinyl/cushion floor stock Large choice of rugs

Delivery and fitting service in days rather than weeks Low, low prices, high quality stock

Tel: 01462 851637 Units 5A-6, Henlow Industrial Estate Henlow SG16 6DS

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Top Bathrooms " We take care of everything "

Choose a suite or shower from our extensive range of top names in the comfort of your own home. We will then design the bathroom to your requirements.

• Plumbing • Tiling • Plastering • Electrics • Flooring • Decorating • Carpentry • All work fully Guaranteed • Old suites disposed of • Competitive prices

From design and supply - to all aspects of installation - we look after everything

tel:

01525 403829

email: topbathrooms@hotmail.co.uk

Professional & Highly Recommended - Covering Beds, Bucks & Herts Visit us at: www.top-bathrooms.com Visit our new community www.beds-local.co.uk

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Bumper Christmas Prize Crossword

Complete the crossword, fill in your details

Prize

£50

below, cut out this page and send to the address below before

16th December 2013 Prize Crossword, Villager Publications Ltd 24 Market Square, Potton, Beds SG19 2NP

Name:

Down 1 Imagining (8) 2 Wash (5) 4 Frozen water (3) 5 Sizes (12) 6 Créche (7) 7 Vomit (4) 8 Adequately (12) 12 Enumerate (5) 13 Pest (8) 15 Make ready (7) 19 All (5) 20 Imitation (4) 22 Vegetable (3)

Tel:

Address:

Last Month’s Crossword Winner - Mrs P Myers from St Neots For last month’s solution please visit www.villagermag.com 54

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Across 1 Harbour (4) 3 Precious stones (8) 9 Implement (7) 10 Concur (5) 11 Produced (12) 14 Short sleep (3) 16 Coarse (5) 17 Pronoun (3) 18 Despite (12) 21 Modify (5) 22 Design (7) 23 Daily (8) 24 Musical instrument (4)

Ryan’s Little Diggers & Construction Ltd. Free Quotation No Obligation

About Us This is a family run business with over 40 years experience, free quotation, no obligation.

Polite and professional tradesman.

Our 0.8 tonne digger is ideal for work where access is an issue i.e. a back garden.

We offer a range of services which include: -

Extensions Landscaping Driveways / Patios Footings / Soak-aways Garden Clearance

Mobile - 07966138192 Email - Darrenryan1@live.co.uk

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Fully qualiFied — 25 years experienCe

PlumbinG & heatinG ltd

gas

Gas installer Boiler installation with 5 year warranty Boiler breakdown & power flushing Frozen condense pipe rectified Boiler service and landlord certification

water PlumbinG and heatinG

Full heating & bathroom installation Under floor heating Mains pressure upgrades General plumbing work & maintenance

solar solar

Solar thermal for hot water Solar PV installation by MCS approved installers Solar cylinder upgrades & breakdowns

Call: 01462 292247 / 07566 118 247 218627

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14 Pear Tree Close, Lower Stondon, Bedfordshire SG16 6ND Email: dave@dhplumb.co.uk Website: www.dhplumb.co.uk

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n O s ’ t a h W

30 November & 1 December Nativity Crib Festival 11am-5pm St. Ippolyts Church Adults £2, Children free Our lovely medieval church will be filled with dozens of nativity crib sets of all shapes and sizes. We have large church ones and tiny ones that are no bigger than a fifty pence piece, grand ones that have taken years to collect one character at a time and children’s toys, ones that have been hand carved from Holy Land olive wood and home-made ones, the variety is truly amazing and needs seeing to be believed. Each has a special story to tell which is written out beside it. Have a go at the competition and become a crib owner yourself. Refreshments available.

1 December Charity Quiz. The Five Bells, Henlow £2 per person In Aid of Henlow Village Care Scheme. Teams of up to 8 members. Prizes including ‘spot’ prizes. Raffle.

Tel: John 07511 631045 3 December London Klezmer Quartet 8pm Morrison Hall, Benslow Music, Hitchin SG4 9RB Tickets £12 Experience a scintillating evening of this infectious Jewish folkart form in the hands of some of its most illustrious performers.

Box Office: 01462 459446 Email: info@benslowmusic.org Web: www.benslowmusic.org 5 December Baldock Floral Society 7.30pm Community Centre, Baldock Visitors £7 Demonstration by Iona Woodger-Smith called “Christmas Extravaganza”. Seasonal refreshments. All welcome. Raffle of flowers. Tel: 01462 642336 for further information 5, 12 & 19 December Sapphire Social & Singles Club 8.30pm Meet in Hitchin Club for those 45+ and unattached.

Tel: Joyce 07960 440417 for information Web: www.sapphiresocialsinglesclub.co.uk

6 December The Fawlty Towers Dining Experience 7pm Letchworth Arts Centre, 2 The Arcade, Letchworth Garden City Interactive three course dinner and show with Basil, Sybil, Manuel and Polly. Check website for details. Book early to avoid disappointment. Web: www.letchwortharts.org

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6 December The Bingham String Quartet and Nigel Clayton (piano) 8pm Morrison Hall, Benslow Music, Hitchin SG4 9RB Tickets: £12, free for full time students and young people Programme includes Britten and Schumann.

Box Office: 01462 459446 Email: info@benslowmusic.org Web: www.benslowmusic.org 7 December Garden Square Christmas Dickensian Craft Market 8.30am-5pm Garden Square Shopping Centre, Letchworth Garden City The market specialises in the sale of genuine, high quality, hand made goods and offers local artisans and craft workers the opportunity to show case their work. Special appearance from Letchworth’s City Chorus performing a series of traditional Christmas songs and carols.

7 December Ashwell Christmas Fair 9.30am-1pm St. Mary’s Church, Ashwell Arts and crafts, cakes and cards, presents and prizes. The Choir will sing Carols and refreshments will be available.

7 December The Signals Museum 10am-4pm The Signals Museum at RAF Henlow is open to the public. Entry is free but official photo ID such as a driving licence, passport or over 60s Bus Pass is required to get an entry permit from the Guardroom. See website for full information.

Web: www.rafsignalsmuseum.org.uk 7 December Tree Dressing Day 11am-3pm Dunstable Downs, Chilterns Gateway Centre, Whipsnade Road, Dunstable Help us deck the halls! Join us to create festive Christmas tree decorations and lend a hand transforming the Centre into a Christmas wonderland. Booking not required.

Tel: 01582 500925 Email: dunstabledowns@nationaltrust.org.uk Web: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dunstabledowns 7 December Stondon Lower School Christmas Fayre 12-3pm Hillside Road, Lower Stondon Come and visit our Christmas Fayre and enjoy a fun packed afternoon with special guests including Woody Whizzzzzz, Children’s Entertainer and Magic Show.

Try your luck at a variety of Christmas themed games including the chance to win a Holme Farm Turkey and enjoy an afternoon tea and cake. You can also grab a few last minute Christmas presents from the local craft stalls and of course visit Santa Claus. Please come and to support the school and many village organisations. Everyone welcome – even if you do not have children at our school.

7 December Comedy Club Doors open 7.30pm, shows start 8.30pm Letchworth Arts Centre, 2 The Arcade, Letchworth Garden City Tickets £10, Comedy Club members £8 Monthly comedy night with Richard Morton plus support. As always, Paul B Edwards keeps things under control - maybe.

Licensed bar.

Web: www.letchwortharts.org 8 December The Cloisters Christmas Fayre 10am-3pm Barrington Road, Letchworth Garden City Free admission Over 30 stalls selling everything you need for Christmas!

Refreshments, face painting, gifts, crafts, children’s stalls, jewellery, chocolate and sweets, and much, much more!!

Sponsored by Baldock Lodge of Harmony. Ample parking.

8 December Dancing with the Sunday Dance Club 7.30-10.30pm Spirella Ballroom, Bridge Road, Letchworth A genuine warm welcome awaits all dancers at the Spirella Ballroom. Our music providers play a range of Ballroom, Latin and Popular Sequence dances. Ample free parking, sprung floor and licensed bar. We look forward to giving you a great dancing experience. Tel: David 01234 300179 11 December Tedesca Quartet 8pm Morrison Hall, Benslow Music, Hitchin SG4 9RB Tickets: £12, free for full time students and young people Programme includes Haydn, Mendelssohn and Schubert.

Box Office: 01462 459446 Email: info@benslowmusic.org Web: www.benslowmusic.org 18 December Hitchin Stitch & Bitch 7.30pm Old Vic Pub, Hitchin Knitting, crochet, embroidery, quilting and sewing group in Hitchin. New members welcome.

19 December A Christmas Carol Door open 7pm; reading begins 7.30pm Letchworth Arts Centre, 2 The Arcade, Letchworth Garden City Tickets £8, Concessions £7 A Christmas Carol read by Keith Baldwin Back by popular demand for its third year. Keith Baldwin gives a spellbinding reading of Charles Dickens’ timeless classic. Mulled wine and mince pies included. Licensed bar.

Web: www.letchwortharts.org

20 December Hexton Christmas Farmers Market 1-4pm St Faith’s Church, Hexton Butchers, Mediterranean Deli, Local Goats Cheese, Preserves and fresh vegetables. Refreshments available. Parking at rear of School. No Market in January.

22 December Christmas Crafternoon with Carols 1pm Letchworth Arts Centre, 2 The Arcade, Letchworth Garden City Free Christmas crafts for children in the Café, with members of the LALG group ‘Singing for Pleasure’ singing carols around the piano. Join in or just soak up the atmosphere.

23 December Rumpelstiltskin and the Wheel of Fortune: Theatre of Widdershins.

11am & 2pm Letchworth Arts Centre, 2 The Arcade, Letchworth Garden City Adults £8, Children £5, Family (for 4) £24, See website for members’ discounts Poor Polly Buckwheat, the miller’s daughter, is in a bit of a pickle.

If she doesn’t convert a roomful of straw into gold by morning, the greedy King will turn nasty. Another brilliant Widdershins show for children.

Web: www.letchwortharts.org 1 January New Year’s Resolution Walk 11am-12.30pm Dunstable Downs, Chilterns Gateway Centre, Whipsnade Road, Dunstable £2 per person, Car parking £2 Was your New Year’s resolution to get outdoors more? Exercise more? Get fitter? Take the time to enjoy nature? Then join us for a breath of fresh air on this one and a half hour walk led by one of our rangers. Walking route will be picked on the day depending on the weather. Meet at the Chiltern Gateway Centre.

Dress for the weather and wrap up warm. Booking essential.

Tel: Bookings 01582 500920 Email: dunstabledowns@nationaltrust.org.uk Web: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dunstabledowns 14 January The World of the Documentary Film 10.30am The Labour Hall, Crab Lane, Biggleswade Course fee £55, concessions available The Workers Education Association course - 10 sessions of 1½ hours. Tutor Laurence Staig presents ‘An introduction to the world of the documentary film maker’.

Tel: Clive Bandy 01462 730147 Email: biggleswade.wea@virginmedia.com‑

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To celebrate the festive season

Gallery 1066 warmly invite you into the gallery for wine, mince pies and most importantly inspiration, every weekend in December

CARL PAYNE

With Original paintings, Collectable Limited Editions, Sculptures, Collectable Art Books and stylish Gift Sets we can offer everything from a corporate gift to the ultimate personal present for a friend or loved one

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open tuesday - saturday 10am - 6pm & sunday 11am - 4pm

Willow Mews 6a Hitchin Street Baldock Herts SG7 6AE tel : 01462 622233 www.gallery1066fineart.com