Potton_Feb_13 by debi1977

VILLAGER The

Issue 88 - February 2013

and Town

Life

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

Bringing Local Business to local People in Biggleswade, Sandy, Potton, Gamlingay and all surrounding villages. 11,000 copies delivered to over 30 towns and villages every month

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VILLAGER

In this Issue

Issue 88 - February 2013

The

and Town

Life

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

The History of

The Cornish Pasty

Bringing Local Business to local People in Biggleswade, Sandy, Potton, Gamlingay and all surrounding villages. 11,000 copies delivered to over 30 towns and villages every month

The Retreat

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For a Special Valentines

Editorial Solange Hando, Katherine Sorell, Pippa Greenwood, Geoff Wharton, James Baggott, Sarah Brookes, Claudia Leaf, Sarah Davey, Helen Taylor, Debbie Singh-Bhatti, Liz Burfield, Alex Brown, Chris Russell, Derek Thompson and Ted Bruning. Advertising Sales Nigel Frost nigel@villagermag.com Photography Corinna Gissemann Adam Bent Design and Artwork Design 9 Tel 07762 969460 Publishers Villager Publications Ltd 24 Market Square, Potton Beds. SG19 2NP Tel: 01767 261122 nigel@villagermag.com www.villagermag.com

VILLAGER The

and Town Life

Disclaimer

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

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Who Am I Competition...............................................................10 A Passion for Potatoes................................................................ 12 Tunis.............................................................................................15 Gung Hei Fat Choi!.......................................................................18 Sandy Tourist Information Centre............................................. 20 Christine’s Fundraising Raffle.....................................................22 Love in the 21st Century............................................................. 25 Non Surgical Facelifts..................................................................27 Find the Perfect hair Colour....................................................... 28 Get Motivated.............................................................................31 St Swithun’s Drop-In Cafe.......................................................... 32 The Food of Love....................................................................... 35 National Chip Week.................................................................... 37 10 Easy Ways to Save Money..................................................... 38 Your Family’s Past.......................................................................41 Tablets........................................................................................ 43 Vine Not Try Something New.................................................... 44 Safer Internet Day......................................................................46 Garden View................................................................................51 Rural Ramblings......................................................................... 52 Wood Glorious Wood................................................................. 57 Animal Know-How..................................................................... 59 Fun Quiz...................................................................................... 59 A Pleas for Help..........................................................................60 Land Rover Freelander............................................................... 63 Book Review...............................................................................64 Spring Onions............................................................................. 65 Children’s Page...........................................................................69 Seasonal Deliths......................................................................... 70 Rock N Role Models................................................................... 73 What’s On................................................................................... 74 The Language of Flowers.......................................................... 76 Lions At Work............................................................................. 78 Puzzle Page................................................................................80 Your Body Language.................................................................. 82 That Old Thing............................................................................89 Wordsearch................................................................................ 92

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History of the Cornish Pasty…

By SARAH FRYER

We’ve all done it, walked past a bakery and felt the pull of temptation. The smell of freshly baked cakes and savouries is one that simply cannot be ignored. The golden pasties that lay side by side in the window seem to call out your name, but have you ever wondered where the Cornish pasty originated? Despite the modern pasty’s strong association with Cornwall, its exact origins are unclear. Early references to pasties include a 13th century law which was granted by Henry III to the town of Great Yarmouth. The town is duty bound to send one hundred herrings, baked in twenty four pasties to the sheriffs of Norwich every year which the sheriffs are to deliver to the lord of the manor of East Carlton who is then to convey them to the King Around the same time. 13th century reporter Matthew Paris wrote of the monks of St Albans Abbey “According to their custom, lived upon pasties of flesh-meat” A total of 5,500 venison pasties were served at the installation feast of George Neville, archbishop of York and chancellor of England in 1465. They were even eaten by royalty, as a letter from a baker to Henry VIII’s third wife, Jane Seymour (1508–1537) confirms: “...hope this pasty reaches you in better condition than the last one...” In his diaries written in the mid-17th century, Samuel Pepys makes several references to his

consumption of pasties, for instance “dined at Sir W. Pen’s ... on damned venison pasty that stunk like a devil” but after this period the use of the word outside Cornwall declined. In contrast to its earlier place amongst the wealthy, during the 17th and 18th centuries the pasty became popular with working people in Cornwall, where tin miners and others adopted it due to its unique shape, forming a complete meal that could be carried easily and eaten without cutlery. In a mine the pasty’s dense, folded pastry could stay warm for several hours, and if it did get cold it could easily be warmed on a shovel over a candle Side-crimped pasties gave rise to the suggestion that the miner might have eaten the pasty holding the thick edge of pastry, which was later discarded, thereby ensuring that his dirty fingers (possibly including traces of arsenic) did not touch food or his mouth. However many old photographs show that pasties were wrapped in bags made of paper or muslin and were eaten from end-to-end, according to the earliest Cornish recipe book, published in 1929, this is “the true Cornish way” to eat a pasty. Another theory suggests that pasties were marked at one end with an initial and then eaten from the other end so that if not finished in one go, they could easily be reclaimed

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by their owners. There is a rumour that it was bad luck for fishermen to take Cornish pasties to sea. It is said, this rumour was spread by the miners who wanted to keep the pasties for themselves. With the decline of the Cornish mining industry many miners emigrated to find work in other countries including USA, Australia, South America, and South Africa. This resulted in the Cornish pasty becoming popular in many far flung corners of the globe. A wealth of historical evidence confirms the importance of the Cornish pasty as part of the county’s culinary heritage; The Oxford English Dictionary suggests that the pasty was identified in around 1300. By the 18th century it was firmly established as a Cornish food eaten by poorer working families who could only afford cheap ingredients such as potatoes, swede and onion. Meat was added later. Evidence of the Cornish pasty as a traditional Cornish food is found in Worgan’s agricultural survey of Cornwall of 1808. In the 1860s records show that even children employed in mines took pasties with them as part of their crib or croust (local dialect for snack or lunch). Some pasties came with a variety of fillings including venison, beef, lamb and seafood including eels and salmon. They were further flavoured with rich gravies and sometimes dried fruits. The traditional Cornish pasty however contained beef mixed with potatoes onion and turnip. Pasties could even have a savoury end and a sweet end, rather like a two course meal. The pasty was filling and proved to be a substantial and hearty snack. Today in Cornwall you will find pasties in all shapes flavours and sizes. There is much debate about how a Cornish pasty should be made. Some say the crimp should be on the top, others favour the side. The ingredients and type of pastry used are all open to debate. Many Cornish people are fiercely proud of the Cornish pasty and its traditions. The Cornish pasty’s recipe has a 200 year continuity that is unique. Recipes were handed down from generation to generation, often by word of mouth and rarely written down because they were made almost every day. Pasties formed a key part of Cornish local life and tradition. Young girls were often made to practice crimping techniques using plasticine before being allowed to work with pastry. Even allowing for minor

variations across the county from Parish to Parish, it is the concept and the cultural ideal that epitomise the importance of the Cornish pasty and its enduring links to Cornwall. A genuine Cornish pasty has a distinctive ‘D’ shape, the texture of the filling for the pasty is chunky, made up of uncooked minced or roughly cut chunks of beef (not less than 12.5%), swede, potato and onion and a light peppery seasoning. The pastry casing is golden in colour, savoury, glazed with milk or egg and robust enough to retain its shape throughout the cooking and cooling process without splitting or cracking. The whole pasty is slow-baked to ensure that flavours from the raw ingredients are maximised. No flavourings or additives must be used. And, perhaps most importantly, it must also be made in Cornwall. In 2006, a researcher in Devon discovered a recipe for a pasty tucked inside an audit book and dated 1510, calculating the cost of the ingredients. This replaced the previous oldest recipe, dated 1746, held by the Cornwall Records Office in Truro, Cornwall. The dish at the time was cooked with venison, in this case from the Mount Edgcumbe estate, as the pasty was then considered a luxury meal. Alongside the ledger, which included the price of the pasty in Plymouth, Devon in 1509, the discovery sparked a controversy between the neighboring counties of Devon and Cornwall as to the origin of the dish. However, the term pasty appears in much earlier written records from other parts of the country. The pasty is regarded as the national dish of Cornwall. Following a nine year campaign by the Cornish Pasty Association, the trade organisation of about 50 pasty makers based in Cornwall, the name “Cornish pasty” was awarded Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status by the European Commission on 20 July 2011. The PGI status also means that Cornish pasties must be prepared in Cornwall. They do not have to be

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baked in Cornwall, nor do the ingredients have to come from the county, though the Cornish Pasty Association noted that there are strong links between pasty production and local suppliers of the ingredients. Packaging for pasties which conform to the requirements will be stamped with an authentication logo. Protective of their heritage, The Cornish Pasty Association was formed in 2002. The Association exists to protect the quality and the reputation of the Cornish pasty and to stop consumers being misled by pasty makers who trade off the value of the name without producing a genuine product. The production of Cornish pasties makes a significant contribution to the Cornish Economy. Cornwall’s pasty producers are important providers of year-round employment. The CPA members employ over 1,800 permanent staff and it is estimated that some 13,000 people are directly and indirectly benefitting from the trade. Unfortunately, many pasties currently sold are labelled as Cornish pasties but they are made outside of Cornwall, without following a traditional recipe or baking manner and are inferior in both quality and taste. This affects the reputation of the genuine Cornish pasties and causes confusion with consumers willing to pay a premium price for a genuine article. The PGI status held by the Cornish Pasty means it enjoys the same status that has been granted to Champagne, Parma Ham, Stilton Cheese, Arbroath Smokies, Cornish Clotted Cream, Smoked Salmon and many other regional produce. This means that only pasty makers based in Cornwall who make pasties to a traditional manner and follow a traditional recipe are able to label their products as Cornish pasties. The application has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union which means a legal confirmation of the protection of the Cornish pasty. Members of the Cornish Pasty Association (CPA) made about 87 million pasties in 2008, amounting to sales of £60 million (about 6% of the food economy of Cornwall). Over 1,800 permanent staff are employed by members of the CPA and some 13,000 other jobs benefit from the trade. Recent surveys by the South West tourism board show that one of the top three reasons people visit Cornwall is the food and that the Cornish pasty is the food most associated with Cornwall. Did you know a pasty is also known as a “Tiddy Oggy” when steak is replaced with an extra potato, “Tiddy” meaning potato and “Oggy”

meaning pasty. Other interesting facts regarding our humble Cornish pasty are when the Cornish rugby team play an important match, a giant Cornish pasty is symbolically hoisted over the bar before the start of the game. Or did you know it was once said the devil would never dare to cross the River Tamar into Cornwall for fear of ending up as a filling in a Cornish pasty. Another is a good pasty was thought to be strong enough to be dropped unharmed down a mineshaft. Poem by Walter F. Gries of Marquette I dearly love a pasty, a ‘ot leaky one; With mayt, turmit and taty, h’onyon and parsley in ‘un The crus’ be made weth suet, shaped like ‘alf a moon; Crinkly h’edges, freshly baked ‘e es alway gone too soon! (Meant to imitate the way the Cornish talked) “A word of caution to beginners, however: Never eat two at one sitting. You may not be able to stand when done, pasties are that filling.” -Pasties from Schloegel’s pamphlet Many facts and many beliefs had by all, but one thing we know for sure is the Cornish pasty will be here to stay and to enjoy and if information is to be believed, we need to sample a true Cornish Pasty from Cornwall to truly appreciate the flavour and love wrapped up in this little parcel. ** Some information and statistics provided by The Cornish Pasty Association**

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r2 o f h c n Win Lu value up to the of ÂŁ30

Send your answer with your name and address to: Competition, Villager Publications Ltd., 24 Market Square, Potton, Beds SG19 2NP before 18th February 2013.

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A Passion for Potatoes

for winter

February is the time of year to think about perfect potatoes and smashing spuds so make sure you buy some seed potatoes and have them ready for planting. Home grown potatoes are an incredibly good value crop and you’ll soon find that the socalled humble spud is actually a very tasty and extremely versatile vegetable. If you don’t have much spare space in your garden, a patio or balcony will do as a 45cm (18in) diameter pot can produce a useful crop of spuds, just from a single tuber. Make sure the container is well supplied with drainage holes (add a layer of ‘crocks’ if necessary), fill it about two thirds full of compost, pop a tuber in the centre and add a further couple of inches of compost. As the foliage appears, add more compost to cover it over and repeat until no more can be added. Keep the container well watered, then sit back and wait. Use a bigger container, such as one of the Stewart Smithy pots and you can plant three tubers however don’t be tempted to overload your pot with too many tubers or you’ll end up with much less impressive results. Most potatoes produce a slightly earlier and somewhat heavier crop if the seed potatoes are allowed to ‘chit’ or produce small but sturdy sprouts before planting. Stand the tubers widest end uppermost in a seed tray or old egg carton and place these in a cool but frost free spot with plenty of natural light. After a few weeks the sprouts will be about 1cm tall, perfect for planting. Buy your seed potato tubers this month and you’ll have time to chit them before planting.

What to Grow: Different potatoes have different issues in the kitchen and whilst I have my favourite, the new potato called ‘Charlotte’, I do grow others for their different cooking qualities: • Steamed potatoes are delicious, especially if cooked the day you lift them. Try Vanessa, Dunluce, Edzell Blue and Lady Christl for some of the tastiest steamers. • Just the thought of new potatoes dripping in chives and butter is wonderful; again these are best when freshly harvested. Try Lady Christl, Charlotte, Juliette, Casa Blanca, Nadine and Nicola. • If you adore mashed potato then try Dunluce, Valour, Maris Bard, Lady Balfour and King Edward. • If you love your potatoes in their jackets, then try Cara, Lady Balfour, Picasso, Kestrel, King Edward, Desiree and Valor. • For great roasts try Kestrel, Maris Piper, Desiree, Lady Balfour, Vivaldi and Edzel Blue. • For the best chips, use Kestrel, King Edward, Maris Peer, Accord, Rooster and Edzel Blue. Potatoes are divided into ‘earlies’ (first to be harvested) and ‘main crop’, generally larger tubers, harvested later. Try ‘earlies’ if you have a newly created vegetable plot, especially if the soil has not been cultivated for several years. ‘Earlies’ will be in the ground for less time than main crops and are less likely to suffer from wire-worm attack. These small, slim gingery coloured larvae are the young stage of the click beetle and cause infuriating tunnelling in the tubers’ flesh.

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Tunis

Where Europe Meets Africa Barely three hours from London, Tunis greets you with scenes straight out of the Arabian Nights, plenty of Mediterranean charm and elegant French-style boulevards. Winters are mild, summers sunny and hot but cooled by sea breezes which sweep across the lakes glistening between the capital and its sandy coastline. Fifteen miles of beaches fringe the upmarket suburbs, dotted with open spaces and clusters of pines and mimosa. You can ride a horse or a camel on the sand, swim, sail, shop for souvenirs and squeeze in a little sightseeing but the ultimate indulgence is joining the locals in a hammam, to be scrubbed lobster red from head to toe, or unwinding in a glamorous spa with the latest beauty treatment or sea water therapy, tailored to your needs. Thalassotherapy is a French legacy but comes at a fraction of the cost across the water. Tunisia has been independent since 1956 but the New Town designed by the French retains its Parisian feel. Named after the country’s first President, the Habib Bourguiba Avenue stretches for a straight scenic mile, a mini Champs-Elysées with wide pavements and a central promenade where flower stalls and newspaper kiosks splash colour under the trees. It’s a place to stroll in the shade, enjoy a spot of window shopping, wonder at the cream-coloured cathedral or the rococo theatre, and sit under the parasols of Café de Paris to watch the world go by. There are trendy stores and boutiques, traditional ‘pâtisseries’ and a free-standing clock tower mirrored in the fountains. The stylish Avenue de France leads to the Sea Gate, no longer lapped by the receding waters of the lake, but marking the meeting point of two cultures, Europe on one side, Africa on the other. Step through and within seconds, you are swept off your feet, lured relentlessly into the medina and a head-spinning maze of colours and scents. In the cool alleyways of the souks, men chisel silver and gold, embroider slippers, carve wood and brass, and every stall brings new temptation. Perfumes, carpets, spices, leather belts, pottery, silk, toy camels or aphrodisiacs, you’re sure to find anything you ever wanted and more. The air

smells of couscous and mint tea and the bubbling of hookah pipes follows you along the way. With its medieval bazar, its secluded mansions and minarets peeping above the rooftops, this Old Town is a World Heritage Site, claiming over 700 monuments. Visitors make their way to the Great Mosque, the Museum of Popular Arts and Tourbet el Bey, the mausoleum of last dynasty. Meanwhile, across the lake, history lovers gather around the ruins of ancient Carthage, scattered like blossom in the wind from the Roman Baths to the remains of the Punic city on Byrsa Hill. For others, the Bardo Museum is the top attraction, with its stunning collection of Roman mosaics and classical statues, but artists prefer to seek inspiration in Sidi Bou Said, a pretty blue and white village with wrought iron balconies as delicate as lace. Up there on a breezy clifftop, little disturbs the peace but birds twittering in the trees. Far below, fishermen cast their nets in the Gulf of Tunis while in the distance the city stretches as far as you can see, familiar and exotic all in one, flourishing at the crossroads of Europe and Africa. Solange Hando

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The Royal Oak

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Gung Hei Fat Choi!

Celebrate Chinese New Year on 10 Feb 2013 Chinese New Year is the biggest celebration of the year for Chinese people around the world. In China, the festival is marked by a three-day public holiday. Also called the Spring Festival, it is a special time for families to get together, and millions of people travel home from their places of work or study. Chinese people prepare for the New Year celebrations by cleaning their houses from top to bottom. The idea is to clear away any bad luck and make way for good luck in the year ahead. People also buy new clothes and have their hair cut. They decorate their homes with red and gold paper decorations and lights. Red

is a lucky colour in China, while gold represents wealth. Debts must be paid off before the end of the year, otherwise it is said that you will be short of money in the following year. People also bring plants and fruit trees into their homes, especially kumquat plants and peach blossom. On New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eve, families gather together for a celebratory feast. They eat sticky rice dumplings to bring good luck and happiness. It is a time to be thankful for the year that is ending and to remember family members who have died. At midnight, the doors and windows of the house are opened to let the old year out and firecrackers are set off. The next day, friends and families exchange gifts of food, flowers and sweets. Children are given money in red paper envelopes. There are fireworks and elaborate lion and dragon dances featuring beautifully coloured costumes and puppets. People try to forget grudges and wish peace and happiness to everyone. The date of the New Year is calculated using the lunar calendar and can fall any time between late January and the middle of February. A complete cycle of the lunar calendar lasts 60 years and consists of five cycles of 12 years. Each of the 12 years is named after a different animal â&#x20AC;&#x201C; rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. Legend has it that Buddha asked all the animals on earth to join him for a party. Only 12 turned up, and as a reward, he named a year after each one in the order they arrived. Each animal has certain characteristics which people born in that year are said to share. 2013 will be the Year of the Snake. People born in this year are said to be romantic, wise and charming. They are good at making and saving money, but can be stingy. Famous snakes include Audrey Hepburn, Bob Dylan and Brad Pitt! By Alex Brown

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SANDY TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE

FEBRUARY

Over the past six years the Tourist Information Centre has led a series of local guided walks throughout the summer months and these have been very well attended. Within the parish of Sandy itself, the walks have included general ones such as a Town Walk and a number along the River Ivel and over the greensand hills. There have been specific walks to some of Sandy’s historical sites and buildings and also commemorative and landscape Walks. These have included different walks around the reserve at the RSPB’s UK headquarters at The Lodge, a walk in the Repton landscaped park and gardens at Hazells Hall and a tour of the Sandy Parish Church and Churchyard. For the last five years we have undertaken a tour of the delightful grounds and interior of the former manor house at Sandye Place and we have led two walks to commemorate the life of local naval hero, Captain Sir William Peel. Guided walks to other villages have included a walk around the beautiful village of Ickwell, including the grounds of Ickwell Bury and the estate village of Cardington with its connections with the airship industry and the famous Bedfordshire philanthropist, John Howard. Other walks within an historic landscape with important buildings have included walks in Old Warden seeing the parish church and the impressive buildings within the park, and a walk in the parklands and woodlands of Southill Park, ancestral home of the Whitbread family. This year we are proposing to undertake three historically based walks.

The first will be in Sandy (on a date yet to be arranged) and this will be a Town Walk. This is one of the walks contained in the Jubilee Walks leaflet which was published last year and this includes seeing the interesting buildings in the town and the varied landscapes from waterside meadows and riverside to woods and hills. This route will pass a number of historic and interesting buildings in Sandy, including the medieval parish church, farmhouses and cottages of various ages and large Victorian houses and villas, etc. The walk also passes grazed water meadows with willow and alder woodland and climbs the wooded Pinnacle. The view from the top of this greensand hill gives a marvellous view of the town and the surrounding Bedfordshire countryside and is particularly fine on a sunny morning when one can see nearly ten miles distance. The second historic walk will be ‘Old Warden – the Lords and Ladies Walk’ and this will take place in June. We will hopefully visit Old Warden church, with its famous carving and statuary and then walk to Warden Warren. There we will visit the restored 18th century Queen Anne’s Summerhouse and Victorian Keeper’s Cottage. Both buildings have been restored by the Landmark Trust and a representative will speak about the work of the Trust and the history of these buildings. We will then be given a guided tour of the interior of the Summerhouse and be shown the exterior of the nearby Keeper’s Cottage. The final walk will be a Walk in the former estate village of Waresley, which is set in pleasant undulating countryside beside the wooded grounds of Waresley Park. It has a fascinating 19th century church and adjacent Duncombe Family Mausoleum and the site of the earlier church, etc. Arrangements for this walk are being discussed. As Sandy now has Walkers are Welcome status we are organising six local walks throughout the year and these will all begin in Sandy. These will include the following although certain arrangements and dates are still being finalised :a. A Food, Sandhills and River Walk. This will include information (and a possible taster) about local produce and a walk over the hills and along the river and its meadows. b. The Lodge Reserve. We hope that we will be

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able to walk over various different parts of this beautiful landscape with a possible visit to the Iron Age hill fort of Galley Hill. c. Biggleswade Common Walk With regard to this walk we will walk from Sandy and then follow the former Roman Road (Stratford Road) or walk through part of the RSPB reserve and then cross the delightful Common to the town of Biggleswade. We plan to make use of public transport, ie buses or trains for the return to Sandy. d. Lowfield Walk. This is another of the walks contained in the Jubilee Walks leaflet and this takes us into Sandy’s countryside with its varied landscape of arable fields, deciduous and coniferous woods, heath land and low greensand hills. e. Everton - Sandy Walk. This walk takes us over the Pinnacle and then follows the route of the Roman road (Hasells Hedge). We will then ascend the greensand ridge to the village of Everton and return to Sandy via Everton Heath and Sandy Heath and The Lodge reserve. f. The final planned walk is the River and Beeston walk. This will take us through the Ivel’s water meadows and a visit to the village of Beeston

with its expansive green. Please look out for further details about all the above walks. If you love walking in the local countryside please become involved with Walkers are Welcome – of which Sandy is proud to be a part. Please contact us for assistance if you feel that you would like to lead or assist with any walks in the locality, either as an individual or as a group. Also, if you come across any problems or damage with regard to footpaths let us know and we will contact the appropriate body. We wish to ensure that the footpath network is all maintained in good condition for the benefit of all walkers. If you have any thoughts to extend the opportunities for walking in this are please do not hesitate to contact us. Sandy Tourist Information Centre, Rear of 10 Cambridge Road, Sandy Telephone 01767 682728 – email tourism@ sandytowncouncil.gov.uk OPENING TIMES Monday to Friday 10am – 3pm Saturday 10am-2pm Sundays and Bank Holidays - Closed

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Christine’s Fundraising RAFFLE

FOR THE PRIMROSE CANCER UNIT Christine is 53 and has lived in Potton since the end of May 2012. On Friday the 13th July 2012 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Since then she has been receiving treatment which has now included surgery. At the outset she was invited to take part in a trial involving a different type of drug which has not been used with Breast cancer patients, she willingly agreed. As everybody can understand the whole situation is very unpleasant and Christine has had a rough time throughout including being rushed into hospital with an infection in September which could have proved fatal had she not responded to treatment. Fortunately she did! Having suffered this setback she feels that she has been given a second chance and decided to do a fundraise as a thank you. The Hospital were approached with the idea and it kicked off from there. Everything to do with this fundraise has been donated, the prizes, the advertising, the outlets that are selling tickets, the venue for the draw and countless hours of assistance from people to make it a success and as such NO COSTS ARE ATTATCHED so EVERY PENNY RAISED will go to The Primrose Cancer Unit Bedford. The draw will take place at Potton and District Club on March 2nd, to coincide with Christine’s birthday from 7.30pm with entertainment by Sugar Can Can. (www.pottonclub.co.uk/ for details) everyone welcome. Listed below are outlets where raffle tickets are available. Potton & District Club Rising Sun Potton The Coach House Potton 22

Tysoe’s Potton Londis Potton Anna’s Flowers Potton Potton Service Station The Cock Inn Gamlingay The Golden Pheasant Biggleswade The New Inn Biggleswade The Red Lion Biggleswade Pedals Biggleswade Medlocks Biggleswade Biggleswade Tyre & Exhaust Elite Motors Sandy The Kings Arms Sandy The Sir William Peel Sandy The White Hart Puckeridge For any further information please ring 07778902957

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Potton & District Club NEW MEMBERS WELCOME Get the Early Bird Promotion now, Free Bar Credit, for a limited time only. Keeping LIVE MUSIC live! every week!

February

Sat 2nd - Disco Inferno, come and enjoy the party! Friday 8th - JAM/OPEN MIC Night, lets get jamming! a Free drink for all participants. Sat 9th - DECADE (LIVE 80s BAND), NEW Sat 16th - US2, Classic Rock & Pop, NEW Sat 23rd - TACKY TIGERS are back, high in demand Talented Duo with lots of laughs.

March

Sat 2nd - SUGAR CAN CAN, as seen on “Top of the Pops!” NEW Charity Event..ticket event all profits to Macmillan nurses.

Easter Events Wed 27th - Easter Bingo, Fri 29th - Good Friday Engine Room, Quality Music! Sat 30th - Easter Saturday Special with the fAbbAtastic “Almost Abba” Sun 29th - Easter Sunday Family Disco, dance off the chocolates! pottonclub@live.co.uk, facebook page: pollyclubbing for all updates. Karen n Sharon (Secretarial & Entertainment)

Potton CIU Club, Charities Hall, Station Road, Potton Tel: 01767 261465 (Evenings) Website: www.pottonclub.co.uk To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261 122

Bedfordshire Foot Clinic Podiatry/Chiropody Yvonne Siudak BSc (Hons.) MChS, HPC Registered

Podiatrist / Chiropodist Private Podiatry / Chiropody Care in Sandy, Bedfordshire, 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 • Diabetic Assessments • Biomechanical Assessments Full details of our specialist treatments are available, call Yvonne for an appointment:

Bedfordshire Foot Clinic

17 Georgetown Cottages, Tempsford Road, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2AE T: 01767 681704 M: 07562 748352 E: yvonne@thebedfordshirefootclinic.co.uk

www.yourfootclinic.co.uk

Also Cambridge Foot Clinic Tel: 01223 358431

The Bargain Box 34 Church Street, Gamlingay www.bargain-box.co.uk email: info@bargain-box.co.uk Good quality, second hand goods across a wide range of stock - from unwanted gifts to antique fine china, from rare china and collectibles to bling beads and bangles. Opening hours Thursday 10am - 5pm, Friday 10am - 5pm, Saturday 10am - 3pm 24

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Love in the 21st Century

By Debbie Singh-Bhatti Most couples meet in mundane ways that allow them to get to know each other over time through school, friends, work or hobbies for example - but if none of these methods is working for you, have you considered modern technology to help you find Mr or Miss Right?! The internet offers dating sites (sometimes free of charge, but often with a monthly subscription) where your profile, containing a photo and other biographical details, as well as a description of the kind of person you are hoping to meet, is made available for others to see. If someone is interested in you, they can contact you by email and start a conversation to find out if you would both like to take the relationship further. There are risks involved in this type of dating – so don’t give out personal identifying information and never fall for sob stories from poor men in faraway places who need you to give them money. When meeting, make it somewhere public and busy and consider taking a friend along, and use a cheap pay-as-you-go phone to make it easier to get rid of unwelcome admirers! Speed dating involves an even number of single men and women meeting in a room set out with tables. Each person is given a numbered badge and a card containing the names of all

the people they will date that night. The ‘couple’ numbered 1 sits at table 1 and spends around 5 minutes chatting, with the man moving on to the next table at the sound of a bell. At the end of the evening, every woman will have met every man and all will have marked their cards with the names of people they would like to meet again. If there is a match (i.e. woman A likes man B and vice versa), the dating service will provide them with contact information. A speed dating session takes around two hours and you can expect to meet between ten and fifteen people. The cost is around £20, normally paid in advance through a speed dating website. The dinner date is a variation on the speed date, where 4-8 men and women meet at a restaurant to chat over dinner and get to know one another better. These smaller, more intimate, groups often work better than speed dates as there are others present to help keep the conversation flowing, so it feels less pressurised. At the end of the meal, if you have connected with someone at the table, the host will help you exchange contact information. Modern dating methods may not be the ideal way to meet a new partner, but they do at least open up a world of possibilities!

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

“What a lovely thing a rose is!” Arthur Conan Doyle

Make someone feel special this Valentines Day. Send beautiful fresh owers!

E ry E R F elive

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01480 461224 info@denisesowers.co.uk

www.denisesowers.co.uk We are open: Monday – Friday 9am-5pm Saturday 9am-3pm

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Non-surgical facelifts

can roll back the years without the pain They come to us all – wrinkles, laughter lines, crow’s feet. Whatever you call them, as we age, our faces age with us. But as 50 becomes the new 40 – or it is 30? Some of us don’t want to look the age we are, we want to look the age we feel! Until recently, the only option for a youngerlooking face was a facelift. This meant expense, pain, a long recovery time and many potential side effects. Now, however, there is a non-surgical option that is gaining in popularity. A non-surgical facelift reduces wrinkles and tightens loose skin. It is a minimally invasive procedure that works by heating the deeper layers of skin – the dermis – using either infrared (laser) or radiofrequency energy to promote what is called a ‘healing response’. This stimulates production of new collagen and remodels the existing collagen. The effect is to contract the layers of skin above and make the face appear plumper and smoother. The treatment can also be used on the jaw line, neck, abdomen, bottom, upper arms and thighs. Some procedures use local anaesthetics or over-the-counter pain relief, but others need nothing at all. You will be given something to cool your skin during the procedure and you may experience some temporary swelling, redness or skin blanching. Unlike chemical peel and microdermabrasion techniques, no skin is removed and so non-surgical facelifts

are generally more suitable for people with darker skin. More serious side effects such as bumps, blisters, pigmentation changes or skin depressions are very rare. Because the treatment is non-invasive, there is normally no need to take time off work. An advantage of the non-surgical facelift is that it is significantly cheaper than a surgical procedure. Sometimes only one treatment is required, but often two or three treatments are given a month apart. The full results may not be seen until six months later. You should bear in mind though, that the effect will not be as dramatic as with a surgical facelift because the non-surgical procedure doesn’t actually remove excess skin or fat. Results will vary according to differences in skin thickness and texture, in healing response and in the person’s lifestyle. Non-surgical facelifts are most suited to younger people who are beginning to notice that their skin is ageing, but wish to delay more invasive procedures for a few years. They are also good for people who are unable to have surgery. If you decide to go ahead with a non-surgical facelift, make sure you research the experience and training of the person who will perform the procedure. Always ask for references and follow them up. Then lie back and watch the years melt away. By Alex Brown

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Find the PERFECT Hair Colour

By Helen Taylor

They say that blondes have more fun, but whatever your hair colour you’re sure to look and feel fabulous if you find the shade that’s right for you. We all love to try out something different once in a while and there’s no better way to create a fresh look than with a change to your hair colour. A new hue can take years off your age, emphasise your best features and leave your complexion looking radiant. It’s crucial to get it right though, because if you pick the wrong colour you can be left with an unflattering and disappointing result. Your hair is undoubtedly your best accessory, so it’s crucial to think carefully before doing anything drastic or making a hasty change. Here’s our guide to what to consider before you reach for the hair dye. Start with Your Skin Tone Whether you fancy being a blonde, brunette or redhead, it’s important to identify whether your natural complexion is warm or cool. This determines what colour base you should look for when you pick your shade. To find out which category you fall into, try this simple test: Stand in front of a mirror in natural light with no make-up on. Hold a white garment by your face, then do the same with a cream coloured one. Decide which looks better with your colouring, does the white enhance your eyes and skin? If so, you’re cool. If the cream looks best, then you’re warm. Consider your jewellery; does gold suit you better than silver? If so, your skin tone is warm. If silver looks stunning, then you’re cool. Cool Colours If your skin colouring is cool, you should choose an ash, mink or even platinum blonde shade if you fancy a blonde hue. Brunette colours with an ashy base work best with cool skins. Think coffee coloured browns, medium brown with ashy highlights or even black. Stick to burgundy, mahogany and purple based reds - they will look fabulous with your skin. Warm Colours If you have warm colouring, then you’ll look great with golden blonde colours and caramel

highlights. For brunettes, choose chestnut or golden browns with warm tones for a stunning look. If you fancy standing out from the crowd with vibrant red locks, go for copper and auburn shades. Any red with a golden or orange base colour works well. Have a Good Hair Day We’ve all had our fair share of hair disasters over the years and one of the main causes is changing our hair colour at home. If you plan on going more than two shades lighter or darker than your natural hair colour, then it really is essential that you visit a salon to have your hair done professionally. Remember that many colours bought for home use won’t necessarily look the same on your hair as they do on the box. If you have been dying your hair a dark shade for a long time there may be a build-up of colour on the lengths that could leave you with uneven results. Blonde hues are very fashionable at the moment but lightening dark hair can be damaging. Invest in a good conditioner and have a toner standing by in case your at-home highlights turn out looking brassy. Red hair colours are great but they have a tendency to fade quickly, so be prepared to find the time and money to regularly spend on your colour. Image: Paul Mitchell

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Hair by Amanda Sole Practice Reflexology Clinic (Established 2002)

REFLEXOLOGY/VERTICAL REFLEXOLOGY REIKI HEAD & SHOULDER MASSAGE Holistic therapies to improve many conditions and bring a sense of relaxation and well-being Treatments can be combined as required 10 years of professional accredited advanced training and experience Gift vouchers available CARLA ROBINSON MAR. VRT. REIKI Tel: 01767-651634/0777-201-2928 (Gamlingay area )

Professional, Affordable, Reliable Mobile Hairdresser

Beautiful hair by city and guilds qualified stylist Cut & Blowdry, Colours, Highlights, Lowlights, Permanent Wave, Sets, Conditioning Treatments, All Hairdressing Services Special Senior Citizen Discounts Mob: 07974 281933 Tel: 01767 262143

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HEALTH

GET MOTIVATED! We all feel de-motivated at times, so if January has passed you by without starting any of those New Year resolutions, turn February into the month you take some positive steps to regain control. Trying to achieve all that you want in the coming year may feel like an impossible task and it can lead to feeling totally de-motivated. Motivation is key to our creativity, productivity and happiness. When we are motivated we feel like we can take on any challenge, meet any deadline and work through any problem to achieve our goal, whether that’s personal satisfaction or public recognition for a job well done. But once demotivation sets in, then even the smallest task can seem insurmountable. Set small goals - If you’ve given yourself a big goal this year, such as losing a large amount of weight or changing jobs, break it into small, short term goals. Give yourself weekly targets – losing 5lbs or re-writing your CV - and then congratulate yourself on achieving them. By doing this you are building up positive ‘credits’ in your mind, keeping you going for the following week. Be inspired - Richard Branson has had a few business failures which he’s written about in his autobiographies. But these set-backs didn’t stop him - he just tried again. It can be really uplifting to read about other people’s successes. There are also a lot of self-help and business books available which can help you to think about what you do and don’t want. A good one to start with is the international best-seller, Who Moved My Cheese? (Dr Spencer Johnson, Vermilion) Stay focused - Don’t give yourself too many goals to aim for at once. Focus on one, work out how best to achieve it (in small steps, if needed) and

work your way through it before starting on your next goal. Diffusing your energy by trying to change too many things at once will just mean you are less likely to keep up your motivation. So prioritise, write yourself a list and start with number one. Talk about it - A great motivator is other people. If you tell people that you’re going to start writing that novel this month or apply for the local half marathon, you’re much more likely to do it. Talk to friends, family and work colleagues - their gentle nudges or encouragement will help to keep you on track. Putting up little post-it notes to remind yourself of your goals and why you want to achieve them will help keep you motivated and on track, too. Reward yourself - For every achievement reward yourself - you deserve it. Reject negative thoughts - How many times do you find yourself saying ‘I can’t do it’, ‘it won’t happen’, or ‘it’s too hard’? Negative thoughts can bring you down, so give yourself a buzz word or mantra to repeat immediately when a negative thought pops into your head. ‘I’m doing it.’ Look at the positive - Starting to exercise, cutting down on unhealthy food, changing jobs, starting your own business. None of these are easy. Accept that there will be set-backs and bad days or bad weeks. But keep looking at the positives - what did you manage to achieve this week, or how are you going to do better next week? So plan ahead, have lots of small goals to help you reach your big goal, accept there will be setbacks and look at how other people have done what you would like to do. And keep going you’re doing great!

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St Swithun’s

Drop In Cafe

The Drop In Café is open on Wednesdays and most Saturdays in the Church Rooms in the grounds of St Swithun’s Church, Sandy. It came into being in 2007, when it became apparent that there was a need in the Church community for a space where people could meet and chat informally, at the same time enjoying a snack and something to drink. In the early days three of the six tables were set out with games such as chess, scrabble and draughts. The aim was that no one should feel hurried, rather inclined to linger and enjoy some company. However, as time went by it was discovered that what most people actually needed was a home-cooked meal, and gradually the increasing numbers of customers led to all six tables being set for such meals. Even at busy times, however, everyone is still encouraged to linger if they are enjoying the company of others, and the games are always available. To encourage this, “topups” of tea and coffee are free. Homemade cakes and snacks are available between 10 am and 3 pm. These include fruit or plain scones baked on the morning. Snacks range from beans on toast, to soup or a variety of egg dishes. Lunch is served from 12.15 until 1.30 pm. A typical lunch menu might include a choice of roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, or baked gammon with pineapple. Fruit pies are very popular for dessert, as are cheesecake and steamed puddings. High chairs and boosters are available for the little ones, whose smaller appetites can be catered for.

Customers come from all walks of life: some are people who live alone, others come as couples, or even as families. Some are members of the St Swithun’s family, many are not. Especially at weekends, we have visitors to Sandy or the RSPB, also those visiting the church and cemetery to investigate their family tree. Walkers and cyclists find it a good place to find something warming and nourishing after an energetic morning. All are welcome. The Drop In Café is run entirely by a small band of volunteers led by Valerie Haygarth, organiser and, most importantly, cook. Over the past couple of years this band has diminished owing to understandable reasons such as health problems or moving away. Anyone who can spare a couple of hours between 12.30 and 2 pm to help with serving meals and generally looking after the customers would be very welcome. (If interested, please ring Valerie on 01767 691711). Since opening, all “profits” and “tips” have been donated to charity. So far over £5,000 has been donated to some twenty-three local, national and international organisations. In addition, when weather permits, there is also an outside book stall. The proceeds go to a specific charity until £200 is reached, at which time the volunteers nominate a new one. The current charity is Youth Epilepsy. If for any reason, such as a church event, the Café is closed on a particular Saturday, this is published in the villages column of the Biggleswade Chronicle.

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LA VIDA HAIRDRESSING

10 years of g n i s s e r d r i a h l u f s s e succ OPENING HOURS Monday - Closed, Tuesday 9.30am - 5.00pm Wednesday 9.00am - 5.30pm, Thursday 9.00am - 8.00pm Friday 9.00am - 5.30pm, Saturday 8.30am - 4.00pm 1 Station Road, Biggleswade, SG18 8AH

Tel: 01767 600510

FEBRUARY OFFER

Hair Extensions £300 + Free Consultation 1/2 Head High Highlighs incl. Cut & Blow Dry £50 Tuesdays & Thursdays with Zoe & Carolyn Please mention this advert when booking To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261 122

Absolutely ... Positively ... NO pressure to sell! We give you FREE VALUATIONS .... YOU DECIDE !

WE PAY

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

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

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

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

t: 01767 600 300 e: shop@cambridgecoins.co.uk 34

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The food of love

By Alex Brown

They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, so why not experiment with some tempting titbits this Valentine’s Day? In Japan feeling flirty can become – quite literally – a matter of life or death! Puffer fish is considered to be a great delicacy and an aphrodisiac, but it contains a poisonous gland that is deadly and must be removed before eating! A safer seafood option is the oyster. A favourite with the Romans some oysters are able to change sex repeatedly and so are said to give you the ability to experience the male and female sides of love. For a sophisticated saucy snack you can’t go wrong with asparagus. Served with hollandaise sauce and washed down with champagne it’s sure to pep things up. And do you know where the term ‘honeymoon’ comes from? In Medieval times newlyweds drank mead – a fermented drink made with honey – to

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

Sales People Required We are looking to recruit two new Sales People to help us launch a couple of brand new projects. Sales experience would be preferred but not essential as we can offer all the training and help required in this very flexible position. Working from home with hours to suit and all expenses covered. This is a commission only role but does have a great earning potential. If you are interested could you please send a current CV to Nigel Frost, Villager Publications Ltd, 24 Market Square, Potton, Beds SG19 2SG or e-mail it to nigel@villagermag.com To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261 122

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National Chip Week

by Sarah Davey

18-24th February is National Chip Week. Fish and chips is still the most popular take away meal in Britain. In fact we eat a staggering 38000 tonnes of chips per week between us! We think of it the quintessentially British take-away but chips are actually a French invention. A French chef named Alexis Soyer fled to England to escape the July Revolution in 1830. He fried raw potato shavings and put the instructions down in a book he wrote called Shilling Cookery for the People. It would seem these were the ancestors of our beloved chip. The Brits however invented the battered cod fillet and served them to the masses in fried-fish warehouses around at this time. At some point between then and1860 an un-named culinary genius decided that fish and chips were meant to be together and the British fish and chip trade began. Lancashire and London both lay claim to the first ever fish and chip shop. In 1863 A Mr. Lees

of Lancaster sold them from a wooden hut, then later transferred to a shop with a sign which boasted ‘This is the first fish and chip shop in the world’. Londoners however claim that Joseph Malin’s shop which opened in Cleveland Street in 1860 was the first. Whatever its origins the dish is now a national favourite, eaten and loved by every generation and class. So this week support your local chippy and indulge a little…you know you want to.

Satchells was established in 1922 and for three generations our traditional family run business has sold and let thousands of properties throughout Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire

• Buying • Selling • Renting • Letting OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK

Call for a free valuation from our Biggleswade Office on: Sales: 01767 313256 Email: biggleswade@satchells.co.uk Letting: 01767 313488 Email: lettings@satchells.co.uk

www.satchells.com

‘Call for our Winter Offer’ * Mention where you saw this advert To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261 122

10 easy ways to save money

While many people hold notions of being better with money, it’s rare that a practical action plan is put together. Here are ten top money-saving tips which are commonly-overlooked and which, over the course of the year, will have a drastic impact on your expendable income. 1. Pausing for Thought The four-day wait works. Any time you’re about to buy something which isn’t a necessity, listen to that niggling voice on your shoulder and wait four days until purchasing. Developing this simple habit rids you of compulsive buying inclinations and affords you time to compare prices online.

thousands of pounds every year if you find a great deal, so spend an afternoon hunting around. Always check the small print.

2. Balance Your Bank Account Few people take the time to balance bank statements. What your bank statement says you have at the end of each month is not the money that’s available to spend. Learn to reconcile your accounts and track your finances properly. Understanding your financial throughput properly will help develop positive spending habits.

7. 0% Interest on Purchases When purchasing new products which offer 0% interest, the APR is worked into the price. If you’re in a position to pay cash, negotiate with the salesperson to do so, but minus the interest worked into the cost. You’d be surprised how often this works and, if the salesperson seems uppity, ask to speak to the manager.

3. Resell Your Clutter It’s frighteningly easy to accumulate unnecessary and unused products. Survey your belongings and unclutter your house and loft by setting up a Gumtree or eBay account. Rid yourself of these things in a way which will make you money.

8. Creative Re-using Develop the habit of re-using things. Use modified cornflake boxes for file holders and the bags inside for storing bread in the freezer. Re-use padded envelopes, cut old towels into cleaning cloths and always be on the lookout for new and creative ways to re-use things to save money.

4. Transfer Your Balances If you have credit cards debt, find another credit card offering 0% interest for several months, sign up and transfer the balance over. You can do this as many times as there are card companies and it will save you a fortune in interest. 5. Insurance Swapping Put aside an afternoon to phone all of your insurance companies. Finding cheaper deals on your car, home, life and other insurances will take just a couple of hours and could save you hundreds of pounds. 6. Mortgage Shopping While you may have been given a good deal on your mortgage initially, shopping around for a new mortgage could save you hundreds or even

9. Claiming Tax Benefits A certain stigma used to be attached to claiming tax benefits. Not anymore, and the government puts tax credits at the heart of family budget policies to garner public support. Make sure you take advantage of this and claim for child benefit, working tax and child tax credit if you’re eligible: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/taxcredits.htm 10. Join Moneysaving Expert Saving money should become a hobby and there’s no better place to do so than Moneysaving Expert. The forums are awash with incredibly insightful and useful guides on how to save more money than you ever thought possible. Sign up and become an active member of the community: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com

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Ash Tree Financial Services Independent Financial Advisers For friendly and expert advice in your financial planning including: Mortgages and Home Insurance Life assurance Critical Illness Cover Income Protection Pensions and Annuities Investments and Savings Contact Christopher Goodwin Ash Tree House, 48 Sutton Mill Road, Potton, SG19 2QB Tel: 01767 262760 goodwin@ashtree.uk.com www.ashtree.uk.com vacantU_SandyA5:Layout 1

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Taking a trip

TO YOUR FAMILY’s PAST When Elaine Thomas booked a week’s holiday in a remote cottage in Yorkshire, she had no idea that she was about to solve a mystery. After several years spent researching her family history, Elaine - who lives in Kent - had discovered that her ancestors were land-owning farmers from the Richmond district of Yorkshire. She was eager to see where they had lived and died so she chose a pretty cottage in the hamlet of Easby as an ideal base from which to explore the area. Elaine had focused her research on a branch of the Dixon family, tracing the line back to the year 1695, and she was now intent on filling any gaps in her knowledge. She had been unable to find out where her great, great, great grandparents were buried but thanks to an extraordinary coincidence she discovered the answer lay only a short stroll away. A book left out on display in the village church gave the exact location of their graves in the churchyard. Elaine will never know what – or who - led to this uncanny revelation but she believes that luck and instinct can play a pivotal role in family research. Her interest in the subject began as a child, when her grandmother told her stories about relatives. “Once grandma died, I found I was the only person in the family with that knowledge. I wanted to know more, so I sent off for my grandma’s birth certificate. Although I’m not very good with the internet I looked up www.ancestry.co.uk and signed up for two weeks’ free trial.” Elaine was determined to follow the female line of her family although she knew it would be difficult because the surnames would not be consistent. Unable to progress beyond her great, great grandmother Mary, she worked on a hunch

inspired by the census. “One of her children had the Christian name ‘Dixon’ and I thought that was unusual,” says Elaine. “I’d read in a magazine that mothers often christened children with their maiden names so the name would stay in the family.” When she entered ‘Mary Dixon’ into an online search, she was rewarded with information that enabled her to trace her roots back to the 17th century. Elaine’s top tips for starting your own research are to talk to older members of your family and write down every detail, then start to work backwards by requesting copies of birth, marriage and death certificates from the appropriate local records offices. Valuable information can be obtained from ancestry search magazines and websites such as www.ancestry.co.uk and www.findagrave.com. She has also found the staff at records offices particularly helpful. The message boards of online networks such as www.curiousfox.com can be useful but Elaine warns that where the search concerns a common surname, names should be double checked against the census or other official records in order to ensure that the person in question belongs to the right family. Tracking down family records can be challenging, but for Elaine it has opened up a wealth of new opportunities. “If I hadn’t done this I would never have used a computer. I’ve also found that my interest in ancestry has given me wider interest in history. I can honestly say it has opened up a whole new life for me.”

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After

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Little wonders

How tablets can be cheap and cheerful Tablets are wonderful things, but they can be pricey: while £400 isn’t much compared to the price of a high-end laptop, it’s still £400. But you don’t need to spend that much to find a perfectly good tablet: in fact, there are good ones for as little as £99. The £99 tablet is Amazon’s Kindle Fire, which dropped from £129 to £99 in November (if it’s gone back up again, don’t worry - you can be sure the price will fall again very soon). While it isn’t exactly state of the art it’s still a perfectly decent tablet for watching videos, playing Angry Birds, using Facebook and so on. If you fancy something a little more powerful but not much more expensive, Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD is very good too. It boasts a much better screen, which is superb for video, and comes with more storage, faster Wi-Fi wireless networking and a faster processor. Prices start at just £159 for the 16GB model. Before you spend £159, though, check out Google’s offering, the Nexus 7. Like the Kindle Fire it’s just £159 for the 16GB model, and as it’s Google’s own device it’s a proper Android tablet without the customisation that some manufacturers add to the operating system. Once again it’s a seven-inch device with a powerful processor, integrated Wi-Fi wireless networking and good battery life. There are two other £159 tablets to consider: the Kobo Arc and the Nook HD. The former comes from Kobo, Amazon’s main rival in the e-reading sector, and it’s aimed primarily at e-book readers who fancy the odd video, song or bit of web

browsing, while the latter is by US bookselling giant Barnes & Noble and hopes to carve a niche offering electronic magazines as well as apps. Technically speaking they’re very good - the Nook HD in particular has a wonderful screen, is very light and easy to use - but tablets rise and fall on the strength of their content libraries and Amazon has the edge in that department. If you want a tablet that has lots of stuff to choose from and which is very easy to use, the Kindle Fire HD will look very attractive; if you’re more techy and want something you can fiddle with too, Google’s Nexus is more likely to appeal. You can’t mention tablets without mentioning Apple, and while Apple also has a cheap tablet we’re talking cheap in Apple terms: the iPad mini starts at £269, which is significantly more than other seven-ish-inch tablets - although it’s a good bit less than a full-sized iPad. Apple claims it’s “every inch an iPad”, and that’s a fair claim: it’s essentially an iPad 2 crammed into a smaller case, so it runs existing iPad apps quite happily. It has more available tablet apps than any other small tablet, it has a slightly bigger screen - it’s 7.9 inches rather than the rivals’ 7 inches, which doesn’t sound much but makes a big difference when you’re using it - and to our eyes it’s much betterlooking and better-engineered than any rival. Is the iPad mini worth the extra cash? If you want a premium tablet, you’re using other Apple products or you’ve already amassed a stack of iOS apps then yes. If not, you may well find that a smaller rival will be just as much fun for considerably less cash.

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Vine not try something new

in 2013?

A Bedfordshire charity is offering volunteers the chance to learn how to prune vines in its Community Vineyard at Old Warden. The secateurs are being sharpened as volunteers at Bedfordshire’s first community vineyard prepare to start the major task of pruning some 4000 vines – and new volunteers are very welcome to join in. Jane Markham is the Community Vineyard Manager. “We show you what to do and provide all the tools. The sessions are great fun and it’s a great way to shake off the cobwebs and rejuvenate after the hectic activity of Christmas and the New Year.” Pruning sessions will run each Tuesday and Friday throughout January and February starting on Friday January 11th, as well as a special Saturday session on 26th January. To find out more and to book a place, please contact Jane on 07981 113714 or info@wardenvineyard.org. uk or check out www.wardenvineyard.org.uk

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Computer Supply & Repair Fast, friendly and local support for all your computer and technology needs. Repairs, Upgrades, Custom Builds etc. Virus and Spyware Removal, PC Health Checks, Software/Hardware Sales, Networking and Wireless

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Safer Internet Day

BY Debbie Singh-Bhatti The tenth annual Safer Internet Day takes place on 5th February, and is designed to help everyone use the internet and other new technologies safely and responsibly. Passwords are the first line of defence against cyber criminals. Long passwords that use numbers, symbols and mixed-case letters, are the most secure. Use different passwords for each of your important accounts and change them regularly. Malware is a type of computer programme that can be installed on your machine without your knowledge. It can be used to try to access your personal information, or to force your computer to visit websites, send spam email, or perform other actions without your knowledge. To protect against malware, install at least one good quality anti-virus product and scan regularly. You should also upgrade your operating system and software to the latest versions and, if possible, turn on automatic updates. Be careful about what you click and download. If you’re not sure about an unfamiliar site, leave it and research the software before installing it. If malware prevents you from leaving the page, for example by repeatedly opening a download prompt, use your computer’s task manager to close your browser – generally accessed by pressing ‘ctrl’, ‘alt’ and ‘delete’ at the same time . Do not trust anything within an email that looks suspicious – even if it’s from people you know – and visit websites by entering the address directly

in your browser instead of using links in emails. Do not trust pop-up windows that ask you to download software to make your computer safe because it has been infected. Close the window and don’t click inside it. There are tools and controls available to help you manage your online experience. Google SafeSearch excludes sites with sexually explicit content from search results, and Safety Mode on YouTube means that videos with mature or agerestricted content will not show up in searches. Take an interest in your child’s internet activity and talk to them about their experience. Better still, spend time with them working online so that you know how they are using the internet. Children need to know that the internet can be a dangerous place and that not everyone online can be trusted. They should not share personal information like their name, age, school, phone number, email address or photos and should always use a nickname as their screen name. To register on social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, they should be at least 13. If your child wants to meet someone they have met online, make them aware of the potential dangers, encourage them always to inform you of their plans and insist that you go along too, especially for the first meeting. With these systems and procedures in place, using the internet should be a safer experience for us all!

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ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS AND BUILDING DESIGN SERVICES Professional and affordable architectural design services provided for all types of private residential building projects with all necessary council approvals obtained.

For free estimates and advice, contact Jason Dixon on:01767 677540 or 07908 004816 e-mail: JTDixon101@aol.com No VAT payable for design and drawing services on residential projects Jason Dixon, 101 Meadow Road, Great Gransden, Sandy, SG19 3BB.

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The Retreat, Biggleswade

for a very special Valentine’s Day

I never fail to relax on my visits to The Retreat. Admittedly, there is a part of me that protests at the moment when I book an appointment – is it really necessary to expose my legs to the questionable delights of hot wax? But then another part of me, the side that craves a treat, the side that longs to feel pampered, preened and pretty starts to sing and already I’m excited, looking forward to that moment when I will step through the door and sit in the comfortable lounge that awaits all visitors to this salon-with-a-difference. The Retreat is situated along London Road in Biggleswade. The period building has a charm of its own but the real appeal lies in the handpicked, experienced staff, the atmosphere of certainty, comfort and calm, the readily available real coffee and 48

delicious cake and the easy chatter of friends enjoying a pedicure, massage or manicure. The treatment rooms are spacious, warm and clean with luxurious touches – gentle music and interesting pictures, which add to the tranquil ambiance. There is no hurry, the whole place pulls you into the embrace of ‘me time’.

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The Retreat offers an amazing list of wonderful treatments to choose from, but the discerning amongst our readers will certainly want to experience the sublime special offer available for one or two people in the double treatment room this Valentine’s Day. Salon manager, Abigail MacKenzie explains: ‘We are offering couples the chance to enjoy chocolates and bubbles alongside a soothing massage in our candlelit double treatment room. It will be a lovely opportunity for couples to spend some special time together whilst being pampered on this romantic day, or the ideal treat for wives, partners and girlfriends. Everybody wants to feel relaxed, happy and at their best on Valentine’s day, and what could be a better way to find perfection than at The Retreat?’

At just £24.99 for one lucky person or £44.99 for two sharing, this is also an affordable Valentine’s surprise. The salon will be open until 9pm on Valentine’s Day, late on the Friday, 8am-4pm on the Saturday, and 10am2pm on the Sunday so why not book yourself and your loved one in now for a romantic date to remember? Look too out for The Retreat’s Mother’s Day treat coming up in March when the salon will be open on Mothering Sunday from 10am – 4pm to welcome lots of loved and lucky mothers. Why not join the salon on Facebook (Retreat Biggleswade) to make sure you are first to hear of their fantastic special offers and events?

The RETREAT BEAUTY SPA 4 London Road, Biggleswade Bedfordshire, SG18 8EB Tel: 01767 313777 Website: www.theretreatbeautyspa.co.uk Email: info@theretreatbeautyspa.co.uk

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Pottons Specialist Welding and Fabricating Company

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Garden View

A frosty reception As we progress through the year our thoughts are drawn to spring. The days are gradually getting longer, though it’s hardly noticeable because the temperatures are still very cold. People think of February as ‘nearly spring’ but in fact it can be a much colder month than December or January at times. That said, the cold weather is just the stimulus some bulbs need in order for them to burst into bloom. Take the snowdrop for example: this tiny flower with its delicate head looks its best this month, especially when planted in large drifts. Galanthus (snowdrops) naturalise and spread quite rapidly when happy, and over 5-10 years will form the most beautiful carpet of white. Try and visit an open garden this month and you’ll see what I mean. Choose a clear day when the sky is an intense blue. Take a waterproof rug to lie down on and see the world from the woodland floor, just like a snowdrop would. It’s a beautiful place to be (and to take photographs from). If it’s not frozen solid, the earthy smell of the humus rich soil is wonderful and there will often be a layer of crunchy leaves still remaining from autumn, partially decomposed which add to the aroma. When you get up close and personal with plants in this way it really gives you a chance to appreciate their beauty. Lift up the little nodding head and see the loveliness within. If you are inspired by these wonderful scenes, now is the perfect time to buy and plant snowdrops, so why not add some to a tub, or plant a swathe by the front door? That way even when it’s icy outside you’ll be welcoming guests with a less frosty reception. Other jobs to do this month include: Cutting down – I’m not talking about the post Christmas calorie intake, but about the herbaceous perennials. Chop them down now, as far as you can go so that the new shoots will be free to grow next month. Hedge your bets – overgrown evergreen hedges can be cut at the end of the month. Do

one side this year and one in a couple of years time. It will look pretty awful until it re grows (in about 2 years) but it will be worth the wait. Compost all the waste you create in the garden, but remember to chop it up well. Consider investing in a shredder if you create a lot of bulky waste. You’ll be impressed with the quality of compost you can produce. Use last year’s compost to lay on the top of the soil around shrubs and roses (known as mulch) Until next time, Happy gardening, Lee

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Rural Ramblings BY GEOFF WHARTON

Seedy times

The discussions continue - is all this extreme weather due to global warming or is part of the natural cycles in nature? To be honest I am beginning to lose interest due to the fact that even when the countries of the world do organize summits to discuss and theoretically implement controls, they do not seem to be effective, especially when the controls would have a detrimental effect on the economic well-being of a particular group of nations - or am I just being cynical? Back to reality and trying to brighten up the gloomy wet weather by thinking of springtime and preparing by flicking through my favourite glossy flower seed catalogue which always impresses with masses of full-colour close-up photographs in super high definition. Every year is the same - the illustrations are so seductive and alluring, tempting us to buy far too many for our needs. Apart from providing visual sweeteners, some catalogues are also good sources of cultural and technical information and one of the suggestions which I would endorse is to use cell trays instead of sowing seed in seed trays and then pricking out. With some of the smaller seed such as petunia, I used to try to sow as evenly as possible but inevitably the resulting germinated seedlings were in clumps and very difficult to separate. It was also quite time consuming and the seedlings always suffered from disturbance due to root damage. Now I use pelleted seed which although is still small, is much easier to handle and I sow a small group of seeds directly into individual cells. The advantage is that they do not have to be transplanted after germination and can be easily planted out into their final growing position as a group of 5 or 6 compact seedlings per cell. Tips such as this can be found in some catalogues together with information about recent developments in seed technology such as primed seed, multi-seeded pellets, treated seed ,and graded seed. These specialist seed treatments are widely used by commercial growers where mechanical seed sowing equipment is used but some seed distribution companies do offer such seed in smaller quantities for the amateur grower. As I mentioned previously, pelleted seed

can offer distinct advantages, especially when small seed is used or when accurate spacing is required. Seed treatment may not to be for everyone, but can significantly reduce losses at germination time due to pest and disease problems. Primed seeds have been started into germination in a controlled environment and the advantages are that the seedlings will emerge faster and more uniformally. In order to increase the chance of similar sized plants, graded seed is often used but this is of advantage mainly for the commercial grower. The cost of treated seed is of course a little higher than for natural seed but the advantages can be significant or of course you can often save your own seed and with careful storage (mice!) enjoy the extra pleasure of propagating from old favourites. So with the arrival of another year of growing opportunities, it is never too early to start making out the seed list!

Geoff Wharton Gardening Services Reliable, experienced, well qualified. General and specialist garden work: Jungle clearing, Pruning, Hedge and grass cutting, Regular maintenance, Licensed waste disposal. Full public liability cover. Geoff Wharton - BSC honours Hort.Science Email:geoffwharton@hotmail.com

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Decking Fencing Driveways Drainage Groundworks Garden & Site clearance Garden & Field Gates Sheds & Summer houses Patios Brickwork Ponds Tel: 01767 222 516 Mob: 07760 414 289

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Wood Glorious Wood

by Derek Thompson When I was growing up in London, my relationship with making the fire began and ended with a plug and a switch. Things are much different now; living in the West Country, where burning almost anything else would be preferable (and cheaper) to putting on the oil-fired central heating. Logs are a bit of a science. We’ve found oak, beech and ash to be best, in order of preference, but conifer wood does the job too if it’s properly seasoned. Our usual supplier is about five miles away and by the time we’ve unloaded his trailer and I’ve stacked the wood in the garage, I’m usually so warmed up that I try to convince Anne we can skip the fire for a day. Then I’m literally and figuratively out in the cold. Using local and sustainable sources of wood fits in perfectly with our Better Life approach. When we lost our cypress tree, after a succession of gales split the main trunk so that I could look right through it, nothing was wasted. Even the smaller branches were stored and dried out for a year to make a plentiful supply of kindling. It was a sad day indeed though - not least for the chickens, who once escaped their compound and sought asylum in the upper branches, in a series of impressive short take-offs. The previous year, our ash tree had to come down because it was pushing against a neighbour’s garage wall. That also served us well, a year later. Even so, I never feel good about losing a tree. Not only do our remaining trees provide an important habitat for birds and other wildlife, they also give

us some privacy in the garden, so the neighbours can’t see how poorly the last of the chard is doing. As our gradual conversion from urbanites to ruralites has progressed, we have become expert in the art of foraging for kindling. When you know where to look, just like love, it’s all around you. For example, a local farm shop often has a supply of unwanted wooden fruit boxes. We’ve also found hidden treasure in skips - always with the owner’s permission. And once, when our foraging fame spread, a neighbour alerted us to a pub renovation a couple of villages away, where we managed to fill the back of the car with wood that would otherwise have become landfill. A wood merchant has occasionally furnished us with offcuts and sawdust for the chickens, in exchange for eggs, which seems a pretty good deal all round. And of course, the nearby woods are a boon. Every time there’s a gale, we’re off into the woods, rucksacks at the ready - combining exercise with recycling. I think the villagers are used to us now, although I did once hear someone singing Good King Wenceslas - the part about a poor man gathering winter fuel. It’s less about saving a pound or two and more about being consistent in our philosophy. There’s a certain delight in making use of something that no one else wants, whether it’s wooden offcuts, windfall or abandoned and broken pallets, especially when it also helps to reduce our fuel bills. I like to think of us as the Wombles of Wood.

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Can I go to the Paddocks for my Holiday please?

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ANIMAL KNOW-HOW

Dear RSPCA vet

Dear RSPCA vet, One of my dogs keeps scratching and seems agitated. How can I tell if he has fleas, and what can I do about it? Jon, Biggleswade Dear Jon, Fleas can be a problem even in the most spotless home, or on the cleanest pet. Anything with fur can get fleas – so your dogs, cats and other pets are all at risk. Check by grooming your pet with a fine-toothed comb over a white surface such as a piece of kitchen towel. Any fleas or flea droppings will be deposited on the surface. Add a few drops of water and if the droppings turn reddish brown, it’s very likely your pet has fleas. If you’ve found fleas, it’s essential to treat both your pet and your home, as fleas can survive in the environment without a host for many months. • Only give your pet recommended flea

treatment; ideally as prescribed by a vet. Dog flea treatments are highly toxic to cats. • Clean bedding regularly and vacuum furniture, floors and skirting boards thoroughly to help destroy fleas at each stage of their life cycle. If left untreated, flea bites can become much more serious: • flea saliva can cause an allergic reaction. • fleas feed on blood, so young or frail animals can become weak and even die as a result of blood loss. • flea larvae can become infected with tapeworm eggs, so if your pet has fleas always make sure it’s also treated for worms. So, you can easily prevent a tiny flea becoming a big problem by regular treatment. ANIMAL QUERIES is one of a series of articles brought to you by the RSPCA North Bedfordshire branch www.rspca-bedfordshirenorth.org.uk

Fun Quiz - Love and Kisses 1. Who is the Greek goddess of love? 2. What is the name of the bridge in Venice where, according to legend, lovers will be granted eternal love if they kiss on a gondola at sunset underneath it? 3. Which famous 1913 play has a title that is the name of a sculptor from Greek mythology who fell in love with his statue? 4. “Thus, with a kiss, I die” are the last words of which Shakespearean character? 5. Which American city is sometimes referred to as “the city of brotherly love” as its name was derived from Greek words meaning “love” and “brother”? 6. Which pop group released their debut album Kissing To Be Clever in 1982? 7. According to the first line of the Sinead O’Connor hit single Nothing Compares 2 U, it had been how many days and how many hours “since you let your love away”? 8. Which disease is sometimes referred to as the kissing disease? 9. Which Queen did Judi Dench portray in the film Shakespeare In Love? 10. According to legend, what would you receive if you kissed the Blarney Stone?

Before

After

1. Aphrodite 2. The Bridge of Sighs 3. Pygmalion 4. Romeo (from Romeo and Juliet) 5. Philadelphia 6. Culture Club 7. 7 hours and 15 days 8. Glandular Fever 9. Elizabeth I 10. The gift of the gab

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A plea for help

from your RSPCA

Despite being one of the oldest charities in the UK, your local RSPCA Branch is currently stretched to breaking point. Read about our history and how you can help us build a better future for the animals in this county. In 1884, when the RSPCA’s Bedfordshire Branch was formed, the world was a very different place. Queen Victoria was on the throne, only half of all 5-15 year olds were in school and the population of England was 60% smaller than it is today. Horses were openly beaten; and emaciated and flea-ridden dogs patrolled the streets in packs. Circuses were a popular form of entertainment and featured exotic animals that were often illtreated and kept in appalling conditions. The RSPCA’s Bedfordshire Branch was set up to try and alleviate the suffering of animals and to educate people in animal welfare. Since then, as an organisation, the RSPCA has been instrumental in saving millions of animals’ lives and changing numerous laws – including the abolition of fur farming in the UK, improving standards in slaughter houses and banning bear-baiting and cock-fighting (which at one point were as popular spectator sports as football is today). In the late 1960’s the RSPCA’s Bedfordshire Branch was divided and the Bedfordshire North Branch was established. In the 129 years since the Bedfordshire Branch was formed, the people of Bedfordshire have experienced astonishing progress. Advances in medical science means that our average life expectancy is 80 years; travelling to different countries is no longer a past-time exclusively for the extremely wealthy; and most people, including children (who, when the RSPCA was originally formed, would often be found working in factories or coal mines), regard owning a mobile phone as a ‘necessity.’ In contrast, animal cruelty, abandonment and neglect are still increasing.

Today, your local RSPCA Bedfordshire North Branch is in crisis: • In the last 5 years, abandonment has increased by 65%. • It costs us every day: £5 to look after one healthy cat, £8 for one healthy dog. • This means that every month we need to find at least: £1,300 to house all the animals in our care and £2,000 for vet bills. • We don’t have a rescue centre so rely entirely on volunteer foster carers and private boarding establishments. • The Branch is a small independent charity that works under the umbrella of the national RSPCA, but we are responsible for raising all our own funds. That’s why we’re struggling to support the animals we have in our care. And the terrible fact is that there are even more animals, within the county, who still need our help. So, what can you do? Please: • Visit the RSPCA shop in Thurlow Street, Bedford (by the bus station) and buy something or donate some money. • Donate any unwanted clothing, bric-a-brac, DVDs, CDs, toys, jewelry or small furniture. Just drop it into the shop. Whether it’s a single item, or several bags, we would be delighted to see you. The shop is a hugely important way of helping to raise funds for all the animals in our care, so please support it. When we think how far the RSPCA has come, it’s inspiring to think how much more of a difference we can make. There’s still so much to do, but with your support, so much more can be achieved. Thank you. 01234 266965 or www.rspca-bedfordshirenorth.org.uk

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Land Rover Freelander

BY JAMES BAGGOTT

Land Rover has given its perennial premium compact SUV a nip and tuck for 2013 – but is it enough to keep buyers interested in the offroader? We take it for a spin in the icy wilds of snow-blown Canada. What is it? Land Rover’s perennial compact SUV given a little wipe over with the flannel to freshen it up. The changes aren’t huge inside or out, but they’re enough to give it a new lease of life. The talking points on the outside are some smart new headlights, new rear tail-lights that look like dumpy red snowmen, and a more striking grille. Inside it’s had more attention with an Evoque-ess makeover. What’s under the bonnet? There are two diesel units which are both 2.2 litres in size but with different power outputs, 147 bhp and 187 bhp, they both offer four-wheel drive. There’s also a 150PS version in two-wheel drive form, but quite why you’d opt for that we have no idea apart from its lower CO2 emissions. We tried a brilliant 2.0-litre petrol engine too on our road test in Canada, but sadly this won’t be coming to the UK. In fact, it was actually our pick of the bunch. What’s the kit like? It’s on the inside where the manufacturer has really gone to work. The centre console is new and the old Terrain Response dial has been swapped for buttons from the Evoque. A new instrument cluster has been installed which has a five inch display that offers the important details. It now has keyless go, a brilliant hitch assist that helps drivers line up their tow bar and clever voice activation. There are three new colours to choose from paint wise and the stereo system provided by Meridian is nothing short of extravagant. Any rivals? There are lots, and that’s the problem. Audi Q5, BMW X3, Volvo XC60 and VW Tiguan all represent very talented and capable alternatives to the rugged Brit. All are newer than the Freelander and are tough competition to the Land Rover.

Is it any good? If you were hoping for a whole new car, you’ll be sorely disappointed. This revision is a nip and tuck at best bringing its styling into line with the other, newer models in the range. However there’s no denying that the Freelander is extremely capable off-road – some of the terrain we tackled on the launch was positively frightening and it sailed right through it. What’s our verdict? The revisions inside bring the Freelander up to date, but we had rather hoped they’d have done more with the exterior. The new lights are striking, but nowhere near as bold as its sister cars which is a shame, however its capability off road can’t be doubted and despite its age we still think it’s a rugged alternative to some often rather boring Germanic offerings. It’s worth a look for the pony-pulling set. The Knowledge Model: Land Rover Freelander Price: £39,805 Engine: 2.2 litre, diesel Power: 187 bhp, 420Nm Max speed: 118 mph 0-60mph: 8.7s MPG (comb’d): 40.4 Emissions: 185g/km

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Secrets and Lies

BOOK REVIEW

It’s February and the world is set to go into romance overload. But what about those relationships Hallmark doesn’t make a card for: the mistresses, the bits on the side and the forbidden loves? We’ve put together a selection of both classic and contemporary scandals so you can live vicariously through them…unless you have something you want to come clean about? Lady Chatterley’s Lover D.H.Lawrence Long before Desperate Housewives, people were having affairs with their gardeners. Constance Chatterley’s husband lies paralysed after a war injury and as she struggles with both the emotional and physical neglect, her head is turned by one Oliver Mellors. And boy, must he be good. The novel tackles the relationship between the upper and working classes as well as the battle between the body and mind. For a book written in the 1920s, it’s pretty explicit, making it a favourite of students forced to read Lawrence the world over. Notes on a Scandal Zoë Heller Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. When Sheba the new comprehensive school art teacher embarks on an affair with an underage boy, she has only sixty-something year old fellow teacher Barbara to confide in. Barbara relishes the close friendship that has been established between the two of them, but it takes a sinister turn when she discovers the truth about the boy. Getting Rid of Matthew Jane Fallon No one ever leaves their wife for their mistress. Do they? What happens when the excitement and thrill of a fling turn up on your doorstep and you’re instantly plunged into domesticity? The answer is simple: start operation Getting Rid Of Matthew. This involves making yourself as undesirable as possible. There are unexpected twists and turns for Helen who really needs to learn to be careful what she wishes for. Madame Bovary Gustave Flaubert Doctor’s wife, Emma Bovary leads an increasingly scandalous and yet, in her eyes, eternally boring life as she tries to escape the confines of her provincial existence. Trapped in a dull marriage

and dreaming of passion, excitement and fulfilment, she finds that real life never fails to fall short of her great expectations. The book caused absolute outrage when it was first published, though there was no shortage of women claiming to be Madame Bovary. Gustave always maintained he based the character on himself… but there were obviously a LOT of bored French housewives in the nineteenth century. The Bride Stripped Bare Nikki Gemmell This is the story of an awakening of epic proportions. Why work in shades of grey when you can live your own life by your own rules in glorious Technicolor? A husband reveals a secret on his honeymoon, giving his wife the strength and the freedom to finally go after what she wants and desires...in the form of an inexperienced suitor. The Post Birthday World Lionel Shriver Affairs are usually referred to as ‘ill-fated’ and invariably it all ends in tears. Here’s a novel that starts with a kiss, or not, and then runs in two parallel stories. It’s the thinking man/woman’s Sliding Doors. Irina McGovern could lean in and kiss the rough around the edges, snookerplaying Ramsay, or she could choose not to and to remain faithful to her straight-laced partner, Lawrence. If we could see the repercussions of our actions, would we take that chance and steal a moment with someone? The book is about human relationships and how we’re all flawed. So basically, it’s damned if you do and…you get the picture.

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SPRING ONIONS

SHORT STORY

The last rays of afternoon sun filtered through the sitting room blinds. Gavin sipped his tea and listened for the sound of the kitchen door closing. “Granddad, while Gran’s out of the room there’s something I want your advice about”. Jack glanced up from his newspaper. “She may be out of the room lad, but it doesn’t mean she’s not listening”. “I heard that”, Ivy called from the kitchen. Jack grimaced and lowered his voice, “What is it then?” Gavin took a deep breath. I’m thinking of asking Abbie to marry me”. He looked at Jack for signs of approval. “What’s the best way to ask so that she’ll say yes?” Jack suppressed a smile and folded up his paper slowly. “How long have you been courting, two years?” “Granddad”, Gavin laughed, “No one says courting these days”. “Don’t they?” Jack feigned surprise, “Shame”. “How did you propose to Gran?” Gavin asked. Jack took off his spectacles and cleaned them on his sweater. “Well, you know in those days your Gran taught at her dad’s dancing school”. Gavin nodded. He had heard the story of how they met before - how Jack went to dancing classes just to get to know Ivy. “She was a wonderful dancer, your Gran”, Jack smiled to himself. “Wonderful to watch - she could spin them round like scooping ducks off a pond”. “But how did you actually propose?” Gavin asked. “Well, there’s a story”. Jack chuckled as he remembered. “That autumn I knew I was going to be posted so I got hold of a sack of daffodil bulbs. Not easy you know, as there was a war on”. Gavin nodded and dunked another garibaldi biscuit. “I went round to your Gran’s house in the middle of the night and planted them in her dad’s back lawn”. He grinned at Gavin. “Do you get it lad?” Gavin shook his head. “You see I planted them so that when they came up in the spring they would spell out ‘Will you marry me?”. Jack slapped his leg and burst out laughing. The tea cups rattled. “So, did it work?” Jack turned unusually sombre. “Well before I could get an answer I was sent to Dunkirk. I was a prisoner of war for five years and your Gran didn’t know if I was alive or dead”. The two men were silent for a moment, then Jack remembered the last part of his tale. “When I finally

got back I said to Ivy “What do you reckon then?”. Ivy walked into the room with a plate of buttered scones. “And I said, ‘Can I have a bit more time to think about it?’” Ivy winked at Gavin and offered him the plate. She settled herself down on the sofa. “I was just asking Granddad how he proposed”. Ivy chuckled and stirred her tea. “Oh yes, the onions”. “What are you on about?” Jack said. “They were daffodils”. “You daft fool; they were onions, all growing up through the grass saying ‘Will you marry me?’”. “You never said”. Jack slumped back in his armchair. “I paid good money for them”. ”We were eating those onions all year”. Ivy laughed, “My dad thought it was marvellous”. Gavin chewed his scone thoughtfully. Would he and Abbie still surprise each other after fifty years of marriage just like his grandparents did? He smiled, realising that true love didn’t care whether the proposal was made with onions or flowers as long as there was a happy ever after.

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SEASONAL DELIGHTS

SATAY VEGETABLE SKEWERS WITH SPRING ONION NOODLES If you are short on time but still want a flavoursome supper then try these delicious vegetable kebabs with a lovely spicy peanut sauce. For non-veggie kebabs replace the aubergine with cubes of lean pork or chicken fillet and cook for 15-20 minutes until the meat is cooked through and lightly charred. Serves 4 Ready in 30 minutes INGREDIENTS 100g crunchy peanut butter 25g creamed coconut, chopped 1/2 tsp chilli powder 1 garlic clove peeled and crushed 4 tbsp soy sauce 3 small peppers (red, green and yellow), deseeded and cut into 2.5cm pieces 4 thick slices of aubergine 1 large red onion, peeled and cut into slim wedges 3 tbsp sesame oil 4 nests fine egg noodles 4 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced

1 Place the peanut butter, coconut, chilli powder and garlic in a small pan with 180ml water. Heat gently, stirring all the time, for 2-3 minutes until the coconut has dissolved and the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat, stir in half the soy sauce. Thin down with a little more water to get a pouring consistency, if necessary. 2 Par-boil the peppers in a pan of boiling water for 2 minutes, drain well and pat dry with kitchen paper. Cut the aubergine slices into quarters. Thread the peppers and aubergine onto 8 pre-soaked wooden skewers with the onion wedges. 3 Preheat a cast-iron griddle pan until almost smoking. Whisk 2 tbsp of the oil and 70

remaining soy sauce together and brush all over the vegetable kebabs. Cook the kebabs on the hot griddle pan for 6-8 minutes, turning frequently until tender and lightly charred. 4 Meanwhile, cook the noodles in a large pan of boiling water for 3-4 minutes until just tender. Drain well and toss together with the rest of the sesame oil and the spring onions. Serve the kebabs on the noodles and drizzle over the satay sauce. Tip If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a griddle pan cook the kebabs under a pre-heated grill or use a heavy-based shallow frying and add a little oil.

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Rock ‘n’ role models

By Chris Russell

I’ve talked a lot in this column about role models for the younger generation, specifically the flimsy celebrity idols provided by TV shows such as X Factor and The Only Way Is Essex. If you’ve found those articles in any way tedious, you might want to look away now, because I’m back on my soapbox. Something very intriguing happened during the glorious sporting summer of 2012 when the Olympics found London. For the first time in as long as anyone could remember, celebrity culture lost its hold on kids’ imaginations and Da Yoof turned their attention to the positive role models of the 2012 Games. Here were a group of men and women not only driven by a burning desire to be the best they possibly could in their chosen field, but do so purely for the purpose of achieving greatness, and not because it would get them free Jaegerbombs at G-A-Y or a photo of themselves exposing their pants climbing out of a taxi in The Celebrity Gazette. That in itself would have been enough, but this promise of greatness was swiftly followed by the delivery of greatness, and when kids went back to school in September, corridors buzzed with excitable sports chatter. Britain even dared to dream that the values of a lost generation might finally be shifting. Suddenly children aspired to follow in the footsteps of Usain, Jessica and Mo – ndividuals who exude the importance of hard work, talent and genuine ambition – as opposed to slumping slack-jawed in front of TOWIE. How long would this last? Was it a blip in the cultural radar, or an enduring change? When the coming of autumn ushered back the thunderous rumble of the X Factor pop juggernaut, would the shimmering memory of the Games eventually disappear beneath the relentless, auto-tuned din of yet another slew of hapless pop-droids? Now that we’re a few months down the line, I’m not sure I could say either way. According to a recent Telegraph survey, twenty-five years ago the most popular career ambition amongst

school-age children was teaching. Now, while teaching has just about held onto its place in the Top Ten, it has given up the number one spot to sports star, closely followed by pop star and famous actor. I’d be interested to know if the success of London 2012 has had any kind of impact on those statistics. I can’t talk, of course - when I was fourteen I wanted to play in a rock band. I’m still doing it, professionally, in my early thirties, and I’ve often wondered what I’d say if a modern-day version of my teenage self asked for advice on pursuing his dreams. In short, I’d probably say this. Any idiot can follow his dreams. It’s about what you do when the world gets in the way, when things quite simply don’t go the way you expected. What you do in those moments, that’s the real test of character, not to mention the test of whether or not your dreams really counted in the first place. And I’m done. Should probably pop the ol’ soapbox back under the stairs, but - hang on. Kerry Katona just came on the telly. No rest for the wicked… Chris plays piano in South London power-pop band The Lightyears. The Lightyears, voted the UK’s BEST POP/ROCK ACT at the Indy Awards, have played Wembley Stadium, toured across four continents and released a record with Sting’s producer. Chris has recently completed his first book, “Mockstars”; a selection of video extracts are available to view at www. ProjectLightyears.com.

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what’S ON?

IN FEBRUARY

1 February Bingo Night 7.30pm Moggerhanger Village Hall Monthly Bingo Friday night with cash prizes, raffle and licensed bar. All proceeds to support the Village Hall. Tel: Carolyn 01767 640727 2 February Hardy Plant Society Talk 2pm The Wetherley Centre, Biggleswade Small charge for visitors Cambs and Beds Hardy Plant Society present a talk by Michael Warren on ‘Through the year with a horticultural photographer’. Michael has photographed plants and gardens around the world for over 40 years. Small charge applies. Tel: Winifred 01234 721720 Web: www.hpscambsandbeds.co.uk 2 February Winter Bird Walk 10am-12 noon RSPB The Lodge, Sandy Adults £4, RSPB Members £3, Children £3, RSPB Wildlife Explorers £2. Admission £4 per vehicle Take a long walk around the reserve, searching for the birds and wildlife that spend the winter here. With luck we will spot redpolls and siskins, fieldfares and redwings, treecreeper, nuthatch and woodpeckers. Tel: 01767 680541 Web: www.rspb.org.uk/thelodge 2-3 February Arts Weekend Stratton Upper School, Biggleswade Every year Stratton Upper School host a weekend full of creative activities for students to get involved in. This year will be the first time we are opening the weekend up to members of the public. We encourage everyone to have a go whether you are old or young, experience or a complete novice at art. There is a small fee to cover the cost of the workshops but all of them are extremely reasonably priced. If you are a GCSE or A Level students the work you produced could be included in your coursework portfolios. All artists will take away something to show for the day – except the clay activity (this work will be fired and available for collection a week later). Essential to book in advance. Booking form available on website. Tel: Miss Welch 01767 220000 ext. 132 Web: http://www.stratton.beds.sch.uk

Entries into our What’s On sections are free. If you have an event you would like us to publicise please email the details to whatson@villagermag.com veteran we have something to offer you. The Association meets the first Monday of every month David Roberts 01480 212960 david@snaa.co.uk Web: www.snaa.co.uk 5 February Potton Ladies Club 7.30pm Conservative Club, Potton Annual membership £25, Visitors £3 per meeting The talk for the evening is about trekking in India given by Susanne Davison entitled “The Roof of the World”. There will also be a second-hand bookstall, raffle and free refreshments. New members and/or visitors always welcome. Monthly Lunch Club for February will on Tuesday 12th February at Harpurs, Bedford. 5, 12, 19 & 26 February Tuesday Morning Walkers 9.30-11.30am RSPB The Lodge, Sandy Adults £3, RSPB Members free. Admission £4 per vehicle Weekly walks around the reserve with a leader, looking for birds, wildlife and enjoying the site. Tel: 01767 680541 Web: www.rspb.org.uk/thelodge 6 February Social Evening 6pm Moggerhanger Village Hall First Wednesday every month. The bar is open for a drink and a chat. Also open the box. Tel: Carolyn 01767 640727 for more information 8 & 22 February Whist Drive 7.30pm Moggerhanger Village Hall Fortnightly Friday Whist Drive. Refreshments included. Tel: Carolyn 01767 640727 for more information 9 February Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (12) Doors open 2.30pm, film starts 3pm Space for Sports & Arts, Holmemead School, Mead End, Biggleswade Tickets £3.50 Romantic comedy (2011). When Britain’s leading fisheries expert is approached by a consultant to help realize a sheik’s vision of bringing the sport of flyfishing to the desert, he immediately thinks the project is both absurd and unachievable. But when the Prime Minister’s overzealous press secretary latches on to it, this unlikely team put it all on the line and embark on an upstream journey of faith to prove the impossible, possible. Tel: 01767 626338 Web: www.ivelflix.org.uk

4 February Night Sky Observing Evening 7.30-9.30pm Visitors Centre, Paxton Pits Nature 9 February Reserve, Little Paxton Race Night St Neots Astronomy Association. There will be several 6.30pm Moggerhanger Village Hall Tickets £8 members with telescopes set up looking at various Winter warmer. Supper included. Tickets from Pat Constellations, Planets and other Celestial Objects. Whitworth Tel:to 01767 640848. a complete beginner a seasoned Please mention TheorVillager and Town Life when responding adverts 74Whether you’re

what’S ON? IN FEBRUARY

10 February Love Nature walk 2-3.30pm RSPB The Lodge, Sandy Adults £4, RSPB Members £3, Children £3, RSPB Wildlife Explorers £2. Admission £4 per vehicle Warm up for Valentine’s Day with a pleasant stroll around The Lodge Reserve. We can’t promise Lovebirds but there will be plenty of other birds to see! Tel: 01767 680541 Web: www.rspb.org.uk/thelodge 13 February Biggleswade & District Pensioners Association Meeting 2.30pm Labour Hall, Crab Lane, Biggleswade Bi-monthly meeting of Biggleswade & District Pensioners Association. Non-political Association and all pensioners welcome. Tel: 01767 315569 16 February Make a Nestbox 12 noon-1.30pm RSPB The Lodge, Sandy £7 per nestbox. Admission £4 per vehicle Birds will soon be searching for places to nest; as part of National Nestbox week come and make a nestbox to take home and put up in your garden to help them raise their young. Booking essential-limited numbers. Tel: 01767 680541 Web: www.rspb.org.uk/thelodge 16 February Welwyn Garden City Male Voice Choir 7pm Trinity Methodist Church, Shortmead Street, Biggleswade Tickets: £7 in advance, £8 on the door There will be an interval with light refreshments. Tickets available from Biggleswade Express. Proceeds in aid of the Trinity Community Project “Opening Doors for the Community”. Tel: 01767 261305 17 February Biggleswade Antiques Fair 9.30am-4pm The Weatherley Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade Entrance £1.50 This antiques fair offers a diverse range of antiques and collectables so whether you are a professional dealer, an avid collector or just looking for something special, this monthly fair is the place to visit. Cafe serving breakfast, lunches and afternoon tea. Tel: 01480 382432 or 07906 647346 Web: www.madisonevents.co.uk

19 February Gamlingay W I 7.30pm Gamlingay W I Hall Speaker Mr Geoffrey Evans on Alaska. 20 February ‘Growing for Showing’ and ‘Growing Giant Vegetables’ 7.30pm Quince Court, Sandy Sandy & District Horticultural Association talk by Clive Bevan on ‘Growing for Showing’ and ‘Growing Giant Vegetables’. Refreshments and raffle. For more information see website. Web: www.sandyshow.org 21 February Keeping Woodlands Alive 7.45pm Membership £5 per household Central Methodist Church Hall, Pixmore Way, Letchworth Garden City Letchworth District Gardeners Association talk on ‘Keeping Woodlands Alive’ with Pam Farley from The Woodlands Trust. Web: www.ldga.org.uk 26 February Knit & Natter 10am-12 noon St. John’s Church, Blunham Road, Moggerhanger Moggerhanger Meeting Place and Shop Wools, needles and know-how will be available, so just come along. You can bring your own knitting with you or you can just do a little knitting for charity from the wools available. 1 March Bingo Night 7.30pm Moggerhanger Village Hall Monthly Bingo Friday night with cash prizes, raffle and licensed bar. All proceeds to support the Village Hall. Tel: Carolyn 01767 640727 1 March Quiz Evening 8pm Church Rooms, High Street, Sandy Entry fee £2 per person In aid of The Leprosy Mission. Teams to consist of a maximum of 6 persons. Please book your team with Colin Osborne on 01767 682032.

Moggerhanger Meeting Place and Shop Monday-Saturday 10am-12 noon Church Vestry, St John’s Church, Blunham Road Our shop is located in the church vestry, with a very large range of goods for its size. The venture, which is 18-24 February now 12 years old, is the brain-child of the previous vicar Children’s Woodpecker Hunt and is a non-profit-making concern totally separate 10am-4pm RSPB The Lodge, Sandy from the church although housed in its vestry. Cost £1 per sheet. Admission £4 per vehiclePick up a Do you belong to a walking group? Why not suggest trail sheet and head out to search for the woodpecker that yours stops at the Meeting Place in the church for pictures hidden around the reserve. Look out for the a cup of coffee. Please arrive by 11.30 as we close at real woodies as well and listen out for their drumming 12.00. We would also ask you to let us know a day or so as you walk around! Self-led walk. Tel: 01767 680541 before that you’re coming (Tel: 01767 640124), so that Web: www.rspb.org.uk/thelodge we can make sure we have To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261 122enough milk! 75

The Language of Flowers

by Sarah Davey

Lots of men will be heading off to florists this month but have you ever wondered why we give flowers? The Victorians were a rather coy bunch not given to brazen declarations of love, so a whole language sprang up around flowers and plants with special meanings attached to each variety. The language was called floriography. So flowers could be used to express almost any sentiment and in combination they could convey a whole range of emotions. Try saying it with flowers this Valentine’s Day with our handy guide. Flower meanings Red rose - Passionate love White rose - Eternal love or innocence Pink rose - Perfect happiness or please believe me Orchid - Love, beauty and refinement Apple Blossom - Preference, good fortune Begonia - Beware!

Bluebell - Humility Pink carnation - I’ll never forget you Yellow carnation - Disdain, rejection Iris - Faith hope and wisdom Ivy - Fidelity Primrose - I can’t live without you or young love

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Tel: 01767 261622 Mob: 07947 732883 Email: dialporter01@tiscali.co.uk

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LIONS AT WORK

Biggleswade Sandy Lions Club Biggleswade Sandy Lions would like to say a very big thank you to everyone who supported our successful Christmas Dance and who generously gave to our tin shakes and sleigh runs. This enabled us to distribute our Christmas parcels to the lonely and those in need as well as making a significant contribution towards the costs of our community work this year. We would also thank Aldi, Asda, G&M Growers and Sainsburys for allowing us to hold tin shakes on their premises. Biggleswade Sandy Lions have now embarked on two ongoing youth projects. The first is the Lions Clubs International Peace Poster competition open to all students aged between 11 and 13. Each year’s contest consists of an original theme incorporating peace. A variety of mediums can be used and the posters are judged for originality, artistic merit and expression of the theme. Six of our Middle Schools took part and are keen to enter again this year. Sadly, this time, we didn’t have a winner. The second project is Young Leaders in Service where currently we have 14 young people taking part. This is open to those between the ages of 11

and 18 who can win a Silver Seal Award by providing at least 50 hours of service to their community over a year or 100 hours to get a Gold Seal Award. There is a whole range of activities which qualify including service to the elderly, children, family and homeless plus taking a leaders role with groups. Finally this year we will be looking for Young Ambassadors of the 21st Century, a Europe wide competition open to youngsters aged 15 to 19 involved in community service. All participants in the UK and Ireland final win a bursary of £500, with the overall winner gaining a further bursary of £1000 to help them with their voluntary work. Watch this space! LIONS SUPPORT YOUTH For more information on these projects or on Biggleswade Sandy Lions visit our website www.biggleswadesandylions.org.uk or call 0845 833 9749 Meetings held on first and third Wednesday of each month at 8 pm at the Conservative Club, St Andrew’s St., Biggleswade, Beds. All visitors are most welcome

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DRIFTWOOD JOINERY LTD Specialists in Bespoke Joinery

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Unit 8, Gracious Farm, Southill, Beds SG18 9JB T: 01462 816695 F: 01462 850915 E: info @driftwoodjoinery.com

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104 Ampthill Road, Shefford, Beds, SG17 5BB

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How to play Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s simple! Fill in the grid so that each row, column and 3x3 box, contains the digits 1 through to 9 with no repetition. Use your logic to solve the puzzle. Watch out! Sudoku is highly addictive.

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Does your body language

send the right message? Here’s a game to play next time you’re stuck on a crowded platform, waiting for a train, or any place where you can observe people milling together. Let your eye roam over the crowds as they come and go, and select one individual who stands out to you. It doesn’t count if you spot the identical twin of a movie star or someone dressed as a kangaroo. We’re talking about averagely dressed, normally behaved commuters. Who catches your attention, and why? It’s likely that you’ll find yourself drawn to the person who’s walking along purposefully, head held high. That person will seem alert and confident: interested in everything that’s going on around them. They have what is known as “positive body language”. We are instinctively attracted to such people: we all want to be liked and we feel confident that if we spoke to them, we would receive a positive response. Alternatively there are people we would hesitate to approach because we fear a negative reaction. Next time you’re hurrying to work on a rainy Monday morning and you catch a reflection of yourself in a shop window, you’ll know exactly what I mean: shoulders hunched, eyes focused

on the ground, grumpy expression … Even though you may be sad, tired or bored rather than angry, your posture and expression are enough to make others avoid you. I was recently reunited with an old school friend I hadn’t seen for many years. I remembered him as a teenager with a sunny, open disposition so when we met up again I was shocked to find that he’d turned into a very different character. Throughout our meeting he perched uncomfortably on the sofa, arms folded across his body, and barely made eye contact when he spoke. Although I tried to keep the discussion going by asking him various questions, his replies were brief and the conversation soon dried up. After a decent interval I made my excuses and left. As I said goodbye he looked directly into my eyes and smiled, and for the first time I saw a spark of his old self. He said: “It’s been great talking to you. I have to admit my social life is a bit of a disaster area these days.” When I arrived home I thought long and hard about my old friend’s lacklustre social skills. He didn’t seem particularly unhappy or troubled, so I began to suspect that he had simply lost confidence in his ability to communicate.

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Perhaps he was reluctant to talk because he didn’t feel he had anything worth saying. Feelings of insecurity or self-doubt can have a powerful effect upon the way you interact with others, often leading to the very outcomes you dread. In the same way many women claim to feel ‘invisible’ when they reach a certain age complaining that men no longer look at them and younger people seem to look right through them – but their body language could be partly to blame. When you feel unattractive you send out unconscious signals that say “Don’t look at me”. Humans decide whether or not they want to interact with another person by interpreting a wide range of signals. These are based on facial expression as well as the subtle messages conveyed by the rest of the body. For example, tension in the hands might indicate aggression, arms tightly folded across the body suggest that you are feeling defensive and downward glances can make you seem sulky and uncommunicative. This reading of body signals is largely unconscious and may be open to

misinterpretation, so it pays to be aware of what your own body is saying. Once you start to analyse your own behaviour, you can start to make changes. Check your posture – do you stand upright, with a straight spine and erect head, or do you slouch? Do you pick up your feet when you walk, or do you shuffle? If you want to alter the way you are perceived by others, then try out the techniques used by politicians and celebrities when they ‘work’ a room. Take a deep breath, relax your shoulders, lift your head and walk in. As you enter, look around, smiling: try to meet the gaze of as many people as possible. When you talk to someone on a one-to-one basis, look them directly in the eye, ask questions and generally give them the kind of attention you’d want to receive yourself. You’ll be surprised at how much impact you can make by simply changing your body language. It may not bring back the sort of attention you enjoyed when you were in your twenties, but it will encourage others to actively seek you out and - more importantly - remember you long after you’ve left the room.

P.E.JAMES • Boiler Breakdown Repairs • New Boilers & Radiators • Heating / Flushing Cleaning

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Comet Cleaning Services Commercial & Residential Cleaners • Commercial and Domestic Cleaners • Builders/Landlord Cleans • Experienced and Personal Service • Regular, Weekly/Spring Clean • Fully Insured/Ref's Available • No up front fee's/contracts

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T&R Roofing Ltd

Family Business Est. 1985

• Felt Roofing Specialists (10 year & 15 year guarantee on high performance felts) • Tiling, Slating, Guttering • UPVC Facia/Soffits • Chimney Work

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Julian Biggs Plumbing Advert:Layout 1 07/12/2012 15

Sureclean

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DOMESTIC & COMMERCIAL CARPET & UPHOLSTERY CLEANING

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

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Ty Interiors Prize Crossword 1st Prize £25 Name:

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

Complete the crossword, fill in your details below, cut out this section and send to the address below before 15th February 2013. Prize Crossword, Villager Publications Ltd 24 Market Square, Potton, Beds SG19 2NP Tel:

Address:

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

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KEMP GARAGE DOORS SALES • INSTALLATION • REPAIRS • Family Run Business • 25 Years Experience • Up and Over • Sectional and Roller Doors www.kempgaragedoors.co.uk • Security Shutters

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Julian Biggs Chimney Advert:Layout 1 07/12/2012 15:3

Chimney Sweep

Mark Dilley Electrical

Member of the Institute of Chimney Sweeps

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That old thing? I never use it now

BY Claudia Leaf

During a recent house move I began to go through various drawers and cupboards that I hadn’t opened for some time. Sadly, I didn’t find a hidden stash of priceless jewellery, but I did discover something that gave me an odd shock of recognition. There, at the back of a drawer, was a box containing a small pad of blue writing paper with matching envelopes, a fountain pen and a box of ink cartridges. The box, with its neatly arranged contents, now seemed like something out of a museum - although the dated letter I found inside suggested that I must have been using it at least up to 2004. It alarmed me that something so utterly familiar and regularly used could become redundant within the space of a few years. I use emails all the time now when I communicate with friends and family. Any formal letter I might need to write look so much better typed and printed on the standard A4 sized paper that fits in my printer. What use is there, then, for a tiny pad of ‘proper’ paper and its matching, doll-sized envelopes? It now looks as quaint and outdated to me as quill pens and sealing wax must have done to my parents. This started me thinking about other things that are no longer part of our daily lives. For the last six months (since the last time we had a full family get-together) my teapot has stood, unused, on a shelf in my kitchen. I love the homeliness of a teapot but nowadays I find I actually don’t like the taste of tea that has stewed in its pot for more than five minutes. I prefer the freshly-brewed taste of teabags, so unless I’m making tea for more than three people, I don’t use the pot. The photo album is another familiar item that has gone the way of the dinosaurs. The last time I had photos properly printed was after a family holiday in 2006. My teenage children were already beginning to hide whenever my camera appeared, so the shots are mostly views plus the occasional glimpse of a youthful figure shrinking into the undergrowth, back turned or face covered. Maybe it’s just as well that all the family shots taken after that date remain securely on my computer’s hard drive. I do, however, regret the demise of the photo album because of the ease with which you could simply turn the pages without having to power

up, attach cables and turn on monitors. Do I sound old fashioned? Do I care? Don’t get me wrong, I think digital photography - and the freedom it offers to take an infinite number of photos - is fantastic. In fact, I’ve become a much better photographer since the advent of digital cameras because I find I’m much more willing to take risks and experiment. But despite all my good intentions I never seem to find the time to take my digital photos somewhere where they can be professionally printed: that means that I am now the only person in the family who views this vast record of trips, parties and holidays. There are so many other objects – once regarded as the stuff of everyday life – that seem to be disappearing at an alarming rate. When did you last make a call from a phone box? Read a printed map in a book? Watch a video cassette? Light a candle that smelt of candle wax rather than ‘fresh linen’ or ‘mango’? We tend to blame the march of technology for many of the changes but in truth new developments generally happen for two reasons: either someone has invented a better version (remember all those sharp-edged metal tabs from drinks cans that used to litter beaches and parks?) or we have simply become bored with doing things the old way. A desire to embrace the new is a very human quality and one that has served mankind well over the hundreds of thousands of years of our existence, but over the last few decades – thanks to the speed with which new technologies have developed - the rate of change has become exponential. In the fifty or so years since the first electronic, digital computer was created, people have had to master new skills undreamed of by their parents. In particular the Baby Boomer generation of the 1950s and 60s – confronted with major technological advances in middle age – have demonstrated how well humans can adapt. I’m happy with my current lifestyle even though I’ve had to sacrifice a few familiar objects along the way. My teapot’s status may have changed from an essential domestic item to a nostalgic collectors’ piece, but it still has pride of place in my kitchen.

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PK Cleaning Services Est. since 1988

z Professional

Carpet and Upholstery cleaning z Window cleaning z UPVC Fascia cleaning z Patio and Driveway cleaning z Gutter and Soffit cleaning Free Estimates. Friendly and reliable service.

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Home 01767 222822 Mobile 07812 335860 Visit us on www.pkcleaningservices.net Quality PVC-U Windows & Doors MANUFACTURERS & INSTALLERS

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Family owned and managed business. Established 100 years.

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J. Jenkins

Building Services Extensions New Build Renovations Garage Conversions Loft Conversions Kitchen Fitting Driveways and Patios

For all your building needs Call John on 01767 222219 or 07831 283296 Email: chippyjenkins@gmail.com References available on request

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Paul Hodson

Now Installing V Phase Units

Electrical Contractor Electrical Maintenance Commercial & Domestic Installations Rewires Fuse Board Upgrades Electric Heating Systems Underfloor Heating BT Points Periodic Testing Portable Appliance Testing Showers Free Estimates ELECSA Part P Approved All work carried out to IEE wiring regulations 17th edition Call to discuss your requirements

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Class i fi e d s Art Classes

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Classifieds Kitchen and Bathroom Fitter

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01767 682789

Friends five star hairdressing based in Sandy inside Shannon court offers : • Highly qualified stylists • Constant training and courses attended by all levels of stylists • Award winning Redken & L’oreal products • Fantastic new colour range containing no ammonia • 3 level price tier system • Open 2 late evenings until 9pm • Relaxing atmosphere and free car park at rear of salon • Complimentary refreshments and the latest magazines to read • Monthly offers • Loyalty system for all clients

Special Offer for February £20.00 off full head colour service or £10.00 off cut and finish on MONDAY & TUESDAY ONLY, selected stylists only (New bookings only) Opening Hours: Mon, Tues & Fri 9.30 - 6.00pm, Wed & Thurs 9.30 - 9.00pm, Sat 8.30 - 4.00pm www.friendsfivestarhairdressing.com facebook.com/friendshair Friends Five Star Hairdressing 4 Shannon Court, Sandy, Bedfordshire sg19 1ag Large car park at rear of salon. Tel. 01767 682 789