Potton jan 14

VILLAGER The

Issue 99 - January 2014

and Town

Life

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

Inside this issue

Big Garden Bird Watch 25-26th January 2014

The Best Way to buy a car

Win £25

in our Prize Crossword

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

ur Yo EE FR1copy

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Contents P&R Bathrooms

48

A Bit More History on Buxton, Derbyshire..................................4 The Best Way to Buy a Car........................................................10 Reclaim your Living Space for 2014..........................................12 Big Garden Bird Watch.............................................................15 How to Wake Up Refreshed......................................................17 Where Am I?............................................................................18 Sandy Tourist Information........................................................21 Socialising Online.....................................................................25 Super Duper Science Facts........................................................26 Detoxing & Fasting...................................................................28 Smooth Operator.....................................................................31 A Pain in the Neck....................................................................33 Fun Quiz...................................................................................33 Break Your Bad Beauty Habits..................................................34 Get Switched On......................................................................37 Fit for Purpose..........................................................................38 Good Outcome from Bad Service..............................................40 The Lot Secret Garden..............................................................43 The Power of Clean...................................................................44 Biggleswade Talking Newspaper..............................................47 P&R Bathrooms........................................................................48 Editorial - Sarah Fryer, Jonathan Vernon-Smith, Kate McLelland, Louise Addison, Tom Hancock, Susan Brookes-Morris, Helen Taylor, Solange Hando, Jasmine Birtles, Debbie Singh-Bhatti, James Baggott, David Gentle, Pippa Greenwood, Geoff Wharton, Sarah Davey, Derek Thompson, Patrick Cousins, Katherine Sorrell and Bruce Edwards Advertising Sales - Nigel Frost - nigel@villagermag.com Photography - Tepic and Nigel Frost Design and Artwork - Design 9 Tel 07762 969460

VILLAGER The

Issue 99 - January 2014

and Town

Life

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

Inside this issue

Big Garden Bird Watch 25-26th January 2014

The Best Way to buy a car

Win £25

in our Prize Crossword

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

ur Yo EE FR1copy

Sowing Time............................................................................51 Rural Ramblings.......................................................................53 A Shady Space..........................................................................54 Wordsearch..............................................................................56 Animal Queries.........................................................................59 Children’s Page.........................................................................62 The Joy of Sledding..................................................................64 Bentley Flying Spur..................................................................66 Car Boot Capers........................................................................69 What Happened in January 1962.............................................70 Seasonal Delights.....................................................................73 What’s On.................................................................................74 Biggleswade Sandy Lions Club.................................................77 Six Ways to Make Money From Your Home...............................78 Puzzle Page..............................................................................80 Classics by Candlelight.............................................................83 Prize Crossword........................................................................86 What’s your Goal?.....................................................................89 Book Review............................................................................92 Classifieds................................................................................93

Big Garden Bird Watch

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Publishers Villager Publications Ltd 24 Market Square, Potton, Bedfordshire SG19 2NP Tel: 01767 261122 nigel@villagermag.com www.villagermag.com Disclaimer - All adverts and editorial are printed in good faith, however, Villager Publications Ltd can not take any responsibility for the content of the adverts, the services provided by the advertisers or any statements given in the editorial. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored without the express permission of the publisher.

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3

History

A bit more history on …

Buxton, Derbyshire

By Sarah Fryer

Following on from our Peak District History piece in last month’s issue, we are now taking a closer look at Buxton and The Old Hall Hotel, the oldest hotel in the country.

Buxton is a pretty, picturesque spa town in Derbyshire, England. It has the highest elevation of any market town in England.

The Market Town is twinned with two other towns: Oignies in France and Bad Nauheim in Germany.

A huge hit with tourists, Buxton has something on offer for everyone, including an historical past which certainly needs exploring.

Located close to the county boundary of Cheshire to the west and Staffordshire to the south, Buxton is described as “the gateway to the Peak District National Park” A municipal borough until 1974, Buxton was then merged with other localities including Glossop, lying primarily to the north, to form the local government district and borough of High Peak within the county of Derbyshire.

Buxton is within the sphere of influence of Greater Manchester due to its close proximity to the area.

Built on the River Wye, and overlooked by Axe Edge Moor, Buxton has a history as a spa town due to its geothermal spring which rises at a

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constant temperature of 28 °C. The spring waters are piped to St Ann’s well (a shrine to St. Anne since medieval times) opposite the Crescent near the town centre.

Nestled in the heart of Buxton’s Market Town is a piece of history so beautiful and charming, it quite literally takes your breath away.

The stunning Old Hall Hotel, reputed to be the oldest hotel in England really does exude refinement. Visitors go back time and time again, because of the panache, good food and individuality and because of the location in the market town of Buxton, on the edge of the beautiful Peak District.

There is a long history and connection to Mary Queen of Scots at The Old Hall Hotel, it is said that Queen Mary had to give one hour’s notice if she wished to leave her apartments back in the day, and was allowed no visitors after 9pm. Nevertheless, records indicate that Mary looked forward to her summers at the New Hall and regularly took the waters. The Earl himself seemed to enjoy the company of the Queen of Scots as the hall became the fashionable place to be, with many of the most eminent nobles of the court visiting. He provided lavish banquets and gave gifts of fowl and venison, fruit and wine

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from his estates; all to the apparent annoyance of Queen Elizabeth.

According to the Royal Commission on Historic Monuments of England, the New Hall was confirmed by a charter of 1576 which describes it as ‘that capital message or tenement called the “New Hall” or the Inne of the Sign of Talbot.

As well as the unfortunate Queen Mary, many prominent Elizabethans stayed at the Hall during her residency including the Earl of Leicester, the Earl of Pembroke, the Earl of Suffolk and Lord Burghley. At one stage it became the regular venue for the highest nobility of the land and the centre for court intrigues and traitorous planning against the crown of England. It was said that the future of England was determined more at the hall in Buxton than in London. Consequently it became known as ‘That house of Royal intrigue‘.

Mary Queen of Scots scratched her famous couplet of Farewell to Buxton with a diamond ring on one of the bedroom window panes: ‘Buxton, whose warm waters have made thy name famous, perchance I shall visit thee no more-Farewell‘ It is always a pleasure to visit a hotel that has successfully combined antiquity and modern day décor yet retained character and charm. The Old Hall Hotel is renowned for its originality of accommodation; all of the unique thirty eight bedrooms are different. Each bedroom has been

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sympathetically furnished in keeping with the age of the hotel, with all the modern comforts you would expect, including en-suite bathrooms, TV and radio, writing desks, hairdryers, telephones and hospitality trays.

The halls of the ancient hotel have many tales to tell as do some of the rooms too! There are four poster beds or you can choose to stay in the grandest room, Queen Mary’s Bower, believed to be part of the original apartments where Mary Queen of Scots was under house arrest under Queen Elizabeth 1st’s reign.

All of the bedrooms are non-smoking and there is a lift to all floors. Dogs and other pets are welcome.

Over the years, many of the Old Hall’s interesting and famous guests have said similar things about ‘the special feeling’ that the hotel gives them. This is not all that surprising, as when uncovering the hotel’s long and rich history, an eminent archivist and historian concluded that the Old Hall Hotel in Buxton, could possibly be the oldest hotel in England, quite a statement.

The present hotel building dates back to 1573. The New Hall as it was once known was built by the Earl and Countess of Shrewsbury; the Countess being the redoubtable ‘Bess of Hardwick’ who built Hardwick Hall and Chatsworth House.

The children from her first marriage to Sir

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William Cavendish created the line of the Dukes of Devonshire whose generations have lived at Chatsworth House until the present day. It was with Bess’s third husband, George Talbot, the 6th Earl of Shrewsbury that they built the New Hall in Buxton, on the foundations of an earlier Inn or hostelry known as the Auld Hall.

Chatsworth House is another piece of outstanding beauty which can be found in Derbyshire.

When you drive across the surrounding park and see Chatsworth House for the first time, a sumptuous pile of yellow stone surrounded by gardens, fronted by the River Derwent and backed by a tree-covered hillside, it cannot fail to take your breath away. It is not hard to see why this is the premier tourist attraction of the area.

The original house here was the work of Sir William Cavendish and his third wife Bess of Hardwick in the mid 16th Century. Sir William was a Crown Commissioner responsible for dissolving monasteries and his reward was a gift of land here. Sir William died in 1557 with the house partly constructed and Bess completed a house with a central courtyard and four corner towers, facing east Another popular tourist attraction and well worth a visit are The Pavilion Gardens, a wonderful, historic venue situated in the heart of Buxton.

Nestled in 23 acres of recently restored pleasure gardens, the main building is a natural base for tourists coming to the town.

Other attractions steeped in history and popular with people of all ages are the Buxton Museum

and Art Gallery.

Housed in the former Peak Hotel it has an excellent display on the history of the Peak District as well as an Art Gallery and the Boyd Dawkins collection.

All in all if you are keen to visit one of our areas of natural outstanding beauty, whilst taking in the history and stories of times gone by, then the chocolate box Spa Town of Buxton is definitely worth a visit.

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9

Three Counties Radio

The Best Way to Buy a Car

By Jonathan Vernon-Smith

Mobile phones, internet connections and cars are the three products I receive the most calls about on my consumer radio show. Today I’d like to help you avoid problems with the latter – cars! Buying a good, reliable car rather than a nightmare vehicle that will eat into your wallet is a good way to start.

The first important thing you must understand is that unless you buy a car from a proper retailer, you have no comeback if the car develops a fault. The minute you drive a new car away from a private seller, you’re on your own if it breaks down. I therefore always suggest buying cars from good, reputable garages, and if you can stretch to it, main dealers. They, generally (and I use that word with caution - some are awful!), offer the best after sales service.

Secondly, you must do your research. Use the internet to find the most suitable car for you. Look at reliability scores, running costs and insurance. Don’t rush into purchasing a car you know nothing about on the forecourt, just because you think you’ll look good in it. Find something that’s the right size, has a good reputation for reliability and isn’t going to cost the earth to run.

The third thing you must do is to buy LOCALLY. Please don’t make the mistake that so many people make these days. They go to a search website, enter the car of their dreams, find that the only independent garage that has one available in the colour they like is 300 miles away and travel up by train to buy it. If you have a problem with that vehicle it will be YOUR responsibility to get it back to them to repair. That’s going to be a very expensive journey on a recovery vehicle all the way to Manchester! Use the internet to research garages and the people that run them.

Fourthly, if you don’t know anything about cars, then for goodness sake, take someone with you who does! A friendly mechanic is best. If you don’t know anyone who is an expert, then I would strongly advise having an independent check on the vehicle by an organisation such as the RAC. It may cost a couple of hundred quid, but it’s worth every penny if it prevents you from buying a complete lemon. A car is normally the second most expensive thing you purchase after a house, I lose track of the number of people who spend £15,000+ on something they know and understand absolutely nothing about and then wonder why they have problems.

Please remember that when you find a car that you like, DO NOT PUT A DEPOSIT DOWN UNLESS YOU REALLY INTEND TO BUY IT. When you agree to pay a deposit, you normally enter into a legally binding contract to purchase the product. If you change your mind, you not only risk losing the deposit, you could be forced by the garage to take the car and pay the full amount owing on it. Salesmen and women often suggest the deposit in a relaxed manner. Don’t be fooled, when you change your mind, the relaxed manner will probably fly right out of the window.

Never pay the full amount requested for a vehicle. The garage will price a vehicle up with some room for negotiation. If you pay the price on the windscreen, you’re probably paying over the odds. Remember car salesmen and women are employed partly because of their ability to get as much money out of you as possible and make the company as much profit. Bear this in mind at all times when agreeing a price to pay. If you’re hopeless at doing a deal, then take someone with you who is good at it!

Finally, if you follow all of my advice and you STILL have a problem with it or the garage, then you can contact me at BBC Three Counties Radio and I’ll do my best to try and help you.

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

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Home and Interiors

Reclaim your living space for 2014

By Kate McLelland

We all love the festive season, but it can’t be denied that Christmas celebrations are a magnet for mess and clutter. For a short period of time our living space seems to shrink under the sheer volume of seasonal items, including gifts (yours and theirs), food and drink, countless decorations – and of course, that huge pile of washing up that never seems to diminish from morning to night.

No wonder, then, that at New Year we take a certain pleasure in clearing out the festive junk we have accumulated in order to restore some domestic equilibrium.

But why stop there? Traditionally the beginning of the year is a period when we want to embrace change, eliminating what has become outworn and unnecessary, so it makes sense to tap into that New Year energy by using the first weeks of January to reclaim your living space.

The psychological benefits are obvious: most of us feel better, calmer and more able to deal with daily stress when our home environment is well ordered, so why does it always seem so difficult to make a start when clearing out the things we no longer need?

If it’s been a while since you sorted through your stuff, then contemplating a proper clear-out may seem like a terrifying prospect. Here’s an easy, step-by-step guide to getting the job done: 1 One step at a time. Don’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed by the prospect of reorganising your home; give yourself a set of different tasks and don’t start the next task until the last one is complete. For example, Task 1 could involve going through your

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kitchen cupboards, throwing away everything that’s past its sell-by date, Task 2 could be a thorough clear-out of your clothes drawers and wardrobes while Task 3 might call for a purge on your home filing system. Make a list and tick off the items one by one to give yourself a real sense of achievement.

2 Use the ‘three pile’ system. One pile to keep, one pile to donate or give to friends, one pile to throw away. If some of the items in your ‘keep’ pile have previously been hanging around, gathering dust, this is the ideal time to buy some attractive boxes or baskets that will keep them all out of sight.

3 Make an audit of potential storage areas in your house. Are there any alcoves that could be filled with shelves? Is your loft being used to its full capacity? Do you have an underused garden shed?

4 Cultivate a minimalist style. If your rooms are full of pictures and ornaments it becomes hard to appreciate the merits of any single object, so identify a few items that you really cherish and make sure they are properly displayed. If you love all your decorative pieces equally, you can always rotate them throughout the year.

If you don’t want to put up shelves or buy more storage options, sometimes it’s just a matter of rethinking the way your house is organised.

Moving a large item of furniture just a few inches can sometimes give a much more spacious feel to a room, so be creative and experiment.

However you choose to reclaim your space, you’ll have a whole year to enjoy the results.

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RSPB

Big Garden Bird Watch

25th and 26th January 2014

As the New Year gets underway, we inevitably start thinking about changing our habits and embarking upon new endeavours for the coming 12 months.

For many of us, that includes contemplating which new fangled diet we will embrace to lose those sneaky extra pounds that crept upon us over the festive period!

But why not give yourself a break this year and rather than considering your own food intake, take a look out into your gardens and think about the calorific needs of your garden visitors?

As the temperature continues to drop, and the countryside cupboards grow bare, our gardens and parks become a crucial source of food, water and shelter for our favourite garden wildlife. Unlike us, this is the perfect time of year for wildlife to be foraging for fat and stocking up on stodge.

There are some really simple things you can do to look out for your garden wildlife at this time of year, and the more you attract to you garden, the more you’ll be able to see during the RSPB’s national Big Garden Birdwatch taking place in January!

Special feeding tips for winter At this time of year, put out food and water on a regular basis. In severe weather, feed twice daily if you can: in the morning and in the early afternoon.

Birds require high energy (high fat) foods during the cold winter weather to maintain their fat reserves to survive the frosty nights. Use only good quality food and scraps.

Always adjust the quantity given to the demand, and never allow uneaten foods to accumulate around the feeders. Once you establish a feeding routine, try not to change it as the birds will Visit our new community www.beds-local.co.uk

become used to it and time their visits to your garden accordingly.

Gardeners have a vital role to play in supporting garden birds and wildlife. For advice on how to make a few simple changes to your garden, in order to attract a greater number of birds and wildlife, see the RSPB’s Give Nature a Home www.rspb. co.uk/homes.

Counting the birds that are counting on you RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 25 - 26 January 2014 On Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th January 2014, the nation takes part in the RSPB’s annual Big Garden Birdwatch.

The activity is the biggest garden wildlife survey in the world and last year almost 600,000 people counted the birds in their garden.

Big Garden Birdwatch provides the RSPB with masses of information about changes in numbers of garden birds in winter, and helps to alert conservationists to significant declines in UK garden species like house sparrows and starlings.

And this year, for the first time, participants are being asked to log some of the other wildlife they see in their gardens too.

The RSPB wants to know whether people ever see deer, squirrels, badgers, hedgehogs frogs and toads in their gardens, to help build an overall picture of how important our gardens are for giving all types of wildlife a home.

The charity will gather useful information about these other species and share them with its conservation partners after the survey.

For more information and to take part visit www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch.

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Health and Beauty

How to Wake-up Refreshed

By Louise Addison

Do you spring out of bed each morning with the bright eyes and energy of a five-year-old on Christmas morning? No, me neither.

But there are a few tips which might help: Get enough sleep It’s so obvious it actually does need stating: most of us do not get anywhere near enough sleep. Sleep needs vary from person to person, but most of us need at least eight hours uninterrupted shut-eye. I haven’t slept like that since my children were born, and the oldest is now eight!

if your neighbour has noisy dogs or a twitchy car alarm.

Renew your mattress Mattresses do not last forever. They become saggy and less supportive with age, which makes us fidget and interferes with the quality of our sleep. A good mattress should support your spine and allow your body to relax totally.

Have a bath Yes really. A soak before bed will relax your muscles and calm your mind. Lavender bath products are especially good at inducing sleep.

Make your room dark and quiet Too much extraneous light and noise is not conducive to good sleep.

Invest in thick curtains or a sleep mask if light is an issue and soft earplugs

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Clear your head It’s difficult to sleep if your head is still whirring from the events of the day.

Concentrate on your breathing and allow thoughts to float away.

Anything you are dealing with will still be there tomorrow and you’ll cope better if you’ve had a good night’s sleep.

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Where AM I?

Do You Know?

1

2 3

These pictures are all taken in our distribution area. Do you know where they are?

Last month’s answer Last month’s images were taken in Bedford

Where Are we?

VILLAGER The

LOCAL NEWS •

LOCAL PEOPLE

The Villager and Town Life magazine is delivered door to door throughout:

Abbotsley, Beeston, Broom, Caxton, Cockayne Hatley, Cople, Croydon, Dunton, Eltisley, Everton, Everton Heath, Eyeworth, Gamlingay, Haynes, Henlow, Ickwell Green, Ireland, Langford, Lower Caldecote, Moggerhanger, Northill, Old Warden, Potton, Shuttleworth, Southill, Stanford, Sutton, The Gransdens, Thorncote Green, Upper Caldecote, Waresley and Wrestlingworth and can be found in most shops, pubs, garages in all of the above and more including Biggleswade and Sandy.

Booking your advertising space is easy just call Nigel on 01767 261122 or e-mail nigel@villagermag.com

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Issue 98 - Decemb

• LOCAL SERVICE

and Town

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Life

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Inside this issu

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The Ultimate

Christmas Surviva

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How to Make a Christmas Wreath

Win

Bringing Local

in Biggleswade,

£50 in our Bumpe r Christmas Prize Crossword Business to Local

Sandy, Potton,

11,000 copies delivered

People

Gamlingay and

to over 30 towns

all surrounding

and villages every

villages

month

VILLAGER The

Issue 96 - Octob

er 2013

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LOCAL NEWS •

LOCAL PEOPLE

• LOCAL SERVICE

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Life

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Bringing Loca l Business to in Bigglesw local People ade, Sandy, Potton, Gam and all surro lingay unding villag es 11,000 copie s delivered to over 30 towns and villages ever y month r ou

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Local

SANDY TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE

January 2014

Winter is a time for cold, often wet and sometimes even snowy days and nights. On these dark days why not peruse the vast range of holiday brochures and attraction leaflets which we stock for every part of the United Kingdom and plan a spring, summer or autumn break, a weekend away or a day out.

Brochures 2014 - At your Tourist Information Centre in Sandy we are now beginning to receive new brochures for 2014. The brochures we hold here in Sandy TIC cover the whole country - all points north including the moors and hills of Northumberland and Yorkshire with their many castles and historic houses and the great cities of Newcastle and York.

Or one head westwards to the Principality of Wales with its wonderful scenery, coasts and ancient castles. Or visit the western counties of England and see the Georgian city of Bath or the dramatic coasts of Devon and Cornwall, or head south with the seaside towns of Hastings and Bournemouth and the cathedral cities of Winchester and Canterbury.

In the centre of England see the warmth of the golden stone villages of the Cotswolds and tour historic ‘Shakespeare Country ‘. Only just over two hours away is the beautiful Peak District with hills and moorland and historic houses such as Chatsworth – the ‘Palace of the Peak’. Soak up the peace of Eastern England with the small towns and villages of Suffolk. Relax and enjoy the bird watching paradises of Holkham or Cley, see the seals on a boat trip to Blakeney Point or enjoy some the wide open

beaches on the coast of North Norfolk. Or visit the eastern coastline of Norfolk and enjoy the pleasures of the great holiday resort of Great Yarmouth.

Walkers are Welcome - Sandy acquired Walkers are Welcome accreditation during the summer of 2012 and was the first town in Bedfordshire to achieve this status. Sandy is proud to lead the way locally in joining and promoting this important community led scheme which incorporates 100 towns in Great Britain. Sandy Town Council, Central Bedfordshire Council, local Sandy businesses, residents and other agencies such as the RSPB campaigned for Walkers are Welcome status because Sandy is a great place for visitors of all ages and abilities to enjoy walking in varied and beautiful terrain. Together the community is working to ensure footpaths and facilities for walkers are maintained in good condition benefiting local people as well as visitors.

If you see any footpaths or bridleways that require any maintenance, etc please notify us and we will contact the appropriate authority. If you feel that you would like to be involved in Walkers are Welcome and would perhaps be interested in joining the Walkers are Welcome Committee please contact us to discuss this further.

Winter Walk We have arranged a Winter Walk to take place on 6th January in 2014 called ‘A New Year Walk in the Grounds and Gardens of The Lodge, Sandy.’ This Walk will take us amongst the open grasslands, heathlands and the pine, oak and birch

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woodlands of The Lodge (RSPB - HQ). We will walk through some of these beautiful grounds leading to and surrounding the Elizabethan style mansion.

We will also look at the gardens of the house which were laid out with exotic trees and shrubs when the house was built and which were re-landscaped in a simple Italian style in the 1930’s. We will hear a little about the house and the surrounding grounds and gardens. This is a really beautiful Walk in a wonderful landscape. Please book your place and meet at the Tourist Information Centre at 11am. The Cost is £5 per person.

The TIC can also provide Guided Walks tailored for specific groups. Please contact the Centre to discuss this.

Guided Walks 2014 Throughout the year the Tourist Information Centre leads Guided Walks and in 2013 we led seven walks throughout the year including walks around the villages of Waresley and Old Warden. As part of the Bedfordshire Walking Festival we led a ‘Food and River Walk’ between Sandy and Beeston in which walkers were able to partake of the local delicacy - a Bedfordshire Clanger.

Look out for details of the Guided Walks planned for 2014 Autumn/Winter Talks 2014 In 2013 we held three local Talks which were all very well attended. Look

out for details later in the year for this year’s Talks SANDY CALENDAR 2014 The Sandy Tourist Information Centre 2014 Calendar is on sale at the TIC and the cost is £5.50. For 2014 it includes some wonderful and some unusual photographs of Sandy, including a view of a steam train hurtling through the snow, a winter scene of Sandye Place, daffodils along Stratford Road, bluebell woods, Sandy Show, a traction engine and other different views of the town and parish.

One of our many visitors called the Centre ‘an Aladdin’s cave’ – come and see for yourself There is a wealth of information, both local and national and a warm welcome awaits you when you visit Sandy Tourist information Centre.

May we take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy and Peaceful New Year Sandy Tourist Information Centre, Rear of 10 Cambridge Road, Sandy Telephone 01767 682728 email tourism@sandytowncouncil.gov.uk We are open Monday to Friday 10am – 3pm Saturday 10am-2pm Closed Sundays and Bank holidays

SAFFORD’S COACHES 2014 HOLIDAYS

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Horse Owners • Bored with hacking?

• Fancy doing something new?

• Want to have some fun with your horse?

• Want to improve your horse’s manners?

Then why not have a look at Natural Horsemanship?

£15 p/h Call Heather:

01767 627161

heather.stopher@btinternet.com

Potton & District Club NEW MEMBERS WELCOME. Keeping LIVE MUSIC live! every week!

2014 JANUARY

Sat 4th - Hair Resistance, are back, fantastic musicians, great Hair!

Sat 11th - Heroes Journey (NEW) Sat 18th - Tatanka Popular 4 piece band, 70s to present day covers, awesome!

Sat 25th - The Soulman is back, by popular demand. Entry fee will apply. Non members £5

FEBRUARY

Sat1st - The RockFace Band, popular Live Band, buzzing with passion.

Sat 8th - The Rock-Factor - 5 peice Band, catering for adults of a certain age!

A night to remember is promised.

Sat 15th - THE 6Ts - fantastic function Band, playing 60s classics, Entry fee will apply. Non members £5 Highly recommended, Fans welcome Sat 22nd - My Left Glove - local band. Talented muscians.

MARCH

Sat 1st - Liason are back, by high demand. Talented duo...

2014 membership is now due, new members welcome. (early bird promo will apply) FREE Bar Credit.

All information is provided in good faith, always check the web page pottonclub.co.uk for changes/updates.

Potton CIU Club, Charities Hall, Station Road, Potton Tel: 01767 261465 (Evenings) Website: www.pottonclub.co.uk 24

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Social Networking

Socialising Online

The virtual world of friends, groups, and lovers The popularity of social networking has exploded over the last decade and is now used by many as a way to meet people for business, to share a special interest, for friendship, or even love.

The ability to connect with other people via the Internet, started to go beyond email when Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) or ‘forums’ started appearing in the 1980s and 90s. Although rudimentary, these systems allowed people to connect and exchange interests and ideas in the same way that one would by posting messages on a community notice board or placing notices in periodicals and newsletters. These early, and rather limited, systems were the forerunners to the social networking giants of today, such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. The unique feature of these ‘virtual meeting places’ is their ability to make geographical distance insignificant. So, if you’re a dressmaker based in Fairbanks, Alaska, you can hook up with someone with similar interests in Tasmania and exchange ideas with little expense, and without taking a flight around the globe.

The hugely successful social network, LinkedIn, is aimed at business and forges relationships between professionals worldwide. This means that face-to-face meetings are often

redundant, even when significant business decisions and transactions are at stake. Yes, it’s a less personal way of doing business, but no one can deny that it’s quicker and more efficient: use of technology for business relationships is here to stay.

But what about today’s way of connecting with likeminded people to share a common interest?

Websites such as Facebook enable you not only to connect with friends and family, but also to join and create ‘groups’. This has resulted in a mass of specialist groups being formed, representing the most diverse interests and tastes imaginable. Everything from movies and book clubs to political activists and heavy rock bands are catered for.

Drawing benefit from these groups and networks, however, requires real effort to engage and develop anything that could be considered a relationship. Indeed, you may find that you have gathered many virtual friends, but little tangible evidence to show for it. In this sense, it is like any club or society: the more effort and commitment you put in, the benefits you will reap. In social networking terms, this may translate into uploading interesting photographs, writing blogs, providing advice, or news snippets. In this way, you become known as an active contributor, people find your input of value, and relationships develop amongst the virtual community with the common shared interest.

But it’s not all virtual.

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The site meetup.com brings together people with common interests who live in the same area. Singles clubs, dog walkers, motorbiking and coffee lovers are amongst thousands of groups available to join – or launch one of your own. In these cases, the real benefits are often realised after the event, when users return to their homes or places of work and upload photos and comments to the online user group for everyone to enjoy. Of course a cautious approach should be undertaken before making the transition from the virtual world to meeting people physically in the outside world.

And what of more serious relationships nurtured online? The landscape of virtual relationships has opened up and spawned a massive industry of dating sites (in the UK alone, over 1400), some for singles looking to connect for companionship that could lead to a more serious date, others that combine the need for common interest groups with single people also looking for romantic connections. There is undoubtedly a seedy side to this world, and one should draw a clear distinction between ‘escort services’ and ‘dating agencies’.

However many dating sites have very high standards of security, and vet their members to

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ensure safe and responsible use. It’s now a fact that people do meet via these sites and foster long-term loving relationships. And whatever stigma may exist with this initial form of contact, for many, it offers a preferable alternative to remaining isolated or hanging around noisy bars or nightclubs.

The web even seems to have the capability to evolve new types of relationships. For busy professionals not looking for love, but for a companion at conferences and business-related social functions, professional ‘non-sexual’ escort services are available for both men and women. Naturally, these services raise age-old stereotypes, and often misconceptions, about the process of paying for any type of relationship.

But this is a changing landscape, and such barriers are being broken down by the Internet.

Whatever one feels about the value of a ‘virtual relationship’, many are benefitting from the Internet’s enormous reach and ability to connect people across social and geographical divides.

Despite the clear dangers, and precautions that must be taken, there is no doubt that valid business relationships, real friendships, and even love, can now all be found online.

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Health and Beauty

Detoxing & Fasting

The Facts behind the Fads January. Dark days plus lots of ‘fancy food’ and alcohol have made us feel fat and sludgy. So, bombarded with more dietary information than ever we rush out to spend our gift vouchers on books about ultimate diets and detox plans. But will they really make us healthier or slimmer?

Detoxing There are numerous ‘detox diets’ that either tell you to restrict or eliminate certain foods, or advocate eating just one type of super food to flush you clean. But many experts say that your body already has the tools it needs to detoxify itself. The kidneys, liver, colon and skin all work together to remove unwanted substances from our body.

Much of the detox hype sounds seductively plausible. When we’re told that our bodies are full of undesirable substances that reduce our immunity, slow our metabolism and make us retain water and weight. But the British Dietetic Association has pronounced the concept ‘irrational and unscientific’.

The headaches, fatigue and other symptoms you may experience after a few days on a detox diet are not caused by toxins now released into your bloodstream.

In reality, these symptoms are usually caused by your body reacting to sudden deprivation of a substance your body is a little too used to – such as caffeine, sugar or alcohol.

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Fasting Intentionally going without food is not new. People have been fasting for religious purposes for thousands of years and there are long held beliefs that it can improve various medical conditions and general health.

Many of the recent trendy fasting schemes don’t really ask you to fast at all, just to restrict your food intake on certain days or for a short period of time.

Does it work? You may lose a lot of weight at first, but it can be hard to maintain as you are not fundamentally changing the way you eat. There does seem to be a connection between calorie consumption and lifespan but whether fasting gives the same results as daily moderation has yet to be proved.

However if having a couple of semi-fasting days a week doesn’t make you feel ill and you don’t compensate by eating

unhealthily on the other days, there’s no harm doing it.

So what should I do?

Eat a healthy and varied diet • Choose natural foods not manufactured ones. Eat plenty of vegetables of different colours, moderate amounts of fruit and lean protein.

• Avoid sugar as it disrupts your natural appetite control and is known to be highly addictive.

Artificial sweeteners may have no calories, but it doesn’t help you to break the habit.

• Watch your carbohydrates.

Potatoes, bread and cereal are pretty tasteless without added fat or sugar and that alone can cause you to take in more calories than you intended.

• Cut out or reduce alcohol.

Most experts agree that a little does no harm, but stick to the unit limits of 2 per day for women and 3 per day for men.

Remember these are limits, not targets!

• Drink water. Hopefully we all now know this doesn’t mean drinking 8 glasses per day, but ensure your intake is not all caffeinated (if you usually drink lots of caffeine, reduce slowly).

Lose weight safely Most of us eat too much and there is evidence linking overconsumption of calories with reduced life-span and premature ageing. Eat healthy ‘real’ foods, eat only when you are genuinely hungry and don’t eat too much.

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Bedfordshire Foot Clinic Podiatry/Chiropody Yvonne Siudak

BSc (Hons.) MChs, HCPC Registered

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

£5 for 2 classes New customers or those returning after 6 months only.

Other restrictions may apply • Bring this Ad with you.

Sandy - Sandye Place Academy, Park Road Mon & Wed 7.30pm, Tue 8pm, Thur 7pm & 8pm Express (30 min) Mon 6.45pm & Tue 7.15pm No need to book • Classes also in Cambourne, St Neots & other areas. For further info go to

www.jazzfitness.co.uk or call 01480 216090

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

Bedfordshire Foot Clinic

17 Georgetown Cottages, Tempsford Road, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2AE T: 01767 681 704 M: 07562 748 352 E: yvonne@yourfootclinic.co.uk

www.yourfootclinic.co.uk Also Cambridge Foot Clinic Tel: 01223 358 431

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General

Smooth Operator

By Tom Hancock

A few months ago I was in India and popped into a barber’s for a trim. While I was there I was offered a shave, and what a shave it was. I came out feeling super-smooth, refreshed and, according to my wife, heavenly fragrant! I visited that particular establishment several times during our stay.

On our return to England, I wasn’t feeling the love from my previously trusty electric razor. I wondered if there was any way to recreate that lovely sensation of a really smooth wet shave in my own bathroom. So began my research, in barbers, on the web, and in the ‘male grooming’ section of our local chemist store.

My friend the Indian barber had used a steamy, almost unbearably hot towel on my face prior to

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shaving. This I learned was to soften the hairs and open the pores. A steamy hot morning shower will do pretty much the same thing.

One of the reasons I switched to an electric razor several years ago, was because I was fed up with suffering from ingrown hairs and razor burn. I discovered that both of these issues are linked to poor lubrication and dull blades.

Like many European men I have particularly thick and very stiff stubble, and because my hair is dark I often look as though I have a five o’clock shadow by lunchtime. In India, the barber used a pre-shave oil massaged all over my chin to further soften the hairs. I had no idea these even existed prior to my trip, so I was delighted to find that I could buy very similar products back in the UK. Then there’s the shaving cream. Several barbers advised that I should buy glycerine-based products, because they provide high-quality lubrication and are kind to the skin. They also advised that I should avoid anything containing menthol, as this tends to close pores and stiffen the hairs.

Badger-hair brushes were unanimously considered the best and last many years if looked after. The cream should be applied in a circular motion, which lathers better, while lifting the whiskers and exfoliating the skin.

Blades should be very sharp so buy the best quality you can afford and replace regularly.

Hold the area of skin you wish to shave taut, and let the razor glide over it in the direction of hair growth. Don’t apply pressure because that’s how nicks occur. Make sure you rinse the blade frequently. If you want a closer shave, re-lather then run the razor back over the skin in the opposite direction to the hair growth.

When you’ve finished, splash your face with cool water. This closes the pores. Then apply a good quality aftershave balm, avoiding anything which contains alcohol as this can irritate the skin.

If you do manage to nick your skin, make sure you have a styptic pencil on hand. These can be bought in good pharmacies and contain aluminium sulphate. When dabbed on to a small wound, they stop the bleeding as if by magic.

So there you have it, my guide to being the smoothest guy around.

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Health & Beauty

A Pain in the Neck

By Louise Addison

Most of us have suffered neck pain at some point, generally after sleeping in an awkward position, or perhaps after a fall or a jolt.

A cricked neck is often a temporary state of affairs.

Rest and over-the-counter anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen, are usually sufficient to alleviate it. If the problem is muscular, a heat pad can help, though if you suffer with an inflammatory condition such as rheumatoid arthritis, heat may exacerbate any inflammation, so a cold-pack would be preferable.

If the cricked neck is a recurring issue, it’s useful to consult your GP in order to rule out underlying conditions such as arthritis or scoliosis.

An osteopath can be very helpful, as they are knowledgeable about musculo-skeletal problems and may be able to manipulate your bones and joints to realign them and alleviate the pain. They can also teach you some exercises to strengthen and stretch that area. Manipulating joints, especially in the neck region is not without risk, so

be sure that your osteopath is registered with the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC).

Long-term, improve your posture, make sure you use a low, firm pillow when you sleep and take the time to stretch your neck gently during the day, especially if you sit at a computer for extended periods.

Fun Quiz - Review Of The Year 1. In March 2013, who famously said “may God forgive you for what you have done”?

2. In 2013, who left his career in politics to become President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee in New York?

3. In April 2013, what became the first song with a running time of less than a minute to reach the top ten of the UK singles charts?

4. In August 2013, it was announced that actor Peter Capaldi will take over the leading role in which long running TV series?

5. UKIP MEP Godfrey Bloom caused controversy in July 2013 when referring to countries that receive overseas aid from the UK by what name?

6. In which competition did Gaynor Hopkins finish in 15th position when representing the UK in 2013?

7. Mad About The Boy was the sub-title of a 2013 novel centred around which character?

8. With a main building that was affectionately known by staff as “the doughnut”, what officially closed on March 31st 2013?

9. What was the final score in the 2013 Ashes series?

10. Which two singers won two awards each at the 2013 BRIT Awards?

1. Pope Francis (speaking to his fellow cardinals on his election as Pope) 2. David Miliband 3. Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead 4. Doctor Who 5. Bongo Bongo Land 6. The Eurovision Song Contest (Gaynor Hopkins is the real name of Bonnie Tyler) 7. Bridget Jones 8. BBC Television Centre 9. 3-0 to England 10. Emeli Sande and Ben Howard

Before

After

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33

Health and Beauty

Break Your Bad Beauty Habits

by Helen Taylor

It’s the start of another new year, which means that there has never been a better time to leave your bad beauty habits in the past. If you are guilty of any of our top 5, then you will need to act fast to break them in time for 2014.

Bad Beauty Habit #1 - Sleeping with your make-up on

Never - no matter how tired you are - go to bed with any trace of make-up still on your face.

Mascara that hasn’t been removed will quickly dry-out your eyelashes, making them brittle and weak. Last night’s foundation will clog your pores, leaving you prone to nasty break-outs.

The Solution - Establish a cleansing routine Make cleansing your face a top priority. Dedicate 15 minutes in the evening to your skin: cleanse, tone, moisturise and apply your face and eye creams.

Always keep a pack of cleansing wipes next to your bed, so that if you do return home after a big night out and skip the routine, you can still attempt to remove some of your make-up.

Bad Beauty Habit #2 - Using hair heat stylers everyday

If you straighten, curl or blow dry your hair every day you will be causing damage to your tresses that could result in split ends, dried-out lengths and tired, dull-looking locks.

The Solution - Try a new style - maybe sweep your hair up, or use hair accessories to attain a different look. Find the right products to cater to your needs; if you want straight lengths then use a specially formulated straightening shampoo and conditioner.

You don’t have to say goodbye to your much-loved heat styler altogether. Instead, you should ensure that you use it more sparingly and don’t forget to spritz your hair with a good quality heat protecting product first.

Bad Beauty Habit #3 - Using make-up that is past its best

Some plead ignorance, others say they can’t let go, but whatever excuse you have for not throwing that ancient mascara away won’t cut it when you hear the truth about out-of-date make-up.

Although your cosmetics look innocent enough, after being opened they offer a perfect breeding ground for bacteria. And over time, if you don’t keep a careful eye on your products, you can end

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up suffering from some seriously nasty eye infections, skin irritations and blemishes.

The Solution - Regularly clear-out your make-up bag Mascaras, liquid eyeliners and lip glosses should be thrown away every 3 or 4 months. Foundation is ok for around 12 months, as are lipsticks and eyeshadows.

Bad Beauty Habit #4 - Stuck in a make-up rut

You’ve been applying your make-up in the same way for as long as you can remember. You haven’t updated the colour of your cosmetics for many years and you’ll only ever buy certain products.

It sounds like you’re stuck in a make-up rut.

The Solution - Seek a professional opinion The easiest way to break this bad beauty habit is to seek some professional help. Visit any one of the top beauty counters in your favourite department store and ask for a make-over. Most consultants will be more than happy to help you find a new look and often this service is completely free, although you will most likely be encouraged to try some of their latest products.

Bad Beauty Habit #5 - Overlooking your eyebrows

Over-plucked brows are as bad as over-grown brows; many women make mistakes when it comes to one of their most important facial features.

Eyebrows serve as a frame for your eyes and by creating the right shape you can instantly lift your face, draw attention to your eyes and look altogether younger and more beautiful.

The Solution - Pay a visit to the salon You can’t beat professionally sculpted brows.

Whether you choose to have them waxed, tweezed or plucked, your beautician will assess your needs and leave them looking perfect.

January is filled with New Year resolutions, so make 2014 the year you dump your beauty bad habits for good.

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Bodyworks circuit training is all about “simple and effective short bursts of exercise” and is designed for real women by real women.

It’s a fun way to get fit!

• Get fit in a friendly relaxed environment • Have fun and get motivated • Work at your own pace

Wednesdays 6.15-7.00pm Stratton Upper School Recreation Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade £5 per session or 10 for the price of 12 payable in advance Please bring a water bottle and small towel with you.

Fitness training for real women Julie: 07801 811768 • Liz: 07901 684538 Find us on Facebook: bodyworksbiggleswade Email: bodyworks2013@hotmail.com • Web: www.body-works.uk.com

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Energy

Get switched On!

Are you in the dark about low-energy light bulbs?

Traditional light bulbs have now been phased out across Europe, and we are gradually getting used to the low-energy alternatives.

But with a whole new set of names, numbers and jargon to get used to, it can be difficult to know if you’re buying the right thing.

There are three main types of low-energy bulbs available – compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), halogens and light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

CFLs use only a fifth of the electricity that an old incandescent bulb would, because they don’t generate as much heat. This also means that they are kinder to your light fittings.

Replacing one bulb in your house can save you £7 a year, so the savings can really add up! They also last a lot longer.

One disadvantage of CFLs is that they can take a little while to reach their full brightness, unlike halogens and LEDs which come on straight away. Some CFLs don’t work well at low temperatures, so are not suitable for unheated rooms or garages.

LED bulbs are even more efficient than CFLs and can save you nearly £7.50 per bulb per year. They usually cost more to buy, but can last up to 30 years!

Halogen bulbs use a similar amount of energy as incandescent bulbs, and so are more expensive to run than CFLs and LEDs. They

also have a much shorter lifespan.

LEDs and halogen bulbs can be disposed of with your normal waste, but you will need to take CFLs to a recycling point or tip as they contain a small amount of mercury.

A wide range of bulb fittings is now available – particularly in CFLs – and you should be able to find one to fit all your existing lighting, including ceiling spotlights and chandelier fittings. Most can also be used with dimmer switches. Remember to check that the shape and size of the new bulb is suitable.

To choose the correct wattage, you simply need to divide by five – so if a lamp used to take an old 60W bulb, you will now need a bulb of around 12W. You will also need to consider the lumen (lm) value to find out how bright the bulb is. The brightness of an old 60W bulb is roughly equivalent to 700–900lm and a 100W bulb equates to 1300lm.

Finally, look at the colour temperature of the bulb to decide on the type of light you require. This is measured in Kelvin (K). A low value (2700K) means the light is warmer (often labelled as ‘warm white’), whereas a higher value (3500K+) will give you a colder white effect.

By Alex Albrighton

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Technology

Fit for Purpose

The gadgets that give you a handle on your health A gadget a day keeps the doctor away: according to a recent survey, one-third of people believe that using health and fitness gadgets have made them healthier and reduced the number of times they’ve needed to visit the doctor.

Health and fitness gadgets are big business, whether it’s trendy fitness trackers such as the Nike FuelBand (£129) and the Fitbit Force (pricing tbc, but likely to be similar) or more serious devices such as blood glucose meters and body composition analysers. As tech becomes smarter, smaller and cheaper, DIY health monitoring has never been easier or more affordable.

Diabetics need to monitor their glucose levels

regularly, and there are lots of gadgets designed to help, such as the Lifescan One Touch UltraMini (around £33) and the Bayer Contour NEXT USB (£29.99). Both devices enable you to analyse your blood glucose levels and can store the results - 50 in the case of the UltraMini and 2,000 with the Contour NEXT. The latter device can also plug into your computer to create easy-to-understand charts and tables to help you spot patterns.

That’s not all you can monitor. A trip to Maplin or Amazon uncovers all kinds of health monitoring gadgets, including blood pressure monitors that can upload data to your PC (around £39), finger pulse oximeters (£27) and fully digital heart rate monitors (around £29), and you can also buy bathroom scales that analyse your body

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composition: for around £30 you can pick up scales that can tell you not just how heavy or light you are, but what your BMI (Body Mass Index) is and what percentage of your body is made of fat. Scales such as the Omron BF508 also have a guest mode, so visitors won’t see your vital statistics.

Using health monitors has become something of a craze, and it even has a name: Quantified Self, or QS for short. Devotees use gadgets to monitor pretty much everything, so they’ll invest in Wi-Fi scales such as the Withings Smart Body Analyzer (£129), which monitors weight, fat, heart rate and even air quality, and which automatically uploads that data to your personal health website.

They’ll also wear devices such as the Jawbone Up (£99), a bracelet that’s designed to be worn 24/7 and which records the steps you take, the activity you undertake and even your sleeping patterns.

The accompanying software enables you to add additional information such as your food and drink intake, and it translates all of that data into graphs and charts so you can see how well you’re doing and track your progress towards goals, such as losing weight, running faster or just being out and about more. Many such gadgets also enable you to share your progress on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

Devices such as the Jawbone Up, Nike FuelBand and Fitbit Force are designed to work with smartphones, using low-power radio signals to share data with compatible apps. That’s a growing market, and stacks of firms are jumping on the bandwagon: 60beat offers the £29 BLUE heart rate monitor for iPhone and iPad users, AliveCore has a £170 heart monitor for iPhone 5 users and there are various connected blood glucose monitors, pulse monitors and fitness trackers for both iOS and Android. While the various devices differ, they all have the same idea in common: by recording the data, they enable you (or your doctor) to have a much better picture of your health.

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Finance

Good Outcome from Bad Service

By Jasmine Birtles, moneymagpie.com

When you purchase something, whether it’s a holiday or a hat, you’re entering into a contract of exchange. This means that the seller has agreed to meet your ‘statutory rights’. If these are not met or you’re not happy with the service, you can make a complaint and ask for compensation, either in the form of money or goods.

Complain about goods and services Under the Sale of Goods Act 1979, shops must provide goods which are of satisfactory quality, as described, fit for purpose and last a reasonable length of time. They must provide services which are carried out with reasonable care and skill within a reasonable time and at a decent cost.

The way to complain about sub-standard goods or services is: Step 1: Make a complaint in person or over the phone as soon as possible. Inform them that you know your statutory rights as a consumer.

Step 2: If you don’t receive a satisfactory response, complain in writing to the head office. Ask for compensation for your time and effort (suggest an amount of money) as well as having your item mended or replaced.

Send letters by recorded delivery.

Step 3: If you still aren’t satisfied, write again and be persistent.

Those who write a third time usually receive at least some of what they want.

Complain about train tickets You can be compensated between half and your entire ticket price if a train is delayed for more

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than half an hour (depending on the cause of the delay).

How to do it: Step 1: Write to the train operator.

Forms are available from the ticket office, their website or from www.traindelays.co.uk.

Step 2: Take your complaint further. If you’re unhappy with the response from National Rail, you can seek independent passenger representation from www.passengerfocus.org.uk for journeys outside of London or www.londontravelwatch.org. uk for journeys in and around London.

Claims will need to be made within 28 days and the original ticket must be sent with your complaint. Compensation is usually paid in rail vouchers.

Complain about insurance companies and financial services If you’re unhappy about the service you have received from a financial company, it’s easier to complain than it used to be: Step 1: Complain directly to the company in writing, explaining why you’re not happy and what you want the business to do in return. Send copies of paperwork and keep a record of your correspondence. Make sure you complain as soon as things go wrong.

They will look at your complaint and see if it’s appropriate to compensate you. However in most cases they will try and avoid this so be persistent.

You might have to be patient though as a business is allowed to take up to eight weeks to reach a resolution.

Step 2: If you disagree, you can ask the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) www.financialombudsman.org.uk to look at your complaint for free.

Claim back PPI Millions of people across the country have been mis-sold Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) and have claimed back thousands of pounds in compensation.

Step 1: Gather your paperwork and details and make a formal complaint to your bank or lender.

You can download the forms from the Citizens Advice Bureau, www.adviceguide.org.uk.

Step 2: If the complaint isn’t resolved, you can refer it for free to the FOS via their website or by calling 0800 0234 567 (or 0300 123 9123 from a mobile).

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41

Anstee Gorst

Chartered Certified Accountants

Ash Tree Financial Services Independent Financial Advisers For friendly and expert advice in your financial planning

- Accounts preparation for Sole traders, Partnerships and Limited Companies - Self assessment tax returns - Cash Flow Forecasting - Vat, Payroll & Bookkeeping - Business Start Up Free Initial Consultation Phone: Antoinette Gorst ACCA or Sally Anstee FCCA 01767 650700 Ground Floor Offices, Unit 30, Green End, Gamlingay, Sandy, Beds, SG19 3LF Email: office@ansteegorst.co.uk Website: www.ansteegorst.co.uk

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

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Travel

The Lot Secret Garden

By Solange Hando

Deep in South West France, the bucolic Lot valley runs almost parallel to the Dordogne, just as pretty, quieter and home to a unique garden. Few people have heard of Temple sur Lot yet in this humble village, the ‘Jardin des Nénuphars’ is the birthplace of the French water lilies which inspired Claude Monet in his Giverny garden, hundreds of miles away in Normandy.

In this lush valley, in the 1870s, local horticulturist Bory Latour-Marliac discovered a mysterious hybridising process to create new varieties of hardy water lilies, exhibited for the first time at the Paris World Fair in 1889. There, in the shadow of the newly-built Eiffel Tower, visitors gazed in wonder at this floating display of colours for until then, only white lilies were known in Europe. Crossed with blooms from the Americas and beyond, the new water lilies were awarded first prize in their category.

Among the many visitors was the impressionist painter Claude Monet. Long captivated by colour, Monet was quick to recognise new opportunities for his art and when he designed his own water garden in Giverny, he decided to stock his lily pond with blooms from the nursery of Latour-Marliac. The result is the celebrated series of paintings known as Nymphéas, or water lilies, with eight panels displayed in especially-designed rooms in the Orangerie Museum in Paris. Others have found their way into museums worldwide, some reaching £40 million at auction; without Monsieur Latour –Marliac, the art world would have been a poorer place.

Monet inspired new generations of artists and the nursery continued trading, under the auspices

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of successive owners, the latest in line American entrepreneur Rob Sheldon, passionate about water lilies and all things French. Much work has been done to restore and maintain the lily ponds and myriad varieties of plants are grown in 65 cultivation pools, each one divided into ten sections where frogs hop, luminous green, to everyone’s delight.

The original Art Nouveau pools contain the French National Collection with close to 300 varieties. Once used for propagation, the old terra cotta pots still stand at the water’s edge, a glowing reminder of the past as visitors enjoy lunch with a view on the nearby terrace.

Meanwhile in a former plum-drying oven, the museum documents the development of LatourMarliac water lilies, said to account for around 70% of varieties on the market, all descendants from the original hybrids. Among the archives are several order forms signed by Claude Monet, the most important requesting 77 plants in 1894.

But French collection aside, the landscaped grounds are a lovely place to wander around, here a cluster of tropical water lilies, including the lovely Egyptian Blue, there elegant lotus in pastel colours or Amazonian lilies with leaves up to a metre across, said to withstand the weight of a child. Down by the stream, the bamboo grove, once the largest in Europe, adds its own exotic touch and in a quiet corner, a statue of Latour-Marliac shows him closely studying a water lily. The lofty church spire of Temple sur Lot looks down on a quaint Japanese bridge, the mirror image of the famous bridge in the Giverny garden where Monet found inspiration among the colourful lilies from the Lot Valley.

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Cleaning

The Power of Clean

By Debbie Singh-Bhatti The first fitted carpet my parents ever owned was medium brown in colour with a deep, textured pile, and it hid a multitude of sins. Grit and dirt from my dad’s work boots, food spills from us kids and the occasional accident by the pet dog were all cleverly concealed. During the 20 years or so it was down it never once required professional cleaning – or so we thought!

Years later when I owned a carpet cleaning business, I learned about the dangers lurking beneath a carpet’s surface and discovered that far from being the creature comfort we thought it was, our deeply piled, deeply loved first carpet was something of a death trap (well, almost!).

The majority of households in the UK only call in the professionals in response to some kind of incident – they’re having visitors so need to spruce things up a bit, or they’ve had a party and one of their guests has spilled red wine. Post-Christmas you may even find yourself in one of these categories! But sit comfortably whilst I share a few shocking facts that may keep you awake at night, and prompt you into incorporating regular carpet cleaning into your plans and budget!

FACT ONE An average-sized living room carpet can hold its own weight in trapped soil - around 150 lbs.

FACT TWO About 85% of the dirt a carpet holds is hidden under the surface, buried deep in the pile.

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FACT THREE This hidden dirt wears away at the carpet fibres and reduces the carpet’s life dramatically.

FACT FOUR A dirty carpet can harbour harmful mites and bacteria that can trigger asthma and cause allergic reactions.

FACT FIVE The best way to remove deeply embedded dirt and the bacteria that lives in it is to have your carpets professionally cleaned.

FACT SIX Research suggests that you should have your carpets cleaned every 12-18 months to remove unhealthy elements.

There are a number of effective cleaning methods around, including steam, shampoo and chemical, but the most important consideration is whether the technician doing the work is properly trained and qualified. When booking your clean, check about credentials, insurance, what the clean includes (will they move and replace furniture for example?) and ask to see customer testimonials.

By having your carpets cleaned regularly, you will not only help to increase their life expectancy (a welcome prospect in these days of austerity) but you will also be helping to improve the quality of your own life, especially if you are one of the nation’s army of asthma or allergy sufferers.

For more information visit the National Carpet Cleaners Association website at www.ncca.co.uk.

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Local

Is it your New Years Resolution to Help Others By Volunteering in 2014?

By David Gentle Why not give up to 90 minutes a month with the BIGGLESWADE TALKING NEWSPAPER and help the blind or sight impaired.

We are seeking the following additional volunteers in the posts of Editor, Sorter, Despatcher, and Technician.

Would you be interested in joining the group of trained volunteers who compile the Talking Newspaper each Friday from that day’s Biggleswade Chronicle ?

We produce it for any blind or sight impaired people who choose to take up our offer of the recording, captured on a memory stick.

All personnel will receive training.

If you would like to find out more please contact Nick Gurney (Chairman) on 01767 312830 or consult our web site www. biggleswadetalkingnewspaper.org.uk If you know of someone who would enjoy receiving our weekly recording please contact our Listener Liaison Officer David Gentle on 07840 504940 or consult our web site.

THE BIGGLESWADE TALKING NEWSPAPER Local news for Local listeners by Local volunteers supported and funded by Local organisations

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

47

P & R Bathrroms

Second To None Service

There is a dizzying array of options open to anyone considering a new bathroom. Followers of popular home fashions and the latest styles featured in home design magazines will be familiar with some of the choices available, but to access the experience and guidance I felt I needed, I went along to visit P and R Bathrooms. The P and R Bathrooms showroom on Lurke Street in Bedford is a huge and impressive area with many, many display bathrooms cleverly laid out to make it easy to see individual styles and familiarize oneself with every option. With expert help it was much easier to discover the latest bathroom looks suitable for my home and a variety of tastes and budgets.

‘The main concern for many people these days is bathroom furniture and storage. There are two big choices’ explain Paul, the ‘P’ of P and R. ‘The fully fitted bathroom or the free-standing, modular bathroom.’

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I give him a confused frown and with no further ado I am being gently ushered towards an impressive looking show bathroom. The cistern is invisible, no pipework is on display whatsoever.

The cupboards are ranged across the back wall and are deliciously sleek with real oak doors and plenty of drawers for easy-access to toiletries and towels. There is a fully coordinated worktop for a really clean look and a sink which I am told can be recessed into the surface for a solid surface finish or I can choose one which is fitted onto the counter top and has a more traditional look.

‘Many people favour the fully fitted bathroom because it has that modern edge. It features clean, long lines and with the right amount of storage space it is easy to maintain that sleek, tidy look that works so well. It is brilliant for smaller bathrooms and can actually make them appear larger. Clever lighting can work wonders in smaller spaces too and it is easy to incorporate that into a fitted bathroom and make the most of that very finished, polished look.’

‘The alternative is to choose a free-standing or modular bathroom.’ I am guided towards a shining example as Paul continues. ‘Even though there is no counter-top or fitted furnishings in here the pipework can still be hidden because it is recessed into the wall. The storage – whatever you choose, cupboards, drawers, or a combination, can be wall mounted and tiled around so that it still has

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that very finished, sleek look but there need not be so much of it so again, this can work well in smaller bathrooms . The cupboards or drawers that you do choose have true space – non of it is in use for hiding pipework and so the storage is not compromised in any way. There are all sorts of furniture options so that you can still have that long-line look and as everything is wall mounted there is nothing underneath which can make cleaning easier and lend a more open feel to the room.’

After spending time in the P and R showroom I am absolutely sure of the style I would like in our new bathroom. Our house is older and styled more traditionally and so I am glad to have the option of a free standing bathroom with all the modern convenience of recessed pipework and furniture that can accommodate the storage that our family needs.

P and R Bathrooms have been in the bathroom business for a long time. ‘The beauty of having been in this business for the years that we have is that we use only suppliers who have proved themselves, the ones with the best track record of quality products and service. We insist on this because we insist that our customers are happy with their bathroom, and that has to be true, really honestly true, down the whole line – confident and happy designers, suppliers and installers result in delighted customers who come back to us time and again. And that really is our experience.’

P and R Bathrooms can undertake the complete transformation of your bathroom, ensuring the plumbers, carpenters, electricians and installers are all of the highest standard with experience and workmanship that is unrivalled. ‘We don’t have to provide the complete package, some people just want us to supply the bathroom, others want design and supply, but our customers who have trusted us with the whole package have all been thrilled with the results as well as the fact that they could just leave it all in our hands and there was no stress or added responsibility for them.’

If you are contemplating a new look for your littlest room, I would not hesitate to recommend

a trip to P and R Bathrooms. Being able to make the choice by spending time in such a huge variety of bathrooms, benefitting from expert advice followed by a design service and installation that you can trust ensures that P and R Bathrooms are second to none.

P&R Bathrooms

9 Lurke Street, Bedford MK40 3HZ Tel: 0845 434 8401 Website: www.pandrbathrooms.co.uk Open 9:00am-5:00pm Mon - Fri 10:ooam-4:00pm Saturday To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122

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SURECLEAN Gutter Cleaning

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Call Mark: 07711 376 287 or Jenny: 01462 892 253 www.oakleyfarming.co.uk Pottons Specialist Welding and Fabricating Company

For further information please call Trevor on Tel: 01767 261845 Mobile: 07941 187689 Email: Gemmaton@hotmail.co.uk

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stairs benches individual beds furniture

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Garden

Sowing Time

By Pippa Greenwood

Now that January is here it’s a perfect time to start sowing seeds in trays and pots. But how do you make sure that yours germinate and produce seedlings and then plants which thrive and grow well?

A shopping list for first time sowers should be: • Good quality seed and cuttings compost.

• Some seed half-trays, which are about 5” x 8”.

• A heated propagator, a clear propagator lid to go over the trays or a small unheated propagator.

• A dibber to make it easy to transplant the seedlings into a new home.

• Some small pots into which you can transplant the seedlings.

If you buy seed and cuttings compost it’s rarely necessary to sieve it as it has a very fine and even texture. However, if you’re using multi-purpose compost, you’ll need to either break up any lumps carefully with your hands or sieve it.

Depending on the types of seeds you have chosen, you will need to sow them at different depths.

Some seeds are tiny and are best scattered over the surface. Other seeds are best sown in drills.

Once they are in place, in most cases you need to cover them with compost to the required depth.

However others germinate best if allowed access to daylight and should be sown on the surface.

With these it’s advisable to cover the surface of the tray with cling film to stop it drying out too rapidly. I like to put the seeds in place and then moisten the compost. Place the seed trays in a sink or tray containing about 1cm of water and allow the compost to soak up the water. Once the Visit our new community www.beds-local.co.uk

compost is just moist you should stand the trays in a position where any excess water can drain off. Then, if necessary, put the trays in a heated propagator.

When it comes to watering the seeds, use mains water as water butts may harbour some of the disease-causing organisms which cause damping off, the fatal condition where the seedlings appear to suddenly flop and keel over.

Always watch the seed trays carefully and check them regularly to ensure that the compost is adequately moist. Once the majority of the seedlings have appeared, it’s usually not long before you need to prick them out. Generally this is carried out when the first true leaves appear.

When the seedling first comes above ground you will see the ‘seed leaves’ which are relatively sturdy looking and rounded in shape. Then above this come the first true leaves which are typical of that particular plant.

When pricking out, handle the seedlings very carefully, never by their stems or true leaves, but always by the seed leaves. Before you start to ease them out, make sure that the compost is adequately moist, so that the roots move readily without damage and that you have already prepared pots for transfer. To avoid rotting, always transplant seedlings so that they are at the same depth as they were in the seed tray.

If you find that your seedlings have become rather leggy and drawn, this is usually because they’re not receiving enough natural light; move the trays onto a south or west facing windowsill.

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Garden

The Magic Roundabout Rural Ramblings. By Geoff Wharton Winter in the garden and countryside can be a rather depressing place even when the sun is trying to shine and the rain clouds far away. The dead leaves have lost all traces of any lingering Autumn colour and everything seems to be damp and stagnant with decay being the main driving force. The only remains of once proud garden treasures, are dwindling patches of bent and twisted foliage remnants, and even they are slowly disintegrating down to ground level. It can be a bit uninspiring, to say the least, to contemplate a walk around the garden at this time of year when indoors is so much warmer!

Not to be classified as a typical couch–potato, I decided to wrap up and venture forth. Passing by the cold dank waters of the pond I imagined life continuing at a much reduced pace now the water temperature was so much lower. I happened to think about the dragonfly larvae and it’s existence in those murky waters – not a particularly attractive creature but a highly efficient killing machine nevertheless. Moving on to the rather desolate ex flower beds, nothing was visible apart from the odd clump of semi-decayed vegetation and I started to wonder why I had made the effort to go out at all. The weather was about to change for the worse so I decided to cut my losses and retreat to the warmth of indoors. My usual winter pastime came to my rescue - the plant catalogue displaying all the products for sale in glorious colour to brighten any gardener’s evening.

The contrast between the glowing flowers and foliage and the stuff that over-winters underground, always makes an impact on me at planting time.

The various rhizomes, tubers, bulbs and corms which are sold and planted every year seem, at the time, to be incapable of producing the stunningly beautiful displays of foliage and flowers which we know will erupt from our plantings of iris, dahlia, paeony, lupin, phlox ,lily, pyrethrum, poppy... the list goes on and on. The glory of spring bulbs, with the native bluebell being a top contender, must be included. Iris germanica, in my opinion, epitomises this contrast between the beauty of the summer display and it’s ugly organ of perennation - the drab, knobbly and seemingly lifeless rhizome. The Iris flower spike is tall and stately, often scented. The flowers, although short-lived, are enormous and the colour range has now been extended into a vast

range of fascinating combinations.

I must now return and give due praise to the humble crawling creatures of the depths and how they can be transformed into elegant aerial phenomena with their powerful yet often coloured wings and their iridescent abdomen – the dragonflies, butterflies and moths. A garden without buddleia and their accompanying butterflies seems to be missing out on so much and the mastery of flight displayed by the dragonfly is matched only by the colour of it’s body.

So, as in that wonderful children’s song “The Ugly Duckling”, where the poor little ridiculed creature eventually turns into a magnificent swan, when you open up the package containing wrinkly, brown offerings which have been portrayed as magnificent bunches of flowering perennials for the garden, don’t be disappointed, as hopefully they will grow and turn out to be just like the photograph on the outside of the packet - a feast of colour (but for a short time only!)

Geoff Wharton Gardening Services

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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

Tel: 01767 261727 53

Garden

A Shady Space Garden View

Light levels during January are low and the days are short, but now the winter solstice has passed, days are slowly lengthening. There are however, areas of the garden which never receive much sunlight, and these shady spaces are often the conversation starter when I speak to gardeners.

A south facing garden is on the priority list of most house hunters, but in reality there must be around the same number of houses built on the dark side of the road! If you’re lucky enough to have a front and back garden, then you should have somewhere to grow the sun lovers, but it’s often a rear shady garden which causes most frustration. So what’s my answer?

Embrace the shade!

Shady spaces can be much more atmospheric than those open to full sun, they have a great earthy smell and can support a diverse range of plants and mosses. My suggestion is to layer the planting, so that it looks like the creation of shade is intentional. I would probably go as far as to erect a structure, such as a pergola or shade sail over the top, creating a cosy outdoor room, and use lighting to visually warm the space at night.

Your layering process begins with the boundaries. The first stage is to paint them black, and before you scream ‘BLACK?!’ out loud, hear me out. Painting the boundaries black will help them to fade into the background once plants mature. The second stage is to clothe the fences and walls with climbers. Although hated by some, Ivy is perfect for this, but other things to try are shade-tolerant Honeysuckles or wall shrubs such as Hydrangea petiolaris and Garrya elliptica. For additional flower colour, why not cram in a couple of Clematis?

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Introduce height with a small tree such as Amelanchier ‘Robin Hill’ or the evergreen Trachycarpus fortunei. Clump forming bamboo makes a great vertical accent, as does the banana Musa basjoo. Next in our ‘shade lasagne’ are the shrubs such as the purple leaved Acers, Viburnum tinus, Box (which can be clipped into shapes to add formality) and Sarcococca. Smaller perennials such as Astilbe, Aconitum and Hellebores provide colour and finally ferns such as the evergreen Asplenium scholopendrium supply wonderful glossy ground cover.

So there you have it, a shady oasis, and as with most things in life, if you fully embrace it, a north facing shady garden can be magical.

Until next time, Happy gardening, Lee

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SHRG 2013 End of Year Report Sandy Historical Research Group Sandy Historical Research Group (SHRG) has “worked tirelessly to provide a balanced programme of events for the community of Sandy and for its members”, says the SHRG Chairman, Mick Reynolds in his end of year report.

2013 activities have included local exhibitions, public meetings and the publication of two further editions of the Group’s SHRUB magazine which contained articles about Sandy’s local history.

The Group continues to add to its collection of artefacts and photographs which are important to Sandy’s history. However SHRG is in urgent need of a new place to store this resource. Could you help?

The SHRG website provides an insight into aspects of Sandy’s history including a selection of the Group’s photos, (www.sandy-history.org.uk) SHRG maintains its quest for a permanent Sandy Museum.

For more info contact Richard Barlow (01767 2263920) or email alan.d.bailey@btinternet.com

SGS SERVICES Seasoned Logs For Sale Great Quality Available in 1 Ton Sacks Or Bigger Loads Negotiable! £55 p/ton sack or 2 sacks for £100 including delivery £45 p/ton sack collected from yard

Contact Richard for more details 01767691115 or 07810820523 email sandygrabservices@outlook.com Longacre Farm, Moggerhanger Road Sandy, Beds SG19 1ND To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122

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Pets

ANIMAL QUERIES

RSPCA Bedfordshire North Branch Dear RSPCA vet, My lovely little kitten has, over the last few months, transformed into a ‘hooligan’ and seems to be terrorizing the cats in our neighbourhood. He is also always getting into fights and seems less keen to spend time with me at home. A friend has suggested that I should get him neutered, but will this make any difference?

Mr Coomes, Sandy

Dear Mr Coomes, Neutering would have a number of positive effects for him. He would be 80 percent less likely to get into fights with other cats, reducing the number of injuries he receives, and lowering the risk of picking up Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). He would also be less likely to stray. Partly as a result of these factors, neutered male cats live for longer than unneutered males. While neutering, in itself, will not make him more docile or friendlier to humans, he will spend more time around one home base, and so he should become more familiar with the people feeding him.

So, if you neuter your cat your neighbourhood will become a calmer place and your cat will be more relaxed and happier to spend time with you.

Another huge benefit is that neutering prevents unwanted kittens being born.

Animal charities, such as the RSPCA Bedfordshire North Branch, struggle to cope with the unmanageable number of kittens being abandoned and neglected in Bedfordshire each year.

Neutering your cat will make you part of a solution, not part of the problem – so thank you!

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

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Professional Dog & Cat Grooming Hydro Massage Bathing Bespoke Dog & Cat Grooming Handstripping Specialists De-shedding Treatments Open Plan Grooming 38 Shortmead St Biggleswade www.hollywooddogs.co.uk 01767 600 212 Find us on Facebook

Can I go to the Paddocks for my Holiday please?

Paddocks Boarding Cattery Peaceful location. No dogs boarded.

Spacious, individual, heated chalets with large covered runs.

Inspection welcome. Boarding from ÂŁ6.60/day.

Rabbits/guinea pigs also boarded.

64 Meadow Road, Great Gransden

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

The cattery for caring owners.

Comfort and security for your pet.

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Manor Farm Villager Advert A7 :Layout 1 03/07/2013 12:20 Pag

A flexible day nursery for children from 6 weeks to 5 years with extensive and well resourced grounds. r u o y f of Excellent links to s onth’ 1st m es the A1, St Neots and fe Sandy railway station.

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Time of Year

The Joy of Sledding

By Sarah Davey

What child, or adult for that matter, doesn’t love the sensation of sledding? Speeding down a snowy hill is the best fun ever. It can also be dangerous, which of course is half the fun. Every time it snows, sledding injuries flood the country’s A&E departments and more than half of them are head injuries, most not serious, but some deadly.

To sled in safety, follow these rules: Choose the right hill The best are not too steep and have a long flat area at the bottom to allow for a gentle stop.

Avoid those which end at a road or a car park, but also those which end at a line of trees, a pond or a wall!

Choose the right sled Old fashioned sleds with wooden seats and 64

tall blades look wonderful, but on the soft sort of snow we tend to get in the UK, their sheer weight can cause them to sink or run too slowly. Conversely, on compacted snow or ice, the thin blades travel so quickly it’s easy to lose control. Plastic sleds with a braking system work well on softer snow, but can crack on compacted snow or ice, especially if they hit a stone. Metal tray-style sleds work well on all surfaces and are very robust, but can get up considerable speed, so may not be suitable for very young children.

Wear sensible winter clothing Hats, gloves, snow pants, winter jacket, snow boots, anything that is waterproof and warm.

Cycle helmets can be useful head protectors in case of a tumble.

Have fun, stay warm, stay safe.

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Chiquititos Childminder Service

Maria Horwood Registered Childminder CRB Checked OFSTED GOOD standards Paediatric First Aider NVQ2 Childcare Many Additional Relevant Courses Fun Days with Outdoor Activities Also Age Relevant Mini Spanish Lessons included

Old Warden Based 01767 627 394

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Motoring

Bentley Flying Spur

By James Baggott

Individuals of high net worth are currently spoilt for choice when it comes to picking a luxurious fourdoor saloon. But two British marques remain the go-to guys when it comes to exquisite craftsmanship and superlative drives... One is a certain Rolls-Royce and the other is Bentley, which just so happens to have a brand new Flying Spur in showrooms.

What is it? An updated version of the luxurious Flying Spur that was first unveiled to the world in 2005. Many hours have been spent working on a new identity for the model that doesn’t shy too far away from the iconic yet understated lines of a Bentley but adds a modern edge to keep it abreast with rivals from the UK and Germany. The levels of handcrafted detail remain amongst the best in the world but an injection of new technology aims to appease the younger, more gadget-savvy buyer.

What’s under the bonnet? The same almighty 6-litre twin-turbocharged W12 unit that can be found in the outgoing model but with a few technological tweaks that reduce fuel consumption by 13.5 per cent and boost performance figures.

Top speed is now 200mph. Despite weighing nearly three tonnes, it can despatch the 0-60mph sprint in just 4.3 seconds.

What’s the spec like? A basic Flying Spur will set you back £140,900 so naturally specification is going to be on the generous side but, if one goes wild with the options list, prices can easily tickle the £170,000 mark. Basic W12 models come with opulent, 14-way adjustable seats, multi-zone climate control, rearseat entertainment units and swathes of handstitched leather and natural wood veneers. A W12 Mulliner version, that includes bespoke interior hide colours, quilting on the seats, embroidered Bentley logos on the seats and sporty drilled alloy pedals and knurled gear lever, is available at a premium.

Any rivals? The Flying Spur will always face fierce competition from the Rolls-Royce Ghost, a car whose badge arguably carries more The knowledge Model: Bentley Flying Spur W12 Price: £140,900 Engine: 6-litre, twinturbocharged W12 Power: 616bhp, 800Nm Max speed: 200mph 0-62mph: 4.3 seconds MPG: 19.2mpg combined 66 Emissions: 343 g/km

gravitas amongst discerning customers, but also an equally eye-watering price tag. Bentley also cites the likes of BMW and Mercedes as key rivals as well as the sportier luxury saloons such as the Maserati Gran Turismo and the Aston Martin Rapide.

What’s it like to drive? Effortless power is the name of the game, the big Bentley whisking its occupants to high speeds without those inside the leathery cocoon knowing any different. The suspension does a great job of wafting over cracks and bumps through town and manages to steam roller any imperfections in motorway surfaces. But the real surprise comes when you actually slide behind the wheel and take control of the Spur. It feels big and heavy but not in a negative way, the car encourages a sensible driving style around town but the welljudged steering lightens up at slow speeds, making tight roads and tricky roundabouts a breeze to navigate. Firm up the suspension, slip the gear lever into sport mode and the twisting A-road becomes a fairground ride. It’s in no way a Lamborghini but the three-tonne cruiser handles with little body roll through corners and blistering pace on the straights.

The verdict. It is very difficult to find fault with such an expensive vehicle that is lavished with Bentley levels of attention to detail and there is no denying this is a very beautiful, very accomplished machine.

Slight niggles would surround the additional tech elements with many of the menu screens proving fiddly and unintuitive. The Bluetooth phone connection requires too many stages to operate fully and we struggled with the on-board Wi-Fi. Eagle-eyed customers may also notice that a large amount of technology is carried over from other models in the Volkswagen group and those parting with £160,000 probably don’t want the Sat Nav from a Skoda. Tech aside, it is classic Bentley, boasting understated yet elegant looks, impressive power and interior comfort that is hard to find anywhere else.

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Gamlingay Tyre Centre

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01767 448 729 / 07801 082 261 Unit 48 Green End Trading Estate, Gamlingay, Beds, SG19 3LB

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For the ultimate in luxury chauffeur travel

Why not treat yourself for that special occasion?

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For further information and to book, please contact us on: 01767 687887 • 01767 631096 • 07776 165614

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Better Life

Car boot capers

By Derek Thompson

If Chinese philosophers ever need new pearls of wisdom, I’d like to suggest one of mine: When your garage is so full of tat that you can’t fit the car in, it’s time to do a car boot.

I do have a tat filing system, of sorts, so it’s not difficult to find anything (if you can clamber over everything else). On one side, opposite the firewood pallet that we found dumped in a lay-by, is a salvaged cupboard unit, held together with an assortment of odd screws. In there live the boxes of books relegated from our shelves, an old beer tray from a charity shop and two binbags full of Anne’s castoffs - mainly shoes.

We’ve always loved car boots. They’re really another form of recycling - turning unwanted goods into cash (and then buying other people’s flotsam). Car boots can also be a great place to pick up old and perfectly serviceable tools. For example, my much-loved £1 wrench was the only thing that could undo the old water pump so that we could replace the gasket and shaft head.

When we parked up on site, people swarmed around our car as if we were in a zombie film (and I scare easily). Anne stepped out to force them back, but she was already doing deals before I’d lifted the last box of books from the boot.

As car boot trader novices, we were surprised at how quickly some of our best stuff went, and even more surprised at how quickly it reappeared on other stalls at twice the price. Also, I lost count of how many times a cheery conversation ended up being steered towards the phrase: ‘Any chance of

a discount?’ And this was often for books going for £1 apiece.

I’m not a massive fan of haggling, although I did manage some furtive bartering for veg. After a couple of bursts of brisk trade, business really tailed off. And when the same faces went past for a third time we decided to call it a day. Ironically, packing up brought all the hardcore bargain hunters out from the shadows. A new phrase became the norm: “How much for this - save you taking it home?” Frankly, I felt embarrassed for the books.

Once we’d finally closed the boot, we did a circuit together. Now, by some strange alchemy, random objects acquired unexpected allure. How had I ever got by without a ceramic foot warmer or a DVD of Yes Minister?

Anne left me to it and made a beeline for one of the plant stalls. By the time I caught up with her, she was hunting for specimens on some invisible list I’d not been privy to. Once she’d checked what was available and asked about growing conditions, I watched, in astonishment, as she ceased swapping pleasantries to ask, “Is there any discount for buying in bulk?” She always was a fast learner.

Anything we didn’t sell on the day went to a charity shop. It turned out that the ceramic foot warmer leaked (don’t ask...), so it now sits in ignominy in the garden. The DVD was excellent.

I’ve moved it to the garage, in the empty cupboard, just in case.

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History

What happened in January 1962

By Patrick D Cousins

On 1st January 1962 The Beatles, comprising John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Pete Best and George Harrison, arrived at Decca’s London office for an audition. They were a day late after their road manager, Neil Aspinall, lost his way.

They performed fifteen songs in just under an hour, starting with a Lennon/McCartney composition – Like Dreamers Do. Decca eventually rejected the group, commenting: ‘The Beatles have no future in show business.’

Three of the bestselling singles this year were: I’ll Never Find Another You - Billy Fury The Young Ones - Cliff Richard Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen - Neil Sedaka

7th: The UK was blanketed in snow, with temperatures in Oxfordshire plummeting to minus 18° centigrade.

8th: An express train heading for Amsterdam collided with a commuter train from Rotterdam in thick fog, killing 91 people.

10th: An avalanche on Mount Huascaran in Peru killed 4,000 people.

11th: The Soviet submarine B-37 was moored at Polyarny naval base, undergoing maintenance, just nine days before it was due to be sent to Cuba. At 8:20am a fire in the torpedo compartment detonated all twelve torpedoes, destroying the vessel.

Captain Begeba, who was making an external inspection of the submarine at the time, survived but the rest of the crew drowned as it sank to the bottom of the Borents Sea. The blast also killed men on nearby ships and docksides; 122 people perished. The explosion hurled the submarine’s anchor over a mile.

Nelson Mandela secretly left South Africa for the first time, touring Europe for six months. On his return, the future president was arrested and charged with leaving the country illegally. He was found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison.

15th: The Meteorological Office started giving the temperature in centigrade after mentioning Fahrenheit temperatures. By October it was the other way round.

26th: The US launched Ranger 3 with the aim of sending back images of the lunar surface.

Unfortunately it missed the moon by 22,000 miles and went into orbit around the sun (and you thought your satnav was bad). It did, however, provide the first measurements of interplanetary gamma-ray flux.

Patrick D Cousins is the author of Rainbows, Dreams and Angels, available from Amazon at £6.99.

This a double novella with both stories set in London’s East End, mostly during the Fifties and Sixties.

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ABOVE ALL Autocentre Unit 1, Sand Road Ind. Est., Great Gransden SG19 3AH

MOT £39.95 with this advert

Tel: 01767 679000

MOT TESTING For class 4 or 7 vehicles Class IV Cars and vans up to 3000kg Class VII Vans over 3000kg up to 3500kg

SERVICING Good Garage Scheme Industry Standard Service Or to manufacturer specification

AIR CONDITIONING – Recharging of system.

DIAGNOSTICS - SNAP ON Diagnostic fault finding centre.

EXHAUSTS - Supplied and fitted to all makes of cars and vans.

BATTERIES - Supplied and fitted two and three year guarantee.

BRAKES - Discs Pads Shoes. Cylinders etc supplied and fitted.

CODE READING - Trace & rectify those alarming red dashboard warning lights.

TYRES - All makes inc. Budget Avon, Dunlop, Firestone, Goodyear, Michelin, Pirelli.

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Recipe

SEASONAL DELIGHTS

Red Onion Soup with Melting Gruyere Croutons

Serves 4 Ready in 1½ hours

After all the indulgence and expense of Christmas and the New Year, this hearty soup is the perfect antidote. Ideal for a warming winter lunch or supper it’s simple to make, tastes delicious and doesn’t cost a fortune.

INGREDIENTS 2 tbsp olive oil 15g butter 650g small red onions, peeled and thinly sliced 2 tsp brown sugar 1 tbsp flour 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard 1.2litres beef or vegetable stock Few sprigs fresh thyme, plus extra to garnish Salt and freshly ground black pepper 8 thin slices day old French bread 75g Gruyere cheese, grated 1 Heat the oil and butter in a large, deep heavybased saucepan until the butter is sizzling. Add all the sliced onions and cook very gently over a low heat for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

2 Sprinkle over the sugar and cover and cook for a further 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and golden.

3 Stir in the flour and half the mustard and cook for 1 minute, then gradually stir in the stock.

Add the thyme sprigs, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper (see Tip) and bring to the boil.

4 Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust the seasoning to taste.

5 Lightly toast the slices of French bread on one side. Spread the untoasted sides with the rest of the mustard and top with the grated Gruyere cheese. Pop under a hot grill for 1-2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

6 Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and top each with two hot Gruyere croutons. Serve immediately garnished with thyme sprigs.

Tip - If you use stock made up from stock cubes taste the soup before adding any seasoning as some can be quite highly seasoned.

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n O s ’ t Wha 1 January Folk Evening 7pm Moggerhanger Village Hall First Wednesday every month. Open floor folk session evening. Also open the box. Tel: Carolyn 01767 640727 for more info

3, 10,17, 24 & 31 January Sandy Ukulele Group 7-9pm Baptist Chapel Hall, Bedford Road, Sandy The Sandy Ukulele Group meets every Friday night. Visitors and new member welcome for a sing and a strum.

Email: Sandyukulelegroup1@gmail.com for more information Web: www.sandyukulelegroup.com 4 January Hardy Plant Society Talk 2pm The Wetherley Centre, Biggleswade Small charge for visitors Cambs and Beds Hardy Plant Society present a talk by Simon White on ‘The A-Z of Roses’.

Simon is the Manager of Peter Beales Roses.

Plants for sale. All welcome.

Web: www.hpscambsandbeds.co.uk 7 January Potton Ladies Club 7.30pm Conservative Club, Brook End Visitors £3, to include light refreshment Back by popular demand - Susanne Davidson will be speaking about “My Peruvian Adventure” illustrated with slides and photos. Raffle.

Membership fee for 2014 is £27.50. Any Members wishing to renew, please put the correct amount in cash or a cheque, payable to “Potton Ladies Club” in an envelope with name and tel number.

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8, 15, 22 & 29 January Mums’ & Dads’ Coffee Break 9am-12 noon St John’s Church, Moggerhanger Moggerhanger Meeting Place and Shop. Now well established, this is a small group of mainly mums whose children go to Moggerhanger Lower School. Some bring their toddlers; there is a box of toys in the church and tea/coffee available (50p per cup). The group meets every Wednesday (except during half-term).

8 & 22 January Tea/Coffee & Cake 11am-1pm Little Gransden Village Hall Working from home - or just alone?

Need an excuse for a walk or a jolly good talk?

Tel: Phyllis 01767 677313 Email: phyllis@jaquest5.plus.com

10 & 24 January Whist Drive 7.30pm Moggerhanger Village Hall Fortnightly Friday Whist Drive.

All welcome.

Refreshments included.

Tel: Carolyn 01767 640727 for more information 14 January The World of the Documentary Film 10.30am The Labour Hall, Crab Lane, Biggleswade Course fee £55, concessions available The Workers Education Association course - 10 sessions of 1½ hours. Tutor Laurence Staig presents ‘An introduction to the world of the documentary film maker’.

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

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15 January Sandy & District Horticultural Association 7.30pm Venue to be announced Members £2.50, Visitors £3.50 Talk on ‘Snowdrops’ by Joe Sharman.

Refreshments and raffle.

Tel: 01767 681733 for more information 16 January Evolution: The story of the last four billion years 10am St Andrews Church Hall, Church Street, Langford Course fee £55, concessions available The Workers Education Association course - 10 sessions of 1½ hours. Tutor Keith Triton presents ‘Evolution: The story of the last four billion years’. The story of the Earth and the life that inhabits it, and how the two have evolved together through nearly four billion years.

Tel: Jean Chapman 01462 700306

21 January Gamlingay W I 7.30pm W I Hall, Gamlingay Speaker will be Mrs Sarah Oliver, a lady Plumber “Breaking the Cistern”.

Visitors and new members most welcome.

28 January Knit and Natter 10am-12 noon St John’s Church, Blunham Road, Moggerhanger Moggerhanger Meeting Place and Shop.

This popular group meets on the 4th Tuesday of the month. Wools, needles and know-how are available and the nattering is quite as busy as the knitting.

Newcomers always very welcome so why not come and join us.

17 January Bingo Night 7.30pm Moggerhanger Village Hall Monthly Bingo Friday night with cash prizes, raffle and licensed bar. Also open the box. All proceeds to support the Village Hall.

Tel: Carolyn 01767 640727 19 January 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 Visit our new community www.beds-local.co.uk

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

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

NO CALL OUT CHARGE • COMPETITIVE RATES

Tel: 01767 627591 07950 705479

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• Wallpapering • Interior & Exterior Painting • Murals • Colour & Design Advice Local, Reliable & Professional

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

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T: 01767

220 744 M:07791 438 593

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Local News

Early Start

Biggleswade Sandy Lions Club The Early Start Programme is a new initiative by MedicAlert, an independent charity supported

by Lions Clubs International and to which Biggleswade Sandy Lions regularly send donations.

This new service creates safety and reassurance for a generation of children with hidden medical conditions or allergies to say, peanuts or tomatoes, for example. Each child is provided with a wrist worn bracelet engraved with the child’s vital medical details, which alerts healthcare professionals to that child’s condition.

In addition, the child’s medical information is stored on a secure database which can be accessed 24/7 by a healthcare professional treating the child in an emergency. These details are held free of charge until their 10th birthday. Their first bracelet is free and is worn on a pulse point, which is the first place checked in an emergency, so that their condition is recognised at once, leading to the correct treatment. Access to their full record is easily obtained by ringing the MedicAlert number

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and quoting the child’s membership number, both of which are engraved on the back of the bracelet.

This initiative has been set up by a retired paramedic with firsthand experience of managing children following an accident or with a sudden life threatening illness. In the UK we have the highest rate of children with Type 1 diabetes and over a million children with asthma. For more information visit earlystart@medicalert.org.uk or call 0800 581 420.

Finally, Biggleswade Sandy Lions would like to thank everyone for their support over the last year.

We hope you enjoy the festive period and that 2014 will be both happy and healthy for you all.

For more information about Biggleswade Sandy Lions visit www.biggleswadesandylions.org.uk or call 0845 833 9749 LIONS IN PARTNERSHIP

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Home and Interiors

Six ways to make money from your home

By Katherine Sorrell

Forget cash in the attic – there’s money in every brick, stone or tile of your house, and even in the garden and garage.

1. RENT A ROOM One in ten homeowners now earns extra cash by letting a spare room to a lodger, according to Santander. You can also rent to commuters, Mondays to Fridays.

How much can I make? Average weekly rent is around £90, says spareroom.co.uk.

Pros - You can make up to £4,250 a year tax-free under the Government’s Rent a Room scheme.

A good lodger can be a friend, share the housework and keep an eye on the place when you’re away.

Cons - A bad lodger can be a nightmare – in your space, may not pay the rent and hard to remove.

Home insurance may go up.

Need to know Obtain references, and have a written agreement about rent, bills and how the house is shared. www.landlordzone.co.uk is a good source of information. You may need permission from your mortgage lender and, if you have one, your leaseholder. Tenants should obtain permission from the landlord.

2. BE A HOST FOR LANGUAGE STUDENTS Many English language schools, and some universities, need ‘host’ families for their students, to provide a bedroom and meals, and make them feel at home. It’s often just for a week or so, but sometimes longer.

How much can I make? From around £100 per student per week, before expenses.

Pros - A great way to learn about other cultures, and they’re not with you for long.

Cons - Not a reliable, year-round income.

Need to know Tell your home contents insurer. Obtain a written contract with the language school.

3. RUN A B&B Worth considering if you have a spare room or two and live in a desirable area.

How much can I make? Depends on location, number of rooms, quality of accommodation and food. About £35 per room per night is a minimum.

Pros - Meet interesting people. Open for guests

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when it suits you.

Cons - Early starts, lots of cooking and cleaning.

Upfront costs to convert your home, plus marketing, insurance and book-keeping.

Need to know You may need planning permission, or alterations to meet building regulations. Tell your mortgage lender. Don’t be overly optimistic: start by aiming for a 35-40% occupancy rate.

4. RENT YOUR PARKING SPACE Rent your drive or garage to a commuter people attending the theatre or a sports event. Advertise in the local paper or online.

How much can I make? You could earn £200 a month, depending on your proximity to offices, train/tube stations, stadiums and so on, and the local parking and restrictions.

Pros - Extra money for very little effort.

Cons - Getting rid of someone who stops paying but continues to park could be tricky.

Need to know You can’t rent out a resident permit holder space, and tenants with a parking space can’t rent it out. Draw up a simple contract, tell your home insurer, and check that the parker has insurance in case he damages your property.

5 BE A MOVIE LOCATION Your home could be a star. All sorts of properties are used, from council flats to country estates.

How much can I make? From about £500 per day for stills photography to £2,500 for a big-budget movie.

Pros - Interesting and excellent money.

Cons - Not a reliable source of income. Could be lots of disruption, and neighbours may object.

Need to know Most demand is for large houses with good parking within the M25. Signing up with an agency is free, but you’ll pay a commission.

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Friendly, Independent, expert advice on your personal and business financial planning

Retirement Planning

Annuities • Open-Market-Options • Pensions

Savings & Investments ISAs • OEICs • Bonds

Protection

Life • Critical Illness • Income

Existing Plans & Portfolios Review Needs & Objectives

To arrange an appointment please contact:

Wayne Bacon DipFA MIFS a truly Independent Financial Adviser T: 01767 650 477 M: 07738 120 127 E: wayne.bacon@2plan.com

www.waynebacon.2plan.com 2plan wealth management Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. It is entered on the FCA register (www.fca.org.uk) under reference 461598.

Registered office: 2plan wealth management Ltd. Bridgewater Place, Water Lane, Leeds, LS11 5BZ. Registered in England Number: 05998270 VAT Registered: 894679251

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Codeword 1

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ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Easy Suduko

Hard Suduko

Fill in the grid so that each row, column and 3x3 box, contains the digits 1 through to 9 with no repetition. Use your logic to solve the puzzles.

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Let us help you Get your business Off to a Flying Start in 2014

VILLAGER VILLAGER VILLAGER The

Issue 72 - October 2011

and Town Life

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Issue 73 - Novembe

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Issue 74

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Bringing Local Business to Local People in Biggleswade, Sandy, Potton, Gamlingay and all surrounding villages To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261 122

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Bringing Local Busine ss to Local People in Biggleswade, Sandy, Potton, Gamlin and all surrounding gay villages To advertise in The Villager and Townlife

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Local News

Classics by Candlelight

7.30pm Friday 17th January, St Andrew’s Church, Biggleswade A group of performers specialising in early music are coming once again to Biggleswade to present “Classics by Candlelight” . The musicians play with some of the best early music groups in the world such as the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, The Gabrieli Consort and Players, The Academy of Ancient Music, English Baroque Soloists, The English Concert, Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique - and have performed in concert venues all over the world.

They’ll be bringing to Biggleswade a lovely programme including concertos from Vivaldi

‘L’estro armonico’, Telemann’s Viola Concerto, Pachelbel’s Canon and other pieces by Bach, Handel, and Biber... Do come and treat yourself to what promises to be a wonderfully cheering New Year’s evening!

Classics by Candlelight, 7.30pm Friday 17th January, St Andrew’s Church Biggleswade. Tickets £10 (children under 16 £2 ) at the door or from 01767 318537. Refreshments available.

Biggleswade and Sandy Gateway Club are looking for your help on Thursdays 5.30pm until 10.00pm We are desperate for volunteer drivers for our mini buses, on a Thursday evening, once a month.

To drive a 17 seater mini buses.

Drivers must be between 25 and 70 years of age and must hold a clean driving licence.

Please contact Kath Giles on 01767 260749 or Dawn Baker on 01767 221627 To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122

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Paul Hodson 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

Tel: 01767 691668 Mob: 07887 776980 paul@hodson-electrical.co.uk

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

Chimney Sweep Member of the Institute of Chimney Sweeps

JULIAN BIGGS/PHILIP BULLEN

Tel: 01767 627591 07950 705479

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• All types of chimneys swept • Brush & vacuum • Chimney Safety Certificate issued

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Oven Cleaning! - It’s a dirty job!

Why do it yourself?

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

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

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Prize

The Villager Prize Crossword

£25

Across 1 King’s title (7) 5 Herb (5) 8 Sprays water (9) 9 Curved line (3) 10 Sword (5) 12 Remote military camp (7) 13 Incendiary guns (13) 15 Highest noble rank (7) 17 Tests (5) 19 Concerned with the environment (3) 20 Raised area (9) 22 Give up (5) 23 Wandered (7)

and send to the address below before

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



Complete the crossword, fill in your details below, cut out this page

Down 1 Disguises (5) 2 Glass container (3) 3 Genuine, honest (7) 4 Colourful small birds (13) 5 Hat (5) 6 E.g. EastEnders (4,5) 7 Finds (7) 11 Region in space (5,4) 13 Nervous (7) 14 Outside (4-3) 16 Fear (5) 18 Church council (5) 21 Climbing plant (3)

Tel:

Address:

Last Month’s Crossword Winner - Mrs P Moore from Bedford For last month’s solution please visit www.villagermag.com 86

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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

• Remote Control Door

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01480 210410 Eaton Socon To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122

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D.S. LEWIS

J. Jenkins

CARPENTRY & BUILDING

Building Services

• Property Maintenance & Improvements

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

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

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01480 473 524 M: 07967 184 163 T:

E: danlewis.carpentrybuilding@gmail.com Fully Insured Established 1990

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

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

01767 631402 Mob: 07762 462866 Tel:

Email: comet.services@virgin.net

www.cometcleaningservices.co.uk 88

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Time of Year

What’s your Goal?

By Susan Brookes-Morris Many of us use the New Year as a time to plan ahead and set goals or resolutions. What would you like to achieve in 2014, and how would you like your life to be different?

It’s possible to set goals for most areas of life: - health, career, social life, relationships and finance for instance. Or you might look at the different roles you play, such as wife, friend, mother, employer, and use your thoughts about how you could improve your success in those roles to help determine your goals.

Only you can decide what would really make a positive difference to your life, and you are most likely to succeed if you select goals that really matter to you. There is less chance of success if you are trying to achieve something because another person wants you to.

Indeed some New Year’s resolutions only last a few days. To make a lasting change it’s important to make sure your goals are realistic, and to seek motivation, inspiration and support to help you stay on track.

Do not set yourself too many goals or set targets way beyond your reach, as you will soon become disheartened and less likely to succeed. It’s better to set smaller goals that you can add to, or increase if things go well, and build on your positive results Some people like to write their goals down or Visit our new community www.beds-local.co.uk

share them with others, and this can add to the accountability that individuals feel around goal setting, thus improving their chances of success. It can also be useful to ask for support from friends, who can give you gentle reminders if you are in danger of going off track. Where relevant, you may also want to get inspiration, advice and training from others such as weight loss experts, sports trainers or personal and career coaches.

Other useful tools include imagery – this might be visualising yourself having achieved your goals, or sticking photographs which represent success to your fridge door or mirror. You might also find the use of quotes, role models and affirmations useful. An affirmation is a statement which says what you are aiming for in a positive way, and in the present tense.

It helps to imprint positive beliefs on your subconscious.

Finally, don’t forget to congratulate yourself when you do achieve success. Break your goals down into manageable steps, and celebrate by rewarding yourself at each milestone.

Here are some useful Goal related quotes: ‘A goal is a dream with a deadline’ – Napoleon Hill ‘If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else’ – Yogi Berra 89

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

For all your oven cleaning needs, using a Non-toxic, Non-caustic cleaning solution

Prices

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Paul Kaiser

s/oven (all inc.)...£40.00

d/oven (all inc.)...£52.00

extractors from...£16.00 microwaves.....£16.00

hobs from....£12.00 BBQs, Agas and Ranges individually priced.

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We cover Beds - Herts - South Cambs

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Tel: 01767 681 667 Mob: 07817 011 957 email: enquiries@ovenmaestro.co.uk www.ovenmaestro.co.uk

Tel: 01767 261622 Mob: 07947 732883 Email: dialporter01@tiscali.co.uk 90

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DRIFTWOOD JOINERY LTD Specialists in Bespoke Joinery

Conservatories • Doors • Windows Staircases Handmade Kitchens Handmade Bedroom Furniture

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

Mark Dilley Electrical Part P Registered Company 22386 Extra sockets - Lighting Extensions - Re-wires Security Lighting - Showers Inspections No job too small Free estimates All work to BS7671 regulations City and Guilds qualified

Tel: 01767 261008 Mob: 07990 895430

mark@markdilleyelectrical.co.uk To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122

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Books

1st Glass Window Repairs

BOOK REVIEW

30

By Bruce Edwards

years experience

Calling Mrs Christmas Carole Matthews Sphere p/b £7.99

FULLY INSURED!

At this time of the year the book world has to deal with publishers’ traditional offerings; the ‘misery memoirs’, cookbook ad nauseum, the Guinness Book of Records. There’s a sameness, as routine as holly, the tree and the endless carols, not that we mind them, do we? Well, perhaps sometimes. Can Christmas be a chore, having to go through the motions?

What if someone could do it all for you? Write the cards (or send the e-mails!), put up the decorations, work their way through the present list and not bother you with any of the trivia save paying the bill? You wouldn’t dream of it? No? What, not call in Mrs Christmas?

Cassie draws on her innate sense of design and love of Christmas to fulfil all these demands, Helping those who can’t or won’t, and making a business out of it as well as gathering a lovely sense of satisfaction. Husband Jim also gathers his own personal achievement when able to nudge his prison charges into a better way of life.

But this isn’t a straight line story. It has twists and a turn to worry us all. Does it fall apart, as close proximity to loved ones at this time of year can produce concerns? A trip to Lapland - does it cause grief rather than joy?

Out of a dozen ‘Christmas sparkle’ books seen on a table in Waterstones, this is as good a tale as any. Unfortunately, Cassie doesn’t leave us with her telephone number . . .

ISBN: 9780751545586

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Classifieds Electricians

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Bill Tangye

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Beds Tel By or appointment only - 4 Stratford Road, Sandy, Mob 01767 650750Tel: 07711 07802 393331 257105

T&R Roofing Ltd

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

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Business gone a bit slow?

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Advertising in The Villager is easy.

To find out more call Nigel on 01767 261122 or email nigel@villagermag.com 93

Classifieds Handy Man

Plastering Services

Steve Swain

MIKE NEIGHBOUR

Plastering Contractor

Carpenter and Joiner Glass Splashbacks for Kitchens Cupboards, Fitted Wardrobes, Loft Ladders etc 30 Years Experience

01767 677898 or 07711 311956

Kitchen & Bathroom Fitter

All aspects Plastering, Pebble Dashing Rendering, Screeding

Mob: 07887 861881 Tel: 01767 226404

Plastering Services

M. Philmore (Phil) - Kitchen and Bathroom Fitter

James Geekie Plastering

Disabled showers supplied and fitted.

General plumbing.

All types of plastering - big or small Interior/Exterior Work Undertaken Re-skim Rooms, Walls, Artex & Ceilings Dry Lining and Screeding

57 Green Acres, Gamlingay, Beds. SG19 3LR

Tel: 07792 415356 or 01767 317161 Email: james.geekie@hotmail.co.uk

Tel: 01767 650619 Mobile: 07870366414

Painting Services

Private Car Hire

Pet Services

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Mats Cars Private Hire Potton Based

4+7 Seater Cars Available

Airport/Stations/Nights Out etc Local and Long Distance Tel: 01767 261871 Mob: 07983 218367 www.mats-cars.co.uk All major credit/debit cards accepted

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Classifieds Property Improvements A professional property maintenance service

Property Improvements by

Gary Hare Carpentry • Kitchens • Bedrooms Decorating • Flooring Bathrooms •Tiling • and more...

Property Improvements

GB

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Property Improvements

GARY BERRIDGE Plasterer & General Maintenance Including UPVC Doors and Windows Tiling, Painting and Decorating Free Quotes

T: 01767 316485 M: 07582 485155 E: garyberridge@ymail.com

Removals & Storage removals, storage, archive and shipping • House and office moves • Large and small vehicles • Local/long distance and overseas removals • Containerised storage • Extremely high quality customer service Call for a no obligation quotation

01767 313230

enquiries@stephensremovals.com

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Security Services

Stephens Dinky ad_03.indd 1

3/12/12 11:45:18

Gas & Oil Boiler Installations Boiler Servicing & Repairs 3D Kitchen Design and Installation Home/Garage Renovations Total Bathroom Installations Please call Office: 01462 819590 Mob: 07876 400005/07769 580972

Cavalier Property Services Quality Planned Maintenance Solutions Kitchens, Bathrooms, Extensions, Small Works, Decorating, Joinery, Windows, Doors, Design and Project Management Tel: 07730 197465 / 01767 262390 Email: dave.myers1966@gmail.com

Storage

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Caravans and Cars Welcome Short and long term rates Secure site, cctv with full gated access 7 days a week.

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Please call 01767 260248 or 07970 292055

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