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Success for The Rooflight Company!
business is again rewarded for being Employer of the Year at 06 Athelocal West Oxfordshire Business Awards
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A tasty treat!
Enjoy this delicious treat this Burn’s Night
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Garden View
to get the best from your 12 How garden in the Winter light
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06 Success for The Rooflight Company advertorial: 06 Transform how you work from home recipe: 09 Enjoy a delicious Burn’s Night treat advertorial: 10 Online Vet’s service launched local news: FEATURED
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11 What now for the Summer exams? garden view: 12 The Winter Garden general interest 14 Could you be like Samuel Pepys? cotswold link 14 Advertising Details & Index education: FEATURED
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Welcome to the January - February issue Happy New Year everyone. At last we welcome in 2021 and let’s hope we see that ‘Light Fantastic’ at the end of the tunnel. Spring is just around the corner with all the hope and promises of new beginnings that brings. I hope that you all enjoy this issue and I’ll see you again in March
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Best wishes,
Christine Campbell | Editor Cotswold Link Magazine is published in good faith and the editors cannot be held responsible in any way for inaccuracies in reports or advertising in reports or advertising that appear in this publication and the views of the contributors may not be the those of the editors. Adverts and advertisers appearing in Cotswold Link Magazine carry no implied recommendation from the magazine or the publishers. All rights reserved. All information is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of going to press. Cotswold Link Magazine cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions.
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The Rooflight Company is West Oxfordshire’s Employer of the Year The Rooflight Company is again crowned Employer of the Year at the West Oxfordshire Business Awards (WOBAs). 2020 marks the second year The Rooflight Company, the Employee Owned high spec rooflight manufacturer, has been named West Oxfordshire’s best employer, having previously won in 2016. This award brings the company’s overall WOBA count to three, having also received the Marketing Excellence Award in 2017. Steve Webber, Managing Director at The Rooflight Company, says, “I can’t say how proud we are to be recognised as one of the best places to work in the county. When our founders, Peter and Val King, stepped down in 2019, they chose to entrust the company, its culture and its legacy, to its team.
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“Since that moment we have worked incredibly hard to build on the fantastic foundations of innovation, culture and sustainability that they put in place. Our whole employee team worked together to define the values, guiding principles and behaviour statements that act as the cornerstones of the organisation, and which have been reflected in this award win. “We take great pride in the breadth of different employees we have working here and constantly strive to be and deliver the best. We take nothing for granted and always seek to improve, be it through knowledge transfer partnerships or working with Innovate UK, all of which makes it a stimulating and engaging place to work. I’ve been here for 27 years so I’ve always known The Rooflight Company is a great place to work - it’s fantastic to have this view officially validated!”
The Rooflight Company, renowned for its sleek, sophisticated designs and manufactured in the UK, impressed the judges who said that: “In a very strong category of West Oxfordshire employers, The Rooflight Company stood out with a staff wide commitment and focus on the business; not only due to the employee ownership but also the approach to so many members of the team engaging and presenting to the judges. The openness of challenge and support for each individual, irrelevant of their role, and the obvious enjoyment of work is a beacon for modern business environments.” To find out more about The Rooflight Company, it’s amazing range of beautiful rooflights, and career opportunities within the business, visit www.therooflightcompany.co.uk.
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Cranachan A classic Scottish treat for Burns Night! Preparation time – 15 minutes Serves – 4
Ingredients 75g pinhead oatmeal (you can use rolled oats, but the steel cut pinhead variety are nuttier and less porridge-like) 1 tbsp soft brown sugar 250g raspberries 500ml double cream 4 tbsp honey, plus a little extra to drizzle 4 tbsp good Scottish whisky
Method Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the oatmeal and the sugar then toast, stirring continuously until the sugar has melted and the oatmeal smells sweet and nutty. Pour on to a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper and leave to cool.
to the cream then swirl through to give a ripple effect.
Meanwhile, puree 175g of the raspberries until smooth (reserve the best-looking ones). You can leave the seeds or pass through a sieve for a smooth puree.
Spoon into four glass dishes and top with the remaining oatmeal, the reserved raspberries, a drizzle of honey. Serve immediately.
Whip the cream to fairly stiff peaks, then fold in the honey and whisky. Add three quarters of the oatmeal and all the puree
Did you know? Cranachan is a Gaelic word for a kind of milk churn.
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Innovative Duo Launch A New Site Providing Online Veterinary Consultation & Pharmacy Service VetMedics Ltd has launched a new website for clients to receive expert veterinary care from the comfort of their own home with an online pharmacy to make an affordable, convenient, first class service. Vet on the Net is an exciting new company offering video consultations to pet owners with a focus on knowledge, communication and compassion whilst the pharmacy provides all their pet’s needs in one accessible, easy to navigate location. More information can be found at: www.vetonthenet.com Pet owners can now visit the new Vet on the Net site and explore the articles,
browse extensive product ranges, and book an appointment with a fully qualified, experienced veterinary surgeon. The service is developed and supported by veterinary industry insider, Nicola Baird and registered veterinary surgeon, Natalie Walters, along with a handpicked team of vets sharing their expertise in a friendly, approachable way.
“Vet on the Net is our online consultation platform and pharmacy offering tailored advice and support to clients. We are passionate about improving the welfare of our patients by making high level veterinary care easier to access than ever before�, said Vet on the Net Co-Founder and veterinary surgeon, Natalie Walters (left).
Alongside the experienced first opinion team, the service connects clients and their pets with vets who hold further qualifications in exotic medicine, behaviour, internal medicine, dermatology and emergency and critical care. The site also shares informative blogs, a wide selection of medicines, pet foods and accessories. In addition to the above-mentioned services, Vet on the Net is keen to explore the relationship between its online offering and physical veterinary practices to maximise the level of care provided to all patients. Animal welfare and client service are at the core of everything they do. For more information regarding VetontheNet.com, contact Natalie Walters on 0333 242 0598 or use the online contact form on their website. For full details of their services, and to book an appointment, head over to www.vetonthenet.com
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WHAT NOW FOR THE 2021 SUMMER EXAMS? By the time this issue is published, it may be that the Government have amended their present policy of the GCSE and A Level examinations of 2021 going ahead from June to early July. All students due to sit the examinations missed 14 weeks of formal classroom tuition in the Spring/ Summer of 2021 and a substantial number have since been quarantined at home. This means that students have not been taught the specifications in the normal thorough manner that schools would normally have ensured, but this is also true of other countries throughout the world affecting 1.5 billion youngsters, so what of their experiences? Germany School leaver’s exams went ahead as normal, but they account for only a small percentage of the final grades. France Entering new reforms to their examination system based on 40% coursework. Spain Had an atrocious outbreak of Covid but its university entrance exam still went ahead, though it covered less of the curriculum than usual. Italy Stopped written tests for school leavers but aloud oral tests to proceed. Austria and Hungary Allowed written tests to proceed USA Allowed their Advanced Placement examinations to proceed but shortened to 45 minutes and covered only material candidates were likely to have studied. China In July 10 million students sat the school leavers exam as usual.
South Korea Half a million students sat their matriculation exam (wearing face masks) having missed 5 weeks tuition. Can we learn from the experiences of other countries? This is the ultimate question. Obviously, we need to look at the detail of the experiences of other countries and this short article is to point out that we are not suffering educational problems on our own. Other countries are applying different methods. Can the vaccine save us? Sadly, regarding this year’s cohorts it is too late, GCSE and A Level candidates will have to go along with the Government’s recommendations. Some Universities are now preparing by lowering their entry grades, but in the meantime with all students having missed so much of their final education and having not been taught the subjects thoroughly they are feeling the unwarranted and unjustified pressures affecting their future lives. The Solution The solution stares us in the eyes, and that is to trust the integrity of the teachers. No teacher is going to forecast a too high a grade for a student, knowing that the youngster will then progress to higher level of education only to struggle and fail. So, Mr Government please listen and hand over the decisions to the integrity of the teachers. John Harris
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GARDEN VIEW
The ‘Light Fantastic’ of
The Winter Garden
If I say ‘winter garden’ what do you imagine? A stately home? Evergreen shrubs? Topiary maybe? It dawned on me a few years ago when I was out walking the dog on a frosty morning that winter gardens are really all about the light. From late autumn through the winter there is a pink-gold low slanting light in the morning and afternoon which makes frost and raindrops sparkle, casts interesting shadows and makes everything look magical. Watch your garden throughout the day from the rooms you where you see it best. Watch where and when the sunlight falls and plan accordingly. Grasses look beautiful when they are covered in frost and backlit. The red or yellow winter stems of Cornus (or dogwood) however seem to glow when winter sunshine illuminates them directly. Most suburban houses have smaller gardens, easily visible from the house so it’s important to choose plants which look good in more than one season. As well as shrubs with good stem colour, look for smaller trees with pretty bark. There are plenty of small Japanese Maples which can be grown in tubs. If you have a little more space a silver birch can look stunning, or even my favourite, the paper-bark maple,
Acer griseum, which is a slow-growing small tree, pretty all year round with crimson leaves in the autumn then a characteristic chestnut bark which peels naturally to reveal bright orange red bark underneath. Look for plants with architectural shapes such as one of the sculptural eryngiums (sea holly), salvias or sedums. All look beautiful in the summer and autumn but gain a second lease of life when covered with frosted cobwebs. Plants like these will make you want to get out in your garden even in winter, so add a little scent with a winter jasmine or a sarcococca confusa (Christmas box) which has tiny white highly scented flowers. These late flowering plants provide a source of nectar for early pollinators. I no longer tidy my flower beds. I leave piles of fallen leaves and debris in beds to provide shelter for wildlife. The leaves to rot down in the end which is good for the soil too. But I do spend time neatening the edge of the lawn and sharpening the edges of my borders. It’s amazing how much smarter my garden looks with minimal effort. I wish you a Happy New Year and happy gardening. By Rachael Leverton
Winter Garden Tasks It might be cold outside, but there are still plenty of jobs to do in the garden this month. Here are the main ones: Put your new-year enthusiasm to good use by cleaning pots, tools, water butts and greenhouses in preparation for spring. It’s not the most glamorous of tasks, but it will set you up for a great growing season.
Check your winter protection is still working for you – survey any stakes, supports and ties that might have been damaged in bad weather. Continue looking after wildlife – put out food for hungry birds and continue to leave some areas of your garden uncut for shelter until the spring.
Start planning what you want to do with your garden in the months to come. Now is the time to order seeds and plants from the comfort of your armchair
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Index Bathrooms Country Bathrooms: p7 Thompson Bathrooms: p3 Blinds Associated Blinds: p16 Builders & Contractors Country Roofing & Building Contractors: p15 Garolla Garage Doors: p15 Hopper Roofing Services: p13 JA Shirley Building Services: p13 S W Building: p4 Wychwood Oak Frames: p6 Children’s Services Cotswold Tutor: p11 Chimney Services Cotswold Stoves & Chimneys: p4
Cleaning Services The Laundry: p3 Education Cotswold Tutor: p11 Electrical Services Mayday Aerials: p13 S Turner Electrical Services: p15 Furniture Amanda Hanley By Design: p1 Bob Dadge Carpentry: p13 Garage Doors Garolla Garage Doors: p15 Gardening & Outdoors Luke Dadge Drystone Walling: p13 Stockwell Davies Tree Contractors: p13
Gifts Cotswold Brewing Company: p8 Cotswold Frames: p7 Glass CN Glass: p1 Healthcare & Wellbeing David Brookes Foot Health: p11 Footworx Clinic: p11 Home & Interiors Amanda Hanley By Design: p1 Associated Blinds: p16 Bob Dadge Carpentry: p13 Country Bathrooms: p7 Paul Dadge: p7 Thompson Bathrooms: p3 Woodentop Restoration Company: p3
Kitchens & Bathrooms Country Bathrooms: p7 Woodentop Restoration Company: p3 Legal Honey Legal: p9 Laundry The Laundry: p3 Logs Walkers Logs: p5 Piano Tuition Diyana Piano Studio: p7 Plumbing I. D Godden: p4 M.P.N Plumbing Services: p15 Property Maintenance CN Glass: p1 Cotswold Stoves & Chimneys: p4
Could you be the next Samuel Pepys?
so was promoted quickly, being invited to important events, all of which he recorded in his meticulous shorthand.
On January 1st, 1660 Samuel Pepys began to write his diary. He had no idea that it would become one of the most important documents for historians studying the English Restoration period, which coincidentally also began in 1660.
For example, Pepys was aboard one of the ships which sailed to Holland to bring Charles II back to England and he attended the coronation. He recorded everything in his diary, giving vivid accounts of the Great Plague and the Great Fire of London. Through his entries we are also able to relive the theatre of the period, as well as fashion and popular food and drink. His diary has been of invaluable assistance to historians and has given much pleasure to its many readers
Pepys’ diaries are special because he recorded every day mundane events. He was also socially well connected because his cousin, Edward Montagu, was a high-ranking naval officer who found a position for Pepys at the Navy Office in the City of London. Pepys was talented and worked hard
If you were given a diary this year, or have
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Country Roofing & Building Contractors: p15 Garolla Garage Doors: p15 Hopper Roofing Services: p13 I. D Godden: p4 JA Shirley Building Services: p13 M.P.N Plumbing Services: p15 Sound & Vision Mayday Aerials: p13 Tree Surgery Stockwell Davies Tree Contractors: p13 Tuition Cotswold Tutor: p11 Diyana Piano Studio: p7 Vets Vet On The Net: p2
a desire to start a blog in 2021, what would you want readers in 2391 (360 years in the future) to know? What would they find interesting, or odd? Would they want to know about our own Great Plague? Maybe one day you will be as famous as Pepys! By Tom Hancock.
The Index is a free service offered to our customers. No responsibility can be held for errors or omissions. Multiple entries included on a space available basis
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