Village Eye Magazine June 2020 by Village Eye Magazines

VILLAGE

Issue 89 June 2020 reaching 11,500 households

FREE

the area’s favourite Lifestyle Magazine

2019

page 6

KEEPING

eye

YOU MOTORING

this summer

, e l p o e p l a c o L ol cal business

AMAZING TALES OF COMMUNITY SPIRIT

at Spratley’s

TIK TOK

WHAT DOES IT KNOW ABOUT YOU?

LOCKDOWN LINGO

DON’T BE A ‘COVIDIOT’!

Winner Best Regional Lifestyle Magazine

LOCAL HEROES

UK Southern Business Awards

E C N eye U B eyewith Magazine

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Circulation 11,500

VILLAGE

Business!

Issue 85 Janura ry/February 2020

Let everyone know you are open for

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A very fruity GINCIDENT!

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2019

[gin-sa-dent] (noun) a happening, event or occurrence involving gin.

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4. Community news Who do you know in our Community News round-up? This month we’re saying thank you to a few of the many going over and above to help their communities 10. It’s a Gin-cident! Delicious recipes for gin-lovers to try out with that all-important summer twist! 14. Lockdown Lingo A whole new language is emerging - are you familiar with these newly found phrases made popular during lockdown? 20. Working from Home? If you’re newly working from home and set to continue, check out these top tips for ultimate productivity, whatever your situation. The Village Eye is brought to you by Pinktomato Ltd, a local, independent creative design and marketing company. All content within the publication is copyright of Village Eye. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for views or opinions expressed by contributors or for the accuracy of claims made by the advertisers. All dates, times, URL’s and telephone numbers are understood to be correct at the time of submission to print. Registered Address: Butlers Lands Farm, Mortimer, RG7 2AG

June

Contents

21-27. Trades & Services Electrician? Roofer? Windows? Whatever you are looking for, check here first! All of our advertisers are following PHE guidelines and wearing PPE when necessary. 28. Faking It! Missing your favourite takeaway meals? Then why not fake it at home? Here are some great recipes to try out and stem that fast food urge! 33. Zooming with the Kids Kids classes have gone online! Are you Zooming yet? Yoga, drama, music or dance…it’s all here, so why not check it out for your kids?

B UNCEeye

BACK with us

We’re back! And so pleased to be back in print! Village Eye went ‘online’ only in May, following the government’s guidelines against unessential journeys (deliveries). But now we are delighted to have had official confirmation that we can once again deliver door-to-door. This gives us a chance to recognise members of our community who have gone ‘above and beyond’ during the Coronavirus crisis. Although we have had to cherry-pick just a few people to feature, we know there are so many others. Don’t stop. We see you. You are amazing. None of us could have predicted how our lives would change so dramatically in the space of a few months. Our local businesses have really suffered during this time, and I urge you to continue to support your local trades people, shops and services through this difficult period. At the time of writing, lockdown is starting to ease, so please, pick up the phone and let’s get the local economy moving safely again!

keep it local!

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Are you in it yet

Talking of which, our cover sponsor this month is Spratley’s of Mortimer. They have soldiered on during this period, ensuring that the vehicles of key workers are safe and can keep moving. Thank you, Spratley’s! We send our sincere condolences to the families who have lost a loved one, and we send a massive thank you to the NHS and Key Workers who have been working tirelessly. Love, hope and the continued feeling that we are all in this together will get us through the other side eventually. Keep safe and well!

Helle n & the Team xx

Editor: Hellen Shaw Sub Editor: Jackie Stuart Advertising: June Keepax Lindsey Barker Beauty: Lucy Cherry Motoring: Jack Worboys

To contribute, advertise or let us know your news - please call the team 0118 933 3311 or email hello@villageeye.co.uk

Film Buff: Gardening: Finance: Philosophy Teen Stuff:

Rob Barnes Jordan Curtis Mark Penston Rob Starling Chris Evans Beckie Edwards

Burghfield

Spices

CONTACTLESS FREE* DELIVERY & COLLECTION SERVICE

THOUGHTFUL THEALE

A massive thank you to John Seto and the members of the Theale Help group who have been working tirelessly to support those self-isolating in Theale. The volunteers, pictured here, have been collecting food donations from Theale residents to make up food parcels for those in need, as well as shopping and picking up prescriptions. They have made a huge difference in Theale and are still working hard. If you need support in Theale, you can contact them on 07308 758 397 or thealehelp@gmail.com

BEECH HILL BUDDIES Extensive Indian,English and Pizza menu on our website SUNDAY BUFFETS INDIAN FAVOURITES ENGLISH MENU FREE DELIVERY*

Over in Beech Hill, a support group has been set up by parishioners and councillors called Beech Hill Buddies to support those self-isolating or needing support in the village. Each volunteer was matched with an area of the village and asked to pop a note through

the door of each house to ask what help they needed and with the volunteer’s mobile number. The volunteers could then make sure that the residents were kept fed and watered, and any medicines were collected.

and he has been helped by his staff volunteering.

For those needing food, Jim Kimber, landlord of The Elm Tree, has been organising food parcels (at cost) containing fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy for those in need. Full PPE has been worn, of course,

The scheme has been a great success and although the demand is easing slightly now, a lot of people have been helped by this scheme over the last few months, so thank you Beech Hill Buddies!

The food parcels are collected by the volunteer buddies on a Friday and dropped round to the houses that need them every week.

SCHOOLS FACE UP COME TO MY QUIZ EVERY SUNDAY!

ORDER ONLINE OR BY PHONE CARD PAYMENTS ACCEPTED

Free Face Shields for Health, Care or other PeopleFacing Workers: Mortimer resident, Andy Hulley, has been leading an impressive face shield manufacturing operation involving 22 local schools, Reading University and a number of companies. Children of Key Workers still attending school have been assisting in manufacturing the face shields, which are made and dispatched free of charge. To date, they have delivered 31,000 face shields to all manner of organisations including hospitals, primary schools, pharmacists, residential care and community nursing to name just a few. Should Key Workers, care home or organisations in our community require face shields, they can contact direct at faceshields@leightonpark.com

open daily 11:30-2:30 5:30-10:30 11 on Fri & Sats

www.burghfieldspices.co.uk

0118 983 4040

The Hatchgate, Burghfield Common *FREE DELIVERY to most loacl areas. (check website for details)

To contribute, advertise or let us know your news please call 0118 933 3311 or email hello@villageeye.co.uk

MASKS IN THE MAKING

We’ve been inundated with tales of ‘hobby sewers’ across the region, who are all busy beavering away morning, noon and night to make face masks for local families. One such sewer, Pauline Jones works full-time, is spending her evenings sewing as she is keen for families to have pretty and bright face masks to bring some cheer to the situation. So far, she has provided ten Mortimer families with face masks and is still at it. She has also shared the simple pattern with others in the village who, in turn, have shared it with friends, meaning that there is a wave of people making face masks across the country, thanks to Pauline. If you’d like to have a go, you can find the pattern at: www. freesewing.org/blog/facemask-frenzy facebook.com/villageeyemagazine

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This month we felt it was important to take the time to thank those in our community who have stepped up to help their neighbours, the NHS and those most in need.

Another Sparkle Delivery!

It started with donations to the Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, a unit which once saved her life and gave fantastic and ongoing support to her and her family, and it just kind of grew…and grew…and grew. There have been some donations made by local companies, including our friends at Wokefield Park who donated lots of shower gel, shampoo and conditioner, but Lauren told us that the biggest thank you must go to the community from which individual donations from ‘normal’ people have made up the bulk of the donations that Lauren has been distributing.

THANK

We know that there YOU TO are hundreds of other YOU ALL local heroes that we haven’t featured, who are making scrubs, sewing bags, cooking food, making visors and facemasks so, to all of you…Thank you for everything you have done and are still doing. You are all doing a terrific job!

SPARKLE LAUREN SHINES Local lady, known only as ‘Sparkle Lauren’, has been doing an outstanding job collecting and distributing donations for the NHS and beyond across the region.

eye

To give you an idea of the scale of this, Sparkle’s most recent Facebook post read:

“Been doing donations this morning. Donated PPE; 70 visors, 500 aprons,15 boxes of gloves and 50 pairs of goggles who were donated from Porsche to the amazing Duchess of Kent Hospice. I’ve donated to the amazing A&E staff who were in need of PPE; shoe protectors, gloves and 200 aprons.” Sparkle is still collecting so do get in touch if you can help. Find her on Facebook “SparkleLauren”. There is also a ‘Go Fund Me’ page for the amazing ICU/AMU/Community district nurses: www.gofundme.com/f/ donations-to-rbh-accute-medical-unit

EVERYBODY NEEDS GOOD NEIGH-BOURS! Three local equestrians Sian Nelson, Charley Henkey and Laura Mahoney brought lots of joy to Mortimer village on VE Day when they organised a mini horse parade. Having published their route on social media a few days earlier, lots of house-bound residents came out onto their doorsteps to clap, cheer and wave as they went by, the horses and riders bedecked in Union Jack flags to mark the occasion. The horses enjoyed some gifted apples & carrots and the riders enjoyed a socially distanced tipple & song. Well done, ladies for spreading some cheer on such a special day.

SETTING THE STANDARD IN TADLEY The New Standard Tandoori in Tadley has stepped up to support our hospital, too, with a recent delivery of over 600 meals for the staff at Basingstoke and Deane Hospital. They said, “We’re doing it out of love

– we’ve got friends and family who work for the NHS, so this is our way of giving something back.” We feel it’s more than important to say we truly appreciate you, and we are forever grateful for

the sacrifices you have made and continue to make. This experience has shown us all just how admirable some people can be. You are all in our thoughts as we continue to salute you.” Well done, team!

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keeping you

Motoring this summer with Spratley's Remembering the past and embracing the future. With pre-loved vehicle sales, on-site MOTs, and servicing of most makes on offer at their Victoria Road garage, when it comes to motoring, Spratley’s is a one-stop shop. But it wasn’t always a garage you know. It’s funny how things/people/businesses evolve over the years, and this fifth generation family company are no exception. At Spratley’s they are proud of their heritage; the Mortimer-based family company has been in operation since the early 1900’s. Over the past hundred years or so, the business has evolved from dealing in bicycle parts and repairs as a small repair shop in King Street, to running a local bus service which provided a much needed transport link between our villages to locals in the community they serve. Who knew? Nowadays without a bus company or a bicycle in sight [unless you count the antique one hanging on their showroom wall], this evolution has led the folk at Spratley’s to specialise in repairing and retailing cars (something they’ve been rather good at for the past 50 years or so). Once famed for their affiliation with the Vauxhall brand, Spratley’s have also been caring for most other makes of car too, including servicing, repairs, MOTs, tyres and air conditioning.

Now, 112 years is a long time to be in business and whilst their history demonstrates their ability to readjust to meet the market conditions of the day, their longevity can largely be attributed to the most important ingredient in their traditional family recipe for business success a generous measure of good old-fashioned caring and courteous customer service, delivered by the family and their professionally trained, loyal staff. You see, when we sat down with Paul Spratley and the team to put this page together, we learned that as far as their pre-loved sales go, they really do have a very loyal following indeed. Going through the archives, Paul told us that in some cases, they have been serving customers who are now on their third generation of car buying. So, whether you are in the market for a newer car, a first car for a new driver or looking for a reliable company to service and MOT your current vehicle, why not experience their renowned customer service for yourself and pay Spratley’s of Mortimer a visit this Summer?

Servicing &Repairs

Preloved vehicles

MOT testing

At Spratley’s our aim is to take away the worry and hassle of vehicle maintenance for you.

Firstly and most importantly, there is never ever any pressure to buy at Spratley’s. Never ever!

We provide a high quality service/repair experience for most makes of vehicle and our prices are very competitive, considering the level of support our customers receive (service & MOT reminders, vehicle health checks, service wash and vac, and more). We offer our own value services and manufacturer scheduled services and genuine or high quality branded parts. We can also valet your pride and joy, with a wash & vac at £10 and a full valet starting from £40 (please contact us for further details).

We have no horrible sales targets to hit… and none of our staff are paid on commission. We just want our customers to be happy with the vehicle choices that they make.

At Spratley’s we only employ highly experienced MOT Testers at our in-house Vehicle Testing Station; indeed, we are proud to be the only on-site certified Vehicle Testing Station in the Mortimer and Burghfield area, offering MOTs while you wait. (by appointment only)

Spratley’s employ highly skilled and professionally trained technicians who take great pride in their work and we are continually investing in tools and technology to ensure they have the right kit for the job. Whether it’s changing a bulb, carrying out wheel alignment or diagnostics to find that annoying fault, we can help. Spratley’s also have friendly and knowledgeable service receptionists (male and female) who know their stuff too. We provide our regular customers with a proactive vehicle history monitoring service to try to prevent expensive car catastrophes. But there is never any pressure to have any recommended work carried out and none of our lovely service staff are paid on commission, so you can be assured that they will always find the most appropriate and cost effective maintenance/ repair solutions for you and your vehicle.

All our cars are prepared to our own exacting standards and backed with our own warranty, with the ability of adding an extended warranty. We can help find the car you are looking for . If you are looking for a particular make or model and want the added reassurance of buying from a local, bona fide, friendly garage with excellent aftersales support, we’d be delighted to help you. We welcome part exchange vehicles and we can also purchase cars from you, even if you are not buying one from us… so you avoid the hassle and worry of selling your car privately! We can now do contactless sales via digital viewing and a walkround presentation of any of our used vehicles in stock, meaning you can view the car from the comfort of your own home. If you would like to take advantage of this new service, please contact us. We can even deliver the car to your door on a transporter.

Your local MOT Testing MOTs Station

MOTs £40

Spratley’s, the family garage will keep you MOToring (by appointment only)

0118 933 2338 www.spratleys.co.uk

60/62 Victoria Road | Mortimer | Reading | RG7 3SG 7

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fety ultations in the sa ns co e lin on m. u yo – ay from 9am 2p w able to offer Aspire Clinic is no ur own home from Monday to Frid nity to meet with and comfort of yo

and give you an opportu eo consultations d explore best treatment options o vid e lin on ry ta en als an ll s wi us y sc nn di Je to n. ill io These complim at Ne rejuven ctor, Jenny O’ cal skincare azing skin and body Aspire Clinic’s Dire s to achieving am m our exciting new range of medi ep st xt ne e th y fro s nt identif . me or at do tre e home ly to your be able to prescribe products can be delivered direct es th d an ts uc od pr

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COMPLIMENTARY ONLINE VIDEO CONSULTATIONS

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Vitamin C speeds up the skin’s natural repair system, reduces pigmentation, evens skin tone, retains moisture and reduces fine lines and wrinkles. The topical form of Vitamin C is also well known for being a potent antioxidant, which protects the skin from the damage caused by harmful free radicals found in pollution and UVA and UVB rays. Obagi Medical Professional-C products contain a unique Vitamin C formula in its most stable form, enabling it to penetrate deep into the skin and to remain there long-term, thereby delivering and maintaining maximum antioxidant benefit.

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9 www.aspireclinic.com

A FRUITY

Gincident

g gin. (noun) [gin-sa-dent] ent or occurrence involvin v e a happening,

red gin markaret ou av fl ’s K U e th of The value a staggering 751% last ye increased by the juniper berry-flavoured after sales ofmillion bottles. It seems we n spirit hit 73 et enough of the stuff, and whed Brits can’t g etting fruity, we’re pretty goo it comes to g are just some of our favouritea at it too! Here-based recipes (and yes, it was summer fuit n at VEHQ when we tested them) fun afternoo e name of research, obviously. out - all in th

VEGAN MANGO GIN FLIP

This has lovely velvety ture (from the aquafaba) andtex a refreshingly tropical fla ur from the mango and limvo e. Serves 1 35ml aquafaba (the water from canned chickpeas) 15ml simple syrup 15ml lime juice 35ml gin (I used Cotswold) 30ml mango puree ice

coriandercooks.com

Add the remaining ingred ien and plenty of ice and vigoro ts shake again. Strain into cou usly shaped glasses, garnish andpe serve.

Shake the aquafaba for a min on its own in a cocktail sha ute For a non vegan version, switch ker, the aquafaba for an egg this helps to aerate it. wh and shake well with the othite er ingredients

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it tasted ming Wo a local Slim we were amazed that s, u cumber ly delicio es, apple, cuand a ng ra o s, Method ie rawberr monade Throw the st a pitcher, add the le d give it a stir. res to an Makes 2 Lit f Diet Lemonade in t ar g in m ne and o mic vi hed ice. 2ltr Bottle mic Vinegar oon of balsa sses with a bit of crusust us, sp le b ta sa - but tr hball gla 1tbsp Bal esh Mint Serve in hig with vinegar, we knowcohol version, d al handful of frrange d o an s r d fo un : So ee. We ng! PS 1chopped o ple ll worth tryi this - but it’s not syn fr e w ’s it ap d wberries you can add gin to 1choppe c. opped stra as tasty - hi 8 frozen ch ber chopped did and it w m cu cu a 1/2

10 10

LAVENDER

RHUBARB

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This purple co cktail idea is summer. Fille great to ake d this lavender syru with fresh strawberrm ie p s, a rh n d ubarb, g in , this refreshin drink is prett y and delicio g su m mer us!

Serves 1 50ml Gin 1/2 tablespo on 1/2 teaspoon lavender syrup 100ml tonic wcreme de Violette ater ice rhubarb stalk strawberry sl for garnish ices for garnis h Into a cocktail plump ripe st shaker add a single ra one-inch piec wberry and two es barb. Using a of fresh rhumuddler mash the

Leisure

strawberry an to release the d pieces of rhubarb ice. Add gin, la juices. Add 1 cup of the creme de vender syrup, and violette.

Using a long-h spoon give th andled cocktail bar e turns. Add the mixture several the mixture in tonic water. Strain glass filled w to a chilled highball it with stalks of h fresh ice. Garnish of strawberry.rhubarb and slices

STRAWBERRY PASSION FRUIT CRUSH Developed for the Dragon’s Den backed Craft Gin Club, this cocktail is an absolute belter!

or cool. In a tall glass, muddle the lime and mint leaves with your now-cool syrup – this will sweeten the drink, so adjust the levels to your taste, but 15ml is a good place to start. Add ice, then the passion fruit juice, coconut water and gin. Gently Begin by making a honey mix to combine. Pour sparkling water syrup. Bring 250ml of over the top until the water to the boil in a saucepan. Remove from glass is three-quarters the heat, add the honey full. Garnish with sliced and stir until well-mixed. strawberries and mint. www.craftginclub.co.uk Pour your syrup into a pitcher or a glass 1tsp honey 8 fresh mint leaves Half of a lime, quartered 75ml passion fruit juice (from 1 large passionfruit) 75ml coconut water 50ml gin Sparkling water 2 sliced strawberries

FRESH PEACH COOLER Refreshing and fruity, this is just - er - peachy! Serves 1 1/2 ripe peach, sliced 50ml gin 100ml tonic water, Fever Tree is my fave! 25ml fresh lime juice crushed ice rosemary sprigs for garnish lime wedges for garnish Fill a glass with a few peach wedges and crushed ice. Pour

the gin over the ice, then the tonic and squeeze in the lime juice. Stir a few times to combine. Serve immediately with a rosemary sprig popped in for colour. Don’t forget to eat the peaches!

To contribute, advertise or let us know your news please call 0118 933 3311 or email info@villageeye.co.uk

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eye on Finan

at BlueSKY by Jeremy Jackson

s we enter our third month in lockdown, we have taken a moment to reflect on some of the positive things that we have learned so far. Over the last couple of months it has been very much ‘business as usual’ for Bluesky as the wonders of modern technology have allowed us to all work safely from home and access all of the IT systems that we need in order to continue providing our clients with an excellent service. Undoubtedly one aspect of the ‘lockdown world’ which seems to be common amongst many firms is the ability to communicate with clients and to have virtual meetings online. We have found these to be extremely useful during potentially stressful times for clients and by using some of the sophisticated financial software that we employ in our financial planning process, we have been able to give our clients a great deal of reassurance around the current market volatility. We realised when the Covid-19 virus first started to cause turbulence in the markets that it was important to communicate with our clients on a regular basis and we have endeavored to keep them regularly updated with relevant articles and

newsletters as and when we see fit. Aside from running a business in a ‘virtual world’, there have been lots of positives to take away from spending more time at home. Outside of work the Bluesky team, have been busy, many have been exercising regularly (with cycling and on-line exercise classes proving popular), home baking is popular (hence the need for regular exercise) and everyone’s gardens are looking fantastic. Of course, one of the hardest aspects of the lockdown is not being able to see our extended family. Again, technology has provided an invaluable way for us to keep in touch with mums and dads, brothers and sisters and grandparents. Going back to the ‘day job’ we have found that our clients really value working with a business who puts their needs at the top of the agenda. We recognise that for those people who have pensions and investments and are nearing retirement (or in retirement) and have seen the values of those investments fall the market shock has been quite stressful. At Bluesky we place a great deal of emphasis on the financial planning aspect of the work we do – this creates the foundation and a road map for financial success. Very early on in our conversations with new clients we assess their ability to take on investment risk and to try and give context to that risk by showing them examples of what would happen to their plan in the event of a major

E B UNCwi th us ACK )

To contribute, advertise or let us know your news please call 0118 933 3311 or email hello@villageeye.co.uk

shock such as we have just experienced. To the vast majority of our clients the recent market turbulence will not have impacted their long-term plans. Through our initial discussions and identifying what really matters to them (what is the lifestyle that you aspire to?) we have been able to build robust plans which ultimately are capable of weathering a financial storm. If you have been worried by the recent stock market turbulence and how this may impact your future plans please get in touch as we’d love to hear from you. You may have the following questions: • Can I still afford to retire? • How have the market falls impacted on my pensions and investments? • Can I still draw the same of level of income from my investments or do I need to alter this? • I used to manage my own funds but now I’m not so sure. Jeremy Jackson is a Chartered Financial Planner at Bluesky Chartered Financial Planners. www.blueskyifas.co.uk 0118 987 6655

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Zest

on the L

up your marketing with Andrea Hall

WE ARE STILL HERE FOR YOU

A freelance Marketing Consultant offering small businesses: Social & Web assistance/advice, copywriting and general Marketing advice during tough times. Bounceback plans are a speciality. Andrea will write anything too! Call now for a free Her clients have been in finance, chat & advice. accounts, software & medical. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also undertaken extensive charity publicity work. 0118 983 3261 07879 810006 andreahall.marketing@gmail.com

Make provision for the things you love (with a little help from us)

In these uncertain times, we would like to reassure you that we are doing everything we can to keep our services running as close to normal as possible whilst protecting the health and safety of both clients and staff. We have put in place remote working for all departments and are able to continue offering a full service to all our existing and new clients but we have taken the decision to temporarily close all our offices. Appointments can still take place via telephone, FaceTime, Skype or other online platforms. Kindly contact one of the numbers below to arrange an appointment time and manner in which it will take place. Please visit our website which contains emails for our staff and details of all our services. www.rowberrymorris.co.uk Family team: 0118 982 3781 Private Client team: 0118 982 3782

Personalised Financial Planning

For an initial consultation call us on:

Property team: 0118 982 3773

Commercial property team: 0118 982 3773 Litigation / Dispute resolution: 0118 9516623 Employment: 0118 951 6621 Care: 0118 9516604 Accounts: 0118 951 6641 By putting in place these contingency measures, we intend to offer as normal a service as possible throughout the duration of this unprecedented pandemic. We are confident that by working together, we can find solutions to any problems arising, thereby reducing as far as possible any impact on our clients and minimising risks to health.

Rowberry Morris thank you for your understanding at this very difficult time. We hope you and your loved ones stay safe.

0118 987 6655 info@blueskyifas.co.uk www.blueskyifas.co.uk

BLUESKY Chartered Financial Planners is a trading style of BLUESKY Independent Financial Advisers LLP which is authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

learn

LOCKDOWN LINGO

Don’t be a “covidiot” - make sure your pandemic parlance is up to scratch!

Antisocial distancing

Using health precautions as an excuse for snubbing neighbours and generally ignoring people you find irritating.

From coronacoaster to zumping, we have a new lexicon in the age of Covid-19 - and we’re not afraid to use it.

Blue Skype thinking

Around the world, coronavirus is changing how we speak and the words we use. Whilst there are elements of the last few months that we will gladly banish to the archives, the new words we’ve learned are almost certainly here to stay.

Coughin’ dodger

A work brainstorming session which takes place over a videoconferencing app. Such meetings might also be termed a “Zoomposium”. Naturally, they are to be avoided if at all possible. Someone so alarmed by an innocuous splutter or throatclear that they back away in terror.

Coronadose

An overdose of bad news from consuming too much media during a time of crisis. Can result in a panicdemic.

Coronials

As opposed to millennials, this refers to the future generation of babies conceived or born during coronavirus quarantine. They might also become known as “Generation C” or, more spookily, “Children of the Quarn”.

Covid-10

The 10lbs in weight that we’re all gaining from comforteating and comfort-drinking. Also known as “fattening the curve”.

Coronacoaster

The ups and downs of your mood during the pandemic. You’re loving lockdown one minute but suddenly weepy with anxiety the next. It truly is “an emotional coronacoaster”.

After Q

Before Q

Elephant in the Zoom

The glaring issue during a videoconferencing call that nobody feels able to mention. E.g. one participant has dramatically put on weight, suddenly sprouted terrible facial hair or has a worryingly messy house visible in the background.

Furlough Merlot

Wine consumed in an attempt to relieve the frustration of not working. Also known as “bored-eaux” or “cabernet tedium”.

Overheard on Twitter

“My boss turned himself into a

potato on our Microsoft Te ams meeting and couldn’t work out how to turn the setting off, so he stuck like it the whole meeting! ”

Goutbreak

The sudden fear that you’ve consumed so much wine, cheese, home-made cake and chocolate in lockdown that your ankles are swelling up like a medieval king’s.

Le Creuset wrist

It’s the new “avocado hand” - an aching arm after taking one’s best saucepan outside to bang during the weekly ‘Clap For Carers.’ It might be heavy but you’re keen to impress the neighbours with your high-quality kitchenware.

Mask-ara

Extra make-up applied to “make one’s eyes pop” before venturing out in public wearing a face mask.

Quarantinis

Experimental cocktails mixed from whatever random ingredients you have left in the house. The boozy equivalent of a store cupboard supper. Southern Comfort and Ribena quarantini with a glacé cherry garnish, anyone? These are sipped at “locktail hour”, ie. wine o’clock during lockdown, which seems to be creeping earlier with each passing week.

Quentin Quarantino

An attention-seeker using their time in lockdown to make amateur films which they’re convinced are funnier & cleverer than they are.

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Wuhan-ker or Covidiot

One who ignores public health advice or behaves with reckless disregard for the safety of others can be said to display ‘covidiocy’ or be ‘covidiotic’. Also called a ‘LockClown’’.

Zumping

For break-ups in the time of social distancing, zumping is a slang for dumping someone over Zoom, or any video calling service.

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eye tech

WHAT DOES IT KNOW ABOUT

YOU? 18

ikTok is the mobile application most downloaded so far this year. It’s been downloaded two billion times and was the fastest downloaded application of all time. For those of you not familiar with it, essentially, it’s a make it yourself and share it video entertainment application. It plugs right into the human brain by pushing the buttons of our desire for micro entertainment and “connecting”. Given we were locked in our houses for the last three months the downloading of the TikTok app has been as exponential as any virus. If you want to take a look around it, you will find vast quantities of video content. People throwing pies in their faces, people dancing, people singing, people doing the most inane things. Some are terrible, some are hilarious. Think of it like short video music karaoke clips. The app thrives on trending hashtags and allows anyone to become the star. And that’s really the appeal. It’s taken over from Vine and is the most recent trendy app. No doubt it will fall from favour when another one comes along. But what are you trading off to get access to this micro entertainment? As we all know, there is no such thing as a free lunch. The answer is pretty simple. You are selling your data. You may not entirely realise it but companies like TikTok and Facebook (there are many more) who want access to the most valuable currency in the world today, your data. When they know more about you, they can sell that

information to people that want to access it. Now I know this has been going on for many years, but it has taken somewhat of a jump forward recently. Especially with applications like TikTok (which is potentially more sinister) and the latest version of Facebook. I don’t think it’s a surprise to us that companies like Facebook have become immensely wealthy by selling our information. But what if they were sticking their tentacles into other information on your phone? Websites you have looked at, your contacts, pictures of you, videos you have taken things, you consider private. Let’s think about the value of this information by giving you an example. It’s just an example, I’m not saying this is a real world situation... Imagine that you have a child that’s just about to start at school. You look online for school shoes. All you do is go to Google using your browser and search some website it suggests. Now imagine there is a shoe manufacturer and they want to sell you their shoes. They go to facebook and target this as a filter for advertising. People with children of school starting age and people that went to shoe websites. Now you start to see adverts from a shoe company in your Facebook feed. They target you specifically for a range that competes with the largest brand. They know you have a boy or a girl and they can be that specific on what to target. Fair enough for Facebook to look at things you see in Facebook, but you never gave it the right to stick it’s tentacles elsewhere.. Or did you ? Well actually you did – You agreed to its terms and conditions and let’s be honest who reads all that stuff when you install an app on a phone? Have a look at the Facebook settings. There is something called “Off Facebook Activity” (It’s quite buried (have a look at Google to see where it is). But this allows you to control what Facebook tracks about things like the websites you visited. They use this tracking information to sell your information via Facebook to advertisers. But if you don’t like this you now have the option to turn it off.

You might be perfectly happy with it. I mean if you accept that Facebook is a business and they are there to make money, and the model of their business is to sell access to advertising targets, (you) and you accept that you will be advertised to when you use Facebook you may has well have adverts for something that’s interesting to you rather than not interesting to you. I’m not saying there is anything wrong at all with this. But you should know they do it. Now back to TikTok. Is there something more sinister going on here? Typically I don’t believe in conspiracy theories so I will leave it up to you to make a decision. If we accept that in today’s society information is a very powerful currency, and if you can control access to that information, you have both the power and the ability to create some form of propaganda. In other words, when you get people addicted, then you become the gate keeper to the drug. Would you take a different view of that trivial little video app that’s only a bit of fun if I told you it was owned by a Chinese company (ByteDance). Chinese companies are obliged to report back to the state whatever information they are asked to provide. Yes, that is Chinese law.

any government device to access TikTok. They consider it a National Security threat. Indeed a lawsuit has been filed that claims "TikTok clandestinely has vacuumed up and transferred to servers in China vast quantities of private and personallyidentifiable user data that can be employed to identify, profile, and track the location and activities of users in the United States now and in the future," But its not just the USA, Australia is shouting about TikTok too. This is information that they sucked up from your phone when the app was installed. It’s a simple point really. Just be as aware as you can be about what these applications are looking at. And if you are Olly Murs - we love your Mrs Doubtfire sketch! Be vigilant,

Eye Geek.

Although TikTok will most likely say that they don’t send anything back or they don’t moderate their app, there is a surprising lack of any political comments on TikTok so it must have been moderated somewhere. The US government claims to have evidence that information has been transferred back to China. So much of a concern is it that the USA has banned all government officials using

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eyetech

It’s the new way of working but is it working for you?

ow, more than ever, office workers are finding themselves working out of their home. At first, this was a welcome to change to most - no more daily commute or ‘office wear’, let alone makeup. What a novelty!

deal with your productivity. If you’re employed by a company, it’s important to ask for what you need to get your job done comfortably, including the right monitor, keyboard, mouse, chair, printer and software.

But now we’ve all had time to settle, it’s become apparent that working from home also brings its own challenges. We’ve all had to think about where to work, when to work and how to keep a semblance of work/life balance, and there have been office equipment challenges for many (printers, ink, paper…), a sense of isolation and for some, the challenge of home schooling, too.

In an ideal world, remote employees would have two computers, one for work and one for personal use. Barnaby admitted, “For most people, this isn’t realistic, but for security, you may want to partition your hard drive and create a separate user account for work.”

Not so easy after all, eh? We have looked into some dos and dont’s of working from home and asked Burghfield-based Barnaby Relf, IT guru, who owns local business IT as a Service, his thoughts on our top tips. Create a Dedicated Work Space Setting aside a space for work is key, both mentally and practically. It can be a spare room, an office desk or just a clean part of your kitchen table. Knowing this is your place of work can help a great

Use a Separate Work Number Having a separate phone number helps you to manage your work-life balance. Barnaby suggests, “Set up a phone number that you only use for calls with work colleagues and customers. It doesn’t have to be a landline or even a SIM card. It can be a free VoIP service, such as a Google Voice.” Of course, if your company have supplied you with a mobile phone, this is already ticked off the list. Agree ’The Rules’ If you are working at home with children – young or old - it is important that some ground rules are agreed. Barnaby told us, ‘I have had so many calls recently for tech support because young children

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a w a e k a F Mc the lockdown id m a d se lo c ke main ts and bars re oronavirus. Popular treats liow n ra u a st re K U c n s are ad of Across the mbat the spre d even Greggs sausage roll off. Luckily o c to s n io it d n sc n co their favourite FC, Wagga’s a McDonald's, K at home as the public miss en arches, Wagamama’s e being made lovely folk over at the gold ost popular recipes at th ent eir m for us, the sed some of th ke us too long to find a dec of a le re ll a s g g rtesy n’t ta and Gre line either, cou wn... And it did start of lockdo nger lickin’ chicken treat onThe Avo Kiddo! cheat for a fi chicken lovin’ Tok Tokker, fried YOU’LL NEED: 200g Chicken breasts Egg Salt Pepper Chilli powder Flour Cornflakes Oil - to fry HOW TO: Combine all the ingredients for the Big Mac sauce in a bowl. Add salt to taste, then place in the fridge to chill until the main burger is ready. Chop your dill pickles, lettuce and onion down until you are left with small chunks or slices. Season the mince with salt and p epper, then form into four equal-sized balls. Once these are finished, flatten them until you have four circular patties, each one measuring around 6in across.

HOW TO: First, season an egg with salt, pepper, and however much chilli pepper you would like. Whisk this mixture together until fully combined. In a separate bowl, mix chilli pepper and flour together, and use this to coat the chicken breast. Dip the flour-covered chicken breast in the egg mixture. Then, pour cornflakes onto a plate and dip the egg-covered chicken in the cornflakes, making sure the chicken breast is fully covered. Finally, fry the covered chicken breast in hot oil until it is golden brown. You can either eat as is and accompany with chips, or create an at home Zinger burger.

Fry two patties at a time in olive oil for around two minutes on each side. While frying, lightly toast the hamburger buns under the grill. Assemble your burger, placing the cheese slices underneath the patties, and enjoy.

Big Hac YOU’LL NEED: 2 dill pickles, thinly sliced ¼ iceberg lettuce, shredded ½ white onion, finely chopped 400g beef mince 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 sesame seed burger buns 2 slices of cheddar cheese

For the Big Mac sauce: 300g mayonnaise 2 tsp vinegar Pinch of white pepper 2 tsp mild mustard 1½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp sweet smoked paprika

Fries can be achieved by sprinkling table salt onto french fries before putting them in the oven. If frying, add table salt on afterwards

ays eye Food

wagafaka Katsu Curry

HOW TO: Fry the finely chopped onion, garlic, and chilli in vegetable oil until soft. Ensure the pan is on a low to medium heat to avoid burning anything. Add your spices and cook on a low to medium heat until fragrant. Add the flour to the pan and cook it off a bit, it's this roux which will make your sauce deliciously thick and silky. Add the stock bit by bit, stirring as you go, followed by your coconut milk. Finish with your sugar and soy sauce. Leave to simmer. Strain through a sieve to make it super smooth. Toss the chopped meat/veg in flour. Coat in egg (or, if you are veggie/vegan, in a batter you have created from the 50g of flour and 150ml water) Toss in panko crumbs Fry evenly on both sides until crisp. To serve, generously heap the rice onto your plate, add the fried chicken or veg, pop a little dressed salad on the side, and liberally pour the curry sauce on top.

GREGGS SAUSAGE ROLL YOUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;LL NEED: For the sausage: 700g minced pork 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 2 tsp dried mixed herbs 1 tsp chopped fresh sage 1 tsp chopped thyme leaves

SAUCE INGREDIENTS 2 tbsp. vegetable oil 1 onion, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed 2 piece of ginger, grated 1 tsp. turmeric 2 tbsp. mild curry powder 1 tbsp. plain flour 300 ml chicken or veg stock 100 ml coconut milk 1 tsp. light soy sauce 1 tsp. sugar, to taste

(Cheat tip if time is short: Yutaka Katsu sauce - available most large supermarkets tastes just as good) KATSU INGREDIENTS 120 g rice (any rice will do) 1 portion katsu curry sauce 2 skinless chicken breasts 50 g plain flour 2 eggs, lightly beaten 100 g panko breadcrumbs 75 ml vegetable oil, (for deep-frying)

Salt & ground black pepper 100g breadcrumbs For the casing: Ready-made puff pastry 1 egg, lightly beaten

HOW TO: Preheat the oven to 200C and combine the sausage ingredients, except the breadcrumbs, in a bowl. Then mix in the breadcrumbs. Remove your puff pastry from the fridge and roll into a fairly shallow rÂ ectangle at least 24cm long. Roll the meat into a long, thin sausage and place on the pastry. Roll the pastry around the sausage. Brush on some egg wash to seal the edge of the pastry. Trim any excess before covering the roll in egg wash and scoring with a knife. Place the rolls on the lined baking tray and bake for 20 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.

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Mortimer Physiotherapy practice

Sausage Lover? Join A Sausage Making Workshop! Is there a Sausage Lover in your family? If your Sausage Lover would enjoy having-ago at making their very own sausages and getting tips and tricks from the experts at The Mortimer Sausage Co then a Sausage Making Workshop is banging! This also sounds like a great activity for a hen-party or group get-together! Mortimer-based workshops are being planned on various Sundays in the coming months and will run from 10am - 2pm for between 4 and 6. At a very reasonable £50, you’ll get hands on sausage-making experience, hints for making at home and ‘appropriate liquid refreshment’.

With unlimited wine, beer and cider on offer during the workshop, you’ll also get to take home some tasters of what you’ve made, 3 packs of sausages from The Mortimer Sausage Co. and a luxury embroided Mortimer Sausage Co. branded apron!

BACK OR NECK PAIN? SPORTS INJURIES? POST OPERATIVE REHABILITATION? MUSCLE/TENDON STRAIN?

So who’s in? Would-be participants are invited to register their interest by phoning Glyn on 07825 885 848 or email: glyn. charlesworth@icloud.com

ONLINE & VIDEO CONSULTATIONS AVAILABLE NOW www.mortimerphysio.co.uk Tel: 0118 933 3896 info@mortimerphysio.co.uk Text: 07951 840643

ESTABLISHED FOR 15 YEARS, YOUR LOCAL PRIVATE PHYSIOTHERAPY CLINIC. NOW ACCEPTING NHS REFERRALS (NHS REFERRALS ACCEPTED FROM WEST BERKSHIRE GPs)

need Dentures? we can help!

Paul Moorcroft, a clinical dental technologist. Paul has over 39 years of experience in providing new dentures and denture repairs.

Quality tuition at affordable prices Fun and exciting dance classes Ballet, Tap, Modern, Street, from 2 - yrs to adults Gymnastic Dance Musical Theatre Course from 5 yrs

h a V om va is e ila its bl e

• Professional Advice • Dentures • Partial Dentures • Denture Repairs • Suction Dentures

Singing, Drama, Street Dance

ONLINE CLASSES AVAILABLE NOW Free trial lessons available To find out more, please contact Louise on 01189 868000

info@allstardance.co.uk www.allstardance.co.uk

To make an appointment please call:

0118 930 3965

www.abacusdentalstudio.co.uk

Abacus Dental Studio | Ground Floor | 15 High Street | Theale | RG7 5AH

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Bradfield Weddings Set in the idyllic Berkshire countryside, Bradfield College is the perfect location for a quintessentially English wedding. Our experienced team will create your unique wedding day in our spectacular location. Exclusively yours, Bradfield College can offer a range of beautiful rooms and spaces for your special day. We are fully licensed to hold civil ceremonies from 40 to 150 guests from a choice of three beautiful rooms; the Dining Hall, the Warden’s Room and the Linnell Room. Whether you want to treat 150 guests to an elaborate wedding breakfast, or want to keep things small and intimate for a ceremony in our Warden’s Room, we will work with you to create your wedding day, your way.

Fully-licensed for ceremonies and receptions, the college prides itself on bespoke wedding packages to suit a range of needs and themes. For couples looking for a spectacular venue, viewing Bradfield College is an essential choice.

T: 0118 964 4570

www.bradfieldweddings.co.uk enterprises@bradfieldcollege.org.uk

We pride ourselves on our fantastic service, our exemplary culinary choices and our stunning surroundings. Situated between Reading and Newbury, the College is conveniently located from main transport links. Just a short drive from the M4 and you will enter a truly magical setting, hidden from the hustle and bustle of the city. • Exclusively yours – only one wedding a day • Flexibility to create your day, your way • Easily accessible, idyllic countryside location • Fully licensed for civil ceremonies up to 150 guests • First class catering • Evening receptions for up to 220 guests • Dedicated wedding coordinator Our annual Wedding Fair offers you the opportunity to come along and tour our spectacular grounds, historical function rooms in a unique and unspoiled location, convenient for both Reading and Newbury. You will be able to tour the facilities or simply meet some of the best wedding service providers in the area. For the timebeing, we are offering virtual tours of the facilities. Email for more details.

Personal Virtual Tours Available To arrange yours email: enterprises@bradfieldcollege.org.uk

Bradfield, Berkshire RG7 6AU 31

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to order your Sunday Buffet Delivery! www.burghfieldspices.com

Zoom with the Kids!

Classes

When we were asked to stay at home back in March, most of us didn’t expect to still be at home come April let alone for the new summer term, but here we are. As well as missing school friends, many children are also missing out on their after-school activities – drama, dance, music, sport and scouts, just to name a few. But you can’t hold a good club down, and we’ve discovered the following local clubs and classes who have successfully switched to online sessions amid all of the chaos.

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Scouts AWAY! 1st Burghfield & Sulhamstead Scouts have been up to all sorts on Zoom! Beavers have been holding virtual campfires, scavenger hunts, action story telling, held a virtual pet show - and even jined in a national effort to ‘hike to the moon’ in aid of Sport Relief. Cubs have been keeping fit with exercise classes and had a virtual visit from the Blue Cross animal walfare society. Scouts have been remotely improving their campcraft skills and even safely practicing their axe and saw skills! Meanwhile, Explorers have been keeping themselves busy in virtual escape rooms and taking part in lots of fun quizzes. If you’d like to find our more about joining in with the fun, visit www.1stbands.org

The Rock Project Everyone’s favourite school of rock and pop – The Rock Project – has moved its classes online (previously at Burghfield St Mary’s Primary School) with glowing reports. Not only are they offering group tuition on guitar, keyboard and vocals on Zoom, they are also offering one to one support via video outside of the group classes if students are struggling to perfect their technique with tricky parts of the music. They teach in two age bands: 7-11 and 12-18, so if your child would like to start rocking out and #stayathome, just get in touch. www.berkshire.therockproject.com/ Brownies! Local Browniesembraced technology during half term to deliver a virtual Brownie Camp to their young members. With everyone having to stay at home right now and missing Brownie meetings, holding a virtual camp seemed the perfect thing to do. The virtual camp, run over Zoom, included den building, pizza making, craft and, of course, a sing-song around the camp fire! Best of all, a special Brownie badge for Virtual Camp 2020 has been made for all the participants! If you are interested in joining your local brownie group, visit: www.girlguiding.org.uk All Stars Theatre Academy Our local dance school, All Stars, made a quick switch to Zoom as soon as lockdown was announced, meaning that dance students didn’t miss a step and have been taking classes in their living rooms ever since, along with some parents I’m sure! One of the benefits has been that students who have recently moved away have been able to re-join classes. With many dance schools in Berkshire halting classes during lockdown, Louise Cleghorn, Principal of All Stars, is offering dance students to join as guests during this period in order to keep up with their studies until their own school re-opens. www.allstardance.co.uk StageAbility Drama Classes Our local drama school, StageAbility, has now taken to Zoom to deliver weekly drama classes to its students who are aged from 5 to 17. StageAbility is known for its fun, confidence-boosting games and drama exercises and these have translated well to online classes. It can be likened to The Muppet Show with everyone having their own performing box! Some activities have had to be adjusted, while others have been newly created to make the most of the new way of teaching. Classes are running on different days for different age groups, Take a look at their time table and see which session suits you! https://stageability.class4kids.co.uk To contribute, advertise or let us know your news please call 0118 933 3311 or email hello@villageeye.co.uk

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Jubilee Day Nursery remains a childcare hub for the community

Jubilee Day Nursery, in Padworth, is one of very few settings that has remained open in West Berkshire during the Covid-19 outbreak. The nursery has been a hub throughout the pandemic, supporting the local community by providing childcare for children of key/critical workers. This has included NHS workers, police, doctors at local GP practices and members of staff working at AWE. The nursery staff and children adapted tremendously to the change and have continued to enjoy their indoor and outdoor activities, as well as their woodland walks, Forest School sessions, gardening and Cosmic Yoga.

Give your child a truly unique experience..

Jubilee Day Nursery remains a childcare hub for the community

And the fun hasn’t stopped there....last month signs of spring were everywhere amongst Jubilee’s 60 acres. Children spotted blankets of bluebells on their nature walks and welcomed bonny little lambs to the farm. While parties and celebrations are usually special events at Jubilee, the staff still managed to throw a memorable week of VE Day celebrations to commemorate the 75th anniversary.

Celebrating in style, the nursery was transformed with red, white and blue flags, while staff and children could be seen dancing and playing old fashioned games in their 1940’s clothes. A special tea party was held on 8th May, with traditional food served by the nursery’s cook. An old tractor even made a special appearance, much to the children’s delight! Throughout the ‘lockdown’ period, the staff and children at Jubilee have also stayed in contact with their friends at home; sharing plenty of photos, messages and funny videos. Hopeful to reopen to all children

Following Government advice, Jubilee Day Nursery and it’s term-time sister nursery, Jubilee Gems, are hopeful to reopen to all children on Monday 1st June. Children of non-key workers will be able to re-join the settings should parents require. For more information please contact: Jubilee Day Nursery - 0118 970 1600 Jubilee Gems - 0118 983 4018

The management team will be happy to help and answers any questions you may have.

Jubilee’s core principle will continue to be the safety and wellbeing of its children and staff, and will remain agile and adjust as we all go through this period of recovery. We look forward to welcoming you and your little ones back to the nursery once again!

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Give your child a truly unique experience...

With a highly regarded reputation and experts in outdoor learning, Jubilee provides the very best mix of learning, discovery and play for babies and children aged 3 months to 5 years of age. • Set in 60 acres, with private woodlands, gardens and a working farm • A highly experienced and caring team • Experts in outdoor learning, with Forest School sessions • Freshly prepared food • Funding available • Established since 1977 Conveniently situated in Padworth, central between Co Newbury Reading and Basingstoke.

For more information please contact us on:

0118 970 1600 To request a prospectus visit:

www.jubileedaynursery.co.uk

REOPEN FROM 20TH MAY

Golf Membership 7 Day Annual Membership: £700 or £70 per month by direct debit (was £850) 5 Day Annual Membership: £500 or £50 per month by direct debit (was £605) Intermediate 18-30 years old: £415 annual payment (was £499) Playmore golf flexible membership £325 (www.playmore.golf)

Call us on: 0118 933 4000

Full membership benefits, terms and conditions and online booking can be found at: www.devere.co.uk/wokefield-estate/golf