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As I write this, we’re flying towards the end of Au gust and sadly leaving Summer behind us. Many of you will have been and returned from your holi days and kids and parents are psyching them selves up for the return to school. (note to self: need to buy daughter’s school uniform in next few days). Whilst I’m yet to take a holiday this year, I have recently discovered the joys of camping. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not sure I could do a whole week (although I may surprise myself), but a couple of nights most definitely. Having recently set off to Gloucester with complete trepidation, a new tent, that no one had a clue how to erect, and a car full of blankets, I had the calming back up plan of booking into a hotel around the corner should it all go wrong. Arriving with about an hour of daylight left, we not only managed to erect two tents, grab a takeaway and spend the evening having a drink under the stars, but we were even up and cooking a full English breakfast on our newly purchased stoves the following morning. It was fun, in fact I haven’t laughed so much in ages and we’re all now eagerly planning our next es cape. If, like me, you haven’t been camping since you were a kid, I’d recommend giving it a try. Just make sure there’s at least a B & B around the corner (just in case) and a pub within walking dis tance! Well, I’m off to buy school shirts and maybe a few more camping accessories.
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Tel: 01895 835907 Mob: 07759 536494 In and Around Magazines cover: West Drayton . Iver . Denham . Uxbridge Ickenham . Ruislip Angela Fisher 01895 835907 / 07759 536494 info@inandaroundpublishing.co.uk
www.inandaroundpublishing.co.uk
Wordsearch 6 Super duper science facts 6 Children’s Puzzle Page 8 Whats the alternative: Reflexology 10 Tech: Pick a side Apple or Android? 12 Cake & Bake: Coffee Cream Eclairs 14 Wildlife Zone 16 Road Test: Volkswagen Polo 1.2 TSI 20 Travel: Cape Verde 22 Short Story: Windfalls 24 Coffee Break Puzzles 26 Computer Helpdesk 28 Beauty: The science behind skincare 30 The Myths that never die 32 Should my child have a mobile phone? 34 Your guide to heart health 36 History: What happened in September 2001 42 Opinion: Car Insurance 44 Reader Holidays 48 You’re never too old to make a difference 50 Coaching from the Heart 52 Local Events 54 Citizens Advice Bureau 56 RSPCA Re Homing Appeal 56 Richings Park Residents Association 58 Gardening Feature 60 Iver/Iver Heath Schools Community 62 Pets Corner 64 Puzzle Solutions 65 Around Britain Trivia: 5 Non Native Birds 66 Clubs, Groups & Classes 72,74,76 & 78
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Paintings of your home
House Portraits
Artist Philip (Pip) Heath will paint a picture of your home or favourite building in the style of those shown here using acrylics onto a canvas stretcher ready to hang on your wall. The painting could be framed to your taste with or without reflective or non reflective glass and borders. Pip will normally discuss the painting with you and will take some photographs for reference, you should allow four to six weeks for completion of the painting and you are welcome to see how it is progressing, photographs can be emailed to you as it takes shape. Alternatively you could email some photographs of your home for reference from any part of the country. You will have a completely original painting that is absolutely exclusive to you. You can also visit the website to view other work.
Phone: 01753 650221 Call direct: 07957 166671 enquiries@hugoheathcliff.com www.hugoheathcliff.com 11
Pick A Side: Apple or Android? Is Apple where it’s at, or are Android gadgets better buys?
Apple is due to launch the latest, greatest iPhone this September along with iOS 8, the latest version of its smartphone and tablet software. The phone will have a bigger screen and a better camera, but one thing won’t change: like all Apple gadgets, it won’t be cheap. Apple isn’t the only game in town, though. Google’s Android system has been updated too, and Android phones and tablets from the likes of Samsung, HTC, LG and Sony are often just as pretty and just as powerful as anything Apple makes - and in many cases they’re a good bit cheaper too. Android isn’t quite as simple or as elegant as Apple’s iOS, but there’s not much in it - and where Apple only makes a handful of devices, with Android there are dozens of phones and tablets to choose from. Unless you’re a big Apple fan then, is Android the smarter choice? Unfortunately it’s a bit more complicated than that. Apple and Google don’t just want to be your friend when you buy a phone or a tablet. They want to be part of your entire life. They want to be the 12
companies you from whom you buy your music, movies, TV programmes and books, the companies who provide your in-car entertainment and navigation systems, the companies who handle all your messages, voice and video calls, the companies who connect all of the appliances in your home and who track your health and fitness. By the end of this year both firms will have smart watches or wristbands that monitor your vital signs, set-top boxes that stream music and video to your TV, software that connects to cars from the likes of Volvo, Nissan, Audi and Mercedes, music and movie streaming services and home automation systems - and that’s just the stuff we know about. This means you need to consider the bigger picture. It’s not just about the particular phone or tablet you want to buy, but what techy types call the ecosystem: the various things that the phone or tablet connects to and gets content from. For example, if you fancy Apple’s clever Apple TV system, you won’t get the best from it unless you also have an Apple phone or tablet; if you
want to use an Android smart watch, it’ll work best with an Android phone; if you’re a fan of iTunes Match you can’t use it on Android, and so on. Consider what your friends, family and colleagues use. Apple’s iMessage offers free SMS and MMS messages (and soon, voice messages too), but only to other iMessage users - and iMessage isn’t available on Android. FaceTime offers free video calling, but it can’t call Android users (although Google’s alternative, Hangouts, does work on Apple devices. As a rule of thumb Google services work on Apple kit but not vice-versa. Increasingly, then, choosing a phone or tablet is more like picking a football team to support or voting for a political party: the available choices all do essentially the same thing, but they do it in very different ways - and your choice might colour your life for many years to come. Images left to right: Apple family sharing only works on Apple devices, Both Apple (pictured) and Google have TV set-top boxes, Car firms are embracing smartphone tech: this is Apple CarPlay, Fancy a smart watch? Android ones work best with Android phones.
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Cake and
Bake
Coffee Cream Eclairs Just a few simple ingredients combine to make the most luscious tea time treat. If you prefer the classic chocolate éclair, simply melt 100g dark chocolate with a spoonful of golden syrup and 20g unsalted butter, cool until thickened then spread over the top of the éclairs.
Ingredients: • • • • • • •
50g butter 65g plain flour 2 medium eggs, beaten 300ml double cream 1 tsp vanilla extract 100g icing sugar 1 tbsp cold strong black coffee
TIP
To dampen the baking sheet just sprinkle about � tsp of cold water over it – this will create extra steam in the hot oven which will help the choux pastry to rise.
Makes 10 Ready in 1 hour, plus cooling 14
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C, 200°C fan, Gas 7. Place the butter and 150ml water into pan and heat gently until the butter melts. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil then quickly tip in the flour and a large pinch of salt and beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth ball that comes away from the sides of the pan. Cool for 2-3 minutes. 2. Gradually add the beaten eggs, beating well after each addition, until the mixture is firm and glossy. You may not need to add all the beaten egg. 3. Spoon the mixture into a large disposable piping bag fitted with a large plain nozzle and pipe 10 x 9cm lengths of the pastry onto a large dampened baking sheet. 4. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until the pastry is risen, golden and crisp. Pierce each éclair with the tip of a knife to allow the steam to escape and bake for a further 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. 5. Halve each cold éclair. Whip the cream and vanilla extract together in a bowl until softly peaking and drop spoonfuls into the bottom halves of the eclairs. 6. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and beat in the coffee to make a smooth icing. Gently dip the top half of each éclair in the icing. Carefully sandwich the éclairs back together.
The Crew Rooms FP (Sepl14)_Layout 1 20/08/2014 07:26 Page 1
Late breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea or just a cup of coffee (and the chance of a fly-past!)
Situated on the edge of denham aerodrome the Crewroom is definitely not the average café.
Seated just a few yards from lines of parked aircraft you can gaze across the immaculately kept grounds to the wooded horizon; and the only traffic you are likely to see is taxiing planes or hovering helicopters.
And when it comes to the reasonably priced menu you are spoilt for choice: a glass of wine and one of their renowned pizzas, maybe? A beer and a burger, jacket potato? Or, if you’re really hungry, how about an all-day breakfast – with proper butcher’s sausages! There is a selection of toasted sandwiches and, to finish off, a choice of cakes and a cup
of their excellent illy coffee.
The Crewroom is a family business which was established in February 2009 and since then it has become a firm favourite of users of the aerodrome, local residents, and companies entertaining guests, looking for somewhere a little out of the ordinary.
The Red Arrows aerial display team sometimes passes over Denham en-route to a performance over London, and a Spitfire once flew down the runway, tilting its wings in salute (ask Ed, the proprietor). Cabaret doesn’t get any better than that! Of course, these performances cannot be guaranteed, but you never know…
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The Wildlife Zone...FP (Sep14)_Layout 1 22/08/2014 13:24 Page 1
The wildlife zone
The woRld of BlACK and white Andy Mydellton flS (pictured right) is an environmentalist journalist, the founder and leader of the British wildlife charity, the foundation for endangered Species. They are members of the United nations agency UneSCo with Andy Mydellton being Chairman and the environmental Concern Advisor to the UneSCo Schools Group.
Andy is a fellow of the linnean Society. he writes for many publications, mounts photographic exhibitions, gives presentations and broadcasts the 'Andy Mydellton wildlife zone' radio programme.
“why does a zebra have stripes?” is a question i have asked for many years without anyone quenching my fired up imagination. it all started when i was a child peeking at the worlds’ most beautiful and wonderful animals. at home i used to dig holes in the garden to find worms, earwigs, woodlice and other ‘beauties’. i excitedly told my family that these were my friends, but got short shrift. i was taken aback and felt as though there could have been something wrong with me. despite my temporary confusion l developed my urge to see more of the worlds’ largest wild animals. in those years the family’s income was tight and our annual holidays included days out to Bristol and dudley zoos. Because holidays abroad were so expensive it was the only way less well off working class families could see exotic animals. i remember our first visit to Bristol zoo where we stopped to look at caged lions, hyenas as well as a rare and sensational white tiger, and boy did they pong! But after my dad explained to me that this was their natural odour, the penny dropped and i began to understand the importance of smell in the natural world, however rank and rancid they seemed to me. at dudley zoo i was amazed at how many animals including penguins, goats, rhinoceros and one of my favourites, the zebra were allowed to live in the open air without any interruptive and separating bars or fences between us. they were replaced with large ditches and low walls which did not seem to form imprisoning cages, but still maintained our safety. i gained a sense of the animals’ liberty with this pioneering approach to zoo keeping which also allowed me to form stronger bonds with them. i marvelled at the member of the horse family which had black and white hoops around their bodies, so that i asked everyone including my parents, teachers and schoolmates “Why do zebras have stripes?” no-one ever knew the answer, and all i got was a quizzical look. when i reached adulthood zoos were no longer sufficient and i went touring on east african safaris to observe glorious creatures in their natural habitat. i spotted ‘my zebras’ very easily because they were widespread throughout the extensive savannahs, grazing peacefully with the wildebeest (or gnu). i began to appreciate their position in the african eco-systems because they are the ‘caterpillars of the plains’, the main herbivorous prey for many wild cats, dogs and other carnivores. during one game drive, i investigated some foals with reddish stripes. initially i was surprised, but established that the bands change to brown when they become juveniles, and then turn black in adulthood. i also perceived that the foals’ long slender legs gave them greater speed across the plains than if they had shorter, stubbier legs. Zebras never lose this proportion, so that even when their bodies grow and thicken out as adults they maintain this advantage. in recent years scientists have discovered greater biological knowledge about the zebra’s amazing black and white stripes, although the debate is not always straightforward. For example, when an individual occasionally strays from the herd to graze alone, they can be easily discovered and targeted by carnivores such as lions, their main killers. it seems incredible that nature would have given a grazing herbivore such a lack of camouflage and noticeable sign of their presence, but it has. however they usually live in zeals numbering five or six individuals with one stallion; or part of a much larger cohort. the zebras’ advantage is that when the cohort flees from predators their stripes merge into one fast moving and continually changing shape. they become indistinctive and baffle charging lions which only see in black and white, making each individual zebra difficult to focus on and consequently much harder to catch. the second reason for its body markings is recognition. whilst humans primarily recognise each other by facial features, zebras tell each other apart with an individual’s unique body pattern. Some scientists maintain that these act as codes which are as distinct to them as our fingerprints are to us. the third reason why zebras have stripes is thermoregulation. this innate process acts as an internal thermometer and controlling mechanism for their biological heating system. they use their black stripes to attract and use the sun’s energy to keep warm, but when they reach their desired temperature, they can switch this off and activate the white stripes which reflect the sun’s rays. this acts to cool down the zebra and maintain a constant body temperature. i once yearned for an answer to my question “Why does a zebra have stripes?” at last i now know that these magical horses have given us not one but at least three simultaneous reasons why they do.
The charities’ contact details are www.ffes.org.uk email: info@ffes.org.uk 16
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The VW Golf has long been the king of the massmarket family hatchbacks, but the Polo has never really enjoyed the same plaudits in the super mini sector, in the UK anyway. Admittedly, it always tops the class for build quality and re finement but it’s never been able to match the good looks of the Vauxhall Corsa or the driving dynamics of the Ford Fiesta. However, a freshly face lifted version of the Polo has just hit the showrooms. Can it do anything to redress the balance? The Polo is actually the sec ond bestselling car in Volks wagen’s line up, so inevitably they are very cautious about making any major changes to a winning formula. As a result, you’d have to look very hard to spot the differences to the exterior, basically new LED headlights and slightly different bumpers. Even so, the clean styling and neat proportions are understated and classy, rather like a scaled down Golf. Inside it is the same story; apart from new instruments and a tidied up centre console, all is much as before. This is no bad thing, the quality of materials, excellent fit and finish and comfortable seats are all those of a bigger more expensive car, well ahead of the competition. The main changes are all un der the skin. There is a flashy 20
new infotainment system that is reminiscent of a smart phone; you swipe your finger over the screen to select from the menu. ESP now comes as standard on all cars, as does a Post Collision Braking System that applies the brakes after an impact to bring the car to a halt. An automatic cruise con trol system is available as an option, coupled with City Emergency Braking which performs an emergency stop if it detects a likely collision be low 19mph. A few years ago you’d have to buy a Mercedes S Class to enjoy this sort of technology. More importantly, the car has a new line up of engines that deliver class leading refine ment and economy, if not out right performance. At the entry level is a 1.0 litre three cylinder petrol with either 59 or 74bhp. The lower powered engine is just too weedy while the 74bhp version is equally as economi cal. Then there is a 1.2 litre turbo that offers 90 or 110bhp. I drove the 90bhp version and was very impressed. It was remarkably refined and flexi ble, particularly at motorway speeds, and, while hardly a hot hatch, delivers all the perform ance you need. 61mpg in mixed motoring is not to be sniffed at either. The Polo is very relaxing to drive, the controls are light and easy to use and the suspen
sion soaks up the bumps with ease. With the allround levels of refinement and that flexible engine, it is like driving a much bigger car. The handling suits the character of the car too, safe and predictable, though hardly what you would call fun. Ask most motoring journalists and they will rate the Ford Fiesta as the best car in this class, largely because of the excellent handling and lusty performance from the Zetec engines. However, they forget that not all super minis are driven by teenage boys and petrol heads; in fact they are far more likely to be driven by young mums or even grand mas. Volkswagen are fully aware of this; that is why the Polo shares many of the vir tues of its bigger sister, the Golf. It is supremely well built, refined and practical and has an understated class that Ford could never hope to emulate. Ask a used car dealer which car they prefer and they’ll plump for the Polo every time. There is only thing it is lacking; VW invented the hot hatch with the Golf GTi and after all these years it is still the car to beat. They also offer an 189bhp Polo GTi which is searingly fast but it will never enjoy the same cachet.
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Ickenham TRAVEL (Sep14)_IN! Tipss Style Editorials (Mar13) 22/08/2014 17:45 Page 1
TRAVEL
Cape Verde - Sun, sand & more sand In my ongoing search for the perfect, budget, all inclusive beach holiday, I took my husband off to the Cape Verde Islands which, I have discovered, lie off the west coast of Africa, just north of the equator. It is warm and sunny for most of the year in Cape Verde but, for no particular reason, we went in June. There are ten islands to choose from; ours was Boa Vista. Verde means green but Boa Vista is pretty much a sand dune perched in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Boa Vista is home to the only openair airport I have ever encountered. I’m not kidding, the only part of it with a roof is the bar; even the baggage claim is out in the sunshine. However, the formalities were few and far between and we were quickly on our way to the hotel, RiuKaramboa, which is best described as spectacular. It is styled like a Moroccan palace rising out of the desert, complete with minarets and domes. The rooms were big and airy and came complete with a lounge, dressing area and a really classy bathroom. Outside there were beautifully manicured grounds with acres of sun loungers, a couple of huge swimming pools and, another first for me, a submerged bar. The tables and chairs, the bar and the barstools were all 22
submerged in a swimming pool and the only people not in a swimming costume were the bartenders – brilliant! I’m no great foodie but the meals were pretty good too, particularly breakfast. Also, unlike most of the Caribbean, the wine was actually drinkable. As all-inclusive resorts go, Boa Vista ticks all the boxes but what’s it like when you step outside the hotel campus? The beach is fantastic, perfect sand and rolling surf, although there are mainly sand dunes at the back of it rather than bars and boutiques which is what I would prefer. The constant breeze makes it perfect for sunbathing, but be careful; because of the cooling effect of the wind, you don’t realise just how hot it really is. I got heat stroke and spent two days lying in the hotel room wrapped in a damp towel – not nice! Two miles down the beach there is a small town with a few bars, a couple of restaurants and some shops. It’s hardly Cannes but it makes a nice enough break from the hotel. My advice is to walk down there and then get a cab back. For my money, the highlight of the holiday was a ride on some quad bikes. Actually, I say ride but it was more of a safari. The quad bikes were huge, practically the size of a
jeep, and the trip lasted half a day. We started off by blasting up and down the sand dunes by the beach, which was incredible fun. Then we negotiated a precarious track over a hill and reached a small village where we stopped for ‘lunch,’ basically some tapas and as many Grog shots (the local moonshine) as you can drink. This prepared us for the rigours of the next part of our journey, a trip down the island’s only ‘motorway,’ in reality a country lane with a few ancient pickups meandering down it. We finished off with a high speed charge down the beach dipping in and out of the surf, the perfect end to our adventure. Boa Vista probably isn’t for everyone; the scenery closely resembles the Sahara desert and there isn’t a great deal there other than the ubiquitous resort hotels. But, if you are simply looking for unbroken sunshine, a luxury hotel, reasonable food and drink and the occasional adventure, it’s hard to beat. It’s cheap too; shop around and you can get an all-inclusive fortnight for £1000. Throw in the fact that it’s only a six hour flight and you get year round good weather and what’s not to like? I’d certainly go again.
Katherine Underhill
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Short Story
Windfalls “Ramsey!”, Mr Dreffle called over the garden fence. “My wife didn’t get a wink of sleep last night”. Ramsey continued digging up his potatoes; he knew all too well what this was about. The old apple tree that stood on the border between their properties had been dropping fruit on the Dreffles’ conservatory all night. It had been a bumper crop. Ramsey was looking forward to getting his press out. He reckoned he’d have enough cider to see him through until New Year. Since they’d moved in the Dreffles had installed one after another of what they called home improvements. The back garden had been dug up and decked; all kinds of fountains and tacky ornaments had been installed, including a seven foot mock-Victorian wrought iron lamppost, and of course the ugly conservatory. It was as though the Dreffles had declared war on all greenery.
have known she was behind this. She was the sort of person who filled her hanging baskets with plastic flowers so that they wouldn’t drip on her decking. Sherrie clutched a metal object which flashed in the sunlight. Ramsey didn’t like the look of this. “That’s a nice looking axe”. Ramsey said, “Is it for trimming your toe nails with?” “He’s chopping the tree down once and for all”, Sherrie said placing the weapon in her husband’s sweaty hands. “I’ve warned you about that tree Ramsey, it’s a menace”.
The leaves of the apple tree rustled in the breeze, and then, as though to sign its own death warrant, another apple plopped down onto the conservatory roof with a sickening thump. “You’ll never chop it down with that little thing”, Ramsey said, eyeing up the axe.
“Something must be done Ramsey; we can’t go on like this”. Dreffle’s face was flushed. “Those apples are going to damage our conservatory one of these days”.
“It’s drop forged carbon steel”, Dreffle boasted, “top of the range”.
“This old tree has been around long before your conservatory, and it will be around long after it’s taken down”. Ramsey patted the tree trunk. She was a good old girl, produced lovely fruit, and asked for very little in return.
“That’s what they said in the shop”. Dreffle, practised a swing in the air.
Dreffle’s wife, Sherrie, opened the back door. Ramsey might 24
“Carbon steel eh?”. Ramsey adjusted his cap, “Is that the stuff even metal can’t blunt?”
“You’ve been had”, Ramsey chuckled, “I reckon metal would blunt that blade in a heartbeat”. “Not this blade”, Dreffle said crossly. “Go on then”, smiled Ramsey,
“prove it”. “Don’t you dare!” Sherrie snapped, as Dreffle swung the axe at the wrought iron lamp post. It vibrated dully like a broken bell. “Not blunted it all”, Dreffle grinned, running his thumb along the warm blade. A sharp crack of splintering wood rippled through the planks of the decking. The Dreffles leapt back as the lamppost began to topple, pulling up the planks as it fell, almost elegantly, towards the conservatory. The sound of breaking glass reminded Ramsey of a spontaneous round of applause. Shards flew into the air like diamonds, and then the whole structure crumpled in on itself under the weight of the lamppost. Broken glass and twisted metal were all that remained of the conservatory. When the air had settled, and the Dreffles looked as though they might be able to speak again, the tree dropped one more apple which landed on top of the wreckage like a cherry on a cake. Ramsey smiled to himself, and picked up his spade. “The tree stays”, he said, and went back to his digging. By Jackie Brewster
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Those who remember the 1980s, and the vogue for wearing towelling wristbands if you were even vaguely considering any form of exercise, will have been wondering how long it would take for this trend to come round again. Well, I’m happy to say that it has – and today’s must have fashion accessory for sporty types does a whole lot more than stop the palms of your hands from getting sweaty. There are a plethora of products on the market; let’s take a look at a few of them. Probably the most popular is the Nike Fuelband – it’s already on its second generation. This chunky device is intended to be worn most of the time; it isn’t fully waterproof so you can’t go swimming in it and it needs to be recharged periodically. It contains an accelerometer to measure arm movements and a small LED display that provides a limited amount of information. The Fuelband can connect to a computer or mobile device via Bluetooth and a USB port. Initially, you set up your profile on a computer including your height, weight and so on. Then you set up the sports and activities that you intend to perform and set yourself a series of goals, for instance running 3km each day. When you achieve a goal, the wristband sends you a message of encouragement. Real lovers of data can sync their wristband with the Nike Fuel website and view graphs of their performance, then brag about it to their friends via the built in social media site. The Fuelband costs around £129. Next up is the Fitbit Flex. This has an advantage over the Fuelband in that it is a tiny module that fits in a replaceable rubber wristband, which means that you don’t have to wear the band all the time. The Fitbit is more geared towards lifestyle and wellbeing rather than sporting prowess; it will tell you how many steps you have taken and calories you burned but not how quickly you finished your run. One thing it does do better than the Fuelband is to measure and learn your sleep patterns. This means that you can set the alarm to wake you as you move into a light sleep, therefore reducing. tiredness. On the face of it, the Fitbit represents pretty good value too, a snip at just £80. Our final contender is the Jawbone Up. This seems 28
like the most complete product out of the group and is geared towards helping athletes manage their potential and help those who want to lose weight. You can enter in a variety of sports and the band will give you real time feedback on performance and calories burnt; you can even enter the number of calories consumed during the day – ideal for those seeking to lose weight. It also monitors sleep patterns in the same way that the Fitbit does. The sculpted nylon band, available in a range of colours, really looks the part too. At £124, the Jawbone comes in cheaper than the Fuelband and seems to be a superior product. While I have to admire the way that these products make use of state of the art technology at an affordable price, I’d have to question how they fit in with the modern lifestyle of most people. Serious athletes and sportsmen (and women) will already have a training program worked out in conjunction with a nutritionist and their coach. They don’t need any of these products. For those who just want to get a bit more exercise, they represent complete overkill – they don’t need all that data and they’d probably rather not have a hefty bracelet attached to their wrist for 24 hours a day. As for people who want to lose weight, all these devices have a fatal weakness; they tell you how many calories you’ve burnt but not how many you’ve consumed, something most overweight people have a real problem in calculating. Never mind, wearing a sport band says all the right things about you – you’re sporty, body conscious and dedicated. Money well spent!
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Beauty
Explained: The Science Behind Skin Care
By Helen Taylor
How many times have you been completely baffled by some scientific sounding jargon when you’ve gone to buy a new antiageing cream? Unless you were top of the class in chemistry, you probably don’t know your AHAs from your Ceramides. So that’s why we’ve compiled our guide to the most common ingredients you’ll come across today. Once you’ve read our skincare glossary you’ll not only understand the terminology, but you’ll be able to find the best cream for your skin’s needs as well. Antioxidants serve to protect skin from those damaging free radicals to which our skin is exposed on a day-to-day basis. Free radicals - or oxidants - are unstable molecules which are caused by environmental factors like smoke, pollution and UV rays. Free radicals are responsible for causing those annoying visible signs of ageing like lines and wrinkles. Vitamin E, Vitamin C and green tea are some of the most common 30
antioxidants. Vitamin E has great moisturising properties and makes skin soft and smooth, whereas Vitamin C helps to diminish the look of brown age spots and hyper pigmentation, green tea is a strong antioxidant and a staple ingredient in most anti-ageing products. Hyaluronic acid, when applied topically, gives the skin a fresh, smooth look and helps it to maintain moisture - which is vital for youthful looking skin. It’s a naturally occurring carbohydrate in the body, but levels diminish with age, especially after you reach 40. Ceramides help in the fight for youthful looking skin thanks to their ability to prevent water loss and promote skin-cell renewal. They’re commonly used in moisturisers as they effectively re-hydrate dry skin. Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) are naturally occurring acids, commonly found in citrus fruits (citric acid), dairy products (lactic acid) and sugar (glycolic acid). They work to aid the skin’s natural exfoliation process by loosening dead surface cells. When applied in the form of cream to your face, AHAs reduce fine lines and unclog pores. Glycolics work similarly to AHAs - they speed up the process the skin goes through to shed dead outer cells, which in turn reveals new, smoother skin cells Collagen is found naturally in the skin, the protein maintains the skin’s elasticity and keeps it looking plump. Over the years though, the body’s production
of collagen drops dramatically. Used in many anti-ageing creams, collegan is found to be a very effective water-binding ingredient. Retinoids are derived from Vitamin A. They have been found to help to renew the skin and stimulate collagen production, minimise the appearance of wrinkles and bolster the skin’s thickness and elasticity; which makes them a popular ingredient in anti-ageing creams. Growth factors are used to help to build collagen and diminish lines and wrinkles, whilst softening the skin. Their natural function in the body is to control cell growth in different areas. Soy isoflavones are a type of plant hormone thought to be useful in treating dark spots by blocking the pathway of melanin. They can aid in preventing collagen loss in postmenopausal women as they have an effect on skin that is similar to oestrogen. Copper makes an appearance in some anti-ageing products as it is thought to promote the production of collagen and elastin - two of the most important factors in younger looking skin. Hydroquinone is useful in suppressing pigment producing enzymes in the skin, thus fighting age spots. It’s therefore, often recommended by experts to lighten those dark spots on the skin.
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In and Around ReaderThat Travel The Myths
river cruise party Breaks by rail Die! or Air Just Won’t
You would imagine in the 21st
FREE
century with the internet at our DRINKS fingertips, we’d all be wise to the old wives tales and myths that are bandied around. But no, sometimes OVER 40S it takes it little longer for us to ONLY absorb and accept that all is not as we’ve long believed.
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PRINCESS
You shouldn’t put bananas in the fridge
you will take in a considerable amount of water in your food and in other drinks. Although you might think that tea and coffee are diuretic, they do actually count toward our overall water intake. In general if you drink enough so that you rarely feel thirsty, you’ll be fine.
the idea that this success was due to their pilots eating lots of carrots. As carrots weren’t rationed, the Ministry of Food didn’t rush to debunk the myth and it still hangs around to this day. More info: www. thecarrotmuseum.co.uk.
There’s a small element of truth in this in that if you put unripe bananas in the fridge, the cold kills the enzymes that makes them ripen and they’ll stay green even when removed. However if you put bananas in Cracking your knuckles the fridge once they are fully The Great Wall of China is will give you arthritis yellow, they’ll stay edible for up the only man-made object When someone cracks their to four days longer than if left visible from space knuckles, the noise comes at temperature. skin GNroom Holidays & VoyagesThe is exclusively chartering the MPSmany Princess Not only are there other from bubbles of air and gas may discolour, but the flesh objects bursting inside the joint. to bring you a great selection of themed rivervisible cruises.from You’llspace, visit a but inside will stay white. the Great Wall is actually really However in all the research host of must-see destinations with free drinks, good food, great difficult to see. It is after all of tests conducted, not a single You should feed a cold hospitality and plenty of fun alongathe way.material Travel isand by colour mid- to up to.studied, . PERlater similar COUPLE knuckle-cracker and starve a fever the land aroundtoit, so it is not developed arthritis. It could morning Eurostar from St Pancras International Brussels, andlead justto£50pp depositlater when This is an expression easy to pick out. There are other problems in continuing by coach to the ship. Flights from UK regional airports misquoted: it was originally book a Princess river cruise many other man-made objects youlife though, like a decrease in “Feed cold, stave a fever”, may apply. by 30and September 2014 are alsoa available - supplements visible though, including the by rail flexibility ligament damage. suggesting that by eating well pyramids in Egypt and major Free Drinks - all cruises free beer, wine by the glass, choice of fat 2 Dutch spirits you will recover from your cold include Saturated is really bad cities, particularly at night. andAnd soft served at lunch and dinner and from 6pm toyour midnight at the bar more quickly. thedrinks correct for health CarrotsPrincess will helpFan you see version has some truth in that We’ve been told for years that Club giving your body the energy at night increases our “Everything was 1st “Just wanted to say “We thoroughlysaturated fat“The break was and vitamins to fight a virus It’s not that carrots aren’t total cholesterol and chance of thank you for another enjoyed our holiday excellent. The boat and class, would do good for you, but eating them is beneficial. Butitthat same heart disease and a stroke. But great Christmas market yourand the trip wasa over crew fantastic. A1 will not improve day or 2010 study published in the benefit applies even when you again.” trip.” night vision unless you much ” serviceof– Clinical would like to aretoo soon.American Journal have a fever, although you may deficient in vitamin A. The myth Mr &less Mrsinclined Scott to eat. Mr & Mrs Kennedy Mrs Church do it again.” Mrs Sharp Nutrition concluded that there feel is believed to come from the wasn’t proof of this correlation. You need to drink 8 Second World War when the Heart disease and obesity are MOD had a technology which glasses of water a day caused inactivity, trans fats, GNby Voyages enabled their pilots to pinpoint Even if you still believe this, refined carbs, and overeating No. Y0291 Open 9am to 5.30pm weekdays to 12.30pm Saturdays.— but not ABTA GN Holidays & Voyages enemy bombers at9.30am night. chances are you aren’t specifically saturated ATOL 9362 www. gnvoyages.co.uk • Email: info@gnvoyages.co.uk Higherthe Denham, Uxbridge UB9 5EL Somehow the public picked up following advice. In reality fat.
SALE £80 Save
Call 01895 83 33 33
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Belgium, Holland & Valkenburg Christmas Party Join us for a relaxing river cruise taking-in: Valkenburg, with its unique Christmas Market Caves; Hasselt, a charming Belgian town with a festive Winterland; Maastricht, home of world famous musician Andre Rieu; and Brussels, the Belgian capital. There’s also an optional visit to Aachen Christmas Market in Germany. INCLUDED: Escorted throughout abroad • Return rail travel from London St Pancras or Ebbsfleet to Brussels or return flights from a choice of UK airports - supp’t may apply • 3-night semi all inclusive cruise sharing a twin bed, rear cabin on main deck - upgrades available • Entertainment • Embarkation and departure transfers
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Join us for a super river cruise taking-in: Valkenburg with its unique Christmas Caves; beautiful Bruges’ with its festive markets; Hasselt, a charming Belgian town with a festive Winterland; lovely Ghent; and Brussels, the Belgian capital. INCLUDED: Escorted throughout abroad • Return rail travel from St Pancras or Ebbsfleet to Brussels or return flights with luggage from a choice of UK airports - supp’t may apply • 4-night semi all inclusive cruise sharing a twin bed, rear cabin on main deck - upgrades available • Entertainment • Embarkation and departure transfers
From
new improveD itinerAry
4 days semi-all-inclusive • 28 November & 1 December 2014 Join us for a fun-packed river cruise taking-in three great Christmas Markets. Lille, Northern France, with a giant Christmas tree, ferris wheel and dozens of stalls. Bruges festive markets, just a short stroll from the ship’s mooring. In the Belgian capital, Brussels, explore the Christmas Market and shops galore. INCLUDED: Escorted throughout abroad • Return rail travel from St Pancras or Ebbsfleet to Brussels or return flights from a choice of UK airports - supp’t may apply • 3-night semi all inclusive cruise sharing a twin bed, rear cabin on main deck - upgrades available • Entertainment • Embarkation and departure transfers
£439pp
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Christmas Markets Spectacular
Bruges, Brussels & Lille
£479pp
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£349pp
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Call 01895 83 33 33 GN Voyages GN Holidays & Voyages, Higher Denham, Uxbridge UB9 5EL
Open 9am to 5.30pm weekdays 9.30am to 12.30pm Saturdays. www. gnvoyages.co.uk • Email: info@gnvoyages.co.uk
ABTA No. Y029 ATOL 9362
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Ickenham Kids Mobiles (Sep14) FINAL_IN! Tipss Style Editorials (Mar13) 22/08/2014 18:15 Page 1
PARENTING
Should my child have a smartphone?
When my daughter entered secondary school and started to become more independent, I decided to buy her a mobile phone to keep in touch and check that all was well. But I soon discovered that we had different agendas! She treated her mobile phone like an additional body part. It accompanied her everywhere – to the dinner table, to the bathroom, to bed. She checked it constantly, and the 300 texts per month that I thought adequate, soon got swallowed up in her incessant cyber chatter. Much has changed since then. Texting was once the major attraction, but now mobile phones can have any number of uses, from accessing social media sites such as Facebook4, Instagram1 and Twitter, to using apps like WhatsApp3 and Snapchat2 and for gaming, videos and music.
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Mobile phones are a great way to stay in touch and they are indispensable in emergencies, but they can also be a huge 4 hindrance. Young people are much less active, preferring online games or social media sites to sports and other activities. Conversation has been replaced by instant messaging or texting, and schoolwork for some students is suffering due to long hours spent on phones instead of on their studies or even sleep! To ensure that mobile phones remain our children’s servant and not their master, a few ground rules need to be set in place. 34
First, decide if your child is ready for their own phone. If they are generally responsible and trustworthy and able to look after their own belongings, maybe they are. The average child receives their first phone at the age of 12. This seems like a sensible time to me. Seriously consider buying a basic model for their first phone. At this stage it’s all about safety, not social status or games, and the phone should be regarded as a tool, not a toy. Only consider a smart phone when your child is quite a bit older. Set limits for the number of texts or minutes. A monthly capped contract can help with this, or alter-natively a pay as you go scheme, which will only allow a certain spend before it needs topping up again. Consider taking out insurance should the phone get lost or broken, and ask your child to contribute to the cost as they get older and are able to earn. Designate certain times when the phone should be turned off or left behind - such as at the dinner table, after a certain time in the evening, or in the bedroom - and limit the number of hours they spend on the phone to leave time for other interests. Finally, make sure you follow your own rules. You can’t expect your child to abide by them if you don’t, as you are their greatest role model!
Debbie Singh-Bhatti
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Your Guide to Heart Health By Alison Runham www.alison.runham.co.uk
The British Heart Foundation estimates that around 82,000 people in England suffer a heart attack annually; one in three die before reaching hospital and around half of the survivors are under 75. So it’s vital we look after our hearts – and that we can recognise the symptoms of a heart attack.
Keeping Your Heart Healthy Diet Keep it balanced. Avoid high sugar and high fat foods, and eat plenty of fruit, vegetables and several sources of protein (meat, eggs, dairy products, fish, legumes and pulses). Choose wholegrain carbohydrates (pasta, bread, rice). Alcohol Alcohol can damage heart muscle and cause abnormal rhythms. Stick to the recommended maximum safe limits: men, 3-4 units per day (21 per week); women 2 – 3 per day (14 per week). 1 unit = 1 small bottle of (4%) alcopop; half a pint of beer/lager/cider (4%); a single measure of spirits (40%). 2 units = 1 standard 175ml glass of wine/champagne (12%); 1 pint 4% beer/lager/cider; a double measure of spirits. Smoking Smokers are twice as likely to have heart attacks, so quit or at least cut down. Ask your doctor for advice or order The British Heart Foundation’s guide, ‘Time to Quit’, for free at http://bit. 36
ly/1ltpgIc. Exercise Ideally we should do 150 minutes of exercise weekly that raises our heart rate keeping our cardiovascular system healthy. If you don’t exercise, start small and find an exercise you enjoy. Symptoms Of Heart Attacks Heart attacks don’t always present with sudden intense chest pain. Sometimes symptoms can be mild and build gradually, particularly in diabetics, or come and go. Although chest pain is the most common symptom, more than a third of sufferers don’t experience it. • Chest pain (often a squeezing sensation or fullness, which may linger or come and go) • Dizziness or light-headedness • Sweating (normally a cold sweat) • Shortness of breath • Nausea or vomiting • Pain elsewhere (usually jaw, neck, back, left arm or abdomen) • Heartburn • Coughing or wheezing • Severe fatigue • Overwhelming anxiety Heart Attack Symptoms In Women Women may experience all these symptoms or none, but they’re more likely to experience the less common symptoms: pain in other areas (particularly the upper back), shortness of
breath, sweating, nausea or vomiting, dizziness and unusual tiredness (sometimes for days). Without chest pain, they may not realise they’re having a heart attack.
What To Do When A Heart Attack Occurs Don’t panic, but do act swiftly. If in doubt, always call 999. If you’re an angina sufferer, the NHS recommend taking your glyceryl trinitrate (‘GTN’) tablets or spray and repeating the dose 5 minutes later, then 5 minutes later again, if there’s no improvement. Phone 999 immediately if the pain doesn’t improve. The NHS recommends that people who suspect they’re having a heart attack should chew and swallow one aspirin (300mg) tablet, providing they’re not aspirin-allergic, to thin the blood and maintain blood supply to the heart. If you’re the patient: Move as little as necessary and call an ambulance. Take an aspirin if it’s nearby – but don’t exert yourself to reach it. If you’re attending the patient: Phone the ambulance immediately. If the patient isn’t aspirin-allergic, give them an aspirin – providing it’s nearby. Keeping your heart healthy is one of the most important things you can do – but ensuring you can recognise and deal with a heart attack is vital too.
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What happened in...
... September 2001?
He was finally tracked down and killed in Pakistan by American On 11 September 2001, at 8:45 forces almost ten years later. am US time (UK – 1:45 pm) a 1st: The German national passenger jet crashed into the football team lost a World Cup North Tower of the World Trade qualifier to England (managed Centre in New York, in what by Sven-Göran Eriksson) at the most people assumed was Olympic stadium in Munich. a terrible accident. Eighteen 10th: Despite searching all his minutes later another plane pockets and looking down the crashed into the South Tower and the world realised that this back of the sofa, US Secretary of Defence, Donald Rumsden, was no accident. failed to find a missing 2.3 A third plane crashed into trillion dollars, giving rise to all the Pentagon and a fourth sorts of conspiracy theories into a field after passengers about burying bad news when overpowered the al-Qaeda all records were destroyed in terrorist who was piloting it. the next day’s terrorist attacks. Al-Qaeda was founded by Who wants to be a millionaire? Osama bin Laden in the late Well, Charles Ingram did, but Eighties and he was blamed for after winning £1,000,000 on master-minding the hijackings. the TV game show he was
Petrol cost about78p per litre The average price of a house was £92,000
Three of the bestselling singles this year were: Can’t Get You Out Of My Head - Kylie Minogue Too Close - Blue Mambo No. 5 - Bob The Builder
accused of cheating and the payment was suspended. It was alleged that his wife, who was in the audience, gave him coded signals by coughing. They were both convicted and had to pay a total of £115,000 in fines and costs, although each protested their innocence. I can’t help thinking that a bottle of Cavonia would have been a lot cheaper. 11th: In the worst piece of timing in the history of music sales, Ben Folds released his album, Rocking the Suburbs.
15th: Part of the Queen Isabella Causeway in Texas collapsed after being struck by four loaded barges being towed by a tugboat. The missing sections were near the brow so the gap was not easily spotted by approaching traffic. Eight people were killed when their cars plunged 85 feet into the water. Five cars and three survivors were recovered. 17th: The New York Stock Exchange reopened following the terrorist attacks.
Patrick D Cousins’ Short Shorts is available on Kindle for a trifling £1.99. His double novella, Rainbows, Dreams and Angels is available from Amazon and other major outlets. You can hear the song on YouTube. 42
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43
Ickenham OPINION (Sep14)_IN! Tipss Style Editorials (Mar13) 22/08/2014 17:17 Page 1
OPINION
Car Insurance and why I don’t comprehend it
There are very many things in this world that I don’t understand; quantum mechanics, molecular biology and why the Kardashians have been given their own reality TV show to name a few. But after my recent experiences, I will have to add car insurance to the list. People keep saying that car insurance is getting ever more expensive and this is all down to those “flash for cash” lowlifes who drive into the side of other cars and then make fraudulent claims for whiplash. But, as far as I can tell, the opposite is true. Last month I renewed my insurance – fully comprehensive with legal cover and a named driver for a car that can do 150mph – and it cost me £279. That’s ridiculously cheap; four years ago I paid £700. It’s the same for a friend – she paid £210 this time round to insure her whizzy little roadster; three years ago it cost her £480. You might think that this is all down to building up lots of no claims discount but, actually, I have made a claim in the last year – 12 months ago I watched my car float off down the street after it got caught in a flash flood (not something you see every day, not something I’d WANT to see every day). The insurance company had to stump up the cost of replacing the car but, strangely, this did not affect my insurance premium. I had always thought that insurance companies are run by cold hard people using cold hard statistics, but no; as it could hardly be said to be my fault, they felt it would be mean to penalise me for what was effectively an act of God. A few weeks ago, my wife broke her arm and it will be some time before she can drive again. Rather than leave her car parked on the road, she decided to lend it to a friend who was temporarily carless. We needed to add the friend onto her policy so I checked how much it would cost to put him on for a month. I was horrified when the insurance company quoted £79; 44
the original policy only cost £211. Then I tried one of those comparison sites that specialises in temporary cover. The prices quoted were truly jaw dropping, around £250. Finally, more out of curiosity than anything else, I went back to the insurance company to see how much it would cost to add him to the policy for the full year. The answer came back… £36! Will someone please explain where the logic is in that? So there you have it; despite all the scare stories in the Daily Mail about unscrupulous youths disconnecting their brake lights so you ram into the back of them and they then claim millions in compensation and despite the EU passing laws forbidding insurance companies to charge high risk drivers more because it is discriminatory, car insurance is far cheaper than you expect, they don’t reduce your no claims discount when you make a claim and it costs a fraction of the price of one month’s temporary cover to insure someone for a year. Yet, despite all these things, it is estimated that, in some areas, as many as 30% of drivers don’t have insurance. Even though, if caught, they automatically get 6 points on their licence, can be fined thousands of pounds or even put in jail, there are still 1.4 million people driving around without valid insurance. Years ago, an uninsured driver ran into the back of my car. He cheerfully admitted he didn’t have a driving licence either and had TWOCed his dad’s car. Asked why he thought it necessary to break so many laws simultaneously, he explained that he had to get down to the shops to buy a packet of fags. I still don’t understand much about car insurance, but one thing I have learnt is that people who drive around without it tend to be very stupid.
Howard Clemmow
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In and Around Reader Travel
river cruise party Breaks by rail or Air
FREE DRINKS
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OVER 40S ONLY
MPS
PRINCESS
5
GN Holidays & Voyages is exclusively chartering the MPS Princess to bring you a great selection of themed river cruises. You’ll visit a host of must-see destinations with free drinks, good food, great hospitality and plenty of fun along the way. Travel is by midmorning Eurostar from St Pancras International to Brussels, continuing by coach to the ship. Flights from UK regional airports are also available - supplements may apply.
SALE £80 Save up to. .
PER COUPLE
and just £50pp deposit when you book a Princess river cruise by rail by 30 September 2014
Free Drinks - all cruises include free beer, wine by the glass, choice of 2 Dutch spirits and soft drinks served at lunch and dinner and from 6pm to midnight at the bar Princess Fan Club “Everything was 1st “Just wanted to say “We thoroughly “The break was thank you for another enjoyed our holiday excellent. The boat and class, would do it great Christmas market and the trip was over crew fantastic. A1 again.” trip.” much too soon.” service – would like to Mr & Mrs Scott
Mr & Mrs Kennedy
Mrs Church
do it again.” Mrs Sharp
Call 01895 83 33 33 GN Voyages Open 9am to 5.30pm weekdays 9.30am to 12.30pm Saturdays. GN Holidays & Voyages www. gnvoyages.co.uk • Email: info@gnvoyages.co.uk Higher Denham, Uxbridge UB9 5EL
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Belgium, Holland & Valkenburg Christmas Party 4 days semi-all-inclusive • 21 November, 2014 Join us for a relaxing river cruise taking-in: Valkenburg, with its unique Christmas Market Caves; Hasselt, a charming Belgian town with a festive Winterland; Maastricht, home of world famous musician Andre Rieu; and Brussels, the Belgian capital. There’s also an optional visit to Aachen Christmas Market in Germany. INCLUDED: Escorted throughout abroad • Return rail travel from London St Pancras or Ebbsfleet to Brussels or return flights from a choice of UK airports - supp’t may apply • 3-night semi all inclusive cruise sharing a twin bed, rear cabin on main deck - upgrades available • Entertainment • Embarkation and departure transfers
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£349pp
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Bruges & Valkenburg Christmas Markets Plus Ghent, Brussels & Hasselt new improveD itinerAry 5 days semi-all-inclusive •24 November, 2014
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Join us for a super river cruise taking-in: Valkenburg with its unique Christmas Caves; beautiful Bruges’ with its festive markets; Hasselt, a charming Belgian town with a festive Winterland; lovely Ghent; and Brussels, the Belgian capital. INCLUDED: Escorted throughout abroad • Return rail travel from St Pancras or Ebbsfleet to Brussels or return flights with luggage from a choice of UK airports - supp’t may apply • 4-night semi all inclusive cruise sharing a twin bed, rear cabin on main deck - upgrades available • Entertainment • Embarkation and departure transfers
From
new improveD itinerAry
4 days semi-all-inclusive • 28 November & 1 December 2014 Join us for a fun-packed river cruise taking-in three great Christmas Markets. Lille, Northern France, with a giant Christmas tree, ferris wheel and dozens of stalls. Bruges festive markets, just a short stroll from the ship’s mooring. In the Belgian capital, Brussels, explore the Christmas Market and shops galore. INCLUDED: Escorted throughout abroad • Return rail travel from St Pancras or Ebbsfleet to Brussels or return flights from a choice of UK airports - supp’t may apply • 3-night semi all inclusive cruise sharing a twin bed, rear cabin on main deck - upgrades available • Entertainment • Embarkation and departure transfers
£439pp
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Christmas Markets Spectacular
Bruges, Brussels & Lille
£479pp
£379pp sAle From
£349pp
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Call 01895 83 33 33 GN Voyages GN Holidays & Voyages, Higher Denham, Uxbridge UB9 5EL
Open 9am to 5.30pm weekdays 9.30am to 12.30pm Saturdays. www. gnvoyages.co.uk • Email: info@gnvoyages.co.uk
ABTA No. Y029 ATOL 9362
49
Life Begins
You’re never too old make a difference to
by Kate McLelland
What image does the word ‘volunteer’ conjure up for you? One of those fresh-faced stewards in their signature purple and red shirts, who welcomed visitors to the 2012 Olympic Games? A team with rubber boots and spades clearing mud and debris from a village pond? We tend to think of volunteering as a vigorous activity, best suited to those in their teens, twenties or thirties. However it’s important to resist this rather lazy assumption because it automatically rules out the vast army of people in their 50s, 60s, 70s (and even older) who have so much to offer the voluntary sector. Take 52 year old Louise Gooding, who became a mentor to Anna, a young refugee from Eritrea in East Africa. Louise, a professional writer whose grown up children had left home, heard about the opportunity through the Community Service Volunteers (CSV) Grandmentors scheme for people aged 50 years and over. Louise has joined the growing band of older volunteers who realise that their skills and experience could make a real difference to someone else’s life. 50
The organisation has developed its own freestanding programme, known as the Retired and Senior Volunteer Programme (RSVP), which encourages people aged 50+ to volunteer in their local area. RSVP can be contacted by telephone on 020 7643 1385 or by email at rsvpinfo@csv. org.uk. So how should you take your first steps towards working as a volunteer? People decide to volunteer for a range of different reasons so you need to be clear about your motivation. Do you want to put something back into society, or simply to enjoy new experiences and meet new people? As a starting point you may find it useful to list the skills you already have and consider whether you want to use those skills in your volunteering role or develop new ones. The next thing to consider is the number of hours you have at your disposal. Are you still working, or have you retired? Do you have family members that need your support or do you live on your own? Do you live out of town? These are all factors that may affect the amount of time you have to give, so when you start out as
a volunteer it’s better to begin with a few hours at a time and gradually build your level of commitment.
If you have infinite time to spare coupled with a desire to see more of the world, you could consider taking an adult ‘Gap Year’ abroad. Global Vision International Charitable Trust (GVI), based in Exeter, has a very flexible recruitment policy. A spokesperson says: “Every year we welcome hundreds of volunteers over the age of 50 and sometimes way above! In 2013 we welcomed our oldest volunteer at 80 years old.” GVI has a preference for people with specific skills in areas such as education and business, so if you have the appropriate experience plus a desire to make a difference to people’s lives, you can contact them on (01727) 250250 or email info@gviworld.com. Many volunteers in their 50s and older claim that volunteering has given them a new lease of life. Opportunities may be closer to home than you think, so visit your local library or ring one of the organisations listed above to find out what’s happening in your local area.
PARK RICHINGS SPORTS AND SOCIAL CLUB
Bowls, Softball, Tennis Cricket, Football, Running Darts& Pool Licenced Bar & Catering Hall Hire For Weddings, Reunions Christenings Corporate Events
Wellesley Ave, Richings Park Iver, Bucks SL0 9BN Tel: 01753 651320 email: administration@rpsc.org.uk www.rpsc.org.uk
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Ann Rennie is an experienced coach, mentor and trainer. She is based in Iver Heath and works through Skype and by phone with a wide range of clients. She has a corporate background which combines sales, customer service and managing major projects. Her real passion is supporting individuals in making the changes in their thinking and behaviour that produce a transformation in the results they experience. With qualifications in NLP, sales and retail management and project management she draws on her own experience of what works in the real world with best practice from current research to create bespoke solutions. Her mantra is ‘don’t get it perfect, get it done’ and her focus on taking action led a client to describe working with her as ‘like having your own personal business supernanny’.
In business I find it a time many clients want to meet to get moving again and over the holiday period they have reflected and found their mojo again. So if you are feeling that way here are some questions to get you going:
If you haven’t written them down before then do it now and make sure you are very specific – global goals will drift or can feel so big you never get a grip of the actions to achieve it. Have I achieved it already this year in full or have each of the stages to completion been on track so far? If you answer yes to at least one then ask How can I celebrate these successes? Celebration and marking milestones is very important for your motivation. Find suitable ways to recognise, reward and remind yourself of your wins on the way. This is important to identify: have you got a plan to follow and are you motivated to choose to take action even when it is difficult? Keep the end in mind and make sure you know the benefits of success and can connect with them to keep you focused. Is there a gap in your knowledge and experience you need to fill? In your plan include who you will involve and whose support you need and how you will plug the gaps. 52
Be honest. This is not a signal to beat yourself up or go into judge mode. Did you sabotage yourself? Or did you just not want it enough? Just observe what did and didn't happen and be honest with yourself as to why it didn't get you the result. You may need to revisit the goal to include new information or the goal may be so inappropriate for you today that quitting is the best decision. Be specific. What can you do today to get it started? Who can help you? Set a realistic ‘recovery’ plan and don’t waste energy on ‘if only’ thinking. Only visit the past to learn from it to make better plans next time. You can redefine the January goals, or, you may want to change them completely: either you have achieved them, or they are not as important as you thought and there is something you now want more. That's okay you can change them they are just goals and you have the power to change them to get the best outcome for you. For example, take your January goals and remove those completed and those no longer relevant and then set three personal goals and three professional goals for yourself. Next month I’ll share some goal setting tips but to begin – think specific and realistic! You may find a midyear business or life review can be just what you need to get your momentum back and can give you the kickstart you need to finish 2014 on a high!
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september events
Local Events
harlington Wi Produce & handicraft show sat 6th september from 1.30pm hayes and harlington Community Centre, albert Road, hayes UB3 4hR members will be exhibiting in the following classes: Handicrafts, Cookery, preserves, vegetables, Fruit and Flowers. Floral Art, photography and Literacy. sales table and refreshments will be available.
Country Fayre & art exhibition/sale sat 6th september 12-4pm st marys Churchyard, Denham Village Includes an art sale by local artists, serpents & dragons raffle, tombola, vestry teas with homemade cakes and bbq. Lots of stalls; home produce, hat/bag stall, bric-a-brac, children’s stall, selection of reptiles to handle, classic cars and motorbikes and more. All welcome contact barbara 01895 237498 or Wendy 01895 832667 for details.
hUBB Business Breakfast thurs 11th september 8am-9am Bay lodge, 36 harefield Road, Uxbridge UB8 1Ph A free event in partnership with the Hillingdon Chamber of Commerce. “How to charm your bank to lend you money”. Guest speaker eddie Lavery, relationship manager at Lloyds bank will cover what information a bank looks for when assessing a lending application, and how best to present it. We would be delighted if you could join us for this networking event (Continental breakfast inc.). ‘Butterflies’ table top sale and Community Coffee morning sat 13th september neW time - 9am-1pm ickenham Village hall should anyone require to hire a table or require more information please contact vera on 01895 635224 or Chris on 676900.
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Ruislip Central horticultural society autumn show sat 13th september 1pm-4pm Great Barn, Bury street, Ruislip ha4 7sU. For more details visit our website www.ruisliphorticulturalsociety.org.uk
macmillan Coffee morning Fri 26th september, 10am-2pm Byrons Urban Farm shop, 3 Byron Parade, Uxbridge Road, UB10 0lZ. Come and join us for coffee and cake and with your 50p entry fee get a Free cup of coffee. We will donate 50p to macmillan for every slice of cake that we sell!
michael sobell hospice Fundraiser ‘Jail & Bail’ Fri 3rd october 10.30am Get arrested and locked up in a cell at ruislip police station until you raise £1,000 for michael sobell Hospice. If you fancy taking in this challenge and being an inmate for a while please contact trish mule on 01923 844726 or see our website www.michaelsobellhospice.co.uk
national macmillan Cancer Coffee morning Fri 26th september, 10am-1pm Denham Garden Village, Denham Village hall, Denham Green lane. everyone welcome to come and browse our stalls, books, cd’s, dvd’s, cake stall, white elephant & others, great tombola and raffle prizes. Come and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee and cakes. please come and support this very worthy charity. Quiz night sat 27th september, 7pm Denham Village infants school tickets sold in aid of FODvIs, priced at £10 each includes fish & chip supper. tables of up to 6 bring your own drink contact Wendy 07826 685098 for more.
OCtOber events Uxbridge Business Biscotti Wed 1st october, 8.30am-10.30am Devonshire Business Centre, Boundary house, Cricket Field Road, Uxbridge, UB8 1QG If you want to network, make contacts and forge business relationships in an informal environment then Uxbridge business biscotti is for you. no need to book, just come along and buy a cup of tea or coffee to support the venue! visit www.businessbiscotti.co.uk/greaterlondon/uxbridge.
Don't miss the DeaDline! If you would like us to publicise your event in our october issues contact us no later than Friday 12th sept.
michael sobell hospice Fundraiser ‘Brain Box Quiz night’ Wed 8th october, 7.30pm michael sobell hospice, mount Vernon hospital, northwood, ha6 2Rn Our popular quiz night is back so all you wise owls come and show us how bright you are. tickets sell out fast, so book early. tickets cost £15 and includes a fish & chip supper (veggie option available) there is also a licensed bar. Free parking. barclays bank will match funds to make your donation go further. tickets can be booked online at www.michaelsobellhospice.co.uk or you call 01923 844730. apple Day sat 18th october 11am-4pm home Cottage Farm, Bangors Road south, iver heath A great family fun day out with numerous stalls for local charities, producers and traders – from toffee apples and pumpkins to bric-a-brac and crafts. Lots of children’s activities and events for all ages to watch & take part – face painting, punch & Judy show, ferret racing, archery and craft-making plus refreshment tents & a bbQ. entry will be £1 per adult & £3 parking. Children go free.
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Benny, Billy, and Bobby are 2 year old male guinea pigs. These 3 lovely boys were signed over to us when their owner was no longer able to look after them. Ideally, we'd prefer them go to a loving home together but would consider homing them separately. As with all guinea pigs, they will need a large run and plenty of space to stretch and exercise. Please get in touch if you can offer love, care and spacious accommodation to these rather handsome boys We have more than 30 kittens currently in our care, all looking for that special, loving home. Their ages vary from 10 weeks to 5 months. Please, please get in touch if you could adopt one or more of these beautiful kitties. Ring or visit our website to download an application form if you are look ing to adopt 56
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There is a review of the whole use of airspace across Europe being carried out and the Civil Aviation Authority in the UK is charged with reviewing the airspace here, particularly Heathrow. There are a large number of trials being carried out at Heathrow to assess the impact of different ways of operating the airport, including the routes used by incoming and departing planes. So the message to all is that if you have what you regard as a noise nuisance from a plane register this via the Heathrow website or ring . And do it as often as possible to ensure that our voices are heard. Is your sleep disturbed by a low rumbling noise coming from Heathrow at night? This ground noise seems to be a particular problem in our area and we have at last persuaded Heathrow Airport Ltd that it is an issue. Please record any instances when you hear this noise on the survey form on our website so that we can let Heathrow the extent of the problem.
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A fake/simulated TV device is a useful deterrent against burglars. It lights up a room like a real TV to give the impression that someone is at home. Used alongside other security measures, it can help to keep opportunist thieves away. Such devices can be obtained from Redline Security o r If you know of an elderly or vulnerable friend, neighbour or family member who is going to be away from their home, who do not have security devices already installed Thames Valley Police have a limited number of Going Away Boxes available for loan. Please email or call the .
If you have not already done so please remember to pay your subscript ions to your road steward or at the Post Office. Details on our website if you lose the envelope delivered to you.
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Credit Crunch Gardening
by Pippa Greenwood
If you feel that your garden has become an expensive hobby, check-out my top tips for Credit-Crunch Gardening.
• Apply for an allotment. An allotment opens up a whole new opportunity to grow almost unlimited food at very little cost, get exercise without paying for the gym, and learn a lot from your neighbouring plot holders. • Gardeners are a very generous bunch, so don’t feel embarrassed to ask, friends, neighbours, or fellow allotmenteers for cuttings or seedlings of plants that you have admired. It is part of what gardening is all about. • Collect softish, deciduous leaves to make free soil improver. Just make a ‘cage’ from galvanised wire with posts at the corners or cram the leaves into bin liners and puncture a few holes. • Make the most of every bit of fruit and veg that your garden or allotment produces. Make jams, chutnies, jellies and of course bottle or freeze just about anything else. • Make your own wasp trap. Use a jam jar part filled with stale jam, mixed with water and topped with tin foil with a few holes in it made using a pencil. • Many local councils offer 60
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really good value composters and compost bins. Better still, if you’re at all handy with the hammer and nails, create your own from old pallets or floor boards. Fill a flowerbed with colour by sowing it with hardy annual seeds – some can be collected from existing plants, others from packet seed, often at under £1 per packet. Ask your local pub to give you any stale beer from the driptrays and use it as slug bait. Use an old plastic beaker part filled with beer and placed so that the rim is about 1cm above soil level in a slug and snail prone area. Enjoy some wild food. Many garden plants are edible, and don’t forget the old favourites such as hedgerow blackberries - great for crumble, stewed with some apple or for making into bramble jelly. Many fruits sold in the supermarket come in smart, clear-plastic trays, which can be used as miniature seed trays, and most even come with a clear plastic top, the perfect mini propagator lid. Growing your own vegetables really can save you a packet. Right now you can order in seed for crops, and onion sets and garlic for crops early
next summer. Then early in the year start planting potatoes and sowing seed. • Look after your garden tools. Store them in a dry shed or garage, wipe over any metal parts with an oily rag to keep rust at bay and they’ll last years longer. • Invest in a few raspberry canes. This has to be the best money saving crop, as they are expensive in the shops. Once established autumn fruiting varieties yield heavy crops and can give you ‘posh’ fruit....for just pennies. • The garden furniture is probably the most costly item in your garden and statistics show it’s what gardeners spend most money on replacing. Remove washable seat-pads and cushions first, wash and dry these and then cover the furniture up or move it into a shed or garage if possible.
Visit Pippa’s website www. pippagreenwood.com for a great range of gardening products including Pippa’s favourite weeder, Nemaslug, Nemasys caterpillar, slug, ant and other biological controls, Enviromesh & Envirofleece and lots more besides.
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Iver Heath Junior School has had a very busy and successful year. The staff and children have been working incredibly hard and are no doubt enjoying a relaxing summer break! Our SATs week for our Year 6 children went extremely well. The school held Maths booster groups during the Easter holidays, which helped prepare the children. Special Breakfast clubs also ensured that the children had an opportunity to relax before the tests and we even celebrated the end of SATs with a Pancake Morning! The results have been published and they show that Year 6 have done incredibly well and we are so proud of them all. KS2 children are expected to reach Level 4, and to have made 2 levels between entering the school and leaving Year 6. Combining maths, reading and writing, here are some highlights : • 98% of children achieved a Level 4 (national average 75%). • 60% of children achieved a Level 5 (37% last year). • 15% of children achieved a Level 6 in Maths. • 98% of children made 2 Levels progress (79% last year). • 33% of children made 3 Levels progress. After such a fantastic achievement, Year 6 were able to relax and enjoy their residential trip to Hayling Island. 33 children and 4 staff attended an action packed week, where they completed activities including abseiling, archery, karaoke, rock climbing, kayaking and spent a lovely morning at the beach. This year we raised an amazing £1450 at the PTA Summer Fayre. Many thanks to the PTA and all the contributors for their efforts in making it a great success. We were treated to some wonderful demonstrations from the children and they also sold their products that they made during Enterprise Week on their stalls. There was a wide variety of products, inspired by the children's work studying different countries from around the world. The school would like to thank Jordanna AllenJones for her hard work and 62
commitment to the school for the past 4 years. She is stepping down as Chair of the PTA, and we wish her well for the future. The school has taken part in some fantastic community events this term including St Margaret’s Church music extravaganza and Party in the Park, Iver. Our dedicated PTA braved the weather at Party in the Park to raise much needed funds for the school. After an incredibly successful year for the school, we would like to wish our Year 6 children lots of luck at secondary school. Our school has been on an incredible journey the past few years and our year 6 children have experienced a huge amount of change within the school. These children have adapted brilliantly and made a huge contribution to where we are now, and we are so proud of them all. The school’s governing body currently has a vacancy, so if you have experience in business and finance and would like to get involved in something worthwhile and rewarding, please contact Denise Parslow at We are looking forward to an exciting start to the new school year in September 2014 and wish everyone a restful, enjoyable summer.
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Pets Corner... (Sep14)_Layout 1 22/08/2014 12:35 Page 1
Autumn Awareness
The shorter, cooler days herald the onset of autumn and as we mourn the end of a particularly pleasant summer here are some tips to keep your pets safe and disease free this autumn.
intestinal obstruction.
After the warm summer there will be an abundance of grass seeds or darts about. These commonly find their way into dog’s ears and between their toes and can be extremely painful. It is always best to check your dog’s coat after any walks near long grass and remove these before they can cause trouble.
One disease that can strike dogs from August through to November is Seasonal Canine Illness (SCI). This is a potentially fatal condition which causes serious vomiting, diarrhoea and lethargy although Finally, be aware that this year has been many affected dogs will recover with a bumper one for slugs and snails and intensive treatment. Symptoms of SCI many are still around. eating these can After effects of a Tick bite most commonly occur 24-72 hrs after cause lungworm in dogs so again keep dogs have been walked in wooded areas. Whilst most treatment for this potentially fatal disease up to date. reported cases of this disease has centred on forests in M C Atkinson BVSc MRCVs the east Midlands and east Anglia cases have occurred www.stmartinsvetclinic.com all over the country and we are still little closer to understanding the cause. There has been some links to harvest mites which are abundant at this time of year and there has also been a suggestion that fungus found in woods in the Autumn may be implicated. harvest mites live in long grass and appear as clusters of orange dots on the feet, ears, eyelids and belly and can be very irritant even if they are not associated with SCI. Fortunately outbreaks of SCI are rare and sporadic but it is advisable to keep dogs on the lead in wooded areas, keep to pathways and maintain anti-parasite treatment current with a product that treats mites which most pet shop products don’t do. Other parasites that are more common in Autumn are ticks which also live in long grass and rough ground and although they usually detach in a few days they can carry some serious diseases. Fleas also usually reach epidemic proportions in late Autumn especially if, as like this year, the summer has been warm and humid. Unfortunately there is no single product that treats mites, ticks and fleas so it is important to discuss with your vet which products are best for your pet’s circumstances. Another hazard to dogs is eating fallen Autumn fruits and acorns which can cause stomach upsets and conkers which can cause a potentially fatal 64
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FREE ONE DAY PASS? THAT’S BETTER… We are Better, your local leisure centre. Try our facilities for free and enjoy the full benefits of a Better prepaid membership for a whole day. With a wide
range of activities on offer, including exercise classes and gym, you’re bound to find something you’ll enjoy.
For more information, visit www.better.org.uk or email grace.curry@gll.org Evreham Sports Centre Swallow Street, Iver Bucks, SL0 0HS 01753 672 610 Terms & Conditions apply
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flowers & gardening... iver flower Club The Coppins Room, Iver Village Hall, Grange Way, Iver, SL0 9HW. Meets 4th Thursday of month, 7.30pm. Call Jayne on 07730 249876. Visit: www.bbando.org.uk/clubs/iver
Call Rosemary 01628 776838 www.thefitnessleague.com
West Drayton, UB7 7NX. Thu 6-7pm Circuits, Fitness and Boxercise. £5 a class. Shaun Thompson, 07906 087749 www.tauruspt.co.uk
iver Heath garden & allotment Club Iver Heath Village Hall. Every 2nd Monday of the month at 8pm. Call Barbara Thompson Programme Secretary 01895 235213. Contact email address is Ann McCullough Secretary amcc100@gmail.com Hobbies...
bobbin lace Making group Every Thu 7.30pm at Southlands House, The Green, Swan Road, West Drayton. Call Julie 020 8897 9368 or Margaret 01895 851349 Chinese brush Painting group Come and join our friendly group meeting on Saturday mornings. The class is guided by an experienced tutor so no experience required! You will learn how to compose and develop your own Chinese painting style as well as practicing the finer points of Chinese calligraphy often seen on paintings. Find us at Harefield Library, Park Lane Village Centre, Harefield or contact Phyllis Nash on 01895 476 644 / phyllnash@gmail.com inland waterways association Meet 2nd Tues of every month at Hillingdon Canal Club, Waterloo Road, Uxbridge, UB8 2QX, 7.30pm. middlesex.social@waterways.org.uk keeP-fit, danCe & draMa... adults Zumba Classes Running on Wednesdays 6-7pm at Iver Heath Village Hall, Saint Margaret's Close. Call Diane on 07926 854184 bagot stack (fitness league) Term Time Only. Vyners School, UB10 8AB on Tue 7.30 - 8.30pm. Also in Windsor Monday & Thursday.
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ballet Classes Iver Heath Village Hall, Friday 4.457pm. Call L Killian 01753 814280
bokwa fitness tone & Core The latest craze - hits all your fitness targets in one - 07771 872592 learningmoves@hotmail.co.uk
boxfit Saturdays 9.45-10.45am at the Evreham Sport Centre, Iver. An exciting class which uses focus pads and gloves to enhance an excellent aerobic workout. Call 01753 672610 Children's Zumba (Zumbatomic) Classes Wednesdays at 3.30-5.30pm at Iver Heath Village Hall, Saint Margaret's Close. Call Diane on 07926 854184
futunity Street Dance and Hip Hop for children age 7-11 years. Fri's from 4-9pm call Cheryl on 01753 651754 or email childcare@ivercommunity.org Modern Jive Classes Monday 8-11pm at West Drayton Community Centre Tuesday & Thursday 8-11pm at Uxbridge Civic Centre Beginners Welcome – First Night Entry & Free Lifetime membership with this listing. Contact Alan: 0208 933 4350 or 07860 250961 www.clubceroc.com email: alanandsue@clubceroc.com donna’s keep fit Iver Heath Village Hall. Call Donna 01753 674945. Tue 9.45-10.45am evreham adult learning Centre Please call 0845 045 4040 to book any of the following… Gentle Exercise 60+ Tue 10-11am and Fri 13.3014.30 Gentle Yoga Wed 13.30-14.30. All classes suitable for beginners to inter-mediate level. Cost £50 for 10 weeks. Fully qualified Exercise To Music Instructor. fitness Club St Catherine School, Money Lane,
Hour of Power - Ultimate workout Wed 7pm at the Evreham Sports Centre, Iver. Call 01753 672610. iver Heath drama Club Meet every Wednesday at Iver Heath New Village Hall between 7.45pm & 10pm. Contact Matt Streuli email: matt@ihdc.co.uk or www.ihdc.co.uk
Jazzercise Classes New Denham Community Centre Monday 9.30am-10.30am and Tuesday 6.45pm-7.45pm. Wednesday and Friday 10-11am Denham Village Memorial Hall Village Road, Denham, Bucks. Thursday 6.30-7.30pm. Contact Wendy Whitefoord, Tel: 07803 602142 or email: wendy.whitefoord@btinternet.com www.jazzercise.com
ladies only kickboxing Club Wednesdays, 6.30-8.00pm at Watts Hall, Redford Way, Uxbridge, UB8 1SZ. First Class FREE! Just turn up or call Instructor Leanne Phillips on 07518 848285 email: leanne @kickboxing-longdon.co.uk www.kickboxing-london.co.uk line dancing Tuesday 7.30-10pm, Iver Village Hall. All ability levels welcome. £5, £2 kids. Call Stephanie 07958 643307 nordic walking & wellbeing Explore our borough’s green spaces . with all round exercise in the open air, 4 week courses various days and locations pre booking essential contact 07771872592 / learningmoves@hotmailco.uk Personal training Looking for some extra help to get fit & into shape? For more info and prices call Rachel on 07745 622011 Pilates Iver Heath Village Hall on Thurs 7pm8pm call Mrs S Webb 01923 721335 continued overleaf...
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keep-fit, dance & drama continued...
toddler & Junior fitness fun Junior Trampolining Weds 4.30pm5.30pm held at the Evreham Sports Centre Iver. Call 01753 672610 for details.
7.45-10.30 with a ten minute break for a cup of tea, a chat and a biscuit. If you enjoy singing or would like to find out more about us, please come along to watch us one evening or visit www.signaturesingers.com
pilates class St Peters Centre, Iver. Tuesday 7-8pm. Julie Hall 07976 966 583 pinewood fitness The Fitness Room, Pinewood Studios, Pinewood Road, Iver Heath, Sl0 0NH. Mon 20.00-21.00, Wed 19.30-20.30. Booking only. Various Fitness Circuits, Boxercise, Gym Work. £5 a class. Shaun Thompson, 07906 087749 www.tauruspt.co.uk richings players Perform three plays each year usually at Iver Village Hall. If you would like to become a member call Adrian on 01753 652843 or www.richingsplayers.com Salsa classes Every Monday: The Middlesex Arms, Long Drive, South Ruislip, HA4 0HG. Beginners class starts 8pm. Improvers/Intermediates: 8.459.30pm. Freestyle dancing/practice time til 11pm. Every Wednesday: The WatersEdge, Canal Cottages, Packetboat Lane, Cowley, UB8 2JS. Beginners class starts 7:30pm. Improvers/Intermediates: 8.309.30pm. Freestyle dancing/practice time til 11pm tap dance Mondays 7.30-8.30pm at Meadows Community Centre, West Drayton. Adult Beginner/Intermediate tap. No exams. Contact 01895 420409 / learningmoves@hotmail.co.uk
Yoga Iver Heath Village Hall Mon 6.30-7.45pm Jonathan Bell 07790 682238
ZumBa ® fitness classes Mon & Thurs 7-8pm. St Peters Centre, Iver - all levels welcome! plus INSANITY Classes Mondays 8.15pm9pm. £5 per class. Call Rachel on 07745 622011 for info/to book. Zumba fitness Weds 8-9pm at Langley Grammar School Sport Centre Reddington Drive Langley, SL3 8LL and Thurs 7-8pm at Yiewsley / West Drayton Community Centre, Harmondsworth Rd, West Drayton UB7 9JL. Call Gabriel 07735090325 or gabrielzumba@instructor.net www.gabriel84.zumba.com muSic... faraday country music club in Slough SL2 1RN. Join us for the best live Country Music every Thursday for listeners, western partners, freestyle or line dancers. From 8-11pm. Contact Deb 07986 050742. www.faradaycountry.co.uk
tai chi classes Tues 10am at the Evreham Sports Centre, Iver. Call 01753 672610
the Windsor & district Big Bands appreciation Society Meet on 2nd Wed of each month at 7.30pm, Datchet Hall, Horton Rd, Datchet. Meetings feature the music of the big bands of the 40s & 50s Swing era. Two recitals from records, tapes & CDs, along with a raffle and sometimes a live band. If you like to reminisce, do come along and join us! Contact Derek Verrier on 01753 654398
tai chi classes Every Saturday 10-11am, Yiewsley Methodist Church, Fairfield Road, UB7 8EY. Call Dan 07880 601429
Signature a cappella singers We meet on a Monday night at Iver Heath Village Hall, St Margaret’s Close, Iver Heath SLO 0DQ. Time
taurus circuits Pinewood Studio. With Personal Trainer Shaun. Monday 8pm-9pm Booking only 07906 087749
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Stoke poges Singers A friendly four-part choir with about forty members singing a wide variety of music during the year. New members are always welcome and there are no auditions. The ability to read music is not essential. Rehearsals on Thursday evening at St Andrews Centre, Rogers Lane, Stoke Poges from 8pm. Come along to a rehearsal or contact Naomi on 07831 217575 or Cheryl on 01753 655682. www.stoke-poges-singers.org Yiewsley & West drayton Band Rehearse every Wednesday and Friday 8-10pm at St. Matthew's School, Yiewsley. To join or book the band for an engagement contact Lynne on 07976 824152 or email Lynne@ywdband.com Yiewsley & West drayton training Band This is open to all ages wanting to learn to play a brass instrument or those of you wanting to 'brush up' your skills. Rehearse every Wed during term time 6.45-7.45pm at St. Matthew's School, Yiewsley. Contact Abi on 07985 302 856 or emailtraining@ywdband.com petS... iver dog training club Meet Tuesday & Friday 6.30-9pm, St Andrews Church, Richings Park. Call Diana 01753 732907 iver Heath fields dog club 'Outdoor Training' every Sat at 10.15am, Wed at 11am call Mike on 01753 817852 or 07795 031335
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pre-school & kids groups... French for children with La Jolie Ronde, 5-11yrs. In Iver, Saturdays. Call Estelle 07831 779888 for more details. rainbow guides Iver Heath Scout Hut on Tuesday, 5.30-6.30pm. Call Cindy Gordon 01753 795724 or Tracey Glynn 01895 469804 richings park pre-school St Leonard's Hall, St Leonard's Walk, Richings Park Iver, SL0 9DD. Monday to Friday 9.15am-12.15pm Extended days on Tue, Wed and Fri until 2.15pm. 15 hours funding available for 3-4 year olds per week. 2yr old funding. Call 07712 477848. shooting stars pre-school An innovative pre-school setting for children aged two-five years open from 7.00am – 6.00pm Monday – Friday. Iver Village Hall, High St, Iver, SL0 9NW. Call Rafia 01753 651754 or e: childcare@ivercommunity.org slough sea cadets Parade nights on Monday and Thursday 19.30-21.30 at Langley Pavillion, Langley Road, Slough, SL3 8BS. Male & Female Junior Cadets (age 10-12 yrs) and Cadets (age 1218 yrs). Fees £2 per week, courses from £5 for a weekend. Visit us on Facebook, pop-in or email: sloughseacadets@yahoo.co.uk sticky Fingers Mothers & Toddlers Iver Heath Village Hall, Wed 9.3011.30am. Call Janet Beale 01753 652375 The launchpad A breakfast club for children aged 511 and after school club for Infants. We also offer holiday play schemes. Iver Village Hall, High Street, Iver, SL0 9NW. Call Cheryl on 01753 651754 childcare@ivercommunity.org The pod An after school club for Junior school children combining childcare with specialist educational activities. Iver 76
Village Junior School, High Street, Iver, SL0 9QA. Call Cheryl on 01753 651754 or email: childcare@ivercommunity.org Tiny Talk Baby signing classes Tuesday classes at St Mary’s Church Hall, High Street, Harefield UB9 6BX, 10am, price £5 pre-paid per family. Thursday classes at St Giles' Church Hall, 1 High Road, Ickenham UB10 8LE, 10am, 11.15am and 1pm, price £5.00 pre-paid per family. Friday classes at The Uxbridge Centre, The Greenway, Uxbridge UB8 2PJ, 10.30am, price £5.00 pre-paid per family. Please call Bev Meier to book 01895 824935 or 0781 8025993 Tiny Toes childcare An inspirational full day care nursery for children aged six weeks to five years open from 8.00am – 6.00pm Monday – Friday. Evreham Centre, Swallow Street, Iver, SL0 0HS. Call Susan on 01753 655650 tinytoes@ivercommunity.org selF deFence... close Quarter combat Based in Richings Park. Specialising in speed, strength and conditioning training. All types of pad work combinations. Suitable for Men and Women of all ages. 1-2-1 sessions. Call Mark 07525 366126 email: mj.wilding@hotmail.com
Harmondsworth Road, UB7 9JL. Contact Ella: 07702 479 435 or email: sportsclubuk@gmail.com Martial Arts Bujinkan kuri dojo Unit 21 Bridgeworks, UB8 2JG Tel: 07878 471124. Training: Sun 10.30-12.30pm, Tue 8-10pm, Thu 8.30-10pm www.bujinkankuridojo.co.uk silat kuntao indonesian self-defence Traditional self-defence art from Central Java, includes empty hand, traditional weapons, meditation and healing massage. Adult classes only. Mon and Wed 8pm-10pm at Denham Village Memorial Hall, Denham, UB9 5BN. Call Philip Davies 07790 496 346 or email kuntao.matjan.uk@gmail.com. selF help... Alcoholics Anonymous Every Sunday, 7.30pm at St Leonards Hall, St Leonards Walk, Richings Park, Iver, SL0 9DD. Contact Howard on 07816 315688 "if alcohol is costing you more than money, you should meet us" slimming World Tuesday 5.30pm and 7.30pm at Evreham Sports Centre, Iver Heath Contact Kate: 07432 107089 sociAl groups...
karate (Adults & children) Iver Heath Village Hall on Tues & Thurs. Kids 7-8pm, Adults 8-9.30pm. Call Sensei R. Baker 07898 946330.
coffee shop At St Margarets Church, Church Rd, Iver Heath. Wed 10.45-11.45am. Enjoy a coffee and a chat in a friendly, informal atmosphere.
karate club of denham / uxbridge For ages 5 years and up. Sunday 9.15-11am at New Denham Community Centre, Oxford Road. Wednesday 5-7pm at The Greenway, Uxbridge. Call Dominic on 07988 743725
heathway ladies group Every second Tues of the month at 2pm. You’re welcome as a visitor at the cost of £1.50, as we have a waiting list. Contact Secretary Tricia Cooper 01753 817749 or e: tricia.cooper3@virginmedia.com
kung Fu club West drayton Great Kung Fu work out for everybody, attractive trainings for children & adults on: Tuesday 5.30-6.30, Friday 7.30-8.30, Sunday 5.30-6.30. West Drayton Community Centre,
iver & district countryside Assoc., If you enjoy walks in the country and social evenings, why not join us? Call Paul Graham 01753 655183 continued overleaf...
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social groups continued... iver evening Women’s institute Iver Village Hall, meets 2nd Monday of month, 7.30pm. Call Margaret 01753 653751 for details. iver Heath ladies Meet on the 1st Monday of the month (exc. BHs). At 2pm in the Community Room, Iver Heath Village Hall. Call Pat Roberts 01753 647674 or email: pat@roberts3011.orange home.co.uk iver Heath community library The library is open on Tuesday 10am-1pm & 2pm-5pm Thursday 10am-1pm & 2pm-7pm Saturday 10am-1pm We hope that people from all three local areas will join with us to preserve this important local resource. Membership is free. Many of the facilities are free. For details contact us or, alternatively, come to one of our free monthly coffee and cake mornings and discuss with us in person. Tel: 0845 2303232 email: lib-ivh@buckscc.gov.uk King's Friends A group of older men and women enjoying life. Contact 01753 651178 for our latest programme. probus club of langley & iver is always looking for new members, we meet for lunch at the Richings Park Sports Club on the last Tuesday of the month (except Dec). We are friendly and attract retired persons of both sexes who usually are from a professional background although there is nothing rigid about background. We normally have a speaker and cover a very wide range of interests. Contact the Secretary on 01753 653571. the rotary club of langley & iver Meets on Thurs evenings 6.45 for 7pm, Richings Park Golf Club. North Park. Iver. SL0 9DL 01753 655370. We are a small friendly club that welcomes everyone, from all walks of life. If you are interested in improving
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the lives of others and have fun doing it, visit www.rotarylangleyandiver.org. uk or email: akahold@hotmail.com Women’s social group Social group for women in West London. Looking to expand your social group and make new friends? We meet regularly for coffee, a chat and organised trips and welcome women of all ages. Please call Seema on 07730 898635 or email seemaa@seemaa.co.uk for more. sport... Back school Small Osteopath lead rehab excercise sessions designed to help strengthen the back with lots of self care advice. Held at Lotus Wellbeing Clinic call 01753 677 604 for further details. Basketball (starting 7th June) Drop-in sessions for adults age 16 and over. Saturdays 12-2pm. £3 per session. At the Evreham Sports Centre, Iver. Call 01753 672610. darts Richings Park Sports & Social Club Wellesley Avenue. Men & Women Players. Tuesday & Thursday Nights. Call Gerry 07957 804204 iver Heath tennis club Church Road, Iver Heath, Bucks. SL0 0RW. New members always welcome, adults and juniors, visit our website for details www.ihltc.co.uk or call John Stephenson 01895 441033 iver Heath Bowls club Interested in playing bowls? Ring Brian Carter 01753 817794 or Hon. Sec. Betty Hemsley 01753 651775 iver short Mat Bowls We are open on Wednesdays 2-5pm & 5-10pm in Iver Village Hall, experience not necessary. Age 18yrs+. Cal Bob 01753 654049 or Ron 01753 819644 or Mary 01753 654765 iver Veterans golf society For men and women over 60. We meet every Tuesday morning at Iver
Golf Club. Handicap not necessary. Regular competitions held at Iver and other courses. You do not need to be a member of Iver Golf Club, just come along and play and make some new friends. Special rates for IVGS members. Contact: 01753 654246 nordic Walking taster session iver Starts Wednesday 30th January, 10am-11am, £5 at Evreham Sports Centre, Swallow Street, Iver, Bucks, SL0 0HS. Session is £5 with poles included. If you would like to book onto the course or require more details call the Evreham Sports Centre on 01753 672 610. pink ladies netball club All levels and abilities welcome. Training takes place at Stockley Academy, West Drayton every Tuesday evening. Senior training 16+yrs 7.30-9pm Back to Netball 16+yrs 7.30- 8.30pm Under 16s - please Rhiannon on 01895 448878 for details email: plnetball@hotmail.co.uk visit www.pinkladiesnetball.co.uk richings park ladies Badminton club Meet at St. Andrews Church Hall, North Park, Iver. Every Monday 24pm except Bank Holidays. Intermediate standard of playing. Call Daphne Wood 01753 653404 for details. richings park short Mat Bowls Richings Park Sports & Social Club Wellesley Avenue. Wed from 4pm. Just turn up - equipment provided. run for life Richings park running and fitness club. Richings park sports club Mon and Thu 6-7pm. With Personal trainer Shaun - sessions includes running, circuits, boxing and various other exercises. Call 07906 087749. running club For Advanced, Intermediate and Beginner. Runs organised in the local area. Free of charge, chance to train with other runners at your level. Call 01753 677 604 for further details.
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