Denham June 15 by In and Around Publishing

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10/03/2014 11:27

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 

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 I’m sure for many of you, like me, this will be your child’s final month at school before heading off into the big wide world of further education and work. Whereas in previous years I would be anticipating the summer holidays, I’m now worrying about exam re sults and prom dresses. It’s hard to believe that my daughter was only six when I first started publishing these magazines, I only had one dog (who was merely a pup) as opposed to two dogs, both of whom are now veterans and I’ve moved house twice. It’s funny how you can think nothing much changes, and yet when you look back, pretty much everything has! On a less retrospective note, we have intro duced a new Situations Vacant section in the magazines from this month. For just £50 you can advertise your vacancy across all six magazines  a fantastic coverage of well over 30,000 homes. So if you have a job to fill, please just give us a call! Well, let’s see what ‘Flaming June’ has to bring and don’t forget, it’s Fathers Day on Sunday 21st! .

   Tel: 0800 038 5001 Mob: 07759 536494 In and Around Magazines cover: West Drayton . Iver . Denham . Uxbridge Ickenham . Ruislip Angela Fisher 0800 038 5001 / 07759 536494 info@inandaroundpublishing.co.uk 

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 Recipe: Lemon Risotto with Fresh Salmon 10 CAB New Live Web Chat 12 Short Story: Gertie’s Lunch 16 Summer Cocktails 18 The Golden Years: Memories of 50 years ago 20 Children’s Puzzle Page 22 Zoe Hart 24 Travel: Budapest 26 Special: Admit Defeat 28 Coffee Break Puzzles 30 Local Events 32 Beauty & The Beach 34 A hobby worth Droning on about 36 Reader Holidays 38 Pets 40 Motoring: Top 5 Eco Cars 42 Breakthrough for Sciatica Sufferers 44 Property Matters 44 Books: The Big Top 46 Classic Cars: Jaguar XJS 48 Interiors: Kings of Bling 50 Citizens Advice Bureau 52 Useful Telephone Numbers 52 Technology: Outdoor Cooking 54 Health: Loss of Libido 56 Finance: Saving for the Children 58 Anyone for Tennis? 62 Puzzle Solutions 63 What’s on at the Compass Theatre 64 Wordsearch 64 Garden Feature 66 Clubs, Groups & Classes 68, 70 & 72 Situations Vacant 69 Opinion 74

  We are grateful for the support of local businesses whose adverts appear in this publication and whilst every care is taken to ensure accuracy, the publishers cannot accept responsibility for any errors, omissions, claims made by advertisers or endorse companies, products or services. This publication, its contents and advert designs are © of In and Around Publishing. Any copying or reproduction in part or fully, is strictly forbidden without our prior consent.

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      of a phone. Research has shown it is particu  larly popular among under 35s who are used      to instant messaging in their everyday lives.  If you are looking for advice on an issue such You can now get connected to a Chiltern CAB as debt, benefits, housing, employment, rela adviser via live web chat if you are looking for tionships or other areas, you can try the new chat service by visiting help online and can’t find what you need, or if w e b you prefer to discuss problems in real time by www.chilterncab.org.uk/webchat. Advisers are typing your query rather than making a phone online from 10am – 4pm Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and there is the facility to leave call. a ‘call back’ message at other times. You can Jennifer Allott, District Manager of Chiltern also contact Chiltern Citizens Advice Bureau at Citizens Advice Bureau said, “We are excited other times by phone, email or dropping in to a to be launching our live web chat service this centre near you. Call 01494 545991 or visit week on our new, updated website. We hope it www.chilterncab.org.uk for further information. will make it easier for people to contact us for advice in the way that they feel most comfort able with. Our live web chat is free, quick and confidential. We think it will prove particularly useful for clients who prefer getting help online and using instant messaging to communicate their problems.” Chiltern Citizens Advice Bureau is also keen to reach out to a wider audience among the local population with the new web chat service. Live web chat is becoming a ‘turn to’ option for people contacting organisations, without hav ing to find a phone number or wait on the end 12

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Recruiting NOW Foster carers and adopters needed    

Find out more at our information events Tuesday 9 June, 6.30pm to 8.30pm Civic Centre, Uxbridge UB8 1UW Tuesday 21 July, 11am to 1pm Emmanuel Church, High Street, Northwood HA6 1AS

Book your place today

Please arrive five minutes before the start time.

fost-adopt@ hillingdon.gov.uk 0800 783 1298

www.hillingdon.gov.uk/fost-adopt 13

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Short Story 

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Boat Number Six Barney secured the last of the pedalos, and gazed with satisfaction out over the boating lake. The ducks were returning to Smuggler’s Island and the water was as still as a tea tray. After four years as first mate, Barney had finally been trusted to take charge. This morning, Mr Vaughn, better known as Captain, handed over the cash tin. Muttering something about a trial run, possible partnership and avoid using boat number six, he’d staggered off for an all day meeting at the Dolphin. And what a busy day it had been. The late morning sun had scorched off the clouds and by midday a queue of holiday makers had stretched along the jetty. All he had to do now was lock the shed. He opened the door and noticed two flowery beach bags hanging on the peg. Barney’s heart sank. Customers must have given them to him to take care of, and he’d neglected to return them. Captain would grumble, but it might be overlooked considering the weight of the cash tin. He then remembered the customers. How could he forget them? With supreme lack of coordination, and fits of giggles, that pair of elderly ladies had climbed aboard their pedalo. He was amazed they didn’t get a dipping. Following that fiasco, they had pedalled around in circles singing 16

‘We are sailing’ before eventually disappearing around the side of Smuggler’s Island. He also remembered that he had put them in boat number six. A canary yellow two-seater pedalo, boat number six had been patched up more times than he’d had chip suppers. Captain had retired her at the end of last season. But Barney had wanted impressive takings and that meant putting every vessel to work. With a curious feeling of dread Barney studied the pedalos sitting calmly on the darkening water. As instructed he had lined them up numerically. There was boat number five, and next to it boat number seven. Boat number six was not in position. He quickly counted the boats, and counted them again. He counted them slowly just to be certain. Boat number six was missing. On his first day in charge not only had Barney lost a vessel, he had also lost its crew. He dreaded the thought of a humiliating all night lake dredging. It was deep in places, but just how deep Barney had hoped never to find out. He glanced at his watch. He was expected in the Dolphin in ten minutes, but there was still time. He un-tethered a little rowing boat. With determined

strokes he rowed out onto the lake. The ducks quacked with annoyance. The water was worryingly still. Then he heard a sound like a rusty saw. Backwards and forwards it went, slowly, deliberately, like someone lazily sawing wood for the fire. It appeared to be coming from the bulrushes along the banks of Smugglers Island. He peered into the reeds and saw a flash of yellow. It had to be boat number six, but where was its crew? “Ahoy there!” Barney called nervously. The sawing ended abruptly. “Is anyone aboard?” “Hello?” a shaky voice replied, “wake up Gert, we must have nodded off”. In the shadows the ladies rubbed their eyes and began to stand. “I don’t want to alarm you but you’re in a pedalo”, Barney called. “I’d advise you to sit tight”. It was with great relief that Barney towed boat number six home on her final ever voyage. All the while the ladies serenaded him with ‘We are sailing’ in booming carefree voices. Barney smiled, and joined in with the chorus. by Jackie Brewster

Ickenham Summer Cocktails FP (Jun15)_IN! Tipss Style Editorials (Mar13) 28/05/2015 21:51 Page 1

The drinks are on us... Enjoy!

Summer  Cocktails Is there anything nicer than sipping a Pimms or a G&T on a warm summer evening in the garden? Probably not but sometimes the occasion seems to call for something more... well... interesting. People are rather coy about cocktails yet many are not complicated and they always impress guests. So here is my guide to making three perfect, refreshing cocktails; two alcoholic and one for non-drinkers.

THE MOJITO Serves 4...

Let’s get mixing...

• Ice cubes

1 Place the ice in a beverage shaker (I’ve used a large Tupperware cup with a lid before now!)

• 150ml / 6fl oz light rum • 4 whole and 8 broken mint sprigs (spearmint is lovely) • 6 tbsp fresh lime juice • 4 tbsp sugar • Club soda • 4 slices lime

2 Add the rum, the 8 broken mint sprigs, the lime juice and the sugar. 3 Shake well and pour over ice in tall glasses. 4 Top up each glass with club soda to taste. 5 Garnish with a slice of lime and a sprig of mint. Serve.

THE SEA BREEZE Serves 1...

Let’s get mixing...

• Ice cubes

1 Fill a tall glass with ice.

• 50 ml / 2 fl oz vodka • 50/ml / 2 fl oz cranberry juice

2 Now pour the vodka, cranberry and grapefruit juices over the ice.

• 50ml / 2fl oz fresh grapefruit juice Lime wedge

3 Stir gently, squeeze the lime into the drink then drop it into the glass. Serve.

THE SHIRLEY TEMPLE Serves 1...

Let’s get mixing...

• Ice

1 Pour a couple of dashes of grenadine over and top up with ginger ale.

• Grenadine • Ginger Ale • 2 lemon wedges • Fill a tall glass with ice

2 Squeeze the lemon wedges over then drop into the glass. Serve.

Ltd

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Golden Years Memories of 50 Years Ago by Ted Bruning and trying to curry favour with the young.

perhaps it was the shocking headlines of 11th June 1965 and the events that followed that spurred the Beatles into escaping from the curse of light entertainment – of Saturday morning children’s TV shows, of guest slots on Lulu (or, worse, a show of their own), of Royal Command Performances, of touring unto exhaustion. Once “Help!” was finished later that year they put the three-minute love-songs (albeit the superior and beautifully crafted threeminute love-songs) of the first half of the career behind them and started exploring their talent in earnest.

   Quite a few middle-class breakfasts must have been ruined when the newspapers of 11th June 1965 were opened. For the news was truly shocking. The Beatles were to receive MBEs in the Birthday Honours List! It’s difficult at this distance – and almost impossible for people who weren’t around at the time – to realise what a big deal this was. And if anything it seems comical that so many retired colonels sent their medals back to the Palace in disgust. What blimps these outraged fuddy-duddies must have been, we think today; and the apocalyptic language with which they expressed their horror – the Beatles were “vulgar numbskulls”, snarled one; Britain would fall “even deeper into international ridicule and contempt”, howled another; and the word “debased” appeared over and over again – makes them seem even more so. As for the newly-elected Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson, who had put the Fab Four up for their gongs, he was vilified as subverting the honours system 20

But how wrong those criticisms were, for this was not an act of subversion, but of absorption. The Beatles had become hugely successful dollar earners, with nine US number one singles and four US number one albums to their credit so far, as well as the creation of an enormous American market for other British acts; and that made them part of the Establishment and entitled to all the honours that came with it.

The Beatles themselves sensed this and seem to have been uneasy over it. John Lennon reportedly worried about being seen as a sell-out and had to be talked into accepting his MBE by Brian Epstein; and the Lovable Moptops famously tried to make a pantomime of their investiture that October, turning up in John’s psychedelic RollsRoyce, wearing unconventional suits, smoking a joint in the Palace loos (later and rather unconvincingly denied), and trying (and failing) to banter with the Queen. Four years later John confirmed that he had never been happy with the whole business when he returned his medal – without a trace of irony! – in protest at Britain’s involvement in the Vietnam and Biafran wars. So

And then Brian Epstein died; and although his death was tragically untimely (and although he was no showbiz monster to compare with the likes of Larry Parnes or Simon Cowell) it did finally complete the process that had started at Buckingham palace of freeing the Beatles from the light entertainment treadmill that had ruined so many of their great contemporaries – notably Dusty Springfield – and left them with nothing to do but create. So perhaps, ultimately, we have Harold Wilson to thank for The White Album, Abbey Road, and Let It Be.

Happy 50tH BirtHdays to Damien Hirst (7th), Elizabeth Hurley (10th), and Garry Pallister (30th). Cake and botox to you all!

Zoe Hart FP+ (Jun15)_Layout 1 25/05/2015 12:18 Page 1

Music Review by Zoe Hart ZOE HART an international club DJ since 1999, turned Childrens Entertainer in 2012. She is also a qualified yoga teacher and EI and mindfulness practitioner. Her company ‘Hart Entertainments’ provides quality conscious discos for children of all ages in the Bucks, Middlesex and West London areas.

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Hi, I’m Zoe and I run a local children’s disco service. In todays world we are constantly bombarded with information and not enough time to absorb and filter it for our children, so I thought I’d help a little, at least in the area that I’m good at. Music!

www.zoehart.co.uk - 07747 063 149

This month’s favourite SEE YOU AGAIN – Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth

CHEERLEADER (Felix Jaehn Remix) – OMI

It’s talking about the bond created between friends and how it can turn into love and family. It’s track 7 from the movie ‘Fast & Furious 7’ and a tribute to one of the movies actors Paul Walker. Not so dancey, would suit later in the evening at an adult disco rather than SONG VIDEO a kids event. 0+ 7+ I REALLY LIKE YOU - Carly Rae Jepsen 29 year old Candian singer, well known for ‘Call Me Maybe’ presents a song that has been described as "bubblegum", a potential major smash 'if handled correctly', and very '1989esque'. The video is pretty funny with SONG VIDEO Tom Hanks lip syncing all the way.

Hooray for this current number 1! Very catchy for all age groups. It’s a great club dance track that’s actually focused on how great it is to be with one person, his queen, his cheerleader. Great message. Left my daughter and I feeling really good about ourselves SONG VIDEO and wanting to get up and dance.

WHERE ARE U NOW Jack U (Skrillex & Diplo) feat. Justin Bieber Really love this bassline. Bieber is fundamentally a good Christian boy who lost his way last year. Let’s hope this year he can sort out that behaviour ‘cos there are so many kids who AGE just adore him. 13+ FIRESTONE – Kygo feat. Conrad

ALL CRIED OUT Blonde feat. Alex Newell Generic poppy rubbish. Doesn’t uplift or inspire. The video is simply a demonstration of money and if I were to break up with my partner it’s not how I would handle it or the song I would choose to listen to. But then I’m not SONG VIDEO a troubled American teenager.

13+ 16+

LEAN ON Major Lazer feat. MØ & DJ Snake Teenage blah blah blah. Lyrically. Like the beat, but the reference to ﬁring a gun is inappropriate, as is her outﬁt choice in the AGE video. 16+

Sunshine club house anthem. Will prove popular in Ibiza no doubt. Nothing inappropriate here, but a bit slow for kids.

AGE

TROUBLE Iggy Azalea feat. Jennifer Hudson Nice bit of hip hop to ﬁnish on this month. No explicit lyrics but the video is not for the young.

SONG

VIDEO

16+

I Would love to hear what your sunny choices are, let me know here: zoe@zoehart.co.uk

References: Wikipedia.co.uk, azlyrics.com, whosay.com, songfacts.com, directlyrics.com, vevo.

Zoe

Parkway, Hillingdon, Middlesex, UB10 9JX Independent School for boys and girls aged 3 - 11

  

An ‘OUTSTANDING’ School A family-run school with a caring atmosphere. Pupils achieve excellent results in academic subjects, music, sport and drama. For further information, or to arrange a visit, please telephone 01895 234371 Parkway, Hillingdon, Middlesex, UB10 9JX - www.sthelenscollege.com 25

Home & Interiors The Kings of Bling

Budapest

By Katherine Sorrell

‘Queen of the Danube’  Set in the Carpathian basin, Hungary’s capital is said to rank among the most beautiful cities in Europe. Here, the legendary Danube flows through the heart of town, meandering romantically The French kings of the around green islands and 17thiconic and bridges. 18th centuries under On the had enormous influence west bank, the wooded hills aristocratic interiors. of on Buda climb to 527 metres while the east, the plain and Fortoelegance, luxury of splendour, Pest rises gently lookinto no the further distance. than the styles of Louis

‘Mother of the Country’.

On the Buda side, the Royal Palace rises on Castle Hill, one of the prettiest districts around with cobbled squares and traditional buildings. There are imposing and their preciousstatues furniture.’ and wrought ironinspired gates, stylish The king was to colonnades and hunting archways, a adapt a small lodge lofty with neo-Gothic justchurch outside Paris, extend it, ornaments and jaw-droppingly the mustand fill it with see Fisherman’s Bastion, splendid decoration and named after the once furnishings, allGuild in order to responsible its upkeep, glorify his for monarchy. Its style now a top attraction its was, of course, thefor most XIV,along XV the andpromenade XVI, writes Stroll unrivalled views over the river up-to-date possible, a new or Katherine sail on the Danube Sorrell and fashion and city. known as Baroque as you gaze at the elegant - dramatically dazzling and The year: façades, the 1681. domesThe andplace: Beyond its historical complex, opulent, epitomised by jewelthe royal court in France. And, spires glistening with mosaics, Buda is a select residential like colours, large furniture in to King Louis XIV, it’saccording easy to see why the river area while down town, Pest bulbous shapes, trompe l’oeil known as the Sun King, who banks form an integral part is all hustle and bustle, its paintwork and glittering silver, had assumed power two years of the city’s World Heritage. streets lined with gleaming gold and crystal to surprise ‘Thereside, is nothing that Onearlier: the eastern beyond shops and architectural gems, and impress. The new palace indicates more clearly the the superb Chain Bridge ranging from Versailles. neo-Gothic and was called magnificence of great princes guarded by lion statues, Renaissance to Baroque, than their superb palaces The interior of Versailles, pride of place goes to the Ottoman and Art Nouveau. designed by Charles Lebrun, grandiose Parliament Building, Andrassy Avenue, the 2.5 filled with furniture bristling with pinnacles and kmwas long commercial hub, made specialist turrets and topped by a is in protected byworkshops UNESCO, by the finestthe native and foreign splendid red dome. Stretching alongside Millennium artisans. Proportioned for 268 metres along the river, Underground Railway which enormous rooms, pieces were with 27 gates, 691 rooms follows the same route, carveda and in heavy, and a stunning 20kms of starting few gilded steps from shapes, upholstered stairways, it was inaugurated Stscrolling Stephen’s Basilica and with velvet brocade, in 1896 for the Millennium stretching all and the way to theand inlaid exotic materials which marked 1000 years of city park.with Among the many such as marble, silver, ivory, Hungarian history. It is home notable sights are the State lapis House, lazuli and to the Crown Jewels and Opera theagate. nearbyThere wereLiszt fabrics woven of with silver affectionately known as the Franz Academy Music 26

or gold thread, lavish rugs and walls hung with tapestries or covered in marble or mirror. Perhaps most extreme of all was the specially commissioned furniture and lighting made of silver. Every tiny By detail of this grand, formal Solange Hando and ornate design had been considered. It was utterly magnificent, and immediately and at the entrance to the became the envyofofFine every park, the Museum Arts other court Square in Europe. and Heroes’ where the semi-circular memorial is Fashions are forever changing, described ‘a history book however,as and, inevitably, made stone’. thereofwas a reaction against the amonumental style of rink With lake which is an ice By the turn of the inBaroque. winter, Botanical Gardens 18th century baths Louis boasting XIV was and medicinal urging a ‘graceful and airy’ 18 pools in and outdoors, the style on his granddaughter-inpark is a favourite haunt of law. After his death in 1715 the city folks, just one of many court moved to Paris, where venues where you can relax in a less ceremonial lifestyle this ‘land of 1000 springs.’ developed, with hot smaller rooms There are over 100 of them and lighter furniture. Known as inRococo and around town, shells including (because and those Hill– prized rockson– Gellert rocailles featured so since Roman times. The hill frequently), it was frivolous and offers sweeping vistas over exuberant, all delicate curves the city. and asymmetrical lines while, overall, homes were But sooner or later, thearranged so as to be comfortable Danube calls you back rather than impressive, colours soft with waterside restaurants, and feminine, andand patterns panoramic cruises bridges delicate.ever The changing typical Rococo revealing views home featured elaborate and architectural styles, from plasterwork and Elizabeth carved, the contemporary painted and gilded wooden Bridge to the iron Liberty panels, walls hung with silk Bridge where the last silver or hand-painted wallpapers rivet was put in place by imported from China, all Franz Joseph, Emperor of reflected in ornamental mirrors. Austria andoften King had of Hungary. Furniture a curving Budapest much of all front andsuffered – most typically destruction the past, but – cabriolein legs. with its beautifully restored Also known as LouisofQuinze buildings, the ‘Queen the style, Rococo was at its Danube’ truly deserves its height in France the 1740s. Within place amonginEurope’s finest a decade or so, however, cities.

a move towards simplicity, combined with a revival of classical forms (the latter due to recent archaeological discoveries in Pompeii and Herculaneum), gave rise to another new look. In England, it was known as neo-classical; in France, Louis Seize. By the time Louis XVI ascended the throne in 1774 this style was dominant, and he and his wife Marie Antoinette were keen 74 Oxford Road, patrons. While luxury and elegance were still key – this was, after all, the style of royalty and aristocrats – somewhat plainer, even geometric designs replaced elaborate decorations, while straight lines and symmetry took over from curves and arabesques. Key pieces included chairs with horseshoe-shaped backs and tapering, column-shaped legs, striped fabrics and wallpapers, and elaborate

window treatments featuring swags and tails. Furniture was grouped sociably rather than placed around the edges of the room, and even featured comfortable, sprung-cushioned upholstery. Although they were still often gilded or lacquered, pieces were less visibly adorned, partly because the most fashionable makers had started to use mahogany, a new (and expensive) import. New Denham Uxbridge, Louis Seize style could be summed up by two words: expensive simplicity – in many ways rather like Marie Antoinette’s affectation of peasant dress. And, like the royal couple, it was not to last. In 1793 Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were guillotined. Two years later, the French revolutionary government was established, the Directory, lending its name to the final phase of neo-classicism: Directoire style, sparse,

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simple and notable for its lack of ornamentation. It was the end of the Louis era, but these remarkable styles have influenced and inspired us ever since.

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IMAGES - Top Left: Versailles curved luxury upholstered bed, from £1,695, The French Bedroom Company, 0845 644 8022; www.frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk.

Bottom Left: Oval swag decor wall mirror, £21.95, Melody Maison, 01302 711116; www.melodymaison.co.uk

Above: Louis French armchair, £395; Filou footstool, £195; both in eau de nil cotton; WITHIN, 0207 087 2900, www.withinhome.com

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Admit Defeat

Call a Professional By Alison Runham www.alison.runham.co.uk Not so many years ago, women gave up work as soon as they were married. Even before they had children, their duty was to run the house, and it was a full time job. With the advent of labour saving devices such as the vacuum cleaner, washing machine, tumble dryer and electric iron, much of the work could be carried out in a fraction of the time. In theory then, everything in our homes is spick and span, because we have so much more time. In practice it’s quite a different story. For women particularly, few have the luxury of not working at all just because they are married. Even if children come along, once they start school Mum will be looking for something part time. Furthermore, outside of working hours, both men and women want to spend their spare time doing something interesting and enjoyable, spending time with each other and with their family. Household and garden chores rarely appear on the ‘let’s have fun’ list. So the little jobs pile up. You notice it, it nags away at you, you are going to get round to doing it…but you don’t. It’s time to call The Professionals. 28

 

have no choice. If you very carefully bag everything that goes in your bin, and nothing is ever split, your bins will stay clean. In reality, after a while they start to pong, particularly in the warmer months. The Professionals: A bin cleaning company follows the council truck, and as soon as the bin is empty uses a jet washer to clean any remaining spillages. It’s usually only once every four weeks and is just a couple of £s – you’ve probably lost more down the back of the sofa. Gardening Gardening is a really popular pastime, but it’s the creative stuff that people really enjoy, planting flowers, a bit of deadheading, and standing back and admiring their handiwork. Unfortunately most of the other less interesting garden jobs don’t just sit there waiting to be done; they grow while you are procrastinating about it. Weeds, lawn mowing, leaf clearing, patio washing - eventually they become a bank holiday weekend spoiler, with the back-breaking effects being felt for the whole of the week after. The Professionals: If you’ve let it get a bit out of hand, it’s going to cost you a bit to bring your garden up to scratch. But if you keep your (younger and fitter) professional coming in every few weeks, it’ll be kept under control. The trick with this is to set up a regular arrangement – even the smallest garden will have work needed every month so just look on it as a bill like any other. Bookkeeping It would seem that the world is divided into two camps. Those that like numbers and those that loathe them. It’s nothing to do with intelligence or education and often it’s the more creative or practical people that suffer from numerophobia. And if you really don’t like a job, you’ll do anything to avoid starting it. The Professionals: Forget your long held belief that you should be able to do your own paperwork. You could, but you really have better things to do with your time. The relief of employing a professional bookkeeper can’t be understated.

 

The ‘List’ We all have one. A list – in our heads or written down – of those little jobs you are going to get round to doing. The door that squeaks or doesn’t shut; the tap that drips; the picture which cost a small fortune yet is still sitting on the floor; the wobbly paving slab outside; the stain on the ceiling where the shower leaked…running a house is an endless series of maintenance work. It’s also a source of conflict waiting for someone else in the family to take responsibility. The Professionals: Get that list on paper, and call a man-who-can. Even if you just book someone for half a day, those nagging little tasks will be done in a jiffy, and peace will reign at home. Carpet Cleaning Although hard floors are very popular these days, with our cooler climate, most UK homes still have carpets in some rooms. In the living room it helps to deaden sound; in the bedroom to keep it warm. Unlike hard floors they can’t just be washed though, so over time they start to become grubby. You can buy carpet cleaning machines. They’re nothing like as good as professional models. You can hire professional machines of course, but in either case you’d better have had some fitness training before you start using them. It’s really taxing work, and if you didn’t have a bad back before, you probably will afterwards. The Professionals: The industrial strength cleaning equipment they’ll use is a good enough reason to employ a carpet cleaning company in itself, as the end result will be better than anything you can do yourself. The hard graft that is the DIY option is the clincher though – this is not a job for the faint hearted. SummaRy If you recognise any of these areas as jobs you have been putting off, the worst thing you can do now is to turn the page of this magazine without having acted. Free your mind of the guilt about outstanding chores – even making the call will make you feel better! 29

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Dated Events (Jun15)_Layout 1 26/05/2015 15:43 Page 1

JUNE EVENTS Ruislip Stamp & Postcard Fair 6th June & 11th July The Ruislip Methodist Church Hall, Ickenham Road, HA4 7DQ. For details call 01895 637283.

information please email fisaivervillage@gmail.com Lunchtime Classical Music Concert 24th June, 12.15pm St Martin’s Church Hall, Corner of Eastcote Road and High Street, Ruislip, HA4 6DG. Ashley Fripp (piano) plays Bach, Britten,Scarlatti and Chopin. Retiring collection.

  

Sausage & Asparagus Festival 6th June, 10am Wingroves Farm Shop, Langley Park Road, Iver, SL0 9QS. Free BBQ, Apple bobbing, Free Tea & Coffee, Face Painting and Sausage Tasting. For more information call 07930 913815.

Local Events June into July 2015 32

Skittles Match 9th June, 7.30pm Inland Waterways Association, Hillingdon Canal Club, Waterloo Road, Uxbridge, UB8 2QX. All Welcome. Clubhouse and bar opens at 7.30pm for more details on our social evenings call Lucy on 07947 451376. The nearest tube station is Uxbridge. Ladies in the Night Walk 12th June, Registration at 8.30pm, Walk at 10pm. Michael Sobell Hospice, Gate 3, Mount Vernon Hospital, Northwood. Join us for our fifth annual sponsored stroll through the night this summer. Dress up in pink and join in the party atmosphere. The event is open to ladies, gents and pooches. You can choose to walk either 5½ or 9 miles and the route starts and ends at the hospice. Registration costs £20 before 5 June or £25 afterwards or on the night and includes a t-shirt, fundraising pack and breakfast. For details or to register go to www.michaelsobellhospice.co.uk or call 01923 844730. Fisa Summer Fete 19th June, 3pm-6pm Iver Village Infant School bbq, refreshments, bouncy castle, stalls, tombola, raffle, Karate Display and meet Cinderella & Jack Sparrow Entrance 50p children under 12 Free. For more

Harrow Harmony's Summer Concert 27th June Methodist Church, Love Lane, Pinner. We are an amateur mixed voices choir based in South Harrow for details visit our website at www.harrowharmony.co.uk

JULY EVENTS Butterflies Lunch 4th July, 12midday-3pm Ickenham Village Hall, UB10 8DG. The lunch will be a Ploughman's followed by a sweet with tea or coffee. Entertainment by local choir Love2sing! You are welcome to bring along your own drinks. Tickets are £9 from Flowline Hairdressers in Ickenham Village or the Committee. For details call Vera on 01895 635224. This event is to raise funds for the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. Summer Fayre 4th July, 12-3pm Denham Village Infant School. Bouncy Castle, Face Painting, Arts & Crafts with a seaside theme, Grand Raffle, Giant tombola, BBQ, Refreshments and more. Entrance by donation. All Welcome.

DON'T MISS THE DEADLINE! If you would like us to publicise your event in our July issues contact us no later than Monday 15th June.

Uxbridge Choral Society's Summer Concert 4th July, 7.30pm St. Margaret's Church, Windsor Street, Uxbridge. The choir will perform Mozart's Requiem and Ave Verum. Jeff Stewart will conduct. Tickets: £12 adults and £6 for u12 years. Available on the door or by calling 01895 847083. Iver Heath Junior School Summer Fayre 11th July, 12-3pm Iver Heath Junior School. Grand Prize and Cash Raffles plus Pony Rides, Bouncy Castle, Fairground attractions, Tombola, Games, Crafts and Refreshments. Summer Fayre 11th July, 11am-2pm Harefield Infant School, High Street, Harefield, UB9 6BT. Games Stalls & fun in the sun. Hayes Carnival 11th July, starts at 12.30pm Pump Lane Come along and be dazzled by the parade. Visit www.hillingdon.gov. uk/hayescarnival. FREE Meditation Event 11th July, 2.30pm-4.30pm Ickenham Village Hall, 33 Swakeleys Road, UB10 8DG. FREE event but booking is required. Call 07970 147967 / 0208 574 3699 or visit www.brahmakumaris.org/uk

LIVE MUSIC EVENTS The Swan at Iver 2 High Street, Iver, SL0 9NG. 12th June 2 Tone 19th June The Flyers 21st June Nicky B 26th June Goldeneye The WatersEdge Packet Boat Lane, Cowley, UB8 2JS. 12th June A night of Soul & Motown - join us for Dinner! 25th July Cystic Fibrosis Trust Charity Day Motown - live music throughout the day.

Harefield

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Harefield Village Café has been built on a reputation for excellent food, friendly service and first class hygiene and cleanliness. We are a modern busy café, conveniently located on the high street of Harefield Village. We serve great value set breakfasts all day, lunches and homemade dinners. We also have a variety of kids meals, perfect for the whole family in a friendly warm atmosphere. We can also cater for large orders, parties and special occasions. All our meals are freshly cooked to order using the freshest and finest ingredients.

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK Mon - Fri: 7:00 - 17:00 Saturday: 7:00 – 17:00 Sun & B.Hols: 8:00 - 17:00 Village Café 5 High Street Harefield UB9 6BX

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Visit our website to view our full menu: www.harefieldvillagecafe.co.uk 33

Beauty and the Beach by Kate Duggan www.kateduggan.co.uk

Whether you’re planning a staycation, or a round the world trip, camping or a fivestar hotel stay, read on for our pick of summer beauty essentials.

  

For many of us, slapping on foundation is the last thing we fancy doing on a summer’s day. If you’re looking to ditch your foundation, but still want some coverage, try a Blemish Balm (BB). Similar to a tinted moisturiser, but with added benefits, a BB cream hydrates and primes your skin, while helping to even out your complexion. Pacifica Alight Multi Mineral BB Cream is a steal at just £16.99 from www. naturisimo. com. It’s perfect for creating that fresh-faced “I’ve had eight hours sleep and always get my five-aday” glow. 34

Bobbi Brown’s Shimmer Bricks are a bit of a cult favourite, and the new Brightening Bricks (£34) look set to become just as popular. You use them in much the same way as you would a blusher, but the multi-tones help to avoid ‘Aunt Sally’ cheeks, and make for a far more natural, youthful effect. Some face powders can be very drying, but these have been designed to actually lock moisture into the skin, while absorbing oil to keep shine at bay. Choose from six shades, including coral (pictured). You need to protect your skin from the sun all year around, but it’s even more vital in the warmer months. If you suffer from eczema, psoriasis or other skin complaints, you may want to opt for a natural sunscreen, that’s less likely to irritate your skin. Neal’s Yard Remedies Chamomile & Aloe Vera Moisturising Sun Lotion gets our vote. It’s 100% natural, has an SPF of 25, and offers both UVA and UVB protection. At £20 for 150ml, it is pretty pricey, but it offers additional skincare benefits. Usually, it’s best to buy a separate facial sun cream, as most body creams are quite greasy, leading to spots

and skin irritation. However, this lotion is gentle enough to be used all over, and is packed with nourishing ingredients, such as shea and coconut oils. While it is water resistant, it’s unlikely to survive a full on swim in the sea, so do remember to reapply it regularly. Ah the joys of trying to fit all of your makeup and toiletries into your suitcase. Travel sized versions of your favourite toiletries can be much more expensive, per millilitre, than their big sisters. A cheaper option is to invest in some refillable bottles. Do make sure that at least some of them are under 100ml, if you want to keep them in your hand luggage when flying.

Some sets even come complete with a see through bag, so there’s no faffing around for a plastic bag at the airport check-in. We like The Body Shop’s Travel Kit, £7, which has three bottles, two jars and a handy spatula. Miniatures are, however, a great way to try new skincare ranges without forking out for a full sized product that might not suit your skin. If you’re looking to treat yourself to a new travel washbag to house all your new goodies, we’re lusting after the Orla Kiely Large Washbag in Floating Flower, which has three separate compartments and a hook to hang it up. Treat yourself for £32 at www.Cuckooland.com.

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Hobbies A Hobby That’s Worth Droning  On About

Drones are much in the news these days: whether it’s shooting a spectacular wildlife image or zooming too close to a passenger plane, these popular flying machines have had their share of good and bad press reports.

The first remote-controlled pilotless aircraft was invented in 1935 and World War II saw the use of UAVs on both sides, but when the US Air Force lost over 5,000 airmen in the Vietnam War, drones began to be used extensively. They undoubtedly saved further loss of life but these large, expensive, jet-powered craft proved hard to recover and many were lost during operations. If you are thinking of buying one for yourself or a family member, be warned, as you can incur some pretty hefty 36

That means even that flying a drone in your own back garden is not permitted unless your neighbour’s property is at least 50m away. If you’re in a public space, such as a park, you are not allowed to fly within 150m of any “congested area” and you must avoid filming in places such as sports fields where crowds are gathered. Even though you may be able to receive live, streamed video from the drone’s location, you should not let it stray out of your line of sight. Businesses that want to use a drone for commercial purposes must apply for a permit from the Civil Aviation Authority before they attempt a flight close to people or property. A number of recreational users have already been convicted for offences that include flying too close to the rides at Alton Towers and photographing Devonshire landscapes without the landowner’s consent. It

cost one man over £4,000 in fines and court fees when his UAV flew near a road bridge and over a nuclear installation.

If you’re still keen to own a drone you can pick up a flyonly model from under £30. A more advanced device, which lets you steer from a smartphone or tablet while a camera streams live images or records video footage, will cost around £250-£300. As long as the rules and regulations are observed, you’ll get hours of enjoyment from flying these clever little gadgets, but do set aside some time to master the techniques you’ll need before you attempt that perfect bird’s eye view shot. Here are some basic rules to follow while you are learning: avoid windy conditions and operate the drone in a park or grassy field well away from people, animals and parked cars. Turn off your mobile phone and try not to let other distractions affect your concentration. With a bit of practice, you’ll soon be flying like a pro, but just remember: if your expensive UAV ends up in a tree, just don’t go droning on about it…

01494 871329

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) may be the latest gadget-of-choice but pilotless flying vehicles have a long and surprising history. In 1849 the Austrians launched a largely unsuccessful unmanned bomb attack on Venice, using balloons (planes were yet to be invented) and unmanned torpedos also played a part in the First World War.

penalties if you let your drone infringe airspace regulations. The Air Navigation Order states that no unmanned craft can be flown within 50 metres of a person, vehicle or building – unless the people, vehicles or buildings in question are “under your control”.

01494 725320

 By Kate McLelland   

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Andernach, Cochem, Boppard, Rudesheim, Koblenz & Konigswinter 2 October, 2015; 10 July & 28 August, 2016 • Quote RH/RL-IA

Join us for a relaxing river cruise taking-in the majestic Rhine and Moselle Valleys where we visit Andernach, Cochem, Boppard, Rudesheim, Koblenz and Konigswinter. Travel by rail or air to join the cruise in Cologne. Our river cruiser, the MV Prinses Christina, will host you in comfort and style including breakfast, lunch, dinner and late snacks. INCLUDED: Escorted throughout • Return rail travel from London St Pancras or Ebbsfleet to Brussels with coach transfer to Cologne or return flights with luggage from a choice of UK airports to Cologne - supp’t may apply • 7-night full-board cruise sharing a twin bed outside cabin on Cabin Deck - upgrades available • Transfers abroad

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Departs 29 December, 2015 - Quote NY12-IA Celebrate the New Year in style on board the MS Johannes Brahms, sailing from Liege in Belgium to Holland including stops at Maastricht, Nijmegen, Dordrecht and Rotterdam where we count down to 2016 with a New Year party on board and a spectacular fireworks display over the city’s Erasmus Bridge. Also enjoy festive markets in Liege & Maastricht and a candlelit New Year’s day cruise in Rotterdam. 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 to Brussels or Amsterdam - supp’t may apply • 4 nights full board cruise on the MS Johannes Brahms sharing a twin bed MR2 rear cabin on main deck - upgrades available • Beer, wine by the glass, and soft drinks served at lunch and dinner and from lunchtime to midnight at the bar • Entertainment • Transfers abroad • GN Host and Cruise Director on board • Captain’s Dinner

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Coach Breaks departing from Uxbridge, Ruislip & Slough Bournemouth Air Show & Luxury Barbecue Brunch

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Prince Charles’ Private Garden at Highgrove & Lunch Thursday 17 September 2015 - Quote HI9-IA

GREAT DAY OUT

£89PP

View one of Britain’s best air shows from our private hotel with a luxury Barbecue Brunch. INCLUDED: Birds-eye view of the Bournemouth Air Show from the art-deco Cumberland Hotel • Luxury BBQ Brunch with seafood buffet, strawberries & cream or homemade chocolate brownie • Glass of Champagne or Kir Royale • Glass of House wine or fruit juice • Return coach travel

Learn the secrets of Prince Charles’ private garden

Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market & Worcester Victorian Christmas Fayre

Best of 60s and 70s Christmas Party at Warner Norton Grange, Isle of Wight

Saturday 28 November, 2015 - Quote BG11-IA

2 DAYS HALF BOARD

£99PP Join us for a visit to Birmingham’s German Christmas Market - the largest out door festive market in the UK and Worcester’s Victorian Christmas Fayre.

at Highgrove and enjoy lunch at a country pub. INCLUDED: 2-hour guided tour of Prince Charles’ private garden at Highgrove • 2-course lunch at the Hare and Hounds Hotel, Tetbury • Return coach travel

Friday 27 November, 2015 - Quote XN11-2-IA

4 DAYS SEMI ALL INCLUSIVE

£279PP Great entertainment, including original 60s band Edison Lighthouse, plus Tom Jones and Dusty Springfield tributes, plus free drinks every evening.

INCLUDED: 1 night stay at the Hilton Hotel, Bromsgrove • 1 dinner and 1 breakfast • Christmas Market visits • Coach travel and excursions

INCLUDED: Free drinks from 6pm to midnight nightly - house beers & spirits, wine by the glass, pumped soft drinks & mixers • Full entertainment programme • 3 nights en-suite chalet - upgrades available • 3 dinners and 3 breakfasts • Coach travel and excursions

River Avon Christmas Lunch Cruise & Festive Stratford upon Avon

A Very High Tea!! Spinnaker Tower & Gunwharf Quays Christmas Shopper

Thursdays: 3 & 10 December, 2015 - Quote FS12-1/2-IA

Wednesday 9 December, 2015 - Quote SP12-IA

GREAT DAY OUT

£69PP

Enjoy a River Avon cruise with a traditional 3course Christmas lunch and see Stratford upon Avon decorated and lit for Christmas. INCLUDED: Free time in Stratford-upon-Avon • 3hour cruise on the Countess of Evesham • 3-course traditional Christmas lunch on-board - starter, main course and dessert • Return coach travel

Enjoy a Great Day Out in Portsmouth including free time in Gunwharf Quays and High Tea with a great view. INCLUDED: High Tea with a glass of Prosecco at the Café in the Clouds - 105 metres up the Spinnaker Tower • Free time in Gunwharf Quays • Return coach travel

ets

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Week

Beauty

 Motoring  Top 5 Eco Cars

By James Baggott @CarDealerEd

and the Beach

As the costs to run our beloved petrol- and diesel-powered cars increase, it’s no wonder we’re all on the hunt for an alternative solution. With electric and hybrid powertrains driving some of the industry’s most esteemed supercars – the Honda NSX and BMW i8 – it would appear that there is another way forward. bynew Kate Duggan www.kateduggan.co.uk But if eco is at the forefront of your mind, which car should you have on your driveway? Here are ourWhether choices. you’re Bobbi Brown’s Shimmer

Ford Fiesta

are a bit of a cult planning a staycation,The Fiesta is the best selling car on theBricks market – and favourite, and not the new an official or a round the world without good reason. Although it’s not labelled Brightening Bricks ‘eco’ car, its low running costs make it the cost-effective (£34) lookideal set to become just trip, camping or a fivesolution for most buyers. Choose the 1.4-litre TDCi, priced from as popular. You use them average mileage of 68mpg star hotel stay, read on£13,065, and you can expect an in much the same way as and emissions of 107g/km. for our pick of summer you would a blusher, but the Fiat 500 multi-tones help to avoid ‘Aunt beauty essentials. The Fiat 500 completes the ‘Thee Musketeers’ line-up,

Sally’ cheeks, and make for alongside the Mini and VW Beetle, as one of today’s most a far more natural, youthful effect. Some For many of us, slapping on stylish cars. Running a 1.2-litre engine, the 500 TwinAir can face powders can be very drying, but foundation is the last thing weachieve fancy doing 49.6 urban mpg and dodges road tax by emitting just have been designed to actually lock on a summer’s day. If you’re looking to 95g/km of CO2. Thethese TwinAir is priced from £12,715 and is the moisture into the skin, while absorbing oil to ditch your foundation, but stillperfect want some city run around. keep shine at bay. Choose from six shades, coverage, try a Blemish Balm (BB). Similar BMW i3 including coral (pictured). to a tinted moisturiser, but with added BMW’s futuristic i3 is one of just a few cars that has benefits, a BB cream hydrates and primes revolutionised the way we view the future of motoring. Not only You need to protect your your skin, while helping to even outit your does combine eco-friendly driving with premium qualities, it can skin from the sun all year complexion. Pacifica also reach 93mph, can go from 0-60mph in 7.9 seconds and has around, it’s to even more petrol motor, Alight Multi Mineral a driving range of 106 miles, but thanks its on-board vitala in the warmer months. BBworks Cream which alongside 127kW electric unit. Sadly, its £29,130 If you sufferoffrom price see many themeczema, on the road. is means a stealwe don’t psoriasis or other skin at just Volkswagen E-Up! complaints, you may want to £16.99 The E-Up! is one of the most practical and reasonably-priced for awith natural sunscreen, from cars www.on the opt electric market, five doors and an estimated that’s less likely to irritate naturisimo. driving range of 93 miles. It takes six hours to recharge and your skin.ofNeal’s Yard com. It’s has a comfortable top speed 81mph. The price isn’t so Remedies Chamomile attractive but this electric motor is&close to feeling perfect at for£19,525, Aloe Vera Moisturising more like the average supermini. creating that Sun Lotion gets our vote. It’s 100% fresh-faced Renault Twizy natural, has an SPF of 25, and offers both “I’ve had Renault’s Twizy is just as fun as it looks. It may be the slowest UVA and UVB protection. At £20 for 150ml, eight hours of the pack, with a top speed of just 56mph, but it’s guaranteed is most prettyentertainment. pricey, but it offers andyou with itthe tosleep provide Pricedadditional at £7,795, skincare benefits. Usually, it’sabest to buy always its 15kW get battery takes four hours to charge, it has driving a separate facial sun cream, as most range of 62 miles and emits zero emissions. And just look atbody its my five-acreams are quite greasy, leading to spots styling! day” glow. 42

Property

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

As I write this, the general election is still a week away and Labour and Conservatives are neck and neck with neither party looking anywhere near winning a majority. By the time you read this, hope fully we’ll know what government is going to be running the country. The only people who don’t have to worry about the outcome are first time home buyers because both parties are targeting them with preelection giveaways.

association properties will be given the right to buy their homes at a discount of up to 70%.

Labour have got in on the act as well. If elected, they would give first time buyers a stamp duty holi day on purchases of up to £300,000 for the first three years of the parliament. There are no indica tions that they would withdraw the Help to Buy scheme; instead they have pledged to adapt the H2B ISA so that the money invested in the The Conservatives have already brought in the schemes is used to fund building 125,000 homes Help to Buy scheme which enables them to buy over the next five years. with a much smaller deposit. Newly announced is the Help to Buy ISA, set to be introduced in the I find this focus on first time buyers to be very en autumn. The government will contribute a 25% top couraging; they are, after all, the life blood of the up to any savings invested in the ISA up to a maxi housing market and have been conspicuous by mum of £3000. In addition, if elected, the Conser their absence since the financial crash. However, vatives would build 100,000 homes on brown field they will need homes to actually buy and, despite sites that would be available for first time buyers at the promises of both parties, I can’t see the num a discount of 20% on market price. Potentially, bers required being built without further drastic some taxes would also be waived on these homes. reform of the planning laws. Finally, aspiring homeowners who live in housing 

A more caring approach  to care  at home.  Have you ever wondered if there’s an alternative to residential or respite care for a loved one?

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We offer quality care at home for you, or your loved one, whether a child, young adult or an elderly person. We are a local and independent provider of care and understand the importance of choice. If you would like further details of our individually tailored care-at-home packages please contact us for a no obligation chat or visit our website.

Tel. 01753 885556 www.EdenCareatHome.co.uk 45

The Big Top Roll up, roll up! June’s a time for carnivals, fetes and of course, the circus is coming to town. Whether these travelling entertainers bring joy or terror to the towns they visit, it’s all ‘fair’ game as far as we’re concerned, and it’s made for some great novels.

  Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen Newly-orphaned scholar Jacob Jankowski decides to kiss his old life goodbye and skip town, hopping on a passing freight train. It turns out to be the travelling Benzini Brothers and their Flying Squadron, billed as ‘the most spectacular show on earth’. Bedazzled by the glitz and glamour of the big top and the circus performers, Jacob falls head over heels in love with someone he definitely shouldn’t and he soon finds out that carrying on the affair could be the most risky of death-defying acts. Something Wicked This Way Comes - Ray Bradbury Thirteen year olds James Nightshade and William Halloway find they have the unenviable task of saving the souls of everyone in their Midwestern town after a ‘dark carnival’ arrives. Can the best friends overcome the mysterious and evil ‘Mr Dark’ who is casting a spell over the local community, tempting them with their deepest, darkest secret desires? It’s a gripping novel that combines fantasy and horror. Should we fear what lurks in the shadows, or embrace it? 46

The Carnivorous Carnival - Lemony Snicket One for the Young Adult agegroup now and if you haven’t read any of Lemony Snicket’s offerings then you really must. The Carnivorous Circus is the ninth novella in the series and follows the continuing exploits of the orphaned Baudelaire children who are trying to escape from the clutches of the evil Count Olaf. In this instalment, the intrepid and inventive children must disguise themselves as circus freaks to hide in amongst the acts of the Caligari Carnival. Prepare for much craziness and mayhem…and baby Sunny in a beard.

A Son of the Circus - John Irving Not what you’d call ‘classic Irving’ but brilliant none the less, this tale of serial killings, twins separated at birth, class differences and even a dwarf chauffeur will have you wondering who on earth ‘dunnit’ in the bustling Indian city of Mumbai. It has a pretty intricate plot-line and a fantastic cast of colourful characters designed to cause confusion and intrigue in the mind of the reader. The Great Blue Nile circus features heavily but the story twists and turns like some great, rolling river and you’ll get totally washed away by it.

Full Tilt - Neal Shusteman If you thought carnivals were all merry-go-rounds and candy floss, think again. Sixteen year old Blake’s got himself in a right pickle: he’s chased his thrill-seeking brother Quinn into a carnival that’s free to get into, but could cost you your life to get out of. Blake finds he’s locked in a terrifying game where he must survive seven deadly sins before dawn. Blake must face his own inner demons and deep-seated fears to save his and his brother’s souls. It’s a terrible notion but a tantalising read.

Carnival - Rawi Hage ‘Fly’ is a taxi-driver who was born in a circus and grew up surrounded by clowns, acrobats and all manner of performing folk who inhabit such worlds. As he drives his cab across the city he spends his life picking up and dropping of all of life’s curious creatures. From drug dealers to prostitutes, he comes across all manner of debauched and depraved characters, causing Fly to muse that ‘the world is a carnival’. How wonderful, freaky and colourful it is.

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Admit Defeat

Oven Cleaning When you’ve cooked a delicious family roast dinner, or made a bubbling apple crumble, what you are supposed to do is thoroughly wipe down the oven afterwards. However, having eaten a big meal and naturally preferring to sit down with your family or just relax and let your food digest, it’s a chore enough just to do the post-meal clear up. Cleaning the oven is often at best a superficial wipe over. Still when it needs to bein the 70s but it has stood thethe testtime of comes is already being reflected Once the province of flat cap done thoroughly so off you trot to buy caustime. Long, low and wide with a price they change hands for; as wearing “enthusiasts,” classic andthose toxic sprays and gels,they rubber sculpted bonnet tic and an investment, are gloves a much cars are now hugely popular and thenthe dedicate anbet afternoon doing The it. iconic 8 sided headlights, better than thetocoupé. with prices rocketing upwards. XJS remains sleek, powerful is also much bet The rarest, most collectible cars It’s really boringconvertible and generally thea result is and handsome. It ‘okay’ was but never ter looking car and is far more are now the province of the not great. conceived as a sports car like desirable. Jaguar only started superrich but, if you know what An oven the E Type, rather itThe wasProfessionals: meant producing themcleaning in 1988 and you’re looking for, you can pick company will do the job to be a grand tourer with conti there wasin aa couple facelift of in June up a gem that will provide you hours exaggeration to say and itand doesit’s no 1991 which, to my eye,your made withBy hours of enjoyable Alison Runhammotor nent crossing abilityoven will look like brand new. Everycar so the job brilliantly. The magnifi for ait’s much less attractive ing and still make you a hefty www.alison.runham.co.uk cent 5.3 litre V12 aspect is arguably you have a three yearand window – the sides, top and bottom, profit when you sell it on. the smoothest engine ever wire to racks work will with.There is a choice those tricky be gleaming. Not so many years ago, women gave upit produces an end of a 5.3 litre V12 or 4.0 litre made and You’ll want to leave the oven door open just My work first selection Jaguar as soon is asthe they were married. Even less surge of torque that deliv straight six engines. Either one so everyone can see how immaculate and XJS, a grand tourer launched in before they had children, theirers duty effortless was to performance. offers all the performance you 1975 as the replacement to the shiny it is! You need can also ask for the hob and run the house, and it was a fullLater time job. versions kicked out but if the car is not your iconic E Type. The E Type, extractor be cleaned too. 300bhp, good for athe top speed hood dailytodrive, and it shouldn’t be, widely as one of thesaving devices Withregarded the advent of labour of over 150mph. The straight I’d go for the V12, both for the Small Clothes Repairs most beautiful ever made, such as thecars vacuum cleaner, washing six engine is no slouch and silky Thoseeither trouserswonderful that werenoise always toothe long, wasmachine, always going to be a tough tumble dryer and electric iron, and the fuel economy is a lot skirt refinement. As taking for theincolour, that favourite that needs (or act to follow and the controver more out palatable. metallic of navy much of the work could be carried letting out!), thethe nearly new versions jumper with sial styling of the XJS, particu blue and British racing green a fraction of the time. In theory then, larlyin the “flying buttress” C pil loose buttons, or that seam that has mysteare best, though red is fine. everything in ourwith homes is spick span, Theand XJS, particularly the ripped. V12, lars, did not meet critical riously Admit have are a little Creamit,oryou oatmeal the pile best because we have so much more time. In is eerily quiet andofpossesses acclaim. To make matters clothes needing some TLC and you are colours for the upholstery and, the magic carpet ride that Jag practice quite a different worse, by it’s 1975 Jaguar had story. going to mend naturally, them as soon as you can be the dash should uar used to do so well but has fallen into the hands of the find your reading glasses/the right colour walnut. Entry level money for a For women particularly, few have the luxury now lost the knack of. The han hopelessly incompetent British ratty big convertible needleslightly with a hole enough towith of not as working at all because dlingthey is predictablethread/a and tena Leyland; a result, thejust early mileage is £67k seen withoutreasonable a microscope. cious,along, the interior isbesumptuous aresuffered married.from Even appalling if children come cars but remember that the minters and and build quality reliability once theyand start schoolprob Mum will besupremely looking comfortable The Professionals: drythe cleaners at the Most top of marketdoare the boot is big enough for a lems. Just to add to its woes, for something part time. Furthermore, repairs, and there are for often people or who do going £20,000 luggage – truly this is a like this from home, for a more. theoutside launch coincided with the oilbothweek’s of working hours, men and small repairs very Restoration prices are very grand tourer of the old crisis and demand for hugely women want to spend their spare time reasonable price. It’s such a relief to hand reasonable because the parts school.So which one should thirsty V12s fell through the areover cheap plentiful. Go and doing something interesting and littleanything jobs like that toand someone else youenjoyable, buy? Forget about floor. Yet despite all this, the treat V12 XJS with each otherpre and1986; with the quality (who can usually do yourself a neater to jobaanyway) problems XJSspending stayed intime production for 21 convertible; you won’t regret it their family. and garden andalthough, it’s really not expensive work. will bechores overwhelming years and over Household 115,000 exam for even a second. rarely appear on the ‘let’s have fun’ list. thankfully, few of these still ples were sold. Surely, Jaguar Bin cars Cleaning survive. The next thing con must have got something right. Manytocouncils have now moved to an arSo the little jobs pile up. You notice it, it sider is that out of 115,000 cars  rangement whereby collection of household nags away at you, you are going to get made, less than 5,000 of them In truth got a it…but whole lot of don’t. It’s time to waste is on a weekly alternating schedule roundthey to doing you were convertibles. The converti things right. The styling might withand recycling. You might not like it, but you call The Professionals. bles have rarity value this

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Call a Professional

have been controversial in the 48

 

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Home & Interiors The Kings of Bling By Katherine Sorrell

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The French kings of the 17th and 18th centuries had enormous influence on aristocratic interiors. For elegance, luxury and splendour, look no further than the styles of Louis XIV, XV and XVI, writes Katherine Sorrell The year: 1681. The place: the royal court in France. And, according to King Louis XIV, known as the Sun King, who had assumed power two years earlier: ‘There is nothing that indicates more clearly the magnificence of great princes than their superb palaces

and their precious furniture.’ The king was inspired to adapt a small hunting lodge just outside Paris, extend it, and fill it with jaw-droppingly splendid decoration and furnishings, all in order to glorify his monarchy. Its style was, of course, the most up-to-date possible, a new fashion known as Baroque - dramatically dazzling and opulent, epitomised by jewellike colours, large furniture in bulbous shapes, trompe l’oeil paintwork and glittering silver, gold and crystal to surprise and impress. The new palace was called Versailles. The interior of Versailles, designed by Charles Lebrun, was filled with furniture made in specialist workshops by the finest native and foreign artisans. Proportioned for enormous rooms, pieces were carved and gilded in heavy, scrolling shapes, upholstered with velvet and brocade, and inlaid with exotic materials such as marble, silver, ivory, lapis lazuli and agate. There were fabrics woven with silver

a move towards simplicity, combined with a revival of classical forms (the latter due to recent archaeological discoveries in Pompeii and Herculaneum), gave rise to another new look. In England, it was known as neo-classical; in France, Louis Seize. By the time Louis XVI ascended the throne in 1774 this style was dominant, and he and his wife Marie Antoinette were keen patrons. While luxury and elegance were still key – this was, after all, the style of royalty and aristocrats – somewhat plainer, even geometric designs replaced elaborate decorations, while straight lines and symmetry took over from curves and arabesques. Key pieces included chairs with horseshoe-shaped backs and tapering, column-shaped legs, striped fabrics and wallpapers, and elaborate

window treatments featuring swags and tails. Furniture was grouped sociably rather than placed around the edges of the room, and even featured comfortable, sprung-cushioned upholstery. Although they were still often gilded or lacquered, pieces were less visibly adorned, partly because the most fashionable makers had started to use mahogany, a new (and expensive) import. Louis Seize style could be summed up by two words: expensive simplicity – in many ways rather like Marie Antoinette’s affectation of peasant dress. And, like the royal couple, it was not to last. In 1793 Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were guillotined. Two years later, the French revolutionary government was established, the Directory, lending its name to the final phase of neo-classicism: Directoire style, sparse,

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simple and notable for its lack of ornamentation. It was the end of the Louis era, but these remarkable styles have influenced and inspired us ever since. IMAGES - Top Left: Versailles curved luxury upholstered bed, from £1,695, The French Bedroom Company, 0845 644 8022; www.frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk. Bottom Left: Oval swag decor wall mirror, £21.95, Melody Maison, 01302 711116; www.melodymaison.co.uk

Above: Louis French armchair, £395; Filou footstool, £195; both in eau de nil cotton; WITHIN, 0207 087 2900, www.withinhome.com

Outdoor Cooking   Human beings have been cooking things over outdoor fires since we first worked out how to catch and cook woolly mammoths, but while the basics of barbecuing haven’t changed the tools we use have. Today there is a whole range of gadgets for outdoor entertaining, from handy barbecue tools to speakers that can get your favourite tunes wherever and whenever you want to have a party. If you’ve ever wrestled with charcoal in a chimney starter, the £44 BBQ Dragon Fire Supercharger is going to delight you. It’s a battery powered air jet that gives a constant flow of air to your fire, enabling you to get cooking without fire lighters or fluid. It works with fire pits, charcoal barbecues, campfires and anything else that involves setting things on fire. Technology has also reinvented the humble lighter. The Looftlighter (around £60) lights barbecues without fluids or gas by blasting a 1,256 degrees Fahrenheit airstream at the coals. That power isn’t portable - the Looftlighter needs to be plugged into the mains - but the 10-foot cord means you don’t need to wheel the barbecue to the back door to get your grill started. In a nice touch. some models also 54

include bottle openers in the handle so you don’t need to leave the barbecue to open your beer. Unfortunately for many garden-grill guests, barbecue season is also peak food poisoning season. If you know a chef who’s a bit of a health hazard, a wireless Bluetooth thermometer could save your stomach: the clever Bresser Bluetooth BBQ Thermometer communicates with a smartphone to tell you when meat is cooked to perfection. It works without a phone too thanks to an externally mounted display, and at £39.99 it isn’t particularly expensive. If you’re a fan of late-night cooking, technology can help with that too: for around £15, you can get an LED-powered barbecue light that enables you to see what you’re doing even when it’s starting to get dark. Touch sensitive controls means you won’t find yourself fumbling for the switch, and because LEDs use hardly any energy you can expect around 20 hours of light from a single set of AA batteries. We love barbecuing, but we’re not so keen on the inevitable clean-up: no matter how careful you are or how hot you’re cooking, the grill always

ends up in a mess. If you’d rather not spend valuable summer time on cleaning, a robot can help. The Grillbot (from around £93 to £143) claims to be the world’s first automatic grill cleaning robot and promises one-button operation. Just make sure the grill’s cold before you stick a robot on it. If you’d like a soundtrack to your searing, portable Bluetooth speakers are wonderful things: they connect to your smartphone or tablet, can go almost anywhere and deliver surprisingly good sound. We particularly like the Bose SoundLink Mini, but at £169 it’s quite pricey: perfectly decent speakers such as Creative’s D80 are available for around £33. Money no object? Then you should check out Naim’s incredibly good and incredibly expensive Mu-So Wireless Music System, a steal at £895. It isn’t cheap, but listening to it is like having your ears licked by angels - and with six 75-watt digital amplifiers, those angels are very loud angels indeed. Images left to right: Looftlighter electric fire starter; Bresser Bluetooth BBQ thermometer; Grillbot barbecue cleaning robot; Creative D80 portable speaker

 Health  Loss of Libido

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By Alison Runham www.alison.runham.co.uk In our busy modern lives, unfortunately sex can sometimes takes a back seat. But what if you don’t care less if sex is in the car at all? Where has your libido gone, and how can you get it back?

Exhaustion, Stress and Depression Problem: These can affect your hormone levels, energy, self-esteem and ability to relax and focus on your relationship. Cure: Because physical activity and sexual arousal make our body release ‘happy’ hormones, sex can be good medicine for stress and depression, so don’t convince yourself you’re too stressed to enjoy it - it may help. Exhaustion may be a symptom of anaemia or an underactive thyroid. So see your doctor, who can recommend medication, counselling or therapies. Smoking, Drugs and Alcohol Problem: Using drugs and drinking over the recommended alcohol limit can lower your sex drive, while smoking reduces blood glow and can affect both desire and performance. Cure: Your doctor can offer advice on reducing alcohol intake, giving up smoking and tackling drug addiction. Physical Illness Problem: Diabetes, hyperprolactinaemia (a rare pituitary gland disorder,) anaemia, thyroid disorders and other illnesses can lower libido, as can gynaecological problems such as fibroids and endometriosis, which can make sex painful. Cure: Don’t just accept or 56

dismiss your loss of libido - talk to your doctor.

Medication Problem: Many medicines can potentially reduce libido, including contraceptives, chemotherapy, and some medications for high blood pressure, epilepsy, psychosis, depression and HIV. SSRIs such as Fluoxetine (Prozac) can make it difficult to achieve orgasm, while medicines such as Cimetidine, Finasteride and Cyproterone can lower testosterone levels. Cure: if your libido has decreased since beginning new medication, see your doctor, who may be able to prescribe an alternative. Fear of pregnancy Problem: This can affect both partners, even if only subconsciously. Cure: Discuss family planning and ensure you’re both clear about how you’re going to prevent pregnancy so you’re both free from the nagging worry of unplanned pregnancy. Performance worries Problem: Although women may worry about their sexual performance, it’s more common in men. Anxiety about impotence, erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation can all cause loss of libido. Cure: See your doctor, who can offer help or medication for these issues. Emotional Issues Problem: If we feel resentful, bullied or unloved, we’re unlikely to want sex with the person making us feel that

way, while a fear of intimacy can make sexual relationships difficult. Feeling undesirable or having low self-esteem can lower our libido too. Cure: Self-help books can help, but you may need individual or couples counselling. Sexual Identity Issues Problem: Sometimes it can be difficult for people to express their sexual orientation or gender identity. They may start relationships they’re not comfortable with or feel their gender identity doesn’t match their biological sex (gender dysphoria). Cure: Be honest with yourself, and discuss your concerns on a confidential helpline or with your GP. Even if your libido is fine, a lack of privacy or time alone with your partner can hamper your sex life, so try to make time and space for each other. NHS self-assessment tool for depression: http://www.nhs.uk/ Tools/Pages/depression.aspx The Lesbian and Gay Foundation: 0845 330 3030 http://www.lgf.org.uk Lesbian, gay and bisexual helpline and services. Beaumont Society: 01582 412220 www.beaumontsociety. org.uk. 24hr helpline and support for transvestites, transsexuals, those experiencing gender dysphoria and their families. Relate: 0300 100 1234 http:// www.relate.org.uk/ Relationship support.

       

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Finance  Saving for Children  What are the Best Options?  By Ann Haldon Children’s savings accounts provide a great way to build a nest egg for later life, perhaps for driving lessons or to fund a gap year, and are a good way to introduce the subject of money management. We look at three savings options below that could be ideal for your child. These are products that incorporate a range of features and benefits, including tax-free status, instant access, and longer savings terms. So let’s start with a product that was first introduced in 2011:

Junior ISAs

Junior ISAs are available to children under the age of 18 who don’t already have a Child Trust Fund. New legislation has recently been introduced to allow the transfer of monies from a Child Trust Fund into a Junior ISA, however, and this change took effect from April 2015. The contribution limit for a Junior ISA is £4,080 for the 2015-16 tax year, and there are two types of account available: • Cash Junior ISA: offering tax-free interest and instant access • Stocks and Shares Junior ISA: cash is invested in stocks and shares, with no tax paid on dividends or capital growth Children are entitled to open one of each of these accounts, and although 58

parents or guardians can open and manage them, the money belongs to the child. Withdrawals by children are not allowed until they turn 18, but they can manage their own accounts when they reach 16 years of age. The Junior ISA will be in the child’s name, but parents and guardians opening the account are the ‘registered contacts’ as far as the bank or building society is concerned.

NS&I Children’s Bonds

These are tax-free investments that run for a 5-year term. They can be purchased by a parent, guardian, grandparent or great grandparent on behalf of a child, and each ‘issue’ has its own guaranteed rate of interest which is paid at the end of the term. The minimum investment amount for these Bonds is £25, with £3,000 being the maximum amount allowed per issue. Interest is calculated daily and added to the account each year, so that the child also benefits from compound interest.

Children’s Savings Accounts

These types of account can be opened with as little as £1, with most bank and building societies offering at least one savings account for children. In most cases money can be withdrawn with no notice. Once a child reaches the

age of seven they may be able to manage the account themselves, which is a great way for them to learn how to deal with their money. There are two different types of children’s savings accounts, and you can open more than one: • Easy access: the interest rate will probably be lower with an easy or instant access account, but money can be withdrawn or deposited with no restrictions. These accounts are popular with children as many of them offer free gifts, including piggy banks and toys. • Regular savings: interest rates will be slightly higher for this type of account, but money is not accessible and you need to make regular monthly deposits into the account. If any payments are missed you may suffer a reduction of interest. Which savings account you choose for your child depends on your own circumstances. The Junior ISA has proven to be very popular, and the new legislation regarding transfer of monies from a Child Trust Fund to a Junior ISA opens up the product to more people. https://www.gov.uk/juniorindividual-savings-accounts/ open-an-account http://www.nsandi.com/ childrens-bonds

Ickenham Wimbledon (Jun15)_IN! Tipss Style Editorials (Mar13) 28/05/2015 20:12 Page 1

Anyone for Tennis?

 Wimbledon 

Fortnight

29th June - 12th July

broken pony-roller belonging to the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club was the catalyst which led to the birth of the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world: Wimbledon. When the roller broke in 1877 the members decided to hold a lawn tennis competition to raise funds for repair. There were 22 male competitors who each paid a one guinea entrance fee. The champion was 27year-old Spencer Gore who won 12 guineas and yes, it did rain on the day of the ﬁnals!

WIMBLEDON FACTS The ﬁrst black person to win Wimbledon was a woman, the American Althea Gibson, in 1957 and 1958. The ﬁrst, and only, black male to win was Arthur Ashe, who beat Jimmy Connors in 1975. The last British woman to win Wimbledon was Virginia Wade in the silver Jubilee year, 1977. It is the only tennis competition where players are required to wear all or predominantly white clothing. In 2002 Anna Kournikova had to change her black shorts for white ones on court! Every year about 27,000 kilos of strawberries, 7,000 litres of cream, 60,000 pints of Pimms and 14,000 bottles of Champagne are consumed by spectators during Wimbledon.

In spite of the weather the competition was such a success that it became an annual event. In fact there have been only ten Wimbledon-free years since that first competition: four years during the First World War and six during the Second World War. At the start the only event was the gentlemen’s singles. Then, in 1884 the ladies’ singles and the gentlemen’s doubles were added, followed by the ladies’ doubles and the mixed doubles in 1913. Only top-ranked amateurs were allowed to play until 1968 when the tournament became ‘open’, meaning that professionals could finally enter. The British dominated The Championships, as they are known, for the first 30 years: Ernest and William Renshaw, and Laurie and Reggie Doherty were national heroes. But our winning streak didn’t last. Until recently the last British man to win at Wimbledon was Fred Perry in 1936. He won a hat trick of titles just before the Second World War. Then, in the glorious summer of 2013 Andy Murray (pictured above) finally brought the title home to Britain and won the heart of the nation. He’s on a high this year having married his fiancé Kim Sears in the spring. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if he made this a real fairytale year and won Wimbledon again?

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Answers pg 63 64

Making A Pest Of Themselves by Pippa Greenwood

  

They might be small but aphids - widely known as greenfly and blackfly - are one of the most common and widespread garden pests, with more than five hundred different species found in the United Kingdom alone. Greenfly and blackfly vary in colour, from green or black to grey, yellow, pink, brown or khaki. The majority are about 2mm long Most damage is done throughout spring and summer but there are aphids feeding somewhere pretty well throughout the year. In sheltered parts of your garden or in greenhouses and conservatories, some can be found even during the cooler winter months. They can breed rapidly and this is often done asexually or without need of a male. For much of the year females are predominant and give birth to huge numbers of genetically identical offspring.

The symptoms they cause include leaf yellowing or other brightly coloured discolouration, puckering, poor growth and stunting. The plant sap on which the aphids feed has an extremely high sugar content; in fact it is so sugary that the aphids cannot digest it all, so their excreta is very sticky and sugary. This is called ‘honeydew’ and you may have noticed it beneath aphid66

If vegetables are more your thing then you may see the black bean aphid as it forms dense colonies especially at the shoot tips and beneath the leaves of broad beans in the spring. If you pinch out the aphid-encrusted shoot tips on beans the problem is often solved.

blue tits, ladybirds, hoverflies and lacewings will all help. In some situations it is also worth introducing biological controls and these work especially well in an enclosed area such as a greenhouse or conservatory. Aphid predators such as the larva of the midge Aphidoletes and even ladybirds, can all be purchased, as can the tiny parasitic wasp Aphidius. Ladybirds (available from my website, www.pippagreenwood. com) are perfect for using on aphid outbreaks anywhere in the garden from pots and borders to hanging baskets and hedges. The great thing with these is that, once established they will start to breed and add to the natural ladybird population.

Another common one is the woolly aphid which attacks apple trees and is also often seen on ornamental Malus such as crab apples, pyracantha and cotoneaster. Colonies of the aphid covered with white, waxy, fluffy fibres develop on the bark, especially near pruning cuts on older stems, or on younger stems where they also cause swellings on the stem.

There are a number of different chemicals (including organic or ‘green’ ones such as those based on fatty acids or plant oils) available for controlling aphid pests too, but not all are suitable for use on every plant, so check the label carefully before buying or using, and always follow the instructions carefully.

It is pretty well impossible to garden without aphids causing some grief – the best you can do is to reduce their numbers. Encouraging naturally occurring predators such as

Visit Pippa’s website www.pippagreenwood. com for ladybirds and other biocontrols to control greenfly, Nemaslug, brilliant weeders, popup crop covers, copper tape and lots more besides.

infested plants. Because it is so sugary, honeydew attracts harmless but unattractive black ‘sooty moulds’.

On roses there are several species of aphid which may attack, often forming dense colonies on shoot tips, new leaf growth and flower buds. These aphids are mostly green, pinkish or yellowish in colour and up to 3mm long.

DENHAM What's On... (Apr15)_Layout 1 27/03/2015 14:41 Page 1

REGULAR EVENTS... Events at Harefield Community Centre, Priory Avenue, UB9 6AP MON Cameo Club (3rd Mon month) 10am-12pm; Indoor Bowls (Short Mat) 2pm-5pm; Harefield Wine Club (2nd Mon in the month) 7.45-9.30pm; Judo (Seniors not 2nd Mon in month) 810pm. TUES Line Dancing 10.45am1.15pm; Bingo 7.45pm - 10.30pm. WED Fitness, Fun & Dance 10.30am12.00pm; Singing for Fun (1st Wed in month) 1-2.30pm; Judo Club 6.307.45pm; Dancing Club 8.15pm10.30pm. THURS Happy Families Group 9.45-11.45am; Tea Dances 24pm; Whist 7.30-10pm; Ladies Club (2nd Thur in month) 8-10pm. FRI Bridge Club 10.30am-12.30pm; Line Dancing 12.45-3pm; Indoor Bowls (Short Mat) 7.30-10pm. All enquiries to Lynne Mogge 01895 824621 or e: hare fieldcommunitycentre@btconnect.com

Pinner, HA5 1AA. Call 0208 427 3559, e: secretary@crosierinvestment.org.uk w: www.crosierinvestment.org.uk Denham History Society Meets 2nd Tues of the month, 7.30pm St. Marks Hall, Denham Green. Call 01895 833989 Pamela@craftygiraffe.co.uk Hillingdon Decorative & Fine Arts Society Enjoy 10 expert lectures a year about art and culture from around Britain. Outings to galleries & places of cultural interest. Receive NADFAS Review, Interested? Come along to a lecture, cost £6. See www.hillingdondfas.co.uk, email: membership@hillingdonfas.co.uk or call Ann Lowe 01895 638147

Fitness League Tone & stretch exercises for the whole body, with fun dance routines to music for women of all fitness levels. Tue 7.308.30pm at Vyners School, Warren Road, Ickenham, UB10 8AB. Call Rosemary 01628 776838 before coming. www.thefitnessleague.com Fitness Yoga Improve flexibility, strength and balance. Monday 6-7pm at Denham Village Memorial Hall. Call Sandra 07867470240 Lisa 07533549072 E: lisa.sandra.fitness@gmail.com

  

Beginners Rock ‘n’Roll Jive Classes Every Monday at Harefield Cricket Club, UB9 6NE. Doors open 7.30pm, class 8pm. Fun & friendly, no experience or partner required. 1950s Rock n Roll record hop - 1st Friday of every month at St Mary's Church Hall, Harefield, UB9 6BX. 7.30pm-11.30pm. Contact: therockingrebels@gmail.com 07947106607 www.facebook.com/therockingrebels

HOBBIES... Art Classes Drawing, pastels, oil & watercolour at New Denham Community Centre Autumn, Spring & Winter Terms Tue 1-3.30pm, Wed 12.45-3.15pm and 7.30-9.30pm. Call Tony 0207 243 3787 Art Smart Weekly Art Classes at Denham Village Hall. Drawing and Painting for beginn-ers and Improvers Thursdays 1.30-3.30pm. Tutor Roz Smith call 01494 670372 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 develop your own style as well as practicing Chinese calligraphy. Find us at Harefield Library, Park Lane Village Centre, Harefield or call Phyllis Nash on 01895 476 644 / phyllnash@gmail.com Crosier Investment Club Improve personal investment skills. Meets 7.30pm, third Thursday in month at Pinner Village Hall, Chapel Lane,

Hillingdon Natural History Society Meets 1st Wed of the month, Scout HQ, Gatting Way, Uxbridge. enquiries@ hillingdon-naturalhistory society.org.uk Inland Waterways Associations Meets 2nd Tues of every month at Hillingdon Canal Club, Waterloo Road, Uxbridge, UB8 2QX, 7.30pm. middlesex.social@waterways.org.uk Uxbridge Craft Market Every Wednesday (9am-5pm) at The Pavilions Shopping Centre Arts, Crafts, Gifts and Collectables www.uxbridge-craft-market.co.uk

KEEP-FIT, DANCE & DRAMA... Aerobics Denham Village Memorial Hall. Every Mon and Wed 4.30-5.30pm Call Jean Nisbet 01895 832063 Bagot Stack (Fitness League) Term Time Only. Vyners School, UB10 8AB, Tue 7.30-8.30pm. Also Mon & Thu in Windsor. Call Rosemary 01628 776838. www.thefitnessleague.com Boot Camp Fun and friendly exercise class held at a private location in Gerrards Cross. Every Mon, Tues, Fri 9.15-10am. Qualified Personal Trainer and Level 3 Contact Julie on 07769 311789 or visit: www.juliegxfit.com Bootcamp Circuit for Adults (Mixed) Wednesdays, 7-8.15pm Denham Village Memorial Hall. Tel: Jayne 07968 361965 Dance, Gymnastics and Free Running Classes By Futunity Uk. Ages 2-adults catered for and all styles of dance from RAD ballet to Zumba. Full class listings at www.futunityuk.com. Call 01895 251224 or email admin@futunityuk.com

Fitsteps Cha Cha, Waltz, Quickstep or Jive at Denham Memorial Hall. Mondays 7pm and Wednesdays 10am. Call 07834 197745. info@limelightdancing.co.uk General Yoga Class Higher Denham Community Hall, Lower Road, Higher Denham, UB9 5EA. Wed 7.30-9pm. Thu 9.45-11.15am with BWY certified teacher tel: 01895 820267 Harefield Amateur Drama Society Tuesday, 8-10pm. Park Lane Village Centre, Park Lane, Harefield. Call Tony on 01895 820672 Jazzercise Classes New Denham Community Centre Mon 9.30-10.30am, Tues 6.45-7.45pm. Wed & Fri 10-11am, Thurs 10-11am. Denham Village Memorial Hall Village Rd, Denham, Bucks Thurs 6.30-7.30pm Wendy Whitefoord, Tel: 07803 602142 e: wendy.whitefoord@btinternet.com www.jazzercise.com Ladies Only Kickboxing Club Wed 6.30-8.00pm, Watts Hall, Redford Way, Uxbridge, UB8 1SZ. First Class FREE! Call Leanne Phillips on 07518 848285 e:leanne@kickboxinglondon. co.uk. www.kickboxing-london.co.uk Line Dancing At Higher Denham Community Centre, Off Old Rectory Lane, Higher Denham. Mon 7-10.15pm, starts with beginners, then onto improvers and finally from 9-10.15pm, Intermediates. Contact Christina on 07952 815076, email : c.capel477@btinternet.com, website wwww.chalfontlinedanceclub.co.uk or Facebook ‘chalfontlinedanceclub’ Modern Jive Classes Mon 8-11pm, West Drayton Community Centre and Tue & Thu 8-11pm, Uxbridge Civic Centre. First Night Entry & Free Lifetime membership with this listing. Contact Alan: 0208 933 4350 or 07860 250961 www.clubceroc.com email: alanandsue@clubceroc.com continued overleaf...

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DENHAM What's On... (Feb15)_Layout 1 29/01/2015 02:07 Page 2

KEEP-FIT, DANCE & DRAMA CONTINUED...

Social Line Dancing At St Marys Church Hall, Harefield Last Sat of the month 7.30-10.30pm

NoBiz Dance Local Musical Theatre school (based in Hillingdon ) classes in all genres of dance (Street dance, Hip Hop, Rhythm Tap, Lyrical, Singing, Drama & Musical Theatre) for children aged 4-22 years. Adult Street Dance Class for more call: Giselle 07525 857171 or Lisa 07777 611012. www.nobizlikeshowbiz.co.uk.

Tea Dance Harefield Community Centre, Priory Ave on Thurs 2-4pm. All welcome. Free car parking. Call John 01895 284428

Penny Lane Singing Lessons Monday singing classes 4-5.30pm 7yrs-12yrs and 5.30-7pm 12yrs-18yrs at Harefield Library, Park Lane, Harefield, UB9 6HW. For details see www.pennylanesinging.com or call 07951 294044.

  

Pink Academy of DANCE Classes held daily at New Denham Community Centre. For boys & girls from 2 years to Adults. Call 01895 257553 Admin@pinkacademy. co.uk www.pinkacademy.co.uk or call Rockin' 8s Square Dancing Modern American style - every Thurs 8.15pm. New Denham & Willowbank Community Centre, Oxford Road, New Denham. UB9 4DW. Call Jean 01895 622859 or paul@stingproductions.com SALSA (all styles) Every Monday at Uxbridge Community Centre, 32b The Greenway, Uxbridge UB8 2PJ from 7.45pm to 10pm. Come and join Mina Queen Salsa for some amazing fun. Call 07958 578962 or email mina@queensalsa.com Salsa Classes Every Monday: The Middlesex Arms, Long Drive, South Ruislip, HA4 0HG. Beginners class starts 8pm. Improvers/Intermediates: 8.45-9.30pm Freestyle dancing/practice time til 11pm Every Wednesday: The WatersEdge, Canal Cottages, Packetboat Lane, Cowley, UB8 2JS. Beginners class starts 7:30pm. Improvers/Intermediates: 8.30-9.30pm. Freestyle dancing/practice time til 11pm Simply Walk Langley & Black Parks Every Monday Langley Park, 10am Thursday Black Park, 10am. Second Sunday of month Langley Park at 11am. See www.friendsoflangleypark.co.uk Social Dancing Ballroom Latin & Sequence Harefield Community Centre, Priory Avenue, Harefield. Every Wed, 8pm. Beginners welcome. Call 01895 634674 Simply Walk in Denham First Sunday of every month. Denham Village Green 10.45am for 11am start. Approx. 90 minute walk, 2.5-3miles. Led by trained volunteers as part of a healthy walk scheme funded by Bucks County Council, local District Councils and Bucks PCT. For details of other walks call 01494 475367 or see www.buckscc.gov.uk/rightsofway

Uxbridge Musical Theatre Ruislip Conservative Club, 56-58, Ickenham Road, Ruislip, Middlesex HA4 7DQ. Tuesday 8-10pm. Call Phil Harrison 01895 636367 Email: mail@umtheatre.co.uk or see www.umtheatre.co.uk

Zumba Fitness Every Wednesday 8-9pm at New Denham Community Hall, Oxford Road, UB9 4DW. Call Martine 07788 563572 www.zumbadolls.co.uk Zumba Fitness with Danielle Every Monday 7-8pm at Harefield Baptist Church. Call Danielle 07989 128131. www.zumba-class.co.uk Zumba Gold For Older Active Adults. Every Friday 11am at Higher Denham Community Hall, Lower Road, Higher Denham, UB9 5EA. Call Martine 07788 563572 www.zumbadolls.co.uk

Zumba with Ruddy Thurs 7-8pm, St Marks Hall Denham Green UB9 5HD and Sats 9.30-10.30am at Harefield Academy Northwood Way UB9 6ET. Call Ruddy 07901 828051

MUSIC... Drumbeatz Drum tuition for beginners in Denham by Melanie Kleyn, qualified HND, now on degree at ACM. Children over 8yrs, ladies, 3.15-5.30pm or daytime only. Email: drumsmel@gmail.com or text mobile on 07757 635880 Faraday Country Music Club in Slough SL2 1RN. Country Music every Thursday for listeners, western partners, freestyle or line dancers. From 8-11pm. Contact Deb 07986 050742. www.faradaycountry.co.uk Guitar Lessons Complete beginners welcome. Contact Sam for a FREE lesson 07798 588496 sam@uxbridgeguitarlessons.co.uk Music Lessons at Little Halings Studio Piano and French Horn lessons with experienced, friendly young female teacher, Victoria Coghlan. At Little Halings Studios in Denham. All welcome. Guitar tuition is also available. Call: 07737 493980 (Victoria) E: victocoghlan@gmail.com

Stoke Poges Singers A friendly four-part choir singing a wide variety of music. New members welcome (no auditions. The ability to read music is not essential. Rehearsals on Thursday at St Andrews Centre, Rogers Lane, Stoke Poges, 7.45pm. Come along or call Naomi on 07831 217575 or Anthea on 01753 662355 Sing for Fun - Adults No auditions or previous singing experience necessary. You must just enjoy singing! Higher Denham Community Hall, Wednesday (TT) 2.30-4pm. Call Avril on 07587 175640 The Windsor & District Big Bands Appreciation Society We meet on 2nd Wednesday of each month at 7.30pm, Datchet Hall, Horton Road, Datchet. Music of the big bands ‘40s & ‘50s Swing era. Two recitals from records, tapes & CDS, along with a raffle and sometimes there's even a live band. Call Derek Verrier on 01753 654398 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 Open to all ages wanting to learn to play a brass instrument or 'brush up' your skills. Every Wed during term time 6.457.45pm, St. Matthew's School, Yiewsley. Contact Abi on 07985 302 856 or emailtraining@ywdband.com

PRE-SCHOOL & KIDS GROUPS... 2370 (Denham) Squadron Air Training Corps ATC HQ, Tilehouse Lane, Denham Aerodrome Denham, Bucks, UB9 5DN. Mon and Thurs 7.30-9.30pm. Recruiting 13-17 year old males and females. Call 01895 834522 (Mon & Thu only) 2nd Denham Scout Group Scout Hut, The Pyghtle, Denham Green Close, Denham Green Beavers Age 6-8 Thu 5.45-7pm. Cubs Age 8-10 Wed 6.30-7.45pm Scouts Age 10-15 Friday 7-9pm Tel: Linda Batten 01753 892373 continued overleaf...

Dair House School and Nursery Farnham Royal

An independent preparatory school for boys and girls age 3 to 11 years

  

Bursaries and scholarships available for Year 5 High levels of success at 11+ High academic standards Caring, nurturing atmosphere Small class sizes Set in three acres of picturesque school grounds For appointments to see our wonderful school in action please call 01753 643964 Educational Nursery Children participate in assemblies, sports day and productions Fabulous facilities and experienced staff Ideal introduction to school life

www.dairhouse.co.uk reception@dairhouse.co.uk 01753 643964 71

DENHAM What's On... (May15)_Layout 1 24/04/2015 20:11 Page 3

  

PRE-SCHOOL & KIDS GROUPS CONTINUED...

Denham & Gerrards Cross Children’s Centre Tilehouse School, Nightingale Way, Denham, UB9 5JL. Free sessions for families with children age 5 and under including Messy Play and Stay & Play sessions. Call 01895 835967. Denham Girlguides 1st Denham Rainbows (age 5-7) 4th Denham Brownies (age 7-10) 4th Denham Guides (age 10-14) For more details on meeting times visit www.gxanddenham.cfsites.org Denham Youth Club (ages 8-11 years) Higher Denham Community Hall, Lower Road, Uxbridge UB9 5EA. Thursday 6.15pm to 7.45pm. Call 01895 834313. Slough Sea Cadets Parade nights on Monday and Thursday 7.30-9.30pm at Langley Pavillion, Langley Road, Slough, SL3 8BS. Male & Female Junior Cadets (age 10-12 yrs) and Cadets (age 12-18 yrs). Fees £2 per week, courses from £5 for weekend. Visit us on Facebook, pop-in or email: sloughseacadets@yahoo.co.uk Stars at Knight After school Drama Club for children 7-18 yrs at Southlands Art Centre, 76 The Green, West Drayton. Tel: 0208 841 8940 / 07956 123626 e: starsatknightdrama@gmail.com www.starsatknight-schoolofdrama.co.uk Youths United Senior Youth Group in Denham, at Martin Bakers Social Club. Ages 12-18 years Wednesday evenings 7-309pm. Tel Joyce Haynes 01895 832643 Tiny Talk Baby Signing Classes Tuesday classes at St Mary’s Church Hall, High Street, Harefield UB9 6BX at 10am, price £5.00 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. Call Bev Meier 01895 824935 or 0781 8025993 Tiny Toes Childcare Full Day Care Nursery. Call 01753 655650 or tinytoes@ivercommunity.org Activities for families with children Children aged 0-5 years offered at The Denham and Gerrards Cross Children’s Centre, Nightingale Way, Denham, Bucks. UB9 5JL. Call 01895 835967

SELF DEFENCE...

Karate Club of Denham For ages 5 years and up at New Denham Community Centre, Sundays 9.15-11am also at The Uxbridge Centre, The Greenway Wed, 5pm-7pm Tel: Dominic 07988 743725

Kung Fu Club West Drayton Every Tuesday 5.30-6.30, Friday 7.308.30, Sunday 5.30-6.30. West Drayton Community Centre, Harmondsworth Road, UB7 9JL. Contact Ella: 07702 479 435 or sportsclubuk@gmail.com Shotokan Karate Sports Hall, Tilehouse Lane, Denham for men, women and children age 8+. Monday, 7-8pm. Interested? Contact Erin on 01494 758079 or visit www.chilternkarate.co.uk Silat Kuntao Indonesian Self-Defence Traditional self-defence art from Central Java. 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 & SUPPORT... Hillingdon Brain Tumour Group Support group held every 2nd Thurs of the month 12.30-2.30pm, Hillingdon Baptist Church, Hercies Rd, Hillingdon, UB10 9LS. Call 01895 637444. Slimming World New Denham Community Centre Tuesday, 10-11.30am. To register turn up at 10am, call Mandy 07879 897578

SOCIAL GROUPS... Denham Lions 1st and 3rd Monday of the month, 8pm at Denham Garden Village, Denham Green. 18+. info@denhamlions.org.uk Denham Wives Group Last Tuesday of each month at St. Mark’s Hall Denham Green 7.15pm. Contact Ann Collins 01895 833820 or acollins683@uwclub.net Friendly Whist Drive Harefield Community Centre, Priory Avenue, Harefield. Every Thurs 7.30pm. Beginners welcome. Contact Lyn on 01923 820173 Rotaract Club of Langley & Iver Meet at 8pm every 2nd & 4th Tues of the month, the Red Lion Pub, Langley, SL3 7EN. A group of 18-30's. If you would like to meet new people, raise money and have many laughs contact us! www.langley-iver-rotaract.org.uk

Stoke Poges Bridge Club meet at St Andrew’s Church Hall in Rogers Lane, SL2 4LN on Monday from 1.30-5.30pm for players who want to improve their game. Call 01753 642 438 www.stokepogesbridgeclub.org.uk Uxbridge Conservative Club Bingo, Carpet Bowls, Table Tennis, Lunches, Quiz & Race Nights etc. at 46 Harefield Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 1PJ. Contact Georgina Baile on 01895 233653 or 07778 348082, e: udcc@btconnect. com or visit www.uxbconclub.com Women’s Social Group Social group for women. Looking to expand your social group and make new friends? We meet regularly for coffee, a chat - open women of all ages. Please call Seema on 07730 898635 or email seemaa@seemaa.co.uk

SPORT... Denham Bowls Club Denham Way, Denham, UB9 5AX. Lawn Bowling. Coaching available. Call Brian Simpson (Sec) on 01895 834007 or Jenny Johns on 01895 833845 Denham Cricket Club Playing or social members welcome. Way & Tillard Memorial Cricket Ground, off Cheapside Lane, Denham Village. Tel: Bill Nicholas 01895 834527 Ladies Golf Every Mon & Wed, 10am at Rickmansworth Golf Club new members welcome. Email ladiescaptain@rick mansworthgolf club.co.uk for details. Learn to Sail! We are an RYA approved training centre and are open to new members, www.kingsmeadsc.org.uk FREE sailing taster sessions! Pink Ladies Netball Club All welcome. Training at Stockley Academy, West Drayton every Tuesday. Senior training 16+yrs 7.30-9pm Back to Netball 16+yrs 7.30- 8.30pm Under 16s for details 01895 448878 email: plnetball@hotmail.co.uk visit www.pinkladiesnetball.co.uk Table Tennis Denham Village Memorial Hall Tuesdays 5.30-10pm. Call Richard Cottle on 01895 835292 Uxbridge Squash Club All squash players welcome. Uxbridge Cricket Club, Park Road, Uxbridge. See uxbridgesquash.org.uk or email: squash@uxbridgesquash.org.uk Tel: 01895 237571

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Ickenham OPINION (Jun15)_IN! Tipss Style Editorials (Mar13) 28/05/2015 08:33 Page 1

elf. .  Help yours

OPINION

  Free money and other  modern  myths ome. . Take s Free

cash. .

few years ago a friend of mine put in a monster claim for miss-sold PPI. He didn’t use one of these dodgy claims management companies that cold call you all the time; instead he used the claim form conveniently provided by the government, dotted the Is, crossed the Ts and was even well organised enough to have the original loan agreements on file. A couple of months later he received several cheques totalling over £35 grand… FREE money… whoopee! Around the same time, one of my relatives was working as a site supervisor on the railways. The contractor he worked for was offering generous voluntary redundancy packages and, as it happened, he had previously been approached by a rival contractor with the offer of a job with slightly better terms and conditions. He jumped at the redundancy offer and received around £10,000 of FREE money… fantastic! The problem is that neither story had a particularly happy ending. My PPI claiming friend rapidly discovered that a large chunk of his money was eaten up by having to immediately pay off the debts that had led to his claim in the first place. He had been paying them off already, but at a leisurely pace. He then discovered that the banks and financial institutions are not exactly thrilled about being forced to shell out billions of pounds in “compensation” for “miss-selling” and that they all talk to each other. As a result, he cannot get an overdraft facility, nor can he persuade anyone to issue him a credit card. In fact, his options for borrowing money are restricted to the likes of Wonga. Worse still, even though he has a good job as a civil servant and enough money to put down a substantial deposit, he cannot get a mortgage. To all intents and purposes, he is shut out of the mainstream financial system. As for my relative and his generous redundancy payment, it didn’t take long for him to realise that the

reason his employer was making people redundant was that Network Rail had drastically cut their spending on track maintenance. The job with a rival contractor was no longer there and he spent several years on zero hours contracts, working hugely antisocial hours with no guarantee of a regular income. Thankfully, he has now managed to find a full time job as a site supervisor again, with all the perks and benefits that go with it. Getting back to that wonderful magical money tree of PPI cash, the big banks have now paid out something like £15 billion and the claims keep rolling in. If you throw in assorted fines for misbehaviour and compensation for miss-selling things like interest rate swaps to small businesses, it is estimated that the big 5 banks have lost 60% of their profits over the last two years. It would be easy to say that they’re only bankers and they deserve everything they’ve got coming, but in reality it’s not that simple. Every pound that is dished out in free money is a pound that is not loaned to a hard pressed small business or as a mortgage to a first time buyer who desperately wants to get on the housing ladder. There is some evidence that a lot of the PPI money has been spent on hot tubs and holidays, thus driving a bit of the economic growth we have enjoyed over the last couple of years. Even so, I can’t help thinking that if that money had been loaned to creditworthy consumers and businesses, it would have worked a lot harder for the economy. So there you have it, there is no such thing as free money; it is just money that is taken off one group of people and given to another. And if the system worked as it is supposed to do, I would probably get a lot less phone calls concerning my PPI claim or that accident I never had.

Howard Clemmow

014 11:27

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