Denham August 15 by In and Around Publishing

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 The school summer holidays are underway and the roads are already noticeably quieter, something that I can now appreciate, whilst dropping my daughter Sami off to work each day. Did I just say work? Yes, not school, but work! Within a two month period, I’ve watched my child take exams, leave school, go to prom, start work and celebrate her six teenth birthday. All grown up, all of a sud den. Time really does fly (and apparently it doesn’t seem to matter whether you’re enjoy ing yourself or not!). On the work front, it’s been as busy as ever, with Jackie and Louise hot on the phones whilst I continue to fly around like a headless chicken. I still harbour this great notion of being super organised and running a seam lessly smooth operation, but after ten years, I’m starting to think that maybe being in a constant state of manic is the way I work best. It gets the job done and the mags through the doors, so maybe I should settle for that. There! Pressure off and I’m feeling better already. Time to down tools and hit the gym instead. .

   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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Denham Against HS2 8 Hobbies: Are you birding, twitching or watching?10 Short Story: The test of a good raspberry 14 Wildlife Zone 16 The Golden Years: Memories of 50 years ago 18 Children’s Puzzle Page 20 Zoe Hart Children’s Music Review 22 Life Begins 24 Coffee Break Puzzles 26 Local Events 28 Beauty: Belle of the Beach 30 Lily Mae for SMA 32 Reader Holidays 34 Pets 36 Wordsearch 36 Motoring: Honda Civic Type R 38 Breakthrough for Sciatica Sufferers 40 Property Matters 40 Books: Hooray for Hollywood 42 Interiors: Victorian Style 44 Citizens Advice Bureau 46 Useful Telephone Numbers 46 Karen Munro Careers 48 Health: Why Breast is Still Best 50 Credit Cards for the Stages of your Life 52 Classic Cars: BMW 5 Series (E28) 56 Garden Feature 58 Clubs, Groups & Classes 60, 62 & 64 Situations Vacant 66 Puzzle Solutions 66

  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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HS2: Nice Mr Syms Turns a Deaf Ear to Denham Petitioners                                                         Different petitioners asked for different things, such as earth mounds and cuttings to reduce the amount of noise invading people’s homes and gardens, and restrictions on working hours and heavy goods traffic during the construction phase. But the main request from every single local petitioner was for a tunnel under the Colne Valley, to replace the planned viaduct and stretch of overground line that would slice through some of our finest amenities. Two months before the Committee hearings at Westminster, Hillingdon Borough Council published a costed proposal for an extended tunnel between Northolt and West Hyde, which wasn’t to the liking of the people who live in West Hyde or the upper end of Tilehouse Lane, but was a distinct improvement on the viaduct across the lakes. The engineers who produced the report estimated that this tunnel would cost around £200 million more than the viaduct. Two hundred million pounds is a lot of money, but it’s chickenfeed (0.4 per cent) when compared with the overall cost of HS2, which is officially just over £50 billion and – mark my words – will swell to a much higher figure as time goes on. After hearing all the presentations, the Chairman of the Select Committee, Robert Syms MP, published a statement in midJuly summarising the Committee’s views on the tunnel scheme. To all of us who’d worked so hard to defend our 8

green acres, it was a shattering disappointment. In just 400 words – the equivalent of one side of A4 paper  Mr Syms tossed the tunnel proposal into the wastepaper basket. The Committee had rejected the tunnel proposal on the grounds that building it would be as disruptive as building a viaduct, so the extra cost wouldn’t be justified. What the statement failed to mention was the permanent scar that will disfigure the Colne Valley for the rest of our lifetimes and beyond, after construction is completed. Yes, we’d have to put up with a few miserable years while the tunnellers did their work, but when they’d packed up their construction camp and repaired the landscape the Colne Valley would look pretty much as it does today. The statement entirely ignored this obvious fact, and Denham itself didn’t even rate a mention. Robert Syms is a pleasant individual who has handled the often technical and tedious Committee proceedings with a light touch and ready smile. But his summary was a travesty; his decision to reject the tunnel on the grounds of cost a gross insult to all of us who are proud to live here and want to hand it over to future generations in the condition in which we found it. So what can we do about this serious setback? When Parliament reopens in September, there’s still a lot of petitioning to be done, and we hope to have opportunities to present our case again. Meanwhile, anyone who cares about the future of the Colne Valley should write to our MP, Dominic Grieve, who argued strongly for a tunnel when he appeared as a witness before the Select Committee in March. The Select Committee’s lamentable judgement was a kick in the teeth for him too. You can email Mr Grieve at dominic.grieve.mp@parliament.uk Please take a few minutes to make your feelings known. Because if only a handful of local people complain, our beleaguered community deserves everything that HS2 Ltd are planning to throw at us. 

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Hobbies Are you Birding, Twitching or  Watching?

 By Kate McLelland  

In the late 1980s the arrival of a tiny American songbird (blown off course during its annual migration) in Larkfield, Kent, led to a mass-mobilisation of the nation’s bird lovers. Over the course of several days 2500 “twitchers” crowded into the small Tesco car park that the golden-winged warbler had chosen as its temporary home. This extraordinary event – which has now earned a place in bird-watching history - shows just how much time and effort real enthusiasts are willing to put in when it comes to pursuing their hobby. The definition of a “twitcher” is someone who is willing to travel many miles in order to see a rare bird at first hand and in recent years, social media has significantly increased opportunities for these keen observers to come face-tobeak with their quarry before it moves on.

In the 1980s a twitcher would need to rely on radio or TV reports, or home phone calls from fellow enthusiasts, in order to learn about a rare bird’s visit. Now, thanks to mobile communication, the news can be spread within seconds of the first sighting. Just this year 500 people appeared on a Norfolk 10

beach in a matter of hours after a rare citril finch - normally only found in alpine areas of Europe – was spotted. One of the observers who rushed to Kent for a glimpse of the American warbler in 1989 told the Guardian newspaper that seeing the bird was “Better than sex … the adrenaline rush was phenomenal”, and this level of excitement and commitment explains why twitchers often find themselves in the media spotlight. But not all bird hobbyists are twitchers: twitching is just one aspect of a pastime that’s surprisingly broad and diverse. Activities may range from a single individual recording sightings in their local area (usually defined as a “birdwatcher”) to members of well organised groups who come together to learn everything they can about bird species, including their nesting habits, environmental usage and migration patterns. These serious hobbyists are known as “birders” and some even travel the world, taking part in competitive events. Our current interest in birds has its roots in the Victorian craze for natural history, which revolved around creating

collections of natural artifacts, and were then displayed in the home. At the same time as Victorian gentlemen were collecting rare birds’ eggs to impress their friends and neighbours, women began wearing feathers in their hats as a fashion statement. The plumage of exotic birds was particularly in demand and in the first quarter of the year 1884 hundreds of thousands of bird skins were imported to Britain from countries such as India and Brazil, including almost 7,000 bird–of-paradise skins.

In 1889 a woman from Manchester called Emily Williamson, shocked to see so many birds slaughtered to satisfy the whims of fashion, set up the Plumage League. This society was patronised by leading figures of the day and later won a Royal Charter. Nowadays it is known as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). The RSPB is still the UK’s leading bird charity and since its early beginnings it has done much to protect endangered species and promote bird welfare. The society’s “Big Garden Birdwatch”, which started over 36 years ago, has

become an important annual event across the country, encouraging householders to contribute to the charity’s research so it can record changes in bird populations. The country-wide network of birdwatchers created by this initiative helps the RSPB keep track of species in a way that would not previously have been possible and provides the opportunity for a rapid response when a decline in population is observed.

about birds and wildlife and take part in talks, walks and fundraising events. Birding UK (www.birding. uk.com) also provides information on a range of groups you can join, including “Birding Buddies”, “Bird Photographers”, “Bird Artists” and even “Birding Bikers”.

“bird-watcher” or a dedicated “birder” or “twitcher” you can be confident that you’ve chosen a hobby that will always offer interest, excitement and fresh challenges. As climate change continues to affect the natural environment - altering breeding and migration patterns - it’s good to know that keen observers are continually monitoring the nation’s birds, recording and passing on vital information that will help preserve these precious populations well into the future.

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You can sign up for the Big Garden Birdwatch (held in January each year) by going to the RSPB website (www. rspb.org.uk). Alternatively you may prefer to join one of the society’s local groups (enter a search for “Local Groups” on their website to find an A-Z list). Run by volunteers, these groups provide an opportunity for members to learn more

If you’re just getting started as a bird-watcher then you might like to purchase one of the many low-cost apps available for your mobile phone. Ranging in price from .69p to £12.99, these apps provide a handy guide to identifying birds and recording sightings. Some even provide examples of birdsong to help with identification but care should be taken when playing recorded birdsong in the natural environment, particularly at times when birds are nesting. Whether you’re a simple

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Short Story 

 The Test of a Good Raspberry

“Did you grow these raspberries yourself Mrs Miles?” Richard asked, running low on small talk. Before they’d arrived, his girlfriend Ruby had hinted it was critical he make a good first impression on her grandmother. Then she’d abandoned him in the kitchen while she went out to fetch in the washing. She was taking her time. “Oh yes”, Ruby’s grandmother showed no signs of being put out to have a strange young man sat at her kitchen table, “and call me Betty”. It was clear that Betty liked feeding her guests. The more he ate, the more she seemed to warm to him. So far he’d put away three scones, two cups of tea and a fat wedge of pork pie. All he had to do now was eat this bowlful of raspberries to secure that vital seal of approval. He picked up his spoon and looked down at the fruit. Beneath the thick layer of sugar Betty had sprinkled over them, the raspberries appeared to be moving. He looked closer. Amongst the fruit, hundreds of greenfly staggered drunkenly, unable to decide whether this was the best, or the worst day of their lives. “These look delicious”, Richard said. His spoon hovered above the bowl. “They’re organic”. Betty 14

smiled, “No nasty pesticides or anything like that”. “No need to even wash them then”, Richard said, hoping to jog Betty’s memory about the obviously overlooked stage of food preparation. “The test of a good raspberry is that it doesn’t need washing”, Betty whispered confidentially, “spoils the flavour”. “Quite right”, Richard coughed. Richard looked miserably at the contents of his bowl, unable to bring himself to offend poor Betty. “Something wrong?” Betty said. “Can I tempt you to a drop of evaporated milk with them?” Before he could refuse she’d disappeared into the dark cave of the pantry. Richard grabbed the opportunity to save a couple of the bewildered greenfly from their grizzly fate. It was the least he could do. “These things never go out of date do they?” Betty reappeared with a small rusty tin of evaporated milk. “It doesn’t even have a sell by date on it, which is a good sign”. Richard thought this was the worst possible sign. How could he tell Ruby that her grandmother was losing her mind? Betty rooted around in the cutlery drawer, “That tin opener’s gone walkabout again”, she sighed. Richard had to think fast before

the tin opener was found. “Don’t open that big tin just for me”, he said cheerfully. Then, taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and spooned the raspberries into his mouth. It was an unpleasant mixture of flavours and textures, sweet and bitter, soft and crunchy. He swallowed after the minimum of chewing, meanwhile scooping up the next mouthful, until the bowl was finally empty. It may have only taken a minute, but it seemed to last an eternity. “Delicious Betty”, Richard said with one final gulp. “Really lovely, thank you”. “I expect you’ll want another cup of tea now?” Betty said. “Perfect”, Richard said, glad to have something to wash it all down. “And well done Ducky, you’ve passed the test”. Betty poured a cup of thick brown tea. Thank you”, Richard said in surprise, “but what test?” She picked up his empty bowl and winked, “a bit of protein never did anyone any harm”. by Jackie Brewster

The Wildlife Zone...FP (Aug15)_Layout 1 24/07/2015 06:58 Page 1

THE WILDLIFE ZONE

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WHILST wasps are generally disliked, bees have a better reputation and are looked on more affectionately. Unfortunately honey bees are being annihilated because of a Varroa mite infestation as well as other problems. Andy Mydellton FLS Yet the everyday garden can offer a solution to these horrors. (pictured right) is an There are about 250 bee species in Britain, including those that live in environmentalist man-made hives where their honey is farmed. But recent global population crashes are causing great concern to many including some outside journalist, the founder conservation and the bee-keeping fraternity. When bee-keepers lose between and leader of the 90% and 100% of their ‘stock’ in a few weeks it leads to financial ruin in British wildlife charity, this multi-million pound industry. It is as disturbing for them as foot and mouth is to farmers. the Foundation for Domestic bees do exactly the same as wild ones; they pollinate flowers and trees and so they Endangered Species. ‘service’ the natural world in a way that simply cannot be done by other means. When bees They are members of feed on nectar they often collect pollen as food for their young. When they do this, flowers put pollen onto the insects’ body before they fly off to another flower of the same type. It is a the United Nations symbiotic process where both animals and plants benefit, especially as some flower species agency UNESCO with are dispersed all over the bees range. It is the only way for these flowers to procreate. Andy Mydellton being Horticulturalists can bring this pollination process into their garden although their priorities Chairman and the are to protect their precious flowers against insects. As gardeners know, many insecticides Environmental Concern are indiscriminate and can kill all species, not just those intended. Therefore it is wildlife gardening which is really designed to attract and nurture the interests of all flying insects. Advisor to the UNESCO Wildlife gardening includes planting flowers that bees love; then the gardener leaves them to Schools Group. it. It is as simple as that. Bees will do what they naturally want to do, and will do it very well. The Millstream Fork wildlife garden has been bee-friendly since I built it 26 years ago and we Andy is a Fellow of the regularly see many different species including the honey bee and the, rounder bumblebee. Linnean Society. He My interest in bees grew quite dramatically some years ago in a completely unexpected way. writes for many In Brazil’s regions of the Pantanal and Amazon I studied a colony of leaf-cutter ants - I was publications, mounts mesmerised when individual ants cut off huge segments of leaf and carried them back to photographic their nests, holding their portions above their heads – even though every acquisition was many more times heavier than their own body weight. I wanted a piece of this magic and was exhibitions, gives inspired to attract something equally fabulous into my garden. So you can imagine my presentations and excitement when I first learned about British leafcutter bees. I immediately planned for these broadcasts the unusual insects to do something just as fascinating at Millstream Fork. By deliberately planting 'Andy Mydellton a low growing woodland flower, Enchanter’s Nightshade, I hoped to attract these leafcutter bees, as they are solitary creatures that build their own nests rather than living in community. Wildlife Zone' radio Nothing happened in the first summer, but I had hoped to see something in the second year programme. between April and August, when leafcutters are active. But because my bee identification was weak at the time I could not tell the difference between these and the similar looking honeybees. However, when I noticed the tell-tale signs of the Nightshade’s leaves being cut in a perfect semi circle, I knew that something extremely unusual had happened. Daily I monitored the Enchanter’s Nightshade. Eventually a leafcutter bee came at the time when I was there. I actually saw the bee cutting the leaf and flying away with its treasure. I then made a careful note of its markings and even got some photographs of it in action. It was my own Olympic Gold Medal moment; and I felt a champion having succeeded with this. However, I also knew that if I could do it, so too could other wildlife gardeners. Recently, I found out that there are about 10 leaf-cutter bee species, some of which are naturally inclined to use rose leaves and other prized flowers. This is unacceptable for competition enthusiasts of flower shows who view bees as ‘pests’, rather than as exciting wildlife. There are other problems too. Bees can sting, although most species cannot penetrate human’s skin. Furthermore some of them can be mistaken for wasps even though they are a different family of insects. So wildlife gardeners who take up the challenge will be doing some bees a great favour by giving them a safe home during a time of real crisis. For those who wish to create a wildlife garden that will help bees and the pollination process, most garden and nursery stores will advise people which plants to grow and the effect that they will have. The most appropriate plants will be nectar rich flowers and fruit trees although other influences will include the garden’s soil, its environment and geography. At Millstream Fork we have an array of flowers and herbs including heathers and Leaf Cutter Bee lavenders that simultaneously attract bees, butterflies, moths, damsel flies and many other flying insects. Fortunately we now get the creatures that we have specifically aimed for – but it has taken many years to achieve this.

The charities’ contact details are www.ffes.org.uk email: info@ffes.org.uk 16

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 17

Golden Years Memories of 50 Years Ago by Ted Bruning 1937 and gained a reputation as a hardheaded fixer, a manipulator, a wheelerdealer and when necessary a bully. Elected to the Senate in 1949, he spent six years as Majority Leader, honing his political skills but keeping his radical instincts under a bushel. He was chosen as John Kennedy’s running mate in 1960 not because the Kennedy clan admired him – quite the opposite – but because as sophisticated New Englanders they believed they needed a rustic southerner.

name “Bloody Sunday”. America was scandalised and Johnson immediately ordered the Justice Department to draft ““the goddamnest toughest voting rights act that you can devise”, unveiling it on 15th March with a speech that ended with the words “we shall overcome”. He backed words with action by sending Federal marshals to protect the final Selma-Montgomery March two days later. It took all his political skills, and Dr King’s help, to get the Act through Congress. And when Johnson was finally able to sign the VRA on 6th August he did so with a speech that still has to the power to draw tears. This came at the beginning of an administration that saw the creation of Medicare, the end of segregation in public facilities from gas-station washrooms to universities, and a huge improvement in living standards for America’s poorest. But LBJ was never liked – he was always on the edge of scandals, always suspect – and in the end his reputation was destroyed by Vietnam. It is an enduring tragedy that his epitaph should be: “Hey, hey, LBJ! How many kids did you kill today?”

   Will African-Americans be holding street parties and torchlight parades on 6th August this year? They should – it’s the golden anniversary of a landmark in the struggle for civil rights. For on that day the US President signed into law, in the presence of Martin Luther King and Rosa Parkes, the Voting Rights Act that finally abolished literacy tests, property qualifications, “moral character” tests and all the other devices by which the Southern states maintained white supremacy. Texan-born Lyndon Baines Johnson was a Southern Democrat. But while many Southern Democrats were avowed segregationists, Johnson was different. Precociously intelligent but from a poor background, he had been exposed when young to the Social Gospel doctrine that saw the New Testament as not just religious but political too. He then had to work his way through college to become a teacher, and sharing the struggle of black and Mexican students helped him see America from their point of view. Abandoning teaching for politics, he was elected to Congress in 18

When Kennedy was assassinated, the Voting Rights Act 1964 was in preparation. It was the third in a series, all of them ineffectual, and Johnson wasn’t satisfied. As president in his own right he was dissuaded from drafting a tougher replacement so soon; but only a month after his inauguration came the Selma-Montgomery Marches when black Alabamans came out in protest at being denied the vote. Over a period of weeks they were beaten and brutalised by state police – on live TV. On 18th February a young unarmed black man was shot dead; and the brutality with which the police thwarted an attempt to hand in a petition to governor George Wallace on 7th March earned the day the

Happy 50tH BirtHdays to Sam Mendez (1st), Cheryl Fergison (Eas (27th), & Shania Twain (28th). Cake and botox to you all!

       

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Iver Croft, Bangors Road South, Iver, SL0 0AD

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Ltd

 

Extensions Loft Conversions Refurbishments Approved EPDM roofing contractors 20 Year Guarantee

info@kcdab.co.uk

Zoe Hart FP+ (Aug15)_Layout 1 24/07/2015 07:25 Page 1

Music Review by Zoe Hart ZOE HART an international club DJ since 1999, turned Childrens Entertainer in 2012.

Hi, I’m Zoe and I run a local children’s disco service.

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She is also a qualified yoga teacher and EI and mindfulness practitioner.

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!

Her company ‘Hart Entertainments’ provides quality conscious discos for children of all ages in the Bucks, Middlesex and West London areas. www.zoehart.co.uk - 07747 063 149

This month’s favourite BLACK MAGIC – Little Mix Teen pop from X-Factor 2011 winners. Black magic shouldn’t be taken lightly or promoted to teenagers as a way to sort out your love life. Having courage and being kind should sort AGE that out. Ask the new Cinderella she knows.

16+

HOUSE EVERY WEEKEND – David Zowie Brilliant track. Appeals to all ages, got a good house groove and both the video and the song focuses on using dance to express and release pent up feelings. “I’ve gotta get out of my house every weekend cos if I let myself go, I might AGE just make it.”

SHINE - Years and Years Strange video with more magical happenings in it. Everything about both the song and the video are very bog standard pop. Nothing inappropriate in either though I wouldn’t AGE show the video to younger children.

SHOW ME LOVE Sam Feldt featuring Kimberly Anne I thought oh no not another version of this song, but then the video and the all new take on this classic melted my heart and I’m AGE looking forward to playing it to the family.

POISON – Rita Ora A good video and song from Rita. Beware the trappings of fame. It may all seem glitz and glamour but what happens to your principals AGE and boundaries?

NOT LETTING GO Tinie Tempah featuring Jess Glynne Hip hop pop song with lyrics that are ﬁne for any age audience. Got a good groove, with a very easy to sing along section from Glynne. AGE Will go down well at the school disco.

ARE YOU WITH ME? - Lost Frequencies Belgian deep house producer creates a very danceable track which is easy to listen to and available to all.

FREAK OF THE WEEK – Krept & Konan According to uk.viva.tv “Krept & Konan are two up and coming artists from South London killing the UK underground scene... they bring together a dynamism unseen in this country.” The 20 year olds love it, personally I’m not a fan of using the ‘F’ word or ‘B’ words to emphasize AGE any F’ing point. You feel me dog?

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PHOTOGRAPH - Ed Shearan A beautiful song, beautifully sung and written, with a gorgeous accompanying video of a look at Ed’s life from the beginning to present day. Had me in tears, inspirational for all our kids. What AGE you waiting for, go show them now!

AGE

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

References: uk.viva.tv, mtv.co.uk, Wikipedia.co.uk, azlyrics.com, whosay.com, musicinsideu.com, youtube.

Zoe

  

St Mary’s School Gerrard Cross Independent Day School for Girls 4 to 18 Whole School Open Day Saturday 10 October 10am to 12.30pm www.stmarysschool.co.uk

Is It Time You Saw The  Light?  by Kate McLelland  

My decision to finally visit an optician – after years of blaming my fuzzy vision on inadequate lighting - came one Sunday when my husband and I had arrived back late from a long and exhausting day out. Earlier in the week I had bought a ready-made microwave meal, anticipating that we would want to eat as soon as we got in. As I hung up my coat my husband helpfully got the packets out of the fridge but I returned to the kitchen just in time to see him throwing them into the bin. “Why are you doing that?!” “They were three days out of date. Didn’t you check them?”

The worst thing about this – apart from the fact that we ended up having to make do with cheese on toast – was that I had checked the use-by date. It’s just that my blurred eyesight had interpreted the 15th of the month as the 18th. The time for excuses was over: I had to admit that I needed help. As I chatted to the optician during my first ever eye test I discovered that age-related vision loss can start around the age of forty, when the 24

lens inside the eye begins to harden, causing problems with focus. Many people compensate for this by holding reading material further away. As we grow older a number of other subtle changes occur in our eyes, including a reduction in pupil size (the reason why older people need more ambient light when reading). A smaller pupil means the eye is less able to adapt from dark to light conditions and it is therefore easier to become dazzled by bright lights, which can cause problems while driving.

Another risk to older drivers is the loss of our ability to perceive images at the limits of our natural field of vision. This area narrows down by up to three degrees in each decade of life and by the time you reach your 70s and 80s you may have lost 20-30 degrees of peripheral vision. Decreased perception of colour, floating spots and flashes of light can also occur as a part of the natural aging process, but it’s worth visiting an optician if you are seeing spots and light flashes regularly, as this can be a

symptom of a detached retina. If you’re aged 60 or over you are already entitled to a free NHS sight test: if you are younger you may still qualify - visit www.nhs.uk to find out more.

When I finally visited my local optician I was surprised to discover just how thorough the eye examination was. I was asked questions about my general health and given tests for eye balance and pressure as well as being asked to asked to read the optician’s chart. Many people don’t realise that contact lenses aren’t just for shortsightedness – they can be worn to help with presbyopia. But if you do choose glasses, multifocals mean that you don’t necessarily need to keep taking them on and off. Having worn glasses for several weeks now, I’ve now become used to catching sight of my new, bespectacled self, although I’m still struggling a bit when it comes to remembering to take my glasses out with me. One thing I can’t deny is that my new glasses are invaluable when it comes to reading those annoying sell-by dates!

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Dated Events (Aug15)_Layout 1 24/07/2015 11:46 Page 1

AUGUST EVENTS Family Fishing Fun Day 9th August, Little Britain Lake, Packet Boat Lane, Cowley. Hourly angling sessions guided by experienced volunteer anglers will take place throughout the day. Equipment and bait provided free of charge. Other free activities include river dipping, bird box making, face painting and a bouncy castle. Registration is on the day and places are offered on a first come, first served basis. See www.hillingdon.gov.uk/fishing

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Local Events August into September 2015 28

The Stage is Yours A Musical Theatre Workshop 10th to 14th August, 10am-4pm Community Hut and Winston Churchill Theatre, Pinn Way, Ruislip, HA4 7QL. A 5-day summer holiday musical theatre workshop allowing children to have a fun and an exciting time. Sessions are for children aged 7 to 14 years culminating in a final ticketed show. For more info visit www.hillingdontheatres.uk or call 01895 673200. Scavenger Boat Race 12th August, Colne Valley Park Visitor Centre, Denham Country Park, Denham, UB9 5PG. Activities like this one will run throughout the summer. For more details call 01895 833375 or www.colnevalleypark.org.uk. Lunchtime Classical Concerts Church of St John the Baptist, Sheepcote Road, Harrow, HA1 2JE. 13th August, 12.30-1.30pm Preludes by Rachmaninoff, J.S. Bach, Chopin, Debussy,

Alkan, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Lionel Sainsbury and Steve Law Steve Law (piano) 20th August, 12.30-1.30pm Music from Stage and Film Sondheim, Mancini, Arlen, Myers, Legrand, Dudley Moore. Janine van den Berg (vocals), Steve Law (piano) 27th August, 12.30-1.30pm Chopin - The 4 Ballades Neil Crossland - Yorkshire Suite Op. 41 Neil Crossland (piano). All concerts are free admission, for more details visit www.ruislip andharrowmusicfestival.co.uk Medieval Festival 16th August Manor Farm, Bury Street, Ruislip, HA4 7SU. A great day out for all the family for details visit the website at www.hillingdon.gov.uk/medfest

LIVE MUSIC EVENTS The Swan at Iver 2 High Street, Iver, SL0 9NG. 7th August Goldeneye live act 21st August 2Tone live show The Falcon Village Road, Denham, UB9 5BE. 16th August Tiny Tina & Blues Band - tribute band from 5-8pm. Champers Bar 184 Field End Road, Eastcote, HA6 1RE. 9th August - 2 Tone, reggae pop & soul duo

14th August - Stuart Wilson, early doors with Frank Sinatra 16th August - The B-Vinyl's, 50's Rock & Roll 23rd August - Ash Lee, Solo Guitarist 30th August - Freddie Mercury Tribute Act (tickets £3)

SEPTEMBER EVENTS Hillingdon 4 Business 2nd September, 8.30-10.30am Costa Coffee, The Pavilions, Uxbridge. Informal networking event for further information please email maggie@hillingdonchamber.co.uk Produce & Handicraft Show by Harlington Womens Institute 5th September, from 1.30pm Hayes & Harlington Community Centre, Albert Road, Hayes, UB3 4HR. As expected from the WI, the items available for sale will be of excellent quality, so come along and bag a Victoria sponge (or two)!

DON'T MISS THE DEADLINE! If you would like us to publicise your event in our September issues contact us no later than Friday 14th August.

Beauty Belle of the Beach by Kate Duggan www.kateduggan.co.uk Late nights, lazy days at the beach and endless mojitos… we do love summer holidays. Whether you’re heading off for a week in the Canaries, catching a cruise ship to the Caribbean, or just taking the kids camping to Cornwall, feast your eyes on our pick of the latest beauty releases.

a choice of SPF 25 or 30, it offers great all round protection. Plus it’s packed with fruit and seed oils, including avocado, olive and aloe vera, and is kind to sensitive skin. It is water-resistant, but won’t survive a long swim in the pool, so do make sure that you reapply it regularly.

  

If you like ‘buying British’ you’ll love the new British Botanical Shower Cream from Elemis, which uses UK-sourced ingredients such as chamomile, lavender, rosemary and oats. It smells divine and is incredibly nourishing. At £24 it is rather pricey, but definitely one to consider if you fancy treating yourself. Looking for a sun cream that’s suitable for all the family? Try Green People’s Organic Children Scent Free Sun Lotion, £16.95. It’s non-greasy and rubs in more easily than a lot of the other natural sunscreens on the market. Offering both UVA and UVB protection, with 30

If you prefer a lipstick to a gloss, but hate the drying effect that some lipsticks can have, you’ll want to get your hands on one of the new Burt’s Bees Lip Crayons. 100% natural, the crayons use shea butter, jojoba oil and kendi oil to soften and moisturise your lips. I could still feel the difference by the next day. There are six shades available. My personal favourite is Sedana Sands – a natural pink with just a hint of caramel, which is perfect for summer. Burt’s Bees Lip Crayons are priced at £8.99 and are available from Debenhams, Fenwick and www.burtsbees. co.uk. We all know the risks, but when the sun is shining and we’re baring our pins on a golden beach, we can’t help but want a tan. Sometimes it’s OK to fake it, and tanning

is one of those occasions. Don’t let the visions of Oompa Loompa lookalikes put you off; fake tans have come a long way and you no longer have to choose between milk bottle white or tangerine orange. For best results, wax or shave the day before, exfoliate well, then follow with a body lotion. Wait until the lotion is fully absorbed before applying the tan. New to the UK market is Aussie tanning brand Black Magic. Try the Black Magic Instant Tanning Mousse, £23, which is tinted, extremely easy to apply and comes with a mitt to keep your hands stain-free. www.blackmagictan.co.uk

If late night cocktails have left your skin looking a bit lacklustre, or you just don’t fancy slapping on foundation in the heat, give Origins GinZing™ EnergyBoosting Moisturizer, £23, a go. Designed to ‘wake up’ tired looking skin and leave it with a healthier looking glow, it’s no surprise that this has quickly become one of Origins’ ‘hero’ products. A 75ml limited edition version was released this spring, featuring a funky coffee bean lid, but it was snapped up pretty quickly. Still, you may be lucky and find one lurking at the back of a shelf in Debenhams…

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01494 782001

In April 2010 our lives were shattered when we received the news that our beautiful daughter LilyMae, who had just turned 1, was terminally ill after receiving a diagnosis of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (or SMA as it is more commonly known) Type 1. LilyMae went on to bravely fight for 11 months before finally growing her angel wings in March 2011. We decided we wanted part of her legacy to be to raise awareness of this little known condition which has such devastating consequences. The most common thing we hear when we say SMA is “oh is it an allergy to the baby milk?” August is officially SMA Awareness Month but we raise awareness 365 days a year. SMA is a genetic neuromuscular condition which results in progressive muscle weak ness and causes the motor neurones of the spinal cord and brain stem to deteriorate. In most instances SMA occurs when both par ents are carriers of the faulty SMN1 gene. When both parents a carriers, and this hap pens in 1 out of every 40 people, there is a 25% chance a pregnancy will result in a child affected by SMA. There are 4 main types of SMA: Types 1, 2 and 3 which all present during varying stages of childhood and Type 4 which presents in adulthood and is also known as Adult Onset SMA. As with most conditions the ‘Types’ are not rigid and can have varying degrees and a wide spectrum of severity. There are also even rarer variations including SMA with Respiratory Distress (SMARD). SMA is not curable and in the most severe cases fatal. 95% of babies diagnosed with 32

Type 1 do not reach 18 months old. Children with a less severe Type of SMA face the prospect of progressive muscle wasting and a loss of mobility and function. However, the mind of a child affected by SMA is never af fected and there is supporting evidence to suggest the intelligence levels of these chil dren actually exceeds that of their peers. There is often no family history of SMA and it does not discriminate based on race, gender or ethnicity. SMA will eventually affect speech, the ability to walk or stand, eat, swal low and breathe. There are around 100 new cases reported annually in the UK and al though there is currently no cure SMA is rec ognised as being the neuromuscular disorder science is closest to a cure for. At the mo ment there are 6 drug programs in clinical development an 17 programs in total in drug development. Aside from raising funds for research into a cure, we want people to be aware that SMA is not just a baby milk. It is in fact the number one genetic cause of infant mortality.

       

holidays

In and Around

Call 01895 83 33 33 for bookings and information

GREAT DAY OUT

£79pp

B S

Greenwich Tall Ships & Lunch at the Tower Hotel

Monday 31 August, 2015 • Quote: GS8-IA

The Tall Ships Festival is back in London this August featuring a dozen historic sailing vessels from around the world moored at Royal Greenwich riverside. Many of the ships are open for tours so visitors can see what life is like aboard and get first-hand accounts from crew members. The festival aims to create a carnival atmosphere which also features live shanty music, street theatre, historical characters in re-enactments and market stalls. As a colourful cosmopolitan spectacle the festival is one of the capital’s major attractions. INCLUDED: Visit to Greenwich for the Tall Ships festival • 2-course late lunch at the Tower Hotel, overlooking Tower Bridge • Return coach travel Lunch menu: Soup of the Day or Goat’s Cheese Terrine • Roasted Chicken Breast, Pan-fried Sea Bass or Wild Mushroom Risotto • Viennoiserie Bread & Butter Pudding or Exotic Fruit Salad

GREAT DAY OUT

£59pp

Holidays oﬀered by GN Holidays & Voyages Higher Denham

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ABTA NoY0291 •ATOL 9362

Escorted & River Cruise: www.gnvoyages.co.uk

Four Forts of the Solent Cruise & Cream Tea

Coach Breaks: www.gnholidays.com

Wednesday 2 September, 2015 • Quote: FF9-IA

Open 9am to 5.30pm weekdays 9.30am to 12.30pm Saturdays Closed Bank Holiday weekends.

Come with us to Portsmouth and enjoy a three-hour afternoon cruise around the Solent forts - built in the 19th century by Lord Palmerston to protect the eastern approaches to Portsmouth Harbour from invasion by the French - and including a cream tea. INCLUDED: 3-hour afternoon cruise around the four forts of the Solent & Portsmouth Harbour • Cream Tea • Return coach travel

R W I • • r e

n h t e e d f

e o y

Coach Breaks departing from Uxbridge, Ruislip & Slough Brighton & Bluebell Line Steam & Cream

Paddlesteamer PS Waverley Isle of Wight Cruise

Wednesday 9 Sept, 2015 - Quote BB9-2-IA

Friday 18 September 2015 - Quote PS9-IA

GREAT DAY OUT

Enjoy a super day out including a visit to Brighton

Join us for a unique cruise on the world’s last seagoing paddle steamer, PS Waverley. As she cruises the Solent, visit the engine room to see her classic steam power in action

£59PP

and a steam train ride with a cream tea. INCLUDED: 90-minute steam train ride on the Bluebell Line with a Cream Tea • Free time in Brighton • Return

£89PP

coach travel

INCLUDED: PS Waverley return cruise from Portsmouth to Yarmouth or The Needles • Return coach travel

Leeds Castle Festival of Flowers & Lunch at Donnington Manor Hotel

River Avon Christmas Lunch Cruise & Festive Stratford upon Avon

Wednesday 23 September, 2015 - Quote LF9-IA

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

GREAT DAY OUT

£89PP

£69PP

Come with us to the spectacular Leeds Castle, in Kent, where flower arrangers, designers and artists will create an array of fresh, floral displays. Plus, enjoy lunch at a country hotel. INCLUDED: Entry to Leeds Castle & Festival of Flowers • 2-course lunch at Donnington Manor Hotel, Sevenoaks • Return coach travel

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

Christmas on the Isle of Wight

We Love the 60s Spring Party Weekend - Pontins Pakefield, Suffolk Coast

Wednesday: 23 December, 2015 - Quote XW12-IA

Friday 11 March, 2016 - Quote PS3-2-IA

5 DAYS HALF BOARD PLUS

£359PP

Relax and enjoy an effortless Christmas on the Isle of Wight as we take care of all the arrangements. INCLUDED: 4 nights stay at the Shanklin Beach Hotel • 4 dinners and 4 breakfasts plus Christmas Day lunch • Excursions include an island tour with a steam train ride and a visit to the Panto • Coach travel and excursions

4 DAYS HALF BOARD PLUS The Merseybeats

£179PP

Join us at Pontins Pakefield for an over 40s party. Live shows include The Merseybeats, The Ivy League and The Pacemakers plus there’s free drinks every night. INCLUDED: 3 free drinks per person per night - house beers & spirits, wine by the glass, pumped soft drinks & mixers • Full 60s theme entertainment programme • 3 breakfasts & 3 dinners • 3 nights en-suite chalet

Answers pg 68

ets

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Week

Beauty  Motoring  Honda Civic Type R

By Wayne Gorrett

a change in engine mapping excellent for sharper performance and support. steering, stability assist to Other tactile maximise grip, while adaptive elements damping is increased by a by Kate Duggan www.kateduggan.co.uk are great spine-shrinking 30 per cent. too – an aluminium The a choice of Drive SPF 25 or 30, it offers Late nights, lazy days at the gear lever, On public roads, throwing the shapely great all round protection. Plus beach and endless mojitos… Type-R into sweeping corners leather it’s packed withconfidence fruit and seed oils, inspires as every we do love summer steering including avocado, olive and aloe judder of grip is fed back into wheel and holidays. Whether you’re theiswheel. Those adaptive vera, and kind to sensitive skin. It well-judged heading off for a week in the dampers ensure that smaller pedal is water-resistant, but won’t survive bumps are shrugged off with an Canaries, catching a cruise weights. a long swim thedefies pool,the sovery do make easein that lowship togoing the toCaribbean, or just If you’re spend five There’s plenty of headroom sure thatprofile you reapply it regularly. tyres, although potholes years in the wilderness sans front and rear and the boot is taking the kids camping to and crusty surfaces still crash any performance models, you’d huge, too. through the structure. Start to If you prefer a lipstick to a gloss, Cornwall, feast your eyes on better have one almighty bang use the performance and the Engines and but hate the drying effect that some in your backof pocket youbeauty our pick thewhen latest engine adopts a monotonous, Transmissions return to the fray. lipsticks can have, you’ll want to releases. booming drone that is neither The new 2.0-litre, four-cylinder get your hands onnor one of the new pleasant inspiring. Following a lengthy hiatus, Earth Dreams i-VTEC turbo Honda has ‘buying launchedBritish’ the most Lip given Crayons. 100% If you like you’ll love unit produces 228 kW at Burt’s 6,500 Bees If you’re an opportunity eagerly-awaited rpm and 400 Nm of torque from the to take one ofuse these onto the natural, crayons shea butter, the new Britishperformance Botanical Shower car so far this year. Faithful a lowly 2,500 rpm. It still uses track – graspoilit to with both hands. jojoba oil and kendi soften Cream from Elemis, which uses disciples of Honda’s iconic Red the VTEC variable valve timing You’ll discover a car that’s and moisturise your lips. I could still UK-sourced such assystem, however. Badge models,ingredients number in their exceptionally racy but also very hundreds of thousands feel the difference byand thefairly nextforgiving. day. chamomile, lavender,around rosemaryAll and manageable of that brutal power is the world - 400 of whomand haveis incredibly There six shades is weighty but precise, oats. It smells divine received by the front wheels via areSteering already placed advance orders, of the expected a six-speed manual gearbox available.with Mynone personal nourishing. At £24 it is rather pricey, largely sight unseen. twitchiness. only and a helical limited-slip favourite is Sedana but definitely one to consider if you differential. Honda claims The Style Factory versions – aTwo natural pinkare available fancy treating 0-100kph in 5.7 secondsSands and The new Civic Type R looks – a standard model at £29,995 caramel, yourself. 269kph flat out. with just a hint of exactly like a Type R should and a GT with additional look. It is gloriously shouty, which perfectequipment for summer. at £32,295. By way The front suspension nowisuses has a big mouth, brandishes Looking for aa strut sun arrangement comparison, the Golf R costs Burt’s Crayons with aBees Lip of a Kardashian-like rearcream and that’sbespoke £30,820. suitable‘dual-axis’are design to at £8.99 priced and are an XXL rear wing tuned for reduce centre offset, reducing for all the family? available from Debenhams, Summary maximum downforce. torque steer by an incredible 55 Try Green People’s The new Honda Civic Type R is Fenwick and www.burtsbees. per cent. Other aesthetics include double an extreme car and has been co.uk. dual exhausts either Organic side of a Children The Type R brakes are nowell worth the wait. Its target Free Sun Lotion, massive rear splitter,Scent a big front nonsense Brembo units and buyer will be someone who splitter, flared wheel £16.95. arches and We all know thedoesn’t risks, welcome but It’s non-greasy both performed exceptionally compromise the vents that adornand them. well easily on road and track. when the sun is–shining rubs in more and whoand sports deep enough to alive with that The Inside Storythan a lot of the To other the left of the grippy we’resteering baring ourpockets pins on decision. While unquestionably The front furniture is fabulous wheel on is athe button marked golden +R. beach, we can’t help natural sunscreens pricey, it is an utterly - probably the best road car This sports setting immediately but want a tan. brilliant Sometimes Offering both UVA piece of automotive seats I’ve sat in for market. a while, with changes all the dials in the it’sresult OK to and tanning and offering UVB protection, withred. The engineering. really tall side bolsters car to fiery is fake it,

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Property

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The comparison site Go Compare has just pub lished a survey of the most popular home improve ments. It makes interesting reading, particularly given that the number of properties going on the market is in a serious slump right now. It seems that homeowners are currently subscribing to the old adage, don’t move, improve. Top of the list is fitting a new bathroom (44%) with installing a new kitchen close behind on 39%. A surprising 33% of home improvers have gone for a new boiler while 28% opted for a garden makeover. What is interesting about all this is that when it comes to cost effective ways of adding value to your home, only one of these things would make the top 5. The best way to add value is a loft con version but only 10% of improvers went down this path. Building an extension, particularly to the side of the house, is very effective but only 16% of re spondents had opted to do this. A new kitchen will certainly add value but usually the cost of installing 40

it will be greater than the increase in value so it is anything but cost effective. However, fitting a new bathroom is relatively cheap to do (providing you don’t get carried away) and is the third best way of adding value. What all this shows, to me anyway, is that home owners are thinking of their own comfort and needs when they make improvements to their properties. Energy saving measures such as a new boiler or fitting solar panels came high on the list of most popular improvements, but neither of these things does much to add value to a home or make it more saleable. New kitchens and garden makeovers do much to make a property nice to live in but, once again, do little to add value. It seems that, given the lack of choice in properties to buy, many homeown ers are sitting tight. The doldrums that are afflicting many estate agents show no signs of lifting any time soon. 

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Hooray for Hollywood! Summer is the time for the great cinematic blockbuster, but there are days when it’s way too nice to be stuck in a dark movie theatre. Why not get out the deckchair and read the book before seeing the film after dark? Seeing how some of these great novels paved the way for Hollywood, it’s no wonder they’ve made millions for the studios.

 

Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton We’ve just taken an ill-fated trip to Jurassic World this summer, but why not read the original and best? Michael Crichton wrote his cautionary tale about what happens when scientists mess around with dino DNA way back in 1990, and the subsequent film made millions of children around the world believe that dinosaurs could roam the earth again. Throw in some Chaos Theory and some moral and ethical questions and you’re left with one extraordinary book that’s full of suspense, and opportunities to roll your eyes and weep for the future. Jaws - Peter Benchley This isn’t perhaps what you’d call ideal beach reading, but the suspense that Peter Benchley created in his 1974 novel of a great white shark terrorising a seaside resort is absolutely compelling. Focusing on the stories of the three men who are tasked with hunting and killing the killer shark, it’s tense, intense and a real nail-biter. ‘Jaws’ was a huge success, despite coming under attack from literary critics. It’s no Moby Dick, but it’s the very definition of a page-turner and you’ll be devouring the story, much like a giant man-eating fish devours surfers. The Firm - John Grisham Grisham’s second novel was a hit of stratospheric proportions, so it was no surprise that Hollywood soon came aknocking. Mitch McDeere is a 42

hotshot lawyer in the making, but the Harvard graduate turns down offers from major firms in New York and Chicago to work for Bendini, Lambert and Locke based in Memphis. They offer him a deal he can’t refuse but it soon becomes apparent that it may have cost him a lot more than he anticipated. No one ever seems to leave ‘The Firm’, or least, no one seems to leave the firm alive. Gritty and gripping it will at least ensure that you read your contract through carefully in future.

Lord of the Rings - J R R Tolkien Most wondered how on earth (or rather, how on Middle Earth) Tolkien’s epic fantasy novel could possibly be turned into a movie. Turns out, it was made into three. A sequel to ‘The Hobbit’, the novel expanded exponentially, and remains one of the best sellers of all time. The Dark Lord Sauron has created a ring to rule over all the other Rings of Power and bring him to reign over the whole of Middle Earth. What he hasn’t counted on is complications caused by a group of hobbits, along with some elves, and a wizard known as Gandalf. Complex and intricate it’s great to get lost in Tolkien’s world. If you can’t get to grips with it, you can always use it as a doorstop. Psycho - Robert Bloch In 1959, Robert Bloch wrote a book that would make us all morbidly fearful of so-called

‘Mummy’s Boys’. Inspired by a real life murder case in Wisconsin, the novel was quickly snatched up by Hollywood, and Hitchcock brought the story of seriously disturbed Norman Bates to the silver screen. Middle-aged Norman runs the Bates Motel along with his domineering mother. Unwitting guest Mary Crane arrives at the motel, on the run having stolen $400,000 from her boss so she can marry her boyfriend and pay off his debts. But Norman’s momma is still running the show, and she’s not too happy about Mary’s arrival. It will, most definitely, all end in tears. Disturbing and harrowing, if he still lives with his mum when you meet him, then run like the wind. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins The most recent of the novelsto-film franchises is the story of Katniss Everdeen and her rise to fame in her District as two-time victor of the Hunger Games. What Hollywood likes more than one blockbuster movie, is three blockbuster movies…even four, as the third instalment has been split into two films. The books are gruesome and, though chances are you’ve already seen at least the first film, the novels go into excruciating detail of the bizarre world the teenagers, forced to fight to the death, have to endure. The third instalment in particular is pretty nasty. Read it with your feet up and a nice drink in hand, and try not to focus on the fact that it’s kids killing kids.

Home & Interiors  Victorian Style By Katherine Sorrell 

It may not be the height of fashion, but there is much to be said for Victorian style, which is confident, distinctive and eminently comfortable, says Katherine Sorrell Everything changed in the 19th century. From society to science, politics to industry, the Victorian era was a time of enormous transformation. Travel, too, became easier, and influences and ideas from all around the world became increasingly important. The middle classes expanded rapidly, and their homes became the perfect vehicles with which to show off both their newly acquired wealth and their cultural savvy. The result? An interior style that was exuberant, eclectic and, quite often, downright over the top. The high Victorian style was a riot of revivalism, and different periods were mixed with 44

abandon, including Elizabethan, Italianate, ‘Louis’, Egyptian and Queen Anne Revival. The main ‘Battle of the Styles’, however, was between ‘Greek’, (in other words, pretty much all types of classical architecture and decoration), and ‘Gothic’ (more or less any style reminiscent of Olde Englande). Gothic was the winner, its most famous exponent Augustus Pugin, designer of the refurbished Palace of Westminster. Despite its mix and match of styles, and a tendency towards clutter, the main ingredients for Victorian living were not so far from where we are today, give or take a tweak or two in colour and pattern. Encaustic tiled hallways and polished, dark wood floors with a central rug featuring large, bold patterns set the scene, while patterned wallpaper was de rigueur. Wooden furniture was dark, solid and often very, very large – but we would recognise

much of it, from dressers and dining tables to sideboards and writing desks, though whatnots and chiffoniers are rarely to be found in the modern home. Fabrics, too, were rather more elaborate than we are used to today, with a great deal of embellishments – though William Morris’s Arts & Crafts designs introduced a relative simplicity and have remained popular ever since. Upholstered seating was the major development from the preceding Georgian era. Coil springing had been invented in the 1820s, and Victorian sofas and chairs featured deep buttons and comfortable, curving shapes. Also new to furniture-making was Thonet’s technique for bending beechwood to produce his nowclassic café chairs, while metal bedsteads were introduced to Britons at the Great Exhibition of 1851 – and have changed little in style ever since. As far as colour choices went, the Victorians loved anything rich, deep and vivid. These hues worked well with the dark brown furniture that predominated, but are best used judiciously today. That said, they can be most attractive in the right place: deep shades, such as crimson, claret, bottle green, sharp yellow, purple, mahogany, terracotta and Prussian blue, were preferred for sitting rooms, dining rooms and studies; paler and fresher hues, including pink, grey, pale blue and soft green, were considered to be more suitable for bedrooms. Lighting has, of course, altered a great deal in the last 150

years or so. When Victoria came to the throne, oil and candle lamps were the only form of lighting in most homes, but during her reign first gas lighting was developed and then, at the very end of the 19th century, early electricity. There were a great many elaborate and ornamental styles of lamp, including swan-necked brass wall lights, flower-shaped glass shades and china lamps covered with floral sprigs. Originals – which can often be converted to electricity – are often to be found today, as are all sorts of reproductions. The Victorian middle-class kitchen, used only by servants, was a very plain room, equipped with free-standing tables, with the sink in an adjacent scullery. And the bathroom only came into being as a separate room in the 1870s, before which time all ablutions took place in the

 

bedroom, using a wooden washstand plus bowl and pitcher, or a tin bath in front of the fire. Along with indoor bathrooms came distinctive sanitaryware – large, often colourfully decorated basins, and enamelled roll-top baths on ball and claw or scroll feet, much of which can be found in reproduction form for those with spacious enough rooms. Because Victorians considered bare rooms to be in poor taste, their houses were filled with more knick knacks, objets d’art and collections than ever before or since, some of which are right on-trend today – embroidered samplers or miniature flowers under a glass dome, anyone? Other Victorian accessories have not stood the test of time quite so well, including black and white miniature portraits, colonial exotica and toby jugs. Nor has a helpful kitchen accessory,

employed for anyone unlucky enough to suffer from cockroaches – a hedgehog kept in a box.. IMAGES - Page 1: The Bagsie sofa is a modern version of the classic Victorian Chesterfield. £1,715, Loaf, 0845 468 0698; www.loaf.com. Above:Period stained-glass effect window film, £52, Purlfrost, 020 8992 4024; www.purlfrost.com.

Karen Munro Careers (Aug15)_Layout 1 24/07/2015 01:22 Page 1

Karen Munro - Career Coach www.munrocareers.co.uk #@munrocareers www.facebook.com/munrocareers Karen is a professional Career Coach providing individual support in all aspects of Career Development including effective CV Coaching, Interview Skills and Networking Techniques.

 

A member of the Career Development Institute and registered with the Careers Professional Alliance, a qualified Careers Practitioner and Trainer, she works with both private and business clients around London and the South East. Karen also facilitates workshops and offers individual coaching to Military Personnel leaving the Armed Forces at RAF Northolt and works as an Associate Career Coach and Trainer for both Right Management and SMP Solutions. Writing for a number of career focused and military resettlement magazines she regularly contributes to ‘In and Around’ every month sharing her practical experience with her local community. Writing a strong C.V is about being able to highlight your key skills, qualities and career history in order to get put forward for a job interview.

FIRST impressions count, and employers will make a decision on whether to shortlist you for an interview as quick as 30 seconds. So, it’s important to know what you need to do to get the key information across very quickly. Firstly, keep it simple! Avoid, graphics, borders, fancy fonts, boxes, columns and lines. All of these detract from the information you are trying to put across and just become barriers. Always tailor your CV to your audience. Sending out 10 speculative and generic CVs to random organisations is pointless. You might as well just put them in the bin, as that is what the employer will do. You need to find ‘common ground’ with the employer – what skills, qualities and experience are they looking for? Read through their job descriptions and their websites, do your research. There is no point highlighting your qualities and key skills if they have nothing in common with what the employer is looking for! Open with a strong personal profile. Just one paragraph of no more than 5 or 6 lines written in the third person – it should be about you, not from you. Summarise your qualities, skills and length of experience and what you are looking for. The personal profile is the single most effective part of your CV. It needs to grab the attention of your audience, the employer, and give them a good overall impression of who you are and what you can do. Use bullet points to highlight some key skills and achievements before listing your career summary. Don’t list too many though or you will look like a ‘jack-of-all-trades and a master-of-none’. Your career summary should always start with your present or most recent job. Use bullet points to highlight your job responsibilities using positive language such as ‘achieved’ and ‘successfully managed’, ‘organised’ and ‘responsible for’. Don’t just list your job description in every detail. Always ensure you are demonstrating evidence of your key strengths and achievements in order to enable the employer to understand what value you will bring to their organisation. What are you good at? Think about what do you do and how do you do it? 48

Highlight any professional memberships, training and qualifications in order of importance – not date. Summarise your education but remember no one is interested in your old ‘O’ Level or GCSE in Woodwork - your CV should only be highlighting your relevant qualifications. If you have done, or are doing any voluntary work, don’t forget to include it. Voluntary work is particularly important and impressive on a CV and if you’ve been out of work for a while, but have been volunteering, it’s a great way of showing an employer you are keeping your skills up to date and you are part of the community. It demonstrates so much more about you and your values. Finally, keep it to just two pages with no mistakes and don’t put information on your CV about referees – it’s about you – not them! Ensure you don’t have any personal information on your CV such as your age or nationality. If you would like to know if your CV hits the spot, Karen offers a free 8 point C.V ‘health check’.

Karen

“unlocking your career potential”

 Why Breast  is still Best  (but not Compulsory) By Alison Runham www.alison.runham.co.uk August is World Breastfeeding Month, so let’s bust some negative myths, look at the benefits, and discover what influences mums’ feeding choices. Breastfeeding Myths i can’t breastfeed because: • My nipples are flat or inverted. A simple, small operation can fix this – as can breastfeeding itself, sometimes. Breastfeeding can be difficult, but rarely impossible. • i need medication for depression. Some doctors will quickly suggest you give up breastfeeding (or don’t start), but sometimes both the benefits of treatment and breastfeeding outweigh the potential risks, which are very low with some antidepressants. • My baby has a tongue tie, cleft palate or cleft lip. Sometimes these conditions can make breastfeeding difficult for the baby and painful for you. They may need expressed milk in a bottle (but may find bottlefeeding tricky too). Tongue tie surgery is simple and if necessary, can be performed early on; cleft lip 50

surgery is usually performed from 3 months and cleft palate surgery from 6 months. • i’m not sure i want to breastfeed; i’m going back to work, anyway. See how you feel after the birth. Even if you give your baby just a few feeds, they’ll receive colostrum, the special initial breastmilk full of your antibodies. Your ‘normal’ milk comes in around three days after birth. Even if you begin bottlefeeding, you’ll usually be able to breastfeed later, although as time goes by it becomes progressively harder to establish. If you’re returning to work, you can breastfeed at first then swap to expressed breastmilk, formula or mixed feeding later. You have a legal right to express milk at work and to ask for a change in your working pattern. • i can’t make enough milk: Despite what many mums are told or believe, it’s extremely rare to be physically incapable of producing enough milk. The process can be hampered though, if you’re unwell or have had a caesarean, or your baby is poorly, and expressing milk can take practice too. Usually it’s just a question of time and correct technique, but if

your baby is suffering or you need to leave them and can’t express, you can give formula... ...But mixed feeding will ruin my milk supply: If your baby needs the odd bottle of formula, don’t panic. ‘Breastfeeding with some formula is better for your baby than full formula feeding,’ says the National Childbirth Trust. Ideally, though, wait until 6 weeks to try regular mixed feeding. Breastmilk production is stimulated by demand (sucking or a breast pump) and the process of establishing the ideal production rate is best left uninterrupted. The NCT warns that mixed feeding too early often ‘leads to full formula feeding within quite a short time,’ but that once breastfeeding is established it can be successful. Rarely, a baby will be fussy about going back on the breast, but it’s usually short-lived. Breastfed babies wake more at night: Not necessarily. Research suggests parents of breastfed babies get more sleep, and there’s no night time formula preparation, sterilisation or bottle warming needed. I’ll be asked to move if I breastfeed in public: The Equality Act 2010 made this illegal.

  

Breastfeeding Benefits • Much healthier babies: breastmilk’s mixture of hormones, nutrients and antibodies is custommade, adapting to your baby’s needs, age and even time of day. It aids development, increases intelligence, and reduces the risk of chest, stomach, ear and urine infections, asthma, diabetes, obesity, leukaemia, meningitis, celiac disease, Sudden Infant Death syndrome, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, some lymphomas and cancers, Crohn’s disease, cardiovascular disease, eczema and allergies, and reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancer in girls and necrotizing enterocolitis (a serious bowel condition) in premature babies. • Healthier mums: Breastfeeding helps prevent

postpartum haemorrhage, contracting your uterus to normal size after giving birth, and reduces your risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, osteoporosis and diabetes. It also keeps periods at bay for several months, conserving iron stores, and uses 200-500 calories daily, burning off pregnancy weight gain. • Convenient, economical and green: You can feed your baby anywhere, for free, saving £550 a year in formula alone and reducing waste delivered to landfill.

decisions, decisions A mini-survey of friends echoed national findings: the main culprits responsible for making breastfeeding difficult or unappealing are poor advice and support (personal and professional). “I was banished to upstairs in my in-laws house!” said one breastfeeding

friend, while Liz intended to breastfeed until her midwife advised her bottlefeeding would be “easier” after her caesarean. Older ‘militant’ breastfeeding advice just caused guilt: “My LaLeche League book was SO awful about bottle feeding that when I finally offered my daughter formula, I felt I was poisoning her,” said Katie. The NCT found that 90% of women whose friends breastfeed plan to breastfeed themselves, compared to 51% of women without breastfeeding friends (who are also three times as likely to abandon breastfeeding within two weeks). So ensuring mums are well-informed and supported, wherever and however they choose to feed their baby, is vital. nct (National Childbirth Trust): Helpline: 0300 330 0700 www.nct.org.uk/

 Finance  Credit Cards for the  Stages of your Life 

By Ann Haldon

With so many different credit cards to choose from, knowing which one is right for you often depends on the current stage of your life. Whether you’re a young adult just starting work, coping with the financial demands of a young family, or are approaching retirement, here are some of the features and benefits to watch out for. StudentS and graduateS Most student account ‘packages’ include a credit card for those who qualify, and generally offer an average Annual Percentage Rate (APR) of around 19%. Credit limits are unlikely to be more than £500, but this is often all that is needed to provide a financial cushion. The majority of banks now offer a very useful feature that alerts you when a payment is due. HSBC student credit card Offered alongside their student current account, you can make payments and view your balance online. Their representative variable APR is 18.9% - average for this type of card, with no annual fee payable. Graduate cards work in much the same way, often linked to a ‘graduate’ account, and with a similar credit limit and APR. A slight difference is that some banks offer the facility 52

to transfer an existing balance over to your new graduate card at 0% interest for a limited time. Lloyds Bank graduate card Lloyds offer a limit of up to £500 on credit cards if you are a graduate current account holder. A selection of cards is available depending on your income as a new graduate, with some cards offering 0% interest on balance transfers. Young famiLY rewards cards Parents of young children may prefer to receive rewards and incentives from a credit card. These could include free travel insurance, commission-free foreign currency, free days out and money-off vouchers for meals at child-friendly restaurants. tesco Clubcard credit card Currently the Tesco Clubcard credit card offers five Clubcard points for every £4 spent with Tesco, including your spend on petrol. You can also earn one point for every £4 spent using the card at other outlets. Cash back cards Cash back credit cards come in handy if you can pay back the total balance each month. You need to read the small print carefully, however, as higher penalties often apply for missed or late payments.

Santander 123 credit card Santander is currently offering 1% cash back in the major supermarkets when you use their credit card, 2% in major department stores, and 3% on petrol and transport, including National Rail and Transport for London. Low interest rate cards Alternatively, you may simply want a card with low interest for the occasions when you don’t pay off the balance in full. You’ll need to have a good credit rating to get one of these cards, but they can help considerably when managing the family’s finances. mBna low rate credit card At the time of writing, this card from MBNA offers a low 6.5% variable rate for balance transfers, purchases and money transfers. You can transfer money from your credit card to a bank account with no handling fee, but the rate offered on the card may vary depending on your circumstances. retireeS A reduced income in retirement often means a narrower choice of credit cards. Banks and other financial institutions prefer to see a regular wage coming in, and some have a policy of refusing anyone over a certain age, regardless of how much

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money they have saved. Even if your savings are with the bank you are applying to, banks have been quite rigid on this policy of late. Saga Platinum credit card A variable representative APR of 11.9 % makes this credit card from Saga a middle-of-the-road option in terms of interest rate. Not the lowest, but certainly not the highest, the perks of this card currently include an introductory 0% on balance transfers and purchases for the first nine months, and 0% foreign currency fees on transactions worldwide. Credit-builder cards You may need to improve your credit rating at any stage of life, but this type of card comes with a high interest rate and a low credit limit. If separation or divorce have left you with no recent credit history, this may be a good option.

Should your credit file include bankruptcy, County Court Judgements, or other formal insolvency procedures, ‘standard’ credit cards will be unavailable to you for some time. Credit-builder cards are a good way to improve your credit rating in these circumstances, as long as repayments are made in full and on time every month.

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Vanquish Visa credit card This credit-builder card from Vanquish offers a credit limit of between £150 and £1,000, depending on your circumstances and credit history. The variable representative APR is 39.9%, and the account can be managed online. The best general advice from money experts is to shop around for the best credit card. Don’t be blinded by rewards and offers – simply find a

good all-round card with a low interest rate, and let the added extras be just that – extra to the main features. http://www.hsbc.co.uk/1/2/ credit-cards/student-credit-card http://www.lloydsbank.com/ current-accounts/graduateaccount.asp http://www.lloydsbank.com/ credit-cards.asp http://www.santander.co.uk/uk/ credit-cards/123-credit-card http://www.tescobank.com/ credit-cards/compare.html http://www.mbna.co.uk/creditcards/mbna-low-rate-creditcard/ http://www.saga.co.uk/money/ saga-credit-card.aspx http://www.vanquis.co.uk/creditcards

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  Once the province of flat cap wearing “enthusiasts,” classic cars are now hugely popular with prices rocketing upwards. The rarest, most collectible cars are now the province of the superrich but, if you know what you’re looking for, you can pick up a gem that will provide you with hours of enjoyable motoring and still make you a hefty profit when you sell it on. The BMW 5 Series sets the standard for premium brand executive saloons and has done since the 1970s. There are hun dreds of thousands of used cars out there but it is the second generation, the E28, which has emerged as a collectible classic for today. Produced between 1981 and 1988, the E28 was the complete all round package. BMW’s iconic straight 6 engine, available in capacities ranging from 2.0 to 3.5 litres, provided effortless performance with silky smooth refinement. The interior had plenty enough space for 5 adults and their luggage, comfort ga lore and plenty of equipment. The handling was pin sharp, making it great fun to drive, and matched by a firm but cosseting ride. For my money though, it is the styling that sets the E28 apart from other versions of the 5 Series. Heavily influenced by the 635 CSI, this version has the same forward sloping shark 56

nose, beautifully tidy boot and perfect proportions. It is as crisp as a Paul Smith suit and looks spot on from any angle. It is a style that, like shoulder pads and big hair, is fixed firmly in the 1980s but, unlike those two looks, is a sad loss to the world of design. As with most classic cars, it is important that you choose the right model. BMW offered a basic version of this 5 Series with an uninspiring, bog stan dard, 1.8 litre 4 cylinder engine. Don’t buy one! Similarly, gear boxes matter. The 2.0 and 2.5 litre straight are better mated to the 5 speed manual while the 2.8 or 3.5 are preferable with the 4 speed auto. Metallic paint looks better on this car than solid red, white or blue. Some of the basic spec cars really were basic without even electric windows in the front to boast about. Shop around and electric windows and mirrors, leather upholstery and even aircon are all there for the ask ing. All the 6 cylinder versions of the E28 were good performers, even the 2.0 litre managed 150bhp. However, the 3.5 litre was a properly fast car, even by today’s standards, with a sub 7 seconds 060 time and a top whack of 150mph. The holy grail of E28 ownership is the M5. This was the first of the “Q Cars,” that looked like a bog standard executive saloon

but went like a Ferrari. A hand built version of the 3.5 litre straight 6 kicked out 286bhp and catapulted this substantial family car to 60 in less than 6 seconds. Perfect 50/50 weight distribution and sports suspension meant that it handled like a dream. Only 187 right hand drive cars made it to the UK, making sur viving examples extremely rare. You can pick up a rough and ready E28 for under £2000, but bear in mind that the restoration costs are going to be steep. When you think that a pristine low mileage 2.0 litre car can be yours for a mere £5k and even a mint 535i should only set you back £6500, it is worth paying the extra for a low mileage car in solid condition. The M5 is a different story though, with good examples going for the thick end of £40k. If you can find a me chanically sound motor for around the £15k mark, it is well worth putting up the money to restore the interior and body work. The E28 5 series is that rare thing, a classic car that you can buy in good condition at a rea sonable price, drive every day of the week and still sell on for a profit. What are you waiting for? 

Tropical Paradise   

As the summer’s end is not too far away, many of us will be wishing for that exotic holiday we never quite had. But you can recreate that Typically Tropical Feel in your own garden instead. The temperatures may not be quite what they might be on a real exotic holiday, but it’ll certainly help to make your garden feel warmer and more appealing, and you can be sure that it’ll last a lot longer than the classic two week long trip.

are great and fast growing too. For very bold, colourfully striped foliage and screaming orange flowers try Canna ‘Tropicana’, or for a larger than life effect try the banana Ensetes ventricosum ‘Maurelii’ which grows very fast and has wonderfully rich purple-green leaves.

A tropical oasis might be particularly well suited to an urban garden, where temperatures are often warmer and conditions more sheltered and protected, but even if your garden gets its fair share of frosts you can still make an impact using a mixture of tender and hardy plants all of which have that exotic feel to them. Plant closely or fill ‘gaps’ with temporary plantings of the less hardy tropical look plants and you will create that dense, lush looks which spells tropical paradise.

If you want more than just foliage, the bulbous Eucomis bicolour has out-of-this world greenish yellow flowerheads which give it the common name of ‘pineapple plant’. Another favourite of mine is the Angel’s trumpet. These gorgeous looking plants may be very poisonous but the flowers of Brugmansia (previously known as Datura) as angel’s trumpet is also known, take some beating – choose white, yellow or cream and enjoy their perfume and elegant good looks. Although not hardy if you grow it in a pot it can be kept in the garden during all but the worst weather and then brought out again once it has started to warm up the following spring.

Lush, large leaves will always help to create a rainforest or exotic atmosphere and you could even grow a miniature banana called Musa ‘Basjoo’, which shows a good degree of hardiness. Indian shot plants, also known as the cannas

Don’t forget the vertical surfaces such as trellis, walls and fences as they too can be given a floral and foliage makeover. These may look boring now, but will look great when covered with passion flowers, ornamental vines or

by Pippa Greenwood

the pretty Cobea scandens commonly known as the cup and saucer plant. Then add to the ‘action’ using a few dramatic features – perhaps a Trachycarpus fortunei palm in open ground or a pot, or in the form of a sculpture or statue. If you go to the garden centre, many statues and garden ornaments are much more affordable than you might think. Partially hidden with some lush foliage they help to add to the jungle-like atmosphere. There are plenty of tropicaleffect plants to choose from including: tree ferns, phoenix palms, yuccas, cordylines, Rodgersia pinnata, Gunnera manicata, Rheum palmatum, cycads, citrus (including lemons, calamondin orange and other fruiting varieties) and bamboos. So, you see, the potential is there to create a holiday paradise without having to leave home, brave delays at the airport, find a house or petsitter…..all you need now is a deck chair and a cocktail or two, delivered on a tray! Visit Pippa’s website www. pippagreenwood.com for Nemaslug & other biocontrols, Speed Hoes, Speed Weeders SoftTie, pop-up crop covers, copper tape and lots more besides.

DENHAM What's On... (Jul15)_Layout 1 29/06/2015 07:41 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 Line Dancing 10.30-12.45pm; Indoor Bowls (Short Mat) 7.30-10pm. All enquiries to Lynne Mogge 01895 824621 or e: hare fieldcommunitycentre@btconnect.com

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

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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, Pinner, HA5 1AA. Call 0208 427 3559,

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...

Dale and Sons A5 Flyer_Layout 1 29/06/2015 12:15 Page 1

Dale  & SONS 

F U N E R A L D I R E C TO R S

Memorial Afternoon Please join us on

SATURDAY

8TH AUG

2 PM -5 PM at

GreenAcres Woodland Burials – Chiltern Potkiln Lane, Jordans, Beaconsfield

We will be inviting families to write messages on pebbles in memory of loved ones in the woodland burial park. Rev Beverley Pinnell will be attending to give a short blessing and prayers.

Light refreshments will be available. BBQ, live muisc, beekeeping, handmade jewellery, tombola, ferret racing, falcon SPECIAL and owl display GUESTS and other Denise attractions.

The Animal Sanctuary UK will be attending with a couple of their rescue animals.

& Linda Nolan

For further information call 01895 832220

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DENHAM What's On... (Aug15)_Layout 1 24/07/2015 13:24 Page 2

KEEP-FIT, DANCE & DRAMA CONTINUED... 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.

Social Line Dancing At St Marys Church Hall, Harefield Last Sat of the month 7.30-10.30pm Tia Chi Chuan Tai Chi is an ancient art which combines deep breathing, correctly aligned posture and relaxation with slow gentle movements. It can help with mental and physical stress, improve balance, mobility and general health. Beginners welcome. Tues 8-9.30pm at Yeading Community Centre, Ditchfield Road, Yeading, Hayes UB4 9BH. Contact David 0751 4998 674 david@zhong-ding.com www.zhong-ding.com Tea Dance Harefield Community Centre, Priory Ave on Thurs 2-4pm. All welcome. Free car parking. Call John 01895 284428 Uxbridge Musical Theatre Ruislip Conservative Club, 56-58, Ickenham Road, Ruislip, Middlesex HA4 7DQ. Tuesday 8-10pm. Call Phil Harrison 01895 636367 E 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

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

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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

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 by Melanie Kleyn, qualified HND, now on degree at ACM. Kids 8yrs+, ladies, 3.15-5.30pm or daytime only. Call 07757 635880 Email: drumsmel@gmail.com or text Faraday Country Music Club in Slough SL2 1RN. Country music every Thurs for listeners, western partners, freestyle, line dancers. 8-11pm. 07986 050742 or see www.faradaycountry.co.uk Guitar Lessons Complete beginners welcome. Contact Sam for a FREE lesson 07798 588496 sam@uxbridgeguitarlessons.co.uk

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. www.pennylanesinging.com or call 07951 294044. 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) continued overleaf...

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PRE-SCHOOL & KIDS GROUPS CONTINUED...

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 Denham & Gerrards Cross Children’s Centre Tilehouse School, Nightingale Way, Denham, UB9 5JL. Free sessions for under 5’s. 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

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. Contact Erin on 01494 758079. See 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

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...

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

Colne Valley Park Conservation Volunteers Every second weekend of the month. Hands on help to protect the wildlife and landscape of the regional park. For more details contact Steve Ord steven.ord@groundwork.org.uk or call 07718 043080. 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

Tiny Toes Childcare Full Day Care Nursery. Call 01753 655650 or tinytoes@ivercommunity.org

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. See www.langley-iver-rotaract.org.uk Slough Plus Meet at the Tower Arms in Iver, 4th Wednesday of the month, with weekly events and weekends away. All ages 20's-60's. Visit sloughplus.weebly.com 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, visit www.uxbconclub.com Women’s Social Group Social group for women. 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 new members welcome. FREE sailing tasters! www.kingsmeadsc.org.uk Pink Ladies Netball Club Training at Stockley Academy, West Drayton every Tues. Seniors16+yrs 7.30-9pm. Back to Netball 16+yrs 7.30-8.30pm. u16s for details 01895 448878 www.pinkladiesnetball.co.uk Table Tennis Denham Village Memorial Hall Tuesdays 5.30-10pm. Call Richard Cottle on 01895 835292

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Harefield

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ALL MAJOR

CREDIT/DEBIT CARDS

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

Eat In Or Takeaway

Visit our website to view our full menu: www.harefieldvillagecafe.co.uk 65

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AN EXPERIENCED TEAM OF PROPERTY PROFESSIONALS

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Whilst we maybe new to Gerrards Cross – Gibbs Gillespie have been successfully selling & letting properties in the Middlesex, Hertfordshire & Buckinghamshire area for over 25 years. Call us to benefit from a fresh and motivated approach.

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T. 01753888866 E. gxsales@gibbs-gillespie.co.uk 17/03/2015 13:40