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And whether you’re a fan of Autumn or not, it’s definitely here! Fortunately, we’ve had some fabu lous weather this year and it seems a lot of people, like myself, have been quite happy to remain at home and make the most of it. The downside of that, particularly if you work for yourself, is that you don’t really take a break. I did manage a lovely overnight hotel stay in Marlow last month, but I think being miles away from home with a good book and a sun lounger (the back garden doesn’t count), is what’s really needed to recharge your batteries. Having become ill yet again right on deadline, I’ve realised that taking a break is not really a luxury, but an absolute necessity and if you don’t plan them, they tend not to happen.
Armed with half a dozen holiday brochures and driven by the impending longer nights and shorter days, we’ve suddenly gone into holiday planning frenzy. Christmas somewhere hot is definitely on the menu and for the first time in over eight years, we’re going to book next Summer’s holiday too. This is all a bit alien to me, but I’m assured that if you plan for things to happen, they will indeed happen! Feeling rather motivated by the whole planning ethos, I’ve started a log of all the things I want to achieve and the steps I need to take to make them happen. I’m starting small of course with day to day things, which always end up being done at the last moment and if that works well, who knows, I may become brave enough to at tempt the grand five year plan...well maybe 12 months anyway! Until next month! . Angela
“Ask us about our affordable advertising rates or visit our website for more information” 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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Technolgoy: Some like it hot 6 Property Matters 10 Around Britain Trivia: Football 10 Home & Interiors: On the wall 12 Beauty: How to get a perfect pout 14 Karen Munro: Careers 18 Designer Life 20 Computer Helpdesk 22 History: What happened in October 1964 24 Children’s Puzzle Page 26 Infant Matters 28 Travel: Alicante 30 Puzzle Solutions 32 Coffee Break Puzzles 34 Cake & Bake Apple & Blackberry Crumble Cake 36 Three easy ways to save money this winter 40 What’s on at the Compass Theatre 42 Hobbies: Learning Calligraphy 46 Citizens Advice Bureau 48 Useful Telephone Numbers 48 Health: Tea & Coffee the good and the bad 50 Reader Holidays 52 Local Events 54 Used Cars: Retro Rockers 56 RSPCA Rehoming Appeal 58 Wildlife Zone 60 Denham Against HS2 62 Garden Feature 64 Is it time to part with your old mattress? 66 Clubs, Groups & Classes 68, 70 & 72 Wordsearch 74 Beer of the Month 74
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Some Like It Hot
Technology taking the expense out of heating your home
With summer a rapidly fading memory it’s likely that you’ve had the central heating on for weeks or even months. With energy prices constantly increasing, a few simple bits of kit can make a huge difference to your outgoings. One of the simplest changes you can make is to replace your boiler’s old timer with a modern digital programmer, such as Siemens’ RWB29. This £45 device enables you to set different times for weekdays and weekends, and you can set three different heating times per day. Installing it and any similar programmer isn’t a particularly difficult job and the extra control it offers can help reduce your heating bills. Another option is to invest in thermostatic radiator valves, or TRVs for short. With prices starting at around £7, TRVs are simple to fit and enable you to set different temperatures in different rooms, so for example you might set the bedrooms to be several degrees cooler than the living room. You can even get digital ones such as the Terrier i-temp i30, which enables you to set up to 6 different temperature settings per day - handy if the room’s temperature is subject to 6
outside factors such as late afternoon sunshine. For many of us our heating systems are fairly low tech, but that’s changing with the arrival of systems such as British Gas’s Hive. Hive connects your boiler to your broadband, and that means you can control it with a smartphone app. You might override the heating settings because you’re coming home later than expected, keep an eye on your daily energy use, or just show off by turning the heating on and off when you’re at work. British Gas reckons that the £199 Hive will pay for itself very quickly, offering savings of up to £150 a year on your energy bills, and it’s compatible with 99% of the UK’s gas boilers. One of the most advanced home energy gadgets is the Nest learning thermostat, which is now owned by Google. The £249 device isn’t just a good looking thermostat; it’s a computer that learns your everyday activities and sets the heating to suit - and it knows when you’re out, lowering the heating accordingly. Once again the big selling point here is reduced energy bills, and Nest has proved so successful at doing that in America that
some US energy companies are giving them away free to their customers to help keep their bills down (and the customers loyal). A thermostat is hardly the most exciting sounding gadget, but Nest has big ideas: Google has teamed up with the likes of Mercedes-Benz and fitness gadget maker Jawbone, remote control firm Logitech and garage door firm Chamberlain to make Nest compatible with their products. A Mercedes car knows what time you’ll be home and can alert the thermostat accordingly; a Jawbone fitness tracker can tell when you’re waking up and can turn the heating up automatically; allin-one remotes can get all your entertainment gadgets ready for a movie while dropping the temperature to make the thriller even more chilling. It won’t be long before Google adds voice control to the mix, and it’s clear that it sees Nest as the centre of a much wider home automation system. It’s hot stuff already!
By Gary Marshall
Images left to right:British Gas Hive smart thermostat; Honeywell Homexpert replacement heating programmer; Nest learning thermostat; Thermostatic radiator valve
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Property
skills shortage in the building trades. He told me how he visited one of his new builds and found that all five brickies on site had been lured away to another development down the road with the prom ise of much higher wages. This claim has been reinforced by some of the bosses of the largest house builders in recent weeks. After the financial crash, they laid off great swathes of their skilled The first problem was that the price differential trades people and drastically reduced the number between a derelict house and a similar property in of apprentices they were taking on. The results of pristine condition in the same area has dwindled to these two policies have now come home to roost. almost nothing. In recent years, doing up rundown properties has been a cost effective way for land The perceived wisdom is that the shortfall in the lords to increase their rental portfolios, with the number of new houses being built is the result of added benefit of a capital gain on the finished arti mortgage rationing and bottlenecks in the planning cle. This strong demand has led to an increase in process; now it seems that those are not the only the price of derelict houses, which means that the factors in play. More apprentices can be trained purchase price combined with the renovation costs and there will no doubt be a price correction in the now far outstrips the value of the renovated house. derelict housing market, but these things will take As a result, rundown houses are being left to lan time. Don’t expect the housing shortage to end any guish on the market. time soon. The other problem he highlighted was a serious I was talking to a property investor the other day, a man whose business involves building purpose built rental accommodation, converting disused commercial buildings such as pubs into residential properties and renovating derelict houses for the rental market. He told me about two things that are making life difficult for him right now.
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Home & Interiors
On The Wall
Choosing a wall finish is a question of combining personal choice and practicalities. While some finishes are hands-offdon’t-touch delicate, others are ideal for protecting walls from knocks and bumps, muddy paws and sticky fingers; some are meant only for perfectly smooth walls, while others are great at disguising blemishes. Find the right type of finish, then decide how colourful, patterned and textured you want it to be. A plain white wall, for example, may be just the ticket for showing off your collection of tin toys, or as a counterpoint to bright cushions and other accessories. On the other hand, you may want an exciting wallpaper that draws the eye to a feature wall, or adds pzazz to an otherwise boring room. 12
By Katherine Sorrell
Ideas for feature walls • Peel-off stickers. Instant transformation. Available in all sorts of designs, small or large, from simple outlines to complex illustrations. • Wallpaper with a huge, graphic pattern and bold colours can be overwhelming for a whole room, but is a great focal point on just one wall. • Paint effects are right on-trend. Try modern styles such as broad horizontal stripes or a dip dye effect. • Maps (old or new) are goodlooking and educational. Simply paste straight on to the wall. Try sheet music, wrapping paper and pictures enlarged on a photocopier, too. • Digital images can be enlarged as much as you like. Why not use one to cover an entire wall? • Wallpaper samples, vintage or modern, can be pasted up as a colourful collage. On the same theme, why not employ different colourways of the same pattern for an impressive and unusual effect? A world of wallpaper Wallpaper is oh-so-hot right now, but as well as being fashionable, it’s a brilliant way to add interest to any room. Conventional, machine-printed
designs are easiest to get hold of, usually inexpensive and simple to put up. But there is a whole world of wallpaper choice out there, from natural woven fibres and light-reflecting metallic papers to interactive papers that you can colour in or add stickers to, hand-blocked papers, three-dimensional designs incorporating crystals, sequins or tiny LED lights, digitally printed papers made to your own design and even magnetic wallpapers that work as a noticeboard. Types of wallpaper Standard decorative wallpapers are ideal for areas that don’t suffer from moisture or severe wear and tear. Vinyls are durable and easy to put up, often coming pre-pasted. They can be used anywhere, but are especially suitable for kitchens and bathrooms. Washable wallpapers have a transparent coating to make them wipeable. Embossed wallpapers feature a raised, textured pattern and are meant to be painted. Blown vinyls are similar. Flock wallpapers feature a velvety texture in stencil-like designs. Foils are metallic wallcoverings. They vary from a gentle sheen to almost mirror-like. Natural wallcoverings include grass, silk, wood veneer, hessian and cork. Though they are backed with paper, they can be delicate and difficult to clean. Image: Create a wall-to-wall indoor garden with this geranium wallpaper mural, from £99, from Digetex HOME (0161 873 8891; www.DigetexHome.co.uk).
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Beauty
Professional Make-Up Secrets: How to Get a Perfect Pout
With the help of a few simple make-up tools and techniques it’s easy to transform your lips into the pout you’ve always wanted. Thin Lips Thin lips are a big beauty concern for many women - especially as they age. That’s because over the years, our lips lose their plumpness and become visibly thinner. Fortunately 14
there’s plenty that can be done to add some volume, without having to resort to fillers. Choose lipsticks in light shades and always opt for a glossy finish. Lighter colours work to make lips look bigger by bringing that area of your face forward, whereas darker shades have the opposite effect by pushing it back. Light-reflecting pigments in glosses and lipsticks add instant fullness to thin lips - unlike matte formulations that make the lips look flat. A creamy lip liner, in
a natural pale hue is an essential tool when making-up thin lips. Warm the pencil in your hands before lining your lips just slightly outside their natural line and bring the liner as far down to the corners of your mouth as you can - whilst still keeping it looking perfectly natural. Particularly emphasise your cupid’s bow and the middle of your bottom lip. Using a lip brush, neatly fill in your lips with your chosen lipstick. Add a dab of gloss to the centre of your bottom lip and highlight your cupid’s bow by adding a touch of shimmer highlighter - powder, cream or pencil varieties will all do the job. Uneven Lips If your bottom lip is fuller than your top, then your lips can look uneven - but it’s easy to balance things out with well-applied lipstick. Choose a lip liner in a shade that matches the lipstick you are going to use and apply it to your cupid’s bow - at the centre of your top lip. Don’t be tempted to extend the line
all the way down because you only want definition in the centre.
Cover your bottom lip with a dot of concealer or foundation - this makes it easier to correct the shape - then line the centre of your bottom lip slightly above the natural line and softly extend the line outwards, but not all the way to the corner of your mouth.
Bring the lip liner on to your bottom lip and lightly fill it in - the aim is to create a matte finish so that your bottom lip appears less prominent. Then, using a lip brush, fill in your top lip with the lipstick that
matches your liner.
Draw attention to your top lip and create a perfect finish by adding a touch of gloss to the centre of your top lip. Narrow Mouth If your mouth is small and narrow it can look out of proportion compared to your other facial features. A little lip liner and lipstick can easily ‘extend’ the mouth though. Find a lip liner that matches the natural colour of your lips as closely
as possible, then line the outer corners of your mouth by using light, feathery strokes. Bring the line up and round, over your cupid’s bow but make sure the line isn’t as strong as the one on the corners of your lips, because emphasising the corners of the mouth will have an elongating effect. Choose a neutral coloured lipstick in a creamy or satiny finish - it’s important to stick to lighter shades, as darker hues will make your lips appear smaller.
By Helen Taylor
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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 employment including effective CV writing, interview skills training, networking and successful job searching.
A member of the Career Development Institute and Careers Professional Alliance, a qualified Careers Practitioner and Trainer, she works with both private and business clients around Hillingdon, South Bucks and Middlesex. Karen is currently facilitating workshops and offering individual coaching to Military Personnel leaving the Armed Forces at RAF Northolt, helping them through their transition to civilian work. Karen writes for a number of careers focused and military resettlement magazines and regularly contributes to ‘In and Around’ sharing her practical experience with her local community. I have been doing a lot of work on the subject of ‘networking’ lately. I recently ran a Networking Techniques workshop and was also invited by the ‘Officers Association’ to discuss the topic with service leavers via a webinar. Firstly, let’s understand what is networking? Well, the true definition of networking is to “interact with other people to exchange information and develop contacts, especially to further one's career.” With up to 85% of the job market not being actively advertised, it is clear many of those jobs are secured through friends of friends, word of mouth, direct and indirect contacts. Networking is therefore critical to anyone thinking about making a career change or looking for a job. There are always some key concerns raised about networking and one of them is the fear of approaching people initially. How do you start networking? Many of my clients worry networking will appear ‘false’, ‘fake’ or ‘insincere’. However, networking is normal and expected in the commercial world and everyone is doing it. Networking is about having relevant conversations with other people who may have a common interest with you, such as the industry you work in or want to work in, or a specialism. It isn’t however, asking people for a job directly. People will instinctively shy away from direct requests for work. So a different approach is required. Networking is about researching and asking relevant questions and exchanging ideas and experiences. Start with your primary contacts, people you know already and have a good rapport with – how can they help you? Widen your search by asking them if they know anyone in their contacts who may be able to help you. Can they refer you anyone? These referrals will be the decision makers, recruiters and people with the information you need to find out about the job market. Start to get yourself noticed. Ask about industry trends; who is hiring and who is firing? What skills and training are currently required in your line of work and what will make you a strong candidate? Ask people for feedback on your CV . Find out which organisations only use Agencies and which ones don’t. There is no point registering with a particular recruitment agency if the 18
company you want to work for doesn’ t use them. Networking will bring all this information to your doorstep and will effectively become the foundation of your job searching strategy. I always recommend using Linked-In (www.linkedin. com) as a fantastic resource to facilitate networking as well as using Twitter to follow companies and get real time information on the job market and industry trends. However, don’t fall in to the trap of thinking networking is all about being on-line, because nothing is better that meeting someone face to face. Personal impact is important so use your online connections to facilitate meeting face to face, perhaps over a coffee, where you can engage with someone personally. Always make sure when you meet someone for a networking meeting, you are clear about what you want to gain from the meeting. Don’t turn up waiting for them to initiate conversation. You will need to explain to them what you want to discuss and what information you are looking for. Nearly all of my clients find employment through networking. It demonstrates they are proactive and professional and are prepared to get out there, meet people and work hard. Networking can facilitate employment even when a vacancy doesn’t exist. It can lead to alternative job offers, more referrals, new posts being created and will continue to expand your contacts even further. For every networking meeting you have, try to get at least 2 more referrals and remember to communicate with everyone. Keep your primary contacts ‘in the loop’ letting them know how you are getting on and how their referrals have helped you. Networking can start to become a full time job in itself. It can be extremely rewarding meeting new people and engaging in conversations about common themes in employment and industry. It will boost your confidence and your communication skills – and that can only be a good thing!
Karen
“unlocking your career potential”
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A lesson from Hilary Devey;
Will, Can, How and When A few years ago I had the privilege of meeting Hilary Devey (pictured below right), one of the ‘dragons’ in the TV show ‘Dragons Den’
www.designerlife.co.uk neelam@designerlife.co.uk
neelam challoner is one of UK’s leading life coaches, specialising in Re-designing women’s lives and is the founder and owner of Designer life coaching and the Author of ‘Successful but Incomplete’. neelam has coached hundreds of people nationally and internationally since 2004. With over 15 years experience in leadership, she has a flair for getting the best out of people. Her clients range from professionals, high net worth individuals, and solo business owners, to unemployed, single parents and women who have suffered domestic abuse. She has empowered and coached both privately and in the public sector pan london and in the Hillingdon Borough and is relentless on her mission to inspire and motivate people to release their potential and live a ‘Designer life’.
Hilary came across as very ‘real’ not pretentious or arrogant. She had a presence and a charisma that kept us engaged as she shared her experiences, with good eye contact and willingness to hear our comments/questions Hilary gave us access to her business mind... and I might add she looked pretty amazing too! Her most valuable business lessons came when she was just 7 years old. With a goal to own a horse, Hilary needed to complete her chores to get paid and save up enough money to buy this horse. Hilary says she worked very hard in her early years growing up and by 11 years old she was pulling pints, taking orders, giving last orders and knew the pub business pretty well. She was being groomed for business in a ‘mans’ world without realising the future she had ahead of her. Hilary had a very good relationship with her father who was a huge role model for her. He taught her one important lesson, which she still lives by; “will, can, how and when” and one we can also glean from. As an adult, she faced many personal challenges whilst being a single mum, but Hilary had an idea. The idea came when she discovered a problem with logistics and the distribution of pallets and the long delays that were incurred in getting the pallet(s) to their end destination. Following the lesson her father gave her, Hilary did some research and turned the idea into a business plan and went to HSBC. The bank refused her a business loan of £112K. But not giving up in defeat, she sold her house, jewellery and downsized her car and raised the money to start her business. She was so determined she sacrificed so much for this idea that she felt so strongly and passionate about. After one month in business and after paying her staff, Hilary Devey was left with £1 and it was Christmas! As you know the rest is history, but it was the making of Hilary Devey; the business woman who went against the odds, turning visions into reality, solving an obvious problem and creating a successful and profitable logistics company which is now expanding into Europe and eventually across Asia, gaining her the respect and credibility that she deserves. Today if you are facing a challenge in your personal or business life put the lesson to the test; WIll you do something, cAn you do something, HoW will you do it and WHen? Discard the thoughts of; won’t, if, but, only and can’t. These are the first steps to redesigning your life!
Neelam 20
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revelation. The doctor or a nurse uses a handheld testing device which can perform a battery of up to 30 tests on just one drop of blood. The device can perform hundreds of different tests as required and the results are beamed wirelessly back to the database that holds the patient’s medical records, where they are available to everyone who needs to see them.
To the casual observer, the most significant uses that technology and the internet have been put to are all social – the internet makes it much easier to buy the stuff we crave; social media makes it much easier to share our thoughts and experiences with each other every waking hour of the day. But the big changes have been going on behind the scenes, particularly in terms of database technology and cloud computing. One business that has made use of these developments to provide a service that offers both a social good and vast commercial opportunities is Theranos. Launched as a tech start up in 2003, it has attracted around $70 million in funding so far, much of it from some household names of the technology world, and is now poised to launch on the stock market in a multibillion dollar IPO. What is it doing to get investors so hot under the collar?Theranos does blood tests – nothing very exciting about that you might think; we’ve been doing blood tests for decades, but the way that Theranos does them could lead to a dramatic improvement in the effectiveness of healthcare services around the world. There are hundreds of common blood tests that can be carried out and the results can determine if the patient has anything from Crohn’s Disease to Diabetes. Blood tests are also an essential tool in the early diagnosis of cancer. The current system for doing blood tests normally starts at the GP’s surgery or hospital. The doctor reviews the patient’s symptoms and comes up with a potential diagnosis of what is wrong with them;the blood test effectively confirms if the diagnosis iscorrect. A sample of blood is taken and put into a test tube. A paper trail is then created that links the sample with the doctor, the patient and the type of test required. Then the sample is sent to a central laboratory where the test is carried out and the results sent back to the doctor. The whole process is complex and time consuming and it is not unknown for the wrong results to come back to the wrong patient. More importantly, it is expensive so budget constrained doctors will often be reluctant to order a barrage of blood tests to confirm an early diagnosis. By 22
comparison,
the
Theranos
system
is
a
The benefits are immense. For starters, the cost of the tests is less than half that charged by the existing laboratories. In America alone it is estimated that the two main healthcare providers could save over $200 billion over the next decade. That’s before the savings in administration are taken into account. Then there’s the time saving; the results are available instantly rather than a week later. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Early diagnosis of cancer transforms survival rates and drastically cuts the costs of treatment. Early diagnosis of diabetes could save the NHS billions and transform the lives of those who suffer from it. It’s not just about money either; it’s about people’s health and happiness and about switching the ethos of health services from cure to prevention. The story of founder, Elizabeth Holmes, is an interesting one. She dropped out of Stanford at the age of 19 and used her tuition fund to start up the business. She successfully sold her idea to some very savvy investors and is now poised to become the first woman technology billionaire. Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, is a multibillionaire and has had a film made about his life and he just created a dating site. What does the future hold for Elizabeth Holmes?
Consultations by appointment only, some available on evenings and weekends
Iver Croft, Bangors Road South, Iver, SL0 0AD
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What happened in...
...October 1964? high speed rail link between Tokyo and Osaka was opened. It had an operational speed of 170mph; ‘coasting’, as Craig Breedlove would probably call it.
At Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, on 15th October, Craig Breedlove, set a new land8th: Baby, I can drive my own speed record of over 520 mph. car! Richard Starkey, better known as Ringo Starr, passed Just seconds later he set his driving test. another (still unbroken) record for the world’s longest 10th: Yoshinori Sakai carried skid – nearly six miles! His the Olympic torch into the parachute brakes failed and stadium in Tokyo to open the the car travelled another six Summer Olympics. Yoshinori miles before crashing into a was born in the outskirts of lake at 200 mph. He managed Hiroshima on 6th August, to exit the car without even 1945, the day the atomic getting wet. bomb was dropped. This
Craig is currently working on a project to take a car powered by two jet engines to 1,000 mph (mach1.4), although the 77-year-old won’t be driving it himself. No, don’t all rush, he already has a driver. 1st: The first section of the
choice of runner was a symbol of Japan’s reconstruction and commitment to world peace.
(I know the feeling, I’m always forgetting stuff). The threeman crew landed the next day after sixteen orbits of Earth. 14th: At the age of 35 Martin Luther King Jr. became the youngest ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.
15th: The Labour Party, led by Harold Wilson, won the general election, ending thirteen years of Conservative Government. American composer/ songwriter Cole Porter died aged 73. 16th: China successfully exploded its first atomic bomb.
12th: The USSR launched Voskhod 1, the world’s first spacecraft to carry more than one person and the first not to take spacesuits and helmets
Petrol was about 4/6d a gallon The average price of a house was about £3,360
Three of the bestselling singles this year were: (There’s) Always Something There To Remind Me - Sandie Shaw I’m Into Something Good - Herman’s Hermits Oh Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison
29th: The Star of India, an almost flawless ‘double-sided’ star sapphire the size of a golf ball was part of a haul stolen from the American Museum of Natural History. The gang responsible were jailed and the gems were recovered – all except one. The Eagle Diamond is still missing.
Short Shorts by Patrick D Cousins is a collection of short stories available as an e-book for £1.99. Rainbows, Dreams and Angels is a double novella from Amazon. You can hear the song on You Tube. 24
Harefield
Village Café
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.
Mon - Sat: 7:00 - 18:00 Sun & B.Hols: 8:00 - 17:00
Village Café 5 High Street Harefield UB9 6BX
25 Visit our website to view our full menu: www.harefieldvillagecafe.co.uk
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"I am delighted to be writing this column for ‘In and Around Denham’. My name is Nick Andrews and I am headteacher at the village school. This is my first headship. I entered teaching as a second career in my mid-forties and have taught in three different schools – first as a drama specialist, senior teacher and then deputy head. I am married with two grown up children."
Stefan’s slug eggs Stefan is six, and knee high to a grasshopper. He was bouncing around last thursday because he had learned what slugs eggs were and he had discovered a wood lice community under some bark and … he hadn’t been told off once during the morning! It was the first morning of forest Schools at Denham Village Infants School and the children were beginning to discover how empowered they are as learners in the outdoors. I visited for a short while and was assaulted by various combinations of children who wanted to show me the shelter they had put up which was populated with gardening gloves, a group of boys who had built a washing up station and by various children who had found various millipedes and centipedes and spiders. It was around 11:30am and the children had been in our nature area since 9:20am and their enthusiasm was showing no signs of abating. the supervising adults were slightly bemused – and worried they were not working hard enough. I reassured them as best I could. “The children are learning even more than we can imagine”, I said as I was dragged (willingly!) away to look at a shelter a group of girls had put up by themselves. anyway, back to Stefan. He may not be the most academically gifted of boys and life at home can be tough sometimes but on this morning he had been at his very best. He could explore, discover and most of all – succeed! and he did so because the following day he couldn’t wait to race into school and tell us how the slug eggs he had discovered the previous day also inhabited parts of his garden at home. It wasn’t hard to move him onto looking them up on the internet and writing about them in his forest School Project. forest Schools will be an integral part of the curriculum here from now on and some of our children will be lucky enough to experience it for three years. I cannot wait to experience how self-confident these learners will be at the end of this process – and only hope they will let me join them in the shelter they have built, let me sup the hot soup they have prepared and examine the little creatures they have discovered. Maybe they won’t need me, its independent learners we want. this is the way it works; and if we reflect hard enough about how we learned the things that really matter to us and make us who we are in our families and communities and friendships, we will realise that it wasn’t by being trapped behind a desk learning grammar by rote at the age of 6.
Nick
Nick Andrews Headteacher Denham Village Infants School nandrews1@bucksgfl.org.uk 28
Iver Village Infant
Open Days Come and find out what makes our school so unique.
School
“...a happy community, where children are well behaved and work successfully as a team with the teaching staff” Ofsted 2013
“Reception children's learning activities inside and outside of the classrooms are well planned, interesting and an experience where the children delight in finding out new things”. Ofsted 2013
Friday 10th October 9.30 am Tuesday 14th October 1.30pm Thursday 13th November 9.30 am
You and your child will be able to explore and discover life in all parts of our school. A full tour will be available and the chance to meet the teachers and pupils too.
Caring, Growing, Learning in the Heart of the Community Iver Village Infant School www.iver-inf.bucks.sch.uk
Grange Way, Iver, SL0 9NT Tel:01753 655104 office@iver-inf.bucks.sch.uk
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TRAVEL
Arribar Alicante Most people think of Alicante as the airport you fly to before heading off to the tawdry delights of Benidorm, but it is actually a major tourist resort in its own right. I’d heard good things from a relative and chose it for this summer’s family holiday. We were staying in the Melia Alicante which rears up above the seafront like a cruise liner that has run aground between the beach and the marina. Built at the dawn of the Spanish tourist trade, the Melia is old enough to be classified as retro. The rooms are large and wellappointed and enjoy views across the beach or the marina, while the public areas are stylish and smart. The breakfast deserves a mention because it caters to every conceivable taste; I got into the habit of enjoying a glass of Buck’s Fizz with my Fruit ‘n’ Fibre. On the downside, the Melia suffers from the problem that afflicts many town centre resort hotels, a small pool and a shortage of both sunbeds and space to put them in. Alicante is a very cosmopolitan city and, unusually, many of the tourists are Spanish along with the usual gaggle of Brits, Germans and Scandinavians. The main beach, Postiguet, is a beach lover’s paradise with fine golden sand, shallow water and acres of serviced sunbeds. An inflatable archipelago is moored just 30
offshore to entertain those who want to do more than just dip in the water to cool off and the entire two mile beach is lined with bars and restaurants. Every water sport you could possibly desire is available, including flyboarding, which I haven’t seen before, where participants are propelled into the air by two jets of water attached to their feet. On the other side of our hotel, the area around the marina has been heavily developed with a clutch of high end nightclubs and restaurants and the gaudiest casino this side of Las Vegas. The promenade features an array of stalls selling jewellery and handbags along with a couple of cocktail bars and a life-size galleon which doubles up as a restaurant. There are few nicer places to sip a Pina Colada while you ponder what to eat that evening. Talking of eating out, you really are spoiled for choice in Alicante. Across the road from the Melia lies the old town, a charming maze of squares and alleyways where you can sit out on the street and tuck into a first rate meal. With the exception of a low rent Italian on the main boulevard, we didn’t have a bad meal during our stay; I can particularly recommend the Monastrell restaurant, superb food and surprisingly inexpensive. This part of Alicante has a great atmosphere and is remarkably civ-
ilised; there are no stag weekends or drunks and the street crime that plagues places like Barcelona is conspicuous by its absence. If you grow tired of sunbathing, eating and drinking, there are other things to fill your day. Alicante is home to a handful of museums and a medieval fortress perched on a mountain, though it’s a bit of a hike if you want to visit it. You can also take a boat trip out to the island of Tabarca a few miles down the coast. This was once a pirate lair but nowadays it is left to the restaurateurs and shopkeepers to extract money from the wallets of passing tourists. The voyage out there takes about an hour and costs 18 euros a head, not a bad way to spend a day. Alicante has a lot going for it as a holiday destination but there is a problem. It is not just a tourist resort, it is a city in its own right and, as such, it is not immune from the economic malaise that grips much of Spain at the moment. Beggars are everywhere, even pestering you as you dine and there are too many boarded up shops, while the waiters are overly desperate to lure you into their restaurants. But, if you can ignore these things, Alicante has a charm all of its own.
Howard Clemmow
Parkway, Hillingdon, Middlesex, UB10 9JX Independent School for boys and girls aged 3 - 11
An ‘OUTSTANDING’ School
OPEN MORNING Wednesday 15th October 2014
Please telephone 01895 234371 to make an appointment Parkway, Hillingdon, Middlesex, UB10 9JX - www.sthelenscollege.com 31
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Cake and Bake Apple & Blackberry Crumble Cake
Making the most of seasonal fruit, this moist cake is delicious as a warming pudding served with custard or you can leave it to cool and enjoy it with a mid morning cup of coffee. Ingredients: • 350g self-raising flour • 2tsp ground mixed spice • 175g unsalted butter, chilled and diced, plus extra for greasing • 150g golden caster sugar • 2 medium eggs, beaten • 2 large dessert apples, peeled cored and diced • 200g blackberries • 50g Demerara sugar • 50g roasted hazelnuts, chopped
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You can vary the fruit filling, try pears with blueberries or thickly sliced plums and replace the hazelnuts with chopped blanched almonds.
Makes 8 Slices Ready in 1 hour 20 mins, plus cooling 36
1. Preheat the oven to 190C, Fan 170C, Gas Mark 5. Place a baking sheet in the oven to heat up. Grease a 20cm x 24cm cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper. 2. Sift the flour and mixed spice into a large bowl. Add the butter and rub into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles rough breadcrumbs. Remove 175g of the crumble mixture to a second bowl and set aside. 3. Stir the caster sugar and beaten egg into the larger amount of crumble to make a soft and slightly sticky dough. Press into an even layer in the base of the cake tin using floured hands. Scatter over the diced apple and berries. 4. Stir the Demerara sugar and chopped hazelnuts into the rest of the crumble mixture and spoon over the fruit, pressing down gently. 5. Place the cake tin on the hot baking sheet in the oven and bake for 40-50 mins until the cake is risen and golden brown (cover the top of the cake loosely with foil after 30 mins if it starts to overbrown). Leave the cake to cool in the tin for about 20 mins then remove by gently lifting the parchment. Serve warm or cold.
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Colt/Hawtree 18 hole course .9 hole academy .Competitive green fees Fully stocked pro shop .Golf membership & season tickets available Golf lessons & coaching Corporate and private function room hire .Excellent conference facilities
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Three Easy Ways to Save Money This Winter
Finance
Fuel bills are a major worry for all of us in winter. Prices go up but the need to stay warm remains, and it’s not just heating the house that’s the problem. Skyrocketing costs of petrol and food drain your finances on a weekly basis, but there is a little cheer on the horizon. Below are three ways to help you make ends meet this winter. All are easy to implement, they just take a little thought and planning, so make a start now before the bad winter weather strikes.
Reduce energy consumption
According to the Energy Saving Trust, savings of around £300 a year can be made using cavity wall and loft insulation in an average semi-detached house. At the time of writing, British Gas offers free or subsidised loft and cavity wall insulation to eligible homeowners on mainland Britain. Even small measures make a big difference though, the result being a warmer home and reduced bills: Draught excluders - It’s surprising how much heat is lost through small gaps under doors and around windows – not something you’d always notice day to day. 40
Energy monitors - These monitors let you know how much energy each appliance consumes. Most people quickly change their habits once they see the spikes in energy usage recorded by the monitor. Lighting - This is one of the easiest areas in which to reduce consumption. Energy-saving light bulbs, external light sensors, and switching off lights when not in use all help to keep down costs. Appliances - Freezers work more efficiently when full, as do ovens. Not only that, but you’ll save money buying and cooking food in bulk.
Halve grocery bills
A little planning goes a long way when it comes to shopping. Preprepared menus and shopping lists are easy ways to reduce waste as well as save money. The ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ website has some useful tips in this respect, and offers advice for saving money on food. The main message is buy and cook in bulk. Cooking becomes less of a chore when you can just grab a home-cooked meal out of the freezer several nights a week. Late Sunday afternoon shopping trips are a revelation, when incredible deals can be found in the ‘reduced’ aisle if you time it right. This alone saves a huge amount of money over the course of a year. Cooking from scratch, making your own bread, home brew and wine all save money, and if results are good you can always give away your goodies as Christmas presents.
By Ann Haldon
Switch suppliers
If you’ve never switched gas and electricity suppliers before, you could be in for a pleasant surprise. The biggest savings of around 5%-10% can be made when you manage your own account online and pay by direct debit. Suppliers like their customers to pay by direct debit as there’s less likelihood of default. It keeps their credit control costs down, and they earn interest on any overpayments you make during the summer months. To make sure you get the best deal: • Always read your own meter – don’t rely on an estimate from your provider • Don’t assume that dual fuel is always the cheapest way to buy • Use a price comparison website to find the best deals • Avoid pre-payment meters – the choice of tariffs available is very limited Saving money is often about changing your habits. Things like unplugging appliances and turning off lights are simple to do, and can save you hundreds of pounds over the course of a year. http://www.energysavingtrust. org.uk/Insulation/Roof-and-loftinsulation http://www.energysavingtrust. org.uk/Insulation/Cavity-wallinsulation http://www.britishgas.co.uk/ products-and-services/energysaving/home-insulation/freeinsulation.html http://www.energysavingtrust. org.uk/Electricity/Products-andappliances#computer http://england. lovefoodhatewaste.com/
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Relatively Speaking
by Alan Ayckbourn at Compass Theatre Wed 15 - Sat 18 October
What’s on at
Compass Theatre
Greg wants to marry Ginny, even though they've only known each other for a month. He follows her on a visit to what he assumes is her parental home, so that he can ask her father’s permission. Unfortunately, the house belongs to Ginny’s middle-aged lover, Philip, and his wife Sheila. Prolonged misunderstanding reigns in this early Ayckbourn classic.
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October/November 2014
Comrades in Arms
at Winston Churchill Theatre Sun 19 October
Seussical The Musical
at Compass Theatre Thurs 2 - Sat 4 October
Join the Cat in the Hat as he takes you on a journey into the fantastical, bombastical and songtastical world of Dr Seuss. Seussical The Musical is fabulous fun-filled show for all the family, featuring the much loved characters from the world famous books by Dr Seuss including Horton the Elephant, the Grinch and many more. Suitable for the very young, but all ages will enjoy.
The Grimm's Tales
at Compass Theatre Wed 8 - Sat 11 October Join Argosy as they take you on a theatrical journey guaranteed to ignite the senses as The Grimm's Tales comes alive on stage. Not for the faint-hearted.
In this year of commemorating the outbreak of the First World War, the Choir presents a powerful and evocative choral programme reflecting the emotions associated with conflict, oppression and the fight for freedom.
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Quiz ‘n’ Chips
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at Compass Theatre Sun 19 October
Another fun general knowledge quiz night in aid of the restoration of Ickenham Hall and Compass Theatre's building and fittings. The bar will be open throughout. Tickets include a tasty Chip Supper with either fish, chicken, sausage or veggie burger.
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Comedy Compass
at Compass Café Bar Sun 12 October & Sun 9 November Once a month comedy night event at the Compass Theatre Bar. A selection of the best and upcoming comedians working the British circuit are performing monthly, in the Bar at Compass Theatre, with the express intention of providing Great Value Entertainment on a Sunday evening. 42
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Steve Brookstein: Forgotten Man
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One of ITV1's X-Factor winners Steve Brookstein plays songs from his new album live on stage at Compass Theatre in an acoustic concert accompanied by guitarist Luca Boscagin.
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at Compass Theatre Thurs 23 October
'Brilliant!' Sir Tom Jones
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Mary Poppins(U)
at Compass Theatre Tues 28 October
Join the practically perfect Mary Poppins for a Jolly Holiday as she magically turns every chore into a game and every day into a whimsical adventure. Along the way, you'll be enchanted by unforgettable characters such as Bert, the multi-talented chimney sweep. Directed by Robert Stevenson and starring Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke and David Tomlinson.
Ha! Jolly Holiday Craft &
Performing Workshops
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at Compass Theatre Wed 29 October Workshops inspired by the film screening of Mary Poppins in the same week - all programmed to keep 5 to 11 year olds busy in the Half Term holiday. Make something to take home in the Craft Workshop then learn a routine to perform in the Performing Workshop. Sessions last 2 hours and run at 10am and 1pm - so you can bring a packed lunch and come to both. Workshops fill up fast so book places in advance.
Just So Stories
by Rudyard Kipling at Compass Theatre Thurs 30 October
Movement, puppetry and a little bit of magic for Half Term. Using live music, puppetry and just a little bit of magic, Apollo Theatre Company tackles Rudyard Kipling’s best beloved tales that take us on a journey back to where it all began.
Blues Brothers Halloween Special at Compass Theatre Fri 31 October
The UK's leading, most authentic tribute to Jake and Elwood Blues with a 12 piece high octane live professional show band performing classics as featured in the hit motion pictures The Blues Brothers, Blues Brothers 2000 and much more. So slip on those dancing shoes and get ready to shake your tailfeather with an authentic tribute that will keep you moving all night long!
Murder on PLeisure Island
at Compass Café Bar Sun 2 November
PLeisure Island is the perfect holiday getaway, with everything you would expect; sun, sea... and suspicion! The detective urgently needs your help to discover the killer from among the shady, sun-tanned suspects. Solve the mystery in the Compass Cafe Bar over a chip supper. Choose from fish, sausage, chicken or a veggie burger.
Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens
at Compass Theatre Wed 5 - Sat 8 November As the audience settle back for an evening of cosmic cabaret, all is not well at Saucy Jack’s. The evil shadow of a serial killer looms over the bar; cabaret acts are being killed off one by one, found stabbed by the heel of a sequinned sling-back shoe. Part celebrity, part super-hero: strong, sexy, liberated...and all woman! The Space Vixen's mission is to fight crime and liberate the universe harnessing the Power of Disco! Not suitable for children.
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Jesus Christ Superstar
at Compass Theatre Wed 19 - Sat 22 November
Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ground-breaking rock musical tells the story of the last 7 days of Jesus of Nazareth. Featuring the hit songs I Don’t Know How to Love Him and Superstar, this spectacular show brings to life the most famous story of all time.
Theatre details... COmpaSS TheaTRe Glebe avenue, Ickenham, UB10 8pD.
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WINSTON ChURChIll TheaTRe aND hall pinn Way, Ruislip, ha4 7Ql.
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hIllINGDON BOx OFFICe 01895 673200
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Tax update for residential property landlords
As a landlord of residential property there are some important changes that you need to be aware of. Renewals basis for unfurnished rental properties
as from April 2013 the tax concession which allowed landlords of unfurnished properties to claim tax relief for the cost of replacing stand-alone white goods and furniture/ furnishings in an unfurnished property has been removed. HMRC is monitoring the impact of the change.
New Capital Gains Tax (CGT) charge on non-residents selling UK property
under current legislation, generally speaking, non-residents are not liable for CGT should they sell residential property situated in the UK (subject to anti-avoidance provisions). The Government has announced that from April 2015, for gains arising from that date, CGT will be charged on non-residents’ gains on UK residential properties. This policy change could also have an impact on UK residents, as there is a proposal to abolish the ‘main residence election’ – that is, the ability to nominate which property is to be treated as the main residence where a taxpayer has more than one ‘home’. The consultation proposes that rather than having the ability to elect which property is to be the main residence, this will be determined by fact.
Private Residence Relief
the final period of exemption for CGT private residence relief has been reduced from 36 to 18 months (in most cases) as from 6 April 2014. This measure is set to become law later in 2014.
If you wish to discuss the above, please contact simon.boxall@wardwilliams.co.uk
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Hobbies
The Art Of The Pen: Learning Calligraphy
The word “calligraphy” is a combination of the Greek words for “beauty” and “writing”, but calligraphy is very much more than just “beautiful writing”: it’s an ancient visual art form, practised for thousands of years, that continues to attract admiration and interest today in spite of our obsession with all things digital. The printing press was developed in Europe in the mid 15th century but before that time all the knowledge of the Western world was painstakingly written by hand on natural materials such as clay tablets, stone and animal skins. Thanks to the development of parchment - a more sophisticated writing surface made of stretched and treated calf or sheep hides - our medieval ancestors were able to create manuscripts such as the Book of Kells, written around 800 AD, that have survived up to the present day. 46
The word manuscript literally means “written by hand” and it is thanks to the scribes of history that the works of classical scholars and philosophers such as Homer, Aristotle, Pliny and Herodotus have been saved for posterity. These industrious writers also copied out hundreds of religious and literary works, ranging from the bible to the poems of Chaucer. For early calligraphers the beauty and expressiveness of the writing was just as important as the meaning of the words themselves: this led to the creation of illuminated books embellished with gold leaf and vivid paintings. So extraordinary were these works of art that they were frequently commissioned by kings, queens and noblemen to demonstrate their status and religious faith. These days you’ll find calligraphic scripts appearing on wedding and event invitations, testimonials, birth and death certificates and
announcements. You may also see it used in religious art, font design and typography, graphic design, stone inscriptions and memorial documents. In addition, monarchs and government officials throughout the world still employ calligraphers to create official charters and letters of state. It is estimated that there are up to 50 professional scribes working in Britain today including Paul Antonio (www.paulantonioscribe.com) who runs his business from a small studio in Clapham, south London. Writing for a list of clients that includes television companies, upmarket jewellers and corporate events organisers, he uses conventional pens, brush pens or quills made out of goose, swan or turkey feathers to create stunning, hand-written scripts. Like most passionate calligraphic artists, Paul is keen to ensure that his writing is valued for more than just its decorative appearance: “It’s not merely about pretty flourishes but more about structure and accuracy, contained within letter angles, heights, weights, shapes and underlying rhythm.” Aside from its professional applications, calligraphy has become a popular hobby and there are plenty of online resources available to help you learn, from YouTube ‘how to’ videos to step-by-step guides. You can also get hold of a wide range of books on the subject. You’ll need some fairly basic equipment to start out: a set
of pens with nibs of different sizes (costing approximately £20), pencils, a ruler, a soft rubber for erasing guidelines, some ink (or ink cartridges) and a quantity of high quality, ink-friendly paper. You may find it useful to start out with a plain paper notebook, so you can chart your progress as you gradually improve.
height. Working near a source of natural light is preferable to being dependent upon artificial light sources.
into elegant keepsakes. Even medieval monks (forced to write for hours on end) were not without complaint. Historians have discovered that monks often wrote notes in the margins of illuminated manuscripts and comments range from comic observation (“Oh, my hand!”) to seething frustration: “New parchment, bad ink: I say nothing more.” Learning your craft can be hard work, but thankfully these days we don’t have to spend hours creating parchment pages or sharpening quill pens in order to create something unique and beautiful. Just putting pen to paper is enough to turn simple words into works of art.
If you want to use a quill pen you can dry out a large feather and cut it to shape with a sharp knife. Be warned, however: writing with a quill is far from easy and you may be tempted to give up before you’ve even started! As you’re likely to spend considerable time practicing and writing, it’s important that you make yourself as comfortable as possible, so ensure that you are sitting with your back well supported at a desk or table of suitable
You should begin by working on the upward and downward strokes you will use to form letters, using a wide nib pen. There are some helpful tips to get you started at the website www.calligraphyforbeginners. com but if you prefer to take lessons with a tutor it may be worth popping into your local library to ask about adult education classes. Alternatively the Calligraphy and Lettering Arts Society publishes a list of UK tutors on their website (www.clas.co.uk).
It will take some months of practice and study to develop a good technique, but it will be worth it in the end when you are able to transform mundane items such as Christmas cards, invitations and place settings
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Tea and Coffee: The Good and the Bad By Alison Runham www.alison.runham.co.uk
We meet up for coffee; invite friends for a cuppa. But are these drinks friends or foes?
Caffeine
The good: Caffeine increases our alertness, and may temporarily sharpen our cognitive abilities. Substantial research suggests that coffee and tea drinkers are less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease, most likely due to caffeine, which may also help with symptoms. The bad: Caffeine can raise blood pressure and adrenaline levels. It can also relax pelvic muscles, making you urinate more frequently. High levels may be linked to low birth weight or miscarriage. The truth: Maximum protection against Parkinson’s disease seems to come from just three cups of tea or coffee daily. While lab results seem promising, there’s no definitive evidence linking tea and coffee drinking with reduced Alzheimer’s risk. Our bodies can become accustomed to caffeine. Without it we can become tired, irritable, headachy and even shaky and nauseous. So how much is too much? Recommended limits average at 400-600mg per day and just 200mg if you’re pregnant. • cup of green tea: 40mg • cup of normal tea: 70mg • mug of instant coffee: 100mg • filter coffee: 150mg • average latte: 150mg • large Americano: 200mg 50
Don’t forget other caffeine sources too: energy drinks, chocolate and some painkillers and fizzy drinks.
Antioxidants
The good: Antioxidants mop up free radicals which can damage our cells. We all know green tea contains antioxidants, but so do black tea and coffee - just at lower levels. The bad: It’s unclear how much we benefit from these antioxidants once our body has processed our cuppa. But active compounds in green tea are being used in research with nanotherapeutics – the development of microscopic compounds that escape processing to find and target diseases, including cancer. The truth: Many foods contain antioxidants, often at higher levels than tea and coffee, so there are better sources.
Diabetes prevention and management
The good: Some evidence suggests that moderate amounts of coffee or tea, drunk black or with a little milk, may slightly reduce your risk of Diabetes Type 2. The bad: There’s also research showing that high coffee intake may impair insulin resistance, making it harder to stabilise blood sugar levels. The truth: You’re likely to see both theories in the media, but more research that eliminates other influential factors is needed.
Reducing stroke, coronary heart disease risk and cholesterol levels
The good: Some studies suggest that drinking tea and coffee reduces stroke, coronary heart disease risk and cholesterol levels. The bad: Contradictory evidence. One study found high tea consumption, and low and high coffee consumption reduced stroke risk most,– moderate consumption made no difference. Reported reductions in cholesterol levels were small. The truth: Once again, more research is needed to exclude other factors and study longterm effects.
Liver health
The good: Research suggests moderate consumers of coffee and green tea are less likely to suffer from NALD (non-alcoholic liver disease). The bad: High intake of green tea supplements has been linked to liver damage, although it’s not clear whether green tea extract or another ingredient is guilty. The truth: Tea or coffee can’t prevent or reverse liver damage if you drink or smoke heavily. So moderation seems best. Three or four cups of tea or coffee daily appear to give maximum health benefits and minimum risk, and without milk or sugar they’ll be calorie free - but practically nutrition-free too, so drink fruit juices and dairybased drinks as well.
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In and Around Reader Travel
Riviera of Flowers Monaco & Portofino 8 DAYS Free Drinks & Champagne check-in
SEMI ALL INCLUSIVE FROM
£849pp
Portofino
Monaco
Dolceacqua
Departures: 13 April, 15 May, 19 & 25 September, 1 October, 2015 This super holiday, taking in the French and Italian Rivieras, starts with a glass of bubbly at St Pancras’ famous Champagne Bar before taking an afternoon Eurostar to Lille or Paris. After an overnight stay, we continue by TGV train to Nice then coach to Diano Marina on Italy’s Riviera of Flowers. Enjoy free drinks every night at the hotel and excursions to Monaco, Eze, Portofino and Dolceacqua. INCLUDED: Escorted throughout • Champagne Check-in at London St Pancras • Return rail travel from St Pancras to Nice • 1 night hotel B&B in Paris or Lille • 6 nights in Diano Marina - half board plus selected free drinks 6pm to 11pm every night • Excursions & transfers abroad
Call 01895 83 33 33 GN Voyages Open 9am to 5.30pm weekdays 9.30am to 12.30pm Saturdays. GN Holidays & Voyages www. gnvoyages.co.uk • Email: info@gnvoyages.co.uk Higher Denham, Uxbridge UB9 5EL
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ABTA No. Y0291 ATOL 9362
Birmingham Christmas Market & Worcester £10 D Victorian Christmas Fayre £99PP 2 days half board • 29 November, 2014
PP
EPOSIT
Birmingham's Frankfurt Christmas Market is the largest outdoor Christmas Market in the country. Traditional stalls offer an array of beautiful handmade toys, Christmas decorations and craft goods. Worcester Victorian Christmas Fayre is celebrating its 22nd anniversary this year. INCLUDED: 1 night stay at the Hilton Hotel, Bromsgrove • 1 dinner and 1 breakfast • Visits to Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market and Worcester Victorian Christmas Fayre Coach travel and excursions • Coach travel and excursions
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River Avon Christmas Lunch Cruise & Festive £10 D Stratford-upon-Avon £69PP Great Day Out • Wednesday 3 December, 2014 PP
EPOSIT
Join us for a Festive Lunch Cruise on the Countess of Evesham, a popular, well-established family-run 70ft restaurant cruiser. Enjoy a traditional 3course Christmas lunch while the Restaurant Boat cruises some of the most delightful stretches of the gently flowing River Avon. You will also have free time in Stratford-upon-Avon which will be decorated for Christmas. INCLUDED: Free time in Stratford-upon-Avon • 3-hour River Avon cruise on the Countess of Evesham • 3-course traditional Christmas lunch on-board starter, main course and dessert • Return coach travel
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Christmas in Dorset, Longleat & Broadchurch 4 days half board+ • 24 December, 2014 Join us for a 4-day Christmas break at the Sherborne Hotel in rural Dorset. The hotel is nestled in 6 acres of private grounds and is surrounded by fields. It is a short walk from the historic market town that shares its name. The hotel has recently undergone an extensive refurbishment programme. There will be entertainment on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day evenings. Our holiday includes visits to Longleat, with a ride on the Santa Express, and West Bay - home to TV’s Broadchurch. INCLUDED: 3 nights stay at the Sherborne Hotel, Sherborne, Dorset • 3 breakfasts, 3 dinners and 1 traditional Christmas Day lunch • Visits to Longleat and West Bay • Coach travel and excursions
Call 01895 83 33 33 GN Holidays & Voyages, Higher Denham, Uxbridge UB9 5EL
Open 9am to 5.30pm weekdays 9.30am to 12.30pm Saturdays. www. gnvoyages.co.uk • Email: info@gnvoyages.co.uk
£10PP DEPOSIT
£429PP
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ABTA No. Y029 ATOL 9362 53
october events
Local Events october into november 54
watch & take part – face painting, Punch & Judy show, ferret racing, archery and craft-making plus refreshment tents & a bbQ. entry will be £1 per adult & £3 parking. children go free.
Ruislip/northwood Flower arrangement society northwood and Pinner liberal synagogue, oaklands Gate, northwood ha6 3aa. Forthcoming Events: tue 7th october - Area demonstrator, Andrew Lloyd - ‘The Colours of Autumn’. tue 4th november - Area demonstrator, Alan smith ‘Christmas Crackers’. tue 2nd December - national demonstrator, Anthony Williams - ‘Christmas Lights’ cost: visitors £5 for Area Demonstrators and £6 for national Demonstrators. tickets may be purchased on the door. call 01923 829621 for details. michael sobell hospice Fundraiser ‘Brain Box Quiz night’ Wed 8th october, 7.30pm michael sobell hospice, mount Vernon hospital, northwood, ha6 2Rn our popular quiz night returns. tickets cost £15 and includes a fish & chip supper (veggie option available) there is also a licensed bar. Free parking. barclays bank will match funds to make your donation go further. tickets can be booked online at www.michaelsobel lhospice.co.uk or 01923 844730. hUBB Business Breakfast event thu 9th october, 8am-9am Uxbridge Conservative Club, 46 harefield Road, Uxbridge, UB8 1PJ. networking with local professionals and in partnership with the Hillingdon chamber of commerce. ‘state of the nation - Healthcare in the UK’. Guest speaker Graham roberts from WPA. coffee & pastries. For details email: emma.zovich@wardwilliams.co.uk ‘Butterflies’ autumn sale & Community Coffee morning sat 11th october, 9am-1pm ickenham Village hall, 33 swakeleys Road, ickenham, UB10 8DG should anyone require to hire a table or require more information please contact vera on 01895 635224 or chris on 676900 or email: butterfliesickenham@yahoo.com apple Day sat 18th october, 11am-4pm home Cottage Farm, Bangors Road south, iver heath A great family fun day out with numerous stalls for local charities, producers and traders – from toffee apples and pumpkins to bric-a-brac and crafts. Lots of children’s activities and events for all ages to
Quiz ‘n’ Chips night sun 19th october Compass theatre, Glebe avenue, ickenham ,UB10 8PD Another fun general knowledge quiz night in aid of the restoration of Ickenham Hall and compass theatre's building and fittings. the bar will be open throughout. tickets include a tasty chip supper with either fish, chicken, sausage or veggie burger. tel: 079 302 68686.
Ruislip Central horticultural society thurs 21st october, 7.30-9.30pm st lawrence Church hall, 2 Bridle Road, Pinner, ha5 2sJ A talk not to be missed! 'Plants for the Autumn' given by timothy Walker, Director of oxford botanic Garden. For more details contact Warren reeves; call 01923 451616, email: rchstalks@gmail.com or visit www.ruisliphorticulturalsociety.org.uk £3 members, £4 non-members including refreshments. Flower Festival Fri 31st oct to sun 2nd nov st marys Church, the Fairway, south Ruislip Dedicated to the First World War and those who gave their lives for us. see www.stmarychurch.co.uk for more.
Don't miss the DeaDline! If you would like us to publicise your event in our november issues contact us no later than Friday 10th october.
noveMber events Uxbridge Business Biscotti Wed 5th november, 8.30-10.30am Devonshire Business Centre, Boundary house, Cricket Field Road, Uxbridge, UB8 1QG the philosophy is simple – if you want to network, make contacts and forge business relationships in an informal environment visit Uxbridge biscotti. there’s no need to book, just come along and buy a cup of tea or coffee (donation of £2) to support
the venue! (Nearest car park is ‘intu shopping centre’). Glebe Primary school Pta shopping evening thu 6th november, 6pm-9pm ickenham Village hall, 33 swakeleys Road, ickenham, UB10 8DG Free entrance. various stalls plus refreshments on sale. ‘Butterflies’ Christmas table top sale & Community Coffee morning sat 8th november, 9am-1pm ickenham Village hall, 33 swakeleys Road, ickenham, UB10 8DG should anyone require to hire a table or require more information please contact vera on 01895 635224 or chris on 676900 or email: butterfliesickenham@yahoo.com Ruislip manor Christmas Fayre sat 8th november come and join the fun. call Les Drussel on 07792 856984 for more. Celebration of Voice Cabaret evening Fri 21st november, 7.15pm ickenham Village hall, 33 swakeleys Road, ickenham, UB10 8DG two sensational acts - Matt & Molly (mollymariewalsh.com) and shane Hampsheir (www.shanehampsheir. co.uk). Licensed bar. tickets £15 includes a selection of canapés. Available in advance from Pro Music International, swakeleys rd, Ickenham or on the door.
LIve MUsIc events the Watersedge Packet Boat lane, Cowley, UB8 2Js Fri 10th oct the Flyers Fri 14th nov Ladies night with Drag Queen tiffany Wells and 2 male strippers (show starts 9pm with DJ 'til late £15 pp inc basket meal) the 3 steps high st, Cowley, UB8 2DX sat 11th oct 'Amy Winehouse' tribute sat 18th oct 'Pack of Lies' Fri 24th oct 'stiles' sat 25th oct cher tribute Fri 31st oct Halloween Party the swan at iver 2 high street, iver, sl0 9nG Fri 17th oct two tone Fri 24th oct boogie shoes Fri 31st oct Halloween Fancy Dress Party + disco - 1st prize £100 the Whip & Collar 135 swallow street, iver, sl0 0hU sat 18th oct rod stewart tribute sat 25th oct Halloween Fancy Dress + DJ, plus prizes for best dressed!
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The first of the retro rockers, the Figaro was really a design exer cise that made it into production, with 20,000 being produced in just one year. Styled on the 1960s’ Datsun Fairlady, the Figaro was as cute as a button. A tiny 1.0 litre turbo engine pro vided surprisingly brisk perform ance but this car was all about style and comfort. Standard equipment included leather, air conditioning, a CD player and a full length sunroof that all but made it a cabriolet. All UK ex amples are imports but are easy to find. Expect to pay £4,000 for a decent example with 60k on the clock. Classic styling, luxury inte rior, rarity value Dull to drive
The New Beetleis a perfect example of the platform sharing that VW have made into an art form; it’s really a Mk3 Golf with a curvy, retro body plonked on 56
top. A concept car that was intended to capitalise on the enduring popularity of the origi nal Beetle, it has proved re markably successful. It’s avail able as either a hatchback or a cabriolet and features just about every engine fitted to a Golf up to 2005. The Beetle is compara tively practical and wellbuilt but the handling is a disappointment and most models are slow and decidedly thirsty. You can pick up a Beetle for under a grand but a pristine 2010 model with 20,000 miles on it will set you back just £7,500. Cheeky looks, practicality, reliability It should really have been replaced 10 years earlier
BMW’s take on the iconic British car has been a massive success story, so much so that there are now 7 different models in the MINI range. The designers have managed to combine the pert looks, dinky proportions and unique style of the original car with a sporty drive and BMW’s exemplary engineering and build quality. The original 1.6 litre engine comes in 3 flavours, 98bhp, 118bhp and a hefty 168bhp from the supercharged Cooper S; all provide strong performance and decent econ omy. Inside, it’s as retro as you like but the back seats are cramped and the boot is tiny.
The handling is terrific but the ride is punishingly harsh, par ticularly with the 17” wheels fitted. MINIs are cheap and plentiful; I found a 2009 Cooper S with 35K miles under its belt for £7,500. Handling and performance, retro styling, BMW quality Almost as impractical as the original
Fiat belatedly got in on the retro act with the supremely pert and pretty 500. Based on the de pendable Panda, it has all the predictable 1960s’ styling cues and that tiny exterior belies the surprising amount of space inside, considerably more than the larger MINI. The original range of 1.2 and 1.4 litre petrol engines together with a 1.5 litre diesel were all fairly weedy and not particularly frugal, but the new 950cc Twinair turbo is a gem. The handling of the 500 is pretty good but it provides an uninvolving drive together with an overly bumpy ride. There was a waiting list for the first few years of production and prices have held up surprisingly well; you can pick up a 2008 1.2 Lounge (high spec) with sub 50k mileage for £5,250. Pert looks, practical inte rior, holds its value Disappointing driving experience, dodgy build quality
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Flora
Emma
Due to no fault of her own, Flora is still looking for her forever home. Could anyone help give this beautiful girl a place to live her life happily, with lots of love and TLC? Please do get in touch. Flora and her two kittens came into the RSPCA when someone found them scared and injured on the side of the road. Flora is a tabby and white female around 3 years of age. When she arrived, she was filthy and had several wounds on her side. Despite this, she was constantly purring and very thankful for the human attention. Flora's two kittens were found with her and were only 6 weeks old. Although uninjured, they were very scared and wouldn't let the RSPCA staff near them. After lots of hard work and TLC by the team here, they were absolutely fine and have now found new homes, leaving Flora behind. Could you offer Flora her forever home? Emma is 23 years old white and tabby. Emma is yet another of the many unwanted cats to end up in our care after being rejected by their owners. It's hard to imagine how anyone could not fall in love with this beautiful girl, who is so friendly and adores being fussed. She is semilong haired, so will require some grooming but she doesn't seem to mind this at all. Emma would make such a lovely family member and is just looking for genuine love and care in return. Can you help Emma find the love she is looking for? The RSPCA have many more animals that have been abandoned and are waiting for you. If you can give either of these lovely girls a home then please ring or visit our website to download an application form if you are looking to adopt. 58
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the wildlife zone
kaiser
andy Mydellton fls (pictured right) is an environmentalist journalist, the founder and leader of the British wildlife charity, the foundation for endangered species. they are members of the United nations agency UnesCo with andy Mydellton being Chairman and the environmental Concern advisor to the UnesCo schools Group. andy is a fellow of the linnean society. he writes for many publications, mounts photographic exhibitions, gives presentations and broadcasts the 'andy Mydellton wildlife zone' radio programme.
T
he male sparrowhawk, or kaiser as I call him, could be a rare visitor to the Millstream Fork wildlife garden. This is difficult to prove as sparrowhawks are difficult to watch because they are usually just flashing through a patch of ground whilst hunting. It is difficult to distinguish exactly how rare sparrowhawks are in the area, although I piece together bits of evidence. When the Kaiser arrives in the wildlife garden, birds scatter like shrapnel. On two occasions I have seen this male sparrowhawk grab birds on the patio with his sharp, killing talons. When I was a child, I thought that a bird of prey’s sharp beak was for stabbing the prey to death, whilst being held in a vice like grip. However, these claws are so powerful, that the razor blade talons do the killing as well as 8 sowing needles pressed deeply into the body at the same time. After the prey has been killed, the formidable beak plucks the feathers and tears the flesh into smaller digestible fragments. The Kaiser’s first successful hunt at Millstream Fork was when I had a Blue Tit nest box sited at the side of the patio doors about 8 feet off the ground. One early evening in summer, at about 6 o’clock, the Blue Tit flew back to the nest box. As the Blue Tit flew towards me and the nest box I noticed its flight path. They fly in a particular style which is up and down, rather like a large radio or alpha wave, if seen from the side-on perspective. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the sparrowhawk flash in from the left side of the patio. In one stupefying moment, the Kaiser snatched the flying blue tit just about a yard or so from the safety of its home. The hunter gyrated, wheeled around on the spot and flew back from whence it came, having made the perfect kill. On the ground a few yards of way from this incident a pair of Mallards were waddling around in a relaxed manner, slowly searching for food on the path near the patio. In an instant, they had figured out the danger of the fatal incident. They were deeply upset and created a commotion. I could easily tell this from the loud and hurried quacks they made, their nervousness and the way they stomped around in tight circles for a few moments. For some moments afterwards they were still fluffing their wings, looking around and on their guard for any other possible threat. Within a minute they had flown up and were away. This may have been because sparrowhawks also hunt mallards and smaller waterfowl. Therefore this pair really could have been ‘sitting ducks’ in the true sense of the word as their only fighting weapon would have been their bills. The sparrowhawk’s short, rounded wings and longish tail have evolved over countless millennia to live in woodlands, where these features enable the bird to get extra maneuverability. With the burgeoning suburbs, the sparrowhawk uses their skills of twisting and turning whilst flying at great speed to dodge fences, trees and outhouses to catch songbirds by surprise. The second time I saw a successful hunt at Millstream Fork was when the Kaiser crashed into two feeding baskets hanging from the patio bird table just three feet away from where the mallards had been on that first fatal incident. This time the victim was a young Robin, a fledgling, whose red breast feathers had not yet had time to replace its speckled brown feathers. This time I clearly saw the Kaiser’s yellow eyes, his bluish grey back and his white and rusty barred chest as he turned around with his sorry prey firmly locked in his talons. sparrowhawks and other predators such as Kestrels and hobbies are animals whose evolutionary path has led them to being carnivores. It is how these birds have fitted into an ecological niche that makes sure that the predators cannot have a digestive system that lives on berries or leaves. Therefore their position in the ecological niche means that they must hunt smaller birds in the food chain, irrespective of how human beings feel about it. My suspicions that Millstream Fork is actually inside a sparrowhawks territory was all but vindicated shortly afterwards. This was when I had witnessed another sparrowhawk hunting in my garden on three or four occasions. However as this sparrowhawk was much larger than the Kaiser, it must have been the hen. I also noticed that it had different markings to the male. The hen had a dark brown back and dark bars on her chest. Moreover, within a few weeks of these sightings, I had seen this hen take a fully grown Woodpigeon a couple of hundred yards away from Millstream Fork in another garden. Usually in nature the males are larger then females, perhaps due to their need to fight off other males of the same species for the right to mate. For many other species, the male has to do much of the hunting for the nesting female. However for many birds of prey, including sparrowhawks, the male, or tiercal, is about a third smaller than the female. As a result of this activity, I expect to see sparrowhawks here at the wildlife garden for as long as they are able to find enough food. I accept that sightings may be scarce, although their presence is likely to be more common than is actually observed. All of this seems to point to the probability that there is a local pair of nesting sparrowhawks. I would love to see their nest in the trees around here, which is where I suspect they are.
the charities’ contact details are www.ffes.org.uk email: info@ffes.org.uk 60
YOUR LOCAL RSPCA BRANCH HAS BEEN CARING FOR LOCAL ANIMALS IN NEED FOR OVER 40 YEARS
With rising costs and diminishing funds, we rely on public support to continue to provide that care PLEASE CAN YOU HELP WITH DONATIONS OF:
Small furniture items Electrical goods * Bric-a-brac Quality clothing Children's goods * Electrical goods with CE mark only please
Local collection may be available - please call.
We are happy to accept donated goods at:
RSPCA Misbourne Cattery Brokengate Lane Denham 01895 833417 07818 870934 or at any of our Charity Shops
Hillingdon, Slough, Windsor, Kingston & District Branch Registered charity no. 263515
YOUR UNWANTED ITEMS HELP US CHANGE LIVES! www.rspcahillingdonclinic.org.uk
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when I commiserated with him at one of his Friday ‘surgeries’ in Beaconsfield just after he’d lost his job as Attorney General. Our MP seemed equally undismayed about leaving the Cabinet when he attended a recent meeting of campaigners and petitioners against the proposed highspeed train (HS2) in Denham Village. “For the first time in years, he said, “we had a proper summer holiday at our house in Brittany, with no interruptions from Westminster.” A refreshed and ebullient Mr Grieve was invited to our meeting because we wanted to know whether his return to the back benches might prompt him to raise his public profile: to make his voice heard more often, and make his various worries about HS2 more widely known. As the government’s chief legal advisor, the Attorney General must remain above the political fray, rarely speaking in the Commons on either government policy or constituency issues. For this reason, campaigners have long felt that our particular concerns about the flawed, ill researched and environmentally destructive plans for HS2 through the Colne Valley have not been properly aired in Parliament, because our MP has been, in effect, gagged by the constraints of his sensitive Cabinet position. That is no longer the case, so can we expect to hear more from him through the petitioning phase and beyond? Mr Grieve fielded our questions and concerns for more than an hour. First the bad news: he accepts the principle of HS2 being built because the Hybrid Bill was voted through the Commons with an overwhelming majority at its Second Reading. (Our MP didn’t vote one way or the other: he was fulfilling a speaking engagement in Newcastle that evening.) Mr Grieve is also convinced by the argument that Britain’s rapidly increasing population makes a new railway line imperative, to cope with the extra demand. Despite wellexpressed pleas from both Buckinghamshire County Council and Hillingdon Borough Council for a tunnel under the lakes of the Country Park, rather than a viaduct across them, Mr Grieve believes a tunnel is not a 62
realistic option, because of the extra cost it would involve. Dominic Grieve believes the present compensation arrangements for householders and businesses likely to suffer from the construction of HS2 are “inadequate”, and he is equally unimpressed by the amount of land that has been earmarked by the developers, making particular reference to the area around Shire Lane at the northwest extremity of the village, where a large construction camp and other dreadful eyesores are planned. He wants restrictions imposed on HS2’s proposed ‘land grab’. Referring to the Colne Valley viaduct, Mr Grieve has been unimpressed by HS2 Ltd’s assurances about reducing the train noise across the lakes to tolerable levels, because the company has failed to produce any modelling to demonstrate how this would be done. Similarly, he feels HS2’s assurances that local water supplies will neither be affected nor contaminated have been unconvincing so far: “lacking in factual evidence”. Finally, he criticised the planners for failing to explain how this massive, energyguzzling project will be powered, especially in view of the national power shortages that are predicted for the near future. So, on noise, water and power, our MP has promised to press for more information. He also intends to investigate the inevitable increase in traffic congestion in and around Denham if the project goes ahead. This is already a daily trial for peakperiod commuters, years before any HS2 spade is planted in our turf. And there’s one more reason to be cheerful. On 16th October, Mr Grieveis meeting the Transport Secretary, Patrick McLaughlin, when he hopes to be told that the proposed Heathrow spur, branching off the mainline near Tilehouse Lane
and burrowing southwards under the village, is finally to be kicked into the long grass. Continued over page..
The meeting covered a lot of ground, but there wasn’t time to discuss the likely impact on the Country Park, the indelible effects on the Colne Valley’s biodiversity, the loss of ancient wood land, the damage to longestablished footpaths and the impact on local agriculture. These are concerns we will address at our next meeting with him. “One thing I’m certain about,” he said, “is that we all need to meet more often.”
And there came one last, impassioned ques tion from a Denham Village petitioner. “Given that you didn’t vote at the Second Reading, could you tell us how you’re likely to vote at the Third Reading?” (This is expected to be in 2016, paving the way for the Act of Parliament that would make HS2 a reality.) Dominic Grieve, this was music to our ears. Now that the gags have been removed, and you can say what you really think about HS2, we urge you to use your fine oratorical skills, excellent contacts and impressive track record in government to make a proper nuisance of yourself from the back benches.
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Gardening
Conifers
by Pippa Greenwood
Conifers are a great way to add colour, texture and living sculpture to your garden 365 days of the year. With several hundred different cultivars of conifer to choose from in the UK, there really is one to suit every situation. Dwarf Conifers - There are many conifers which reach a maximum height of 1m (3ft). These are obviously particularly useful for small gardens and will often add a great extra dimension to a rock garden or a small-scale border. They may need an occasional trimming, but generally hold their shape well. Recommended: Picea abies ‘Little Gem’, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Gnome’, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Minima Aurea’, Cryptomeria japonica ‘Vilmoriniana’, Picea abies ‘Nidiformis’ Tall and Narrow - Very stylish, many of the columnar or tall, slim conifers look especially stunning when used to create a screen, or to add height to a mixed border or a shrub border. Being rather like a living sculpture they are also good grown as a single specimen tree in a lawn. Recommended: Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata Aurea’, Juniperus scopulorum ‘Skyrocket’, Thuja plicata ‘Fastigiata’. 64
Pyramidshaped Conifers - With their relatively wide bases and narrow tops, pyramidal conifers can bring welcome shape, texture and evergreen colour to your garden and if carefully position are often useful to hide an eyesore. Recommended: Picea albertiana ‘Conica’, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Yvonne’ or Thymus occidentalis ‘Yellow Ribbon’ Spherical Conifers - With their prominently rounded shape these conifers naturally produce a sculptured look and are perfect for growing either side of a gateway or house entrance. They also look great in a mixed border, adding colour, texture and interest when many of the other border ingredients are below ground. Recommended: Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Sunset’, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Minima Glauca’, Thuja occidentalis ‘Danice’ Ground-Cover Conifers - Great for hiding low-lying eyesores such as manhole covers, an evergreen groundcover hides them all year long. Low growing conifers also work well for covering steep slopes and edging paths and beds. They will help to keep weeds at bay and are very low maintenance. Recommended: Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Coat’, Juniperus conferata, Juniperus communis ‘Compressa’. Conifers for Containers
- Conifers can look great either on their own (especially when planted with a few small bulbs around their roots, to add splashes of seasonal colour) or in a mixed planting where they help to bring structure, texture and off-season colour. Recommended: Juniperus compressa ‘Compressa’, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Ellwood’s Gold’, Cryptomeria japonica ‘Sekkan-Sugi’ , Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Springtime’, Pinus leucodermis ‘Schmidtii’ Conifer Planting and Growing Tips - Make the planting hole a minimum of 1m wide by 30cm deep and incorporate plenty of bulky organic matter such as garden compost, proprietary planting mix or well-rotted manure. Tease or spread out the roots well and backfill the hole with garden soil mixed with planting compost. Make sure that only the roots are below the soil surface, water in well. Keep the soil moist at all times, especially during late spring and summer when drought is likely. Feed in April using a proprietary fertiliser to keep the growth good and ensure it is a good colour. Trim conifers regularly but remember if you cut back into old or brown growth you’ll end up expose all the old growth as they don’t produce dormant buds. Visit Pippa’s website www. pippagreenwood.com for a great range of gardening-related items including‘Grow Your Own with Pippa Greenwood’ Gift Cards, handmade pottery herb planters, Pippa’s favourite weeding tool, signed books and lots of useful garden items.
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Tel. 01753 885556 www.EdenCareatHome.co.uk 65
Is It Time To With Your Part Old Mattress? by Kate McLelland
An old mattress is like an old relationship: worn-in and comfortable, with the odd uneven bit that you have learned to avoid. It may have been beautiful when it was new, but now you’ve ceased to notice the frayed corners, the sagging middle and the missing studs. Although it is comforting and familiar, your old mattress may not be giving you the good night’s sleep you deserve. Here are three common mattress myths that may deny you a peaceful rest: “My old mattress is comfortable because it has adapted to the way I lie in bed.” Unfortunately you can still feel comfy long after your mattress has lost its ability to provide your body with the proper support it needs. “The stiffness I feel each morning is due to too much exercise, or old age – or both!” It may simply be due to a mattress that doesn’t give you enough support. If you generally feel better in the morning when you’ve slept elsewhere, it’s time for a change. “My mattress is still under guarantee!” The warranty exists to protect the consumer from product defects and is not an 66
indicator of how long a mattress should be used. A mattress that has been in constant use for five to seven years may need to be replaced. If it is time for you and your mattress to part company, how do you go about choosing a newer model? Pocket sprung mattresses have springs sewn into individual fabric pockets so your partner’s movement won’t affect your side of the bed. These mattresses can be costly but proved most popular in a survey conducted by the consumer association Which? Continuous coil mattresses are made from a single looped wire, while open-coil mattresses are made of single springs fixed together by one wire. The springs move as one unit, so you are more likely to be disturbed by your partner’s movements at night. These mattresses are cheaper, but tend to wear out faster than those with pocket springs. Memory foam mattresses are good at relieving pressure on painful joints, but usually cost more than a sprung mattress. Memory foam is affected by room temperature: as the mattress
reacts to body heat, it moulds to your shape. This reduces air circulation around your body, which makes the memory mattress feel warmer, but it may make it harder for you to move around at night. Latex mattresses are hypoallergenic and so can prevent fungi, bacteria house dust mites from accumulating. Latex is made from rubber so has natural elasticity, retaining its shape as soon as the pressure is removed. Mattress toppers: As the name suggests, a topper sits on top of your ordinary mattress to give you extra comfort and support, but it won’t help if your mattress has already begun to sag. Toppers can also provide a useful protective layer between the sleeper and full mattress in the event of night-time accidents or spills, however prices vary and some can be as costly as buying a new mattress. Remember, comfort, support and durability are key when it comes to buying a new mattress. It’s worth taking time to search for the right one, as your reward will be many years of blissful sleep. Main Image: Top Dog Mattress £645, Loaf.com
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keep-fit, dance & drama continued... 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
Zumba fitness with danielle Every Monday 7-8pm at Harefield Football Club, Breakspear Road North, Harefield. UB9 6NE. 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
the Windsor & district Big Bands appreciation Society We meet on 2nd Wednesday of each month at 7.30pm, Datchet Hall, Horton Road, Datchet. Meetings featuring the music of the big bands of the 1940s and 1950s 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
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, everyone welcome! Denham Village Green 10.45am for 11am start. Approximately 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 in the Bucks area call 01494 475367 www.buckscc.gov.uk/rightsofway Social Line dancing At St Marys Church Hall, Harefield Last Sat of the month 7.30-10.30pm 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 Email: mail@umtheatre.co.uk or see www.umtheatre.co.uk Zumba fitness Every Wednesday 8-9pm at New Denham Community Hall, Oxford Road, UB9 4DW. Call Martine 07788 563572 www.zumbadolls.co.uk
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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
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drumbeatz Drum tuition for beginners in a rehearsal studio in Denham by Melanie Kleyn, qualified HND, now on degree at ACM. Children over 8yrs, ladies, anyone keen to learn. 3.15-5.30pm or daytime. Eves taken by bands rehearsing. Email: drumsmel@gmail.com or text mobile on 07757 635880
faraday country music club in Slough SL2 1RN. Country Music every Thursday for listeners, western partners, freestyle or line dancers. From 8-11pm. Contact Deb 07986 050742. www.faradaycountry.co.uk Guitar Lessons Complete beginners welcome. Contact Sam for a FREE lesson 07798 588496 sam@uxbridgeguitarlessons.co.uk music Lessons at Little Halings Studio Piano and French Horn lessons with experienced, friendly young female teacher, Victoria Coghlan. Rehearsal room at Little Halings Studios in Denham. All welcome. Guitar tuition is also available. Call: 07737 493980 (Victoria) E: victocoghlan@gmail.com Stoke poges Singers A friendly four-part choir singing a wide variety of music. New members welcome (no auditions. The ability to read music is not essential. Rehearsals on Thursday at St Andrews Centre, Rogers Lane, Stoke Poges, 7.45pm. Come along or call Naomi on 07831 217575 or Anthea on 01753 662355 Sing for fun - adults No auditions or previous singing experience necessary. You must just enjoy singing! Higher Denham Community Hall, Wednesday (TT) 2.30-4pm. Call Avril on 07587 175640
Yiewsley & West drayton Band Rehearse every Wednesday and Friday 810pm 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. Monday and Thursday 7.30-9.30pm. Currently recruiting 13-17 year old males and females. Call 01895 834522 (Mon & Thu only) 2nd denham Scout Group Scout Hut, The Pyghtle, Denham Green Close, Denham Green Beavers Age 6-8 Thu 5.45-7pm. Cubs Age 8-10 Wed 6.30-7.45pm Scouts Age 10-15 Friday 7-9pm Tel: Linda Batten 01753 892373 denham & Gerrards cross children’s centre Tilehouse School, Nightingale Way, Denham, UB9 5JL. Free sessions for families with children age 5 and under including Messy Play and Stay & Play sessions. Call 01895 835967. denham Girlguides 1st Denham Rainbows (age 5-7) 4th Denham Brownies (age 7-10) 4th Denham Guides (age 10-14) For more details on meeting times and info on joining 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 for details. continued overleaf...
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regular events... events at Harefield Community Centre, Priory avenue, uB9 6aP MOn Cameo Club (3rd Mon month) 10am-12pm; Indoor Bowls (Short Mat) 2pm-5pm; Harefield Wine Club (2nd Mon in the month) 7.45-9.30pm; Judo (Seniors not 2nd Mon in month) 810pm. tues Line Dancing 10.45am1.15pm; Bingo 7.45pm - 10.30pm. WeD Fitness, Fun & Dance 10.30am12.00pm; Singing for Fun (1st Wed in month) 1-2.30pm; Judo Club 6.307.45pm; Dancing Club 8.15pm10.30pm. tHurs Happy Families Group 9.45-11.45am; Tea Dances 24pm; Whist 7.30-10pm; Ladies Club (2nd Thur in month) 8-10pm. FrI Bridge Club 10.30am-12.30pm; Line Dancing 12.45-3pm; Indoor Bowls (Short Mat) 7.30-10pm. All enquiries to Lynne Mogge 01895 824621 or e: hare fieldcommunitycentre@btconnect.com
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, e: secretary@crosierinvestment.org.uk w: www.crosierinvestment.org.uk
Memorial Hall. Call Sandra 07867470240 Lisa 07533549072 E: lisa.sandra.fitness@gmail.com Fitsteps Cha Cha, Waltz, Quickstep or Jive at Denham Memorial Hall. Mondays 7pm and Wednesdays 10am. Call 07834 197745. info@limelightdancing.co.uk
rock ‘n’ roll Monday's in Harefield! Every Monday. Beginners Jive Dance Classes 7.45pm. Slow practise session 8.30-9pm. Social Rock n Roll 9-11pm. No partner required - no experience necessary! Harefield Cricket Club, Breakspear Road North, Harefield, UB9 6NE. £5 entry. E: therockingrebels @gmail.com, 07947 106607 www.facebook.com/therockingrebels 1950s rock n roll with DJs the rocking rebels 1st Friday of every month 7.3011.30pm. Retro stalls, BYO drinks. St Marys Church Hall, High St, Harefield UB9 6BX. Contact 07951 652083 therockingrebel@gmail.com 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
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Denham History society Meets 2nd Tues of the month, 7.30pm St. Marks Hall, Denham Green. Call 01895 833989 Pamela@craftygiraffe.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
Hillingdon natural History society Meets 1st Wed of the month, Scout HQ, Gatting Way, Uxbridge. enquiries@ hillingdon-naturalhistory society.org.uk
Harefield amateur Drama society Tuesday, 8-10pm. Park Lane Village Centre, Park Lane, Harefield. Call Tony on 01895 820672
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
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
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 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
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 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
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pre-school & kids groups continued...
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 Youths united Senior Youth Group in Denham, at Martin Bakers Social Club. Ages 12-18 years Wednesday evenings 7-309pm. Tel Joyce Haynes 01895 832643 tiny talk Baby signing classes Tuesday classes at St Mary’s Church Hall, High Street, Harefield UB9 6BX at 10am, price £5.00 pre-paid per family. Thursday classes at St Giles' Church Hall, 1 High Road, Ickenham UB10 8LE, 10am, 11.15am and 1pm, price £5.00 pre-paid per family Friday classes at The Uxbridge Centre, The Greenway, Uxbridge UB8 2PJ, 10.30am, price £5.00 pre-paid per family. Call Bev Meier 01895 824935 or 0781 8025993 tiny toes childcare Full Day Care Nursery. Call 01753 655650 or tinytoes@ivercommunity.org tweenies Baby and toddlers St Marys Church, Denham Village Tuesday 9.30-11.30am 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 Tel: Dominic 07988 743725 karate club of uxbridge For ages 5 years and up The Uxbridge Centre, The Greenway Wed, 5pm-7pm Tel: Dominic 07988 743725 kung fu club West drayton Great Kung Fu work out for everybody, on: 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
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479 435 or sportsclubuk@gmail.com
shotokan karate Sports Hall, Tilehouse Lane, Denham for men, women and children age 8+. Monday, 7-8pm. Interested? Contact Erin on 01494 758079 or visit www.chilternkarate.co.uk
silat kuntao indonesian self-defence Traditional self-defence art from Central Java, includes empty hand, traditional weapons, meditation and healing massage. Adult classes only. Mon and Wed 8pm-10pm at Denham Village Memorial Hall, Denham, UB9 5BN. Call Philip Davies 07790 496 346 or email kuntao.matjan.uk@gmail.com.
self help & support... hillingdon Brain tumour group Support group held every 2nd Thurs of the month 12.30-2.30pm, Hillingdon Baptist Church, Hercies Rd, Hillingdon, UB10 9LS. Call 01895 637444. slimming World New Denham Community Centre Tuesday, 10-11.30am. To register turn up at 10am, call Mandy 07879 897578
sociAl groups... denham green W.i. Every 2nd Mon in the month 2-4.15pm, St Marks Hall, Denham. All ladies welcome. Contact Linda 01895 257895 or linda. allum@hotmail.co.uk or Laura 01895835868 or ljphillips22@me.com. 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
many laughs please contact us! www.langley-iver-rotaract.org.uk
stoke poges Bridge club meet at St Andrew’s Church Hall in Rogers Lane, SL2 4LN on Monday from 1.30-5.30pm for players who want to improve their game. Call 01753 642 438 www.stokepogesbridgeclub.org.uk uxbridge conservative club Bingo, Carpet Bowls, Table Tennis, Lunches, Quiz & Race Nights etc. at 46 Harefield Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 1PJ. Contact Georgina Baile on 01895 233653 or 07778 348082, e: udcc@btconnect. com or visit www.uxbconclub.com Women’s social group Social group for women. Looking to expand your social group and make new friends? We meet regularly for coffee, a chat - open women of all ages. Please call Seema on 07730 898635 or email seemaa@seemaa.co.uk
sport... denham Bowls club Denham Way, Denham, UB9 5AX. Lawn Bowling. Coaching available. Call Brian Simpson (Sec) on 01895 834007 or Jenny Johns on 01895 833845 denham cricket club Playing or social members welcome. Way & Tillard Memorial Cricket Ground, off Cheapside Lane, Denham Village. Tel: Bill Nicholas 01895 834527 pink ladies netball club All levels and abilities welcome. Training takes place at Stockley Academy, West Drayton every Tuesday. Senior training 16+yrs 7.30-9pm Back to Netball 16+yrs 7.30- 8.30pm Under 16s for details 01895 448878 email: plnetball@hotmail.co.uk visit www.pinkladiesnetball.co.uk
friendly Whist drive Harefield Community Centre, Priory Avenue, Harefield. Every Thurs 7.30pm. Beginners welcome. Contact Lyn on 01923 820173
table tennis Denham Village Memorial Hall Tuesdays 5.30-10pm. Call Richard Cottle on 01895 835292
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 that raise money for charity and also have a busy social calendar. If you would like to meet new people, raise money and have
uxbridge squash club All squash players welcome. Uxbridge Cricket Club, Park Road, Uxbridge. See uxbridgesquash.org.uk or email: squash@uxbridgesquash.org.uk Tel: 01895 237571
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