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And a very Happy New Year to all of our read ers and advertisers. We hope you’ve had a lovely Christmas break and managed to spend time with friends and family. While you’re read ing this, Angela will be sunning herself (weather allowing) or at the very least, drinking a cocktail or two in Spain. 2014 was a long and challeng ing year, and whilst we powered on enthusiasti cally, well most of the time anyway, a week’s break was much needed in order to come back with renewed enthusiasm in 2015. At the time of writing this of course, it’s still De cember and thoughts of Christmas and holidays are future tense. This year is a little more or ganised than usual and most of the present buying is not only out of the way, but wrapped as well. Whilst feeling more than a little smug at this achievement, it did come at a price. The price being sleep! Exchanging emails with our Graphic Designer at 4am today, we joked about our new revelation. Having been doing this now for almost nine years, we had missed the most obvious solu tion to keeping on top of workload. Simply don’t go to bed at all and suddenly you have a good seven extra hours in a day :) We’re not sure it’s a way forward long term, but it did the trick this month. Here’s to a happy, organised and sleep filled January! .
The pros and cons of equity release 6 Home & Interiors: Design a blissful bedroom 8 Health: Bug busting day 10 Coffee Break Puzzles 12 Kids Puzzle Page 14 Wildlife Zone 16 Golden years: memories of fifty years ago 18 Puzzle Solutions 19 RSPCA 20 Local Events 24 Short Story: Percy comes for dinner 26 Cake & Bake: Plum & Almond Tart 28 Ruislip Central Horticultural Society 32 Hobbies: Time to pick up a paintbrush 34 Working from home 36 Beauty: Look younger for longer 38 Garden Feature 40 Road Test: Audi TT TFSI 42 Reader Travel Offers 44 Karen Munro Careers 46 Tech: Drop a dress size digitally 48 Local Telephone Numbers 50 Magazine Pick Up Points 50 What’s On Clubs, Groups & Classes 52, 54 & 56 Whats on at the Compass Theatre 58 Wordsearch 58
Tel: 0800 038 5001 Mob: 07931 368151 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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Finance The Pros and Cons of Equity Release Types of lifetime mortgage Roll-up: interest is added to the loan, which is repaid on death or if you move into care. There are no monthly
By Ann Haldon beneficiaries
Home Reversion Scheme How it works Home reversion means that you sell all or part of your home to a company, which gives you a cash lump sum for its value, or allows you to take a regular income. Some schemes let you live in your home rentfree, while others charge a reduced rent. This arrangement continues until you die or move into a care home, at which point the house is sold and the loan repaid. As with a lifetime mortgage, you’ll be advised to discuss it with your family before proceeding. They need to know where they stand financially, particularly if it will affect their inheritance. Pros • A useful way to get money from your property without having to move out • You may be able to make an ‘inheritance guarantee’ to safeguard a proportion of your home for beneficiaries • Many schemes allow you to live in your home rent-free
Equity Release unlocks some of the value in your home, providing a tax-free lump sum or cash facility from which to draw a regular income. It is a way to fund your retirement without having to move from your existing home, and is available to homeowners over the age of fifty-five. Equity release products can be broken down into: • Lifetime mortgages • Home reversion schemes The first step in deciding whether equity release is for you is to find a professional financial advisor with specific knowledge and experience. The advisor and lender must both be regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and the lender should be a member of the Equity Release Council.
Lifetime Mortgage
How it works A lifetime mortgage allows you to borrow money against the value of your home, with interest added to the total each month. There are no repayments to meet - you still own your home but the value of it decreases due to the escalating mortgage.
repayments to make. Interest-only: you receive a lump sum and pay the interest on a monthly basis. Interest may be fixed or variable, and the original loan amount is repaid on sale of the house. Fixed repayment: you take a lump sum from the house, but there are no monthly interest payments to make. A repayment sum is calculated by the lender and agreed with you when the loan is taken out. This fixed amount is repaid on death or if you move to a care home. Pros • Unlocks the value in your home • Several choices of how the money is taken • Many lenders offer a ‘no negative equity’ guarantee • You can stay in your own home Cons • May affect your eligibility for benefits • Can be expensive in the long-term (there may be other less expensive options) • They are complex financial products which require professional guidance • Reduced inheritance for your
Cons • You generally only receive between 20%-60% of the market value of your property • These schemes can be costly to set up • They are complex to understand in detail The equity released from your home can be used for a range of purposes. Some people use the money for home improvements, others for holidays or to help their children onto the property ladder.
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Home & Interiors Design A Blissful Bedroom
By Katherine Sorrell
In a bedroom, wear and tear on the flooring is minimal so this is the ideal place to give your toes a treat and opt for a sumptuous, deep-pile carpet. That said, natural or painted wooden floorboards with a few rugs scattered about (on each side of the bed in particular) is an alternative with masses of character.
such as adding a table lamp or two in the corners, and fitting a dimmer switch to a central pendant. A strong, bright light, on the other hand, is essential above a dressing table mirror (don’t position it to one side – it will cause awkward shadows). For bedside reading, a pair of swing-arm, wall-mounted lights will free up space on a bedside table – some types include tiny, adjustable spotlights so you can enjoy a novel without disturbing your partner.
Your bedroom is a private retreat, a special place in which to relax, unwind and express your true personality. Our tips from expert Katherine Sorrell will help you make it as comfortable, functional and beautiful as possible First, think about how you use your bedroom – is it just for sleeping, or do you listen to music, watch TV, make phone calls or even work? You will need to allocate space for each different function. Then, consider the atmosphere you want to create – would you prefer a light, bright and airy room, or one that is dark and dramatic? In general, soft and gentle colours are considered most restful, and it is a good idea to avoid loud patterns and clashing shades.
Whether you use curtains, blinds or shutters, your windows should be well-covered, both for privacy and to avoid earlymorning sunlight waking you up. Sumptuous curtains with a blackout lining will do the trick, as will louvered shutters. Roller blinds are simple and ideal where space is restricted, while Roman blinds pull up in lovely soft folds that give an attractively draped effect. Aim for the maximum storage possible: ideally a combination of floor-to-ceiling fitted wardrobes with free-standing pieces for character and flexibility. Plan the interior of a wardrobe with the utmost precision, and look for gadgets such as tie racks, belt racks and pull-out trays. If you’re really short of space, clever storage ideas include underbed drawers, stacking boxes, canvas “tidies” hung on the back of the door, plastic shoe racks stacked inside the wardrobe, and a bamboo ladder leant against the wall for scarves, spare bed linen or clothes. Subtle, flattering lighting is best for a bedroom, and you can make some quick, easy and inexpensive changes
Lastly, to transform a bedroom from boring to boudoir, introduce sumptuous bed linens that are gorgeous to look at and enjoyable to touch – cool and crisp or cosy and warm, depending on the time of year. The quickest and easiest way to put together a gorgeouslooking bed is simply to use plain white or off-white sheets, pillow cases and a duvet cover, and add a stunning throw, blanket, eiderdown or quilt – or several, for eye-catching colour and pattern. Layer texture on texture, plains with patterns, modern with vintage – creating a serene and luxurious, indulgent retreat. Layer bed linen for an interesting mix of textures and attractive effect. The design pictured, of pleats, ruched cotton and grey hand stitching on 100% cotton percale, would work in a traditional or modern room. Ruffle Pleat bed linen, from £28 for a pair of pillowcases, The French Bedroom Company, 08456 448022; www. frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk.
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Bug-Busting Day: Say Goodbye to Head Lice
By Alison Runham www.alison.runham.co.uk
January 31st is the first of this year’s three National Bug Busting Days, when families of all schoolchildren across the UK are supplied with a comb kit to detect and remove head lice hopefully halting them in their tracks.
afraid your unwanted insect passengers will stubbornly refuse to move to your furry friend.
These miniscule insects live in human hair and feed on blood from the scalp, and unfortunately they’re very common, particularly amongst children. Almost as common as head lice myths...
Using insecticides is the best way to prevent head lice. No. Pesticides won’t prevent lice infestation and should be used sparingly. They’re only appropriate if a live louse has been seen on the hair.
THE MYTHS:
Head lice can jump or fly. Fleas, yes. Head lice, no (not without the aid of a tiny trampoline). Head lice can swim. Only if they can find arm bands small enough. Otherwise, no. Head lice love dirty hair. No. They just love hair, full stop. They’re not fussy about length, style or cleanliness. Head lice can be caught from animals. No, only by head to head contact with a person already harbouring them. If you’re infested and bend down next to Fido, I’m
You know when you have head lice. Your scalp itches. Not necessarily. The itching is caused by your allergic reaction to lice faeces and bites, and can occur weeks or months after lice arrive on your head (or not at all).
You need to boil wash/dryclean clothes and bedding if you have head lice. There’s no need; only dead or dying lice lose their grip and fall from your hair.
Detecting Head Lice Lice eggs are laid close to the roots of the hair where it’s warmest and stick firmly to the hair shaft, making them hard to remove even when you comb or treat hair. It also makes them hard to spot. Often they’re only noticed as hair grows, moving them away from the scalp. By this time they’re usually nits
(empty eggshells).
Head lice are pale grey and smaller than a pinhead when they hatch and roughly sesame seed size when they’re fully grown, so they’re very difficult to see too. The best way to find head lice is to use a proper head lice comb with a tooth spacing of 0.2-0.3mm, as this will catch even the tiniest louse. It’s more effective on wet hair but can be used on dry hair too. Some people may get an itchy rash around the back of the neck, near the hairline, or have a sore scalp. But don’t presume these symptoms are caused by head lice – always check.
Getting Rid of Head Lice Wet Combing Although wet combing is very efficient it must be done thoroughly and regularly, as eggs can be missed. A female louse can lay eggs at just 9 days old, and those eggs hatch around a week later - so if a few lice or eggs are missed, hair can become infested again very quickly. Shampoo and condition the hair first, leaving the conditioner in the hair, and remove tangles with a normal
comb. Then engage the teeth of the detection comb at the roots and draw the comb right to the ends of the hair on every stroke. Check the comb for head lice after each stroke and remove them by rinsing or wiping the comb. Comb methodically, making sure no hair is missed. Clipping sections out of the way is helpful. Then rinse the hair before combing it thoroughly, section by section, again. It’s best to repeat this every three days up until day 15, to ensure newly-hatched lice don’t mature. Electric nit comb These combs claim to kill head lice by delivering a small electric shock. Opinions vary on how well they work. Silicone-based lotions (e.g. dimeticone)
Relatively new, these work by coating the lice and preventing them from absorbing water, causing them to die. If used properly they seem very effective. Chemical insecticides (e.g. malathion, phenothrin and permethrin)
Rarely recommended as a first choice now, as head lice are increasingly resistant to them and they can be harmful if used persistently. Health professionals usually recommend wet combing instead. If you’re using these treatments, treat everyone affected at the same time and follow instructions carefully. If the treatment doesn’t come with a detection comb, purchase one so that you can remove dead lice and nits. Always check hair with
the comb a few days after treatment and again 10-12 days afterwards to make sure it’s worked, as not all treatments kill the eggs. As with any medication, make sure it’s suitable for the person being treated and note any cautions.
Preventing Head Lice
The best way to prevent head lice is regular combing using a proper detection comb, preferably weekly. If you need a product recommendation or are finding lice difficult to eradicate, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice, particularly if you’re treating babies, pregnant or breastfeeding mums, or people with allergies or asthma.
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The Wildlife Zone...FP (Jan15)_Layout 1 18/12/2014 11:37 Page 1 1 GNH_in&around_dps_Jan2015_Layout 1 16/12/2014 15:31 Page
In and Around
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RARA TROPHY 2014 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.
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The Foundation for Endangered Species (FES) can announce that the author and broadcaster Jonathon Porritt has been awarded the RARA trophy for 2014. So what is the RARA trophy, and why did Jonathon Porritt win it? RARA stands for the Rhinoceros Award for Raising Awareness. The RARA goes to someone who has done something special in raising public awareness for wildlife, conservation or the environment. This includes a list of activities such as creative writing, poetry, journalism, broadcasting, photography, art, film, theatre or even IT. The RARA trophy itself (which is permanently displayed at the FES registered office) is a handmade model of the One Horned Rhinoceros, an endangered species that lives in the Indian sub continent. It is made from deadwood that came from Nepal’s Chitwan National Park in a process that is defined as Sustainable Development. Sustainable Development encourages people situated near the edges of nature parks, wildlife sanctuaries and wilderness areas to live an eco-friendly lifestyle. To understand the significance of Porritt’s success, one can compare it with the roll call of previous RARA winners, and the reasons why they won it. Champagne 2004. Ted Hughes. The inaugural award was posthumously given to the late PoetCheck-in Laureate, the 20th century Bard and our greatest ever wildlife poet. His wildlife poetry ranged from insects to jaguars; whilst his prose ranged from children’s tales of whales to ‘The Iron Woman’ (where the EXCURSIONS Escorted Holiday byvalues Railof- aafternoon departures heroin was given the mind-set and modern environmentalist, many years before Global INCLUDED Warming issues emerged). 8 days, semi all inclusive, from £849pp 2005. Bill Oddie. For his lifetime publications, presentations, theatre-work and broadcasting in Departures: 13 Apr, 1 & 30 Jun, 19 & 25 Sept & 1 bringing Oct, 2015 conservation, especially ornithology. HisMay, skill is6acknowledged in successfully birding into the everyday home and making it a valid family pastime. INCLUDED: Escorted throughout This Al super holiday, in presentations the French &that lead 2006. Gore. For his taking book and to the film, ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ that Italian Rivieras, starts with a glass of Bubbly at destroyed many Western politicians denial of Global Warming, Climate Change etc. • Champagne Check-in at London St Pancras St Pancras Bar‘Stormforce’ before an and ‘Face to Face with Nature’, as well as his 2007. Davidfamous Chaffe. Champagne For his books • Return rail travel from St Pancras (from afternoon talks departure on Eurostar to Lille or educational in schools and on radio. Ebbsfleet request) to Nice Paris. Jane After Goodhall. an overnight wegreatest continueprimatologist, by 2008. Shestay, is our andon her scientific work has lead to high-speed tohumans’ Nice thenclosest to Diano Marinathe chimpanzees. learning moretrain about relatives, Her efforts in public • 1 night hotel B&B in Paris or Lilleeducation on raising Italy’s Riviera of Flowers, our base for apes this gain• 6further and awareness have helped all great support. nightspublic in Diano Marina or similar - half holiday. Enjoy free drinks every night at the 2009. David Attenborough. This was awarded for his life's work and broadcasting expertise. Whilst board freealso drinks 6pm an to 11pm every anda major excursions Eze, history hehotel has been part oftothe Monaco, BBC’s natural unit,PLuS he has created impressive portfolio of & wildlife journalism. Portofino Dolceacqua. night • All excursions • Transfers abroad 2010. Ian Redmond. He is a one of the leading primatologists and an author of many books. He is a wildlife ambassador and works within some UN organisations. 2011. Heathcote Williams. He won this award because of his amazing poetry as well as his other writing which has been raising awareness about sustainable living. QUOTE: DG-IA 2012. Jacques Cousteau. He won for marine biology and bringing the subject into people’s homes for the first time in the 1960s. He was still active in the 1990s and even took a leading role in the Earth Summit in Rio. 2013. David Shepherd. He has been our most well known wildlife painter for many decades, as well as being an expert fundraiser and active conservationist. Jonathon Porritt won this award because he is skilled in three facets in the World of Nature. Firstly he is an organiser and director of environmental institutions, having been chairman of the UK Sustainable Development Commission for nearly a decade, a trustee of the WWF for fifteen years and a director of Friends of the Earth. This proves he can understand the most important environmental issues, their consequences, and how to deal with them in practical terms. He is a writer of articles and a prestigious author of books which are aimed at conserving the environment. In Save the Earth we were given a wake-up call about the planet’s problems. In the first chapter of ‘Taking Stock’ we learn about how the world is in peril and that we must undertake certain practices which will put wrong matters right. Porritt advocates that every one of us should undergo some personal investigation and growth to become aware of the world, rather than being passengers in it, or have a belief pattern in which members of the public believe themselves to be insignificant. We also got an environmental audit of the state of the Earth at the time. This chapter leads onto ‘A New International Order’ and ‘The Way Forward’ in which his long term prognosis specifies what ought to be done. He also makes the point that the consequences of our actions will cause unimaginable to come. Escorted Holiday by Rail problems in the decades and centuries Other books including Capitalism As If The World Matters, Globalisation andEXCURSIONS Regionalism, and Means, have tackled other issues such as forestry, nuclear energy, civil 6 Living daysWithin halfOurboard, from £599pp INCLUDED and population increase. His latest publication The World We Made brings us up 23liberties 16 July &many 3 September, toApril, date by investigating of the important2015 current environmental problems. As a Porritt has made has beenEscorted on many In the heart of broadcaster France, the Dordogne region hastelevision so much todocumentaries, offer with INCLUDED: environmental programmes, made radio appearances and has given talks about these throughout • Return rail a stunning scenic railway, picturesque castles, beautiful rivers, and issues. The world lost a great man when Sir Peter Scott died, but fortunately people medievalsuch hilltop We Porritt stay inhave the centre of theoffamous town of travel from London St astowns. Jonathon filled some the void.
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Golden Years Memories of 50 Years Ago by Ted Bruning
Winston Churchill Statue, Parliament Square, London. Jose L. Marin, Wikimedia Commons.
Early in the New Year of 1965, Winston Churchill had suffered a stroke. He never regained consciousness and died on January 24th, aged 90; and though it seems sacrilegious, it’s true that he had rarely been as much loved during his lifetime as he was after his death. Hated by miners as the Liberal Home Secretary who sent troops to Tonypandy to put down a strike in 1910; blamed (wrongly) for the Gallipoli disaster in World War I and (rightly) for the even greater disaster of the return to the gold standard in 1925; a truculent Imperialist dinosaur in the 1930s; distrusted by the masses in 1945; old, sick, and in the way in 1955 – Churchill had known more brickbats than bouquets. But not on the 30th January 1965, the day of his funeral. Then he was every downed airman, every drowned seaman, every tankman burnt alive, every Tommy blown to Hell, every exhausted ARP man, landgirl, munitions worker... and miner. He was their suffering and their victory. In the three days his body lay in state in St Stephen’s Hall, Westminster, 321,360 people filed past the catafalque. The gun-carriage that bore him, pulled by 108 naval ratings with the Earl Marshal at their
head, took an hour to make the 2� miles up Whitehall and along the Strand, Fleet Street, and Ludgate Hill to St Paul’s, every inch of the way thronged by silent mourners who had waited hours in their tens of thousands in the freezing cold. At the cathedral steps his wartime comrades Attlee, Eden, MacMillan, Ismay, Slim, Alexander, Portal, and Mountbatten escorted the coffin inside where the leaders of 122 nations sang To Be A Pilgrim, The Battle Hymn of the Republic, Fight The Good Fight and Oh God Our Help. And then the short voyage on the launch Havengore from Tower Hill to Festival Pier, the monstrous dockside cranes each bowing in turn as it passed. And finally the private train and the family burial at Bladon, Oxfordshire, where at last his widow Clemmie and his children Randolph, Mary and Sarah had their chance at tears. This was how a nation grieved then: not in hysterical outbursts, but bound together by protocol, by formality, by seemliness; as rigidly drilled as a platoon on a parade-ground and thus united in deed as well as thought. For everyone who lined the route or watched on television, the grief and the memories were personal; and yet they were as one.
• How fitting it was that Churchill should choose Bladon, the parish church of his birthplace, Blenheim Palace, as his burial-place. “In my beginning is my end. In my end is my beginning,” wrote TS Eliot in The Four Quartets; and Eliot had died aged 76 at home in Kensington only 20 days before Churchill. Both were members of the Order of Merit; both had won Nobel Prizes for literature. Eliot, though, was cremated privately at Golders Green, and his ashes were buried at East Coker in Somerset. But he has his slab at Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey, and Churchill’s statue is in Parliament Square not 200 yards away, so you can pay your respects to both in one visit, if you’ve a mind. • Happy 50th birthdays to Vinnie Jones (5th), Joely Richardson (9th), Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (14th), James Nesbitt (15th), and Heather Small (20th). Cake and botox to you all!
The RSPCA helps animals who are most in need. It’s a tough job; dealing with difficult people, and seeing animals who are suffer ing can be very distressing. We are launch ing our new Helpline Volunteer Team, and are looking for local people to join us. Becoming an RSPCA volunteer means being there when an animal needs us most. We are looking for strong people to stand shoul dertoshoulder with us, to fight neglect, abandonment and cruelty in Middlesex and South Hertfordshire. At the same time, volun teering with the RSPCA is a great opportu nity to learn new skills and meet likeminded people.
Can you help to answer calls, direct our Ani mal Welfare Officers in the field, inform mem bers of the public who have adopted an ani mal from us on how to care for them, and even help with some essential administration keep up with the number of animals who work? Giving just four hours a week can help need us. That’s why we are desperate for volunteers who can help,” says hundreds of animals. Cheryl O’Keeffe, Animal Welfare Team. “With the increase in calls from members of the public, and the number of animals res If you are confident and calm on the phone, cued, we are literally struggling. I don’t want have experience using all Microsoft pack any animals to suffer and we simply cannot ages, and are quick to learn, we would love to hear from you.
Even though it is an office based position you will get to meet all sorts of animals, from tiny kittens to gerbils. Having a grateful cat purr ing in the background is wonderful reminder of why we are here, but also why we really need you to join us.
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Beauty
Look Younger for Longer - Look after Your Neck and Hands
JUST under a year ago the Rosemary Conley Group went into administration, potentially throwing over a hundred of it’s well-trained diet and fitness instructors onto the scrapheap. These coaches didn’t want to give up on what they’d achieved, rather be even better than before; to take the best of what they’d learnt, shake off any old-fashioned perceptions and create a new, modern approach to nutrition and exercise that put the impersonal and diet free approach of the gyms in the shade and run rings around the ‘weigh and chat’ approach of slimmings clubs. THE RESULT? The widest range of exercises available, from Aerobic classes, through to High Intensity Interval Training and Pilates. PLUS the new GI Glow Diet, in association with The Food Doctor, launching this month.
dehydrated. So given that, it’s as important to moisturise your neck as yourparticularly face, and to extend Neither appealed, theas application of your I have tried themdaily both unsunscreen to this too. successfully over area the years. Remember to exfoliate your skin SO WHAT DID I DO? I joined the regularly - bothgroup on your and only national that face combines neck - as removes diet andthis exercise in andead inspiring skinway cells, yourresults. skin thatbrightens delivers lasting andPreviously improvesoperating absorption of your under the moisturiser. Rosemary Conley diet and exercise
the of coaches have now On banner, the subject daily routines, rebranded under a bright, modern whilst a regular moisturiser is finenew for name thoseGlow. looking to prevent They’ve bestneck bitsisof rather thantaken cure, the if your the old Rosemary Conley classes, already heavily lined, you’ll need namely the training standards and something stronger. Furthermore inspiring nature of the coaches, your neck requires a different extended the range of exercises formulation to reverse the signs on offer and combined with a of ageing than your face, so more contemporary and enjoyable it’s eating important to useisproducts plan which in association specifically designed with The Food Doctor. for the SAMANTHA’S STORY This time which generally more As a resultare there is now available last year I had a choice in terms of neck, concentrated and powerful. the most welcoming and enjoyable losing weight. way to lose weight country a healthy dietinisthekey to Join one of the big diet clubs;Eating suitable for anytoo, fitness level and you know, shuffle into a draughtylooking younger as foods no exercise village hall, get weighed, sit aroundrichallin ages; anti-oxidants andexperience Omeganecessary. talking about food and then lose3 acids have been shown to help heart when I had a bad week. if you like by theboosting look of the skinSorejuvenation
Or hot foot it to the gym. Followcollagen resultsproduction why not contact Samantha - something my own diet (hmm,we trickyall this one),thatondeclines the details below and try the AND still beitthe most welcoming When comes to looking younger, as we age. put on my headphones and do most enjoyable way to a healthier and fun approach to losing weight seem to focus our attention on our face Smoking is not only bad for your solitary exercise on treadmills. new you! and shaping up around!
yet overlook our neck and hands, even though it’s these areas that tend to age the fastest. So it’s time to start taking notice of these neglected areas to ensure that you look younger for longer. Your Neck
health, but it damages collagen and the constant squinting and lip pursing whilst smoking causes lines to form quickly. It’s no surprise then, that the delicate skin under your chin is damaged as a result.
Your Hands
They say that you can tell a The skin on your neck is thin compared to the rest of the women’s age by her hands, so For more information on Glow classes in your area please contact Samantha on body, it also has fewer oil glands and can easily become it really is important to look after sam.simon@glow-fit.co.uk, call on 01895 460766 or visit the website at www.glow-fit.co.uk
yours. Winter weather, central heating, contact with water and the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers all serve to dry out the skin, making your hands look older than they are and feel rough to the touch. If the skin on your hands is suffering you can be sure that your nails will be too. Nails need extra attention during the winter months and if they are dry, peeling and brittle this is a sign that you need to treat your talons to some serious TLC. Limit the exposure your hands and nails have to the elements by always wearing gloves whenever you step outside in cold weather. The same goes for washing up or any activity where your s robic
fitness
hands are submerged in water; always keep a pair of rubber gloves nearby.
New
Invest in a pair of moisture gloves. Apply an intensive hand cream every night, before bed, and then put the moisture gloves on overnight. You’ll wake up with beautifully soft hands in the morning.
cuticle oil every night. Use a strengthening treatment to help protect your nails from the elements and to give them extra strength. And for a real treat, head to the beauty salon and get a manicure. You’ll feel a lot more enthused about keeping your professionally pampered hands in tip-top condition when they’re looking gorgeous. By Helen Taylor
COMES TO RUISLIP, PINNER & NORTHWOOD
Each time you wash your hands, dry them thoroughly and then apply a hand and nail cream - same goes for when you have used a hand sanitizer. Make sure you rub the product in thoroughly and don’t forget to coat your cuticles and nails too.
food
Keep your nails thand e NEstrong long W Gi by G applying
Ae HiiT Kettlebells • Pilates
(in associa low diet tio The Food D n with octor)
friends friendly, welcoming and FUN!
LET’S GET UP AND GLOW IN JANUARY NORTHWOOD Hillside Junior School, Northwood Way, Northwood HA6 1RX Monday 6.00pm – 7.00pm PINNER Cannon Lane Methodist Church, Cannon Lane, HA5 1JD Tuesday 6.45pm – 8.00pm RUISLIP Field End School, Field End Road, HA4 9PQ Thursday 6.00pm – 7.00pm
SPECIAL OFFER - All NEW members receive a FREE trial class No Excuses - book your FREE class today quoting In and Around Publishing Magazine glow-fit.co.uk
Call Sam Simon on 01895-460766 or e-mail: sam.simon@glow-fit.co.uk
A5 Glow Press Ad Jan 2015.indd 1
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Dated Events (Jan15)_Layout 1 18/12/2014 17:14 Page 1
JANUARY EVENTS HUBB Business Breakfast Event Thu 8th January, 8am-9am Bay Lodge, 36 Harefield Road, Uxbridge, UB8 1PH. Networking with local professionals and in partnership with the Hillingdon Chamber of Commerce. ‘The New Pension Landscape’. From April 2015 there will be massive changes to pension legislation, find out how it can improve your retirement. Coffee and pastries. For details email: emma.zovich@ wardwilliams.co.uk
The Inlands Waterways Association Tues 13th January, 7.30pm Hillingdon Canal Club (HCC), Waterloo Road, Uxbridge, UB8 2QX (opposite the General Elliott pub) Speaker Jon Willis on ‘Crofton Beam Engines’.
Local Events
An Evening of Indulgence in aid of Michael Sobell Hospice Wed 11th February, 7pm-10pm The London School of Theology, Green Lane, Northwood, HA6 2UW. Relax and unwind with a glass of bubbly and a range of taster therapies during the evening. Includes live music from the Paul Lipscombe duo. Treatments available include; massages, mini manicures, indian head massage, reflexology, postural analysis, analysis by House of Colour. Stalls offering jewellery, accessories, lingerie, hairdressing, aloe vera, lavender, cupcakes hand made soaps.
January into February 2015
Tickets cost £15 including a Bucks Fizz and a goody bag. Tea and coffee also available. For more information or to book a ticket for this event go to www.michaelsobelhospice.co.uk or call 01923 844730. Visit www.michaelsobellhospice.co.uk.
Live Jazz in Ickenham with the Karen Sharp Quartet and Friends Sat 24th January, 7.30pm Ickenham Village Hall The Karen Sharp Quartet will be appearing for the first time at Ickenham Village Hall with an all star rhythm section comprising John Critchinson, Dave Green and Steve Brown you can expect swinging, 'in the pocket' jazz at its very best.
DON'T MISS THE DEADLINE! If you would like us to publicise your event in our February issues contact us no later than Friday 16th January.
FEBRUARY EVENTS The Uxbridge Choral Society's Winter Concert Sun 1st February, 7.30pm St. Mary's, Princes, Risborough. Performing Martin How's ‘The Way’. Jeff Stewart will conduct and the concert. Tickets: Adults £12 and £6 for under 12s. Available on the door or by calling 01895 847083 in advance.
Tickets £12 available on the door or online at www.tootsmusic management.co.uk/news-events.
The Uxbridge Choral Society's Winter Concert Sat 31st January, 7.30pm St. Margaret's Church, Windsor Street, Uxbridge. Performing Martin How's ‘The Way’. Jeff Stewart will conduct and the concert. Tickets: Adults £12 and £6 for under 12s. Available on the door or by calling 01895 847083 in advance.
The Inlands Waterways Association Tues 10th February, 7.30pm Hillingdon Canal Club (HCC), Waterloo Road, Uxbridge, UB8 2QX. (opposite the General Elliott pub) Speaker Ross Gorbert on ‘Converting a Dutch Pontoon’. For more information email Lucy Smith on middlesex.socials@ waterways.org.uk. Indoor Boot Sale and Community Coffee Morning Sat 14th February, 9.30am-1pm The Village Hall, Ickenham. For more information call Vera on 01895 635224 or Chris on 01895 676900 or you can email ButterfliesIckenham@yahoo.com
Short Story
Percy Comes for Dinner
Marjorie daydreamed as she stirred the bubbling pan full of her New Year’s Day casserole. The family were out watching the local rugby match, but would soon be home, cold and famished. She paused at the sound of Great Aunt Sophia making her way downstairs. This year Marjorie had drawn the short straw to have Sophia over for the New Year. She had arrived by train on New Year’s Eve carrying her musty handbag full of mystery false teeth, hairnets and used tissues. Last, but by no means least, in that cavernous bag was the black ceramic pot containing the cremated remains of Percy, her deceased husband. He was her constant companion. There were members of the family who had only ever known Percy as a black ceramic pot. He’d been dead for over twenty years and yet never missed a family occasion. Sophia, besides being rather absentminded, wasn’t really much trouble, and in many ways she tried to be helpful. She always offered to pop the kettle on or butter some bread, and Marjorie knew she should be grateful, but the kitchen was her domain and it felt uncomfortable to have another woman invading it. She was putting the plates in the oven to warm when Sophia came in carrying Percy. “Something smells nice”. She said, “Do you want a hand with it?”. She lifted the casserole dish lid and sniffed.
“It’s all sorted Sophia, but thanks anyway”. “Would you mind if I make myself a cup of tea?”. “Let me do it for you Sophie, the kettle’s just boiled”. “I won’t hear of it, you’ve done enough, go and put your feet up”. Sophia began opening and closing cupboards so Marjorie decided to grab a handful of cutlery and beat a retreat to the dining room. Calmly she began to lay out each place setting. “I hope you don’t mind but I’ve added a bit of Percy to your stew dear”. Sophia called through the kitchen door, “It just needed a little something”. “Thank you Sophia”. Marjorie called back. She was slightly annoyed. It wasn’t a stew, it was a casserole, and, interfering with another woman’s recipe was really going too far. She took a deep breath and folded a napkin. Then she stopped. What had Sophia just said?
noticed Marjorie, “What on Earth’s wrong Dear?”. “Tell me you haven’t put Percy in the casserole?”. “Not Percy”. Sophia seemed bewildered. “Why on Earth would I do that, Dear?”. She held up a glass jar that Marjorie recognised from the back of the spice rack. “It was parsley, and just a teaspoon. Here, have a taste”.
She flew back into the kitchen, to find Sophia happily stirring the casserole. Next to the stove was Percy’s pot with the lid askew.
Sophia thrust the same spoon into Marjorie’s open mouth. The casserole now had a distinctly different tang, Marjorie thought, but wasn’t completely ruined. She made a mental note to throw that jar away, judging by the fusty taste it must by months out of date. She heard the front door open and the sound of six pairs of boots in the hall.
Marjorie gasped as Sophia raised the wooden spoon to her lips.
“We’d better start dishing up Sophia”. She said. “Take Percy out of the way”.
“Aunt Sophia stop!”. She shrieked. But it was too late, Sophia slurped down the casserole greedily.
And it was probably for the best that neither lady noticed the seal on the lid of the parsley jar. It had never once been opened.
“Mmm, just what it needed”. She licked her lips, then
By Jackie Brewster
BUCKINGHAM HOUSE LUXURY CARE HOME Gerrards Cross
Happy New Year From Everyone at
Buckingham House Care Home
Off Oxford Road, Gerrards Cross Buckinghamshire SL9 7DP The home provides five-star accommodation for 53 residents each room is en-suite and decorated to a luxurious hotel standard. Buckingham House also boasts a café, 2 dining rooms and a hair and beauty salon, amongst its outstanding facilities.
Tel: 01753 468200 Email: buckingham.house@mmcg.co.uk Web: www.mmcgcarehomes.co.uk Nursing Care
Residential Care
Dementia Care
Day Care
Respite Care
Palliative Care
Cake
and Bake
Plum and Almond Tart Served with thick cream, custard or ice cream, this tart makes a delicious warming winter pud. You can use other fruits if plums are not available –try chunks of apples or pears or Armagnacsoaked prunes for a special occasion.
Ingredients: • 175g self-raising flour • 100g unsalted butter, chilled and diced • 50g ground almonds • 3 tbsp caster sugar • 1 small egg, beaten • 50g natural marzipan, chilled and grated • 4 large plums, stones removed and quartered • 2 tbsp flaked almonds, roughly chopped • 2 tbsp Demerara sugar
TIP
If you don’t have an oblong shaped flan tin use a 20cm round loose-based fluted flan tin instead.
Serves 6 Ready in 1 ¼ hours, plus chilling
1. Sift the flour into a bowl, add the diced butter and, using your fingertips, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the ground almonds. Remove � of the mixture and chill in the fridge. 2. Add the caster sugar and beaten egg to the remaining mixture and mix to a soft, slightly sticky dough. Using floured hands press the dough into the base and up the sides of a 28 x 10cm oblong loose-based flan tin (see tip). Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. 3. Preheat the oven to 180C, 350F, Gas Mark 4. Scatter the grated marzipan in the chilled flan case and top with the plum quarters (skin side up). Stir the flaked almonds and Demerara sugar into the reserved breadcrumb mixture and scatter over the plums. 4. Bake the tart in the preheated oven for 4045 minutes, or until crisp and deep golden brown. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Remove the tart from the tin and slice and serve.
To make a booking or place an order Sunday Buffet Now Available All Day until 10pm only £7.95 per for home delivery call 01895 239503 person and £4.50 for children under 12
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09/12/2014 17:41:05
RCHS...FP (Jan15)_Layout 1 18/12/2014 18:54 Page 1
RCHS 75 YEARS ON! I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas and would like to wish you all a very happy and successful horticultural 2015. As promised, this month we are going to give you some history of the Ruislip Central Horticultural Society, and inform you of events taking place this year. All details are available as always on our website, www.ruisliphorticultural.org.uk. Here is Viv Ash, the Chairman of the RCHS to give some in-depth detail about our History and events. The History of the Ruislip Central Horticultural Society The RCHS was formed in 1940, and was initially called the Ruislip Central Allotments and Garden Society. This was probably in answer to the ‘Dig for Victory’ campaign to encourage people to grow their own food during the Second World War. From that date, Shows were held in the Great Barn Ruislip, which incidentally is the oldest Barn in the UK dating back to the 1300’s. Talks were held in the Stables and there was a Gardening Trading Centre (shop for members) open on Saturdays, in the Cow Byre (which was where the café now is behind the Barn). Part of the RCHS is a Cactus section, the inaugural meeting of the Cactus Section was held on 28th May, 1951 and they held their talks in the hut in the car park (called the Manor Farm Hall) these talks continue to this day. In 1976 the Cow Byre burnt down (hence our logo for many years was a phoenix rising from the ashes.) The then Mayor of Hillingdon, George Booth, who was a keen gardener, negotiated with the Council to rent two outhouses in the Barn complex. On the right of the Barn entrance we opened the shop, and on the left a storage unit for supplies and equipment. This Trading Shop was very successful and made a profit to cover the rent of the Barn for the three shows. It was manned by a team of volunteer members and was an ideal meeting place to chat and get advice and tips on gardening. In 2005, the Great Barn had a make-over with lottery money, so for three years we moved our shows across the road to the Youth Centre. This venue was lighter however, it did not have the ambience of the Great Barn. In 2008, we moved back to having our 3 shows in the Great Barn, however due to the renovation project, unfortunately we lost our Trading Centre and to this day members miss not having the shop to visit.
We have three shows annually which are very well attended by the general public, we have approximately 150-200 visitors come into the Barn at each showtime to see the fantastic exhibits that our members exhibit. The Spring show is usually at the end of March, exhibiting Daffodils and other Spring delights. Summer is usually middle of June to show Roses, and our Autumn show is usually at the beginning of September featuring some fantastic Dahlias and many other items. All shows have a General Floral section, Cactus section, Handicrafts, Photography, Floral Art, Domestic, Fruit and Vegetable, and a Children’s section. Willing helpers set up the show by 9am on the Saturday where members ‘stage’ their entries from 9-11am, judging then takes place until 1pm. The doors are then opened to the public. The entrance is free with refreshments on sale. Presentation of prizes commences at 4pm. Thinking of becoming a RCHS member? Why not come along to see a show, you may realise you have equally as good flowers in your garden as on the Show Bench. Or join the Society, enter a Show next time and win a Novice Cup! That's how we all got started and then you are hooked! As I mentioned we no longer have a Trading Centre but we have a reciprocal arrangement with the Eastcote Horticultural Society so that members can go to their shop on a Sunday morning to purchase supplies and plants and bulbs. Our membership fee is a small £5 per year per household. The Society has six talks a year, many with plants for sale. Plus the AGM in February where we offer refreshments. We have a very successful Fish & Chip Supper Quiz in October where we have over 100 people come, tickets sell very quickly! So come and join us and meet like-minded people for conversation and advice. In May this year we are presenting an evening with horticulturist and TV Presenter, Christine Walkden. Tickets are on sale already, so if you would like to come along please see the website for details or call Warren on 01923 451616. Come and join us for a social evening, become a member and enjoy free refreshments and drinks at the AGM on February 17th, 2015 at St Lawrence Church Hall, Eastcote at 7.30pm. We look forward to seeing you there.
Warren
Please complete and send a CHEQUE MADE PAYABLE TO R.C.H.S for £5 with a SAE to: Membership Secretary, 21 Courtland’s Close, Ruislip, Middlesex, HA4 8AX. Name:
Application for ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP 2015
Address: Postcode:
Telephone number (Optional):
Email address (Essential): Have you been a member previously? YES / NO
Hobbies Time To Pick Up A Paintbrush
By Kate McLelland
As I walked along the banks of our local river on a Sunday afternoon not so long ago, I noticed two artists, dabbing away at their canvasses with rapt concentration. The object of their attention was a picturesque old water mill, and as I passed each painter I couldn’t resist sneaking a look at their easels to see what they had done. While I have to admit that neither of them was a budding John Constable, I felt huge admiration for their attempts to capture the lovely rural scene in front of them, using nothing more than a brush and several crumpled tubes of acrylic paint. As children we are all happy to draw and paint but as we grow older we often lose confidence in our abilities. School is not the easiest environment in which to develop creative talent, so it’s not surprising that many of us abandon Art as a subject in our mid-teens. It’s encouraging to learn, however, that
art gallery visitor numbers have massively increased in recent years and this seems to have inspired more people to revisit their artistic skills as adults. Once you have decided to have a go at painting, the first step is to choose the type of paint and brushes you will use. Do you want to create delicate watercolours or big, bold canvases? Do you admire artists who paint with photographic attention to detail or do you prefer abstract art, where the paint can be randomly poured, splashed or dripped onto canvas to create bold shapes and patterns? We’ve all used watercolour paints when young, so many people find it natural to return to that medium as adults. Watercolours may be versatile and easy to apply, but don’t expect instant results: you’ll need to spend time learning and practising the necessary techniques, otherwise your paintings may bear an unfortunate resemblance to the artwork you created back in Class 9C! Acrylic paints are similar to oil paints but easier to use: your work will dry faster and you
won’t need to use solvents to clean your brushes. Acrylics can be mixed with water, so you can either paint with intense colour or dilute the pigment to produce transparent washes. This medium also dries to a robust finish: acrylic paintings can be safely rolled up without the risk of cracking. Oil paints allow you to create wonderfully expressive images, but using oils can be a challenge for a beginner as you will need to dilute the paint with thinners (white spirit or turpentine) as well as adding a medium, such as linseed or poppy oil, to bind the pigments in the paint and help with the drying process. An oil painting should be built up in layers, using different types of brushes or palette knives to create textures and effects, but you must allow time for the layers to dry: it can sometimes take up to five days for this process and during that period you will be unable to work on the canvas. Fortunately you can now buy specially made fast-drying oils that will be touch dry in 24 hours or less. A basic palette of colours should include cadmium
yellow, yellow ochre, cadmium red, alizarin crimson, ultramarine blue, titanium white and mars black. All other colours – such as brown, purple and green – can be mixed from those shades. You will find that you use proportionately more white and black paint, so it’s sensible to buy larger quantities at the outset to avoid running out.
Make sure you have a variety of brushes available: round brushes are excellent for control and accuracy while flat brushes are great for edging and filling in areas. There are some useful online tutorials to help you develop your skills using water paints, acrylics and oils: www. wikihow.com has great stepby-step illustrated guides to
get you started. Alternatively you could get face-to-face tuition at an adult education institute (your local library will carry a list of courses). If you fancy getting away from it all to try out your skills, you can search for painting holidays at www.artcourses.co.uk. Paints and brushes can be costly. If you are a beginner you may be reluctant to spend a lot of money on materials and equipment so it’s worth checking out Ebay or local boot fairs to see if you can pick up a bargain lot. If you can’t afford to purchase a raw canvas, buy a secondhand block print in a charity shop, paint over the existing image with a plain colour then create your masterpiece. Paying charity shop prices means you don’t have to worry if your artwork doesn’t
make it to Tate Modern!
When you first start to paint the important thing is not to set unrealistic goals for yourself. It may be years before you feel confident enough to hang your work in a room, but that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying the process. Follow the example of those riverside artists and make fun and relaxation your primary reason for picking up a paintbrush. If all else fails, it’s a great way to attract attention on a Sunday afternoon!
Working From Home: Is It For You? Seven Key Success Factors
Do a search on Google for the specific term “work from home UK” and it will return around 857 million results. It’s clearly a popular subject and since broadband became widely available in 2004, the growth in this market has been phenomenal. Indeed it is estimated that 2.8 million businesses now operate full time from home; that 1400 people start a business every week; and that home businesses contribute £284 billion to the economy each year. Many businesses operate successfully from a spare room; but sadly too many others fail. So before you take the plunge and give up the day job, consider if your business passes these sanity checks. Don’t overestimate the growth All businesses start from £0 revenue, and most from a negative figure by the time they’ve paid their startup costs. You might have a startup fund from redundancy or inheritance, or you might actually need the money straight away. Setting up your own business is hard work so make sure it’s going to return a profit before your personal costs overtake you.
Watch your overheads Overheads have to be paid regardless of whether you have any business. If you are paying for stock, leases, loans, equipment rental or staff before you really need to, you can easily find you are working for nothing.
When you get the first few people buying from you, the ideal business model says that sooner or later they’ll want to use you again. For your work from home ’lifestyle’ business, it’s best to have some customers who come back again and again.
Is there a market for what you want to sell? A classic mistake is to think ‘there must be a huge market for this because nobody else does it/makes it’. Possibly, but it’s more likely that there isn’t a demand in the first place. For your first business you really are better to go into a market where you know money is being spent rather than trying to create the market from scratch.
How will people find out about you? Treat this as a launch and do as much initial marketing as you can find the time for and can afford. Advertising in this magazine (of course!), notice boards, Google adwords, social media, emailing, networking, the school gates… anything and everything you can think of.
How many customers do you need? There are so many tales of people who start a business, win one big profitable customer who brings in 80% of the revenue month after month, only for it to go horribly wrong when the big customer changes supplier. Far better to have lots of customers on your list. If you have fifty customers, even a loss of five of them won’t seriously impact you. Will your customers buy again?
Do you have the space? Try not to let your business spill into the general living space. Not only is this encroaching on your family’s home, but it’ll mean you’ll feel you can’t ever get away from work. A spare room is ideal of course, but if not, then a filing cabinet where you can tuck everything away at the end of the day does at least mark out the boundaries. Finally, a word of warning. If you do start your own business, it’s a legal requirement to register with HMRC as self-employed – make it top of your action list.
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Beauty
Look Younger for Longer - Look after Your Neck and Hands
dehydrated. So given that, it’s as important to moisturise your neck as your face, and to extend the application of your daily sunscreen to this area too. Remember to exfoliate your skin regularly - both on your face and neck - as this removes dead skin cells, brightens your skin and improves absorption of your moisturiser. On the subject of daily routines, whilst a regular moisturiser is fine for those looking to prevent rather than cure, if your neck is already heavily lined, you’ll need something stronger. Furthermore your neck requires a different formulation to reverse the signs of ageing than your face, so it’s important to use products specifically designed for the neck, which are generally more concentrated and powerful.
When it comes to looking younger, we all seem to focus our attention on our face yet overlook our neck and hands, even though it’s these areas that tend to age the fastest. So it’s time to start taking notice of these neglected areas to ensure that you look younger for longer. Your Neck
The skin on your neck is thin compared to the rest of the body, it also has fewer oil glands and can easily become
Eating a healthy diet is key to looking younger too, as foods rich in anti-oxidants and Omega3 acids have been shown to help skin rejuvenation by boosting collagen production - something that declines as we age.
N
Smoking is not only bad for your health, but it damages collagen and the constant squinting and lip pursing whilst smoking causes lines to form quickly. It’s no surprise then, that the delicate skin under your chin is damaged as a result.
Your Hands
They say that you can tell a women’s age by her hands, so it really is important to look after
A5
yours.
hands are submerged in water; always keep a pair of rubber gloves nearby.
cuticle oil every night. Use a strengthening treatment to help protect your nails from the elements and to give them extra strength. And for a real treat, head to the beauty salon and get a manicure. You’ll feel a lot more enthused about keeping your professionally pampered hands in tip-top condition when they’re looking gorgeous. By Helen Taylor
Winter weather, central heating, contact with water and the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers all serve to dry out the skin, making your hands look older than they are and feel rough to the touch.
If the skin on your hands is suffering you can be sure that your nails will be too. Nails need extra attention during the winter months and if they are dry, peeling and brittle this is a sign that you need to treat your talons to some serious TLC. Limit the exposure your hands and nails have to the elements by always wearing gloves whenever you step outside in cold weather. The same goes for washing up or any activity where your
Invest in a pair of moisture gloves. Apply an intensive hand cream every night, before bed, and then put the moisture gloves on overnight. You’ll wake up with beautifully soft hands in the morning.
Each time you wash your hands, dry them thoroughly and then apply a hand and nail cream - same goes for when you have used a hand sanitizer. Make sure you rub the product in thoroughly and don’t forget to coat your cuticles and nails too. Keep your nails long and strong by applying
The Truly ‘Green’ Garden Well, it’s time to say good-bye to the year 2014 as 2015 is well and truly upon us. This is the month when it is really worth spending a bit more time than usual thinking about the year just gone and the one ahead. What are you going to do in your garden in the year ahead, what plans and dreams do you have? What changes would you like to make? There are so many ways in which you can plot and scheme about all that your garden could have to offer in 2015, but there’s one thing I would ask you to consider: take the plunge, ring the changes and ‘Go Organic’, More and more gardeners have decided that they really want their gardens to be pesticide free zones, concentrating on natural methods of pest control, good gardening and the use of natural fertilising materials rather than chemical feeds. And they do it because it works and makes life so much better for the other less powerful creatures and plants we share our space with. Since we moved to our Hampshire garden nearly
twenty years ago, I have kept it completely organic and believe me, it really is not difficult. Weed control can certainly be harder as there is no resorting to herbicides such as glyphosate, but if your garden has been looked after and doesn’t have too many persistent weeds, even that should not be too difficult. If you do have an existing problem then make weeding a regular part of your gardening time and you’ll be pleasantly surprised how speedily you start to get on top of it, and maybe even feel the need to spend less time in the gym and more time out in the fresh year getting a seriously natural and healthy work out completely free of charge. The rest is easy! True, organic gardening does take a bit more planning and forethought than gardening that is reliant on an armoury of chemicals. If you grow vegetables you will need to ensure that you rotate your crops. Just approximately divide the space you have into three or four chunks and then ensure that each year you grow related crops together
by Pippa Greenwood and then the following year, each group of crops are moved in to a new plot. It also pays to ensure that you really do garden as ‘well’ as you can, avoiding too many short cuts and taking the plant’s health and vigour as a prime consideration. In any part of the garden you need to try to choose plants that really are suited to the site as those grown in unsuitable conditions will struggle and be more prone to disease and pest attack. Don’t forget the old gardening adage, ‘Right Plant, Right Place’. Regular patrols to find problems, so that they can be caught at the early stages and dealt with promptly, mean fewer problems in the longterm and should ensure that you catch an infestation of pests or a disease outbreak before it gets too bad. Often picking off pests or badly infested or infected leaves can be sufficient to prevent a problem developing. Sprays of certain kinds are ‘allowed’ (those based on soft soap to control certain pests, copper based fungicides to
control diseases etc) but most organic gardeners prefer to avoid them altogether. But they are there if you need them, although I find no need for them.
– to keep vine weevils and slugs at bay in the garden, to stop ants driving you insane, to sort out pesky caterpillars and to make your lawn free from leatherjackets, plus a whole range of controls to stop greenhouse pests such as red spider mite, whitefly and mealy bugs.
spraying equipment, and of course you won’t need to spend time applying the sprays. The choice is up to you, but I strongly recommend it, for a whole host of reasons, only some of which I have mentioned here.
Barriers and traps are really useful – I am a great fan of horticultural fleece. Placed over a crop such as calabrese from the moment you plant it out, you should be able to ward off all the common pests including caterpillars, cabbage root fly and aphids. Traps such as submerged beakers of old beer or milk to catch slugs, sticky yellow cards to trap flying pests, all work well. And where would I be without sticky backed copper tape and copper rings to keep my veg crops slug free? Of course for many pests there are also biological controls available
Keeping the soil in good condition is a must and if you don’t already have a compost bin or heap, get on and make or buy one straight away. Garden compost is a fabulous soil conditioner and is packed full of nutrients…..all at little or no cost. Some of these things will add to your gardening budget, but remember that you will not need to spend your hard earned cash on chemical fertilisers, pesticides or
Visit Pippa’s website www. pippagreenwood.com and make veg growing easy with ‘Grow Your Own with Pippa Greenwood’ – Pippa sends your chosen veg plants to you at a perfect time for planting and each week emails advice and tips for getting the best results; plus lots of great barriers and biological controls.
The third generation of Audi’s fast becoming iconic TT has just landed and everybody knows about it thanks to the truly spec tacular TV ad, which is designed to appeal to the 8 year old boy who lurks inside every car ob sessed man. The original TT arrived back in 1998 and caused an immediate splash thanks to its ultrastylish looks, strong performance and legendary VW build quality.
This latest version is instantly recognisable as a TT; the di mensions, proportions and styl ing cues are nearly identical to the original car but it has been subtly updated and looks as sharp as a Paul Smith suit. The changes are most obvious from the front – I love the razor sharp headlights, angular grill and the cooling vents that would be right at home on a Lamborghini. But, actually, it is when you climb inside that the new TT really bowls you over completely; the interior is simply a wonderful place to be. The air vents look like the turbofan of a Rolls Royce jet engine and the steer ing wheel could have come from a Le Mans racer, but the multi
media display where the instru ment binnacle should be is the real star of the show. You can change the display from classic view with prominent speedo and rev counter to something straight out the Starship Enter prise and every piece of infor mation you could possibly desire is available in one place. As you would expect from Audi, the fit and finish of every last bit of plastic is absolutely perfect. At the moment there are just two engines available, a 2 litre TFSI petrol with 227bhp and a similar capacity diesel with 182bhp that is also astonishingly frugal. A blisteringly fast 305bhp TTS version arrives next year. The TFSI is good for 062 in 6 sec onds dead with a top whack of 155mph, more than adequate for most people’s needs. The power goes to the front wheels as standard or Audi’s excellent Quattro 4 wheel drive system is available as a cost option. A slick 6 speed manual gearbox is also standard, with the lighten ing quick flappy paddle version again bumping up the price by some margin. From the outset, motoring jour nalists have criticised the han dling of the TT as uninvolving, probably because of the front wheel drive. For this third gen eration model, the body has lashings of aluminium used in its construction, making it lighter and more rigid than ever before. The steering has been replaced with a setup that is even more
direct, remarkably precise and provides masses of feedback. A Drive Select system comes as standard and offers a Sport mode that firms up the suspen sion and sharpens the throttle response to racing car levels. Despite all this, some journalists still carp on that it’s not as good as a Porsche. Maybe so, but, take it from me, if you want to drive very fast around corners without having to worry about dying in a ball of flaming wreck age, this is the car for you. That traditional Audi Achilles heel, an overly firm ride, is still present but to a lesser extent. The base spec model that I drove is posi tively comfortable, though the S Line version with 19” wheels still hammers over every bump and pothole. One change that won’t be so welcome is the price list. The entry level model comes in at just under £30,000 on the road, £4,000 more than the previous model, and you don’t have to tick many boxes on the options list to push that up towards £35k. On the plus side, the new TT comes very well equipped as standard. Even so, for a car with such stunning looks, potent performance, excellent build quality and that wonderful inte rior, it seems like pretty good value for money. Form an or derly queue please.
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holidays
In and Around
QUOTE: RF-IA
RIVIERA OF FLOWERS MONACO & PORTOFINO
Free Drinks
Champagne Check-in
Escorted Holiday by Rail - afternoon departures EXCURSIONS INCLUDED 8 days, semi all inclusive, from £849pp Departures: 13 Apr, 1 & 30 May, 6 Jun, 19 & 25 Sept & 1 Oct, 2015 This super holiday, taking in the French & Italian Rivieras, starts with a glass of Bubbly at St Pancras famous Champagne Bar before an afternoon departure on Eurostar to Lille or Paris. After an overnight stay, we continue by high-speed train to Nice then to Diano Marina on Italy’s Riviera of Flowers, our base for this holiday. Enjoy free drinks every night at the hotel and excursions to Monaco, Eze, Portofino & Dolceacqua.
INCLUDED: Escorted throughout • Champagne Check-in at London St Pancras • Return rail travel from St Pancras (from Ebbsfleet on request) to Nice • 1 night hotel B&B in Paris or Lille • 6 nights in Diano Marina or similar - half board PLuS free drinks 6pm to 11pm every night • All excursions • Transfers abroad
Call 01895 83 33 33 for bookings and information
I
G
i
A
QUOTE: DG-IA
Holidays offered by GN Holidays & Voyages Higher Denham ABTA NoY0291 •ATOL 9362
info@gnholidays.com www.gnholidays.com Open 9am to 5.30pm weekdays 9.30am to 12.30pm Saturdays closed Bank Holidays
RIVERS, BOATS & TRAINS OF THE DORDOGNE Escorted Holiday by Rail 6 days half board, from £599pp 23 April, 16 July & 3 September, 2015 In the heart of France, the Dordogne region has so much to offer with a stunning scenic railway, picturesque castles, beautiful rivers, and medieval hilltop towns. We stay in the centre of the famous town of Perigueux, and include excursions taking-in: Rocamadour, perched on a hilltop overlooking the Dordogne river; the picturesque Truffadou railway; the beautiful village of La Roque Gageac with a cruise on the Dordogne on a traditional flat bottomed boat; and Le Gouffre de Padirac to visit the stunning underground caves.
EXCURSIONS INCLUDED INCLUDED: Escorted throughout • Return rail travel from London St Pancras (from Ebbsfleet on request) to Limoges • 5 nights half-board stay at a 3 star hotel in Perigueux • Excursions • Transfers abroad
I
f
o
•
A
Coach Breaks departing from uxbridge, Ruislip & Slough QUOTE: CS2-IA
Warner Leisure Hotels
ENGLAND’S GREATEST SNOWDROP
OVER 40S ONLY
FREE DRINKS
QUOTE: CW2-IA
GARDEN & AFTERNOON TEA AT
SWINGING SIXTIES SEASIDE PARTY AT WARNER CORTON,
MARCO PIERRE WHITE’S FROGMILL INN
SUFFOLK COAST
Great Day Out, £79pp
4 Days Half Board + Free Drinks, £259pp
Departs Monday 16 February, 2015
Departs Friday 6 February, 2015
INCLUDED: Visit to Colesbourne Park Garden, Gloucestershire, including entry • Afternoon tea, including a glass of Prosecco, at the Frogmill Inn, Andoversford • Return coach travel
INCLUDED: Free Bar from 6pm to midnight every night for house beers & spirits, wine by the glass, pumped soft drinks & mixers • Entertainment from The Fortunes, union Gap and a tribute to Frankie Valli • 3 dinners & 3 breakfasts • 3 nights en-suite chalet - upgrades available from £284pp • Coach travel & excursions
QUOTE: TD3-IA
A
QUOTE: EA3-IA
THRIPLOW DAFFODIL FESTIVAL & LUNCH AT A COUNTRY PUB
EASTBOURNE & SOUTH COAST EXPLORER
Great Day Out, £69pp
5 Days Half Board, £229pp
Departs Saturday 21 March, 2015
Departs Monday 23 March, 2015
INCLUDED: Visit to Thriplow Village for the Daffodil
INCLUDED: 4 nights stay at the Shoreview Hotel on
festival • 2-course hot & cold buffet lunch with a glass
Eastbourne seafront • 4 dinners and 4 breakfasts
of wine at the White Horse Hotel, Hertingfordbury
• Visits to Arundel and Brighton • Coach travel and
• Return coach travel
excursions
Karen Munro Careers (Jan15)_Layout 1 17/12/2014 11:35 Page 1
Karen Munro - Career Coach
www.munrocareers.co.uk #@munrocareers www.facebook.com/munrocareers Karen is a professional Career Coach providing individual support in all aspects of Career Development including effective CV Coaching and Interview Skills Techniques, Networking and successful job searching. A member of the Career Development Institute and registered with the Careers Professional Alliance, a qualified Careers Practitioner and Trainer, she works with both private and business clients around 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 employment. Karen writes for a number of careers focussed and military resettlement magazines and regularly contributes to ‘In and Around’ sharing her practical experience with her local community. JANUARY is a great time for reflection on the year that has passed. However, it can also be a time to look back with regret about the things you haven't been able to accomplish or achieve and can it can become a difficult time of year for many of us. However, January should be a time to embrace where you are right now. Remember how you got here. Was it through hard work, talent, good or bad luck, playing it safe or perhaps from taking risks? Chances are, it was a bit of everything and it's important to recognise that everything you did had a consequence it got you to where you are right now. It's important to take responsibility for your actions and to learn from any mistakes.
Improving your job may be about a range of things from changing your attitude to work, approaching things differently as well as taking on additional responsibilities to make your job more enjoyable. Remember, "If you love your job, you'll never work another day in your life." If you're looking for a new job, embrace it as a new challenge and use everything you've learnt about yourself over the last 12 months to help define your new job search. Finally, you might not want just a new job, you might want a complete career change. Perhaps the one thing your learnt about yourself over the last 12 months was that you don't actually want to do the same job any more. Changing your career can feel like a huge hurdle and most people will think about it, perhaps even talk about it but will find it more challenging to actually make it happen. Change takes time and passion.
What did you learn about about yourself last year? How can you use it to improve your focus for the year ahead?
Time? Because in order to achieve it you need to map out a path towards your goal and start to break down the steps you need to take to get you there.
January is notorious for being the month when people make a concerted effort to improve things, do things differently or even change direction.
Passion? Because if you really want to take that journey and change your career you have to be passionate about what you want to achieve.
You may be looking to improve your current job, get a promotion or even get a new job.
Wishing all my readers and followers a very happy and prosperous 2015.
Making peace with the past can help you embrace your future.
Karen
“unlocking your career potential”
Drop A Dress Size Digitally!
It’s that time of year again: everybody’s on a diet and the gyms are packed with people whose memberships will last much longer than their willpower. But there’s no need to take extreme measures if you overdid it a bit at Christmas: a few well-chosen gadgets can make losing weight much easier.
The trick to weight loss is to make little, permanent changes. For example, using an oil mister (from around £9) reduces the amount of oil you use in cooking while a set of measuring spoons and a digital scale can ensure you’re not putting too much of any ingredient into your food. If you can’t bear to give up fried food, go for a low-fat fryer such as Breville’s Halo Health Fryer (£79.99) or Tefal’s ActiFry (£119) which will mean you get all the taste with a fraction of the fat. Gadgets can help you cook healthy meals in other ways, too: if you have a smartphone, an iPod touch or a tablet you can take advantage of stacks of cooking apps ranging from celebrity chefs’ apps to specialist apps such as the British Heart Foundation’s Healthy Heart Recipe Finder, which is free on both iOS
and Android. We’d also recommend using a recipe manager such as the fantastic Paprika app to store any good healthy recipes you find online from the likes of the BBC Good Food website. No weight loss programme comes without the recommendation to exercise more, and there are plenty of gadgets designed to help with that too. Fitness trackers can keep an eye on how many steps you take and calories you burn, with devices such as the Fitbit Surge smartwatch (£199) and Fitbit Charge activity tracker (£99) and Nike’s Fuelband (£89) making it easy to track your progress. If you have an iPhone, Nike’s device also enables you to share your progress with friends in private groups. There’s a huge trend for health monitoring in smartphones, with both Google’s Android and Apple’s iPhones offering health tracking apps. In both cases the apps can talk to other devices such as fitness trackers, and there are plenty of third-party apps for recording your food intake, the workouts you do in the gym or anything else you might want to track and record.
How can you tell if your new regime is working? While it’s tempting to climb on the scales every day that’s a bad idea, because our body weight fluctuates quite dramatically from day to day. It’s better to track the longer term trend, and once again technology can help with that: smart scales such as Withings’ wireless scales (from around £80) can help you track your weight loss by storing over 100 readings. The scales are also compatible with smartphones, which can take the readings and turn them into inspiring and motivational graphs. If you really want to see what’s happening to your body, gadgets such as Omron’s Body Logic Fat Analyser (£74) can tell you how much muscle you have, how hydrated you are and how much fat you’re carrying. That’s useful if you’re working out as well as eating well, because muscle weighs more than fat - so your weight might not change but your body composition will. Images left to right: Prepara Tabletop Oil Mister Spray Bottle; Breville Halo Health Fryer; Fitbit Charge and Surge fitness trackers; Omron Body Logic Fat Analyzer
RUISLIP What's On... (Dec14)_Layout 1 28/11/2014 12:23 Page 1
REGULAR & LOCAL EVENTS...
Quiz Night Every Tues & Sunday from 8.30pm at the Coach & Horses, Ickenham
Oaken Leaves English Folk Dance Club Meet every Thursday 8.15-10pm at Methodist Church Hall, Ickenham Road, Ruislip. Beginners welcome call Joan 01895 638008. Events at Eastcote Royal British Legion club, Southbourne Gardens Zumba Tue & Wed 7-8pm £5. Contact Hayley 07835 120642 or email: hayleyzumba@gmail.com Karate for all levels, beginners welcome contact Frank on 078335 33569 Sats 10am and Mons 6.30pm Weekly Quiz Night ! Every Thurs. COMEDY... Comedy Bunker Ruislip Golf Centre Ickenham Road Ruislip HA4 7DQ for more details of visit: www.comedybunker.co.uk Comedy Nights The Empire Comedy Club at The White Bear, Ickenham Road HA4 7DF every Thurs night. Pete 01895 675293 HOBBIES... Brushstrokes Art Classes with Sue Friendly weekly classes with tuition. Beginners welcome. Hayes, Ickenham & Ruislip. Ring Sue 01895 639294 or 07949 805246 Chiltern Aviation Society Meets every 4th Wednesday, Ruislip Methodist Church, Ickenham Road. Call Keith Hayward 01895 637872 Harrow & Hillingdon Geological Society Meet for lectures at 7.30 for 8pm on the second Wed of each month at Cavendish Pavilion, Field End Road, Eastcote, HA4 9PG. All welcome, visitors £3. Refreshments available. For details contact: Jean Sippy, Secretary Tel: 020 8422 1859 www.hhgs.org.uk Hillingdon Arts & Crafts Club Meet every 2nd Friday in The Parlour at the URC Church in Swakeleys Road from 9.45-11.30am. £3pp. Call Sue Williams 07799 054444.
Hillingdon Decorative & Fine Arts Society Enjoy ten expert lectures a year about art and culture from around Britain and further afield. Join outings to galleries and places of cultural interest. Attend special interest study days. Come along to a lecture, cost £6.00. See www.hillingdondfas.co.uk. Tel:01895 635007 or 07526 179 529 E: technical@hillingdondfas.co.uk Hillingdon Family History Society At Hillingdon Park Baptist Church, Hercies Road, Hillingdon. Research room is open (10am-1pm) on the first Saturday of the month and on every Friday (except the Fri before the first Sat). Experienced help available. See www.hfhs.co.uk or contact Mrs Pat Reynolds 01895 444442 e: hillingdonfhs@onetel.com
Inland Waterways Association Meet 2nd Tues of every month at Hillingdon Canal Club, Waterloo Road, Uxbridge, UB8 2QX, 7.30pm. middlesex.social@waterways.org.uk Ruislip, Northwood & Eastcote Local History Society The Society meets on the third Monday of the month from September to April at St Martin's Church Hall, Ruislip High Street, at 8.15pm. See RNELHS website for details. Susan Toms, 01895 637134 or e: toms.susan@gmail.com Ruislip & District Natural History Society Meet last Monday of the month from Sept to April (except Dec) in Guide Hut near Ruislip Library. Contact: John Matthews 01895 636215. Ruislip Central Horticultural Society Talks and advice for local gardeners , new members welcome. for more info call Warren Reeves on01923 451616 or email rchstalks@gmail.com Ruislip & Northwood Flower Arrangement Society Meet every 1st Tues of the month at the Northwood & Pinner Liberal Synagogue, Oaklands Gate, Northwood HA6 3AA The Language Clubs of Hillingdon From late Sept until mid-July. Visitors welcome. Speak some German,
Spanish, French or Italian? Want to practise speaking and listening in friendly groups, with recent learners, improvers & native speakers? Join a Language Club! Each Club meets on a different Thursday of the month at 7.45pm in St Giles' Church Hall, Swakeleys Road, Ickenham UB10 8BG. For details: German Club 01895 254 723; Italian Club 020 8863 3468; Spanish Club and French Club 01895 253 472. Uxbridge & Ickenham Floral Art Society Meets in the village hall, Swakeleys Road. Call 01895 850943 for details. KEEP-FIT, DANCE & DRAMA... Aikido Classes Yeading Community Centre, UB4 9BH. Seniors: Mon & Fri 8-10pm. Juniors (6yrs+) Fri 6.30-8pm. Learn a non competitive martial art. Friendly British Aikido Board registered club, under Sensei Sheppard 6th dan. Full information on www.kuraiaikido.co.uk. Contact Keith Holland 01895 636344 or email kuraiaikido@hotmail.com Argosy Players Theatre Group Meets at Ruislip Conservative Club, Ickenham Road, West Ruislip. Every Thurs, 8pm. Call 07972 394702. Classical Pilates Mat classes for beginners through to advanced levels, based in Ruislip. Contact Tonja Osborn 07766 011036 or email TonjaOsborn@gmail.com Dance, Gymnastics and Free Running Classes By Futunity Uk in Uxbridge Town Centre & Hillingdon Sports & Leisure centre. Ages 2-adults catered for and all styles of dance from RAD ballet,to Zumba. Check out our website for full class listings www.futunityuk.com. Contact 01895 251224 or admin@futunityuk.com Eastcote Exercise Classes Metabolic workout class, 45 minute stretch class. Mon, Tues & Sat mornings. Contact Virginia King 01895 232551 or email virginiaking@vking2468.freeserve.co.uk continued overleaf...
What are the options for a parent who’s had a good career, is used to earning a good income but has chosen to give it up in order to have a family?
flexible, there’s no pressure and it’s very rewarding. To find out more, please call Leena on
Returning to their old career will bring demands, pressure and they’ll suffer the guilt of the working parent. In part time jobs the hourly rate is poor and paying for childcare during school holidays is expensive. There is a way of building a fulltime income around the family’s needs working with a family run global company in the booming health and nutritionprofession. It has the Investors In People Gold award for training and support, the work is totally
RUISLIP What's On... (Dec14)_Layout 1 28/11/2014 12:23 Page 2
KEEP-FIT, DANCE & DRAMA CONTINUED...
Empowering Yoga Fusion of Hatha & Vinyasa Yoga Wed 9.30-10.45am at Windmill Studio Centre, Ruislip Manor. Thur 9.30-11am at St Thomas More Church, Eastcote + classes in Harrow. Free Trial Class contact Joanne 0845 4561336 e:info@empoweringyoga.co.uk Fusion Pilates+ Classes Mon 10-11am, St Lawrence Church, 2 Bridle Road, Eastcote, HA5 2SJ and Wed 8:30-9:30pm, Cannon Lane Methodist Church, Pinner, HA5 1JD. Classes run throughout the year. For details contact Lenka 07929 472 194 or email rybickova.lenka@gmail.com Fitness League Tone & Stretch exercises for women of all fitness levels. Tues 7.30-8.30pm at Vyners School, Warren Road, Ickenham UB10 8AB. Call Rosemary 01628 776838. www.thefitnessleague.com Fitsteps An exercise class with a difference inspired by dances from Strictly Come Dancing. Every Monday 7-8pm. The Conservative Club, 56-58 Ickenham Road, Ruislip HA4 7DG. For more info Call Becca: 07860 353919 Glow Fitness, Food, Friends Classses: Ruislip 6-7.15pm at Field End Junior School, HA4 9PQ . Pinner 6.458pm at Cannon Lane Methodist Church HA5 1JD. Northwood 6-7.15pm at Hillside Junior School, Northwood Way HA6 1RX. Call Sam 01895 460766 or email: sam.simon@glow-fit.co.uk Images School of Dance Fun and friendly dance & drama classes for all ages including RAD Ballet & Contemporary dance. Based in Ruislip Manor. www.imagesschoolofdance.co.uk e: info@imagesschoolofdance.co.uk Irish Dancing Classes For boys and girls from age 5 upwards. Beginners and advanced classes available. Monday, 6pm at Hayes Conservative Club, Church Rd. Wednesday, 6pm at Greenford Visitation Catholic church hall. e: Deirdreosullivan@hotmail.co.uk t: 07956 346383
JAM2000 Performing Arts & Agency An explosive and exciting Performing Arts School. Classes available from 2.5 years to adults, male and female at The Windmill Studio Centre. T: 01895 624755 www.thewindmillstudio.com E: thewindmillstudio@gmail.com Jazzercise Dance fitness classes 9.30am and 10.30am every Wed at Ruislip Manor Sports & Social Club, Grosvenor Vale. Call Kelly on 07833 941497 Modern Jive Classes Mon 8-11pm at West Drayton Community Centre. Tues & Thurs 8-11pm at Uxbridge Civic Centre Beginners Welcome – First Night Entry & Free Lifetime membership with this listing. Contact Alan: 0208 933 4350 or 07860 250961 www.clubceroc.com email: alanandsue@clubceroc.com Passion Dance Group Based at Queensmead Sports Centre & Highgrove Pool. Classes include: Street Jazz, Ballet, Tap, Contemporary, Musical Theatre, Minie Me’z (3-6 years Ballet, Tap & Street), Kids Parties. We offer Shows, Workshops, Competitions and Assessments, Age 3+ all abilities welcome. Call 07882 413428 Pilates Certified Body Control Pilates Teacher (Registered Exercise Professional Level 3). Beginners matwork classes on Mondays & Thursdays at 1.30pm 2.30pm at the Stables, Manor Farm Ruislip and Monday 9am-10am at the Northwood Methodist Church. Local Beginners / Improvers evening classes starting January 2015. 07771 918240 Ruislip Dramatic Society Meets at South Ruislip Methodist Church. Mon 8pm & Thurs 8.15pm. Call 07854 284508.
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: 8.309.30pm. Freestyle dancing/practice time til 11pm
The Pilates Club St Giles & The United Reformed Church Halls, Ickenham. Call 07968 920070 www.thepilatesclub.co.uk Yoga South Ruislip Community Association pregnancy yoga classes 9.45-11.15am at Deane Park Hall, Long Drive, South Ruislip. Call Katja on 07951 763851 Yoga with Yolanda At Ickenham Village Hall every Monday from 6.45pm-8.15pm. Mixed group. For details call 07919 243648 MARKETS... Duck Pond Artisan Food & Craft Market and Farmers’ Market Artisan Market - on the 3rd Sunday of each month from 10am-3pm, Farmers’ Market - first Sunday of each month from 10am-2pm. Both at the Great Barn, Ruislip. Free parking. See www.duckpondmarket.co.uk Mad Cat Crafts Hand painted and decorated objects. Wed to Fri 10am-5pm; Sat 10am-4pm at the Great Barn, Ruislip HA4 7SU. www.madcatcrafts.co.uk Northwood Craft Market First Saturday of each month 10am-2pm, Methodist Church Hall, Oaklands Gate, Northwood. www.northwoodcraftmarket.co.uk Ruislip Country Market Every Fri 10-11.30am - car park at St Martins Approach, Ruislip. Fruit, veg, eggs, honey, hand made cards and jewellery, cakes, pies and more... MUSIC... Accord, Ruislip Community Choir Meet every Thursday evening in term time at 7.30pm at Ruislip Baptist Church, Manor Way, Ruislip. We have over 65 choir members, but will especially welcome new male choir members. No auditions! A great fun choir, if you try us you will want to stay! Call Chris on 07714 226216. Capital Connection Ladies Harmony Singing Every Wed evening at South Ruislip Community Centre, Deane Park, Long Drive, HA4 OHS. Call Jean on 01895 474877 www.capitalconnection.org.uk continued overleaf...
RUISLIP What's On... (Dec14)_Layout 1 28/11/2014 12:23 Page 3
MUSIC CONTINUED...
SOCIAL GROUPS...
SPORT...
Eastcote Choral Society Rehearses every Tuesday from 8-10pm at Ruislip Methodist Church, Ickenham Road. New singers welcome. Call 01895 904556.
Crosier Investment Club Learn about the Stock Market and improve personal investment skills. Meets 7.30pm, 3rd Thurs in month at Pinner Village Hall, Chapel Lane, Pinner HA5 1AA. 0208427 3559 e:secretary@crosierinvestment.org.uk w: www.crosierinvestment.org.uk
Back to Netball Thurs 7-8pm at Queensmead Sports Centre £3 per session for more info email sportsdev@hillingdon.gov.uk
Ruislip Operatic Society This local theatre group meets every Monday & Thursday at St Martin's Church Hall, 7.30pm. To get involved email: info@ruislipos.org The Harrow Apollo Male Choir Rehearse every Tues 7.30pm-10pm in the Belmont Room at the Harrow Arts Centre Hatch End. New members welcome. Tel: 020 8959 1244 or www.harrow-apollo-male.choir.org Top Jazz at The Fairway Ruislip Golf Centre, Ickenham Rd, West Ruislip. Normally 3rd Monday of the month. For details: 01895 632394 or www.jazzwestlondon.com PRE-SCHOOL & KIDS GROUPS... Sing & Sign Britain’s favourite Baby Signing Classes from 6 months Wed at Uxbridge Leisure Centre, Fri at The White Bear, Ruislip. FREE TASTERS BOOK NOW contact Cathy 07712 047621 or email: cathyseddigh@singandsign.co.uk SELF DEFENCE... 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 e: kuntao.matjan.uk@gmail.com. SELF HELP & SUPPORT... EAR4U Help, support and advice. Meets every Monday at the Orange Couch Café (formerly the D spot), Ruislip Manor from 10am-2pm. Call Ann on 07890 315156 or 01895 672706
We’re sure to have a club or event listed to suit you and your family!
Friends of Shenley Park Improving the wellbeing and maintenance of flower beds, shrubs and the new flower garden and seating area created last year, the group won a people’s choice grant. We are actively seeking volunteers to help with regular action days in the park. Anyone interested please contact Geoff 07931 561020 or Louise 07966 220995 Friendly Rubber Bridge Tuesdays & Fridays, 12noon-4pm at Pinner Bridge Club, 103 Marsh Road, Pinner. For info call Keith 01895 622033 Ruislip Afternoon Group for Women Meets 1st Thursday of every month. Talks, Lunches & outings. Methodist Church Hall, Ickenham Road 2-4pm. Call Mrs R Hall pm 01895 633782 Ruislip Common WI All ladies welcome. We meet on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, 2pm in Room 1, Methodist Church, Ickenham Road, Ruislip, HA4 7BZ. Visit: ruislipcommonwi.weebly.com Ruislip Social Club Tropic at Ruislip at Ruislip Social Club Grosvenor Vale Ruislip HA4 6JQ for Fridays and occasional other nights, live bands & tribute bands for more details visit www.tropicatruislip.co.uk contact and ticketline 0208 707 2256 Ruislip WI Fancy something different but not too taxing, yet fun? We meet every 1st Thursday of the month at Upper Room, GAA Sports & Social Club, West End Road, South Ruislip from 7.20pm10pm. Kim Murphy 07989 558925 email ruislipeveningwi@gmail.com Women’s Social Group Social group for women in West London. We meet regularly for coffee, a chat and organised trips and welcome women of all ages. Please call Seema on 07730 898635 or email seemaa@seemaa.co.uk
Badminton Club At St Pauls Church Hall, Tiverton Road, Ruislip Manor. Every Wednesday at 8pm and 10pm. Call Tony or Ann 01895 472578 Badminton Club Requires additional players of average standard! Every Tuesday evening 7.45 to 9.45 at Vyners School, Ickenham. Interested? Then email John on turksclub@hotmail.co.uk Badminton The Badminton Hall, Kings College Road, Ruislip HA4 7JZ. Tuesday from 10am. Call John 01895 630199 Bessingby Park Bowls Club Every Tues & Thurs, 2-4pm. Call Jack on 0208 845 1469. Bikewise Bike rides setting off from 61 Swakeleys Road. 2nd and 4th Sun of every month to various destinations. Email@bikewisegb.com or call 01895 675376. Bowls Deane Park Bowls Club, Bessingby Park, Ruislip. Call Mrs Lathwell on 01895 639489 Dads Army Golf Society Tuesdays & Thursdays at Ruislip Golf Club Come & Join Us!! for more info call Sid on 01895 631489 Ladies Badminton Club Thursday afternoons between 2pm and 4pm at Eastcote Hockey and Badminton Club, Kings College Road, Ruislip, HA4 7JZ. Call Diane on 01895 634352 Swakeleys Tennis Club Adult Social Tennis Club in Ickenham. Would suit people returning to tennis after a break, Four days a week all year. Contact Pam 01895 677149 or Ed 01895 635568 www.swakeleystennis.co.uk
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