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And a very Happy New Year to all of our read ers and advertisers. I hope you’ve had a lovely Christmas break and managed to spend time with friends and family. While you’re reading this, I will be sunning myself (weather allowing) or at the very least, drinking a cocktail or two in Spain. 2014 was a long and challenging year, and whilst we powered on enthusiastically, well most of the time anyway, I realised my head and body both needed a week’s break 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, I do think I’m a little more organised than usual and most of the present buying is not only out of the way, but wrapped as well. I’m feeling more than a little smug at this achievement, although it did come at a price. The price being sleep! I was ex changing emails with our Graphic Designer at 4am today and we joked about our new revela tion. Having been doing this now for almost nine years, we 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 :) I’m 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! .
Tel: 0800 038 5001 Mob: 07759 536494 In and Around Magazines cover: West Drayton . Iver . Denham . Uxbridge Ickenham . Ruislip Angela Fisher 0800 038 5001 / 07759 536494 info@inandaroundpublishing.co.uk
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Golden Years: Memories of 50 years ago Finance: The pros and cons of equity release RSPCA Re Homing Appeal
6 8 10
Road Test: Audi TT FFSI
12
Working From Home
16
Health: Bug Busting Day
20
Reader Travel Offers
22
Coffee Break Puzzles
24
Hobbies: Time to pick up a paint brush
28
Recipe: Passion Fruit Souffle
30
Beauty: Look younger for longer
32
Home & Interiors: Design a blissful bedroom
34
Local Events
36
Technology: Drop a dress size digitally
38
Pets Corner
40
Garden Feature
42
Clubs, Groups & Classes
44, 46 & 48
Wordsearch
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Puzzle Solutions
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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!
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
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
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 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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For more information on adopting please call And the many adorable rabbits at our Branch Re homing Centre, desperate to find loving homes, are no exception. Can you offer the care, attention and special love they deserve? All rabbits need a large hutch and exercise run, big enough for them to stretch out, run, play and keep themselves entertained. They also require cleaning out daily, a special diet to maintain fitness and health as well as lots of handling and attention, to keep them tame and friendly. Please only consider adopting a rabbit, if you have the time to keep their house clean and are willing to spend the time tak ing care of them. With animals of various ages, size, colour and personality available for adoption, we're sure we have to capture everyone's heart. A good home is more than just a hutch. Please help give our animals a future to look forward to.
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Join in the warehouse or online: www.costco.co.uk/membership The annual membership fee for Standard Trade Membership is £20 (plus VAT). Executive Trade Membership is an additional £30 (plus VAT) upgrade fee a year. Each membership includes a complimentary card for your spouse or domestic partner. The annual membership fee for Standard Individual Membership is £25 (plus VAT). Executive Individual Membership is an additional £30 (plus VAT) upgrade fee a year. Each membership includes a complimentary card for your spouse or domestic partner. Membership Criteria applies. Membership must be obtained before purchases can be made. Costco accepts cash, debit card, cheque or American Express
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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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Working From Home: Is It For You? Top 10 Things To Consider Before You Start 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, many businesses operate successfully from a spare room; sadly many others fail. So before you take the plunge and give up the day job, consider if your business passes these sanity checks.
Budget for growth
All businesses start from £0 revenue, and most from a negative figure by the time they’ve paid their startup costs. If your business builds up really slowly – say just a few £s every month – you’ll be bankrupt and fed up before it really gets going. You might have left a job
with a big redundancy payout or you might actually need the money straight away. But setting up your own business is hard work and if you can’t pay yourself for months, you are likely to become disillusioned.
Watch your overheads
Overheads have to be paid regardless of whether you have any business. If you are paying for stock, leases, loans or equipment rental you need to factor this into your monthly budget.
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 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 your business. However, clearly it’s going to take a while to build up a base of that many businesses.
Will your customers buy again?
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. There are plenty of people making money where they do have to start again e.g. conservatory sales companies attract very little repeat business, but each sale is very high value. However, for your work from home ’lifestyle’ business, it’s far better to have some customers who come back again and again. It will make your life less stressful and your business more successful.
How will people find out about you? Treat this as a launch and do
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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.
A real danger in your early days is that you chase after every piece of business, no matter how small, and discount like mad to ensure you win it. Be discerning and be firm on your prices. If you have time to spare it’s better to spend it on marketing for better quality leads.
Your own business...but not on your own
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.
Going ahead? So you have your plan in place, here are some early pitfalls to avoid. Don’t chase everything
Don’t be distracted by ‘brand marketing’
A classic mistake made by many new business starters is to spend a fortune headed paper, glossy brochure, top quality business cards or any other costly brand awareness products. Maybe later, but right now focus on the type of marketing which delivers real live leads, rather than expecting people to call because they like your expensive logo.
Whether you are the most sociable person going, or a bit of a loner, spending all day, every day with nobody to speak to is not healthy. Even if you just need someone to discuss an idea with or some support for what you are doing, contact with other people - ideally doing the same as you - is really important. If you see your customers you have that covered, but if you communicate mostly by email, make the effort to join a few industry forums and local social groups. Finally, a word of warning. If you do start your own business, it’s a legal requirement to register with HMRC as selfemployed – make it top of your action list.
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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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holidays
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RIVIERA OF FLOWERS MONACO & PORTOFINO
Drinks
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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
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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
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Coach Breaks departing from uxbridge, Ruislip & Slough QUOTE: CS2-IA
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ENGLAND’S GREATEST SNOWDROP 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
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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
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Recruiting NOW Foster carers and adopters needed
Find out more at our information events
Tuesday 13 January, 6.30pm to 8.30pm Civic Centre, Uxbridge UB8 1UW
Thursday 27 January, 10am to 12pm Botwell Library, Hayes UB3 2HW
Please arrive five minutes before the start time.
Book your place today
fost-adopt@ hillingdon.gov.uk 0800 783 1298
www.hillingdon.gov.uk/fost-adopt
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 An swerslearn, 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.
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.
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.
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
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
If all else fails, it’s a great way to attract attention on a Sunday afternoon!
GNH_in&around_dps_Jan2015_Layout 1 16/12/2014 15:31 Page 1
holidays
In and Around
QUOTE: RF-IA
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.
Free Drinks
To find out more, please call Leena on
RIVIERA OF FLOWERS old MONACO career will bring & PORTOFINO
Champagne Check-in
Returning to their demands, pressure and they’ll suffer the guilt Escorted Holiday by Rail - afternoon departures EXCURSIONS of the working parent. INCLUDED 8 days, semi all inclusive, from £849pp In part time jobs the hourly rate is poor and 13 Apr, paying for childcare during Departures: school holidays is 1 & 30 May, 6 Jun, 19 & 25 Sept & 1 Oct, 2015 expensive. INCLUDED: Escorted throughout This super holiday, taking in the French & Italian Rivieras, starts with a glass of Bubbly at
St Pancras famousincome Champagne Bar before an There is a way of building a fulltime afternoon departure around the family’s needs working withon aEurostar to Lille or Paris. After an overnight stay, we continue by family run global company in the high-speed trainbooming to Nice then to Diano Marina health and nutritionprofession. It has the our base for this on Italy’s Riviera of Flowers, holiday. Enjoy free drinks every night at the Investors In People Gold award for training hotel and excursions to Monaco, Eze, and support, the Portofino work & is totally Dolceacqua.
• 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
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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
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Coach Breaks departing from uxbridge, Ruislip & Slough QUOTE: CS2-IA
Warner Leisure
Hotels BUCKINGHAM HOUSE LUXURY CARE HOME
A
OVER 40S ONLY
FREE DRINKS
QUOTE: CW2-IA
ENGLAND’S GREATEST SNOWDROP Gerrards Cross 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,
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
Happy New Year
Andoversford • Return coach travel
From Everyone at
QUOTE: TD3-IA
QUOTE: EA3-IA
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 THRIPLOW DAFFODIL FESTIVAL EASTBOURNE & SOUTH and a hair and beauty salon, amongst its outstanding facilities.
& LUNCH AT A COUNTRY PUB COAST EXPLORER Tel: 01753 468200 Email: buckingham.house@mmcg.co.uk Great Day Out, £69pp 5 Days Half Board, £229pp Departs Saturday 21 March, 2015www.mmcgcarehomes.co.uk Web: 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 cold buffetCare lunch with a glass Care Eastbourne seafront • 4 dinners 4 breakfasts Nursing Carehot &Residential Dementia Day Care Respite CareandPalliative Care of wine at the White Horse Hotel, Hertingfordbury
• Visits to Arundel and Brighton • Coach travel and
• Return coach travel
excursions
Beauty Look Younger for Longer - Look after Your Neck and Hands 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.
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.
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 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.
Eating a healthy diet is key to looking younger too, as foods rich in anti-oxidants and Omega-3 acids have been shown to help skin rejuvenation by boosting collagen production - something that declines as we age. 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 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
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 hands are submerged in water; always keep a pair of rubber gloves nearby. 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 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
Home & Interiors Design A Blissful Bedroom
By Katherine Sorrell
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. A feature wall (perhaps behind the bed head), with either one strong paint colour or an interesting wallpaper pattern, can be a great way to provide interest without going over the top. In high-traffic areas such as halls and living rooms, carpet (if used at all) needs to be hardwearing and practical.
In a bedroom, however, wear and tear is not such a factor, spills are not such a risk and bare feet are more likely to be the norm. All of which means that 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. Whether you use curtains, blinds or shutters, your windows should be well-covered, both for privacy and to avoid early-morning sunlight waking you up. Sumptuous curtains with a blackout lining will do the trick, as will louvered shutters – which also offer an extra element of security. Roller blinds are plain and simple, and ideal where space is restricted, while Roman
Get a reallY GOOd niGht’S Sleep • Choose as big a bed as you can, as disturbance from a partner is one of the most common causes of sleeping complaints. • The mattress should be comfortable and supportive. Lying down, slide the flat of your hand into the hollow of your back. If it slides in very easily, the bed is too firm; if it’s hard to slide your hand in, the bed is too soft. • If you and your partner prefer different mattresses, or are very different in weight, you may need a combination mattress, or two singles that zip together. • Launder pillows regularly and replace every few years.
blinds pull up in lovely soft folds that give an attractively draped effect.
ladder leant against the wall for scarves, spare bed linen or clothes.
Aim for the maximum storage possible: ideally a combination of floor-to-ceiling fitted wardrobes with free-standing pieces for character and flexibility. If in doubt, the only way to calculate exactly how much storage you need is to take a tape measure and calculate square footage for long and short hanging, folded clothes, shoes, blankets, linens and other items. 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 under-bed drawers, stacking boxes, canvas “tidies” hung on the back of the door, plastic shoe racks stacked inside the wardrobe, and a bamboo
Subtle, flattering lighting is best for a bedroom, and if yours is not quite how you would like it you can make some quick, easy and inexpensive changes 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.
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 gorgeous-looking 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.
Lastly, to transform a bedroom from boring to boudoir, introduce sumptuous bed
images: Layer bed linen for an interesting mix of textures and attractive effect. This design, 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.
Dated Events (Jan15)_Layout 1 18/12/2014 17:14 Page 1
JANUARY EVENTS
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
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
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.
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
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.
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
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
Pets Corner... (Jan15)_Layout 1 18/12/2014 11:09 Page 1
FERRET QUICK STATS: Life span: 7 to 10 years Weaning: 7 to 8 weeks Sexual maturity: 6mths Gestation: 42 days Litter size: 1-18 kits Names: An entire female is called a Jill and a spayed female is called a sprite. An entire male is called a Hob or Hobbles and a castrated male is called a Gib.
Keeping Ferrets... FERRETS are very active animals and need plenty of space and lots of things to keep them entertained. They can be housed as indoors or outdoors, although outdoors may be preferable because of their musky odour.
If they cc are kept outdoors they should be housed on a hard surface or they will burrow out of they enclosure. Ferrets require a warm dry place to sleep. Old clothing is ideal for bedding as they love to crawl through and sleep in the sleeves and trouser legs. Shelves, hammocks and ladders are great additions as are other toys such as balls and tubing. Ferrets need to be handled every day from a young age to keep them tame and prevent them from nipping, a light tap on the nose when they do bite is a suitable method. The correct way to pick up a ferret is by grasping it under its front legs and bringing it in close to your body. As ferrets are very sociable animals they need the company of at least one other ferret. Same sex animals live happily together as well as opposite sexes but are best neutered. Ferrets are carnivores, eating a similar diet to cats. There are a few pet food companies that produce dry ferret kibble which helps keep their teeth in good condition. As a treat, or if you are trying to train your ferret, cat dog treats are suitable. Female ferrets (Jills) are induced ovulators, which means they will stay in season until they are mated. It is recommended that Jills are neutered after they are sexually mature at 6 months. Males are often castrated to reduce aggression and odour from their sebaceous glands. An alternative to neutering is to implant a
hormone pellet but this is only temporary and surgical neutering is preferable. Ferrets can suffer from Distemper, however a vaccine is currently unavailable in the UK. Fortunately, as pets they are unlikely to come in contact with disease it is unnecessary to routinely vaccinate them. Ferrets can contract and spread human influenza virus so care should be taken if someone in contact has flu but it is usually self-limiting and not serious. Ferrets don't usually need routine worming but they can suffer from fleas and ear mites. These should only be treated on advice from a veterinary surgeon.
Alice Bowen : Head Nurse www.stmartinsvetclinic.com
The Truly ‘Green’ Garden
by Pippa Greenwood
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’. Many gardeners have decided that they really want to concentrate on natural methods of pest control 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 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.
True, organic gardening does take a bit more planning and forethought. If you grow vegetables you will need to ensure that you rotate your crops. Just divide the space you have into three or four chunks and then ensure that each year you grow related crops together and then the following year, move each group into 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 be more prone to disease and pest attack. Regular patrols to find problems, so that they can be caught at the early stages and dealt with promptly, mean fewer problems in the long-term and should ensure that you catch an infestation of pests or a disease outbreak before it gets too bad. 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.
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 and sticky yellow cards to trap flying pests, all work well. Of course for many pests there are also biological controls available, plus a whole range of controls to stop greenhouse pests. 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. 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.
www.pippagreenwood.com to make veg growing easy with ‘Grow Your Own with Pippa Greenwood’. Pippa sends your chosen veg plants to you and each week emails advice and tips for getting the best results; plus lots of great barriers and biological controls
WD What's On... (Nov14)_Layout 1 22/10/2014 20:47 Page 1
hobbies...
iver Flower Club The Coppins Room, Iver Village Hall, Grange Way, Iver, SL0 9HW. Meets 4th Thursday of month, 7.30pm. Call Jayne on 07730 249876. www.bbando.org.uk/clubs/iver
Afternoon Leisure Painting Monday 2pm to 4pm and Wednesday 1.30pm to 3.30pm. The advanced and fundamental concepts of art in any media. Enthusiastic people welcome to learn. Southlands Arts Centre telephone Knit & Knatterers Hand and Machine Knitting, Crochet 01895 632171 2nd & 4th Monday of the month 7.309.30pm at Southlands Arts Centre. Crafty Cards Tel: 01895 421777 Have fun creating your own cards. 2nd and 4th Friday, 10am to 12noon. Les Artists - evening Contact 01753 652 459 Wednesday 7.30pm to 9.30pm. A mixed ability class for still life, Craft evening Group portraiture etc. All welcome at SouthTuesday 7.30pm. Members own lands Arts Centre. 0208 797 4635 projects and workshops to share experience and further skills at outline Theatre Group Southlands Arts Centre. Tel: 01895 At St. Matthews Church, Yiewsley. Every 442980 Tuesday 7.30-9.30pm. All welcome from 8yrs+. See www.outlinetheatre. handicraft - Morning Group co.uk or call Robert Jones on 01895 Tuesday 10am to 12 noon, needlecraft and any handicraft with material. Paper 446352 3D decoupage, patchwork, cross stitch, Painting Group - Morning soft toys etc., at Southlands Arts Tues 10am-1pm. Experienced waterCentre. Tel: 01895 442910 colorists very welcome at Southlands Arts Centre. Tel: 01895 421328 harlington Locomotive society Every Thursday, 8pm at the club in High spinning & Weavers Group Street, Harlington, Hayes, Middlesex Tues 7.30-9.30pm at Southlands Arts UB3 5ET. For details call Peter Tarrant Centre. Tel: 01895 443481 on 01895 851168
hillingdon Family history society Based at Hillingdon Park Baptist Church, Hercies Road, Hillingdon. Our research room is open (10am-1pm) on the first Sat of the month and every Fri (except the Fri before the first Sat). A wide variety of records, and help is always available. General meetings once a month. See www.hfhs.co.uk or Call Mrs Pat Reynolds 01895 444442 e: hillingdonfhs@onetel.com hillingdon Railway Modellers Club Meet every Thursday, 7.30pm at Yiewsley Baptist Church. Contact tonymoth@Hotmail.co.uk hillingdon Natural history society Meets 1st wed of the month at the Scout HQ, Gatting Way, Uxbridge. enquiries@hillingdonnaturalhistorysociety.org.uk 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
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 Friday of the month at 7.30 pm 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 West Drayton & District history society The society meets on the last Tuesday of each month Sep-May (excluding Dec) at St Martins Church Hall, Church Road at 7.30pm. Each month there is a talk of either local or national interest. During the summer months a programme of visits and walks are arranged. Membership £6 per year. Call either Paul 07980 483182 or Cyril 07704 837042 for details.
Yiewsley Angling & West Drayton Fishing Clubs Every Thursday 8-10.30pm Yiewsley & West Drayton Community Centre. For more details call 01895 443423 KeeP-FiT, DANCe & DRAMA...
bagot stack (Fitness League) Term Time Only. Vyners School, UB10 8AB on Tue 7.30 - 8.30pm. Also in Windsor Monday & Thursday. Call Rosemary 01628 776838 www.thefitnessleague.com bokwa Fitness Tone & Core African craze via the US - hits all your fitness targets in one - 07771 872592 learningmoves@hotmail.co.uk Dance, Gymnastics and Free Running Classes Presented by Futunity Uk in Uxbridge Town Centre & Hillingdon Sports & Leisure centre. Ages 2-adults catered for and all styles of dance from RAD ballet, Contemporary & ISTD Tap to Break Dancing , Street Dance, Hip Hop & Zumba. Check out our website for full class listings, www.futunityuk.com. Contact Futunity Uk Head Office 01895 251224 or email admin@futunityuk.com Fitness Club St Catherine School, Money Lane, West Drayton, UB7 7NX. Thursday 6-7pm. Circuits, Fitness and Boxercise. £5 a class. Shaun Thompson, www.tauruspt.co.uk Tel: 07906 087749 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 Contact Deidre e: Deirdreosullivan@ hotmail.co.uk t: 07956 346383 Ladies only Kickboxing Club Wednesdays, 6.30-8.00pm at Watts Hall, Redford Way, Uxbridge, UB8 1SZ. First Class FREE! Just turn up or call Instructor Leanne Phillips on 07518 848285 e: leanne @kickboxinglongdon.co.uk www.kickboxing-london.co.uk continued over...
Take 1 (7-10 yrs) 10.00am - 11.30am - £170 per term Take 2 (11-14 yrs) 11.30am - 1.30pm - £225 per term Take 3 (15 - 17 yrs) 1.30pm - 3.30pm - £225 per term
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KEEP-FIT, DANCE & DRAMA CONTINUED...
Linedance for Improvers Tuesdays 12-2pm Royal British Legion, Station Road, West Drayton. Call Instructor Ann 0791 435 8050
Line Dancing Thurs 12-2pm. St Martins Church Hall, Church Road, West Drayton. Call Susan 01895 832837 susanwynne376@gmail.com
Linedancing Tuesday evenings 7.30-10.30pm. Yiewsley & West Drayton Community Centre. Call Ann on 0791 435 8050 Modern Jive Classes Mondays, 8-11pm, West Drayton Community Centre Thursdays, 8-11pm, Uxbridge Civic Centre. Beginners welcome, first night entry and free lifetime membership with this advert. Contact: Alan 0208 933 4350 or 07860 250961 or email: alanandsue@clubceroc.com.
Nordic Walking & Wellbeing Explore our borough’s green spaces . with all round exercise in the open air 4 wk courses various days and locations pre-booking essential contact 07771 872 592 / learningmoves@hotmailco.uk Pilates, Movement and Matwork Tuesdays 7.45-8.45pm, Yiewsley & West Drayton Community Centre. Penny 01895 420409 or 07771 872 592 / learningmoves@hotmail.co.uk Pinewood Fitness The Fitness Room, Pinewood Studios, Pinewood Road, Iver Heath, Sl0 0NH Mon 20.00-21.00, Wed 19.30-20.30 Booking only. Various Fitness Circuits, Boxercise, Gym Work £5 a class. Shaun Thompson, www.tauruspt.co.uk 07906 087749 Salsa Classes Every Monday: The Middlesex Arms, Long Drive, South Ruislip, HA4 0HG. Beginners class starts 8pm. Improvers/Intermediates: 8.459.30pm. Freestyle dancing/practice time til 11pm. Every Wednesday: The WatersEdge, Canal Cottages, Packetboat Lane, Cowley, UB8 2JS. Beginners class
starts 7:30pm. Improvers/Intermediates: 8.309.30pm. Freestyle dancing/practice time til 11pm
Tai Chi Classes Sat 10-11am, Yiewsley Methodist Church, Fairfield Road, UB7 8EY. Call Dan on 07880 601429 to book.
Tap Dance Mondays 7.30-8.30pm at Meadows Community Centre, West Drayton. Adult Beginner/Intermediate tap. No exams. Contact 01895 420409 / learningmoves@hotmail.co.uk. Yoga for All Wednesday 7.30-9.00pm Yiewsley & West Drayton Community Centre. Priya 01895 440712
Zumba Mon 6pm, Walter Pomeroy Hall, Royal Lane Hillingdon UB8 3QU. Tues 7.30pm, St Marys Church Hall, Hemmen Lane (off Church Rd, Hayes) UB3 2JQ. All welcome. £5. Ann-Marie Samuels 07701 012927 Zumba Fitness Class Weds 8-9pm at Langley Grammar School Sport Centre Reddington Drive Langley, SL3 8LL. Thurs 7-8pm at Yiewsley / West Drayton Community Centre, Harmondsworth Rd, West Drayton. UB7 9JL. Call Gabriel 07735090325 or email gabrielzumba@instructor.net www.gabriel84.zumba.com PRE-SCHOOL & KIDS GROUPS... Mobile Disco for Children A mobile disco available for hire, for children of all ages call Zoe on 07747 063149 for details. Slough Sea Cadets Parade nights on Mon and Thu 19.30-21.30 at Langley Pavillion, Langley Road, Slough, SL3 8BS. Male & Female Junior Cadets (age 10-12yrs) & Cadets (age 1218yrs). Fees £2pw, courses from £5. Email: sloughseacadets@yahoo.co.uk Stars at Knight After school Drama Club for children 7-18 yrs at Southlands Art Centre, 76 The Green, West Drayton. Tel: 0208 841 8940 / 07956 123626 e: starsatknightdrama@gmail.com www.starsatknight-schoolofdrama.co.uk
MUSIC... Faraday Country Music Club in Slough SL2 1RN. Join us for the best live Country Music every Thursday for listeners, western partners, freestyle or line dancers. From 8-11pm. Call Deb 07986 050742 www.faradaycountry.co.uk Guitar lessons Complete beginners welcome. Contact Sam for a FREE lesson 07798 588496 sam@uxbridgeguitarlessons.co.uk Yiewsley & West Drayton Band Rehearse every Wednesday and Friday 8-10pm at St. Matthew's School, Yiewsley. To join or book the band for an engagement contact Lynne on 07976 824152 or email Lynne@ywdband.com Yiewsley & West Drayton Training Band This is open to all ages wanting to learn to play a brass instrument or those of you wanting to 'brush up' your skills. Rehearse every Wednesday during term time 6.457.45pm at St. Matthew's School, Yiewsley. Contact Abi on 07985 302 856 or emailtraining@ywdband.com PETS... Iver Dog Training Club Every Tue and Fri 6.30pm-9.00pm at St Andrews Church, Richings Park. Call Diana 01753 732907 Iver Heath Fields Dog Club 'Outdoor Training' every Sat at 10.15am, Wed at 11am. Call Mike on 01753 817852 or 07795 031335 SELF DEFENCE... Close Quarter Combat Based in Richings Park. Specialising in speed, strength and conditioning training. Pad work combinations. Suitable for men & women of all ages. 1-2-1 sessions. Call Mark 07525 366126 e: mj.wilding@hotmail.com continued over...
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self defence continued...
self Help & support...
Karate club of denham For ages 5 years and upwards. Sundays 9.15-11am at New Denham Community Centre, Oxford Road. Call 07988 743725
Alcoholics Anonymous Meet every Sunday, 7.30pm at St Leonards Hall, St Leonards Walk, Richings Park, Iver, SL0 9DD. For more call Howard 07816 315688
over 60s social Group Male, Female and couples. Meet fortnightly at various agreed venues. Judith 07980 073170 Mel 07785 582323 jlholl2014@gmail.com southlands ladies Group Talks, outings, own evenings. Mon fortnightly. Call 01895 445766
Karate club of uxbridge For ages 5 years and upwards. Wed 5-7pm at The Greenway, Uxbridge. Call 07988 743725
Kung fu club West drayton A work out for everybody, attractive trainings for children & adults on: Tuesday 5.30-6.30, Friday 7.30-8.30 and Sunday 5.30-6.30. West Drayton Community Centre, Harmondsworth Road, UB7 9JL. Contact Ella: 07702 479 435 or sportsclubuk@gmail.com
Heathrow Boxing club Men & women, boys & girls Junior Boxing Club: Tue & Thu, 5pm. Senior Boxing Club Mon, Tue & Thu, 8pm. 422 Bath Road, Longford, Middlesex, UB7 0EB. Tel: 0208 123 1271. Martial Arts Bujinkan Kuri dojo Ninjutsu and Bujutsu, Unit 21 Bridgeworks, UB8 2JG. Tel: 07878 471124. Training: Sunday 10.30am-12.30pm, Tuesday 8-10pm, Thursday 8.3010pm www.bujinkankuridojo.co.uk shorinji Kempo self defence Learn the practical self defence techniques of this traditional Japanese martial art. Tue 6-7pm children (£2), 7-9pm adults (£5). The Barn, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge. Call Dan 07776 421957. www.sk.harrow.ac.uk silat Kuntao indonesian self-defence Traditional self-defence, includes empty hand, 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 kuntao.matjan.uk@gmail.com.
Hillingdon Brain tumour Group Support group held every 2nd Thurs of the month 12.30-2.30pm, Hillingdon Baptist Church, Hercies Rd, Hillingdon, UB10 9LS. Call Cyril or Becky 01895 637444.
rosemary conley Every Thursday 10-11.30am, Yiewsley & West Drayton Community Centre. Call Sarah on 0208 569 0181 slimming World The Salvation Army, Cowley Road, Uxbridge. Tuesday 7pm Tel: Nicki 07826 698360
slimming World New Denham Community Centre Tuesday, 10-11.30am. New joiners turn up at 10am to register Tel: Mandy 07879 897578 slimming World Yiewsley Methodist Church, Farfield Road, Yiewsley. Wednesdays 5pm or 6.45pm. Tel: Nicki 07826 698360 Weight Watchers Every Tuesday, 5.30pm and Friday at 10.00am Yiewsley & West Drayton Community Centre. Call 01784 256974 or 07879 455882 sociAl Groups... Bingo club Tea & Bingo, 1-3.30pm, meet on 4th Wed of month, transport available. We also go on outings throughout the year and welcome new members. Pop along to the West Drayton Community Centre or call 01895 443423 Harlington Women’s institute Every 1st Wed of month, 7.309.30pm at Landsdown House, St Peter's Way Hayes UB3 5AB. Call Sarah Wilson 0208 759 0019
senior citizens Welfare Association W/d & Yiewsley Bingo played every 4th Wednesday of month 1- 3.30pm. Yiewsley and West Drayton Community Centre. Transport available. 01895 443956 tea dancing 2-4pm every Tuesday at Yiewsley & West Drayton Community Centre
Women’s social Group Looking to make new friends? Social group for women. We meet regularly for coffee, a chat and have organised trips. Call Seema 07730 898635 or seemaa@seemaa.co.uk sport... Hayes & Harlington road runners Every Wed, 8pm at Hayes and Harlington Community Association, Albert Road, Hayes. Email: michsampson76@aol.com (ladies) jack.nisbet@talk21.com (men) www.hhroadrunners.com. pink ladies netball club All levels and abilities welcome. Training at Stockley Academy, West Drayton every Tues evening. Senior training 16+yrs 7.30-9pm. Back to Netball 16+yrs 7.30- 8.30pm Under 16s - call Rhiannon 01895 448878 email: plnetball@hotmail.co.uk visit www.pinkladiesnetball.co.uk uxbridge squash club All welcome. Uxbridge Cricket Club, Park Rd, Uxbridge. E: squash@ uxbridgesquash.org.uk or visit: www.uxbridgesquash.org.uk. Yiewsley & West drayton Bowls club Interested? Come along, just bring your flat shoes! Tuesdays 2pm. Call Kenny Smith 07957 140627.
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