Iver Jan 18 by In and Around Publishing

Dear Readers Welcome to the January issue of In and Around Iver I hope you and your families all had a wonderful Christmas and managed to spend time resting and celebrating with loved ones. And now, welcome to 2018! A bright, shiny new year and a chance to set some goals and aspirations for the next twelve months. I don’t think I’ll be doing anything drastically different, but my focus will definitely be on having more free time to spend with my family and beautiful little granddaughter. I’ve also realised that making time to invest in yourself is really important and something I wasn’t very good at last year. Constantly working in the belief that I mustn’t take time out may have got the job done but was I really working as effectively as I could? So, it’s back to the gym for me (a place I haven’t visited for an embarrassingly long time), regular lunch dates to catch up with friends and a daily break away from my desk. Relatively small changes, but ones that hopefully will make a big difference. I’m not big on New Year Resolutions, but something small and manageable might just make all the difference. Until next month... Angela & Sammy

You can advertise in this magazine from as little as £20.00 per month “Ask us about our affordable advertising rates or visit our website for more information” Tel: 0800 038 5001 Mob: 07759 536494 In and Around Magazines cover: Iver: Thorney, Richings Park, Village, Iver Heath Denham: New Denham, Village, Denham Green, Tatling End, Bakers Wood, South Harefield

Publisher: Angela Fisher Phone: 0800 038 5001 / 07759 536494 Email: info@inandaroundpublishing.co.uk Information and Details of Rates at

www.inandaroundpublishing.co.uk 4

Inside this month’s New Year issue The Big Garden Birdwatch 6 Wildlife Zone 8 Citizens Advice Bureau 10 Pets: Dealing with cat flu 10 Property 12 Fitness: Work, Rest & Play 12 RSPCA Re homing appeal 14 Tech: Not in front of Alexa 16 Mark My Words 18 Coffee Break Puzzles 20 Fit not Thin in 2018 22 Recipe: Chorizo & Prawn Paella 24 Short Story: Precious 26 Beauty: Baby it’s cold outside 28 New Year traditions from around the globe 30 Did you know? Burns Night 32 Happy New Year from your Local Policing Team 33 Did you know: Epiphany 35 Tech: New Year Revolutions 36 Books: Into the New Year 38 Forget brain training - learn an instrument 42 Karen Munro: Careers 44 Richings Park Residents Association 46 New technologies to help you make a green exit 50 Health: Sleep 52 Finance: Choosing the best mobile phone plan 54 History: Welcoming in the Old New Year 56 Interiors: Light up your Winter 58 And another thing 60 Parenting: Growing up in a digital world 62 Children’s Puzzle Page 64 St Helen’s College 66 Motoring: McLaren 720S 70 Road Test: Jaguar F Pace 72 Gardening: A rose by another name 76 Gardening: Gardener’s Resolve 78 Pets Corner 80 Computer snip: Space saving cloud storage 81 Quirky Britain 82 To Eat or Not to Eat 84 Puzzle Solutions 85 Travel: The French Ardennes 86 Clubs, Groups & Classes 88, 90 & 92 Wordsearch 94

FEB COPY DEADLINE 18TH JAN We are grateful for the support of local businesses whose adverts appear in this publication and whilst every care is taken to ensure accuracy, the publishers cannot accept responsibility for any errors, omissions, claims made by advertisers or endorse companies, products or services. This publication, its contents and advert designs are © of In and Around Publishing. Any copying or reproduction in part or fully, is strictly forbidden without our prior consent.

Jack

The RSPCA Hillingdon, Slough, Windsor, Kingston and District Branch Registered Charity No: 263515

In the face of escalating costs, diminishing funding and an ever-increasing legislative burden, challenging times lie ahead for our Branch and to survive we will need the backing of our local community more than ever. We hope we can continue to rely on your support during 2018. As we begin 2018 we would be so grateful if you can spare even a little in the way of: a financial donation food for our animals goods to sell in our shops

Charlie CHARLIE MALE GINGER 10 YEARS OLD

or your time to volunteer helping in the shops or Charlie at 10 years young came into us through no help walking the dogs/ spending time with the cats fault of his own and is now looking for a new start in life. This handsome chap loves a fuss and a cuddle, Addresses can be found on our website he is a big boy with a lot of love to give. Charlie www.rspcahillingdonclinic.org.uk or call us on maybe able to live with young children but would 01895833417. Thank you for your support. prefer a home without other cats or dogs. Could you be the pawfect companion for him?

LOOKING FOR LOVING HOMES

Thank you for your support out you!

. We canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do it with-

We have many older cats that are looking for loving homes. Could you offer a forever home to one of If you think you can offer one of our animals a loving home then please ring RSPCA Hillingdon our mature cats? Branch on 01895 833417 or visit our website www.rspcahillingdonclinic.org.uk to download JACK MALE TABBY 9 YEARSOLD an application form. Jack came into our care through no fault of his own, and is now looking for a forever home. This handsome 9 years young chap is very affectionate and likes the company of people who can give him lots of fuss and cuddles. Although Jack is very affectionate towards his human companions, he would prefer to be the only pet in the household but maybe able to live with children. This beautiful boy would really love to find a loving home soon, can you be his pawfect companion? 14

We are always grateful for any donations of old sheets and blankets to use for bedding for the animals & food and toys for the animals to play with. These can be brought into our Clinic at 16 Crescent Parade, Hillingdon UB10 0LG.

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Happy New Year from your neighbourhood team at Iver Sgt Anna Davison, PC Phil Thomson, PCSO Rav Lewis, PCSO Kam Benawra and PCSO Roy Fisher HGVs The neighbourhood team fully acknowledge that the presence of HGVs in the village of Iver is a constant cause for concern. In particular we are aware that there are often breaches of the weight restrictions on Bangors Road North and South. In order to combat this the registered keepers of any HGVs reported to us as breaching the weight restriction are written to. Over the last 5 years 305 such letters have been sent and I am happy to say that more than 97% of the drivers ceased their behaviour immediately with the rest also stopping after a visit from the local police. However we appreciate there is still work to be done so if you see any HGVs breaching the restriction you can report this to us and we will take action to address it. Just email the date, time, location and number plate of the vehicle to our volunteer Jim.Hotston@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

Tel: 01753 654010 Sally Munn

A ‘Richings Christmas’ On Sunday 10th December, we held a ‘Richings Christmas’ at the Richings Park Sports Club. This was organised by RPRA, Iver Parish Council and 14 residents. Flyers to promote the event were kindly printed and distributed by Oakwood Estate Agents. We entertained over 70 children with Christmas fun including party games, a craft table, carols and mini disco! At the end of the event Santa arrived to pick up the 80 + presents that had been kindly donated by residents. These were then delivered to Bucks Councillor Mark Shaw who will be distributing them to local Chidren in Care. We raised an additional £130 towards a defibrillator through face painting and selling #RichingsRobins. Thank you to those that gave up their time for this. The event was a huge success showcasing how the Richings Park community continues to come together – we look forward to more of this in 2018!

Christmas Lights This year you will have noticed the new Christmas lights across the Ivers. On the Richings Park Parade of shops the new lights look fantastic.

Thorney Country Park The Bucks County Council Meeting in December was cancelled and this decision has now been postponed until 22nd February. We have seen had a huge number of objections to 3 million tonnes of spoil, and a significant rise of HGV’s. But we need more! If you would like to lodge an objection please write to OMILAMBO@buckscc.gov.uk.

Defibrillator Grants and donations continue to come in. If you would like to donate please pick up an envelope from CostCutter or email the RPRA.

Litter Picking The next #RichingsSparkle will be on Saturday 20th January. Residents will be meeting outside of CostCutters at 12 o’clock.

Subscriptions These are now well overdue. Please use envelopes provided or go to the RPRA website and print out a form. 46

St. Helen’s College Wins Prestigious National School Sport Accolade A Hillingdon school has become one of the first schools in England to win a new national award for making a commitment to develop its students to be the best they can be in competitive school sport.

ple in both curricular and extracurricular activities, participating in a minimum number of competitions across different sports, and reaching out to target groups including young leaders, volunteers, and those previously identified as the school’s least-active St. Helen’s College on Parkway, pupils. Hillingdon was one of only 104 schools in the country to receive Sharon Walker, Director of Cothe special School Games Plati- Curriculum and Subject Leader num Award. The Award is part of for PE/Games at St. Helen’s the School Games Mark, a gov- College, said: “We are really ernment-led awards scheme delighted to have been recoglaunched in 2012 and adminis- nised with this award. As an indetered by national charity the pendent school, we have a creaYouth Sport Trust, which had tive and exciting PE/Games curclose to 9,000 applicants this riculum, as well as a quite unique year. Its aim is to reward schools co-curricular programme with for a commitment to the develop- over 70 clubs. Our pupils reach ment of competition across very high standards in core schools and into the community. sports such as football, rugby, netball, hockey, tennis and athletParticipating in this process al- ics but, perhaps as importantly, lows schools to evaluate their PE they are also able to ‘have a go’ provision, grading them either at sports as diverse as lacrosse, bronze, silver or gold, and assists badminton, taekwondo, yoga, trischools in developing an action golf, gymnastics, handball and plan for future progress. The many more. This exposure to the Platinum Award is the new fourth widest possible range of activities level of the award scheme, intro- leads many pupils to uncover a duced earlier this year to cele- real talent or interest in the sportbrate schools who had shown ing world, and to go on and comconsistently high levels of enthu- pete at high levels in their chosen siasm and commitment to school sport’. sport. Applications are only open to those schools who achieved Shirley Drummond, the school’s five successive gold awards. Head, added, ‘Competitive sport develops a healthy drive to sucTo achieve the gold award a ceed, pride and humility in vicschool must meet a certain set of tory, grace and resilience in the criteria, which includes engaging face of defeat, and the ability in a high percentage of young peo- pupils to pull together as a team 66

for a common purpose. These traits can be seen in every St. Helen’s College pupil and we are enormously proud of the way in which our sporting and cocurricular programmes contribute to our pupils’ personal development.’ Ali Oliver, Chief Executive of the Youth Sport Trust, said: “We are pleased to introduce the new Platinum Award this year to give these exemplary schools the recognition which they deserve. We are extremely proud of all our award winners for the passion which they have shown towards the School Games and their dedication to providing opportunities for all young people to take part in competitive school sport. “At a time when young people are becoming less healthy and less active, the School Games provides opportunities for millions across the country to participate in sport and reap the benefits of an active lifestyle both on and off the field. Schools like St. Helen’s College are really leading the way.”

Solutions pg 85 94