Nov/Dec 2016
Festive fun!
Check out what's on locally this Christmas
Tall tales - the life of your Christmas tree Beautiful winter blooms for your garden
And...
• A rustic Christmas home • Movie & a meal • Survive the festivities!
Plus: local people, local lives, local events... and great local businesses
livinginmagazines.co.uk
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Living In Magazines Welcome...
H
ow is it already nearly the end of the year? The months seem to have flown by and the warm weather we had in September and most of October just extended summer for a little bit longer. But yes, Christmas is almost upon us, so start planning now! If you feel stuck for new ideas for decorating your home this festive season, then read about how to create a rustic Christmas look by interior designer, Katherine Sorrell (pg 7). And while most of us only think about the tree when it's time to hunt through the attic for last year's decorations, Kelty Caston, a Christmas tree seller, spends his whole year making sure there are enough to buy right up until closing time on Christmas Eve - find out more about his day on pg 23. Also look out for some great things to do locally in the run up to Christmas, on pg. 30. Have a great festive season and see you in 2017! Pippa, Editor
Connecting local people to local businesses
Contents 7 13 20 21 23 25 30
Homes & Interiors: A rustic Christmas Gardening: Winter blooms Local talk Restaurant review: Olympic A Day In The Life Of... a Christmas tree seller Health: Surviving Christmas What's On
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Business Profiles 14 Chiswick Fireplace 19 New Victoria
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Check out what's on locally this Christmas
Tall tales - the life of your Christmas tree
And... - Celebrating 10 years of Living In Magazines- Kew Sparkle - Rustic Christmas home
Also: Living In Richmond, Kew & East Twickenham
Contact us:
Editor & Publisher: Pippa Duncan T: 020 8878 1890 E: pippa@livinginmagazines.co.uk Published independently by: Living In Magazines Ltd Jan/Feb copy deadline: 4 December
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@LivingInMag
Contributors: Valerie McBride-Munro, Katherine Sorrell, Alison Runham
Delivery dates:
Barnes, Castelnau, Mortlake: from 31 October Barnes Common, East Sheen, West Putney: from 7 November
livinginmagazines.co.uk linkedin.com/Pippa Duncan
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homes & interiors
A rustic Christmas
The simplest of festive decorations can sometimes be the most appealing, says interiors expert Katherine Sorrell
All Christmas decorations: mage: dunelm.com
W
ho doesn’t love a natural look at home? And especially at Christmas, when present-buying, hosting guests, shopping, cooking and generally rushing around can all get a bit too much. Keeping your decorations simple and rustic is not only attractive and on-trend, but it also makes life easier and can be extremely cost-effective. Unpretentious and understated, natural decorations suit every home, large or small, modern or traditional, and make a fabulous, timeless alternative to commercialised glitz and glitter. The centrepiece of this look, ideally, is a real tree, which is best bought from a good local stockist. Choose one that’s as fresh as possible, make a new cut at the bottom, and display in a stand (a wicker basket is perfect) that holds a reservoir of water – it could need one or two litres every day. (Tip: the Nordmann Fir holds its needles really well.) Decorate generously, but don’t overload your tree, and keep to a limited colour scheme (white, red, green and brown are all great), using natural materials (see box). And, if you wish to add a touch of sparkle, twine the tree with small, plain white fairy lights. Feeling inspired? Spend a weekend making decorations with the family. Garlands of popcorn, nuts and paper strings of angels or snowflakes, or even gingerbread stars, all look adorable and can be used everywhere in the home. Instead of shiny baubles, how about cutting simple shapes from felt and blanket-stitching them around the outside? Or making a wreath using clippings from the garden? Similarly, you can create wonderful decorations using sprigs of evergreens,
'You can create wonderful decorations using sprigs of evergreens...' ivy, pine cones (you could spray them with artificial snow), rose hips, dried seed heads and twigs (try lashing them together into a star shape). Or dry slices of apple and orange and tie them together with gardener’s string, adding cinnamon sticks and star anise. It will look and smell gorgeous. Of course, if you’re
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short of time, all these and more can be found in the shops, along with all sorts of irresistible decorations such as birch bark candle holders, driftwood Christmas trees and needlefelted and knitted owls, reindeer and robins. When it comes to wrapping presents, choose brown paper and string, or lengths of fabric and cotton ribbon, rather than foil that can’t be recycled. Use cardboard luggage labels and bear in mind that children might enjoy potato printing the plain paper for a little embellishment – white paint looks fantastic against the brown. Fresh flowers are fabulous at Christmas – a gorgeous reminder of springtime soon to come. Hyacinths are classic (and their scent will fill your home), as are amaryllis and poinsettias. They all look particularly special in white, of course. Wrap pots in hessian tied with string or pop groups of them into a wicker basket; you can decorate the tops of the pots with silver moss. Because this is a look where less is more, laying the festive table is easy. A linen runner or place mats, plain white china, clear glass (recycled and robust or cut crystal for a
Wreath by local florist Rose & Mary roseandmary.co.uk twinkle, whichever you prefer) and simple decorations such as bowls of pine cones or oranges studded with cloves, and perhaps a vase full of evergreens, twigs and boughs. Cosy, welcoming and unpretentious. Finally, add candles, small and tall, in rows along mantelpieces, in the centre of the dining table, on simple iron candelabra, in advent displays – anywhere their flickering glow will make you feel happy. Alternatively, tea lights look pretty inside old jam jars, which is safer if you have young children around. Pop a mince pie in the oven and heat some mulled wine on the hob, and here it is – a very merry Christmas. Katherine Sorrell is the author of 17 books on design and interiors
Ingredients for a natural Christmas • Hessian • Twigs, branches and boughs • Linen and cotton ribbon • Brown paper and string • Greenery and berries from the garden • Moss • Dried, sliced apples and oranges • Cinnamon sticks and star anise • Gingerbread • Felt • Hyacinths, amaryllis and white poinsettias • Candles • Pine cones Please mention Living In magazines when contacting advertisers
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VISIT OUR SHOWROOM 68 Southfield Road, Chiswick, London W4 1BD open Monday - Saturday 9.30am -5pm OR CALL US 020 8995 4011 Connecting local businesses to local people - 020 8878 1890 www.thechiswickfireplace.co.uk
business profile
the heart of the home The Chiswick Fireplace Company offers a beautiful selection of contemporary and traditional fireplaces
T
he Chiswick Fireplace Company was established in 1988. It was originally known for sourcing antique cast iron fireplaces from the Victorian and Art Nouveau periods. Our company has since expanded and now supplies a wide selection of fireplaces in both traditional and contemporary styles. We also provide a range of reproduction mantels in marble, limestone and wood, as well as our original cast iron fireplaces. With the combined knowledge of the Managing Director and Manager, The Chiswick Fireplace Company has over 50 years experience in the fireplace trade. We are very proud of our reputation and pride ourselves on our beautifully restored selection of original cast iron fireplaces, inserts and original tiles. We hold a wide range of traditional and contemporary solid fuel gas and electric fireplaces and stoves and have a large selection of baskets and grates for use with solid fuel. We also offer a complete fireplace restoration service for cast iron as well as marble fireplaces, which includes removal, restoration and reinstallation. We offer a complete personal and bespoke service from beginning to end, with help and advice on all aspects of design, installation and specialist chimney problems, with minimum disruption to the client’s home. Our company’s ethos is simple and sincere. It is our wish that people can rely on the expertise of the Chiswick Fireplace Company to provide a friendly efficient service, quality materials, professional installation and a personally tailored service to help bring the heart back into the home. 68 Southfield Road, Chiswick W4 1BD 020 8995 4011 thechiswickfireplace.co.uk Please mention Living In magazines when contacting advertisers
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GARDENING PROBLEMS SOLVED
from a single plant to an overgrown jungle Gardening masterclasses also offered
It's different, it's fun and the garden magic created will last and last
020 0208892 88929243 9243 www.auntieplanty.co.uk www.auntieplanty.com
SUDUKO Community Food, Arts & Crafts Market
On the first Sunday of each month 10am-2pm * * *
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3 x 3 box contains the numbers 1 through to 9. You solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic - there’s no maths involved and no adding up. Have fun! ANSWERS: pg 27
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6th NOVEMBER * 4th DECEMBER *
No market in January At Station Parade, Kew (near the Station)
www.kewvillagemarket.org SUPPORTING LOCAL CHARITIES
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*
gardening
winter BLOOMS Your mood during the winter months can be a little dark and dreary, but there is no good reason to allow your garden to follow suit
© Valerie McBride-Munro 2016
S
ome winter plants have extremely interesting leaves, and others it is the flower that brings the sparkle. My first winter stalwart, the mini cyclamen, turns up trumps with both. The little nodding flowers range in colour from deep magenta to white. But I never tire of looking at the exquisite silver or white marbled markings on its dark green kidney-shaped leaves. Mini cyclamen can survive brief and sometimes prolonged periods at temperatures below zero, especially if they are covered with snow. As they are fairly small plants, it’s good to plant them where you will be able to see them easily – in big clumps on the side of a path or under a tree. My second choice is the flowering pansy. Here plant breeders have been busy and have created a plant that responds to a drop in temperature – the colder the weather, the bigger the flowers will be! If that wasn’t clever enough, someone else managed to insert the trailing gene into the viola (the mini pansy), to make it behave like a trailing petunia, and called it Friolina. Put two or three of these Friolinas into a hanging basket and you will be rewarded with an exploding fountain of hundreds of bright flowers throughout the winter. Another winter beauty is the Algerian iris, Iris unguicularis. It’s a vigorous evergreen rhizomatous perennial that will grow to around 30cm in height. Although its dark green leaves can be rather dull and strappy, it produces deep violet fragrant and flamboyant late winter flowers, five to eight centimetres in width, each petal marked with white and deep yellow at its base. Another bonus is that this plant is not too fussy where it grows, as long as the soil is well drained. Primula is another lovely subject that
'If you find you are getting fewer flowers than last year, then it's time to thin out...' modern breeders have had a good tinker with to give us a plethora of new colours, sizes and improved flowering. Unlike its modest native cousin that flowers only for a short time in spring, these loud boys in the band start their trumpeting from mid autumn onwards. How could I talk about winter plants without mentioning the snowdrop? It arrives perfectly timed, just as you’re thinking that winter has gone on long enough. If you find that you are getting fewer flowers than last year, then it’s time to thin out the over-crowded clumps. Unlike most other bulbs, snowdrops can be lifted when they are still in full leaf and transplanted.
Valerie McBride-Munro is a chartered horticulturist offering a plant problemsolving service. Tel: 020 8892 9243 13
LAST RECOMMENDED SERVICE POSTING DATES INTERNATIONAL STANDARD (formerly Airmail) Saturday 3rd December Wednesday 7th December Thursday 8th December Saturday 10th December Wednesday 14th December Thursday 15th December Friday 16th December Saturday 17th December
Africa, Middle East Asia, Cyprus, Far East (including Japan, Eastern Europe, Caribbean, Central & South America Australia, Greece, New Zealand Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Poland Canada, Finland, Sweden, USA Austria, Denmark, Iceland, Netherlands Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxumborg
LAST RECOMMENDED POSTING DATES
SERVICE
UK Inland Services Tuesday 20th December
2nd Class and Royal Mail Signed For速 2nd Class
Wednesday 21st December
1st Class and Royal Mail Signed For速 1st Class
Thursday 22nd December
Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed速
Friday 23rd December
Special Delivery Saturday Guaranteed速
Christmas Postal Dates 14
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Neighbourhood support
FiSH is a neighbourhood care organisation, which provides assistance and support to anyone living in East Sheen, Mortlake and Barnes FiSH Tuesday Talks, 11am (coffee from 10.30am) : 1 Nov Denys Graham & Friends - Excerpts from Dylan Thomas' Under Milk Wood 8 Nov Pat Ealey MBE - Holly Lodge 15 Nov Richard Bright - My Word is My Bond (The Baltic Exchange & Ship Broking) 22 Nov Nick Morrison - Houses of Parliament 29 Nov Valerie McBride Munro - The Talking Newspaper 6 Dec Imogen Bond - Orange Tree Theatre 'Telling Yarns' 13 Dec Bridget Grant & Kathy Sheldon - The Holly & The Ivy - Christmas Wreaths 20 Dec Jean Oxley & Singing Scales - Christmas Carols, Readings & Mince Pies
Lunchtime Concerts
12.30 - 1.30: Come and join us for a light lunch with musical entertainment at St Michael's Community Centre, Barnes 4 Nov - St Paul's School Musicians, Piano 2 Dec - Robin Smith & John Newton, Baritone & Piano Barnes Green Centre, SW13 9HE Tel: 020 8876 3335 / fishhelp.org.uk
Alcoves Bookcases ●
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Made to order in my local workshop Superior quality and delivery within an agreed time span. Wood and painted finishes 07961 321126 Call Jamie for an informal discussion of your requirements www.yellowchisel.co.uk
Cupboards
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Kitchens Shelving ●
Answers: pg 27
RAD R E H You have two minutes to find all the words of three or more letters that can be made from the letters above. Plurals are allowed, proper nouns are not. The 6 letter word will always be just a normal everyday word.
3 letters: 7 4 letters: 11 5 letters: 2 6 letters: 1
3 Letters ARE EAR ERA ERR HAD HER RED 4 Letters DARE
DEAR HARD HARE HEAD HEAR HERD RARE READ REAR RHEA
5 Letters HARED HEARD 6 Letters HARDER
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Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
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Kingsmere Care Home Luxury Retirement Living Wimbledon’s newest luxury retirement and care home has opened its doors. This brand new Home from leading national operator Avery Healthcare will provide the highest standards in hotel-style senior living for both singles and couples. It’s competitively priced too. Our approach is to nurture an atmosphere of care and community, all delivered in a luxury lifestyle. Your Well-being is our primary concern, and we will ensure that you have the highest quality of support for your physiological, psychological, social, and nutritional needs, all tailored to your individual circumstances. A wide range of healthy exercises, well balanced and freshly prepared fine dining, along with daily activities and outings, are all a part of a supportive lifestyle that will help you enjoy life to the full.
Call 020 3199 3124 or Search ‘Kingsmere Care’
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Outstanding Patient Care
Allison Hill
Retired Primary School Teacher
Time and again our patients rate us as one of the best private hospitals* • Exceptional nursing care • Highly skilled Consultants • New state of the art operating theatres • New cardiac diagnostic facility • Recognised by all major insurers • Fixed price surgery and finance packages available A private, charity owned hospital providing compassionate healthcare for almost 60 years
New Victoria Hospital 184 Coombe Lane West Kingston upon Thames Surrey KT2 7EG
*Over 99% of patients rated our overall quality of care as Excellent or Very Good.
T. +44 (0) 20 8949 9000 E. enquiries@newvictoria.co.uk W. www.newvictoria.co.uk
Patient Satisfaction Survey Jan-Jul 2016
Private hospital expands The Victoria Foundation Wing is officially opened by HRH Princess Alexandra
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ew Victoria Hospital’s brand new development, The Victoria Foundation Wing, has been officially opened by HRH Princess Alexandra (pictured), at an afternoon reception held for 200 guests. The Victoria Foundation Wing is an extensive expansion to the private hospital and houses - three state of the art operating theatres, an endoscopy theatre, a high dependency unit and a 14-bed day surgery unit, bringing the total number of beds in the hospital to 35. The wing also includes a brand new 128-slice CT Scanner complete with cardiac diagnostic software. The CT Scanner has the dual benefits of using the lowest doses of radiation possible whilst providing high definition quality scans. The expansion project will continue for one further year with a new outpatient department and reception area, 12 consulting rooms
and a new physiotherapy department. The private, charity-owned hospital is one of the few remaining independent hospitals in the country and has provided an excellent level of service to the local community for almost 60 years. It is frequently ranked by patients as one of the top private hospitals in London. newvictoria.co.uk
EARTHLIFE WELLBEING & FITNESS Earthlife is a unique and tranquil facility in the arches of Kew Bridge, where emphasis is placed on Fitness, Health and Wellbeing. Our aim is to provide a personal and holistic approach to wellbeing and fitness in a place of calm and relaxation. No Membership or Joining Fees!
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Gift Vouchers available for those perfect Christmas Presents!
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local talk... barnes
mortlake
•Hooked! And, if you haven’t already heard, Rick Stein is taking over The Depot. Great news for fish lovers, although it hasn’t been confirmed yet what exactly will be on the menu. The venue - once a council depot, housing refuse and horses – has had a long history, so we will wait with baited (!) breath to see what Rick does with this lovely restaurant.
• Toe tappingly good The School of Dance Mortlake is performing a Christmas special at the Landmark Arts Centre. The students, aged 3-18, will perform The Four Seasons to music by Vivaldi, Gershwin and many others, singing and dancing their way through Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. 10 Dec, 5.30pm, 11 Dec, 3pm. Tickets £15. Landmark Arts Centre, Ferry Rd, Teddington TW11 9NN landmarkartscentre.org
east sheen • Friday market The Sheen Friday Market has now been running for more than 25 years at the Sheen Lane Centre. There are 34 stalls of antiques, collectables, jewellery, militaria, ephemera, books and furniture. The next markets are on 4 November and 2 December. 9am – 1.30pm • Get social The Barnes Home Guard Association (based in Sheen!) is a social club for the local community. It’s been going since the 1940s and is a great place for family fun or gigs. They hold regular weekly and monthly quiz nights, poker, barn dances and gigs. Sat 19 Nov – Barn dance featuring Captain Adequate’s Allstars Weds 23 Nov – Texas Hold’em Poker Tues 13 Dec – Barnes Rock 60s, 60s Allstars barneshomeguardassociation.org.uk 20
putney • Travels with my violin – 5 Dec Renowned violinist, Alina Ibragimova, talks about her travels to Andrew Keener, about her career, working in the recording studio and performing as a soloist and chamber musician, as part of the regular talks at Putney Music. Putney Music is a society for music lovers and meets fortnightly SeptApril to hear some of the world’s most celebrated musicians talk about their lives and work. putneymusic.org.uk
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OLYMPIC studios
restaurant review
The combination of movie and meal all in one place is irresistible
I
magine you are curled up on the sofa, next to your loved one, watching a great movie, glass of wine in one hand, popcorn in the other. And once ‘The End’ hits the screen, you ease yourself out of your comfy position and potter into the next room in search of food. No, not at home, but at the Olympic in Barnes. The cinema with café and dining room has been open since 2013 and while, of course, everyone in Barnes knows all about it, I’m amazed at how many locals in the surrounding areas of Putney and Richmond still haven’t visited. For less than a pound more than the Odeon it’s a whole different experience – plush reclining chairs, double seats or sofas for lovebirds and footstalls for those at the front. Having watched the brilliant Emily Blunt in The Girl On The Train (not as good as the book), my husband, son no. 3 and I headed straight for the adjoining restaurant. The décor is modern, but homely, with long tables, industrial style lighting and a relaxed atmosphere. The starters are all simple, but tasty. My husband, Alex, went for the grilled chicken and quinoa (can be a starter or main), with kale, pomegranate, pecans and radishes (£8), with the pecans a definite favourite, really complementing the dish rather than the more often used walnut. Finn, our 15-year-old, opted for the mushroom and tarragon soup (£6), which was thick and creamy and got a big thumbs up. My minced aubergine and flatbread was fine but lacking in real flavour, with the chopped onion
being more in evidence than the aubergine. By comparison, my main course of roast Goosnargh duck breast with green beans, baby turnips, radishes and maple gravy (£15) was full 'What stood out of flavour during the meal was and totally delicious, the the unobtrusive but duck pink attentive service...' and tender and the vegetables crisp and crunchy. Finn’s choice of Longhorn cheeseburger and handcut chips (£11.50) was large and oozing with cheese and went down very quickly, despite the size. Alex chose from the specials menu – oxtail ravioli with garlic, kale and lemon (£16) – and said it was the best thing he’d tasted in a long while. He got the last one in the kitchen, so late diners will have missed out! What stood out during the meal was the unobtrusive but attentive service – no trying to catch someone’s eye for 10 minutes before being ‘suddenly’ noticed and water refilled without being asked. We finished with a warm, soft chocolate fondant with roast pear and gingerbread cream (£6) – with a 12-minute wait, we were told, to bake it fresh. Divine. Worth going to the cinema for! 117 -123 Church Rd, Barnes SW13 9HL olympicstudios.co.uk
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Let It Snow 1. Which author created the fictional land of Narnia, where it is always snowing, but never Christmas? 2. Which of the "big six" Hollywood film studios has a snow-covered mountain as its logo? 3. Which American state has a name that means "snow covered" in Spanish? 4. What liqueur is mixed with lemonade to make a snowball cocktail? 5. Which Disney film was loosely based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale The Snow Queen? 6. What name is given to a snow storm that lasts for at least three hours, has winds blowing at a speed of at least 35 miles per hour and reduces visibility to a quarter of a mile or less? 7. What type of animal is Snowball in George Orwell's book Animal Farm? 8. Of all the sports at the Winter Olympics, which is the only one with "snow" in its name? 9. Which mountain range is the Abominable Snowman said to inhabit? 10. In which 1990s film does the title character go in search of Snowflake, the missing mascot of the American football team the Miami Dolphins? Answers: pg 27
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local people
a day in the life of... a Christmas tree seller Kelty Caston has been selling Christmas trees locally for 18 years. He now has 10 sites, including Putney and his first, in Richmond
‘P
eople only think about Christmas trees during the season – but The Christmas Forest is a year round job. Early in the year there are lots of administrative tasks, then, in August and September, I start visiting the sellers in Scotland and Hampshire and further afield in Denmark, Belgium and Ireland. ‘I look at the whole field – the health, density and shape of the trees. A tree spends two years in a nursery and then seven years in the field before it is ready to cut – and then it takes about a week to get to the sites. I always buy the premium grade and negotiate a price, which can change from year to year. I buy around 20,000 trees and as it’s a low margin business I don’t want to be left with more than 500 on Christmas Eve. ‘The first year I barely broke even as I spent a lot of money before I’d even sold my first tree. I rented a portacabin and slept there each night to keep an eye on the stock – it was so cold I never slept a wink! ‘In the Christmas season I’m at the Richmond site by 7am – I now rent a flat locally for two months rather than sleep onsite – and the gates open at eight. The day is constantly busy with new trees coming in by lorry. They are large and each one has to be taken off individually to keep it in the best condition. ‘I now run 10 sites across London and sell online,
'It's a short trading season, so we have to be well prepared...' too, so there are always things to deal with throughout the day – lights not working or staff issues, for instance – and deciding which trees are needed where. It’s a short trading period and weekends are particularly busy, so we have to be well prepared. ‘As part of what I do, I support the charity Tree Aid, and for every tree that is bought from me, one is planted in Africa. Last year I donated £25,000 which goes to help educate the locals in understanding the importance of trees. ‘We close at 8pm, which is when I’ll go back to the flat and facetime with my son before he goes to bed. My wife, Jo, sometimes comes and visits from our house in Oxford. Then it’s time to eat and sleep. ‘We used to close at midnight on Christmas Eve, but now it’s 5pm so we can all get home to our families. And I’ll be back again after Boxing Day to start dismantling the sites. ‘I love to decorate our tree but don’t often do it because I’m away, but I do tend to move things round when no-one’s looking!’
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HYPNOTIC GASTRIC BAND Make Your Mind and Body Believe You Have Had A Gastric Band Fitted Feel satisfied by smaller portions Reset the way you view food Lose weight quickly and permanently
Nadine Abell Clinical Hypnotherapist at The Westfield Practice 2a Elm Bank Gardens, Barnes, London, SW13 0NT 0208 241 6718 07969 741 964 nadine@thewestfieldpractice.com www.thewestfieldpractice.com
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health & wellbeing
how to survive Christmas! Enjoy the Christmas celebrations with your sanity still in place
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hristmas is just around the corner and for many of us it’s a special time to get together with our loved ones. But how can you enjoy yourself without going overboard - or becoming frazzled? Be prepared Start adding a few Christmas items to each shopping list in early November, saving you the stress of a massive shopping expedition when shops are busiest. Bake, prepare and freeze as much as possible in advance. Go easy on the alcohol Alcohol is a calorie-heavy appetite stimulant. It also lowers our inhibitions and affects our judgment, so beware - Christmas Day isn’t the best time to voice long-standing gripes! Don't drink on an empty stomach and aim to have a soft drink (preferably water) for each alcoholic drink, to help your body cope with alcohol’s toxins and its dehydrating effects, which cause hangover symptoms. Alcohol absorption depends on the speed of intake and your size, age, weight, metabolism and what else you’ve consumed, so no set amount guarantees that you’re under the legal drink-drive limit. Be shrewd with food Frozen foods should be properly defrosted and either cooked thoroughly or refrigerated immediately, particularly large poultry or joints of meat. Keep raw foods separate from cooked and chilled items in the fridge right up until they’re required. Remember to leave enough room in the fridge for cold air to circulate. Chill your leftovers quickly and eat within two days (reheating thoroughly when necessary). Don’t leave buffet foods out for more than four hours. Healthy festive food swaps Turkey skin is delicious but remember it is high in calories and fat. Choose low-salt gravy
mixes and keep the saltshaker off the table. You could try swapping: • sausage meat for vegetarian sausage mix • goose fat for healthy oils • traditional mince pies for lattice, filo or opentop versions • brandy butter or cream for low-fat custard or crème fraiche • high-fat dips for homemade ones with yogurt or crème fraiche • crisps, salted nuts and chocolate for plain popcorn, rice cakes, pretzels, unsalted nuts and homemade chocolate-covered fruit. Stay festive fit An alarming number of people are admitted to hospital over the festive season because of the sheer quantity or unhealthy nature of what they’ve eaten. Keep portion size sensible and stop eating just as you start to feel full. It takes time for your stomach to tell your brain it’s full. Do some gentle exercise each day - a walk will burn calories and provide the daylight and fresh air necessary to keep you feeling good. Finally... keep it in proportion Keep celebrations simple, focusing on what makes you and your family happy, and ignoring traditions that none of you like. It’s your Christmas. Relax and enjoy it! Alison Runham
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Place of Little Dreams
The boutique website for parents with young children
www.placeoflittledreams.com
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lace of little dreams is a lifestyle website for anyone with young children in their life. Updated daily with new blogs and information, it is a treasure trove of brilliant creative children’s activities, and includes a directory of unique children’s boutiques and pop-up events for families in London. The website started in 2016 by trained Montessori teacher Lexi Heriot Maitland, who always had a passion for working creatively with children. Her creativity was established in her managerial role at the established Paint Pots Montessori House in Chelsea and continues in her work today in Barnes. The Place of little dreams blog travels through themed art activities, techniques and freestyle creations, awakening children’s senses and supporting their individual approach and expression. Each activity highlights an extended adventure, creating a rich understanding of the world around us - a holistic experience.
The Place of little dreams directory curate’s fabulous children’s boutiques selling gifts, clothing, toys, accessories, parties, educational needs and little dreams for you. CHRISTMAS EVENT - 28 & 29 November Come and visit our Christmas Pop-Up at OSO Arts Centre, Barnes on Monday 28 November 6pm–10pm, and Tuesday 29November 9am6pm, featuring boutiques Dotty Dungarees, 64 South, Cozyglo, Cellandia, Panda & Ping, Hullabaloo Prints and MimiBebe. www.placeoflittledreams.com
Quiz answers FUN QUIZ:
1.C.S. Lewis 2. Paramount 3. Nevada 4. Advocaat 5. Frozen 6. Blizzard 7. A pig 8. Snowboarding 9. The Himalayas 10. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
There are six igloos in the grid The fish that are th same are A & E. CHILDREN'S PAGE ANSWERS:
S U D U KO
TRIAL ANSWERS: 3 Letters ARE, EAR, ERA, ERR, HAD, HER, RED 4 Letters DARE, DEAR, HARD, HARE, HEAD, HEAR, HERD, RARE, READ, REAR, RHEA 5 Letters HARED, HEARD 6 Letters: HARDER
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useful numbers doctors surgeries/hospitals
schools
Barnes Surgery Chartfield Surgery Danebury Ave Essex House Surgery Sheen Health Centre Seymour House The Surgery Kingston Hospital Queen Mary’s Hospital
Barnes/Mortlake Barnes Primary 020 8876 7358 Lowther Primary 020 8748 3984 St Mary Magdalen’s Catholic 020 8876 6679 St Osmund’s Catholic 020 8748 3582 East Sheen East Sheen Primary 020 8876 7484 Sheen Mount 020 8876 8394 Putney All Saints C of E 020 87885196 Hotham Primary 020 87886468 Our Ladies of Victories Catholic Primary 020 87885196 St Mary's C of E 020 87889591
020 8748 7574 020 8788 3252 0844 477 3782 020 8876 1033 020 8876 4086/8876 3901 020 8940 2802 020 8748 1065 020 8546 7711 020 8487 6000
clubs, groups & societies Barnes Community Association 020 8878 2359 Barnes Literary Society 020 8876 3817 Barnes & Mortlake History Society 020 8392 8505 Barnes Music Society 020 8876 1563 Barnes WI barneswi.co.uk FiSH Neighbourhood Care Scheme (For help and to volunteer) 020 8876 3414 Friends of Barnes Common 020 8392 2566 Friends of Palewell Common 07771 970017 Friends of Richmond Park 020 8549 8975 Mortlake with East Sheen Society 020 8876 7744 Neighbourhood Watch 020 8247 5807 OSO Community Arts Centre 020 8876 9885 Putney Music putneymusic.org.uk Putney Bridge Club 020 8892 9429 Putney Scouts 5thputneyseascouts.btik.com Putney Society putneysociety.org.uk Putney Theatre Company 07900 216 197 Richmond Orchestra 020 8876 4728 WI barneswi.co.uk putneywi.wordpress.com
sports clubs & activities 144 (Richmond) Squadron Air Cadets Barn Elms Sports Centre Barnes Sports Club Barnes Runners Pools on the Park Putney Leisure Centre Rocks Lane Tennis & Football Centre Sheen Common Bowling Club Shene Sports & Fitness Centre Sheen Shufflers
020 8940 2223 020 8876 7685 020 8876 1270 020 8241 6574 020 8940 0561 020 8785 0388 020 8876 8330 020 8878 6279 020 3772 2999 020 8876 6819
council Richmond Council Wandsworth Council Crimestoppers
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08456 122 660 020 8871 6000 0800 555 111
Secondary Schools ARK Putney Academy Christ’s Grey Court Richmond Park Academy
020 878 83421 020 8940 6982 020 8948 1173 020 8876 8891
local police Barnes Police Station Richmond Police Station (8am-8pm) Putney Safer Neighbourhood Teams East Sheen Mortlake & Barnes Barnes Putney
020 8392 1212 101 101 07879 433 391 020 8721 2007 07768 178 731 0208 247 7860
libraries Castelnau Mon, Tues, Fri 9.30am-6pm, Weds 10am7pm; Thurs & Sun closed. Tel: 020 8734 3350 East Sheen Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri 9.30am-6pm; Weds 10am-7pm; Sat 9.30am-4pm, Sun 10am-2pm. Tel: 020 8734 3337 Putney Mon, Weds, Thurs 9am-8pm, Tues closed, Fri 9am-2pm, Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 1pm-5pm. Tel: 020 8871 7090
recycling Richmond Borough (Townmead Rd) Opening Times Mon 10am - 6pm; Tues-Sat 8am - 6pm; Sun & Bank Hols: 9am - 4pm. Closed: 25, 26 Dec, 1 Jan. Richmond residents only. Last admission 15m before closing time. Wandsworth Borough (Smugglers Way) Mon-Fri 9am - 4pm; Sat 8am - 6pm; Sun 8am - 5pm If you have a club, society or association that you would like listed here please email me the details at: pippa@livinginmagazines.co.uk
Connecting local businesses to local people - 020 8878 1890
Index of Local Businesses Bathrooms Masons Original Bathrooms Beauty Re:treat Beds Westend Beds Builders/Extensions DPS
8 43 24 31 3
Carpenter Yellow Chisel 11 Car Services Colin Ferns - Mercedes 5 Care Home Kingsmere 17 Catering Katie’s Kitchen 12 Cleaning Services Cleaners For My Home 8 Curtains & Blinds Curtain Call 6 Dentist Kew Dental Care Drama Classes Stage Coach Dry Cleaners Hamlyns
Insurance Shene Insurance Market Kew Village Market Martial Arts Pee Wee/Funakoshi Plumbing & Heating Mortlake Plumbing & Heating Solicitors D&G Family Law Website Place of Little Dreams Weddings Landmark Wedding Fair Windows Pro-Fit Windows
16 12 26
6 10 26 11 2
24 32 16
Estate Agent Ewemove
6
Fireplaces Chiswick Fireplace
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Gardening Auntie Planty
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Health & Wellbeing Earthlife Heating Engineer David Harris Hospital (private) New Victoria Hypnotherapy Westfield Practice
18 8 18 24
Disclaimer: While all reasonable care has been taken to ensure that the information in this magazine is accurate, the Publisher cannot accept, and hereby disclaims, any liability to any party for loss or damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accident or any other cause. The Publisher accepts no responsibility for the claims made by contributors in advertising content or Business Profiles or for loss arising from non-publication of any advertisement. Reproduction of text, images or artwork is strictly prohibited without prior permission of the Publisher.
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What's on at CHRISTMAS! CHRISTMAS AT KEW GARDENS 23 Nov - 2 Jan
Kew’s trees, temples and glasshouses will be dripping with giant crystals and colourful lights while 60,000 lightbulbs will illuminate the Tunnel of Lights. The scented Fire Garden is inspired by the Five Gold Rings from The Twelve Days of Christmas. 5-10pm, timed tickets in advance. kew.org
HAMPTON COURT PALACE ICE RINK 25 Nov - 8 Jan
You couldn’t get a better backdrop than Hampton Court Palace lit up at night. Grab your mitts and ear muffs for some festive fun on ice. After a few rounds of skating, enjoy a mulled wine or hot chocolate at the bar and café. Tickets from £8.55 for children. First skate 11am, last skate 9pm. hamptoncourtpalaceicerink.co.uk
SLEEPING BEAUTY 2 Dec - 8 Jan
Who can awaken the sleeping beauty in this classic tale at Richmond Theatre? Maureen Lipman stars as the Wicked Fairy and children’s TV favourite, Chris Jarvis, plays Chester the Jester. Sumptuous sets, glittering costumes, big song and dance numbers – and audience participation is a must! Tickets from £11. atgtickets.com/Richmond
WETLANDS CENTRE 3 - 4 Dec
A wonderful winter weekend, full of husky sleigh rides, a ride on a Christmas donkey and,
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of course, a visit to Santa in his magical grotto in the pine forest. Children can also help Santa’s elves prepare for the big day in the Elves Workshop making festive decorations. Normal admission price, plus £6 to visit Santa. Husky and donkey rides included in admission. wwt.org.uk
DICK WHITTINGTON 9 Dec - 15 Jan
A great cast with Arlene Phillips CBE, Tim Vine and panto favourite, Matthew Kelly come to the New Wimbledon Theatre. Can Dick and feline frined, Tommy, find gold in the streets of London and will they defeat King Rat? atgtickets.com/wimbledon
CINDERELLA 6 - 10 Dec
The Barnes Community Players' version of Cinderella will have you rolling in the aisles! Tickets £10-14, avaiable from barnescommunityplayers.com or on the door. 7.30pm, 2.30pm Sat mat.
A TALE OF CINDERELLALAND 14 - 22 Dec
A financial crisis has led to austerity and Cinderellaland is in trouble. The King and Queen through their charming, but immature, son a party in the hopes he can rescue the situation. Can Cinde save the day? 14-22 December, 7.30pm; mats, 3pm. Tickets from £14. Box office: 020 8788 6943. putneytheatrecompany.org.uk
LOCAL CHRISTMAS EVENTS...
12 Nov - St Mary's Church Christmas Fair, 10am-3pm, Kitson Hall, Barnes 1 & 3 Dec - Late night shopping & market 1st on t1st and all day Christmas Market at Hare & Hounds on 3rd, East Sheen 2 Dec - Ice rink 12--8pm Church Sq, Putney Bridge , market stalls from 5pm and High St lights switch on 9 Dec - Christmas Festival: Santa's Grotto, late night shopping, Christmas Carols, Barnes
Connecting local businesses to local people - 020 8878 1890
Browse our collection of high quality, luxury beds at our new showroom in Sheen. Our expert team are on hand to offer professional advice and deliver complimentary sleep consultations to help you achieve the perfect night’s sleep, every night.
Largest selection in the region
Official Flagship Store
215 Upper Richmond Road, Sheen, London, SW14 8QT Tel: 020 7723 2925
www.westendbedcompany.com
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EMBRACE CREATIVITY Realise the unique potential in your child Acting, singing and dance classes for 4 - 18 year olds. Find out more and start your child’s journey today:
stagecoach.co.uk/kew kew@stagecoach.co.uk 020 8487 1456
Kew Stagecoach Theatre Arts Schools are operated under franchise and are independently owned by their businesses Principals. Connecting local to local Stagecoach is a registered trademark of Stagecoach Theatre Arts Ltd.
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people - 020 8878 1890