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The
May 2021
Advertiser
This Month: All About: Pogo Tattoo Barnes Coach Holidays NHS Oxford Talking Space All Your Business: About You Faringdon Community Awards Faringdon Community Website David Johnston MP: Newsletter Churches Together In Faringdon Faringdon Town Council Newsletter Promoting local business, trade and services. Advertise! Be Seen! Call Lou 01367 244975 or 07894 554551
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The
|May 2021|
Advertiser Chris Lewis APPLIANCEMAN Electrical DOMESTIC AND COMMERCIAL WORKS FREE QUOTATIONS
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Call or Text George Bowler george@applianceman.co
This Month Front Cover Mike Jackson is a Somerset artist and illustrator based in a quiet village in the West Country. He is well known for painting quirky harbour scenes, hoodies and cute characters. Mike can often be found painting at Wells (Somerset) and at Weymouth (Dorset) where he can be seen painting in oils or watercolour. For more information contact Mike on: www.mikejacksonart.co.uk/ yeovilartist@aol.com
Visit Harri May and her Beautiful Flowers In Her All-New Shop & Studio Specialising in:
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lou@theadvertisermagazine.net
J GODFREY & SON FUNERAL SERVICES An Independent family run business Spanning four generations ● 24 hour 7 days a week personal service and support ● A private Chapel of Rest, Pre-Paid Funeral plans ● Memorial Stones & Grave Maintenance
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WHO’S NEXT? Based in the Cotswolds, I write articles, blogs and PR for the media and on social media for people, businesses and events in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire and also help to promote businesses large or small about what you do and what you offer. www.facebook.com/ChrisRobertsMBE.PR. Or Chris 01285 712150, 0744 350 0744, www.chrisrobertsmbe.co.uk. CORRECTION – LAURA JORDAN Apologies the email link for Laura Jordan in the April edition article, ‘Don’t go through what Laura went through’, was incorrect. To contact Laura, the correct email address is: laura.jordan@openwork.uk.com or you can phone her on 07808 025894.
The Dog Studio Dog Grooming and Hydrotherapy Centre Call Trish: 01367 820060 Cowleaze Farm, Woolstone, Oxon SN7 7QS Email: thedogstudio@live.co.uk
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BETWEEN ME AND YOU LOOKING AFTER YOUR SKIN AND THE WORLD Alicia and her partner, Neil, run an online business called ‘Between Me and You’, based in Great Coxwell, Oxfordshire. They sell sustainably-sourced, cruelty-free and vegan-friendly luxury beauty accessories with a vision to grow as an ecofriendly brand. Shopping with an ethically-conscious hat on doesn’t need to cost a pretty penny, nor do you need to compromise on beautiful goods. Alicia says: “We feel incredibly blessed to offer wonderfully eco-organic, luxury, reusable textiles with the added bonus of looking stunning – even if we do say so ourselves!” A special offer for readers of The Advertiser: Use discount code “Faringdon 10” via their website: www.bmandy.co.uk or via their Etsy shop: BMANDYSTORE, where you can discover their full range – including gift options that are perfect for every occasion. For more information, contact Alicia: info@bmandy.co.uk. OFFICE SPACE AND HOT DESK SPACE AVAILABLE Faringdon Business Centre is thrilled to announce that there is some office space available to rent. Currently, there are 2 x two-person offices. More excitedly, a new hot-desk space has opened. If you are fed up with working from home, need to get back into an office environment, you are welcome to use this space and WiFi. Try for FREE for half a day. Reserve your desk, by contacting Julie: 01367 246003. WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT NON-FUNGIBLE TOKENS? James Carlini lives in Stanford-in-the-Vale and founded his own home-based company called NFTBoxes last year to sell NFTs, which are non-fungible tokens. A non-fungible token is a special type of cryptographic token and is not mutually interchangeable. This is in contrast to crypto-currencies like Bitcoin. James says: “Simply, I sell a box. The box is an NFT, but also a marker. After two weeks, I distribute 10 NFTs made by artists and games or projects to whoever owns their box. So, in those two weeks, people can sell/buy/trade the box until the notified deadline. We are now in the process of distributing 5,000 NFTs to 500 box holders, all on the blockchain, all digital, no posting.”
The Advertiser Magazine Deadline for the June Edition is 21st May
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James also claims that he has had artists whose lifetime crypto art earnings are over £1m in their box! If you still don’t know what these are and want to know more, contact James: 07502 272522, carlini51@gmail.com or visit https://nftboxes.io/. REFLEXOLOGY BY RACHEL Rachel Pearson lived in Oxford for 15 years, but then moved to Faringdon three years ago. Her interest in Reflexology began almost six years ago after experiencing the benefits of a treatment herself. She says: “For those that don’t know about Reflexology, you need to experience this wonderful, nonintrusive complementary health therapy treatment at least once in your lifetime!” It was after Rachel’s first treatment that her fascination with Reflexology began and having experienced the benefits, she wanted to bring this to her local community. So, at the end of April 2021, Rachel started up her own business called ‘Reflexology by Rachel’. After extensive hands-on practice, anatomy and physiology study, Rachel now has an internationally recognised ITEC Level 3 Diploma in Reflexology from the Cotswold Academy in Cirencester and has had experience working on over 100 pairs of feet! She specialises only in reflexology – no other complementary therapies – concentrating mainly on feet and hands. Reflexology is inclusive of all age groups and genders and may help with a number of conditions including chronic pain, digestive problems, disturbed sleep and reducing stress and anxiety, encouraging the body to work more efficiently. Rachel’s interests, however, lie mainly within women’s health and she has recently completed a maternity reflexology course and is currently working on a reproflex course for fertility and reproductive reflexology. Her future plans are to develop in other areas such as baby reflexology, lymphatic drainage and vertical reflexology techniques (VRT). As a qualified member of the Association of Reflexologist's (AoR), she says she is committed to working within their code of practice and ethics, which includes the highest possible standards in the industry. She is fully insured, GDPR compliant and complies with current regulations As Rachel is also a part-time Events Manager and mum to two boys, she can offer treatments at her home or as a mobile service within the local area and she also is flexible for her opening times offering daytime appointments as well as some evenings and weekend treatments. To find out more or to book a treatment, please call Rachel on: 07879 443065, email her on: rvpearson80@gmail.com, reflexbyrachel@gmail.com or visit her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/reflexbyrachel or website: www.reflexbyrachel.com.
May’s speaker will be Al Sylvester on the RAF Mountain Rescue Service. Al, a renowned RAF Rescue Service leader with over 20 years of service, has attended more than 400 rescue operations including the recovery and rescue of downed aircrew of military fast jets and civilian aircraft. Thankfully the majority of his rescue missions involved successfully searching some of the most hostile environments of the British mountain ranges. His talk will be about these experiences and is bound to be exciting.
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Tattoo ARTIST
Marcin Zietek 07590 539396 Opening Hours Monday - Friday 10am-6pm Saturday 10am-2pm Pogo Tattoo
8 Cornmarket Faringdon SN7 7HH
Who is the face behind Pogo Tattoo? A new tattoo parlour has opened based at 8 Corn Market, Faringdon SN7 7HH. Pogo Tattoo is run by Marcin Zietek, who was born in a small town called Lubaczow in Poland. He completed a course at the college of further education for ‘body work pairing’, although working with cars was not what he wanted to do. He wanted to attend art college, but his parents wouldn’t let him. He came to England in 2006 when he was 19 years old and, for five years, has been working in Oxford tattoo studios. Before that, he worked in a warehouse for nearly 10 years. However, tattooing was his hobby from the age of 16 years old and he couldn’t imagine doing anything else than tattooing. His other hobby is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, for which he holds a black belt. Marcin is not married, but has a girlfriend, Emma and they have been together for almost two years. They have no children yet, but very soon hopefully! Emma has supported Marcin in making all this happen and he says he can turn to her for absolutely anything. Emma did not have any tattoos until she met Marcin. Her first tattoo was of her favourite animal, a bat, and was Marcin’s model at a tattoo convention. Marcin says: “Emma is crazy and energetic and you always know when she is about!” The couple enjoy a varied social life with their friends, taking walks in the countryside, or sitting on the bank waiting for the fish to bite! Emma is a hairdresser by trade, but will be joining the team to run the reception and take care of the paperwork. She is also training to become Marcin’s laser technician, so the studio will be able to offer laser tattoo removal. Alongside expanding to laser treatments, Pogo Tattoo will be having another artist joining them in the future, who is also a very good friend of Marcin’s. The business will also be looking to take on an apprentice in the future too. Marcin and Emma do not live in Faringdon, but they have been welcomed so warmly into the community and have been overjoyed with cards, chocolates and flowers. The friendliness and support shows that they have chosen an amazing town to start the business and they look forward to meeting more lovely people of the town. Marcin’s goal is for everyone to see his work, and for his work to be recognised everywhere. Everyone is welcome to get a tattoo, no matter how old they are. The studio opened on 12th April and the opening times are Monday to Saturday 10am-6pm.
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This regular feature will include a round up from the meetings over the month. Full minutes are available on our website. The Community and Partnerships Committee deals with issues that are important to the community and works with partners towards making life in Faringdon better. If you would like to raise anything, please get in touch. The meeting covered many items, here are the highlights: ● The unspent events fund of £2650 from 2020.21 will be earmarked for use on CV-19 recovery events in 2021 and 2022 ● Unspent youth grant funds will be earmarked for next year. If your youth group would like to apply for up to £2000 contact sally@faringdontowncouncil.gov.uk ● If the 2021 outdoor cinema cannot go ahead, due to CV-19, the committee will consider two outdoor cinemas in 2022 ● Saturday markets will now be held weekly due to requests from the community. ● The Town Council will support Earth and Faith in their tree planting project. ● Volunteers will return to run the foodbank in June. The generosity of the public and businesses throughout the pandemic has been staggering. Thank you! ● A community larder in conjunction with SOFEA and The Place is being investigated. Keep an eye out for updates coming soon. ● A Play Day organised in partnership with Oxfordshire Play Association will be held at Tuckers Park on 6th August 11am to 3pm, CV-19 restrictions allowing. ● A recommendation was made to council that funds be allocated to a new junior youth club (years 7 to 9) facilitated by Oxfordshire Play Association. ● Community snow and footpath schemes are now up and running. If you would like to volunteer contact marzia@farindgontowncouncil.gov.uk ● The rubbish in the Hobble was discussed as a problem. A new bespoke recycling bin will be installed in the summer and local businesses will be contacted. ● A litter pick will be coming soon – please watch this space! ● A dog poo campaign will be launched in conjunction with the district council. ● An outdoor fitness project will be launched in May in the Town Park, with a variety of sessions on a Saturday morning. Please see our website for details.
The planning committee considered 10 applications. Please see our website for full details
The full council takes an overall view of council business and receives and considers all the actions from the various committees and working parties. At the start of the meeting Town Mayor, Cllr. Wise, led the tribute to HRH Prince Philip. Cllr. Wise then led a tribute to Roger Cox, who sadly passed away last month. Roger was a true pillar of the community; always well respected, imposing in stature and in his outstanding contribution to the town and to the Vale of White Horse through his many years as both Town and District Councillor. He will be sadly missed. The Town Council extend their sympathies and thoughts to his family. One minute’s silence was observed. ● County Councillor Judith Heathcoat is retiring in May. On behalf of the council, Cllr. Wise thanked her for her many years of service to the people of Faringdon and wished her well in her retirement. ● Government legislation brought in during the pandemic ends on 6/5/2021. This means the council will no longer be allowed to hold online meetings if this is not changed by government. The following was therefore agreed: � Online Town meeting to be held on Wednesday 5th May at 7pm � Full Council to be held on Thursday 20th May and Thursday 10th June face-to-face in the Corn Exchange with limited numbers. � Planning and Highways to be held as a discussion meeting online on 26th May – response to planning applications to be delegated to the Deputy Town Clerk. � Strategic Working Party and Trust meetings to be held online. � Normal face to face meetings to resume from 21st June. ● The Solar Streets project will receive support – more details at the Town Meeting on 5th May. ● A street naming policy was rejected. The policy will be redrafted to include: ‘streets should be named from the war memorial except in exceptional circumstances’ ● £5,000 was allocated to the new junior youth club planned by Oxfordshire Play Association further details about the club will be available shortly.
office@faringdontowncouncil.gov.uk 01367 240281 www.faringdontowncouncil.gov.uk
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Old Town Hall renovation will begin on 26th April. Works will continue until August. This will include full refurbishment inside and out, with repainting and a new lift. A grant of £66,050 was received from FCC Communities Foundation, a not-for-profit business that awards grants for community through the Landfill Communities Fund. The remaining funds came from s106 developer contributions, the Faringdon War Memorial Trust and the Town Council.
Has reopened its doors again, do pop in to have look at our maps, guidebooks, Faringdon souvenirs, cards by local artists, pottery and much more. Pick up one of our newly printed walk leaflets or just stop by to ask one of our friendly team a question about Faringdon. We are currently open from 9 am to 12:30pm Monday to Friday and 9:30am to 1pm on Saturdays.
The bus lane will be closed from 21st June to 13th August please keep an eye on our website for further details. We are sorry for any inconvenience caused during this period.
Join us for our weekly Saturday Market from 10am to 1pm in the Market Place. To book a stall please contact: Liz@faringdontowncouncil.gov. uk
It’s May already and Spring has sprung! We have had several very cold snaps these last few weeks, but wildlife is waking from hibernation and attempting to carry on regardless. How about a If you do not cut your grass it results in 10x more nectar for bees and other pollinators. Grass cut every 4 weeks produces the most nectar producing flowers. For trees and birds, the Woodland Trust has highlighted the plight of the blue tit. It only has one chance to raise a family each spring, and for a bird that may only live for 3 years, each of these needs to count. Unlike other garden birds, blue tits raise just a single brood of chicks each spring, carefully timing the hatching of their eggs to the bud burst of trees and the explosion of caterpillar prey that comes with it. Later in the year, in coalition with local groups, we are looking to promote a tree planting project for wildlife and bio diversity. If you would like to get involved, please contact cllr.swallow@faringdontowncouncil.gov.uk Above all enjoy the outdoors, go for a walk, and reconnect with our great local natural assets.
I am the National Officer for Managers In Partnership, representing senior NHS managers across south central England and in London. I am a member of Faringdon United Church, the Vale of White Horse Masonic Lodge, a volunteer at Homeless Oxfordshire and an active trade unionist and Labour Party member. I aim to play a full and active role in the community I have chosen to make my home and I am grateful for the opportunity to give something back. I hope to bring experience of private, voluntary and public sector work to the council table. I strongly believe that active and engaged citizens in close contact with their elected representatives is the best way of ensuring the voice of Faringdon residents is heard and acted upon. Cllr.smith@faringdontowncouncil.gov.uk
Town Meeting - 5th May at 7pm Planning and Highways - 26th May at 7.15pm Please join us via Microsoft Teams, details, agendas and links are available on our website. Annual meeting of Full Council - 20th May at 7.15pm in the Corn Exchange.
office@faringdontowncouncil.gov.uk 01367 240281 www.faringdontowncouncil.gov.uk
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HAZEL INTERIORS Specialist Designers & Makers of Curtains & Soft Furnishings
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Faringdon Bell Ringers If Google doesn’t know something ask a Faringdon bellringer. Our ringing may be a bit iffy, but general knowledge we’re supreme! Faringdon won the Diocesan (Bucks, Berks, Oxon) ringer’s virtual quiz. We virtually won an antique Silver Rose Bowl! Despite the ongoing Covid restrictions in the tower, we have been called upon several times this month. Churches used to have various traditions of a Passing Bell, so that people knew that someone had died. The number of strokes could indicate the age and sex of the deceased and in a small community people would know who it was. Ringers were asked nationally to ring a passing bell for the Duke of Edinburgh on 10th April. Daniel rang 99 tellers (or tailors). On the 17th Wendy and Jon provided the muscle to toll a bell for 30 minutes, before Prince Phillips funeral. Church bells are not rung during Holy Week, leading up to Easter, so All Saints ringers usually hold their AGM on the Monday, our regular practice night. We stuck to that this year with the help of Zoom. The treasurer’s report was simply dealt with: Income nil, Expenditure nil. Clare Knock was re-elected to lead us back to full ringing in the coming year. From 11th April All Saints has been able to hold limited, socially distanced, Sunday services again, so we are ringing to commence them but until the next step on the roadmap, that means only one household bubble in the tower at a time. If there’s a family of six in Faringdon who’d like to take a crash course there could be real ringing! For more info contact faringdonringers@gmail.com
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Wine Made Easy!
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Australian Wine
Following on from the planting of vineyards near rivers, I thought a wander down to Australia would be interesting. It is not just rivers, but lakes and of course the sea that can impact the growing conditions for vines. On the western side of Australia, we have the Margaret River wine region, where some of the top wines in this country are made. The primary grapes are Chardonnay (white) and Cabernet Sauvignon (red) and we do see wines from this region in our supermarkets. Here it is not just the river, but the cooling breezes from the Indian ocean that travel up the river valley that help to create the micro climate for the growth of vines. The area is around 140 miles south of Perth and has 150 plus vineyards, so plenty to choose from. Tesco do a nice example of the cabernet sauvignon called Ring Bolt. The wine has a nice deep colour and aroma of dark cherry and berry. The taste shows the berries mingled with a hint of chocolate. On the white front, there is a Botham 76 series Chardonnay, this has a nice yellow colour and hints of peaches when you smell it. The flavour has the peach flavours combined with a hint of citrus fruit plus a vanilla background which comes from the wine being stored in oak barrels. On the other side of the country is South Australia, where you find many vineyards in valleys, think of Barossa Valley, Clare Valley and Eden Valley. In this very large region, the big producers like Hardys and Penfolds own many vineyards and also buy grapes in from privately owned vineyards. Here, the red is mostly Shiraz with the full bodied flavours that Australian Shiraz is famous for. Tesco do a Barossa Ink Shiraz, the colour is very deep (hence the name) and the intense flavours of blackberry, plus a hint of chocolate in the background. Waitrose and Sainsbury sell one of the top selling reds from Australia, McGuigans Black Label Shiraz, which also comes from the Barossa valley and surrounding areas. This is a little more gentle on the tasting front, so still plenty of flavour, but a little more balanced and delivers a very nice easy drinking wine. The valleys around the South East of Australia offer a wide variety of whites, so we now get Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and many other classic wines growing and tasting great from this region. The Sauvignon Blanc tend to have quite sharp gooseberry flavours to start, with the other fruits coming in after this. The region also blends the grapes to give interesting wines like Semillion and Sauvignon Blanc (Co-op) or Chardonnay and Semillion blends. I hope you enjoy trying a few of these river valley wines. These are just a few of the huge number of wines from Australia and there are flat land areas that produce wines as well as the valleys, so there is always plenty of choice. Please enjoy your wine responsibly. Ian Lloyd
ian@getwine.co.uk
079 4187 1323
2
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Country Life
It’s been so exciting watching the shops start to open, pubs, restaurants and cafes offering outdoor service alongside spring showing itself at it’s best these last few weeks! With local places such as Buscot Park opening, it’s made things feel a little bit more ‘normal’ alongside the ability to do these things with loved ones again. The last few weeks have flown by for me with all these things going on and whilst I love the fact we can go out a little more, felt a little hesitant in myself to do so. As a result it’s been nice exploring places slightly further away, such as walks in Wiltshire and Berkshire and even a trip down to the coast. In the garden however, I have managed to transplant my potatoes after they chitted on the windowsill for a few weeks, got some beautiful tulips in full bloom still and wait with anticipation for the wisteria that runs across the cottage to come out in full bloom (it’s actually one of my favourite things about the cottage we are currently in, it’s incredible). If you’d like to see the wisteria then head over to my Instagram page @hercountryliving as I am doing a daily #WisteriaWatch and showing the progress of the beautiful flowers as they start to come out! This month is going to be a great one for popping out and seeing bluebells in your local woodland too, and since lots of flowers have been delayed slightly due to the frost and even snow (wasn’t that weird!) we had at the start of April, it gives you an excuse to maybe even pack a picnic and make a day of it. Just remember, if you do plan a trip to the bluebell woods, try not to walk on them or sit on them. It takes years for bluebells to recover from damage and they are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. This means picking, digging up or purposefully damaging them is against the law, so it’s always best to admire them from afar and keep your dogs under control when in the woods. I would love to see your photos of any bluebells, countryside photos or even garden photos you might be taking at the moment so make sure you keep up to date and follow me on @hercountryliving on Instagram and sign up to my blog by visiting www.hercountryliving.com. I offer lots of tips on gardening as well as unique places I have visited, craftings and general ways you can look at keeping your garden nature and wildlife friendly; don’t forget to keep up the gardening and keep up your local walks and your local exploring!
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The Girl On The Balcony
Olivia Hussey Finds Life After Romeo & Juliet
Beautiful Juliet. That’s where it all began. Franco Zeffirelli made the fateful decision to cast young actors to play the leads in his sumptuous adaptation of Romeo & Juliet in 1968. And stars were born. At least Olivia Hussey’s star was born. Beating out many other young actresses to the role of a role of lifetime, Hussey was to form a creative bond with Zeffirelli that would endure beyond Romeo & Juliet. Hussey sets it all down here in her first memoir. It’s certainly a life lived well. She marries three times – to three very different men – becomes a mother of three, and continues to take on interesting and varied roles. But there is also heartbreak; her first husband, the son of legendary entertainer Dean Martin, dies in an plane crash; she is swindled out of her fortune by unscrupulous business managers, and lean years follow. She’s frank about her interest in the industry, and the fact that she did not let it define her. Her insight into films and tv epics such as Death on the Nile and Jesus of Nazareth (she played Mary, mother of Jesus) is enlightening. I’ve always been a fan of Ms Hussey. The 1968 version of Romeo & Juliet makes me sob. I hear Nino Rota’s love theme and I’m a goner. I enjoyed her small role in Stephen King’s IT, and Death on the Nile. And I mostly enjoyed this book. There are things I would have done differently in places. She has an extremely interesting backstory, and, even though she is frank, I got the impression she was holding back in places. I felt I’d have liked more texture and more depth in places. There is a lot of focus on her spirituality and her immersion into Eastern philosophy, which is interesting, but I feel more cuts could have been made here, to dive into depths in other places. But overall, I loved her tone and her candour. She’s obviously not someone who suffers fools and readily admits her shortcomings and what things she would have done differently. I really must dig out that dvd of Romeo & Juliet. It’s time to break my heart all over again. Shop the ‘Memoir’ section of the Booky & Blonde bookstore here to buy Olivia’s book https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/bookyandblonde Catch up with Claire Meadows at @bookyandblonde hello@bookyandblonde.co.uk
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Two community groups in Faringdon had the honour of receiving awards made by the High Sheriff of Oxfordshire to recognise significant and valuable services to the community. The awards were given by outgoing High Sheriff, Amanda Ponsonby MBE, recognised the appreciation of the residents and people of Oxfordshire for activity and contribution in enhancing the community. The awards are usually given to individuals, but because the last year has been extraordinary, seeing many community groups come together to support residents throughout the pandemic, it was decided that this year groups awards should be awarded. Faringdon Viral Kindness was set up in March 2020, at the beginning of first lockdown, supporting vulnerable residents with prescription service and shopping for groceries. They were a vital part of the town’s response to Covid, serving over 1000 residents. Set up by Al Sylvester and Bethia Thomas the team comprised of just over twenty core volunteers and over 200 team members who gave their time to help others. Al Sylvester who headed up operations for the team was incredibly pleased that the whole team was recognized: “We would not have been able to achieve what we did for the residents of Faringdon had we not had such a committed team – when we started this group of volunteers, we hardly knew each other, but after this shared experience, will be friends for life.” Bethia Thomas was also proud of the team’s achievements: “Looking back over the last year it is incredible that we managed to put something like this together under the most difficult circumstances.
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The volunteers were such a great team, everyone had a role to play – they are a credit to Faringdon.” The other group that was honoured with an award was the team from “Flowers from Molly”, Rebekah Pugh and Janet Kingdon, which started in memory of Rebekah’s dear friend and neighbour, Molly Day. Miss Day, who passed away last year, was an excellent flower arranger and in tribute to her, the group delivers bunches of flowers to those who need a little bit of cheer and care – people can nominate whoever they think, deserves a little touch of kindness. The group have gone on to deliver other initiatives including, “Boxes of Joy” giving ninety-five Christmas hamper boxes to residents in Faringdon who again may have needed a little lift over a very unusual Christmas last year. The idea of spreading a little joy has expanded nationally with “Letters for Hope” Faringdon residents are now invited to nominate anyone across the country to receive a personalised message and small keepsake. Rebekah was very pleased to receive the award: “It was a lovely surprise and a real honour to be recognised, for carrying on the kind spirit Molly showed in all she did”. In attendance were Deputy Lieutenant Neil Sutherland OBE, and Faringdon Mayor, Dr Mike Wise. Dr Wise was happy that Faringdon was able to mark this day: “It was wonderful to see that Faringdon’s community groups are receiving the recognition that they deserve – they have served our community with good spirit and commitment throughout this very difficult year and have brought joy and comfort to many.” Bethia Thomas, Freelancing in Faringdon, 07906 821680
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R.J. HARRISON Plumbing & Heating Ltd Tel: 01367 242473 Mobile: 07909 915595 harrison.heating@btinternet.com David Johnston MP Newsletter I was the 135th speaker for the House of Commons motion to pay tribute to Prince Philip, but they only got to the 131st MP. Had I been able to speak I would have recounted an anecdote in James Callaghan’s book in which he found himself squeezed into a small car with Prince Philip and Margaret Thatcher. Despite the fact he had been PM, he wrote “I recognised at once the force of their characters and decided that my best contribution to the general happiness would be to remain quite quiet.” Sensible man. Few people will serve their country as long and as steadfastly as Prince Philip did ours. So far, so good, on reopening post lockdown. I spent most of the first full Friday, visiting shops and pubs who were, as you can imagine, pleased to have reopened – despite that snow on day 1! Just before the retail visits, I’d been at the Sylva Foundation and the Earth Trust in Little Wittenham and been inspired by what both are doing. Make sure you check out the brand-new Earth Lab the latter has been building, which will open in the near future, not least to admire its construction. It is built with glulam beams and has a rammed earth wall, straw installation and a wildflower roof – I had a sneak peek and was very impressed. I am among the MPs who has returned to parliament MondayThursday each week (parliament only sits on occasional Fridays). It’s not exactly lively yet – many MPs are continuing to participate virtually and there are so many restrictions in every part of the building, including the continuation of the 50 person limit in the House of Commons, that you don’t see many people in the way you used to. But important business continues to proceed, including the Domestic Abuse and Finance Bills. Much continues to be by Zoom however. It has been a pleasure to continue to attend meetings of parish councils, most recently that of Aston Tirrold and Aston Upthorpe. I am always impressed with the dedication of people who sit on parish councils as there is not a lot of glory to the posts, but they’re vital to ensuring that very local issues get the consideration they should. And, of course, parish councils played a key role in the community’s response to Covid. I also continue to take searching questions from school children via Zoom – as I did just before Easter with Sutton Courtenay primary school. Some of the questions children ask you are tougher than the ones adults do. The constituency and Oxfordshire have done very well from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund, with Didcot Railway Centre, Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra and Origin Technical Productions receiving a combined £400,000 in the latest round and 31 organisations receiving over £5 million overall – I hope we see them all flourish when they can get back to normal. As ever, if I can help with anything then do contact me via.
david.johnston.mp@parliament.uk
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I love Spring and the hope that it brings. This year I have enjoyed watching the Bluebell bulbs as they push up through the soil in Badbury Hill. We’ve patiently waited as the longer days and slightly warmer temperature has encouraged them to grow en masse. Now, foliage covers Winter’s once leafstrewn landscape and, at the time of writing, there is a dusting of blue hope appearing from the sea of green as the Bluebells begin to put on their show. Clearly people have taken heed of the National Trust’s warning that, ‘Bulbs don’t grow where footsteps go’, as soon the whole area will be awash with a sea of blue flowers, ushering in the Summer. The recent easing of Lockdown restrictions has equally given us the hope of a brighter future. The once bare streets and empty shops have been replaced with what is the hope of a somewhat steady return to community life, leaving the harsh winter during which we were hidden in our homes to hopefully become a distant memory. Now we can begin to take tentative steps to be physically alongside people and the communities we love and serve. As we seek once again to be alongside our families, friends and communities, we have an opportunity to help them flourish. Somewhat counter to the, ‘Bulbs don’t grow where footsteps go’ warning, our physical presence alongside others can help bring hope into people’s lives at what still is a difficult time. That said, we need to be kind to ourselves and others, giving and receiving permission from each other to take time to recognise and come to terms with how we feel—seeking respite before recovery. As we experience the hope of new life in springtime, we see the hope that at some stage we will be able to enjoy a return to existence out of Lockdown. Christians believe in the hope of new life found in Jesus. Since Jesus defeated death and was raised to life, his followers believe that they have the hope of life beyond the grave. This is something that the Queen, with her Christian faith, will be holding on to in the light of the loss of her husband. It is this hope that followers of Jesus can take into all they do, as they serve others in love. This hope isn’t reliant on good weather or a low ‘R’ number, it is based upon faith in Jesus alone.
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Homeopathy Society of Homeopaths
Heather Abel BA/BSc RSHom
Tel: 01367 820709 Beautiful May brings the first blossoming of confidence, when nature really looks like it has found its stride. No faltering, tentative little snowdrops, mustering their courage to face an icy blast or flattened daffodils bravely bouncing back up again. We’ve got through the unpredictability of Spring and now we’re set to ‘do our thing’ in all our glory throughout the warmth of Summer; full of promise and optimism. May is a bit like puberty; the point at which we reach the fullness of our design; everything is now in place. Their clarity and enthusiasm can be inspirational! But, we older folks are inclined to shake our heads and see the pitfalls before they’ve even begun. Let’s trust the experts! (Look at where that’s got us!) We have the benefit of hindsight and experience but sometimes our perspective on life can be tarnished and tired – does that sound familiar? There are lessons to be learnt from these free spirits and our support, encouragement and wisdom (Come on! Dig deep!) all needs to come together. One of the biggest casualties of this pandemic has been the loss of hope. The young at heart still have a certain belief, simplicity and trust that we sorely need. It is easy to dismiss the bold idealism of youth as naïve but they are not afraid to speak out about the world they are inheriting. Look at our unjust society and look at the pitiful state of our environment. Sometimes the Emperor indeed has no clothes and someone needs to say it! Our society is man-made and can be changed! It’s up to us to consider how we want life to be, what we allow, what we tolerate and what we need to eradicate. The poorest in our society can expect to succumb to more illness, to be more susceptible to infections (such as Covid 19) and to die earlier than their richer contemporaries. The people most effected by climate-change today are the poorest on Earth. We can’t talk about well-being, homeopathy and health without seeing the bigger picture. I once had a patient who regularly turned up to see me, having not eaten since the night before, we started the consultation by eating first – Homeopathy second – obviously! We over complicate everything just because we can! Stand back and look with fresh eyes! We may be clever but is what we’re offering actually appropriate to the need or might it even make things worse? The Hippocratic oath states – ‘at least do no harm’. Pioneering science is great but let’s have a decent meal before we prescribe genetic engineering or a race to Mars! See your Homeopath – it’s not rocket science – just good sense!
All Homeopathic appointments currently on zoom or phone. www.homeopathy-oxfordshire.co.uk heather@homeopathy-oxfordshire.co.uk 01367 820709
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CLARE MORAN
gardensCaPe
NUTRITION NOT my BMI! You may have heard a lot about the ‘body mass index’ or BMI in the media lately. I thought I would share some of the background of this widespread measure of health and why it is justifiably under scrutiny. In 1832 a Belgian scientist and astronomer named Adolphe Quetelet devised an index to measure the population, not for health reasons but to test if mathematical laws could be applied to human beings. It was a statistical experiment using data from white Europeans in support of his racist fascination with eugenics. In the early 1900s, this index was then used by US insurance companies to categorise the population and led to the assumption of ‘ideal’ or ‘desirable’ body types. The Quetelet index was later morphed into the BMI by the American physiologist Ancel Keys, using more data from white men, so that by the mid 1980s BMI was widely adopted not only by insurance companies but by the US National Institute of Health (NIH). The NIH subsequently lowered the thresholds in 1998 - millions of people became medicalised overnight. The World Health Organisation by their own admission, admit the categories of BMI are arbitrary and cannot take into account body composition, age or metabolic fitness. Yet, universally, medical care is delivered or withheld based on BMI. If you suspect your BMI is in a higher category, no wonder going to see your GP* is fraught with anxiety - you are invariably seen as a pathologised number and told to reduce your BMI to ‘normal’. This is in spite of the fact that intentional weight loss is temporary at best and with harmful physiological and psychological side effects at worst. Stigma creates an internalised fear of weight gain - as if a 0.1kg increase from one BMI category to another automatically brings a raft of diseases. Correspondingly, lower BMIs carry the assumption of being healthy, meaning groups of people can be missed for health risks. Using BMI as a measure for health ignores the wider context of our complicated lives - we know that social, environmental and economic factors have a far greater impact on our health. People across the weight spectrum experience the same health conditions, and therefore every body is entitled to the same equitable care and treatment. BMI is not a measure of our health, our behaviours or our good-ness. I truly believe as health care professionals it is our duty to support our clients with a practice rooted in body respect. One of the ways in which I do this, is to encourage my clients to advocate for themselves, to decline being weighed at routine medical appointments, to ask if BMI is relevant to their care and why, and what treatments would be offered to a person with an average BMI? BMI takes a lot of unpacking, more than I am able to do here and for which some brilliant scholars have already done so (see Lucy Aphramor, Charlotte Cooper, Sabrina Strings, Sonya Renee Taylor, Lindo Bacon). The good news is that as we learn more about the relationship between weight and health (or lack thereof) we can dismantle the systems that perpetuate oppression. (*Not all GPs stigmatise people of higher weights, I’d love to connect with you if your practice is weight-inclusive). Clare Moran BSc (Hons) MSc ANutr Registered Associate Nutritionist clare@claremorannutrition.com www.claremorannutrition.com
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| The Advertiser | page 27 | Healthy Living! Your Personal Trainer! How personal trainers make a difference During the COVID pandemic we have seen a huge shift in the fitness industry. Technology is ever-changing, providing us with a much more personalized approach to health and fitness. Many of you will have used at-home workout apps and virtual trainers – fitness and nutrition regimes have never been more accessible. Now we are coming out of lockdown I’m seeing a definite shift back to in-person training. I believe this is due to the growing realisation that making change is not just about following a list of exercises on an app or a video, but more about the informal exchange of knowledge and ideas between trainer and client. Getting to know your client, how they tick and the concerns and constraints they have in their lives is much easier when you are actually in their company. A lot can be learned through friendly banter, close observation and intervention to correct poor movement patterns during a session. In-person training is key to helping someone breaking down barriers to health and ongoing fitness. The greatest help can be simply listening. Only then can a trainer offer the best options to help a client solve their fitness and nutrition problems. Motivation can be hard on your own and sometimes just talking over your reasons for getting fitter or healthier can make a difference. Helping someone find a good enough reason for putting in the effort needed to make change is fundamental to motivation. Losing enough weight so you can ride that horse you have always wanted to, or to be slim enough to fit comfortably into that car you’re dreaming of, may be enough to spur you on to put in the extra effort. Each client's fitness level can be different, and medical or mobility issues will influence what exercises are appropriate. An understanding trainer will adjust to each person, supporting one to complete basic exercises, helping another with a weight loss program, or a third with advanced training. Of course it is important to choose a qualified trainer or nutritionist to work with, but finding someone who will also listen and encourage you through your journey to fitness can make all the difference! Rich Here to support you through Personal Training and Nutritional Advice and Massage Richard Marfell Wellness Coach 07800 636004 richardmarfelluk@gmail.com www.richardmarfell.uk
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Experts - Local Services
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Call us on 01865 820088
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www.faringdon.org If you want to spread the word about your Activities and Events beyond Facebook. Please send me, Gene Webb the details genewebb@rocketmail.com and if you have one, a poster .jpg Details of your event will be posted on the What's On Calendar and your poster on the Notice Board.
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