Malden's Village Voice January 2021 by jenny stuart

Malden’s

illage oice

KT3’s ONLY FREE Independent Community Magazine and Business Guide January 2021 Issue 178

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Welcome to YOUR Village Voice from jenny@maldenmedia.co.uk

January

This issue needs to be sent off to the printer earlier than usual because of the Christmas holidays, so I’m writing this mid-December with 2021 a mere dot on the horizon. I am still to buy a new diary – let’s face it, my 2020 one had such little use that I tucked it in a safe place and it hasn’t been seen (or missed!) since the summer. My Christmas present is being designed and built by clever husband Brian – the wood arrives today – a roofed gazebo for our patio that will be home (at some stage) to the vintage French stove acquired from ebay, and hopefully keep us and our guests roastie toastie warm, whilst fully ventilated, and socially distanced over the Christmas 5 day period - no pressure Brian. Although I do have a plan B… Then, we will no doubt be back to the ‘no socialising in a garden’ situation. But the gazebo will be a lovely legacy illage Voice Malden’s

KT3’s ONLY FREE Independent Community Magazine and Business Guide January 2021 Issue 178

MALDENMEDIA.COM

Since ‘05

Since ‘08

Published by Malden Media Ltd Editor Jenny Stuart jenny@maldenmedia.co.uk 020 8336 2915 www.maldenmedia.co.uk 36 Rosebery Avenue KT3 4JS

of this very unusual Christmas, and hopefully used a lot by us, and the girls as they (fingers crossed) get to celebrate birthdays with friends in person in 2021, instead of through a laptop/ phone screen. As restrictions (hopefully) are lifted in the coming weeks and months we should be able to start including club and community information again and, maybe even some What’s On listings. If you have something to contribute, or would like to advertise in our February edition please do get in touch. And thanks so much to all our advertisers this month, I do hope that you’ll support them and our other local businesses during continuingly difficult times for many. If you don’t receive the Village Voice next month, remember you can read it online or collect a copy from Waitrose, The Malden Centre or New Malden library (if open). But remember, copies are limited. Until next time, very best wishes for 2021.

Jenny Deadline for our February editions is 20th January

and 18th February for March

Please note that the opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily represent the views of the editor. All advertisements are commercial and not indicative of any endorsement by the editor who accepts no responsibility for any loss suffered directly or indirectly by any reader as a result of any advertisement or notice published in this magazine. All in-house artwork and editorial presented in this magazine remains the copyright of Malden Media Ltd. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, stored on any retieval system, or transmitted in any form - electronic, mechanical. recording, photocopying, or otherwise without prior permission from the Publisher.

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New Malden History Youthful Expressions by Robin Gill Doris (Beatrice) Venner was born in Camberwell in 1909. She was an only child, and the family moved to New Malden in the 1920s and she was educated at Tiffin Girls School. The Venners initially lived in Malden Hill, but after Doris’s father (a tailor and insurance agent) died in 1934, she moved with her mother to Coombe Gardens. The ideal candidate Doris trained as a secretary at the National Association Of Youth Clubs, so when the Malden Youth Council was set up in 1941, she was a natural selection as its first Hon Secretary. That year the government had tried to compile a register of young people, as there was growing disquiet that many did not belong to clubs/associations and other than those set up by Baden-Powell and church affiliated groups, there were few organisations willing/able to help. Surrey County Council took steps to appoint Doris as the first youth officer in the county in 1943, a post she held until her death. She threw herself into her work with enthusiasm and intensity, organising the first “Youth Week” Initially, youth organisations beside those already mentioned had been founded on physical training (similar to the German model) but Doris (together with the local Youth Council) was more attuned to what the youngsters wanted, and felt that the youth groups should become part of the local community. Muscal statues To that extent the “Youth Week” would begin with a parade through Malden adopting a different theme each year. This parade would consist of as many as twelve flat bed lorries, each of which would carry a youth group/club depicting a scene representing the chosen theme. For instance, in 1946 the theme was “Youth Through The Ages”, and the Cavendish Youth Group (based in Cavendish Avenue) portrayed a scene entitled “Presentation Of The First Prince Of Wales”, and the youth group from St John The Baptist Church depicted “When Did You Last See Your Father” the famous painting by William Frederick Yeames. These scenes involved the participants remaining

still, it must have been difficult for the children to avoid waving to their family and friends in the crowds watching. The parade was not restricted to youth groups, and the local branch of the St Johns Ambulance Association also joined in with a representation of “Florence Nightingale” The participants and their transport assembled in Old Malden around Manor Drive before proceeding along Malden Road to the Council Offices (now Waitrose) where the judging by the Mayor would take place. Enjoying themselves That evening a dance would be held with over 100 dancers enjoying music provided by a local dance band. The following day, a united service would be held at one of the local churches, followed by a parade of the uniformed organisations (scouts, guides, rangers, brigades etc) with the salute being taken by the Mayor outside the council offices. Athletic events would take place during the week such as road races, and table tennis, and around the middle of the week the various groups would showcase their talents at a “Youth Revue” held in a local hall. This together with a treasure hunt which could take the youngsters to the outskirts of Wimbledon, rounded off the celebrations. As early as 1947, it was felt there were “no finer group of youth organisations in Surrey”. An athletics tournament held at the Columbia Sports Ground (now Manor Park) was added to the events and an evening of topical debate (May I Introduce/ It’s My Opinion). These together with the parades and revues were the mainstays of the “Youth Week” in the late 1940s organised by the so-called “Crazy Crowd” of Doris Venner, Ronald Cook, Paul Vicary, and John Large. The events became so popular that an audience of 180 people attended the Youth Revue at Burlington School in 1948. All this was achieved in the time of rationing. Clothes rationing ended in 1949, petrol rationing in 1950, and food in 1954.

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Fifties fashions The 1950s were really the heyday of Malden Youth Week. Hundreds of people standing 5 or 6 deep lined the two mile route from Manor Drive to the Council Offices to watch the themed tableaux pass by. The only exception was 1953 when the coronation festivities were to take place at the same time, so the committee decided to organise a festival of music and drama at Barton Green. The following year the parade had to be postponed for a week because of bad weather, but seven days later the lorries were ready to leave Old Malden at 3pm.Some of the drivers had come from as far as Portsmouth in order to take part. In one year (1958) a record of 24 lorries formed the procession which that year included various vintage cars. As a result of the roundabout being built at the Fountain in 1956 the journey time for the parade was reduced from 50 to 30 minutes.

In some years the parade was accompanied by clowns who ran alongside the floats, and rode bicycles in and out of the slow moving traffic, another year some participants wore large papier mache heads as though they were part of a carnival in Rio. Themes ranged from “the Living Bookshelf” to “Film Titles” with many adult groups joining the procession. In the latter years of the 50s there was an election for a Miss Malden at Barton Green about a month before the Youth Week, and she accompanied by two helpers always had a special place in the parade. New events seem to be added each year. The introduction of the Monte-Malden Cycle Rally in 1958 attracted 40 riders taking them as far as Chessington and Ewell and became a regular event in the calendar. As did the mystery coach trip started in 1956 though some venues (Slough!?) must have proved less popular than others (London Airport). Other events tried in the 50s included Korfball at the Kingston Road Recreation Ground, a pavement artist competition in 1956, Top Of The Form also in 1956, and model aircraft flying in 1958. It was decided in 1957 that “the week”needed more publicity so a reception was held at Barton Green Youth

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Centre a week before the event at which 120 people attended. This led in later years to a “rag week” being held the week before the main event. A stall was set up outside the council offices where gas filled balloons could be purchased, a tag with your name and a return address of the Council Offices was attached to the balloon. The balloon was released into the air, and whoever found it after its flight was asked to return the tag stating where it was found. The furthest one of these balloons travelled was Trondheim in Norway. Flyers were also handed out, and people climbed onto the newly built roundabout for an impromptu version of “God Save The Queen” The other events such as the treasure hunt (competitors had to find items like a dog biscuit and a 14 inch blade of grass), the revues (“packed with talent”) continued, and the United Church Service (which rotated annually amongst the Anglican Churches) regularly attracted congregations of between 500-600 young people, with the traditional march pass afterwards.

Doris Venner died in 1961 at Coombe Gardens aged 52. She had fallen ill in Switzerland whilst accompanying some young people from Malden, as part of the exchange scheme for youngsters, she had help to pioneer. A memorial service was held at Christchurch for one of the most admired persons in Malden. It is fair to say, that there must have been hundreds of people in the area now grown –up whose lives had been affected by this lady, who dedicated her whole life to the cause of young people. The following year the week was organised by the Malden Youth Committee and the new youth officer Stan Kendrick. But Doris was a hard act to follow, and when it was decided that Malden was to become part of the Royal Borough Of Kingston in 1964, most of the events moved out of our area and Malden was left with just the parade. Gradually interest drifted away, and processions through Malden became a memory until revived by the Malden Fortnight in 1984.

It is interesting to note how the choice of bands changed over the years from dance, to jazz bands; skiffle and jive were also popular at the annual ball at the Worcester Rooms held at the end of the week. Times they are a-changin’ The 60s was a time of change, both for the Malden Youth Council, and Malden in general. Because of the holdup to traffic and public transport, the procession had to make its start nearer to the Plough and included walkers and bicycles, as well as decorated lorries. In 1964 the Green Lane Youth Club’s entry was “Conquest of America” featuring four boys dressed up as the “Fab Four” complete with mop tops and guitars, native Americans and tepees. The following year there was even a helicopter on one of the lorries. The Monte-Malden Rally became open to cars, motorcycles, and scooters, travelling as far out as Epsom and Leatherhead. Other churches paid host to the United Service with the Baptists and Methodists taking their turn. The social events were more centralised at the Barton Green Youth Club. Dances turned to Hops, and Hops turned to Raves. The election of Miss Malden continued each year. One winner had the delightful name of Wendy Colgate (must have won it with her smile!), but the contest was always decided on three qualities: personality, deportment, and voice, with the contestants having to read passages from books.

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New Malden Rotary Happy New Year … But Whatever Happened To 2020? As expected, and predicted, Rotary’s activities were so severely restricted in December that we were not able to tour New Malden with Rudolph and Santa as usual. Our Christmas charity appeal has had to rely on a bit of publicity and the general goodwill of our friends to raise some funds. December was, of course, just a summary of a year of low points for New Malden Rotary as, I assume, for everyone else. We couldn’t meet face to face, we couldn’t socialise, we couldn’t stage any fundraising events and we were very restricted in our efforts to do some good. And early in the year we suddenly lost one of our most valuable assets, Peter Hope, a long serving but forever hardworking member, also much loved in the whole New Malden community. A personal reminiscence from one of our members follows below. It wasn’t all bad news. Having written that last sentence I’m now struggling to justify it. The summer wasn’t too bad … for staying at home; and air pollution has been lower than usual since everyone stayed at home. Your correspondent reached three major milestones in life but could not celebrate any of them … saving himself and his family members a lot of money. There must have been other benefits but I struggle to remember them. But a New Year always brings new hope, new resolutions and new energy. There will be challenges in our community for a long time yet as a result of the pandemic. New Malden Rotary will be gearing up to meet them as best as we can and we hope our community will help us, volunteering for practical help as well as supporting our charity funds. AND DON’T FORGET that your local shops and traders need your support more than ever this year and particularly those who are independent and locally owned. Our High Street and the smaller shopping parades around New Malden are invaluable assets for our town; let’s not lose them. Think Local and Shop Local.

Christmas Appeal. To donate or find out more go to: Website www.newmaldenrotary.org. uk Twitter @New Malden Rotary Facebook, search New Malden Rotary

Peter Hope A Personal Reminiscence from a New Malden Rotarian Peter could have been a TV star if he wasn’t so shy and modest. As a vet he was universally admired, even loved, and his “petside” manner equalled that of any doctor. My own children remember him well; a visit to the vet with ailing family animals always led to reassurance and confidence that all was well. If the news was not what we wanted to hear he imparted it with kindness and compassion. His calm and caring nature transferred well to his Rotary and Community life. In our Rotary meetings he consistently demonstrated what a wonderful listener he was. When everyone else had had their say, sometimes loudly and forcefully, Peter would put forward his own views quietly and thoughtfully. And that usually settled any dispute. In his 33 years in New Malden Rotary I cannot remember a single word of anger from his lips and for such a quietly spoken man Peter had enormous powers of persuasion. People listened to him and trusted him. His opinions on matters in our Community were positive and, when necessary, he expressed them strongly but always with generosity. That’s a lesson we could all learn from!

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Health January Blues By Jess Hodge If you’ve coasted into 2021 feeling slimmer, healthier, more optimistic and excited about the forthcoming year, you are probably in a minority. Clearly the ongoing pandemic is challenging the best of us when it comes to keeping our spirits up, but even without this the darker days and nights caused by the shorter daylight hours of winter can have a huge effect on how we feel. It’s not good for us or for those around us to feel perpetually negative, so it’s time to take action. The Great Outdoors Spending some time outdoors each day is crucial to tackling winter blues. Exercise and laughter both stimulate and boost endorphins, those wonderful feelgood chemicals in our bodies that help to lift our mood. Furthermore, spending an hour or two away from the news and from the same four walls distracts you from negative feelings not just for the duration of the time outside, but through the rest of the day too. It’s Not All About You Our social lives have been considerably curtailed since

March 2020 and even if the whole hospitality sector was able to open up overnight, your finances might keep you at home anyway. However, contact with other people is so important, even for those that consider themselves a bit of an introvert. When you are feeling down, it’s too easy to imagine that your friends and family won’t be interested in hearing from you, or that you have nothing interesting to say. But imagine if they asked to speak to you? You’d be unlikely to say no because you’d be glad to hear from them. So flip that on its head and remember that they are likely to be glad to hear from you too! Video calls are a real blessing for distanced interactions, but even just a phone call will cheer you. Of course, if you can do something outdoors and meet face to face, even better. Don’t feel this has to be for

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hours either – instead of a phone call, a short walk around the block for an in-person catch-up is likely to find conversation flowing more easily. Even if you have nobody to meet on a particular day, just go somewhere that other people are – a park, the seaside or one of the National Trust gardens.

Read All About It…Or Not Reading about ‘the blues’ can help as it’ll reassure you that you aren’t on your own. Seeing a post on a user forum from someone with a similar problem and reading the encouraging and sympathetic replies will be a comfort to you. “A problem shared is a problem halved” as the saying goes.

Maybe It’s Really SAD Over two million people in the UK are affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). The low levels of light during the winter months can cause a range of symptoms, from slowing down and lacking energy right through to severe depression. Other symptoms include feeling gloomy, lethargic and experiencing feelings of being unable to carry out our normal routine. Not wanting to go outdoors, loss of libido and craving sweet carbohydrates are also indicators of SAD.

On the other hand, if social media makes you feel like everyone else is living their best life, switch it off. When someone boasts about what a great January they are having and how wonderful their life is, it’s not going to cheer you up. It might be real, but very often it’s a false front or a humblebrag (wrapping a boast up in a selfdeprecating statement such as “I’m so tired today after my 26-mile bike ride”). You just don’t want to hear it.

Don’t Ignore It If none of the ideas above work for you, and you still Light therapy has been shown to be helpful for many feel really down for no discernible reason (or even if sufferers and is very easy to access in the form of forDthat just a lightbox which mimics natural sunlight and can ' P U T you Y Ohave U Rreason GAR E Nmatter), M A don’t I N Tassume E N A it’ll NC E IN TH Get in touch with your GP or Samaritans be used daily. But any exposure to light will help: a H A N Ddisappear. S O F S O M E O N E W H O R E A L L Y CARES (www.samaritans.org). lunchtime walk, sitting near a window at work if you can and definitely when you are at home. You could Summer’s Coming - Tree surgery even consider using a mirror by a window to increase - One off Tidy OK, admittedly that’s stretching- itStump a bit in January. But the light in the room. Grinding - Garden Maintenance each day has been getting a few minutes longer since Strimming - Decking and Lawns the 21st December so there is –- literally – light and at theWeeding - Garden clearance end of the tunnel. - Hedge Trimming

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Don’t forget your feathered friends by Pippa Greenwood

A very Happy New Year to you all, and may 2021 be better than 2020! At this time of year many of us are really regretting the excesses of the last few weeks: overindulging in food and drink, too much sitting around and not getting out and about and taking exercise – and maybe not even going into the garden quite as much as usual! Combine all this with what usually amounts to a two week period of near hibernation and the bathroom scales will be daring you to step on board, with the prospect of a large meal perhaps seeming particularly unappealing. However, spare a thought for the garden birds, as you can be sure that they’ll not have been overindulging and, if temperatures have been low, they’ll have needed a huge amount of energy just to keep warm and stay alive. At this time of year they are often in desperate need of a few square meals and a supply of clean, fresh water. Most food scraps will go down well, but avoid anything which is spicy or salted and make sure that the food you use will not encourage rats or other vermin. Bread, cake or plain biscuits all make welcome treats. I also put out apples – sometimes those from the trees at home, either when I have too many or if they are starting to go a little wrinkly in store. If you don’t have this option, why not buy a bag of apples? They needn’t be anything other than the cheapest or wonkiest and they’ll make a great source of fresh food and moisture for many birds. I find that the blackbirds (and even an occasional thrush visitor) love them, but sparrows and the various tits tuck in happily too. Peanuts are very popular and the peanut feeders I have are constantly covered with nuthatches, blue tits, great tits, coal tits and even the occasional long-tailed tit or very agile sparrow. A good quality bird feeder is essential unless your garden happens to be a squirrel-free zone. I also have a small Perspex feeder that attaches to the dining room window with a sucker, which when filled with bird seed or peanuts provides a safe, squirrel-free feeding area and a wonderful way to watch the birds for us humans inside the house. Something like this would make a brilliant gift for anyone too,

especially someone who is confined to their house – far more entertaining than watching TV! General bird seed mixes are great too, and perfect for those birds preferring seeds or finding aerial acrobatics from a peanut feeder impossible. Sprinkle the mix on a bird table, the top of a wall or perhaps a garage or shed roof and you should see it being consumed by a selection of smaller

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wild birds. If you have a seed feeder then consider getting a special thistle seed mixture, said to be a favourite amongst many of the finches. Fat balls and fat blocks, either plain or containing additional seed, peanuts, fruit etc. also provide an easily accessible form of those much-needed calories, and can either be put straight onto your bird table or placed in special holders. Nowadays the thinking is that it is worth feeding birds throughout the year (but if you do, it is essential to keep on doing it). You may then also wish to consider using some meatier live bird foods in the form of various grubs and larvae, such as mealworms especially bred to be fed as highprotein snacks to the birds. And just one last thing, research has revealed that, much as regular feeding of garden birds is to be encouraged, we should all be reminded that a bit of housekeeping is necessary too: the research reveals that both E.coli and salmonella can be found on bird tables and bird feeders if they are not cleaned regularly, and it is possible that birds could be threatened by these and other pathogens. So do remember to scrub down and rinse out any bird

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Malden Wanderings The Wanderers Return I like to walk the streets of New Malden, and have done so for the 20 years I’ve been here. And the rest of New Malden seemed to be walking the streets last year too – for a while at least. For me, it was a great compensation for the steps I would normally get commuting. And you get to discover all the funny little alleyways and all the funny little people too. However, as time wore on and the darkness came, there was hardly anyone about in the evenings once you’re away from the high street. I see a few joggers but I wonder what everyone else has been doing recently to keep mind and body sound? I’ve always liked a walk – music on, mind free and some fresh air; well, different air anyway. I know some people find walking boring and pointless unless they’re actually going somewhere (or have a dog or a pig) but, for me, it opens my mind up and brings me calm. And I’ll walk in all weathers. Even in the rain, hood up, you get to imbibe the reactivated citrus scent of fox pee (and other things) that brings to mind highly hopped craft beers that you can no longer drink with friends. Who would miss that, eh.

I always say cricket is more than cricket because of what the game means, but Malden Wanderers is also more than a cricket club: it’s a community hub. We’re really excited for a great year ahead supporting a range of activities, from ballet to badminton, nursery to netball and the return of tennis in warmer times. We’re also looking forward to seeing more of you and an even greater diversity of local people joining in activities for their well-being. So, enough of my wandering: what physical activities have kept you sane during recent months? Keep it clean and let me know at commsmw@gmail.com. Jim Hunter is Communications Officer at Malden Wanderers

But what when all this winter wandering is done? I recently took on the role of Communications Officer at Malden Wanderers and you can imagine just how much the club is looking forward to a far more normal year. That said, the club was a massive sanity saviour in 2020. When the first lockdown receded, the club’s grounds offered a wonderful place to meet friends and catch up again. In fact, it was the first place I got to sink a nice cold (and local) pint since the clocks had changed. Best beer garden in New Malden? Without a doubt.

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COAL

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But it wasn’t just adults having fun. Getting kids back doing things was important – for them and for parents. The club’s use as a pre-school nursery meant that some parents could focus on work again. And cricket, a naturally socially distanced activity, gave over 200 kids the chance to get some exercise and build on their skills. The rule of 6 did pose some challenges but, as with so many things during this time, brought innovation in approach: coaching won’t be the same again. A compressed season meant a frenetic organisation of friendly matches for adults and juniors with 6 senior sides playing cricket for the first time ever.

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SPORTS CLUBS SCHOOLS DISABILITY 1 TO 1 COACH MENTORING

LEARN

P L AY

ACH I E V E

K I N G’ S OA K P R I M A RY S C H O O L A fantastic primary school at the heart of its community where children happily learn in a safe, stimulating and supportive environment. Our facilities are modern and expansive, extending a considerable distance behind our beautiful red-brick original building. In addition to our spacious well-resourced classrooms, we have two large halls for performances and sports. We offer Pre-School and Nursery morning and afternoon sessions and we also offer 30 hour places in Nursery, subject to availability. Learning is active, play based and creative and includes first hand experiences, indoors and outdoors. We all believe that there is no such thing as “bad weather” – just inappropriate clothing! Watch our school film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTa0ThoLfFg&feature=youtu.be Come & see us- you will be really impressed. Call or email us for a tour or a chat Tel: 020 8942 5154 Email: admin@kop.rbksch.org King’s Oak Primary School, Dickerage Lane, New Malden, Surrey KT3 3RZ @kingsoakprimaryschool

@KingsOakPrimary

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Folk Law from Pearson Hards Welcome 2021! This time last year I was writing optimistically about 2020 Vision. Little did anyone know the way in which the year turned out! It just goes to show that whatever we may think the future is always uncertain and liable to drop a spanner in the works. It remains a source of wonder that so many people in this country have not made wills, thinking that they can do it later. As we have found out, later might be sooner than we think! It is vitally important that we make a will to ensure that our nearest and dearest are looked after and that our affairs are dealt with by someone we trust, in the way we want. If a will is not made the rules which apply can cause great hardship and distress to those closest to home. The rules do not recognise unmarried partners in a relationship, so they would inherit nothing. In certain circumstances the rules divide the estate between a spouse and children, potentially forcing a sale of the family home. Not only should we all make wills, we need to keep them up to date. Wills should be reviewed periodically to make sure they are still appropriate, and certainly when there is a significant change of circumstance. The birth of a child or grandchild, or a change in financial fortune, could mean that adjustments need to be made. In addition, the tax rules change from time to time and a review of your will could result in a saving of tax or simplification of the will for the future. A prime example of this is when the rules changed to allow the transfer of nil rate band allowances between spouses. Before 2007 if a person’s allowance was not used when they died, it was lost. This led to a lot of people making wills that set up various trust arrangements to ensure that the allowance was not lost. Since 2007 it has been possible to transfer unused allowances to increase the allowances when the second spouse dies, making the complicated trust arrangements unnecessary. A review of wills now could lead to a discussion as to whether the

trust arrangement is now appropriate or whether it could be removed and the will simplified. Whether you are making a will for the first time or seeking to review your existing arrangements, Pearson Hards has a team of people ready to assist and advise. Meetings can take place in the office or remotely using a range of technical options. One way or another we are able to ensure that you receive the best advice to make the arrangements that you want for your estate to protect those nearest and dearest to you. To further strengthen our team we are pleased to welcome Paul Denza to Fountain House. Paul comes to the department with a wealth of experience in dealing with wills, probate and trust matters and related issues. His long experience enables him to deal with the most complex of issues with clarity and sensitivity. At a time when emotions are high following the loss of a loved one Paul’s skills enable him to calm the situation and give confidence to all. Paul has a detailed knowledge of tax rules that enables him to give solid advice to a range of clients from those just starting their careers and building up their resources to those with larger estates or involved with complex trusts. Proper advice given at the right time can help to ensure that the tax burden on an estate or trust is kept to a minimum. It is particularly important that arrangements are reviewed regularly to ensure that any changes in the tax regime are taken into account and everything is kept up to date. With our 2020 hindsight, we can see how the unexpected can happen at any time. Perhaps for 2021 we should adopt the old Scouts’ motto of “Be Prepared!” A first step in these preparations is to make the will that we have been putting off, or to review the will that we made ages ago when things were very different. Please call us on 0208 949 9500 to make an appointment for a chat about your requirements.

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Supporting you...

Family law A5 Perforated Leaflet, Portrait

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Employment Residential Property Wills, Probate and Powers of Attorney

...and your business Pearson Hards LLP If you are looking for a solicitor, you are probably at one of those important stages in your life. Here at Pearson Hards, our clients know that as they reach those big stepping stones in their lives, they can rely on our expertise. They know that we’ll take care of the finer detail, and use our knowledge to guide them in the right direction, whilst all the time looking out for their best interests.

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Pearson Hards Solicitors LLP Fountain House 2 Kingston Road New Malden Surrey KT3 3LR 19 To advertise email jenny@maldenmedia.co.uk or call 020 8336 2915

Puzzle Time not so easy

fairly easy

Review Of The Year 1. Which city was due to host the Summer Olympics in 2020 before it was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic? 2. In 1974, Vito Corleone became the first character to have had Oscar-winning portrayals by two different actors. In 2020, who became the second character to achieve this? 3. In June, a statue of slave trader Edward Colston was toppled and pushed into the harbour in which British city?

6. Broadcast in January and February, in which country was the villa located that was the setting for the first winter edition of the TV show Love Island? 7. In February, who did Rishi Sunak succeed as Chancellor of the Exchequer? 8. In the 2020 series of Strictly Come Dancing, which former boxer competed as part of the showâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first same-sex couple?

4. In February, who became the first artist born in 9. The UK left the European Union at 11 p.m. the 21st century to top the UK singles chart? on what exact date? 5. Which of the following horse races did not 10. In September, Donald Fear became the take place in 2020 due to the coronavirus first person in 14 years, and only the sixth pandemic?... a) the Grand National; b) the Epsom Derby; or c) the Cheltenham Gold Cup? person overall to do what?

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Codeword Codeword Each letter of the

Each letter in this puzzle is alphabet has been represented by a different number replaced by a number between 1 and 26. The codes for shown in the grid, withyou the three letters are shown. Once havefirst filledfew these throughout grid entered for the you. you can start guessing words and reveal As the 1 other letters. 2 3 you find 4 letters enter them in the box below. 5

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If you fancy a meat-free meal then look no further than this quick and easy spicy noodle dish. Serves 4

Ready in 20 mins

INGREDIENTS • 200g soba noodles • 150g frozen broad beans or edamame beans • 2 tsp sunflower oil • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed • 2cm piece root ginger, peeled and grated • 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped • 2 carrots, peeled and shredded into thin strips • 100g sugar snap peas, halved lengthways • 2 tbsp light soy sauce • 1 tsp sesame oil • 1 tbsp sesame seeds • Handful fresh coriander or parsley leaves • Sriracha sauce, to serve TIP You can replace the soba noodles with rice noodles – no need to boil first, just add straight to the wok or pan with an extra splash of water.

1. Cook the soba noodles in a pan of boiling water following the packet instructions. Add the broad beans or edamame beans to the pan 2 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Drain and rinse under cold water and set aside. 2. Heat the sunflower oil in a large non-stick frying pan or wok over a high heat. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the carrots and sugar snap peas and stirfry for 1-2 minutes until just tender. 3. Add the noodles and beans to the pan or wok, along with the soy sauce, sesame oil and sesame seeds. Stir-fry for a further 1-2 minutes then toss through the coriander or parsley and serve piled into warmed bowls. Drizzle with sriracha sauce, if liked.

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Many happy returns! No fuss, fixed fee tax return services. For the right accountancy services delivered at the right price, contact us today to speak to your local, expert advisor. Free consultations available by telephone, online or in person: Call 020 3972 7217 taxassist.co.uk/new-malden new-malden@taxassist.co.uk New Malden Business Centre, 46 - 50 Coombe Road, KT3 4QF

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Pets

Dog Dieting Your dog isn’t starting the month worried about zipping up their jeans. But if a check on their waistline shows that they are carrying a few extra pounds, it’s time for to you to address the problem for the sake of their health. Studies have shown that overweight dogs don’t live as long and are more prone to illnesses that spoil their quality of life. All those little extra treats you’ve been giving them could mean there’s a genuine risk of killing your pet with kindness. There’s no BMI chart for dogs, so you need to look at body shape and assess body fat. Viewed from above, does your dog have a waist where their body tapers after the ribcage? Can you feel your dog’s ribs or do they have a potbelly?

Increasing exercise will not be enough on its own, so you should plan a trip to the vet. Not only will they assess how overweight they are, they’ll check if any medical conditions are causing the extra pounds or will prevent weight loss. Furthermore the vet can provide a special calorie-controlled food. Keep a note of everything – including table scraps and treats – that your dog eats for a few days. A dog that does not seem to eat much dog food probably still has an appetite for sausages and biscuits! If you’ve reached the stage that your pet actually looks plump, it’s going to take quite a while to reach their target weight, so stick with it.

Dancing in New Malden for 25 years

Kingston Ballet School Ballet Tap Modern Jazz Classes available for 3 to 18 years Free trial lessons available For more information see our website:

www.kingstonballetschool.com Email: louise@kingstonballetschool.com Telephone: 07909 139149 Principal: Louise Jefferson B. Phil (Hons) LRAD ARAD

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Parkin’ some thoughts It’s finished. Gone. No more. 2020 is in the past. Good riddance. Finally, there is light at the end of tunnel. Unfortunately, that light belongs to the runaway Brexit Express as it hurtles past, steam bellowing from its funnel with a face mask clad Boris shovelling more coal into its overheating furnace. Don’t worry. I’m not going to get all political on you. It just all feels a bit like when Geri left the Spice Girls having overestimated her ability to make it alone. I can’t shake off the lingering suspicion that whilst 2020 achieved a notable height on the crap-o-meter, the year ahead may yet find use for my stockpiled toilet paper. As we begin to dare think about maybe getting away from it all, European travel becomes just that bit more complicated. We have to get used to our new place in the world. A shout of “I’m British. Enough of your nonsense and let me through” is unlikely to shorten your stay in the socially distanced passport queue stretching back to your departure destination. Assuming you get through customs without suddenly realising your youngest child has got less than the required 6 months on his or her passport and you’ve remembered your International Driving Permit to present to the smug hire car rep before he insists on your purchase of insurance to insure your insurance, you’ll be able to spend your holiday cash having converted it to Euros at an eye wateringly bad rate. Then again, if we stay at home we’ll all apparently be exposed to the collapse of social and economic order as we know it, empty shelves, no medical supplies, the French stealing our fish and it seems, according to that journal of reliable insight, the Sun, overrun by giant man-eating squirrels. What really worries me though. What I find hard to comprehend. What, frankly is madness, is that with the economy under threat from all sides you can’t buy a puppy for less than £3,000. It’s a simple case of supply outstripping demand. This global pandemic and the fear of travel in the Covid/Brexit world has turned everyone, it seems, doggie mad. The switch to mass home-working has inspired us to look for ways to break away from the

desk or provide a distraction from the boredom of lockdown and staying at home. Not a day seems to go by without news of another puppy being added to list of Covid Canines populating New Malden and its surrounding areas. Even normally rational people whose lives don’t leave much time for looking after a goldfish, let alone a dog have sought to take on the responsibility. This of course has led to some shady practices and a debate in this household as to whether Dudders is a tradeable asset or whether he’s required for post Brexit squirrel protection. I jest. Of course, we won’t be selling him and putting him to work assisting with the supply chain is, I fear not medically or for that matter physically possible. Nor will we be adding to our family by the addition of a Pandemic Pooch, despite pressures from one 11 year old to the contrary. Mind you, if 2021 really is the year this country is going to the dogs, maybe i should reconsider. Then again, this year can’t be as bad as the one just gone. Can it??!!

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Care Happiness at home with Home Instead live in care services Since lockdown, many of those living at home and in need of care and support are looking at alternative options to care homes and our live in care offering is proving to be a popular choice. Clare Jefferies, owner of the New Malden based company said “We have had a number of clients move from hourly care with us to live in care throughout the pandemic as well as loved ones looking for a way of Mum having company during these lonely and isolating times. Our live in care services allow people to stay in the comfort of their own home around their familiar surroundings, all while receiving round-theclock care from our trained caregivers. The role of a live in caregiver is to reside in the client’s

operate from a central location, our clients and caregivers are supported by our local office, round the corner, with a dedicated team on hand to help out at a moment’s notice. If you would like discuss live in care services with us, please do get in touch. We would love to tell you more. Home Instead – Wimbledon & Kingston www.homeinstead.co.uk/wimbledonandkingston clare.jefferies@homeinstead.co.uk 0208 942 4137

home, day and night, helping clients to carry out tasks, and more importantly, be a familiar face and a source of company. And preventing a stream of people visiting the home. When not working their agreed hours, live in caregivers are able to rest, sleep and follow normal activities that they would usually do. Unlike many national live in care provider who

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The best apps for... Cycling

Zwift Zwift is a useful training tool: it’s designed to be used on turbo trainers and connect you to other riders, which if you’ve endured the tedium of indoor training you’ll know how great an idea that is. It’s like a pedal-powered video game and it can share your stats with Strava.

Rouvy If you like Zwift’s virtual rides but would rather train and compete on real roads, Rouvy enables you to take your turbo trainer travelling to real-life routes thanks to more than two million miles of video recordings. It can even create artificial riders for you to race against.

Wordwheel

Each word to be three letters or more (but no plurals), and all must contain the central letter. There’s at least one word which uses all of the letters.

Strava Strava is arguably the bestknown apps for cyclists, and you can use it in two ways: as a stand-alone app to record your rides, or as an app to upload your bike’s GPS computer to. Either way you can then see how you compare to other riders: Strava is as much a social network as it is a bike app.

Pictograms Pictograms 4 words SUSANNA

Target: Excellent: 28 or more words Good: 22 words Fair: 17 words

B K

A NICE DAY

T A

4 words

3 words HA HA

SOLID

HA HA

LIQUID

GAS

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Makes 4 Ready in 20 mins INGREDIENTS • 500ml non-dairy milk (see Tip) • 2 tbsp cornflour • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 2-3 tbsp maple or agave syrup • Few drops vegan yellow food colouring • 100g vegan granola • 1 large banana, peeled and sliced • Mint sprigs, to decorate TIP Almond, oat, coconut or soy milk will all work well in this recipe.

These delicious dairy-free sweet pots are perfect for an energy-boosting breakfast or a simple dessert. 1. Mix 6 tbsp of the non-dairy milk with the cornflour and vanilla extract in a jug to make a smooth paste. Gradually stir in the rest of the milk. 2. Pour the milk mixture into a medium saucepan and slowly bring to the boil over a medium heat, stirring all the time. The mixture will gradually thicken but keep stirring to prevent any lumps forming. Continue cooking over a low heat for 2-3 minutes until you have a smooth thick sauce. Stir in the maple or agave syrup and a few drops of food colouring to give a custard-yellow colour. 3. Divide half the granola and nearly all the banana slices between four small heatproof serving dishes. Spoon over the custard and top with the rest of the granola and banana. Decorate each pot with a sprig of mint and serve warm or cold.

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A Photographer Dreams... by Hugh Griffiths www.creativelight.org.uk

Happy New Year! I hope that this year will bring a lot more togetherness than we have been able to manage during 2020. As I write this, the first vaccinations have just taken place, and we are all hoping that they will prove to be most of the way to a solution to the pandemic. Most years, at the end of December, I go down to Lancing to spend a day by the sea, watching the waves and having the wind blow me around. Surprisingly often, there is good weather – with sunshine as well as wind, and last year was one of those days. I sometimes take Poppy down with me – our cockerpoo, with attitude! – but this time I had left her at home with my wife, so I was able to wander along the shoreline with no responsibilities other than my camera. There is a type of sea wall – a berm – between our chalet and the beach: not very high, but enough to protect us from winter storms. A coastal path runs along this and there are beach huts (love them!) along the path. I took this picture from below the berm, looking up at a beach hut. The sun was in my face, and the picture turned into a silhouette. To me it looks like a soldier from one of the big wars in the last century standing guard, maybe standing on a tower. The only editing I did was to convert it into black and white and to try to tone down the sun a bit. Oh, and I cropped it so that the ‘soldier’ was emphasised, and so you won’t realise that that is a colourful beach hut on his right. The truth is that the ‘soldier’ was simply a pole in the ground with ropes wrapped around it. I was quite disappointed when I went up to see what it was; I had thought (hoped?) that it was a small sculpture or something.

One of the joys of photography is that you, the photographer, can make pictures out of seemingly poor material, and can weave a story around it that keeps a viewer’s interest. I hope I succeeded with this photo and with you! Regular readers of this column will know that I love spending time at the London Wetland Centre in Barnes. It’s run by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust – a very worthwhile charity, founded by the famous Sir Peter Scott in 1946 at Slimbridge in Gloucestershire. I went there again in January last year – and as my photo shows, it was a lovely day. (Incidentally, we do seem to have had a lot of lovely days during the lockdowns which has been great fortune for us). There were loads of the wildfowl around (obviously!), and as ever it was a joy to see them and take even more photos of them. And the otters they have there were showing off for the visitors, something they haven’t done in my presence before … so that made it an even more special day. And there were a lot of flying reed beds, like this in the centre. I do like the feathery tops of these reeds and the way they seem to be floating in the breezes. And they are quite striking. I took this photo with a very wide-angle lens – 17mm – and so was able to capture the width of the reeds, emphasising their featheriness (?). I like the sense of distance that the wide angle provides; they are lenses that don’t get a huge amount of use, but when they do can be quite magical. = And here’s another photo of one of the ferns – this time looking through it and into the sun. This time I used my long telephoto lens to fill the frame with the reed – I did very little cropping.

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The Malden Camera Club has cancelled its physical meetings while the coronavirus is around, but we still have virtual meetings through video conferencing and other online tools. We expect to be meeting online each Thursday evening through to the end of March but will be keeping this under review. If you want to know more about us, then contact us via the details on our website. I took quite a few pictures of these reeds while I was there: they do seem to have a lot of potential for interest. I some cases I have converted them to black & white – emphasising the structure of the feathery fronds – while others I have focussed in on some detail of the feathers. All of them are satisfying to look at, and I will certainly be back to take more photos. It may be easy to say that you have finished photographing something, and I am certainly very guilty of this. But in truth there is very often another way of looking at it that might reveal new ways of looking at it. Some scenes seem to have been photographed to death – how many photos of the London Eye, or of a swan, have you seen? But regardless of how many – it is only our imagination that limits our art – we can always go back to see that bird or sight and look for another view. Always worth it, especially these days when we are limited in the places we can visit.

Our website gives a lot more information … www. maldencameraclub.org.uk And you can, of course, contact me via my website: www.

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Solutions

Codeword CodeWord

Solution

Quiz

1. Tokyo 2. The Joker 3. Bristol 4. Billie Eilish 5. a) the Grand National 6. South Africa 7. Sajid Javid 8. Nicola Adams 9. January 31st 10.Win one million pounds on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire

Sudokus Pictograms

1. Read Between The Lines 2. Have A Nice Day 3. No Laughing Matter

Wordwheel BACKDATE

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Royal British Legion Malden & Coombe Branch Malden and Coombe Royal British Legion would like to wish everyone a Happy New year. It was a very different 2020 for us all. We were unable to hold our monthly meeting at The Grafton Club and therefore our members who live alone were not able to see their Legion friends. We have tried to keep everyone informed throughout the pandemic of Legion correspondence but have missed the Parade and our other social events. However, the committee were able to present two of our veterans, Barrie Elphicke and Alan Grimsey certificates for their continued dedication to Malden and Coombe. We also presented our new Chairman David Cheesman, who is also our Standard Bearer, a certificate of thanks. We look forward to serving with David in the coming year. Our new President is Alderman

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Ken Smith, whom we thank for his many years of service as our Chairman, and who has taken over from retired Major Ron Morris M.B.E. We thank Ron for his continued support and leadership which has spanned many decades. I know he will continue to support us and his great knowledge will continue to help the new committee. The Poppy Appeal was a very different appeal this year. Instead of street collecting for over 100 hours, we were only able to collect with tables for 30 hours because of lockdown. However the donations continued to arrive at my door with organisations and individuals raising money in their own way. So thank you to The Inner Wheel, John Lewis, The local Met Police Office, Grafton Club, Suttles, Paines and of course our local schools and shops. Also to our members who raised and collected and delivered boxes and money from friends and family, and our wonderful volunteers who stood and collected at tables. The money raised in Malden and Coombe was counted by a team in Head office of Surrey, because of the virus and the total raised is £10,500!! This is an amazing total and will go towards maintaining our care homes and centres for the Veterans and their families, whose lives have been affected by serving Queen and Country in the Armed services. Well done everyone and Thank you for your support. If you know of an ex service person who is in need, please phone 0808 802 8080. If you would like to join us at Malden and Coombe please phone 0800 307 7773 quoting Malden and Coombe as your local branch. It will cost you £19 per year and hopefully, together, we will be able to be active within the community once again for 2021.

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Thinking of renting your property? Here are some of the many benefits JPM can offer: • The lowest fees for a professional & personal service • We only operate a 5 mile radius - we are always local • Family business – we take care of your home like ours • Impeccable references from Landlords and Tenants • Free attended assessment before calling out repairs • Competitive costs from trusted approved contractors • Experienced handyman service £12.50/hour “Alan and Lorraine from JPM have been just great, they have taken such care of our home for seven years. They have always kept our tenants happy, whilst at the same time limiting our costs on repairs and maintenance by astute management and the handyman service that they provide. We highly recommend this service.” Sasha and Greg, New Malden

07773 372905 • info@jpmlondon.co.uk • www.jpmlondon.co.uk

Taking care of your home like it was our own. 34

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F U N E R A L D I R E C TO R S & M E M O R I A L S TO N E M A S O N S

Andrew & Robert Lodge with their eco-friendly hybrid funeral fleet

O U R FA M I LY HELPING YO U R FA M I LY

Ranked No.1 Funeral Director in the UK “Wonderful empathetic service. Absolute kindness and professionalism, could not recommend highly enough.”

For over 240 years, seven generations of the Lodge Family have been proud to help local families in their time of need.

by Catherine

We provide all funerals, whether modern, traditional, green or alternative, with care and compassion.

NEW MALDEN 26 Coombe Road 020 8075 6112 FLORAL TRIBUTES

•

FUNERAL PLANS

ASK ABOUT OUR PRE-PAYMENT FUNERAL PLANS

•

W I L L S & P R O B AT E

To advertise email jenny@maldenmedia.co.uk or call 020 8336 2915 LdgMaldenVlgVoiceDec20-125x185-FINAL.indd 1

35 15/12/2020 12:48

CARPETS U NUMBER

MOBILE CARPET SHOWROOM

JANUARY OFFERS* Freshen up the new year with a new carpet *Call for details

Epsom based, friendly, family run business (Holly and her Dad) with over 40 years’ experience. We bring 100’s of carpet samples to your home in a variety of colours all at competitive prices.

CALL

Holly

01372 632 118

www.carpets u.co.uk DISCOUNT SPECIAL RATES ON PRESENTATION OF THIS ADVERT

Over 1,000 Customer Reviews

FOR SENIOR CITIZENS T&Cs APPLY

WELCOME

FREE FITTING & FURNITURE MOVING - ESTIMATES AND ADVICE 36

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