Village Voice Sept/Oct 2020

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Malden’s

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KT3’s ONLY FREE Independent Community Magazine and Business Guide Sept/Oct 2020 Issue 175

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Welcome to YOUR Village Voice September/October

from jenny@maldenmedia.co.uk

So we are nearing the end of the summer holidays as i write with (most, I presume?) children ready, and excited to be returning to school, their friends, face to face teaching and routine. At last. Although the hard reality for our teenagers will be early morning starts and no weekday lie-ins until October!

As restrictions continue to be lifted we should be able to start including club and community information again and, hopefully, even some What’s On listings. If you have something to contribute, or would like to advertise in our November edition please do get in touch. And thanks so much to all of our advertisers this month, I do hope that you’ll support them and our other local businesses during continuingly difficult times for many.

As there are 2 of us working from home now, the rarely used spare bedroom has just been excavated (was the dumping ground!) to be turned into study#2 with the addition of a desk.

Something I should have done months ago. We have done a fair amount of decluttering and decorating since March but didn’t quite achieve what I thought we would - ah well, need jobs for the wet weather days, which seem to be on the increase....

& Since ‘05

Finally, thank you so much to Gary Jones for this fabulous front cover picture of beautiful Beverley Park - the planting and maintenance done by him and his team of volunteers has been so appreciated by the many who have been using the park regularly to exercise and socialise in during the last extraordinary six months. If you’ve not been there recently it certainly is worth a visit.

Until next time, best wishes,

Jenny Deadline for our November editions is 20th October

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 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 Hooky Hooky by Robin Gill Over a hundred years ago, New Malden and Coombe was very much an agricultural area with farms all over the neighbourhood such as: Hoppingwood Coombe Waitelands (Norbiton Park) Norbiton Common Motspur Lower Green (Worcester Park) Newhouse Blagdon Together with numerous nurseries and orchards both large and small, especially in the Coombe area, so it is not surprising that Harvest time was more relevant than it maybe today.

Harvest homes During the 1870s the Horlicks became locally famous for the Harvest Homes they used to give in September for the labourers and their families at Hoppingwood Farm. These were held in a large barn close to the farmhouse which was bedecked with flowers, shrubs, and evergreens, and huge horned lanterns suspended from the old beams, apples, pears, grapes, and hops hanging from the rafters, all decorated by Mrs Horlick, her daughter Emma, and the servants. Tables had been erected, and festivities started after grace, then the home brewed beer was carried in in large four-gallon jugs. Great pyramids of roast and boiled beef, veal, and mutton, together with meat pies and vegetables, were served, followed by plum puddings and pastries.

Songs erupted from the happy crowd “The Old Ploughman’s Song”, and another about a young maid.

Some of the songs were around forty verses long, but so well known among the men that no verse was forgotten.

The vicar of the recently established Holy Trinity Church, Dr Dicksee, led the thanks to God for the repast, and thanked Mr Horlick for inviting them all to his table, wishing him health and prosperity. The health of the Queen and the Duke of Cambridge (the owner of the farm) were drunk. Pipes were given out and smoked, the smell filling the barn, and the men partly obscured behind the resultant clouds of

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tobacco smoke. Mr Horlick responded by thanking his workers and encouraging them not to join the newly formed National Agricultural Labourers Union feeling they would be throwing their money away.

The passing of William Horlick in 1890 saw the passing of the tradition of Harvest Homes.

Hoppingwood was not the only farm to hold “harvest homes”. Blue House which stood in the Motspur Park area was owned by Charles Blake, and also provided a harvest supper for men employed on the farm together with their wives and children. A tent had been erected on the premises, and various tables were covered with beef, mutton, pork pies and vegetables together with plum puddings to follow, enough for the 60 people present. Afterwards the health of (Squire) Blake was drunk together with three cheers.

A similar repast was enjoyed at New House Farm (150 acres) in Old Malden usually at The Plough which was decorated with flowers and sheaves of corn. The meal here was different for as well as the beef and mutton, there was also salmon and geese served, together with the plum pudding there was apple pie. Mr Toghill the landlord made sure the ale was constantly served.

Tradition At Old Malden St John The Baptist Church in Old Malden has a long tradition for Thanksgiving Services for the safe “ingathering of the harvest”. In the 19th century, one of the chancels was decorated with designs made from wheat, barley, and oats together with a large display of flowers. Above the altar was the text “Thou visitest the earth and blessest it” together with bunches of grapes and other fruit, surmounted by ferns and flowers.

Special offertories at the services were given e.g. “The Society For The Employment Of Additional Curates In Populous Places” Free Church Trinity Church which broke away from Christ Church in the early 1870s took with it some of the ladies who had been tasteful decorators, and who proceeded to bring colour to their new surroundings, using handfuls of corn and flowers such as white lilies, ferns and roses around the pulpit, reading desk and communion rails.

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distributed amongst the invalid poor of the district.

The 1880s saw the Harvest Festival held on a Thursday evening, and again Christ Church was beautifully decorated for the occasion, with the pulpit, reading desk, and font worthy of praise. The phrase “I am the bread of life” was neatly worked out in straw over the communion table. The object of the collection was the Sunday School where the teachers were sowing the seed, the harvest of which would be reaped in years to come.

Christ Church The ladies of Christ Church were not to be outdone.

The pillars and gas standards within the church were adorned with wreaths and covered with sheaths of corn, flowers, fruit, and leaves. Over the entrance to the chancel was an arch of hops, ivy, flowers, and fruit. On the communion table itself groaned under branches of English grown oranges, hot house grapes, and Spanish chestnuts, foliage and flowers. The text above the table read “Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness”.

Most of the flowers and fruits came from the estate of Mr JC Sim of Coombe House, although Mrs Theodora Bickerton of Sycamore Grove provided some of the grapes. After the end of the service the fruit was

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The popularity of dahlias in the 1880s saw the pulpit decorated with lines of the flower in scarlet and white set off with dark evergreens. The chancel windows hosted sheaves of corn, while the communion table was covered with bouquets of ferns and flowers. The font was draped with flower chains, flowers, foliage and plumes of China grass.

The agricultural communities were affected by the fall in grain prices in the late 19th century, caused by cheap imports from America, but the priests at the churches said the problems for the farmers were a punishment for sin, and asked for more devotion. “The earth was dependent on the heavens, and the heavens upon the will of God” was the philosophy.

The decorations were again highly praised with the

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pulpit covered in flowers and foliage, with red berries and white chrysanthemums beneath together with bunches of grapes and peaches. The communion table held a basket of grapes and other fruit, pots of arum lilies, and a large loaf of bread.

Sunflowers were entwined with evergreens and hops around the communion rails.

With marrows, vine leaves, grapes, and corn adorning the top of the organ it must have looked a pretty picture.

Palm trees in pots were placed in the window recesses and fruit was hung between supporting pillars. In one year just before the close of the century the theme was yellow blossom set off with autumn tinted foliage. Incandescent gas light had just been installed in the church, and the improvement from previous illumination was marked St Johns The Harvest Festival at St Johns Kingston Road took a slightly different form with the church decoration under the charge of Miss Ramie of Kingston Lodge. Mr Charles Davis who was the founder of Malden’s string band led the music in the evening.

The collection was for the church enlargement fund and raised £1 4s 11d, although a lot of people were unable to get into the church due to overcrowding.

The fruit and flowers which had been given by those in the neighbourhood of the church, were afterwards donated to the Church Army Home in Wandsworth.

The installation of the new American organ made a great transformation to the overall ambience of the service.

Congregational The Congregational Church (now URC) also held special services to celebrate the gathering of the harvest with the internal decorations much admired by the large congregation. A screen was erected at the top of the chancel wall on which spelt out in red berries were the phrases “I am the Bread of Life” and “I am the True Vine” while the choir stalls, organ, pulpit and communion table were neatly decorated with flowers and foliage.

Harvest Thanksgiving services are still held by the churches in the area, but in my day (a few years ago) fresh product had given way to tinned and packaged food as the neighbourhood had changed from

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agricultural to residential. But harvest still retains an important place in the Christian calendar alongside Easter Whitsun Lent and Christmas.

Church celebration of the harvest only began in 1843 in Cornwall and special hymns such as “We plough the fields and scatter” “Come ye thankful people come” and of course “All things bright and beautiful” are normally sung.

It is one of our most ancient festivals dating back to man’s first “use” of the land to plant, grow, harvest, and feed their community.

Illustrations Altar at Christ Church at Harvest 1930s Harvest gifts at my old school Burlington Bread at Methodist Church Harvest.

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Clubs Rotary Club Of New Malden WELCOME to September …. back to work, back to school or just back to this new normal. We’re all very grateful to Jenny and her team for getting the Village Voice into print. We certainly missed it dropping onto our doormats.

Thanks also to those of you who read the online publication in the missing months where you will have found contributions from most of the regular contributors. If you read Rotary’s notes, even greater thanks.

Along with the rest of our community New Malden Rotary has been finding it hard to keep its activities running and to find ways of helping people without jeopardising their and our own health. In the High Street the new hanging baskets are installed, brightening up the street scene as shoppers return to our local shops. And wouldn’t it be great to see everyone supporting our own local shops again to ensure our High Street and neighbourhood shopping areas thrive once again? We believe that this is important and would like to do more to promote them. What do you think?

What about the future?

One thing which has really struck us during the lockdown is the huge response to appeals for volunteers throughout the country. As an organisation which prides itself on its commitment to volunteering Malden Rotary is looking at ways in which this impetus can be harnessed in our town as the emergency situation recedes into a routine. However we are affected by this new “normal” we can see that there will be increasing economic hardship. Foodbanks have rapidly become an accepted necessity; homelessness remains a blight on our society and the plight of refugees are all subjects which demand our attention.

These are not matters about which we can just sit back and ask what Government is doing. They are local matters which we should all care about. And recent weather conditions and even wild fires in Surrey have reminded us, in case we had forgotten, that climate change is an increasing threat to our community’s future.

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Rotary has always tried to see the bigger picture, supporting need across the world by means of its

If you have interest in joining our club please contact our Secretary on 07946526783

international membership and connections. And we still have that ambition. But such ambition starts locally in our own community and we would like to feel that the goodwill engendered over the last six months has created a unique opportunity to develop cooperation between all of us.

As always, we welcome contributions from the community to our discussions. Any ideas for ways we can work together will be welcomed … we will talk, and listen, to anyone with the right community spirit.

And if you would like to join us, or just help out, get in touch and find out more with no commitment.

Get in touch by visiting our website www. newmaldenrotary.org.uk or email Richard on racan. rs@gmail.com

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PART-TIME SECURITY BARRIER OPERATOR A security guard is required on a part-time basis to operate a twoarm electric traffic barrier installed by Kingston Council on the private Coombe Estate at the junction of Warren Road and Coombe Lane West. The hours of work are 9am to 11am, Monday to Friday. The Coombe Estate has a problem with rat running traffic, and the holder of this position will be required to alleviate this issue by turning away unauthorised vehicles. Authorised vehicles are identified by means of windscreen stickers. A gateman’s hut is provided.

This position could suit a recently retired member of a security company or a retired police officer or postman.

If you are interested and would like further information, please contact Mr Mick Taviner, Secretary to the Coombe Estate Residents’ Association by e-mail at: micktaviner@blueyonder.co.uk or telephone on: 020 8337 2766.

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Handmade Gifts Adorn will create the perfect personalised gift for your loved ones that reflect their favourite pastime.

• Made in silver, gold or platinum • Engraved with your personal message • Can be set with precious stones

Need help with gift ideas?

Here are some gifts we made recently: • Golf ball markers • Guitar plectrums • Bookmarks • Fishing hooks • Keyrings • Poker chips

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Education Kingston Grammar School Kingston Grammar School is a leading day school for boys and girls aged 11-18 in South West London.

Founded in 1561, it is one of the most successful co-educational schools in the country, and has a long tradition of developing individual talent and encouraging high aspirations. Students are bright and enthusiastic; their joy in life and spirit of curiosity makes education here a real pleasure.

Our academic standards are high: in 2020, 74% of our A Level students achieved A*/A at A Level, 91% A*/B, 86% of students were offered a place at a Russell Group university. On average, 10% of our cohort attain Oxbridge places whilst a higher proportion go on to study for medical degrees across the UK. At GCSE, 70.9% of all grades were at 9/8. Our curriculum is designed to challenge expectations and to engage students in a love of learning. Inspirational teaching and a deep commitment to pastoral care means that students grow in confidence and understanding and individual talents and creativity are able to flourish. The

School has a strong sporting legacy which includes 26 appearances at the Olympic Games and alumni such as Olympic gold medallists James Cracknell OBE and Sophie Hosking MBE.

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Pets

Keep Your Cat Healthy Just as with humans, vaccinations and follow-up boosters are vital to the health of your cat. These treatments will incur vet’s fees, but it’s nothing like the cost of trying to nurse your cat back to health if they pick up a nasty bug, let alone the worry of your pet being ill.

and food dishes.

Feline Leukaemia Feline Leukaemia is transmitted via saliva and can be deadly. There’s less of a risk for indoor pets, but the vaccine offers some protection for outdoor cats.

Cat Flu Just as with the human version, there are many different strains of flu so it will never be completely wiped out. However, a cat flu vaccine provides a degree of protection against this virus, which can spread rapidly between cats.

Feline Chlamydia Cats between the ages of five weeks and nine months are said to be at particular risk of Feline Chlamydia, a disease characterised by conjunctivitis and sneezing. Whilst the vaccine does not protect against the infection it does help to reduce its effects.

Infectious Enteritis A widespread virus, Feline Infectious Enteritis can be fatal. It is a severe infection of the gut caused by the feline parvovirus, and can be passed by infected animals and equipment, including bedding

An initial course of vaccines may be given to kittens as young as seven weeks old, with regular annual boosters needed throughout their life in order to maintain immunity.

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Thinking of renting your property?

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Autumn Show

by Pippa Greenwood

Now that autumn is upon us and temperature and light levels drop, many of the larger plants in the garden begin to prepare for winter. Leaves, shrubs and climbers grab our attention with their change of colours, with nondescript greens transforming to screaming scarlets, radiant reds and glorious golds. So why not make sure that your garden enjoys some of this seasonal action?

There are some gorgeous climbing plants with spectacular autumn colour, including Parthenocissus quniquefolia, more commonly known as the Virginia creeper. This is a sizeable climber with a good degree of self-clinging ability, so it can be used to clothe walls where you have not fixed up a support system.

In autumn the leaves are numerous shades of scarlet, orange and red. It can grow very tall so will ultimately need trimming if, say, you grow it on a house wall, or it will move on to the roof.

For less extensive covering, consider Parthenocissus henryana, a more restrained relative of the Virginia creeper. For much of the year the divided leaves are a dark green to bronzy colour with pretty silvery white veins that in autumn turn to rich shades of red.

Fothergilla major or Witch Alder is a superb smallish to medium-sized shrub that is covered with scented creamy-white spiky flower clusters that appear early in the year whilst the stems are still bare. Pale green for much of the year, the foliage turns shades of yellow and orange in the autumn. Fothergilla needs a limefree or acidic soil, so check your soil pH or acidity levels before you buy one as it does not do so well in a tub.

Cotinus or smoke bush also has fantastic autumn colours, and is a shrub with attractively rounded leaves

Another autumn climber, Vitis coignetiae, is closely related to the grape vine but grows more rapidly and has huge heart-shaped leaves measuring up to 2530cm across, with splendid scarlet and crimson colours come the autumn. This vine grows so strongly that it can be grown through large trees and over sturdier supports, and the colours often improve if the soil is miserable or the root run restricted!

If you prefer a small tree or shrub, then Amelanchier lamarckii (sometimes known as the snowy mespilus or serviceberry) is a large shrub that becomes thickly covered with lovely whitish blossom in spring, giving a much longer-lasting display than the flowering cherries. The emerging leaves are a coppery colour before they change to bright green, but in autumn the entire shrub almost appears to be on fire as the leaves take on their autumn colours. It is one of my favourites.

A reliable small-scale plant for autumn leaf colour is the blueberry. This acid-loving, boggy-soil-needing plant turns into a miniature ball of fire once it takes on its autumn colour, as well as providing pretty white summer flowers and a crop of delicious blueberries if you have two or more plants.

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in shades of green, pinkish-orange or purple that come the autumn produces a bright display to be proud of.

The fluffy seed heads left after flowering look just like little clouds or plumes of smoke – perfect with the bonfire-like appearance of the leaves! There are lots of different varieties available, so don’t just choose the first one you find.

Acers or maples are generally reliable autumn showstoppers, and for smaller gardens it’s hard to beat one of the Japanese maples with their stunning divided leaves turning to rich purples, reds, oranges and yellows, depending on which one you have planted. The Japanese maples also do well in large tubs such as a half barrel and so are perfect for a sheltered back yard or patio, as well as looking great in a bed or border.

Making the Best of Autumn Colour Potential • It is a great time to choose plants for autumn colour, but if you’re undecided why not visit local garden centres or an arboretum? If possible, buy autumn colour plants now whilst they are still holding on to some of their autumn coloured leaves, as then you can see the precise shades that the various plants have to offer.

• Always check the ultimate or potential height and

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spread of trees or shrubs you’re considering – there’s no use planting something that will outgrow its space in a couple of years’ time.

• Planting at this time of year works well too, but if your garden soil is very wet or waterlogged then wait for a few weeks until it is in better condition. If the soil is on the dry side, plants will still need watering well, and the soil around the roots will need to be kept moist once the plants are in the ground.

Visit Pippa’s website (www.pippagreenwood.com) to book Pippa for a gardening talk at your gardening club or as an after-dinner speaker.

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Home Instead Watching the news every day has introduced millions to the care world, with care homes taking the spotlight, sadly for all the wrong reasons, and clapping for carers putting social care on the map, in particular home care.

Home Instead is a social care provider, and our objective is to help our clients live as independently at home as they can. This can range from helping someone to cook a meal, right up to end-of-life care.

Historically, our type of care has attracted older people, and we are delighted to be caring for lots of them – our oldest gentleman is 102 and still going strong with a daily visit from our CAREGivers.

However, over the last few years our clients have been getting younger and more diverse. They now include those with learning and physical disabilities, as well as those with long-term neurological conditions.

Georgie has Down's Syndrome and loves people.

She also loves cakes. Pippa visits Georgie every day, and together they go to the supermarket and plan what Georgie is going to eat. Pippa also accompanies Georgie on long walks to burn calories, to help her stay trim and fit.

Maria has young onset dementia – she’s 48. She finds the simplest of tasks confusing, but with a busy family around her, Sue is by her side to help her and her family cope with everyday life. [Note, all the names have been changed.]

We are so delighted that we are being recognised as a care provider for anyone who needs help, and not just the elderly. So much so that we have decided to change our name – we’re dropping 'Senior Care' and will now be known simply as 'Home Instead' – we think its got a good ring to it!

For example, Vanessa (35) lives with social anxiety and struggles to make friends. Laura is a Home Instead CAREGiver and is Vanessa’s companion. They spend lots of time together, and Laura helps Vanessa to make sense of the world and live independently from her parents.

If you would like to chat with one of our Care Managers about any aspect of care at home, please call 020 8942 4137 and Nancy or Tina will be happy to discuss how we can help.

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Folk Law from Pearson Hards InterestingTimes...

The old Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times” seems very apt for the strange world in which we now live. With rules and restrictions constantly changing, it’s hard to find firm ground on which to plan.

certainly a good time to buy. If you are thinking about buying or selling, please contact conveyancing partners Hatice Mustafa and Jonathan Throp to discuss your plans.

Pearson Hards has not been immune to the trials and tribulations. We went through a period where most of the staff were on furlough or working from home.

This difficult period has now ended and we are back operating on full speed, albeit with fewer visitors to the office, so social distancing can be observed.

So what then does the legal world look like at the moment?

The commercial property sector is also showing some signs of life. The economic situation is difficult and some businesses are being forced to sell or move to smaller accommodation. However, as so often in such situations, difficulties for some create opportunities for others and we are seeing clients looking to auctions and elsewhere for investment prospects. There are also the usual issues of dealing with lease renewals or rent reviews. Partners David Hards and Donald Morrison are able to assist across a wide range of issues. Their view is that when these situations crop up it is much better to seek advice at an early stage to avoid problems becoming more complex later.

Lawyers are not best known for being at the fore front of technological advance. However, the lockdown has meant some radical changes in the way that Courts are doing business. Much work is now being dealt with digitally and hearings are taking place by telephone or video call. Of course, some cases need a physical hearing to be dealt with proper sensitivity and these are still possible. Family law partner, Emma Rothstein and colleague Claudene Howell, and our civil litigation partner, Claire Darby are all able to meet with clients either face to face or digitally, so if anyone does need advice or assistance please do get in touch.

There has been quite a slowdown in civil litigation during lockdown but this may well change. The courts imposed a moratorium on all residential landlord and tenant matters to reduce the workload in courts and also to protect tenants from possible eviction when the opportunities for rehousing were limited. A hold was also placed on commercial forfeiture and rent recovery actions. The moratorium has just been extended to 20 September. Once the moratorium is ended there will be a significant increase in litigation. This area of law is technically quite complex. Partner Claire Darby is expert in navigating the pitfalls in both residential and commercial matters and can advise both landlords and tenants in the difficulties that may have arisen during lockdown as well as on more general matters in dispute.

Somewhat surprisingly the local housing market is very buoyant. This is partly catch up for the months in lockdown, but also a lot of new activity. The concessions on Stamp Duty Land Tax introduced by the Chancellor is an obvious factor. Until 31 March 2021, the threshold for SDLT is raised to £500,000, with tax being paid on the balance of price above that figure on a sliding scale. The savings can be significant and it is

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It is an unfortunate consequence of the pandemic that we have seen an increase in the number of probate cases. The loss of a loved one is challenging at the best of times and the uncertainties and difficulties caused by these strange circumstances adds to the distress. We have a large department which deals with these matters and an experienced and sympathetic team able to guide people through what needs to be done. Please contact partner Ian Lipscombe if you would like to discuss any issues that you may have.

It is a sad fact that the majority of adults in this country still do not have wills. There really is no excuse not to have a will when one considers the difficulties and unhappiness that can arise if someone dies without having made one. If you are considering making a will please contact Serena Welch who will be able to assist.

Serena can meet with clients by video call, face to face at the office or at clients’ homes, for those who are less restricted.

For the firm, these interesting times continue to throw up new challenges and as a firm we are keen to adapt and adopt new processes to be able to serve the people of New Malden going forward. Please call us if you need help or advice on any legal issue. Our phone number is 020 8949 9500 or visit our website at www.pearsonhards.co.uk.

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23

Puzzle Time not so easy

fairly easy

Heroes and Villains 1. In 2019, what became the first superhero film to receive a Best Picture Oscar nomination?

2. Also known as Doctor Eggman, Doctor Ivo Robotnik is the main villain in which video game series?

3. The thickest and strongest tendon in the human body is named after which hero from Greek mythology?

4. What line of toys is divided into the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons?

5. Since its revival in 2005, which Doctor Who villain has been played by Derek Jacobi, John Simm and Michelle Gomez?

6. Bonnie Tyler’s hit single Holding Out For A Hero was originally recorded for the soundtrack of which 1984 film?

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7. The name of which villain from George du Maurier’s 1894 novel Trilby is now used as a word for someone who has a controlling or mesmeric influence on another, especially for sinister purposes?

8. In an episode of Only Fools And Horses called Heroes And Villains, who did Del and Rodney dress up as to attend a party, but when their van broke down, had to run the rest of the way and ended up scaring off thieves?

9. Which popular type of potato was originally called Fellside Hero before being renamed in 1902 to coincide with a coronation?

10.Which film had an off-screen character known as “Man”, who was named by the American Film Institute as one of the greatest villains from the first 100 years of American cinema?

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Codeword Each letter in this puzzle is represented by a different number between 1 and 26. The codes for three letters are shown. Once you have filled these throughout the grid you can start guessing words and reveal other letters. As you find the letters enter them in the box below.

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Makes 4 Ready in 35 mins

Ingredients • 4 thick-cut pork steaks • 2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper • 1 tsp dried thyme • 1 tsp dried oregano • 1 large parsnip, peeled and diced • 2 small turnips, peeled and diced • 1 tbsp olive oil • 15g butter • 1 onion, roughly chopped • 1 large apple, peeled, cored and diced • 100ml apple juice • 1 tsp Dijon mustard

Pork steaks are great value and quick to cook. Try them with this tasty vegetable and apple topping for a filling midweek meal. Serve with steamed broccoli and potato gratin, if liked.

Method 1. Place the pork steaks in a shallow dish. Mix together the pepper, thyme and oregano, and sprinkle half the mixture over the pork steaks, turning to coat. Set aside.

2. Parboil the diced vegetables in a pan of lightly salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain well. Heat the oil and butter in a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat.

Add the onion and vegetables and sauté for 6-8 minutes until almost tender, stirring frequently.

3. Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan over a high heat. Add the pork steaks and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until seared and just cooked through. Remove from the pan, cover tightly with foil and rest for 10 minutes.

4. Add the diced apple to the sautéed veg and cook for a further 3-4 minutes until tender and golden, then stir in the remaining pepper and herb mix along with the apple juice and mustard, and bring to the boil. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until the liquid has reduced by half. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve the pork steaks topped with the sautéed veg and any pan juices.

TIP You can use butternut squash or courgette instead of the parsnip and turnips – you won’t need to parboil them before sautéing.

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Children Back to School by Kate Duggan Many children are going back to school in September, some for the first time in several months. It’s natural for children to feel a bit anxious about starting a new school year. Those feelings are likely to be heightened after so long off, especially if the school experience is different to what they remember.

Prepare your child If your child hasn’t gone back to school yet, find out what, if anything, is likely to be different compared to before the pandemic.

Explain to your child what to expect. Younger children may benefit from acting out some things at home, such as keeping their distance in the queue. Clinical psychologist Dr Emma Millar recommends asking if the school can “take pictures or videos of the changes so your child knows what to expect, as that will aid the transition process.”

Talk to your child Children often clam up if you ask them directly how they’re feeling or how their day went. But it’s important that they know they can talk to you and that you won’t dismiss their concerns. Some children are more likely to open up when they have your full attention. Others prefer it when they don’t need to make eye contact with you, such as when you’re driving, cooking dinner or doing an activity together. Recognise that you can’t ‘solve’ their concerns, but that you can discuss coping strategies together.

If your child doesn’t want to talk about how they’re feeling, you could try reading together and talking about how the character feels in different situations.

Encourage excitement As well as any concerns, don’t forget to talk about everything that’s positive about returning to school, such as seeing friends, playtime and even school dinners – which tend to be rather better than when we were at school!

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about. They may have really missed lots of things about school and therefore be more excited about going back than worried. Children pick up on how we’re feeling, so if you remain calm and positive about them returning back to school, then that will really help them to feel reassured.”

Get back into a routine Most children prefer at least some level of routine.

Your child may have been going to bed a lot later over the last few months, not showering as often and having more screen time. Help them to adjust back into a more structured routine over a couple of weeks.

Make sure they get enough sleep We all struggle to cope with our emotions when we’re tired. Children can find it even more difficult, so work towards getting them back into an earlier bedtime, including at weekends. Remember that children need more sleep than adults. Six to thirteen year olds can need up to eleven hours of sleep a night.

Mindfulness and meditation Mindfulness and meditation can help children and adults to feel calmer, less jittery and more in control. Older children might benefit from Headspace’s guided meditations. For younger children, try the ‘Sitting Still Like a Frog’ book and CD by Eline Snel.

Dr Emma Millar says, “Discuss what they’re excited Please remember to mention the Village Voice when you speak to our advertisers

More information ‘Helping your Child with Fears and Worries’ by Cathy Creswell and Lucy Willetts is definitely worth a read. The authors are clinical psychologists who specialise in supporting children and young people.

The book is packed with practical advice on helping children to deal with fears, worries and anxiety.

It covers everything from phobias to separation anxiety. And it’s aimed at parents, so is not written like a medical textbook!

The following websites also have lots of resources and information you might find useful: # • www.camhs-resources.co.uk • www.youngminds.org.uk/blog/supporting-achild-returning-to-school-after-lockdown Extra support All children feel anxious and worried sometimes.

However, up to 15% of children experience anxiety disorders, which can stop them enjoying day-today life and lead to more long-term issues. So, if your child is struggling and you’re worried, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Your child’s school may be able to offer advice. It’s also worth speaking to your GP to see if your child can be referred for extra support.

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29

Parkin’ some thoughts The Old New Normal? by Nick Hazell It’s raining. Whilst the rest of the country is occupying Brighton Beach, enjoying the sun, sticking two fingers up to social distancing and wrestling over deckchairs instead of toilet rolls, I am in Wales attempting to avoid a thunderstorm of such biblical proportions it would have sent Count Von Count into a number reciting frenzy.

On the positive side, I’ve finally been released back into the wild. After 5 months of confinement I’m free to roam, to see the outside world and to buy a Greggs sausage roll, and do you know what? I don’t think I like it. Reintroducing oneself to society after such a lengthy stretch is proving trickier than saying “preposterous” after a bottle of Fatman’s Aged Negroni.

It’s called post lockdown anxiety or Coronaphobia apparently. The fear or worry of returning to normal life after lockdown. For all its inconvenience and disruption, lockdown was at least an opportunity to opt out of some of the pressures of the outside world. Assuming you were able to put aside worries over keeping your job, paying the bills, contracting the plague or having your Chateau Laroque, Saint Emillion substituted for a bottle of Romanian plonk in your Ocado order, a forced stay at home might have come as a welcome relief. For me, it has meant less time having to present my ridiculous gait and dyskineticly flailing limbs in public. In some ways, the ending of lockdown has been as welcome as a Schnauzer at a Squirrel convention.

The desire to escape the confines of Hazell Towers though was too strong. Wales was selected as a location likely to enable a slow re-introduction into society, but as we loaded up the car under a sunny sky for the drive to the Land of My Father (In-law), I’ll admit to feeling a little apprehensive. As the journey progressed, I was then struck by a different feeling; one of slight bemusement and I must admit, a dash of annoyance. The post lockdown world seemed, on the surface at least, to very closely resemble the one before it. The traffic was as bad as ever, face-masks were more notable for their absence than their appearance and the baffling government guidelines for keeping a distance of “1 meter plus” apart was being subject to some very liberal interpretation.

It was hard to reconcile what I was seeing with the

30

seriousness of the Global Pandemic which had placed me under house arrest.

We then stopped at a service station where to my horror and amusement in equal measure, the two worlds collided in a glorious confusion of contradiction.

The process of getting into the building paid some passing acknowledgement to the niceties of social distancing with controlled entry and one way routes clearly marked out. Once inside though, the effect was similar to placing a family of Gerbils on the floor and asking them not to wander off. Total chaos. I could almost feel a bout of dry coughing coming on so I hastened back to the car, sausage roll in hand.

On arriving at our destination, the experience was much the same. People were queuing at random distances, eating lunch in close proximity and finding that doing anything in a mask and a pair of glasses achieves nothing other than a misted pair of lenses through which it is impossible to order anything off the menu. The only sign of things being out of the ordinary was the fact that every item of kitchen utensil and vessel in our holiday accommodation had been wedged into the dishwasher for a “deep clean”. Very reassuring.

As I stoked up the BBQ on that first night, my thoughts kept returning to the disconnect between a country which at one point had the worst death toll in Europe and how little that was evident in my surroundings or in the behaviour of those around them. Then, realising I was on holiday and in danger yet again of overthinking, I resolved to relax, settle in and enjoy the weather. The next day was spent at some botanical gardens, mostly sheltering under a Gazebo from a monsoon-like downpour with what seemed to be everyone else visiting that day. The thunder cracked ominously. Someone coughed.

The room fell silent. At that moment I think we’d all had the same thought – maybe we should have gone to the beach after all.

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Potatoes have more Vitamin C than oranges, more potassium than bananas and more fibre than apples.

The sweet potato is only distantly related to the regular potato.

Potatoes develop green skin when exposed to light. Not only does this skin taste bitter, but it’s also toxic.

Instant potato brand ‘Smash’ was originally launched in the 1960s but its heyday was in the 1970s, following the Smash Martians advert (look on YouTube kids, if you don’t remember it!). Smash is still popular today, with the UK consuming around 140 million servings a year.

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31

The best apps for organising everything

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.

Target: Excellent: 24 or more words Good: 19 words Fair: 16 words

Best calendar app: Fantastical 2 The best location-aware calendar app on Apple devices works on the Mac, iPhone and Apple Watch, with support for multiple calendar accounts and reminders. Its main draw is the use of natural language, so for example you can see “meet Sue at Starbucks at noon on Tuesday”.

H

E

R

A

M

P

Best to-do app: Microsoft To Do Formerly known as Wunderlist, Microsoft To Do is a free app for Apple and Android that makes it easy to plan your day, stay on top of to-do lists and stay organised. It integrates brilliantly with other Microsoft services such as Outlook email and it’s ideal for work and play.

Pictograms 6 words SPOTTED SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE DICK

4 words IT IT Best everything app: IFTTT IFTTT is short for If This Then That, and it enables you to create rules: if this happens, do that. You can use it to automate smart home hardware, to send articles to a readlater app, to post your Instagram photos to Twitter, to add calendar events and much more. It’s a Swiss Army knife for tech.

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2 words aath

xentist

xeck

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Serves 8 Ready in 1 hour 40 mins, plus chilling and cooling Ingredients for the pastry case and filling • 500g ready-made shortcrust pastry, thawed if frozen • Flour, for dusting • 1kg eating apples, peeled, cored and diced • 100g caster sugar • 2 tsp ground cinnamon • 1 tbsp lemon juice • 1 egg, beaten Ingredients for the crispy topping • 40g unsalted butter • 40g light soft brown sugar • 50g toasted flaked almonds TIP Replace the apples with diced pears if liked, or try a mix of both.

Make the most of the abundance of home-grown apples at this time of year with this delicious deep-dish apple pie. Serve with cream, custard or ice cream.

Method 1. For the pastry case, roll out two-thirds of the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line a greased 23cm round spring-form cake tin (the pastry needs to come right up the sides of the tin). Chill in the fridge. Preheat the oven to 190C, 170C fan, gas mark 5. Place a baking sheet in the oven to heat up.

2. For the filling, place the diced apples in a bowl and stir in the caster sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice. Spoon the mixture into the pastry case. Brush the rim of the pastry case with beaten egg. Roll out the rest of the pastry to a circle large enough to cover the filling, and drape over the filling. Pinch the edges together to seal then trim off any excess pastry. Brush the top with beaten egg.

3. Bake the pie on the preheated baking sheet for 40-45 minutes until the pastry is pale golden.

4. For the crispy topping, heat all the ingredients in a medium pan and let bubble for 2-3 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and gently spread the hot mixture over the top of the pie. Return the pie to the oven for a further 10-15 minutes until the topping is crunchy. Serve warm or cold.

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A Photographer Dreams...

by Hugh Griffiths www.creativelight.org.uk

Last September – well before there was any hint of coronavirus and lockdowns – we went to stay at a hotel in North Devon for a few days. We have friends just down the road there who moved away from this area a number of years ago, but we are still close and try to see them at least once a year. Last year was a bumper with two visits by us, and a third by them when they came up to visit their family.

We stayed at the Saunton Sands Hotel – very lovely and perched on the cliffs above the beach. Our room looked right over the beach, which was an absolute delight.

The beach didn’t seem to be far away – until people started to appear on it looking like the little stick people in Lowry’s paintings. We were lucky enough to have good weather for almost all the time we were there, so we could walk and sit in the gardens or on the beach.

A lot of people were on the beach … the car park was pretty full even though it wasn’t school holidays. I took this photo from our bedroom: a photographer coming back from a session down at the water’s edge. He was carrying his tripod over his shoulder and was making his way home for the evening – except that I took this photo at twenty past seven in the morning. An early starter obviously, doing something that I always consider doing, but very rarely do: to go out early to catch the morning sun and a lack of people.

The photo itself is fairly minimalist, with the three bands of beach, water and beach again at the top.

I like the way that the man is portrayed right in the centre walking with a determined stride back to his well-deserved breakfast. I am increasingly fond of photos that have large areas of empty space (or what photographers call ‘negative space’. And I don’t know why either) and force you to focus on the whole photo in order to get the point.

While we were there, we took the opportunity to go to Clovelly for the day. Although we have been going to Cornwall for many years, we had never been here

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– maybe we have thought it too far from Padstow for a day trip, I don’t know. The village is privately owned and extremely pretty. To get in you have to park up at the top of the cliffs and walk down (via a tourist shop and café!) to the harbour. That may not sound like much, but the walk down is very steep and on cobbled stones; fortunately, it wasn’t wet that day otherwise the local hospital would have needed a whole lot of orthopaedic surgeons to fix the breaks. You walk through a charming village of shops and houses – homes to many and available for rent in some cases.

It was a lovely day and the views and surroundings were really photogenic. The harbour looks as if it is still used for fishing from, and there is a long breakwater.

While my wife enjoyed the café at the water’s edge, I walked along the breakwater to the end. Looking back at the village and cliffside behind, there were beautiful, chocolate box pictures to be had. So, here is my addition to that genre!

Photographers can be a bit snooty about ‘chocolate box’ photos – they are ‘merely’ pretty and don’t necessarily have the compositional or technical merits of the best pictures. Well, I don’t know how you feel, but ‘pretty’ does quite well for me! This particular photo does do quite well on the composition side too – with the harbour, the shore-side buildings and the rest making up three layers. And it’s sharp – in focus. But regardless of all that, it is a picture that brings back a day of happiness.

And now for something completely different! The Malden Camera Club had our first weekend away for about 30 years (!), staying in a hotel outside Eastbourne and visiting Sheffield Park, the Bluebell Railway, Eastbourne itself and Bodiam Castle. We were lucky

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that the weather largely held out for us. There was some rain on the Sunday while we were at Bodiam, but that soon passed.

We probably took about 5000 photos between us – I know that I took well over 600 – and some of them (maybe about 5 of my take) were good pictures that are worth remembering.

We didn’t have time to go on the Bluebell Railway but were able to spend an hour or so photographing the trains and the sheds. I took this picture of one of the steam engines getting ready to haul the coaches on their journey. Now, I do like steam engines – don’t know much about them, and I’m definitely not a train spotter! – but their power and size are awesome. And they bring back memories of my childhood … for a couple of years, we used to spend a week at a camping coach in Barmouth Junction (Morfa Mawddach now) and my brother and our friends would open the railway gates to cars, hoping to get a sixpence tip from the drivers. I doubt that we were that successful, but I do remember that the Ice Cream van always used to give us an ice lolly! And the smell of the engines – that wet, sooty smell as they go past is very evocative.

I have converted the picture to black and white as it

adds more drama to it without the distraction of colour; there is some colour of course in the original, but not a lot, and there is nothing lost by removing it.

To me, this picture captures the power of the engine waiting to set off with it’s haul of coaches; the steam coming from the side, the coupling rods getting ready to start moving the wheels and, in the right of the picture, the driving cab where the driver and coal man are ready to go.

Like I said, it brings back memories! = 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.

If you want to know more about us, then contact us via the details on our website. At the time of writing, we don’t know if we will be meeting physically back at the Library this autumn, but if not, then our online video meetings will continue.

Our website gives a lot more information … www.maldencameraclub.org.uk

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Solutions

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1. Black Panther 2. Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Achilles 4. Transformers 5. The Master 6. Footloose 7. Svengali 8. Batman And Robin 9. King Edward 10. Bambi

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cypressgardens

Tel: 020 8330 7787 272 Mobile: 07958 727

Royal British Legion Malden & Coombe Branch Firstly, we at Malden and Coombe hope that you all are fit and well and dealing with this ongoing virus crisis. Any RBL member who needs help or just a chat, please call our secretary Linda. We know it can be a very lonely time.

We have really missed our contribution to the Malden Fortnight and being in and seeing the local community.

Our secretary Linda has been busy hard at work trying to maintain the flower beds around the Memorial. We would like to let you know that these are maintained and planted up by us on a voluntary basis with no Council support. During the hot weather it is a real problem. It would also be good if residents didn’t use the beds as dog toilets or

Tree Surgery • Tree Felling Stump Grinding Tree Surveys and Reports Planting• Hedge Maintenance Fruit tree management Fully qualified Arborists £5 Million Liability Insurance Local Authority Approved Free Quotations and Advice

info@turnertreecare.co.uk

020 8393 3222

ashtrays. Not pleasant for us!!

We are waiting for guidance about the Poppy appeal but I understand it will be very different this year. We will not be collecting in the street for safety reasons and only large stores and banks will be receiving boxes. Also, all wreaths must be ordered and paid for by individuals on 01622 717172.Please advise them of any logo you require. No guidance has been given regarding the Remembrance Sunday Parade. I know that New Malden will support us in every way it can.

Our residents in our Legion care homes are being kept safe by the wonderful staff that work in the homes but of course still need financial support as we are a charity. If you would like to become a member please look at RBL website or phone 0800 307 7773. Please quote Malden and Coombe as your preferred branch.

Your yearly £17 + £2 branch fee will help to maintain the support we give to our veterans and their families.

Our meeting place, The Grafton Club in Grafton road has reopened for members and spouses and we hope that it can be well supported as Jim has done a brilliant job making it Covid safe for us all.

Some of our members attended a brief service for VJ75 and 2 of our veterans laid a wreath on behalf of Malden and Coombe RBL. The telephone number for veterans help is 0800 802 8080.

I hope you all stay safe TO THE MEMORY OF THE FALLEN AND THE FUTURE OF THE LIVING

To advertise email jenny@maldenmedia.co.uk or call 020 8336 2915

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39

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