Worcester Park Life May 2021 by jenny stuart

Worcester Park Life

KT4’s ONLY FREE Independent Community Magazine and Business Guide May2021 Issue 147

MALDENMEDIA.COM

CARPETS NUMBER

MOBILE CARPET SHOWROOM

WE’RE BACK

AND READY TO HELP

Now you’ve had time to decorate, it’s time for a new carpet.

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

Listen to our advert

Carpets_4_U_(A5_Ad)_SUMMER-2020_AW_V3.indd 1 PURLEY 19:55 FORGET TO MENTION THE PAGES WHEN RESPONDING TO 27/04/2020 ADVERTS Please remember to mention Worcester Park Life when you speak to our advertisers 2 DON’T

Do you suffer from varicose veins? At Spire St Anthony’s Hospital, we offer a range of techniques to treat varicose veins. Varicose veins are swollen, twisted, dark veins usually found in your legs or feet that develop due to weak valves in your blood vessels. Treatment involves closing off and destroying or removing the veins.

If varicose veins are causing you pain or complications, or you’d like them removed for cosmetic reasons, we have a choice of consultants who can provide a treatment that’s personalised to your needs. All treatments are carried out in the comfort of our private hospital, with a full medical team on hand for your care. Fixed price self-pay packages and finance options are available.

Book to see an expert today Search ‘Spire St Anthony’s Hospital’ Call 020 8712 2525

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

Welcome to YOUR Worcester Park Life We are social animals, us human beings. Yes, we appreciate having TV, online shopping, social media and group calls, but their benefit to our wellbeing and morale is tiny when compared to physical interaction with other people. I know that there were a couple of occasions I went to a local shop for a change of scene and someone different to talk to, rather than because I couldn’t buy what I needed elsewhere. It cheered me every time. Shopping online is certainly convenient, but it’s often soulless. We are saving time, but to do what? To spend hours looking at our mobiles or watching TV? As restrictions 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

& Since ‘08

advertise in our June 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. Remember, we deliver to most homes every second month but if it’s not delivered to you, you can read it on your phone, tablet or PC. There are a limited number of copies available from Waitrose, Worcester Park Library, St Mary’s and Christ Church with St Philip. The copy dates for the next couple of editions are below. If you’d like to advertise or have a local story to tell, please call or email. So just a reminder that using local shops is good for us and is appreciated by the business owners so much more than any spending we do with detached online businesses who know nothing about our town. Support our community by shopping here! Until next time, very best wishes,

Jenny Since ‘05

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

from jenny@maldenmedia.co.uk

Deadline for our June editions is 20th May

20th June for July

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.

Please remember to mention Worcester Park Life when you speak to our advertisers

LET’S CREATE THE LAWN WE BOTH LOVE

SAVE UP TO

30% WHEN YOU PAY BY DIRECT DEBIT*

Our endless determination to improve our Lawn Treatments has resulted in the creation of our exciting, innovative new programmes being released from 2021. We’ve introduced our new ‘Spring Ready’ treatment which can be applied from January to March, so that you can enjoy your beautiful lawn for longer. We’ve added an application of our fantastic water conserver, Oasis, to our ‘Summer Ready’ treatment, now featuring a unique seaweed extract for even better results.

We now feature a ‘Summer Long’ treatment from July to September and an ‘Autumn Long’ treatment from October to December, designed to nourish and strengthen your lawn all year round. Join our popular Ultimate and Standard Direct Debit Programmes. *Save 30% with our Ultimate Programme and 18% with our Standard Programme

Start your Lawn Care journey today

Contact your local branch at epsom@greenthumb.co.uk or on 0208 661 0121 for your FREE lawn analysis To advertise email jenny@maldenmedia.co.uk or call 020 8336 2915

Worcester Park History McMillan House and Packham Court: the people behind the names I have already written about the Lavender family and their impact on Worcester Park, beginning with Arthur Lavender, the last tenant-farmer of Lower Farm, near the corner of Cheam Common Road and Farm Way, and continuing with his son William James Lavender, who set up a haulage business, and combined sand and gravel extraction and transport with building development. He bought the freehold of the land which his father had farmed, in stages, probably beginning in 1925. He began building development there, and in 1929 he formed a company in partnership with Frederick Farrell; over the following decade hundreds of houses were built by Lavender and Farrell Ltd in Cheam Common, Old Malden and Stoneleigh. The names of Lavender Avenue, Lavender Corner and Farm Way commemorate the family and their farm; but why is the large apartment block, until recently an office block, on the site of the farmhouse at the heart of their original property, called McMillan House, and why are the flats behind, on the corner of Farm Way and Lavender Avenue, called Packham Court? I was recently contacted by Shane Coulson, who pointed out that I had omitted a key part of the story, the partnership between W J Lavender and her grandfather Hugh Brown McMillan (1905-1967) in the building contracting and civil engineering firm Lavender McMillan (and that the brief references I had made to McMillan House included a surplus a in the name). Most of Lavender McMillan’s projects were located outside Worcester Park, but it was from the company’s headquarters in Cheam Common Road that numerous major contracts were masterminded which produced prominent features of townscapes around southern England and the Midlands, so I think it is time I told the company’s story, which explains the McMillan and Packham names. Mrs Coulson recounts ‘My grandfather was born in Dunoon but was brought up in Edinburgh, in Balerno. He originally worked for McAlpine, as had his father before him – my great-grandfather was the contract manager who built the Mallaig railway. He fell in love with my Granny, Dorothy Clarice Packham, by lodging with her granny in London. Her mother was a dressmaker, her father a postman. She wasn’t

impressed with the idea of going into service and she taught herself shorthand and typing, and was Secretary to a Member of Parliament.’ The Packhams are listed in 1911 at Ebury Buildings, an apartment scheme near Buckingham Palace Road built by the Improved Industrial Dwellings Company. Dorothy’s father Theophilus had been born in 1875, soon after the family moved to Battersea, having previously lived in Cuckfield, Sussex, for many generations. ‘My Grandad wanted to marry her, and she said, “If you want to marry me, you’d better go away and make some money.” He went off to build the Takoradi Harbour, in the Gold Coast (Ghana); after two years’ diving in a metal diving suit (his “cold period”) he came home to marry my Grandmother in 1928.’ They settled in Tolworth, moving to Cheam in the 1930s. At some point he met W J Lavender, and they began a partnership as building contractors, Hugh McMillan presumably supplying the expertise in large construction projects. It is not clear exactly when the company was formed, but they first appeared in telephone directories in 1937, at 54 Cheam Common Road, the address of the former farmhouse, and also the address of W J Lavender Ltd, WJL’s haulage and aggregates business.

No comprehensive records of Lavender McMillan have come to light, but old telephone directories reveal the existence of their site offices at projects sufficiently major to justify installing a telephone line on site, whilst catalogues of archive services list further contracts. I’d love to hear from any former employees who would be willing to share memories with me. Please remember to mention Worcester Park Life when you speak to our advertisers

Lavender McMillan may have begun work locally – the earliest contract I have found so far relates to street works in Carshalton in 1937 – but presumably they were soon looking further afield: in 1938 they won a Post Office contract for conduit laying at Ruislip (Arthur Lavender’s birthplace, incidentally), Forest Row, Reigate and Redhill, and in 1939 they were listed as drainage contractors at a location in Bognor Regis. The outbreak of war in 1939 caused many civil engineering proposals to be deferred, and the company turned its attention to war work: to give one example, in October 1939 they were awarded a contract by Hendon Borough Council to construct air raid shelters at schools in the Borough. With the coming of peace, the company was well placed to bid for contracts to replace damaged or obsolete public buildings and for town centre reconstruction projects, often following modern designs using concrete and extensive glazing. In 1949 they were working at Uplands, between Guildford and Merrow, probably constructing Government offices, and in 1954-5 they were working at Epsom and District Hospital (now Epsom General Hospital); in the following decade they undertook work as far away as Stokeon-Trent (West Precinct, Hanley). They undertook a particularly wide range of projects in Coventry: a new telephone exchange in the 1950s and, in the 1960s, a



 

further education college, part of a housing scheme, and the city’s Central Baths, later Grade II-listed as one of the most ambitious swimming baths in the country, with a wing-like design. They also undertook housing schemes, including one in Bethnal Green in 1950. The need for new secondary schools, following the raising of the school leaving age, and for more higher education facilities, also led to a number of projects. Projects in the 1950s included new

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

secondary schools at Sydenham (designed by Basil Spence and Partners), Dulwich and Warlingham. In 1949 they won a contract to extend Easthampstead Park, a Berkshire mansion which was to be turned into a teacher training college, and in 1954 they were working on a college of further or higher education in Oxford, perhaps part of the present Oxford Brookes University. Military projects continued after the war: in the late 1950s and early 1960s they undertook work at the Military Engineering Experimental Establishment, Christchurch, at the Royal Aircraft Establishment’s apprentice workshop in Farnborough, and at RAF Credenhill near Hereford. The black and white illustration, courtesy of Mrs Coulson, shows Hugh and Dorothy McMillan by the foundation stone, laid in October 1955, of Mullard House, Torrington Place, Bloomsbury. This was initially the headquarters of Mullard Radio Valve Co, and is now owned by University College London; Hugh McMillan would perhaps have been gratified that it now houses the Bartlett School of Construction and Project Management. The 1954 Ordnance Survey map shows the farmhouse still in Cheam Common Road, opposite Lingfield Road, with numerous small buildings around it, which may have housed offices for Lavender McMillan and for the other Lavender companies. Early in 1955 Lavender McMillan (Contractors) Ltd obtained planning permission for the office building that we know as McMillan House; the application had been submitted by the architect E G Allen of Arundel Street, Strand, who had presumably designed it. A further application was approved in 1961 for first- and second-storey extensions to the flanking wings. Also in 1961, plans were approved for the construction of 42 flats, on the land behind McMillan House, following the removal of workshops etc. It may have been a few years before the flats were constructed, as many of the leases date from 1967 (can anyone clarify this?). They were named Packham Court, commemorating Mrs McMillan’s maiden name; an additional storey of flats was authorised in 1985. Lavender McMillan seems to have ceased activities a few months before Hugh McMillan’s death in 1967, and McMillan House was sold the previous year to a property investment company. For over 45 years the building would house a wide range of companies,

and I hope to explore the story of some of them in a future article. The building was sold in 2015 for conversion into flats, and our colour illustration shows the conversion work in progress in the following year. David Rymill rymilldavid@outlook.com 01962 868976

Worcester Park, Old Malden and North Cheam: History at our Feet Published in 2012 and available at £10 (plus £2 towards postage if required) from the Rymill family. Ring 020 8330 6563 for more details. This 300-page book tells the story of Worcester Park from the Iron Age to the present day, and includes memories of local life from 1908 onwards, and over 150 maps, photographs and drawings - mostly never published before.

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: 50 or more words Good: 45 words Fair: 38 words

A E

R P

Please remember to mention Worcester Park Life when you speak to our advertisers

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

TOLWORTH FENCING SUPPLIES LTD

OVER

YEARS EXPERIEN CE

Tel: 0208 330 0865 Mobile: 07836 389 119

SUPPLIERS OF QUALITY FENCING MATERIALS YOUR LOCAL SUPPLIERS WITH A GOOD OLD FASHIONED FRIENDLY SERVICE

We supply quality fencing materials, decking & sleepers

WE MANUFACTURE BY HAND OUR OWN CLOSEBOARD AND CONTINENTAL PANELS, TRELLIS & GATES. ALUMINIUM GATES NOW AVAILABLE (SEE BELOW)

TRADE & DOMESTIC CUSTOMERS WELCOME Open Mon-Fri 6.00am-16.30pm, Sat 7.30am - 12.00pm Family Business Est 1960

0208 330 0865

Unit 16, 193 Garth Road Industrial Estate, Morden, Surrey, SM4 4NE

www.tolworthfencing.com 10

Please remember to mention Worcester Park Life when you speak to our advertisers

10% OFF on collection

10% OFF on the whole bill with this advert Our Opening Times : Monday to Friday: 4.30 pm till 11.00 pm Saturday: 3.00 pm to 11.00 pm Sunday: 12.00 pm to 9.00pm Contact number:

0208 616 2100 Order online: www.smokingrillandbar.com/menu SmokinGrillSteakhouse

Smokin’ Grill Steakhouse & Bar 20 Cheam Common Road, Worcester Park, KT4 8RW Email: info@smokingrillandbar.com www.smokingrillandbar.com To advertise email jenny@maldenmedia.co.uk or call 020 8336 2915

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

Most of my photos for May are of the birds I saw in my garden during the first lockdown in 2020. But I also spent some time indoors (the weather wasn’t quite 100% perfect) and took photos of the cut flowers that we had, that my wife bought. The first lot were yellow tulips, and this next set were orange in different shades, but still tulips. I have really enjoyed getting some of the personalities of these flowers in their photographs; this lot were much more prone to drooping than the yellow ones, so many of my photos were of them falling over the vase they were in. Seeing them falling over the side of the vase seems a bit like looking at a collection of Bronte ladies at a Ball! I have written before about the tulip festival at Arundel Castle in West Sussex each Spring … clearly it was cancelled last year and this year. But they have put a set of tulip photographs on their website for us to get a small picture of what we are missing - https://www. arundelcastle.org/event/virtual-tulip-festival/. This particular variety is full of petals and colour – almost flame like in their appearance. They are very beautiful and very easy to photograph. One of the great advantages of still life photography, or of photographing cut flowers is that they don’t answer back, almost always stay still and can be moved around to suit your artistic vision. It’s always worthwhile to get rid of distracting backgrounds for this type of image: in this case I had put a large piece of black card behind the vase – supported by a pile of jigsaw boxes (very sophisticated!) – and that kept the background very simple. In my opinion, a backdrop like this benefits from being white, black or grey so that the colours and shapes of the object are not lost in the colour of a different backing sheet. Pigeons are our second most common visitor at home. We are fortunate to have a huge collection of sparrows who mostly live in a quince bush near the front of the garden, by our living room. I think it gives them protection from any predator birds that may threaten them … and also it has some lovely red flowers in Spring (so I’m told: my colour blindness means that I can hardly distinguish the flowers from the glossy green leaves). But the pigeons come and stand around and gawp at the garden, at the plants, the food possibilities (lots

of worms – yummm!) and, of course, anyone who sits in the garden. Our dog, Poppy, gets very worked up when she sees them and chases them away – so I need to keep her away when I want to take pictures outside. This pigeon was sitting on the back of a swinging bench we have and that I had pulled to the middle of the garden and hung some bird seed from the frame. It wasn’t a great place to sit down but we have another bench and some garden chairs that I could use. It seemed to be staring quizzically at me when I took the photo and I only noticed when I was editing it that its eyes were sticking out of its head, making it look really strange. Almost like a cartoon character!

I took the photo with a relatively small aperture, so that the background would be blurred, leaving the pigeon as the centre of attention. It’s well worth thinking of this when you take a picture – “How can I get my viewer’s attention on to the object of my photo?” Some photos are artistic, some are fun – this one falls definitely into the latter category. Now, the sparrows. Of course, Spring is the time for chicks, and we had a lot in the garden last year – both sparrow chicks and a robin chick. They can be so lovely to take pictures of, and some are not as wary of us humans as they later learn to be. Again, sitting in the garden – the weather was glorious for a lot of the spring – and watching the birds as they came to the bird feeder hanging on the swing bench was a great way to spend the lockdown. I had a great

Please remember to mention Worcester Park Life when you speak to our advertisers

combination weigh about 3-4 kilos and I wasn’t able to use a tripod to keep them steady as the birds, darn them, didn’t ever get the hang of posing in the same place each time. I had to life the camera etc. and focus on the sparrows and then take a rapid-fire set of photos, hoping that there will be some successes. This was one!

book to read on my iPad, my camera all set up with a very long lens and my seat was a short 4 metres away from the feeder. I probably missed a fair number of pictures when I got absorbed in my book, but there are usually second opportunities. We all know that chicks are fed by their parents putting food directly into their mouths, but I haven’t seen it happen very often. So, it was a thrill to see this female sparrow and her baby sitting on the back of the swing bench and feeding her offspring. It isn’t a great photo – the birds are not very sharp, but the scene is cuteness personified! My camera and lens

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 in person at the Malden Library from September on Thursday evenings, but will be keeping this under review. If you want to know more about us, then contact us via the details on our website … www.maldencameraclub. org.uk And you can, of course, contact me via my website: www.creativelight.org.uk

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

High street high scores Many words can be used to describe taste;

ephemeral, impressionable or nebulous perhaps. For guidance, we consult the consumer media but we must do so with circumspection because such sources can be apocryphal. Any comment can be tainted with bias that diverts it into the narrow channels of opinion. Take holidays for example. You may like to wake up, throw back the curtains and see a poolside being prepared to receive a congregation of sun-worshipers. With excitement you race to get your towel on the preferred lounger before the continentals. Alternatively, you may prefer the drawn curtains to reveal snow-capped mountains in the Austrian Alps with Julie Andrews singing in the background. It’s all a matter of taste which, by nature, is subjective. So, what is your taste in high streets? Many years ago, my colleague was a town centre manager, a job I didn’t envy. He had to sell a product over which he had very little influence. He was competing against neighbouring town centres that had department stores, big brand names and glamourous retailoutlets. Ask yourself; in your high street do you want Harrods or Halfords. Those who live in Knightsbridge do not do DIY on their cars on Sunday morning but they do buy perfume at excruciatingly high prices. Closer to home, Sunday morning is the time you do the weekly checks on your car so a foot pump, a tyre gauge and five litres of screen wash are worth more than anything Yves Saint Laurent offers in a decorative bottle. The high street is the beating heart of a town with bus routes running through it like arteries. It is not surprising that it captures the attention of academics like town planners and social historians because a high street speaks for us, reflecting the society it serves. I have vivid memories of the high street I knew as a boy; its evolution is absorbing. There were three department stores that have not survived although the building of one has been saved due to its Grade II listing. There were nine pubs. The two my Dad used are now nightclubs for the under-25s. I was advised to go elsewhere by the doorman. An historical coaching inn and an attractive tailor’s shop were demolished as part of a redevelopment scheme. The same project removed the town’s finest hotel and an Edwardian theatre. Was there a sign displayed

by Roy Buchanan

saying, Danger: town planners at work! Only one of the town’s four cinemas remains. The last time I stood in a queue for a seat in the circle was at this survivor. The year was 1962, the film was Dr No. I feel reassured when I return to a high street I liked and find little has changed. In my early twenties I discovered a town in Wiltshire with an appealing high street. It was well presented and so terribly English. Fine shops and thoughtfully designed buildings gave the allusion of a by-gone era when horse-drawn carriages preceded the horselesscarriages that now fight for parking spaces. In contrast, the high street of my childhood has been transformed into a vista of modernity. My wife found it surprisingly likeable whilst I found it pleasantly refreshing but fearful that nostalgia may wither my experience. This wide high street, once entirely cobbled, with room for market stalls twice a week is now pedestrianised and tiled like my bathroom floor. The accessories include hi-tech street lighting and designer bus-shelters. But what about the ‘High Street’ we call Central Road. I like it even though people look at me quizzically and say, “Do you?” I can only go back 25 years so my history is recent. I remember meeting Jack Brabham in his Vauxhall showroom. He loaned me a people-carrier for a week to do a promotion. Regrettably, I was inconvenienced when my bank closed its Worcester Park branch making it necessary for me take a bus trip or a train ride to avoid dealing with on-line banking that lacks soul. Do we have a department store? No. Do we have an haute couture boutique? No. Does it matter? No. This supports the idea that the high street is a conduit for class-driven taste, hence there isn’t a Poundland in Sloane Square. Thankfully, Central Road has more features I love than hate. The street corner fish and chip shop has a feel-good factor and the store opposite sells all sorts at low prices. The hardware shop a few doors away is a god-send for the DIY husband tasked with repairing a dodgy doorknob. Three supermarkets are highly valued but, for me, one stands out because their wide range includes well-known single-malt whiskies. We have a cobbler to cobble our shoes, a shop that will fix our sewing machines and three opticians who will sell us stylish spectacles that make us look academic but not in my case I’m afraid!

Please remember to mention Worcester Park Life when you speak to our advertisers

The retailers that are like a magnet to me are the charity shops and I put the British Heart Foundation at the top of my list. Perhaps this comes from losing my Dad to a heart attack when he was only 45 and I was just 9. No matter what I go to Central Road to buy I seem to find myself strolling into this charity shop. I have found ornaments, candlesticks, wine glasses and jewellery but most of all books. From Greek mythology to Victorian Britain to crime novels by Donna Leon, the BHF Charity Shop is always an attraction. One shop in Worcester Park is disturbing. It was once an estate agent’s but has been derelict for many years. The doorway now provides overnight accommodation for the homeless. Be prepared, the social historian might suggest our high street reflects our society; it feeds the needs of all the people. Really; does society need homelessness or ubiquitous nail-parlours? Or is it the unpalatable truth that are we an extravagant community lacking a social conscience? The answer could be unpleasant.

R.J. Tree Services providing excellence locally for 15 years. Our qualiﬁed & professional staﬀ are dedicated to the highest levels of service in every instance.

Free Quotes

Diploma qualiﬁed NPTC licensed Tree Reductions / Crown Thins Tree Felling Stump Removal Hedgeworks Tree Surveys & Reports £10 million insurance liability cover

Oﬃce: 020 8399 0103 Mobile: 07980 903881 info@rjtrees.co.uk LOOK FOR THE RED TREE!

R.J. Tree Services, Berrylands, Surbiton Visit our website for information and videos on all aspects of our work www.rjtrees.co.uk To advertise email jenny@maldenmedia.co.uk or call 020 8336 2915

Do you remember having fun as a Rainbow, Brownie, Guide or Ranger or do you know someone who did? Girlguiding has continued intermittently during COVID lockdown but now as we start to return to face to face meetings, we are looking for additional volunteers to give more girls the chance to join us. We have lots of flexible opportunities and you can choose to work with girls in Rainbows (aged 5-7), Brownies (7-10), Guides (1015) or Rangers (14-18). We have units every weekday evening in Old Malden, Worcester Park, Cheam Park Farm and North Cheam.

Being part of Girlguiding enables you to make new friends, share skills, make wonderful memories and have adventures while bringing great experiences to young people. You can help them have fun and grow in confidence and you will feel more involved with your local community. Volunteering is good for your wellbeing and self-confidence and a valuable addition to your CV. It can also help you develop or improve your skills with training in First Aid, Safeguarding, leadership support or even learning to kayak or mix cocktails! You will experience teamwork, problem solving and planning but above all you will make new friends, have FUN and NEW ADVENTURES!!!

There is a range of roles in Unit meetings, everything from Unit Leader to occasional helper or just in a supporting role with Admin or finance. Help with the smallest tasks can make a big difference.

Look at the Girlguiding website https://www.girlguiding.org.uk to register your interest. Girlguiding Cheam North are looking forward to welcoming you so please get in touch and email for more details cheamnorth@gmail.com

The best apps for food

BBC Good Food There are two BBC Good Food apps: the magazine, and this one. This app has over 13,000 recipes that you can save and sort into your own collections, and as you’d expect from the BBC it’s beautifully presented and photographed. It’s a constant source of information.

Paprika Recipe Manager This app for iOS and Android devices is our must-have for any kitchen. It enables you to send online recipes from your web browser and store them in one place. Not only that, but it automatically separates ingredients and instructions, can adjust quantities for more or fewer people and can even create your shopping list.

Readly This isn’t a food app, but this Netflix for magazines has tons of UK and US cooking magazines in it, each of which is reproduced perfectly. And when you’re finished cooking you can kick back and relax with men’s and women’s magazines, music magazines and every other kind of magazine.

Please remember to mention Worcester Park Life when you speak to our advertisers

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

Please remember to mention Worcester Park Life when you speak to our advertisers

Old Fashioned Values

‘Flexible and affordable support at home’

largest e h t f o On e roviders P e r a C L o c a l H o me

Telephone: 020 8661 9960 www.lakeshorecare.co.uk

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

Serves 2 Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 7 minutes INGREDIENTS • 1 pickled chilli, drained (or ½ fresh deseeded chilli) • 2 garlic cloves, crushed • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar • 1 tbsp tamari soy sauce • 2 tbsp xylitol or honey • 2 boneless salmon fillets, skin on • 2 tbsp lime juice • 1 tbsp xylitol or honey • 1 tbsp mirin • Handful of bean sprouts or sprouted seeds of choice • 1 cucumber, halved and thinly sliced • Small handful fresh mint leaves, chopped • Small handful of coriander leaves, chopped • 2 spring onions, finely sliced • 1 tbsp chopped cashews

Wild Alaskan salmon is an excellent source of omega-3 fats and protein. In this dish, fillets of salmon are marinated in a tangy Asian-style dressing and accompanied by a light refreshing cucumber and bean sprout salad. Accompany with some seasonal leafy greens. 1. Place the chilli, garlic, vinegar, tamari, xylitol or honey in a food processor and process to combine. Put the salmon fillets in a shallow dish, pour over the marinade and set aside in the fridge for 30 minutes. 2. Make up the dressing by mixing the lime juice, xylitol or honey and mirin together (if using xylitol make sure it has dissolved). Put the bean sprouts, cucumber, mint, coriander, spring onions, cashews and the dressing in a bowl and toss until well combined. 3. Preheat the grill to high. Remove the salmon from the marinade. Place the salmon on a lined baking tray. Grill for about 7 minutes or until the fish is golden and just cooked through. Place the remaining marinade in a small pan and simmer to form a glaze. Pour over the cooked salmon.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING: calories 305kcal, protein 23.4g, carbohydrates 26.9g (of which sugars 24.4g), total fat14.9g(of which saturates 2.6g). Enjoy this healthy, light and flavoursome dish from Nutritionist and author Christine Bailey Christine Bailey www.christinebailey.co.uk

Please remember to mention Worcester Park Life when you speak to our advertisers

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

Parkin’ some thoughts Historically Speaking by Nick Hazell Some things just stick in your head. Births; deaths; marriages; Bristol City winning the Freight Rover Trophy in 1986... They all have their place in my addled brain. The other day though as I battled my way down a crowded High Street having secured my second dose of anti-Covid juice, the words of my university history tutor came to mind. “The only thing we learn from history,” he said “is that we learn nothing from history.” I’m fairly sure he got most of his imparted wisdom from an ageing stash of Christmas Crackers acquired over the years from Boswells, the Oxford department Store, but the words have resonance 30 years on. He was slightly eccentric, somewhere between 55 and 85 and had a style which I can only describe, acknowledging its political incorrectness but accepting its accuracy, as camp; a sort of thinking man’s Larry Grayson. He was brilliantly intellectual, great pals with rock stars and had a wonderful way of politely conveying the inconvenient truth that my fabulously crafted essays on the subject of the symbolism evident in portraiture of the Tudor and Stuart eras were in fact Bollox. He also had the most ridiculously valuable collection of antiques, including papal medallions, portraits by Old Masters, Louis XIV furnishings and his most prized possession, a pair of the poet Rupert Brook’s underpants, the crafty acquisition of which he was absurdly proud. But I digress. His point was that history repeats itself like a badly digested consignment of garlic cream puffs and we’re not great at learning the lessons from our past. Indeed, plagues and pandemics have ravaged their paths through human existence from the Plague of Athens in 430 BC through the Black Death of 14th Century right through to the current mess. Sometimes there is nothing that can be done to stop the repetition, but equally do we really think about how we might modify our behaviour based on the lessons of our personal experiences?

We are all naturally inclined to fiddle while our metaphorical Rome burns behind us. It’s human nature. We’ll go out again, see friends and generally get back to our lives. So we should. It’s been a miserable 14 months. A return to normal is what many of us want. But if nothing else, now might be the time to reconsider whether the status-quo was really working and how we might change what wasn’t. You see. History doesn’t have to repeat itself. We can’t control whether someone, somewhere is about to tuck into a super spreader reptile soup, but this pandemic has shown that just because we’ve always done something a particular way doesn’t mean it always has to be done as such. But enough of this. I’ve more important tasks now at hand. I’m off to wash some boxer shorts. They might be worth something to somebody someday.

Andy Reeve

Plumbing & Heating Engineer ALL PLUMBING SERVICES from tap washers, toilets & garden taps through to installation of Central Heating Systems, Kitchens & Bathrooms.

No call out charges • Over 30 years in the trade

Mob : 07973 733649 / Tel : 020 8393 0180 andyreeve.plumber@virginmedia.com www.andyreeve.webs.com

Please remember to mention Worcester Park Life when you speak to our advertisers

SHOUT

about your business in your local magazines in 2021 from just £28 plus vat a month Be seen and heard by the your local market in the Village Voice and Worcester Park Life.

With competitive pricing, friendly efficient service and helpful advice it’s simple and effective... But then the best ideas always are.

020 8336 2915 or go online www.maldenmedia.com

Call jenny on

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

As much as humans and animals alike love some sun, your dog needs a little bit of extra care at this time of year. PAW PADS Although warm weather and long walks go hand in hand, your dog’s sensitive paw pads can be scalded by hot pavements. Walking early or late and on the shady side of the street helps, but you could also apply paw wax to prevent the pads from drying and cracking. PESKY PESTS Fleas and ticks love the summertime so check for any parasites, particularly when you’ve walked your dog in wooded or grassy areas. Ticks should be removed as soon as possible as they can start transmitting disease within a couple of hours.

BRUSHING AND BATHING You might imagine a springtime short back and sides would do your dog a favour. But although in theory it makes them cooler, it also removes all their sun protection – and covering your pet with factor 50 is never going to be a fun job. A good brushing as the weather warms up is a great start, as it removes any build-up of dead hair. Taking your pooch to a professional groomer will mean enough – but not too much – hair is clipped. The close attention that your groomer will give to your pet will also ensure they’ve had a look at ears, paws, nails and skin, and picked up any developing problems before they become serious.

Develop and improve techniques quickly with friendly, professional cricket coaching. 1to1’s and group sessions in New Malden and Tadworth for juniors / adults with ECB qualified cricket coaches.

For more info & bookings

Tel: 07855 123 579 info@michaeljacobscoaching.co.uk

SPORTS CLUBS SCHOOLS DISABILITY 1 TO 1 COACH MENTORING

LEARN

P L AY

ACH I E V E

Please remember to mention Worcester Park Life when you speak to our advertisers

A Comprehensive Range of Care Services

• Live-in Care - Throughout Surrey - 24 hour care and/or companionship • Personal Care - toileting, bathing, dressing • “Pop - In” Service • Night Sleeper and Waking Night Staﬀ - providing reassurance/night care • Household Duties - shopping, housework • Meal Preparation • End of Life Care

For a free professional assessment of your personal needs, please call us on

020 8393 7117

51 The Broadway - Stoneleigh - Epsom - Surrey - KT17 2JE Oﬃce 9.00am - 5.00pm Tel: 020 8393 7117 Fax: 020 8393 5535 Email: classichomecare@btconnect .com Website: www.classichomecareservices.co.uk To advertise email jenny@maldenmedia.co.uk or call 020 8336 2915

Friday Night Cocktail Club Rhubarb Mimosa by Ali Warner Don’t crumble it drink it. The only thing that grows without fail in my little veggie plot is rhubarb. My dad gave me a root from his own garden more than a decade ago and despite the efforts of builders, local foxes and my own wilful neglect it continues to thrive year in and year out. I like rhubarb crumble but you can get sick of it pretty quickly and then what? Well in my case I turn it into a syrup and drink it. During lockdown I started to manage the blur of weekdays into weekends by downing tools at 5.30pm on Fridays to make myself a cocktail. A bit of effort, an opportunity to reduce the number of half empty drinks bottles in my cupboards and the reward of a sweet treat at the end of it played well to my mental health and wellbeing, “Do a column on this Ali,” a good friend said on Facebook - so here it is and this is the first one. My first cocktail is a Mimosa, name after an Australian flower, rumoured to have been created by Alfred Hitchcock and not too far away from Britain’s very own wedding favourite - Buck’s Fizz. It’s got three main ingredients and needs just a tad of effort - but it is guaranteed to be a pleasant start to a Sunday lunch. It also works as a happy sundowner to transport you from the burbs to a dream about all inclusive beaches in Greece where there’s a lovely chap whose only job is to clean your sunglasses. Here’s what you need 5 sticks of the pinkest rhubarb you can find (soft fruits like strawberries or raspberries work too) Honey A splash of water A small or large bottle of fizz/sparkling water Cocktail cherry and umbrella (optional) Little pot of snacks - Roasted flava beans are nice, also works with a bag of Quavers.

How to make your syrup Cut the rhubarb into small chunks and place in a saucepan with a splash of water and cook at a low heat until the fruit is mushy - keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn and add a splash of water if it’s sticking. Wait until slightly cool and sieve the rhubarb juice into a measuring jug - my 5 stalks gave me about 250mls of juice. This juice with be TART and I mean tart - so start adding some runny hunny to it o get it to the sweetness you like. It is worth keeping a little bit of bite so don’t overdo it - try 2 tablespoons of honey and then add more from there. Pour boiling water into a jam jar to sterilise it and then chuck the water away and add the syrup to the jar. Put it in your fridge and let it chill and settle for 30 mins or so. Put a nice flute glass and fizz of choice in the fridge to chill too. When you are ready add 25-30 mls of rhubarb syrup to the flute and top up with fizzy wine or water. Get fancy fancy with a cherry and cocktail umbella. Grab a pot of snacks, find a free seat in the garden and swig to your heart’s content. This syrup is also great over ice cream or added to gin and tonic. I’d love to see your cocktail creations so if you fancy sharing yours with me send me your pictures to @alivmwarner on Instagram.

Please remember to mention Worcester Park Life when you speak to our advertisers

Virtual Sixth Form

Open Evening Wednesday 9 June

For more details and to book go to www.kgs.org. uk/sixthform

Supporting life’s journeys with local heartfelt homecare

From one hour a week to full-time live-in care, our local awardwinning care services are completely bespoke to help you or your loved one live safely and confidently at home.

• Bespoke and heartfelt care • Peace of mind for you and your loved ones • Maintain your independence • Enriched quality of life • Providing care locally to you in Surrey & Hampshire

Call 0208 108 4564 or visit www.trinityhomecare.co.uk To advertise email jenny@maldenmedia.co.uk or call 020 8336 2915

Perfect Planting

by Pippa Greenwood

Now that the weather has well and truly warmed up and you’re spending more time in your garden, you may feel the need to make a few additions to it – perhaps something to bring a little more architecture or structure, to clothe a wall or fence, or something to bring perfume or perhaps colour at an ‘off’ time of year. Whatever it is, there is sure to be a good selection of trees, shrubs and climbers available right now. At any time of year Re-check the planting depth and water in well – this good planting is important if the plants are to get is really important – and once the soil is thoroughly off to the best possible start, and to grow away moistened, apply a 7.5cm (3”) deep mulch all over well for years to come. But if you plant at this time the root area. This will reduce moisture loss from 'PUT Y OUR GARDEN MAINTENANCE IN TH of year it is all the more essential to do it correctly, the soil and also help to keep weeds in check. since temperatures are increasing and the soil is HANDS OF SOMEONE WHO REALLY CARES more inclined to be dry. So, what are the top tips for There is only a need to stake very lanky or large tremendous planting? trees, and if you do this make sure that the stake Make sure the plant is properly suited to the space you have available (check the label or in a good book). Dig the planting hole, making it bigger than the current root ball. On clay soils dig out the hole using a fork, as this is less likely to impede drainage, and make sure the hole is large enough to incorporate some bulky organic matter plus some grit. Fork over the sides of the planting hole. Use garden compost, well-rotted manure or proprietary planting mix to improve the soil texture and add nutrients. If the soil is really poor then you could also use some general fertiliser.

- Tree surgery - One off Tidy goes in so that root damage is minimised, holding it - Stump Grinding - Garden Maintenance in place with a tree-tie and buffer. Short stakes are and Weeding - Decking and Lawns now generally believed to be- Strimming best in the long term. - Garden clearance - Hedge Trimming - Path and Patio Washing - Landscaping

‘PUT YOUR GARDEN MAINTENANCE INTel: THE020 8330 7 info@cypressgardenservices.co.uk HANDS OF SOMEONE WHO REALLY CARES’ Tease the roots out well before planting. If www.cypressgardenservices.co.uk Mobile: 07958 necessary, soak the root ball in water for a couple - One off Tidy of hours first. This helps to loosen up a congested - Garden Maintenance root ball and makes it much easier for the roots to - Decking and Lawns move out into the planting hole and surrounding - Hedge Trimming soil. Lower the plant into the hole and gradually add the soil mixed with planting compost. Check that only the roots are buried, not the stem, as planting too deep can kill and will always make the plant suffer and perform poorly. (The only exception to this is clematis, which do better if planted a few inches deeper than this.) Placing a cane over the top of the planting hole makes it easier to judge the correct height of the soil level. Firm the soil around the roots. The surface of the compost on the existing root ball needs to be level with the soil surface.

- Landscaping - Tree surgery - Stump Grinding - Strimming & Weeding - Garden clearance - Path & Patio Washing

IN THE INTENANCE GARDEN MA CARES' 'PUT YOUR HO REALLY W E N O E M O S HANDS OF - Tree surgery g - One off Tidy - Stump Grindin nance Weeding - Garden Mainte - Strimming and ns ce ran - Decking and Law clea - Garden g min Washing - Hedge Trim - Path and Patio - Landscaping

Please remember to mention Worcester Park Life when you speak to our advertisers rdenservices.co.uk denservices.co.uk

info@cypressga

Tel: 020 8330 7787 272 Mobile: 07958 727

Make sure that the new tree or shrub is kept really well watered and that the soil is not allowed to become dry, as in this establishment phase watering is the key to success. Don’t forget that it’s good to have a garden that’s productive as well as pretty, so save some space for growing a few of your own delicious vegetables. At this time of year, you can still raise some plants from seed yourself, but you may also want to buy some garden-ready plants to get things moving even more quickly and ensure they crop before the season ends. For a selection of my favourite varieties of tomatoes, sweetcorn, broccoli, runner beans, climbing French beans, lettuces, beetroot, peppers, chillies, courgettes, squash, onions and more, accompanied by my weekly tips and advice, you can take a look at my new website and select what you want to grow from the UK-grown range! At www.pippagreenwood.com you’ll find stylish cloches, Nemaslug, practical and pretty plant supports, the fantastic SpeedHoe, Grower Frames and the ‘Grow Your Own with Pippa’ system.

JUST GARDENS & LAWNS Your local complete garden and specialist lawn care service

CALL US NOW! 10% DISCOUNT FOR OVER 60’s Please call us for a free quote: TEL: 0800 043 2454 or Email: justlawnslondon@gmail.com www.justlawnslondon.co.uk

R.J. Tree Services providing excellence locally for 15 years. Our qualiﬁed & professional staﬀ are dedicated to the highest levels of service in every instance.

Free Quotes

Diploma qualiﬁed NPTC licensed Tree Reductions / Crown Thins Tree Felling Stump Removal Hedgeworks Tree Surveys & Reports £10 million insurance liability cover

Oﬃce: 020 8399 0103 Mobile: 07980 903881 info@rjtrees.co.uk LOOK FOR THE RED TREE!

R.J. Tree Services, Berrylands, Surbiton Visit our website for information and videos on all aspects of our work www.rjtrees.co.uk To advertise email jenny@maldenmedia.co.uk or call 020 8336 2915

Puzzle Time fairly easy

not so easy

Clothes 1. A sporran is a type of pouch that is commonly worn on top of which pocketless item of clothing?

6. A laundry symbol featuring a circle inside a square with a cross through them indicates that you should not do what with an item of clothing?

2. What style of baggy trousers gathered at the ankle was named after a traditional character in 16th-century Italian comedy?

7. What is the only item of clothing that Bugs Bunny normally wears?

3. Following Matt Smith’s early appearances on Doctor Who, fashion retailers reported that sales of what items of clothing had doubled? 4. Flip-flops are known by what name in Australia, which in the UK would mean items of underwear or swimwear? 5. First featuring in the 1936 film Keep Your Seats Please, which song was banned by the BBC, who labelled lyrics such as “pyjamas lying side by side, ladies nighties I have spied” as smutty?

8. What did the letters stand for in the name of the online fashion retailer ASOS when it was first founded and sold imitations of clothing from the world of TV and film? 9. Which of the following wasn’t a colour of one of the skirts worn by the female members of Bucks Fizz that were ripped off during their performance at the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest?... a) blue; b) yellow; or c) green? 10. In 2004, which famous tennis player launched a line of designer clothing called Aneres?

Please remember to mention Worcester Park Life when you speak to our advertisers

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

INDUSTRY LEADING MOBILITY SHOWROOM WIDE RANGE OF PRODUCTS: ■ Mobility Scooters ■ Wheelchairs ■ Rise and recline chairs ■ Beds ■ Powerchairs ■ Rollators ■ Stairlifts HOME DEMONSTRATIONS AVAILABLE

■ Product specialists on hand ■ On-site parking ■ Fully equipped service centre

BUY, HIRE OR MOTABILITY

0203 058 1042

Unit 61 Barwell Business Park, Leatherhead Road, Chessington, KT9 2NY www.wheelfreedom.com | info@wheelfreedom.com To advertise email jenny@maldenmedia.co.uk or call 020 8336 2915

Calling all Wrens! Do you have any Wrens in your family? I’m not referring to the tiny, feathered variety in the garden but the indomitable ladies who joined the Women’s Royal Naval Service. Specifically, ladies who joined up between 1946 and 1981 and did their basic training at Training Depot Burghfield/HMTE Burghfield/HMTE Dauntless/ HMS Dauntless/Reading. Dauntless Divisional Photos is a nationwide project, in collaboration with the Association of Wrens, to gather divisional photographs and memories from those training days but also to reunite ladies with old friends, share anecdotes and relive exciting moments. So if you, your mum, granny, aunt, godmother or even next door neighbour donned a blue suit and aimed for a life on the ocean wave, please get in touch on either ddpwrens@gmail or 07765 435295/ 0771 990 9844.

Pictograms Pictograms 3 words

REVO 3 words GO GO LIFE 3 words THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

Are you a registered nurse or healthcare assistant ? Would you like flexible, part time hours, maybe working alongside your existing roles ? Care101 is a nursing agency based in Worcester Park. Since 2013 we’ve been providing cost effective, professional, quality care staff to nursing, care & residential homes in the local area. • Work near to home • From ad-hoc shifts to more regular work, days or nights - we’re flexible too

If you have experience in care and would like to join our team, please call Neil or Caroline on 01372 231007, email: message@Care101.co.uk or visit www.Care101.co.uk

Please remember to mention Worcester Park Life when you speak to our advertisers

0208 394 2555

Estate Agents and Valuers

Sales@JacksonNoon.com Lettings@JacksonNoon.com

THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH Few of us can remember a time when Prince Phillip was not a part of our national lives, a presence in the background lending his name to an award scheme, a variety of projects and acting as president of many organisations. As often happens, it is not until the end that all the pieces of a life come together, and the full picture is understood or valued. For nearly seven decades Prince Phillip supported The Queen both by her side and behind the scenes. When you move into a new home its usual to give it a freshen up and to begin to personalise it. This can range from modest DIY projects to extensions and refurbishments, but no matter how big or small the task it needs to be managed. With the Queen busy with affairs of state it was The Duke who took on the redecoration of Clarence House in the early days and more recently oversaw the restoration of Windsor Castle after the fire in 1992, but his interest in property was not limited to castles and palaces. In a rich and varied life, a couple of facets interested us. The Royal website states Prince Philip took an interest in the ordinary, unsung aspects of life, including bricks and mortar, serving as President of the National Federation of Housing Associations in 1975-1980. He then chaired the Inquiry into British Housing, the purpose of which was to consider the inadequacies in the availability and condition of housing in Britain and make recommendations to remedy the deficiencies identified. It was a role he

appears to have taken very seriously and which would have given him a good understanding of the housing problems facing the man on the street. The inquiry made several recommendations and some decades later it is interesting to see that some were adopted, and others persist and are the subject of ongoing observation, conversation, and political debating. One suggestion was the removal of Mortgage Interest Tax Relief. This grabbed headlines at the time and was widely unpopular with homeowners. The idea was that the tax realised as a result could be used for home improvement grants and assistance for mortgage payers whose finances took a turn for the worse. In 1988 the tax relief was reduced, leading to a house buying frenzy just before the removal of the full relief, and it was completely abolished in 2000. The report also proposed those with empty rooms should be encouraged to rent them out, leading to the successful rent a room scheme which allows some tax-free income from lodgers in your own home. The reports produced under Prince Phillips watchful eye identified real problems with the high demand yet low supply of housing, affordable and otherwise, in London and the South East. This which lingers on. Further the pandemic has changed our requirements and while there has been increased building in the last few years we wonder if those properties will turn out to be in the wrong location and of the wrong type. In 99 years and 10 months somebody, born today, should be able to answer that.

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

Solutions

CodeWord

Quiz

1. A kilt 2. Pantaloons 3. Bow ties 4. Thongs 5. When I’m Cleaning Windows (by George Formby) 6. Tumble dry it 7. Gloves 8. As seen on screen 9. b) yellow 10. Serena Williams (the label’s name is her first name spelt backwards)

Sudokus

Pictograms

1. Bend Over Backwards 2. Life Goes On 3. Play The Fool

Wordwheel ASPIRED / DESPAIR

Word Ladder

Change one letter at a time (but not the position of any letter) to make a new word moving from top to bottom.

COAL

MINE

Please remember to mention Worcester Park Life when you speak to our advertisers

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

Able 2 Build & Sons Ltd

LOFT CONVERSION & EXTENSION SPECIALISTS • • • • • • • • • • • •

Loft Conversions Extensions Full Refurbishments Part Refurbishments Driveways & Patios Gas & Electrical Works Plumbing Carpentry Tiling Plastering Painting & Decorating Property Maintenance

• Highly skilled, professional and extremely trustworthy workforce • All work will be completed efficiently with minimal disturbance to your lifestyle • We come highly recommended with many references • Fully Insured • Free Quotations

0800 566 8198 07889 255 097 www.able2build.co.uk

info@able2build.co.uk

Constructing Your Future 36

Please remember to mention Worcester Park Life when you speak to our advertisers