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May I begin this first article in 2020 for the Birstall and Wanlip ‘Your Local’ with a belated Happy New Year to all readers, and a thank you – a thank you to everyone who put their trust in me once again and voted for me in the recent General Election that saw me returned to Parliament as Birstall’s MP, but also a thank you to everyone who voted, regardless of who you voted for.
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It is a huge privilege and honour to serve as your Member of Parliament, and whether you voted for me or not, I am here to represent the whole community here in Charnwood and, as over the past four and a half years, I will endeavor to do that to the best of my ability. I don’t usually write about national issues in my contributions to the ‘Your Local’, instead focusing on local issues affecting the village, however following the election, on this occasion, I will touch on the national picture before reverting to more local matters.
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For the past two and a half years Parliament had been dead-locked, unable to find a way of moving forward, but the clear and decisive result of the election means not just that that deadlock is broken, but that we can move forward as a country. As well as getting on with delivering on our pledge to get Brexit done, marked by the passage of the Withdrawal Bill last month and the UK formally leaving the EU on Friday 31st January, just as importantly we are determined to deliver on the issues that came up so often on the doorstep: continuing to support a strong economy, investing in our NHS, schools, & policing, and protecting and enhancing our environment.
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But while the national is important, so too is the local, and the work on local issues has already begun again. Recently I, and all other Conservative MPs in Leicestershire, met with the Local Government Minister to discuss the need for fairer funding for our local councils in the county. For many years Leicestershire has not received its fair share of the local government funding pot, and a fairer share for our local councils is something I campaigned on in the recent election. It was a constructive & positive meeting, with me and the county’s other MPs emphasising the need for a fairer funding formula to support the local council services we all rely on. I will keep readers updated with further developments in our campaign.
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As ever, if you believe I may be able to assist you with something as your local MP, or there is a community event you’d like to invite me to, please feel free as always to email me on edward.argar.mp@parliament.uk or write to me at: Edward Argar MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA.
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HATS SPRING PLAY 2020 Once again, we are here to entertain you all. HATS is the most long standing Drama group in Birstall, next year will see us reach our 30th anniversary. We will be planning something spectacular to celebrate this event and to share this amazing achievement with you. HATS Spring Play 2020 is “Penny Black”, by Rob Wellington, with the consent of Lazy Bee scripts.
Eating Disorders Awareness Week: 2nd – 8th March A STAGGERING 1.25 million people in the UK are living with an eating disorder. And every one of them is affecting other people by that disorder. In fact, it is reckoned that as many as five million of us in the UK are struggling to help someone whom we care about, who has an eating disorder.
When looking for a captivating Spring Play, I came across this hilarious, witty farce and just knew that our audience members, old and new, would thoroughly enjoy this. What can be better than combining a mystery with suspense and humour, with a twist at the end. Penny Black, tells how 3 brothers (a sex therapist, a postman, and the 3rd evil brother), together with their mother, desperately search for a secret formula written on the back of a Penny Black Stamp, whilst having to contend with their eccentric father. Watch out for the celery, yes celery. I say no more!! This is the story of how Holmes Hardy became Sherlock Holmes, the world famous detective. So, for all you super sleuths, and the others who are not so super and just want to see a good play, this is the one for you. Can you work out what the twist is, or will you be so enthralled with the plot and the humour, that you just sit back and watch the drama unfold. This will be a most enjoyable evening. So come along and have a good old fashioned night of comedy. NOTE: This play contains some adult humour. Dates for performances are: April, 23rd, 24th and 25th, 2020. Venue: Birstall Social Club, 16-18 Wanlip Lane, Birstall LE4 4JS Tickets: £7.00, £6.00 concession. Discount for group bookings of 10 or more people (price available at time of booking). Tickets will be available from mid February 2020. Box office: 0116 2209594 and 07934204837 Or email hatstickets@hotmail.com. Face book: www.facebook.com/hatsamdram/
BIRSTALL AND DISTRICT ART SOCIETY Tuesday, 10th March, at 7.00 p.m. You are invited to join us at the Palmer-Tomkinson Centre at Cedars Academy to hear well-known professional artist Tim Fisher appraising the works of our members in various media from Watercolour, Pen & Ink, Pastels, to Acrylics and Oils, as well as ‘Mixed Media’ using a combination of materials and effects. This is a perfect opportunity for visitors to come along and see the work of our members and to find out more about our Society. Do join us to discover whether you will be inspired to take up this wonderful hobby. Refreshments available at the interval. Demonstration ends at 9.00 p.m. Members £2; Guests £4. Free raffle. Ample parking and wheelchair access.
'Every Picture Tells a Story' (photographs set to music) You are cordially invited to an evening with Barbara and Peter Watson at St. James Church, Church Hill, Birstall, on Tuesday 24th March at 7.30 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided. There will be no entrance charge, but donations would be welcome.
4
If you know anyone with an eating disorder, or if you have an eating disorder, there is a website may help. Please go to: https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/edaw
Grant funding made easier for churches CHANGES have been announced making it easier for parishes to apply for funding to support fabric repairs. The Church of England, working with the Wolfson Foundation and the National Churches Trust (NCT), has announced that during 2020 administration of the Wolfson Foundation funds for fabric repairs of churches will move from the Cathedral & Church Buildings Division of the Church of England to the National Churches Trust. (The Wolfson Fabric Repairs grants programme supports fabric repairs for Grade I and II*, A and B+ listed Anglican church buildings throughout the United Kingdom. £400,000 per year is awarded to projects, including urgent roof repairs, improving rainwater goods, drainage works, and wall repairs. In 2019, awards were given to 79 parishes.) The move to the National Churches Trust will result in a simplified funding application process for fabric repairs. Parishes will be able to submit one application form and be considered for up to two fabric repair grants. This will reduce form filling for the parishes. There will also only be one reporting and claims process for the two grants, again reducing the burden of paperwork on parishes.
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News From The Churches.... During our interregnum we are having some lovely and interesting services, involving members of the congregation as well as 'guest' clergy. This will continue until we have a new Rector appointed. In February our monthly All Together service (always on the 1st Sunday of the month at 10.00 a.m.) greatly involved members of Birstall's 1944 Squadron of the ATC. Having so many young, smart and lively people in the church is always a real treat - and they are really good at singing! Going to and belonging to 'A Church' does not necessarily mean just attending the building down Church Hill on a Sunday! There are Home Groups, where people meet in each other's homes or other locations to share and grow in fellowship and friendship, discussion and debate, learning and laughter. There are, at present, 5 Home Groups that meet at different times on different days. There will be one to suit your needs and to welcome you - we all like to meet new friends. If you feel that a relaxed, welcoming home meeting is your 'cup of tea' (literally!) please contact Paul and Helen Tarry on 0116 2677493 and they will be happy to talk with you and give you more information. John and Julie Ward at Wanlip put on a marvellous 'Haggis and Neeps' spread to celebrate Burns night. It was thoroughly enjoyed by all and had the happy result of raising the grand total of £354.00 for Wanlip Church funds. With the monthly 'Old Nicks Coffee Shop' in full swing, Wanlip is becoming the gastronomic centre of the Parish of Birstall and Wanlip. 60 gift boxes from St. James were part of 37,400 sent to Romania last Christmas by 'Link to Hope' which also provided wood, food and medicine to people living in the most dire and coldest poverty. If you have wool to spare for knitting hats, gloves and scarves, our knitters would be grateful to receive it, as items are already being collected ready for next Christmas. Please contact Sylvia Simes on 2674206 or Doreen Wilson on 2674680 if you can help. Coming up fast is another date for your diary, as in St. James Church on 24th March at 7.30 p.m. is a lovely evening with Barbara and Peter Watson with 'Every picture tells a Story' - their beautiful adaptation of pictures set to music. There will be light refreshments. There will be no entry charge, but donations will be welcome. World Book Day 2020 is coming on Thursday 5 March with this year’s theme to ‘share a million stories’. This World Book Day the goal is to ‘share a million stories’ across the UK on Thursday 5 March. So sign up and record every time you share a story to be in with a chance of winning £1,000 worth of books every week throughout March.
29 Dalby Road, Anstey, Leicester
Call Steve on 07724 057567 6
Charnwood Probus Club is a most friendly place to meet up for a drink and lunch, with members from virtually every walk of life which makes the conversations between members most interesting. We do not, as yet, have any retired astronauts as members but we are most willing to hear from any who would like to join, and, indeed from any other retired or semiretired gentlemen who may wish to come along and see what we are about. Simply go onto our website and sent a Contact Form and I can assure you of a swift response to answer any queries you may have. There is lots of information on the web site but if you do wish to come along we must be aware that you are coming in order that a lunch can be ordered for you.
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One of our attending guests was Steph who was going to introduce our brand new website (that she has developed for us), www.charnwoodprobus.co.uk, to the members. Unfortunately the laptop provided by the club to drive the projector decided it wanted to be in “flight mode” and would not connect to the internet but most members managed to have a look at the site on their smart phones.
We are always on the lookout for local news. Please send articles to: yourlocal@ openboxpromotions.co.uk
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The club held its opening meeting for 2020 at our venue, Longcliffe Golf Club, where we enjoyed a superb four course lunch. By coincidence the date was exactly our 23rd anniversary of using Longcliffe as our venue and we are currently looking forward to the next 23 years there. It is a really superb location with excellent food and all the normal facilities of a good golf club.
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15 million £1 book tokens will be handed out this year! Children will be able to swap their token for one of the 15 exclusive, new and completely free World Book Day books. Alex Rider Undercover: Four Secret Files by Anthony Horowitz, Kid Normal and the Loudest Library by Chris Smith and Greg James and many more are available.
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Scape Group Make Alex’s Wish Come True!
A Travel Agency has arrived in Birstall!
This year, Scape Group have raised £17,629 for Alex’s Wish, an East Midlands based charity who raise much needed funds to invest into clinical trials and clinical research with a view to finding new treatments and – ultimately – a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is an extremely serious muscle-wasting disease affecting 1 in every 3,500 boys born. At present, it’s 100% fatal and children are unlikely to live beyond their twenties. Duchenne affects all cultures and countries and is a worldwide problem. Scape Group were introduced to Alex’s Wish by Emma Lawrence, an employee at their Head Office, who put Alex’s Wish forward for consideration as Scape Group’s Charity of the Year. After choosing to support Alex’s Wish, Scape Group began to plan their yearlong fundraising campaign, which included a golf day with staff and partners, fielding a large Scape Group team in an X-runner event and a quiz which involved staff, clients and suppliers.
Holiday Lounge was formed 15 years ago in Hinckley by Paul Moss & George Reynolds with a total of 3 staff and 15 years later it now also has branches in Burbage and Lutterworth and 15 staff, before its latest venture in Birstall. The success of Holiday Lounge has been based on offering customers a high level of customer service from experienced and knowledgeable staff, as well as taking an active part of the local community.
Mark Robinson, Scape Group chief executive said, “Each year Scape Group employees nominate charities that they would like us to support. Emma was incredibly passionate about Alex’s Wish and it felt like a local charity that we could all really get behind.
Birstall was chosen as its potential as it was well known to George who was previously a Director of Tomorrows World Travel, who used to have a shop in the village. Furthermore George, otherwise known as Ben to many people in the village, was born in Birstall and still has many links having lived in the village for over 40 years, during which time he played cricket and football for the local teams.
“The team, along with our delivery partners have, as always put their all into to raising as much money as possible with activities including a golf day, the X Runner and topped off with a fantastic quiz night. I am incredibly proud of the amount raised and would like to thank Thomas Dearman, Scape Group marketing assistant for coordinating the activities.”
George will be entering his 6th decade working in Travel since leaving Longslade School and believes that despite the changing trends over the years in this very competitive industry, there is no substitute for old fashioned quality service.
Emma Lawrence, Scape Group graphic designer commented, “I have known Emma Hallam for some time and when the charity of the year came around I couldn’t think of a more worthwhile cause for my colleagues and I to get behind.”
The experienced team in Birstall will include Leah and Sandra who live in Birstall, Kim who used to be the Manager of Tomorrows World Travel and Zoe who has worked at Holiday Lounge for over 10 years.
Emma Hallam, Founder of Alex’s Wish said, “I can’t thank Scape Group enough. They have been wonderfully supportive and I want to say a huge thank you to their whole team for the time and effort they have put into their 2019 events. Their money will go directly into funding the research and clinical trials necessary to find treatments and, ultimately, a cure for this horrific life-limiting condition – Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Companies like Scape Group are so very important to us and we are very grateful for their support.”
Japan - Land of the Rising Sun An illustrated travel talk by Sue Ablett At Wanlip Church and Community Hall, Church Road, Wanlip. 7.30pm Friday 28th February. Tickets £5 to include refreshments from Beryl on 0116 2674913 or Gill on 0116 2675086
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Will you take part in The Fire Fighters Charity Golf Day?
Our February meeting was a talk highlighting the growing horror of the increase in dementia in our country. We had a most interesting and informative talk about the work of the Admiral Nurses from Dementia UK, and their role in helping families affected by this cruel and indiscriminate disease.
The Fire Fighters Charity is holding a Charity Golf Day at Rushcliffe Golf Club on 1 May 2020 to raise funds for fire service personnel and their families to support them when they need it most. “We’re working with Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service to host a Charity Golf Day raising much needed funds for The Fire Fighters Charity, supporting the fire service community physically, mentally and socially during their times of need.” says Event Fundraiser, Laura Challis. “The Rushcliffe Golf Club have very kindly enabled us to host this event at their course.” It costs just £160.00 for a team of 4 (Stableford, AM/AM), which includes a bacon, sausage or egg roll on arrival, 18 picturesque holes of golf suitable for golfers of all abilities and a one course carvery meal after their round. There’ll be prizes galore in competitions such as ‘Hole in One’, ‘Heads and Tails’, ‘Nearest the Pin’, ‘Longest Putt’, ‘Longest Drive’, ‘Beat the Pro’ and there’ll also be a raffle and auction, a cake sale at the halfway house, ice creams delivered by Golf Cart, a Whisky Roll competition and fines for missing the fairway! “Everyone at The Rushcliffe Golf Club is looking forward to welcoming The Fire Fighters Charity to our award winning course next year!” says Club Manager, Marc Valentine. “We are confident that everyone taking part will have an unforgettable experience and we can’t wait to help raise as much money as possible for this fantastic cause – come and get involved!” Prizes so far include a pair of Rushcliffe Golf Club 4-ball vouchers and Centenary Books, a 4-ball Voucher from Radcliffe on Trent Golf Club, a 4-ball Voucher from Bedford Golf Club, a bottle of Glenfairn Single Malt Whisky, a Thermos flask and some Charity branded Golf Towels plus many more. “I am so pleased that colleagues from Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service are volunteering to support the golf day as I see first-hand the immense support the charity provides to my colleagues and their families.” says Chief Fire Officer, John Buckley. “Rushcliffe Golf Club is set in picturesque surroundings and is an excellent venue for such a prestigious event, and I’m sure that all participants will have a great time.” ‘Club Clean’ will be supporting the event, enabling participants to give their clubs a much needed clean after the competition, all funds raised from that also going to the Charity. We’re also looking for corporate sponsors of the event, so if your company is interested in getting involved and supporting The Fire Fighters Charity, please contact Laura Challis on 07798 725560 or by emailing her at lchallis@firefighterscharity.org.uk. To take part in the event, visit: www.firefighterscharity.org.uk/NFRSGolf or contact lchallis@firefighterscharity.org.uk.
Our next meeting, as usual on the second Monday of every month, will be our AGM, and the charity we will support will be chosen and voted for. Donations for last year's charity, which was Glebe House, Loughborough, which works with and supports both children and adults with learning difficulties and physical handicaps, are still coming in, so the total will be published in the April edition. We have a varied programme planned for this year. As well as fund-raising events, which will be organised through the year, there will be talks on painting, antiques and re-cycling (we're nothing if not varied!); outings and suppers And there is always lots of chat, friendship and laughter. We are in the Age Concern rooms of the Village Hall on the second Monday of each month at 7.30 p.m. if you would like to pop in! The outside door might look a bit forbidding, but just push it open and the welcome will be warm!
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Celebrating community safety in Charnwood
St Margaret's Bowlers at Potters
Great work to improve community safety in Charnwood has been highlighted at an awards ceremony. Charnwood Community Safety Partnership was a finalist in the Safer Community Celebration Awards, organised by the Police Crime Commissioner for Leicestershire, Lord Willy Bach. Local police inspector Mark Botte also picked up the Visible Policing Award.
Late in January a group of bowlers set off for Potters, on the East Coast, in what is becoming somethig of a annual event. In fact numbers have doubled since our first trip in 2017. The week is a great opportunity to meet and compete with bowlers from all over the country. We entered 8 teams, 2 of which won through to the final stages.
Cllr Deborah Taylor, lead member for communities at Charnwood and chair of the Charnwood Community Safety Partnership, said the awards were a great way to highlight the great work taking place to make communities safer across the county. Cllr Taylor said: “I am really pleased the partnership took part in these awards and it reflects the many successes we have had in reducing crime in the borough. “The Council and a number of agencies and organisations are working really hard with Leicestershire Police to tackle crime and that work is paying off. “The Charnwood Neighbourhood Policing Area team are really committed to helping our residents and the Council and other partners appreciate the work they do. “We know there is still a lot of work to be done but it is pleasing to see a reduction in crime in the borough and we will continue to work together, as a partnership and with communities, to make Charnwood a safer place to live, work and visit. “I’d also like to congratulate Mark for picking up his award who along with his team are real assets to the borough.” Insp Mark Botte, Charnwood Neighbourhood Policing Area commander, said: “I am extremely proud of all the officers at Charnwood who have contributed to this success as well as paying tribute to specialist departments and partners who have been supporting us. “I am committed to making Charnwood a safe place where residents have confidence in the local police. Charnwood Borough Council have been key to the work we do and I would like to publicly thank them for their support.” The partnership says good results have been achieved thanks to greater partnership working. Examples include the implementation of a drug strategy to identity and assist people at risk of drug abuse and working with local schools and agencies to identify young people at risk of reoffending or harm and putting steps in place to mitigate the risk and support them. Police have also carried out Operation Lionheart to tackle County Lines activity in the borough and promoted Neighbourhood Link, a community messaging service. According to the latest figures, the total number of crimes in Charnwood was down seven per cent in 2019 to 9,590 incidents compared to 2018. The figures showed: Burglaries of homes were down 25 per cent to 638 incidents while burglaries at businesses were down 40 per cent to 163 incidents Theft from vehicles was down 19 per cent to 710 incidents while shoplifting was down 31 per cent to 627 incidents Cycle theft was also down 34 per cent to 214 incidents while robbery was down 12 per cent to 66 incidents Violent attacks with injury were up five per cent to 746 incidents and theft of vehicles rose two per cent to 270 incidents For more information about community safety in Charnwood, please visit https://www.charnwood.gov.uk/pages/safety or follow @SaferCharnwood on Twitter.
Bowlers from St Margaret's Co-operative Bowls Club at Potters
The event falls in the week following the World Indoor Bowls Championships so we were able to see demonstrations and talk to some of the stars who stayed over. Local bowls hero Tony Allcock, 15 times World Bowls Champion, gave his unique insight on different aspects of the game in several masterclasses. Tony has had a wonderful career in bowls both on the green, where he was incredibly successful and as Chief Executive of Bowls England where he has puthis considerable energies into developing and modernising the game. He will shortly be moving onto pastures new and we will Tony Allcock, soon to retire from bowls miss him greatly. There are many activities at Potters other than bowls and the group amassed winners medals in archery, curling, quiz, jig-saw making, and bean bag throwing! The days were rounded off with an excellent sufficiency of seriously good food and high quality live evening entertainment for which Potters is justly famous. The trip was organized by Pat Dobson of St Margaret's Co-operative Bowls Club. Well done Pat. We are already looking forward to next year's trip!
Roly Green - www.smcbc.com NEXT ISSUE OUT FRIDAY 20th MARCH DEADLINE FRIDAY 23th MARCH
Organ donation changes this Spring THE LAW around organ donation is changing in England. This means that from spring 2020, all adults in England will be considered an organ donor when they die unless they had recorded a decision not to donate or are in one of the excluded groups. This is commonly referred to as an ‘opt out’ system. Your family would always be involved before donation takes place, so it is really important that you choose whether you want to be a donor and discuss what you want to happen with your family, so your decision is clear and they can have peace of mind knowing that your decision is being honoured. For more information, visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk
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WORLD DAY OF PRAYER (A women led, global, ecumenical movement)
World Day of Prayer is an international interchurch organisation which enables us to hear the thoughts of women from all parts of the world, their hopes, concerns and prayers. The preparation for the day is vast. An international committee is based in New York and there are national committees in each participating country. Regional conferences meet to consider the service and then local groups including yours in Birstall make their plans. The Day of Prayer is celebrated in over 170 countries. It begins in Samoa and the same service in native languages travels throughout the world - through Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas - before finishing in American Samoa more than 36 hours later. Women of Zimbabwe have prepared this year's service and they encourage us all, men, women and children, to reflect on the difficulties and unrest that have plagued their country over many years. They share the challenges they have met and the hopes they have for the future. They encourage us to "Rise, take your mat and walk" with them as they continue their turbulent journey towards full reconciliation. This year on FRIDAY 6th MARCH AT ST. JAMES THE GREAT CHURCH, BIRSTALL we are holding 2 services, one in the afternoon and one in the evening and we warmly invite you to join us. The AFTERNOON celebration will start with a simple lunch at 12 noon (donations gratefully received) followed by a short presentation on the country of Zimbabwe. At 2 pm our service "Rise, take your mat and walk" will begin. The service will be repeated at 7.30 pm and light refreshments will be available afterwards.
The Charnwood Gardener Dried Flowers – Worthy of the Gods?
In Greek mythology, spring was heralded by the return of the lovely Persephone from the depths of the underworld, where she ruled with her husband Hades for half the year. Her mother, Demeter, goddess of the harvest, missed her daughter dearly. While Persephone was away, Demeter would grieve and neglect her duties, and the earth would grow cold and barren. But every year, come spring, she enthusiastically welcomed Persephone’s return with the blooming and blossoming of all that grows.
'Bicycle basket brimming with blooms'
So, it’s nearly time to do a Demeter and get growing! Perhaps you’re keen to try something a little different this year. Bored of brussels? Suffering a marigold malaise? Tired of tedious tulips? Why not try growing flowers to dry? Dried flowers look great in little arrangements around the house (and they’re on trend, don’t you know). The following are easy to grow and dry well: Echinops (globe thistle): The perfect spheres of Echinops retain a lovely blue sheen when dried. Dipsacus (teasel): They need a bit of space in the garden, but they earn their keep – teasel heads look fabulous assembled in a vase. Gypsophila (baby’s breath): The dried flowers of baby’s breath look almost as good as when they’re fresh. Achillea (yarrow): Dried properly, the flower heads of yarrow retain a deep yellow colour. Lunaria (honesty): The papery seed heads of honesty work wonderfully as part of an arrangement. Nigella (love-in-a-mist): The baby blue flowers dry well, but the dried seed heads (known as devil-in-a-bush) look great too. With a house full of dried flowers, you’ll have beautiful reminders of those warm months in Persephone’s company once she returns to her husband below the ground. Demeter should have tried that before cursing us with winter! MARCH TIP: Be patient – seeds sown in warm April soils will fare much better than cold March sowings.
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