Cotswolds by The Local Answer

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GLOUCESTERSHIREâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BIGGEST LOCAL MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2020

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COTSWOLDS A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE LOCAL ANSWER!

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Cotswolds: Cotswolds: 330,000 0,000 ccopies opies C heltenham: 443,000 3,000 ccopies opies Cheltenham: G loucester: 446,000 6,000 copies copies Gloucester: N orth G loucestershire: 220,000 0,000 ccopies opies North Gloucestershire: S troud D istrict: 441,000 1,000 ccopies opies Stroud District:

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P arenting & G uardianship Parenting Guardianship

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Homes & Gardens Gardens Homes

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Index, Competitions, Competitions, Solutions Solutions 26 26 Index, U nit H hurchill IIndustrial ndustrial EEstate, state, Unit H,, C Churchill C hurchill R oad, LLeckhampton, eckhampton, Churchill Road, C heltenham, Gloucestershire Gloucestershire G L53 7EG 7EG Cheltenham, GL53

01242 510500 510500 Telephone T elephone 01242 info@thelocalanswer.co.uk info@thelocalanswer.co.uk @thelocalanswer @ thelocalanswer

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W elcome Welcome ttoo D ecember December The last month of an incredibly turbulent year, but one that has also seen so much community spirit and people coming together to support each other. There is no doubt that 2020 will be written about in history books in years to come, an d w e h ope yo u w ill be pa rt of t he po sit iv it y that is talked about. As we prepare for Christmas and the winter months, it’s important that we continue to support each other. Shop with small, local and independent businesses where you can. Check on your loved ones and those who may not have anyone else to check on them. Be kind and understanding as we continue to navigate the pandemic – it affects everyone differently, and some worse than others. We e would like to thank you for your continued support throughout this year and hope that you’ll enjoy reading our magazine and using the services of our advertisers through 2021. We e hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a safe and happy New Year!

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Contacts C ontacts Advertising Marketing A dvertising & M arketing Dave Kingscott dave@thelocalanswer.co.uk Lois Kingscott lois@thelocalanswer.co.uk

Distribution D istribution & LLeaflets eaflets John Overton (01242 541075) leaflets@thelocalanswer..co.uk Louis Jordan distribution@thelocalanswer.co.uk

Accounts A ccounts Rob Kingscott (01242 541071) accounts@thelocalanswer.co.uk Page 3

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CCHRISTMAS HRISTMAS GGIFT IFT PPACKS A C KS NOW NOW A AVAILABLE! VAILABLE! To T o place place your your order order please please visit: visit: www.clavellandhind.co.uk www.clavellandhind.co.uk T The he O Old ld H Haulage aulage Y Yard, ard, B Birdlip, irdlip, Gloucestershire Gloucestershire GL4 GL4 8JL 8JL Page 4

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Delicious Delicious Dish Dish with w ith H Helen elen K Kingscott ingscott

B Baked aked chocolate chocolate aand nd o orange range ccheesecake heesecake your with IImpress mpress y our ffamily amily w ith a ffabulous, abulous, ffestive estive ccentrepiece entrepiece Christmas! tthis his C hristmas!

IIngredients: ngredients: 150g/5oz orange flavoured chocolate biscuits; 150g/5oz butter; 75g/3oz caster sugar; 2 eggs, separated; 450g/1lb light cream cheese; 1½ tbsp warm water; 15g/½oz cocoa powder, sifted; 1 tbsp custard powder; 4 tbsp single cream; finely grated rind and juice of ½ orange. Decoration of your choice – I used whipped double cream, orange rind and dark chocolate orange segments. You don’t have to use them all so there will be a few left over to test!

M Method: ethod: 1 Preheat the oven to 160°C (gas mark 3). Grease and line the base of a 22cm/8½ inch springform tin. 2 Melt 50g/2oz of the butter, crush the biscuits then add them to the pan and mix well. Press them into your tin and chill in the fridge until required. 3 Cream together the remaining butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the egg yolks and then the softened cream cheese. 4 In a separate bowl mix the warm water, cocoa

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powder and custard powder together to form a paste. Slowly add the single cream then combine with the cream cheese mixture. 5 Add the orange juice and zest, and stir until evenly mixed. 6 Whisk the egg whites until stiff then fold them gently into the mixture with a metal spoon. 7 Pour onto the biscuit base and bake for 1 hour. Turn off the oven but leave the cheesecake to cool completely in the oven. This will help stop the cheesecake from cracking. It may still crack – mine did – but it just means you have to add lots of cream and chocolate to hide it!

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Holidays H olidays & T Travel ravel w with ith A All H Hidden idden

S Seasonal easonal ttime ime ttravellers ravellers You often need to call California – without waking someone at ‘stupid o’clock’. Or you regularly travel across multiple time zones. Whatever your relationship with global time, smartwatches and smartphones are ideal. However, if you love analogue watches, new or preowned travel-themed timepieces make perfect gifftts – for you or someone else – at this time of seasonal gift-giving.

World W orld time time watches watches ffor or every every budget budget Travel-friendly watches range from the simple legibility of classic three-hander s to timepieces with compass bezels (Seiko’s Prospex Alpinist). Then there are GMT watches for tracking a second time zone and sophisticated world time watches showing multiple times around the globe. World timer s really came to prominence with Louis Cottier ’s watches for Vacheron Constantin and Patek Philippe in the 1930s. Today, finances allowing, you could put the romance of world travel on your wrist with one of Patek Philippe’s exquisite Aston Martin-priced masterpieces. For more modest budgets, maybe Omega’s current Seam t A T GMT

Image: Geckota Ltd

Worldtimer will scratch the world timer itch. Even greater bargains, albeit without Patek or Omega’s exquisite mapprojection dials, include Breitling’s Navitimer 8 Unitime, Orient Star ’s impressive World Time JC0 0 0 02D and Christopher Ward’s C65 GMT Worldtimer.

GMT GMT w watches atches grew grew up u pw with ith jjet et ttravel ravel GMT watches came of age in the 1950s, with watches lik e Rolex’s iconic GMT-Master (developed with Pan-Am) accompanying the rise of commercial jet air travel. Its latest manifestation, the GMTMaster II, remains highly coveted – though, nigh-on r u e o T

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Masters, sister brand Tudor ’s Black Bay GMT should prove more accessible and less pricey. Besides, some really good GMT-Master II-style watches can be had for a few hundred quid. Try Steinhart’s Swiss-made ETA 2893-2-powered Ocean One GMT for starters. Other sub-£1,0 0 0 possibilities include Swatch Group brand Mido’s Ocean Star GMT and Rotary’s quartz-powered Henley GMT.

H Here’s ere’s to to h happy appy w watch atch hunting hunting So what will adorn your wrist while adventuring? A superluxury Patek Philippe? A value-packed Citizen EcoDrive Promaster GMT? Or, because good ‘travel’ watches don’t have to be GMTs or world timer s, how about the go-anywhere functionality of the Raider series from Favre-Leuba, Switzerland’s second-oldest watchmaker? You can find them on Gloucestershire-based WatchGecko’s website, alongside the brand’s own Geckota watches and huge range of watch straps. Whatever you choose, here’s to happy watch hunting, safe travels and season’s greetings! The Local Answer

Quick Crossword ACROSS 1 True 4 Pituitary or adrenal 7 Stowing space 8 Accurate 9 Me, ... & I 12 Surprised, taken ... 15 Cadets 17 Prohibited narcotic 18 Breakfasts or dinners 21 Climatic conditions 22 Intended 23 Clung (to)

DOWN 1 Most important 2 Captioned 3 Slope 4 Mirth 5 News & current ... 6 Grime 10 Welded 11 Swamp 13 Average 14 Card game 16 Light wind 18 Incapacitate 19 Squash (insect) 20 Festival

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year from everyone at

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E Education ducation & E Employment mployment w with ith H Holly olly P Prince rince

to children children about about Talking T alking to ‘‘real real llife’ ife’ topics topics If you are a parent, you have many roles to play in your children’s lives, which may include cook, cleaner, driver, and also teacher. Children are naturally inquisitive – asking questions about their environment, what things are, how things work, and why, why, why! When something major happens in the world that is all over the news, such as wars and violence, murders and crime, and more recently coronavirus, children will quickly find out about it and want to understand what is happening. They may also want to know about things they have seen via adverts on TV, and there are often more adverts on around Christmastime, about appeals for children living in poverty or animals suffering abuse and neglect. Lessons at school can also raise big topics and a child may come home with questions about issues such as racism, The Local Answer

bullying, sex or drugs, so we as parents need to be prepared to discuss these things as openly and honestly as we can. The child who is fobbed off with a short, offhand answer (or worse, no answer at all), may then turn to other sources of information such as peers or the internet, which may not be so reliable or which may give false or conflicting information. So learn about these topics yourself – read and listen to a variety of sources to gain the facts so that you feel ready to talk about issues that you yourself may find uncomfortable.

Give G ive y your our cchild hild a w wide ide perspective o perspective on n ssubjects ubjects Be open to different views in order to give your child a wide perspective on subjects, and so that when you’re talking to your child, you’re not too biased towards certain viewpoints. This will enable the child to make up their own mind about To advertise call 01242 510500

what they think and how they feel about the issues. Schools also play their part in educating young people about social or health-related topics in curriculum subjects such as PSHE (personal, social, health and economic education), Life Studies or Citizenship lessons, but we can’t expect teachers to take full responsibility for telling our children about the whys and wherefores of what happens in the world. However, as teachers have to stick to the curriculum and remain impartial, not imparting any extreme views on worldly issues, this means that all children then get to hear the same facts and can learn to form their own opinions. The world can seem a scary place, but it’s also a fascinating one, so get ‘clued up’ on what’s out there in the world – it will be useful for when your child becomes inquisitive and starts asking questions. Page 

Money Money Matters Matters w with ith R Roger oger D Downes ownes o off A Andorran ndorran

C Christmas hristmas m money oney As we come towards the end of one of the most difficult years any of us can remember, we are perhaps looking forward to the Christmas festivities more than ever – not that we know at the moment how it’s actually going to play out. Despite all the uncertainty, planning is well under way in most households. The decorations are already up, the turkey is on order, the presents are ready for wrapping and Santa has fuelled up the sleigh. The nation is about to go on its annual spending spree like no other.

H How ow ccan an y you ou e ensure nsure y you ou d don’t on’t g get et ccarried arried a away? way? It was reported from a national poll last year that the average UK family (however that is defined!) was planning to spend over £800 on Christmas – a sobering number if we needed one at such a time. So what can we do to ensure that we don’t get carried away? Working out a budget is a good place to start. There is no benefit to spending randomly with no idea of how much it’s going to cost in total. That is a recipe for disaster in the shape of debt that you’ll spend much of 2021 trying to pay off. Don’t be pressured into ‘tit for tat’ present buying. Restrict the number of people you buy for to those you really want to give to, not those that someone has told you to include on your present list. The idea that it’s ‘the thought that counts’ is a wise statement.

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It’s far too easy to get carried away with online shopping. Buy only the items that you need and ignore all those tempting advertising banners that pop up all too regularly on our screens. Remember there are always people who have less than you and your budget will seem really attractive to them. You don’t need to ‘keep up with the Jones’s’ by spending more than you can afford. And if all else fails, just resort to ‘Bah Humbug’ and pretend that Christmas doesn’t exist. You won’t need to do that really – it’s a time of great joy, whatever the circumstances. Have a great one.

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G Gadgets adgets & G Gizmos izmos w with ith L Laura aura N Nicklin icklin

H Have ave yourself yourself a vvery er y ccosy osy Christmas Christmas With the ever-changing rules and regulations, it’s pretty clear that this Christmas is going to feel very different this year; but that doesn’t mean you can’t still get into the festive spirit. Check out some of these snazzy gizmos that can help you achieve some of that Christmas cheer and hopefully reinstate some normality.

A Amazon mazon E Echo cho Dot 4 4th th G Gen en Argos: £49.99 This cute snowba looking device w make for a we come addition t your home, with its many talents including playing music, giving traffic and weather updates, handsfree calls, setting timers, answering questions, creating shopping lists, calendar reminders and more. You can even use it to connect with other compatible

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devices in the home, allowing you to drop into other rooms when you want to call the kids downstairs for dinner. If all you want for Christmas is for things just to be a little less stressful, then this gadget can certainly help out.

HoMedics H oMedics G GEL EL Shiatsu su P Pillow illow s: £99.99 veryone needs a t of TLC once in while, and after is year, it’s more ssential than ver. You are bound to feel slightly wound up, so why not treat yourself – or a loved one – to a relaxing massage? You don’t need to worry about the spas being closed; with the GEL Shiatsu Pillow from HoMedics, you can relieve some pressure from those tense muscles in no time. With its new gel technology, this hitech pillow manages to make you feel like

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you’re in an actual spa; the gel moves like hands, kneading those hard-to-reach spots and helping you to unwind. You can also increase the heat setting and customise your massage with the handheld control.

Mensa M ensa H Heating eating Imus Imus Mensa-heating.co.uk: £177 With the constant updates regarding eating out, you’re bound to be feeling a bit twitchy whilst sat at home. No more dressing up to go out for dinner or drinks can get you down, especially in this winter weather. However, with this stylish outdoor heater, you can at least pretend that you’re eating out – even if you only venture as far as the garden. This under-table heater from Mensa will get things nice and toasty in no time; and it offers up to 7,000 hours worth of heat, so you can enjoy your evenings outdoors, even in the cooler temperatures. So, whether you’re trying to make things more inventive for date night, or just want to spend some more time outdoors, having this snazzy heater will bring an added layer of comfort. Page 11

Sudoku Fill the grids so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9.

Online Christmas Raffle ‘March Madness’ – a stunning mounted and framed graphite and coloured pencil drawing of hares by renowned local wildlife artist Valerie Briggs A Toshiba 43” 4K Ultra HD TV A Sub Studio Family Portrait Experience Gift Voucher worth £185 Luxury handmade face masks by Lisa von Hallwyl Millinery And much, much more!

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C Congratulations ongratulations to to o our ur w winner! inner! Congratulations to Mrs Tetley, the winner of our competition with Dream Doors, who has won a Franke Vital Capsule 3 in 1 Filter Tap! She was very excited about winning, as her old tap was dripping and needed replacing anyway! Thanks to Dream Doors for the lovely touch of a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

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P Parenting arenting & G Guardianship uardianship w with ith R Roberta oberta S Smart mart

A ccompassionate ompassionate C Christmas hristmas Midwinter Greetings to you dear reader. I hope we find you safe and well in spite of the turbulent times. I want to invite you all to step into my imagining of midwinters of long ago; when the winds were biting, the frosts hard and the snow lay deeply all around. In this world of long ago, families gathered around the blessed warmth of the fireside to tell stories, share the lore of their own people and teach the children their ways, so that they too might live long, healthy lives no matter what happened in the world around them. 2020 is bringing us a taste of that history and we are being called to release our attachment to ‘The Joy of Sparkly Things’, take refuge within ourselves, and dig deep to find who we really are.

R Reach each o out ut tto o tthose hose lless ess ffortunate ortunate tthan han y you ou This midwinter we are being called to offer our children safety and support like never before: to answer questions honestly, to face harsh truths

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and encourage them to truly find the gift within the struggle. Now is a time of bringing the light into the darkness, of reaching out to those less fortunate and sharing whatever we have with those in need. This year Yule Celebrations must surely focus around meeting the needs of everyone in society rather than simply meeting our own desires? Gathering items for the food bank, donating warm clothes to those who are cold, giving toys and small joyful tokens to those who have nothing this year, and supporting any opportunity you can to share your own abundance is the siren-call of Christmas 2020. Discover your best self: kind, generous, compassionate and determined. Give your children the ‘Gift of Giving’ this year in its deepest and most powerful form, for this will certainly be a Christmas to rememTo advertise call 01242 510500

ber, rather than the clichéd Best Christmas Ever. We all have it within us to make good out of bad, to shine light into dark corners and to make a difference. Christmastime 2020 is asking you, ’How can you be a light in someone else’s life this year? What do you have to share? How much of a difference will you make?’

2020 2 020 h has as n not ot taken taken away o away our ur humanity humanity There has been so much isolation this year that simply acknowledging strangers with a smile, noticing those around you, connecting and being willing to listen for a while will hold so much value for those who are lonely and struggling. 2020 has brought us a lot to cope with, but it has not taken away our humanity or our hearts. So please, this year, share your heart, share your blessings and open up a world of generosity and heart-centred caring for your children to build their own lives upon. Yule Blessings one and all. Stay safe and be happy. Page 1

Throughout December, Dave and Darcy will be giving away 24 T hroughout D ecember, D ave a nd D arcy w ill b eg iving a way 2 4 prizes Advent Calendar off G Giveaways! Check back on ffantastic antastic p rizes iin n ttheir heir A dvent C a l en d a r o iveaways! C heck b ack o n F Facebook acebook a and nd IInstagram nstagram e every very d day ay ffor or yyour our cchance hance tto ow win in p products roducts from from a amazing mazing ssmall, mall, llocal ocal a and nd iindependent n d e p en d e n t b businesses usinesses iincluding: ncluding:

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IIn n tthe he Garden Garden w with ith JJulia ulia S Smith mith

Festive Festive fun fun in in your your w winter inter g garden arden Can you believe that December is here already?! As I write this article it is unseason ably mild and the thought of crisp, cold weather is actually very appealing. The good side of this mild weather is that it extends the window of planting, so things can be chopped and changed in the border and work can carry on – actually that could also be the bad side, especially if you are looking forward to hanging up the spade for a few weeks and sitting cosily indoors leafing idly through seed catalogues!

L Look ook a after fter y your our C Christmas hristmas ttree ree If you buy a real Christmas tree, saw off the bottom few inches when you get it home as you would with cut flowers and put the base in a container of water. You will probably find that after a few days the water doesn’t get taken up – if this were a bunch of flowers you

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could cut a bit more off the stems, but this is not practical with a 6ft tree so it will start drying up from this time. It will still give you a couple of weeks though. P oi nsetti as are on sale everywhere this month. They originate from Mexico and like warm, dry, draught-free conditions. They are better bought from somewhere indoors like a garden centre, as standing on a cold market stall outside will do them no good at all. They are very difficult to next bring through to Christmas and need strange things like being kept in the dark for a time and brought into the light for another spell. To be honest life is too short, so I would say enjoy them now and send them to the big compost heap in the sky in the new year! I think that one of the ways we are changing in the use of our outdoor spaces is that To advertise call 01242 510500

people want to use them all year round. Especially at this point in time where we’re not able to get away, lots of people want to escape their four walls and have some time outside, even if they’re limited to their garden.

Toast T oast marshmallows marshmallows a and nd d drink rink h hot ot cchocolate hocolate A veranda is a useful area to keep rain off but still to be outside. There are plenty of gas powered heaters to enable the garden to be used in the winter, or the clay chimineas or firepits which use dry logs. The idea of cooking sausages or soup outside and sitting around drinking hot chocolate and toasting marshmallows over the BBQ wrapped in rugs sounds very appealing. Obviously in any smokeless zones rules must be adhered to, as well as social distancing regulations. Happy Christmas and good gardening to you all! Page 1

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w www.marshallsdriveways.co.uk ww.marshallsdriveways.co.uk

Company Company rregistration: egistration: 1 11415390 1415390

R R S

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In In partnership partnership w with ith o our ur ssister ister ccompany, ompany, S Severn evern & W Wye ye Scaffolding, Scaffolding, w we e ccreate reate a ssafe afe w working orking e environment nvironment which which e enables nables o our ur p professional rofessional tteam eam tto o ffocus ocus o on n delivering delivering a h high igh q quality uality sservice. ervice. T This his iis s m more ore ccostosteffective effective than than u using sing e external xternal sscaffolders caffolders a and nd iis s ffar ar m more ore convenient convenient ffor or ccustomers ustomers – tthe he S evern e v e r n & W ye y e scaffold scaffold iis se erected rected a and nd rremoved emoved SCAFFOLDING S C A F F O L D I N G iin n a timely timely ffashion. ashion.

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A APPLECRUSH PPLECRUSH C CONSTRUCTION ONSTRUCTION

SSpecialising pecialising in in all all aaspects spects ooff ggroundwork roundwork • • • • • •

Driveways Patios Footings Drainage Landscaping Concrete floors/bases

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Contact Contact Matt Matt for for a free free no no obligation obligation quote quote

007894 7894 0017253 17253 aapplecrushconstruction@outlook.com pplecrushconstruction@outlook.com

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A Applecrush pplecrush Cottage, Cottage, A Aston ston Ingham Ingham Road, Road, K Kilcot, ilcot, Newent, Newent, G Gloucestershire loucestershire G GL18 L18 11NR NR

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S Save ave the the P Planet lanet with w ith L Louise ouise W Williams illiams

B Brilliant rilliant b books ooks ffor or greener greener living living I’m a huge fan of a good book and there are some brilliant ones out there for helping to be more environmentally friendly. There is an overwhelming array of excellent offerings on offer but I have compiled a list of some that we have really enjoyed and found useful.

F For or cchildren hildren First up is the most beautifully illustrated children’s book, The Bear In The Stars by Alexis Snell. Written for her young son and featuring her own stunning, hand-cut lino print images, this story is perfect for gently instilling in children the idea that we are the only ones that can change the future for our planet. It really is a treat to read and look at together.

better that we have seen since the world shut down and the changes we can keep.

C Christmas hristmas Very in keeping with the time of year is Green Christmas by Eilidth Gallagher. In the run-up to Christmas, it is all too easy to get overwhelmed by the rush to buy last-minute presents or feel pressurised into buying far more food than you can ever eat. At the same time, you know that tonnes of plastic will be making its way into landfill as a result of unwanted gifts or broken baubles. Not to mention the miles and miles of wrapping paper. If you’re ready for a change this December, then Green Christmas is here to help you bring the focus back to happiness and togetherness.

Veg in One Bed: How to Grow an Abundance of Food in One Raised Bed, Month by Month by Huw Richards is packed full of glorious imagery and tells you how to grow everything you need for year r ou nd f re s h v e ge ta b le s in j us t one raised bed. Perfect for small space gardens. The New Complete Book Of Self Sufficiency: The Classic Guide For Realists and Dreamers by John Seymour is an updated version of the 1970s classic, which covers growing your own, keeping poultry and other livestock, dealing with waste, conserving energy, living off grid and even teaches you how to make things from wood, metal and leather. A must for any bookshelf, my parents had the original when I was growing up and it taught them so much about being self-sufficient. Remember to search secondhand shops for some great pre-loved titles and pass on your books for others to enjoy when you’ve finished them.

Y Year ear Round Round Next we have a book that looks at lockdown and the lessons we have hopefully learnt this year. Just One World, Nature’s Lockdown Lessons by Debbie Bartlett has bright, bold illustrations and talks about the changes for the The Local Answer

Growing your own fruit and vegetables is a brilliant way of cutting down on your food’s air miles, your pesticide consumption and ensuring good quality fresh produce. It’s also a lovely way to get children involved in the process. To advertise call 01242 510500

Page 21

HATHERLEY ATHERLEY HW H WORKTOPS W ORKTOPS LLTD TD Your Y our Local Local Worktop Worktop and and Kitchen Kitchen Specialists Specialists Cheltenham Cheltenham based based Quartz Quartz & Granite Granite Factory Factory with with Showroom Showroom FR* EEFFER O SINKS & CONDITITIOIONS *TETERM APPLLYY

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Q Quartz uartz & G Granite ranite LLaminate aminate Solid W Wood ood Solid M Minerva inerva®, M irostone®, Mirostone Mistral M istral®, Corian Corian® & SStaron taron® surfaces surfaces Worktop Worktop refits refits D Door oor rreplacements eplacements Full Full kkitchens itchens

Tel: T el: 01242 01242 523398 523398 / 01452 01452 290458 290458 email: email: info@hatherleyworktops.co.uk info@hatherleyworktops.co.uk web: web: www.hatherleyworktops.co.uk www.hatherleyworktops.co.uk U Units nits 1 18, 8, 19 19 & 2 20 0M Malmesbury almesbury Road, Road, K Kingsditch ingsditch Trading Trading E Estate, state, C Cheltenham heltenham G GL51 L51 9 9PL PL

Opening Opening Hours: Hours: 8am-5pm 8am-5pm Monday-Friday Monday-Friday 9am-1pm 9am-1pm Saturdays Saturdays

Page 22

REGENCY REGENCY RAPID RAPID CLEAN

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Call 01242 279590 or 077 07754 754 417650 www.cheltenhamregencycleaners.co.uk w ww.cheltenhamregencycleaners.co.uk

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IInterior nterior D Design esign w with ith G Gill ill G Greenwell reenwell

Go G o green green tthis his C Christmas hristmas In this uncertain world it feels like we should be turning our backs on extravagant consumption and focusing on sustainability this Christmas, but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate in style. Follow my ideas for an eco-friendly Christmas without skimping on the festive magic.

Image: Garden Trading

C Christmas hristmas ttrees rees – tthe he rreal eal d deal eal I love a real Christmas tree, it’s the most sustainable option. You can rent a tree from as little as £20, have it delivered and picked up for re-planting. Or buy a living tree, sourced from a local grower, and re-plant it in the garden. We always look forward to our annual trip to get our tree – it feels like the start of Christmas.

G Gifts ifts w with ith tthought hought Choose gifts that will last. A plant that sparks joy over again, or an experience making a lasting memory – always a hit with my family. Get creative with something handmade and beautifully wrapped – food items are perennially popular. One year I made damson gin, decanted into pretty little bottles tied with ribbon. They made perfect presents for friends. This year, it’s especially

important to shop small and locally where possible, and you’ll find the most interesting and unusual presents.

Sustainable S ustainable wrapping wrapping Switch to eco-friendly wrapping and look for paper you can recycle – there are some lovely designs at re-wrapped.co.uk. Brown paper paired with twine and eucalyptus leaves always looks eco-chic. I was inspired during my visit to Japan earlier this year, as the Japanese have made beautiful packaging into an art form. “Foroshiki”, their word for wrapping gifts in reusable knotted fabric squares, is trending this Christmas. It is a traditional way of packaging gifts and a perfect ethical example of Christmas wrapping.

D Deck eck tthe he h halls alls – n naturally aturally

Image: Nkuku

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There are so many ways you can decorate your home sustainably. Forage for faded hydrangea heads, teasels and pheasant feathers to create an

To advertise call 01242 510500

on-trend dried arrangement. Choose branches of holly, ivy, rosemary and fir for a more traditional look. Search out wreath-making classes locally – it’s a fun way to learn a new skill and create something beautiful. Many classes have gone online due to recent restrictions. Adorn the Christmas tree with cinnamon sticks tied with ribbon and dried orange slices stuck with cloves. Re-use your Christmas decorations year after year and they will become family heirlooms. My daughters have favourite ornaments sparking memories from Christmases spent with their grandmother.

Create an Create an eco-festive eco-festive ttable able For an extra festive touch for your Christmas tablescape, look out for antique or recycled glass baubles. Nkuku has some beautiful shapes in bright jewel colours, which you can pile up in a bowl in the middle of the table. Ditch the plastic and make your own crackers with sustainable gifts instead. Have fun creating your festive home and have a happy healthy holiday!

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Installers of top quality windows, windows, doors and conserva tories. conservatories. For a free no obligation quotation call

01242 511384

Showroom – Units 40 & 41, Space Business Centre, Tewkesbury Road, Cheltenham, GL51 9FL

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B BOOKING OOKING D DEADLINE EADLINE FFOR OR N NEXT EXT IISSUE SSUE – M Monday onday 77th th D December ecember 22020 020

STEVE

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