The Local
A NS W E R
GLOUCESTERSHIRE’S BIGGEST LOCAL MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2020
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STROUD DISTRICT A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE LOCAL ANSWER!
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S Stroud troud D District: istrict: 41,000 41,000 copies copies G Gloucester: loucester: 446,000 6,000 ccopies opies C heltenham: 443,000 3,000 copies copies Cheltenham: C otswolds: 330,000 0,000 ccopies opies Cotswolds: N orth G loucestershire: 220,000 0,000 ccopies opies North Gloucestershire:
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EEducation ducation & EEmployment mployment
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H olidays & TTravel ravel Holidays
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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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Index, Competitions, Competitions, S olutions 2266 Index, Solutions U Unit nit H H,, C Churchill hurchill IIndustrial ndustrial EEstate, state, Churchill Road, C hurchill R oad, LLeckhampton, eckhampton, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL53 C heltenham, G loucestershire G L53 7EG 7EG
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Distribution D istribution & LLeaflets eaflets John Overton (01242 541075) leaflets@thelocalanswer..co.uk Louis Jordan distribution@thelocalanswer.co.uk
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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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Award A ward w winning inning llocally-brewed ocally-brewed b eer d elivered to oy our d oor! beer delivered your door!
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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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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
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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E Education ducation & E Employment mployment with w 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, Page
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.
G Give ive y your our cchild hild a w wide ide perspective on perspective on 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 www.TheLocalAnswer.co.uk
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. The Local Answer
Holidays H olidays & Travel Travel 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.
W World 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 watches GMT watches grew grew up u pw with ith jet jet travel travel 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.
Here’s to Here’s to h happy appy watch w 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! Page
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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
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Motoring M otoring w with ith T Toby oby A Aiken iken
The The art art of of turning turning petrol petrol into into noise noise Yes, it’s time to get behind the wheel of another Mustang. Another five-litre American V8 with the soundtrack to match. This time, a convertible in a particularly vivid green and some design details to make it stand out from the norm. The black racing stripes, unique alloys and a few other styling elements denote this as the Series 55, marking 55 years since the original Mustang rolled off the production line. At first, this seemed to be a slightly odd thing to mark with a special edition, but it got me thinking. How many models of car can you buy today that have that pedigree? Even the venerable VW Golf was only first built in 1974. I have done a little thinking and have come up with a very short list of cars that were available to buy in 1965 and are still around today – in the UK market at least. VW Beetle, Landrover Defender (albeit with some substantial changes) and I think that might be it. So yes, 55 years is worthy of a celebration! And Ford, as usual, has done it well. The engine is always a The Local Answer
winner, the 10-speed automatic gearbox is smooth and responsive, and the car offers a truly ridiculous level of practicality – yes, I do mean that. Four good seats, a big boot and a surprising amount of comfort thanks to not having stupidly low profile tyres. Heated/ chilled seats and Ford’s quickclear windscreen mean it’s ready to go when you are and, most importantly, the noise.
T The he b best est ssounding ounding engine e ngine o on n tthe he m market arket I have said it before and I’ll say it (many times) again. I think the noise of the Ford V8 is one of the best, if not the best, sounding engines on the market today. Audi’s V10 in the R8, McLaren’s V8 and Aston’s cars all sound good, but there’s something about the warble and roar from the Ford unit that always makes me smile. It’s just fun to drive. It’s fast, but not monstrously quick and handles better than would be expected from an American muscle car, but the sound makes up for it. In my opinion, the Mustang generates more noise and smiles than To advertise call 01242 510500
nearly any other fast car I’ve driven. And it also doesn’t generate the same level of animosity that I sometimes encounter. I often receive disdainful looks when driving a fast or noisy review car, but the Mustangs I’ve reviewed have never suffered the same fate. I think it has something to do with their origin – a muscle car for the working classes of America. It was built for the many, not the few, and somehow this heritage has endured – even in a country that it wasn’t intended for. A couple of my friends have bought Mustangs, and I remain envious and proud of them for making the right choice in near-equal measures. One day, I’ll join them, but only when I can come to terms with the fuel consumption. Granted I may have been slightly heavyfooted, but over a week that massive engine returned only 21mpg – and I don’t think that would improve much with experience. Both my friends have said they’re now on firstname terms with the staff at their closest petrol stations! Page 1
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G ingerbread Fox Fox Ltd Ltd Gingerbread L ittle A lf – Hannah Hannah Russell Russell Little Alf rt L ucy E llie Bailey Bailey A Lucy Ellie Art M olly and and Lola Lola Molly J oanne H utchinson Joanne Hutchinson J ust Add Add Milk Milk Just L lama H ouse Books Books Llama House Eco Able Able Eco werty B Q eer B ox Qwerty Beer Box T he Local Local Answer Answer The Re.Scrunch Re.Scrunch
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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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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 1
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APPLECRUSH APPLECRU USH CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION
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F FULLY ULLY INSURED INSURED & LICENCED LICENCED ALL A LL WORK WORK GUARANTEED GUARANTEED OPERATING WITHIN OPERATING W ITHIN GOVERNMENT GOVERNMENT GUIDELINES GUIDELINES PROFESSIONAL P ROFESSIONAL & FRIENDLY FRIENDLY
Contact Contact Matt Matt for for a free no no obligation obligation quote quote free
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to If If you you need need to to make make changes changes to or y our bathroom bathroom due due to to disability disability or your medical am edical ccondition, ondition, we we are are able able to to ssupply upply your your bathroom bathroom VAT VAT free, free, saving saving you you 20%. 20%.
Specialists Specialists in in bathroom bathroom safety safety and and design design PLEASE PLEASE ASK ASK FOR FOR DETAILS DETAILS
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d ike to wissh all of our Customers a Very Very Merry Merry Christmas Chr stmas and Happy Ha py New Ne Year Year It has ee a difficult year for ve yo and we a not thank thank you you all enough for your continue support!
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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
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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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QUALITY KITCHEN Q UALITY K ITCHEN MAKEOVERS M AKEOVERS b byy ssimply imply rreplacing eplacing tthe he d doors oors a and nd w worktops orktops
kit ch en
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2020 2 020 PRICES P RICES HELD HELD
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SIMPLE DOOR REPLACEMENTS TO COMPLETE FITTED KITCHENS
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INSTALLED BY LOCAL PROFESSIONALS IN JUST A FEW DAYS
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B BUILDING UILDING S SERVICES ERVICES 16 4 A1 Roofing 4 Applecrush Construction 21 C&G Paving 16 H HEALTH EALTH & BEAUTY BEAUTY Dykes Builders 18 The 1:1 Diet 5 Home Care Roofing 16 Marshalls Driveways 18 IINFORMATION NFORMATION Glos Constabulary 7 WB Home Improvements 16 FFURNISHING URNISHING & PROPERTY PROPERTY A APPLIANCES PPLIANCES The Property Centre 28 Bella’s Interiors 20 Dream Doors 25 H HOMES OMES & G GARDENS ARDENS Interior Needs 22 BATHROOMS B ATHROOMS Lifestyle Bathrooms 21 G ARDEN S ERVICES GARDEN SERVICES Severn Vale 11 & 27 Lawn Doc 18 Clavell & Hind Qwerty Beer Box
HANDYMAN H ANDYMAN S SERVICES ERVICES Your Way Home Help 5 U TILITIES UTILITIES Utility Warehouse 11 W INDOWS, D OORS & WINDOWS, DOORS CONSERVATORIES C ONSERVATORIES Albany Windows 2 & 10 Clearway Windows 24 Garolla 20 Misty to Clear 18
PROFESSIONAL PROFESSIONAL SERVICES S ERVICES CHARITIES CHARITIES Let’s Be Clear Campaign 8 Vale Wildlife Hospital 4
HOUSE H OUSE CLEARANCE CLEARANCE Yes to Mess 11 M OTORING S ERVICES MOTORING SERVICES Bridgend Garage 12 P UBLISHING PUBLISHING Lois Kingscott 14-15 SERVICES REMOVAL REMOVAL SERVICES Littttle White Van Man 11 Man With a Van 5 SKIP S KIP HIRE HIRE & RECYCLING RECYCLING Stevens Recycling 26 TToo advertise advertise please please call call
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