Wye Valley Now - February 2018

Wye Valley Now AND THE MARCHES

Definitely

Different See page 33 for more information

Jewellery THE ART OF DECLUTTERING CHOOsing YOUR WEDDING venue remembering what you learn February 2018 | Issue 75 Your Free County Magazine t @WyeValleyNow | G Wye Valley Now | w www.nowmagazines.co.uk 1 n

HOMES • GARDENS • FOOD & DRINK • WALKS • HEALTH & BEAUTY • WHAT’S ON • COMPETITIONS

n 2 | Wye Valley and the Marches Now | Issue 75 | February 2018

Wye Valley Now

08

AND THE MARCHES

14

26

Contents

33

FEBRUARY 2018

HOME & GARDEN 8

The Art of Decluttering

14

February in the Garden

20

Utiligrid

22

Nature Notebook

Health & Beauty

30

24

The Gift’s She’ll Love...

26

The Importance of Colour

28

Competition Colwall Park Hotel

30

How to Choose Your Wedding Venue

33

John McKellar Designer Jewellery

w y e va l l e y

NOW

editor

design

Dawn Pardoe PW Media & Publishing Ltd dawn@pw-media.co.uk

Paul Blyth paul@pw-media.co.uk

Advertising

01905 723011

Suzie Scott 01905 727906 suzie@pw-media.co.uk

2nd Floor, Richardson House 24 New Street, Worcester, WR1 2DP

Mel Penkoks 01905 727901 mel@pw-media.co.uk

nowmagazine.co.uk

Bex Small bex@pw-media.co.uk

Contributors Front Cover: John McKellar www.johnmckellar.co.uk Glynis Dray Lisa Fisher

Emma Arthurs Bill Laws Frances Weeks Utiligrid Heating Services Malvern Curtains Mick Dunston Edward Pitts Age UK Hereford & Localities Annie Murphy Paul Hereford Vocational Training Colwall Park Hotel Cheltenham Racecourse

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38

42 46 Food & Drink 38

Recipe Herefordshire Cheese Souffles

38

Home Is Where The Gin Is

Golden Years

52

53

42

Happy Feet

Education 46

Remembering What You Learn

50

Hereford Vocational Training

Our Events Diary 52

Wye Valley Walks

53

Those Magnificent Men

54

Competition Cheltenham Race Course

56

What’s on this month?

competition winners Astley Vineyard B. Dale, Madley, Hereford The Corners Inn A. Treherne, Moreton-on-Lugg

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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without permission. Colour transparencies, prints or any pictoral media for this publication are sent at owner’s risk and whilst every care is taken, neither PW Media & Publishing Ltd or its agents accept liability for loss or damage. No editorial submissions will be returned unless accompanied by a Self Addressed Envelope. DISCLAIMER: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that adverts and articles appear correctly, PW Media & Publishing Ltd cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage caused directly or indirectly by the contents of this publication. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of its publisher or editor. Please note that if you enter a competition in the Wye Valley Now magazine your name and address may be forwarded to the host of said competition.

n 4 | Wye Valley and the Marches Now | Issue 75 | February 2018

Russell A l e xander bespoke kitc he ns & fur nit ur e www.Russel l Al e x a n d e r k i t c h e n s . o r g . u k info@Russel l A l e x a n d e r k i t c h e n s . o r g . u k

01568 614784

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here & Now

Home-Start Hereford

Coaching Inn Group acquires Herefordshire hotel as part of £50m Expansion Programme The

Ledbury,

and a business that appeals to local

Herefordshire has been sold to the

people as well as discerning visitors and

Coaching

a

tourists. The property also benefits from

The

a passionate team and we look forward

14

to welcoming them into the group. The

hotels and more than 400 bedrooms.

past 12 months have seen us invest more

£50m

Feathers Inn

Hotel Group

expansion

acquisition

takes

in as

part

of

programme. the

group

to

The 21-bedroom hotel on Ledbury’s High Street had been owned by the Elliston family for more than 40 years and has been operating as a hotel since 1564. The Tudor-

There is no rule book for raising a family and sometimes it can be overwhelming, particularly if you are going through difficult times. Home-Start Herefordshire can help you and your family. Home-Start is a unique service for families, recruiting and training volunteers to support parents with children

than £4m to refurbish our properties and

at home, six new volunteers have just

this latest acquisition, part of our £50m

completed the preparation course and are

expansion plan, puts us on track to have

looking forward to helping a family in the

25 properties in the next two years.” n

county. When you volunteer for HSH, you’ll

era building features a brasserie with a hop-clad ceiling and a 60 cover restaurant that also acts as an events space.

be a lifeline for a family: helping them get back on their feet and develop the skills they need to cope in the future.

Kevin Charity of Coaching Inn Group

Their

comments;

“We’re delighted to have

courses are held three times a year, with

acquired The Feathers Hotel. It’s a great

every course running for 40 hours over 10

example of the attributes we look for in our properties – a busy market town location

accredited

volunteer

preparation

weeks. Courses are designed to tie in with the school day and volunteers are asked to attend just once a week. At the end of

Grants Available for Children in Ross-On-Wye

our courses 100% of the volunteers said

Funding is available to support the academic, sporting and musical achievements of schools and children in Ross-on-Wye. More than 40 children and a wide range of schools from across Herefordshire have received funding from the Margaret Allen Foundation since 2009.

with the experience gained working with

Ten primary schools, including Lea, successfully applied to the Margaret Allen Foundation in 2017, and Gorsley Goffs and Whitchurch have benefitted in the past.

Educational grants are also available to individual children living in Herefordshire. Last year, three children received funding towards music lessons.

opportunity to give something to family in

Grants to individual children, aged between five and 11 years old living in Herefordshire, are available up to £400. Grants to Herefordshire primary schools are available up to £2,000.

who are parents or have experience

The deadline for all applications is March 2nd, 2018 and the grants will be awarded later that month.

Application forms are now available from The Clerk to the Margaret Allen Foundation, c/o Monmouth School for Girls, Hereford Road, Monmouth NP25 5XT, by telephoning 01600 711229, or by emailing maf@habsmonmouth.org

n 6 | Wye Valley and the Marches Now | Issue 75 | February 2018

they would recommend the course to a friend, and what’s more it carries a level 2 Accreditation. This qualification combined us, can act as a wonderful stepping stone into future careers if that’s what you are after, as well as being a wonderful rewarding need in your community.

Male and female adults of all ages with young children or teenagers are very team

welcome at

to

join

Home-Start

the

dedicated

Herefordshire.

If your are interested in joining them or just want more information call 01432 371212 for more details.

here & Now

Host Family’s Wanted For Overseas Students With the new academic year in September drawing closer, the demand for places at the country’s top independent schools becomes frenetic from international students around the globe.

Gateway Education is a leading company specialising in providing international students with a complete educational experience in the UK. Currently working with lots of partner independent schools in the UK, Gateway takes the students through school selection, admission and entry through to the long term dream of securing a university place.

Gateway’s total care package ensures that students can focus on achieving success and not have to worry about being a learner abroad and a vital part of this process is finding caring host families.

Emma Arthurs, Gateway Accommodation officer explained, A stable home base is key to our students’ success. We are now keenly looking for host families in Herefordshire to support our students attending Hereford Cathedral School. We look to our hosts to welcome international students into their family and provide them with a home from home environment, providing services such as full board and regular laundry. In return hosts

will gain an insight into other cultures, an opportunity to help young people learn and develop – all supported by a generous care allowance.’

Besides looking for host families who can take a student throughout the academic year, Gateway are also seeking hosts for holiday cover. Emma added,’ Students tend to go home at Christmas, Easter and of course during the summer however they are normally here in the UK over half term periods. Although our hosts earn a higher accommodation rate over the holiday periods we understand some wish to share family time on their own occasionally. For that reason we always like to have holiday cover hosts in each area which allows a host family to go away knowing the student will be well cared for in their absence. n

To find out more, contact Emma at Gateway on 01604 642082 or email her emma@gateway-education.co.uk Gateway Education, 4 Darnell Way, Moulton Park, Northampton, NN3 6RW www.gateway-education.co.uk

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Home & Garden

e nes a p a , a J s who o d d Kon frien k and e i r m Ma t, fro boo s. t r u e h an ve bo d a onsult about heir li r a t c y he ed ng elicall I’d i m s r i o g an sf org e evan d tran k a spo they h how

f o t r g A n i e r e h T clutt e D

n 8 | Wye Valley and the Marches Now | Issue 75 | February 2018

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Home & Garden

Kondo asks that you consider your clothing’s feelings...

It had sounded very left field when I read it, but suddenly my clothes looked totally miserable.

In case you haven’t - The Life-Changing

office/computer space first, the sitting room next.

Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organising, Kondo set off a decluttering craze across the globe, even making the Radio 4 series – The Archers.

Instead, Kondo’s first rule is to tidy by category - deal

In Japan, Kondo’s services command a waiting list a mile long but for the rest of us, her book breaks down her radical, two-pronged approach to tidying. First, pick up in your hands on everything you own, ask yourself

with every single one of your books at once, for example, otherwise they’ll continue to creep from room to room, and you’ll never rein in the clutter. She advises beginning with clothing, since it’s the least emotionally loaded of your things (books come next, old photographs are much later), so as soon as I found a free afternoon, that’s exactly what I did.

if it sparks joy, and if it doesn’t, thank it for its service

2. Respect Your Belongings

and get rid of it. Second, once only your most joy-giving

With my eyes now wide open, I realised my wardrobe

belongings remain, put every item in a place where it’s

had hit the floor. Everything had succumbed to a mixed-

visible, accessible, and easy to grab and then put back.

up mass. Kondo asks that you consider your clothing’s

Only then, Kondo says, will you have reached the nirvana

feelings: Are they happy being squashed in a corner

of housekeeping, and never have to clean again. All of

shelf or crowded onto hangers? Are your hardworking

this sounded wonderful. But I can barely keep up with

socks really thrilled to be balled up? It had sounded very

the demands of daily life . So I read Kondo’s book, I got

left field when I read it, but suddenly my clothes looked

totally sucked in. It turns out, tidying really may be the

totally miserable.

way to bliss.

1. Tackle Categories, Not Rooms Previously always tackled clutter by room, take on the n 10 | Wye Valley and the Marches Now | Issue 75 | February 2018

Continued over the page

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Home & Garden

How to fold the Konmari Way

Fold one side of the garment across the centre

Fold the opposite side the same way

3. Nostalgia Is Not Your Friend As I started emptying the cupboards, I opened boxes filled with letters and old photographs. Serious mistake. Kondo knows what she’s talking about when she insists you put blinders on and focus only on the category of stuff at hand. Read one old letter, and suddenly you’re down a rabbit hole. To be honest, I was probably procrastinating. In theory, I was sold on the idea of living exclusively with clothing that gives me joy, but what will I be left with? Will I have to sacrifice beloved things, all for the sake of decluttering? I am sure that if I lose a few pounds that dress will bring me joy again!

5. Fold, Don’t Hang

4. Purging Feels Good From then on, I followed Kondo’s advice to a T. I gathered every piece of my clothing and put it in one giant pile. While I normally tidy my clothes only when I’m on a long phone call - distracted from the task at hand - today I wasn’t even supposed to listen to music. Channeling Kondo, who says a prayer upon entering a client’s home, I lit a candle, said a little prayer, and started digging through the mountain of clothes.

6. The Fold

Once I got to work, it was so much easier and more fun than I’d thought. This question of joy gives you permission to let go of off-colour shirts bought on sale, dresses past their prime, trousers that always fitted uncomfortably. I realised I had many things that seemed great in theory but weren’t actually my style. Six hours later, I’d filled 8 bags with non-joy-giving clothes. Instead of panic, I felt relief somehow lighter. It also felt like good karma: The best stuff went to a second hand shop, and the rest to a charity shop round the corner from the office, off to see a new, hopefully better life and help someone else to raise money. n 12 | Wye Valley and the Marches Now | Issue 75 | February 2018

Once you have sorted out the things to discard and only then, you can decide where the remaining things should go. Rather than folded in a cubby or hanging in a closet, Kondo thinks a lot of our clothing would be better off (or as she’d say, happier) folded in a chest of drawers. I hadn’t been using my chest of drawers for anything other than a jumble of underwear but now, having begun with three overflowing wardrobes, I was down to enough clothing to fill one wardrobe and one chest of drawers. I started folding the tops, trousers, scarves etc destined for the drawers using Kondo’s special technique.

Kondo’s

vertical

folding

technique

makes

everything easy to spot and hard to mess up (you aren’t jostling a whole pile every time you take

Leave a small gap at the bottom

something out or put something back). Folded this way, clothing looks like fabric origami, ready to line your drawers in neat rows. To keep these little folded packages standing at attention in the drawer, Kondo suggests using shoeboxes as drawer dividers. A smaller box is perfect for square scarves, a deep one can go on a bottom drawer for jumpers and sweatshirts.

7. Rediscover Your Style For years, I’ve worn the same rotation of easy-tograb, reliable pieces without dipping into all the colour in my wardrobe. And there’s a lot of it I have

Roll it up

a weakness for sky blue and pink. I had aalmost forgotten about these colours in the daily struggle to get out the door in the morning. n

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying: A simple, effective way to banish clutter forever. Paperback £7.69 first published Apr 2014 by Marie Kondo

Stand it upright

Home & Garden

hunters.com

Hereford Branch | 01432 278278 hereford@hunters.com

Great Doward, Herefordshire A beautifully presented Character Cottage with stunning open views.

Elevated position with sunny aspect • Beautifully presented character and extended accommodation Centrally heated and double glazed • Living room, sitting room, contemporary style kitchen, utility, luxury bathroom • Two Bedrooms • Off road parking, garden, terracing and delightful viewing deck Guide Price £315,000

Over 180 independently owned branches across the UK

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Home & Garden Tulbaghia Violacea © Mick Dunstan

February

in the Garden

February’s a funny old month – one day it’s blue skies and sunshine, the next snow can be lying inches thick or there’s a layer of heavy frost across everything.

It’s still a bit too early to be doing very

and make plans to sort them. Just making the decision

much in your garden, although there are a

to do something is half way to getting it fixed.

few jobs you can be getting on with. But before we get to those, a suggestion that might just pay dividends for the whole of 2018.

In my garden, new raspberry plants a must this year, I want to grow a few more plants of my own – it’s all part of the joy of gardening – and the area around my new

Now’s a great time to think about a few things that

veg beds needs a good fettling, as my dear old Mum

maybe aren’t quite up to scratch. Maybe the shed needs

used to say.

a fresh coat of preserver, maybe there’s a problem patch that you’ve been putting off, or maybe, if you’ve got a greenhouse, it’s about time you got round to giving it a spring clean.

The good news is that it’s a bad idea to walk on sticky soil – so let that be the excuse to get on with other things. Before the year gets too much older, make yourself a list of three things that ought to get sorted – n 14 | Wye Valley and the Marches Now | Issue 75 | February 2018

February is one of the year’s driest months, believe it or not, so here are a few jobs that will see out the end of winter and kick start gardening pleasure ahead.

Sow a few seeds – annuals, plants that grow from a seed, flower, set seed and die all in one year - will be the easiest place to start. Take a look at Sarah Raven’s Continued over the page

Home & Garden

Malvern

New Year, New Curtains MALVERN CURTAINS

Curtains

Clients have praised Ellen’s experience and advice, commenting that her ‘in home consultation service’ is ‘just what they were looking for’. From a varied selection of fabrics, clients can perfectly match colours to complement existing décor.

Ellen will visit your home to help you choose your fabric, measure up and fit bespoke curtains, blinds and rails.

Changing your window dressing, either with curtains, blinds or adding a pelmet, can alter the whole look of a room, and Malvern Curtains offer a full service from start to finish.

In-Home Consultation Service

CONTACT ELLEN NOW TO ARRANGE AN APPOINTMENT

T: 01684 561425 • M: 07955 074813 E: malverncurtains@btconnect.com

As a long established business,

www.malverncurtains.co.uk

which she previously ran for 20 years from her Malvern shop, Ellen provides experience and uncompromising

quality

and

Malvern Curtains’ clients have returned to see Ellen again and again.

There

is

a

wide

range

of

competitively priced, high quality fabric to choose from suiting all budgets and personal choices.

From black out curtains for a child’s bedroom to full length curtains for the living room; kitchen roller blind or Roman blind for a cloakroom - Malvern Curtains can create it all. ■ Don’t delay contact Ellen today to arrange your free quotation: Tel: 01684 561425 Mobile: 07955 074813 www.malverncurtains.co.uk t @WyeValleyNow | G Wye Valley Now | w www.nowmagazines.co.uk 15 n

Home & Garden website for good ideas about new seeds to try. One recommended website that packs plenty of information about success with seed sowing is www.theseedsite. co.uk/seedsowing.html. Give sweet peas a go if you want one suggestion. Their scent and the colours are a real addition to your summer garden. Try a variety called Our Harry for a true blue, unusual variety.

them strong by cutting back miscanthus, calamagrostis, panicum and molinia varieties now. Others can be left until early April.

And finally, if you’re looking for an interesting talk, pop into our Hardy Plant Group talk on February 10 at 2pm in Crowle Village Hall. James Hitchmough, a man whose work includes the gardens at the Olympic Park

It’s time to prune roses. Later in the month, to keep your plants healthy and thriving, cut them back. Different types demand different methods but don’t let that put you off. First cut out dead, diseased or crossing branches. Then, hybrid roses can be chopped hard, back to six inches or less. Floribunda stems should be left around 18 inches but always trim to help create an open structure evenly balanced across the plant, not sloping to one side.

in London’s East End, will be talking about perennials in the urban landscape. Tea and cakes follows the talk.

You’ll be very welcome. n Mick Dunstan Chairman of the Worcestershire Group of the Hardy Plant Society

Time to tidy your border edges and beds. Let your inner tidiness come to the surface; neaten the edges of your lawn and till the soil in the beds alongside to give a smart, cared for look.

Echinacea Pa llida © Mick Duns tan

The end of February is the time to cut back many of your ornamental grasses. These naturally elegant plants are real winners in the summer and winter garden. But keep

Let your inner tidiness come to the surface; neaten the edges of your lawn and till the soil in the beds

© Mick Dunstan n 16 | Wye Valley and the Marches Now | Issue 75 | February 2018

Home & Garden

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Home & Garden

Wye Valley Now AND THE MARCHES

DISTRIBUTORS WANTED

Wye Valley Now AND THE MARCHES

We are now delivering even more copies to more homes and are now looking for more distributors in the following areas:

CENTRAL HEREFORDSHIRE NEWENT

If you would like to advertise in our next issue please contact one of our sales team.

Contact one of our sales team for more information.

Suzie Scott

Mel Penkoks

Suzie Scott

Mel Penkoks

Tel: 01905 727904 Email: suzie@pw-media.co.uk

Tel: 01905 727901 Email: mel@pw-media.co.uk

Tel: 01905 727904 Email: suzie@pw-media.co.uk

Tel: 01905 727901 Email: mel@pw-media.co.uk

n 18 | Wye Valley and the Marches Now | Issue 75 | February 2018

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Utiligrid Limited is a local Herefordshire Business providing Domestic Gas Heating services for a variety of customers and clients in the local area. Utiligrid has steadily grown since 2015 and now employs a small number of fully qualified and registered gas engineers to deliver its gas heating projects.

Owner and Managing Director Jon Clewer is extremely proud to offer customers an honest, reliable and locally sourced gas heating service – “we often hear horror stories about over-priced, poor customer service from large operators in our industry, however here at Utiligrid, customers can rely on fair prices and the provision of great honest customer service”.

As a Gas Safe Registered business, Utiligrid has been inspected and approved to carry out gas installation work, they continually promote the safe use of gas wherever and whenever possible – “it is very important to use qualified, competent and registered gas engineers when undertaking gas work in the home, badly fitted gas appliances, pipework or fittings can be life threatening, always ask to see the engineers’ registration identification at the beginning of the work, if you are in doubt don’t be afraid to contact the Gas Safe Register” – says Jon. A great tip is to have your gas appliances safety checked annually to ensure they operate efficiently and fully meet current gas safety regulations, always have a Carbon Monoxide alarm installed just to be sure.

Utiligrid also offer a wide range of other services: Plumbing – we are happy to deliver first and second fix plumbing projects, bathrooms, wet rooms and kitchens.

Utility coordination, aimed at small developments, Utiligrid administers the application for gas supplies to these developments and can provide guidance on the installation practices of the utility companies.

Project delivery for the construction and utility sectors. - we are currently involved in some very interesting work within the water industry delivering large civils projects, refurbishing dam spillways and pipework which is particularly demanding given the criticality of the assets and environmental considerations. n

Utiligrid promises to work with its customers to find the very best solutions to their needs, if you would like to discuss any of our services, please contact us via our web site www.utiligrid.co.uk or call us on 01432 800520.

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nature

Herefordshire's Living Landscapes Herefordshire holds within it’s borders a treasure trove of characterful landscapes, each providing distinct habitats for a wealth of British wildlife.

A predominantly rural county, as well as arable fields and grazing pastures the county is noted for its orchards, woodlands, (it is the most wooded county in the West Midlands), rivers and commons – there are around 2,500 hectares of registered common land in the county.

The Lower Lugg Valley and floodplain runs down the centre of the county to the confluence of the Lugg and Wye at Mordiford. This stretch of wetland habitat includes the Lugg Meadow on the outskirts of Hereford, an historic Lammas Meadow. The meadow boasts swathes of the iconic floodplain wildflower the snake’s head fritillary in spring when you may also hear the bubbling call of a curlew. Along the valley also lie a chain of gravel pits, some still active, which are home to many species of wetland bird.

In the Black Mountains valleys in the West lie some of the country’s most special lowland wildflower meadows.

Such meadows have been all but lost from much of our countryside but those that remain are treasured - enjoy the buzz of the meadows in summer when they come alive with bees and butterflies!

Herefordshire is rich in Commons, land to which local people held common rights such as the right to graze livestock or collect firewood. These areas of land, such as n 22 | Wye Valley and the Marches Now | Issue 75 | February 2018

Bromyard Downs, are often a mix of grassland, heathland and trees and support myriad species from reptiles such as grass snakes and slow worms, many birds including skylark, yellowhammer, meadow pipit, willow warbler and great spotted and green woodpeckers. Bromyard Downs sits on the North East Herefordshire plateau, close to another fantastic site – Bringsty Common.

The wooded slopes of the Doward are geologically and historically fascinating as well as rich in wildlife. Here, greater and lesser horseshoe bats are found in the area’s limestone caves while rare butterflies such as pearl bordered fritillary, wood white and grizzled and dingy skippers inhabit the woodland edges and pied flycatcher, lesser spotted woodpecker and hawfinch are shy residents.

It is perhaps the Woolhope Dome which best captures the essence of the Herefordshire landscape. Villages and small farms nestle amongst a patchwork of small fields, woodlands and orchards through which wellworn footpaths wind. Both woods and meadows are botanically rich while abundant hedgerows provide food and shelter for birds and small mammals. n

More information about Herefordshire’s landscapes and wildlife can be found at www.herefordshirewt.org

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Health & Beauty

The Gifts

She'll Love...

1

Struggling this year on what to get for your Valentine? Look no further, Wye Valley NOW has you covered with our gift guide...

2

3

4 5

n 24 | Wye Valley and the Marches Now | Issue 75 | February 2018

Health & Beauty

6

7

8

9

10

1. CHANEL

5. ORGANIC SHOP

8. TONY MALEEDY Tony Maleedy Juniper Scalp Therapy Shampoo Cleanse and repair hair with this gentle yet effective shampoo.

£28.00

This luxurious hair mask is made with organic avocado oil and organic honey to help restore your hair from roots to ends while enhancing its structure and softness for a beautiful attractive glow.

£2.49

9. CHANTCAILLE

6. SAAF

Made using finely milled pigments that contribute to the exquisite colors and a feather weight texture that brushes on lightly and blends seamlessly, each Cheek Shade leaves a gorgeous veil of flushed color.

A new Naples inspired lipgloss range - Rouge Coco Gloss. A moisturising lipgloss available in 4 colours: Parthenope (Limited Edition), Sibylla, Poppea and Aphrodite (Limited Edition).

2. NATURA SIBERICA

Oblepikha and Honey Body Scrub - An indulgent body scrub rich with buckwheat honey. Perfectly cleans and refreshes skin, helping to preserve its beauty and youth.

£6.00

3. NATURA SIBERICA

The ultimate treat for your skin – Everyday essential Cleansing Fluid combined with our Gentle Face Scrub and Energizing Facial Mask.

£13.99

4. CHANEL

From Chanel’s new Naples inspired range “Neapolis”. The Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long Lasting Eyeliner is available in two colours: Nero Vulcanico or Mare-Chiaro

Nature’s correction fluid in a bottle, this impressive toning and smoothing oil is a skinsaving formulation. Calm irritated and itchy skin, promote healthy skin renewal and keep skin supple and smooth.

£17.50

£28.99

£24.99

10. CHANEL

7. ELEMIS

Rouge Allure is a vibrant and luminous lipstick.

An ultra-fine, melt-away and second-skin texture, a palette of intense shades. A bold and daring style.

This unique skincare system powerfully combines BIOTEC and FOREO LUNA™ Play to re-energise skin and leave your complexion looking smooth, youthful and beautifully revived.

£31.00

£80.00

£20.00

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Health & Beauty

The Importance of Colour Colour is a powerful force in life; our mood is affected by the colour of the sky when we wake up each morning. The use of colour to describe our emotions, “green with envy”, “seeing red”, “feeling blue”, gives us an idea of its abstract force.

Indeed, the power of colour has fascinated philosophers, psychologists and chemists, as well as artists and designers. Colour has long been associated with class, status and authority in many cultures and organisations.

In the 20th century the Swiss artist Johannes Itten, who worked and taught at the Bauhaus School of Art in Germany, is attributed with being the first person to associate colours with four types of people and the twelve point colour wheel which is widely used today on paint charts for home decorators, in dyeing kits and in hairdressers’ colour charts.

Itten and others, through their involvement with colour, established that each individual has a basic skin pigment which falls into one of four groupings which are defined by the unique combination of depth, hue and tone; in colour analysis these have become known as Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter because of the pattern of colours found in each group. Two of these groups reflect warm-based colours which complement Spring and Autumn; the other two reflect cool-based colours which enhance Summer and Winter.

It was the advent of colour in the film and television industry in the 1940’s which brought about an interest in the different

effects of colour on peoples appearance.

Robert Dorr, an artist who knew of Itten’s theories of colour groupings, observed how an actress could look wonderful one day, yet tired and older another; he recognised this was the effect of the colour she was wearing on her skin.

House of Colour was born in 1985 to take the wonderful concept of enabling the general public to discover the colours which really suit them. Those which make us look wow, our complexion glow and our eyes sparkle.

So how does it work? House of Colour personal stylists use a selection of drapes to test what colours suit each client. Colours are compared with the pigments that sit underneath a client’s skin to determine which colours of clothing and accessories lift the face, and which ones are more unflattering.

Styling is also a key part of the process to find shapes that flatter not hide. And don’t be fooled into thinking this is just for the ladies. You would be amazed about how the right coloured shirt, jacket or tie can change the look of our male clients. But with either sex you will see the difference instantly. That moment when a colour lights up a face is often an absolute lightbulb moment that changes our clients and enables them to be far more visible for all the right reasons.

n 26 | Wye Valley and the Marches Now | Issue 75 | February 2018

Whether we like it or not, it’s true to say that our appearance has a powerful effect on how the world sees us. But what we don’t always consider is how colour itself affects not only how we look, but also our confidence and mood. It’s not all about wearing bright colours, but the right colours.

While fashions, trends and fads come and go, the theory of colour, as interpreted by House of Colour, remains based in science, logic and objectivity; enabling each and every client to take their individual colour analysis to create and develop their own unique look in line with their lifestyle.

Dani Downey who went to a House of Colour Class said: “Having your colours done means discovering which clothes make you look radiant and lift your skin tone, lessen bags and make your skin look air brushed.

It’s amazing. I lived in black bar one orange top! Not anymore!’ n

Colour Analysts & Personal Style Consultants lisa.fisher@houseofcolour.co.uk

www.houseofcolour.co.uk

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Health & Beauty

Competition

COLWALL PARK HOTEL

Win a relaxing break for 2 to include 2 nights bed and breakfast, dinner on one evening and an afternoon tea.

refurbished dining room serves,

Colwall Park Hotel is a quintessential country house hotel dating back to 1904 and is situated in the foothills of The Malverns. Just re opened following a refurbishment the hotel has 22 boutique style bedrooms, an award winning restaurant, beautiful gardens and is in an excellent location for walking or touring the hills and local area. Licensed as a wedding venue Colwall is perfect whatever the occasion.

village, halfway between Great

Featured in the Michelin and Good Food guides, with 2 AA Rosettes, Colwall Park offers modern gourmet food using only the finest fresh local ingredients at one of the best restaurants in Malvern. Head chef Richard Dixon has a real passion for the area and is even known for foraging locally for wild garlic and herbs amongst others.

His kitchen garden plot ensures the elegant newly

seasonal and fresh local menus.

In two acres of beautiful gardens at the centre of peaceful Colwall Malvern and Ledbury, you can easily explore the breath-taking Malvern Hills, the picturesque Welsh Marches, or the Cotswolds.

Footpaths from the hotel gardens lead directly onto the slopes of the hills. Cheltenham and the nearby cathedral cities of Worcester, Hereford and Gloucester are all close by.

Colwall Park is a dog friendly hotel - they have their own ‘paw wash’ station and even supply doggie ale in the bar!

Four legged

friends are welcome in selected bedrooms and in the hotel bar.

The hotel can provide you with maps of local walks and even lend you wellies if you forget yours! n For further information, please visit: www.colwall.co.uk

www.COLWALL.CO.UK

To be in with a chance of winning a relaxing 2 night break for 2 at Colwall Park, Malvern, simply fill out the entry form with the correct answer to the following question:

Answer: Name:

What type of pets are welcome at Colwall Park?

Address: Tel:

Send your answers in a sealed, stamped, addressed envelope to: Malvern Spa WVN, PW Media & Publishing Ltd, 2nd Floor, Richardson House, New Street, Worcester, WR1 2DP.

Email:

Closing date for entries is 14th February 2018. n 28 | Wye Valley and the Marches Now | Issue 75 | February 2018

If you do not wish to receive information on forthcoming events, news and offers from Colwall Park please tick this box

Health & Beauty

Wyestyles

Ladies, Mens & B Babies abiess C Clothing loth hing & Acces Accessories essoori ries es

Sale of winter stock to make way for new season’s collections Personal Service • Relaxed Shopping • Restaurant Facilities • Free Parking

OPENING TIMES: Tuesday to Saturday 10am - 5.30pm Sunday 11am - 5pm The Hop Pocket Shopping Village, Bishops Frome, Herefordshire, WR6 5BT To be found just off the A4103 midway between the cities of Hereford & Worcester

Tel: 01885 490462

Email: style@wyestyles.com

NEW SEASON LINGERIE & SWIMWEAR NOW IN STOCK 23 Reindeer Court, Worcester • T: 01905 619031

www.embraceluxurylingerie.co.uk

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WEDDINGS

HowYourToWedding Choose Venue Herefordshire holds within it’s borders a treasure trove of characterful landscapes, each providing distinct habitats for a wealth of British wildlife.

n 30 | Wye Valley and the Marches Now | Issue 75 | February 2018

WEDDINGS

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weddings

The stronger your grasp of the new learning will be, and the more connections you create that will help you remember it later...

Choosing a wedding venue is so important, that it should be at the top of your to-do list, when planning your special day. Of course, this isn’t an easy task at all, so before you go rushing to see every possible wedding venue within a 100 mile radius, here are our top tips to help you with your search.

1. What suits you Nobody knows the type of wedding you want better than you! Deciding on the type of wedding you want and how your venue can reflect your tastes is all part of the fun. Are you going for a church wedding? Do you want to have your ceremony and reception in the same place? If so, then you’ll need to find somewhere with a license for civil ceremonies.

Think about whether you would like a formal or traditional wedding, or whether you’re going to do something more unusual. If you are absolutely set on bringing your own suppliers, you’ll need to choose a venue that will allow you to do so. Logistical details

n 32 | Wye Valley and the Marches Now | Issue 75 | February 2018

aside, choosing a venue has much in common with falling in love,sometimes you just ‘find the one’, and that’s it.

2. Your wedding date If you have your heart set on getting married on a particular date like an anniversary, you’ll need to choose a venue that’s available on that day. It really depends on what’s more important to you: the time or the place.

Remember that some venues are incredibly popular during the summer months and can get booked up years in advance. High summer is also peak wedding season so venues are often priced accordingly. If you’re after some savings and are flexible about your dates, weddings on Sundays, weekdays or in the winter can offer a great reduction.

3. Size What comes first, the guest list or the venue? In a chicken and egg conundrum, one can determine the other. If your plans are for a small wedding with a small guest list, Continued on page 34

Health & Beauty

John Mckellar

Designer Jewellery

A specialist independent jeweller, based in the heart of Hereford’s gorgeous and historic independent quarter.

Come and visit us on Church street, to browse our cabinets of definitely different jewellery, to talk about bespoke commissions and to bring your much loved items for repair. With an in-house stringing service we can restring necklaces and bracelets of all descriptions, and we also have a range of unusual pearl necklaces - we are very happy to order in strands of beads and pearls for you to look at so that we can create something unique and personal for you.

John Mckellar Designer Jewellery 23 Church Street Hereford, HR1 2LR 01432 354 460 c www.johnmckellar.co.uk w

Now owned and run by Hugh and Maggie Morris, come and meet the team! Take advantage of Julie Blake’s knowledge and experience of being able to assist with picking that perfect gift, or her skills as a pearl stringer and bead necklace repairs; talk to Annie McKay our resident gold,silversmith and stone setter, whether it’s about a bespoke commission - she loves a challenge - or how best to repair those pieces of jewellery that are being handed down through the generations. Meet Alison, Liv and Rose, all of whom make their own jewellery ranges, and let them help you with your choice of purchase or taking details of a piece that you want us to make or look for on your behalf. Whoever you meet, you will be assured of a professional, courteous and knowledgeable welcome!

Looking for unique and different jewellery? Our elegant and stylish shop is the perfect place to browse for gifts, wedding jewellery and special occasions, as well as affordable day-to-day earrings, pendants and bracelets. We have a range of jewellery that is lovingly crafted by our staff, by local Hereford designers and also from a number of other designers - we take pride in stocking handmade or made-to-order jewellery that is not seen on the high street.

Be it for engagement and wedding ring, pendants and earrings or a weird and wonderful idea of your own, we have a portfolio of in-house designs for you to look at, but we also love to listen to you and look at your own pictures or drawings. With a number of years experience behind us, we have successfully created pieces of jewellery for our customers, working in gold silver and other precious metals, and with semi precious and precious stones.

Whether it’s to look for an individual piece of jewellery amongst our lovely stock, to discuss how we can repair or remodel your own pieces, or to look at our bespoke designs, take a walk down picturesque Church Street, we would love to meet you! n

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weddings

The stronger your grasp of the new learning will be, and the more connections you create that will help you remember it later...

it makes sense to choose a smaller venue.

However, if you fall in love with a venue but it can only cater for a party much smaller or larger than you’d planned, what will you do? You can make your guest list first then shop around for a venue to fit, or find your venue first and compile your guest list to size both can work.

4. Price Talking about the costs of a wedding is a very real part of choosing your wedding venue: knowing your wedding budget is key and can dictate your choice of venue to some degree. If you’re on a tighter budget, decide where you will splash out and where you will try to make savings. Do you want to spend more on your food and less on your venue, or vice versa? Or treat your guests to some stunning entertainment? Decide how much in total you have to spend, add a contingency amount for unexpected costs and then be prepared to have some discussions about what to spend on each wedding element! n 34 | Wye Valley and the Marches Now | Issue 75 | February 2018

5. Location Whilst it used to be tradition for a bride to get married in her hometown or at least where the parents live, but this is increasingly impractical for many couples.

These days couples are more likely to choose a venue close to where they currently live, or a destination that is close to their hearts. One of the key decisions you have is choosing city or country. Both have their pros and cons: country weddings mean a good choice of venues and beautiful scenery for the photographs, but can be remote, inaccessible and have a lack of other amenities. Although your feelings about your venue are paramount, you may want to consider whether the location is a reasonable travel distance for your friends and family. If you have guests travelling from afar, is there plenty of other things to do in the area to allow them extend their wedding attendance into a mini break?

Continued over the page

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weddings

Questions To Ask Yourself • Do I want a religious or non-religious ceremony?

• Do I want to hold the ceremony and reception in the same place?

• Do I really, really love it? Or is it just ‘a contender’?

• What season do I want to get married in?

• Is the venue available on the day I want?

• If it’s not available then, am I flexible about the date?

• Can I afford my chosen date?

• Is it the right size for my guest list?

• Am I flexible about making the guest list bigger or smaller?

• Am I open to having an off-peak or week day wedding to save on cost?

• Is it in the right location?

• Is it convenient for guests (ie, transport, accommodation, accessibility)?

• How important is outside space?

• Does the venue allow all the entertainment options that I want (such as fireworks etc)?

n 36 | Wye Valley and the Marches Now | Issue 75 | February 2018

KENTCHURCH COURT

WEDDING VENUE Exclusive venue hire with packages tailored to suit each bride and groom

BEAUTIFUL SETTING FOR YOUR PERFECT DAY. For more information or to arrange an appointment

please contact Jenny on 07985558574 or email: kentchurchweddings@outlook.com t @WyeValleyNow | G Wye Valley Now | w www.nowmagazines.co.uk 37 n

Food & Drink

Herefordshire

Cheese Soufflés

Ingredients

Method

• 50g butter plus extra for greasing • 175g Little Hereford Cheese, 25g finely grated the other 150g coarsely grated • 300ml full-fat milk • 2 bay leaves • A grating of fresh nutmeg • 5 tbsp plain flour • ½ tsp English mustard powder • pinch of cayenne pepper • 3 eggs separated • 8 slices Ragstone Goat cheese

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6 and butter 4 small (about 200ml) ramekins. Sprinkle the finely grated Little Hereford into the ramekins, turning until all sides are covered.

Place the milk and bay leaves in a large saucepan over a gentle heat and bring to the boil. Turn off the heat, grate in the nutmeg, season with salt & pepper and leave to infuse for 15 mins.

In a clean saucepan melt the butter over a low heat and whisk in the flour to form a roux; Discard the bay leaves from the milk and gradually whisk in to the roux. Very gently simmer, stirring continuously, for about 6 mins until you get a smooth, thick white sauce. Make sure that you get right into the corners of the pan to stop the sauce from catching or becoming lumpy.

Once thickened, transfer the sauce to a large bowl and stir in the mustard powder, cayenne pepper, coarsely grated Little Hereford and egg yolks until fully combined.

In a spotlessly clean bowl and with a clean whisk, beat the egg whites just until peaks begin to form.

n 38 | Wye Valley and the Marches Now | Issue 75 | February 2018

Carefully fold the egg whites into the cheese sauce in three stages making sure you fold, rather than stir, (I always find using a metal spoon helps), to keep the egg whites light and airy.

Pop one slice of goat’s cheese in the bottom of each ramekin and Fill the soufflé mix.

Top each soufflé with another slice of goat’s cheese, then place on a baking tray. Bake for 2025 mins or until springy and well risen but cooked through.

Serve immediately accompaniments. n

with

your

chosen

These are always so popular when we serve them here at La Madeleine, and are the perfect way to impress your partner this Valentines. Serve with a simple dressed salad and some chutney as a starter or combine with some roasted root vegetables for a great vegetarian main.

The cheeses I use can be found at most of the local independent Delis and definitely in The Mousetrap. If you can’t get hold of either substitute any goats cheese for the ragstone and use finely grated parmesan and coarsely grated gruyere.

Edward Pitts - La Madeleine

Food & Drink

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FOOD & DRINK

Cooking Up A Storm!

1

2

4

3 This year The Food & Drink Trade Show is set to take place on the 2 – 3 May, which probably feels like a long way off. The show at the Three Counties Show Ground is in collaboration with Visit Herefordshire. Featuring a tempting mix of passionate producers, hot hospitality and catering companies, as well as the freshest food service offerings, it’s a wonderful source of inspiration.

The team at the show have put together a list of books that should be gracing your kitchen shelves.

These are their top 5 Five Ingredients by Jamie Oliver We’ve got to include this because it sold 716,071 copies last year, making it the best seller in any genre. As the title suggests it’s all about making good food fast, and with

the minimum fuss – perfect for busy people who just don’t have the time to faff about but want hearty helpings of flavour.

The Comfort Food Diaries by Emily Nunn This is not so much a traditional recipe book, but more of a culinary road trip. Former New Yorker editor Emily Nunn chronicles her journey to heal old wounds and find comfort in the face of loss through travel, homecooked food, and the company of friends and family.

The Road to Mexico by Rick Stein This is perhaps the most colourful and flavourful cookbook of 2017; a feast for the eyes and the taste buds. Starting in San Francisco and Baja California, then working his way down to the southernmost tip of Mexico, Rick Stein cooks, eats and experiences Mexican food at its very best

n 40 | Wye Valley and the Marches Now | Issue 75 | February 2018

and most diverse.

5

Stir Crazy by Ching-He Huang Taiwanese TV chef and food writer Ching-He Huang makes Chinese food easy for home cooks. Even if you’ve never been hands on with a wok before, you’ll soon be whipping up spicy soy mushroom tofu, veggie dan dan mein and oyster sauce scallops like a good ‘un.

Sweet by Yotam Ottolenghi This book is a long way from the simplicity of Jamie’s latest – but the baking and dessert recipes are well worth the work. Evocative ingredients, exotic spices and complex flavourings, including fig, rose petal, saffron, aniseed, orange blossom, pistachio and cardamom, are combined to create indulgent cakes, biscuits, tarts, puddings, cheesecakes and ice cream.

Food & Drink

Coffee

Sunday Roas t

Wye Valley Now AND THE MARCHES

Lunch Dinner THE DEN

17a West Street, Hereford, HR4 0BX T: 01432 268666 E: thedenrestaurant@gmail.com www.thedenrestaurant.co.uk

If you would like to advertise in our next issue please contact one of our sales team.

Suzie Scott

Mel Penkoks

Tel: 01905 727904 Email: suzie@pw-media.co.uk

Tel: 01905 727901 Email: mel@pw-media.co.uk

t @WyeValleyNow | G Wye Valley Now | w www.nowmagazines.co.uk 41 n

Golden Years

! t e e F y p p a H We only get one pair of feet so it’s important to take good care of them. But many of us will develop some foot problems as we age, simply as a result of daily wear and tear.

Continued over the page

n 42 | Wye Valley and the Marches Now | Issue 75 | February 2018

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Golden Years You’re more prone to foot problems like corns, blisters and foot infections in later life as the skin becomes thinner and less elastic. However, painful or uncomfortable feet aren’t a natural part of ageing and can be alleviated.

Foot care problems tend to happen if you’re less mobile than you used to be, particularly if you have difficulty bending down. Poor eyesight, can also make it harder for you to look after your feet.

Anyone who has experienced foot pain knows only too well how debilitating it can be. Over time, it can become a significant health issue because, if we can’t walk comfortably, we’re less likely to get out and about and take part in the social activities or daily exercise that is vital for our health and wellbeing.

How To Look After Your Feet Your feet will remain in better condition if you have a regular foot routine. This includes: Cutting and filing toenails and keeping them at a comfortable length; Smoothing and moisturising dry and rough skin; Checking for cracks and breaks in the skin and inflammation such as blisters; Looking for signs of infection like nail fungus or other obvious early problems, and seeking professional advice; Wearing suitable socks and footwear; Keeping your feet clean, dry, mobile, comfortable and warm. Bedsocks are a good idea.

Get Checked If you have a long-term condition, such as diabetes or arthritis your feet are particularly vulnerable. Check your feet regularly and ensure you attend check-ups as requested. If you notice any problems, report them to your GP as soon as possible.

Fortunately, there’s a lot we can do to protect our feet and most common problems can be treated successfully by a chiropodist or podiatrist.

If you have foot related problems and want to see a health professional privately, make sure you check that they are registered with the Health and Care Professions Council. The Council only registers professionals who meet their standards for training, professional skills and behaviour.

Get the Right Footwear On a day-to-day basis, there’s a lot we can do ourselves. First and foremost, it’s important to wear comfortable, well-fitting shoes. It’s also important that your footwear is warm enough and not too stiff.

Avoid footwear that rubs, makes your feet sore or is too tight. (These may restrict the circulation or cause pressure damage to the skin.)

Avoid high heels and choose shoes which support your feet and hold them firmly in place. Many people wear slippers if their feet are

n 44 | Wye Valley and the Marches Now | Issue 75 | February 2018

hurting, but this can make things worse as slippers encourage you to shuffle rather than letting the joints work as they should.

Look After Your Nails Good nail care can also help to keep feet feeling comfortable.

Unfortunately, many of us find it hard to clip our toenails properly, partly because it can be hard to reach but also because they become tougher with age.

Nails that become too long can press against the end of the shoe and the constant pressure can cause soreness, infection or ulceration. Toenails that have been poorly cut can also become ingrown. If you’re struggling to cut your own nails, ask a family member for help because hacking at them could do more harm than good. If that isn’t an option, contact Age UK Hereford & Localities and ask about their Footcare Service.

Keep Feet Moisturised Finally, daily application of a moisturising lotion will help to keep feet feeling soft and supple. As we get older the skin on our feet starts to dry out, we lose the fatty pads that cushion the bottom of the feet, the joints start to creak and circulation is reduced. As a result, the skin on the soles of our feet and heels becomes dry and nails become brittle and more difficult to manage.

If you would like to know more about the service, the referral process and charges, or are interested in becoming a Footcare volunteer, please contact us: 0333 0066 299 or email: contact@ageukhl.org Age UK Hereford & Localities hold regular Footcare Clinics throughout the county including: Bromyard, Fownhope, Kington, Ledbury, Leominster, Weobley and at three different locations in Hereford.

Golden Years

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education

Remembering

What You Learn If you’re going to learn anything, you need two kinds of prior knowledge: knowledge about the subject such as maths, history, or geography and knowledge about how learning actually works The bad news: Much of our education system skips one of them, which is concerning, given that your ability to learn is such a huge predictor of success in life, from achieving in academics to getting ahead at work.

It all requires mastering skill after skill. “Parents and teachers are good at imparting the first kind of knowledge,” says psych writer Annie Murphy Paul. “We’re comfortable talking about concrete

actually works.

Henry Roediger and Mark McDaniel, psychologists at Washington University in St. Louis and co authors of Make It Stick: The Science Of Successful Learning, say that “how we teach and study is largely a mix of theory, lore, and intuition.” So let’s cut through that lore. Here are learning strategies that really work.

information: names, dates, numbers, facts. But the

Force Yourself to Recall

guidance we offer on the act of learning itself - the

The least-fun part of effective learning is that it’s

‘meta-cognitive’ aspects of learning - is more hit-

hard. In fact, the ‘Make It Stick’ authors contend

or-miss, and it shows.”

that when learning if difficult, you’re doing your best

New education research shows that low-achieving students have “substantial deficits” in their understanding of the cognitive strategies that allow people to learn well. This, Paul says, suggests that part of the reason students perform poorly is that they don’t know a lot about how learning n 46 | Wye Valley and the Marches Now | Issue 75 | February 2018

learning, in the same way that lifting a weight at the limit of your capacity makes you strongest. It’s simple, though not easy, to take advantage of this: force yourself to recall a fact. Flashcards are a great ally in this, since they force you to supply answers.

Continued over the page

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education

The stronger your grasp of the new learning will be, and the more connections you create that will help you remember it later...

Don’t Fall for Fluency When you’re reading something and it feels easy, what you’re experiencing is fluency. For instance, you’re at the airport and you’re trying to remember which gate your flight to Cardiff is waiting for you at. You look at the terminal monitors — it’s C14.

You think to yourself, oh, C14. Then you walk away, finish your coffee, buy a magazine, idly check your phone, and instantly forget where you’re going.

The alternative: You read the gate number. Then you turn away from the monitor and ask yourself, what’s the gate? If you can recall that it’s B44, you’re good to go.

Connect the New Thing to the Old Things “The stronger your grasp of the new learning will be, and the more connections you create that will help you remember it later.” the ‘Make It Stick’ authors write. When you’re weaving in new threads into your pre-existing web of knowledge, you’re elaborating.

One technique is to come up with real-life examples of principles you’ve just uncovered. If

n 48 | Wye Valley and the Marches Now | Issue 75 | February 2018

you’ve just learned about half-rhyme, you could read poems that exhibit it. If you’ve just discovered heat transfer, you could think of the way a warm cup of coffee disperses warmth into your hands on a cold winter’s day.

Reflect, reflect, reflect Reflective learning is a way of allowing students to step back from their learning experience to help them develop critical thinking skills and improve on future performance by analysing their experience.

This type of learning, which helps move the learner from surface to deep learning, can include a range of activities, including self-review, peer review, and personal development planning. Understanding assessment criteria and acting on feedback is also a way of encouraging us to reflect on what we have learned and how they will improve. n

Annie Murphy Paul is published by Simon & Schuster UK

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education

Hereford

Vocational Training Hereford Vocational Training (HVT) aims to introduce students to working life in the land based sector, construction and the armed forces. Students are from challenging backgrounds and often classed as having educational and behavioural needs.

Job shadowing and work attachments are available with HVT. This can involve anything from farm work and skills training, to training and mentoring educational and behavioural need students.

Thus allowing calculated decisions to be made regarding pathways to your own future training and employment. There are no time limits to any training you undertake or attachments to HVT and experience is not an issue.

n 50 | Wye Valley and the Marches Now | Issue 75 | February 2018

HVT is also a full time learning provision for students excluded from mainstream education so opportunities can exist for those interested in teaching, training or care work. Service personnel can help students by offering guidance and training based upon their knowledge and experiences gained in the armed forces.

HVT is very much a bespoke offering, just ask and we will endeavour to provide. You will be surprised how the experience and skills acquired in the forces prepares you for the future.

HVT is based in Herefordshire with plenty of sensibly priced accommodation. n

For more information: Contact Chris at c.srtowencross@gmail.com

education

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KEEPING ACTIVE Start / Finish: walk starts and ends at Chepstow Railway Station. If you park in town, you can join walk at St. Mary’s Church.

Public Transport: Chepstow is on railway line between Gloucester and Newport. Buses serve Chepstow from all around. Please check ‘Traveline’ for journey details and current timetables.

Parking: re is street parking around Chepstow and several fee-paying carparks. Please leave Station Car Park for rail users.

O/S Map: Explorer OL14. Distances: 7 miles. Shorter Walk 5.5 miles.

Chepstow

Rivers Wye & Severn

Time: Allow all day to enjoy this walk at a leisurely pace.

Refreshments: You can take a picnic or support shops, cafes and restaurants in Chepstow. No shops after you leave Chepstow.

Terrain: re are gates, kiss-gates, steps and stiles. Walk is unsuitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs beyond environs of Chepstow. You will need windproof clothing out on estuary and strong waterproof boots. A good ‘Winter Wellies Walk’!

History: Chepstow developed as a River Port. It is where tubes were constructed for Chepstow railway Bridge – Isambard Kingdom Brunel oversaw project and used his ideas to develop Tamar Bridge that links Devon to Cornwall (note ‘Tubular Cottages’ just after crossing over A48). Through ages ropes were made. re was a Priory here in Roman times and it was an important boat-building town, later building steel ships too. re were salmon fisheries, a hill-fort, orchards, hops, a brewing industry, butter and cheese was made.

Perhaps, 3it is today best known for its Castle that stands high up on slopes of town. It is also just two miles to Sedbury Cliffs where Offa’s Dyke Long Distance Footpath starts/ends.

1. The walk starts at Chepstow Railway Station or St. Mary’s Church.

Walk down station approach then down towards St. Mary’s Church.

Take subway beneath A48. From St. Mary’s Church, walk up to A48 then left along footpath beside it, up widely spaced steps.

2. At top, cross bridge towards Sedbury. You are now on Offa’s Dyke Long Distance Path (ODP). Once across railway cutting, take ‘Wye Bank Avenue’ on right and follow this down to junction. Turn left then shortly take footpath between houses on right. Soon you will be following River Wye southwards on cliff-top path with glimpses of river below.

When you come out into open keep straight on with hedge on right.

At track, go left and leave River Wye behind and head for River Severn.

River Wye flows into Severn a few miles south of here at Beachley.

3. To right notice Severn Bridges. Follow metalled track, climbing gently to exit in Offa’s Close which leads into Mercian Way. Keep walking straight ahead to ODP sign on left, walk along back of houses to Norse Way where ODP turns right to footbridge over ditch.

Walk along to kissing-gate, straight across paddock, up slope then diagonally up field to top right corner and through kiss-gate.

4. Cross busy road with care to track opposite then go through kissinggate on right. Next section is a ‘there and back’ walk to 2 points, go over footbridge turning right to beach where you are at sea-level then retrace steps round to cliff-top at point 5 where 177 mile Offa’s Dyke Long Distance Path ends (begins) at a commemorative stone on top of of Sedbury Cliff.

5. Retrace route along raised bank (Offa’s Dyke) to main road at point 4. Walk northwards to corner and turn right (straight on) up Sedbury Lane. After 300 yards, take path on left into houses, climb slope to another path on right and walk behind houses as far as Sedbury Farm.

6. Note: Short walk goes left across busy A48 and through Tutshill to point 9. Main walk goes right and follows Sedbury Lane left, over railway and beneath disused line to reach A48.

7.Take lane opposite and follow this up to Woodcroft, turning left to n 52 | Wye Valley and the Marches Now | Issue 75 | February 2018

climb gently up to Chepstow Road.

8. Turn right for short distance then cross to ODP opposite. Follow path beneath ornamental bridge to kiss-gate on left. Take left path walking diagonally right across field to another kiss-gate then right alongside high wall to corner and turn left. Take ODP past stone ‘lookout tower’ and down to kiss-gate into lane turning right to modern road. Cross to steep cobbled ‘donkey’ road. Modern road takes longer shallow route better suited to wheeled traffic.

9. Note: Short route joins on old hill that leads down to Chepstow Bridge and site of old River Port.

10. Cross bridge and walk straight up hill to Castle and Square then left to St. Mary’s Church or beneath subway and uphill to Chepstow Railway Station. n Written and illustrated by Glynis Dray

living history

Those Magnificent Men In the lead up to celebrations for the Royal Air Force centenary, Bill Laws looks at some local aviation pioneers.

Bentfield Hucks, the first British aviator to perform a loop the loop, arrived in Hereford in September 1913 offering flights aboard his 80-horsepower Gnome Blériot monoplane on Bartonsham meadows.

For £5 the pilot was willing to fly anyone over the city, although only the rich could afford the risk: according to the Situations Vacant column in the Hereford Times that month, average earnings mostly ranged from £25 a year (‘housekeeper or laundry maid’) to £1 a week for a ‘handyman’. Yet the lure of aerial adventure drew hundreds of onlookers and Hucks had plenty of takers.

This was despite a claim, published in the same newspaper, that the flying craze would be short lived since aeroplanes like the Gnome Blériot could fly no faster than 125 mph.

However, the crowds who witnessed Bentfield Hucks’ flights could not have foreseen the spectral approach of World War One nor the subsequent surge in military aviation. In 1914, as Bentfield Hucks joined the ranks of the pioneer wartime aviators (having joined the newly formed Royal Flying Corp he was sent to serve on the Front) both sides seized on aircraft as

a means of reconnaissance and attack.

Even as Hucks flew over France, a young soldier, Archie Cole, was being sent home to Dancing Green near Ross-on-Wye after losing his right arm when a German airplane dropped a bomb on his position. And late in 1917 Florence Austins, the daughter of Hereford’s Commercial Street skin yard owner G.E. Herron, set out for Barrs Court station to welcome her husband, Andrew, home on leave. Only then did she learn that that the former Bridge Street ironmongers assistant had become the second county victim of an air attack. The 31-year-old, who had been serving as an air mechanic on kite balloons at Felixstowe, had been killed during a German air raid on the town.

months: apply Hereford Recruiting Office’.

The following year, 1918, Roland Jones, whose family farmed at Wellington Court in north Herefordshire and whose brothers Bill, Sydney and Evan had already enlisted in the army and navy, was conscripted into a new fighting force, the Royal Air Force or RAF. The RAF was officially formed on April 1 with the amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service. Roland Jones had probably responded patriotically to an advertisement in the local press, sponsored by a Hereford grocer Gurney’s, appealing for ‘aviators and pilots from 17 years and 11

his choral society rehearsal, he strode

Roland, like his brothers, was lucky enough to survive the war and would be farming at Dewsall near Hereford when in 1940, the RAF fought its finest hour during the Battle of Britain. But important lessons had been learned during the 1914/18 war, lessons that came into play during World War Two. Air raids such as the one that killed Andrew Austins persuaded local councils to set up air-raid warning systems and introduce a new concept in domestic warfare: the blackout.

Early in 1916 Thomas Howell, manager of Pearl Assurance in St Peters Square, was fined £1 for neglecting to blackout his offices while chorister George Holloway was said to be ‘temporarily stunned’ when, leaving into a pillar box in the darkened street.

And what of that pioneer aviator, Bentfield Hucks? Having become a test pilot at Hendon airfield after being invalided out of France, he succumbed to the scourge of 1918, which accounted for more deaths than the war itself: Spanish flu. n

Bill Laws is author of Herefordshire’s Home Front in the First World War (Logaston Press, £10) and editor of In Our Age (www. herefordshirelore.org.uk)

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Our Events Diary

Competition

CHELTENHAM RACECOURSE

From hats to shoes, to scarves and gloves, it’s all about adding a splash of colour to spring on Wednesday 14th March 2018, Ladies Day at Cheltenham Racecourse for the #ColourMeMarch competition.

that took place in China earlier

This year the competition, exclusively for ladies only, is about bringing colour and style to The Festival™ and you have the chance of winning a brand new MINI ONE CAR from W.O. Lewis and Sytner Solihull as well as other fantastic prizes. Whether you want to show off your best boots, parade your finest hat or give a nod to your favourite horse’s colours, get ready to #ColourMeMarch.

ask if you’d like to be entered in

Our Ladies Day ambassador this year, is Miss England 2017, Stephanie Hill. The 22-year-old, who is a keen equestrian rider and studying for a degree in radiotherapy, beat off 117 other competitors to come third in the world at the Miss World contest

in the year and will be on hand to present the prizes on the day.

For your chance to make it a winning day, all you need to do is either get spotted by one of the racecourse team who will then to the Ladies Day competition, or you can enter yourself in the Ladies day marquee. Winners will be selected at random to win one of the many prizes and announced on the big screen overlooking the parade ring.

Other prizes that will be won on the day include a £2000 necklace from Boodles, an overnight stay at The Lygon Arms in Broadway with dinner, cocktails, breakfast and spa treatment, an Yvette Jelfs made to order hat worth £700 and more. n For further information on all racedays and to book tickets, please visit: cheltenham.co.uk

www.cheltenham.co.uk

To be in with a chance of winning two Club Tickets to Ladies Day at Cheltenham Racecourse on March 14th, simply fill out the entry form with the correct answer to the following question:

Who is the ambassador of Ladies Day this year?

Answer: Name: Address: Tel:

Send your answers in a sealed, stamped, addressed envelope to: Ladies Day WVN, PW Media & Publishing Ltd, 2nd Floor, Richardson House, New Street, Worcester, WR1 2DP.

Email:

Closing date for entries is 14th February 2018. n 54 | Wye Valley and the Marches Now | Issue 75 | February 2018

If you do not wish to receive information on forthcoming events, news and offers from Cheltenham Racecourse please tick this box

Our Events Diary

Wye Valley Now AND THE MARCHES

If you would like to advertise in our next issue please contact one of our sales team.

Suzie Scott

Mel Penkoks

Tel: 01905 727904 Email: suzie@pw-media.co.uk

Tel: 01905 727901 Email: mel@pw-media.co.uk

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What's On

OUR GUIDE TO THE BEST EVENTS THIS MONTH

Saturday 3rd February Sapey Golf Club Tickets: £12 - £16

FEBRUARY Thursday 1st Four Seasons Tribute Theatre Show, Courtyard Theatre Bye Bye Baby is more than your average tribute band. They deliver a full theatre show covering the journey of the Four Seasons from the very beginning up until the Disco era and the rock and roll hall of fame. In fact a musical journey through the sounds of one of the most successful bands of all time.

They perform 31 numbers in close 4 part harmony, with slick choreography and the recognisable falsetto this really sets the scene for a great night.The show demonstrates the diversity and harmonic sounds as once performed by the great band themselves. Each number has been carefully choreographed, giving their show a fresh look to the Four Seasons usual copycat version from the Jersey Boys. Since launching back in 2013 they have performed in over 400 venues.

Box Office: 01432 767876 Tickets: £21.00 www.courtyard.org.uk

Saturday 3rd Blues Brothers Tribute Night, Sapey Golf Club Think that Minnie the Moocher has a heart as big as a whale? Well we will be dancing to the Jailhouse Rock and Sweet Home Chicago so Gimme Some Lovin’ and get your ticket for our big Blues Brothers night!

Tickets: £12 - £16 Tel: 01886 853288

Saturday 10th Go Toads Patrollers Herefordshire Wildlike Trust Queenswood Country Park This is a chance to find out more about the project and how to get involved this year.Bodenham has the largest migratory pathway for common toads in the county but unfortunately this pathway crosses a

n 56 | Wye Valley and the Marches Now | Issue 75 | February 2018

road. For the past two years, HWT have conducted regular night patrols in early spring to assist toads crossing the road.

Time: 7.00pm - 8:30pm www.herefordshirewt.org Tickets: Free Valentine’s Massacre Murder Mystery Sapey Golf Club It is 1929. Jack (Johnny) Johnson runs the ‘Starlight Rooms’, a lucrative night club.

Despite living in Britain Johnny styles himself as a Chicago gang leader and the local constabulary tend to ignore him. However, when detectives find a link between a series of murders and the Starlight Rooms, the police become very interested indeed. What has Johnny been up to? Is someone trying to frame him - and if so who? However, when detectives find a link between a series of murders and the Starlight Rooms, the police become very interested indeed. What has Johnny been up to? Is someone trying to frame him - and if so who? Please note that this is a seated event and in all cases we will endeavour to sit parties together, but as this is a fully interactive audience experience, you may be sitting with other guests and/or the murder mystery cast.

Tel: 01886 853288

Our Events Diary

Wye Valley Now AND THE MARCHES

If you would like to advertise in our next issue please contact one of our sales team.

Suzie Scott

Mel Penkoks

Tel: 01905 727904 Email: suzie@pw-media.co.uk

Tel: 01905 727901 Email: mel@pw-media.co.uk

t @WyeValleyNow | G Wye Valley Now | w www.nowmagazines.co.uk 57 n

What's On Saturday 10th Wool Sculpture Course Trumpet Corner Enjoy this unique Wool Sculpture Course and take home a needle-felt hare or other animal. In the wonderful surrounds of Trumpet Corner Tea Room Galleries and Garden, enjoy. A full day 10.00am – 4.30pm.

Learn how to needle felt with wool. Learn how to make a wire armature. Receive a felting kit and tools to keep. All wool and materials included. Enjoy a light lunch and tea & coffee. www.furzie.co.uk/courses/ Tel: 01594 516906 or 07941 147161 Repair Cafe & Kids Clothes Swap Queenswood Country Park, Dinmore Hill, Leomister, HR6 0PY Got something to fix? Then bring it along and our team of experts will try and mend it for you. We will also be hosting a kids clothes swap so bring a bundle down and take a new bundle home! Bikes fixed from 10am till 1pm.

Tickets: Free Time: 10am to 1pm

Children’s Willow Workshop

arts centres, community cinemas, pop-ups

Herefordshire Wildlife Trust

and village halls. Many will be screened in

Create and take home a range of willow crafts.

Choose

from:

bird

feeders,

dragonflies, fish, star wands and woven

established venues across Herefordshire, Shropshire,

Worcestershire

and

Powys

hearts. This workshop is for children

as well as some new ones.Watch films

aged 7 years and over and children

before their UK release: Ghost Stories is

can come accompanied by an adult or

British horror at its most playful, adapted

unaccompanied.

from the West End play and starring

www.herefordshirewt.org

Martin Freeman. The full Borderlines 2018 programme releases in mid-January. You

Thursday 22nd Carlos Magdelena

can expect likely award winners such Martin

The Castle House Hotel

McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside

Meet

Kew

Botanical

Gardens’

maverick

Horticulturalist,

Senior Carlos

Magdalena at Castle House Hotel. He will be talking about his book The Plant Messiah and his mission to save the planet,

Ebbing, Missouri and Joe Wright’s Churchill film Darkest Hour plus specially curated strands and some one-off unmissable

Saturday 17th

one flower at a time before it’s too late.

events. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing,

70’s & 80’s Disco Dancing Left Bank Village Dance away the January blues, get funky with your monkey, value your Valentine or just generally boogie on down with your friends. Whatever the reason, come along for a great night of 70s/80s disco dancing with optional (but recommended) fancy dress. Whether it’s your Roussos dress, your Abba jump suit our your 6” wedges, we’ve got the music to accompany your outfit and we’re going to dance until we drop. Local DJ Pete Stead will keep the atmosphere alive all night.

Box Office: 01432 357753 discoenquiries@herefordleftbank.com

Carlos will talk about what it is like to work

Missouri and Joe Wright’s Churchill film

at one of the world’s most prestigious

Darkest Hour plus specially curated strands

gardens. Carlos will also talk about what it

and some one-off unmissable events.

is like to work at one of the world’s most prestigious gardens and signing copies of his book which will be on sale.

Talk and two-course lunch and coffee £35.

Tel: 01432 356321

Friday 23rd February Sunday 11th March Borderlines Film Festival Various Locations Lots of varied movies but also varied places which you can experience them in: from

n 58 | Wye Valley and the Marches Now | Issue 75 | February 2018

Ticket Prices and Information: www.borderlinesfilmfestival.co.uk

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W N O A IN N W S Li D m B ON A T ER ite E L A d D tim R LL E O e on O KI T ly, M do O C H n’ t m RD E iss E N ou RS t!

FITTED BEDROOM SHOWROOM NOW OPEN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR OPENING OFFERS

HEREFORD’S ONLY TRUE KITCHEN SPECIALISTS WE HAVE THE IDEAS & EXPERIENCE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN WITHOUT THE FUSS

01432 263305

Unit 6, Old Railway Sidings, Mortimer Road, Hereford HR4 9SP n 60 | Wye Valley and the Marches Now | Issue 75 | February 2018

www.kitchenersofhereford.co.uk