The Vine Dunstable - October / November 2015 - Issue 67 by The Vine Magazine

News / Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s On / Local Directory

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FREE 6 sue Is

I Dunstable I Studham I Kensworth I Whipsnade

Connecting local people to local businesses

WINTER SUN Special Top Destinations

For This Winter

Solar Power

An Essential Guide

By Martin Lewis Inside This Issue

Local Pioneer Halloween Fun New Cinema Releases Delivered free to 12,000 homes

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Christmas

Tel: 01582 603310

Lina and the team

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(GF& V) Leek & Potato Soup oming year (GF) Smoked mackerel with horseradish cream (V) Deep fried Goat’s cheese on a warm beetroot salad, you a glazed with balsamic (GF please ask Goat’s cheese crumble) ristmas(GF) Smoked chicken breast with pomegranate & citrus dressing ((GF & V) Fan of melon with fruit, raspberry couli

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Roast Turkey with Sage & Onion stuffing Cocktail Sausage, Cranberry Sauce, potatoes &vegetables (GF please ask no stuffing ) (GF) Seared salmon with cream anis sauce, potatoes & vegetables (GF) Grilled chicken with a Chardonnay & tarragon sauce, sauté Potatoes & vegetables (V) Creamy Wild mushroom & Chestnuts with Colcannon potatoes & Salad with parmesan shavings (GF) Braised lamb shank in Bordeaux & onions jus, potatoes puree & vegetables (sup £3.00) (GF) Grilled sirloin steak with pepper sauce, pomme frite 26 Church Street, Dunstable, Beds. LU5 4RU & vegetables (sup £3.00)

Tel: 01582 603310

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Desserts Email: info@chezjerome.co.uk (GF) Chez Jerome Nougat ice cream (Contains nuts) Web: www.chezjerome.co.uk (GF) Raspberry Jelly with Pear sorbet Christmas pudding with brandy butter (GF) Vanilla Crème Brulee (GF) Chocolate Marquise with cream Anglaise Cheese & biscuits (GF please ask for GF biscuits)

Christmas Party Dinner Menu 2 Courses £19.95 (Fri-Sat £23.95) 3 Courses £23.95 (Fri-Sat £26.95)

******* Starters

(GF& V) Leek & Potato Soup (GF) Smoked mackerel & Prawns with lime and chive cream (V) Deep fried Goat’s cheese on a warm beetroot salad, glazed with balsamic (GF please ask Goat’s cheese crumble) (GF) Smoked duck & chicken breast with pomegranate & citrus dressing ((GF)Street, Fan of melon with Black forest HamLU5 4RU 26 Church Dunstable, Beds.

***

Tel: 01582 603310 Main Course

info@chezjerome.co.uk RoastEmail: Turkey with Sage & Onion stuffing, Cocktail Sausage, www.chezjerome.co.uk CranberryWeb: Sauce, Potatoes & vegetables (GF please ask no stuffing) (GF) Duo of Sea bass & Salmon with cream Pernod sauce, potatoes & vegetables (GF) Grilled chicken with a Chardonnay & tarragon sauce, sauté Potatoes & vegetables (GF&V) Creamy Wild mushroom & Chestnuts with Colcannon potatoes & Salad with parmesan shavings (GF) Braised lamb shank in Bordeaux & onions jus, potatoes puree & vegetables (GF) Grilled sirloin steak with pepper sauce, pomme frite & vegetables

Desserts

***

Warm apple tart with custard (GF) Chez Jerome Nougat ice cream (Contains nuts) (GF) Raspberry Jelly with Pear sorbet Christmas pudding with brandy butter (GF) Vanilla Crème Brule (GF) Chocolate Marquise with cream Anglaise Cheese & biscuits (GF please ask for GF biscuits)

Chez Jerome • 26 Church Street. Dunstable

www.thevinemagazine.co.uk

Christmas Day Lunch £74.95 per person - children half price

The only times available now to book are 12:00, 12:30 or 12:45 must vacate by 3:00pm Mention The Vine and pay £70.00 per person.

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** 1st*Course

(v) Spinach & ricotta filo pastry with sweet chili sauce. (GF) Breast of pigeon on a warm bacon, mushroom & walnut salad. (GF) Classical native lobster, crayfish & avocado cocktail. Foie Gras terrine with a spiced pear chutney. (GF please ask for GF bread) (GF) Melon cocktail with Port.

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** 4th* Course

Xmas pudding with brandy & custard sauce. Selection of Cheeses, fruit & biscuits (GF please ask for GF biscuits). (GF) Assiette gourmande (Nougat ice, chocolate mousse & Vanilla cream brulee). (GF) Raspberry jelly with fruit Coffee or Tea.

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Issue 67 • October / November 2015

at its epicenter. directed by Academy ner Danny Boyle by Academy Award® n Sorkin, working Isaacson’s bestaphy of the Apple producers are Mark ymon Casady of Film udin and Academy ner Christian Colson.

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crisis. As they spend time with fellow travelers, including young newlyweds Lea (Laurent) and François (Poupaud), and village locals Michel (Arestrup) and Patrice (Bohringer), the couple Brooklyn is the story of a young Get begins to come to terms with the l woman, Eilis (Saoirse Ronan) who ook unresolved issues in their own moves from small town Ireland to Brooklyn, NY where, unlike home, 56 lives. In its style, and its treatment of she has the opportunity for work themes of the human experience, and for a future - and love, in the By the Sea is inspired by European form of Italian-American Tony cinema and theatre of the ‘60s (Emory Cohen). From and ‘70s. l

Halloween Disco Inside This Issue

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Friday 30 October 2015 6 pm to 8 pm

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Issue 67 • October / November 2015

local NEWS TV Company Seeks Local Employers for Recruitment Documentary

DEAR BUSINESS OWNER…

Label 1 is a new television production company within Shiver, part of ITV Studios. They are the team of producers behind some of the country's most popular and successful factual television, including One Born Every Minute, 24 Hours in A&E FirsttheDates. What’s the secretand to hiring best people? Do you pride yourself on your recruiting abilities?

Label 1 is developing a new series Would you like to take part in a new TV programme for Channel 4 (provisionally called) that lifts the lid on the interview process? ‘The Interview’ and are looking for Producers of Channel 4’s First Dates and charismatic, One Born Everysuccessful Minute wouldemployers love to hear from you! who would be interested in featuring For more information contact: in the programme. The producers TheInterview@Label1.tv will be working with top recruitment Label 1 is part of Shiver, an ITV company www.shiver.tv consultants to prepare a shortlist of candidates – all the employers will have to do is interview them. The shortlisted candidates will have talents and skills that make them suitable for a job at the prospective company. As well as hopefully matchmaking good jobseekers with interesting companies, ‘The Interview’ will reveal what really happens behind the closed doors of the interview room. As in the other documentaries that the producers have made, Label 1 is seeking to capture the full spectrum of experiences and emotions - across both sides of the table. If this sounds like you, your boss, or someone you know - please get in touch for more information! You can contact us on TheInterview@label1.tv. We look forward to hearing from you!

www.thevinemagazine.co.uk

Dunstable Business Awards With just days to go to the deadline for this year's Dunstable and Houghton Regis Business and Community Awards some great stories are emerging from wonderful local individuals and firms. The closing date for nominations is October 5th and there are lots of categories to go for in this year's competition, which has a host of sponsors from the local community. Zoe Johnson has been nominated for Role Model of the Year for raising money for cancer research. The person who nominated Zoe wrote: “Zoe has seen many of her friends and family struggle with cancer and has decided to do something about it which is to raise money for Cancer Research. “Her main challenge to achieve a goal and funds was to shave her hair off and then donate the hair to Princess Trust. This will allow a young girl receive a wig to help her come to terms with her cancer also see her smile with lovely locks. She also raised over £1,000 towards the charity, too. “An inspiration and fabulous role model to so many of us!” Sahira Ward has been nominated for Volunteer of the Year for her dedication to her project, Incredible Edible, which, provides an opportunity to knit communities, educate children on food production and foster an ethos of 'work equals reward'. A new business on the Dunstable scene, Jaccs Coffee, has been nominated for Customer Care of the Year. The person who nominated Jaccs wrote: “The costs are so good it means we can have more than one drink if we get chatting. There are so many different people who go in on a regular basis from professions, elderly, mums of young children along with others.” Also nominated for Customer Care of the year is D I Butchers. The person who nominated the business wrote: “Great customer service, really look after us old folk. I buy from the butchers every week and they know me well, I always feel I get a lovely friendly welcome and they care about us too.” The awards night will be held in Dunstable on November 12 but the deadline for getting nominations in is October 5, so there is still time to get nominating. The judges will be meeting in mid-October to decide the winners. For more details and to enter the variety of business and community categories online, visit the website www.dunstableawards.co.uk You can also follow the awards on Twitter @DunRegisAwards or like the Facebook page www.facebook.com/dunstableawards

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Issue 67 • October / November 2015

local People

Dunstablian Pioneer Who Changed The Face Of Technology Those of us who are old enough to have lived through the 1980s will remember not only the big hair and shoulder pads, but also the very beginnings of the technological revolution that has transformed our lives over the past 30 years.

Adrian explained. Unlike the early mobile phones that were more than a little cumbersome, Adrian’s devices were easy to use and soon attracted national attention. They were in fact the prototype to the systems we all see in action when we visit our local pubs and restaurants. This success prompted Adrian to move back into IT Adrian White, Managing Director of Dunstable and he worked in both the United States and the UK business pchelpcentre, was at the heart of that during the following decade, inventing and patentrevolution, inventing technologies here in Bedford- ing, a number of things including a remote manageshire that are now in use right across the world. “It’s ment system which continues to be incorporated true that the work we did back in the eighties was into servers built by companies such as Dell and a bit ahead of its time, but now our technologies Hewlett Packard. The key thing was to create the are found in global businesses and homes, which is ability to not only diagnose any fault in the system really satisfying,” said Adrian, who runs his business but to be able to fix it, from a remote location.# with his daughter and marketing director, Annette. And in 2004 he opened his High Street SouthHaving begun his career as a programmer, in the based business, which offers tailored support serdays when mainframe computers were literally the vices to individuals and IT-managed services to busisize of houses and with enough memory to hold ness clients. “We are very much a local business, only a couple of pages worth of data, Adrian was who thrive on servicing and building relationships always passionate about technology. But he was in our town and community,” said Adrian. “Hasan working for Vauxhall’s in the computer department Kamrul is a Luton University graduate and joined when he and his wife Mary took the life changing us as our Technical Director and Eric Bradley was decision to move into the leisure industry. himself a Dunstable business man before moving After a spell behind a bar of a friend’s pub one over to work with us.” Christmas Eve in the mid seventies, Adrian and But the heartbeat of this business comes from Mary decided they wanted to work together and Adrian. His knowledge and enthusiasm for his past took on their first tenancy, before expanding to innovations is matched with his expertise in the latmanage a string of pubs and eventually a night club. est technology. “We specialise in data recovery and But the fascination with and expertise in IT never left provide this service to many local and some interAdrian and in the mid eighties he fused his profesnational companies. And we offer a local service to sional experience in both leisure and technology help with repairs for everything from Macs to PCs,” when he created HandHeld Computers Limited said Annette, adding: “Ultimately it is the confi– and invented the first Handheld Computer for dence and trust that people have in our business the leisure industry and one of the earliest ‘mobile technical skills that is our unique offer – I am both devices’ that are now so commonplace. “I was proud and lucky to be able to market that." working for Whitbread at the time and thought it pchelpcentre is situated at Shop 4 Brittany Court, made sense for waiting staff in our restaurants to 140 High Street South in Dunstable. You can conhave a tool that would help them record orders tact them by phone: 01582 672606, email or via electronically, rather than having to write them twitter @pchelpcentre and Facebook. down and then key them into a till separately,”

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Issue 67 â&#x20AC;˘ October / November 2015

Delicious Changes Coming To Dunstable! Two slimmer’s who transformed their lives by through Heathy Eating are set to take the local people of Dunstable on an exciting new journey towards a healthier, happier lifestyle… Lorna and Kathryn, both members of local Slimming World groups, have lost over 3 stone each have decided to join up and take the Dunstable area by storm with their heathy eating campaign. Lorna, a mum of 4, joined her group after being advised by her Midwife, with each pregnancy she gained weight which she never lost, so by the time she reached her 4th pregnancy, she was at the biggest she had ever been. When Lorna had to be weighed at the start of the pregnancy she says “I was shocked by the number on the scales and midwife talked to me about the risks that I faced with being overweight. She explained that gaining extra weight put both my own and my baby’s health at increased risk. She said that I was more likely to experience complications during my pregnancy and birth and for that reason my options at birth would be limited. The midwife saw how upset I was and referred me to join a local group” “Slimming World has changed the way I think about food, and it was wonderful to get the support to know that I was making the best choices to manage my weight healthily throughout my pregnancy. The Food Optimising plan encouraged plenty of fresh foods like fruit and vegetables, chicken, pasta and potatoes while encouraging extra portions of certain foods such as diary for calcium, to ensure that my baby and I were getting all the necessary vitamins and minerals. It was simple to follow and it was great to be reassured that the Food Optimising eating plan was safe for both of us, plus I could still have treats such as chocolate, I never felt hungry and knew I could manage my cravings whenever they came knocking, plus everyone at home could eat the same meals” says Lorna who had a heathy baby boy, Caden. Kathryn from Caddington was determined to improve her health and self-confidence after suffering

www.thevinemagazine.co.uk 10 www.thevinemagazine.co.uk

complications during an operation. Kathryn says “I knew I was overweight and was constantly angry with myself but I just did not seem able to make the right food choices. We ate healthy family meals but I constantly snacked in between. I lost my self-confidence and stopped doing any exercise. My doctor had to prescribe medication for my high blood pressure and also warned me about Type 2 diabetes” A work colleague began attending her local group and was full of information and cooking tips every time she went. I decided to give it a try although I was worried about what to expect, my first week I was immediately made welcome with coffee and a smile. By my second week, I was looking forward to attending. I met people in the village I had never spoken to before and found the whole atmosphere very supportive. It was lovely to see people blossoming as they achieved their goals. Kathryn’s blood pressure is back within the normal range and she recently completed a 5k run for charity as well as jogging round the village Both ladies have been so encouraged by their success that they are now inspired to help others, looking for support with weight loss and healthy eating in the local area. Lorna will be opening a group at Hadrian Academy, Hadrian Ave from Monday 12th October at 7.30pm and Kathryn will be running the group at The Peter Newton Pavillion, Skimpot Road from Wednesday 14th October at 5.30 and 7.30pm so lots of choice. They have a try before you buy policy so you can just come along on the day. To find out more information on Slimming World visit www.slimmingworld.co.uk or call them on 01582 653055

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Issue 67 • October / November 2015 11

serious competition but is a great way to exercise in a fun, team

& Gatherings Sought The League Groups runs from September to May For Charity Challenges available to all from 14 to 114years. If the re England team finishing 3rd in the INF World C live coverage of Super League games o inspired you, then get going and contact us.

Get Into Netball

If you are not sure you are ready to commit to then try “Back to Netball” running Mondays, 8 Every day in Bedfordshire 8 people hear the th 7There'sSeptember for 10 weeks at devastating Inspire;news Luton Sports Village. Se they have cancer, more never been a better time to start playing great wayplayers to get goingtheagain the fulltotime commitment. money is needed ensure that Macmillan netball. Young are entering game, without

is able to support people affected by cancer experienced players returning to the court, and help ensure no one faces cancer alone. players starting again after playing at school or How can I play, coach, umpire, For bethis part of a club or start a new reason, Macmillan is looking to local having a family and coaches and umpires to any ofdifference thesein our questions further information on the Lu groups, clubs, organisations and associations making a real community. or for to help in any way. Fundraising Manager JesDistrict League check out the website page www.lddnetball.co The Luton, Dunstable & District Netball League, sica Wilson is well aware of the importance of sponsored by Pictons Solicitors, is a welcoming and twitter and Facebook local generosity. established league dating back to 1956. It was originally founded by the local businesses and has produced national cup winners and international players during its time. If you haven't played since school or taken a break away from the game now is the time to get back to netball. If you want to see more of your mates while getting fit then set up a new team, we are here to help, or join one of the 20 established clubs. The LDDNL has the opportunity for all. Joining the league doesn't have to mean serious competition but is a great way to exercise in a fun, team environment. The League runs from September to May each year and is available to all from 14 to 114 years. If the recent success of the England team finishing 3rd in the INF World Cup in Sidney or the live coverage of Super League games on Sky Sports has inspired you, then get going and contact us. If you are not sure you are ready to commit to competitive netball then try “Back to Netball” running Mondays, 8pm to 9pm starting 7th September for 10 weeks at Inspire; Luton Sports Village. Sessions are £4 and a great way to get going again without the full time commitment. How can I play, coach, umpire, be part of a club or start a new team? For answers to any of these questions or for further information on the Luton, Dunstable and District League check out the website page www.lddnetball.co.uk or follow us on twitter and Facebook

12 www.thevinemagazine.co.uk

“We’ve seen some amazing events and fundraising ideas playing out throughout the year so far, and we can’t thank everyone enough for their support,” she acknowledges. “Yet there’s always an inherent challenge in keeping the wheels turning and ensuring we’ve got the right funds to allocate to the right places. Donations are literally what keep us going, and we want to continue giving our renowned support to cancer patients across the county. If you’re part of a rotary club, a library, a local parish or any other gathering of likeminded individuals, we’d be thrilled to hear from you.” From parish councils to bowling clubs, schools and colleges to members of the armed forces, raising funds for Macmillan couldn’t be simpler. Summer sports days, barbecues, raffles or more are just three of the countless ways you can get involved. No matter what your group can give, it all contributes in a big way to the lives of cancer patients and their loved ones. Contact your local Fundraising Manager, Jessica Wilson on 07474 920354 or jewilson@macmillan. org.uk please visit www.macmillan.org.uk to find out how you can help. One in three people will be diagnosed with cancer during the course of their lifetime. No one should face cancer alone and with your help no one will.

Issue 67 â&#x20AC;˘ October / November 2015 13

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finding room to foster

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Young people in care need a place to stay and a place in your life. Foster Care Associates (FCA) is supporting parents parenting skills in a stable and caring environment whilst in the guidance of their foster carer. to develop their parenting skillsto byfoster, providing If you’ve got room call Foster Care support in the home oftoday a specially trained022 foster Associates on 0800 4012.FCA encourages parent and child placements people in family care need a place stay they allow the parent to maintain and carer. TheYoung aim is to keep the together and tobecause a place in your life. build upon their relationship with the child, stop the and children from going into care. FCA which marks its 21st anniversary of providing meaning a foster home can play a pivotal role in If you’ve got room to foster, call Foster Care ensuring the parent and child a happy lifetime care and0800 support to022 children4012 and young people Associates today on 0800 022 4012. together. this year, is appealing for potential carers across fosterwithfca.co.uk FCA provide support to those undertaking the region with the time, dedication and room parent and child placements every step of the to care for a parent and their child to consider a way, including training, a financial allowance, move into fostering. 022 4012 access to carer support groups and organised A parent0800 and child placement offers the parfosterwithfca.co.uk family activities - all contributing factors as to why ent and child the best opportunity to remain FCA placements are 22% more stable than the together. A parent may be struggling to care for national average. their child and require extra support, and these finding room to foster placements allow the parent to develop their

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Issue 67 â&#x20AC;˘ October / November 2015 17

Money Matters By Martin Lewis

Solar Power As summer’s rays have faded, the 550,000 Brits with solar panels will stay smiling. Solar panels aren’t just an environmental boon, they cut your electricity bills and pay you for generating energy too. However, the amount you can earn from them will likely soon drop again, so if you’re mulling it, it’s worth deciding whether it’s right for you soon. Let me take you through it…

How solar panels work “Solar power? Hang on, we don’t live in California!” may be your first thought. Yet it’s not about the heat, it’s about daylight, so they still generate some electricity on gloomy days – vital in a country with weather as dull as eating rice cakes while waiting in for a delivery. There are actually two types of panels: thermal which just heat the water, and photovoltaic (PV) which generate electricity, and it’s these that all the fuss is about, though you’ll usually need a reasonable sized, unshaded roof, facing south-ish.

How solar panels make you money Financially, there are two reasons to do this: • You save on electricity bills. The Energy Saving Trust (EST) estimates a typical family can knock around £100/year off their bills, as it cuts the amount of electricity you need to buy. This depends on system size, location, whether you’re at home during the day and other factors. • You get paid for generating. You also get paid a ‘feed-in tariff’ for ALL the energy you generate. Crucially, that’s even if you’re the one using the energy, which once big home storage batteries become commonplace will be even better. The amount you get depends on your

18 www.thevinemagazine.co.uk

@moneysavingexpert system’s size, but EST estimates typical payments of £500 a year (tax-free). In June the rate dropped from 13.3p/kWh to 12.9p/kWh (in contrast, you pay 9p-13p/kWh for the electricity you use). Yet once panels are installed, the government has said the rate is fixed for 20 years and rises with inflation, so signing up sooner pays more.

Does buying solar panels still add up? Back in the day, solar panels were a no-brainer. When the Government launched the feed-in scheme, people typically got a gobsmacking £1,100+ per year in payments, not taking into account electricity savings. Then again, a typical system cost £12,000. Yet now while you earn less, it also costs far less with the price coming down to £5,000-£8,000. For a full detailed analysis and more help, go to www.mse.me/solar, but in a flash... Here’s some maths based on a typical house in Manchester with a typical 4kWp system: - Cost of panels: £6,500 - Annual generation payment: £515 - Annual bill savings: £120 - Total: £635 - Break even estimate: 10 years - Profit at 20 years: £6,200. So with savings rates so low, for someone with a bundle of cash these are a good option to look at. And for some they can pay back even sooner.

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Home: 01582 263736 Mobile: 07795 415440 Issue 67 • October / November 2015 19

Money Matters By Martin Lewis The key need-to-knows To see whether solar panels are worth it for you and whether you can get them, there are some important need-to-knows: - You need a south-facing roof: Panels need to be on a south-ish facing roof, which isn’t usually shaded. - You need a grade D Energy Performance Certificate (EPC): An EPC rates a building on its energy efficiency from A - highly efficient - to G. If you haven’t got grade D or above you get a lower feed-in tariff making it not worth it for most. Go to www.gov.uk/find-an-energy-assessor to find an accredited assessor. - You can still switch supplier: Don’t think this locks you into your energy provider. Your energy supplier doesn’t need to be the same supplier as the one that pays your feed-in tariff, so you’re free to switch. And with many people already overpaying by £250 a year that’s definitely worth doing – do a full comparison via my www.cheapenergyclub.co.uk or any Ofgem.gov.uk confidence code site. - The further south you live, the more you can make: The Energy Saving Trust estimates that you could earn £720/year in London, £635 in Manchester and £595 in Edinburgh – as the south gets more daylight. To predict the likely return for your home use the calculator at www. energysavingtrust.org.uk/solar. - Planning permission isn’t usually needed: The big exception is if you’ve a flat roof, your property’s listed or it’s in a conservation area – you may need to get approval from your council’s building team so check with your local authority. - Ensure your fitter’s a member of the Microgeneration Certification Scheme. You can check at www.microgenerationcertification.org.

Aren’t they an eyesore? Will it impact the value of my house? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some people worry that ugly panels plastered all over their roof and the fact that you’re tied in to a contract that remains with the property once you’ve left could push the price of their

20 www.thevinemagazine.co.uk

Solar Power house down or put off buyers. And the aesthetics are worth considering, though there are ways to fit panels more discretely. Equally, a more efficient home generating its own energy and paying a feed-in tariff could attract buyers. If you may one day sell the property, I wouldn’t let it put you off. If you’re selling soon, it’s unlikely to be worth doing as you won’t have time to recoup the amount you shell out and it’s unlikely to add a similar amount to your house value.

Don’t some firms advertise free solar panels? Some companies offer to fit panels free – but do that and they keep the bigger feed-in tariff payments. You just get the £100ish electricity savings, though prices are predicted to rise massively over 20 years. The firms also maintain the panels and pay for insurance. Yet you may not be able to buy out your contract, so bear this in mind – especially if you’re likely to move house – as this could be very unattractive to a future purchaser. I’ve full reviews of the free solar providers at www.mse.me/ freesolar.

Trick Amazon into giving you free delivery The giant e-retailer used to give free delivery on its goods (not its third party Marketplace sellers) if you spent £10, but in May it increased that to £20. Delivery costs anything from £1.50 to £6, but a new tool (developed by a very clever chap called Adam who used to work for me), SuperSaverDelivery.co.uk scours Amazon for filler items. For example, a £19.72 hairdryer comes with a £6.01 delivery charge so £25.74 total. But the tool shows how you can add a 33p Snickers bar so you’d only pay £20.05.

Turn your smartphone into a free holiday sat-nav If it’s got GPS, you can convert it into a free sat-nav for 28 countries without using any pricey data overseas. Just download the maps before you go – Navmii. com is a free app for iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone. Once you’ve downloaded it to your phone, it doesn’t need any internet data to find routes, search, or access its maps via GPS, as these are stored offline in your phone.

Carers Required

Violets is a local provider of Domiciliary Care in Dunstable and Houghton Regis. We provide care and support to service users (adults) in the local community in their own homes. We are a family run, friendly organisation whose aim is to provide a high standard of care and support to those who receive our services.

We are looking for caring, dedicated and professional people to join our fantastic team of carers here at Violets. We offer full support and training so experience is not essential, also a competitive petrol contribution per call, competitive rates of pay and an overtime bonus scheme. We are looking for car drivers with full driving licence as the vacancy requires staff to travel from one service users home to another. The post is dependant on a clear enhanced DBS check (Criminal Record Check) and references. We are looking for people with weekend availability, we also have some weekday work and evenings as well.

For more information please contact Violets Office on 01582 476044 or email us at info@violetshomecare.co.uk (including your CV).

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Issue 67 â&#x20AC;˘ October / November 2015 21

Consumer Clinic

Employing A Tradesman And NOT A Cowboy! Sadly over the years I have dealt with far too many cases of consumers who have employed the services of a rogue tradesman and have paid a heavy price for their mistake. But how do you find a good tradesman to carry out work in your home or garden? Here are my top tips... By Jonathan Vernon-Smith

You can listen to The JVS Show every weekday morning from 9am on BBC Three Counties Radio

a method of payment before work before you decide who to use. EVER employ the Don’t necessarily use the cheapest, begins. I personally do not pay for services of someone work until it has been completed. who knocks at your door but at least if you have a range of If the builder/electrician/plumber offering their services. If a builder, quotes you can ensure that you needs to buy parts etc for the job, roofer or plumber has time to cold are not overpaying for work to call people, then they’re obviously be undertaken. I generally go for then I am happy to pay for that on the basis of a receipt, however I the quote in the middle as long not very busy. Why are they not as I have a good feeling about the insist on paying for labour costs very busy? BECAUSE THEY’RE PROBABLY NOT VERY GOOD! A tradesman and feel I can commu- on completion of the job. When you’re dealing with a large job good tradesman will be busy with nicate effectively with him/her. (eg an extension), then I work for weeks in advance. would agree a payment plan I am always similarly sceptig with in al de in writing. However, you lf cal of anybody who tells se ur yo If you find u yo r should always ensure a large be you on the phone they can em m re a cowboy, then enough final payment is redo a job for you that day. er um ns my co can always call tained to act as an incentive Always ask your friends . 50 582 6374 programme on 01 for the job to be completed and neighbours if they can to your satisfaction. recommend a good tradesFinally, NEVER agree work man when you decide you without a written quote. Verbal Always ask for references need some work doing. It may contracts and quotations are (particularly when you’re using sound simple, but the best way someone to carry out a large job). of course legally binding, but I have always found to employ trying to prove what was agreed Don’t be afraid to make contact the services of someone good, weeks down the line is normally a with their previous customers is to use your trusted contacts. nightmare. Chances are if they did a good job and ask if you can go and look at the job they did. Ask them if they for your best friend or next door had any problems and what the neighbour, they’ll do a good job tradesman/company was like at for you too. resolving those problems. Make sure you always get at least It is very important that you agree 3 quotes from different people

22 www.thevinemagazine.co.uk

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Issue 67 • October / November 2015 25

Sun Destinations

WINTER SUN

Winter

By Danielle Lade

he days were longer, the evenings were lighter, which is lovely! And then Autumn starts to hit and you can feel the days creeping into their Winter state. With the UK’s weather, one thing we seem to be able to count on is a relatively dreary and gloomy Winter! It’s not quite near enough to the jovialities of the end of the year (a season I won’t mention already in September!) However, a break away in October or November is just the thing to lift the spirits and bridge that gap between Summer and Decembers good cheer! But where is best to find the heat and sunshine in the Autumn/Winter months? With Australia a bit too far away for a quick break away; which options are slightly closer to home, a bit more affordable and more importantly, going to be bright and sunny?!

To make the most of your leftover sun screen, check out our list of the best most Summer sun destinations...

26 www.thevinemagazine.co.uk

Southern Cyprus offers

temperatures of a perfect pleasing 24 degrees with minimal rain fall levels so a good beach holiday option. You can expect a good 9 hours of sunshine and a flight of 5 hours from a number of UK airports such as Birmingham, Luton, Gatwick, Leeds and Manchester.

For a real variety, Tenerife offers both busy resorts for party goers, posh luxury hotels, historic ports for sightseers and lush green mountains for avid walkers. With a flight time of 4 and a half hours from most major airports and a real range of budgets to suit most, it’s a great option for Winter sun seekers.

Issue 67 â&#x20AC;˘ October / November 2015 27

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 



             

 

            

 

       

30 www.thevinemagazine.co.uk

 

    

  

 

          



          

LEATHER

RESTORATION SERVICE Before

Before

After

CAR SEAT & FURNITURE REPAIRS • Rips • Cigarette Burns • Holes

Most repairs can be undertaken in your home by our qualified leather technicians, or larger jobs brought into our fully equipped

• Cat Scratches • Re-colouring • Colour Matching • Cleaning • Cracking • Stain Removal • Re-Padding • Spring Replacement.

workshop.

Repairing leather is approximately 20% of the cost of re-upholstering Unit 26 Acacia Close, Cherrycourt Way, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 4QE Luton:01582

Website:

380 750

Leighton Buzzard:01525

888 250

www.furnitureclinic.co.uk

Airport Travel Services Luxury Cars & 8 Seater Vehicles

Lee’s

Minor Roof Repairs Loves the ladder jobs you hate!

Specialist in minor roof repairs Family run business for 25 years

Corporate & Business Travel Specialists

Reliability Is Our Strength

00 44 Seaports (0)1582 732585 Airports, and Railports

we cover all of your travelling needs 01582 732585 airporttravelexecutive@yahoo.com www.airport-travel-services.co.uk

• Tile Replacement - Including Ridge Tiles • Gutter/Fascia Cleaning • Gutter Repairs • Moss Removal • Lead Repairs/Repointed No job too small!

Call Lee Daniels

07949 579797

lee.daniels50@ntlworld.com

County Drainage & Plumbing Solutions Your Local Drainage Specialist

No Call Out Fee For All Your Drainage & Plumbing Needs

01525 222439

Steve

07944 297538

Free Estimate & Advise High Pressure Water Jetting CCTV Survey’s Full Drain Repair & Replacement Drain Relining Specialist All Work Guaranteed Email - steve@countydrainage.me.uk www.blockeddrainsandplumbing.com

County Drainage & Plumbing Solutions

Issue 67 • October / November 2015 31

Get the look

berry NICe! From leather skirts to stylish satchels, berry is the new red.

M&S Collection Leather Glove £18.00 Padston boots £99 - Delphine saddle bag £59 Dune Rydell Skirt £55.00 White Stuff Boucle Jacket £59.00 JD Williams F&F Burgundy Fedora Hat £14.00

Berry Brogue £30.00 Evans

F&F Triple Toggle Top Handle Red £16.00

32 www.thevinemagazine.co.uk

Issue 67 â&#x20AC;˘ October / November 2015 33

p ns

Breast Cancer Awareness

a sp

be rr y R ich B o

dy Butter £

3 20 pd

i at

on to Jo Malone Red Roses Cologne the £20 from every bottle sold during October . ASD A Tickle ink Charity will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research dP Foundation. £82 for 100ml, jomalone.co.uk

Bobbi Brown Pretty Pink Ribbon Lipgloss Collection From every collection sold, £5 will be donated to Breast Cancer Research Foundation. £35, bobbibrown.co.uk

THINK INKTHIS OCTOBER

SHOP THESE GREAT BRANDS AND PRODUCTS GUILTFREE, KNOWING THAT EACH ONE MAKES A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II with Pink Ribbon Keychain 20 % from every sale in the UK will go to Breast Cancer Research Foundation. £69 for 50ml, esteelauder.co.uk

Lee Stafford Blow Your Mind Light Weight Dryer 2200w £1.80 will be donated to the ASDA Tickled Pink Charity. £18 asdadirect.com

Evelyn Lauder and Elizabeth Hurley Dream Colour Collection 20% from every sale in the UK will go to Breast Cancer Research Foundation £28, selfridges.com

34 www.thevinemagazine.co.uk

GHD Coral Bird of Paradise Styler For every pair sold, £10 goes straight to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. £129, ghdhair.com

MERRY CHRISTMAS Party Nights - £27.00 - Per Person DJ Entertainment, crackers and festive table settings are all included!These take place on Friday’s: 27th November

how much does he actually see?

Festive Menu

(Unfortunately, he he won’t won’t know know what what he’s he’s missing. missing. Do Do you?) you?) (Unfortunately,

DUNSTABLE DUNSTABLE EYE CENTRE CENTRE EYE

THE WHITE LION Dunstable

Children under under 16 16 are are entitled entitled to to a a free free eye eye examination examination under under the the NHS NHS Children

4th, 11th & 18th December

- £25.00 - Per Person

Crackers and festive table settings included. You can book the festive menu for any number of people, for lunch or dinner, every day of the week.

how much does how how much much does doe how much does he actually see? he he actually actually see? see he actually see? For further information please visit our website: www.whiteliondunstable.co.uk Email: info@whiteliondunstable.co.uk Tel: 01582 663366 (Unfortunately, he won’t

Festive Offer

Monday – Thursday For every 10 Festive Meals booked, you get one Festive Meal Free… Wow! know what he’s missing. Do you?)

(Unfortunately, (Unfortunately, he he won’t won’t know know what what he’s he’s missing. missing. Do Do you?) you?) Children Children under under 16 16 are are entitled entitled to to a a free free eye eye examination examination under under the the NHS NHS

5 Ashton Square, Dunstable, Bedfordshire LU6 3SN

01582 608 449

www.decopticians.co.uk

exam. exam.

how much does he actually see?

free eye DUNSTABLE EYE CENTRE free eye DUNSTABLE 01582 608 449 www.decopticians.co.uk 5 Ashton Square, Dunstable, Bedfordshire LU6 3SN EYE CENTRE

exam.

Children under 16 are entitled to a free eye examination under the NHS

On presentation of this voucher | Cannot be used with any other offer 01582 608 449 www.decopticians.co.uk 5 Ashton Square, Dunstable, Bedfordshire LU6 3SN

Children under 16 are entitled to a free eye examination under the NHS

(Unfortunately, he won’t know what he’s missing. Do you?)

Children under 16 are entitled to a free eye examination under the NHS

free eye

(Unfortunately, he won’t know what he’s missing. Do you?)

he actually see? how much does he actually see?

(Unfortunately, he won’t know what he’s missing. Dowhat you?) (Unfortunately, (Unfortunately, he he won’t won’t know know what he’she’s missing. missing. Do Do you? yo Children under 16 arewon’t entitledknow to a free eye examination under theyou?) NHS (Unfortunately, what he’s missing. Children under 16 he are entitled to a free eye under the NHS Children Children under under 16examination are 16 are entitled entitled to atoDo free a free eye eye examination examination under under the NHS the N

free eye/ November DUNSTABLEDUNSTABLE free eye free free eye eye DUNSTABLE DUNSTABLE Issue 67 • October 2015 35

Puzzles

Answers on page 62

SWORD

Crossword

(7)

Across

)

Down

7. Mend (6)

1. Valour (7)

8. Harm (6)

(7)

2. Hardy (7)

10. Loquacious (7)

3. Guide (5)

11. Concur (5)

4. Handcuff (7)

12. Highway (4)

5. Worry (5)

13. Match (5)

6. Cut (5)

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Issue 67 • October / November 2015 37

A Travellers Tale

The Splendours Of India Palaces, Temples & Tigers (?) Part III By Paul Heley

Part of one of the temple walls

Some monkey business going on here!

Clearing up after a cremation

38 www.thevinemagazine.co.uk

ext morning bright and early for another train ride, this time on the Shatabdi Express to Jhansi and then on a bumpy road to Khajuraho with a different driver. He was very impatient, blew his horn constantly, had to frequently stamp on his brakes, and overtook in impossible places. It really was a "white knuckle" ride and I for one was glad when it was over and we were safely dropped at our hotel. But what is Khajuraho famous for? Correct! Temples!! I must confess that Val and I, along with a few others, were becoming rather "templed out"; so we were less than 100% enthusiastic when taken to the Chandela Dynasty Complex next morning. But these temples are different. VERY different. Understandably, this is another UNESCO World Heritage Site because the carvings are simply mind blowing. The individual temples (25 in all) are covered from top to bottom with elaborate carvings. It must be admitted, however, that much of their popular appeal is due to their depicting scenes from the Karma Sutra and some of them leave very little to the imagination. Definitely not the place for delicate maiden aunts! However, not all the carvings deal with sexual images; most, in fact, depict various Hindu gods, symbols and stories. But, whatever the scene, the craftsmanship regarding the actual carvings was breath taking yet again; and one cannot but marvel at the extreme artistic skill. After lunch, we flew to Varanasi (India's holy city) and, once again, Abhi showed his worth as he sorted out tickets, boarding passes, luggage, porterage, and the coach at Varanasi for transport to the hotel. He helped tremendously. Then it was up before dawn next morning in order to see the sunrise over the Ganges - India's holy river - where we witnessed hundreds of people "bathing away their sins" in the waters. We went for a boat ride and viewed the riverside buildings and the various "ghats" (cremation sites) and dropped little floating candles in the river as some form of spiritual offering. After this we walked back to the coach through a labyrinth of tiny, crowded streets whose every building was a small shop. These little streets were covered in filth and animal droppings; and if this were not enough, there were loads of the small motorbikes which one sees everywhere trying to get through. It was complete madness; but yet another example of "normal" life in India. Returning to the hotel for breakfast, the rest of the day was spent doing our own thing. This meant reading, sleeping, and going out to find an ATM which worked - not easy. It also meant fighting off hordes of tuc-tuc drivers wanting to take us somewhere we didn't want to go; fighting off hordes of trinket sellers trying to sell us stuff we didn't want to buy; and politely refusing the advances of shop owners imploring us to visit their shop and spend some of our unimaginable wealth. It became quite tiring. The evening had been planned for another Ganges river trip to celebrate some astrologically significant full moon Hindu festival taking place around sunset. This particular festival was clearly a great attraction for thousands and thousands of people and our coach was stuck solid for more than half an hour in a monstrous traffic jam. In desperation, we took to the cycle rickshaws again and weaved our way through a dense mass of traffic complete with attendant

noise and blinding lights until we reached the riverside. Here we were again assailed by the usual cluster of trinket sellers, beggars and sadhus - all of whom wanted money, of course. Again we got on a boat but this time there were about a million (!) others and, I'm afraid, we didn't have a ringside seat so didn't see all that was to be seen. However, a few cremations were taking place on the river banks and these, in their morbid way, were interesting and quite colourful! Afterwards, we returned to our hotel and simply collapsed - it had been a very long and tiring day. Next day was our penultimate day and in the morning, we went round a silk weaving factory and saw some of the exquisite shawls, covers and other linen for sale. Then it was off to the airport for the flight to Delhi where, unfortunately, we had to pay excess baggage (since internal Indian airlines aren't so generous as international airlines regarding luggage allowance). This hadn't been the case with the other two internal flights; so had they simply "looked the other way" or had Abhi bribed them? There followed an uneventful flight to Delhi for the final night before the nine hour flight back to LHR next day during which we could reflect on what had been a very different, but rather exhausting type of holiday. Thoughts and images will flood back into the memory for a long time to come: memories of a holiday full of splendour, grandeur, history, chaos, filth, squalor - and infuriating contradictions.

Any chance of a lift, mate?

Street scenes I've already given a picture of what one sees all the while in India such as the filthy rubbish scattered everywhere, the animals which just wander about (and leave their resultant "deposits"), and the general squalor in which people live their lives. But there is also the myriad of little shops which line up one after the other (and which sell everything imaginable) together with the roadside "dhabas", ie the eating spots which offer an amazing array of all manner of alluring food with wonderful aromas. However, if tempted to partake, a westerner runs the risk of serious stomach upset - the

Begging dreaded "Delhi Belly" in extreme cases - due to the very suspect hygiene found - or not found - in the preparation. However, it's the traffic scenes which stick in the memory as much as anything. There's an unwritten rule of the road which says "if there's a gap, however small, go for it". This results in rickshaws, motorbikes, carts, cars and even lorries literally millimetres away from each other in a great heap. Vehicles are supposed to drive on the left hand side of the road (as in the UK); but don't let that fool you! Even big lorries can be found driving down the wrong side of a dual carriageway! Nobody takes any notice; they just get out of the way because there's another mantra which says "Might is right". There are absolutely millions of little motorbikes; with the Honda "Hero" taking the lion's share. These are 100cc bikes which cost something like ÂŁ400 in India. And with fuel at 70p a litre and incredible petrol consumption, this makes driving very cheap (by our standards). Outside of (prosperous) New Delhi, I estimated that there must be at least 10 motorbikes for every car - they are "everyman's" form of transport. Images of scenes which simply would not be allowed in the UK are linked with these little motorbikes. Such as Dad driving, baby on the petrol tank, two children behind Dad and then Mum perched on the back somehow - and none of them wearing crash helmets. Or two chaps carrying a full sized floppy mattress between them; or two chaps carrying a huge, circular, highly ornamented and coloured, metal "something". They were wobbling about all over the place, weaving in and out of the rest of the traffic, and looked as though they could come to grief at any moment. Somehow they survived. And then there are the beggars. Not only religious ascetics whose life is one of renunciation from the world but also extremely poor people who barely exist. Usually it's a woman - with the obligatory baby - but can also be small children who make a "hand to mouth" gesture. It's very heart wrenching but I've found that if one gives anything, a hundred other beggars (or children) will appear out of the woodwork as if by magic. It's very difficult - and they can be very persistent.

Issue 67 â&#x20AC;˘ October / November 2015 39

Notice Board Volunteers Wanted Growing public interest in the history of the town has prompted the Dunstable Tour Guides to seek additional volunteers. Learn fascinating facts, develop your natural communication skills and embark on a journey to entertain and inform groups of all ages with walks and talks. To find out more pleasee contact Ann Ledger. ann.ledger@btinternet.com or 01525 229476

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FRIENDS OF ARDLEY HILL After its success last year, FOAH are starting to organise a second firework display in November. We are looking for any local businesses who would be willing to sponsor the raise event or offer support in helping us to . emy Acad Hill money for Ardley act us at: If you are interested please cont you. k Than k rg.u hill.o dley @ar foah

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Call Rob on 01908 216151 or 07977 206403 Issue 67 • October / November 2015 41

Pets

Recognising ilelntess) s ged P A d l O i ( n O.A.P’s old age pets

Just as we ca n more health have is as we get ol sues de as we Just as we can have more health issues too can our r, so petsthey an get older, so too can our pets often ofteand n they are si d milar ai lm en ts . So w are similar ailments. should we be hat looking So what should we be looking for? out for? Pout DSA Vet Vicki Larkh am-Jones explains. Looking after our pets as they reach their elder Lo

oking after ou r pe years is just as important as giving a good elder them years is just ts as they reach their • Lack of en as important a good start ergy or an un as giving them in life. pets start in life. It’s quite normal forold our old age activity usual increas e in age pets (OAP It’s quite normal for ou r s!) to start to • Fi nd sti ing ll liv slo it difto a few signs keep an eye out for (OAPs!) to start to slow down but still live a dhappy e a ha wHere down buare ficult ppy an to t wa he lk or stand althy life, bu important to • Lo ss up t of it’s ap ke an eye ou also may indicatepean titeillness: which and healthy life, but it’s also important may indicate toepkeep • Drinking a serious illn t for signs that or going to ess. the toilet mo As with huma than usual an eye out for signs that may indicate a serious re ns , art hritis, de certain cancer • Toileting s are all more mentia and in un pe ussuch prevalent•inWeight loss or gain – ts. A quick ch ual place illness. as more prominent s old eck • er Bad breath -up at th months will or one with help detect an e vet every six unusual scen • Lu swelling As with humans, arthritis, dementia certain early stage,and s or swelling ofs theanabdomen. t meaning there y illnesses at anbones, or amp successful tre • Vomiting ance of atm or diarrhoe ent or ma cancers are all more prevalent initioolder pets. A’snaagebemettentr ch cond a Lack of energy or an unusual increase in activity ns. of•ma • Seeming dis ny orientated or It goes things quick check-up at the vet every sixwith months will bumping in ou to it difficult to walk or stand up worried abou t saying though that if yo• Finding • Becoming t your pemeanu’re t’s health at restl help detect any illnesses at an shouearly ld take stage, anytime you ofno to ises at night ess or making unusua appetite l possible. Here them to see your vet as so• Loss on are as ing there’s a better chance of It’s important atreatment outsuccessful for which ma few signs to keep an ey to rem em be • Drinking or going to the toilet more than usual e y indicate an r liv th e at a pe many pe rfectly illness: • Weight los or management of many conditions. your pet is ill, healthy older life, and ev ts s en if the earliplaces prominent bo or gain – such as more • Toileting in unusual er it’s mo dia re nes, or a gn treatment op It goes without saying though that abdome tions you wi osed the n. if you’reswelling of the have. For moreor • Bad breath with anllunusual scent petone care tip worried about your pet’s health at anytime you s log on to www.pdsa.or g. uk • Lumps or swellings /p et he should take to them to see your vet as soon as alth. • Vomiting or diarrhoea possible. • Seeming disorientated or bumping in to things It’s important to remember that many pets live a • Becoming restless or making unusual noises perfectly healthy older life, and even if your pet is at night ill, the earlier it’s diagnosed the more treatment options you will have. For more pet care tips log onto www.pdsa.org.uk/pethealth. Ask The Vet

Need some pet advice? email your questions to askthevet@pdsa.org.uk

42 www.thevinemagazine.co.uk www.thevinemagazine.co.uk

Pets

’s N MabelAppled

Ask T h e Ve t My pet rabbit Flash keeps moulting big chunks of fur when I clean her bedding out. Why is this? Is there anything wrong with her? Maria Moulting is normal, so this may not be anything to worry about. Wild rabbits moult twice a year, but some pet rabbits moult all year round. Regularly brushing your rabbit’s coat will help keep it healthy and prevent fur balls. Use a grooming brush intended for rabbits to brush the coat with gentle strokes in the same direction that the fur grows. You should also regularly check your rabbit’s skin to look for dandruff, especially behind the ears and along the spine as this, together with heavy moulting, can be a sign of mites. To be on the safe side it’s best to get Flash checked over by your vet.

My dog Poppy has mated four times and seems to get pregnant a lot. Every time she’s in heat she has a phantom pregnancy and we’re worried about her as she gets quite depressed when she’s in heat. What should we do? Michael I would strongly recommend that your friend has Poppy neutered (called spaying in female dogs). Spaying has many health benefits for dogs, such as preventing pyometra (a

from Apple

Harling

With PDSA Vet Vicki Larkham-Jones life-threatening womb infection) and reducing the chances of breast cancer. It will also stop Poppy from getting pregnant, having phantom pregnancies and coming in to heat. Your friend should contact her vet to discuss getting Poppy neutered. For more information you can also download PDSA’s leaflet, Neutering, for free at www.pdsa.org.uk.

My two rats are about twoyears-old, but one of them can’t use her hind legs properly. Is this normal for this age or could there be an underlying problem. Alana The signs you describe aren’t normal for a rat, whatever their age. There could be an underlying problem and you should take your rat to your vet as soon as possible. She may have injured her foot or leg, or she may have a problem with her spinal cord, such as a tumour or infection. Your vet will check her over and discuss appropriate treatment with you.

Ask The Vet If you have a pet question you’d like to ask Vicki, email askthevet@pdsa.org.uk

Issue 67 •

I need a home!

Hello again! Hello again!

I’m Mabel the resident dog at Appledown . IThis amisMabel dog at Appled Edmurethe Tully,resident a one year Rescue and Rehoming Kennels in Eaton old crossbreed who is smaller than a Labrador. Edmure is a playful and affectionate young dog who needs an active home Dog with of the Mon Appledown Rescue’s owners willing to carry on with his training. He is good with other dogs and travels well. He cannot be rehomed in Dacorum. Appledown Rescue’s Dog of the Month

d a hom e! e e n I

This is Edmure Tully, a one y who is smaller than a Labrado and affectionate young dog w home with owners willing to c training. He is good with other well. He cannot be rehomed i If you feel you could offer Edm other dogs a loving and secur at the kennels any day betwe Our staff are happy to offer ad Please note that we have rest dogs to families with children Full details of the rehoming pr on our website or call the ken

Could you sponsor a home? Please contac

If you feel you could offer Edmure Appledown Rescue and Rehoming Kennels, Harling Road, Eaton Bray Call: 01525 01525 220383 e-mail: appledown.kennels@btinternet.com or any restrictions of our other dogs a loving have on rehoming dogs to families Website: www.appledownrescue.co.uk E-mail: infor app details . Check our website for adoption Follow us on Facebook! and secure home please call in This is Tor, a lurcher aged 3 years. He is h attrained, the kennels any daypeople between good with and other dogs. Appledown Rescue & Rehoming Kenn 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Ourwill staffbe are needs owners who Call: 01525happy 220383toorcarry e-ma happy to offer adviceThis andaffectionate informawith his training. dogwww wo Website: tion. have but would(Reg. lovePlease to be note part that of awe family, notC restrictions onarehoming dogs suitable for home with children younger toteenagers. families with children under 7 years of age. Full details of the rehoming process can beoffer found If you feel you could Tor, or any of o other dogs, a or loving and secure home plea on our website call the kennels. call in at the kennels any day between 10 Rescue and 4Appledown p.m. Our staff will be happy to offe & Rehoming Kennels, vice and information. We have restriction Harling Road, Eaton Bray,with children u rehoming dogs to families Beds. LU6 1QY 7 years of age, so please ask for details. C Call 01525 220383 . information. our website for adoption E-mail appledown.kennels@ btinternet.com.

Appledown Rescue and Rehoming Kennels, www.appledownrescue.co.uk Road, Eaton Bray, Beds LU6 1QY You can now usNo. on 1116848) (Reg.follow Charity Facebook and CallTwitter! 01525 220383 . (Reg. Charity No. 1116848) E-mail appledown.kennels@btinternet.c Visit our Website: www.appledownrescue.co.uk Appledown Rescue and You can now follow us on Harling Road, Eaton Facebook and Twitter! October / November 2015 43 Bray,

A Pensioners View

Insuring

Motorised Invalid Scooters? By Mike Newman

I had never considered this question before until I read an article in â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Greater London Pensionerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; magazine. It highlighted the pitfalls that can occur for the driver of such a vehicle on the pedestrian pavement if involved in an accident with a pedestrian, the article as follows.

n elderly person on a motorised invalid scooter had caused a pedestrian to take a nasty fall which resulted in a broken limb. The driver was sued and lost the case. The driver then became liable to pay a hefty compensation claim of several thousand pounds. In order to comply with the legal obligations she was obliged to mortgage her home in order to make the compensation payment. A terrible position for an elderly person to find themselves in. In the Herald & Post, August 6th, a writer states that over a period of five minutes, five cyclist rode along in a no cycle area in the town centre of Luton, a little later a chap on a disabled scooter went riding by faster than most of the cyclists and two of the cyclists were at speed. An accident waiting to happen? Accidents do happen, so it would seem sensible for owners of such scooter to take out third party insurance. So if you do use a motorized scooter

it may be worth your while to think about insuring against such accidents. It could save a lot of grief. Also it seems only sensible that if you operate such a vehicle then an audible warning device should be fitted. I have seen one scooter on the Luton Road fitted with a bull horn which would be more than satisfactory. Although speeds are relatively low, they are high enough, when the combined weight of the vehicle and driver are taken into account, to knock a pedestrian over. Elderly pedestrians cannot deal with such falls or impacts, bones become brittle and broken bones in the elderly often lead to more serious conditions. The police can now arrest you for cycling on the pavement, what of the invalid scooter? I believe that audible warning should be mandatory on motorized invalid scooter and this should be considered by those in authority.

Have your say

{

Mike Newman is a member of The Dunstable And District Senior Citizens Club. If you have a view on any of the issues raised why not attend one of their monthly meetings, held on the last Thursday of the month at St Marys Catholic Social Club, West St., Dunstable.

44 www.thevinemagazine.co.uk

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auto Biographies

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By Rob Auchterlonie Copyright Wheelwrite



 traffic free autobahn at the end of CONSIDER the fact that   your road.   Audi’s new RS3 Sportback     Undoubted pace, poise and a has an engine that is barely    distinct lack of any torque steer as   longer than your average loaf    you feed in its 367ps and ensuing   of bread and you might be   465Nm of torque establish it as  left thinking that it’s a slice   the most powerful production five   short of a full wholemeal.   cylinder engine in Audi RS history –   But that’s about as far wide  a lineage that goes back 21 years.   of the truth as a claim that  Audi’s technical wizards have in  the mice are jumping  on the stilled it with supercar performance, traps because mother-in-law yet it can be sensible at times and is coming to stay. return just under 35mpg on the 

he clue’s in the title. RS. Two letters that sum up the importance to Audi of having products that are the pinnacle of their product range. So, far from being a measly half stale bap if we carry on the bread analogy, what we have here is a freshly baked and still warm ciabatta. Just begging to be sampled. Which I’m afraid to say will leave anyone doing that wanting considerably more. The RS3 Sportback is a highly addictive blend of everyday five door compact practicality with ‘light the blue touch paper and enjoy’ performance. Lots of it. Here is a pleasing on the eye hatchback with its RS styling cues ( bumpers, enlarged air inlets, flared arches, sill extensions, rear roof spoiler and twin oval exhausts) that will scorch past 62mph in just 4.3 seconds and on to a limited top speed of 155mph. If you want more it can be derestricted and romp on to 174mph. But probably only if your name is Herman and there’s a handy

combined cycle and its CO2 figure is a not too high 189g/km. So, an everyday car if you like that will burble around before you unleash the 2.5 litre TFSI’s full potential, at which point the exhaust will spit and crackle and burble and let you know in no uncertain terms that this is a performance car with a capital P. Put another way, supercar performance from a five door hatchback. In fact its sprintability (Audi word, not mine) is equal to and in some cases better than some supercars. That tells you just how good the 2.5 five cylinder really is. Its mid range performance is nothing short of spectacular, with its huge reserves of torque on tap from 1625 to 5550rpm. In fact everything has moved up a gear – the new seven speed S tronic twin clutch gearbox shifts faster than before, directing the grunt to the quattro permanent all heel drive system which is - yes you’ve guessed it faster reacting than before. And with less weight to push around

46 www.thevinemagazine.co.uk

than before – the RS3 is 55kgs lighter – the end result is perhaps predictable. Launch control ensures maximum acceleration from a standing start, with minimal wheelspin, which I can vouch for after a couple of runs up the Shelsley Walsh hill climb in Worcestershire, the oldest continually used motorsport venue in the world. Prices start at £39,955, with first UK deliveries in July. Expect the usual high quality cabin with exceptional fit and finish and a pair of very supportive sports seats in fine Nappa leather. And there are plenty of options available, some RS specific and others from the S3 like infortainment, Audi connect systems and assistance systems. Our test car on the UK launch last week had an additional £11,000 worth fitted. Embellishments on top of a very fine car.

FAST FACTS Audi RS3 Sportback £39,955 five cylinder 2480cc TFSI, 367ps, 465Nm; seven speed S tronic; quattro all wheel drive system; Top speed 155mph (limited), 0-62mph 4.3secs fuel – urban 25.2, extra urban 44.8, combined 34.9 (19”x8J wheels); CO2 189g/km.

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Bedfordshire’s Night Sky

By Seb Jay

Looking Up! October & November 2015 Discover the Andromeda Galaxy Tonight:

Ever seen a distant galaxy beyond our own? Now’s your chance! The Andromeda Galaxy is so far away that light from the stars inside it takes 2.5 million years to cross the void of space to Earth. Yet even at this great distance Andromeda is easy to find with binoculars. Look up high to your south mid-evening for a giant square pattern of stars, and an arc of bright stars running out left. From the square move along this arc by one star and lift your binoculars slightly upwards until you see an oval patch of grey light. This is the glow from a trillion stars that make up the Andromeda Galaxy.

See the ISS from Bedfordshire: Mid-October sees the International Space Station (ISS) sail over Bedfordshire in the evening sky. Look for a con-

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48 www.thevinemagazine.co.uk

stant bright white light travelling west to east. It’ll be brighter than any other star in the sky, and won’t flash. View it from Thursday 8 October to Monday 19 October between 7pm – 8:30pm.

Watch the Orionids and Leonids Meteor Showers: This autumn sees a double peak in meteor

activity across Bedfordshire. The first peak is on the night of 21-22 October when up to 30 shooting stars per hour from the Orionids may be seen between midnight and dawn. The night of 17-18 November sees the return of the Leonids. Expect 20+ shooting stars per hour after dark. Image: The Andromeda Galaxy by Torben Bjorn Hansen

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Cinema New Releases CINEMA

When a family tragedy brings her back to Ireland, she finds herself absorbed into her old community, but now with eligible Jim (Domhnall Gleeson) courting her. As she repeatedly postpones her return to America, Eilis finds herself confronting a terrible dilemma - a heart-breaking choice between two men and two countries.

13TH NOVEMBER 2015 9TH OCTOBER 2015

STEVE JOBS CAST: Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Seth Roge, Jeff Daniels Set backstage at three iconic product launches and ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac, Steve Jobs takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution to paint an intimate portrait of the brilliant man at its epicenter. Steve Jobs is directed by Academy Award® winner Danny Boyle and written by Academy Award® winner Aaron Sorkin, working from Walter Isaacson’s bestselling biography of the Apple founder. The producers are Mark Gordon, Guymon Casady of Film 360, Scott Rudin and Academy Award® winner Christian Colson.

6TH NOVEMBER 2015

BROOKLYN CAST: Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Emory Cohen, Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters

Brooklyn is the story of a young woman, Eilis (Saoirse Ronan) who moves from small town Ireland to Brooklyn, NY where, unlike home, she has the opportunity for work and for a future - and love, in the form of Italian-American Tony (Emory Cohen).

16TH OCTOBER 2015

CRIMSON PEAK CAST: Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Hunnam and Jim Beaver When her heart is stolen by a seductive stranger, a young woman is swept away to a house atop a mountain of blood-red clay: a place filled with secrets that will haunt her forever. Between desire and darkness, between mystery and madness, lies the truth behind Crimson Peak.

50 www.thevinemagazine.co.uk

BY THE SEA CAST: Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie Pitt, Mélanie Laurent, Melvil Poupaud, Niels Arestrup and Richard Bohringer By the Sea follows an American writer named Roland (Pitt) and his wife, Vanessa (Jolie Pitt), who arrive in a tranquil and picturesque seaside resort in 1970s France, their marriage in apparent crisis. As they spend time with fellow travelers, including young newlyweds Lea (Laurent) and François (Poupaud), and village locals Michel (Arestrup) and Patrice (Bohringer), the couple begins to come to terms with unresolved issues in their own lives. In its style, and its treatment of themes of the human experience, By the Sea is inspired by European cinema and theatre of the ‘60s and ‘70s.

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Issue 67 • October / November 2015 51

52 www.thevinemagazine.co.uk

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Issue 67 • October / November 2015 5359

DISCOVER Ashridge Visitors Centre, Moneybury Hill, Berkhamstead, Hertfordshire. HP4 1LT

Kids’ Autumn Trail 1st Sept until 31st Oct, £1 Take a stroll through the woodland discovering more about autumn time at Ashridge and complete some of the "50 things" to do before you're 11 3/4 on route. Visit the Ashridge Visitor Centre to collect your trail map and follow the trail, answer the questions and return to collect your sticker reward. No need to book, just turn up. Heritage Open Day 12th Sept, Free The Bridgewater Monument will be open free of charge all day on Saturday 12th September. Climb the 172 steps for beautiful panoramic views of the entire estate. Opening is weather dependant. Chilterns Countryside and Food Festival 13th Sept, Adult £4, Child £1 Come along to our annual festival to celebrate the different crafts, industries and wildlife associated with the Chilterns countryside. Enjoy a day of mouth-watering local produce stalls, fascinating craft displays, forestry demonstrations and children's activities in the meadow behind the Visitor Centre. Gentle Stroll 15th Sept, 10.30am, £3 Part of a series of strolls which provide a chance to discover the wildlife in different parts of the Estate and to look for animal tracks, deer sightings, birds and other items of interest. The strolls take around 2 hours. No need to book, just turn up with sensible walking shoes and warm waterproof clothing just in case! Angela Allaway open studio and work shop 19th /20th Sept Local artist Angela Allaway will be displaying her beautiful pieces of art inspired by Ashridge at the Visitor Centre. You can come and watch her work on her current piece or join her in the afternoon on Monument Green for drop-in workshops. Learn to use chalk and charcoal to create your own piece of natural art. Suitable for all ages. Drop in on the day, no need to book.

www.thevinemagazine.co.uk

Deer Rut Walks 9th/10th/11th/16th/17th/18th Oct, 7am, Adults £15, Child £10 Join our rangers at this exciting time of the year to watch wild Fallow deer during the rutting season. On this very popular wildlife walk it is often possible to get close to these majestic animals. Round the morning off with a breakfast roll on us at the Brownlow cafe. Please wear suitable footwear and clothing for walking in woodland and it helps if you can wear natural coloured clothing. Bring along binoculars if you have them. Angela Allaway open studio and work shop 10 th & 11th Oct Local artist Angela Allaway will be displaying her beautiful pieces of art inspired by Ashridge at the Visitor Centre. You can come and watch her work on her current piece or join her in the afternoon on Monument Green for drop-in workshops. Learn to use chalk and charcoal to create your own piece of natural art. Suitable for all ages. Drop in on the day, no need to book. Autumn Colours Walk 24th Oct, 10.30am, £3 Join our Rangers for an autumn walk in the woods taking in all of nature's brilliance with stunning autumn colours, fungi and animals to look out for. The walk is 7 miles long and follows a part of the Ashridge boundary trail. This is a mass participation walk with space for up to 100 people. Creepy Crafts and Halloween Trail 26th to 30th Oct, £2 per child Join us at the Ashridge Estate this half term to create your own spooky bat masks and witches' hats to take home with you! Then head out on our Halloween Trail through the woods. Ashridge Christmas Trail 14 Nov to 31 Dec, £1 Take a stroll through the woodland discovering more about winter and Christmas time at Ashridge. Visit the Ashridge Visitor Centre to collect your trail map and follow the trail, answer the questions and return to collect your Christmas reward. No need to book, just turn up.

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Issue 67 • October / November 2015 55

Out & About

Halloween & Bonfire Night Fun

Halloween Fayre Sunday October 25th. Harlington village hall, sundon road, harlington. 1pm - 4pm. Enchanted forest with story teller. Owls. Spooky and unusual stalls. Refreshments. Prizes for best adult and child fancy dress and best carved pumpkin, adult and child. To book a stall contact 01525 758874. Pumpkin Carving October 26th to November 2nd Come up and visit us in our spooky hut. Grab a mini pumpkin and carve and decorate it. Please call for prices and availability of times.

Halloween Disco

Friday 30th October - 6 pm to 8 pm Fancy a spooky boogie? Put on your scariest Halloween fancy dress and join us for a fun disco. There will be a prize for the best costume, apple-bobbing, hot dogs and refreshments.

FIREWORKS DISPLAY

Thursday 5th November 6.30pm - Gates Open 7.30pm - Gates Closed 8.00pm - Fireworks Start (Display lasts approx. 20mins) Fun Fair Rides, Food, Music and Fireman Sam (Meet & Greet = 6.45pm till 7.30pm) Entrance is via Brewers Hill School & Creasey Park Drive

Suitable for ages 5 – 12 years. £10 per child. Children must be accompanied by an adult. £2 parking fee applies. Call 01525 234260 visitorservices@greensandtrust.org, or call into the Visitor Centre . Herons View Visitor Centre Rushmere Country Park, LU7 0EB

56 www.thevinemagazine.co.uk

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:01582 472116 Issue 67 • October / November 2015 57

Clubs & Groups SAPHIRE SOCIAL CLUB Sapphire Social Club meet every Thursday at The Orange Tree Stevenage Road Hitchin from 8.30 - 11pm. We are a small and friendly group for single people aged 50+ although we have no age bar. Our members organize varied events during the month and we warmly welcome new members to come along and see if we might just fill that gap in your social life. No subs for the first 2 months. For any info call Ian 07900 890583 or Joyce on 07960 440417 or visit our website www.sapphiresocialsinglesclub.co.uk

LANGDALE CHURCH ‘HATTERS TEA’- informal neighbourhood group meets monthly on a Wednesday pm. Free tea/ coffee & home-made cakes, quiz and raffle. Friends and Neighbours- monthly on a Thursday pm. Speakers and free tea/coffee. At Langdale Church. Other groups- table tennis, walking group and drawing for beginners Make the most of our community activities and meet new people in our community. Tel Colin, Community Worker 01582602980

DUNSTABLE CAMERA CLUB Dunstable Camera Club, meet 2nd Tuesday of the month, 7.15pm, Conservative Club, High St. Dunstable. Friendly atmosphere. Improve your photography in a social environment. www.dunstablecameraclub.co.uk

BREAKOUT SOCIAL CLUB We are a club for the over forty fives, not a singles club but a social club for people who enjoy going out but are on their own, where they can meet like-minded people, with a varied monthly programme covering Disco’s, Pub lunch’s, walks, parties and much, much more, we meet once a week in the front bar at the Conservative Club, High street North Dunstable For more information please contact Sandy on 07813 262556

DUNSTABLE PROBUS CLUB Dunstable PROBUS Club meets on the second Monday of the month and membership is open to retired or semi-retired professional and business men. The Club’s main object is the promotion of good fellowship. Members enjoy a variety of social activities and organized visits throughout the year and at their regular monthly meetings they are entertained by after-lunch speakers. If you are interested in joining the Club, please contact the Secretary Malcolm Partridge 01525 222711 BREATHEASY Do you suffer from a lung condition? Then why not come and join our local Support group - breatheasy - Part of the British lung foundation. We meet on the 2nd Thursday of the month at peter newton pavilion (Behind tesco) 2 - 4pm carers also welcome As well as supporting each other we have a variety of speakers and also arrange day trips out. New members most welcome More info phone michael on 01582 602348

58 www.thevinemagazine.co.uk

NORTHALL TODDLER GROUP Northall Village Hall, LU6 2EX Join new mums, dads, grandparents and carers. Every Tuesday 9:30 – 11:30am (including school holidays) For children aged 0-5 years. Tea, coffee, juices and healthy snacks Come join in the fun, games and learning (inside and out) £2.50 during term time (per family) £1 per child during school holidays (Adults go free & older children are welcome) Tel. Stacey 07957 607592 or Sally 07963 506188

DUNSTABLE WI Dunstable W.I. meet two evenings a month on the 2nd and 4th thursdays at Watling School Bullpond Lane at 7.30pm. We are a friendly group and like to enjoy ourselves. We have a wide range of speakers with different talents and crafts, and also quiz nights to test our brains. We Welcome new members so join us and make new friends. 8th Oct, John McCombe - Screen 22nd Oct, Sue Vought - Life Coach 12th Nov, Swishing 26th Nov, W.I. Raffle and Quiz For more Info Barbara Fisher 01582 665252 BEDFORDSHIRE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY TUESDAY 20th OCTOBER, MAULDEN 8pm Talk “Oliver Pike, pioneer photographer-naturalist and BNHS president” by Rory Morrisey, Dragonfly recorder for the society. Oliver Pike was also a wildlife film-maker and author. At Maulden Village Hall, MK45 2DP. SATURDAY 7th NOVEMBER, ASHRIDGE 10:30am Ramble in Ashridge Commons and Woods SSSI looking at trees, commons and chalk grasslands for late Autumn highlights. Meet outside the Brownlow café SP970130, HP4 1LX. Leaders: Sheila Brooke and the Powells. TUESDAY 17th NOVEMBER, MAULDEN 8pm Talk “Current activities of BSBI and some perspectives on orchids” by Ian Denholm, President of the BSBI. A review of some ongoing projects and some current issues relating to the systematics and conservation of our wild orchids. At Maulden Village Hall, MK45 2DP. ARTS & CRAFTS Art & Craft for adults with learning difficulties every Wednesday 10.30am - 12.30pm & every Sat 11am - 1pm at Arttrend, rear of 440 Dunstable Road. Please see the website www.arttrend.co.uk for all the details or phone 07794987796.

THE BOGTROTTERS The Bogtrotters (Dunstable and District Walking and Hostelling Group) are a group of about 90 walkers, hikers and hostellers. We run a surprisingly diverse range of activities, including half and full day walks, hostelling trips, meals and evening activities. New members are always welcome. Prospective members are invited to get in touch via the website, give us a ring or just turn up to an event or walk. 01582 865966 Sue or Julian Enquiries@dunstablebogtrotters.co.uk www.dunstablebogtrotters.co.uk NATIONAL TRUST All meetings are held at Salvation Army Centre, Dunstable. Guests are welcome at £3.00 As well as outing we also run a holiday once per year. If you would like to join the group, please contact, Lynder Power 01582 696193 or Janr Lingham 01582 606838 7th October, Talk - Waddesdon Manor by Bob Keating 14th October, Outing - Under The Bearskin, A Guided Tour Featuring Royalty & Pageantry. 4th November, Talk - The Worl of Coffee by Colin Smith FRIENDS OF STUDHAM COMMON We are a friendly,voluntary group whose aim is to conserve,maintain and promote Studham Common as a haven for wildlife and a place for everyone to enjoy.For this purpose we meet as a work party on the third Saturday of each month (except Dec.) The work is not onerous and we enjoy the exercise and the good company –and a picnic lunch is provided! Details from Pam on 01582 872608 pamrumfitt@btinternet.com

Issue 67 • October / November 2015 59

Out & About THE WILDLIFE TRUST Blows Downs Hedgehogs and orchards this Halloween. Sat31st October 10am - 1pm £2 per child, adults free The orchard Blows Downs Station Road, LU5 4EY Ruth Sneath 01525 874317 Hedgehogs are in serious decline and need our help. Join us to find out how you can help our spikey friends whilst enjoying taking part in activities such as apple pressing, making a hedgehog bird feeder and a hedgehog friendly home. There will also be lots of information for you on wildlife gardening as well as information on how your hedgehog sightings can help combat their decline. There will be warm refreshments available. Guided Walk of Blows Downs for Dogs and Their Owners Sat 21st November 10am - 11.30am £2.50 per person or £6 per family From Half Moon Lane LU5 4AE Ruth Sneath - 01525 874317 Join us for a brisk winter walk to enjoy the views. Dog behaviour expert Lesley Oliphant from ‘Dogzaloud’ will be on hand to answer all your doggie questions and give you top tips for you and your dog. Under 18s must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Outdoor clothing and sturdy footwear required.

Wine In The Park After Dark Friday 23rd October 7pm WHAT’S ON for AUTUMN/WINTER 2015 Come along for an evening of wine tasting with a side helping of cheese always seem to get greatwines Septembers in this country, don’t you think? ofWecourse! 15 delicious to sample and learn about with a local expert We can’t think of a better time to visit Rushmere, enjoying the last days of warmth and as with overinto 18October, years of experience. we head looking out for those sure signs that Autumn is here. Over-18s only.great £15events per person. Advance booking We’ve got some lined up too – all great reasons toessential. continue to visit right

visitorservices@greensandtrust.org. Feed The Birds Feed The Birds Sunday 25th October 11am to 3pm

through the autumn and winter! For more details, telephone us on 01525 234260 or email Make a note in your diary, and we’ll see you soon!

Learn all about feeding our feathered friends. Get messy and make a bird cake. Fun craft activities and SA RIE FAI guided bird walks. RSPB/BTO stalls and bird ringing OF demonstrations. Entry is free but there mayFEbe S a Learn all about feeding our feathered friends. Get messy and small charge for some activities. make a bird cake, fun craft activities, guided bird walks, RSPB

Wine in the Park After Dark Come along for an evening of wine tasting with a side helping Friday 23rd October 7pm of cheese of course! 15 delicious wines to sample and learn about with a local expert with over 18 years of experience. L Over-18s only. £15 per person. Advance booking essential. TIVA Feed The Birds Sunday 25th October 11am – 3pm

and BTO stalls and bird-ringing demonstrations. Entry is free although there may be a small charge for some activities. £2

Sunday 25thFrolic October 11 am to 3parking pm exit 28th fee applies. Fairy And Pixie PlayonSat November

2.30pm to 4.45pm

Loads ofCarving magical funfeathered forCome boys and girls aged 6 –make 12 years, both under cover Pumpkin up and visit in our and spooky hut. mini Fun pumpkin Learn all about feeding our friends. Getusmessy aGrab bird acake. craft activities Monday October 26th to and carve and decorate it. Please call for prices and outdoors. will be funky face painting, spellbinding stories in the nd andand guided bird walks.There stalls andofbird ringing demonstrations. Monday November 2RSPB/BTO availability times.

woods and refreshments. N 28 Cost of £10 per child (3rd child £5). Children must be accompanied by anSaturday and p 8pm refreshments. £10 per child. Suitable for ages 5 – 12 years. olic Must be accompanied by an adult. All adult. proceeds reinvested in the park. y fr Fair gi ma

Disco on your spookiest costume and join us for a fun disco. EntryHalloween is free but there may be aPut small charge for some activities. Parking fee of £2 applies. Friday 30th October, 6pm - Prize for best fancy dress, apple-bobbing, hotdogs and

Woodland Fairies

Lots of exciting fairy and pixie fun for boys and girls age 6 – 12

2.30pm – 5pm

accompanied by an adult. Advance booking essential.

s of face oad

For more information contact visitorservices@greensandtrust.org, call 01525 234260 or call into theL be funky and Pixies years, undercover and outdoors. Craft activities, face-painting, £1 th November, Saturday stories in the woods, refreshments. £10 per child. Must be Winter Fayre Sunday 6th December t of Visitor Centre28 . Website http://www.greensandtrust.org/Rushmere.html Cos

Get into the Christmas spirit!

Herons View Visitor Centre Winter Fayre Get into the Christmas spirit with our winter fayre and enjoy Come and enjoy andand carols under cover inselling the marquee with a variSundayCountry 6th December, carols, a variety of stalls wonderful gift Rushmere Park musicmusic 11amRoad – 3pm items, Greensand Trust craft activities and tombola and of Linslade ety of stalls selling wonderful gift ideas. will beareGreensand Trust craft course, seasonal food There and drink. If we all good, maybe Heath and Reach will make an appearance. Entry is free activities and a tombolaFather and,Christmas of course, seasonal food and drink. although there may be a small charge for some activities. LU7 0EB

£2

k par

WINTER FAYRE

m For Visi

£2 parking on exit fee applies. We hope that Father Christmas may even put in an appearance!

For more information or to book call 01525 234260 visitorservices@greensandtrust.org, or call into the Herons View Visitor Centre, Rushmere Country Park, Linslade Road, Heath and Reach, LU7 0EB Sunday 6th December 2

Exhibition & Sale Of Art & Craft Saturday 17th October. 10.30am-5pm. Village Hall, Sundon Road, Harlington Exhibits by local artists/craftspeople include: Canal Ware, Glassware, Greetings Cards, Fancy Goods, Jewellery, Needlecraft, Paintings, Photography, Sculpture etc. Botanical artist Karen Bailey will be our guest artist this year. Refreshments, including delicious home-baked cakes. Adults 50p. Children under 12 free. Harlington Society of Art & Craft. 01525 753715

60 www.thevinemagazine.co.uk

Get into the Christmas spirit!

Come and enjoy music and c wonderful gift ideas. There w seasonal food and drink.

We hope that Father Christm £2 parking fee applies.

For more information contac Visitor Centre . Website http Herons View Visitor Centre Rushmere Country Park Linslade Road Heath and Reach LU7 0EB

Out & About CHILTERN GATEWAY 50 Things to do before you’re 11 ¾ Walks First Sunday of every month 2pm – 3.30pm Join our Rangers on the first Sunday of the month to get out in the countryside for a free family exploring session. Make sure you dress for the weather and come prepared for adventure! We’ll be out for about an hour and a half. No booking needed, just meetthat the Chilterns Gateway Sunday 6 December 2015 Centre on Dunstable Downs.

CHRISTMAS CAROLS & TORCHLIGHT PROCESSION Friday 4th December Get into the Christmas spirit! Ashton Square, 7.00 pm Dunstable Spooktacular Torchlight procession through Monday 26th – Friday 30th October 11.00am – 3.00pm Come and enjoy music and carols under cover in the marquee with a variety of stalls selli Priory House Gardens and carol Will you have the fright of your life? wonderful Join us for gift a week of Hallowe’en antics ideas. There will be Greensand Trust craft activities and a tombola and, of service. Find out more at: and creepy crafts. We’ll be broomstick making on 30th October, so seasonal food and drink. S www.dunstable.gov.uk IXIE come and get your broomstick license and take part in broomstick races. P D AN £2.50 per craft and £3.30 for broomstick activity (booking not required) We hope that Father Christmas may even put in an appearance! DUNSTABLE LADIES CHOIR Spooky Walks on Dunstable Downs £2 parking fee applies. CHRISTMAS CONCERT Friday 30th and Saturday 31st October 4.30pm – 6.00pm Saturday 12th December Foryour more information contactwalk visitorservices@greensandtrust.org, call 01525 234260 or c If you're feeling brave enough, book place on our spooky 2.30 pm St. Augustine’s Church, ill ew Visitorhear Centre . scary Website http://www.greensandtrust.org/Rushmere.html through the the myths and her Wood. You'll . heart of Chute Mayfield Road, Dunstable. Tickets T . m s p r doo .45 out o 4 of Dunstable nd legends and take the chills away with some tasty soup and £8 on the door, including refreshmt er a 0p cov 2.3 View Visitor Centre der ents. . n 5 u h cake. m £10 per person Herons to include supper. Places are limited ments. Details from Pat Jackson 201 a creepyrscup bot esh . ber a , d refr dult e e a Rushmere Country Park h y m t n n e a to – 12 ofast, by a ods 6go Nov ll inbook your place by calling 01582 500920 and so sure you dmake 01582 520302 nie r ca ged the w a o a p . 0 ls Linslade Road m in play 426 cco d gir ies 5 23 be a pixie s an g stor 152 ust boy in Heath and Reach all 0 ind for nm c b e n , r ll g l fu pe hild t.or e.htm Making ical ting, s Wreath ). C rus 5Christmas er TOTTERNHOE PLAYERS ndt d£ ain LU7 0EB nsa /Rushm ep chil ree (3 @g .org Friday Saturday 5th December 10.00am – 12.00 noon hild stand es4th c u ic r r Attention - Sleuths Wanted! t v pe ser nsand r . 10 o s lie isit .gree ct v wus app for our annual gathering to make wreaths with materials sourced w ntaJoin fee Are you a murder mystery fan? o w / g c :/ n kin atio http form ebsite from the local area. £25 per person including a hot drink and mince pie. If so, the Totternhoe Players have W re in re mo ntre . t n Eitor Ce w VisitorryCPeaWhy not join us for lunch afterwards? This is a very popular annual event rk just the thing for you. Vie ount C ons and it is essential to book in advance as places are limited. Call the Centre Her mere ad A classic whodunit to test your h o Rus lade R Reach Lins th and on 01582 500920 to book your place. deductive powers Dead of the Hea 0EB LU7 Past, by Joyce Brown (courtesy of You can find out more about Dunstable Downs on our website Jasper Publications), will keep you www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dunstabledowns. You can also join in with our guessing right till the end. Who events, and share your photos of this beautiful place on our Facebook will be the victim? How was the page: www.facebook.com/NTDunstableDowns victim killed? And which one of 2015 those guilty looking characters is the murderer? To keep those ! Discover Artists Return To Ivinghoe In November hard-working little grey cells carols under cover in the marquee with a variety of stalls selling Following their hugely debut last November, locally based in tip-top order, there will be a will be Greensand Trust craft activities and a tombola and,successful of course, artist group, Discover, are delighted to be returning to the Ivinghoe Old Ploughman’s meal with dessert School Community Hub, on November 28th and 29th 2015, for their during the interval, washed down mas may even put in an appearance! pre-Christmas Art Fair. by your favourite drinks –although The Discover group, who all live and work in the area, are a vibrant, feisty you do need to bring those ct visitorservices@greensandtrust.org, call 01525 234260 or call into the mix of working artists, producing a wide range of high quality work, yourself! Don’t forget the glasses p://www.greensandtrust.org/Rushmere.html including fine art, textiles, sculpture, mixed media and print. either!Performances are on Friday Visitors will be able to meet the artists, see their latest pieces, and learn 2nd and Saturday 3rd October more about what inspires them and how create their work - and perhaps at 7:45pm in Totternhoe. Tickets even discover the perfect Christmas gift. for the playand meal cost only The Discover Original Art Fair is open from 10am to 3pm on both Saturday £9 each and must be paid in ad28th and Sunday 29th November - entry is free. vance. Please call 01582 603287 to book your tickets. rd

Issue 67 • October / November 2015 61

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