October gazette 2013 by jenna hopkins

Gazette & Diary Magazine

2 October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue

Welcome... BONJOUR and hello to our October edition of the Gazette and Diary. And may we begin by simply saying Wow! what a glorious Food Festival it was this year. We don’t know about you but we were in hog heaven as Abergavenny was once again transformed into a magical paradise for both culinary connoisseurs and casual visitors alike. The warm atmosphere and relaxed ambience of the Food Festival really does make you appreciate what a special place some of us are lucky enough to both live and work in. Yet all good things must end, and with Abergavenny’s signature event well and truly tucked under our belts for another year, all thoughts turn to the creepy capers and ghostly parties that we all enjoy at Halloween and the colourful sights and enchanting sounds of Bonfire Night. Elsewhere in yet another bumper issue of your Gazette and Diary you’ll find an extremely interesting feature on heating - guaranteed to answer all you need to know about staying warm this winter. On a final note, Christmas is just around the corner and the festive season will soon be upon us, so if you’re planning to throw any parties this December, then you really need to take a look at our special Christmas Party Planning Supplement, because as any host or hostess worth their salt knows, “Fail to prepare, then prepare to fail.” So until the next time, when the ghosts and ghouls come knocking, remember, treats are always better than tricks, and when November 5 goes off with a bang, please make sure you throw a Guy on the bonfire for us - but obviously not a real one! We’ll see you in November!

▲ PAGE 13 How gardening came help those with dementia

MONMOUTH MP DAVID DAVIES holds regular advice surgeries throughout the constituency. To make an appointment telephone 01291 672817 or email daviesd@parliament.uk www.david-daviesmp.co.uk

▲ PAGE 15 The latest playground crazes

▲

PAGES 36, 37 & 38 Happy Halloween!

Nick Ramsay AM

Assembly Member for Monmouth Hospitals - Schools - Transport Environment - Housing Write to: Nick Ramsay AM, Constituency Office, 16 Maryport Street, Usk, Monmouthshire, NP15 1AB E-mail: nicholas.ramsay@wales.gov.uk

Regional Office Unit 1, Fairoak House 15-17 Church Road Newport NP19 7EJ Tel: 01633 220022 Email: Mohammad.Asghar@wales.gov.uk Web: MohammadAsgharAM.co.uk I hold regular advice surgeries and am always eager to hear from constituents. Please fo not hesitate to get in touch if you would like to discuss any local or Assembly related issue Oscar

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For further information call: 01291 674 898 or 029 2089 8735

MOHAMMAD ASGHAR AM/AC

National Assembly Member - South Wales East

October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue 3

Gazette & Diary Magazine

The advertisers on this page have shown their support for their community and interest in the health and safety of children

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4 October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue

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Listen to your parents and teacher Monmouth MP David Davies holds regular advice surgeries throughout the constituency.

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01291 672817 david.davies.mp@parliament.uk

Winter Warmers

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01633 214710 web: www.stephensfueloil.co.uk October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue 5

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ROPERLY maintaining your boiler can save you money and keep your home safe. Boiler maintenance is actually fairly easy because modern boilers are fairly foolproof devices that don’t require much attention. Inspect Your Boiler Every Year If you don’t run your boiler during the warm weather months you should inspect it before the heating season. The best time to do this is usually in September or October depending on when it gets cold in your area. The inspection doesn’t have to be that intense or serious all you really have to do is look at the boiler. Make sure there are no cracks or damage and that no water is leaking from the boiler. This shouldn’t be too hard all you’ll have to do is take a close look at the boiler, if it is kept in a dark basement you may have to use a flashlight. Once this is done you should turn the boiler on and fire it up. Then you should watch the boiler in operation. You have to do this in order to check for leaks and other problems. Make sure no water is leaking from the boiler if it is a hot water boiler and no steam is escaping from the boiler.If you see any sort of crack or leak in the boiler shut it down and call a maintenance technician immediately. Never run a boiler with a crack or leak in it.

So, have you turned the heating on yet? Boiler Pressure There should be a pressure gauge on your boiler check this when you start the boiler for the season. Also take a look at it at least once every month whenever the boiler is in operation. Your boiler manual should tell you what the pressure should be if the boiler pressure is different you may need boiler maintenance. It is a good idea to check your boiler every month when it is in operation. All you’ll need to do is check the pressure and look at the boiler itself. Look for leaks, and damage just like you would

when you check the boiler in the fall. If you see any leaks, damage or cracks, shut the boiler down and call for maintenance. Keep the Boiler Clear Always keep the area around the boiler clear when it is in operation. Never store anything that could melt or catch fire close to the boiler because of the fire hazard. Make sure furniture, papers, appliances, paint, aerosol cans, gasoline and other such items are kept as far back from the boiler as possible. You should keep the boiler clear so you can get a good look at it when you’re inspecting it. In particular you should be able to get to the gauge and the pilot light. You’ll want to be able to get to the boiler quickly in case there is an emergency. Have the Boiler Serviced It is always a good idea to have the boiler serviced by a licensed technician every year or so. Many people do this in the fall right before heating season. Something to remember is that you can have the boiler serviced anytime of the year. It can often hard to get boiler technicians in the fall because that is their busy season. So it might be better to have the technician to come later in the season or during the summer.

Consider a wood burner

HERE are many ways to keep your home pleasantly warm during the cold winter months. So why choose wood burning stoves? Here is why: Cost efficiency - With the prices of electricity, gas and oil rising, heating our homes has become an expensive venture. New technologies such as photovoltaic cells and heat pumps cut those expensive heating bills, however, they require a huge investment which pays off only in two to three decades. Wood burning stoves are a lot less expensive to buy than the new technologies, while wood fuel is very cheap in comparison to electricity, gas and oil. A kilowatt of heat per hour costs about one fifth of kWh of electricity and about one third of kWh of oil and gas. Unique warmth - Wood logs emit a unique warmth which makes the room feel

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much more pleasant than any other type of fuel. At the same time, wood burning stove emits heat long after it has gone out. This makes wood burning stoves unique in comparison to other types of heating including open fires. They look highly decorative and create a unique atmosphere in the room, however, open fires have been shown to “feed” on warm air and make the room feel colder rather than warmer. Energy independence - Energy sources such as electricity, gas and oil must not be taken for granted. While gas and oil are non-renewable energy resources which means that they will run out one fine day, electricity must be produced somehow to keep up with the demand. To make things worse, most of the world’s electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels which, as mentioned earlier, are available in limited amounts. As a result, it is unrealistic to expect for the prices of the mentioned energy sources to get any lower in the future. In contrary to electricity, oil and gas, wood fuel is a renewable source of energy because the trees that are cut down for firewood can easily be replaced. Reliability - With the climate getting more and more unpredictable, electricity power cuts that were virtually unknown all these years may become more common in the future. Now imagine a power cut during the cold winter. Brrr! But with a wood burning stove in the house, you do not have to worry about freezing in the middle of the winter. Unlike other types of heating including central heating, wood burning stoves do not need electricity to operate. Eco-friendliness - In contrary to fossil fuels, wood fuel is carbon neutral which means that wood burning stoves do not increase the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Wood logs do emit carbon dioxide when burned, however, the carbon that is released during burning is neutralised by the growing replacement trees. This is due to the fact that trees absorb carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, and release pure oxygen.

Winter Warmers

Good insulation can save you money HOMEOWNERS are being urged review their energy saving measures to cut down on bills and keep heat in. Last year there were two big hikes in energy prices and homeowners need to take all precautions necessary to ensure that energy bills are kept to a minimum this winter. Lydia Sharples from thinkinsulation.com said: “Price hikes are a stark reality and it’s no wonder that homeowners are concerned. Although we have no control over the strength of the gas market or the price of fuel in the UK, there are changes that all homeowners can make to counter increased energy prices. “Ensuring your property is comprehensively insulated is one way to reduce heat loss – a simple job such as insulating a loft to the correct standards will dramatically reduce energy consumption and can save you around £145 per year on energy bills. Furthermore insulating your walls can save you as much as £385 on your annual fuel bills.” To maximise return on your green investment Thinkinsulation.com recommends taking the following simple INSULATE your loft to save on heating bills measures. And don’t forget to visit www.direct.gov.uk to see if you’re eligi- can arrange for a professional to com- internal wall insulation may be more plete the work in a day. Cavity wall insu- suitable. ble for financial help. lation pays for itself in around two years, 3. Fit double glazing and it will typically save around 15 per Old single glazed windows can often be 1. Insulate your loft cent – or £110∞ a year – on your home’s a major source of heat loss. Double About 25 per cent of heat in an uninsufuel bills. lated house escapes through the roof. Loft insulation is cheap to buy and easy A specialist should always be sought to to install and the job can be completed complete this type of work – ensure that yourself in a day. As already mentioned, you choose an installer that is Cavity Init has financial benefits too because insulation Guarantee Agency (CIGA) qualsulating your loft can save you around ified. Don’t forget to ask for home assessment to assess suitability of your £145* a year on your energy bills. Opt for loft insulation with strong eco property before any work begins. credentials and great thermal perform- Solid wall insulation - Older houses built ance. Space Insulation is a range of en- before 1920 often have solid walls and ergy saving loft insulation products. The are more expensive to insulate, but also glass mineral wool insulation products cost more to heat. Around 7 million solid in the range are made from recycled wall properties in the UK are un-insuglass bottles and are odourless, free lated but with potential fuel bill savings from dyes and bleaches and easy to han- starting at around £365 a year, solid wall insulation is definitely worth considerdle. ing. If your external walls need work anyway, 2. Insulate your walls then it could be an ideal time to have exCavity wall insulation - If your house was ternal wall insulation fitted. Alternabuilt after the 1920s it is likely to have tively, if your home is soon to be cavity walls. If these aren’t insulated, you undergoing interior refurbishment then

glazed windows will not only keep the heat in but they will reduce noise, improving your level of comfort. Make sure the windows you choose carry a BFRC label which indicates a good energy efficiency rating.

4. Draught proof gaps

If you have poorly sealed windows and doors you may be losing a significant amount of heat through the gaps. Draught proofing is a simple and inexpensive DIY measure and by keeping warm air indoors you’ll need less energy to heat your home and can save money on your fuel bills. Although draught proofing is a simple DIY job that can be done at home, it can be more complicated if you have older property. If this is the case it may be wise to call in a professional. Costs start at around £100.

Qualified Local Reliable No job too small

01873 812 686 or 07880 877 090 October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue 7

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HE problem with roofs is that we often forget to maintain them - until, that is, they start to leak and then we're forced to remember they need care and attention just like everything else in our homes. Also like everything else in our homes, the earlier you spot any problem, the easier and cheaper it will be to solve. Most properties have pitched roofs covered in tiles or slates. Tiles are usually made of cement, with a lifespan of around 40-50 years, or of clay - clay tiles last longer but cost more. Slates give a lovely, traditional look and are hard wearing, but they are expensive too. Whatever it's made of, the roof should be inspected at least twice a year, both from the outside and from inside the loft. If you can see daylight in the loft, for example, there's probably something missing on the outside. Slates or tiles that have broken, slipped out of place, or been blown off are common occurrences. If they're not replaced, rainwater will get into the loft, firstly causing damage there and then in the rooms below. Water staining in the loft is an early warning sign of a problem with the roof covering, so get it looked at by a reputable roofer as soon as possible. Flashing, guttering and chimney stacks and pots can also cause leaks and damp. Again, you may be able to spot these problems yourself, but you will need a roofer to put them right, as DIY on a roof isn't safe. It's also a good idea to ask a roofer to give your roof a once-over if you don't know when the roof was last worked on, if you're not sure what to look out for, or if you can't

Keeping the rain out of your roof and walls see the roof properly from the ground. Surprisingly, most thatched roofs need little maintenance, apart from having the ridge redone, and can last several decades, depending on the material used and the location. While thatch is idyllic to look at

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though, it's also expensive and carries the danger of going up in flames - fires are rare, but they tend to destroy the house when they do happen. There are precautions you can take against this, including having any working chimneys lined and regularly swept (at least twice a year), extinguishing a real fire before going to bed or going out, only burning well-dried wood, and not burning anything particularly flammable, such as paper. Make sure the chimney stack's in a good state of repair, especially in the loft, and keep the loft free of combustible materials and draughts. The wiring throughout should be tested by a qualified electrician every five years to check that it's safe. Flat roofs also have a bad reputation, but for leaks rather than fires. They're prone to leaks because they should have a gradient, but the gradient often isn't steep enough. If the roof is too flat or doesn't have an adequate structure or materials under the roof covering, it will sag, allowing rainwater to pool and eventually enter the room below. The roof covering can also crack and tear, so it's something to keep an eye on, especially during bad weather.

E might have enjoyed a dry summer for once, but now that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s autumn, leaks and damp at home are something we all need to watch out for. There are different kinds of damp, and sometimes you need a surveyor to identify which is which, but to help you make a start, here are some basic pointers. Penetrating damp happens when there's a problem with the fabric of the building and although the damp usually moves horizontally from the outside in, patches can also appear on ceilings and floors as well as walls. Missing or loose flashing; missing, rusting or blocked guttering; defective pointing and bricks, and cracked or missing render typically cause penetrating damp, especially in period properties because they mostly have solid walls. If the damp is at the bottom of a wall, it's usually rising damp (water coming up from the ground), in which case the solution is a new damp proof course (DPC), installed by a specialist damp company. Often, they'll also have to remove the damp plaster and replace it, but you may be able to save money by getting a plasterer to do this. Sometimes, the DPC is just being prevented from doing its job. You should be able to see it (providing there is one) along your home's exterior brickwork - look for a row of holes several inches above the ground. If the level of your garden, patio or path is higher than the DPC, for example, it won't work properly. Perhaps you've noticed damp on a chimney breast, or where the chimney breast would have originally been? This could be because the chimney stack needs to be repaired, the chimney pot isn't capped, or the chimney breast isn't ventilated properly indoors. When a fireplace opening is sealed up, a vent should be fitted, but vents can get blocked with dust and debris. If there isn't a vent, don't delay in fitting one - it's a relatively straightforward DIY job. Another job for the professionals is dealing with a damp patchon a concrete floor, usually caused by a faulty damp proof membrane or a leaking pipe. At times like this, as with many other times, knowing a good plumber is a lifesaver!

Winter Warmers

Carbon monoxide kills FAST FUEL LTD – your if it is left undetected trusted local fuel supplier FOR the safety of you and your family, it is advisable to fit a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm in your home. Just like a smoke alarm which alerts you to the presence of smoke, a carbon monoxide detector will alert you to the presence of CO. The difference with CO is that it is invisible and has no smell or taste, so you might not realise it is there. Smoke alarms do not detect carbon monoxide. What alarm should I fit? Gas Safe Register recommends the use of audible carbon monoxide alarms. It should be marked to EN 50291 and also have the British Standards' Kitemark or another European approval organisation's mark on it. CO alarms usually have a battery life of up to five years. Fit an alarm in each room with a gas appliance. Always follow the alarm manufacturer’s instructions on siting, testing and

replacing the alarm. Do not use the ‘black spot’ detectors that change colour when carbon monoxide is present, they don’t make a sound. It is important to choose an alarm that will wake you up if you’re asleep, or you may not be aware of early CO symptoms until it is too late. Where can I get an alarm? Carbon monoxide alarms cost around £15 and can be purchased from your local DIY store, supermarket or from your energy supplier. Ask your Gas Safe registered engineer if you are not sure which alarm to buy or how to fit it – your engineer will be able to advise you. A carbon monoxide alarm is no substitute for correct installation and servicing of your gas appliances. Make sure you get your gas appliances checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer every year.

JOIN IN THE BIG KNIT! A

FAST Fuel Ltd is an independent fuel distribution company offering fuel solutions, wherever you are, whenever you want. Since being under new management for the last three years, Fast Fuel has fast become the most trusted local independent supplier in the market, servicing domestic, agricultural and commercial customers throughout South Wales and the Forest of Dean. We specialise in supplying heating fuel and agricultural diesel. We also stock road diesel for our regular customers and premier paraffin. We stock 200 litre barrels and 25 litre containers, so we can match all our customers’ needs no matter how small. We also supply tanks and can

source all other accessories related to the sale of fuel. We know that our customers need fuel at all times and in all delivery amounts, which is why we have an emergency outof-office service so you can get hold of one of us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We are happy to discuss pricing with our customers and to give advice on where we think market pricing is going. In this way, we can offer you the best advice on when to fill your tanks so that you can achieve the best savings possible. For further information, give us a call on 0800 093 8445. We look forward to helping you.

S many as 24,000 older people die needlessly because of the cold every winter. Many others spend the time lonely and isolated, unable to heat their homes and struggling to get out and about. So ten years ago Innocent drinks had an idea. They asked people to knit little woolly hats and they put those hats on the smoothie bottles that they sell. For each one sold they made a donation to Age UK.

How the big knit helps

For each behatted smoothie bottle sold in shops and supermarkets Innocent gives 25p to Age UK to spend on things like hot water bottles, blankets, hot meals and social gatherings. Many older people also knit hats themselves through knitting groups organised by Age UK. The impact of the knitting groups is incredible and for some, they're a real lifeline. Knitting patterns are available at thebigknit.co.uk/join in or you can create your own and they can be as inventive as you like. Instructions for sending your completed hats are also available on the website or you can drop them into your nearest local branch of Age UK. So get knitting.

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Gazette & Diary Magazine

Harvest the sun with Green Park Power

THE completed the installation of 30kW of solar PV on a farm shed in Newcastle near Monmouth carried out Green Park Power LOCAL renewable energy company Green Park Power have completed the installation of 30kW of solar PV on a farm shed in Newcastle near Monmouth. This installation was commissioned for Gwent Energy CIC, a not for profit community interest company that helps community groups with renewable energy solutions. Phil Powell of Gwent Energy CIC told us: “This is a truly community focussed project. We are now making share options available for local, environmentally aware, people to invest in - with a far better return than any savings account.” Due to its groundbreaking design, the system already has over 16000kWh on the meter, generated since mid February. The solar array will save over 21 tonnes of CO2 per year and the electricity will also make a huge contribution towards running the farm. In 2012, one in five NFU members produced renewable energy on their farm and surveys suggest that 60 per cent of farmers are considering investment in the near future. “We have installed many systems on the homes of local people trapped in fuel poverty and several systems for community buildings in Monmouthshire on behalf of Gwent Energy,” said Andrew Green of

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Green Park Power. “Bridges Community Centre in Monmouth has a 10kw system that we installed a year ago. This saves them about £500 a year on electricity, and users of the centre who invested get a tariff income as well.” If you have a community project in mind, or would like to invest in local community energy then visit www.gwentenergycic.org.uk or call Phil Powell on 0750 6004581. To book a free survey for a farm or a home solar array please contact Andrew Green on 01873 269031/07792 970406 www.greenparkpower.co.uk.

The Care Factor

Keeping yourself warm ● Wear several thin layers, rather than one thick layer. This is because they trap warm air close to the body. ● Go for clothes made from wool, cotton or fleecy fabrics, if possible. ● Draw your curtains, as soon as it gets dark to stop the heat escaping and the draughts coming in. ● Keep any windows and internal doors closed when it’s cold – this will keep heat inside, where you most need it. ● A lot of heat is lost through the head and neck, so if you’re chilly indoors, try wearing a hat and scarf. ● Your body keeps warm by burning food you've eaten, so make sure you have regular hot meals that contain carbs, such as potatoes, pasta, bread and rice. Try porridge with hot milk for breakfast and soups and stews for lunch and dinner. ● If you’re sitting down, a shawl or blanket will provide extra warmth. You should also try to keep your feet up, because air is cooler at ground level.

Getting ready for the cold weather means that you’re more likely to keep warm and well. Here are some things you can do to stay safe and ward off the winter chills.

Keeping your home warm

your chimney swept, or ask your landlord to do this if it’s their responsibility. ● If you have wood-burning, coal or gas heaters, make sure there’s adequate ventilation. Never block air vents, and get your boiler serviced every 12 months by a gas engineer. ● Check with your energy supplier for further advice to help you prepare for winter. Age UK has a free guide - ‘Save energy, pay less’ - which has tips about insulating and draught-proofing your home. ● If water pipes freeze they can burst, so you need to be able to turn off the water at the main stopcock. Make sure you know where your main stopcock is and check that it’s easy to turn. If it’s jammed, you may need to get it replaced. Keep the phone number of a reliable plumber handy. ● Have your electric blanket serviced – this should be done at least every three years. ● Make sure that your smoke alarm is working. You can ask your local fire service to check your home for fire safety. It’s free and you may be eligible to get free smoke alarms fitted. ● Install an audible carbon monoxide alarm in each room that has a gas appliance. ● Make sure you claim all the financial support you can to help with heating bills. Your local Age UK can advise you. ● Check out the benefits and grants available to help with insulation and energy efficiency, such as cavity wall insulation Visit the Age UK website at www.ageuk.org.uk

● Have your heating system serviced and

MORGANNWG HOUSE

Glamorgan Street, Brecon Tel: 01874 610018 MORGANNWG HOUSE was built around 1804 in a traditional elegant Georgian style. This grade 2 star listed building is situated in the centre of Brecon and within walking distance of the local shops, pubs, theatre and canal walk. Morgannwg House looks onto a beautiful formal garden with a back drop of the stunning Brecon Beacons. It has been tastefully converted and decorated to provide 20 spacious and elegant en-suite bedrooms. Each room is single, has en-suite facilities and a nurse call system. Residents can personalise their rooms, with their own furniture and pictures. Some rooms enjoy magnificent views of the gardens. Morrannwg House has two sitting rooms, which also overlook the gardens. There is a separate dining room with a small conservatory, which offers access to the garden.

The aim of the home is to offer a friendly, homely atmosphere whilst offering excellent care. Residents benefit from a close relationship with our staff to make their stay comfortable. Our staff are trained to provide a high level of individualised care tailored to meet each resident’s needs. Other professionals, such as optician, dentist and chiropodist visit the home to provide complementary services. A GP from the local health centre visits weekly to attend to the residents’ health needs. Traditional home-cooked meals are provided using fresh produce sourced from local suppliers. These may be served either in the dining room or resident’s own room. The home has recently been awarded a rating of level 4 from Environmental Health. A range of activities are available for the residents to participate in and the home liases with Dial-aRide to run joint functions such as a Strawberry Tea Garden party.

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Gazette & Diary Magazine

Taking care of mealtimes ... H

ERE at Wiltshire Farm Foods we’ve been taking care of mealtimes for over 22 years, and work hard to ensure we deliver on taste, nutrition, and peace of mind. As the UK’s leading frozen meals delivery service, we fully understand how important it is for you to eat well, stay healthy and continue to live safe and well at home. We appreciate the different needs of individuals which is why we cater for a diverse range of dietary needs. All our meals are clearly labelled with dietary codes, so finding tasty and nutritious meals is easy. Our new Winter Warmers brochure is now available, with delicious new seasonal meals such as Chicken & Red Wine Casserole and Beef & Potato Pie. With over 260 dishes covering every mealtime from breakfast to afternoon tea and dinner, you’ll never be stuck for choice.

Meals come in a variety of sizes to meet different individual appetite needs and there’s a lovely range of puds too. New this autumn is a range of ready-made sandwiches which are proving a popular addition to our tea time options. Why not give them a try? Meals are simple to heat from frozen and can be ready in minutes in your microwave or oven. Order as often you like – every week or just occasionally, the choice is yours. Not sure of what to order first time, then try one of our delicious Menu Packs from just £24.95. We are offering one lucky reader the chance to win our Menu Selection Pack containing six main meals (all with vegetables) and f o u r

desserts, worth £24.95. Just answer the question on the coupon and the first correct answer drawn will win the pack! All deliveries are made by your regular, friendly, helpful, police-checked driver, who can even pop the meals away in the freezer for you. Delivery is absolutely free and there is no

minimum order. All our staff and drivers are hand-picked so you can rest assured of the best of service at all times! To find out more about our Award Winning Service and to order your FREE copy of our Autumn & Winter 2013 full colour brochure, or to check when we deliver to your door, please call us on 01600 892855.

WIN THE MENU SELECTION PACK FOR a chance to win the Wiltshire Fine Foods Menu Selection Pack containing six main meals and four desserts worth £24.95 just answer the question below:

QUESTION: How can most meals be cooked?

ANSWER: NAME: ADDRESS: TELEPHONE NUMBER: Post your coupon to: Wiltshire Fine Foods Selection Pack Competition

Abergavenny Gazette and Diary, Nevill Street, Abergavenny, Gwent NP7 5AA Normal competition rules apply. The first correct answer selected from all those sent in by October 25 2013 will win the Menu Selection Pack. No correspondence will be entered into.

Reassuringly tasty, nutritious and dependable. Now that’s a recipe for an easier life. Roast Chicken Roast Chicken Breast Breast e with Stuffing S tuffing and vegetables vegetables £3.95

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01600 016 600 892 855 85 55

or shop p online at wil wiltshirefarmfoods.com tshirefarmfoods.com foods.com

The Care Factor

Green therapy for dementia sufferers "A GARDEN can help people living with We all feel better after an hour or two of gardening; the fresh air, says Jeremy Hughes, theexercise and the simple joy of being surrounded by beautiful dementia," Alzheimer's Society chief executive. flowers andthe fruits of our labour. "They can enjoy socialising, as well as takBut for some people, the benefits go even further . . . ing part in physical activity and stimulating the senses, all of which greatly improve to carers of young people with dementia. their wellbeing." Thrive, a national charity supporting horThe regularity of nurturing plants on a daily basis also adds structure to the day of ticultural therapy, holds a database of those living with dementia, while being in- around 900 garden projects in the UK and volved in gardening activities like sowing can put you in touch with a project in your seeds and watering plants gives a better local area (www.thrive.org.uk or 0118 9885688). Most Thrive gardeners are resense of control, the society explains. The cycle of sowing, nurturing, growing ferred by social services or through a proScented plants fessional such as their GP or and harvesting plants, vegsuch as care professional, but othetables and flowers helps lavender For many of us, ers start at a project give a better perception of can stir their lives. Also, the delicate gardening is an through their own initiative memories and their place may be nature of some gardening enjoyable funded by family and activities can help to mainfriends. tain or improve fine motor pastime - but These larger projects are Create a series of places to sit, with focal skills and increase spatial points to look at. These should also be profor others, it's clearly wonderful, but for tected from bright sunlight, chilling winds awareness. many people, gardening at and deep shade, perhaps introducing a Garden activities can also a lifeline. home is where the real ther- canopy or a parasol to prevent exposure help those with dementia apy lies. Indeed, recent re- to the elements. talk about their past lives by reminding them about similar activities search by Alzheimer's Society, in Use gentle changes rather than strong when they were younger, for example partnership with Homebase, discovered 83 contrasts. For example, avoid strong shadwhat plants, flowers or vegetables they per cent of people with dementia want to ows on paths, which might look like holes, live in their own homes for as long as pos- abrupt changes in paving materials which used to grow. Research shows that gardening can also sible; so how can you create a home gar- may look like steps, or reflective materialhelp the wellbeing of younger people with den, or modify an existing one, to give swhich might look like water. These might people with dementia the greatest ther- give rise to general confusion and agitaearly onset dementia. "Younger people with dementia want apy? tion and also present fall hazards. Thrive recommends straightforward wayand need activities which are stimulating, When adding a walkway, Alzheimer's Sofulfilling and productive because they are finding: the layout of paths - essentially a still seeking activities which mimic the loop - could take the visitor on a journey workplace model," says Jill Walton, support and return them to the starting point, group co-ordinator at the Frontotemporal while specimen trees and features such asDementia Support Group (www.ftdsg.org), pergolas, sculptures, bird tables and large which provides support and information pots can act as landmarks.

ciety (www.alzheimers.org.uk) recommends paths which are constant, such as a figure of eight, as paths with abrupt endings can disorientate people with dementia. Stimulate all of the senses all year round with colourful, fragrant plants and flowers, water features and wind chimes. Scents can often create memories, so introduce plants to the garden that have great smells, such as lavender, rosemary, mint or thyme. Sensory experience can be increased through introducing plants which are soft to touch such as lambs' ears or bunny tails, an ornamental grass which is soft and fluffy. Of course, it's wise to remove dangerous plants as dementia sufferers may not recall which plants are poisonous or irritate their skin. Similarly, any plants with thorns or which may sting should be removed from the garden altogether. If new plants are needed, select these with the person living with dementia. They may have favourites which bring back memories of happy times. Go to the garden centre and let the dementia sufferer physically handle the plants, flowers and gardening items which may trigger memories more effectively than looking at pictures. For many of us, gardening is an enjoyable pastime - but for others, it's a lifeline.

AVENUE ROAD NURSING HOME Becoming part of your family Our core values of care:

• Privacy • Dignity • Rights • Independence • Choice • Fulfilment• Security • Respect • Equality 28 Avenue Road, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire NP7 7DB Tel: 01873 857607 Fax: 01873 857607

Mob: 07830 385435 (Dr. A. Bansal)

October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue 13

14 October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue

Gazette Education

Swopsies in the playground With the advent of digital technologies, there's no denying the way kids interact at break-time has changed. Thankfully though, one aspect of playground etiquette remains enduringly popular; comparing, swapping and collecting. With that in mind, here are the hottest trends for schoolchildren right now. LEGO minifigures series 11 - £1.99 from smythstoys.com

This best-selling toy is now into an incredible 11th series, and it's hard to see how it might ever get toppled from top slot. The range spans everything from a gingerbread man to lady robot, elf complete with dinky teddy bear,a grandma and scarecrow.

Tagamoto - £7.95 from red5.co.uk

Designed by the makers of the awesome Hexbug range, these new cars allow you to build up your own customised streets then take to the road with one of many quite attractive rides. They use the latest technology to read the barcodes on the roads and perform one of many different functions. There are three different modes in which these cars can be played with, and they really do look like the toy to watch this year.

Character building sports stars - from £1.99 see character-online.com

This new line of football micro-figures contains 22 players, from the biggest teams in the premier league, for you to collect and swap. Each bag comes complete with either a slider base or ball, and the range includes larger packs to build up your own playing pitch or even construct a mini Wembley stadium. A must for footie fans.

Trash Pack from £2.49 see amazon.co.uk

Shwings - £9.99 a pair from shwingsonline.co.uk

These new arrivals are the ideal way to add real character to your trainers - for those who have a uniform to wear, add them to your P.E. kit. Far from being just for kids, they've been popping up on celebrity footwear across the nation too.

They might be ugly - very ugly - but well over two million of these stinking characters have been sold to date, so something clearly appeals. There are loads of smaller characters as well as bigger playsets to collect, making them a decent pocket money toy or - for the more aspirational - a perfect addition to Santa lists.

Lil Zelfs - £2 from Hamleys.com

These new collectables come from a place called Zardenia and can be found hiding in all manner of places around your garden well, this is the back story to what could be one of the hottest new collectables this term. Super-quirky, there are over 36 to collect and they can simply be displayed on your desk or used as pencil toppers.

King Henry VIII School in Abergavenny offers a diverse and challenging curriculum for 11-18 year olds within the vibrant and achieving community of Monmouthshire. We are proud at King Henry of our reputation for: A tradition of first class teaching by well qualified and caring teachers Offering a wide range of academic and vocational courses Giving opportunities to excel at both Key Stage 4 and 5 Providing an extensive range of extra curricular activities including sporting and musical activities and regular visits abroad For parents of Year 6 students we are hosting an: OPEN EVENING on Thursday 10th October where you are welcome to visit the school, take a tour of the facilities and ask questions of students and staff at that event. There will also be an additional opportunity to tour the school at an OPEN MORNING to be held on Tuesday 15th October. Please contact the school to book a place on this event. For further information please contact the school on:

01873 735373

October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue 15

Gazette & Diary Magazine

ABERGAVENNY

Kitchen, en, Sun Room, ■ Kitche

■ Enclosed Garden,

hower Room ■ G/F Shower

■ Bathroom

■ Off Road Parking

Bathroom athroom ■ F/F Ba

■ Enclosed Garden too Rear

■ Viewing Highly Recommended

ge & Drive, Enc. Gardens ■ Garage

ended ■ Viewing Recommended

■ EPC - TBC

■ EPC - C

£149,950

£169,950

£134,950

GILWERN

LLANVIHANGEL CRUCORNEY

■ Superbly Presented Property

■ Well Presented Detached Property

etached Bungalow ■ Superbly Presented Detached

■ Set In Approx. 3/4 Of An Acre

rooms with 2 En-Suites ■ 4 Bedrooms

■ 2 Double Bedrooms

■ Outstanding Views

■ Fitted Kitchen/Breakfast Room

m ■ Kitchen/Breakfast Room

■ 4 Bedrooms

ge/Dining Room ■ Lounge/Dining

■ Lounge, Bathroom

■ 3 Reception Rooms

ervatory ■ Conservatory

■ Garage & Carport

■ Kitchen/Breakfast Room

Doublee Garage & Drive ■ Doubl

■ Enc. Gardens Enjoyingg Views

■ Viewing Recommended

Enclosed sed Gardens with Views ■ Enclos

ed ■ Viewing Recommended

■ EPC - E

■ EPC D

■ EPC E

£329,950

LLANFOIST

■ Midd Terrace Property B Living Room ■ 4 Bedrooms, chen/Breakfast Room Kitchen/Breakfast ■ Kitc rge Garden to Rear. EPC D Large ■ Lar

ABERGAVENNY

■ Detached Spacious Property ms, 2 Reception Rooms ■ 3 Bedrooms, Breakfast Room, Enc. Gardens, Kitchen/Breakfast ■ Kitchen/B ■ Garage & Drive EPC - tbc

at ■ Ground Floor Flat ■ 2 Bedrooms, Open Plan Kitchen/Living en/Living Area ■ dens, EPC C ■ Communal Gardens,

TRILEY

LLANFOIST

ted Cottage ■ Detached Double Fronted Dining Room ■ 2 Bedrooms, Lounge/Dining Enc. Courtyard Garden n ■ C-G ■ No Onward Chain, EPC

■ Well Presented Mid Terracedd Property ■ 3 Bedrooms, Lounge ■ Kitchen/Breakfast Room ■ Enc Garden, Double Drive. EPC B

£229,950

£ £96,500

Offers ffers Over £150,000 Of

£164,950

GILWERN

ABERGAVENNY

CLYDACH

GOVILON

ABERGAVENNY

CLYDACH NORTH

dual Build Dormer Bungalow ■ Detached Individual ■ 3 Bedrooms, 2 Reception Rooms ■ Kitchen, Ground Floor Bathroom ■ Det. Garage & Drive. EPC E

ronted Period Property ■ Semi Detached Bay Fronted Dining Room ■ 3 Bedrooms, Lounge/Dining m ■ Kitchen/Breakfast Room ng to Rear. EPC E ■ Enc. Gardens & Parking

£ £210,000

£179,950 950

Linkk Detached Property ■ Lin B 2 Reception Rooms ■ 3 Bedrooms, Drive ve and Garage providing parking facilities ■ Driv ■ No Onward Chain, EPC D

Detached ached Property ■ Semi Deta Level el Accommodation ■ Split Leve ms, Lounge ■ 4 Bedrooms, dens, EPC D ■ Enc. Gardens,

£179,950

£149,950

CWMYOY

PENPERLLENI

ttage ■ Well Presented Detached Cottage ■ 3 Bedrooms, Lounge, Fitted Kitchen ■ Enclosed Garden, ■ Detached Garage/Workshop. EPC E

£160,000

ABERGAVENNY

■ Detached Property In 6 Acres

Detached ched Dormer Bungalow ■ Detac

perty ■ Semi Detached Property

■ Woodland & Gardens

drooms, 3 Reception Rooms ■ 5 Bedrooms,

■ 4 Bedrooms, Masterr En-Suite

■ 4 Bedrooms, 2 Reception Rooms

ervatory ■ Conservatory

■ G/F Shower Room, Family Bathroom

g Features ■ Manyy Original

Kitchen/Breakfast en/Breakfast Room ■ Kitche

oom ■ Kitchen/Breakfast Room

■ Detached Garage/Workshop

le Garage & Driveway ■ Double

■ Lounge

■ Rural Location

sed Garden ■ Enclosed

■ Garage & Drive

■ Must Be Viewed to Appreciate,

Viewing ng Recommended ■ Viewin

■ Enc. Garden

■ EPC E

■ EPC - C

£475,000

£290,000

£219,950

THE BRYN

LLANFOIST

ABERGAVENNY EN T PR ES

er Plot ■ Situated On A Corner e, Bathroom ■ 3 Bedrooms, Lounge,

Bedrooms, rooms, Master En Suite ■ 3 Bedr

■ Lounge/Dining Room

ached Bungalow ■ Well Presented Detached

W EL

rty ■ Property

■ 3 Bedrooms

resented Semi Detached ■ Well PPresented AI N

■ Semi Detached Cottage

IC E

£249,950

£130,000

£250,000 O.I.R.O

hen & ■ Re-furbished Kitchen

£124,950

■ Extended Detached Property ■ Well Presented Throughout ■ 4 Bedrooms, 2 Reception Rooms ■ Canal Side Location EPC D

om ■ Lounge/Dining Room

■ Lounge, F/F Bathroom,

PANTYGELLI

ABERGAVENNY

■ Immaculate 2nd Floor Apartment ■ Separate Kitchen with Appliances ■ Double bedroom with Wardrobes ■ Fabulous Views, EPC D

ms, ■ 2 Double Bedrooms,

ge/Dining Room ■ Lounge/Dining

■ Kitchen/Breakfast Room

U N D

drooms, ■ 3 Bedrooms,

■ 3 Bedrooms,

perty ■ End Terraced Property

O FF ER

N H AI

H AI

■ Semi Detached Property

£549,950

ABERGAVENNY

■ Superbly Presented Mid Terraced

■ Kitchen

eption Rooms Reception ■ 2 Rece

■ Family Bathroom

■ Open Plan Kitchen/Living/Dining Area

■ Enclosed Gardens

sed Gardens Enclosed ■ Enclos

■ Garage & Driveway

■ No Onward Chain

way Parking ■ Driveway

ded ■ Viewing Recommended

■ EPC E

■ EPC - C

■ EPC D

£170,000 Of Offers fers s Over

16 October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue

£210,000

■ Kitchen/Breakfast Room

£239,950

Gazette Property

LLANGATTOCK LINGOED

ABERGAVENNY N

■ Bathroom

■ Gardens including Orchard,

■ Garagee & Drive

■ Oil Central Heatingg

■ Garage & Drive

■ Useful Detached Outbuilding

■ Enclosed Gardens

■ EPC C

■ Garage and Drive

£325,000

O FF ER

EN TE D

■ Superbly Presented and Extended

■ Period Property ■ 3/4 Bedrooms

N D

Reception eption Rooms ■ 3 Rec

■ Further Bedrooms

PR ES

■ Master Bedroom & En Suite, 2

PANDY Bedrooms rooms ■ 4 Bed

■ Cottage

£154,950

■ Well PPresented Detached Property

W EL

IC E

■ Superbly Presented Detached

H AI

ed Gardens ■ Enclosed

THE BRYN

■ Kitchen

■ Fitted Kitchen

£339,950

bished Kitchen ■ Refurbished

■ 2 Reception Rooms

■ 2 Reception Rooms, Kitchen/

rate Utility ■ Separate

iving/Dining Area ■ Open Plan Kitchen/Living/Dining

■ Breakfast Room

sed Gardens ■ Enclosed

■ Enclosed Gardens

■ Enc Gardens, Det Garage &

Garagee and Drive. ■ Garag

■ Ample Parking

■ Drive. EPC F

■ EPC F

■ EPC tbc

e Price £340,000 Guide

Offers £290,000 Of fers Over

ABERGAVENNY

■ Purpose Built 1st Floor ■ 1 Bedroom, 2 Reception Rooms ■ Enc. Garden to Rear, No Chain ■ EPC D

om ■ Lounge/Dining Room

■ Fitted KKitchen/Breakfast Room

GROSMONT

GILWERN

■ 2 Bedrooms

Reception ption Rooms ■ 3 Rece

M U

■ 2 Reception Rooms,

C N

■ 4 Bedrooms, Master En Suite

w ■ Detached Bungalow

Bedrooms ooms ■ 5 Bedro N

N H AI

■ Property

GILWERN

ed Period Semi Detached Property ■ Extended

SE EN

■ Well Presented Detached

Semi mi Detached Property ■ Sem Bedrooms, Living Room ■4B Enc closed Gardens & Garage Enclosed ■ CB ■ EPC

ABERGAVENNY

£345,000

ABERGAVENNY

Deceptively ely Spacious Detached Property ■ Deceptive ms to Ground Floor ■ 3 Bedrooms dens Enc. Gardens & Ample Parking ■ ■ EPC D

■ Well Presented Second Floor Apartment en/Living Area ■ Open Plan Kitchen/Living itted Wardrobes ■ Bedroom with Fitted ■ EPC E

LLANELLY HILL

ABERGAVENNY

rty ■ Semi-detached Property es ■ Previously Two Cottages 4/5 Bedrooms, 2 Reception eption Rooms ■ arking, EPC F ■ Detached Garage & Parking,

■ Link Detached Property oms ■ 3 Bedrooms, 2 Reception Rooms athroom ■ Refurbished Kitchen & F/F Bathroom ■ Conservatory, EPC E

£77,950

£249,950

£250,000

£ £115,000

£295,000 000

£179,950

LLANFOIST

ABERGAVENNY

LLANELLY HILL

£169,950

■ Spacious Well Proportioned Semi Detached rst Floor Bathroom ■ 3 Bedrooms, First ast Room, Lounge ■ Kitchen/Breakfast ■ EPC D

£115,000

ABERGAVENNY

£ £189,950

■ Detached Family Property

SE EN

ED C

drooms ■ 3 Bedrooms

ED U

£129,995

ABERGAVENNY

errace Property ■ End Terrace ge/Dining Room ■ Lounge/Dining

AI N C H N

■ 2/3 Bedrooms

■ Bay Fronted End of Terrace Property /Dining Room ■ 2 Double Bedrooms, Lounge/Dining ■ Kitchen, Enclosed Garden ■ EPC F

£219,950 950

ABERGAVENNY

■ Detached Bungalow Situated on ■ a Corner Plot

■ Detached Property in Cul de Sac Location tion Rooms ■ 3 Bedrooms, 2 Reception ■ Conservatory, Kitchen,, Utility Room ■ EPC D

■ 4 Bedrooms

£210,000 OFFERS INVITED

ted End of Terrace Property ■ Bay Fronted ■ 2 Double Bedrooms, Lounge/Dining Rm ■ Kitchen, First Floor Bathroom ■ EPC - D

Semi mi Detached Property ■ Sem B 2 Reception Rooms ■ 3 Bedrooms, Garage rage & Drive, Enc. Gardens ■ Gar CD ■ EPC

■ 2 Reception Roomss

M U

■ Detached Cottage Set in approx. 1/3 Acre ■ Updating Required, Potential for Extension ■ 2 Bedrooms, 2 Reception Rooms ■ No Onward Chain, EPC F

p Rooms ■ 1/2 Reception

en/Breakfast Room ■ Kitchen/Breakfast

■ Conservatory

athroom ■ G/F Bathroom

athroom ■ G/F Cloaks,, F/F Bathroom ■ Garage & Drive

■ Garage and Drive

■ Enc. Gardens to Rear

■ Enclosed Garden

■ Enclosed Gardens

■ West Side of Town

■ Walking Distance of School

■ EPC D

■ EPC E

£175,000 OFFERS S OVER

£134,950

£229,950

ABERGAVENNY

CLYDACH NORTH

ABERGAVENNY

■ Three Reception Rooms

£174,950

AI N

ED EW

■ Well Presented Midd Terraced ter En Suite ■ 4 Bedrooms, Master

erty ■ Property

/Dining Room ■ Open Plan Kitchen/Dining

drooms, 5 Reception Rooms ■ 5 Bedrooms,

RA RE O

■ Four Bedrooms

rbly Presented Detached ■ Superbly

PP O

■ Rare Opportunity

M US T

RT UN ITY

■ Detached Property

nd Floor Shower Room ■ Ground

■ Separate Utility

■ Kitchen

way Parking ■ Driveway

■ Enc. Garden

■ Ground Floor Cloakroom

sed Gardens ■ Enclosed

■ Garage & Drive

■ First Floor Shower Room

■ EPC E

ended ■ Viewing Recommended

■ Commercial/Residential Opportunity

■

■ EPC C

£329,000

£219,995

October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue 17

Gazette & Diary Magazine

PROPERTIES OF THE MONTH GROSMONT - GUIDE PRICE £340,000-£350,000 SET between the picturesque villages of Grosmont, Cross Ash and Llanvihangel Crucorney, this superbly presented detached cottage has been extended and refurbished by the current owner but still retains many period features. The accommodation comprises entrance porch with stable door; 2 reception rooms, fitted kitchen/breakfast room; cloakroom and utility area; master bedroom with en suite shower room and dressing area, 2 further bedrooms and a family bathroom.

There is a detached garage and driveway providing parking facilities with enclosed gardens. The village of Cross Ash, which is approximately 2 miles away, has a popular local primary school with senior

schooling in both Abergavenny and Monmouth, as well as private schooling. The village of Grosmont is also a short drive from the property with a range of local shops, pubs and historical sights.

LLANGATTOCK, LINGOED £339,950 SITUATED in the quiet and quaint village of Llangattock Lingoed and enjoying spectacular countryside views, this traditionally built detached family home has been built with space in mind, with accommodation to include four double bedrooms, a large living room and a separate dining room which leads to a kitchen/ breakfast room. There is also a ground floor cloakroom, downstairs toilet, a first floor bathroom and a master en suite. Outside there are

enclosed gardens which include a small orchard and a detached garage and driveway providing parking facilities. Of-

DOGS and cats suffer from all the same oral and dental diseases as humans. They get bleeding gums all the time , a sign of gingivitis that leads to periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is the disease of tissues that hold your tooth in its socket. Disease around your teeth loosens them; they get wobbly, and fall out. Dogs have 42 permanent teeth – the most I have had to remove due to irreversible periodontal disease is 38. The other four had already fallen out! And yes, pets cope well with no teeth and will still eat kibble and soft food because at least the toothache had gone. Dogs and cats suffer from tooth ache. However, they are very poor at complaining about it. De-

fered with no onward chain this property must be viewed to appreciate its size.

spite what most owners expect, pets do not rub their jaw, point at the affected tooth and stare mournfully at you with tooth ache. Evolution has not carried our best friends that far, except in cartoons. Pets suffer in silence. Please do not give your dog bones because they break their teeth. I know some dogs chew bones for years and get away without injury just as my Uncle Tom smoked and drunk every day for 40 years but then died, quite unexpectedly at 49. So, if you teach you pet to give a paw why not “flip-his-lip” and get brushing. Pop over the Abbey Vets and I’ll teach you how to brush and together we’ll avoid that dreaded doggy breath. Ben Hynes - Abbey Veterinary Centres

“A caring, friendly, professional vets”

Beaufort Theatre & Ballroom, Ebbw Vale Tues 22nd – W Weds eds 23rd Oct October ober 7:30p 7:30pm pm beautiful comedy Rhondda A bea utiful com edy set in tthe ed he Rh ondda dduring u ing ur Second World tthe he Secon nd W Wor orld War War in 1942. £10 / £8 Concessions Tickets £ Concessions Office 01495 Box O ffice 01 495 355800 www.blaaenaugwentvenues.com www.blaenaugwentvenues.com 18 October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue

Puppy & Kitten Starter Packs..............................................£49.99 PetPlan nominated Practice & Vet of the Year 2013 British Dog Groomers’ Association Salon

24hr Onsite Nursing Care Appointments 0900 - 1830hrs (Mon - Fri) 0900 - 1230 (Sat)

www.abbeyvets.co.uk • Tel: 01873 852391

Gazette & Diary Magazine

October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue 19

Gazette & Diary Magazine

Planning your office Christmas party Before you start looking for a venue:

Find out what is important to your guests (fine wines, live band, seated or buffet service) and plan accordingly. Make sure you have a list of possible dates when the manager and other senior staff can attend and that do not conflict with other company commitments.

How do I convince others that a Christmas Party is worth holding in a tough economic climate?

When budgets are being squeezed, this is a major and understandable issue for many clients. However, as-

suming a per head price of say £100 and an average salary of say £30,000, then the party will only cost 0.3% of the overall salary bill and many would see such a small investment in your people's team spirit, loyalty and morale as good value! Many companies use this opportunity for the company leaders to address the staff and/or hand out annual achievement awards (before the drink has flowed too much is always best advice!). This will further add value to the event, as it is a rare opportunity to speak to the whole company. Many staff view cancelling the Christmas party as the last straw, with the associated negative impact ensuing.

To book call 01874 730223 Homemade Spiced Butternut Squash Soup served with a crusty roll Homemade Chicken Liver Pate with Cumberland Sauce served with Toast & Salad Garnish Deep Fried Brie with Cranberry Sauce & Salad Garnish ~~~~~ Roast Turkey with all the festive trimmings

Do I go for a shared or exclusive party?

If you are a group of under 100 guests then you will always get a better party for your money if you join in with other companies on a Shared Party Night. You will be mixed up with others during the reception, but your tables will be together for dining and in most cases the atmosphere and entertainment will be bigger and better! If you are over 100 guests you will be able to find good exclusive venues for similar prices and, as long as the venue isn't too big for your group (always check the maximum numbers it can hold as a guide), then you can get a good atmosphere going with 80 or more guests in the room.

How do I make sure venue or organiser will deliver the goods on the night?

Shop around and check the financial stability of the supplier/venue before contracting. Ask to speak to three clients who were at the venue last year. If they can't supply these then beware! Don't pay too large a deposit to book. 40% should be the maximum. Never book without visiting the venue first.

How do I ensure best value?

The best way to achieve this is, without doubt, to book into a fully-produced run of nights at a venue. This will deliver a high standard of lighting and decoration at a fraction of the bespoke

ancaiac iacch Fawr a r aw Llalancaiach Christmas 2013 Nadolig Join us for Festive Flights of Fancy, 1940s Dance or Dine at the Manor.

Honey Baked Ham with a Cider & Apple Sauce, Mashed Potatoes & Vegetables Salmon & Leek Gratin served with Salad or Vegetables & Salad Potatoes Venison Fillet with a Wild Mushroom Sauce served with Sautéed Potatoes & Vegetables Luxury Nut Roast with Cranberries & Cashew Nuts served with Roast Potatoes, Vegetables & Gravy (V) ~~~~~ Christmas Pudding with Brandy Sauce | Spiced Apple Crumble Chocolate Stairway to Heaven | Sticky Toffee Pudding Lime & Cranberry Bread & Butter Pudding

Available throughout December for small or large groups, orders must be placed in advance £18.95 3 Course | £15.95 2 Course £12.95 1 Course

Llangynidr • To book call 01874 730223 Roast Turkey with all the trimmings will be served every Sunday Lunchtime in December

20 October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue

Ymunwch Y mu munw un nwch h â nii am m noson noson o adloniant adlonian ant nt i’r i’r teu teulu, ullu, lu Dawnsio D aw wnsio 1940au 1940au un neu eu Fwyta F wy wyt yta yn y Maenor Maenordy. aenordy dy. For further details call reception ception or see our website for the e brochure.

Ý 01443 412248 Ý www.llancaiachfawr.co.uk wr.co.uk Ý Am fanylion pellach, ffoniwch h y dderbynfa neu ewch i’n gwefan n am y llyfryn.

Christmas Parties price and allow you to retain catering and entertainment content within a tight budget. Be prepared to take a Monday/Tuesday, which will cost you 20% less than a prime date. You can also get better prices per head if you book close to maximum numbers, so find a venue that is the right size for your party. Make sure the basics are right - a good first impression followed by good food, well-served and a great DJ/dancefloor. Everything else is non-essential to a great party and should be viewed as optional extras or unnecessary if you are on a tight budget. Your guests won't mind if the extras you had last year are not affordable this time. Indeed they will respect you for being careful in tougher times. Make sure that you have a clear policy on staff charging for travel home. An unlimited taxi policy can lead to a large and unforeseen bill in January. Venues close to tube and railway stations and a midnight finish, or a set "Get you Home" allowance will all help to control these costs and encourage taxi sharing etc. Fully research the Christmas party venues in your area. Get an idea of your likely numbers. Make sure that you have a list of possible dates for your party. ● Get detailed quotations and availability for your shortlisted venues. ● Visit the venues on your shortlist and meet the organiser. ● Ask for references and any other details before booking. ● ● ●

CHECK LIST ● ●

● ● ●

Send out reminder/teaser to all acceptances to retain interest. ● Check final numbers and request special dietary requirements. ● Do first draft table plan (if required) and final timetable for the night. ● Send final note to guests including directions to venue and getting home options. ● Bask in the glory of praise and congratulatory emails from directors and colleagues! ●

Announce the date to all invitees. Launch the party and remember to sell it well to engage the audience. Having ambassadors in each department for a large company will help with this. Get an initial idea as to final numbers. Arrange to have a food tasting if offered by the venue. Check budget against guest numbers and consider extras and upgrades.

The Bear B H Hotel

High Street

Criick kho k hoowelll h

NP8 1BW W

01873 810408

Chri ristmas 2013 Paarttyy menu now available Evening and a lunch parties catered for thhroughout December mee andd enjoy the atmos m sphere inn the award winninng Be B ar otel, E Exxcellent ffoo ood an and ndd comfforrttablee accommoddaation. Autumnn fflow lowerinng baskets andd llog ogg ffir irres adddd to the charminng surroundinngs. www.bearhotel.co.uk

Please contact c us for forr a copy ooff our festtive menu

info@bearhottel.co.uk

October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue 21

Gazette & Diary Magazine

Santa

There's no better feeling than spending hours pampering and preening to look beyond glam for a party. But let's be real. If it's a weekday bash you're heading to, chances are you'll be freshening up in the office loos But, all hope is not lost... when time is of the essence, rely on beauty's party season saviours to dazzle in minutes.

22 October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue

Christmas Parties

Baby

If you have... 20 minutes You have time on your hands but not enough to sprint to the salon for a blow dry. Plan ahead and go to work armed with kirby grips, hairspray and a brush - all you need to create show-stopping hair. "The beehive is the perfect style to take your hair from drab to fab," says Guy Cammarano, creative director of Regis salons. "It works best when not created on freshly washed hair, making it ideal if you've spent all day in the office." If you're unsure, watch masterclass beehive videos on YouTube to perfect the techniques at home so that you can execute the style with confidence in a hurry. 10 minutes Lugging your make-up bag to work can end in disaster. Too many products to apply in too little time means precious minutes wasted, plus the contents won't cram into your teeny-tiny clutch. Lighten the load by using a glam palette featuring multi-tasking products in shades that flatter your colouring. "Look for a palette that contains shimmery shades that you can layer on top of eye shadows so they're instantly transformed into something glamorous," advises make-up artist, Daniel Sandler. "Don't buy a palette with shades you'll never use but do invest in something you'll use at Christmas, , a special occasion or night out with the girls."

5 minutes For fluttering transformative effects, a false lash fix trumps mascara any day. If you usually struggle to apply them, invest in a product like Bourjois Falsh Lash Applicator, £4.99 (Boots). "They have a long curved arm to grab the length of the lash and place onto the whole lid in one movement," says Cassie Lomas, Bourjois celebrity make-up artist. "The soft angled tip on the other end can be used to gently press the false lash onto the lash line." Try falsies featuring crystals on the lash line for extra eye dazzle. 1 minute If you're really pushed for time, a strong lip is all you need to wow the party pack. Try festive red or raspberry. Apply, blot then reapply for extra longevity. "A bright lip will detract from tired eyes but avoid dark colours unless you have fresh, glowing skin," advises Liz Pugh, Avon professional make-up artist. "You can also use the lip colour to inject some flushed colour onto your cheeks. If your lipstick is heavily pigmented, apply to your hand first and dab the colour onto cheekbones for a gorgeous party glow that matches the tone of your lips." 10 seconds Spritzes are your seconds-to-spare best friend. A rich, alluring fragrance applied to pulse points will instantly put you in the party mood and an atomiser highlighter will add a subtle sprinkling of glamour. Chase Aston, The Body Shop international make-up artist suggests: "Create an inner glow by lightly spraying highlighter over cheeks, or spritz across the decolletage for an elegant luminosity."

Day to night glamour Celebrity make-up artist and author of Pretty Powerful Bobbi Brown shares her expert tips for a speedy transformation ● If you normally wear brown eyeliner, switch to black for evening for extra drama and glamour. ● Usually wear one coat of mascara for day? Go with three for night-time. ● A little sparkly iridescent shadow on the lower lid looks gorgeous at night - it can also be placed under the eye on the inner corner for subtle drama. ● Try a glamorous smoky eye for night. Add a darker shadow on the lid and smudge up to the crease, blending and adding more to achieve the desired effect. ● A touch of shimmer on the apple of your cheeks over your blush is a quick way to illuminate your skin for evening. ● Take your lips from day to night by going deeper in colour. If you wear pink and rosy tones during the day, try going a shade or two darker for night.

BOBBI BROWN Bellini Lip and Eye Palette, £59 ● A red or pink bright lip looks best with a cleaner eye and pastel blush. ● Light shimmer lips look fantastic with a stronger eye and pop of brighter blush.

21 years of excellence

October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue 23

Gazette & Diary Magazine

24 October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue

Christmas Parties

Everyone enjoys a party canapé! If you have some entertaining to do in the weeks leading up to Christmas what better way to delight your guests than by serving up platters of canapes that look pretty, tickle the taste buds and, crucially, are a practical way to feed a crowd? (Makes 24) 6 slices of medium white bread 125g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing 24 quail eggs 4 slices of Parma ham 175ml plain hollandaise 10g chives, finely chopped to garnish Preheat oven to 150oC/300oF/Gas 2. Brush the bread with melted butter and use the cookie cutter to stamp out 4 rounds per bread slice (to make your croutes). Place the croutes on a baking tray and bake for 20-25 minutes, until crisp, then set aside to cool. To bake the quail eggs, generously butter a mini muffin tin and crack eggs into each hole. Bake in the oven for 4 minutes (the yolks should still be runny). Using a teaspoon, carefully scoop the eggs out of the

tins and onto a tray or plate to cool. Increase oven temperature to 180oC/350oF/Gas 4. Place the croutes (not touching) on a flat oven tray, tear the ham into 24 equal pieces, and place a piece folded on top of each croute. Next, place the baked egg on top and cover with 1 teaspoon of hollandaise. Bake for 4-5 minutes then garnish with finely chopped chives.

SMOKERS!

Are you fed up of smoke? We offer wide range of electronic cigarettes in stock & starter kits from £20.

Eggs Benedict Unit 1 Station Road, Station Enterprise Park (by Abergavenny Train Station) 01873 854913

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Gazette & Diary Magazine

Celebrating

Christmas in style I

F you like Christmas, you’ll love our places. We absolutely love the festive season and our historic venues look at their very best, ready to celebrate the season of goodwill! They come alive and positively shimmer with so many beautiful Christmas trees, thousands of lights, holly and the magic of tinsel – it’s a great time of year, the best time to spend with family and friends. This years celebrations with us include: At Peterstone Court – we guarantee roaring fires and a friendly welcome to everyone – our gastronomic Christmas a la carte menu available throughout the season, is legendary – join us for a festive feast for lunch or dinner, then settle by the fires and soak up the seasonal spirit in our beautiful country house. Try our sumptuous, sparkling afternoon teas, which always prove to be a special treat for the whole family. Christmas Day and Boxing Day lunches, served at all our restaurants are unsurpassed and gives hardworking mums the chance to relax and really enjoy their Christmas holiday too! At The Manor – you can let your hair

down as we provide the perfect Christmas party venue, with more decorations and lights that you can shake a stick at! Our ever popular Cabaret Party nights feature tributes from Lady Gaga, Robbie Williams and Katy Perry, while Father Christmas will be dropping by with presents for all the children at our annual ‘Santa’s Sunday Lunch’ on 15th December. Our special seasonal a la carte Christmas menu will be in full flow throughout December at all our venues including The Nantyffin Cidermill and The Castle Hotel in Llandovery, and our champagne afternoon teas always prove to be a very special treat. New Year’s Eve sees our annual spectacular gourmet dinner and dance – always a night to remember, this event gets bigger each year, it’s not to be missed, so book your table now! Please see websites for details and prices www.manorhotel.co.uk www.peterstone-court.com www.cidermill.co.uk www.castle-hotel-llandovery.co.uk

26 October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue

Christmas Parties

Experience enchantment this Christmas F

ROM November 1 each year Paul and Victoria Humpherston, owners of the unique and remarkable Hall at Abbey-Cwm-Hir near Llandrindod Wells some 45 miles from Abergavenny, decorate all 52 rooms of their Gothic Revival mansion for Christmas. Design, planning and preparations for Christmas 2013 are already underway by Victoria and the ladies of Abbey-Cwm-Hir. “We share our home with its outstanding architecture, stunning interiors, fascinating collections and beautiful gardens with thousands of visitors throughout the year. Visitors tour the house in a true family atmosphere, but Christmas is something special” says Victoria. “There is nowhere else in the UK to have all 52 rooms decorated, all with Christmas trees and separate decorative themes. Some themes will return by popular demand such as The Crys-

tal Room, The Knitted Figures Room, the Military Room and the Handbags and Shoes Room etc. But entirely new creations this year will include The Royal Albert Room, The Dolls House Room, the Gold Room and the Chess Room. We started to take tours in Christmas 2006, and many visitors this year will be returning for the fourth, fifth or sixth time. Many individuals, couples and small or large groups from South and East Wales have chosen to come ALL 52 rooms of the Gothic Revival mansion are decorated for Christmas to The Hall, rather than to travel to venues such as Chatsworth and Waddesdon. This Christmas promises to be a joyous experience. Daily tours of The Hall at Christmas are available from November 1t to January 6t inclusive (except Christmas Day) The entrance fee is £15 pp, or £13 pp for groups (10 or more) and repeat visitors. To book phone 01597 851727 or email info@abbeycwmhir.com. The website is www.abbeycwmhir.com

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Gazette & Diary Magazine

ITH only a few weeks left until Christmas, most of us will soon be rushing around making preparations, partying and generally burning the candle at both ends. It's a time when we need to be fit and healthy, not only to cope with the demands we're putting on our bodies but also to resist a barrage of winter germs. If you suffer from tummy troubles, indigestion, headaches, hangovers and winter bugs, festiveproof your health by following the experts' guide to boosting immunity and energy.

Body boosters

"It's easy over the festive season to feel you're on a constant nutritional conveyor belt of alcohol, sugar and rich foods. The combination can leave you feeling off-colour," says Lorna Driver-Davies, a nutritionist at The Nutri Centre. "Everyday someone brings chocolates or mince pies into the office, you're probably eating out more often, while 'just one more drink' is a common refrain in the run-up to Christmas and during the holiday period." ● Driver-Davies advises taking, throughout December, a nutritional product for liver support, such as Hepaguard Forte by BioCare, £17.10 for 60 caps, from www.nutricentre.com An immune-supporting complex may also be beneficial, she says, and recommends Elderberry Complex by Bionutri, £16.05 for 90 tablets, from www.nutricentre.com

Stop seasonal sag

"If you find yourself yawning a lot, or even nodding off as soon as you sit down on a chair or sofa, you may be suffering from fatigue or what's dubbed, 'TATT - Tired All The Time,' says women's health expert Marilyn Glenville (www.marilynglenville.com).

"With many of us leading increasingly busy lives, and on top of that the extra pressure of Christmas preparations, it's hardly surprising that more and more people are suffering from a lack of energy." She advises that if you feel persistently tired and lack the energy to get comfortably through a day, it is worth checking your diet to ensure it contains sufficient essential nutrients and taking a vitamin B12 supplement. ● Glenville recommends BioCare Vitamin B12, £10.55 for a month's supply, available from www.biocare.co.uk

Eat and be merry

Indigestion or an upset stomach occurs when your body struggles to break down food and digest it properly. "Discomfort or a burning feeling in the stomach, often accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea, bloating, flatulence, cramps, constipation and diarrhoea, is commonly known as indigestion," saysMarilyn Glenville. "It's much more common over the Christmas period when people indulge in a richer diet and drink more alcohol." To minimise the symptoms, she says, drink plenty of water. "Chew food slowly and thoroughly to give your body time to digest it properly. "Avoid medication containing aspirin and ibuprofen, but if you must takethem, ensure you take them on a full stomach. Drinking peppermint orcamomile tea after a meal may help settle your stomach," she adds. Stress is one of the triggers for digestive upsets.

CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS AT

ALLT YR YNYS COUNTRY HOTEL PARTY WITH YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY OR WORK COLLEAGUES THIS CHRISTMAS AT ALLT YR YNYS COUNTRY HOTEL Open log fires, soft candlelight and traditional decorations create the perfect ambience for a very special experience. 4 course Christmas Lunch or Dinner menu at £29.50 per guest.

Buckland Hall TAXIS TAXIS CHRISTMAS PARTY NIGHTS at the

Monmouthshire Golf Club

Available daily for 2nd to 21st December and 4th to 19th January inclusive. Minimum party size - 6 guests. Discounted room rates for overnight stays

Saturday 7 December and Saturday 21 December

EXCLUSIVE USE of the hotel is you book all 18 of our rooms (phone for rates).

£25.00 per person to include a

PHONE US ON 01873 890307 OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.ALLTHOTEL.CO.UK FOR FULL MENU DETAILS AND MORE INFORMATION

28 October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue

Fit and healthy festive season

3 course Dinner and Disco Contact C Sobik to book a table

01873 852606

Welcome to

The Bridge End Inn Crickhowell

Lunch and evening meals served Monday to Monday Traditional Sunday roast

The Bridge End Inn is quite an exceptional public house of some quality, set on the edge of the Brecon National Park right next to the river Usk - one of the principality’s best fishing rivers.

◆ Restaurant

◆ Bar

◆ Accommodation

◆ Fishing

Bridge Street. Crickhowell. Powys. NP8 1AR Tel: 01873 810338 Fax: 01873 810338 Email: info@thebridgeendinn.com www.thebridgeendinn.com

Christmas Parties

Time for cake? I

T may be slightly off the main street, but Emmeline’s Homebaking really is a hidden gem, offering fantastic cakes, soups and drinks in a classic setting. Based in the Old Police Station on Baker Street, Emmeline’s has stayed away from the usual high-tech modern look that swamps many chain coffee shops, as Emmeline and Jason Vieregge prefer the vintage, quiet atmosphere, and offer their customers a more unique experience when it comes to popping for a coffee. Inspired by Emmeline’s mother, and her heritage, they serve traditional Norwegian cakes with fat-free sponge, lots of seasonal fruit and a generous helping of cream. Jason said: “My mother-in-law has her own cake shop in Scotland called the Potting Shed, so we were taught everything we know from her.” Along with their cakes they offer freshly made soups and, in all of her pro-

duce, Emmeline puts high priority in sourcing local fruit and vegetables for everything she makes. Emmeline said: “I buy my vegetables and fruit from local stores, because as an independent business ourselves, we think its a good thing to put money back into the local area.” Not only this, but they have a selection of herbal teas, soft drinks, and even caffetiere coffee to fit in with their simplistic and rustic vibe. With all of this, thjey have managed to find some loyal customers, who delight in bringing all of their friends and family to sample some of the cakes, all freshly made in store each morning. Jason said: “We have a few customers who come in every week, and are always with someone new. They are always telling us how much they enjoy it, and one customer even took it upon herself to hand out leaflets for us, to help more people know we are here.”

PARAGLIDING and PARAMOTORING Over 15 years experience

Fully skilled and qualified instructors

FAMILY AFFAIR: Jason and Emmeline Vierrege outside their cafe

FFor or aallll yyour our Craft Hobby needs. C raft & H Ho obby ne eds. Haberdashery & Sewing Haberdashery Sewing Accessories, Ac cessories, Knitt Knitting ing YYa Yarns arns & PPatterns, atterns, EEmbroidery, mbroiddery, Tapestry T apestry & C Cross ross SStitch, titch, FFabrics abrics aand nd FFabric abric D Dyes. yes. Cake C ake & SSugarcraft ugarcraft Ac Accessories. cessories.

Look at Abergavenny from a new perspective 01873 850111 • 07970 421373 35 Mount Street Abergavenny NP7 7DT www.paraglide.co.uk

October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue 29

Gazette & Diary Magazine

WHAT’S ON...

AT THE MAES THIS AUTUMN & WINTER ENTERTAINMENT

SUNDAY LUNCH

OCTOBER FRIDAY 18TH LADY GAGA & OLLY MURS TRIBUTE SATURDAY 19TH THE BEATLES & QUEEN TRIBUTE

£12.95 for 2 courses £15.95 for 3 courses Head chef Nigel Parker & his assistant Mandy have been serving their sumptuous Sunday lunches together at the manor for over ten years. The ever popular menu is now served weekly in either the Isllwyn suite with its fairy light ceiling & backdrop or the wood panelled Seasons restaurant. Booking is strongly recommended to avoid disappointment.

NOVEMBER FRIDAY 1ST REWIND TO THE 80'S DECEMBER SUNDAY 8TH TOM JONES & TINA TURNER TRIBUTE THURSDAY 12TH 2 COMEDIANS & KYLIE MINOGUE TRIBUTE SUNDAY 15TH COMEDIAN, CHER & PHIL COLLINS TRIBUTE THURSDAY 19TH MEATLOAF & BON JOVI TRIBUTE

SEASONS RESTAURANT Open daily for lunch & evening bookings The superb cuisine at Maes Manor has made our Seasons Restaurant one of the most popular dining venues in the area. The menus are a combination of classical and traditional British dishes which are changed seasonally.

FESTIVE SUNDAYS £19 per Adult £13 per Child

Under 3’s complimentary (Terms Apply)

Take some time out of the preparations for the big day and join us for a pre-Christmas family treat here at the Mae Manor Hotel. Enjoy a classic Festive Sunday Lunch with all the trimmings, then sit back and relax in front of the fireplace in our cozy Cocktail bar soaking up the festive atmosphere. Offering large selection of wines, lagers and beers and beautiful buckfuls of festive trimmings.

Sunday 1st December, Sunday 8th December Sunday 15th December, Sunday 22nd December

MAES MANOR HOTEL

MAESRUDDED LANE, BLACKWOOD, NP12 0AG TEL. 01495 220011

www.maesmanor.com • info@maesmanor.com 30 October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue

Real & Imagined OCTOBER sees the start of an exhibition with the evocative title of “Real & Imagined” in the Oriel CRiC Gallery, Crickhowell. A number of local artists are exhibiting works which draw on the world of the imagination. Tim Rossiter is well known for his oil painting on board, but is exhibiting 3 dimensional work as well. The themes of poetry, mythology and the Welsh landscape are echoed in the work of Helen Mowat and Linda Kieft. Helen’s series of Harlequin and Crow paintings have a strong narrative element. Linda’s sculptural ceramics are based on the epic poem Gilgamesh. They are joined by first time exhibitor Kate Dufton and batik artist Sarah Jones. The gallery’s love of sculpture is evident in the selection which will also include bronzes by Martine Wills and stone pieces by David England. Curator Suzette Pratten said, “We are always delighted to showcase the exceptional quality of art of local and visit-

New exhibition to open at Oriel CRiC Gallery ing artists in our beautiful gallery space. This exhibition is definitely one which will entice the visitor to linger.” The Welsh landscape in it is many moods is captured by a number of regular and visiting exhibitors. The exhibition continues until 28 November and will be followed by the annual “Christmas at CRiC” exhibition. The gallery is open daily between 10am and 5pm Sundays, 10am to 1.30pm. tel 01873 811970 www.visitcrickhowell.co.uk

October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue 31

Gazette & Diary Magazine

“We “ We foster. ffo oster. You Y ou ccan an ttoo.” oo.”

FFoster oster w with ith Action Action for for o Children Children Think y ou w on’t m eet tthe he rrequirements? equirements? D on’t rrule ule y ourself o ut. Y ou n eed a s pare Think you won’t meet Don’t yourself out. You need spare b edroom, p lent y o ime, e nergy a nd a c ommitment tto ob e tthere here ffor or a s llong ong a s iitt ttakes. akes. bedroom, plenty off ttime, energy and commitment be as as Action Children will support you every step off tthe way with our 24-hour helpline, A ction ffor or C hildren w ill s uppor t y ou e ver y st ep o he w ay w ith o ur 2 4-hour h elpline, and ttraining, raining, fees fees an d breaks. break a s.

Call now your pack on C all n ow fo ffor or y our FFREE REE information information p ack o n 01633 01633 270422 270422 or or visit visiit actionforchildren.org.uk/fostering actionforchildr d en.org.uk/fostering

32 October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue

DE MY )

Foster Fo oster

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Do something changing D os omething llife ife c han nging

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Bigwell Fly Fishery T

HIS trout fishery is set in the heart of the Wye Valley at the edge of the small village of Redbrook. Bigwell has been under new management since May 2013. Gary Gray is the new proprietor and is a former client. The fishery has been significantly improved since Gary took the reins and returning anglers have been very complimentary. The venue itself comprises three main pools and a nursery pool. Main pool number one is a crystal clear pool where stalking your prey is the order of the day. Pools two and three are slightly coloured though vision through the water is still very good - wear those polaroids!

The fishery is stocked weekly with 2½-3lb high quality trout maintaining a very healthy head of fish. Also stocked is a quantity of large trout 612lbs, as sporting fish to be released, for our clients’ added pleasure. Competitions are regularly held for great prizes, visit our facebook page for details. New or old clients - we look forward to welcoming you to a great days fishing! ● Facilities: Disabled anglers are welcome Toilets with disabled facilites All day full English breakfast; lunch time specials; sandwiches; cold drinks and complimentary beverages for clients.

Bigwell Flyfishery, Tinmans Green, Redbrook, Monmouth, NP25 4NB 01600 772904 email: info@bigwellflyfishery.co.uk facebook.com/bigwellflyfishery web: bigwellflyfishery.co.uk

BEEF ● LAMB ● PORK CHICKENS ● GAME SAUSAGES AND BACON We are passionate about the meat business and we place huge importance upon quality and traditional butchery skills. We buy locally from sources we know, so you are assured of top quality produce from assured sources. Delicatessen counter with an array of hand crafted farmhouse cheese, including local varieties, traditional farmhouse cheddars, rich flavoured goat cheese, sheep cheese, artisan and continental cheeses. Usk River Chutney, Bay Tree Pickles and sauces, and a mouthwatering range of local pates, pork pies, ploughmans and game pies, award winning hams and cooked meats and organic wine!

High Street Crickhowell NP8 1BH 01873 810405 email durwyn@cashells.co.uk Opening Times 08:00 -17:30 Monday to Saturday 09:00 -12:00 Sunday

This trout fishery is set in the heart of the Wye Valley at the edge of the small village of Redbrook. Bigwell has been under new management since 1st May 2013. Gary Gray is the new proprietor and is a former client. The fishery has been significantly improved since Gary took the reins and returning anglers have been very complimentary. The venue itself comprises 3 main pools and a nursery pool. Main pool no. 1 is a crystal clear pool where stalking your prey is the order of the day. Pools 2 & 3 are slightly coloured though vision through the water is still very good - wear those polaroids! The fishery is stocked weekly with 2½-3Lb high quality trout maintaining a very healthy head of fish. Also stocked is a quantity of large trout 6-12Lbs, as sporting fish to be released, for our clients added pleasure.

Competions are regularly held for great prizes, visit our facebook page for details! New or old clients; we look forward to welcoming you to a great days fishing! Facilities: Disabled anglers are welcome, Toilets with Disabled facilites All day full English breakfast; Lunch time special; Sandwiches; Cold drinks. Complimentary beverages for clients.

Bigwell Flyfishery, Tinmans Green, Redbrook, Monmouth, NP25 4NB 01600 772904 email: info@bigwellflyfishery.co.uk facebook.com/bigwellflyfishery web: bigwellflyfishery.co.uk

Matt Ryan - Bonza Eventing

Triple Olympic 3 Day Event Gold Medalist New Flexiride All Weather Gallop For Hire - never freezes!

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Racehorse Pre-training Racehorse Rehabilitation and Re-Schooling Eventers taken for competition All horses taken for schooling and selling Breaking ■ Livery Horses for sale ■ Private lessons and Clinics Lecture Demonstrations Matt is looking to take on new working pupils for immediate start asap Matt Ryan teaches The Bonza Way Safer - More Secure - More Effective More Competitive

Tel: 01873 853676

Email: bonzamatt@hotmail.co.uk Website: www.mattryan.co.uk October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue 33

Gazette & Diary Magazine

Make the most of a bumper harvest T HE warm summer months might be over, but the abundant wild berries, plentiful apples, and juicy tomatoes they helped create can make it feel like the sun is still shining. It's unlikely keen gardeners can manage to eat all this bumper produce immediately though, which is where the art of storage comes in. Maincrop potatoes and onions will keep well in a cool shed or garage, while garlic should be placed in a cool room in the house. All three should be free of soil and perfectly dry before storing. Onions and garlic can be strung and hung up, while potatoes will be quite happy in paper or a hessian sack, kept in the dark to stop them from sprouting. If you have blackcurrants, redcurrants and gooseberries, these are perfect for jams, partly because they contain plenty of pectin, the ingredient that makes jam set. With jams or jellies, it is important to sterilise the jars and lids for 10 minutes in boiling water before using them. Most fruits and vegetables will last up to 12 months using this method. Blackberries and other wild berries have been abundant this year, thanks

to last year's wet summer and this year's dry one, and are easy to freeze (although avoid freezing strawberries as they become mushy). Just select the best fruit, spreading the berries in a single layer on a clean tray and put it in the fast-freeze section of the freezer. Once it's frozen, transfer it to bags and return it to the freezer. If you have too many ripe tomatoes, try drying them in the oven, placing them on a tray at the lowest setting for several hours with the oven door just ajar. Alternatively, skin them by placing them in a bowl of just boiled water, leaving them there for a few minutes, then removing the skin and blitzing them into a puree which can be a base for any Italian passata, which can be frozen. Unripe tomatoes can also be transformed into delicious green tomato chutney, there are umpteen recipes to be found on the internet. Cucumbers spring to mind when we think of pickling, but many vegetables and fruits can be preserved in this manner including peppers, cauliflower, apples and pears. Peas and green beans should be blanched (dunked in boiling water for several minutes, then plunged into cold

SPECIAL SEASONAL PLANT OFFERS NOW ON

Take the Chainbridge turn off the A4042 (Abergavenny - Pontypool road) and follow the brown signs. Open 7 days a week, 10am - 5pm Tel: 01873 880377 www.nantyderryGC.co.uk

34 October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue

water and dried off ) before freezing, while courgettes freeze satisfactorily in prepared dishes such as ratatouille, and pumpkins can be made into preserves using lemons, sugar and mixed spices. Root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, beetroot and celeriac can generally be left in the ground until required, although try to dig a few up to store in a cool place before winter sets in and the ground becomes too hard to harvest them easily. To store gluts of apples and pears, you'll need to them handle

carefully, placing them in a room with a low, even temperature, good ventilation and a moist atmosphere such as a cellar. If you are putting apples in your garden shed, wrap them in newspaper (this slows the shrivelling process and isolates rots), put them in boxes, stack them in a cool spot under insulation (such as straw or polystyrene sheets) and cover with polythene. Check them regularly for signs of disease and remove any which have rotted. Pears prefer slightly drier and warmer conditions and are best not wrapped or stacked.

What to do this month • Leave tomatoes on the plants until • Root cuttings of lavender the weather turns, to allow them optimum time to ripen.

• Leave nets over brassicas to stop pigeons feasting on them.

• Reduce the watering and feeding of greenhouse plants.

• Continue to deadhead roses. • Trim hornbeam, beech, Leyland

cypress and thuja hedges, if you haven't already done so.

• Take hardwood cuttings from roses, choosing healthy stems of the current season's growth.

directly into gritty soil outside or in a cold frame.

• Pick fruit crops and any

remaining summer vegetables.

• Sow hardy annuals like calendula, godetia, larkspur and candytuft outside where you would like them to flower. • Plant tubers of Anemone 'De Caen' and 'Saint Brigid' at intervals to extend their flowering next spring.

Top buy ANYONE fed up with planting the same old bulbs should take a look at the new range from Thompson & Morgan which includes Tulipa 'Double Flaming Bird', a hugely flamboyant tulip, which is twice the size of most other tulips and boasts stunningly coloured petals which give the impression of a huge bowl of exotic colour. They are expensive but then they are pretty rare and will be a conversation starter in spring. (one bulb - £14.99; two bulbs - £24.99, www.thompson-morgan.com, 0844 573 1818)

• Sow poppies where you want them to flower next year.

• Lift Lilium regale clumps and re-set, planting them about 15cm (6in) deep in well-drained soil improved with compost and grit.

• Give autumn green crops a light

dressing of general fertiliser hoed into the soil around them.

October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue 35

Gazette & Diary Magazine

TRY THESE FRIGHT NIGHT TREATS W Terrifying Top tips ITH vampires, werewolves and zombies still all the rage on our screens, Halloween is the perfect time to show off your creative side. Even if your costume-crafting skills don't stretch beyond cutting eyes out

of a sheet, you can keep the kids happy by following the lead of Annabel Karmel. The best-selling children's cookery author shares her tips for making Halloween the spookiest night of the year... Annabel Karmel

WHEN trick-or-treating, telephone any friends nearby and warn them in advance that you will be popping over so they are prepared and children are not disappointed. Also, visit houses with pumpkins or Halloween decorations as this suggests they are happy to receive trick-or-treaters. IF you have a large pumpkin, hollow it out and put a glass or plastic bowl inside and use it as a children's punch bowl. DON'T forget to buy treats to hand out to children who visit your house trickor-treating. As well as bite-sized chocolates and sweets, stock up on non-edible treats such as stickers or bouncy balls. A NICE idea for party decorations is to hollow out oranges and cut out little faces in the side so they look like mini-pumpkins. REMEMBER to have a few tricks ready when you go out trick-or-treating. You could encourage children to make up spooky jokes or take a small black plastic bag filled with cooked spaghetti to feel like worms. A FUN activity to do with children before a party is to collect some twigs from the park, put them in a basket or vase and use pieces of ribbon to hang pictures the children have drawn of bats, spiders and skeletons. PLAY witches' cauldron, a game that will send shivers down children's spines. Fill a bowl with items that represent different body parts: peeled grapes for eyeballs, linked sausages for intestines, cauliflower for brains, a balloon filled with water for a heart, liquorice laces for veins or jelly for liver. Get the children to sit blindfolded in a circle and take it in turns to pull out an item and guess what it is.

Devishly divine drinks HOCUS POCUS! With the clocks turning back and the streets blanketed in darkness for Halloween (October 31), the night sky and ghostly shadows are the perfect platform for partygoers who love to get spirited away. And with fireworks and rockets shooting across the darkness a few days later to celebrate Guy Fawkes Night (November 5), it's a great time for get-togethers over a bonfire. Carving out pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns can be thirsty work, and for the lads who like an ice-cold beer, Meantime Brewery has launched its first new bottled beer since London Lager hit the streets two years ago. Certain to tantalise the taste buds, Yakima Red (£1.59, 33cl, 4.1%, Waitrose) is a deep amber beer made from five different hop varieties from the Yakima Valley, Washington State, USA. Balancing sweetness, tropical fruit notes and a hoppy bitterness, it's extremely refreshing and tastes great with bangers and ham hock terrine. Frightfully good, Barefoot is America's top-selling wine brand and a blood-red wine cocktail made with its smooth and fruity Barefoot Merlot, California, USA (£6.69,

36 October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue

Sainsbury's) is sure to inspire tales of the unexpected:

BAREFOOT'S WITCHES' BREW

2 cups Barefoot Merlot, 1 cup blackberry syrup, 1.5 cups cranberry juice, 1/2 cup fresh lime juice

Half fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the ingredients, shake vigorously and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lychee 'eyeball', gummy worm sweets or a maraschino cherry. FANGTASTIC cocktails in ghoulish green will encourage revellers to put on their spookiest costumes, and Midori melon liqueur (£10.67, 50cl, Asda) has created a bespoke cocktail for the Halloween season. For trick-or-treaters who'd like to try the creepy cocktail at home and impress their friends with some creative flair, here's the recipe:

JAPANESE DRAGON

25ml Midori, 25ml vodka, 12.5ml lemon juice, 10ml kiwi syrup (can be replaced with 1/2 a muddled kiwi), 20ml apple juice, 1/3 bar spoon of stem ginger

Half fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the ingredients, shake vigorously and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with three melon balls. CELEBRATING its 150th birthday this year, Bacardi has

launched a velvety smooth, spicy dark rum. Fermented in charred American white oak barrels, it has an oaky, robust flavour with notes of vanilla. To toast torch-lit parades and bonfire bashes, try serving Bacardi OakHeart (£18, 70cl, Tesco) neat over ice, with cola, or in a Cuban special with a Guy Fawkes twist:

FAWKES FIZZ

50ml Bacardi OakHeart, 25ml pineapple juice, 25ml cranberry juice, lemonade Half fill a highball glass with ice. Add the Bacardi OakHeart, pineapple juice and cranberry juice, stir with a long bar spoon and top with lemonade. Remember, remember, the Bacardi logo is a bat, which also makes OakHeart the perfect pour on fright night... cheers!

Happy Halloween

And try these recipes from Karmel to make fright night the tastiest yet... WITCHES CUPCAKES

GHOULISH CHIPS

(Makes 12 cupcakes) 110g unsalted butter at room temperature • 200g caster sugar • 2 large eggs • 150g self-raising flour, sifted • 125g plain flour, sifted Half tsp baking powder • 150ml semiskimmed milk • 1 tsp grated lemon zest • A tub of vanilla frosting • Oreo Cookies Hershey's Kisses • Matchmaker chocolates • Red fondant (or white fondant coloured red using food colouring)

(Makes around 20 small chips) 2 wheat tortilla wraps (1 wrap makes about 12 small shapes) Olive oil for brushing • Salt and pepper Additional flavours to sprinkle on the wrap: crushed garlic/mixed dried herbs/dried chilli flakes

• Preheat the oven to 180C (fan 160C). Line a muffin tin with 12 paper cupcake cases. • To make the cupcakes, measure all the cake ingredients into a bowl. Whisk together until smooth. • Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases until two thirds full. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until they are raised and lightly golden. • To check they are cooked you can insert a skewer or toothpick into the centre of one of the cakes and it should come out clean. • Remove from the oven, allow to cool down a little and then arrange the cupcakes on a wire rack to cool completely. • Pipe the frosting on top of each cup cake using a piping bag with a star-shaped nozzle. • To make the witches' hats, separate the Oreo Cookies that are sandwiched together and scrape out the filling. Using a little of the frosting, attach a Hershey's Kiss to the split cookie to form the hat. • To make the witches' shoes, form a small ball of red fondant, taper one end to a point, curl the thin end to make the toe of the shoe, then fold the fat end up to make the heel. Press the shoe firmly but care fully onto a Matchmaker chocolate for the leg. Press the legs into the cupcake so that they stick up from the frosting.

MONSTERS MUFFINS

(Makes 12) 225g plain flour • 1 tbsp baking powder 125g butter softened • 125g caster sugar • Quarter tsp salt 1 egg • 200 ml milk • 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp ground cinnamon • 100g raisins 125g pumpkin, peeled and grated Decoration: 1 tub vanilla frosting • Green food colouring White fondant icing • Black fondant icing (or colour white fondant icing black with black food colouring) • Preheat the oven to 180C (fan). Line a 12-hole muffin tin with muffin cases. • Measure all the ingredients into a free-standing electric mixer. Whisk until blended. Spoon into the cases. • Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until well risen and lightly golden on top. • Place the muffins on a wire rack to cool. Colour about half the frosting green using some of the food colouring. When the muffins are completely cool, swirl the green icing on top of the muffins using a piping bag with a plain nozzle. • Make small balls of white fondant icing and flatten them to make the whites of the eyes. Make smaller balls of black fondant icing and

• Put the wrap on a board, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper (and any other flavours you might choose). Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes of bats and ghosts. • Place on an oven tray and bake at 170C for 12 minutes, watching them closely as they go brown very quickly.

MERINGUE BONES (Makes 12 bones) 2 egg whites 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar 100g caster sugar

• In a small bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high until stiff peaks form. Place mixture in a piping bag with plain nozzle or heavy-duty resealable plastic bag with a small hole cut in the corner. • On parchment-lined baking sheets, pipe meringue into a 3-inch log. Pipe two 1-inch balls on opposite sides of each end of the log. • Repeat with remaining meringue. Bake at 110C for one-and-a-half hours or until firm. • Remove to wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

flatten them to make the pupils of the eyes. Roll out some black icing and use to make eyebrows and moustaches.

TOFFEE APPLES

(Makes 8) 8 apples • 400g golden caster sugar • 1 tsp vinegar 4 tbsp golden syrup • Fairly thick twigs • Wash the apples. Dry thoroughly and twist off any stalks. Push a twig, wooden chopstick or lolly stick into the stalk end of each apple. • Line a baking tray with baking parchment and place the apples on it. Put 100ml of water in a pan and add the sugar. Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes until the sugar dissolves, then stir in the vinegar and golden syrup. If you have one, place a sugar thermometer in the pan and boil rapidly without stirring until the temperature reaches 140C. If you don't have a thermometer you can test the toffee by pouring a little into the bowl of cold water. It should harden instantly and when removed be brittle and easy to break. If the toffee is still slightly soft then continue to boil it. • Dip the apples carefully into the hot toffee mixture, swirling them around, and allow the excess to drip away, then place on the baking parchment to harden. You may have to reheat the toffee mixture if it starts to feel too thick. • Leave the toffee to cool before eating. These toffee apples can be made up to two days in advance.

October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue 37

Gazette & Diary Magazine

October 2013 Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday 1

every Saturday! Llyncytrych Farm, 12 Carboots Glangrwney, Crickhowell NP8 1EE (Opposite the 13

Baptist Chapel Harvest every Saturday! Llyncytrych Farm, 18 Glangrwyney 19 Carboots Glangrwney, Crickhowell NP8 1EE (Opposite the 20 Service, 7.30pm. Minister Rev. Wyn

Blessing of Pets, St Michael’s, Llanvihangel Crucorney (A465 Hereford Road) 11am. All pets & owners welcome. 01873 890532. Refreshments.

Army Camp Just past Bell Pub). Gates open 12.00 to the public, sellers 11.00 please. Weather Permitting. Any enquiries please call Rachel on 07988 745752 Jumble Sale Llantillio Pertholey VPA. Doors open 1.30pm. Refreshments, Raffle. Mardy Hall. Govilon Car Boot. Main Road, every Thursday, mornings, weather permitting. 01873 830834

Lewis Llangynidr. All welcome.

Crickhowell & District History Society 23 Malcom 24 Johnson – Manufacture of

Carboots every Saturday! Llyncytrych Farm, Glangrwney, Crickhowell NP8 1EE (Opposite the Army Camp Just past Bell Pub). Gates open 12.00 to the public, sellers 11.00 please. Weather Permitting. Any enquiries please call Rachel on 07988 745752 Govilon Car Boot. Main Road, every Thursday, mornings, weather permitting. 01873 830834

Nails in Newport. Dragon Hotel, Crickhowell. 7.30pm.

Army Camp Just past Bell Pub). Gates open 12.00 to the public, sellers 11.00 please. Weather Permitting. Any enquiries please call Rachel on 07988 745752 Treharris Male Voice Choir, Bethesda Chapel, Llangattock at 7.30pm. Admission £6. Govilon Car Boot. Main Road, every Thursday, mornings, weather permitting. 01873 830834

every Saturday! Llyncytrych Farm, 26 Carboots Glangrwney, Crickhowell NP8 1EE (Opposite the 27 Army Camp Just past Bell Pub). Gates open 12.00 to the public, sellers 11.00 please. Weather Permitting. Any enquiries please call Rachel on 07988 745752 Govilon Car Boot. Main Road, every Thursday, mornings, weather permitting. 01873 830834

Alzheimers Memory 14 Abergavenny Café. 11am til 1pm. All Welcome.

y Fal Car Boot Sale. Sellers 10am 22 Pen Buyers 11am. Tel: 07842521332, 07761363090

Alzheimer’s Carers y Fal Car Boot Sale. Sellers 10am 28 Abergavenny 29 Pen Group, Memory Café, Trinity Hall, 11Buyers 11am. Tel: 07842521332, 30am – 13-30pm. All Welcome.

07761363090

SIX OF THE BEST HALLOWEEN GADGETS AS the spooky season has grown in popularity over the years, more gear has become available to get us in a ghoulish mood. It is always good to be prepared with a modicum of sweet-based goodies at your door in case the trick-or-treaters pass by, but if you're going to get further into the spirit, check out this eclectic collection that'll help you go bump in the night.

Creepy Clothes - Bat Pegs

Monstrous Molars - Scary Teeth

Set on the washing line, these pegs will certainly make an impression, but they've more uses than that. At this time of year, they're ideal for pinning up your decorations to add that spooktacular touch to your abode.

Pop a set of these in your mouth and the transformation from suited office worker to terrifying beast will be complete. These bloodthirsty teeth are the perfect bit of dress-up for those without time for facepainting, or to add the ideal finishing touches to your costume.

£2 each from www.suck.uk.com

Spook Shooter - Ghost Hunt

£29.99 from www.firebox.com

Set up the skull in a darkened room and watch as it projects ghouls around the room. Then with the laser gun, spin around and take them out. There are three settings - easy, medium and hard - to try out your skills. This is a brilliant bit of kit that's sure to have all the family in fits.

Unearth The Undead - Box O’ Zombies £8.99 from www.firebox.com

This set of six nightwalkers will add a subtle sense of the season to any shelf. Just place these paintable mini-zombies in an attack formation and await the apocalypse...

Eggs-humed - Bogey Man

£4.99 from www.menkind.co.uk

Create your Halloween bakes using one of these gruesome yet rather comical gadgets that's designed to separate the whites from the yolks. Although it may seem there is a group of designers with too much time on their hands, it is useful and easy to use. But prepare to be grossed-out!

38 October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue

£5.99 from www.menkind.co.uk

Creepy Costumes - Morphsuits

£39.95 from www.morphsuits.co.uk

Slip on one of these slender outfits to scare - or amuse - all passers-by. Long-standing fans of these figure-hugging outfits will be delighted with the devilish designs on offer for the Halloween season. Playing dress-up isn't just for the kids!

Gazette Farming

Quick service for all your machining needs

HOENIX Rebore Ltd endeavours to offer quick turn-around service for all your machining needs on cylinder blocks, cylinder heads, con-rods, barrels and crankshafts etc and parts supply coupled with competitive prices. From the smallest aluminium car cylinder head through to commercial heads off the Cummins M11 and Caterpillar etc are second nature to our service department. Cylinder blocks of all sizes can be re-bored or re-lined to suit any application. Parts can be supplied and fitted for most makes of engine, be it, car, commercial, industrial or agricultural. ● Cylinder heads: Full pressure testing facilities on site, vacuum testing and ‘hot’ submersion tests carried out. Skimming on all types of head, both ‘cast’ and ‘aluminium versions. All other work carried out such as guide and seat fitting, valve machining and re-assembling etc. ● Cylinder blocks: Pressure testing available on most size blocks and ‘decking’ carried out if required. Re-bores carried out on all blocks (if permissible) from around 2 inch bore size upwards. Re-lining carried out where applicable (including single cylinder barrels). Specialist work carried out such as the salvage of ‘porous’ Ford tractor blocks using tried and tested techniques.

Higher education students could win a £1,000 bursary

IRST-year higher education students are being invited to write a 1,000-word essay on one of three topics involving their future career, farming interests or the barriers facing young people entering the industry for the Farmers' Union of Wales annual £1,500 bursary award. The union's higher education bursary, worth £1,000 to the winner and £500 to the runner-up, will follow a similar application process to previous years with applications being submitted from now until Friday November 1. FUW agricultural education and training committee chairman Alun Edwards, who was impressed with the standard of applications last year, said: "We have included a farm management element for applicants to give them an option to showcase their understanding of running a business and to demonstrate their understanding of how a farm business can be managed." The final candidates for the higher education student bursary will be required to attend the 2013 Royal

Welsh Winter Fair at Builth Wells on Monday December 2, when the announcement will be made of the names of the recipients and presentation of the bursary cheques will also take place. To apply for the bursary applicants must complete the application form, available for download from the FUW website www.fuw.org.uk or from any of the FUW's county office throughout Wales, and write a 1,000-word essay on one of the following subjects: Are we a nation of park keepers or food producers? Outline your interest in a particular topic or project associated with the land based industries. What do you think are the main barriers facing young people entering the land-based industries today? Alternatively, applicants can undertake the farm business plan exercise for a farm tenancy, incorporating a statement of funding, a three-year forward budget and supporting cash flow projections, which can be found on the form.

● Crankshafts: Re -grinding and lapping/polishing carried out on all sizes. Arrangements for specialist hardening where required can be made. ● Con-Rods: Re-bushing and alignment checks carried out. ● Outside Service: Some engines can be bored (or re-lined) at the customer’s premises in-situ. Subject to accessibility, advice on this available at all times Phoenix Rebore Ltd has the full back up of the Perkins franchise. Perkins Engines are the backbone of our parts business. Through the F.E.R (Federation of Engine Re-manufacturers) together with the diversity of manufacturers we have been involved with, we now have a large number of suppliers who are able to cover most parts requirements that may crop up. All the suppliers we use supply genuine and/or non-genuine parts built to OEM specifications with a full guarantee, in fact, many of parts are as supplied to the OEM’s. We are also proud to be a BTN turbo dealer who is able to boast the “most comprehensive range of turbos available”. BTN can also repair most turbos if there is a problem obtaining replacement units.

Phoenix Rebore Ltd ENGINE MACHINING SERVICES AND PARTS

Tel: 01432 342282 Fax:01432 353127 ‘ALL MAKES’, CAR, COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL CYLINDER HEADS: All machining and testing carried out CYLINDER BLOCKS: All boring and re-lining work carried out CRANKSHAFTS: Regrinding and lapping CON-RODS: Testing and re-bushing OUTSIDE WORK: In-situ re-boring and re-lining PARTS: All makes of engine parts supplied, new and service exchange 26 BEECH BUSINESS PARK, TILLINGTON ROAD, HEREFORD, HR4 9QJ

info@phoenixrebore.co.uk

www.phoenixrebore.co.uk

October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue 39

Farmers will be able to chemically treat bracken in 2014

HE Farmers' Union of Wales has welcomed the Chemicals Regulation Directorate's decision to grant an emergency authorisation for the use of Asulam to control bracken in 2014. Asulam, marketed in the UK as Asulox, was banned from use in 2011 by the EU. The product, predominantly used for the control of bracken in Wales, is also authorised for use as a selective weed killer on spinach and lettuce but its use on salad crops provoked safety concerns that prompted the EU ban. "Since the initial ban emergency authorisations have been granted to allow Asulam to be available and the Chemicals Regulation Directorate has confirmed that repeat emergency authorisations are allowed under Regulation (EU) No1107/2009," said FUW land use and parliamentary committee chairman Gavin Williams. "Emergency authorisation restricts the use of Asulam to a threemonth window, which requires a co-ordinated approach from manufacturers, distributers, aerial sprayers and farmers, but at least this provides an opportunity for its use until either an alternative pesticide is found or Asulam regains full authorisation," said Mr Williams. The agreed notice of authorisation for the 2014 spraying season is expected to be identical to 2013 apart from a slight difference in start and finish dates. The Bracken Control Group, which has been campaigning for the full authorisation of the product, expects the dates for 2014 use to be: May 19 - Start of the emergency authorisation period of 120 days. July 1 - Application of Asulam products can commence. September 16 - Sale and distribution of Asulam stops but use can continue. October 31 - Use of Asulam must stop. "The bracken control season is coming to a close for 2013 and we urge farmers to be aware of the expiry date of October 31,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; continued Mr Williams. â&#x20AC;&#x153; After this date it will be illegal to store Asulam and we would advise anyone who has Asulam in their possession to use it before the final cut-off date or return it to their supplier."

40 October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue

CONTINUING PROBLEM: The control of bracken

Gazette Farming

To cull or not to cull? A

S the six-week week cull period in is primarily located in north PemGloucestershire and Somerset brokeshire, but includes small parts of draws to an end some farmers is Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire. Ministers in Wales say there is "no quick Wales say they will put pressure on the Welsh government to reconsider introduc- fix" and the emphasis should be on vacing a badger cull if the pilot scheme in cines, better bio-security and tighter cattle movement measures. England is shown to have worked. Wales is in the second year of a five-year The Welsh government's preferred policy is to vaccinate badgers, with trial areas set trial to trap and vaccinate badgers A spokesperson said: "This should over up in south and mid Wales. The Welsh government said a "sustain- time result in a decrease in the level of inable and long-term approach" was fection and reduce the risk of the disease spreading to cattle. needed to tackling bovine TB. "We are currently in year two of a fiveSupporters say the pilot cull in England is necessary to tackle bovine TB, which can year programme and we would not exbe spread from infected badgers, but op- pect to see any improvements at this ponents have questioned the scientific ev- stage, although the programme is being idence for it and say it is inhumane and monitored to assess its long-term impact. "Our current and future approach to ineffective. Some farmers in TB-affected areas of tackling TB will continue to be driven by west Wales are looking enviously at the prevailing scientific considerations." Opponents of the badger cull pilot cull schemes across the border in England, where the UK government has decided schemes in England have criticised them that culling may help to reduce the dis- for not looking at scientific data. Brian May, better known as the guitarist ease. BBC Wales reported that one dairy of rock group Queen has been a fierce opfarmer in Pembrokeshire said: "It's some- ponent of the cull. He said he would much thing Welsh farmers have been calling for rather be writing pop songs than getting involved with fighting the cull but was for 20 years, to control wildlife. "TB is a problem in cattle and we've had spurred on by the ‘injustice and waste’ takincreased measures on us as farmers, as an ing place in the pilot areas. “This will not eradicate bovine tubercuindustry, but each time nothing happens as far as wildlife is concerned. losis,” he said. "You can say they're culling in England “Vaccination is the only thing that will do and vaccinating in parts of Wales, so we've that.” got both policies going ahead. He called the killing of badgers ‘point"But we know that vaccination on its less’, adding that science and research is own is not going to deliver an improved on the side of ‘Team Badger’. It goes TB situation in Wales. against every scientist outside of the gov"We will definitely be looking to put ernment. pressure on the Welsh government, partic“It flies totally in the face of science. ularly if it's shown that culling badgers is “What we should be doing is vaccinating working in England." badgers whether or not they are a big part At the Royal Welsh Show in August, of tuberculosis. Wales' chief vet admitted the badger vac“Culling is not only cruel and pointless cination programme is expensive - at but it’s also playing into the hands of those more than £600 per badger - and that who wish to abuse anithere is no proof yet mals. that vaccination works. “This government is all Dr Christianne Glosabout brutality. They’re sop also announced a obsessed with bloodscheme to encourage sports. farmers and other “They’re trying to regroups to contribute topeal the Hunting Act. It’s wards vaccinating very much in their badgers if the prominds. gramme is extended “If you get away with beyond trials in Pemculling then you can brokeshire, Carstart targeting foxes marthenshire and again.” Ceredigion. Steve Clark, of Gwent Wales' policy on tackBadger Group and a diling bovine TB has rerector of the Badger versed over the past Trust, said: "We suspect two years. The badger cull plans BRIAN MAY: Joining protestors between 90to 95 per were revived in March against the badger cull in cent of badgers culled 2011, before being put Gloucestershire will not have TB but on hold when ministers none of the carcasses commissioned a scientific review. will be examined to prove the point. In March 2012, the Welsh government "We are grateful that the Welsh governdropped plans to cull badgers, saying the ment has looked at this in a different way decision was based on science and the and has opted to pursue vaccination for law. badgers. Ministers instead ordered a five-year vac"We just hope that Westminster will look cination programme. at the science in the same way rather than The so-called intensive action area (IAA) allow farmers to carry out a pointless cull."

October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue 41

Mercedes-Benz voted Britain’s coolest ‘full-line’ car brand M

ERCEDES-BENZ again features prominently in the annual CoolBrands® list, ranked 11th from more than 10,000 independently-identified brands in the 2013/14 survey.

The company’s position shows a climb of five places over its 2012 CoolBrands® debut, and is the highest position of any “full-line” automotive brand – describing a car company with a wide range of models. The outright

winner was Apple. The CoolBrands® list, now in its twelfth year, follows a vote by a combination of 3,000 consumers and a panel of 37 designers, style experts, media personalities and prominent

▲ Mercedes-Benz S-Class

figures from the worlds of TV, fashion and music. Helping rate coolness this year were the likes of TV Chef Gizzi Erskine, musicians Laura Mvula and Charli XCX, Bestival founder Rob da Bank and model Daisy Lowe. This year, Mercedes-Benz has delivered a wealth of new models to UK customers including: The new A-Class compact hatchback; compact CLA four-door coupé; New E-Class family; GL-Class SUV; the stunning new S-Class luxury saloon. The exciting GLA compact SUV will arrive in spring 2014. Marcus Breitschwerdt, President and CEO Mercedes-Benz UK, commented: “MercedesBenz is breaking one sales record after another in the UK – we’re the fastest-growing premium manufacturer, and AMG is the UK’s fastestgrowing high performance brand. “Our showrooms around the country are full of the coolest cars we’ve ever made, and we’re tireless in our efforts to bring more innovation, style –and great service of course – to more customers than ever before.” Marcus Breitschwerdt continued: “It’s really great to see that as well as attracting more new customers to our brand, our efforts have been identified by a panel of expert judges and 3,000 consumers.” Stephen Cheliotis, Chairman of the CoolBrands® Expert Council, said: “The brand qualities we examine in the CoolBrands survey – such as authenticity and innovation – can be key influences on consumer purchasing, so performing well is not just a thumbs up for a brand’s reputation, but an indication of its future success.”

Porsche lifts the lid on new 911 Turbo Cabriolet models THE dynamic capabilities of the new 911 Turbo models combined with the driving pleasure offered by an open-top sports car: this is the compelling formula behind two new flagship 911 Cabriolet models, the Turbo and Turbo S. Some 50 years after the 911 first appeared and to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the 911 Turbo, Cabriolet versions of this iconic model are making their global debut. The pair will be unveiled to the public for the first time at the Auto Show in Los Angeles on 20 November. The 911 Turbo Cabriolet and 911 Turbo S Cabriolet deliver the same blend of dynamism, performance and efficiency offered by the Coupé model unveiled just a few months ago. The turbocharged 3.8-litre six-cylinder engine delivers 520 hp (383 kW) in the open-top 911 Turbo and 560 hp (412 kW) in the S model. The cars accelerate from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.5 and 3.2 seconds respectively, reaching a top speed of up to 197 mph. And all this while achieving fuel consumption figures not typically associated with such high performance: both new models return 28.5 mpg on the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), with CO2 emissions of 231 g/km. When compared against their respective predecessors, the new cars deliver 30 hp more power and are 0.2 seconds faster in terms of 0 to 62 mph acceleration. They are also up to 15% more efficient.

eration are 28 mm wider than those of the 911 Carrera 4 models – a virtually level surface of just over a hand's width extends out from the C-pillar to the outer edge of the vehicle. The impressive effect of this width is accentuated still further when the top is down. Another eye-catching feature of the 911 Turbo Cabriolet is the exclusive Porsche panel bow top with its lightweight magnesium frame. This innovative technology enables the Coupé-like arch to the roof to be achieved when the top is closed. This arch, which also offers advantages in terms of aerodynamics, is not possible using conventional construction techniques. As with predecessor models, the roof opens and closes in around 13 seconds, at speeds of up to 50 km/h (34 mph). Premium materials inside The interior of the new Cabriolet models follows that of the 911

Active rear-axle steering and active aerodynamics for even greater dynamism on the road The driving dynamics offered by the two new top-of-the-range Cabriolet models is something that cannot be expressed in simple figures. Boasting PDK dual-clutch transmission as standard and the new PTM all-wheel drive, as well as featuring rear-axle steering and active aerodynamics, the open-top 911 Turbo models are now also establishing leading Porsche technology in the open-top super sports car segment. While the rear-axle steering has an immensely beneficial impact on handling for the two new models – both on the racetrack and during everyday use – the active aerodynamics can be tuned to offer optimum efficiency or driving dynamics at the touch of a button, depending on the driver's wishes. More than ever before, both of these new top-of-the-range models also make a clear visual statement about their performance. The characteristic, widely flared rear wings of the new 911 Turbo gen-

▲ PORSCHE 911 Turbo Cabriolet

42 October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue

Turbo Coupé. The S-model boasts a particularly extensive range of furnishings, with features including an exclusive interior in Black/Carrera Red and adaptive Sport Seat Plus seats with 18-way adjustment and memory. In addition, the seat backrests are leather-trimmed with double cap seams, and various elements sport a carbon look. As with the predecessor models, the Bose sound system is fitted as standard. What's more, the radar-controlled adaptive Cruise Control system, camera-based road sign and speed limit recognition function and reversing camera are also available as options. Fitted to every 911 is a Porsche Vehicle Tracking System (VTS), a sophisticated vehicle security package approved to Thatcham Category 5 standard, and customers are also able to explore the potential of their new car by participating in a complimentary course at the Porsche Experience Centre, Silverstone.

Gazette Motoring

Keith Price Garages support BBC Children in Need

READY FOR THE OFF: The fundraising team from Keith Price Garages

KEITH Price Garages Ltd, of Abergavenny, have been going all out on pedal power to support this year’s BBC Children in Need Appeal. The company made a huge team effort with 16 people involved in a charity bike ride along the canal route from Brecon to Abergavenny. A great day was had by all the the total raised so far is a massive £1,500. A spokesperson for Keith Price Garages said: “This is just the beginning and we are hoping to raise a lot more money. There is lots of satisfaction and pride in knowing we are helping this very worthy cause. ‘We are very grateful to those who have already sponsored the riders and are continuing to do so. ● If anyone is interested in donating please contact any one of the franchaises SUBARU/PEUGEOT (01873) 811555.

October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue 43

Penpentre, Llanfaes, Brecon, Powys. LD3 8DL

Tel: 01874 623311 Tel: 01874 611421 Fax: 01874 610325

www.breconcarsales.co.uk

Brecon Car Sales is a family run business in the small town of Brecon. Established for 30 years we will endeavour to provide you with the best customer service within the market place. Although we specialise in Renaults we will service, MOT and carry out work on all makes and models. Our technicians are fully trained to Renault standards. We are a friendly garage and welcome all of our customers. Coffee is complimentary and provided to you while you wait. Transportation issues will gladly be addressed within the local area. Why not have a day out in Brecon while youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re up here?

New Renault Clio - from NIL Advance Rental

Opening Hours (Mon-Fri) 8:30am to 5:00pm (Sat) 9am to 12.30pm (Sun) Closed

Renault Megane Hatchback from ÂŁ350.00

Dacia Sandero - from NIL Advance Rental

44 October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue

Gazette Motoring

BEST FUN CAR: Clio Renaultsport 200 Cup

Christmas comes early with Dacia Duster offer

It’s all good fun!

tion’s best used car buys, with motorists invited to vote for Britain’s most trusted used car makers online. Used cars are hugely important to What Car? readers, and public opinion as well as its “sheer driver engagement” swayed the judges in favour of the Renaultsport, which has a maximum speed of 141mph and goes from 0-60mph in 6.9 seconds. The guide said the previous version of the range-topping Clio has “a high-revving naturally aspirated 2.0-litre petrol engine” and “lightning quick” six-speed manual gearbox, describing the overall ride as “a hoot” in awarding its under £10,000 fun car category trophy. Fuel economy, with an impressive return of 34.4 mpg, low repair costs and its fivestar NCAP rating were also singled out for praise. For more information on the What Car? Used Car Awards see www.whatcar.com.

HE Clio Renaultsport 200 Cup was today named best Fun Car in the What Car? Used Car of the Year awards. The UK’s biggest car buyer’s guide described the power-packed Renault as one of the best ever in its class and said the French marque has set the benchmark for rapid small hatchbacks ever since the Clio 16v and Clio Williams. And the former Renaultsport 200 Cup is clearly a favourite with What Car? readers, after being named its Best Hot Hatch for three years on the spin. What Car? editor-in-chief Chas Hallett said: “We awarded the Renault Clio Renaultsport 200 Cup its used fun car award as it is simply one of the best hot hatchbacks ever made and what’s more, it’s a total bargain with prices averaging £7,250.” The awards celebrate and honour the na-

Brecon

DACIA Access

ACIA’S set the UK car market alight in recent months with its “shockingly affordable” fourmodel range. Now it’s looking to clean up completely with a stunning Duster deal from under £100 per month. Rampant Dacia is offering Brits arguably the ultimate new car “smart buy” with the chance to get behind the wheel of its multi-award-winning flagship for just £99 per month*. Or, to put it another way, a chunky, family-friendly SUV for the price of a one-litre, three-door Volkswagen up! city car**. The jaw-dropping offer, available through Dacia Finance, is for the Duster Access 1.6 4x2 over four years. What’s the catch? There isn’t a cash one. The only condition is that each Duster’s got to be ordered and registered by the end of 2013. For only £20 more per month, buyers can upgrade to attractive Ambiance 4x2 spec with the fuel-sipping 1.5 dCi 110 engine. The mid-level version brings a series of creature comforts such as 4x20W radio CD, Bluetooth, AUX/USB connection and electric front windows. The range-topping Lauréate, simply priced at a further £20 per month for the 4x2 dCi 110 version, offers a heady mix of air conditioning, front and rear electric windows, heated and electrically adjustable door mirrors and leather steering

"RECON "RECON #AR 3ALES #AR 3ALES Car Sales

wheel. Its chunky looks are beefed up with the addition of alloy wheels, plus satin chrome styling touches and roof bars too. Incredibly, for unbeatable peace of mind motoring, all Dusters even come with free servicing (3 years/60,000 miles). Dacia has clearly struck a chord with budget-conscious new and used car buyers up and down the country. Year-todate, Duster is already in fifth place for retail SUV sales (C-SUV segment), outselling well-established competitors such as the Ford Kuga and Skoda Yeti. Its success undoubtedly comes down to more than mere affordability though. Its stylish SUV scores high on practicality and reliability, together with low-running costs and fuel-efficient engines. It’s got a roomy cabin and huge boot to round off its tempting package. Plus, the bonus of rugged off-road capability in its 4x4 guises. Dacia’s jaw-dropping prices are clear and straightforward, whether you buy online at the online Dacia Store or through your local retailer. All of the latest range information, plus full finance offer terms and conditions, are available at www.dacia.co.uk, 150 Dacia sites across the UK, or, by calling 0844 335 1111.

Llanfaes, Brecon Tel: 01874 611421 or 623311 www.breconcarsales.co.uk

October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue 45

Gazette & Diary Magazine

books of the month POLICE BY JO NESBO PUBLISHED IN HARDBACK BY HARVILL SACKER, PRICED £18.99 (EBOOK £8.10). AVAILABLE NOW.

POLICEMAN Harry Hole is flawed in many ways, but he's all the more perfect because of it. In his latest case, the most unusual of detectives is once again drawn into Oslo's seedier side, the Norwegian capital under attack from a serial killer. But this isn't your run-of-the-mill serial killer, this one likes killing policemen at the scenes of previous unsolved murders. Jo Nesbo has been compared to other Scandinavian crime writers and is up there with the most successful, having sold 20 million books worldwide. But it is not just that Nesbo is also a musician, songwriter and economist that sets the prize-winning author apart. By creating a hero in the mould of Harry Hole, a man carrying around more mental baggage than our average psychiatric hospital, he does what very few authors can manage. As Hole is drawn back into the search for a killer who appears to leave no evidence, he has to use his powers of detection, reserves of strength and unparalleled perception. To complicate matters Hole, who finds commitment in his life scarier than facing the most depraved of souls, must decide if

he can live a normal existence. As the killings escalate and the net tightens around the killer Nesbo keeps Hole and his colleagues guessing over who it might be. Right to the very end, it is unclear if the case has ended in triumph or tragedy. Nesbo keeps everything hanging in the balance, just the way his fans like it.

THE RED HOUSE BY MARK HADDON £7.99, VINTAGE

FROM the bestselling author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time and A Spot of Bother comes a superbbook about family and secrets. A week in a holiday cottage near Hay-on-Wye, shared by eight relations, seen from their varying perspectives. The trials of being with one's family: those people in our lives that we didn't choose! The damage that's been done, and the anger and resentment. And the selective and unreliable nature of memory: how two people can look back and remember the same event quite differently. These are some of the themes of Mark Haddon's remarkable third novel. Angela and her brother Richard have spent 20 years avoiding each other. Now, after the death of their mother, they bring their families together for a holiday in a rented house on the Welsh border. Four adults and four children. Seven days of shared meals, log fires, card games and wet walks. But in the quiet and stillness of the valley, ghosts begin to rise up. The parents Richard thought he had. The parents Angela thought she had. Past and present lovers.

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Friends, enemies, victims, saviours. If all this sounds a bit heavy, it's not as Haddon has a light, modern touch and genuine warmth for his characters whether they're imaginative young children, troubled teens or the miserable middleaged. The interactions between everyone are particularly well-handled - some characters succeed in making connections while others, sadly, do not. As complex as human relationships themselves, this book is both light and heavy, funny and serious, mundane and gripping. Emma Corfield-Walters

Weekends & Midweek in Tenby

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Enjoy 2 nights THIS SAT B&B Bed & Breakfast £75pp £37.50 3 nights from £85pp pppn dinner from £13.50pppn Entertainment Every Evening *CANDLELIT DINNER & DANCE THURSDAY & SATURDAY* 6 course choice Gala menu Tel: TENBY 01834 842377 Something to celebrate Mid week or Weekends Ring Now for Birthdays, Anniversaries and other “Special Breaks” in October, November, December and Christmas

Wye Valley Reclamation Your Number One Local pest control Co. ● Fast response ● Reasonable rates ● Wasp nests treated within 24 hours

TELEPHONE 01873 830204 Fernybank, Quarry Road, Clydach, Nr Abergavenny 46 October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue

Herefordshire’s largest reclamation yard Flagstones • Sleepers Bricks • Stone Troughs Gazebos • Garden Features and much more! Monday–Friday 8-5 Saturday–Sunday 8-4 Lloyd George House, Fordshill Road, Rotherwas, Hereford HR2 6NS sales@wye-valley-reclamation.co.uk

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LINDA J. GARRATT D.O. Dorrell Oliver Ltd REGISTERED OSTEOPATH

BROOKS PLACE, 56 UNION ROAD WEST, ABERGAVENNY NP7 7RH

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chartered accountants

Linden House, Monk Street, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire NP7 5NF Tel: 01873 852113 Fax: 01873 858523 www.dorrells.co.uk

✦ ACCOUNTANCY ✦ AUDIT ✦ TAX ADVICE FOR NEW BUSINESSES

Cwmbran Gates GOVILON GARAGE & Fencing Motorcycle and Car MoT Wrought Iron Gates Balustrades Handrails Made to Measure Service FREE INSTALLATION/QUOTES

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Trade Centre

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BLACKWOOD CHAINSAWS H. Waters & Sons Lawnmowers • Chainsaws • Garden Machinery

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01495 226657 www.blackwoodchainsaws.co.uk Mill Garage, Gelli Groes, Blackwood, Gwent. NP12 2HY

Celtic Computer Systems New Laptops

with manufacturers 12 mth warranties wherever you are in the UK starting from £399 incl. VAT with legal software

BEST BROADBAND DEAL! go to www.utilitysavers.org.uk Servicing, Repairs, Updates, Virus Problems

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Reduced pricing on legal Microsoft Office with CD and licence

Not just added to computer as other suppliers do

Telephone: 01873 858111 email: celticcomputers@uwclub.net

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FIREPLACES R.G.M. FIREPLACES Realistic Gas and Electric Fires Fireplaces and Surrounds in Real Wood, Marble & Stone Made to individual specifications Fireplaces & accessories at competitive prices Installation Service Available~Also Plumbing and Heating Specialists

Mon-Fri 8.30am-5pm, Saturday 10am-2pm 19 Whitcross Road, Hereford 01432 265364 www.rgmfireplaces.com

Bailey Bros MOT TEST CENTRE Cars, Vans & Motorcycle (Free Retest) Servicing & Reairs all makes Old Hereford Road, Abergavenny

01873 853058

For information on how to advertise in the next issue, contact: advertising@tindlenews.co.uk or telephone Jenna Hopkins on 01873 852187, ext 35

October/November 2013 - The Autumn Issue 47