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Vale Life
w art w music w people w places w homes w gardens w theatre w food w fashion w Beauty w health w travel w
Dec 11/Jan 12
See our website at: www.vale-life.co.uk
Free local listings for events and businesses
Inside:
Strictly Brendan:
Dance yourself healthy says ballroom star
Framing good:
Aylesbury’s man on the move
So near, so FROM:
Thame’s new store is @fromroundhere
Just Deli-cious
Waddesdon’s sausage queen
Penny, Ruby, Matt and much, much more... Cover image: Brendan Cole ‘Live and Unjudged’ Waterside Theatre, January 22nd
w The British Olympics book w Tickets to Destinations Travel show w w Meal for Two at munchies w Emotional Fitness book w
Contemporary and traditional bedroom furniture Hypnos ex-showroom stock at clearance prices. Sets from ÂŁ499
Kingshall solid wood furniture
Viewing by appointment Crendon Furniture Outlet
Unit 4C, Drakes Drive, Long Crendon Industrial Estate Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire HP18 9BA
Tel: 01844 202418 www.crendonfurniture.co.uk
w w w.northmil lstoves.co.uk Black, black or black..? Not in our showroom! Make an appointment to find out the very latest in stoves as an interior Feature, as well as something to keep you warm this winter!
Stoves Limited
Tel: 01844 342400 North Mill Road, Bledlow, Bucks HP27 9QP
E: info@northmillstoves.co.uk
For all your stone needs... Internal stone at our Gallery in Thame The Gallery Stoneworld, 43A Upper High Street, Thame, Oxon, OX9 2DW. Tel: 01844 279307 Email: sales@stoneworld.co.uk
External stone at Great Milton and Bracknell Views Farm, Great Milton, Oxon, OX44 7NW. Tel: 01844 279274 Email: sales@stoneworld.co.uk
Stoneworld is a family-run, independent company offering help and advice on all aspects of stone purchase and use
Our extensive range includes: l Over 30 different natural stone paving options l Variety of finishes including hand cut, tumbled, sawn and honed l Natural stone block paving l Cobbles and pebbles l Over 50 different ornamental gravels l Rockery stone l Natural stone walling l Feature stones and water features l Swimming pool edging l Range of interior stone for floors, walls, worktops l Bespoke digital masonary service l Stone clean and reseal service; internal and external
www.stoneworld.co.uk
DENT REMO
• High Quality •F • Fully T • Ma • Mobile Servi
DENT REMOVAL SPECIALISTS • High Quality Cost Effective Repairs • Free Estimates • Fully Trained Technicians • Master Craftsmen • Mobile Service & Workshop Facilities
Wishing all our customers a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!
www.exceldents.co.uk
www.exc
Tel/Fax: 0 Email: info@
Tel/Fax: 0800 977 5347 Email: info@exceldents.co.uk
DENT REMOVAL SPECIALISTS REMOVAL SPECIALISTS • DENT High Quality Cost Effective Repairs Unit 9Effective Weston Way Ind. Estate, Lower Road • High Quality Repairs • FreeCost Estimates Stoke Mandeville, Bucks. HP22 5XB Free Estimates • Fully•Trained Technicians • Fully Trained Technicians Taking Away Life’s Little Knocks... ® • •Master Craftsmen Master Craftsmen • Mobile Service Workshop Facilities • Mobile Service & & Workshop Facilities
www.exceldents.co.uk www.exceldents.co.uk Tel/Fax: 0800 977 5347
Tel/Fax: 0800 977 5347 Email: info@exceldents.co.uk Email: info@exceldents.co.uk Unit 9 Weston Way Ind. Estate, Lower Road Stoke Mandeville, Bucks. HP22 5XB
Unit 9 Weston Way Ind. Estate, Lower Taking Away Life’s Little Knocks... ® Road Stoke Mandeville, Bucks. HP22 5XB
Taking Away Life’s Little Knocks... ®
Telephone: 01844 353388
40 Oakley Road, Chinnor, Oxfordshire, OX394ES (to rear of Claremont Automatics) Email: johnnixey@btconnect.com
Telephone: 01844 353388 l Bosch Car Service Centre l MOTs including Class VII (3.5 tonnes) l Servicing, repairs, tyres, exhausts and air conditioning for cars and light commercials l Diagnostics: we have the most up to date workshops and equipment in the area l High ceilings and long ramps enable us to service long wheelbase vans, campers and trucks
Britannia Plumbing & Heating
Tel: 01296 433106 Mobile: 07882 230340 w All plumbing, heating and drainage work undertaken w Domestic and Commercial w Central heating power flushing w Free, no obligation estimates w All work guaranteed w Fully insured w Emergency call out – 24hr
Les Liney
Vehicle Hire Car and van hire All sizes available including Luton tail lifts AA Cover Also available: Fully Insured 24 hour accident and Unlimited Mileage breakdown service Customer Parking Old Farm Workshops Tel: 01844 292783 Haddenham Road Mobile: 07860 795236 Kingsey, HP17 8LS
Takin
Laminate Flooring
Real Wood Flooring
Tiles
Carpets
Restoration
Decking
Beautiful flooring supplied and installed by experts The new Kinv showroom is now open! Please call: 01844 274876 or 07976 611797 to arrange a visit.
We’re passionate about superior flooring that enhances your environment. From cool, modern laminates to exquisite wool carpets, Kinv is flooring with style! With over 30 years’ combined experience and a background in cabinet making, producing high quality bespoke furniture, the attention to detail in Kinv workmanship is of the highest level. We offer high quality flooring including solid wood, laminate, tiles and carpet. We can assist with advice on suitable flooring for particular areas within your home, including wet rooms and exterior decking and also in commercial premises, including safety flooring.
Unit 5, The Barn, Manor Farm, Risborough Road, Kingsey, Bucks, HP17 8LU Visa debit and all major credit cards accepted
Chiltern Fireplaces Showroom refit SALE from January 3rd Up to 50% off on production of this ad l Over 70 fireplaces and fires on display l Gas and solid fuel fires and stoves l Electric fires, stoves and suites l No Chimney? ...No problem!
P F
INE INDERS
www.kinv.co.uk
Pinefinders Old Pine Furniture Warehouse Tel: 01844 291231 www.pinefinders.co.uk
Fan powered or balanced flue fires l Chiltern Fireplaces will install your fire if required, or supply only if preferred. l HETAS registered, GAS SAFE registered Showrooms at: 47 Frogmore Street, Tring. Tel: 01442 822595 and Unit 11, Mark Road (off Maylands Avenue) Hemel Hempstead, HP2 7BN. Tel: 01442 230222 Website: www.chiltern-fireplaces.co.uk Email: chilternfp@hotmail.co.uk Open: 10am to 5pm Tuesday-Saturday
Pinefinders Old Pine Furniture Warehouse is situated between Oxford and Aylesbury in the small village of Haddenham, just outside the market town of Thame. Probably the largest old pine shop in the region, we sell beautifully restored genuine antique pine furniture, which we import from all over Europe. All of our furniture can be seen in our warehouse and on our website. We are committed to keeping our website up to date, our prices as low as possible, and can deliver anywhere in the UK. We are open Fridays 10am - 4pm, Saturdays 10am - 5pm, and any other time by appointment.
Pinefinders Old Pine Furniture Warehouse, Unit 7 Alexander House, Thame Rd Industrial Est, Haddenham, Aylesbury, Bucks HP17 8BZ Tel: 01844 291231 Website: www.pinefinders.co.uk
LOVE SHUTTERS
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Charles Huntington Flooring
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Charles Huntington Flooring
barclays house, Gatehouse Way, aylesbury, hP19 8db t: 01296 398301 We are an accredited S:CRAFT Licensed Master Partner providing industry leading levels of service, from initial consultation to ensure the best aesthetic solution to a hassle free installation.
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Opening Times: Monday to Friday 10am until 5pm Saturday 10am until 4pm. Any other time by appointment
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•Professional Fitting Opening Times: Monday to Friday 10am until 5pm Tel: 01296 337181 Mob: 07767370067 •Very Competitive Saturday 10am until 4pm. Any other time by appointment Web: www.charleshuntington.co.uk Tel: 01296 Mob: 07767370067 for337181 Residential and 23 DUCK FARM COURT, STATION WAY, AYLESBURY, HP20 2SQ Web: www.charleshuntington.co.uk Commercial work 23 DUCK FARM COURT, STATION WAY, AYLESBURY, HP20 2SQ WE WILL NOT BE BEATEN ON QUALITY OR SERVICE Charles Huntington •Carpets to suitFlooring all Charles Huntington FlooringCharles Charles Huntington Flooring WE WILL NOT BE BEATEN ONAdvice QUALITY OR SERVICE Huntington Flooring •Expert Budgets •Expert Advice Charles Huntington Flooring •Expert Advice •Expert Advice•Free •Professional Fitting Advice Quotes•Expert •Professional Fitting •Expert AdviceFitting •Professional •Professional Fitting •Professional Fitting •Very Competitive •No Obligation •Professional Fitting for Residential and •Very Competitive •Very Competitive •Very Competitive •Very Competitive Commercial work for Residential and Residential and for Residential•Free and •Very Competitive Parking for Commercial work for Residentialwork and Commercial Commercial work
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for Residential and Commercial work •Carpets to suit all Budgets •Free Quotes Tel: 01296 337181 Opening Mob:Times: 07767370067 Monday to Obligation Friday 10am until 5pm Saturday 10am until •No 4pm. Any other time by appointment Opening Times: Monday to Friday 10am until 5pm Opening Times: Monday to Friday 10am until 5pm Opening Times: Monday to Web: Friday 10am until 5pm Saturday 10am until 4pm. Any other time by appointment www.charleshuntington.co.uk Saturday 4pm. Any time by appointment Saturday until time 4pm.by Any other time Tel: by appointment Mob:07767370067 07767370067 Saturday10am 10amuntil until 4pm. 10am Any other other appointment Tel:01296 01296 337181 337181 Mob: •Free Parking Tel: 337181 Mob:337181 07767370067 Tel: 01296 Mob: 07767370067 Web: Tel:01296 0129623 337181 07767370067 Web: www.charleshuntington.co.uk www.charleshuntington.co.uk DUCK Mob: FARM COURT, STATION WAY, AYLESBURY, HP20 2SQ •Carpets to suit all Commercial work •Carpets Budgetsto suit all •Carpets to suit all •Carpets to suit all Budgets •Carpets to suit all Budgets Budgets •Free Quotes CARPETS • VINYLS • SISAL • STAIR RODS Budgets •Free Quotes •Free Quotes •Free Quotes •No Obligation •Free Quotes •No Obligation SAFETY FLOORING • •No WOOD • BINDING TAPES •No Obligation Obligation •Free Parking •No Obligation •Free Parking •Free Parking •Free Parking •Free Parking Opening Times: Monday toCARPETS Friday •10am 5pm VINYLSuntil • SISAL • STAIR RODS CARPETS • VINYLS • SISAL • STAIR RODS CARPETS Saturday • VINYLS • SISAL • STAIR RODS CARPETS • VINYLS SISAL •Any STAIRother RODS SAFETY FLOORING • WOOD • BINDING TAPES 10am until•RODS 4pm. time by appointment CARPETS • VINYLS • SISAL • STAIR SAFETY FLOORING • WOOD • BINDING TAPES SAFETY FLOORING • WOOD • BINDING TAPES SAFETY FLOORING • WOOD • BINDING TAPES SAFETY FLOORING • WOOD • BINDING TAPES Opening Times: Monday to Friday 10am until 5pm
Great rates Amazing results To advertise in Vale Life Magazine Call Charlie on 07702 006218
Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
Spread the word across The Vale: see: www.vale-life.co.uk for details
7 10 12
Contents
26
Time to shape up?
So near, so FROM
27
Making tracks
Dance with Destiny
29
‘Tis the season
30
Just deli-cious!
Family business
32
Come rain or shine
Dream kitchen
32
Tomayto, Tomaaahto!
Out go the Christmas lights!
33
One hungry gent
Framing good
35
Splice the mainbrace
Lessons for life
36
Up close and personal
Dance yourself healthy
37
Strictly Brendan
What’s inside and a message from the Ed Thame’s new store is just so local! Ball boosts African challenge
13 All change 14 16 20 21 22 24
Last minute gift or new year glamour? Jack’s no new kid in town Wake up with a great deal!
Naomi gets festive ‘al fresco’
Mobile service for lovers of art Catholic school is open to all
Brendan backs activity initiative
Lizzie’s just raring to get you going! Great trips from Motts Holidaya Christmas is hard on single parents Smoking with the sausage queen Looking back with Boycott Farm Ruby’s recipe to impress
Matt’s no turkey when it comes to cooking Head South for a nautical adventure A packed programme at The Park New tour is taking Coles to Aylesbury
Have a lovely Christmas and all the best for 2012
S
ome might say, life is busy enough without having to fit the seasonal festivities in! It should be an enjoyable time, magical even, especially if you are young. And young or old, most of us can’t deny that, kitch though they may be, Christmas lights and decorations can produce a warm fuzzy feeling inside. It’s either that or the mulled wine is taking effect! There’s all lot of pressure on to cook the perfect dinner, beautify the house and somehow afford to spend twice your monthly allowance on those perfect gifts, which must be perfectly wrapped of course. If you are a lady, or gent, of leisure you could spend your time
C
ongratulations to the following Nov/Dec edition competition winners! Hopefully your prizes will have arrived by now, let us know if not. Commiserations to those who weren’t
gallivanting around the country Kirsty-style, picking up tips on how to make your own trimmings of course. Shop bought decs are no longer good enough it seems. We must find time to handcraft our own now. Strangely my offer to hand-make a Christmas wreath for the front door at Trott Towers has gone unheeded once again. I did it a few years ago with a wire circle, dried fruit and cinnamon sticks I’d kept from the previous year, some bits of ribbon and offcuts from the Christmas tree and it looked lovely. Just as good as anything Kirsty has come up with and it went quite well with our rustic front step - another spot
of DIY handicraft - don’t ask! Anyway, even scrooge knows the real point of Christmas, it’s lurve, it’s about people, family and friendship, it doesn’t matter what you buy when you look back in years to come you will remember the people you shared the day with, not how bad the crackers were, how dry the turkey was and how you had wanted an Action Man but got a Captain Scarlet instead, or the year they ran out of Johnny Seven Super Assault Weapons and you got a Jungle Jim big game rifle and pith helmet...ho Picture of Charlie taken by Danny Higgins ho hum... Merry Christmas! at his Kings Head Courtyard studio as part
so lucky - read on though for more competitions inside this edition, including the chance to win: a copy of Emotional Fitness; a pair of tickets to The Times Destinations Holiday and Travel Show; a copy of The British Olympics by Martin
Polley; and a meal for two at Munchies Indian Restaurant. Last issue’s prizewinners were: PRO Beauty Tools Twilight Limited Edition Styling Set: Sonja Rebello, Thame
Charlie
Charlie Trott: Editor
of the 1,000 Santas project. Go see Danny and he’ll snap you too! www.dannyhigginsphotography.com
Kitan Moroccan bag and bead necklace: Louise Cross, Chinnor. Meal for two at the Russell Arms, Butlers Cross: Amanda McCooke, Aylesbury. A pair of Merrell Origins boots: Steve Dear, Little Kimble
Front cover picture: Photograph of Brendan Cole in action on his Live and Unjudged tour. Vale Life Magazine is designed and published by House of Mouse, 23 Glenham Road, Thame, Oxfordshire, OX9 3WD Telephone: 01844 261579 Mobile: 07702 006218 Website: www.vale-life.co.uk Email: editor@vale-life.co.uk Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of Vale Life. We cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies, omissions or late changes. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the permission of the publishers. Printed in the UK by The Magazine Printing Company www.magprint.co.uk
Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
7
Buenos Aries La Boca
Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
Win a copy of Emotional Fitness!
P
aul Bird’s Emotional Fitness is a new self-help book which explains how to get Emotionally Fit as a way of tackling negative thoughts and coping with the pressures of modern living. We’re all familiar with going to the gym and working out as a way to get physically fit, but Paul reckons we can apply this practice to our brains to achieve greater happiness and address emotional problems. Emotional Fitness is the ability to choose how you think and feel, rather than letting emotions overwhelm the ability to think rationally. By training the brain with some simple workouts outlined in the book readers can attain greater control over how they think and feel, freeing themselves from stress, anxiety and worry. It’s a must read for anyone who has ever wondered what drives the way we think and feel, providing a fascinating insight into the world of human emotions. It explores the science behind the emotional - rational battle which takes place in the brain
Win tickets to The Times Holiday & Travel Show
resulting in so many of today’s emotional problems. If you’d like to be in with a chance of winning a copy of Emotional Fitness, simply email your name, address and telephone number, along with the answer to the following question to: editor@vale-life.co.uk Q: Who wrote Emotional Fitness? Winner to be drawn at random and notified by Jan 31st.
Whether you are looking for a cultural weekend break, a relaxing beach holiday or an exhilarating adventure The Times presents Destinations: The Holiday & Travel Show should be a date for your diary. It’s at Earls Court from Thursday to Sunday, 2-5 February 2012, with more than 800 experts from 100s of destinations - the essential event for the discerning traveller. Visitors will get an insight into culture from around the world with interesting and interactive features showcasing photography, food, drink, dance, music, and arts & crafts. Also, the ever-popular Meet the Experts Theatres will be an added bonus where travel personalities, celebrities and travel experts will
share their fascinating stories and expert advice to give people the inspiration they need to plan that perfect holiday. For further information, visit: www.destinationsshow.com. If you’d like to be in with a chance of winning one of five pairs of tickets to the show, simply email your name, address and telephone number, along with the answer to the following question to: editor@vale-life.co.uk Q: Where is Buenos Aires? Winner to be drawn at random and notified by Jan 10th. Anyone not lucky enough to win tickets, can make use of this special 2for1 ticket offer – visit: www.DestinationsShow.com and quote DE5C (£12 for 2 tickets).
43b Buckingham Street, Aylesbury, HP20 2NQ Tel: 01296 423233 / 0800 298 8514 Email: suesflowers2@hotmail.com www.suesflowers.co.uk w Weddings w Corporate w Special Occasions w w Birthdays Parties w Sympathy w Gifts w w Soft Toys w Wines and Champagne w Innovative, contemporary and traditional designs
Free
Drop a dress size at your Rosemary Conley class
Membership and Diet Pack* worth £35.
TUESDAY Haddenham Village Hall, Banks Road, Haddenham, HP17 8EE 10:00 - 11:30 am (Slim & Aerobics) Other classes throughout Aylesbury & Surrounding Villages! Call Joanna on 01296 485933 joanna.beardsmore-dilks@rosemaryconley.com *When you pre-pay for 5 classes. New members only. Valid until 10/12/11. Class Fee £6.00 ZUMBA , ZUMBA FITNESS ; and the Zumba Fitness Logo are registered trademarks of Zumba Fitness, LLC, used with permission. ®
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®
Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
Barbershop - Walter’s Ash Open Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri: 9.30am to 5pm Saturdays: 7.30am to 4pm Shear Madness, 245 Main Road, Walter’s Ash, Bucks, HP14 4HT. Tel: 07742 361711 Email: s.madness@yahoo.co.uk www.facebook.com/shear.madness1
Could you be one of 1,000 Santas?!
P
hotographer Danny Higgins (www.dannyhiggins photography.com) has been frantically snapping Santas for his 1,000 Festive Faces campaign! The speedy lensman aims to prove that Aylesbury is a town overflowing with festive spirit, by photographing 1,000 locals, sporting his stylish, seasonal headwear, by Christmas Eve! For the duration of the challenge Danny has set up a makeshift studio, rather appropriately in a stable, off the courtyard behind The Kings Head
pub at the top of Aylesbury’s Market Square. Anyone can drop by and have their picture taken. It will be added to the gallery and you’ll be one in a thousand! You can see any photos of you at www.dannyhigginsphotography. com/festivefaces and if you’d like your photograph made into a print, or perhaps Christmas cards, then you can order online, or give Danny a call - a set of 10 personalised Christmas cards is just £20! The photo fun is all in aid of
Aylesbury Festival. The event was an amazing success in 2011 but funds are needed for it to take place again in 2012. There’s an exhibition and information in the stable next to Danny’s, or see: www.aylesbury festival.org for more details. So grab your friends and family and become some of Aylesbury’s 1,000
Santas! Danny is also offering free kids Christmas photos as well as professional portrait sittings from just £30! Find out more about Danny at www.dannyhigginsphotography.com and news of the Santas at www. facebook.com/dannyhigginsphoto l Danny Higgins Photography, Aylesbury: Tel: 07827 521810 Email: dannyhphoto@gmail.com Web: www.dannyhiggins photography.com Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
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Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
“
‘You don’t need to look far to find something beautiful’ say the owners of Thame’s new homeware store FROM. The stylish boutique specialises in items made within a 20 mile radius by artists, craftsmen and small businesses: art, textiles, jewellery, pottery, and it’s all from round here...
T
hings seem to be going quite well at the moment,” says Steve Stretton, co-owner of Thame’s newest store FROM, “We’ve only been open a few weeks and the hardest thing is to make sure we have enough stock to keep up with demand!” Steve and wife Sarah live in Haddenham and came up with the FROM concept having enjoyed visiting local craftspeople and artists during the annual Bucks Open Studios event. “We’ve visited quite a few home studios, barns and sheds over the years,” says Steve “and always think there is such talent on display, much of which only gets seen briefly at exhibitions or craft fairs. We felt there should be a proper outlet for this creativity.” “We considered a gallery but felt it wasn’t inclusive enough and wouldn’t draw the community in. We wanted to give the artists wider exposure. We talked about it for a couple of years and gradually shaped the idea. It seemed important to have an idea of provenance, a ticket attached to goods that described the maker and locality and also a way of giving something back to the community.” In May this year Steve was chatting to a
friend, Marcus Hardmen, at a party in Haddenham. Marcus is a fellow lover of local provenance with a background in retail, who was just about to leave his position as Senior Vice President at DKNY, to set up his own consultancy. “Being creative people we are good at ideas,” says Steve, “but the hardest bit can be 10
Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
Marcus, Sarah and Steve at the FROM opening party making things happen. Luckily Marcus loved the concept and said he would help.” Having opened hundreds of stores across Europe, during his career, Marcus was the ideal man to have on board and with Sarah and Steve’s marketing experience FROM has the perfect combination of creativity and commerciality. “I loved the idea,” says Marcus. “At the moment people are buying less but better. People love unique handmade products and to know where those products come from hence the name FROM. Half our story is the story of our suppliers - our swing tickets have our story on one side backed with the biography of the supplier. The local provenance adds value to the goods and customers will give their gifts along with the story of those who made it. And of course it’s environmentally sound to source locally.” “Marcus knows his way around leases and legal stuff and about customer flow and store layout,” says Sarah, “Stephen drew a sketch of how he’d like the store to look and Marcus just made it happen! “It was amazing,” says Steve. I’d been away for a couple of weeks while the shop was being fitted and when I walked in, it was exactly as I’d imagined. It really was creativity brought to life!
“Being 16th century, there wasn’t a straight wall or floorboard in the building,” says Marcus. “the shopfitters did an amazing job, but Steve’s creative vision was spot on. I may have opened a lot of stores over the past 25 years but the emotion is so different when it’s your own. “I was responsible for global development at DKNY and spent most of my life at airports. I’ve opened stores from Baku, Azerbaijan to Toronto in Canada, so to open one in Thame, on my own doorstep, was a delight! “When we first had the idea we did some research to see what was out there,” says Steve, “we started with a small bank of suppliers and then ran an advertising campaign which was as much to bring in suppliers as to create interest in the shop. That worked well which was doubly satisfying because Sarah and I are both in marketing and it’s nice to prove what you do works! It gave
Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
Stephen Baughan, Aston Pottery
Xmas decorations by Hanna Francis Elaine Stavert and her Littlecote Soap
us another bank of people. “Now the shop is open new producers are discovering us and bringing their products in for consideration, which is great, but means we are constantly reviewing these, to see what is right for the shop. It can be quite time consuming! Steve, Sarah, Marcus and store manager Amy Cammack have sourced an impressive range of suppliers: “Our supply is from a very small local area,” says Marcus, “but what has been absolutely extraordinary is the quality available within our 20 mile radius. FROM is full of beautiful ‘local’ products which would be quite at home on Marylebone High Street - the quality is first rate. Our naturally scented Anu Green candles, made by a lady from Charlbury, are comparable in quality and packaging to international brands like Jo Malone and the Made by Mums jams and chutneys from Haddenham are just superb. We’ve wonderful graphics and stationery from Knockout - sisters Kim and Sam Osborne from Thame, it’s so fresh and crisp. To find that talent and help bring it
along is fantastic.” “We’ve been absolutely blown away by the number of people who’d like to sell their work at the shop, it’s lovely,” says Sarah. “It’s fantastic that people from the local community support the idea. They like the shop and want to contribute. “The one commercial challenge is that because our artisan suppliers are not producing on an industrial scale we have to have a lot of suppliers,” says Marcus. “If we run out of something it could take three months to get a new supply because in the most part these artists are making the goods at home by hand. “Most stores would have a core of 25 suppliers, we’re going to need around 70! That’s great though because there will always be newness and freshness in the store. Also, unless you are a regular at craft fairs, you won’t have seen these items before and some of the people we’ve found are so exciting! “Steve is the founding partner of one of the world’s biggest advertising agencies, Archibald, Ingall, Stretton and what he and Sarah, our creative director - an accomplished designer and marketing consultant in her own right - have done with the branding is stunning, they are an amazing, creative couple.” Of the three founders Sarah is most ‘fromroundhere’ originally hailing from Chalgrove. She met Stephen while working in advertising in London. Stephen is originally from Rugby but lived in New Zealand and London before discovering Haddenham a few years ago. “We loved the village the first time we saw it,” says Steve. “it is the most welcoming place.” Sarah studied Graphics and Advertising at Bucks University while Stephen left school at 16, studied graphic design at a local college and started his career at an advertising agency in Northampton. “Our expertise is in advertising,” says Steve. “Sarah designed the logos and branding for FROM and we put together an advertising campaign that included local press, radio and bus advertising, and postcard drops. It worked and it was great for us to be our own clients and reaffirm that what we do is effective. “Having been through the process we’re quite happy to share our experiences with other local people who may be considering launching a business and similarly we hope to be able to help some of our suppliers in promoting their products. “Sarah has left the London agency and is now working from home concentrating on smaller local companies who don’t have big budgets but would benefit from big thinking.”. “I like the idea of ‘we’ve got no money we’re really going to have to think!’ laughs Sarah. Marcus is originally from Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire and has lived in the Far East,
Thailand, New York and London. He moved to Postcombe eight years ago and is currently running his own global brand development consultancy: “We’re delighted with the way things have gone so far,” he says. “we’ve had the nicest things said. We are an open door though and are very keen to see new items from local producers. Not everything’s going to be right for us, but we are always excited to see what is brought in. “Thame is a lovely market town and has many strengths, in particular its friendliness and the free parking!” There’s no doubt FROM is a popular addition to Thame’s Cornmarket. It’s delightful selection of stylish products ranges from handmade chocolates and soaps, for just a few pounds, through reasonably priced jewellery, pottery and ceramics to original prints for £200-£300. Although the store looks very stylish these prices are good value, especially for original, in many cases handcrafted, items. If you should buy something from FROM, you can feel doubley good too, as not only are you supporting local producers but the FROM team are realising their desire to give something back to the community by donating to local creative causes - this year the beneficiary will be Lord Williams’s School art department. l FROM, 16 Cornmarket, Thame, Oxfordshire, OX9 2BW Tel: 01844 217998 Email: info@fromroundhere.com Website: www.fromroundhere.com
Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
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Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
Having grooved the night away at their fabulous charity ball, the girls from Destiny Hair Design are within a short back and sides of their fundraising target for an amazing African challenge...
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estiny Hair Design’s Grand Ball at The Spread Eagle Hotel in Thame on November 26th, raised an amazing £9,023.75 towards their appeal target for Coco’s Foundation. A team from Destiny Hair Design in Fairford Leys, Aylesbury is journeying to a remote part of South Africa, in May 2012, to extend an orphanage that is home to 19 children. The salon needs to raise £17,200 for building materials and the fundraising ball was the latest in a series of events which have taken the girls to within £1,500
of their goal. The 125 guests enjoyed a Champagne reception and dinner, followed by an auction with prizes donated by local businesses and then local band ‘Who’s Got the Dog’ entertained the guests until the early hours. Destiny owner Tracey Gascoin was overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness of those attending: “Our Grand Ball was the highlight of a very busy and exciting fundraising year for the salon,” she said. “The fantastic local support we’ve received will enable us to make an enormous difference to these children’s lives.”
New Year, New You... Treat yourself to a new look at Destiny Hair Design with 50% off your first visit Cut & Style* www.destinyhairdesign.co.uk Bookings 01296 337 555 7 Hampden Square | Fairford Leys | Aylesbury | Buckinghamshire | HP19 7HT *Mention this offer when booking and present this advert at your appointment. Available to new clients from January 2012, Monday to Friday with selected stylists. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.
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Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
Steph, Lucy, Jess, Ali, Alexa, Natalie, Kirsty and far right Tracey Gascoin Coco’s Foundation was set up in 2009 by a hairdressing friend of the team, Chris Connors, pictured right. He was so moved by the children’s plight that he started the charity to extend and improve the orphanage at Ubombo. Tracey explained why she and her team have decided to raise money and travel to Africa to help the orphaned children: “I have a three-year-old daughter and I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw a video showing what these children have been through at such a young age,” she said. “Many of them have HIV, not from birth, as I at first imagined, but because they have been raped, despite their young ages. It is impossible to imagine what their lives have been like up to now.” You can help the girls reach their target of £17,600 by making a donation on the dedicated JustGiving page. Don’t forget, if you’re a UK tax payer they can reclaim Gift Aid on your donation. So, if you donate £10 the amount is increased by a further £2.82.
Coco’s Foundation founder Chris Connor, centre, with Ollie, Pete, Jodie and Ed Simply visit www.justgiving. com/destiny-hair-design0 l Destiny Hair Design, 7 Hampden Square, Fairford Leys, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. HP19 7HT. Bookings 01296 337555. Website: www.destinyhairdesign.co.uk
Vale Life Vale: Dec Life :2011 Nov / Dec Jan 2012 2011
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ike the seasons, the weather, the ebb and flow of fashion our very hopes and aspirations, the White Hart Studio is ever changing. Jane leads the way of course, her relentless search for the new, the exciting, the delightful is never done. Pretty cardigans, gorgeous dresses, warm coats, enchanting jewellery, fun gifts and toys, a new line in cards, a cosy scarf, a fabulous bag, or perhaps a stunning clock or vase... she’s the hunter gatherer of Haddenham, herding delights, so the rest of us can be sure a trip to the studio will be a success. A last minute gift or final trimming? The new garden barn has been an amazing success, crammed for the Winter season with Christmas decs and festive frivolity and for that elusive gift, the perfect something for someone special, step back inside and a friendly assistant will point you in the right direction - ‘yes you have left it a little late sir’- perhaps there are some things that will never change! l White Hart Studio, 15 Churchway, Haddenham, HP17 8AB Tel: 01844 292308 Open Tuesday to Saturday 10am-5pm Sundays: 11am-4pm Closed Xmas day until Tue, January 3rd
Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
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GOLD GOLD GOLD A Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
Stephan Cox and his parents first opened their Aylesbury Bullion store some 22 years ago. He now runs the shop with wife Angela and their son Jack who has recently joined full-time... ylesbury Bullion is a traditional independent family jewellers. The business was established in 1977 and has been trading from its current premises, at the top end of Aylesbury High Street, since 1989. The firm sells, repairs and deals in jewellery, watches and precious metals. Their collection includes brand new, secondhand and antique pieces and they will also design and make bespoke pieces to meet your specific requirements. “It’s been a busy couple of years since we spoke to Vale Life in 2009,” says Stephan. “The gold buying side continues to grow - the price flew up when the banks got in trouble and it’s made it worthwhile for people to trade-in any old unused jewellery. “We’re buying in a lot of old gold but customers can also have something made from their old jewellery if it’s of sentimental value, or trade it in against something new if not. White metals seem more popular than yellow gold these days. “The most cost effective thing to make from old gold is a bangle, anything complicated can work out more expensive than buying a new item instead. But if you want to use the same gold for sentimental reasons we can make anything you like. “We’ve seen a few Angela Cox developments in the jewellery trade over the last year. Palladium is now recognised as a precious metal. It’s a white metal in the platinum group, harder wearing and less expensive than gold. “We’ve been very busy with restoration work this year. We’ve got new laser technology in our workshop which avoids the heat problems that traditional soldering can cause. Precious metals can be laser welded using filler wires of the same material and it’s possible to repair damaged jewellery without
Top Prices Paid In Cash For Your Scrap Precious Metals Including Unwanted Jewellery, Coins & Watches. Part Exchange Available
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Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
Stephan Cox with son Jack and sales assistant Claire
unsetting heat-sensitive stones. Antique pieces can be repaired, preserving the quality and appearance of the item. The resulting joins are actually cleaner and stronger. “Probably 50% of our jobs are done this way now. It takes away a lot of the risk involved in working on old pieces. “We still do a fair amount of watch repairs too, usually older watches of sentimental value though - modern ones tend to be more throwaway! “Our new website is up and running now. It’s another advertising tool really as most people like to come into the store and try the jewellery before they buy. There’s a fair amount of information on the site about the services we offer though and how to get in touch. “My son Jack, who is 19, has joined Angela and myself full-time at the store now, which is really nice. Jack has recently left school but he’s worked part-time with us for around five years so he knows what he’s
doing. A lot of the job is about customer relations, getting on with people and finding out what they want. All our staff are friendly and outgoing and together keep our customers happy. Myself, Angela and Jack are fulltime and we have two part-timers, Claire and Emily as well. “It’s the customers that keep the job interesting, the mix of people - every day is different, every customer is different - you never know who’s going to walk through the door. “I was actually invited to be best man at a customer’s wedding recently. It was a very low key event, registry office, no friends or family. I was photographer, best man and did a reading, then we went for a meal afterwards! That was a first - I only knew the couple through the shop! At Vale Life we wish Jack all the best in his new role and look forward to hearing how he is doing in the new year.
l Aylesbury Bullion Company, 11A High Street, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP20 1SH. Tel: 01296 423198. Website: www.aylesburybullion.co.uk
GOLD GOLD GOLD
Top Prices Paid In Cash For Your Scrap Precious Metals Including Unwanted Jewellery, Coins & Watches. Part Exchange Available
A B C AYLESBURY BULLION COMPANY The Family of Jewellers
11a, St Aylesbury Buckinghamshire HP201SH 1SH 11aHigh High Street, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP20
01296 423198 Tel: 01296Tel: 423198 Web: www.aylesburybullion.co.uk
Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
‘I’m dreaming of a white kitchen,’ you might sing at this festive time of year, or perhaps a steel blue or Champagne kitchen even! Don’t rely on Santa though, speak to Ridgeway Kitchens and you may just find your dream can come true and cost a lot less than you thought possible...
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he new Ridgeway Kitchens and Interiors showroom is hidden away on the Farol estate off Rycote Lane, just past The Oxfordshire, at Great Milton, near Thame. The company moved from Notley some five months ago and now has sizeable, first floor premises above Rycote Motors. The spacious main showroom sports an impressive range of stylish modern kitchen sets from Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Prentice and the firm’s own Ridgeway brand, which is made by Hacker at their factories in Germany and consequently incorporates all the high quality craftsmanship and design associated with the revered Hacker brand but at amazing value prices. Ridgeway is the brainchild of local lad, Wayne Walker. Originally from Chilton near Thame, ex Lord Williams’s pupil, Wayne worked in the building trade for many years and is experienced in all aspects of the trade from bricklaying and plastering to roofing, flooring and carpentry. He set up his own building firm in the early 90s working on extensions, refurbishments and small building projects but found himself drawn to kitchen and bathroom fitting. “It’s more instant,” says Wayne, “I love the way you can completely transform a room in a relatively short period and there’s such a range of stunning units and finishes available today. Every job is different and there’s a lot of satisfaction in helping a customer realise their dreams, especially when you’ve worked with them through the planning and design stage to the final installation.” “We’ve mostly been selling directly to the
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Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
Wayne Walker at the new Ridgeway showrooms near Thame building trade up till now,” says Wayne, “dealing with developers and builders. As you can imagine we’re used to operating on extremely tight margins and consequently we can supply high quality kitchens at the sort of prices you would normally expect to pay for something quite basic from a DIY store. “I started a couple of years ago quite small,” says Wayne, “with a little showroom near Notley, but there wasn’t enough room to display a decent range of products. “The new showroom is much bigger and we’ve several ranges in a variety of styles for
customers to see, plus numerous flooring and tile samples. We’ll be opening a second showroom in 2012 to display bedroom and bathroom ranges including innovative storage options from Häfele. “We can supply most appliances and we specialise in three main kitchen manufacturers: stunning in-frame traditional and contemporary designs from English firm Charles Rennie Mackintosh; high end traditional English kitchens from Staffordshire based Prentice, they are very good, a totally bespoke service renowned for quality, skilled
Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
craftsmanship and attention to detail; and our own Hacker brand which is exceptional value, an extensive range of well thought out kitchens, incorporating elegant, contemporary design with functional, organised storage solutions, it’s high quality and very reliable. “We offer a complete service from high end bespoke design and fitting with flooring tiles, accessories and any accompanying building work, to simple supply of units and worktops for you to install. We can design or fit your kitchen from scratch, replace or update your existing kitchen, or remodel and extend your home - we can handle technical drawing, planning applications and building work for extensions and refurbishments if required. “Our out of town location means more space for less rent and once again a chance to keep our prices to a minimum. “We have very low overheads and if you are on a tight budget, or looking for a good
deal, can supply a full kitchen for less than you would buy a flat pack from a DIY chain superstore. “Our German ridged units are much better quality and our fitting charges are much less too. Everyone likes a good deal and we can do that pricewise but the quality won’t be compromised. “We are fussy about the quality of our kitchens and workmanship. Dealing with builders and developers we have to be reliable and provide a good product at a good price. We are now offering this service to the general public too. “We have the latest computer aided design technology and can produce 3D walk through room simulations, changing finishes and colours to see how they look, it’s a very clever system and can design a whole house if you wish! “We have kitchens here for everyone;
from a newly married couple with a two bed flat who want a kitchen with appliances for £3,000, to someone who is looking for the ulltimate top of the range luxury, bespoke kitchen with all the latest gadgets possibly costing over £100,000. “It’s important to me to make sure the customer is happy whatever the budget though. I have total confidence in the products we supply and in our teams of experienced, tried and trusted installers. I will co-ordinate the job and liase with our client to ensure all goes smoothly and that, when the installation is complete, they are totally satisfied and really do have the kitchen of their dreams. l Ridgeway Kitchens, Rycote Lane, Milton Common, Oxon, OX9 2NZ Tel: 01844 279 900 Email: info@ridgewaykitchens.co.uk Website: www.ridgewaykitchens.co.uk
Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
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Ruby Moon 4-5A Buttermarket, Thame, OX9 3EW Tel: 01844 212561
Visit us at The Gallery Stoneworld 43a Upper High Street, Thame OX9 2DW
or shop online for home, garden and gifts www.tillynilly.com/store
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Ginger Interiors, 8 Duck Farm Court, Station Way, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP20 2SQ Tel: 01296 415035 Email: clare@gingerinteriors.co.uk
www.bodyandsoulaylesbury.co.uk 18
Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
Website: www. gingerinteriors.co.uk
Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
Bucks has played a major part in the development of the Paralympic Games and in 2012 will host a variety of Olympic activities as well. To help you celebrate the fact, Bucks CC has launched an official toolkit, which is free to those who’d like to organise their own Olympic party...
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012 is a year to celebrate with both the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic and Paralympic Games taking place. Buckinghamshire has a unique role to play with the sprint-canoe, rowing and kayak events taking place at Dorney Lake. It has been given host county statues and has been preparing to host top athletes during Games. Buckinghamshire has played a major part in the history of the Paralympic Games with Stoke Mandeville Stadium being the birthplace of the Paralympic movement, started by Sir Ludwig Guttmann. The London 2012 bid was driven by the concept of leaving a legacy and as part of this Buckinghamshire has created the Mandeville Legacy project which is aiming to educate the country about the beginnings of the Paralympic Games and bringing together memories of those early Games. Mike Colston, pictured right, the Chairman of Buckinghamshire County Council said “With the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, I’m looking forward to a year when our communities can let off some steam and celebrate. What a great opportunity for everyone to be involved in this once-in-a-lifetime event - it’ll be our moment to shine!’ Buckinghamshire County Council will be putting together a toolkit to give the public all the information they will need to host a
Mike Colston Chairman of Bucks CC successful, celebratory event in the lead up to both the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Games. If you would like to receive one of these
toolkits, or you would like to find out more information about 2012, then please visit Buckinghamshire County Council’s 2012 pages at www.buckscc.gov.uk to register your interest.
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Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
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l Column: In the Garden with Naomi MacKay
Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
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hen it comes to looking decorations, such as holly twigs Bungee Christmas, I’m a tied in bundles with red ribbons, little fatball man big kid – I love parcels of bird food, red apples and lights and decorafat balls. For a really fun touch, how tions – and there’s no way I’m about adding this bungee jumping man going to leave the garden out! made out of bird seed from Firebox. Whether you decorate your front com? And B&Q has a fun set of illumigarden, to be enjoyed by passers-by, nated Christmas ‘presents’ (£25) that you or create a Christmassy delight to be can place under your outdoor tree. viewed through your patio doors, it’s Of course Christmas wouldn’t be definitely worth including your garden Christmas without lights. I’ve been trying when you’re getting the tinsel out. out the delightful Fairy Berries (£17.99), As well as your indoor also from Firebox, little round balls filled Christmas tree, select a with LED light that fades gently on and off and tree or large shrub outcan be dotted about wherever you want them – side to give the Christno worries about electric cables – they can even mas treatment. If you float on water if you want to liven up a pond or don’t have a tree in the water feature for the festive season. garden, it’s easy to make Finally, if you have a path leading up to your one using some of your front door, or down the garden, how about lightshrub trimmings (willow, ing it up so that Santa can find his way in? There Stake lights and hazel are particularly are plenty of outdoor lights to choose from, inuseful, and you’ll be killing two cluding stake lights from B&Q Illuminated Christmas in the shape of Christmas trees. birds with one stone as they will presents You can also tie festive ribbon benefit from being coppiced anyway). The cut stems can be stood to any plants or shrubs that in a bucket of sand or earth. border your path. Next, the fun part – decorating! However you celebrate, If your indoor tree is full of sparhere’s wishing you a wonderkle, why not try something a little ful festive season – and I hope different outside and use natural Santa treats you well.
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Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
Artist and picture framer Karl Petermann is going mobile. He’s mounted footballs, bayonets, Picasso prints and pictures for Tony Blair and he says, it’s easier to choose a surround at home...
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arl Petermann was born and raised in Bishopstone, near Aylesbury. His name is a clue to his ancestry - his father was from Eastern Germany and came to the Hartwell Estate at Aylesbury, during the 2nd World War, as a POW. He had been a shipbuilder before the war and was called up and put into service on U-Boats. His submarine was depth charged by a Canadian bomber and he was lucky to be rescued by Canadians and brought back to the UK. He stayed on after the war, as his homeland was under communist rule, and married a local girl. Karl was born in the early 60s, and later attended Mandeville School. It was only after the Berlin wall came down in 1989 that Karl got to meet some of his East German relations. A naturally a creative person, Karl has a talent for art: “I studied Fine Art in the sixth form,” he says, “I had a great art teacher, Prue Pardew, who taught us traditional landscape painting in oils and still life.” An Art Foundation course at High Wycombe followed, and then a degree course in Fine Art at Sunderland Polytechnic, where he found himself channelled into sculpture and came back to Bishopstone after a year somewhat disillusioned. Leaving college, Karl decided to exhibit some of his own local landscape paintings and held sell out shows in the village halls at Bishopstone and Dinton. Assembling a frame
Karl Petermann demonstrates the importance of glass clarity In 1988 he started a greeting card company selling cards of local scenes he had painted: “The Vale of Aylesbury is a beautiful place,” he says, “and I did pictures of all the local towns and villages, from Quainton to Thame, Brill, Cuddington, Leighton Buzzard, all over really. I must have sold 40 to 50,000 cards over a ten year period. My best customers were the village post offices, but sadly a lot of them have closed now.” “I bumped into a picture framer, Robin, at a craft fair in Brill one day and we started doing exhibitions together. He ran his business from the unit at Friars Square where I am now based. He taught me framing and I took the business over in 2000.” Karl has been trading successfully at his Petermann Gallery in the cloisters at Friars Square for almost ten years and is now launching a mobile framing service, Vale Country Framing, so customers don’t have to transport bulky pictures to his premises: “I’m available to visit customers’ homes and advise on framing, reglazing, cleaning, revarnishing and restoration of paintings and in some cases, give advice on value,” says Karl. “I’ll take the picture away if work needs to be done. I take samples of frames and mounts as it’s easier to select a colour and style to go with your decor when you’re actually in the room where the picture is to hang. “I think being a painter helps in advising on frames, I’ve a painter’s eye for colour and shape. I’ve framed everything from baby
photos to a 12th Century gold coin and a 1st World War bayonet,” laughs Karl. “Sports memorabilia is popular today. I was asked to frame a football once, an inflated one, it was more of a box than a frame but it worked! “I’ve framed militaria for RAF Halton and the TA at Viney House and recently for the Help for Heroes charity. I framed Tony Blair’s Chequers Estate leaving present, some prints of the estate, and some Picasso prints for Portsmouth striker Dave Kitson. “The people I meet keep the job interesting. An ex RAF man came in and asked me to frame an old flight map of one of his WW2 bombing raids. It turned out he’d actually bombed my father’s home town! A deep sea diver had a picture of some German ships scuppered at Scapa Flow and one was the very ship my grandfather had been on!” Karl’s plan is to take on a workshop rather than a shop unit and spend more time painting and with his son, Sam, who is 25 and also an artist, having completed a Fine Art degree at Brighton in 2009: “I’d like him to join me in the business,” says Karl. “I’ll be at Friar’s Square until at least Easter and when I move I’ll still be local and contactable. My mobile service is available now though, just call my mobile if you’d like to make an appointment.” l Petermann Gallery / Vale Country Framing, Unit 17, The Cloisters, Friars Square Shopping Centre, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP20 2PU Telephone: 07796 651664 Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
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Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
At No.55 in The Sunday Times ‘Top 150 Prep Schools’ St Teresa’s is Princes Risborough’s inclusive, independent Catholic School - open to all faiths and set to begin 2012 with a brand new head...
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t Teresa’s Catholic Independent School and Nursery, in the centre of Princes Risborough, is sited on the Aylesbury Road, adjacent to St Teresa’s Catholic Church, on land owned by the Diocese of Northampton. Although a Catholic school, St Teresa’s is ‘inclusive’ and accepts children from families of all religious beliefs, or none. Those attending the school are mostly from Princes Risborough or live in the surrounding villages. St Teresa’s was founded in 1945 but underwent a complete reconstruction of its buildings in 1998 and now boasts separate classrooms for each year group, from Nursery through to Year 6, together with an ICT suite and library, a science room, music, art, design and craft rooms and a chapel. The school now caters for around 130 children, approximately 20 in each year group, with 24 part-time places available for children in the Nursery class. St Teresa’s is to welcome a new head, Thalia Milton, in January. She replaces Robert Duigan who left last Summer for Crackley Hall in Kenilworth. “I was going to be a teacher from the age of eight,” smiles Thalia Milton, “I’ve always loved sport and wanted to be a PE teacher.” Thalia grew up in Cambridge and after school she trained at Bedford College of Physical Education before starting her career teaching PE in Bristol. She has taught both boys and girls in independent and state secondary schools: “It was all PE and school trips, out of school activities, ski trips, I loved it - never a dull moment” she sighs!” Having married and had two daughters Thalia discovered the joys of working with junior children and moved to teach a
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New head Thalia Milton reception class at a state primary school: “It was exhausting,” she laughs, “but the children’s enthusiasm and natural desire to learn was very rewarding.” She then joined Brigidine School in Windsor, a girls’ Catholic independent, at first teaching PE to junior and senior pupils and then becoming involved in teaching the general curriculum to the junior school. Thalia was appointed head of the junior school and then additionally, assistant head of the whole school and in charge of the day to day running of the junior school and organising of school events - all while teaching her junior classes! “I am a Catholic myself,” says Thalia, “but Brigidine was the first Catholic school I have taught in, so it’s lovely for me to come to St Teresa’s, a Catholic junior school with the church right next door. “Catholic schools are not that different to other schools - the children will attend Mass at the church once or twice a term but we’re not here to turn them into Catholics. Parents
bring their children to St Teresa’s because they appreciate the Catholic ethos that underpins schooling here. It is one of caring for each other and learning respect for each other.” Many of us unfamiliar with Catholic schools imagine them to be holy but intimidating places, policed by fearsome nuns in a strict, uncompromising manner! This is far from reality though. St Teresa’s is a happy, inviting school with modern facilities where many of the teachers are neither nuns nor practising Catholics even and the children learn about all types of religion as they would in any school. “We’re all very normal people,” smiles Thalia, “The children here are lovely, chatty, lively and fun but they are polite too and are learning Christian values such as understanding, tolerance and respect for others, how to treat people, how to speak to people properly and how to care for each other. “As a Catholic school we follow the local curriculum from the diocese. It includes instruction on other religions too, which is very
Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
important, for when our children go out into the world they will meet people with all sorts of different views on religion. “Getting children through their 11 Plus is very important but we want to give pupils more than that. Maths, English and Science are incredibly important but we are teaching individuals who need to know where they are going, what they want and how to interact successfully with those around them. “I am very keen on teaching creatively to engage children, to make things fun and interesting. We have interactive boards and IT facilities and teaching can be very exciting for both the pupils and the teacher. “I’ve known about St Teresa’s for some time, as Monsignor Gerald Moorcroft, the parish priest here, who sadly died earlier this year, had long been a family friend. “He told me the position of head was coming up and encouraged me to apply. I didn’t at the time, it was only later, after attending his funeral last June and being shown around St Teresa’s School, that I felt, after 20 years at Brigidine, it was the right move to make. “I’m a doer, so I’m keen to get involved and hope to be doing some teaching, both PE and in the classroom, as well as the administrative side of things. I’m looking forward to getting to know the children and the staff and seeing how it all works. I’m not aiming to storm in and start changing things, it’s a successful school, but it’s good to keep moving forwards.”
Deputy head Jane Draper has been at St Teresa’s for three years and was acting head for the Autumn term; “The feedback we get from new parents is that the ethos of the school has a most beneficial effect on their children.” she says. “After only a few weeks here parents have noticed their children being calmer and more respectful of each other at home. The school is as much about that as it is about going to Mass. “We have two assemblies a week: one religion based and one for awards and celebrations. We attend Mass at the church once a term and have smaller class liturgies. Our percentage of religious education is slightly higher than in a non-faith school but it involves learning about Christian values and other religions as well as Catholicism. “We believe in an all round education. We are in the Top 100 Prep Schools academically, which is great, but we also do well in other areas. We have sports teams, choirs, athletics, music, chess, art, drama, dance and a variety of school clubs. We organise educational visits to places such as: Bletchley Park, The River and Rowing Museum, the theatre and The Science Museum and an annual trip for Year 6 children to Lisieux in France, home of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. “Our athletics team represented London North ISA at the National Athletic Championship in Birmingham and our 4 x 75m relay team won gold, breaking the ISA National Record in the process! “We take part in local community events
such as the Risborough Festival and the Risborough Lights. We won a national Christmas card design competition this year and we are staging a school production of Peter Pan. We aim to offer a supportive environment in which children can find and express their own characters, grow in confidence and self-esteem and learn to face challenges with courage, common sense and support for each other. “All our leavers went on to their first choice school this year: to Aylesbury Grammar or the Royal Grammar at Wycombe and some to independent schools.” St Teresa’s offers a ‘wraparound’ service for those requiring before or after school care for their children. This runs from 7.45am to 8.30am before school and to 6pm after, incorporating a homework club. St Teresa’s nursery takes children from three years to five years and accepts government funded places, which allows 15 hours free care a week for three-year-olds. Sessions can be booked by the half day. Fees for St Teresa’s are currently £2,436 per term. Some means tested bursaries are available - details on the school’s website. l St Teresa’s Catholic School, Aylesbury Road, Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire, HP27 0JW Tel: 01844 345005 Fax: 01844 345131 Email: office@st-teresas.bucks.sch.uk Website: www.st-teresas.bucks.sch.uk
The IT room
Maths on the smart board
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www.reactivatebucks.org 01296 585215
As we indulge in the seasonal festivities, the prospect of making New Year resolutions can linger mena from A Christmas Carol! Every dance starts with but a single step though, so follow Brendan Cole’s lead Brendan Cole in action at The Dome during his ‘Live and Unjudged’ tour
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ome may recall the shock of 60s icon, Lulu, when first paired with Strictly Come Dancing professional, Brendan Cole, in the latest series of the BBC Onc dance contest currently gripping the nation. With Brendan more than a foot taller than the petite singer, an extra challenge was clearly ahead for the pair: “Ideally the top of the woman’s head should be midway up the man’s forehead” says Lulu. “My eyes looked into Brendan’s chest!” Lulu was also ‘very apprehensive’ about partnering Brendan at the beginning of the latest series - as she was somewhat daunted by his reputation for being strict with his dance partners and a hard task master! Meanwhile Brendan was ‘raring to go’, and displaying his usual enthusiasm for the task in hand. The charismatic 35-year-old dancer, who is one of only three professional dancers to appear in every series of Strictly since it began in 2004, had previously been paired with celebrity dance partners such as: Natasha Kaplinsky, Lisa Snowdon and Destiny’s Child star Michelle Williams. The glamour is not what drives Brendan though: “I don’t mind who I’m partnered with, to be honest,” he confides. Instead he cares about sharing his passion for dance and helping his partner cope with the demanding rehearsal schedules and live performances in front of Strictly’s huge audiences and by the time Lulu left the competition she had completely changed her view, saying: “he’s an absolute sweetheart, really. He’s adorable!” While Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood commented: “Brendan taught her a lot.” So, although Strictly’s ‘bad boy’ is always focused on the ultimate prize of winning, he takes time to enjoy every minute of the competition. As Brendan says: “I’ve won before with Natasha and, of course, I want to win again. But I also get the most fantastic feeling from taking part. When you dance, or do whatever else you love, you’re too
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Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
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acingly, like a Dickensian ghost d and head out onto the dancefloor... preoccupied to stress or strain about anything else. It’s great.” Living in Bucks, not far from Aylesbury, with his wife Zoe, Brendan is now keen that adults in his adopted county (he is originally from Christchurch, New Zealand), have the chance to feel the same way. To this end he is supporting Reactivate Bucks, the campaign that connects people to hundreds of sports and activities taking place on their doorstep. And, at this time of year, when we’re considering what our New Year resolutions might be, Reactivate Bucks could provide the answer. So whether you’re looking to lose weight, get fit or try something different and make new friends, Reactivate offers hundreds of activities ranging from dodgeball to Nordic Walking, that you might like to try. Follow in Brendan’s footsteps and try dancing - there’s something for all from ballroom and salsa to street dance and afternoon tea dances and Brendan’s brother Scott even runs classes in Aylesbury and Thame. Reactivate Bucks is a not for profit campaign, co-ordinated by Bucks Sport, which offers many activities at subsidised rates and during occasional ‘Give it a Go Weeks’ (next one is 20th to 26th February) lots to try absolutely free! For those wanting to push themselves there’s also the opportunity to train for and take part in forthcoming sports events such as the Sport Relief events in March in aid of Comic Relief. For Brendan these types of event provide a fun way to find your personal best. As he says: “Of course in Strictly you’re competing against some of the best but there’s a great back-stage atmosphere and we spur each other on.” Whatever resolution you make, just follow the winning advice of Brendan: “Make a decision, keep to it and give it a go,” he says. “Everything else will follow.”
Register online and win great prizes!
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hy not give yourself or a loved one a present with a difference this Christmas by considering what course or activity to look forward to with Reactivate Bucks. Log onto Reactivate Bucks (www. reactivatebucks.org) for details of the hundreds of activities available and to register for the latest updates and chances to win some great prizes including: l Tickets to see “Brendan Cole- Live & Judged” – next stop is at the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre on Sunday 22 January. See Brendan alongside some well-known faces as they perform all your Strictly favourites during this magical evening of chat, music and dance. See www.brendancole.com for details. l Copies of the “Brendan Cole - Live and Unjudged” Tour DVD which features Brendan’s brother Scott, three times winner of the New Zealand Latin American Championship. l Your choice of a series of dance classes with Scott Cole held at various local venues. See www.scottcoledance.co.uk for details.
Could you become a Sport Maker? For those who want to get involved in making sport happen locally, there’s now the chance to take part in free Sport Maker training. Overseen by Sport England, and coordinated locally by Bucks Sport, this exciting programme helps bring the inspiration of the London 2012 Games to life where people live and work. After you complete your Sport Maker training we can match you to some great opportunities, which enable more adults to enjoy sport. Or we can work with you to organise something you can enjoy with friends, family or work colleagues. You don’t have to be a coach or particularly sporty to qualify to become one of the hundreds of Sport
Makers across the country. Find out more about Sport Makers and the training shortly being offered locally by visiting www.sportmakers.co.uk. For an informal discussion to find out whether this would be a great opportunity for you contact Stephen Green at Bucks Sport on: 01296 585626 or email: sgreen@buckssport.org. Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
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Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
Reader Offer: One free Function Fitness Personal Training session to any reader booking a block of six or more sessions before 31st January 2012 when they mention Vale Life Magazine!
Would you like to be slimmer, stronger, fitter, healthier, injury free, more toned, a more successful you? Why not all of the above?! Lizzie Evans tells us how Function Fitness could help...
ViPR workout
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our fitness is our function!” says Lizzie Evans, founder of Function Fitness, “hence the name.” With eight years experience as an Occupational Therapist and degree level qualifications in anatomy and physiology, Lizzie is experienced in treating and rehabilitating all sorts of clients, from those with neurological conditions to muscle strains, osteoporosis, and traumatic injury. Lizzie has always loved sports and fitness. She grew up in Little Gaddesden, near Tring, went to school in Berkhamsted and then to Brookes University in Oxford where she gained her degree in Occupational Therapy. At school she enjoyed lacrosse, tennis, swimming and horseriding and more recently running and cycling. She is taking part in the 2012 Virgin London Marathon and recently enjoyed a training session with double Olympic gold medallist, Dame Kelly Holmes. Now 30, Lizzie has decided on a change of career and is combining her healthcare knowhow and background in sports and fitness with more recent qualifications in personal training, to offer an holistic approach to personal fitness training. Under her Function Fitness banner she supplies one-to-one personal training, or small group training, to clients of all abilities wishing to improve their health and fitness. “I cover all ages, all abilities, all walks of life,” says Lizzie. “You don’t have to have experience or be fit already. It can be about weight loss, shaping up or toning, to improve performance in a particular sport, or to train for an event, like a charity run or a marathon. “I’ve already had one client who has done brilliantly and dropped three dress sizes! It does take time though, usually at least a session a week for six weeks to see any physical 26
Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
Agility training
Boxercise
Lizzie Evans Function Fitness Qualifications:
l Level 3 Premier Advanced Diploma in Personal Training l Certified Nutritionist l NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) qualified with Optimum Performance Training (OPT) Model accreditation. l Fully qualified Boxercise & Bootcamp Instructor l Premier qualified Kettlebell Instructor l Fully qualified ViPR Instructor l Certified Vibe Cycle Intructor l Level 2 Premier Certified Fitness Instructor (Gym) l Emergency First Aid at Work Practitioner l Member of the NRPT (National Register of Personal Trainers) l Member of REPS (Register of Exercise Professionals) l Qualified Occupational Therapist (Bsc Hons – Oxford Brookes University) l Member of HPC (Health Professions Council) l Liability Insurance
change. It’s not just about the one hour session though, I do set homework,” laughs Lizzie. “To be sustainable, changes in lifestyle may be required but I can look at nutrition as well and I’ll be in touch by phone, text or email to help encourage and motivate you.” If you get in touch with Lizzie she will arrange a 30 minute free introductory session at your home: “It’s a chance to talk over what’s involved and to see if we can work together and if I’m the right person to help,” says Lizzie. “There needs to be a rapport, trust and confidence, so we’ll define your goals and discuss a way forward and what the options are for achieving them. “It is mostly about diet and exercise but within that there is a variety of equipment and techniques that we can use to keep things interesting and enjoyable. It’s good to mix things up a bit and give the body new
Fitball challenges and you will get a personal package tailored to suit your needs. “My ‘functional’ approach is about form and posture, using the body in the way it is meant to be used. We don’t isolate one muscle group and just work on that, I prefer to use areas of the body in combination, it’s more natural to move that way. I keep up to date with the latest research and techniques so we may use bodyweight exercises, kettle bells, ViPR and suspension training in addition to traditional exercises. Core strength and flexibility are key to stabilising the spine and pelvis. Posture can be poor as a result of long hours at a computer and cause back pain. I’ll assess any problem areas and draw on my healthcare background to devise a strengthening and rehabilitating plan. “I’m based in Aylesbury but come to you you won’t have to leave home on a cold, dark night to keep with your programme! “Good health is important to everyone and we can all benefit from exercise. People are living longer and it’s important we are fit and able to enjoy our longer lives. The smallest changes in lifestyle can make a big impact both day to day and in the longer term, so expert professional advice is of real benefit, not just now, but for the rest of your life.” Lizzie has a comprehensive website at: www.function-fitness.co.uk which explains her full range of services and even offers a Christmas Survival Guide! She is available from 6am to 10pm, seven days a week and her personal training sessions are based on a rate of £35 per hour with discounts for block bookings. Small group bookings are also available. l Function Fitness. Tel: 07967 305551. Email: lizzie@function-fitness.co.uk Website: www.function-fitness.co.uk
Luxury Coach Holidays
DayTrips,Theatres & Shows Entertainment Weekends 2012 ! el.com .mottstrav w w w : e n nli Book o ute Kylie Trib
Lift your spirits after the cold winter months - treat yourselves to a weekend away! Join one of our great value tours all with interesting excursions, half board and live entertainment... 4 Star Ramada, Grantham See Lincoln and Kylie Tribute HB 3 Days: March 9, £125 Warners Cricket St Thomas for Frankie Valli Tribute 4 days: Mar 9, £299 Sinah Warren for Bowie & Queen Tribute 4 days: Feb 24, HB £229
See our new 157 page Full Colour Brochure - Ring Now For Your Free Copy! EASTER TOURS Harrogate, Holiday Inn HB 4 Days Apr 6 £199 Disneyland Paris BB 3 Days Apr 6 £219 Babbacombe HB 4 Days Apr 6 £229 Eastbourne HB 5 Days Apr 5 £239 Sidmouth HB 5 Days Apr 6 £279 X FACTOR – THE LIVE TOUR! Wembley Sat March 3 Coach & Ticket £65
Warners Lakeside Resort for Michael Bublé Tribute, 4 days: HB £199 SINGLES WEEKEND at Alvaston Hall Great Live Entertainment, HB, 5 Days: Mar 5, £279 Weymouth Nostalgic Mid Week Break The Crown Hotel, 5 Days: Mar 12, £269
See our 2012 brochure for many more holidays... British Seaside Resorts - Special Event Breaks - Garden Weekends - Scotland, Ireland & Isle of Man - Bulbfields – Spain – Battlefield Tours – Italy – Switzerland & Portugal
Motts Holidays 4 Buckingham Street, Aylesbury, HP20 2LD BOOKING HOTLINE: 01296 336666 Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
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Do You trust ANY Government with YOUR Children’s Inheritance?
Care Fees, Inheritance Tax and Other Loss Can Savage Your Children’s Inheritance Make Your Will (or update your old Will) in the comfort of your own home A standard Will can say who gets what. The “Right” Will and planning can help ensure that the MAXIMUM possible goes to those you love... and not those you don’t!!
Stagecoach Aylesbury 01296 747758 aylesbury@stagecoach.co.uk www.stagecoach.co.uk/aylesbury
It all starts with a standard Will FROM £49.95 + vat To arrange a Home Visit or for more information call 0845 0568796 today or visit www.allguardwills.co.uk/ian.saxton Allguard Legal Services – High Wycombe We have our own Expert TRUST LAWYER and SOLICITOR
SWANBOURNE HOUSE SCHOOL IAPS Prep & Pre-Prep Co-Ed School, ages 3-13
SCHOLARSHIPS Swanbourne House is a thriving, co-educational Prep School. Scholarships,with means tested bursaries if needed will be offered for external boys or girls who are eligible for 11+ entry in September 2012 (for children born between 01/09/00 and 31/08/01) and who show talent in any of the following areas or combination of areas: Academics, Sport, Art, DT, Music or Choral work. These scholarships are ideal for children who would wish to prepare for 13+ entry to Public School. We warmly invite those interested to apply to the school for further details and an application form. Applications close on Wednesday 1st February 2012 Sat 4th Feb. Preliminary Tests Sat 11th Feb. Final Tests & Interviews
Swanbourne House School Swanbourne, Nr Winslow, Bucks MK17 0HZ Tel: 01296 720264 • Email: office@swanbourne.org 28
Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
Surviving Christmas as a single parent is not easy, let alone having some festive fun along the way. Adams Moore’s ‘Top Ten Tips for Coping as a Newly Single Parent’ offers some useful advice though and might help at what may seem a very un-jolly time indeed...
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hristmas is a time for families and just because your family has changed doesn’t mean this can’t still be a special season, with a little effort. Here are ten tips to help you survive Christmas as a single parent:
and fun as possible. 5) Remember your extended family Research confirms that children seek and gain support from people outside the immediate family, so try to let your children spend some time with their grandparents and cousins.
whelmed, the children can pick up on this. It is important to try to act positively; and give yourself credit for making this possible. By working together you and your partner can turn Christmas from a tug of war into a fun and meaningful time for you and your children.
6) Change can be okay Yes, Christmas will be different this time round, but if it is planned and you are offered support, it can still be an enjoyable time for both your children and yourself.
We understand that sometimes you need help to get to the stage of your new relationship with your ex partner where you can communicate and co operate with each other. At Adams Moore we can help you resolve your issues with compassion and specialist knowledge so that rather than approaching each Christmas with trepidation it can be a time of year to look forward to.
Advice concerning children
1) Communication It is important to communicate with your ex if children are involved to reduce conflict and ensure your children’s well being. 2) Prioritise the children Children need to be informed and involved in the decision making; don’t be afraid to ask them what they want. The quality of the parent-child relationship is important in helping children adjust.
7) Listen to your children Always listen and give everyone as much space as they need, just for themselves, to stop things getting a little tense or hectic.
3) Be kind to yourself If it is your first Christmas alone, plan ahead so that you have friends and family around you, or seize this as a chance to do something you’ve always wanted to do.
8) Seek support if you need it Have a support network set up, including family members, friends, neighbours and/ or colleagues, so that you are able to contact someone should you need it.
4) Quality time Remember, Christmas is not just for one day; it is often a two, or three-week holiday for most children, so focus on making the period as relaxing
9) Finances Set and agree a budget for your Christmas shopping so that you can share the financial burden with one another. 10) Stay Positive Christmas is mainly for the children, so remember, when you are feeling over-
putting on another brave face? you don’t have to mask the pain of a relationship breakdown, child contact or domestic abuse. Call us now and quote reference ‘Adams FREE 30’ to arrange your FREE half hour chat.
01296 392000
26 Temple St, Aylesbury HP20 2RQ
www.adamsmoore.co.uk l Adams Moore, 26 Temple Street, Aylesbury, HP20 2RQ. Tel: 01296 392000 Email: deepa.patel@adamsmoore.co.uk Website: www.adamsmoore.co.uk Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
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Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
l First Sunday of each month: Roast Sunday Lunch, booking essential
Sandy is obsessed with food: “I love shopping for it, preparing it, cooking it and serving it,” she laughs. She could add, smoking it, curing it, mincing it and stuffing it into sausages too, of course... “
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ou can put anything into a sausage,” says Sandy Bullivant, owner of The Waddesdon Deli Company, “the only limitation is your imagination!” Sandy founded her foodie firm in 2008 as a result of her success with sausages. It’s the main course in a lifelong obsession with cooking that dates back to her early teens, when a part-time job at her local pub, The Chequers at Whipsnade, introduced her to pub chef John: “John taught me the art of ‘bucket cookery’,” says Sandy, “making up your own recipes by adding ingredients, tasting and balancing flavours, like Jaime Oliver does!” Sandy developed her cooking skills over the years while juggling a successful career as a business advisor, with life as a mother of two. She started making her own sausages and even experimenting with smoked products after husband Ian romantically built her a smokehouse in their garden as a birthday present. The couple lived in Waddesdon where her homemade sausages were much sought after on the village barbecue circuit: “Ian and I really love sausages,” says Sandy, “and we just thought we’d have a go making them. We had a mincer attachment for my Kenwood Chef blender, we sourced a sausage skin supplier and then just experimented!” Sandy was on the committee of Great Moor Sailing Club at Calvert and was offered the use of the kitchens there, so she could cook products to sell: “I was working three days a week for The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link in Bedfordshire, then making sausages at the sailing club on my days off,” says Sandy. “On Sunday afternoons we’d leaflet the village saying what we were making that week and take orders!” That was three years ago. Sandy’s daughter Charlotte, aged five and a half, designed her a logo and Sandy continued to build her customer base while keeping an eye out for local premises! A redundancy option came up at work and a local business, (‘My Favourite Things’) in the Key Barn at Westcott, closed down, leaving the premises vacant. Sandy decided to take the place on in March 2009 and now has kitchen and café
Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
Strawberries dipped in white and dark chocolate to look like they are wearing DJs and bow ties. Bow ties and buttons hand-piped in melted chocolate,
Party room / workshop / showroom
Sandy Bullivant space plus two shopping rooms, one of which is a good size and is used for business meetings, parties and workshops too. Sandy has been able to let her imagination run free and the Waddesdon Deli Company now produces all manner of delicious home cooked, home cured and smoked products, from sausages, pies and quiches, to cakes and pastries, pickles and preserves, patés, jams, jellies, chutneys, fishcakes plus a wide selection of delicious products from other artisan producers. The company also caters for weddings and functions.: “We take a pride in everything we do,” says Sandy, “making a good cuppa, fresh, hand-cut sandwiches, homemade cakes, or catering for afternoon tea parties, a corporate lunch or a five-course dinner for a special event! We are committed to affordable quality. “I’ve two marvellous ladies working with me at the Deli during the week, they are quite invaluable and a bank of staff who help out at functions. That includes some first class chefs who join us for weddings and big banquets. “As everything is made fresh we can cope with food allergies and intolerances, so if you’d like vegetarian, gluten free, or lactose
free catering, just let us know. You’ll be surprised how fabulous food can be even without cows milk, meat or gluten.” Sandy and one of her main helpers, Louise, a cookery teacher, are now staging masterclasses in sausage-making and cupcake baking too: “We started doing demonstrations for the WI and they have proved very popular,” says Sandy. The ‘Have-a-go-days’ are listed on the Deli’s website at: www.waddesdondelico.co.uk and can be booked and bought as a voucher, so make a great gift. The sessions run from 12noon to 4pm and include lunch and lots of your cupcakes, or sausages, to take home afterwards! Sandy’s Waddesdon Deli Company has grown naturally from referrals and repeat business: “It’s a lot to do with understanding the requirements of the customer,” she says. But possibly also her fabulous cooking and a bit of imagination! l The Waddesdon Deli Company, The Key Barn, Ashendon Road, Westcott, Bucks, HP18 0NX Tel: 01296 658709 Email: waddesdon.delico@virgin.net Website: www.waddesdondelico.co.uk
Celebrate New Year at The Swan, Tetsworth
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he Swan Restaurant and Antiques Centre, may not be the first place that comes to mind for a New Year knees-up! Surely with all those antiques around, partying might prove costly! “Fear not,” says restaurant manageress Sam, “We are quite used to staging events here and the restaurant works well for dining and dancing!" This New Year a stylish celebration is planned with a Champagne reception at 7.30pm followed by a five course meal plus coffee and truffles and dancing ‘til 1am. The cost is £68.50 per head and there are only a handful of tickets left, so hurry and book if it sounds
fun to you. If a New Year's Day brunch sounds more your style, on January 1st the Swan promises a stylish and indulgent start to 2012 between 12noon and 3pm. What better way to kick off the new year than relaxing in this gorgeous Elizabethan coaching inn with perhaps a short walk around the antiques centre afterwards! The Swan Antiques Centre is open every day from 10am to 6pm. l The Swan at Tetsworth, High Street, Tetsworth, Oxon OX9 7AB Tel: 01844 281777 Restaurant: 01844 281182 Email: antiques@theswan.co.uk, restaurant@theswan.co.uk Website: www.theswan.co.uk
Win an Indian meal for two at Munchies
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Bucks Advertiser, Friday, May 27th, 2011
unchies is an Indian Restaurant with an English Twist. During the day, it’s a coffee house serving hot and cold drinks, pastries and sandwiches. In the evening, Naser and Nelema Habib and their team serve a variety of Indian dishes with exotic flavours. They have just launched a new menu featuring Indian cuisine from many of India’s different regions and as all dishes are prepared freshly by their experienced chefs, they can adjust flavourings to suit your palate. Set in the centre of Fairford Leys, Aylesbury on the attractive Hampden Square, Munchies is a friendly, comfortable, restaurant decorated in stylish contemporary colours. If you’d like to be in with a chance of winning dinner for two* with a bottle of house wine, at Munchies, simply email your name, address and telephone number, along with the answer to the following question to: editor@vale-life.co.uk What is the capital of India?
www.aylesburytoday.co.uk
Winner to be drawn at random and notified by email by Jan 31st. l Munchies, 9 Hampden Square Fairford Leys, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire , HP19 7HT Tel: 01296-487893 / 484089 Web: www.munchiesaylesbury.co.uk Open 7 Days a week & Bank Holidays,. Takeaway and delivery service available *Terms and conditions apply.
Britain’s premier antiques centre Visit our chocolateries in the picturesque towns of Wendover and Thame The Old Bank, 26 High Street, Wendover, Bucks, HP22 6EA Tel: 01296 625060 8 Upper High Street, Thame, Oxon, OX9 3ER Tel: 01844 260303
Why not book a chocolate-making workshop at
40 Showrooms of fine quality antiques Unique gifts for every budget & personality Georgian through to Art Deco Open 10am-6pm every day Lunches, Brunches & Afternoon Teas Large Car Park New Year’s Dinner – Champagne Reception & Dancing till 1am New Year’s Day Brunch – a quieter way to welcome 2012 The Swan at Tetsworth, High Street Tetsworth, Nr Thame, Oxon OX9 7AB Telephone: 01844 281777 Email: antiques@theswan.co.uk Visit www.theswan.co.uk for full calendar of events and menu details. Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
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l Column: Ruby Moukli
Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
Aylesbury’s own American foodie
Our farm diary from Richard and Rosemary Hilsdon who run Boycott Farm, near Stowe, with its popular farm shop and restaurant.
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he Christmas holidays are a time for visiting and, more frighteningly, being visited. I always prefer to do the visiting, so I don’t have to keep the house too tidy, but it’s nice to have something festive to offer guests if they do come knocking. The beauty of biscotti is that it keeps quite well in an airtight container through the holidays. Once it’s made, you can spend your time tidying your house if you really want to, although I infinitely prefer doing more festive, Christmassy things like stuffing stockings, singing carols and taking frosty walks to look at the lights. The other wonder of biscotti is that it’s easy, and yet people are unfailingly impressed that you made your own. You’ll go down in Christmas lore as ‘that house where we had homemade cranberry biscotti instead of store-bought mince pies.’ Just please don’t come to my house, as the biscotti have all been eaten and I’ve just opened my emergency box of mince pies. And as for the tidying up…
Fancy a Farmhouse Breakfast?!
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ew Year is a time for reflection and as we say goodbye to another busy year at Boycott Farm we have some amazing figures which we thought you may find interesting. Since the beginning of 2011 we have welcomed 132 wriggly piglets and 36 wobbly calves into the world. We’ve put together 1,980 bales of hay and our clever hens have laid an amazing 1.2 million free range eggs! Life has not just been busy on the farm. In the farmhouse kitchen, Rosemary and her team have baked over 1,040 yummy chocolate cakes and served 1,400 mouth watering Sunday Roast lunches. Our butchers have made over 4,000 delicious sausages, which when laid end to end would stretch 3 miles from Boycott Farm to the other side of Buckingham. Phew! In January, when the excitement of Christmas is a distant memory, we will brighten up the winter blues by inviting our customers to a ‘Simply Boycott’ tasting day on Saturday 14th January. This will be an opportunity to taste some of our quality homemade ready meals and as we know finances are stretched at this time of year, we will be offering some great deals on our frozen meals. Our butchers will carry out some demonstrations throughout the day and be available to answer any meaty questions! We will also be celebrating Farmhouse Breakfast week, a national event, which runs from the 22nd to the 28th January. Here at Boycott we produce sausages, bacon, eggs and black pudding, the key ingredients for the perfect English breakfast. Throughout Farmhouse Breakfast Week, our Home Cooked Full English (usually served in the mornings) will be available to enjoy all day. One of our many success stories of 2011 was rescuing Bambi, the beautiful orphaned calf that turned up on the farm out of the blue in the summer. She has spent the last few months greeting our customers from her pen in the courtyard and is now happily tucked up with the other calves in the cow shed for the winter. The bureaucratic fight we had to keep her was definitely worth the effort for such a beautiful animal. 2011 has been another fantastic year for Boycott Farm and we would like to thank all our customers who helped to make it such a success. We look forward to seeing you in 2012.
l Boycott Farm, Welsh Lane, Stowe, Buckinghamshire, MK18 5DJ. Telephone: 01280 821286. Email: shop@boycottfarm.co.uk Website: www.boycottfarm.co.uk 32
Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
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Cranberry Macadamia Biscotti (makes about 24) What You Need: 240g plain flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 tsp ground cinnamon 2 eggs
100g sugar 3 Tbsp rapeseed oil 1 Tbsp vanilla extract Handful of chopped macadamia nuts Generous handful dried cranberries
What You Do: o 1. Preheat oven to 170 C / gas mark 3. 2. Sift flour and baking powder into large bowl and mix with salt and cinnamon. 3. In another bowl beat the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla until fluffy. 4. Add dry ingredients to wet (or vice-versa) and mix until just blended (the dough will be sticky). Fold in the nuts and cranberries. 5. Dust work surface with flour and tip dough out onto it. 6. Divide dough into two and shape each portion into a long log approx. two inches wide. Transfer both to a lined baking sheet, about six inches apart and flatten slightly. 7. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until lightly brown, then cool for 10 minutes. Don’t turn oven off (remember biscotti means ‘twice-baked’). 8. Use a serrated knife to slice the logs into half-inch thick diagonals. 9. Lay the slices down on the same baking sheet and bake until they start to colour, 15-20 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for five minutes then carefully transfer to cooling rack. 10. Keep biscotti in an airtight container for up to two weeks, if not eaten sooner!
l Ruby Moukli is a local writer, photographer and author of popular food blog Tomayto Tomaaahto, which you can read online at www.tomaytotomaaahto.com
l Column: Matt Brown - One Hungry Gent
I
am in such a bad mood this month and it is largely due to the John Lewis Christmas advert that’s on the telly at the moment. You must have seen it, it’s the one with the angelic kid who wants the big day to come so that he can give his parents a lovely gift. Now I don’t know about you but that bears precious little resemblence to any Christmasses in the Brown household. In my experience, Christmas with kids usually involves a trip to Casualty, blisteringly early mornings with thick heads and arguments that end with me shouting, ‘because it’s Christmas, that’s why!’ I realise that all this will come as something of a shock. I fully appreciate that to you I am something of a demi-god. I picture you with a surprised look on your face, shaking your head at the possibility that a One Hungry Gent Chrimbo could be anything less than perfection. Well, dry those eyes young and beautiful reader and listen up. I think Christmas is about creating as many incredible and memorable moments as you can. It doesn’t matter if those moments are great or disastrous so long as next Christmas you have a brilliant
Matt Brown
ONE Hungry Gent
l Listen to Matt Brown on Heart Breakfast With Matt and Michelle (weekdays 6-9am 102.6FM). Tweet Matt at twitter.com/frazzleddaddy www.onehungrygent.blogspot.com
anecdote to tell around the table as you carve the turkey and toast the Queen. So, forged in the white heat of bitter experience, here are my top five festive food tips to help make your Christmas Day lunch (or dinner), if not perfect then at least perfect-ish. 1. Don’t have a turkey this year (this one is for the carnivores only). Have you ever wondered why we need the pigs in blankets, the
stuffing, the bread and cranberry sauces? It’s because turkey is bland and very tricky to get just right. My advice is to have a delicious rib of beef or some leg or loin of pork instead. It’ll be a fraction of the cost and much tastier. I realise that a switch away from turkey is a tough sell and feel I should point out here that I will be cooking turkey this Christmas Day because my family simply cannot conceive of a Christmas without it. Hey ho. 2. Don’t go mad with side dishes. If there’s one thing Christmas cooking has taught me it’s that these side dishes cause the most stress. I make the bread sauce, cranberry sauce and pigs in blankets the day before, so they are just ready to warm through. I even make the gravy a week or so before and freeze it. 3. Delegation is crucial for the wellbeing of the Christmas cook. If people offer to help, let them. Get them peeling spuds, chopping carrots, laying tables, whatever it is that will ease your burden the most. In addition to this I would add that I find it essential to make a list of what is going in the oven
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Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
at what time so that you don’t ever get lost with what should be happening next. 4. As this is a holy time let us take some inspiration from the King of Kings, Elvis Aaron Presley. In 1958, while Elvis was serving in the army he had Snowflake Potatoes with his turkey for Christmas. I have recently made these and they are definitely going on the menu this year. Make some mash and to it add cream cheese, sour cream, some chopped garlic, some butter, some chives and some paprika. Put this into an oven dish, dot with more butter and bake for half an hour. Like all things that passed Elvis’s lips these potatoes are incredibly calorific and utterly delicious. 5. Don’t get over merry and try and snog your aunty! I truly hope that for you and your kin this is the most wonderful time of the year. 2012 is going to be simply amazing, I can feel it. l Hear Matt’s latest story from The Creepy Valley here...http:// thecreepyvalley.com/podcasts
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Minor Surgery Service
CV HEALTH CV Health (a collaborative venture between Vale Health Limited and Chiltern MINOR SURGERY SERVICE Health Limited) is delighted to announce a new self-funding minor surgery service available at clinics in Aylesbury and High Wycombe.
The following examples of lesions are appropriate for removal by GPs with specialist training working for CV Health: Seborrheic keratoses Solar keratoses l Cysts or lipomata (lumps and bumps on the body) l Benign naevi (such as moles and birth marks) l Cutaneous horn (hard dry out-growths of skin) l Nail wedges l Nail excisions l Skin tags l l
The price for our service is ÂŁ220 which includes: l Pre-surgery counselling and advice l Removal of up to two lesions Telephone: 01494l 555204/5 Histology analysis of up to two samples l After-care advice l Follow up appointment to remove any stitches, if required Our physicians can also give advice on a self-treatment plan for warts for a charge of only ÂŁ50. Ask your GP for further information or telephone/email direct: 01494 555204/5 or email: info@chilternhealth.co.uk You can also find information about this service on the following websites: www.valehealth.co.uk and www.chilternhealth.co.uk
NEW range of wide-fitting footwear for men and women l NEW Stairsteady and Stairlift l Mobility scooters and powerchairs sales and servicing l Walk-in baths and bathlifts l Riser/recline/lift chairs and posture chairs l Adjustable beds l Lightweight wheelchairs, rollators and walking frames l Special terms on larger items/long term hire on mobility scooters l
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Tavistock House Dental Practice 77 Tring Road, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. HP20 1LE Tel: 01296 481615 Email: info@tavistockhouse.co.uk Website: www. tavistockhouse.co.uk 34
Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
Aylesbury Concert Band
Christmas Concert
18th December 7.30 pm
Featuring all your seasonal favourites and special guests
Lemon Tuesday
Aylesbury Methodist Church Buckingham Street HP20 2NQ
Tickets on the door or call 01296 682 812 / 01844 342 309 Adults £8.00, Concessions £6.50 Family Tickets £20.00 (2 Adults and 2 Children) www.accb.fsnet.co.uk
F
ancy an outing this school holiday?! Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard has a lot to entertain this Winter and the Christmas holidays offer the perfect opportunity for visitors to enjoy a day out with indoor activities for cold winter days. Visitors can take shelter below decks and discover history at the home of world-famous ships, HMS Victory and HMS Warrior 1860; walk through the fascinating exhibitions at the Mary Rose Museum and the National Museum of the Royal Navy; discover the sailor within at the indoor interactive Action Stations and take cover on a Harbour Tours boat as it sails around Portsmouth Harbour and Naval Base (subject to availability and prevailing weather conditions during the winter months). Whether it’s climbing aboard a ship or up the tallest indoor climbing tower in the UK, devour-
ing the fantastic collections in the museums, or the food in the cafés, there is something to keep everyone in out of the cold this winter. During the Christmas holidays visitors can also take part in Tudor games and pastimes and especially for the festive season or enjoy a Family Christmas trail at the Mary Rose Museum. For further information about the extensive year-round events programme visit www.historicdockyard. co.uk/events. A ticket for Portsmouth Historic Dockyard includes entrance for 1 year. Tickets cost adults £21.50, seniors £18.35, children £15.80, students £18.35 and a family ticket costs £62.15 (up to 5 members of the same family with a maximum of 2 adults or seniors). Entrance to the Historic Dockyard is free for those wishing to visit the retailers, cafés and Antiques Storehouse.
Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
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Mitch Benn
Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
Queens Park Arts Centre Tel: 01296 424332 www.qpc.org
What’s on at:
Aylesbury, HP21 7RT Aylesbury’s Queens Park Arts Centre offers more weekly activities than any other arts centre in the country. Its new season is packed with exciting live shows, exhibitions and events...
A
ylesbury’s Queens Park Arts Centre provides weekly workshops, live comedy, theatre and music. There are numerous opportunities to participate in the arts, a pleasant café/bar for socialising and the most intimate venue where you can see some of the country’s best touring shows up really close and personal. Forget arena rock, this is live music and theatre you can reach out and touch! Refurbishment work is in progress. The roof and windows have been tackled and work on the exterior of the building will begin in the New Year. It is hoped that freshening up the Centre’s appearance will boost pride in the building and encourage new users to attend. Being a charity funds are always needed, so pick a show or workshop, have a great night out and
Acrylics Painting course, Brenda Hurley: Wed 11 – Fri 13 Apr, 10am – 4pm Explore composition, painting techniques and the colours and images associated with Spring through the use of acrylic paints. 2 36
Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
THE RIOTOUS BROTHERS + support from Sidewinder – championing the British blues scene as going from strength to strength, through their driving powerhouse rhythm’n’blues Fri 27 Jan – 8pm TANNAHILL WEAVERS – as tight and versatile as any band on the Celtic music scene: Sat 28 Jan – 8pm
The Tannahill Weavers
OPEN MIC NIGHT – Local amateur performers are given their chance to take to the Limelight stage, an acoustic night only: Sat 4 Feb – 8pm OLA ONABULE – fantastic British-Nigerian singer-songwriter presents an evening of world music: Fri 10 Feb – 8pm MARCUS MALONE – Detroit-born blues and rock guitarist with velvet-toned vocals and magnetic stage presence: Fri 17 Feb – 8pm
Marcus Malone
MITCH BENN – Musical comedy from a comedian who has been described by The Times as ‘the country’s leading musical satirist’ Sat 18 Feb – 8pm
help support this vital arts resource. use it or lose it as they say...
Jade Fields: Brenda Hurley
TEENS NIGHT – brought to you by our very own Teens Committee in aid of a charity of their choice: Fri 24 Feb – 8pm HENDRIX GETS THE HORNE – an evening with Lachlan Horne capturing the unique style and sound of Jimi Hendrix: Fri 2 Mar – 8pm OPEN MIC NIGHT – Local amateur performers are given their chance to take to the Limelight stage, an acoustic night only: Sat 3 Mar – 8pm BRILLIANT TRACES – Under the Floorboards Theatre company brings you a touching play by American playwright Cindy Lou Johnson Fri 9 & Sat 10 Mar – 8pm
Stitching Workshop, Sue Robinson Wed 15 – Thu 16 Feb, 10am – 4pm Create surfaces for stitch using patching, piecing, painting and bonding techniques, and enrich with hand or machine stitching and beads. Memory Quilt, Cate Bowley: Tue 10 – Wed 11 Apr, 10am – 4pm Make a small quilt using photos and nostalgic fabrics, evoking memories of people, places and treasured items.
OPEN MIC NIGHT – Local amateur performers are given their chance to take to the Limelight stage, an acoustic night only: Sat 21 Jan – 8pm
FISH & CHIP QUIZ NIGHT – raise some money for the Centre at this popular fundraising event: Fri 3 Feb – 7.30pm
Art courses for adults An Introduction to Glass Fusing, Caroline Selvey: Mon 13 – Tue 14 Feb, 10am – 4pm Two day class exploring kiln-formed glass and decorative techniques whilst making jewellery samples.
ALPHA MALES + support from Shaker Heights & Black Juju – incorporating rock, jazz, funk and improvisation, our headline act has played alongside The Subways: Fri 20 Jan – 8pm
PHIL COOL – armed with a controllable rubber face, Phil Cool’s brilliant impressions make him one of the most unique comics on the scene Fri 16 Mar – 8pm
Children’s holiday workshops
Activities for children during the half term, Easter and Summer breaks. Arts and crafts workshops, silk painting, pottery classes and music sessions - hands-on activities led by a dedicated group of artists. 10am – 3pm, book in advance. Pottery with Elizabeth Browning – Mon 13 Feb & Thu 12 Apr Tabla (Indian Music) with Raj Takodra – Mon 13 Feb (10am-12pm) Batik Silk Painting with Elaine Conway – Mon 15 Feb Craft sessions with Pippa North and Anne Ash – Tue 14 Feb & Tue 10 Apr
THE DEVINE FAMILY – celebrate St Patrick’s Day with an evening of traditional and contemporary Irish tunes: Sat 17 Mar – 8pm CLARE FREE – one of a new wave of female blues artists taking the live blues circuit by storm Fri 23 Mar – 8pm OTHER COLOURS – serving up fresh local talent in our March gig night Sat 24 Mar – 8pm
Phil Cool
Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
Buck’s ballroom star Brendan Cole moved to the area some three years ago. He’s been partnering Lulu in the current series of Strictly, backing Bucks Sport’s Reactivate campaign and is about to go out on tour with his own show. The charismatic Kiwi still found time to talk to Vale Life though...
S
Brendan Cole
trictly Come Dancing star Brendan Cole plays to a ‘home’ crowd when he dances into Aylesbury’s Waterside Theatre in January. The six foot shoe shuffler is a household name, having appeared in every series of popular dance contest Strictly and has partnered a variety of glamorous celebrities since winning the first series teamed with Natasha Kaplinsky A New Zealander, Brendan recently made his home in Bucks. He married model Zoe Hobbs at Nether Wynchendon last year and the couple live in a pretty village near Aylesbury. Brendan Cole Live and Unjudged is a
Meet Barney... And Dave, the neighbour you’ve not managed to speak to yet. And Jenny who’s been doing this for three years.
Photo: Millie Smith
… who’ll introduce you to Mrs Smith from down the road.
T 01844 348129 E puppy@hearingdogs.org.uk W hearingdogs.org.uk
“On Strictly I’m just one little tiny piece of a big jigsaw puzzle. I’m not involved all the time. With the tour it’s obviously my name on the bill, I’m virtually in charge of it, I’ve put a lot into it and it’s down to me to make it work every night. There’s a lot more pressure but knowing that you’ve made it all happen is mindblowing! It’s definitely the best thing I’ve done professionally. It’s a team effort though and I’m lucky in that we have a great group who know each other well now. It’s like going on a trip with a bunch of friends! “It’s not just a dance show, the big band is on stage all night, we’ve got great singers, there’s loads of chat, it’s very much ‘an audience with’, plenty of humour and interaction, something for everyone!” Brendan is backing the Reactivate Bucks campaign (see page 24) aimed at getting us all active, fit and healthy: “Dance is a great way of keeping in shape,” he says. “You work your body and your heart but you don’t really think about it because it’s fun. It’s great for all ages and if you’re not into sports it’s a different way to stay healthy. Checkout the Reactivate Bucks website for activities - my brother Scott teaches classes locally he’ll keep you on your toes!” l Brendan Cole, Live and Unjudged, Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury: Sunday, January 22nd, 7.30pm. £37£25.50. www.atgtickets.com
Registered charity number 293358 (England) Registered as a charity in Scotland No SC040486
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dance show Brendan and his brother Scott, also a talented ballroom dancer, have toured for the last four years. It’s an intimate show, bursting with Ballroom and Latin favourites, but with elements of An Audience With, as Brendan takes time out to chat with the audience, while brother Scott is not afraid to dish the dirt on his younger sibling! The show boasts a fantastic cast of dancers and musicians, including a live 14 piece band. Brendan and Scott are joined by dancers: Andrew Cuerden, Hanna Haarala, Izabela Hannah and new girl Melanie Hooper, who replaces the pregnant Nicole Cutler and the pairs perform Strictly favourites, from the Paso Doble to the Tango and Quickstep to the Jive. “I can’t wait to be on the road,” says Brendan. “There’s a lot of preparation beforehand but once it’s up and running it’s great and coming to Aylesbury is a big one for me, now I’m living locally. “My wife bought our place about 15 years ago, I was living in London before we met. We’ve been out here together about three years now. and I absolutely love it. I commute into London and it’s no problem at all. “The success of the live show has been overwhelming. It’s amazing to think thousands of people come to see us, it’s quite something emotionally.
The Grange, Wycombe Rd, Princes Risborough HP27 9NS Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
37 3
Win British Olympics illustrated history
W
ritten by one of the UK’s leading sports historians and sports history commentators, Martin Polley, the stunningly illustrated The British Olympics is a must-have addition to any sports fan’s library. The British Olympics tells the fascinating story of Britain’s relationship with the Olympics through history. As London prepares to be the first city in the world to stage the modern Olympic games for the third time, Polley reveals that the 2012 Games will also mark the 400th anniversary of the first ever Olympic Games to be staged on British soil. As history records, the Olympic Games originated in ancient Greece nearly three thousand years ago, died out around 393 AD, and were triumphantly reborn in 1896, in the Greek capital of Athens. Rather less well known is how, during the intervening centuries, an assortment of British writers, romantics, sportsmen and visionaries helped to nurture that revival. The first
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recorded Olympic Games in Britain actually took place in 1612, in a field outside Chipping Campden in Gloucestershire! If you’d like to be in with a chance of winning a copy of The British Olympics, simply email your name, address and telephone number, along with the answer to the following question to: editor@vale-life.co.uk Where are the 2012 Olympics due to be held? Winner to be drawn at random and notified by email by Jan 31st.
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Vale Life : Dec 2011 / Jan 2012
Avoid the Spring rush! Call now for details of our Early Bird Discount - contact Rodney on: 07732 329118
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One-to-one Fly Fishing Tuition on a private lake Includes Breakfast & Lunch l Bank, Boat and River fishing for Trout l Take a couple home and/or catch and release l Age 11+ welcome - Jim is CRB cleared l l
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Quality Plastering and Ceilings Perfect results every time John Wiggins & Son Plastering Services Ceilings, coving, repairs, insurance work
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