Vale Life Magazine Sept/Oct 2012 edition by Charlie Trott

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Vale Life

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Sept/Oct 2012 See our website at: www.vale-life.co.uk

Free local listings for events and businesses

Inside:

From Russell with Love Pub has licence to thrill

Our house

Buff up your boudoir

Break for the border The art of grass

Turn back time

Do you need a skin scan? Penny, Ruby, Hero, Matt and much, much more...

w dinner for Two at the Six Bells w Rhubarb & Roses Floral design course w w CAMRA Good Beer Guide w MentalSuit w Collapsible cooking pot w

from design to build The Loggia Conservatory Modern Glass Extensions Cross Over Extensions Traditional Conservatories

01844 208605 The Loggia

Visit our showroom. Open Mon-Sat.

New Stables, Notley Farm, Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire, HP18 9ER | www.crendonconservatories.co.uk

Aylesbury’s No.1 Driveway and Patio Company TH ON CIA THE ASS O EC IAASTSI O OTFI O N O F BA LO V IN NTGR C T RRASC T O R S BLOCK P V ICNKG PA CO AO CN TO TH E OACSISAO A TO I OFN O F SS T ICOI N TTHHEE AASSSSOOCCI IAATTI IOONN OOFF T H E A BK L OPA C VKI NPA I NOGN TCROANCTTROARCST O R S PAVVI INNGG CCOONNTTRRAAC BCLTTOOC G VC BBLLOOCCKK PA RR SS

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THE AS SOCIATION OF B L O C K PA V I N G C O N T R A C T O R S

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01296 336641 // /07853 698168 01296 336641 07853 698168 01296 336641 698168 01296 336641 / 07853 698168 01296 336641 / 07853 07853 698168 01296 336641 698168 698168 References are available from many local satisfied customers! References are available from many local satisfied customers! References available many local satisfied customers! References are available from many local satisfied customers! References are available from many local satisfied customers! References are available from many local satisfied customers! References are are available fromfrom many local satisfied customers!

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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

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 fireplaces and hearths l Bespoke digital masonary service

www.stoneworld.co.uk

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Luxury Coach Holidays

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Cité Europe & Belgium Wednesday 3rd: £35 Southend Sunday 7th: £19 Bowood House and Carvery Lunch Sunday 7th: £39 Canterbury Market & Sightseeing Wednesday 10th: £19 Milestones Thursday 11th: £25 London Experience Thursday 11th: £69 Knitting & Stitching Show Friday 12th & Sunday 14th: £29 Birmingham Bullring Shopping Saturday 13th: £19

Hampton Court Palace & Gardens Tuesday 16th: £35 Belgium by ferry Wednesday 17th: £39 London Theatre: Singing in the Rain Saturday 20th: £75 London Shopping Saturday 20th: £15 Wisley Gardens Sunday 21st: £28 Cotswolds & Afternoon Tea Tuesday 23rd: £21 Severn Valley Railway Thursday 25th: £31 Faversham & Shepherd Neame Brewery Ghost Tour Saturday 27th: £32 Portsmouth Sunday 28th: £19 Westonbirt Arboretum Sunday 28th: £24

Eastbourne (4 nights HB) £235 Seafront Alexandra Hotel. Included trips to Arundel, Worthing, Brighton and Lewes. October 29th.

RING NOW FOR YOUR COPY OF OUR 2013 HOLIDAY BROCHURE! See our 2013 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

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Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

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Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Great rates Amazing results To advertise in Vale Life Magazine Call Charlie on 07702 006218

Spread the word across The Vale: see: www.vale-life.co.uk for details

Part of the furniture

Our Hero

Golden age

Muddy Stilettos

Building brands

Doubling up

Silkweb

Three and counting

Just the job!

Break for the border

Oil in the blood

Boxing clever

Caring community

Helping hands

Art in the making

Golden opportunity

Let’s rock’n’roll

Win MentalSuit!

Booking Up

Wrapping up

Tomayto Tomaaahto

Chockablock

From Russell with love

Enjoy a quick course in ercology

10 Our House: buff up your boudoir 13 14 16 19 20 22 26 27 29

Melanie Parr says ‘lay down in luxury’ Hero Brown tours our local boutiques Beeny show features local home

Trilogy Interiors - not just about kitchens Naomi MacKay and the art of grass Aylesbury’s Archive Centre Independent Living with VAHT Biagio The Jewellers is just the ticket Would you wear a Union Jack!? Autumn’s in season at The White Hart Studio

30 Turn back time 31

Skincare tips from The Beauty Spot

Would you like to be a smoothie? Haircare advice from Eclipse Hair Design

Keep on running...

Stepping it up at Muddy Stilettos Aylesbury College 50 years on The creative duo that likes to share Web design and the art of smooth Careers beckon at jobs fair Service centre goes the extra mile Rising demand for hospice care Throwing pots in a glasshouse? Theatre has the feelgood factor Cultured crew heading for festival ‘Gimme S’more!’ says Ruby Moukli So much chocolate, so little time... Pub’s back from the dead with a new ID

open under the stewardship of the team from No2 Pound Street, Wendover, so you can be sure food and beverage will be of the highest s life drifts back to normality after the quality - see our feature on page 52. euphoria of the Spring and Summer In Thame The Swan Hotel has reopened sportsfest, there’s still plenty to get after a thorough wash and brush up and was excited about in the Vale, if only on a more buzzing with well-wishers on opening night. local scale! Landlord Richard is taking things slowly but I’m excited to report that on our travels Vale has a coffee concession arriving for the early Life has noticed a fair bit of activity in the pub birds and will be developing the menu and sector. Earlier in the year it seemed that venues restaurant offering as things settle in. were closing at every turn but in recent weeks In Thame, new female fashion boutique, we have seen the impressively refurbished Red Isabella’s Closet has been proving popular with Lion in Brill reopen as The Pointer, a stylish young ladies and in Wendover there’s a stylish pub and restaurant, well worth a visit. In new men’s boutique, Simon Carter. We’ve Butler’s Cross, nr Wendover The Russell Arms heard there’s a cracking New York Deli to be has also been seriously spruced up and is now sampled on Aylesbury’s Market Square and up

ongratulations to the following Aug/Sept edition competition winners! Hopefully your prizes will have arrived by now, let us know if not. Commiserations to those who weren’t

so lucky - read on though for more competitions inside this edition, including the chance to win: an Oriflame skincare set; a Rhubarb & Roses Floral design course for two; Dinner for Two at The Six Bells, Thame; A copy of the CAMRA Good

on Temple Street a new wine bar/restaurant now resides - more next issue hopefully! Of course there’s a lot of events coming up too, so check out our online events diary at www.vale-life.co.uk to see what’s on. For those seeking employment or a career change there’s free advice to be had at Aylesbury Methodist Church Community Centre, Buckingham Street on Thursday Sept 27th at a Jobs Fair (see page 39) and don’t miss the fabulous Thame Food Festival on Saturday, September 29th, it will be delicious! Enjoy the magazine and happy reading,

Charlie Charlie Trott: editor@vale-life.co.uk

Beer Guide 40th Anniversary edition, A MentalSuit and a Collapsible Cooking Pot! Last issue’s prizewinners were: Aromatherapy Associates oil set: Fiona Gent, Aylesbury Dinner for two at The Rising Sun:

Pam Appleby, Haddenham Tiickets for the Horse of the Year show: Leanne Bleasdale, Granborough; Judy Keen, Chinnor; Emma Pilley, Kingston Blount Copper Earrings: Sue Parker, Waterperry

Front cover picture: CCHF fundraiser Karen Braithwaite, photographed by Danny Higgins for Great Britons series, see page 56. 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 : Sept/Oct 2012

ercol founder Lucian Ercolani

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Ercol is renowned for producing beautifully designed, high quality, functional and comfortable furniture. Ten years ago the firm moved operations to Princes Risborough where Vale Life has discovered their impressive factory complex boasts a huge showroom, café and outlet section...

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

with its ash frame hand-bent by two workers in three different axes using a hand jig. It is a compact suite, ideal for smaller spaces, with a superbly supportive sit. Lucian’s goal was to make quality furniture that was well-designed and constructed in a good working environment, by craftsmen who really took a pride in their jobs. He was not afraid to innovate and experiment and later embraced the idea of mass-production which has helped his company remain competitive. His business went well and the workforce quickly expanded. The ercol factory was not requisitioned during the war effort, but worked for the government, making 25,000 tent pegs a day, as well as munitions boxes and other supplies. When the Utility Furniture Scheme was set up in 1943 to make sure that now scarce resources were wisely used, a Utility Furniture Catalogue was produced and ercol’s 4a Kitchen Chair given as a prime example of a well made and efficient chair. In 1944, a representative of the Board of Trade offered a contract to supply 100,000 chairs of a low cost design. Lucian said he was interested, but realised he would need to set up special machines to mass-produce the chairs quickly at budget. It took 12 months to develop his machinery but the chairs would cost only 10s 6d per chair (52.5p). When the war ended in 1945 Lucian’s two sons Lucian B. and Barry were demobbed

and started working at ercol as joint managing directors. Ercol was now firmly established as one of the nation’s leading furniture designers and had products displayed at the post war ‘Britain

Can Make It’ exhibition and four years later at The Festival of Britain in 1951. Over the years the company has produced many classic designs from the Loveseat, a slender two-person settee of elm and beech with a beautiful steam-bent top rail, to the Studio Couch, the Butterfly Chair and the Stacking Chair (also produced today as part of the ercol Originals collection). Furniture is generally made of elm, beech, ash, oak, or walnut and supplied in a number of colour finishes which are all created using water based stains. Ercol has been very much a family business and many employees have worked for the firm for many years. Lucian R passed away in 1976 and his son, Lucian B Ercolani became Chairman, while brother Barry concentrated

Nest of pebble tables made continuously since 1954

The facory at Princes Risborough

e Loves

hile much of the UK furniture industry has withered away one company has not only survived the changing times and competition from abroad but is enjoying something of a renaissance. Ercol is a Wycombe success story that relocated to Princes Risborough in 2002 and has been making the best of a renewed interest in retro-styling, classic design and quality workmanship. The company was founded in 1920 by Lucian R Ercolani, or the ‘Old Man’ as he is affectionately known at ercol. Born in Italy in 1888, Lucian moved with his family to London’s East End in the 1890s. There he went to night school at Shoreditch Technical Institute where he studied drawing, design and the theory and construction of furniture. In 1907 he made his first piece of furniture – a musical cabinet, inlaid with mother of pearl, which years later the company tracked down and still has today. Between 1910 and 1920, Lucian worked at High Wycombe in the design teams for what would later become Parker Knoll and G-Plan, before founding his own company in 1920. He designed his own products for many years and his Windsor range still remains one of ercol’s most popular, over half a century after it was first launched. A few years ago the company reintroduced some of Lucian’s other classics and they now form the ercol Originals Collection. Another timeless piece designed by Lucian and still in production is Evergreen. It is the ultimate in ercol’s steam-bending technique,

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Riva sofa set Gina recliner

on sales and exports. In 1993 Lucian B retired as Chairman and Edward Tadros, his nephew (the founder’s grandson), became the current Chairman. Since 1950 the company has displayed a roll of honour with the names of all staff members who have worked for the company for more than 21 years and many have managed significantly longer. Over 650 employees have been recorded on the board with many going on to work more than 40 years with ercol. Lucian had this maxim inscribed on the elm noticeboard: ‘Without

loyalty no human enterprise can succeed.’ In 2002, after 82 years, ercol finally outgrew the old Wycombe factory and moved into a purpose built 16,000sqm facility on the outskirts of Princes Risborough. Designed by Horden Cherry Lee the building has won a number of awards for its architectural design and its environmental features. Ercol now employs round 150 workers at the new base. Around 100 in the factory and the remainder in the offices. The facility was designed to streamline the work flow. Carefully dimensioned timber pieces come in one end, they are machined and shaped, manufactured, finished, packed and despatched from the other. The use of natural daylight is maximised and waste wood and dust is stored and becomes fuel for the biomass boilers, providing all hot water and heating and requiring little or no fossil fuel. It’s a light and airy building that incorporates a huge reception/showroom area to the front: “The showroom displays a comprehensive selection of our furniture,” says ercol Managing Director Nick Garratt, “it’s the ideal place to see our ranges, although if there is a particular piece you wish to see please phone first to confirm it is on display. Much of our furniture is available in different wood colour finishes, so it’s useful for seeing how these vary in hue and shade. All our fabrics are on display too, there are over a hundred.” Ercol also offers a re-covering service for their furniture. It enables owners to replace Renaissance sofa set

the seat pads on their dining chairs and the cushions on their sofas and armchairs and supports many ercol designs, past and present, giving much-loved ercol pieces a new lease of life or simply a new look as fashions change. “Our fabric range is updated annually,” says Nick, “with new designs and colours selected from major fabric designers around the world. “Design has always been at the core of ercol. We have our own in-house design team here at Princes Risborough and we also commission pieces from leading British designers. “The outlet store contains mostly ex-display stock and discontinued fabric lines, we don’t produce many seconds, it’s more items that have come back from retailers.” The ercol range is available locally in Lucas World of Furniture at Aylesbury and from John Lewis and Evans in Wycombe. You can get a good idea of the current collections from their website but a visit to the showroom at Princes Risborough is well worthwhile. It’s an impressive building with plenty of parking out front, you can take a peek into the workshop and even have a coffee or snack between trying out some of those classic designs for comfort. The showroom is open weekdays from 9am-5pm and on Saturdays from 9am-4pm. l Ercol Furniture Limited Summerleys Road, Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire, HP27 9PX Telephone: 01844 271800 Email: sales@ercol.com Website: www.ercol.com

Artisan dining set

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Our House by Melanie Parr

Charles Huntington GiveFlooring your bedroom the luxe look and create a glam, cosy cocoon where you can hide away from cold nights and dark mornings •Expert Advice Charles Huntington Flooring

Kylie Minogue at Home Sequin Wave bedding, from £11.20 for pillowcase, John Lewis

fter one final sunny September •Professional Fitting hurrah, summer is on its way out •Very Competitive and the daddy long legs are amassing for Residential and in winter. With in force to welcome Commercial daylight hours on thework wane, why not turn to the bedroom and create a luxurious •Carpets to suit all nest for a touch of hibernation? Budgets The shops are filling up with autumnal colours and fabricsQuotes – think muted purples, smokey greys •Free and warm pinks. Add to that a touch of glam, •No Obligation with gold, silver, crystal and mirrors, and you’ve Parking got•Free the makings of an upmarket hotel-style

•Expert Advice •Professional Fitting •Very Competitive for Residential and Commercial work •Carpets to suit all Budgets •Free Quotes •No Obligation •Free Parking

Charles Huntington Flooring

boudoir. The trick is not to go overboard - the look is, after all, chic not cheap. CARPETS • VINYLS • and SISAL • First STAIR RODS things first, a bedroom isn’t a bedroom Harlequin’s sumptuous Momentum fabric a bed. Royally approved Hypnos, in wallpaperSAFETY range, available through Peter John without FLOORING • WOOD • BINDING TAPES

Opening Times: Monday to Friday 10am until 5pm Saturday 10am until 4pm. Any other time by appointment

Cordova Scatter mirrors, Ginger Interiors

•Expert CARPETS • VINYLSAdvice • SISAL • STAIR RODS SAFETY FLOORING • WOOD • BINDING TAPES

•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 DUCK FARM COURT, STATION WAY, AYLESBURY, HP20 2SQ WE WILL NOT BE BEATEN ON QUALITY OR SERVICE l Independent, family run carpet l Exclusive suppliers of Roger Oates’ l Extensive range of23traditional Charles Huntington Flooring to all beautiful yetsuit hard-wearing runners and flooring specialists. and contemporary flooring •Carpets Charles Huntington Flooring Charles Huntington Flooring NOT BE BEATEN QUALITY OR SERVICE •Expert Advice and rugs inON our local area Charles Huntington Flooring l Expert fitting service. at competitive prices. WE WILL Budgets •Expert Advice Charles Huntington Flooring •Expert Advice •Expert Advice•Free •Professional Fitting Advice •Professional Fitting Quotes•Expert •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

Charles Huntington Flooring

for Residential •Carpets to suit and all Commercial work •Carpets to suit all Budgets Opening Times: Monday to Friday •10am 5pm CARPETS 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 until•RODS 4pm. time•Free by appointment CARPETS • VINYLS • 10am SISAL • STAIR SAFETY FLOORING • WOODQuotes • BINDING TAPES SAFETY FLOORING • WOOD • BINDING TAPES SAFETY FLOORING • WOOD • BINDING TAPES SAFETY FLOORINGTel: • WOOD • BINDING TAPES Opening Times: Monday to Friday 10am until 5pm 01296 337181 Mob: 07767370067 Opening Times: Monday to Friday 10am until 5pm •No Obligation Saturday 10am until 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 toWeb: Friday 10am until 5pm Saturday 10am until 4pm. Any other time by appointment www.charleshuntington.co.uk Saturday 4pm. Any by appointment Saturday until time 4pm. Any other time Tel: by appointment 07767370067 Saturday10am 10amuntil until 4pm.10am Any other other time by appointment Tel:01296 01296 337181 337181 Mob: Mob: 07767370067 Tel: 337181 Mob:337181 07767370067 Tel: 01296 Mob: 07767370067 Web: •FreeHP20 Parking Tel:01296 0129623 337181 Web:www.charleshuntington.co.uk www.charleshuntington.co.uk DUCK Mob: FARM07767370067 COURT, STATION WAY, AYLESBURY, 2SQ 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 SAFETY FLOORING • •No WOOD • BINDING TAPES •No Obligation Obligation •FreeObligation Parking •No Obligation •Free Parking •Free Parkingvinyl, •Free l Carpet, sisal,Parking coir, hardwood •Free Parking l Domestic and commercial

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Where to get the look... Ginger Interiors 8 Duck Farm Court, Aylesbury, HP20 2SQ; 01296 415035; www.gingerinteriors.co.uk Charles Huntington 23 Duck Farm Court, Aylesbury, HP21 2SQ; 01296 337181; www.charles huntington.co.uk

Head to John Lewis for chandeliers (above), while The Design Company has romantically ornate beds and embossed chests of drawers

Lucas World of Furniture Rabans Lane, Aylesbury, HP19 8RE; 01296 486255; www. Butterfly jewellery lucas-world.co.uk

box, Ginger Interiors and muted, John Lewis’s own Madison Princes Risborough, is the king of bedmakers Peter John and its Sandringham bed is the ultimate in Hammered Silk range fits the bill Barclays House, Gatehouse Way, perfectly. sleep-inducing luxury. Check out the Aylesbury, HP19 3DB; 01296 398301; The big wallpaper showroom, or local stockists Lucas www.peterjohn.co.uk and fabric houses are World of Furniture and Greens John Lewis Home also bang on the glam of Thame. Equally important is Holmers Farm Way, Cressex trend, with beautifully a good carpet so your toes can Centre, High Wycombe, textured wallcoverings touch down on warm tufts on HP12 4NW; 01494 462666; and gorgeous fabrics. a cold, dark morning. Charles www.johnlewis.com Osborne & Little’s Huntington has a great range Khiam Interiors Teatro wallpapers of velvet-like Wilton and tufted 16 Oxford Road, Stone, and Harlequin’s designs. Lavender HP17 8PB; 01296 747222; Momentum Bedding is all about sumptuGilt Armchair, www.khiaminteriors.co.uk wallcoverings and ous satin and silk in sheeny The Design The Design Company complementary fabrics are tones. The regally purple Company Louis XV-style 5-7 Duke Street, standouts and can be Kylie Minogue at Home range dressing table, Princes Risborough, at John Lewis is uber glam, but if supplied by Peter John. HP27 0AT; 01844 690409; Khiam Interiors Furniture can be sleekly you want something more neutral www.fabandfunky.co.uk minimal or romantically ornate The Lighting Bug John Lewis has depending on your taste. You 26 Upper High Street, Thame, OX9 3ES; glam accessories can always keep it simple and then add one 01844 217035; www.thelightingbug.co.uk galore, including statement piece. Princes Risborough’s The Hypnos Beds the Lillianna table Design Company, which recently changed its Longwick Road, Princes Risborough, HP27 lamp, £80 shop name from Fab & Funky, has the brilliantly 9RS; 01844 348240; www.hypnosbeds.com quirky Wycombe range of embossed chests, Greens of Thame dressing tables and tallboys, as well as blingy 5 Upper High Street, Thame, OX9 3EX; Continued overleaf 01844 212560; www.greensfurnishings.co.uk

Baroque pearl lights, The Lighting Bug

The Sandringham, Hypnos Beds Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Our House by Melanie Parr

Continued from previous page

Lighting is particularly important in bedrooms, and you need to get a good balance between ambient and mood lighting. John Lewis has glitzy and large statement chandeliers as well as lamps to The sleekly faceted Diamond soften the mood. mirror, The Design Company The Lillianna table lamp will definitely add a touch of theatrical glamour. And for a really fairytale touch, The Lighting Bug in Thame has beautiful trailing Baroque pearl lights to drape over an ornate mirror or curtain pole. Talking of ornate mirrors, Ginger Interiors has a set of five scatter mirrors - arrange them above a console table to give a refreshing update to the traditional dressing table. Or go for one main one, such as the Venetian faceted Diamond mirror at The Design Company. Above all, the easiest, and least expensive way to achieve a quick glam update is a scattering of accessories from shops such as The Design Company and Ginger Interiors. And so to bed...

l Melanie Parr is a home interiors journalist with many years’ experience on a range of well-known homes magazines. If you have an article idea, or would like your business featured, please email editor@vale-life.co.uk

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Louis-style chairs. Khiam Interiors in Stone also has white-painted Louis-style furniture for a classic look. And for traditional with a modern twist, the elegant Collection Des Articles range at Lucas World of Furniture includes a lovely jewellery chest as well as occasional tables.

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Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

l Column: Hero Brown

The urban guide

www.muddystilettos.co.uk

THE

WAY TO Hero Brown has swapped the bright lights of the big EASY WAY TOWAYEASY EASY TO city for fresh air and farmers markets. The ex-glossy magazine editor A NEW now blogs about life in the sticks at www.muddystilettos.co.uk and is A NEW A NEW here to share her urban take on country living with Vale Life Magazine BATHROOM BATHROOM

o that’s it for summer. I have packed away the bikini that I didn’t manage to wear even once, and am ready to martyr myself to the gale force winds and pelting rain of the British autumn. But wait, what is this I see before me? Oh my days, it’s an opportunity to go shopping! September and October - the big months for fashion. Hurray! Now is our chance to legitimately claim that we absolutely, undisputedly, for the good of the family, our mental health and quite frankly, the nation, need to update our wardrobes - or in common parlance, ‘hyperventilate with the credit card’. Oversized coats, countrytweedy bits, cobalt everything, cinched in waists, trouser crazy… yes I too have devoured September and October’s Vogues and am now dangerously armed with half-understood nuggets of information, ready to massacre the season’s trends. But where to shop locally for clothes without going down the yawny route of the shopping centre? I’ve been compiling a best independent boutiques feature on Muddy Stilettos for what feels like centuries (look, it takes ages to check them all out!), and there aren’t many shops in the vicinity that offer a complete boutique experience where you can get dressed head to foot in a knockout

THE

BATHROOM

outfit. So let’s do it in bits. White Hart Studios in Haddenham always All Plastering Supply & fit any make has great scarves and a fantastic NICEIC registered for Wet Floors / Showers jewellery section. Muse in Thame Electrical work has a small but bang-on trend selec- Supply & fit any make All Plastering All work done in house All rubbish disposed of tion of shoes. The lovely Curve in Supply & heating fit any make All Plastering Underfloor Professionally NICEIC registered for Wendover stocks delicious high end Wet Floors / Showers No sub-contractors Electrical work Standards designers like Nicole Farhi, Joseph Members of Trading Floors / Showers All work doneWet in house NICEIC registered for and Juicy Couture and as a smart All tiling Buy with Confidence scheme Electrical work All rubbish disposed of touch, offers evening shopping for work done in house UnderfloorAll heating Professionally Recommendations supplied in your area those who can’t make it in the day. rubbish Free no hassle quotations • No job too bigAll or too small disposed of Gallant in Thame usually has a killer No sub-contractors Underfloor heating Members Trading Standards Competitive prices •of Aqualisa Trained Professionally dress or two in stock. Slightly furAll tiling Buy with Confidence scheme No sub-contractors ther afield, Amersham and Marlow

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Members of Trading Standa are an embarrassment of riches Recommendations supplied in your area All tiling Buy TO with Confidence sche and also offer more for men (see, I MON-FRI 8am TO 5pm • SAT 8am 12pm (Many installations in Amersham Chesham & The Chalfonts) haven’t forgotten you). Gents, check • No job too big or too small out Gatsby & Daisy and Repertoire Free no hassle quotations Recommendations supplied in your area Competitive prices • Aqualisa Trained in Marlow, boutiques that eschew (Many installations in Amersham Chesham & The Chalfonts) rugby-shirts and chinos in favour Free no hassle quotations • No job too big or too small of quirkier designer pieces and the Competitive prices • Aqualisa Trained newly opened upmarket menswear and accessories brand Simon Carter MON-FRI 8am TO 5pm • SAT 8am TO 12pm in Wendover. Ladies, mop up the rest of your shopping list at the Eden Pa i n t i n8am g an d 5pm d e c •oSAT r at8am i n gTO 12pm Centre with Whistles, Zara and MON-FRI TO H&M, then register for free to muddystilettos.co.uk to win this month’s l Interior / Exterior competition prize – a gorgeous £185 l Paper Hanging 9ct gold cuff bangle from Wendoverl Traditional Painting Techniques based luxe brand Hibiscus (www. myhibi.com) . Hey, no need to thank l Plastering me. It’s what I do. Register free at muddystilettos. co.uk, Hero’s award-winning blog for the very best shopping, restaurants, Fully Insured No Job Too Small All Insurance Work Undertaken events, openings and insider info the area has to offer. Turn to page 35...

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NEW ONLINE STORE @ www.bucksmobility.com Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Alex Bond of PCMS with Sarah Beeny

Fans of TV property and home makeover shows will know presenter Sarah Beeny. You may even have spotted her in the Vale recently, filming for her new Channel 4 series,...

f you didn’t see ‘Double your House for Half the Money’ on September 18th, you may still be able to catch an online repeat of Sarah Beeny assisting Easington couple Edward and Louise Croft-Baker with a stunning extension and refurbishment of their 1902 Victorian farm workers cottage near Thame. The new series is about maximising space in existing homes, extending every which way and reworking the internals, to create larger and more flexible living areas. The challenge is to increase space by up to 100% for less money than it would have cost to move into a larger home. The local project Sarah’s show has featured was managed by Haddenham based architectural design and project management company, Porter Consulting and Management Services (PCMS). The firm had been engaged to project manage the build which includes a two-storey rear extension, a side extension and substantial internal alterations. The number of bedrooms was doubled from two to four, a family bathroom and spacious new en suite was installed and a large and flexible kitchen/dining/living space created. Director of PCMS Alex Bond says, “It was a fascinating experience to be involved with this project. The cottage is on a sloping site which meant digging out and removing soil, building retaining walls with steel pins and concrete and removing a couple of not-sonice conservatories. The cottage has been re-roofed throughout including some PV solar panels, foundations dug, extensions built, new windows, it’s virtually doubled the size. There’s a fun slide in the garden too! We were particularly pleased with the standard of

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Right, the original cottage. Below, cottage now with extensions, new roof & slide! Inset , living room extension

fittings and finishing - the Nolte Kitchen looks fabulous. “Sarah was lovely to work with and made a couple of useful design suggestions which were incorporated. She also suggested removing the wall of a small bedroom to open things out upstairs, but the owners weren’t keen, so we came up with the idea of a sliding bi-fold wall/door and a foldaway bed, so the area could be an airy workspace or a closed-in bedroom if guests stayed.” PCMS was founded in 2001 and undertakes an eclectic range of work from designing extensions and refurbs for local homeowners to public works such as planning and managing the construction of new classroom blocks for schools. “Architectural design and project management are our main areas,” says Alex, “a project could involve taking a brief, a feasibility study, architectural drawings, gaining planning consents and approvals, technical specification and then management of the construction and handover with associated contract administration and legalities, or we might do just one or several parts of this process. “Our team has a strong technical

background,” says Alex, “we know our designs can be built. A ‘pretty’ design is no good if it’s impossible to construct, we take a practical approach and create aesthetically pleasing designs that don’t give the builder headaches! We have done quite a lot of local residential projects recently and have several on the go in Long Crendon at the moment. One involves taking down an existing extension and building a new, larger one and another the removal of internal walls to create more space. “In designing we try to take on board why someone wants work done, what its like to live in and how it’s going to effect their neighbours. It’s about blending what people want with their building and how the new design will work for them. If anyone has a project and they think we might be able to help with all or part of it, they are welcome to get in touch for an initial consultation. There is no charge and though they probably won’t be featured on television, they will get some good sensible advice. l PCMS Ltd, Rectory House, Thame Road, Haddenham, Buckinghamshire, HP17 8DA Tel: 01844 202932 Email: info@pcmsdesign.co.uk Website: www.pcmsdesign.co.uk

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www.radleyaylesbury.co.uk • Open 7 days a week Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

As might be expected there are three strings to Trilogy Interiors’ bow - the company specialises in beautifully crafted kitchens, bedrooms and home studies...

rom their showroom on Bell Street, opposite Princes Risborough Library, Trilogy Interiors has been supplying kitchens to the local area for some 15 years now. They have been as far afield as Ireland, Holland and the South of France. “We try and offer good value,” says Director Chris Hawkins, “We have a vast range, so are able to supply from quality bespoke kitchens with granite worktops, to good value space saving galley kitchens for a cosy cottage or flat. We are able to design to suit.” The company has two directors, Chris, and Sandra Lawrie, who have been friends for 20 years. Chris has been in the kitchen industry for some 32 years. Sandra’s daughter Sadie works with Chris in the showroom assisting with the day to day running of the business and produces the 3D CAD imaging. The close knit team works well and efficiently together. “We can do anything” says Chris We sell our own Trilogy branded kitchens which are supplied to a high specification at a very reasonable cost. We have a vast range of traditional and contemporary styles from handmade character oak to ultra-modern vinyls. The cabinets are make in England to our specifications, with finishes available in 50 to 60 different colours. “Over the years we’ve designed and fitted a lot of kitchens locally and much of our work now comes from recommendation. Many of our customers are happy to show off their purchases, so new clients are welcome to visit and see the standard of workmanship and quality of product for themselves. “We do the lot: tiling, flooring, decorating, small building works - we have developed a team of reliable tradesmen over the years. “We can offer a complete design, installation and project management service

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

or will quote for supply only, we are totally flexible. “We offer a free plan and design service and with our 3D CAD software can demonstrate how your kitchen will look with a variety of units, materials, finishes and accessories. We also offer a replacement door and worktop service, if you wish to update the look of your room without changing the units.” The Trilogy Interiors website describes these services but to see the range means a trip to the showroom or a call to Chris to arrange a viewing of his vast collection of catalogues and brochures. If you know what you are looking for he’ll measure up, get a design together and price up some alternatives. “We have a range of ready made doors,” says Chris, “but we can also can have them made to order to suit specific requirements; anything from the latest high-tech, high-gloss finishes to traditional natural wood and paint. Worktops could be glass, laminate, granite, wood, composite, marble, Corian®, you name it! People tend to be fairly conservative round here, it’s amazing how many go for traditional finishes but recently high gloss has been proving very popular.” Trilogy supplies British made kitchens with German components. The doors and carcasses are predominantly British but German metalwork, such as the hinges and runners just can’t be beaten apparently - it’s that vorsprung durch technik effect! “Kitchens do vary considerably in price,” says Chris, “and you don’t necessarily get what you pay for. Many of the national kitchen companies offer what appear to be huge discounts but put pressure on potential customers to make hasty decisions, which can end in a badly planned and unsatisfactory kitchen.” “Some of the high end brands are very nice but you do pay for the name. It’s knowing where to spend your money that counts. For example, if you compare a £3,000 kitchen from a DIY store with a £4,000 one from us, there would be a very noticeable improvement in quality. But if you compared a £60,000 luxury brand kitchen with a £35,000 kitchen from Trilogy you would not see £25,000 of difference!”

Trilogy also supplies and installs beautifully crafted, fitted, bedroom furniture and storage solutions, customised to suit individual room shapes and sizes. It is available in a range of finishes and styles, allowing you to create your ideal look at a reasonable price. For those looking to make a home study area, with space saving functionalities and storage solutions, Trilogy has a range of comfortable, ergonomically designed units which maximise available space and help ensure working at home is as easy and efficient as possible. As was the case with the Star Wars and The Hitchhikers Guide trilogies it soon became clear that three was just not enough! Trilogy Interiors is now introducing a fourth dimension too - bathrooms. “We’ll be having a showroom sale and general clearout in a few weeks time,” says Chris, “we’ll be reorganising our displays and introducing a bathroom range. We’ve already fitted a few for existing clients, it’s an obvious addition to our services as our team already has the skills required.” Visit Trilogy Interiors and you may be lucky enough to park in the bay outside, more likely you’ll find the Budgens/M&S car park at the top of the road a better bet. The showroom is generally open Monday to Saturday from 9am-5.30pm (but beware early closing on Wednesdays and Saturdays).

Trina and Shamus

l Trilogy Interiors of Risborough, 38 Bell Street, Princes Risborough, Bucks HP27 0AD Tel: 01844 344387 Tel: 01296 707088 Email: trilogyinteriors@aol.co.uk Website: www.trilogyinteriors.co.uk

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

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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

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Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

We live in a digital age but most businesses and organisations still keep paper records and many have a statutory obligation to do so. Space and security issues can be a real worry though, unless, of course, you find a friendly local archive who can file away your problems...

espite talk of the paperless office and our attempts at more sustainable lifestyles there seems to be no let up in the paper trail generated by busy modern lives. For businesses and organisations it is even worse, as for operational and statutory reasons they must often keep records safely and securely for many years: “Even if you are a voluntary group,” says David Coulton, owner of the Aylesbury Archive Company, “you will probably have several boxes of documents to look after. Where do you keep them, so they are safe and secure, yet easily accessed? Your committee changes, boxes get lost, they were in someone’s loft but they had a leak or a fire... if they are kept here, in our archives, the committee knows where they are and that they are secure and they can be easily and quickly accessed.” David Coulton, wife Ruth and son Andy run The Aylesbury Archive Centre with an experienced team of staff, in a secure commercial compound just off Rabans Lane in Aylesbury. The company specialises in archiving and secure data destruction. The business was originally founded in Haddenham by Henry Hall in 1999. Five years ago it expanded and moved to Aylesbury. David, who is originally from Ely, Cambridgeshire, but now lives in Amersham, had taken early retirement from a career in corporate finance and was looking to take on an interesting business of his own. Henry Hall was looking to retire and so David and family bought him out in 2009. The company has a huge, secure, heated warehouse full of racking and boxes and provides archiving service for all types of organisations: from playgroups and village shops, who may only have five or ten boxes, to firms of solicitors with anything from 100 to several thousand boxes, accountants, public bodies and a lot of private healthcare firms. “The files are all archived in boxes,” says David. “They are indexed individually and in such a way that it would be impossible for anyone to find a particular file if they broke in looking for something specific.” It seems this would be extremely unlikely to happen anyway, as the archive boasts a variety

David Coulton

of high-tech security measures and the compound is secure and has high fences, vehicle recognition cameras and alarms. In addition to the storage aspect David’s company offers an impressive retrieval and delivery service. They are not restricted to retrieving a box of files for a client, they can actually pick out a single file: “Even if you wanted 20 or 30 files and they were stored within several different boxes, we could find the files you specified and deliver them to you,” says David. “Many other archives would only be able to deliver the whole box, which is not as convenient. “We charge a matter of pence per month per box for storage. There is no charge for collection into store, just a simple fee per trip for deliveries out, which is dependent on mileage, however many boxes are requested. “If you are obliged to keep records for a certain period we can monitor the dates and then securely destroy the data for you when the time comes. “ The Aylesbury Archive Company can also facilitate the secure destruction of electronic

data, DVDs, digital discs, computer hard-drives etc. “You don’t have to archive with us to use our secure destruction services,” says David “and you don’t have to use our destruction services to archive with us but you’d be unlikely to find anywhere that offered secure destruction at such reasonable rates! “Some people have a sack in the office for collecting confidential office waste designated for secure destruction but it’s a bit messy and not very secure and others will have a shredder, which costs you to buy and operate and you’ve still got to get rid of the waste. We can supply one of our secure destruction cupboards for just £3 a month, into which you post any paperwork for disposal. “You can put a whole file in, paperclips and all, we will call round and take away the contents and ensure they are securely destructed and disposed of. “It’s a service we used to offer to those who were archiving with us but have expanded and can now collect from anyone who would like their sensitive data securely disposed of. “The secure cupboards are very cost effective. If you had your documents removed and shredded each month it would cost a lot more - our service is only a few pounds a bag. “Some people consider having their paper records scanned and transferred to digital storage but the costs involved can be high. We have one client who had 30 boxes of records to store. She was quoted £5,000 for digitising the information but we now store the boxes for her here at a cost of only £15 a month. “We supply a good quality archive box at minimal cost, but customers can supply their own if they prefer. It doesn’t have to be paperwork in the boxes either. If it fits in a box we are happy to store it, as long as it’s not perishable or dangerous! We already have firms storing dental moulds and stationery supplies among other items!

l The Archive Centre Ltd, 13 Faraday Road, Bicester Road Industrial Estate, Aylesbury Bucks, HP19 8RY Tel: 01296 425744 Email: enquiries@thearchivecentre.com Website: www.thearchivecentre.com Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

l Column ‘In the Garden’ with

Golden rudbeckias and orange achilleas contrast grasses well

Naomi MacKay

Alliums and poppies are used here for a very naturalistic design

Deplhiniums and creamy achilleas create structure among the grass

Grasses make a perfect break for the border

orders are no longer just about flowers and shrubs – one of the biggest trends in recent years is the enthusiasm for grasses, and nowhere was it more evident than at this year’s RHS Hampton Court Flower Show, where grasses rubbed shoulders with perennials in big swathes across a number of the show gardens. Grasses with fluffy heads are particularly popular – and Knoll Gardens has responded with the launch of the ‘Fairy Tails’ pennisetum. This is an upright grass with slim, wine-pink heads that fade to a silvery beige colour later in the season. Like many grasses, this variety will thrive in a hot area where the soil is well drained.

Grasses are incredibly useful in are muted, they can grow together the garden – they add movement without fighting for attention. and sound (tall grasses moving The trend for less structured in the wind can sound like waves borders combining grasses and breaking on the shore), which is perennials can be traced back to why they are so popular in sensory influential Dutch nurseryman and gardens in hospitals, schools and designer Piet Oudolf, who spent care homes. They can of the nineties ‘Grasses muchsearching soften hard landscapfor grasses ing, and create and perennial flowcan grow together contrast to plants ers that had fallen without fighting for with a more bold out of popularity to construction. They use in his naturalattention’ also give texture to istic designs. He used planting – especially the drifts of grasses such as likes of Stipa tenuissima and fluffy calamagrostis and miscanthus, infilipendula or thalictrum. terspersing them achillea and other There are all kinds of varieties perennials. available, and most gardens are Daisy-like echinaceas and able to accommodate several – rudbeckias appeared in several because their shapes and colours grass-covered gardens at Hampton

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Grasses at the Olympic Park Court, but tall stately plants such as verbascum, salvias and foxgloves can be just as effective. As the end of the year approaches, the grasses are left with their seedheads intact, ready to catch the frost and snow. l Naomi MacKay is a freelance

writer and editor who has worked on Garden Answers, Garden News and Garden Trade News. She also helps businesses to create or improve their websites, run social media campaigns, and produce business publications. She can be found tweeting at @nomie44. Naomi is offering a 10% discount to Vale Life readers who quote the code VLSEPT. Call 07802 426594, email naomimackay@gmail.com or log on to www.naomimackay.co.uk

Telephone: 01844 208401 Mobile: 07732 329118 Email: info@landmarkgardendesign.com Website: www.landmarkgardendesign.com

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Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

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win a floral design course for two at Rhubarb & Roses

lay it with flowers… put your floral knowledge to the test and win a floral design course for two at Rhubarb & Roses! Rhubarb & Roses is a rather special store in Winslow that offers unusual and enchanting objects dedicated to the home and garden. Think fragrance, style, inspiration; serenity, warmth, indulgence and discovery. On-site and complementing the store is Rhubarb & Roses floral design school, for those who want to know more about flowers and

learn floristry skills. Rhubarb & Roses is giving Vale Life readers the chance to win a floral design course for two people and experience how flowers can transform a home environment inside and out. A visit to the store’s website at: www.rhubarbandroses.com will give you an idea what a fabulous prize this is and you can browse R&R’s online emporium of inspiring and beautiful pieces too. There’s everything from flower vases and garden pots to kitchen and dining ware.

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

You could also buy a beautifullybranded gift voucher for someone special… Below are two anagrams hiding the name of a well-known flower and a plant. To be in with a chance of winning a floral design course for two people at the Rhubarb & Roses Design School in Winslow, decipher the anagrams and email your answers, along with your name, address and telephone number to editor@vale-life.co.uk Anagram: 1) Sores 2) Barr Hub

A winner will be drawn at random from the correct entries and informed by October 20th

NB following your entry R&R may reply to confirm receipt and ask if you would like to be kept informed of offers and events at the store.

l Rhubarb & Roses, 15 Market Square, Winslow, Bucks MK18 3AB Tel: 01296 711158 Website: www.rhubarbandroses.com

Rhubarb & Roses... …A home interiors Store. A floral School. A floral Design service

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A delicious range of locally sourced foods served to you at your table

Spring Flowering Bulbs Available Now!

We have quality Taylors Bulbs packs, fill-a-bag bulbs, and bulk bags. Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Among the homes provided by the Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust are a number of ‘Independent Living schemes’. They are extremely popular, offering more than just accommodation and empowering residents to maintain an independent lifestyle...

ale of Aylesbury Housing Trust’s Independent Living schemes are very popular, with any vacancies quickly let. The schemes are designed to ensure that people over the age of 60 can lead an independent life, in a safe, secure and friendly environment. The Trust has 3,361 residents over the age of 60, of which 570 live in one of the scheme’s flats or bungalows. Independent Living is not care based. Each flat and bungalow has its own kitchen, living room, bedroom and bathroom, so residents can enjoy time to themselves in the privacy and comfort of their own home. They also have the opportunity to meet and socialise with other residents, as of the Trust’s 16 Independent Living schemes in the Vale, all, except for Abbotts Way bungalows, offer communal facilities for the use of all residents and visitors, with a lounge, kitchen, toilets and garden. Each scheme has its own dedicated Trust caretaker who ensures it is well maintained and is clean and tidy. l Housing with support There are 14 Supported Housing Officers (SHOs) responsible for managing specific schemes. The SHOs are responsible for the smooth and functional day to day running of the schemes and the safety, security and well being of all residents They make checks on residents, according to an agreed support plan set up when the resident first moves in. They aim to empower

Brooks Court, Buckingham residents to improve their lifestyles and assist in maintaining their independence. SHOs ensure each individual’s circumstances and changing needs are catered for and can signpost agency referrals when appropriate, working closely with external agencies such as Social Services, which can provide additional support. They will also research, identify and introduce new services for residents. SHOs hold regular resident meetings, which gives residents the opportunity to hear what events and changes are happening within the Trust. The officers are not however available 24 hours a day and cannot provide nursing or home-care services. They cannot handle residents’ finances and are not trained or responsible for administering medication, nursing or care services. Steve Tredwell, Supported Housing Residents at Barkham Close, Cheddington

Manager says: “The Trust’s vision ‘Homes for living, communities for life’ is something that my team and I instil into the 16 Independent Living schemes. “We want to ensure that people moving into our schemes know that they have made the right decision. I haven’t met one resident yet who has said they don’t enjoy the positive community atmosphere that we strive to achieve. We put on events throughout the year but there is no pressure for residents to participate. They can get involved as little or as often as they like. “We have a diverse range of residents. Many are still extremely independent, self sufficient and some still working in full or part time jobs. Moving somewhere new can be a difficult time, especially for an older person, so the team work extremely hard to ensure our new residents are happy and comfortable within their home and that they are living in a positive and encouraging environment. The Trust is accredited with the Centre for Housing and Support Code of Practice for Housing-related Support Services. l Adopt a Scheme The ‘Adopt a Scheme’ initiative has been running for almost two years and encourages staff to interact with the residents of the scheme, to build positive relationships. The scheme involves departmental teams visiting their ‘adopted scheme’ each quarter,

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Vale Life : Aug/Sept 2012

First Contact Your home ‘lifeline’ system

Indoor market at Bankside, Wendover Residents at Landon Court are assisting the Harding House School students with the community aspect of their Duke of Edinburgh award by getting them involved with their garden project.

Landon Court, Aylesbury spending time with the residents, helping in the gardens, lend a helping hand etc. ‘Schemers’ also hold events that residents have asked for such as quizzes, barbecues, coffee mornings, sing-a-longs and Christmas parties. Individuals living in the local community outside of the schemes are often invited to join in with the events. l Diamond Jubilee Tea Dance To mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee on June 5th this year, five of the Trust’s Independent Living schemes came together to celebrate in style, with a ‘retro’ tea dance. The Holiday Inn, Weston Turville was turned red, white and blue as they celebrated the Queen’s historic anniversary with music and memories and enjoyed a menu of teatime classics (chosen by residents) - salmon and cucumber sandwiches, Battenberg cake and cream scones. Residents also chose the music – everything from Glen Miller to Bob Marley and a few rousing British standards like ‘Land of Hope and Glory’. Entertainer Phil Gomm interspersed the music with anecdotes and iconic moments from the last 60 years. Guest of honour was the Mayor of Aylesbury, Councillor Mrs Ranjula Takodra MBE, who made a moving toast to the Queen before joining residents on the dancefloor.

l Willow House Willow House is an extra-care unit which was built on brown-field land between Wharton and Westbury Houses at Silverdale in 2011. It is designed to enable people who are over the age of 50 and have learning disabilities, to live independently in their own home, while still having access to a higher level of care. It is the product of partnership working between Bucks County Council, who commissioned Mencap to provide the care team at Willow House, and the Trust, who manages and maintains the building. There are also plans to increase the number of extra care units at another Trust site in the future. l Dispelling the myths of Independent Living Schemes Kim Sheldon, SHO at Northend Court, Buckingham said: ‘I’d like to dispel the myth that Independent Living schemes are primarily targeted at the old and infirm, requiring care and a wardened environment. “We focus on encouraging independence

First Contact is a personal alarm service people can use to live safely, confidently and independently in their own home. It is available to anyone living in Aylesbury Vale and the surrounding areas, who feel they need added support or security at home; e.g. people living alone, those with disability, long term illness, other medical conditions, or other vulnerable people. It is not just for people in Supported Housing and people don’t have to be Trust residents. The reliable system can be operated 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. With one touch of the button, the users ‘First Contact’ will be with a trained operator at a contact centre who will be able to assist them. First Contact provides peace of mind for the user, their family and friends, knowing that there’s help on hand when they need it. The Trust has installed over 1,300 Lifelines in the Aylesbury Vale. If you would like First Contact, or know someone who does, you can apply directly without a referral. There is no waiting list. There is a one off installation fee of £36, and a small weekly rental charge of £3.17 + VAT. You may be exempt from VAT on these charges. There is a small charge for additional features.

through empowering and enabling residents to maintain an active lifestyle for as long as possible. I get to make a real and important difference to the lifestyle and wellbeing of my residents, and that has always been an important factor to me throughout my career. “All of our residents range in abilities, lifestyles, ages and interests, and so it is a sure myth that Independent Living schemes cater for a certain ‘type’ of person!’ For more details about the Trust’s Independent Living schemes, or to book a First Contact demonstration, please get in touch with the Trust - details as below. l Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust, Fairfax House, 69 Buckingham Street, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP20 2NJ Website: www.vaht.co.uk Email: info@vaht.co.uk Tel: 01296 732600 Apology: We would like to issue an apology to ‘The Shop’ in North Marston. Our ‘Making a difference’ article (Vale Life: Aug/Sept), incorrectly said ‘The Shop’ - winner of the ‘Bucks Best Community Shop’ Award was based in Long Marston.

Mary McManus Drive, North End Court, Buckingham

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

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To register your interest or for more information call 0845 601 7729 email newbuild@chg.org.uk or visit www.edenberryfields.co.uk * Represents a 35% share in a one bed apartment valued at ÂŁ125,000. Monthly rent payable on remaining share, plus service charge. Property prices are correct at time of print and subject to change. You must live or work in the Aylesbury Vale District Council area to purchase a house at Eden@Berryfields. Terms & conditions apply. Computer generated image and interior photo from Plot 130 is for illustrative purposes only. Catalyst Housing is a charitable housing association.

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

WIN a collapsible cooking pot !

he people at Wacky Practicals design and produce items that are useful in every day life. They like to add a little panache - practical doesn’t have to mean boring - and they believe in quality. Their colourful website at: www.wackypracticals.com is full of bizarre but useful items: scrunch buckets, pack-away kettles, stowaway cases and the collapsible cooking pot you see above. Cooking pots can take up a considerable amount of space but this innovative fusion of silicon and stainless steel overcomes this problem. Great for the outdoors or the home, the 3.8 litre cooking pot flat-packs to less than 5.5cms and the stainless steel base means that it can be safely used on electric hobs or gas stoves.

The cooking pot has a stainless steel base and stainless steel or glass lid. The silicone body is 100% food grade and it’s suitable for electric hobs and gas stoves. It’s dishwasher safe, easy to store and pack away and ideal for camping and caravanning, fishing, sailing and in the home. It’s available in a red or blue and retails at £39.99, but if you’d like a chance to win one of these clever items, simply email your name, address, telephone number, and colour choice, along with the answer to the following question to: editor@vale-life.co.uk Which sport did the TV programme ‘Pot Black’ feature? Winner to be drawn at random and notified by email by Oct 20th. l Wacky Practicals, The Old Grain Store, Adsdean Farm, Funtington, Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 9DN Tel: 0800 599 9458 Website: www.wackypracticals.com

Wedding Fayre Sunday 30th September 2012 11am to 3pm

Notley Farm, Chearsley Road, Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire HP18 9ER T: 01844 201226 F: 01844 201226 Notley NotleyFarm, Farm,Chearsley ChearsleyRoad, Road,Long LongCrendon, Crendon, E: weddings@notleyfarm.co.uk Notley Farm, Chearsley 9ER Road, Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire BuckinghamshireHP18 HP18 9ER www.notleyfarm.co.uk Buckinghamshire HP18 9ER T:T:01844 01844201226 201226F:F:01844 01844201226 201226 T: 01844 201226 F: 01844 201226 E:E:weddings@notleyfarm.co.uk weddings@notleyfarm.co.uk E: weddings@notleyfarm.co.uk www.notleyfarm.co.uk www.notleyfarm.co.uk www.notleyfarm.co.uk Fully Insured No Job Too Small All Insurance Work Undertaken Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Up to

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Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

To desire, to possess, to cherish is Biagio The Jewellers catchline and very appropriate too, as it can apply to jewellery, a loved one and chocolate... Visit our stores

19 Crown Walk, Bicester OX26 6HY 01869 252323

2 Greyhound Walk, Thame OX9 3DY

iagio Patalano admits he’s a real romantic at heart: “I love to see couples get engaged,” he says, “all the excitement and anticipation!” He has a passion for diamonds and spends much of his time searching for and hand-picking these most precious of gemstones for his customers: “I want to ensure I am giving my customers the best,” he says. At his jewellery stores in Bicester and Thame, Biagio holds special wedding events twice a year, when couples are invited to have a fun and informative time, browsing rings, sipping champagne and when ordering or purchasing rings at the

10 Shop online at

event, qualify for a Willy Wonka style ‘Golden Ticket’ award, which they then open to reveal between 10% and 50% off the cost of their chosen rings! The next such wedding event is Biagio’s Autumn Wedding Rings Event which takes place from October 11th to 20th. It’s a definite date for the diary for brides and grooms and the perfect chance for them to see the best in wedding rings, talk about the finer details and learn about Biagio The Jewellers’ made to measure ring service. “We bring together beautiful wedding ring collections, bridal

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jewellery and grooms accessories for Order by phone 0800 316 8698 Shop onlineevent,” www.biagiothejewellers.com this exclusive says Biagio, “It is my passion to create the ‘dream ring’ for our couples and I hope it will be a wonderful experience for them to remember. We show the couple rings from a number of carefully chosen collections, each of which allows us to create infinite variations. “If we do not have the exact ring, the couple can have a bespoke ‘oneoff ’ design, making it an everlasting token of their love, a circle without beginning and without end.” For your chance to win up to 50% off your wedding rings, you sadly won’t have to eat a mountain of

chocolate like Charlie, just attend the event, choose your wedding rings and your golden ticket and then open it to reveal 10% to 50% off the cost of your chosen wedding rings ordered or purchased on the day. Biagio The Jewellers is friendly and welcoming and displays a stunning selection of ultra stylish and beautifully crafted jewellery.

While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, no responsibility can be accepted for inaccuracies howsoever caused. No liability can be accepted for illustrations, photographs, artwork or advertising materials while in transmission or with the publisher or their agents. We take care to make sure all information is correct at the time of going to press (September 2012) Some items are shown larger than actual size in order to show detail and we try to make sure colour shown is as close a representation in print.

Shop online at

l Biagio Thame, Aureo House, 2 Greyhound Walk, Thame, Oxfordshire, OX9 3DY Tel: 01844 217001 l Biagio Bicester, 19 Crown Walk, Bicester, Oxfordshire, OX26 6HY Tel: 01869 252323 Website: www.biagiothejewellers.com

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Golden Ticket Up to 50% OFF Wedding Rings with a Golden Ticket

Call to book your champagne wedding rings viewing

Come and choose your wedding rings at Biagio’s Autumn Wedding Rings Event and not only will we treat you as our special guests, we will offer you a very special treat too. Sip a glass of champagne while we guide you through over 50 different styles, or help you realise your own personal design. Every couple attending will receive a golden ticket which will entitle them to between 10% and 50% off their wedding rings ordered or bought at the event.

A little helping hand from Biagio towards your special day...

WIN a Mental Suit

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

atching the London 2012 Olympics, you will have spotted a liberal use of the Union Jack. You couldn’t miss TeamGB supporters in their red, white and blue. A few had taken it to the sartorial max and were sporting some very funky ‘Mr Jack’ flag suits. They hadn’t made these themselves though. MentalSuits is the brainchild of three Dutch friends who came up with the concept of the extremely loud, yet smart attire, as a joke, on an expedition to Vietnam two years ago.

Not surprisingly their outfits attracted an overwhelming amount of attention but the guys found it such a positive experience wearing the suits, that they decided to make it their mission to share this with all males - MentalSuits was born. The company launched in Holland before the 2012 European football championship and sold out of suits within 14 days! They have now re-stocked with brand new designs and are bringing their unique fashion style to the UK. Despite their outrageous appearance MentalSuits are stylish, high quality, well-fitted suits - they just happen to be made out of ridiculous and unusual patterns. MentalSuits are great value too, a re-useable outfit comes complete with matching pattern jacket, trousers and tie, all for only £59.99.

They are delivered free of charge to any UK mainland address within 2 days. MentalSuits are available in S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL and 4XL “We are pleased to have been part of the London 2012 Olympics success supplying the patriotic Team GB supporters with dedicated fashionwear,” says Jelle van der Zwet, co-founder of MentalSuits. “We have now launched five new suits keyed towards festival and party goers, students and stag parties - generally for fun people the world over. To see the range and order a suit go to www.MentalSuits.com “You can quote discount code: ValeLife2012 for a reduction on your purchase price.” For those who would like a chance to win one of these amazing suits simply email your name, address, telephone number, suit choice and

size, along with the answer to the following question to: editor@vale-life.co.uk Which nationality are the guys who invented MentalSuits? Winner to be drawn at random and notified by email by Oct 20th. l For more info on MentalSuits™ see: www.MentalSuits.com Facebook.com/MentalSuits Twitter: @MentalSuits

Visit us at The Gallery Stoneworld 43a Upper High Street, Thame OX9 2DW Mon-Fri 9-5 Sat 10-4

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‘Made for you’ service includes soft furnishings, curtains and blinds For more information or quotation www.tillynilly.com

Thame 01844 220035 Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

T H I S WAY F O R FASHION Autumn Fashion Catwalk Show Saturday 29th September 12pm – 3pm Feast your eyes on the latest fashions to hit the stores this Autumn. Enjoy our high energy fashion shows which rotate on the hour with two different shows to enjoy, plus styling and make up tips between shows.

Ginger-Interiors

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w Wall art w Clocks w Candles w Lamps w Mirrors w Vases w Ornaments w Homeware w Prints w w Fireplace sets w Signs w Furniture w Kitchen & Dining w Gifts w Cards w Mats w Handcrafted Fairtrade Products w 28

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Heart Marne cardigan/coat: grey £95 Bohemia print dress with underslip £50 Bohemia grey scarf £15 Red Dog black leather bag £110

Heart Darian coat: green or black with printed lining £135 Black V-neck sweater £32 Black leggings £10 Necklace £18

lothes maketh man, they say and it goes without saying that they maketh woman too - in fact they maketh her extremely happy. We all deserve to feel cheerful every now and then you know, in a trendy, well turned out, have-you-seen-my-fab-new-outfit kind of way. Of course time whizzes by, Summer fades to Autumn and before you know it there’s a whole new season to embrace. ‘There’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong kind of clothing’, some outdoorsey type once informed me but fortunately the new Autumn styles at Haddenham’s White Hart Studio are full of cosy coats, warm jumpers, soft, cuddley scarves, tweedy skirts, gorgeous furry jackets and fleecey, woollen cardigans and tunics. Jane has an eye for stylish, quality clothing and this year has complemented her popular Bohemia range with new Dutch label, Heart. “We’re having a late evening on Thursday October 4th from 6-9pm,” says Jane. “We’ll be showing off our new label, Heart, the clothes are beautifully made, with lovely detailing, gorgeous colours, quirky touches and some very funky linings. A couple of local ladies will be modelling and we will also have a lady from Provence who is supplying me with a fabulous range of soaps and diffusers, tapenades, chutneys and jams from Flassan near Mont Ventoux. Sophie Court will demonstrate how she makes her unusual silver and perspex jewellery and local beauty therapist Naomi will be doing nail painting. It’ll be a fun evening and all are welcome.” Why not pop along, it could be the making of you?! If you’d like to attend this fun event just call in or phone the shop for your official invite. l White Hart Studio, 15 Churchway, Haddenham, HP17 8AB Tel: 01844 292308 Open Tue-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun: 11am-4pm Website: www.whitehartstudio.com www.facebook.com/WhiteHartStudio

Bohemia lace tunic £57

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Amanda Trott

We wear dark glasses to avoid the glare of the sun and wrap up when it’s chilly or wet, but our faces often remain exposed to the elements. Over the years our skin can take quite a battering...

e’ve all heard the saying beauty is skin deep, and for many of us the opportunity to turn back the clock and enjoy the natural beauty of young, rejuvenated skin would be a dream come true. Where do we start though? Magazines and television bombard us with ideas and images of beauty products and treatments that promise a look that’s ten years younger, but how do we know what our skin needs and whether we have any hidden problems.? Aurora Skin Clinics based at the BMI Paddocks Clinic in Princes Risborough is a good place to begin. They have the technology to diagnose your condition and the expertise and facilities to offer solutions. They have a highly qualified team and many years of experience offering both surgical and scientifically proven non-surgical treatments such as wrinkle reducing injections, microdermabrasion, chemical skin peels and dermal fillers. Their treatments and operations are performed safely by leading Cosmetic Surgeon Adrian Richards and his group of plastic and cosmetic surgeons and aesthetic practitioners. After an initial consultation and health check a session under the skin scanner will determine which treatments and aftercare products will be most effective for you. The scan is a quick and painless procedure for which you merely place your face under a cloth in front of the scanner’s light source apparently many patients find this experience quite amusing. The scanner uses a special ultraviolet filter to produce ‘black light’ which reveals any underlying damage in your skin. Problem areas will show up as different colours, which denote different conditions. Blue indicates normal skin; white; thickened skin; violet, dehydration; yellow, oily and red, pigmentation. Thus both the practitioner and the patient can see the results and then discuss the treatments required. Ageing features such as fine lines and wrinkles, sun damage and age spots can be reduced by microdermabrasion, which is also an effective treatment for acne prone skin, blackhead and whitehead removal and scar

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

A face scan will show up areas of damaged skin which may need treatment A wand is used to both spray and vacuum up the jet of micro crystals

tissue reduction. It is a popular treatment, a deep exfoliation, which works by propelling a jet of micro crystals across the skin’s surface. This removes dead and damaged cells, reveals new living cells and decreases pore size. It is fast and relatively painless and leaves the skin feeling soft and smooth. It will also be more receptive to nutrients, so any treatments you have post procedure are enhanced. In addition to the deep cleansing effect, microdermabrasion also helps to stimulate collagen production which thickens the skin and the epidermis and in turn helps ward off

those telltale signs of ageing. Microdermabrasion treatments can be an excellent skin preparation for other surgical and non-surgical treatments and as there is generally only a slight amount of redness afterwards you can usually reapply your make up on leaving the clinic and carry on with your daily routine. Results are subtle and include a fresher appearance and an improvement in the texture of the skin. It also reduces the appearance of fine lines and brown age spots. The cost at Aurora Skin Clinics is £60 for a single treatment, £150 for a course of three and £280 for a course of six. Microdermabrasion is a progressive procedure and your skin will improve with additional treatments. After microdermabrasion treatments, you are advised to apply sunscreen to protect the new skin. Aurora Skin Clinics stocks a foundation containing silica, a natural mineral - it is a collagen producing make-up ingredient which enables the skin to breathe - perfect for looking after your newly rejuvenated skin! l Aurora Skin Clinics, BMI The Paddocks Clinic, Aylesbury Road, Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire, HP27 0JS Tel: 0800 328 5743 / 01844 390110 Website: www.aurora-skin-clinics.co.uk

Providing the ultimate salon experience

Would you like to be a smoothie… What’s new at Eclipse Let’s face it morning hair by Vicki routines are enough to

make anyone snooze their alarms. Are you tired of spending hours on a gruelling styling routine, which never quite achieves that smooth, frizz free and incredible shine you long for? Then get ready to hit the snooze button and make your morning hair routine easier with Redken’s new in-salon smoothing service. This new treatment only takes 45 minutes but will rescue your morning lay-ins for days afterwards, leaving your hair smooth, frizz free and dramatically manageable for up to 10 shampoos. Perfection really is just minutes away thanks to Redken’s new Smooth Lock semi-permanent in salon smoothing service.

Smooth Lock is part of a fantastic new Redken range, focused on creating effortless smoothness, ultimate shine and frizz free results. It works in two steps: In Step One - the Smooth Activator relaxes your hair. Then the application Smooth Sealer in Step 2 locks the newly relaxed, smooth form and finish into place. Heat drying secures the smooth results for up to 10 shampoos. Smooth Lock at-home maintenance can further extend the smooth results for three additional shampoos. During this time hair is easier to manage and daily styling time is reduced! It’s that easy! Why not come in and see for yourself.

Goodbye Katherine, hello Miss!

This month Eclipse said goodbye to Katherine, who has worked with us, on reception, and done a brilliant job, for five years. Katherine is going back to school to start a new career in teaching. It was very sad to see her go; she will be missed by both staff and clients and we wish her all the best for the future.

Are you the winner?!

We are about to choose a lucky lady for an Eclipse salon make-over - look out in the next edition of Vale Life to see the results! l We are also seeking a full time apprentice, please apply within.

Eclipse Hair Design, 56 North Street, Thame, OX9 3BH Tel: 01844 260062 Web: www.eclipsehair-design.co.uk Email: info@eclipsehair-design.co.uk Follow us on Twitter: @eclipsethame and Facebook Eclipse Hair design

STOP PRESS... full time apprentice sought, apply to Vicki at Eclipse Hair Design Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Complimentary Scalp Massage, Hand Massage and Make-up Refresh

BrothersThame Brothers - Oxford Brothers - Thame 16 Buttermarket, Thame, OX9 3EP Tel: 01844 217365

16 Buttermarket, Thame, OX9 3EP 57 The High Street, Oxford, OX1 4AS Brothers - Oxford 57 The High Street, Oxford, OX1 4AS Tel: 01865 250696 Tel: 01844 217365 Tel: 01865 250696 Brothers - Marlow 58 West Street, Marlow, SL7 2BP Tel: 01628 484717

www.brothers-uk.com

Column: Penny Harper ‘Thoughts of a small town girl’

hen I graduated from university, my Dad gave me a present. It wasn’t a car or the keys to a new house (we’re not Americans; we’re not programmed to go all ‘fourth of July’ when we achieve something) but a t-shirt that read ‘I have an arts degree: do you want fries with that?’ He’s a funny man is my Dad. Well, what was he supposed to buy me? I had just graduated in American Studies from the University of Hull. Mr P and I were lucky enough this Summer to spend two weeks in the States visiting family and reuniting with college friends from the University of Washington in Seattle. In the small town of Corvallis, Oregon, my cousin is just starting university. American school fees being astronomical, it means he’s going to college in the same town he grew up in. His parents have bought a rental house for Michael and assorted overseas students to live in, and trust me: compared

with the dives I lived in at Hull, this place is a palace. I was tempted to fill out an application myself, until I realised that all the other rooms were being taken by mechanical engineers. They might not let me watch America’s Got Talent. Chatting to my Aunt about impending bouts of ‘empty-nest syndrome’, I found myself having flashbacks to 1996. My Mum - aka ‘The Angel of Doom’- stood cowering in the dingy corner of my halls of residence prison cell for the first time. ‘There’s no sink’ she sobbed; ‘there’s no carpet’, she sniffed and then I said ‘and look at that teeny-tiny single bed’. This was met by glares all round and was swiftly followed by a trip into town to buy rag rugs and posters of the Beatles to cover up the assorted questionable stains and what looked like gunshot holes in the plaster. Right before I left home, oh so long ago, Mum and I watched a drama called ‘Eskimo Day’. It

starred Maureen Lipman (who, incidentally, was born in Hull) and followed the stories of parents with teenagers attending Cambridge interviews. It was about the realisation that this is it: your offspring are moving out. Eskimo elders are supposed to walk off into the snow to leave the next generation to flourish…or so the story goes. I thought about it as I kissed Mum and Dad goodbye and pushed them out of the door into a bleak Hull evening. Luckily, they were back at Christmas… I had way too much washing to take on the DoncasterBirmingham train. For all those students who are excited and enthused about finally getting out of home, escaping the repression and discovering the bars, I say: don’t forget to hold on tight to your Mum and Dad and thank them with all your heart for their support, their advice, their putting up with your strops, their taxiing you around, the hours waiting at the side of the pitch, the tissues and the hugs after HE dumped you, the holidays where you sulked your way round, the hours of ‘are we there yet?’, teaching you to swim and ride a bike, making you wear sunscreen,

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Penny Harper

Small Town

Girl

risking their neck in the car with you after your first lesson, watching you be a rock in the school play… the list is endless. And to all the parents who have been making trips to Ikea, writing endless cheques and driving miles across the country because someone wants to study in Edinburgh I say: crack open the champagne and change the locks. They’ll all be back before you know it.

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Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

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Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Many of you already follow the musings of city girl Hero Brown, in Muddy Stilettos, ‘the urban guide to the countryside’. Her blog is popular too, registering 30,000 hits a month. Time to get serious says Hero... “

Hero Brown at The Crazy Bear, Stadhampton, photograph by Paul Wilkinson, (make up - Nicola Gibson, hair - Brothers Thame)

’m going pro,” laughs Vale Life columnist Hero Brown, “my blog is turning into a blogazine - my writing style will stay the same, but it will be in a gorgeous magazine format!” Hero’s blog www.muddystilettos.co.uk has been an amazing success. She writes about things to do, places to go and stuff to buy. She has been blogging seriously for less than a year now but already receives more than 30,000 hits a month - that’s people checking out her site. It’s not surprising she feels it’s time to up her game. “It’s all about trying to help people make the most of their time in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire,” she says. “I started it for fun, when my son Cassius was small, but it now takes up a lot of time, so I need to make it more commercially viable and sustainable. The blog format has been great but it can be awkward to locate reviews and articles - there’s so much more I could do in a magazine format. It will be easier to navigate too, as menus lead to different sections, say for restaurant reviews, or fashion boutiques.”

Register at Muddy Stilettos to win this stunning 9ct yellow gold plate cuff bracelet worth £185 from brilliant Hibiscus (www.myhibi.com),

“We moved to Haddenham from London about 8 years ago. I didn’t know the area well and it seemed very quiet after living in Islington. Things are quite spread out round here and it’s not easy to find out what is going on and what is any good. My husband suggested I start a blog an ex-Londoner struggling to find my kicks in rural Buckinghamshire, I’d write a witty but indispensable guide to the best restaurants, walks, boutiques, day trips, hotels, interiors and events and in doing so, perk up my own social life.” Sounds fun, but why is it so popular, you might ask? Well, Hero set herself some strict rules: no random listings, no PR fluff, everything checked out personally and a focus on the exceptional, the interesting and the quirky. She’s a lady who knows a bit about life and can spot the difference between a silk purse and a sow’s ear. A journalist for some 18 years now, Hero has been a magazine editor at the Independent on Sunday, a deputy editor at Red magazine and freelanced for The Observer, The Sunday Telegraph and Marie Claire. She was also fashion expert at handbag.com for 8 years, so she knows her onions, so to speak. She grew up near Cardiff, studied English at

Oxford and spent six years in Australia and New Zealand, where she met her husband. These days she has three children, but still loves travelling, weekends away in hotels, eating out, going to the theatre, shopping, fashion and finding cool things to do for kids. She likes the sort of things you and I do and she’s out there letting us know what’s good, so we don’t have to waste our time! “I like to be positive,” says Hero, “so I don’t trash things, I just don’t include them on the site. My new blogazine goes live on October 1st. It’s still my voice, I’ll still be interacting directly with readers. There’s even an ‘Ask Hero’ section where you can type in a question and I’ll get back with an answer and there will be lots of regular columns highlighting cool products and shops, favourite places, best pubs, plus really nice prizes each month, like this gold plate cuff bracelet (see left).” Sound good? Better still it’s totally free and you can register to receive newsletters and postings. If you are a business you might like to get in touch too - 30,000 readers, hmmm... l Website: www.muddystilettos.co.uk/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/muddystilettos Twitter: @muddystiletto Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Programme of Events

This year Aylesbury College is celebrating its 50th anniversary! Since 1962 the institution has embraced many changes and is now rising to the challenge of providing the kind of training and education that enables students to access the jobs they want in our tricky modern job market...

ylesbury College, situated in its magnificent new building on Oxford Road, provides education and training for approximately 4,500 part-time students and 1,500 full-time students. A wide range of vocational courses are available including hospitality and catering, construction, care, hair and beauty and sport, and the establishment is proud of its purpose-built commercial facilities which enable the provision of on-the-job training, helping students become work-ready. The College also offers a range of A Levels and GCSEs through the Sixth Form Centre as well as Higher Education courses which can culminate in a foundation degree with UCAS points that can be used toward an Honours degree at a partner University or other institutions of higher education. The College has grown, through partnerships within the community, with business groups and area universities, and is now, a comprehensive educational facility: Buckinghamshire’s Integrated Learning Campus. “The College is a real success story,” says Karen Mitchell, Vice Principal for Quality and Learning, “This year, our students achieved a 100% A-level pass rate at A*-E grade - which includes a 76% pass rate at grades A*-C, a 2.5% increase on last year’s grades. “This includes a 100% per cent ‘high grades’ result in film A-level, 86% in English literature and 75% in psychology (including two A* grades), 72% in communication and 68% in sociology.” The College is also proud of the fact that so many students found employment: all of last year’s catering apprentices went on to take up great jobs at fantastic establishments like Missenden Abbey, Claridges, Whetherspoon pubs, and even at Chequers, and 100% of the full-time Childcare students have either found employment or gone on to University. We are all aware that it has never been more important for young people to leave education ‘work- ready’ and at their Integrated Learning Campus, Aylesbury College has a customerfocused centre of excellence for learning and skills development. While helping people of all ages and abilities to achieve their learning

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Freshers Fair 2012 at Aylesbury College

goals and life aspirations, the College’s focus such as Taylor Wimpey, Cisco, ESRI and on employability means it works with partner McAfee. The courses will21 focus on the June | 28 June | 12 INFORMATION, ADVICE businesses to ensure that the available courses construction and ICT19 sectors, Julyreflecting | 2 August | 9 Au are relevant and appropriate, so&that it is theDAYS employment needs of the region, and GUIDANCE 16 August | 23 Au producing students that businesses in the local combine national curriculum requirements 8 September 10.00AM 2.00PM area can, and will, employ. with technical and vocational elements. | 15 Septem Aylesbury College is also the largest Aylesbury College22 hasSeptember changed beyond| 29 Septem provider of apprenticeships for young people recognition during its 50 years, and so have 17 August (Higher Educ in Buckinghamshire and is expert in delivering the town and the surrounding area. As part (Post-GC 24 August such programmes for all ages across a wide of the celebrations from October 17th-24th range of subject areas. the College is putting on ‘Then Now’,for an your d Join our 6th Form,andstudy From September 2013 the law is changing exhibition of pictures by local photographers close to home, learn real work sk so that all young people will be required to documenting the changing times. become anofApprentice. The raising stay in learning longer. This is being referred The first Principal Aylesbury College, participation age to as ‘Raising the Participation Age’ (RPA). G. W. Line, wrote, ‘It is hoped that the new means t 16+ YOU now have a ch The College is holding a free information College will become a centre for cultural event on October 2nd to show how this will and general education.’ Fifty years later, the affect your child and the range of ‘in learning’ College is muchthe more than that’s that and it isfor very Choose course right you at Ayle options available at the end of Year 11. much at the centre of the community. College and you’ll be guided and taught by ex It will include an exhibition space and a whoCollege, specialise in Road, preparing you for the futu l Aylesbury Oxford Aylesbury, series of seminars with industry experts Buckinghamshire, HP21 8PD on topics such as the relationship between Tel: 01296 588588 Contact Admissions on 01296 588588 Further and Higher Education and Student Email: enquiries@aylesbury.ac.uk Finance. See the College website for details. orWebsite: visit our website at www.aylesbury.ac.u www.aylesbury.ac.uk In September 2013 Buckinghamshire . University Technical College is to open its doors. It is one of the first of its kind in the country. Established by Aylesbury College and based at the campus, it will offer 14-19 year olds technically orientated courses which have been devised in close partnership with Bucks New University and key employers

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Shared Creative are Ian Collett, far left and Stuart Miller, below Pics & Graphics by SHARED creative

Organising your branding and having a website designed can be an expensive leap of faith but a new Aylesbury partnership promises a bespoke service that won’t break the bank...

hared creative combines the talents of Ian Collett and Stuart Miller. The pair have joined forces to form their own Aylesbury based website and graphic design agency, and are keen to demonstrate how their skills can help brands get noticed in today’s challenging and crowded markets, through the application of creative and innovative design. Ian could be described as the more visual half as he is an experienced graphic designer having trained and spent more than 10 years in the industry. Originally from Buckingham he trained at Amersham College and gained a BA at Hertfordshire University. He was head-hunted after exhibiting some work at the Business Design Centre and started as junior designer in 2000 at United Designers. He worked his way up to senior creative at hey moscow before leaving in 2011 to pursue a freelance career. He has worked for all types of clients, public sector and private, large corporations and small independents, creating all types of print based and online media. More recently, while working on in-flight magazines for a company in Aylesbury he met Stuart and began collaborating with him on web projects. Stuart is more of a ‘techie’, his career to date having focused mainly on Web Design, IT Support, Project Management and Leadership. He lives near Aylesbury and started in IT as a junior support engineer and soon worked his way up the company ladder managing the Technical Support Team for Kewill E Commerce. He moved into Project Management at Canon, managing projects for their Voice and Data division. More recently he headed

up the Operations Team for a small software company but all along has been indulging and nurturing his passion for programming and website design and now at SHARED creative, with some ten years experience developing websites, Stuart is producing bespoke, easy to access sites that incorporate Ian’s stylish design work. “Ian and I have collaborated on quite a few projects and it’s worked really well,” says Stuart. “He does the design work and I do the build, our clients get the best of both worlds. “We can give businesses a website that looks visually great and is in keeping stylewise with the kind of products or services offered, and also give them the capability and access to update it themselves if they like, adding

pictures and text, even pages if required, without having to have specialist skills and it will still look great! “These days people running small businesses are often so busy they don’t have time to update their site at work. Our system is simple, so they can do it online from home at the end of the day, if they wish. “Between us we have a lot of experience and a high level of skills,” says Ian, “but being a small agency, we can give a more personal service, more time and effort on your project and at a lower rate than larger firms. Good design can build brands and we want to offer local companies the opportunity to take control of their marketing and website development. I’ve enjoyed working for big brands and organisations in the past but we’re looking forward to helping smaller local companies develop and get more customers. It’s more hands on and the results of our work are more obvious, it’s more satisfying. There’s a lot of mediocre design associated with websites but we aim to raise standards, so our clients will really stand out!” SHARED creative also offers a range of services from the production of marketing literature and company reports to logos and branding, company stationery, leaflets, PowerPoint presentations, banners and exhibition stands, web hosting, e-commerce, emailmarketing and much more - see their website for further details. l SHARED creative, Verna House, 9 Bicester Road, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP19 9AQ Tel: 01296 346346 Email: hello@sharedcreative.co.uk Website: http://sharedcreative.co.uk/ Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Tom Stonell

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

“A spider’s web is simple, elegant and practical,” says Silkweb’s Tom Stonell, “it has strength and flexibility and that’s how we design our websites.” Happily, no spiders are actually involved...

ilkweb is a brand new website and graphic design company based at Stone, near Aylesbury. It’s the brainchild of web designer Tom Stonell, who believes that getting a website designed and built shouldn’t cause you headaches or cost a fortune. Tom has a background in graphic design and web development and despite his youthful looks, has several years experience working at some first rate agencies. He launched Silkweb earlier this Summer and with his compact team is already taking on challenging projects for creative businesses. “Being a qualified graphic designer, I’m coming from a more creative angle than most web developers,” says Tom. “I design and build the sites to make them as easy as possible for my clients to operate, smooth like silk, you might say. Every Silkweb site comes complete with a Content Management System (CMS) which is a simple way to edit and add pages, pictures and information to your site, whenever you wish. We can provide e-commerce sites too, if required.” Tom studied Graphic Design in the Sixth Form at Waddesdon School and then went on to gain a degree at Plymouth University. While there he worked for a web design company and then got a position as Assistant Web Developer at Blue Banana, a retail chain with a big online store. When he left University he joined a Bicester based visual marketing company: “Officially my title was graphic designer,” says Tom, “but I spent most of my time designing and building websites. “Our Silkweb system is not only simple to use but it can be produced with a built-in CMS for no additional charge, the cost is the same as for a basic site - offering real added value. “We are happy to deal with smaller businesses and want to get to know our clients and hopefully work with them long-term.

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

“We’ll start with a free meeting to chat over the client’s requirements - I can then work out what is needed and how much it will cost. We then agree the design concept and make a start on the build. I construct a skeleton of the site to show what it will look like and then we load in the content.” A website should look good and work well and Tom feels that his design background gives him an edge when it comes to producing great looking sites: “I enjoy the visual side of things, fusing the technical side with the design,” he says, “that’s a fun part of the job and I enjoy working with artistic people and tapping into their creativity to produce a site that

is in harmony with their work - so if there are people out there working in artistic and creative areas who would like to have a website produced to complement their image and products or services, please get in touch. “Our websites are built very much with the end-user in mind. Our clients’ customers and potential customers must be able to easily navigate and access information from the site and ultimately be encouraged to engage with the client and their business. “I really enjoy meeting different people and learning about their activities and it’s great being directly involved with helping them to be more successful and to receive feedback and be able to see the impact we are having. “The cost mostly depends on how complicated the website is to be and how much time it takes to build, but being a small company with very low overheads we are very competitive.” Tom may be a whizz on the computer but he’s not tied to his Apple Mac. In his spare time he enjoys riding Motorcross and flies model aeroplanes! “It’s a good way to clear your head,” he says. Tom’s Silkweb site shows what he can do and contains screenshots and links to other examples of his work. If you’d like to find out more, check it out, or call him for a chat, he could soon be weaving his silky magic for your company, and not a spider in sight! l Silkweb, Stone, Buckinghamshire, HP178QX Tel: 07842 320938 Email: hello@designbysilkweb.co.uk Website: www.designbysilkweb.co.uk

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Everyone has the potential to develop and grow in their lives and careers, but sometimes it’s hard to know how to get started. With enthusiastic, professional, confidential advice from the National Careers Service you’ll be empowered to take charge of your learning and working life...

esbury-jobfair-flyer-p.indd 1

truggling to find a job or move on in your career? Free help is closer than you think… The National Careers Service (NCS) is there to inspire and motivate you, and provide the information, advice and guidance you need to help you take control of your learning and working life. A nationwide, government funded service, it is free to all adults age 19 plus (18 if claiming JSA). There is an excellent website at:

https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk which is full of advice, including over 750 job profiles, from tattooist, to astronaut, and all with handy descriptions explaining just what a particular job is all about. There are also real life stories from people the service has helped, such as Suzanne Welburn below, and useful tools such as the CV Builder, Skill Checker and Action Plan tool.

Get in touch and you can see a qualified, impartial careers adviser for up to three FREE face-to-face appointments and benefit from support

and advice that includes: · Help with CV writing · Advice on where to look for jobs · Exploring suitable career paths · Preparing to succeed at interview · Ways to improve skills and qualifications · Confidence building · How to fill out job applications and make job searches You can make an appointment to see one of the service’s Careers Advisers at a range of convenient locations in the Aylesbury area, including Aylesbury JobCentre Plus, Aylesbury College and the Study Centre. To book a free, face-to-face appointment, call Freephone 0800 1954 700 and let the National Careers Service help you take the next step. For further information visit their website at: https://nationalcareers service.direct.gov.uk l the National Careers Service Freephone 0800 1954 700 https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk

l Case Study: Suzanne Welburn

23/08/2012 13:58

Suzanne Welburn, 39, was made redundant after more than 21 years working for the same company. She was absolutely devastated and felt as though she was on the scrap heap. With careers advice, help and support from the NCS, she is now on course to a new career as a teaching assistant. “My adviser was brilliant,” says

Suzanne. “She has done so much to help me. It was really scary, finding myself out of work for the first time in more than 20 years and my confidence was low, but my adviser did all she could to help. Not once did she make me feel stupid or worthless, she just genuinely wanted to help me get back into work. Any information I needed, she got for me.”

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Dave West lives and breathes cars. The owner of Risborough Service Centre is an experienced mechanic and accomplished rally driver and when not busy servicing customers’ vehicles, he’ll be speeding around race tracks, competing in rallies, or preparing an Aston Martin GT for racing. .. “

t’s my dad’s fault really” says Dave West of Risborough Service Centre. “He had me helping rebuild the engine on an old Austin Westminster when I was seven. I later trained as a mechanic and got into racing. I’ve done a lot of rallying too.” Dave is ‘old school’ - he can tune a carburettor by ear and is adept at stripping down an engine or gearbox for a repair and rebuild: “People seem to replace things now, rather than fix them,” he says, “but if I can repair something and save the customer a few pounds I will.” Dave is originally from Prestwood, he learnt his trade working for main dealers and was factory trained on Landrovers, Mitsubishi, Isuzu, Suburu and many leading 4x4 brands. In 1994 he set up the Risborough Four Wheel Drive Centre in a small workshop on Summerleys Road. The business built steadily and his partner Michelle, joined him in 2004 to help out on the admin side and run the office. Last year with the help of a new business partner and an investment of funds, Dave and Michelle were able to expand operations. The firm has moved to new, much larger premises on the main Chinnor to Risborough road near Bledlow and has relaunched as a one-stop shop for vehicle servicing, under the title of Risborough Service Centre. “The place needed a lot of work,” says Dave, “but it’s been totally renovated. We’ve got the latest state of the art equipment: four-wheel alignment, diagnostics, MOT equipment and new ramps, it was a massive investment but now we have the space to grow the company. “We’ve changed our name, as Risborough 4x4 inferred we were specialising and we cater for pretty well any vehicle now, including light vans and horseboxes, although we still have a lot of 4x4 customers too. We’ve introduced car sales to the front of the garage, which is going well and makes us more noticeable from the road. With the workshop facilities

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Dave and Michelle of Risborough Service Centre and backup we can sell a car and look after it too, so it makes sense. “We’ve got a big stock of tyres, we do MOTs (Class 4 and Class 7 - vans up to 3.5tons), air conditioning - service and repair, exhausts and batteries! We can accommodate high-top vans and horseboxes too.” The new premises certainly provide plenty of room. There’s a huge yard with lots of parking, a car showroom, spacious reception area, two large workshops, stores and offices. Of course the personnel are just as important. Dave’s enthusiasm and knowledge of car mechanics and performance is renowned, not only in 4x4 and Suburu circles but in the world of racing and rallying too. “In addition to Dave we have an excellent team of young mechanics,” says Michelle. “They are all very helpful and personable. Antony has worked as a factory trained mechanic for Volkswagen and Audi and is a qualified MOT Class 4 Examiner. He runs the workshop on a day-to-day basis and is very

versatile having worked with Dave on many different makes and models. “Tom is a BMW factory trained technician and assists Antony in the day-to-day running of the workshop. He is scheduled to undergo VOSA training to qualify for MOT testing soon. “Joe is our apprentice mechanic and is working for an NVQ. He is an expert with tyres and helps out with the management of our Tyre Centre, operates the four wheel alignment equipment and ensures the quality and safety of all our customers’ tyres. “Ron is our Showroom Sales Manager. He has over 40 years experience and an excellent reputation in the motor trade. He sources high quality vehicles with low mileage and a full service history. He can find a car to match your budget and specification and offers a range of finance packages, as well as great prices on part exchange. “We try to go the extra mile and offer a better quality of service,” says Michelle. “and

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Tom sets up the four wheel alignment we aim to cover all your vehicle needs under one roof. We’ll pick up your car from your home or workplace, if local, service it and drop it back. We want things to be as convenient as possible for our customers. “We’ve always tried to offer extra. If a customer has to have their car back and there’s been a problem finishing the work by the end of the day, we’ll work on into the evening and deliver it back later that night.” “We aim to offer a good, friendly service at a competitive price,” says Dave. “We’ve got all the right equipment for the job, we can do engine and gearbox rebuilds and we’re used to Inside the GT4

servicing horseboxes and organising the ‘plate’ or MOT. “Our standard labour charges are up to 50% less than main dealer rates and we offer a special pensioner rate and a multiple car discount.” It’s a busy time for Dave. In addition to running the service centre he is still rallying and also manages an Aston Martin racing team, MB Racing. They have a GT4 and a brand new chrome GT3, which he and two other drivers will be racing in the Britcar 24 Hour Endurance race at Silverstone on Sept 21st. “I’m looking forward to it,” says Dave, Dave, Michelle and MB Racing’s Aston Martin GT4

“although unfortunately it is on the same weekend as the Kop Hill Climb which we usually support, so we can’t be there this year.” For further information, estimates and details of services call Michelle, or see the Risborough Service centre website as below. l Risborough Service & 4x4 Centre, Chinnor Road, Bledlow, Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire HP27 9PH Tel: 01844 274652 Mob: 07885 780033 Email: info@risboroservicecentre.co.uk Website: www.risboroughservicecentre.co.uk

Tom and Antony at reception

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

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Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Many of you help support our local hospices and it’s nice to know that this generosity has made a big difference, enabling one to cope with a 25% rise in referrals already this year...

Iain Rennie Grove House Hospice Care (IRGH) has seen an unprecedented rise of 25% in referrals to its hospice at home service already this year - more than double the numbers expected. Fortunately the local hospice has been able to meet this increased demand from local families facing life-limiting illness, thanks to Wednesday, 20 July 2011 16:28 changes in the charity’s ways of working and Yellow Black Cyan the generosity of theMagenta general public. Director of Nursing and interim Chief Executive Sue Varvel explains: “The number of adults for whom we were providing hospice at home care rose by 17% during the last financial year - and so far in 2012 the increase is even higher. One reason is that people are living longer with more complex conditions; while another is that our profile is growing and patients are more aware that hospice at home care may be an option. Choosing to stay at home “We know that most people with a lifelimiting illness would prefer to remain at home, provided they do not feel they are being a burden on their family. Our service is designed to make this choice possible, providing specialist and practical care on a scheduled and 24/7 responsive basis, as well as support for all the family during the patient’s illness. “We know this meets a real need because around 60% of our patients are able to spend their final days at home, compared with just 20% nationally. Adapting to patients’ needs A change in the way IRGH operates its nurses’ shifts has helped the organisation cope with the additional intake: “In November 2011 we implemented a new approach to the

Trina and Shamus

out-of-hours element of our 24/7 service,” says Sue. “Having piloted a three-shift pattern in 2010-11, we found that being able to take on more scheduled visits during the evening shift reduced the waiting list that we had been managing. “Nurses are now able to plan visits to new patients as part of their shift, up until 9pm at night, when they hand over to a dedicated night team rather than a nurse on call. “Prior to this, ‘out-of-hours’ meant after 5pm, which limited our capacity to take on new patients towards the end of the typical working day.” However, it is very much due to the dedicated support of local residents that IRGH can continue to offer specialist hospice care at no cost to patients or their families. Public support keeps funds coming in Director of Fundraising Gillian Barnett explains: “In the last financial year we saw a 2% increase in our fundraising income, which brought in £3.07million towards our nursing service. This growth is a remarkable achievement, given the depressed state of the UK economy. It is solely down to the wonderful support we receive from the local community.” The remainder of IRGH’s annual running

costs comes from Retail & Trading, including 18 charity shops and a busy eBay operation, plus an annual grant from the local Primary Care Trusts (PCTs). IRGH recently received a small injection of additional funding from both the Herts PCT and the Bucks PCT for its hospice at home services. However, this income accounts for less than 15% of the charity’s overall £6.5 million annual running costs, which is why the charity is so reliant on the generosity of the general public to keep meeting the growth in demand for its service. If you’d like to help, see the IRGH website at www.irgh.org.uk for details and fundraising initiatives. Their annual Light Up a Life appeal will be in full swing soon and there will be a Light Up A Life event at St Peter & St Paul‘s Church in Tring on Sunday, November 18, at 6.30pm, following the IRGH Annual Service of Thanksgiving at 3pm. l Iain Rennie Grove House Hospice Care, 52a Western Road , Tring, Hertfordshire, HP23 4BB Tel: 01442 890222 Email: info@irhh.org Website: www.irgh.org.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/ iainrenniegrovehouse Twitter: @irghh Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Artists’ and Makers’ Fair, Oct 6th & 7th at Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

In May Waddesdon Manor’s Plant Centre was the venue for a spectacular gathering of artists and craftspeople. In October the glasshouse will once again buzz with creativity and there will be the chance to watch items being hand-crafted and buy unique pieces direct from makers...

ince 2004 Sally Evans has regularly exhibited a fabulous range of artists and craftsmen and their fascinating collections of unique and high quality handcrafted items at her fairs in Thame and Wendover. In May she was invited to stage an Artists and Makers Fair in The Glass House at Waddesdon Plant Centre, at which many of the artists not only exhibited their work but demonstrated their creative skills, live at the event. The show was such a success that a second Artists’ and Makers’ Fair, organised by Sally Evans Events, is to be staged later this year at the Waddesdon Glass House on 6th and 7th October. Strolling through the inaugural fair Vale Life was impressed by the quality of products on offer and along with many other visitors enjoyed the friendliness and approachability of stallholders and the fascinating demonstrations taking place. This Autumn, as before, artists will be demonstrating their skills in a variety of crafts including: silver-smithing, metalworking, bookbinding, printmaking, stained glass, and various painting and textile techniques. Jeremy White, ceramicist, will once again be hand-building his beautiful pots. Jeremy is a master of his art and keen to share his time and experience with visitors. “I use high firing stoneware and porcelain,” he says, “and I love the idea that I am using, in my creativity, the very material and elements that have formed

Pirjo Keene 44

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Jeremy White pictured at Waddesdon in May

our universe and environment – earth, air, fire and water.” New to Waddesdon for this event are Arcobaleno. Rosie and Richard House will be offering their unique lighting ideas and textiles. Or perhaps you need a bespoke piece of furniture? Mark Newson works directly with clients and in collaboration with other designer-makers, to bring their ideas to reality. Buy one of Mark’s beautiful bowls or commission him to build you the perfect dining table. Pirjo Keene will be displaying her wonderful photographic artworks: “Photography is a starting point for an experimental creative process,” says Pirjo. “My eye and imagination are most often caught by the quirky details of everyday life or by nature... I then take full advantage of digital technology to produce my abstract or highly stylised images.” A diversity of 2D art will be available too. Sue Graham chooses not to limit her sources

Jasmine Mercer

t Waddesdon Plant Centre Janice Hume at Waddesdon in May

2012

Thame Town Hall OX9 3DP

Sue Graham

10am to 4pm 13th October 24th November

Wendover Memorial Hall Wharf Road, HP22 6HF

Linda Cavill of inspiration: “There is beauty and interest in so many things,” says Sue. “I try to catch and convey a sense of that through my paintings.” Andrew Rance’s work focuses on people and travel, with a particular focus on townscapes and buildings. He mixes acrylic, watercolour, oils and ink to give texture to his work, while Jane Waller works in charcoals and fine-line pens to catch the speed and flow of the dancers she draws at Covent Garden. These are but a taste of what will be on show! Entry to the Fair costs £3 per adult, a significant proportion of which goes to local charities, Helen and Douglas House, Iain Rennie Grove Hospice and Bucks Young Carers. Staff from the charities will be available over the weekend to explain how your enjoyment of the best in contemporary art and craft will help to continue the invaluable work they do. Pop along to Waddesdon, talk to the artists, see them in action and marvel at their skill and dedication. Take some cash along though as with pieces on offer to suit every pocket and taste, it’s a great opportunity to take home something unique, that has been locally made

and handcrafted by the artist you see in front of you. l Artists’ & Makers’ Fair, 10.30am to 4.30pm, October 6th & 7th, 2012 Waddesdon Plant Centre, Queen Street, Waddesdon, Nr Aylesbury Buckinghamshire, HP18 0JW. www.waddesdonplantcentre.com For more information contact Sally on 01296 696747, or Email: sllyevan@aol.com Web: www.sallyevansevents.co.uk

10am to 4pm 10th November www.sallyevansevents.co.uk Tel: 01296 696747 Email: sllyevan@aol.com

ARTIS

l The entrance to Waddesdon Plant Centre is from Queens Street, Waddesdon, on the bend opposite The Long Dog pub (formerly The Bell) off the A41 between Aylesbury and Bicester.

Thame T

Jeremy White

Wen Rachel Forgham Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Aylesbury’s Waterside Theatre kicks off the Autumn Season with feelgood West End musical Dreamboats and Petticoats. So dig out your bobby socks, circle skirts and brothel creepers for a trip back to sixties Essex and a tale of youth clubs, young love and rock ‘n’ roll...

ontinuing on from a phenomenal run in the West End, rock ‘n’ roll nostalgia trip Dreamboats and Petticoats took to the road once again this year, and plays Aylesbury’s Waterside Theatre from October 1st to 6th. The show springs from the multi-millionselling Dreamboats and Petticoats album series which features classic rock ‘n’ roll and bubblegum pop hits from the fifties and sixties. It’s one big hedonistic hop, evoking affectionately a more innocent era, when love was young and so was rock ‘n’ roll. Set in 1961, emotions run high as young musicians Norman and Bobby compete in a national songwriting competition – and, more importantly, for the attention of the gorgeous Sue. But when Bobby discovers that shy Laura is no slouch on the piano, love and rock ‘n’ roll fame beckon. The original tour premièred in February 2009 at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley to rave critical reviews and widespread audience acclaim and has since toured the UK and enjoyed a long-running West End season.

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Written by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, the duo behind TV favourites Goodnight Sweetheart, Birds of a Feather, The New Statesmen and Shine On Harvey Moon, this nostalgic soirée will take you back to a time when each passing week brought another classic track. Marks and Gran explain the importance of setting the the show in the iconic backdrop of an earlysixties youth club: “That’s where we wanted it to be set, in a youth club, as most people of that time would have belonged to one. We wanted a sort of love story. What happened in youth clubs was the girl you fancied always fancied someone else, and so on.” The show, which features a string of classic hits, including Let’s Twist Again, Happy Birthday Sweet 16 and Runaround Sue, follows members of an Essex youth club as they take a trip to Southend seafront. Marks says he chose to base the story in Essex as it holds special memories: “It’s just a county that appeals to us. I would go on trips to Southend, and my uncle used to go to Southend for an ice cream. He’d hire a car,

go to Southend, buy an ice cream and drive back home again!” The production stars a premium cast, two of whom will be familiar faces to fans of reality shows X Factor and Over the Rainbow, which saw the hunt for a new Dorothy to star in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Wizard of Oz. Amy Diamond was deemed too glamorous to don Dorothy’s ruby slippers. But determined she was never going to let one small setback put an end to her dreams, the 22 year old from Widnes, has been working hard since she reached the final 10 of the Oz contest, and has now landed one of the starring roles in Dreamboats. She plays sexy Sue, the object of affection for both the talented but awkward Bobby and cool dude Norman. “She’s terrible,” Amy laughs. “But it’s such fun to play the character. You get to be really cheeky for two hours on stage, and you get to kiss two different boys. I’m having a lovely time - they’re both very handsome.” One, Ben Ellis, a finalist in Lloyd Webber’s inaugural TV talent hunt Any Dream Will Do, plays Norman and also happens to be Amy’s real-life boyfriend. She is particularly enjoying performing the 50s and early 60s hits that she remembers her dad listening to when she was growing up and none more so than her duet with Ellis’s Norman – Shakin’ All Over. “I’m also fond of Runaround Sue,” she adds. “I don’t sing that, but I know it’s about me and I enjoy listening to it!” Dreamboats audiences, it appears, like both listening to and singing the songs that

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Autumn at The Waterside Your at-a-glance guide to what’s on... Dreamboats and Petticoats

fill the musical. Amy says: “The audience just sing along from start to finish and absolutely love it.” Forget Little Mix, the real winner of last season’s X Factor might well turn out to be a 52-year-old grandfather who 12 months ago was driving a lorry for a scaffolding firm. Terry Winstanley’s melodic voice not only captivated TV viewers but also impressed theatre impresario Bill Kenwright so much that he offered Terry a role in a touring show. Terry, who stars in Dreamboats and Petticoats playing two generations of the same character – grandfather and father, says: “The X Factor has completely changed things for me. Before that, as far as I was concerned, it was all over. When I got to my 40s I looked around and thought ‘this is a young man’s game’. I thought, enough’s enough.” Terry didn’t know he had been secretly entered into the X Factor contest by his granddaughters. “I used to watch the programme and tell them how good I was, so they entered me in it” he says. “I got in the last eight of my category, and when you think there were 200,000 applicants, that was an incredible thing at my age.” One of the things we have learned about the X Factor is that it’s not necessarily the winners that go on to turn TV exposure into a lasting career. Steve Brookstein won the show but has all but disappeared, whereas X Factor ‘losers’ such as JLS and Olly Murs have gone on to lasting success. Terry says: “It’s quite weird the way it works. I have spoken to a few X Factor

October 1st-6th

Rhod Gilbert: The Man with the Flaming Battenburg Tattoo

October 7th

Sally Morgan: Psychic Sally on the Road

October 8th

Joan Armatrading with Special Guest Chris Woods

October 9th

Ladies and the Tramps

October 10th

The Last of the Haussmans

October 11th

The Illegal Eagles

October 11th

Buddy Holly and The Cricketers

October 12th

contestants who went further than the judge’s house, and none of them are doing anything.” Terry says he is really enjoying the chance to perform classic favourites: “There’s 40 odd songs in the show; a lot you will instantly know. But I do a song called Shop Around, which unless you are music-minded you won’t know. It’s a 1961 Smoky Robinson song and everyone loves it. A great feelgood song. But the whole show is like that. It’s just a brilliant vibe.’ So does Terry think he has finally made it into showbusiness? “This time last year I was still working on a building site. I often see scaffolders, and I have become a bit of a cult hero. They run down the ladders and ask for a picture. I’m just grateful for the chance I have been given. It’s been incredible.” Featuring songs from Roy Orbison, The Shadows, Eddie Cochran, Billy Fury, Chuck Berry and many more, including Let’s Dance, To Know Him Is To Love Him, Bobby’s Girl, Little Town Flirt, Only Sixteen, Sleepwalk, What A Wonderful World, Let It Be Me and many more hits from music’s golden era, make sure you get your tickets to rock‘n’roll the night away. Book today at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre Box Office 0844 871 7607 (booking fee) or visit www.atgtickets.com/aylesbury (booking fee).

Motown’s Greatest Hits: How Sweet It Is

October 13th

That’ll Be The Day

October 15th

Hairy Bikers: Larger Than Life

October 17th

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra: Russian Masterpieces

October 18th

l Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, Exchange Street, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP20 1UG Telephone Booking: 0844 871 7607 Website: www.atgtickets.com/aylesbury

Jim Davidson Incredible Dr Guttman

October 19th October 20th-21st

Essence of Ireland Bigger and Better

October 23rd

Kevin Bloody Wilson Cop-U-Later Tour

October 24th

Kevin Bridges The Story Continues

October 25th

Jimmy Carr Gagging Order

October 28th

Great Expectations

Oct 30th - Nov 3rd

Livescreen Timon of Athens

November 1st

Comedy Club

November 2nd

Greg Davies: The Back of My Mum’s Head

November 5th

Al Murray: The Only Way is Epic Tour

November 6th

Glorious Handel by Candlelight

November 8th

Halfway To Paradise: The Billy Fury Story

November 9th

Sing-a-long-a Grease

November 10th

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

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Thame Arts & Literature Festival Oct 12th-14th

Jonathan Dimbleby

Sarah Goss

Thame’s Arts & Literature Festival returns with the country’s finest writers and a host of musical and theatrical treats

he third Thame Arts & Literature Festival (TAL Festival) takes place from October 12th-14th, in various venues around Thame, having established itself as one of the best ‘boutique’ literature festivals in the country. The line-up of authors this year is a heady mix of the famous and the interesting. Something of a coup for the event’s organisers is the appearance of Edna O’Brien, who has agreed to attend only two festivals as part of the promotion of her new autobiography. Edna’s ground-breaking books transformed writing in the 1960s, and you should not miss the chance to catch her ascerbic wit and humour, as well as tales of her long and interesting life. BBC arts editor and author Will Gompertz and Jonathan Dimbleby head a stellar cast of authors covering subjects as diverse as WB Yeats, Boris Johnson, Midsomer Murders, the Battle of El Alamein, Britain’s only assassinated Prime Minister and much more (see the website at www.talfestival.org for details). TV addicts with a sweet tooth can meet the BBC Great British Bake Off judge, and local celebrity chef, Mary Berry as she shares something of her life as both a celebrity and a chef. The Tea Concert on Friday 12th at

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Edna O’Brien

Rumsey’s Chocolaterie features one of Britain’s brightest young harp players, Sarah Goss. With concerts from Crendon Chamber Orchestra on Saturday evening and Thame Chamber Choir on Sunday afternoon, even the most selective of cultural aficionados will find something to delight. Add in Narnia, a brand new rock musical written by Steve Bannister and performed by the very talented ICP group; My Life with Dickens, a reflection on a life’s passion with the great man and his characters by Chris Walters and performed by RSC actors Sam Alexander, Felix Hayes and friends; and finally The Sunday Night Show, starring comedians Rob Deering, Sassy Clyde and The Boom Jennies and featuring music from Tyde, and TAL Festival 2012 promises a great weekend for culture lovers. And as a special prequel to the festival and to get show-goers in the mood, on October 11th the redoubtable and wonderful Pam Ayres, who will have plenty of stories about her life as the nation’s most-loved poet and her requirement to have ‘The Necessary Aptitude’. l Thame Art & Literature Festival, October 12th-14th, at venues around Thame Tel: 0871 288 3420 Website: www.talfestival.org

Sonia Purnell

Pam Ayres

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

l Column:

he kids and I spent much of the summer in Seattle, catching up with family and pretending to be tourists. But despite visiting the Boeing museum, driving a speedboat, seeing the Blue Angels air show, taking the lift up the Space Needle, riding horses at a rodeo and learning to cycle without stabilisers, the highlight for them was roasting marshmallows around the campfire and making s’mores. S’mores are a great American summertime tradition. It would

Ruby Moukli ‘Tomayto Tomaaahto’

be near unthinkable in the US to go camping without the ingredients for these roasted ‘sandwiches’: marshmallows, Hershey’s chocolate bars and graham crackers. Over here, only the marshmallows are available, and even those don’t quite compare. American marshmallows (available at Costco) tend to be larger and less sugary than the European version, but actually any will do the trick. Hershey’s bars are thin strips of milk chocolate, and there’s really nothing special about them except that they’re an American tradition. As are Graham crackers. I’ve never found them abroad, but luckily, the taste and texture are remarkably similar to digestive biscuits. And luckier still, you can buy chocolate-covered digestives here, which saves having to buy the chocolate and biscuits separately, and also makes the eating of the thing much easier. Eating a s’more is a messy business, but that’s part of the

S’mores (UK version) (makes 4)

What You Need: 8 chocolate-covered digestives 4 large white marshmallows 4 skewers for roasting

fun. Roasted marshmallows are crispy on the outside but an oozy, gooey mess inside, and when you sandwich them between two biscuits with chocolate and squeeze, well you can imagine the result. But they’re not called s’mores for nothing. It’s hard to stop at just one, and kids in particular will inevitably shout out for… s’more!

What You Do: 1. Place a marshmallow on the end of each of the skewers and roast over smouldering campfire embers (or a gas stove) until golden brown and puffy. If your marshmallow catches fire, simply blow it out quickly. 2. Gently ease a roasted marshmallow onto the chocolate side of a digestive, top with another digestive (chocolate side down) and enjoy. 3. Lick fingers and repeat.

l Ruby Moukli blogs at www.tomaytotomahto.com

Win dinner for two at The Six Bells

he Six Bells has enjoyed a long and rich history, having stood on Thame’s Lower High Street since 1560. And, although it’s undergone the odd facelift here and there – the latest was carried out last year by brewery Fuller’s – the pub still boasts the original cellar door. And behind that cellar door lies a fantastic selection of cask-conditioned real ales as you would expect from a pub with master cellarman status. The pub still retains its olde worlde, higgledy piggledy charm, with plenty of nooks, snugs and quiet corners in which to while away a few hours over a pint of London Pride or HSB, as well as a sleek decked garden for al fresco fans. The Six Bells has also built up a well-deserved reputation for food. Manager Sam Snook is a trained chef and, along with head chef Richard Walker, has come up with a mouthwatering seasonal menu of pub staples made using good-quality, local produce – think pork tenderloin and 50

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

pies baked in individual Le Creuset pots. And if you’ve got room, there’s home-made ice-cream, retro puddings such as arctic roll, and cheese from the Oxford Cheese Company. Locally famous is the pub’s Burger Mondays, when you can enjoy the ‘Dolly Parton’, the ‘Boris Johnson’ or the ‘Brangelina’ with your pint. Why not pop in on September 29th when the Six Bells will also be serving them up for the Thame Food Festival. If you’d like to be in with a chance of winning dinner for two, with a bottle of house wine, at The Six Bells, Thame, simply email your name, address and telephone number, along with the answer to the following question to: editor@vale-life.co.uk Who sang the disco hit ‘Ring My Bell’? Winner to be drawn at random and notified by email by Oct 20th. l The Six Bells, 44 Lower High Street, Thame, Oxon, OX9 2AD Tel: 01844 212088 Email: sixbells@fullers.co.uk Website: www.sixbellsthame.co.uk

Dewani Shah’s Indian & Bangladeshi cuisine 8 Swan Walk, Thame, Oxfordshire, OX9 3HN (behind The Swan)

Call: 01844 260066

for delicious, authentic, Indian cooking and friendly, helpful service from Dewani Shah’s Open: 7 days a week (including bank holidays) Sun-Thur: 5pm-10pm, Fri & Sat: 5pm-11pm Free local delivery service (minimum order £20 within 5 miles or £28 within 5 to 8 miles) 10% discount on collected orders

v Great Food v Great Portions v Great Service v Great Quality v

l Column:

Matt Brown ‘One Hungry Gent’

‘Show me food I can be proud of!’

Matt Brown

ONE Hungry Gent

h irony. Delicious, sweet-scented, butterscotch flavoured irony. Some say that Americans don’t ‘get’ irony. This might be ironic because all the Americans I’ve ever known understand the hell out of irony. Like there was this American guy who I used to work with and he once said to me, ‘Matt you are such a ****’ but he must have been employing irony l Listen to Matt Brown on Heart because I’m not a **** at all, in Breakfast With Matt and Michelle (weekdays 6-9am 102.6FM). fact I’m a peach. I could, for Tweet Matt at twitter.com/frazzleddaddy example, begin today’s column by www.onehungrygent.blogspot.com saying something about how we’re has been gloriously sunny and hot about to welcome Autumn into and where I acquired this rather our lives and that the long, hazy splendid tan. So, in fact, when I Summer that we’ve all enjoyed is mentioned ‘long, hazy Summer’ coming to an end. You would know that I was being ‘Tell me you earlier I was not being at all. How ironic ironic, that this has know of a Claydon ironic of me. been one of the Craggler or To business and wettest and most miserable summers Wendover Flimflam’ today I have a sad moan to impart. A wail, if on record and we could you will. The area of France that all laugh about how funny I have just spent the best part of a irony is. However, I have just been fortnight in, is a beautiful region to to the south of France where it

the west called Poitou Charantes. Gastronomically it is rich, rich I tells ya. Aside from the generally amazing produce, Poitou Charantes also has some regional specialities. It makes incredible butter and salt as well as some wonderful wines, Cognac and a fabulous aperitif called Pineau. The Cognac and Pineau particularly are shouted about from the rooftops, it is something the locals are intensely proud of and something that gives the area a real sense of identity. This led me to think about our own fabulous county. I mean we have amazing produce, right? There are farms around me that produce wonderful sheep, pigs and cows, we have the glory that is the Aylesbury Duck plus a bountiful selection of vegetables and fruits. And yet, we seem to have no regional speciality to shout about. I look at other counties of England and see all manner of regional dishes, cheeses and delicious titbits. The hotpot from Lancashire, the Yorkshire pudding, the mighty pasty of Cornwall, the sauce and sausage of Cumberland, the haslet from Lincolnshire, the Oxford pudding, the pond pudding from

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Sussex and so on and so on and so on. Even Bedfordshire has the Clanger. That’s right, Bedfordshire. The county that gave us Dunstable and Luton has a regional dish that is famous across the country. Isn’t it about time we had something of our own? All I wish for is that when you tell someone in Scotland or Rutland or the Isle Of Wight that you’re from Buckinghamshire, they look at you with envy in their eyes and say, “oh yeah, you have that fantastic pie thingy in Buckinghamshire”. Please tell me that I am wrong, please tell me you know of a Claydon Craggler or some Wendover Flimflam or a wonderful, local cheese that we can take to Devon or Northumberland or France and say “yes you may have your cream teas and your Singin’ Hinnies and your delicious Cognac but we have something that beats all of it into a cocked hat. We have some Aylesbury Clackadackdack”. Now, that would be wonderful. PS… Regional dishes and titbits do NOT include cupcakes. OK? Nigella has a lot to answer for. l Hear Matt’s Creepy Valley tales at http://thecreepyvalley.com

Christmas at

the chequers inn Christmas Party Menu

Fish Soup Chicken liver and brandy parfait with apple and saffron chutney Goat’s cheese and wild mushroom tartlet Poached pears and prosciutto salad

29 September 2012

Chinnor RFC, Thame - 11am till late

Beer Festival & Live Music - £5 Entry

Sirloin steak Sea bass Roast turkey Pumpkin ravioli Christmas vegetables Christmas pudding with brandy sauce Warm waffle and winter berries compote Coconut and Malibu Panacotta English cheese board Mince Pies Two course lunch £21, four course dinner £28 per person Available from November 27th. Advance bookings only.

Please call pub or see website for further details

01844 213735

clubhouse@chinnor-rfc.com

35 Church Lane, Weston Turville, Aylesbury, Bucks HP22 5SJ Tel: 01296 613298 www.thechequersinnwestonturville.co.uk Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

From filming Lewis, to a string of awards, refurbs, a website makeover, new packaging and an operational reshuffle, Mary Rumsey’s diary is positively bursting at the seams...

nspired by the film Chocolat, Nigel and Mary Rumsey opened their first Chocolaterie in Wendover on Valentine’s Day, 2004. They transformed a delightful former bank in the centre of town and created a relaxing setting in which to eat lunch, drink coffee and choose from a wonderful selection of handmade chocolates, cakes and patisserie. The business grew, a second chocolaterie was opened at Thame and a school of chocolate, ‘The Cocoa Pod’, at Stone. The Cocoa Pod had lots of space in which to produce Rumsey’s chocolate, ice cream and patisserie, and to run courses, demonstrations and children’s parties, but Nigel and Mary have increasingly felt these activities should really be happening at their chocolateries. “The chocolateries is what we’re all about and where we want to be,” says Mary, “so we’ve moved out of the Cocoa Pod and have been busy adapting our shops to be the centres for all our activities.” Both chocolateries now have theatres of chocolate which are visible to customers and will be in regular if not constant use, creating a visual focus as well as lots of lovely aromas and mouthwatering chocolate. “We’ve had the builders in at Wendover,” says Mary, “and have been busy moving chocolate production equipment across from Stone. We’ll have chocolate chef Jack working full-time in Thame and Nigel will be there two days a week. Already we have chocolate workshops set up there and we have an area to the back of the shop we can screen off for meetings. Children can have a birthday tea here and make some chocolate, it’s much more fun than being away from the action at Stone and there’s a far better atmosphere. “On Wednesday afternoons we have started chocolate lollipop making sessions at Thame

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Nigel and Mary Rumsey and they are already booked up weeks ahead. “It’s a very exciting time. We’ve had a television company filming an episode of Lewis, the Thame shop was dressed up as ‘Porters Tea Shop’ and will be on air in January. We now have some souvenirs of that to display alongside some gorgeous new prints of our chocolate - part of the ongoing refurb. “We’ve expanded our menus too, both for eating in and for takeaway. There’s now some fabulous sandwiches and daily specials alongside the cakes and patisserie.” Of course Rumsey’s is primarily about creating the most fabulous chocolate, so the company was particularly proud to scoop no less than five awards at The Fine Food Exhibition Great Taste Awards earlier this year. This is a prestigious contest judged by industry experts and Rumsey’s won a 2 Star Gold Award for their crunchy Chocolate Coated Macadamia, and four One Star Gold Awards for their Mexican Vanilla, Hazelnut Rock, Plain Organic Chocolate Log and Praline Cocoa. It’s a fantastic achievement and one that acknowledges the quality and deliciousness of their products. “We’re a small family business but we’ve got a great team of very lovely, loyal staff,” says Mary. “We are focused on looking after our customers and presenting a really good offering at our shops. We work hard to produce the very best chocolates, fabulous coffee and lovely patisserie in a comfortable cosy atmosphere.”

But Mary has more than chocolate on her plate - she is overseeing the redesign of Rumsey’s website and the launch of new packaging. “It’s all go!” she says, “but it’s an exciting time. We’re in full Hallowe’en production at the moment too. We’ve a great range of chocolate Hallowe’en delights including our strawberry and orange flavoured chocolate pumpkins, which are always very popular!” Thame Food Festival takes over the town centre on September 29th and Rumsey’s will have a stall outside their shop doing crepes and icecreams. Children will be able to do lollipop making inside too. Later in the year it’s the turn of Thame Art and Literature Festival and for this Rumsey’s is hosting an afternoon concert with harpist Sarah Goss (Fri, Oct 12th, 4.30pm: £10 tea and cake inc). Mary’s diary may be chockablock but hopefully she will still find time for a reviving hot chocolate, or some coffee and cake - for research purposes of course and to check it is all up to gold star standard! l Rumsey’s of Wendover, The Old Bank, 26 High Street, Wendover, Bucks, HP22 6EA Tel: 01296 625060 Open: Mon to Sat: 8.30am to 6pm, Sun: 10am to 6pm l Rumsey’s of Thame, 8 Upper High Street, Thame, Oxon, OX9 3ER Tel: 01844 260303 Open: Mon to Sat: 9am to 6pm, Sun - 10am to 5.30pm l Website: www.rumseys.co.uk Follow us on Twitter: @rumseyschoc

Head Chef Matthew Hiscoe and manager Andrew Schofield

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Faced with losing their local when it closed earlier this year, a group of Ellesborough and Butler’s Cross residents formed ‘Friends of The Russell’ and bought the pub with the aim of maintaining a vital hub for their community. Following a stylish refurb the pub is open again and rather lovely...

all it passion... spirit... gumption... love... they’ve got it by the bucketful in Butler’s Cross. Determined to save their local, The Russell Arms, Friends of The Russell raised around half a million pounds to buy and refurbish the ancient pub and have brought in an experienced management team to provide a social hub with top quality food and drink, and a sideline in basic supplies, such as bread, milk and eggs and little treats! The team from Wendover’s No2 Pound Street Wine & Food emporium are overseeing the running of the venture and have engaged Head Chef Matthew Hiscoe and Front of House Manager Andrew Schofield to lead from the front. The Russell Arms, thought to date back to 1763, although parts of the building are older, sits at the foot of Coombe Hill, one of the highest points in the Chilterns. It is named after the Russell family, relatives of Oliver Cromwell, who owned the nearby Chequers estate in the late 17th Century. Chequers is now the official country residence of our Prime Ministers, a connection marked by a series of ministerial photographs in the pub’s entrance hall. The No2 crew are famous among foodies for their devotion to high quality wines and cheeses and a love of local produce. In Matthew Hiscoe they have not only an extremely highly qualified and experienced chef but one who shares their love and passion for good food, provenance and top quality service. Care is being taken to ensure a visit to The Russell Arms is just a little bit special. Originally from Warwickshire, Matthew graduated with distinction from the Specialised Chefs Scholarship at Bournemouth & Poole College Academy of Culinary Arts and has worked at Wilton’s Restaurant in St James, and at the Ettington Park Hotel in Stratford on Avon: “We’re going to make The Russell Arms a great, great British pub,” he says. “We’re not aiming to be a restaurant or a ‘gastro-pub’ we’re a proper pub with very good, honest food! It’s a place to come and socialise, to have a drink, and if you’d like a little snack or a full blown meal, so much the better. Surely that’s how a pub should be.” The Russell Arms’ dining room is open lunchtimes and evenings, except for Sunday evening and all day Monday, and there’s a ‘Small Plates’ menu, available at all times in the Ale Bar. The pub is already proving popular, both with locals and those from further

afield - it is wise to book ahead if dining at weekends. “Everything is prepared and cooked fresh on the premises,” says Matthew. “The batter for our Beer Battered Fish and Chips is made fresh every morning with Gravitas Ale from the local Vale Brewery, even our Pork Scratchings and Hand Fried Crisps are made in house!” The menu is British classic with a modern twist and the ingredients are the best quality, fresh, local and seasonal. The food is good value too with main dishes priced from £8 to £14 and only a Seared Rib Eye Steak with Hand Cut Chips, Grilled Mushrooms, Tomato and Bernaise or Pepper Sauce, higher at £19. You can choose from: Ham Hock & Parsley Terrine with house Piccalilli and Griddled Sourdough (£8), Organic Stilton Soufflé with handmade Fig Jam (£9), Beer Battered Thick Hake Steak with Pea & Mint Puree, Hand Cut Chips and house Gribiche Sauce (£14), Eggy Bread & Courgette with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Courgette & Basil Purée, Shallot Potatoes and Balsamic Reduction (£8), followed by Bread & Butter Pudding with Golden Raisins and Marmalade served with Lacey’s Cream (£5) or Baked Tunworth to share, with Crusty Bread (£14). No2 are of course providing some fantastic British cheeses such as Cropwell Bishop Organic Stilton, Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire and the Hafod organic Welsh cheddar style - try the No2 Ploughman’s (£6). There is a stylish dining room and a welcoming bar area, complete with wood burning stove and plenty of seating and a good selection of local ales from the Chiltern, Rebellion, Vale and Aylesbury breweries, plus Cotswold lager, among others. Sparkling wine is on tap and of course there’s a good selection of wine, some as stocked at No2 and a few that aren’t. House wines are conveniently served in carafes of 250cl, 500cl or litre. No2 Pound Street and the Friends of The Russell should be proud of what they have achieved. Their pub is not just a valuable centre for the community but a fine example of how with passion, enthusiasm, expertise and a little love, something truly special can be created.

l Russell Arms, 2 Chalkshire Road, Butler’s Cross, Buckinghamshire, HP17 OTS. Tel: 01296 624411 Website: www.russellarms.co.uk Facebook: RussellArmsButlersCross Twitter: @RussellButlersX Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

WIN a copy of the Good Beer Guide

he 2013 edition of the UK’s best selling beer and pub guide, the Good Beer Guide, is out now and CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, is no doubt raising a glass to this 40th anniversary of its flagship publication. The Good Beer Guide, jointly sponsored by Cask Marque and SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers), features the best 4,500 real ale pubs from across the UK, with details of food, opening hours, beer gardens, accommodation, transport links, disabled access and family facilities. CAMRA’s 143,000 members fully update and revise the Guide every year, thereby guaranteeing to supply the reader with the most up to date publication of the best real ale pubs. In its 40th year, the Good Beer Guide contains 1033 new pub entries, as well as a comprehensive brewery section listing all breweries operational across the nation. The Guide has found a whopping 1,009 breweries in the UK, 158 of which opened during the past year – the highest rate of new openings ever recorded in the Guide’s 40-year history.

Good Beer Guide editor, Roger Protz, says: “The UK beer and pub industry has changed enormously over the last 40 years, and throughout this period the Good Beer Guide has remained the definitive resource for keeping beer drinkers up to date when tracking down the perfect pint of real ale. “One of the most under-publicised aspects of the Guide is that it is the result of constant pub surveying by CAMRA’s dedicated members over the course of a year, so in many ways this fortieth anniversary is testament to the tireless work of countless unpaid volunteers, who give up their time to champion great pubs, whether situated on a city centre high street, suburban street corner, or in a small hamlet.” In the Vale we’ve double cause for celebration as Aylesbury Vale & Wycombe CAMRA, is celebrating the launch of the 40th edition with the national launch of a special commemorative beer brewed by our oldest local brewery. Ruby Anniversary Ale, brewed by Chiltern Brewery, is a result of a collaboration between Roger Protz and

Chiltern’s Head Brewer, Tom Jenkinson. “The result is no ordinary run-of-the-mill offering, but something truly special to make your mouth water” says Tom. Roger Protz stirs “I have taken the Ruby mash at my inspiration Chiltern Brewery from the history of brewing, using ingredients both ancient and modern and combining the best of British hops and grains to create a fabulous rich Ruby Anniversary Ale” says Tom. For those who would like a chance to win one of three copies of this year’s Good Beer Guide simply email your name, address and telephone number, along with the answer to the following question to: editor@ vale-life.co.uk

Who is the editor of the Good Beer Guide? Winner to be drawn at random and notified by email by Oct 20th. l Website: www.camra.org.uk Local branch website: www.swansupping.org.uk

Ian & Lynne welcome you to

The Black Horse, Lacey Green

Four traditional ales and one real cider! We are in the 2012 GOOD FOOD GUIDE and GOOD BEER Guides A traditional, village pub offering a cosy, friendly atmosphere and excellent home-cooked, freshly prepared food including traditional Sunday roast lunches. A good selection of draught and bottled beers. Wi-Fi Hot Spot. Pleasant beer garden with children’s play area and Pet’s Corner.

Breakfast 9am-11am, Tue-Sat (5 items £4.50, 8 items £6.50, both including tea or coffee Sunday Lunch: £9.25 for 2 courses (Children under 6 free!) Please book early to avoid disappointment

Quiz night: last Sunday of month (free to enter) Pub games: darts, dominoes, cribbage, Aunt Sally Car park Outside functions catered for: see our website at: www.blackhorse-pub.co.uk for more details

The Black Horse, Main Road, Lacey Green, Buckinghamshire, HP27 0QU Tel: 01844 345195 Email: lynnecomley@btconnect.com www.blackhorse-pub.co.uk.co.uk

Open For Breakfast: Tuesday - Saturday: 9-11am Open For Lunch: Tuesday - Sunday: 12-2.30pm Open for evening meals: Tuesday - Saturday: 6.30-9.30pm. Closed Mondays until 5pm. Open all day Fri, Sat, Sun & Bank Holidays. 54

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Raising vital funds for The Florence Nightingale Hospice would fill most of us with a warm glow but to help those in need by supping fine beverages is an offer you surely can’t refuse...

ylesbury’s popular beer festival in aid of the Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity (FNHC), in association with CAMRA, is back in town once again for the 19th year running. The charity is calling all ale and beer-lovers to come along and sample some fantastic pints on Friday, October 26th (from 6pm11pm) and Saturday, October 27th (from 11am-11pm) at Bucks CC Sports and Social Club, Lower Road, Stoke Mandeville with all money raised going to support the Florence Nightingale Hospice. Last year’s event helped to raise over £7,000 for the Florence Nightingale Hospice, which supports local families affected by life-limiting illness through both in-patient by Long Crendon’s XT Brewery proved most and at-home services. Over 500 people atpopular. At the time they were a brand new tended the festival over the two-day event brewery and the winning barrel was only the with people travelling from far and wide to second they’d ever produced for sale - a real sample the beers and ales on offer. coup for the festival and XT Brewery! The This year there is a ‘Best of British’ theme picture above shows the CAMRA team and the chance to sample a variety of ales, handing over the ‘winning’ certificate to XT’s ciders and beers from across the country and Russ Taylor, his XT partner Gareth Xifaras then vote for your favourite. is in the white T-shirt. Local Breweries taking part ‘Supping great Tickets for the 2012 festival cost include: Vale, Chiltern, Rebellion local ale while £7 in advance or £8 on the door from Marlow, XT, Tring, the supporting such and include £3 worth of beer Aylesbury Brewhouse and newest a valuable local tokens! Don’t worry if you’re the local brewery: Malt, The Brewery designated driver as there will charity makes be which is based in Prestwood near plenty of non-alcoholic drinks for a perfect available - but why not leave the Great Missenden. day out!’ car at home? The Arriva Red Route Featured beers include: the last remaining barrel of Sink or Swim, a 300 and Number 4 and 9 buses provide a traditional Victorian IPA brewed by regular bus service to the venue from Aylesbury Brewhouse in conjunction with Aylesbury town centre every half an hour. Roger Protz (editor of the Good Beer Guide) Alexander Wright, pictured above in red and then matured for six months - the equivjumper, Chairman of the Aylesbury Vale and alent of a passage to India - for authenticity! Wycombe Branch of CAMRA is looking Featured Ciders include Rough Old Wife forward to what 2012 has to offer: “Last from Kent and many more. year was fantastic, and will be hard to As part of the festival everyone is asked to beat,” he says, “but we are always up for a nominate their favourite beer. Last year ‘XX’ challenge! Our selection of local ales were really popular and we have two new local breweries this year to go with the selection from around the country. Due to popular demand, we will be bringing back Fallen Angel Ginger Beer which was a real hit, together with an expanded range of cider and perry. “I personally can’t wait for Saturday’s hog roast, and there will also be the usual bacon sandwiches and refreshments. We look forward to welcoming back those we saw last Picture left courtesy of the Bucks Herald

year and I hope many more. Supping great local ale while supporting such a valuable local charity makes for a perfect day out!” If you are a local business and fancy sponsoring a barrel in support of the Hospice, you can do so for only £100. Contact the Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity team on 01296 429975 or email: teresaking@fnhospice.org.uk. Part of the sponsorship package will include an advert in the festival programme plus sponsors will be given two complimentary tickets. “We’re hoping this year’s event will entice beer festival-goers from across Aylesbury Vale. With a hog roast, ales, ciders, and British beers, this is definitely one for the calendar,” said Teresa King, Community Fundraiser at Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity. If you are over 18 and would like to purchase a ticket for the 19th Aylesbury Beer Festival in aid of Florence Nightingale Hospice, please contact 01296 429975, visit www.fnhospice.org.uk, pop into any Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity shop, or the Charity’s Furniture Warehouse on Chamberlain Road, or visit Aylesbury Tourist Information Office for a booking form. ‘For all the latest news and information visit: www.aylesburybeerfestival.org.uk l Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity Tel: 01296 429975 Website: www.fnhospice.org.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/florence nightingalehospice Twitter: www.twitter.com/@fnhospice Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

WIN a rejuvenating skincare collection

fter almost 10 years of intensive research Oriflame is proud to unveil their Time reversing SkinGenist™ range. This is Oriflame’s first ever skincare range with a key ingredient that acts on skin genes, using GenisteinSOY to promote anti-ageing, leaving your skin looking youthful and radiant. Purified over ten times, GenisteinSOY is a refined, special ingredient that originates from natural soy protein, helping mature skin grow old gracefully. In Orfilame’s Time Reversing SkinGenist™ range, this ground-breaking ingredient delivers unique, multibeneficial results. Penetrating deep into the skin, it not only improves skin texture but boosts collagen production, while also offering potent antioxidant protection. The Time Reversing SkinGenist™ range contains three core products: Time: Reversing SkinGenist™ Day Cream (SPF15), Night Cream and Day &Night Essence. Oriflame’s Time Reversing SkinGenist™ products are what every mature woman has been looking for. With

GenisteinSOY to stimulate gene activity, they not only restore a beautiful and radiant skin appearance but will leave skin looking up to eight years younger. Time Reversing SkinGenist™ products give women the power to feel confident in their skin again, in the most elegant and effortless way. If you’d like a chance to win a set of these three products, simply email your name, address, telephone number, and colour choice, along with the answer to the following question to: editor@vale-life.co.uk Who writes the Vale Life Beauty Spot column? Winner to be drawn at random and notified by email by Oct 20th. l Website: www.oriflame.co.uk

Celebrating great Britons in Bucks Photographer Danny Higgins has been popping up all over the Vale this Summer. He’s a busy man, not only because of the demand for his skills with a camera but because he’s full of energy and enthusiasm and has some cracking ideas, often designed to help others. One of Vale Life’s favourites is his current ‘Great Britons in Bucks’, celebration of the many local Great Britons who have been doing amazing things for charity this Summer! Danny has been taking portrait photographs of hard-working fundraisers, creating a collection of inspiring images, and helping them promote their event or activity by generating even more publicity and hopefully donations for their chosen cause! The photograph on our cover is a picture Danny took of fundraiser Karen Braithwaite. With her husband Neil, she started fundraising for the Cancer Care and Haematology Unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital while Neil’s father was being treated for cancer there. They set up a small fundraising team called the CCHFFundraisers (http://www.cchff.co.uk) independently from the hospital and have managed to raise an amazing £5,000 in just over a year, through various events! “We were amazed by the dedication and work of the team at the unit,” says Karen, “and were touched by the care given to Neil’s father. They aim

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Richard Bazeley is preparing for a Skydive to raise funds for Brain Tumour UK

to provide holistic care and support for sufferers and their families and are one of the few units that provide in-home treatment. They also fund wigs, which are not paid for by the NHS. “Sadly, Neil’s father passed away recently, but our fundraising efforts will continue to support the unit and the fantastic service they provide.” Karen and Neil, Neil’s stepmum Penny and friend Judi, have organised events as diverse as ten pin bowling, cake sales, a 70 mile solo bike ride,

quiz nights and photos with an Olympic torch. There are two final events planned for 2012: a Race Night to be held at Bierton Jubilee Hall on 27th October and a Winter Ball on November 16th to be held at the Holiday Inn in Weston Turville. The Winter Ball will have a fabulous ‘Black and Red’ casino theme and guests will be treated to a three course meal, disco among other entertainment. You’re guaranteed a great party night while raising money for the unit! For more details and to get tickets for the Winter Ball, or the Race Night, or to donate sponsorship or a raffle prize, contact Neil on 07763 716557 or visit www.cchff.co.uk If you’d like to donate to the Cancer Care and Haematology Unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, you can do so at: www.justgiving.com/cchffundraisers Well done to Danny for this inspiring initiative. You can see more fundraisers on his Facebook site at: www.facebook.com/dannyhigginsphoto If you are fundraising for Charity, why not get involved with Danny’s ‘Great Britons in Bucks’ project and raise the profile of your antics?! To book a Great Britons portrait, email Danny at: dannyhphoto@gmail.com or call: 07827 521810 and tell him what you’re doing for charity, your charity details and your preferred photoshoot dates. l www.dannyhigginsphotography.com

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

When the home of Thame Football, Meadow View Park, opened two years ago itMeadow was an amazing View Park conclusion to years of campaigning, negotiation, fundraising and planning. It hasConference since proved & Events Centre itself to be a valuable community resource and celebrates much more than just football...

ou don’t have to be a member to enjoy the facilities at Meadow View Park. Whether it’s watching the Champions League in the BarRed Sports Bar, hiring the boardroom for a meeting, taking a Jazzercise class, partying at one of the live music events or Christmas parties, or holding your wedding reception in the McCormick Suite, anything seems possible at this stylish new sporting facility. “It was purpose built to be a very versatile building,” says General Manager Frank Thompson. “It was

planned with the needs of the wider community at heart and we are attracting quite a range of local clubs and associations. We have all sorts of classes and activities taking place, which are open to everyone. “We are popular for functions and weddings too. The McCormick Suite can accommodate up to 120 seated but we can attach a marquee to the front, or at the side of the building, to increase our capacity and seat up to 200 for lunch, dinner, or a wedding breakfast. “We have a fully operational kitchen on the premises and we utilise specialist caterers for the

occasion. There are sample menus on our website and we can also price and produce a menu to your own specifications. “Our in-house events team is here to ensure your event runs smoothly, hassle free and to budget. The RedKite Marquee “We’ll be holding our popular Christmas Party Nights again this year. They run from 7.30pm Meadow View Pa to 1am on Thursday 13th, Friday Conference and Events Ce 14th and Saturday 15th December and include a welcome drink, a two course buffet and disco for £19.95 www.thamefootball.co.u per person. “Tables of 10 or 12 are available but you can book a smaller number in and share a table (call 01844 214401 for more details). “We attended the Mayors Ball in May 2011 and had a simply projector. With around 200 “We are also bringing Rud fantastic evening , the food, staff and entertainment were all first class” people watching some events the Stewart back for two Christmas Dave Brooks – Fingerprint atmosphere can be really good.” Party Nights with disco and Forthcoming Meadow View Park live entertainment. He’s a great events are listed on the Thame performer and very popular. Saturday has already nearly sold out, Football Partnership website (www.thamefootball.co.uk) where so, if you’d like to join the party, register for a regular club don’t delay in buying your tickets Celebrate Xmas in styleyou atcan Meadow View Park newsletter if350 you’d and miss out on a great night of 400 300 120 80like to be th, Friday 14th or Saturday 15th December Thursday 13 kept updated. entertainment (see panel left for Ifdetails).” you are the nominated Christmas party organiser within In addition to football (theyour club fiveout senior sidesplanning. and 26 junior The McCormick is also company, then let Suite us help take theruns stress of the 2 teams girls designedmore, for conferences. features What’s we know Ithow to helpsides, youincluding to plan the bestforChristmas and and has just football floor to ceiling windows andusa to the test party ever. Why not put let launched us showayou we are apprenticeship scheme) activities at private area, a ceiling mounted the bestbar Christmas Party Venue! Don’t miss out on a Night To the stadium include 5-a-side Soccer, data projector and state of the art Remember and get booked up early so please don’t delay. Jazzercise, Jive Classes, Pilates lighting and sound systems. There AisCompany Christmas Party wayClasses of saying a big thank Classes, Yoga and Boot complimentary Wi-Fi and car is an excellent you to your staff forcars all the work theyPlans haveareput Camps. alsoininover placethe year parking for up to 160 and hard 5 and developing high level of teamforspirit. a Darts and Aunt Sally team coaches at any onea time. at the venue smaller meetings, upjoining to 15 our ForFor companies of any of size, Christmas Party Nights can be Meadow View Park is there for people, the boardroom is ideal. It’s a great option for you. If you are a small office or separate all to use. It’s a fantastic, newperfect facility for air conditioned and has a 42 inch department within a bigger organisation, these nights are and a fabulous success story. All in wall mounted TV for presentations. you. Our Night to Remember Xmas parties include a Xmas buffet all, something to celebrate! “Come down to the bar anytime meal and after-dinner disco. To enquire about and you’ll generally find live sport hosting yoursays Party with us this Xmas please call on the TV,” Frank. “When l Meadow View Park, Tythrop Way, 01844-214401 Getcanthe Party Started there’s a popularand eventLet’s on, we Thame, Oxon, OX9 3RN show it on our big screen too. It’s Tel: 01844 214401 a 12m2 drop down screen with HD Website: www.thamefootball.co.uk

Meadow View Park, it’s where more than just football is celebrated.

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND A PERFECT NIGHTthOUT th Friday 7 and Saturday 8 December DON’T MISS OUT ON A GREAT NIGHT OF ENTERTAINMENT

Rud Stewart is back by popular demand for a Xmas Special Double Bill at MVP on Friday 7th & Saturday 8th Dec. Tickets are only £25.00pp including a Special 3 Course Xmas meal and Disco until 1.00am. Tables of 10-12 or places can be secured with a £5 deposit per person.

To reserve CALL 01844 214401 NOW

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Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

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Not a Riding School Experienced Riders Club starting in Chiltern hills at Radnage, offering special lease or share arrangements of top sports horses on premises. Excellent hacking and lovely assortment of heights, colours, experience, and personalities. We do the work, you ride.

Telephone: 07962 207988, or view: www.eskimohorses.com/ridersclub.html 58

Vale Life : Sept/Oct 2012

Andrews of Thame Painting & Decorating Property Maintenance

JONES AND COCKS Your Friendly Local Hardware and Bottled Gas Centre

We sell LPG gas for vehicles

Domestic & Commercial Call now for free estimates

Tel: 01844 260337 Mobile: 07590 573419

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Established in Thame for 18 years Tel: 01844 218091 Mobile: 07816 264231 26 Hamilton Road, Thame, Oxon, OX9 3XZ

Your Local Source for LPG and Industrial Gases Competitive Prices Free Local Delivery Helpful, knowledgeable Staff Also Hand & Power Tools Janitorial and DIY Supplies Security Products

10A Bessemer Cres, (off Rabans Lane), Aylesbury, HP19 8TF Tel: 01296 488154 Open Mon - Fri 8-6, Sat 8 - 4pm

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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

Tel: 01844 292783 Mobile: 07860 795236

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For all your vehicle needs 3B Hire & Servicing, Townsend Garage, Thame Road, Haddenham, Bucks HP17 8BY Tel: 01844 291430

w car, van, mpv & minibus hire w vehicle servicing - all makes & models w car valeting w tyres, exhausts, batteries