Alconbury Dec 2020

VILLAGER The

Issue 103 - December 2020

and Town

Life

LOCAL NEWS • LOCAL PEOPLE • LOCAL SERVICES • LOCAL CHARITIES • LOCAL PRODUCTS

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In this issue The History of Writing Christmas on a Budget Bringing Local Business to Local People Every Month in Alconbury, Grafham, Kimbolton, The Stukeleys ur and all surrounding areas Yo EE R py

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Inside this issue...

Choosing and caring for your Christmas tree

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How many kinds of sweet flowers grow..........26 Hard-working Ivy............................................28 Robin Redbreast..............................................31 RSPCA Annual Review - The Best Bits..............34 Puzzle Page.....................................................36 Your Christmas Tech Checklist..........................38 Win £100 in our Prize Crossword........... 42 The Gift of a Great Book...................................44 Useful Numbers..............................................47 Robin Redbreast

The History of Writing.......................................4 Discovering Bath...............................................8 Festive Baking.................................................10 How to enjoy a greener Christmas...................12 Colour Therapy this Christmas.........................14 Wines Worth Locating: Hirschmugl.................17 Christmas on a Budget....................................19 Be Canny with Credit Cards.............................22 Choosing and caring for your Christmas Tree...24

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Get your business off to a flying start this year

Advertise with the Villager Magazine... prices start from just £30.00 +VAT per month Editorial - Catherine Rose, Solange Hando, Jennie Billings, Trevor Langley, Kate Duggan, Katherine Sorrell, Pippa Greenwood, Rachael Leverton, Tracey Anderson and RSPCA

Advertising Sales/Local Editorial Nigel Frost • Tel: 01767 261122 nigel@villagermag.com Front Cover Photography - Wavebreak Media Ltd Design and Artwork Design 9 • Tel: 07762 969460 www.design9marketing.co.uk

Publishers Villager Publications Ltd 24 Market Square, Potton, Bedfordshire SG19 2NP Tel: 01767 261122 Email: nigel@villagermag.com www.villagermag.com

Disclaimer - All adverts and editorial are printed in good faith, however, Villager Publications Ltd can not take any responsibility for the content of the adverts, the services provided by the advertisers or any statements given in the editorial. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored without the express permission of the publisher.

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History

The History of Writing

By Catherine Rose

December brings with it one of the biggest annual tasks – sending out our Christmas cards! But while you are busy penning your festive wishes to friends and family, you are also taking part in one of humankind’s greatest achievements: communication through the art of writing.

Writing has only been in existence for around five thousand years. It was invented a long time after spoken language, which developed tens of thousands of years ago. What is astonishing is that all written languages, although very different in appearance, can be traced back to common origins and a lightbulb moment in writing’s development known as the Rebus Principle.

Universally amongst human cultures, history has always been passed down verbally over time through songs, poetry and stories. The human impulse to be creative has also led to expression through art, and the earliest forms of written communication were through pictographs and pictograms: drawings of objects and illustrations of a concept the artist wanted to communicate.

Illustrations like this can be seen in the oldest cave paintings. Early pictographs were also used as accounts, such as listing belongings that were to be traded or sacrificed; for example, a sheaf of wheat or a cow. Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics famously used a variety of pictograms.

However, people quickly found that pictograms alone were not always enough to convey complex ideas, so they were adapted to not only represent what they were, but to additionally stand for

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spoken sounds. Words could then be built up using images that did not necessarily relate to the objects themselves but could be sounded out to obtain another meaning. This was the Rebus Principle – rebus meaning ‘by things’ in Latin. It meant that people’s names could be written down, as well as their possessions and transactions. As an example, ‘sun’ and ‘son’ have different meanings but because they sound the same, they could be represented by the same symbol.

The earliest form of writing using symbols – or phonograms – to represent sounds is known as ‘cuneiform’. It was invented in ancient southern Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq) by the Sumerians in order to facilitate trade. Cuneiform used a system of triangular marks made with a reed that were impressed on wet clay tablets. Examples can be seen in the British Museum.

At the same time in China, etched and (later) calligraphically painted characters, which had originally depicted objects, evolved to represent more complex words and ideas. As there are many sounds in Chinese language that are the same but mean entirely different things, extra marks or qualifiers were added to the written characters to explain the correct context of the words.

The earliest examples of Chinese writing have been found on oracle bones. These were animal bones on which a prediction or question was etched. The bone was then heated and the way it cracked could be read by a diviner to confirm the prediction or answer a question.

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In Mesoamerica, glyphs were used to represent the written form of language. Consequently, it is believed that writing was invented in three separate areas of the world along similar principles.

Alphabets we use today have common origins in the Semitic language. The Semites worked as labourers in ancient Egypt and adapted hieroglyphs to represent twenty-four different sounds, producing their own written letters.

The Phoenicians adapted this alphabet and it was spread across the Mediterranean by travelling merchants. The Greeks and Romans also adopted it for their own written languages, Greek and Latin. The discovery of the Rosetta Stone was an important development in deciphering these links, because it was written in three different scripts and could therefore be used as a codebreaking tool.

Today, the origin of our alphabet can still be traced back to Semitic pictographs. The letter ‘a’ or ‘A’, for example, was originally an ox’s head or aleph and was therefore given the sound a. The Greeks subsequently called this first letter alpha. Because of differences between cultures in reading left

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to right or right to left, letters were turned and adapted. If you flip our capital letter A upside down, it still looks like an ox head.

In the same way, the letter ‘b’ or ‘B’ was originally a drawing of a reed house or bet, producing a b sound. The Greeks subsequently called this letter beta. If you look at the original Semitic drawing of the letter, it is a square shape with a slight tail. Once again, flip it and our modern letter b is recognisable.

As with spoken language, written language has evolved over time. Punctuation and the differentiation between capital and lower-case letters were a necessary evolution of reading long texts to indicate pauses, breaths and the separation of ideas for clarity of meaning. As with qualifying marks in Chinese, a comma can make a world of difference! But it was not until the invention of printing that punctuation was standardised.

Writing has not only given us a means to post our good wishes at Christmas. It has also given us the gift of great literature and in our modern world has enabled global communication.

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Travel

Discovering Bath If you’re still not sold on travelling abroad this winter, choose to holiday closer to home with a city break in Bath, one of the UK’s national treasures.

After the year we’ve had, understandably many of us aren’t keen on travelling outside of the UK this winter – but that doesn’t mean you can’t book a holiday closer to home. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bath is a great option for a UKbased city break, where luxurious spas, historical tales and awe-inspiring architecture are all part of the experience. Here’s what not to miss while you’re there.

The largest city in Somerset, Bath is easily accessible by rail or road for anyone living in England and Wales. But, if you did want to fly, Bristol Airport is only 20 miles away. Tempted? Here’s what not to miss while you’re there: Warm up in a thermal spa Bath is best known for housing one of the world’s best-preserved Roman bathhouses, a piece of history so important that it gave the city its name.

Naturally heated to around 46°C, the water comes from the city’s hot springs which are packed with over forty different healing minerals. After being discovered by Prince Bladud around 863 BC, these natural spring waters became a constant theme throughout the city’s history.

The original Roman baths are no longer safe for swimming, but you can still book a tour around the temple and bathing complex. If you do fancy a dip, the Thermae Bath Spa is right next door and uses the same mineral-rich water, treated to make it safe for public use. There’s no better place to warm up this winter; indulge in a treatment or two before bathing in the rooftop pool, drinking in the views of the surrounding cityscape.

By Solange Hando

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Walk in Jane Austen’s shoes For any Jane Austen fan, Bath will conjure up images of the style and sophistication of the 1800s. Not only did the author live here for five years, but she also used the city as a setting for two of her novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion.

You can learn more about her time in Bath at the Jane Austen Centre, where guides in period costumes and a Regency tearoom really help bring her stories to life.

Take an architectural tour Walking through Bath will take you on a journey through centuries of architectural art.

After taking a liking to Bath during the eighteenth century, the Georgians built much of the city you’ll see today. They used the famous Bath limestone to construct elaborate buildings, including Circus, the Assembly Rooms and the Pump Rooms. The Royal Crescent is an absolute must-see: this beautiful, curved row of thirty Georgian terraces is probably Bath’s most impressive piece of architecture.

Visit some museums Bath is a treasure chest of museums and galleries; you’d need a week to visit them all! Two of the most famous are The Fashion Museum, home to over 100,000 items of clothing and footwear, and The Museum of Bath Architecture, the best place to learn about the city’s distinctive Georgian structures.

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Baking

Cinnamon Stars Perfect for a festive sweet treat or a lovely edible Christmas gift these spiced star cookies can be kept in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Makes 20 - Ready in 1 hour, plus chilling and cooling Ingredients 2 medium egg whites 175g icing sugar 250g finely ground roasted hazelnuts 50g mixed peel, finely chopped 1 tbsp ground cinnamon 1 Using an electric handheld mixer, whisk the egg whites in a clean, grease-free bowl until holding stiff peaks. Stir in the icing sugar until thoroughly combined then continue to whisk until thick and glossy.

2 Remove 40g of this mixture and set aside.

Fold the hazelnuts, mixed peel and cinnamon into the remaining mixture to make a very stiff dough. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

3 Preheat the oven to 140C, 120C fan, gas mark 1. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper. Roll the dough out on a surface heavily dusted with icing sugar to a 1cm thickness.

4 Using a 5cm star-shaped cookie cutter stamp out about 20 stars, re-rolling the dough as needed until it is all used up. Place the stars on the baking sheet, well-spaced apart.

Spread a little of the reserved egg white and icing sugar mixture on top of each star.

5 Bake for 25 minutes or until the cookies are still white and crisp on top but slightly soft underneath. Turn off the oven, open the oven door and leave the cookies to dry out for 15 minutes then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

TIP - Dust the cookie cutter with icing sugar frequently to prevent the mixture sticking.

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Green Issue

How to enjoy a greener Christmas ‘Less is more’ is a mantra that’s rarely heard around Christmas. This year, show Planet Earth a little love with these five eco-friendly Christmas tips. from local farm shops and choose an organic, freerange turkey. Food tastes a lot better when you Rent, reuse or recycle a tree know where it’s come from!

Every December, up to eight million Christmas Sadly, Christmas is also the most wasteful time of trees are bought in the UK alone, most of which the year, so make sure you only buy things that are dumped at the end of the season. That’s a lot you know will get eaten. If you get carried away, of waste! turn your leftovers into new meals, see how much Plastic trees last for years but take enormous you can fit in the freezer or donate to a local food amounts of energy to manufacture. Buying bank. pre-loved ones on eBay, Gumtree and Freecycle, Rethink your decorations however, is a great way to reuse what would From Christmas lights to candles, who would have otherwise be thrown away. thought that decorations could be bad for the If Christmas isn’t the same without that authentic environment? pine tree scent, why not rent a tree from a local Fortunately, something as simple as switching farm? After you’ve used it, it’ll be picked up and your incandescent lights to LEDs can cut energy replanted, ready for next year. usage by up to 80%! You don’t have to give up When buying new, look out for the ‘Grown in your candle collection either; look out for soy Britain’ label or FSC ‘seal of approval’, and find or beeswax candles, which don’t contain harmful drop-off points in your area where it can be paraffin wax. recycled once Christmas is over.

The chances are you have Christmas decorations Buy second-hand rattling round in your attic, so don’t waste money Gifts don’t have to be new to bring a smile to – or materials – buying new ones. If you do, head someone’s face. Suggest a second-hand present to charity or vintage shops to find some pre-loved rule with family and friends this year, where you styles. only buy each other pre-loved gifts.

Wrap sustainably These could be from a charity shop or websites We use over 8,000 tonnes of wrapping paper over such as eBay. If you’re feeling crafty, you could even Christmas, much of which isn’t recyclable! whip up some gifts from home. Candles, jams and It’s depressing, but don’t lose hope. Try wrapping chutneys or knitted hats and scarves: get creative presents with old wallpaper, posters or newspapers, and see where your talents take you! and save the wrapping paper on your own gifts for Source locally grown food next year.

We’re all guilty of buying – and eating – a little A great way to test if wrapping paper can be more food than we need at Christmas, so it’s recycled is to scrunch it up in your hands and important to make sure it’s coming from a then let it go. If the paper stays crumpled it can sustainable place. be recycled, but if it unfolds by itself it probably Instead of fighting over groceries in the contains non-recyclable elements. supermarket aisle, source your Christmas lunch

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House of Colour

Colour Therapy this Christmas “Colour is life; …. Colours are the children of light, and light of their mother” (Johannes Itten ‘The Colour Journal’) I’m not a colour therapist but I certainly see the powerful effect colours can have on us. Whether it’s that magical moment seeing the right colours light up the face or the joy of hearing how much more confident clients feel in themselves when they look good. Colour can undoubtedly give us a boost.

Luckily for us Christmas is synonymous with the most versatile colour in the palette, red. We all look good in red, true red, primary red. It has an equal balance of blue and yellow and works with all our other shades in the palette (I do have some tiny caveats to that which anyone who has had a colour consultation will know, but release any need to worry about this). Embracing red is a great way to offer us a level of mood boost.

• A scarf, some red lipstick, start small and build up to it if you feel nervous about embracing it. It’s a great choice in a belt.

• Review how many colours you have in your wardrobe. Are you repeat buying the same hues,

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what’s missing? Most of us have 11 colours with 7 neutral shades. Can you beat that?

• Bring out your brighter shades – particularly when you don’t feel very bright. Experiment and see if this can change how you’re feeling. You might be surprised.

• Which neutrals could you put with your primary red? Black, grey and navy are often put with red but what about tan, brown and some lighter blues?

• Bring colour into your loungewear. If you’re spending more time in comfort clothing make it good, you deserve it. Embrace the joy that colour can bring to brighten up time spent at home.

• Give the gift of a colour consultation – find out those shades that really light you up inside an out!

Article by Jennie Billings House of Colour House of Colour has a network of stylists to help you update your look.

Find your nearest at houseofcolour.co.uk/find-a-stylist

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Jill Dighton MA Counselling & Psychotherapy Practice BSc (Hons) Integrative Counselling MBACP (Accred)., UKCP Reg.

Counselling Service Depressed? Anxious?

Relationship Issues? Low Self Esteem?

Have you considered Counselling sessions?

Based in Grafham village, I offer a professionally qualified Counselling Service to individuals and couples in a secure, confidential & non-judgemental atmosphere.

Ample parking. Concessionary rates available.

For further details:

Tel: 07925 852 985 (Dedicated line with voicemail)

Email: jill@jdighton.co.uk or visit www.jilldightoncounselling.co.uk

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COVID 19 Safety Guidance strictly followed 15

and a Happy New Year to all our readers and advertisers.

From the team at The Villager x

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Food & Drink

Wines worth locating: Hirschmugl Austrian cuisine is now available and very much enjoyed, globally. The popularity of wines, produced in Austria, is now recognised and acknowledged around the world. Many have received awards, at prestigious competitions and events, in Austria and other countries, worldwide.

Weingut Hirschmugl is located in Styria, at Domaene am Seggauberg. The non-poisonous adder snake is incorporated in the company’s logo, as they are considered an indicator of a healthy environment. Grape varieties grown include Sauvignon Blanc, Welschriesling, Traminer, Muscaris, Cabernet Blanc and Cabertin.

Wines produced are classified as Styrian Drinking Pleasure, Nobilis – utilising grapes from the best locations in the vineyards, Aurum – produced in limited quantities and aged, plus Sparkling wine, which is only produced during exceptional years and Natural wine.

The combinations of soil minerals, plus climate (which includes warm days and cool nights), with much knowledge, expertise and devotion, of course, ultimately come together to produce outstanding (not a word I use lightly) wines. The winery is in an area of ancient woodlands. The Domaene Hirschmugl team works in harmony with nature – a philosophy equally as important today as it was at the outset. Included in the range of wines produced by the Hirschmugl winery are some from “PiWi” grape varieties. These “PiWi” varieties have a high, natural fungus resistance. Constantly striving to expand on skills and knowledge, Hirschmugl produces superb wines to a high standard, whilst maintaining traditions.

Decto Rosso is a wonderful brut wine. This salmoncoloured presentation has fine bubbles and a really pleasant, fruity bouquet. An elegant wine and a great appetiser, too. Cabernet Blanc I found aromatic and with a very good mouthfeel and palate sensation. Their Chardonnay and Chardonnay Nobilis (aged), with intense, full-bodied, long palates, are regular selections, for many.

Muscaris has numerous ‘devotees’, also. Dry, aromatic and with a full body, this graces many dining occasions, constantly. RWC is aged and very popular. The deep, red colour, is appreciated and extended, for bouquet, plus great pleasures on the mouth and palate. The wine bottles are eye-catching and impressively adorned with logo and labelling.

Other productions include splendid fruit vinegars, grape pit oil, plus grape pit flour and honey.

For all details, www.hirschmugl-domaene.at

As always, Enjoy!

ey Trevor Langl To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122

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At Oakleigh Residential Home we take great pride in maintaining the highest standards of care for our residents. Our home is set out in large gardens with easy access, 24 bright and comfortable, single-occupancy rooms and in-house cooks who create appetising and varied menu’s.

01480 890248 stonnell.oakleigh@outlook.com 22 North Road, Alconbury Weston, Huntingdon, PE28 4JR.

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Parenting

By Kate Duggan

Christmas on a budget

Free and low-cost ideas to make Christmas magical

Try a digital advent calendar (£3.70) The Jacquie Lawson advent calendar is a firm favourite in our house. A new game, story or creative activity is released each day throughout December.

The calendar is centred around a Christmassy scene, and many of the activities then become part of that scene. So your child might decorate the tree, dress up the snowman or create a wreath to hang on a shop door, for example. www.jacquielawson.com/advent.

Look for low-cost elves (£1) A branded Elf on a Shelf could set you back over £20, so look for alternatives. I picked up a couple of small bendable elves for £1 each from Tiger a couple of years ago, which did the job just as well as a bigger elf – until the dog got hold of them!

Send a message from Santa (Free) Santa has been wishing my kids a happy Christmas through a Portable North Pole (www.portablenorthpole.com) video for years. The shorter

personalised video is free to create and is pretty much guaranteed to delight younger children. (It’s also worth looking in your phone’s app store for Christmas-themed apps like Santa Spy Cam and Elf Yourself.)

Organise a second-hand scavenger hunt (£10 or under) Most children enjoy a scavenger hunt around the house or garden.

The most successful one I’ve organised for my children involved a load of Shopkins and other mini figures that I picked up secondhand from Facebook Marketplace for under £10. The elves that I mentioned above also create a treasure hunt every year, with a series of clues leading to a craft activity, gift-wrapped sweets or a small toy.

Buy in bulk If you can club together with other families, you might be able to make savings on stocking fillers and activities by bulk buying. Baker and Ross (www.bakerross.co.uk) for example, sell a wide range of craft kits, activities and small toys. They

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mainly sell to schools, so if you bulk buy it works out a lot cheaper.

My son adored the Gingerbread House Kit last year (two for £6.95 or 10 for £22.50).

The Rainbow Wooden Keyring Craft Kits (four for £6.95 or sixteen for £18.40), Racing Reindeers (four for £5.95 or sixteen for £14.88) and Woodland Friends Stationery Sets (four for £6.95 or sixteen for £18.40) would all make great stocking fillers. There’s also usually an offer on whereby you can save more money if you spend over a certain amount.

Look for cost-saving memberships (£1) Membership cards like Kids Pass offer substantial discounts on family experiences. You can get up to 40% off cinema tickets for example, as well as money off days out to safari parks, theme parks, zoos, trampoline parks and so on, plus discounts on restaurants. A Kids Pass membership from www. kidspass.co.uk costs £2.99 a month, but you can get a thirty-day trial for just £1.

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Finance

Be canny with credit cards Taking out a credit card to pay off a credit card might seem insane at first glance. But that’s exactly what a 0% balance transfer card is all about – as long as you use it the right way. It’s a strategy that’s absolutely not for everyone, but could be worth a look if you have good organisational skills, self-control and a decent credit record.

You may come across two types of card, known as a balance transfer card and a money transfer card. Both work in a similar way: when you take out the card the new lender will pay money into an account you already have. You won’t have to pay any interest on this amount to the new lender as long as you pay it back by a set date, often twelve to eighteen months later.

The difference is where the money goes. A balance transfer card means the money goes straight towards reducing or clearing your outstanding balance on another credit card. A money transfer card means the money goes into your bank account, reducing or clearing your overdraft. (There’s no point using a money transfer card if your bank account is in the black.)

Using a transfer card doesn’t reduce your debt.

However, it does give you breathing space during which you can put more of your spare money into clearing the debt rather than having it eaten up by interest.

Of course, the deal comes with a couple of catches, which answer the question of what’s in it for the company issuing the new card. The first is that you’ll usually have to pay a fee up front when you take out the card. This will usually be something up to three percent of the amount you are transferring. Though this may seem a small sum, bear in mind this payment is a fee and doesn’t reduce your debt.

The second catch is that the lenders issue such cards in the hope that you don’t simply pay off the outstanding debt before the end of the interest-free period. Instead they hope you’ll take advantage of the fact you can make purchases or withdraw cash

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on the balance transfer card just like any other credit card. This spending is not at 0% but rather will usually carry a high interest rate. Meanwhile, any of the transfer money that you haven’t repaid at the end of the interest free period will begin racking up interest at the card’s ‘standard’ rate, which is usually pretty uncompetitive.

So, how to make the most of such cards? Firstly, avoid them unless you are confident you will at best clear the balance and at worst make a significant dent in it before the interest-free period ends.

Next, make sure you never use the card other than to arrange the transfer. To avoid temptation, don’t activate or register it. You could even cut it up. It’s usually best to cancel the card once you’ve cleared the debt.

Make certain you always make the minimum payment each month, preferably through a direct debit. Usually if you ever miss the minimum payment, the interestfree deal is immediately void and the card starts racking up interest right away.

Whenever possible, make a manual payment that’s slightly higher than the minimum payment each month. Any time you only make a minimum payment will show up on your credit history and could be viewed negatively by lenders.

It may be worth avoiding taking out such cards if you’re planning on getting a mortgage (or remortgaging) in the medium term. Lenders may see multiple cards on your credit report and assume you aren’t managing your money well.

Look for online eligibility calculators. These will give you an idea of which cards you are most likely to be approved for, reducing the risk of being turned down or having to make multiple applications, again something that could hurt your credit record.

Finally, take note that you can’t usually do a balance or money transfer between cards or accounts operated by the same lender or by lenders in the same banking group. You may need to check these groupings as they aren’t always obvious.

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Interiors

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By Katherine Sorrell

Choosing and Caring for Your Christmas Tree Which tree to buy? Where to put it? And how best to look after it?

We help you to make the most of your festive centrepiece.

Some say there is no substitute for a real Christmas tree – while others argue that artificial trees are an excellent alternative. We offer some arboreal insights.

Which type of real tree?

For the smell and feel of Christmas, you can’t beat a real tree. But which type should you opt for?

The Norway Spruce is the classic choice, with a traditional shape, plenty of branches and a longlasting scent. However, it can be on the spikey side and is more likely to shed needles. The Nordmann Fir is the most popular Christmas tree in Europe

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and has an even shape, soft foliage and glossy, dark green needles that don’t drop much. The Scots Pine is less common but retains its needles and has a lovely, fresh smell, while the Fraser Fir –popular in the USA – has silvery-green, dense, bushy foliage and soft, low-shed needles that give off a citrusy aroma. The majestic Noble Fir features dense whorls of blueish needles with well-spaced foliage while the unusual Lodgepole Pine is bushy, with upward-pointing branches, a strong pine scent and the best needle-retention of all.

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Cut or container?

Freshly cut Christmas trees provide a problem when it comes to disposal (thought they are, of course, biodegradable). For some, a great alternative could be a Christmas tree purpose-grown in a pot. Once the festive season is over the tree can be moved outside in its pot until next year.

Each year it will get a little bigger, and it can be kept for up to three years.

Preparing for your treeshopping trip First, write down the dimensions of the space – height and width – into which your tree will fit, and take them with you along with a tape measure. Pack a pair of heavy gloves to protect your hands, and an old blanket to catch pine needles that fall off in the boot of your car. If transporting your tree on the roof of the car, take a suitable rope

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and perhaps a tarpaulin to wrap around the tree for protection.

Picking out the best tree Look for a symmetrical tree with evenly distributed branches. The freshest trees will boast shiny, green needles that don’t drop off if you pull gently on a branch.

Avoid trees with dry or brown needles. Buying direct from a local grower ensures that the tree hasn’t travelled far or been out of the ground for too long.

What about artificial trees?

Modern artificial trees are incredibly realistic, though probably won’t have the natural appearance (or the delicious smell) that real trees offer.

Generally, the more you pay the better an artificial tree will look, and large, luxurious versions can be expensive. The upside is that it can be used again and again (thus diminishing its environmental impact) – though consider how easily it dismantles or folds down, how heavy it is, and where and how you will store it.

Which artificial tree?

If you have decided to opt for artificial, the next stage is to measure for the optimum dimensions. There is a huge variety of shapes and sizes on offer, including regular, slim and half (flat-back) trees, while colours range from white to black and everything in between. You may come across a choice between PVC needles, which are flat and papery, and PE, or polyethylene, needles, which are more realistic though more expensive. Many

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artificial trees are pre-lit, too, with LED fairy lights already wound around the branches and ready to plug in, and some are ‘frosted’ with a dusting of artificial snow.

Caring for your real tree • If you want it to look good right through until Twelfth Night, try to buy your tree as late as possible.

• Ask the seller to saw a small slice off the bottom of the trunk (alternatively, do this yourself as soon as you get home). This will help it to absorb water.

• Stand the tree in a bucket of water in a cool place until you are ready to position and decorate it.

• If possible, place the tree in a cool spot, away from fires or radiators. Even a sunny window can hasten the tree’s decline.

Secure it in a correctly sized, sturdy stand and adjust it so it is level. Fill the reservoir with water and check this regularly, topping up as necessary.

1 The colours of tree decorations can complement those of the room as a whole. Gabrielle three-seater sofa, £1,099, Sofology: 03444 818 181; sofology.co.uk.

2 A snowy, frosty look works well with white and silver decorations. Frosted Norway spruce seven-foot artificial Christmas tree, £369.99; glitter LED Christmas bauble trio, £11.99; Osby star lights, from £7.99; champagne bow Christmas decoration, £7.99; all Lights4fun: 01423 816 040; lights4fun.co.uk.

3 A selection of primary-coloured tree decorations, plus sweet pom-pom garlands, is modern and eyecatching. Six-foot real-look Christmas tree, £89; wicker tree skirt, £15; decorations, from a selection; all Dunelm: 0845 165 6565; dunelm.com.

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25

Gardening

By Pippa Greenwood

How many kinds of sweet flowers grow…

The quintessentially English country garden has classic, timeless appeal, and although easier to achieve in the countryside can still be recreated at least in part in town.

Shrubs make a great backdrop so choose a range of different shapes, textures and shades of leaf colour for that cottage garden feel. For best effect choose mainly or all deciduous shrubs with just a few evergreens.

A wooden or metal gate painted white gives the right feel, and when smart, traditional-look fixings and fixtures are painted contrasting black, the look is complete.

In a country-style garden the combination of a wide range of types of flower in an even wider range of colours is perfect. Contrasting colours look great as long as there is plenty of greenery in-between.

Plant loosely and almost randomly in drifts, with no straight lines anywhere, to give beds and borders a country style, whatever their size. Allow plants to grow closer together so there is no bare earth, and when planting a bed from scratch use hardy annuals to fill in any gaps while the main plants grow, to create a wall-to-wall carpet of colour.

Plants in pots add seasonal splashes of colour, so include temporary plants such as brightly coloured pelargoniums and geraniums or longer-term plants such as bulbs and small shrubs. Choose a pot with an informal, rounded shape, rather than anything too geometric or modern; a terracotta pot works a treat.

Have a range of heights in the flower borders, basically with smaller plants in front and the largest

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at the back, but add in tall, slim plants throughout to add colour, interest and height variation without blocking your view of their smaller neighbours. The classic choice for this is the purple-flowered Verbena bonariensis.

A wall made from brick or stone make a perfect boundary. A drystone wall with variations in the grey and brownish colours of the stone looks great in all weathers, and you can grow plants such as house leeks in some of the crevices.

If your garden needs steps, choose stone. It is long-lasting, withstands hard frosts and needs no preservative treatments. Combined with a wall of the same material, steps like this almost look natural, particularly when laid slightly unevenly.

Ivy is perfect for covering up unattractive features such as an ugly wall. It grows rapidly and is a useful wildlife habitat, but don’t allow it to grow out of control.

Maximise planting opportunities with containers made from natural materials such as terracotta.

Positioned on top of a wall they’ll mark the boundary well and bring seasonal colour. Swap the plants around at summer’s end and use winter-flowering pansies for colour throughout the year.

Plant small, compact plants along the edges of paths and steps to add colour and interest. Small saxifrages look great but won’t swamp the steps either!

Visit Pippa’s website (www.pippagreenwood.com) to book Pippa for a gardening talk at your gardening club or as an after-dinner speaker.

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Garden View

By Rachael Leverton

Hard-working Ivy The Holly and the Ivy, When they are both full grown, Of all the trees that are in the wood, The Holly bears the crown.

Holly is much coveted festive greenery but what about ivy, or Hedera to give it the botanical name? It makes up the trio of festive plants, the other being mistletoe, and frankly it’s usually seen as a bit of a poor relation, misunderstood and mostly unloved.

Yet ivy is a great workhorse in the garden. It’s evergreen, it attracts wildlife and is excellent on those north-facing walls and fences where nothing else seems to grow. It’s not just a dark green cloak either; there are many cultivars with different leaf shapes and variegated foliage. The variegated varieties are great in those areas that catch just a little sunlight during part of the day as they suddenly seem to illuminate a usually dull spot.

Ivy is great for disguising an ugly wall, a bare fence, or an old tree stump. It’s a reliable and self-clinging climber if you choose the right variety and remember to prune it correctly. The young climbing stems are slender and flexible with small aerial roots that fix the shoot to a surface. Adult stems are thicker, self-supporting and do not have roots. Unlike mistletoe ivy isn’t parasitic so won’t harm trees but be careful about letting it grow on the walls of your house as it will damage weak mortar and pebbledash.

If growing on a property it needs to be clipped back in spring and summer, so it doesn’t do any damage

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to structure underneath. Don’t let it get into gutters because it will clog them then infiltrate under tiles or slates.

Ivy is excellent ground cover. It will scramble over areas of poor soil and brighten the ground between shrubs during the dark winter months. Persian ivy, Hedera colchica ‘Dentata Variegata’, is lovely because of its large, yellow-edged leaves. Hedera canariensis ‘Gloire de Marengo’ is also good. Its red stems and large leaves with splashes of yellow looks rather splendid. If you need an area covered quickly try Hedera Hibernica, which is a vigorous native ivy.

Hedera helix is the other native ivy and this one has numerous cultivars including Goldheart, which has yellow-centred leaves, Green Ripple, with frilly edged leaves and ‘Buttercup’ which is bright yellow.

If you love to support the wildlife in your garden, then ivy is a terrific plant. During autumn and early winter adult ivies produce small greenish-yellow flowers. These are especially rich in nectar so attract bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and other insects, providing them with a place to overwinter. Birds like thrushes, blackbirds and robins enjoy the purple black berries which ripen from late winter to mid-spring, providing a much-needed winter food source.

I hope I’ve made a good case for growing ivy in your garden. Holly might bear the crown, but I reckon ivy deserves a tiara at the very least!

Happy Gardening & Merry Christmas

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Wildlife

Robin Redbreast

How the robin came to symbolise Christmas Think of winter in the garden and you’ll most likely think of a robin. Think of Christmas cards and you’ll probably think of the same.

Why do robins have such a strong association with winter?

There is actually an increase in robin numbers during the winter months. They migrate from Scandinavia, Russia and Europe swelling the ranks of our resident robins when the days become too cold and food becomes scarce in their own countries.

There are several legends relating robins to winter and Christmas in particular.

The first legend hails from Victorian times, when the tradition of sending Christmas cards started.

Royal Mail postmen of the time wore bright red uniforms, which earned them the nickname of ‘robin’ or ‘redbreast’. Victorian artists usually illustrated Christmas cards with pictures relating to the delivery of letters, such as post-boxes and postmen. Eventually artists began to play on this word association and postman ‘robin’ was

By Tracey Anderson exchanged for the familiar little brown and red bird, who began to appear in illustrations, sometimes delivering the letters. Middle class Victorians loved all things sentimental and charming, so the trend caught on and continues to this day, with the robin adorning everything from wrapping paper to Christmas jumpers.

Even before the Victorian era, robins had a strong association with the traditional Christmas story and Christianity. In one tale, it is said that when Mary was giving birth to baby Jesus in the stable, she noticed the fire Joseph had lit was in danger of going out. Suddenly, a small brown bird appeared and started flapping its wings in front of the fire, fanning the embers, and causing it to roar back to life. As the bird flew around tending to the fire, a stray ember made its way towards the tiny creature, scorching its breast bright red. Mary declared that the red breast was a sign of the bird’s kind heart, which would be passed on to its descendants to wear proudly ever after.

There are also Celtic-based tales which link the robin with wintertime. One tells of the feud between the wren, known as the Holly King of Winter, and the robin who was known as the Oak King of Summer. The Holly King was driven away by the Oak King on the Winter Solstice, and the robin took his rightful place. However, on the Summer Solstice, the Holly King gets to take his revenge, and the wren replaces the robin. This story repeats every year and represents the changing of the seasons. It was probably told by way of explaining why we see more robins during the winter months.

Whatever the truth, the robin is a beautiful cheery symbol of this time of year, and if you can spare a little food, particularly meal worms, and some water, he will reward you by visiting your garden daily.

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Pets

Our Annual Review – The Best Bits (Part 1) As a member of the RSPCA I receive a beautiful publication called ‘The Annual Review’. Contained within the pages are heart-warming stories detailing the incredible work the staff and volunteers carried out in 2019. I learned about some of the animals that have been rescued and rehomed. Expert teams who have rehabilitated animals so that they can be released or rehomed. I read of the education programmes taking place in our schools. In addition, there are several reports about the research, campaigns and new initiatives that are being undertaken by the RSPCA around the UK. Over the next two months, I want to share some of my favourite stories, events, facts and figures from 2019 with you. To give you a unique insight into the amazing work of the RSPCA. “Animal Heroes Save Frosty” - A heart-warming tale of compassion, team work and determination. An RSPCA rescue team was called out to save a young pony who had slipped down a muddy riverbank. With the help of London Fire Brigade and an equine vet they were able to get straps under him and winch him to safety.

Amazingly, he was able to get to his feet and was taken for veterinary treatment. Frosty was taken to RSPCA Leybourne Animal Centre as nobody came forward to claim him. He made a full recovery, and after his rehabilitation he was rehomed.

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“Cliff Top Rescue” – A dog walker discovered a young seal pup that had become stranded at the top of a 50m high sea cliff in Pembrokeshire. The pup, who was thought to be one month old, was underweight and had some wounds on her body. The wonderful team at RSPCA Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre in Nantwich, used their skills and expertise to rehabilitate the young pup back to full health and released her back to her coastal habitat.

“Oil-Stricken Falcon Saved” – An incredible story of a peregrine falcon discovered on Caldey Island near Tenby covered in thick oil. RSPCA Cymru concluded that due to his appearance he must have been suffering for some time. The falcon received urgent treatment at a centre in Sommerset and needed a lengthy period of rehabilitation with their wildlife experts. After some time he was released back into the wild.

“A Second Chance For Jack” – A beautiful chestnut gelding called Jack had been abandoned at a stables in South Wales. After many months of rehabilitation and care, Jack was ready to be adopted. His new owner, Tina was so grateful that his carers had transformed him into a wonderful horse. Tina explained how adopting Jack was the best decision she’d ever made. She was so eager to find a companion for her own horse, who had become very lonely and unhappy.

New initiatives and campaigns made up a significant part of the annual review. The inspiring RSPCA Chesterfield & North Derbyshire Branch teamed up with Pets At Home to open a ‘cat adoption lounge’.

This new initiative enabled customers who were perhaps considering adoption, to actually meet the cats available for rehoming while they were out shopping. Within the first two months 12 cats had found new loving homes! Such a fantastic idea.

If you need to contact our Branch (North Bedfordshire) for any reason we can be reached by the details below, or for an animal welfare issue or emergency, contact; 0300 1234 999.

Lines are open 7 days a week 24/7.

Email: info@rspcabedsnorth.org.uk Tel: 01234 266965 / 01234 930304

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Codeword 1

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ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Easy Sudoku

Hard Sudoku

Fill in the grid so that each row, column and 3x3 box, contains the digits 1 through to 9 with no repetition. Use your logic to solve the puzzles.

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Technology

Your Christmas tech checklist Many of the gifts we give or get at Christmas are gadgets, and that means Santa has a few things to think about in the days before the big day. For example, if the kids have asked him for a games console it’s highly likely that the console will need to download a big software update before it can play online; the worst possible time to do that download is on Christmas morning when everybody else in your street is trying to do the same. If you can, connect any new console to the internet in advance so there’s no delay before the kids can play.

Another good idea is to prepare a bit of paper with your Wi-Fi details and password on it: from Amazon Echo speakers to Apple iPads and even many kids’ toys, a Wi-Fi connection is needed for them to work. Digging out the details in advance will speed things up considerably on the day.

It’s worth looking out any USB-ready charger plugs (such as from iPhones or Kindle Fire tablets), because to help reduce electronic waste many USBpowered devices will come with a cable but not the plug it connects to.

And of course, it’s a very good idea to check what batteries any gadgets, toys or remote controllers are going to need. If you don’t already have one, a battery charger with a couple of sets of AA and AAA rechargeable batteries will come in very handy in the next few days.

Last but not least, we’d recommend having a multi-tool or a screwdriver set and some really good scissors handy.

We’ve found that many kids’ toys come screwed to the packaging or require very small crosshead screwdrivers to open their battery compartments, and others come in extremely strong clear plastic that’s very hard to open.

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PlayStation 5 The next-generation PlayStation is big, beautiful and it isn’t quite as expensive as we feared: the standard version is £449 and the disk-free digital version is £359. £449, Very.co.uk

Dyson Supersonic If your time is money, then Dyson’s high-tech hairdryer will pay for itself very quickly: not only does it make your hair look amazing, but it does it in an amazingly short time too. £299, Boots.com

Apple Watch The Apple Watch is the best smartwatch ever made. There are now three watches to choose from, starting at £199 for the Series 3 and rising to £399 for the Series 6. £199, Apple.com

Fitbit Sense If you or your loved one is a fitness fan, the new Fitbit Versa adds clever new features to its tried-and-tested fitness tracking, including EKG, temperature sensing and even stress sensing. £299, Fitbit.com Oculus Quest 2 This is very geeky, we know, but the Facebookowned Oculus Quest delivers an incredible virtual reality experience without wires or the need for a computer. £299, Oculus.com

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Crossword Puzzle Solution from our November Edition Last Month’s Crossword Winner - Jill Cotterell from Stevenage

November’s Codeword and Sudoku Solutions

Easy

Hard

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Win ÂŁ100 in our The winner will be drawn at random from the correct completed entries.

Christmas Crossword

ACROSS 1 Used for measuring (4) 3 Goes before (8) 9 Against (7) 10 Removes sensation (5) 11 Immediate environment (12) 14 Uncooked (3) 16 Edition (5) 17 To colour (3) 18 Very keen (12) 21 Not dead (5) 22 European country (7) 23 Simultaneously (8) 24 Happy (4)

DOWN 1 Item of clothing (8) 2 Writing material (5) 4 Stick, cane (3) 5 Significant (12) 6 Broken (7) 7 Type of window (4)

8 Amazement (12) 12 Birds dwellings (5) 13 Received gladly (8) 15 Not losing (7) 19 Spin around (5) 20 Sour (4) 22 Farewell (3)

Complete the crossword, fill in your details below, and send your entry to: Prize Crossword, Villager Publications Ltd 24 Market Square, Potton, Beds SG19 2NP Closing date: 16th December 2020 Name: Address: 42

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Books

The Gift of a Great Book Books to give, add to your wish list or just treat yourself to…

By Kate Duggan

The Thursday Murder Club

By Richard Osman

The Boy Who Grew Dragons

by Andy Shepherd

Oliver’s Britain

By Oliver Hellowell

Flavour

By Yotam Ottolenghi and Ixta Belfrage

Retirees Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron have a unique set of skills that they put to good use solving old murder cases. So when a real murder takes place rather close to home, the four are well placed to find the killer.

Funny, warm and with a twist every minute, The Thursday Murder Club will keep readers guessing right until the end. Best of all, a sequel is already in the pipeline. .

From roadside poppies and native wildlife to lochs, lakes and waterfalls, the photos that grace the pages of this coffee table book are a sight to behold.

Oliver has Down’s Syndrome and a natural gift for spotting the perfect shot. Alongside the photos are quotes from Oliver and some of his many fans. A great present for people who enjoy a good ramble through the British countryside. .

Word Perfect: Etymological Entertainment for Every Day of the Year

By Susie Dent

If you’re buying for someone who loves nothing more than spending a couple of hours in the kitchen cooking up a storm, this is the gift for them. It is not, however, a cookery book for beginners or those wanting to whip up a quick and easy dish. The ingredients aren’t always easy to come by and most of the recipes are experimental to say the least. The dishes are not always vegetarian, but fruit, vegetables or fungi are the star ingredients, and often used in rather surprising ways. Lime and Coconut Potato Gratin anyone?

My Garden World

By Monty Don

Ever wondered who the original Jack the lad was? Or where a phrase like ‘turn a blind eye’ came from? Susie Dent has been a regular expert on Countdown for twenty-five years. In Word Perfect, she reveals the story behind some well-known words and phrases and introduces the reader to a whole load of new ones. (Personally, I might start calling a hankie by its Victorian slang name – a snottinger.)

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Looking for a book for a seven to nine year old? The Boy Who Grew Dragons is likely to be appeal to even reluctant readers.

Tomas discovers an unusual plant when he’s helping out in his grandparents’ garden. It turns out to be a dragon fruit tree and the fruit is about to hatch. Before long, Tomas is learning all about his new pet, from the fact it loves broccoli to the unfortunate fact that dragon poo is highly explosive.

Wildlife fans will adore My Garden World, which is basically Monty Don’s personal homage to the birds, insects and other creatures that share his garden. The book is packed with interesting nuggets of information about British wildlife and is a real pleasure to read (particularly when sat in the garden with a cuppa). If you want to really earn some brownie points, team it with a few packets of wildflower seeds and a pair of binoculars.

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