Gad mar 18

VILLAGER The

March 2018

and Town

Life

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

In this issue Win tickets to see

Twelfth Day Get Your Soil Into Shape

Win £25

in our Prize Crossword

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Inside this issue...

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Dogs Trust Dog School

The History of Alice..........................................................4 Madagascar - The Eighth Continent..................................8 Win Tickets to see The Blockheads..................................10 Win Tickets to see Twelfth Day........................................12 Dine in Style: Searcys St Pancras Restaurant..................15 Changing Lives...............................................................16 Dogs Trust Dog School comes to Hertfordshire...............19 Woof Cancer Day............................................................20

Your Clutter Free Life......................................................23 Get Your Soil Into Shape.................................................27 Animal Know-How.........................................................28 Nick Coffer’s Weekend Recipe.........................................30 Crufts - 11th to 18th March............................................32 R.A.T.S. Rehoming Appeal..............................................34 Puzzle Page....................................................................36 What’s On.......................................................................38 Fun Quiz.........................................................................41 Prize Crossword..............................................................42 Local Charities Matter....................................................45 Book Review..................................................................46

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Win Tickets to see The Blockheads

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, Sarah Davey, Solange Hando, Trevor Langley, Suzanne Roynon, Pippa Greenwood, Nick Coffer, RSPCA, Louise Addison and Kate Duggan Advertising Sales/Local Editorial Nigel Frost • Tel 01767 261122 • nigel@villagermag.com Photography Yuri Kravchenko 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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3

History

By Catherine Rose

The History of Alice The Mad March Hare is a character from folklore that was forever immortalised by the Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, also known as author Lewis Carroll, in his classic children’s novel Alice in Wonderland. It was written for Alice Liddell, a friend’s daughter who looked nothing like Sir John Tenniel’s famous illustrations. So, who was the real Alice?

Alice Pleasance Liddell, who later became Hargreaves when she married the Hampshire cricketer Reginald Hargreaves, was born on 4th May 1852 in Westminster, London. She was the fourth child of ten (two died in infancy) and close to her older and younger sisters Lorina (known as Ina) and Edith, who both went on to feature in Dodgson’s photographs and writing.

Soon after she was born, Alice’s father Henry

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Liddell became Dean of Christ Church College and the family moved to Oxford in 1856 - the same year that Alice met Dodgson, a keen photographer and college librarian.

Dodgson took many photos of Alice during their acquaintance, some of them hauntingly beautiful.

They show a pretty elfin girl with a dark bob and soulful eyes pictured in various poses, costumes and guises from Oriental girl to beggar maid.

By the time she was 20, Alice had become so wellknown that the famous Victorian photographer Julia Margaret Cameron also took her portrait.

Remarkable for capturing the personality of her subjects, Cameron’s photograph shows Alice, by then an attractive young woman, staring defiantly into the lens.

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The original Alice’s Adventures Underground was conceived on a boat trip that the ten-year-old Alice and her sisters made with Dodgson and his friend Canon Duckworth. Entertaining them with one of his imaginative stories, the author invented a fabulous tale about Alice falling down a rabbit hole and meeting all sorts of curious characters on the way. After being begged by Alice to write it down, he presented it to her as a bound handwritten manuscript in November 1864.

Encouraged by his friends Henry Kingsley and author George MacDonald, Dodgson decided to commercially publish the story a year later. It was illustrated by the artist Sir John Tenniel and proved so popular that it was followed up in 1872 by Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There, later to become simply Alice Through the Looking Glass.

However, around the same time that Lewis Carroll’s famous novel was being born, there was a huge falling out between Dodgson and the Liddells. It is still not known what caused the rift as Dodgson’s diary entries for this time were removed. As a result, there has been much speculation over the years as to what happened.

One theory is that Dodgson (aged 31) wanted to marry Alice (then 11) but the family were against it. Although times have changed and we would find this both shocking and unacceptable today, Victorian morality was very different and it wasn’t uncommon for an older man to choose a child bride. Up until 1885, when it was raised to 16, the age of consent for a girl was 12.

Other theories have suggested Henry Liddell was put out by Charles Dodgson’s criticisms of his deanery or that there was a scandal when, following visits to see the children while their parents were away, Dodgson was accused of having an affair with their governess. It has also been suggested that Alice’s mother believed Dodgson’s visits and photo sessions had become too intrusive. Whatever the reason, it was clearly a bad enough rift for her to take the step of burning all his previous letters to Alice.

Imaginative and creative, Dodgson loved the company of children and as a result, his sexuality has later been scrutinised. Alice herself never accused him of any wrongdoing and it was even suggested that her only surviving son Caryl (her other two sons died in the First World War) was named in honour of the author.

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Following the fall out with Dodgson, as a young woman it is said that Alice had an affair with Queen Victoria’s youngest son Prince Leopold after he came to study at Christ Church, but that the pair were forbidden to marry by the queen because Alice was a commoner.

Fast forward just over a century and the same scenario between a Prince and another ‘commoner’ who also met at university had a very different outcome!

Perhaps a clue to their feelings is that Prince Leopold named his daughter Alice, and in turn, Alice named one of her sons Leopold.

Because the illustrated Alice bears no resemblance to Alice Liddell and the original story was markedly changed for publication, some critics believe the fictional Alice isn’t based on the real Alice at all.

However, it can’t be denied that Dodgson made strong references to her throughout the text.

Perhaps the strongest is an acrostic poem epilogue to Alice Through the Looking Glass. A poignant and nostalgic verse about that original boat trip, it spells out her name and begins: A boat beneath a sunny sky, Lingering onward dreamily, In an evening of July….

There is a perhaps even sadder ending to this story as after Alice’s husband died, she sold her original manuscript of Alice’s Adventures Underground in 1928. It fetched the considerable sum of £15,400 at Sotheby’s and today is kept in the British Museum.

Alice died in 1934 and her ashes are interred at Lyndhurst.

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7

Travel

Madagascar

Madagascar is the world’s oldest island: it first split from Africa and then from India around 70 million years ago. In the Indian Ocean, between the Mozambique mainland to the west and Reunion and Mauritius to the east, it is the fourth largest island on earth, almost 1,000 miles long, 360 across, best known for the unique flora and fauna which evolved in isolation for a surprisingly long time.

According to experts, the first settlers arrived from Borneo in 500 AD and since then, 90% of the original forest has been lost, and deforestation is still ongoing. Most affected are the more densely populated central highlands, laced with paddies and barren hills, but Madagascar still claims over 40 special reserves and national parks – several of them listed as UNESCO World Heritage – with a rich diversity of habitats. Ecosystems range from dry spiny forest in the south, dotted with baobabs and octopus trees, to mangroves and lakes, deciduous trees and dramatic pinnacles in the west and tropical rainforest in the east, where some of the most popular national parks can be accessed from Antananarivo.

Ranomafana is a good 10 hour drive south of the capital, the route winding past colourful villages and hills with spectacular views. But one can overnight in Antsirabe, a pretty place bustling with rickshaws and craft shops, then continue the next day. Driving down at dusk in the final stages, it feels almost like the end of the world as the seemingly impenetrable cloud forest rises all around above the Namorona river and waterfall.

Morning is the best time to explore the park, when animals are more active. This is where golden bamboo lemurs were first discovered in 1986 and, along the steep trails, nature lovers may be

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By Solange Hando

The Eighth Continent

rewarded with wonderful sights as they and other lemurs leap through the trees, playing with their young or swinging from branches. Guides imitate the call to locate them and also point out spiders, frogs, red giraffe-necked beetles and tropical birds such as pastel-hued cuckoo rollers or magpie robins.

Mossy memorial stones recall ‘ancient people of the forest’ among tall tree and bird’s nest ferns, traveller’s palms, orchids and lobelia. Chameleons can also be spotted, perfectly camouflaged day or night.

East of the capital, the Andasibe-Mantadia national park is an easier option, just a four hour drive with a choice of walking circuits and gentle paths. Palm and dragon trees mingle with eucalyptus, blue tea plants, bird’s nectar, berries and much more. There are birds and butterflies, reptiles, geckos and several species of lemurs, including indris, the largest of them all, whose melancholy ‘singing’ can be heard at dawn. On the nearby river islands, now a sanctuary for rescued lemurs, black and white ruffed lemurs, playful ringtails and lovely diademed sifaka, or ‘dancing lemur’, happily pose for wide-eyed visitors paddling in canoes around the reed beds.

Fauna or flora, around 90% of species are found nowhere else on earth and one can barely imagine 14,000 species of plants, many with medicinal properties, 170 species of palms, thousands of orchids, hundreds of birds, fish and over 100 species of lemurs, many endangered or rare. It is the world’s top biodiversity hotspot, ‘the eighth continent’, say some ecologists, and in this impoverished but beautiful ‘red island’, one hopes the goverment will bring greater stability and progress to benefit both the people and their incredible natural world.

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9

COMPETITION Win 2 tickets

to see The Blockheads + The Reformers Sat 24th March 2018, doors at 8pm, Bedford Esquires We are very pleased to bring living legends The Blockheads back to our main stage for the first time in two years on Saturday 24th March, having been the first band to grace the venue since it changed hands in February 2016.

Formed in 1977 to promote Ian Dury’s album New Boots and Panties on the first Stiff Records tour of the UK, the Blockheads are now fronted by one of Ian’s best friends Derek ‘The Draw’, the band’s vocalist and wordsmith. Chaz Jankel, Norman Watt-Roy, John Turnbull and Mick Gallagher still remain from the original band and the current line-up is augmented by John Roberts on drums and a rolling line up of saxophonists including Gilad Atzmon, Terry Edwards or Dave Lewis.

These legendary Brit-Funkers will be playing all the old favourites and new material.

In 1978 Chaz composed ‘Hit me with your Rhythm Stick’ with Ian and in 1979 had a number one hit record. In 1982 Ian Dury & The Blockheads disbanded and were not to play together again until 1987 when they went out to Japan to play three shows, disbanding again until 1990 when the death of Charlie Charles in September of that year re-united them to play two Benefit gigs at The Forum, Camden Town in aid of Charlie’s family.

The last performance by Ian Dury & The Blockheads was Feb 6th 2000 at The London Palladium, Ian died at 9am on 27th March 2000.

At this point the band had to make a decision to either stop or continue. The choice was made and the band has continued making albums and touring the world.

Now after almost 15 years since Ian passed away, The Blockheads still perform to packed out venues around the world.

Support on the night comes from the very excellent The Reformers - These guys blew the crowd away supporting Dr Feelgood on the main stage in 2017 and guarantee to get the crowd going.

Tickets are £20 in advance on sale now from seetickets and locally from Esquires bar, Slide Record Shop and Mario’s Hair Design Kempston.

BLOCKHEADS/REFORMERS COMPETITION ENTRY Name:



Simply send your entry by 16th March 2018 to: Blockheads/Reformers Competition, Villager Publications Ltd, 24 Market Square, Potton, Beds SG19 2NP. The winner will be drawn ramdomly.

Address: Tel: 10

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COMPETITION Win 2 tickets to see

Twelfth Day At Junction 2 in Cambridge on 27th March

Scottish duo, Twelfth Day, to tour UK-wide with five star album Following the release of their long awaited new studio album Cracks In The Room in 2017, Twelfth Day embark on a UK-wide tour throughout March 2018. Catriona Price, (Orcadian fiddler), & Esther Swift, (Peebles harpist), are a ‘two person quartet’, who’s new album, produced by Chris Wood, and mixed by Oz Fritz (Tom Waits), has delighted fans and critics alike. With five and four star reviews from The Guardian and fRoots amongst others, and an appearance on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour which moved Jenni Murray to tears, music fans across the UK will have a chance to hear this critically acclaimed, innovative music live this spring, with shows spanning the UK, from Aberdeen to Cambridge, Orkney to London.

In the wordless communication that passes between Catriona Price and Esther Swift as they perform, the strength of their decade-long musical partnership, friendship and shared humour is evident. It’s this depth of connection, and tangible desire to have fun, that gives Twelfth Day its extra edge.

This is not so much a duo, but a two person quartet. Their two distinctly different voices, the fiddle, and the pedal harp, build layer upon layer of a complex and ever-evolving sound, rich with rhythm, harmony and texture.

Twelfth Day are happy to be hard to define. Classically trained, they bring outstanding technical ability as well as an adventurous mix of folk, jazz and classical influences to their compositions and arrangements blended with the folklore and inspirations of their respective Scottish Highland and Lowland upbringings.

TWELFTH DAY COMPETITION ENTRY Name:



Simply send your entry by 16th March 2018 to: Twelfth Day Competition, Villager Publications Ltd, 24 Market Square, Potton, Beds SG19 2NP. The winner will be drawn ramdomly.

Address: Tel: 12

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Food and Drink

Dine in Style:

Searcys St Pancras Restaurant St Pancras International is an iconic venue. ‘Meet me at the Champagne Bar at St Pancras’, certainly says, “I have arrived!” This is where Eurostar trains arrive and depart. The shopping is quality retail therapy. Searcys St Pancras Restaurant is very impressive and their adjacent Champagne Bar, with heated leather seating and ‘press for champagne’ buttons, has 98m of serving space and is reputed to be Europe’s longest. Elegance and splendour is all around.

Regular train services from the Midlands and elsewhere, including south east England, arrive here. London underground and Thameslink services are fast and frequent, too. The upper level at St Pancras International has a 9m high statue titled ‘The Meeting Place’, depicting a couple embracing-celebrating romance and travel. Also, a statue of Sir John Betjeman commemorates the poet’s successful campaign to save the station, from demolition, during the 1960’s.

The Searcys St Pancras Restaurant is very stylish, with pristine table settings and is located on the upper level at St Pancras International. Starters include Smoked Salmon, Scallops and Wild Venison Salami, amongst an array. Chicken Caesar and Gressingham Duck Salads are very popular. Shellfish choices include various, different Oyster selections, plus Crab and Lobster, for example. Mains of Lake District Beef Cheek and Loin of Lakeland Venison, along with Cornish Bream and Brixham Fish Pie, have regular ‘devotees’.

Succulent, tender Steaks are further options and Sirloin, Rib-Eye, plus the House-Aged, Lake District Beef, are very much enjoyed, by many. The complementing flavours of the dishes are, truly, a genuine credit to the talented team of chefs and kitchen personnel. Desserts include Norfolk Treacle Tart with Devonshire clotted cream, and Warm Chocolate Cake accompanied by whisky ice cream. A most impressive wines/drinks list has something for all palates. Tasting events include champagnes and happen regularly.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, plus pre-theatre dining, are all available here, and, if time is of the essence, ‘express’ is no problem. All dietary requirements can be catered for, also private dining, parties and occasions, accommodated. Gift vouchers are available – perhaps surprise someone special?

Searcys St Pancras Restaurant & Champagne Bar Upper Concourse, St Pancras International Station, 58 Euston Road, London N1C 4QL Tel: 020 7870 9900 Email: stpancrasreception@searcys.co.uk www.searcysstpancras.co.uk

As always, Enjoy!

ey Trevor Langl

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15

Local News

By Herts Sports Partnership

Changing Lives:

Actives Bodies, Active Minds

Headteachers, PE Subject Leads, School Governors and Sports Apprentices from more than 160 schools attended the sixth annual Hertfordshire Primary PE & School Sport conference at the University of Hertfordshire on Tuesday 16 January.

Organised by the Herts Sports Partnership, the event opened with an inspiring keynote address from Ali Oliver, CEO of the Youth Sport Trust, who highlighted how recent changes to national sport and wellbeing strategies applied to primary schools, with a focus on the importance of using school sport, PE and physical activity to address pupils’ physical, mental, emotional and social wellbeing.

A lively initiation into the theme of ‘Active Bodies’ then followed, with the entire audience rising to their feet for a few moments of dance with Youth Sport Trust Athlete Mentor and BMX Champion Mike Mullen – who was joined by, YOPA, the for the Herts Year of Physical Activity mascot.

The conference programme included 24 practical and theoretical workshops with subjects including ‘What Makes Outstanding PE?’ and ‘Evidencing the Impact of the Primary PE and Sport Premium’ plus ideas for how to best utilise the school grounds to encourage a positive learning environment.

Over lunch, a marketplace packed with exhibitors from across the sport and PE sector offered delegates an opportunity to view a range of innovative products programmes and equipment.

Tanya Angus event coordinator, was extremely pleased with the success of the day. She said, “It has been a fantastic event with lots of positive feedback from everyone involved. Our annual event was very well received and of real value to Hertfordshire schools.”

For more information about the conference, please contact Tanya Angus.

Tanya.angus@oaklands.ac.uk To find out more about the work of Herts Sports Partnership visit www.sportinherts.org.uk.

Cllr. Richard Roberts (Hertfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health), YOPA (the Herts Year of Physical Activity mascot) and Ali Oliver, CEO of Youth Sport Trust.

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Local News

Dogs Trust Dog School comes to Hertfordshire

Dogs Trust have set up Dog School which now has 26 training schools across the UK, with the latest Dog School having just arrived in Hertfordshire.

Last year over 20% of the dogs taken in by Dogs Trust rehoming centres (3,000 dogs) were handed in for behavioural reasons, 200 of these simply because their owners couldn’t handle their puppy’s behaviour. The charity is hoping Dog School training classes will help owners live a harmonious life with their pet pooches and avoid more dogs finding themselves homeless in 2018 as a result of a lack of training.

Maria Wickes, Head of Dog School at Dogs Trust says, “Dogs Trust Dog School classes are an amazing resource and through our team of expert behaviourists, we helped over 6,000 dog owners train their four-legged friends last year”.

This year, Dog School Hertfordshire has set up classes in Harpenden, Stevenage and Letchworth Garden City offering fun, informative classes to teach the key skills that prepare dogs for the

‘real world’ and encourage good decisions in different situations. There are courses specifically designed for three types of dogs, each with unique requirements: puppies, rescue dogs and adult dogs.

A recent survey by Dogs Trust found that a quarter of dog owners wish they could teach their dog to settle when out and about and 18% wish their dog would come back when called. These are just two of the components of Dog School training class content delivered in each course. Some other parts of the course include walking on a loose lead and being more comfortable with veterinary handling.

The course costs £50, but for rescue dogs it is only £40. Courses include five weeks of practical training, plus a free induction week at the start to go through some of the basics like canine body language. There is a maximum of 6 dogs per class and at least two professional coaches, so there’s plenty of individual attention for each owner and dog to help them achieve their potential.

Head Coach, Natalie, at Dog School Hertfordshire says, “We can’t wait to meet dog owners and dogs around Hertfordshire and the surrounding areas in our new training class locations. Along with the weekly classes, we will also be running regular events and workshops for the community.

Our first event is a family class, which will be held on the 4th April in Stevenage and 11th April in Harpenden.”

To enquire further about Dogs Trust Dog School, visit the website: dogstrustdogschool.org.uk, email hertsdogschool@dogstrust.org.uk or phone 01582 807524

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Local News

Woof Cancer Day

George and Evie Photo: Beth Corcoran

Saturday 10th March 2018

Woof Cancer Day is an exciting new event coming to Fairlands Valley parks in Stevenage on Saturday 10th March 2018! It is a sponsored 5km dog walk organised by Cancer Research UK volunteers. At Woof Cancer Day, dogs (+ owners!) can pay to take part in the sponsored walk around the lovely parks – other family members are also welcome, the more the merrier!

Cancer is a disease of cells. All cells can become cancerous - whether they belong to humans or dogs. Cancer cells rapidly divide and demonstrate several other key hallmarks of cancer. The treatments we have developed for beating cancer in humans can often be used to treat dogs too, including radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Woof Cancer Day will be a family friendly walk with additional activities including a fun dog show, poochtastic stalls, top dog and fancy dress competitions, refreshments and a shorter route for older dogs and puppies! Our volunteers can’t wait: “I’m so excited to be helping organise this event and can’t wait to see all the wagging tails on the day! Everyone with a dog should sign up for this fun event for a fantastic cause!” Emma Rogers, Volunteer from Biggleswade.

Siblings George and Evie from Letchworth are entering with their dog Lola along with Mum and Dad, and have started their fundraising - having already reached an amazing £160!

Sign up at now at www.cruk.org/woofstevenage and get involved to help Beat Cancer Sooner!

Join our Facebook Group for regular pupdates - Woof Cancer Day Stevenage.

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Time of Year

By Suzanne Roynon

Your Clutter Free Life It’s spring! Throw the windows open and invite clean air to access every part of your home to cleanse away the winter fustiness.

But what happens if your home is full of ‘stuff’ and the air is always stagnant? I’m not referring to the things you use, love and need. I’m talking about piles in the corners, junk rooms, crammed cupboards and the chair you use to dump things on.

Have you ever noticed that people with very minimal houses seem slimmer, healthier and more energetic than the occupants of cluttered houses?

When someone clears the clutter from their home, they often lose weight without trying. By offloading ‘stuff’, their body feels safe to ditch the safety layer of accumulated fat. One lady cleared her clutter in December then feasted all Christmas. She was astonished to weigh less at the beginning of January than she had for ten years.

If you need a greater incentive, do you pay a mortgage or rent your home? Calculate the amount of space your clutter takes, it’s not unusual to find it takes the equivalent of an entire room, then do a quick sum to see just how much your ‘stuff’ costs you each month.

So where to begin? Taking ten minutes to sort out a drawer is a good place to start. Break yourself in gently with an easy win!

As your confidence grows, move on to cupboards – if you stockpile plastic containers, endless mugs, the accessories for a long dead vacuum cleaner or random things which might come in handy (but

never do), get ruthless! If you haven’t used an item in the last year and don’t love it or genuinely need it, it is clogging your space.

Wardrobes and cupboards can be daunting, but when you get the hang of keeping only the items you use and love, they are incredibly satisfying to reclaim. Next month The Villager offers hints to make your wardrobe user friendly, but if you can’t wait, visit www.yoursuccess.coach/inspirations Once you’ve decided to get rid of something, remove it from the house straight away. Always aim to recycle or use Freecycle (www.freecycle.org) wherever possible. One client donated a vanload of furniture, clothes and bric-a-brac to a charity which came to collect the lot. They were delighted and so was she!

The interesting thing about relieving the constipation of material stuff is people around you start doing it too. Without prompting kids clear their rooms, partners tackle the shed, I’ve even known neighbours spontaneously tidy an eyesore garden.

You never know where the process will take you......

When all the bags and boxes of clutter have gone, spring cleaning is a breeze. You will sleep better, feel more energetic and might even lose a few pounds!

Enjoy the space you have created and welcome new and exciting opportunities into your life.

If you want to know more, Clear your Clutter with Feng Shui by Karen Kingston is an easy read.

Suzanne Roynon is a personal performance life coach. www.yoursuccess.com

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Garden

By Pippa Greenwood www.pippagreenwood.com

Get your soil

Into Shape

A fundamental garden need is good quality soil; it is key to bigger flowers and heavier crops. And there is still time to shape up your soil before the gardening season really begins in earnest.

Frosty weather can be useful, as it can save work with heavy clay soil. If you roughly dig or fork it over, the frost will act on the large lumps of clay and break them down somewhat, making them more manageable.

Most soils can become badly compacted if you walk or stand on them when they are very wet, especially if the soil is clay or slightly heavy loam. If you can’t avoid walking on wet soil, use a few boards or planks as walkways to spread the load and reduce damage.

Forking a heavy soil rather than digging with a spade will reduce compaction, but either way the soil surface usually ends up pretty lumpy. Re-forking, breaking up the large lumps, followed by a final raking will help you get closer to that ‘fine tilth’ often described in gardening books.

Adding bulky organic matter such as leaf mould, well-rotted manure or garden compost helps feed the soil naturally and improves its texture, so that it holds the right amount of moisture for as long as possible – and there is still time to fork this in now.

Create free organic matter by making a compost heap or bin, and turn autumn leaves into lead mould, a wonderful soil conditioner.

Incorporating some horticultural grade grit or gravel will also help to improve the texture and performance of a heavy clay soil. Avoid builders’ gravel or grit – it can damage or kill garden plants.

If you have lots of small stones or larger lumps of flint in your soil, remove them before planting your flowers and vegetables. Some stones are good,

but even a lightly stony soil can result in forked or deformed root vegetables. Alternatively, invest in raised beds and fill them with stone-free soil.

Manure adds both texture and food for your plants.

It should be good quality, with few additives, and free from weeds, especially troublesome ones like nettles, docks and couch grass. In recent years, manure contaminated by the weedkiller used to control weeds in pastureland has devastated plants.

Try to buy from someone local who you can trust to tell you what chemicals have been used. Manure must be well-rotted – ideally it should have sat in a heap for about two years.

Green manures are a great way to feed and condition your soil, and help suppress weeds and protect the soil from wind erosion. They work especially well on parts of the garden where plants are not grown year round – as when you use a green manure, you sow seed, allow the plants to grow and then incorporate them into the soil to rot down. Sow seeds later this year – there are lots to choose from, including red clover, mustard, field beans, phaecelia and field lupins.

Yes, there’s potentially a fair bit of work involved, but you don’t have to do everything suggested and anything you do will make a huge difference!

Visit Pippa’s website www.pippagreenwood. com and you’ll find some great gardening things: ‘Grow Your Own with Pippa Greenwood’ (where you receive your chosen garden-ready vegetable plants in the spring accompanied by weekly advice and tips from Pippa) plus Nemaslug, biocontrols, gardening tools, raised bed kits, Grower Frames, signed books and more!

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27

Pets

Animal Know-How Tackling the cat crisis

The cat population in the UK has reached crisis point. Despite subsidised neutering schemes from some rescue organisations, more and more cats are coming into our care and less families are re-homing cats. This puts on a huge financial strain on small local animal charities like us.

Many people support the idea of neutering.

However, there is a widely held mistaken belief that a cat should have a litter of kittens before she is spayed. So, spaying is often delayed until after a first litter. The ‘one litter’ myth is further reinforced by owners applying human emotions to their cats, e.g. “she’ll make a great mum/I don’t think it’s fair to deny her the right to motherhood”.

With the reality of having to look after, pay for the care of, and part with the kittens – not living up to what cat owners had imagined – having a litter does serve as a trigger for many people to consider neutering their pet. However, despite this, 21 percent of cats that had a first litter will have a second litter and seven percent have a third litter or more. The more litters a cat has, the greater the chances of her – and the kittens – ending up being abandoned.

The reason that the ‘one litter’ trigger is not always enough to prompt action is due to the considerable confusion that exists about when to neuter. Finding a window to neuter becomes increasingly difficult after a cat has had a litter of kittens because of the need to wait until the kittens have been weaned – by which time the cat may be pregnant again. The probability of an unneutered female cat getting pregnant is higher than 80 percent. This adds up to an awful lot of kittens, growing up into cats, that not enough people want to re-home.

So, what can you do?

To protect your female cat from getting pregnant, she will need to go the vet to have a simple operation called spaying (also known as ‘fixing’, ‘neutering’ or ‘being done’).

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When your girl cat is about four-months-old, she will start to attract the attention of tomcats (even her brothers) who’ll want to have sex with her. This is why it’s important to have her spayed before she is four-months-old to protect her from getting pregnant while she’s still a kitten herself. Once she has been spayed your kitten will be able to do all the things cats enjoy doing, like going outdoors, climbing trees and playing.

Your boy cat will also need to have a simple operation, called ‘the snip’. This can stop him from spraying in your house to mark his territory, which can be very smelly, and getting nasty injuries from fights. He’ll also be less likely to wander off and get run over, as cats that are snipped tend to stay closer to home.

Having your cat snipped will protect him from a nasty disease called FIV – which is the same as HIV in people, but for cats. It’s spread through cat bites, often between males fighting over a female. It can’t be caught by people. To have this operation, your cat will need to be dropped off at the vets, and picked up again later that same day.

Unfortunately, there are far more cats in this country, than there are loving owners. As a result, unacceptably high numbers of cats end up in rescue organisations – like the RSPCA Bedfordshire North Branch. This can be detrimental to cats’ welfare and it also comes at a considerable cost to animal charities. Please do not add to this terrible problem.

If you love cats enough to have one, or more, as a pet – please also accept the responsibility that comes with being a pet owner and have them neutered.

ANIMAL KNOW-HOW is one of a series of articles brought to you by the RSPCA Bedfordshire North Branch www.rspca-bedfordshirenorth.org.uk

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GARDEN CONSTRUCTION & FENCING Complete Patio Design • Landscaping • Decking Gazebos • Fencing & Gates Ponds • Turfing & Seeding Walls • Hedging • Driveways • Block Paving Rockeries • Gardening • Lawn Mowing • Tree Pruning

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29

Three Counties Radio

Sugar-Free Chocolate cake with date and chocolate frosting “Free From” recipes are increasingly popular on the Weekend Kitchen. Dairy-free, gluten-free, fat-free… but can a cake, a proper tasty cake, be sugar-free? With no added sugar, sweeteners or honey? Well, it turns out it can. Cynthia Stroud, who runs a cake shop in Hertford, is a sugar free baker (www.sugarfreebaker.co.uk).

She started to make sugar free cakes to help her young daughter, who doesn’t do too well on sugar. And this chocolate cake is a firm favourite at home. As well as providing sweetness to cakes, sugar also acts to help make a sponge fluffy and aerated. So, without the sugar, this cake is a little heavier than usual, perhaps with a consistency more akin to a fruit cake. But it tastes wonderful, and with the only sweetness coming from the dates, is very suitable for anyone who has to carefully watch their sugar intake. If you prefer, you can simply replace the coconut oil with butter.

To make the cake: 250 g dates (stoned, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, drained and pureed) 150g coconut oil, melted 4 eggs 100g self-raising flour 50g ground almonds 50g corn flour 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence 1. Pre-heat your oven to 180°C/ Gas Mark 4 (160°C for fan-assisted ovens) and line 2 x 6 inch tins.

2. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together with a hand whisk, scrape down the sides, whisk again until smooth, and pour equally into the two tins.

3. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean, and leave to cool on a wire rack.

To make the frosting: 150g dates (stoned, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, drained and pureed) 100g softened (but not liquid) coconut oil 2 tablespoons evaporated milk 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 1. Mix all of these ingredients with a hand mixer until they go light and fluffy.

2. Spread the frosting between the two fully cooled cake layers and then spread it on the top layer. Decorate with berries of your choice (and a little edible gold spray for added effect if you wish).

Hear wonderful recipes on Nick Coffer’s Weekend Kitchen every Sunday morning on BBC Three Counties radio at 11am. You can also join Nick every weekday afternoon at midday for brilliant local guests with great stories to tell and all the music you want for your early afternoon.

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GAS SAFE REGISTERED

HERTS OVEN CLEAN Herts Oven Clean is a domestic oven cleaning specialist in Hertfordshire.

Non-caustic, fume-free solution individually prepared for each customer.

Ovens, Hobs, Grills, Extractors, Agas, Microwaves and Gas Barbeques.

Call Richard on 01438 813492 Bring a sparkle to your kitchen today.

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

31

Time of Year

Crufts - 11th to 18th March The world’s biggest dog show is back this month.

Here are some facts about our favourite canine competition.

Charles Cruft was a dog-biscuit salesman!

It was originally just for terriers. The inaugural event was billed as the “First Great Terrier Show”.

Five years later it was renamed “Cruft’s Greatest Dog Show” and opened to all breeds.

Queen Victoria’s collie Darnley II, and two of her Pomeranians won prizes in 1891.

In 1991, Crufts was officially recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s largest dog show. Now 27,000 dogs take part each year, with 160,000 human visitors attending.

Around 350kg (or 55st) of canine fur will be cleared from the Birmingham NEC following the show!

Over the years there have been scandals worthy of an Agatha Christie plot.

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There have been claims of owners slipping rival dogs laxatives, poisoning them or sticking chewing gum in their fur. There has even been a murder. In 1974 an Old Bailey jury heard how a man began an affair with a woman he met at Crufts, then was stabbed to death by his wife with the knife he used to cut up their dog’s food.

Statistically, the most likely breed to win the Best in Show crown is the Cocker Spaniel which has won ‘Best in Show’ seven times Don’t own pedigree? In 2000, the Kennel Club started Scruffts – a show for crossbreeds, which compete for the titles of Most Handsome Dog, Prettiest Bitch, Child’s Best Friend and Golden Oldie.

By Louise Addison

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Stevenage airport taxiS

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Property Maintenance Premier Property Maintenance is a multiple trade company operating in and around Hertfordshire and north London.

Stevenage Airport Taxis offer the most reliable and professional airport transfer service in and around the Stevenage area. We have several licensed vehicles that can cater for up to 8 passengers. We also provide a transport service for weddings, long distance journeys and any occasion day or night leisure trips.

Please visit our website for any bookings or quotations

www.stevenageairporttaxis.co.uk or call

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33

Local News

Rehoming Appeal This month’s rescue animal looking for their forever home is Johnny

This lovely boy is Johnny a 4 year old retired Greyhound. He is a very calm dog who walks well on the lead and is very affectionate. He gets on well with other dogs and will make someone a great friend and companion.

Greyhounds make wonderful pets and like most greyhounds he only needs a couple of walks a day to keep him happy.

If you can offer this lovely, lively boy a home please contact Julie on 01763 289827 Alternatively, please email Philippa at info.rats@gmail.com who will be pleased to forward your enquiry onto the team.

View other small mammals, dogs and cats currently in our care for re-homing on our website: www.rats-animalrescue.co.uk or facebook : www.facebook.com/ratscharity You can also see photographs and details of the animals in our care in our charity shop in Hitchin Street, Biggleswade SG18 8AX. Open Monday to Saturday from 10.00 am until 4.00 pm.

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n i t l h F e o J Plasterersam

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Codeword 1

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ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Easy Suduko

Hard Suduko

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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Visit our beautiful

Bathroom Showroom ...With more than 50 displays of bathrooms, furniture & fittings Free in-house 3D design service Quality products from leading manufacturers Experienced staff offering impartial advice Free delivery within a 20 mile radius of our showroom

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Caxton House, Caxton Way, Stevenage, Herts. SG1 2XS To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122

37

n O s ’ t Wha In March

Deadline for What’s On entries is the 12th of the previous month.

What’s on entries to whatson@villagermag.com

1 March Arts Society North Hertfordshire Lecture 11am or 2pm Spirella Ballroom, Bridge Road Letchworth £7- pay on the door The Arts Society North Hertfordshire presents a lecture on ‘100+ years of Modern Art explained with scepticism and lots of humour’ by Linda Collins. Modern Art takes some understanding.

It can make us laugh or make us angry. This lecture may do both but it will also give us a context to help our understanding. Visitors welcome. Free parking.

Email: theartssociety.nh@gmail.com 1, 8, 15 & 22 March Toddler Tales 2.15-2.45pm Letchworth Library Free event 1, 8, 15 & 22 March Baldock Community Orchestra 7.15pm Knights Templar School (Room CS1), Baldock £7 per week or 10 week term £50 A friendly group of musicians... Come and give us a try, first session free!

Tel: Rachel Dawson 07818 480332 1, 8, 15 & 22 March Sapphire Social Club 8.30pm The Orange Tree, Hitchin We are a small and friendly group for single people generally aged 50 and above. We offer a variety of social events during the month and the opportunity to meet and make new friends.

Potential new members are warmly welcome to come along and meet us with no joining fee for the first two months.

Tel: Joyce 07952 678021 or Ian 07900 890583 Web: www.sapphiresocialsinglesclub.co.uk 2 March Hitchin & Letchworth RSPB 7.30pm The Settlement, Letchworth, SG6 4UB Talk by Claire Stringer on the work of the RSPB in UK Overseas Territories, including albatross conservation on Tristan da Cuhna.

2, 9, 16 & 23 March Springfield House Friday Bridge Club 1.30pm Old Stevenage Community Centre To play cut-in Chicago Bridge. Play is informal and friendly. Tel: Richard Bean 01438 221517

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3 March The Signals Museum Open Day 10am-4pm The Signals Museum at RAF Henlow is open to the public. Entry is free but official photo ID such as a driving licence, passport or over 60s Bus Pass is required to get an entry ticket from the Guardroom. www.rafsignalsmuseum.org.uk 3 March Jumble Sale 1.30pm Clifton Community Centre Adults 50p. Biggleswade Sandy Lions Jumble Sale. Any donations of jumble gratefully received. Drop off at 13 Fairfax, Clifton.

3 March Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire Hardy Plant Society 2pm Weatherley Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade Garden writer and broadcaster, Val Bourne, will be talking about ‘Spring Cottage Gardening with the Dearly Beloved’ Val is a new speaker for the society. Plants for sale from Swines Meadow Farm Nursery. www.hpscambsandbeds.co.uk 5, 12, 19 & 26 March Staplers Country Dance Club 8-10pm St John’s Community Hall, Hitchin Staplers is your local social folk dance club.

It’s easy to start as all the dances are walked through first then called and you don’t need to bring a partner, lots of people go one their own.

It is a friendly group and you will be made very welcome. Car parking available next to the hall.

Tel. 01462 895567 or 01462 624144 Web: www.staplers.org.uk 5, 12, 19 & 26 March Branch Out Social Club for Single People 8.30-11pm Cromwell Bar, The Sun Hotel, Hitchin Branch Out meets every Monday night and is a medium-sized Social Club for single people. It was formed in 1995 to bring together single, divorced, widowed and separated people, aged 40 upwards, from the Herts, Beds and Bucks area, to socialise and enjoy one another’s company. The club organises regular events, such as dinners, discos, meals, parties, Sunday walks, theatre and concert visits, day and weekend trips and holidays.

Tel: Lorna 01438 233657 Web: www.branch-out.org.uk

6, 13, 20 & 27 March Stevenage Bridge Club 7.30pm Priory Nursery, Stanmore Road, Stevenage To play Duplicate Bridge. A host system is run to find partners, if required.

Tel: Phil Cooper 07957 813434 7 March Stevenage Family History Society 7.15pm for 7.30pm Friends Meeting House, Cuttys Lane, Stevenage Visitors £3 inc. refreshments Talk by Ian Waller - ‘The Broken Branch’ about how family historians research why an ancestor changed their name. The talk provides useful tips on how the name change can be discovered.

7 March North Herts Association of the National Trust 7.30pm Christchurch, Bedford Road, Hitchin Non-members £2 on the door Talk on ‘Becoming a Famous Author’ by Martin Lloyd. Non-members welcome. Membership of the National Trust not necessary. Tea and coffee served during the evening. Second-hand books and homemade preserves are on sale at every meeting. Tel: Colin Cropley 01462 713391 Email: colinecropley@gmail.com 7, 14, 21 & 28 March Baby Rhyme Time 10.30-11am Baldock Library Free event 7, 14, 21 & 28 March Vivace Choir 7.30-9.30pm Edgeworth House, 121 High Street, Arlesey We are looking for keen singers to join our fun and friendly choir. Find out more about the choir and its concerts online. www.vivacechoir.co.uk 8 March RSPB Stevenage Walk 9.30am A morning walk round Mardley Heath, South of Knebworth. Meet in the car park at 9.30am.

Grid Ref. TL 248 183. Postcode AL6 0TP. Tel: 01438 861547 8 March Baldock & Clothall WI 7.30pm United Reformed Church, Whitehorse Street, Baldock Visitors £3 including refreshment and raffle ticket. Facebook: www.facebook.com/ baldockclothallwi

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n O s ’ t Wha In March

This is a small selection of the What’s On for the full listing please go to our website www.villagermag.com

8 March Stevenage Floral Art Society 7.45pm High Street Methodist Hall Floral demonstration by Rekha Naidoo with the theme ‘Flowers thro’ Floral Eyes’. Visitors very welcome.

12 March Icknield Quilters 7.30pm for 7.45pm start Baldock Community Centre AGM - Members only. Sewing evening.

Web: www.icknieldquilters.co.uk for more info 14 March Henlow Branch R N A 7.30pm Community Centre, The Gardens, Henlow The Henlow Branch of The Royal Naval Association meets on the second Wednesday of each month.

Tel: Jack Stafford 01462 850618 for further info 14 March Letchworth Music Chamber Concert 7.45pm Howgills Friends Meeting House, 42 South View Tickets £12, Under 18s and students £6 We welcome music lovers to our next Chamber Music Concert to enjoy a varied programme of music for Flute and Piano played by prize-winning musicians, Sarah Bennett and Daniel King Smith. They will play Bach (E major Sonata), Vivaldi (La Notte), Poulenc (Sonata) Schubert (Ständchen) and Prokofiev (Sonata) all ideally suited to the intimate atmosphere of the oak-panelled venue. Tickets available on the door. www.letchworthmusicclub.co.uk 15 March Gardener’s Questions 7pm for 7.30pm Central Methodist Church, 109 Pixmore Way, Letchworth Garden City Tickets £7 Letchworth District Gardeners Association.

Chaired by Pippa Greenwood. Please email your question in advance. Tickets available from Letchworth Local &Tourist Information Centre, 33- 35 Station Road or Tapps Garden Centre, Wallington Road, Baldock. All profits will go to Growing People and Garden House Hospice Care.

Email: secretary@ldga.org.uk Web: www.ldga.org.uk

18 March Biggleswade Antiques Fair 9.30am-4pm The Weatherley Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade Entrance £1.50. This antiques fair offers a diverse range of antiques and collectables so whether you are a professional dealer, an avid collector or just looking for something special, this monthly fair is the place to visit. Café serving breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea.

Tel: 01480 382432 or 07906 647346 Web: www.madisonevents.co.uk 20 March Stevenage RSPB 7.30pm Friends’ Meeting House, Cutty’s Lane, Stevenage Members £3, Non-members £4, Under 16s 50p Kevin Sawford will present a talk entitled ‘East Anglian Wildlife - A photographer’s Year’.

24 March 17th Ashwell Flea Market 9.30am-1pm St .Mary’s Church, Ashwell Many interesting and useful items for sale at knock-down prices. Come and browse and pick up some bargains at this famous event! Tea and coffee available. Proceeds to the Church Restoration Appeal.

24 March Nearly New Sale 10am-12 noon Great Ashby Community Centre Entry £1. Stevenage and Knebworth Twins Club are holding a nearly new sale of baby and under 6s clothes, toys, equipment and more.

24 March Self-Published Author Event 11am-3pm Letchworth Library Free event 24 March Weston Music Society Spring Season 7.30pm Guy Johnston (cello) and Tom Poster (piano).

Smyth Sonata in C, op 5, Grieg Sonata in A minor, op 36 and Rachmaninov Sonata op 19.

Other concert dates are 21 April and 19 May. Special offer 3 for 2. Buy a season ticket for all three concerts for only £30 and it’s transferable - if you can’t come, invite a friend to take your place. Email: felicitylowe@yahoo.co.uk Web: www.westonmusicsociety.org.uk

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

24 March North Herts Guild of Singers Spring Concert 7.30pm Stevenage Coptic Church Centre, Broadhall Way Tickets £12, Fulltime students £8 A Celebration of Female Composers - Smyth: Mass in D - McDowall: Magnificat - Maconchy: Proud Thames Overture. With Hertfordshire Philharmonia. Conductor Stephen Bullamore.

Concert coincides with the Centenary of women’s franchise, Ethel Smyth was a suffragette who wrote the song of the Suffragette movement.

Tickets from David’s Bookshop Letchworth, Hitchin Initiative, telephone or online.

Tel: 01462 790210 or 01438 861185 Web: www.nhgs.org.uk 25 March Stevenage RSPB 10am Lynford Arboretum An all day trip to Lynford Arboretum and the Brecks. Meet in the Arboretum carpark at 10am.

Bring a packed lunch. Grid Ref. TL 822 943.

Postcode IP26 5HW. 25 March Baldock Baroque perform Vivaldi on Palm Sunday 6pm St. Mary’s Church, Baldock Free admission, Retiring collection A sequence of choral and instrumental music appropriate to Holy Week, presented by the Choir of St. Mary’s Church Baldock with guest singers and the ‘Baldock Baroque’ ensemble. Programme includes Vivaldi’s ‘Gloria’ and ‘Stabat Mater’.

Hitchin & Surrounding Areas - Fun & Social Stuff A Social Group based in Hitchin, but also aimed at the surrounding areas. The groups arranges drinks, socials, going to Live Music events, charity events, Pub Quizzes, etc.. The aim of the group is to enable a variety of people who are over 18 years old (with no upper age limit) to get to know each other in a social and friendly setting whilst also enjoying a variety of events & activities.

Web: www.meetup.com/meetup-groupHVrvZZiQ

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February’s Puzzle Solutions and Winners Last Month’s Crossword Winner Mr Andrew Lever from Buckden Winner of the Phil Beer Competition Mr David Robinson from Biggleswade Easy

Hard

Fun Quiz - Trilogies

1. Who wrote the Tilly Trotter trilogy, consisting of novels called Tilly Trotter, Tilly Trotter Wed and Tilly Trotter Widowed?

2. What was the first film trilogy to have all three of its films nominated for a Best Picture Oscar?

3. Inspiring the name of the oldest daily newspaper in France, what is the name of the main character in a trilogy of 18th century plays by Pierre Beaumarchais?

4. In the 1980s, which British author wrote Berlin Game, Mexico Set and London Match, a trilogy of spy novels known as the Game, Set and Match trilogy?

5. In the 1970s, who collaborated with Brian Eno to record the albums Low, Heroes and Lodger, which became known collectively as the Berlin Trilogy?

6. Which trilogy of novels by Suzanne Collins is set in a nation called Panem?

7. Written by Eoin Colfer and published in 2009 on the thirtieth anniversary of the first book, And Another Thing is the sixth novel in which other author’s so-called “trilogy of five parts”?

8. Which 2013 film was advertised as “the epic conclusion to the trilogy of mayhem and bad decisions”?

9. Published in 2002, what was the title of the first in a trilogy of books by Jennifer Worth that was centred around her work in the East End of London in the 1950s?

10. Dad’s Army was the first of what is regarded as writer David Croft’s trilogy of TV sitcoms set

1. Catherine Cookson 2. The Godfather trilogy 3. Figaro (the French newspaper is called Le Figaro) 4. Len Deighton 5. David Bowie 6. The Hunger Games 7.

Douglas Adams’ (The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy novels) 8. The Hangover Part III 9. Call The Midwife 10. It Ain’t Half Hot Mum and ‘Allo ‘Allo

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The Villager Prize Crossword

Prize

ÂŁ25

Across 8 To be on a ship (6) 9 Not new (4) 10 Outside (8) 11 Angry (7) 13 Funeral fires (5) 15 Almost two pints (5) 17 Below (7) 20 Observing (8) 21 Story (4) 23 Educational establishment (6) 24 Required (6)

Complete the crossword, fill in your details below, cut out this page and send to the address below before



16th March 2018 Prize Crossword, Villager Publications Ltd 24 Market Square, Potton, Beds SG19 2NP

Down 1 Female sheep (4) 2 Recording room (6) 3 Burglars (7) 4 Belief (5) 5 Every sixty minutes (6) 6 Widest (8) 12 Inconvenience (8) 14 Combining (7) 16 Calculate (6) 18 Respect (6) 19 Foolish (5) 22 Vegetable (4)

Name: Tel: Address:

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Premier Painters and Decorators

Premier Painters and Decorators are a professional, punctual and hard working company delivering outstanding quality of work to our clients in and around Stevenage From wallpaper hanging, feature walls, coving and cornice work. We even clean facias, soffits and guttering. (PVC or Wood) If you would like to take advantage of our services, require a quote or advise please do not hesitate to contact us. Be assured when Premier quote a job there are NO HIDDEN EXTRAS. Private and commercial, exterior and interior painting services.

For a free quotation please contact Gary on Tel: 01438 353793 Mob: 07733 227961 Email: info@premierpd.co.uk

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Local News

Local Charities Matter!

Small Charities Forum Launch

Local charities are the lifeblood of the communities they serve, playing a vital role in supporting the daily lives of thousands of people, right here in Bedfordshire. But the reality is that small and local charities are struggling to get their voices heard. Which is why the Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation have set up a Small Charities Forum to support them and they held their first very successful event on Local Charities Day. Over 30 small charities came together to talk about the challenges they face. Mandy Johnson, CEO of the national organisation, the Small Charities Coalition explained that it was critical for everyone to recognise the valuable work that local charities do, much of which is done by volunteers. Only by working together, sharing ideas and problems, could small charities begin to shout collectively about what an impact they make.

Fozia irfan, CEO of the Foundation stated ‘As a local funder, we are fortunate to work with many charities

and community groups in the county and we understand that they are facing challenging times. It is our responsibility as a funder to go beyond giving grants and providing extra support they need, otherwise these organisations could potentially be at risk. The Small Charities Forum, which we developed provides a valuable resource to help organisations thrive and sustain their excellent work in the community. ‘ If you would like to find out more about the Small Charities Forum or to make a donation to the Community Foundation please visit our website on www.blcf.org.uk All donations will help us to continue our work in the community.

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45 20/02/2017 16:40

Books

Book Review

By Kate Duggan March Medley The Toymakers

by Robert Dinsdale

It’s 1917 and pregnant teenager Cathy Wray seeks sanctuary at a London toy store. She soon discovers that these toys are unlike any she’s ever seen before. There’s a clockwork dog that’s devoted to his master, paper trees that grow from seed, and toy soldiers that wage battles on their own. Cathy learns to call The Emporium home, and the people who own it her family. But then the First World War breaks out, and nothing will ever be quite as magical again. The Toymakers is a must for fans of Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus.

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White Chrysanthemum

by Mary Lynn Bracht

Approximately 200,000 young Korean women and girls were enslaved by the Japanese army in the Second World War. Thousands of these ‘comfort women’ died from the abuse they experienced.

White Chrysanthemum tells the fictional story of 15 year old Hana, who is kidnapped after stepping in to rescue her little sister, Emi. Several decades later, we meet Emi in her desperate last attempt to find out what happened to Hana all those years ago.

While White Chrysanthemum is, at times, painful to read, it’s impossible to put down and a mustread for lovers of historical fiction.

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