Great Ashby May 2019

VILLAGER The

and Town

May 2019

Life

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

In this issue Win Tickets to a

Ballet Central Performance Exam Stress

How to come out on top

Win £25

in our Prize Crossword

Bringing Local Business to Local People Every Month in the Stevenage Area

ur Yo EE FRco1 py

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Inside this issue...

Win Tickets to the Ballet Central Performance

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The History of the Mayflower.....................................................4 Exam Stress - How to come out on top.......................................8 Bank Holiday Bonanza.............................................................10 Win Tickets to a Ballet Central Performance.............................12 National Vegetarian Week........................................................14 Astana, Kazakhstan in central Asia...........................................16 Loving Liqueurs........................................................................19 The Modern Bedroom..............................................................20 How to dress for your figure.....................................................25 Spring into Summer.................................................................27 Citizens Advice.........................................................................28 Could debt snowballing be the quickest way out of debt?.......30 Make it Minimal.......................................................................35

R.A.T.S. Rehoming Appeal........................................................36 Animal Stories..........................................................................39 The best barely-used bargain cars............................................40 Nick Coffer’s Weekend Recipe...................................................42 Fit at Fifty and Beyond.............................................................45 Green-fingered Gadgets...........................................................47 Puzzle Page..............................................................................48 What’s On.................................................................................52 Hire a Handy,am! Or Handywoman!.........................................54 Wordsearch..............................................................................57 Prize Crossword........................................................................57 Book Review............................................................................60 Useful Numbers.......................................................................63

Make it Minimal

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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, Louise Addison, Sarah Davey, Solange Hando, Trevor Langley, Katherine Sorrell, Jennie Billings, Kate Duggan, Ann Haldon, Pippa Greenwood, RSPCA, James Baggott, Nick Coffer, Sharon Clement and Tom Hancock

Advertising Sales/Local Editorial Nigel Frost • Tel 01767 261122 nigel@villagermag.com Photography - Steven Heap 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 “Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor”

by William Halsall, 1882

The History of

the Mayflower

By Catherine Rose

The famous ship that carried the Pilgrim Fathers to the New World is celebrating its 400th anniversary from November this year, with a programme of over 400 events planned along the Mayflower Trail. Most people have heard of the Mayflower, but what was its history?

In England, hawthorn is often referred to as the May flower but the Mayflower or Epigaea Repens (also known as the gravel plant after its ability to survive in dry, sandy soil) is a trailing arbutus native to North America.

Now rare due to the destruction of its habitat, it has white or pale pink star-shaped flowers that are one of the first to bloom in spring.

Since 1919 it has been the official state flower of

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Massachusetts, USA, after its namesake, a ship called the Mayflower, made history by landing there almost exactly 400 years ago on 27th November 1620.

The Mayflower carried a group of passengers who were Puritans, now known as Pilgrims or the Pilgrim Fathers. They had embarked at Plymouth, England to sail to what became Plymouth, New England in America for a new life.

Puritans were a specific sect of English Protestants who were disillusioned with the Church of England. They wanted to ‘purify’ Christianity according to the teachings of John Calvin, a Swiss Protestant reformer.

Many of these Puritans had already left England

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to start a congregation in Holland. After some had been arrested in Amsterdam, the remainder set up a community in Leiden but were alarmed at what they saw as a decadent Dutch society.

Among them was William Bradford who later became a leading figure on the Mayflower.

He collaborated with the English Puritans and together they decided to seek a new life and found a community in the USA – the ‘New Worlde’ – which they saw as the ‘promised land’.

The Mayflower was a 17th century English merchant ship that had seen service in Europe.

With a square rig and a beakhead bow, it was a working ship built to withstand sea storms and is estimated to have been the size of a blue whale.

The ship had a cargo capacity of 180 tons, ideal for all the Pilgrims’ belongings, livestock and the food and drink they needed at sea. It could also hold 180 multi-gallon casks designed for wine trading.

The voyage took more than two months and was beset by severe storms The Mayflower was part-owned and captained by Christopher Jones Jr., believed to have been born in Harwich in around 1570 to a seafaring family.

After Jones agreed to set sail, the Puritan elders William Bradford and William Brewster led the Pilgrims.

The Mayflower’s voyage was delayed, however, after the Speedwell – a ship from Holland originally set to accompany them and filled with Leiden settlers – developed a series of leaks and had to return twice for repairs. There is a theory that the captain of this vessel had reservations about voyaging to the New World and so the crew made the leaks deliberately in an act of sabotage.

Eventually, the Mayflower was forced to abandon the Speedwell and set sail on its own on 16th September 1620, taking some of the Dutch passengers. In total there were 102 passengers on board with a crew of around 30.

The voyage took more than two months and was

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beset by severe storms. The prevailing seasonal westerly winds forced them to land at Cape Cod rather than their original destination of Virginia, where they had been granted a plantation settlement by the Virginia Company.

The delay and the bad weather meant that the ship arrived in the dead of a bitterly cold New England winter, which the passengers weren’t prepared for. In the end, only half survived, the rest dying of malnutrition, exposure and disease.

But despite being forced to steal food from the natives on arrival (which it is said they paid back six months later), they were helped by the local Wampanoag tribe who taught them how to hunt, gather shellfish and grow corn and vegetables.

Eventually, the Pilgrims established a colony at what they named Plymouth in Massachusetts with every member contributing to the community through the Mayflower Compact – a 200-word document that was drafted on their arrival by the elders and described by them as a ‘civil body politick’ with ‘just and equal laws’ that swore allegiance to the King of England. It formed the framework for democratic government in the USA. The granite slab upon which it is said the Pilgrim Fathers first set foot is now protected and commemorated as Plymouth Rock (although it is smaller than it once was due to previous souvenir hunters).

A replica of the Mayflower (Mayflower II) that sailed the same route is now permanently on display in Plymouth Harbour, Massachusetts.

Today, it is believed that 30 million US citizens are descended from the Pilgrim Fathers.

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7

Time of Year

By Louise Addison

Exam Stress

How to come out on top It used to be thought that being a child meant living through the happiest days of your life. How times change.

Now, with league tables, SATS, and GCSEs, many children are falling victim to stress.

So, if you (or your children, if you’re a parent reading this) are feeling pressured, with no-where to turn, we have some great tips to help you get through exam season relatively unscathed.

First a few words about stress.

Stress is caused by the way our body responds to outside events, not necessarily by the events themselves.

Some stress is good: adaptive stress releases adrenaline and helps us to rise to a challenge. It’s a temporary state and the body returns to normal very quickly. Problem stress occurs when the body stays in a heightened state for a prolonged period of time. It’s this type of stress which is causing problems for today’s children. Unlike when we were young and exams were end-of-term or even end-of year events, today’s child has seemingly relentless pressure to perform all year round with the result that they get very little down-time in which their body can recover from all that adrenaline.

Not everyone suffers in the same way from stress.

Some children seem to cope with it well. Research

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has shown that these children are generally more positive, have a good sense of humour and have parents who themselves deal well with potentially stressful situations.

Finally, it’s useful to understand that while exams are important, they are not worth making yourself ill over. You can always sit them again.

Exam Busting Tips!

Get plenty of rest - sleep is important Take regular breaks - you’ll stay fresher Leave time for some fun - when you’ve reached your revision goal reward yourself with an activity you enjoy Be realistic - Don’t overdo it Eat properly - avoid caffeinated drinks like coffee or coke.

Exercise - It’s a great stress buster and improves your mood Be nice to yourself - Don’t beat yourself up about the things you haven’t done, be positive about all you’ve achieved Relax - When it all gets too much just chill for a while. You’ll feel much better.

Useful Web Addresses www.studentminds.org.uk/examstress.html https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxietydepression/coping-with-exam-stress/

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9

Time of Year

By Sarah Davey

Bank Holiday Bonanza It’s that time of year when there seems to be a bank holiday bonanza. We’ve just had Easter Monday, and now we have two bank holidays in May. Us Brits certainly like to celebrate the arrival of spring. But as a nation we’re a funny old bunch (and that’s without mentioning Brexit!) and we tend to panic at all this extra time off. What on earth will we do with it?

So here is my Brits guide to Bank Holidays...

We ask everyone else what they’re doing, kind of like Christmas! As a nation we get excited about the prospect of a longer than usual weekend.

We make vague plans about weekends away.

According to my immediate circle of friends The Cotswolds / Paris / Ironbridge / The Lake District (delete as applicable) are all ‘lovely at this time of year...’ But we will always leave it too late, or won’t agree on a destination, or discover every hotel has suddenly doubled its prices, so we never actually go.

At least one friend will remind you in bitter tones that they are a nurse / barperson / taxi driver (delete as applicable) and they will be working while you are relaxing. Sympathise with them, and maybe buy them a bottle of wine. Without these people the country would grind to a halt.

Every teacher friend you possess will make a huge deal about them not actually having a holiday weekend, because they will be marking...again!

Teachers do this every holiday though, because they suspect we secretly think they are all part-timers.

We check the weather forecast repeatedly and

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rejoice equally in headlines which read IT’S GOING TO BE A SCORCHER or IT’S GOING TO BE A WASHOUT...because Brits love weather…all weather!

We buy paint in anticipation of giving a room a facelift. Bank holidays were absolutely designed for repainting the sitting room!

We buy bedding out plants, compost and ‘garden features’, because Bank holidays were absolutely designed for prettying our little plot of land.

We tentatively suggest a barbecue to family and friends because as well as being obsessed by weather we are also eternal optimists about it. And if it rains, we still barbecue because that’s what you do on a bank holiday in May, and well...it gives the guests something to talk about while they sip their beer, ‘Looks like it might brighten up later...’ as the hail slams into the awning.

We plan a film night. When we finally face the reality that there isn’t going to be a heatwave, and the weather is more barmy than balmy we hit Netflix or Sky Movies and dial a pizza with extra pepperoni and a large garlic bread. Because Bank holidays and carbs were made for each other.

Finally, we have the Sunday blues on a Monday night.

Bank holidays are gone in the blink of an eye and all too soon it’s back to work. But cheer up, it’s only four days until the weekend. Unless you’re a teacher... they’ll be marking all weekend...again!

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advertorial

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Images by ASH Photography

Win 2 Tickets to the Ballet Central Performance

at The Broadway Theatre, Letchworth on Friday 28th June 2019 Ballet Central brings its exceptional range of dance repertoire to The Broadway Theatre, Letchworth on Friday 28th June and we are delighted to offer you the chance to win two tickets to the performance.

This is a chance to see young dance graduates on the cusp of their professional careers perform a varied programme of classical ballet and contemporary dance theatre. An exciting evening of theatricality, technical excellence and drama choreographed by top dance industry influencers is promised, with stunning costumes enhanced by powerful music. Highlights include Christopher Marney’s Carousel Dances, inspired by the 1945 musical Carousel by Rodgers and Hammerstein, a unique version of the Dying Swan Solo created by Calvin Richardson, and the Company is delighted to present an extract from Frederick Ashton’s acclaimed Valses Nobles et Sentimentales performed to Maurice Ravel’s suite of waltzes.

For more information, visit www.broadway-letchworth.com/theatre/whats-on/ballet-central

Competition

BALLET CENTRAL COMPETITION ENTRY

Who wrote the 1945 musical “Carousel”?



To enter, answer the question and complete the form below and send to: Ballet Central Competition, Villager Publications Ltd, 24 Market Square, Potton, Bedfordshire SG19 2NP. Deadline: 16th May 2019.

Name: Tel: Email: Address: 12

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Time of Year

National Vegetarian Week May 13th – 19th

This month plays host to National Vegetarian Week.

More of us are turning to vegetarianism thanks to an abundance of scientific research that demonstrates both the health and environmental benefits of a plant-based diet.

An estimated 70 percent of all diseases, including one-third of all cancers, are related to diet. A vegetarian diet reduces the risk for chronic degenerative diseases such as obesity, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and certain types of cancer including colon, breast, prostate, stomach, lung and oesophageal cancer.

A vegetarian diet tends to increase bone strength. When there isn’t enough calcium in the bloodstream, our bodies leach it from existing bone. This results in our skeletons gradually becoming porous and losing strength. Although you can take supplements, it’s better to obtain calcium from your diet because food also supplies other nutrients such as phosphorus, magnesium and vitamin D, that are necessary for the body to be able to absorb and make use of calcium.

Even if you have to avoid dairy, calcium-rich foods include beans, tofu, plant-based milks like soy, oat, rice or almond, and dark green vegetables such as broccoli, and kale.

For those of us going through the menopause many vegetables and fruits are rich in phytoestrogens, the plant-based chemical compounds that mimic the behaviour of oestrogen. Maintaining a balance of these in your

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diet helps ensure a more comfortable passage through menopause. Soy is by far the most abundant natural source of phytoestrogens, but they are also found in apples, beets, cherries, dates, garlic, olives, plums, raspberries, squash and sweet potatoes.

Vegetarians tend to have more energy. Whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables are high in complex carbohydrates, so they supply the body with plenty of energizing fuel.

Vegetarians also suffer less with constipation, haemorrhoids and diverticulitis! Eating a lot of vegetables necessarily means consuming more fibre, which absorbs water and bulks up, helping your stools stay soft, so waste can be easily pushed out of the body.

A vegetarian diet is more environmentally friendly.

Much of the grain we grow is fed to animals raised for slaughter. As a rough guide it takes 2,500 gallons of water, 5.5Kg / 12lbs of grain, nearly 16Kg /35lbs of topsoil and the energy equivalent of 4.5L /1 gallon of petrol, to produce one pound of beef!

A vegetarian diet can sustain many more people, so is a more efficient use of resources.

Finally, a vegetarian diet is cheaper. Eating vegetables, grains and fruits in place of beef, chicken and fish would cut individual food bills by an average of £500 per year.

If you are thinking about becoming vegetarian, or even just incorporating more vegetarian meals into your normal diet, there is lots of information and some great recipes on the website www.nationalvegetarianweek.org

By Sarah Davey

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104 Ampthill Road, Shefford, Beds SG17 5BB To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122

15

Travel

Astana, Kazakhstan

By Solange Hando

in Central Asia

In 1998, barely seven years after independence, a new capital rose in Kazakhstan in the middle of the steppes on the banks of the Ishim River.

Planned by the Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa, it grew into a futuristic dream, replacing Almaty, the former capital enclosed by mountains with little room for expansion and prone to natural disasters.

Today, with over one million people sharing 100 nationalities, Astana is the northernmost capital in Asia and the second coldest in the world.

Although much of the old town still spreads along the right bank, the new capital across the water dazzles everyone with innovative architecture, wide avenues and open spaces and parks. Day or night, the central Nurzhol Boulevard is a wonderful place for a stroll, a wide traffic-free oasis full of greenery, fountains and flowers

and traditional sculptures, here a shaman, there a dancer or a nomad. Stretching for over two kilometres towards the riverside presidential headquarters, it is dominated by the Bayterek Tower, the top attraction in Astana.

It’s easy to see why: rising to 97 metres, this lofty monument is crowned by a 300 tonne glass ball where colours change according to the natural light.

Bayterek, they say, is a ‘tree of life’, clutching an ‘egg’ between its branches to ensure a peaceful and prosperous future.

It is truly enticing and up on the top, inspired no doubt by the wonderful views, many visitors make a wish, eyes closed as they place their hand in the president’s golden print.

Away from the river, the boulevard opens onto a vast circular space leading to fine

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outdoor restaurants and flower shops and an archway framing the Khan Shatyr centre, an indoor place for souvenir and other stores, as well as family amusements – including a beach covered with sand from the Maldives. But most exciting is the actual building, moulded like a giant steel yurt, gleaming white, slightly topsy-turvy, and one of Norman Foster’s landmarks.

Bold and dynamic, the new Astana also pays tribute to its roots, be it in the museums, the stark blue Palace of Independence or the Central Concert Hall, where the main room is shaped like a dombyra lute, Kazakhstan’s national instrument. Sculptures of Samruk, the mythical bird, pop up here and there to protect the country.

In 1999, UNESCO declared Astana a ‘City of Peace’, a theme upheld in the newly-erected Peace Wall, inscribed with the word ‘peace’ in 51 languages, and the glass pyramid, known as the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation. There a stained glass painting displays 130 doves symbolising cultural and religious tolerance. Islam is the main religion, open and relaxed for most followers, and with its white minarets and domes, the iconic Hazrat Sultan mosque claims the largest complex of its kind in Central Asia. Inaugurated in 2012, it was named after a 12th century poet and mystic, linking past and present in one of the youngest capitals in the world.

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Loving Liqueurs

Food and Drink

Liqueurs are widely acknowledged to have been produced by monks, during the 13th century. Derived from the Latin ‘liquifacere’, which means to liquify, liqueurs have evolved, over the centuries, to become very popular alcoholic beverages, today. Liqueurs can be flavoured with fruits, herbs and spices etc. They are usually quite sweet and regularly have a lower alcohol content than spirits, although some liqueurs can have an ABV which is high. Liqueurs are great by themselves, over ice and/or used in cocktails-with fabulous results!

Some liqueurs have recipes which are only known to a small number of people.

Numerous countries, globally, produce liqueurs, a good number of which are award-winning productions and for this quest I searched for a well-established company that has been producing an extremely popular liqueur for many years.

Licor 43 (Cuarenta y Tres) is a true taste of Spain and has a unique blend of 43 ingredients. The Zamora family, some 70 years ago, became the custodians of a secret recipe for this very fine liqueur. Renowned as Spain’s No. 1 liqueur and for exporting too, Licor 43 is recognised globally and the popularity increases yearly. Vanilla, Mediterranean citrus, spice, sugars and alcohol are amongst the ingredients for this yellow, gold-coloured production. The taste, which follows the appearance and enticing bouquet, is unmistakable. Superb on its own, with ice and for making great cocktails.

Licor 43 Orochata is another production from the same company. Light, silky, delicate and with a creamy texture, this is infused with original Licor 43. Tiger nuts, spices and citrus are utilised, to great advantage, for this liqueur. The mouthfeel is complemented by the aroma, bringing together another combination of ingredients to achieve a most splendid liqueur.

Licor 43 Baristo combines the essence of Licor 43 original with rare and exotic coffee from the Canary Islands. The freshly-roasted coffee, mature fruit, plus citrus and vanilla combine to produce this delightful, elegant liqueur, with its complex flavours. I found this Licor 43 Baristo production wonderful for an end of meal experience. A perfect ending to any dining occasion. For more information and details, please visit www.licor43.com Also available online.

As always, Enjoy!

ey Trevor Langl

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Interiors

By Katherine Sorrell

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The Modern Bedroom Does your bedroom look a little dated, or is it brimming with contemporary style?

We outline some quick and easy ways in which to give it a brand new look.

A quiet retreat, a calm haven, and a cosy place in which you can relax, read, watch TV, listen to music, make phone calls or even sleep – your bedroom is your own personal space, and the ideal room in which to express your unique personality.

If, however, it feels boring rather than beautiful, dull rather than delightful, why not consider a top-to-toe makeover? With some forward planning (and without spending a fortune) you can transform a tired space into a gorgeous room that you’ll love spending time in.

A pop of colour Bold colours are on trend this spring, often quite dark and moody – an intriguing antidote to the careful beiges, greiges, stones and neutrals that have predominated over the last few decades.

Where better than a bedroom to go for this dark décor? Be brave and use fuchsia, turquoise, emerald, orange, mustard or deep blue in arresting combinations or, if you don’t feel quite courageous enough, perhaps just cover one wall with a strong shade. Even the simple addition of a bright headboard, rug, throw or group of cushions can make all the difference.

On the walls A new paint colour will transform the room.

Experiment by using a tester pot to cover a large sheet of card and sticking it to different walls at various times of the day, so you can see how the colour changes according to the light. Another way to make a difference is to use patterned wallpaper, all over (for huge impact) or just on a

1 Bluebell Gray Peggy Midnight duvet cover set, £135, Hurn and Hurn: 01603 559 250; www.hurnandhurn.com 2 Dusk bedding, £105 for a double set, Clarissa Hulse: 020 7226 7055; www.clarissahulse.com 3 Wildflower quilted bedspread, £98, The French Bedroom Company: 01444 415 430; www.frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk

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FATHER’S DAY

CARVERY SUNDAY 16 JUNE

This Father’s Day Shuttleworth invites you to enjoy a three course meal in the magnificent setting of The House, Shuttleworth. To celebrate, all Fathers will receive a complimentary entry for two voucher, to visit The Collection. £28.00 per adult and £15.00 per child (2 – 13 years).

Pre-book via: www.shuttleworth.org/fathersdaycarvery The House, Shuttleworth, Old Warden Park, Beds, SG18 9EA

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25/03/2019 14:26:14 21

feature wall. Or opt for a wall-sized mural – they are easy to order, sized to your dimensions, via specialist websites, and look absolutely amazing, whether the image is of, for example, a wooded glade, tropical palms, a cityscape, oversized flowers or a starry night sky.

Beautiful bed linen To transform a bedroom from boring to boudoir, introduce sumptuous bed linens that are gorgeous to look at and soft to the touch. You may wish to use plain white as the basics, just adding a stunning throw, blanket, eiderdown or quilt – or several – for a jolt of eye-catching colour and pattern. Or go for broke and put colour with colour, plains with patterns, and revel in the excitement and drama of layered vibrancy.

Take the floor In a bedroom where wear and tear is not a factor, luxurious, deep-pile carpet laid wall-to-wall is an option to consider. It’s not cheap, however, so if that’s beyond your budget, consider sanding back your floorboards and either varnishing or painting them, then adding a rug or two in a bold, modern style (blocks of vivid colour, chevrons or Berber, perhaps) for heaps of character.

Lights fantastic Assess your lighting and ensure it’s both subtle and flattering. You can make it more adaptable by adding table or floor lamps in the corners and fitting a dimmer switch to the central pendant.

Even changing the bulbs makes a difference – LED for energy saving, choosing warm white and not

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overly bright. For bedside reading, a pair of swingarm, wall-mounted lights will free up space on a bedside table, or go with the on-trend look and hang a bare filament bulb from a coloured cotton flex that’s suspended either from the ceiling or a wall-mounted bracket.

How to update your furniture Wardrobes, chests of drawers, blanket boxes and bookcases are an investment, and not necessarily items that you’ll want to replace too often. But there are ways in which to improve or disguise such furnishings that are old-fashioned, overly bulky or otherwise just not quite right. A lick of paint works wonders, for example, though it’s inadvisable on anything antique. Sand thoroughly, undercoat and cover with a top coat – choosing either a colour which will stand out or, if your aim is to minimise the look of the piece, the same colour as the wall behind. It’s also possible to paste wallpaper (or wrapping paper, maps, sheet music, posters – the list is endless) onto the flat panels of wooden furniture, painting the rest of the piece in a co-ordinating colour to give it a quirky new look.

Another surprisingly effective upgrade is simply to change the knobs or handles for something more sleek and modern. It may even be possible to do the same for feet or legs, where appropriate.

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Looking for a care home and need some friendly expert advice?

Put your trust in us to help you.

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House of Colour

How to dress for your figure 1. When you are dressing for your individual figure, the most important things to bear in mind are your body architecture and your style personality. For example, if an asymmetric hem doesn’t suit your body shape and style personality then it will always look wrong, no matter how gorgeous the dress or skirt might look on another person.

2. Dressing for your shape is all in the detail. We all suit different hemlines, necklines, trouser lengths, lapels and sleeves, not to mention of course colours, fabrics, structure, patterns and details.

3. If you suit classic, dramatic, sporty or natural clothing, then choose items to fill your capsule wardrobe along those lines. For example, tailoring continues to gain momentum offering the ultimate smart casual look particularly for classic and gamine style personalities. Natural style personalities should choose relaxed skirts with movement. Structured or asymmetric outfits can add edginess for the dramatics amongst us.

4. It may seem obvious but wear clothes that fit you. Overly baggy or clothes that are too tight can really undermine you. Did you know that if your clothes really fit you, you should hardly know you are wearing them?

5. Love your body and shape. Know what your best parts are and draw attention to those areas whether that means cinching in your waist or

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elongating a shorter mid-section for example., If you carry a bit of weight around your middle, but have shapely legs show them off in both your trouser and skirt choices.

If the widest part of your body is your hips, you can bring balance by focussing detail to your top half. The extra detail could be adding pattern or ruffles or lovely statement jewellery on your top half.

Women with an hourglass figure often try to hide their curves with shapeless styles and forget they have a smaller waist. To compliment your killer curves, avoid bulky and boxy styles, choose cuts of clothes and fabrics which follow your curves, and accentuate your narrower waist.

An athletic figure looks best when they’re drawing attention to their toned physique, with clothes that skim the surface of their silhouette rather than high tailoring or very structured looks.

Don’t sabotage your look by getting your style right but wearing colours that don’t suit you.

The colours that suit us are determined by the pigments in our skin and eye colour. Primary red is the only colour we can all wear.

By Jennie Billings, Colour and Style consultant, House of Colour www.houseofcolour.co.uk/jenniebillings e:jennie.billings@houseofcolour.co.uk

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Health & Beauty

By Kate Duggan www.kateduggan.co.uk

Spring into summer From a bargain day cream to a luxe fragrance, there’s plenty to tempt you this month, whatever your budget.

British luxury fragrance brand Tom Daxon has a new fragrance out – Midnight Saffron (from £105). Lavender, saffron, jasmine and amber combine to create a warm, spicy, unisex cologne that’s really quite distinctive.

See www.tomdaxon.com.

Itchy, dry scalp or supersensitive skin? You’ll want to check out the award-winning Dermikelp range. As the name suggests, the key ingredient in all Dermikelp products is an extract taken from sustainably sourced brown sea kelp (Ecklonia maxima).

Not only is it extremely gentle, this type of kelp is a powerhouse of nutrients that have been shown to benefit skin and hair. The shampoo and conditioner in the Hair Essentials Starter Kit (£24.99) are designed to soothe itchy, dry scalps and boost hydration. Together, they leave hair feeling softer and healthier. The Body Essentials Starter Kit (£38.99) includes a body wash, lotion and soothing cream to treat sensitive, irritated or dry skin. See www. dermikelp.co.uk.

I get offered some eye-wateringly expensive beauty products to try but can honestly say you don’t need to pay megabucks for decent skin. I’m currently loving the Botanics Organic Hydrating Day Cream (£9.99) and Hot Cloth Cleansing Balm (£10.99). They’re packed with active natural ingredients, such as cocoa butter, jojoba oil and organic rosehip extract. A little goes a long way, so I reckon each one will last four to six months.

By my reckoning, that’s less than 18p a day for instantly softer, smoother, plumper skin. How’s

that for a bargain? See www.boots.com.

A new season seems like a good time to sort through your makeup bag and bathroom cupboards. For a start, ditch anything that’s been open for way longer than its recommended Period After Opening (PAO) date. (Check for a little icon showing an open tub or bottle and a number of months.) It may seem like a waste to throw products out, but the PAO is there for a reason.

Not only do products become less effective as they degrade, they can also go ‘off’ and harbour bacteria, leading to irritation.

Some products, such as perfume, can last for years, but do always check for changes in colour, texture and fragrance.

If you do need to get rid of anything, empty the contents into the bin and check whether the bottle or tub can be recycled – most can.

You might want to give your makeup bag a clean with a squirt of hand soap before repacking it. If the time has come to treat yourself to a new bag, there are some fabulous ones on the market at the moment. Just take a look at this little lot:

• • • • • • •

Jungle Decorative Make Up Bag, White Stuff, £15 Gold Honeycomb Make Up Bag, John Lewis, £18 Folk Doves Make Up Bag, Rex London, £7.95 Alphabet Wash Bag, Oliver Bonas, £24 Slogan Clear Pouch, A Gift From The Gods, £7 Floral Love Wash Bag, Oliver Bonas, £25 ‘Wake up Nice’ Conscious Living Organic Cotton Pouch, Paperchase, £8 • Ariba Palm Pouch, White Stuff, £15 • Plant Lady Cosmetic Bag from Primark (Price TBC)

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Citizens Advice Dear Citizens Advice I recently joined a dating website. I was contacted by a lovely man and we started to exchange messages. We now email every day, although we haven’t met in person yet. We had arranged to go for a meal, but then he cancelled because he needs to concentrate on fundraising for his daughter - the medicines she needs aren’t available on the NHS. He’s asked me to contribute, his daughter needs treatment urgently. He’s given me details of a bank account to pay into. I want to help, but I’m unsure because I’ve only known him a short time.

You’re right to be cautious. Unfortunately dating sites are increasingly being targeted by unscrupulous people. It can be difficult to accept that someone you’ve developed feelings for is trying to swindle you. But scammers can be highly skilled at using emotional triggers to persuade people to part with money, or with personal information that might make victims vulnerable to identity theft.

Your friend may be completely genuine, but try to find out if he’s really who he says he is. A reluctance to call you or Skype, or profile information such as educational achievements not matching the content of his messages, could be a red flag that this is a scam.

Other things to look out for include expressing strong emotions in a short period of time, moving the conversation away from the dating site and onto a private channel such as email or instant messaging and asking lots of personal questions - but giving away very little in return.

Trust your instincts and if in any doubt, don’t part with your money. For further help on identifying possible scams contact your local Citizens Advice, or call the Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 04 05 06.

For more information or to find out about volunteering go to www.stevenagecab.org.uk Citizens advice Stevenage is open Monday, Tuesday & Thursday 10am–3.30pm and Friday 10am-12.30pm

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We build our mortgages around you At Handelsbanken, we provide a personal mortgage service, with a dedicated account manager and the power to make clear and timely decisions within the branch. We take the time to understand your needs, to help find a solution that is right for you, whether buying a new home or remortgaging.

Julie Donnelly - Individual Banking Manager Tel: 01462 441488, Email: judo01@handelsbanken.co.uk, Mobile: 07436 831078 122 Whinbush Road Hitchin Herts SG5 1PN Tel: 01462 441472 handelsbanken.co.uk/hitchin

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

Please note that our lending facilities are only available to persons aged 18 or over and are subject to status.

Written quotations and Terms & Conditions are available on request Handelsbanken is the trading name of Handelsbanken plc, which is incorporated in England and Wales with company number 11305395. Registered office: 3 Thomas More Square, London, E1W 1WY, UK. Handelsbanken plc is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Financial Services Register number 806852. Handelsbanken plc is a whollyowned subsidiary of Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ).

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12/02/2019 09:25:26 29

Finance

By Ann Haldon

Could debt snowballing be the quickest way to get out of debt?

Debt snowballing is a term used to describe a particular method of dealing with debt, which in some ways goes against ‘traditional’ thinking.

It’s commonly advised to deal with the most expensive debt first in terms of interest rates and charges, which is a natural and effective approach to paying down debt.

But one issue that isn’t taken into account when repaying debt in this way is the psychology that can sometimes influence a successful outcome.

Here’s how to debt snowball • Make a list of all your debts – the one with the smallest balance at the top.

• Pay off the minimum amount on all your credit cards and other debts, apart from the one with the smallest balance.

• Pay as much as you can off this debt and repeat each month until you’ve paid it off in full.

• Cross it off your list of debts and use the money released towards the next debt.

• Continue in the same way down your list (the second smallest next), making the minimum payment on all other borrowing.

• If you’re able to earn more money, putting it towards the debt you’re currently repaying increases the snowball effect and reduces your overall level of borrowing.

• When the debt you’re focusing on has been paid off, cross it off your list – rinse and repeat until you’re debt-free.

Human psychology when paying off debt Debt snowballing is a system that applies a little human psychology to paying down debt, and

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acknowledges that we all lack motivation at times.

The method only works if you have sufficient funds to make the minimum payments on all your debts, however, so if you don’t, you would need to look at alternatives.

The sense of accomplishment when you can cross a debt off your list is invaluable in encouraging you to carry on, and could in fact be one of the main reasons for the success of debt snowballing.

Advantages of debt snowballing • It offers vital motivation.

• It’s a simple and straightforward system that’s easy to maintain.

• You’re forced to focus on one debt at a time, and as long as you keep up the minimum payments on other debts you can forget about them for a while.

• It helps you manage your money for the long term and introduces good money habits.

Are there any downsides to debt snowballing?

The main downside of debt snowballing is the extra interest you pay on your debts when compared with the debt avalanche method, and when considered only from a mathematical point of view it clearly isn’t the most obvious option.

Repaying debt is a little like dieting, however – small wins offer the motivation that many people need to continue and succeed. One important issue is to make sure you dedicate any money released when a debt is repaid to paying off the next one.

Without this, the ‘snowball’ effect of increasing amounts being available to tackle your next debt doesn’t materialise, and the system will stall.

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Are you returning to higher education and need some help with university costs?

Do you live in post codes SG1 or SG2?

Then the Betty Game Opportunities Trust may be able to help you with a small grant towards the cost of books, equipment, travel etc.

Further information about the Trust and how to apply for a grant is available on our website www.bgot.org.uk or email BGPT2015@gmail.com

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Garden

Make it Minimal

By Pippa Greenwood www.pippagreenwood.com

There is increasing enthusiasm for a more minimalist garden style, where fewer plants have greater individual impact in a more designed situation with straight lines aplenty, so here are some suggestions for achieving the effect you want.

Decide on the plants you like and that will suit your garden but keep to as few different types as possible. The biggest impact will be achieved if you are selective, for example concentrating on ornamental grasses.

Also key is clever use of straight lines, ideally with a few right angles too. Edges must be sharply defined, perhaps using sleepers, other timber or angled metal. Keep plants well back from the border edging so these lines are not interfered with.

Colours should fit your preferences and the surroundings but restrict the number of colours for a calmer and simpler effect. Existing features such as sheds or fences can be recoloured or painted to fit in with the colour scheme – otherwise, their current colour will have to be included in that scheme.

Edges need to be sharply defined, perhaps using sleepers or other timber A stunning minimalist effect can be achieved by using a single type of plant and container – for example, conifers in terracotta containers. The only variation is in the size of the conifer: all colours, textures and plants are the same. Buy different sizes of the same conifer type and clip regularly to maintain the size difference or buy one size and trim lightly to achieve the desired look.

Green, in the form of foliage, helps add a feeling of tranquillity to a minimalist garden so include it, perhaps as a neatly clipped box hedging or as a few bay lollipops in angular containers.

Containers must be very plain, ideally straightsided angular styles in a single colour. An evenly spaced trio of pots, each with a single central plant, provides a perfect choice of container planting.

If you like topiary stick to simple tightly clipped spheres or ‘lollipops’, cubes or at most spirals; there is no space for a fantastically sculptured creature if you’re going minimalist!

Plants with simple or angular shapes such as iris, alliums, conifers, clipped box, canna or palms are an excellent choice, but opt for personal (but simple) favourites available locally.

Grass alternatives such as gravel may feature highly. Gravel needs less maintenance than grass, but keep it weed-free and easy-care by installing a weed-membrane (rather like woven, plastic hessian) on to the soil before putting down the gravel. Thoroughly weed the area then firm and compact well before putting the fabric down.

Don’t use cheaper plastic sheeting as rain won’t penetrate.

Opt for simple, classically styled garden furniture with as few colours and textures as possible and it won’t detract from the minimalist environment and look – now sit back and enjoy!

Visit www.pippagreenwood.com for advice, natural pest controls, stylish cloches, pretty plant supports, gardening tools and more. Or book Pippa for a gardening talk at your club.

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Local News

Rehoming Appeal Humphrey & Dougal This pair of male guinea pigs are Humphrey (tri-colour) and Dougal (brown). They are a really nice pair of guinea pigs. Dougal is very friendly, Humphrey a little shyer but they will make great pets for any family. They have come to R.A.T.S. as their previous owners no longer had the time for them.

If you can offer these boys a home, please contact Hazel on 01234 357788 Alternatively, please email Philippa at info.rats@gmail.com who will be pleased to forward your enquiry onto the team.

View other dogs, cats and small mammals 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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Safe and Secure Doggy Day Care For dogs up to 8 kilos A home from home for your 4 legged friend Wonderful Hertfordshire countryside walks Structured Play Activities Maximum of 4 dogs at any one time Day Care, Nightly, Weekend or Long Vacation stays available Fully training in Dog CPR, First Aid and Safety Fully Insured and licensed from SBC Please visit website for further details

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Pets

Animal Stories At RSPCA Bedfordshire North Branch a large majority of the animals that come into our care are cats, but occasionally we will receive a rabbit or small furry in need of a new home.

This month this beautiful little rabbit, Ratty, arrived in our care after his owner could sadly no longer keep him. He is approximately ten months old and had previously been kept as an indoor bunny.

He is currently in foster care and has settled in very well, but we are now looking to find Ratty his new forever home. Although used to living indoors, since arriving at his foster home he has loved running around the garden, exploring his surroundings and having a good nibble on the grass, so we would love to find him a home where he can carry on enjoying spending some of his time outside. He is a very friendly rabbit, always running up for a fuss and some nose rubs when he sees someone to play with. All rabbit’s need lots of enrichment and Ratty is no exception, he absolutely loves playing with his tunnels and toys which will go with him to his new home.

Rabbits are naturally very social animals and are happiest when they have a companion, the best combination being a neutered male and female pair. When bonded with a suitable rabbit it prevents them from becoming lonely and they can play together, groom each other and look out for one another. With that in mind, we would like to find Ratty a female friend to go and live with.

Another animal we have in our care at the

moment, with a very similar story to Ratty’s, is a cat called Sixpence. Approximately two years old, Sixpence came into our care after his owner could also no longer keep him. Like Ratty, he was also kept as an indoor pet, but his young and super friendly personality would suit being able to have a good explore outside.

When Sixpence first arrived in our care he was quite shy but soon settled into our cattery. He loves a fuss and likes nothing more than to roly poly around to show off his lovely spotty tummy.

Although friendly, he would prefer to be an only cat in an adult only household as this is what he has been used to.

All animals that are adopted are neutered and fully vaccinated before they go to their new homes.

For more information about Ratty or Sixpence, as well as other animals in our care, please visit our website www.rspca.org.uk/local/bedfordshirenorth-branch.

To enquire about adopting one of these friendly fellows, please email our Branch at adopt@rspcabedsnorth.org.uk, or contact us by phone on 01234 266965.

For all up to date information about the animals in our care, adopted success stories, or what our Branch is up to visit our facebook page www.facebook.com/rspcabedsnorthbranch.

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Motoring

The best barely-used bargain cars Ford Mondeo Vignale Price new: £30,625 Price one-year: £19,999 Ford’s upmarket Mondeo Vignales are an absolute steal on the used market and come with a lengthy equipment list. We found a oneyear-old example for just under £20,000.

Vauxhall Astra Price new: £21,760 Price one-year: £9,799 With £12,000 or 54% off a sportylooking Astra SRi with the excellent 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine at just a year old, we wonder why anyone buys a new Vauxhall!

Toyota Yaris GRMN Price new: £26,295 Price one-year: £21,995 The Toyota Yaris GRMN may be a bargain buy at £21,995 and with less than 1,500 miles on the used market, particularly as its limited numbers and widely-hailed driving experience may make it a future collector’s item.

Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT 6.2 Price new: £63,995 Price one-year: £38,995 It’s the Grand Cherokee’s monstrous 6.2-litre V8 engine that puts buyers off, but for performance, power, and sheer noise on a budget, this is a great way to go.

Opting for a car that’s a year old over a brand-new model could save a packet. Here are 10 of the best.

Finding money off a barely-used car can be tricky, so we’ve found classified ad examples representing huge savings over brand-new options. The prices quoted are correct at the time of writing.

BMW 3 Series GT Price new: £38,280 Price one-year: £19,890 The 3 Series GT is pitched as an all-occasion car. It’s part-hatchback, part-saloon, part-executive, but this vehicle trying to be three hasn’t proved very successful. That said, it offers a high level of quality along with that premium badging.

A new 320d M Sport Gran Turismo is £38,280, but with 10,000 miles on the clock and last year’s plate it costs around £19,890.

Land Rover Discovery Sport Price new: £45,810 Price one-year: £32,444 This baby Discovery is a desirable family car, mating a superbly practical seven-seat body with Land Rover prestige, albeit with a dated interior and lack of top-end technology. At £12,000 off list price, a one-year old example is a bargain.

Jaguar XF Price new: £36,495 Price one-year: £27,500 The XF drives nicely and has a

decent engine range, but hasn’t sold well. We found a 2018-reg R-Sport car fitted with the 2.0-litre 178bhp diesel engine for £27,500 with 4,000 miles on the clock – a huge saving.

BMW 3 Series Price new: £42,870 Price one-year: £39,990 With the 3 Series being replaced this year, there are great deals to be had – the 330d Touring model with a 3.0-litre straight-six engine is ideal for motorway driving, and falls from £42,870 new to £39,990 at a year old.

Infiniti QX30 Price new: £29,720 Price one-year: £17,000 This combination of Mercedes platform, Nissan interior and Renault diesel engines was a reasonable mix until you looked at the price. However, at around £17,000 for a year-old example, the QX30 becomes easier to recommend.

Suzuki Swift Sport Price new: £18,499 Price one-year: £13,999 Last year’s all-new Swift Sport offered a fun driving experience and bags of equipment, but its £18,499 price tag put it into a performance bracket where it couldn’t really compete.

Used examples at under £14k make it a real bargain.

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By James Baggott

Business gone slow?

Let us help!

Stevenage airport taxiS

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.

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01438 420420 Online Bookings • Credit Cards Accepted

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Food & Drink

Red Velvet

Cake

I find the science of baking fascinating. What makes the texture of one cake different to the texture of another one? How can seemingly similar ingredients create totally different effects?

With this Red Velvet Cake, it is the addition of the buttermilk and the acids which contribute to a tighter, slightly denser crumb, somewhere between a Victoria Sponge and a brownie. It was made for my Weekend Kitchen show by a very talented young baker called Victoria Chidgey.

Throughout her appearances on my show, I have watched her Little Tring Cake company grow through hard work and creativity. Seeing skilled young people take risks, open businesses and watching them grow is probably one of the biggest pleasures I get from being on the radio…

Ingredients: 125g butter 325g caster sugar 40g cocoa powder 2 eggs 1 tsp red extra colour paste (you will need to buy the proper stuff, not the small bottles of red liquid) 1 tsp vanilla extract 250g buttermilk 325g self-raising flour 15g bicarbonate of soda 30g white wine vinegar 1. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Meanwhile add all the dry ingredients to a bowl and set aside.

2. Slowly beat the eggs into the butter and sugar mixture. Add the red colouring and the vanilla

too, followed by half of the dry ingredients and half the buttermilk.

3. Repeat until everything has just come together.

4. Pour in the vinegar and beat until throughly mixed. Split between 3 x 6” cake tins or 2 x 8” cake tins. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 160C/ Gas Mark 3 for 27 minutes. The cakes are baked when a skewer comes out clean.

For the icing: 150g butter 150g cream cheese 450g icing sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1. Beat the butter, icing sugar and vanilla until it’s very light in colour. Add the cream cheese one spoonful at a time, mixing well each time.

Once all the cream cheese has been added beat on a high speed for 3 minutes.

2. Level off the cakes with a knife and put any off-cuts into a food processor to blitz into a fine powder.

3. Assemble the cake by putting a layer of cream cheese icing between each cake. Cover the rest of the cake with icing, smoothing the top and sides with a pallet knife.

4. Gently push the cake crumbs into the side of the cake to get an even layer.

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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Health

By Sharon Clement

Fit at Fifty

And Beyond

Attention over-fifties! When was the last time you visited a gym? You kind of know you should be making an effort, right? But do excuses such as ‘too expensive’; ‘lack of time’, and ‘no motivation’, sound familiar? Or maybe like me you have a pathological fear of lycra?

But assuming you have no major health problems we can tackle this issue in bite-size chunks.

As an over-fifty myself (quite a lot over if I’m honest) I overcame my own gym-phobia and have been reaping the rewards since.

Motivation - This is the key. You need a specific goal. I wanted to achieve a healthier lifestyle with improved cardiovascular fitness.

Time - Look in your diary and you will find a spare hour at least once, or better still, two or three times a week.

Cost - Can be as expensive or affordable as you want. A ladies-only gym with a personal trainer can be expensive, but a mixed gym membership in off-peak hours brings the cost down considerably and you can still get instruction and advice from an on-site trainer. Most gyms now take membership fees on a monthly direct debit basis.

Clothing - Lycra isn’t compulsory, but clothes must be comfortable, and this includes your undergarments. Remember, it’s not a fashion parade and chafed tender bits will put you off exercise forever!

If you’re feeling hesitant repeat to yourself, “I can do this; I want a healthier and fitter me; I have the

time to do this”. This is your Mantra. Say it often enough and you will start to believe it. Don’t be put off by glum folk who say it’s all a waste of time.

Mix with positive people who will encourage you and improve your self-esteem.

Metabolism slows down as you get older and this can lead to weight gain, but exercise helps keep weight on an even keel because you build lean muscle. You also improve your immune system and cardiovascular system; reduce bad cholesterol and boost brain-power. Research shows that only 32% of men and 21% of women aged over 50 in England undertake some form of regular exercise.

In the over-65’s this drops to 17% of men and 12% of women, and in Scotland the figures are even less!

The trainers at your Gym will discuss the best way to get you back into shape. If you haven’t exercised before or for a long while they will advise that you start slowly and build up gradually.

Good instructors are enthusiastic and well-trained and will arrange a set of exercises to suit to you.

Before you know it, you’ll have a routine e.g. 5 minutes bike, 5 minutes treadmill, 5 minutes weights. It will only take a few sessions before you improve and begin to compete with yourself. You’ll notice the benefits of improved posture; glowing skin; improved breathing, zest and vitality almost immediately.

We are all living longer but perhaps we should also be aiming to live more healthily too.

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

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Technology

Green-fingered Gadgets

Technology to help get ready for summer

As your garden begins to bloom once more, it’s time to let technology give Mother Nature a helping hand.

If you’re a keen gardener and you’re going on holiday, an electronic timer can keep your hydrangeas hydrated while you’re away. We like Hozelock’s Automatic Watering System, which is a modular collection of automatic timers, hoses, connectors and even an Apple/ Android-compatible Cloud Controller, which enables you to control the water from your phone or tablet. You can adjust the watering according to the actual weather conditions, ensuring you don’t under- or over-water everything, and you can also create much more complex schedules than you can with a traditional timer.

The original RRP of £160 for the Cloud Controller was a lot of money, but it’s widely available now for less than £90.

Every year we ask ourselves the same question: can we afford

a robot lawnmower yet? Prices continue to fall – robot mowers were over £2,500 a few years back but had fallen to around £550 last year. Prices are starting to level out but you can pick up the Worx Landroid for around £410 on Amazon. That’s nearly a third off the RRP. We wouldn’t recommend a robo-mower for really complicated gardens, but for straightforward ones they’re really useful.

If that’s still a bit too much for a mower, cordless lawnmowers are getting cheaper too, and their batteries are more than up to the job of even fairly large lawns.

Flymo’s Mighti-Mo has dropped from £234 to around £170, and it won’t run out of puff until you’ve cut almost 250 square metres.

Cordless power isn’t just convenient, although not having to run cables to the very corners of the garden is certainly a boon.

It’s also safer, because there’s no danger of accidentally cutting an electric cable. And electric motors have improved to the

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

point where they can be taken just as seriously as petrol ones, so you can get decently powerful electric trimmers, saws, loppers and chainsaws. The higher the voltage, the more power – so a 36V model such as Black and Decker’s Lithium-ion chainsaw, currently £235, is considerably more powerful than the more common and slightly cheaper 18V models. Some of the biggest names in power tools have embraced cordless, so for example you’ll find a range of tools from the likes of Makita, Stihl and DeWalt as well as budget brands such as Worx.

If you’re considering a cordless device, it might be worth investing in a second battery: there are few things as annoying as running out of charge when a job is nine-tenths done. Just make sure you actually charge it in advance, because it’s even more annoying to plug in a spare only to discover that it’s completely flat.

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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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SHIRON

Domestic Appliances Repairs of

Washing Machines Tumble Dryers Dishwashers Electric Ovens Electric Cookers Electric Hobs VAT Registered Specialist in Hotpoint, Indesit, Ariston, Creda and Whirlpool appliances.

Contact RONNIE Tel: 01438 720 304 Mobile: 07396 579717

Email: rohintoncooper@hotmail.com

N O T YO U R AV E R A G E H O M E I M P R OV E M E N T C O M PA N Y

EPDM RUBBER ROOFING

• FIRESTONE RUBBER-BOND • 20 YEAR MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY • SUPERIOR DURABILITY • ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY • QUICK INSTALLATION • MAINTENANCE FREE • FLEXIBLE • LICENSED FIRESTONE INSTALLER

0800 046 1080 UP TO 30% OFF IN MAY hello@thehomeimprovementproject.co.uk www.thehomeimprovementproject.co.uk To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122

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n i t l h F e o J Plasterersam

Female Plasterer specialising in: Plastering, Plasterboarding, Making Good and Painting

A FRIENDLY FAMILY FIRM. FREE QUOTATIONS

Tel. 07951 362335 / 07836 768670 Email: joeflinthamplasterers@googlemail.com

GAS SAFE REGISTERED

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51

n O s ’ t Wha 1 May North Herts Association of the National Trust 7.30pm Christchurch, Bedford Road, Hitchin Visitors £2 on the door. AGM followed by ‘A Brief History of Tailoring from 1100 to 2018 AD’ by Alan Canon Jones. Alan lives in Hitchin and will share his own journey through the subject of tailoring from an apprentice in the 1960s to his current work as consultant in Fashion Design Technology. The talk includes the history of the Merchant Taylors’ Company and its link to John the Baptist, Saville Row Bespoke Tailoring and finest quality ready to wear tailoring that is manufactured today.

Non-members welcome. Second-hand books and home-made preserves are on sale at every meeting.

Tel: Secretary Mrs Colette House 01462 815585 Email: colettehouse@gmail.com 2 May The Arts Society North Herts Talk 11am & 2pm The Spirella Ballroom, Letchworth £7 on the door. Talk on ‘Churchill – The Artist’ by Claire Walsh. Email: theartssociety.nh@gmail.com Web: www.theartssocietynorthherts.org.uk 2 May Stevenage RSPB Local Group 4pm An afternoon and evening visit by car to Paxton Pits looking for wildfowl and summer migrant birds including Nightingales. Meet in the reserve car park at 4pm, and for those who can’t make it that early, we meet again at 6pm. Postcode PE19 6ET. OS Map Ref: 153/TL195629.

Tel: Leaders Janet & Barry 01438 223789 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 May The Hitchin Thursday Club 9.30am-12 noon St John’s Community Hall, Hitchin A friendly group which meets every Thursday morning for recreational painting, drawing, etc..

The group is very easy going in its attitude to art only doing your own thing. Still Life and raffle every month. No qualifications required - just come along with your drawing gear. Tel: Pauline 01767 315553 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 May Roundabouters Country Dance Club 8-10pm Friends Meeting House, Cuttys Lane, Stevenage Friendly club for English country dancing. We welcome new members, both beginners and experienced. All dances walked through; club and guest callers ensure a varied programme.

Tel: 01438 727239 Email: roundabouters@live.co.uk Web: www.roundabouters.org.uk

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2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 May Stevenage Plus Social Group 8.15pm for 8.30pm. Holiday Inn Express (opposite Matalan), Stevenage £2 - first night free. Stevenage Plus Social Group is a fun and friendly social group with members in their 30s and 40s from Stevenage, North Herts and surrounding areas. We have a varied programme of events on Thursday and Saturday evenings as well as day trips and weekends away. New members always welcome. Tel: 01438 231550.

Email: welcome@stevenage.plus Web: www.stevenageplus.co.uk 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 May 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 3 May RSPB Hitchin & Letchworth Local Group 7.30pm ‘The Settlement’, Nevells Road, Letchworth Garden City Local group members free, Visitors £3 ‘The Search for the Bengal Tiger’ with Martin Johnson. Martin will be describing how he fulfilled a life-long ambition to visit ‘Jungle Book’ country and see big, stripy cats (and much more) in the wild.

Tel: 01763 249459 Email: martinrjspc@hotmail.com 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31 May Springfield House Friday Bridge Club 1.30pm Springfield House (the home of the Old Stevenage Community Centre) To play cut-in Chicago Bridge. Play is informal and friendly. Tel: Richard Bean 01438 221517 3, 17 & 31 May Stevenage Survivors Poetry Group 7.30pm Quaker Friends Meeting House £2 inc. drink & biscuits 4 May 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 is required to get an entry ticket from the Guardroom.

Web: www.rafsignalsmuseum.org.uk

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

In May

5 May Victorian Lesson 2.30 & 3.3pm The British Schools Museum, 41/42 Queen Street, Hitchin Bring the whole family for a Victorian Lesson in the Gallery Classroom. Two sessions are included in normal admission price. Monthly Craft Fair. Tel: 01462420144 www.britishschoolsmuseum.org.uk 5 May Flook - ‘Ancora’ Album Release Tour 2019 Doors open 7pm Hitchin Folk Club, The Sun Hotel, Sun Street, Hitchin Members £14(members, Non-members £16 Formed over 20 years ago by four friends, Flook burst onto the international music scene with their debut studio album, ‘Flatfish’. The band had a remarkably successful performing and recording career - the sheer enjoyment of playing together shone through their albums. But it was their live performances that really captured the hearts of those who watched and listened. After a break of 14 years, they return with a 17-date tour to launch. Tel: Box Office 01462 812391 6 May British Schools’ Annual May Festival 10.30am-12.30pm The British Schools Museum, 41/42 Queen Street, Hitchin Free admission. Come and join in dancing round our Maypole and Country Dancing - wet or fine. The Ramrugge Clog Dancers will also be entertaining us. For children over 6 years old with games for younger ones too. Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult). No need to book.

Tel: 01462420144 www.britishschoolsmuseum.org.uk 6, 13 & 20 May Stevenage Choral Society 7.45-9.45pm Stevenage Music Centre, Nobel School, Stevenage The society meets every Monday during term time.

No auditions or ability to read music required just a love of singing great music. New members welcome.

6, 13, 20 & 27 May 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, day and weekend trips and holidays.

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

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n O s ’ t Wha 7 May Tuesday Talk: Maternity and Motherhood 7pm for 7.30pm The British Schools Museum, 41/42 Queen Street, Hitchin Tickets £5 inc. tea/coffee. Amy Saunders explores how motherhood and maternity affected three C17th Queens: Anne of Denmark, Henrietta Maria and Catherine of Braganza. To book tickets please call the Museum or book online. Tel: 01462420144 Web: www.britishschoolsmuseum.org.uk 7, 14, 21 & 28 May Stevenage Bridge Club 7.30pm Priory Nursery, Stanmore Road, Old Stevenage To play Duplicate Bridge. A host system is run to find partners, if required. A wide level of ability play at the club. Tel: Phil Cooper 07957 813434 8 May Letchworth Chamber Music Concert 7.45 pm Howgills Friends Meeting House, 42 South View Tickets £15, Students & Under 18s £7.50 inc. refreshments. The last concert of the season at the later time of 8 pm follows the AGM at 7.45 pm with a recital by local flautist, Adelaide Starling, accompanied by President of the Club, Simon Marlow. Tickets available on the door.

Web: www.letchworthmusicclub.co.uk 10 May Unicorn Ceilidh 7.30-11pm St Mary’s Church Hall, Church Street, Baldock Adults £10, Concessions and family tickets available. With The Old Chapel Band and Will Hall.

Ceilidh dances are great fun, easy to learn - and addictive! Clear instructions from the caller before and during each dance allow anyone to join in and enjoy the dancing. Our combination of the finest live bands, top callers and a bar serving local Real Ale and Cider plus wine and soft drinks guarantee an excellent, fun-filled evening for all.

Email: enquiries@unicornceilidhs.org.uk Web: www.unicornceilidhs.org.uk Tickets: www.ticketsource.co.uk/unicorn-ceilidhs 13 & 20 May Stevenage New Pathways 1-4pm Friends Meeting House Cuttys Lane, Stevenage £2 inc. hot drink & biscuits Counselling support group. A friendly place to meet and talk over issues in a positive way. Maybe go for walks, bring in speakers, form a craft group.

Tel: 07429 831060

13 & 20 May Staplers Country Dance Club 8-10pm St John’s Community Hall, Hitchin Staplers is a 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 come with a partner; lots of us come on our own. We are a friendly group and you will be made very welcome. Car parking is available next to the hall. We meet every Monday apart from bank holidays and some school holiday dates.

Tel. 01462 624144 or 01462 680995 (note new telephone number) Web: www.staplers.org.uk 14 & 28 May Hitchin & District Probus Club 12 noon for 1pm Priory Hotel, Hitchin Social club for retired and semi-retired professional and business men which meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month for lunch. Organised visits and events throughout the year. New members welcome.

Tel: Roger Burt 01438 351891 Email: roger@mazda20.plus.com 19 May Stevenage RSPB Local Group trip to Lackford Lakes 10am An all-day car trip to Suffolk Wildlife Trust Lackford Lakes Reserve near Bury St. Edmunds. Light refreshments are available at the visitors centre.

Meet in the car park at 10am. Postcode IP28 6HX. OS Map Ref:155/TL 799706.

Tel: Leader Graham Beevor 01438 232055 18 May-2 June Chilterns Walking Festival The programme includes over 70 guided walks, events and activities covering the whole of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) which stretches from Oxfordshire through Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire into Hertfordshire. Details of all guided walks, events and activities available in the spring programme can be found online. Most are free of charge though some require a small fee which is clearly shown. To assist walk leaders with expected numbers, most events must be pre-booked.

Web: www.visitchilterns.co.uk/walkingfest

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

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

What’s on entries to whatson@villagermag.com

In May

21 May Stevenage RSPB Local Group 7.30pm The Friends Meeting House, Cutty’s Lane, Stevenage RSPB Members £3, Non-members £3.50, Under 16s 50p. Short AGM followed by a members’ slide show. Tel: Trevor Store 01438 226014 Web: www.rspb.org/groups/Stevenage 25 May Celebration of Disability Sports Activities 10am-4pm Riverside Square, Bedford Come and try a different sport with demonstrations, a chance to meet Paralympic athletes, an information desk and live entertainment.

Continuing Bedford’s connection to disability sports brought about by the 2012 Paralympic Games when a training camp was located there. The event seeks to break down some of the barriers that many disabled people perceive make it more difficult for them to take that first important step into sport. Everyone welcome – able bodied people are promised an entertaining day too.

31 May Hitchin Book Club 5pm Orange tree, Hitchin Admission £2. A friendly group who meets the last Friday of each month. No pressure to read books just turn up for a drink and chat.

Web: https://hitchinbookclub.simdif.com or https:// www.meetup.com/Hitchin-Book-Club/ Hitchin & Surrounding Areas Fun & Social Stuff A welcoming social group based in Hitchin, but, also includes the surrounding areas. We arrange monthly socials, drinks socials, live music, pub quizzes, cinema, etc.. The group is a variety of people over 18 getting to know others in a social and friendly setting whilst also enjoying themselves.

Email: meetup3@outlook.com Web: https://www.meetup.com/meetup-groupHVrvZZiQ Hitchin Bridge Club Hitchin Bridge Club plays duplicate bridge several times each week. All levels of experience welcomed, hosts are available at some sessions for players without a partner. Workshops each month on topics for improving players. Beginners courses are run every year starting in October. For further information please contact Margaret or visit the website. Tel: Margaret 01462 623447 Email: mee.hitchin@ntlworld.com Web: hitchinbridgeclub.org.uk

53

Home Improvement

By Tom Hancock

Hire a Handyman! Or handywoman!

Do you have lots of household DIY tasks mounting up? Are you starting to feel a little overwhelmed?

Hire a handyman!

A good handyman will have right tools, and know-how to get the job done efficiently. Hiring someone who knows what they are doing will eliminate a lot of stress. Also, they will almost certainly save you money, especially if you would have to buy the right tools before you start or make a mistake which has to be put right!

When hiring: Be Specific - Give an idea of the scale and scope of the job or jobs. For example, ‘Rehang garden gate, repaint gate and 17 metres of 2m high garden fence.’ Measurement are important as it gives idea of the scope of the task.

Send photos if you can - In the example above send photos of the gate and the fence. A picture will save a lot of words and help the handyman provide an accurate quotation.

Remember cheapest isn’t necessarily the best.

Check an online price guide. There is lots of

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guidance available, but you should definitely bear in mind the total hours required.

The handyman should be insured and have his own tools. Check all insurance documents carefully.

Take your time, be pleasant and ask questions. Get a quote in writing to make sure you know exactly what you’re getting.

Then sit back and relax while someone else takes care of your household jobs!

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Business gone slow?

Let us help!

Premier Painters and Decorators

Advertising in The Villager is easy. To find out more call Nigel on 01767 261122 or email nigel@villagermag.com

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

www.premierpd.co.uk

Your Perfect Loft Access and Storage Solution Our services include: Loft Ladders Loft Hatches Insulation Loft Boarding Loft Lighting Balustrades We are a family run business who comply to building regulations, where our fitters are fully insured and all of our work is guaranteed.

Covering Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Essex.

01438 211302 info@eastanglianloftladders.co.uk eastanglianloftladders.co.uk To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122

Call now for a free, no obligation quotation 55

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April’s Puzzle Solutions and Winners Last Month’s Crossword Winner Isobel Dunkley from Stotfold Winner of the Classic Ibiza Competition Lisa Pullen from Eynesbury

Winner of the Ragdale Hall Spa Competition Mrs Jean Charter from Biggleswade

Easy

Hard

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The Villager Prize Crossword

Prize

£25

Across 7. UK’s continent (6) 8. Waldorf salad nut (6) 9. Utilised (4) 10. Valuable, highly admired (8) 11. Repairs, mends (7) 13. Midriff (5) 15. Publish, issue (5) 17. Freedom (7) 20. Added extra (8) 21. Poisonous metal (4) 22. Cut into pieces (6) 23. More wealthy (6)

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

16th May 2019 Prize Crossword, Villager Publications Ltd 24 Market Square, Potton, Beds SG19 2NP

Down 1. Largest country (6) 2. Timber (4) 3. Tribes, nationalities (7) 4. Clean with broom (5) 5. Last, final (8) 6. Lines of people (6) 12. Persuade (8) 14. Meals (7) 16. Puzzle, enigma (6) 18. Bartered (6) 19. Ditzy, light-headed (5) 21. Ornate fabric (4)

Name: Tel:



Address:

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“Quality is not expensive, it’s priceless”

Extensions, Refurbishments, Loft and Garage Conversions, Landscaping and General Building Internal and external work with many local references View our testimonials at www.hertfordshirebuilders.co.uk

Loft Conversions

Extensions Open Plan Living

Garage Conversions

Garden Rooms & Landscaping

Refurbishments

Architect drawings and planning applications catered for Estimates and ideas FREE

www.hertfordshirebuilders.co.uk Call Richard on 07818 061505 To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122

59

Books

Book Review

By Kate Duggan The Energy Plan

By James Collins

Nutritionist James Collins is a world leader in the field of performance nutrition. He’s guided the eating habits of Olympic athletes and premier sports stars. His first book, The Energy Plan, is not about cutting out food groups, quick fix diets or denial. Instead, it’s about fuelling your body so it performs better and you feel fitter, have more energy and can fight off illnesses. The Energy Plan is well worth a read, whether you’re training for a marathon or just want to avoid the 3pm energy slump.

Voices of Powerful Women

by Zoe Sallis

When Maya Angelou calls something a ‘fascinating collection’, you know you’re in for a treat and Voices of Powerful Women certainly doesn’t disappoint. Zoe Sallis interviewed 40 women for her book, including Judi Dench, Tracey Emin, Benazir Bhutto and Mariane Pearl. Each one gives us a glimpse into what made her who she is today. You’ll learn what inspires these women, what angers them, who they admire and what advice they want to pass on to the next generation.

I D Decorating Painting & Decorating Services Painting – Interior & Exterior Decorating Coving No Job Too Big Or Too Small Fully Insured & Free Estimates Telephone: Ian Dunklin 0790 508 3799

Micro Living Derek ‘Deek’ Diedricksen

This book takes the concept of downsizing to the extreme.

Many of the 40 homes featured are smaller than 150 square feet.

From a refurbished Airstream to a treehouse, what these homes lack in space, they more than make up for in character. The book includes floorplans, advice and lots of lust-worthy photographs. Whether you’re thinking of building your own tiny home, want some tips to make the most of smaller rooms or just fancy taking a peek into how other people live, Micro Living is for you.

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ROGERSONS

REMOVALS

Man with Van

Removals • Clearances • Deliveries Pick-Ups • Items disposed of Flat pack assembly Anything Considered Friendly and reliable at a cost you can afford

Tel: 01462 627074 Mob: 07867 531368

Speak to Matt • No job too big or small

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

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Appliance and Electrical Repairs Appliance and Electrical Repairs All makes of washing machines, dishwashers, cookers, hobs and hoods repaired, serviced and sold.

No call out charges on accepted quotes Member of DASA 30 years 35 years local work experience Used as expert on BBC Watchdog

01525 753547 or 07836 242122 G.J. WATKINSON

From just £35.00 per month plus VAT

Call Nigel on 01767 261122 for more information

N O T YO U R AV E R A G E H O M E I M P R OV E M E N T C O M PA N Y

WALL COATING

ALL REPAIRS UNDERTAKEN BREATHABLE COATINGS WEATHER PROOF SMOOTH OR TEXTURED SELF CLEANING PROTECTS YOUR WALLS CLEAN & TIDY INSTALLATION SUITABLE FOR MASONRY OR RENDER • COLOUR MATCH AVAILABLE • 10 YEAR GUARANTEE • • • • • • • •

Before After

0800 046 1080 UP TO 30% OFF IN MAY hello@thehomeimprovementproject.co.uk www.thehomeimprovementproject.co.uk 62

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USEFUL NUMBERS

VILLAGER The

and Town

Life

Alcoholics Anonymous..............................0845 769 7555 Anglian Water............................................08457 145 145 Bedford Hospital........................................ 01234 355122 Lister Hospital............................................ 01438 314333 Benefits for people with Disabilities...........0800 882 200 Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue................... 01438 729041 Carers Line..................................................0808 808 7777 ChildLine...........................................................0800 1111 Citizens Advice...........................................03444 111 444 Cocaine Anonymous..................................0800 689 4732 Crimestoppers..............................................0800 555 111

Bringing Local Business to Local People Your local full colour A5 monthly magazine delivered free of charge to 1000s of homes and businesses in your local area.

The Villager and Town Life is dedicated to promoting local businesses, charities, community groups and everything else in your local area.

Cruse Bereavement Care............................0333 252 9152 Floodline....................................................0845 988 1188 Frank-Drug Advisory....................................0800 776 600 National Debt Line.....................................0808 808 4000 Gas Emergency............................................0800 111 999 NHS Direct.........................................................0845 4647 National Rail Enquiries..............................03457 48 49 50 Non Emergency Police Line.........................................101 NSPCC.........................................................0808 800 5000 Relate..........................................................0845 48 49 50 RSPCA Cruelty Line....................................0300 1234 999 Samaritans............................................................116 123 Tax Credit Helpline.....................................0345 300 3900 Victim Support............................................845 30 30 900

For more information or to reserve your space please contact Nigel on:

Tel: 01767 261122

Email: nigel@villagermag.com Web: www.villagermag.com

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BEFORE AFTER

... another completed project near you Kitchen | Bedroom | Home Study For all your design, supply and installation needs Family run business

Tel: 01438 222929 www.kitchenergonomics.co.uk Visit our showroom: Unit E, Gateway 1000, Whittle Way, Arlington Business Park, Stevenage SG1 2FP Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm, Saturday 10.00am to 4.00pm