Great Ashby Nov 2018

VILLAGER The

November 2018

and Town

Life

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

In this issue Win a Spa Day for two at

Champneys Henlow The History of the

Remembrance Day Poppy Win £25 in our Prize Crossword

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Inside this issue...

Win Tickets to see The Overtones

10 The History of the Remembrance Day Poppy....................4 Britain’s Quirkiest Bonfire Night Celebrations...................8 Win Two Tickets to see The Overtones.............................10 Win a Spa Day for Two at Champneys Henlow................12 Flavours of the Levant....................................................14 RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch is 40...................................16 Making a Difference.......................................................19 Tips on how to work your denim with style....................20 Can you still get a mortgage as an older borrower?........23 P&R Interiors..................................................................24

Leaf Matter, Leaves Matter.............................................26 R.A.T.S. Rehoming Appeal..............................................28 Nick Coffer’s Weekend Recipe.........................................31 Restoration Project Regenerates Areas of Heathland.....33 Local Tradesmen and Women Targetted by Thieves........34 Puzzle Page....................................................................36 What’s On.......................................................................38 Prize Crossword..............................................................42 Book Review..................................................................45

RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch is 40

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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, Kate McLelland, Trevor Langley, Jennie Billings, Ann Haldon, Rachael Leverton, Nick Coffer, Dr. Ken German, and Kate Duggan.

Advertising Sales/Local Editorial Nigel Frost • Tel 01767 261122 nigel@villagermag.com Photography - Yuryy Bezrukov 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

By Catherine Rose

The History of the Remembrance Day Poppy With celebrations to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War, the humble but striking poppy will once again be evident as a symbol of hope and remembrance. But what is its history?

Over the four years that the Great War raged, the fields of Flanders in Belgium that saw much of the bloody trench warfare were decimated. Stumps were left in place of trees and the once lovely landscape turned into acres of bare earth, muddy craters and barbed wire.

But like some miracle of life triumphing over death, out of this devastation grew hundreds of field poppies.

Part of the papaver family (papaver rhoeas) and a wildflower that is as delicate as it is hardy, it is a plant that seeds best in fresh earth. The Flanders Poppy, as it came to be known, therefore thrived in the barrenness. Its poignancy was not lost on all those who saw it – its bright red colour echoed the bloodshed of all the lives lost and the fact it

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could grow in such devastation made it the perfect symbol of hope for the future.

Canadian WW1 soldier and poet John McCrae wrote the now famous poem ‘In Flanders Fields’ about their significance in 1915. (Incredibly, this poem was rejected by The Spectator when it was first submitted.)

But it was an American University Professor from Georgia, Moina Michael, who first set out to make wearing the poppy a symbol of honouring the war’s dead. After reading a copy of McCrae’s poem, she was so moved that she promptly went out to Wannamaker’s – a department store in New York – and bought all the artificial poppies they had.

She then went about selling them as souvenirs of remembrance under the banner ‘keep the faith’.

By the end of 1918, Moina was working with a designer to produce a poppy design that could become a national emblem. The initial drawing

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was of a poppy made up of all the colours of the Allied flags which was intertwined with the Statue of Liberty. The original design was abandoned but, due to Moina’s efforts, the National American Legion adopted the poppy as their symbol, agreeing to wear it on Armistice Day, 11th November.

At this point, a French lady named Anna Guérin who was a member of the French Young Women’s Christian Association, takes over the story. While attending an American Legion Convention in 1920, she was so taken with the idea of the poppy not only as a global symbol of remembrance but also as a way of raising funds, that she decided to start mass producing artificial poppies to sell as badges in France. The funds from the sale of these poppies would be used to help war widows and orphans.

After they proved a success in France, Anna took them abroad, working with Moina Michael on distribution across the US. In England, she met Field Marshall Douglas Haig, who was also the first president of the (Royal) British Legion, founded in 1921. Haig was sympathetic to her idea, knowing that there were many veterans suffering financial hardship.

The first British Legion Poppy Day Appeal took place in 1921 with nine million poppies being sold.

It raised over £100,000. The other allied countries soon followed suit.

In 1922, Major John Howson opened the first UK poppy factory in London. Howson had received the Military Cross during the First World War and had subsequently set up The Disabled Society to help provide employment for disabled veterans.

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His initial staff were five disabled ex-soldiers.

Today there are two poppy manufacturers in the UK – The Poppy Factory in Richmond (the original poppy factory that relocated) and The Lady Haig Poppy Factory in Edinburgh. The Scottish poppy is slightly different to the English in that it has four petals instead of three and no leaf.

Both are staffed by ex-servicemen and women and produce millions of poppies annually. The Poppy Factory also does free tours which are open to all and where you can purchase special poppy souvenirs, including china.

Over the years, the paper poppy badge we all know so well has diversified and you can now buy silk and enamel versions as well as giant poppies to fix to your car. An initiative set up by the RBL also encourages communities to knit poppies for local fundraising and there is a knitting pattern on their website.

Between July and November 2014, the moat at the Tower of London was filled with ceramic poppies in an art installation by Paul Cummins and Tom Piper entitled ‘Blood-swept Lands and Seas of Red’ to honour the centenary of the start of the Great War. They were a stunning sight and many thousands of visitors went to see them.

Along with the crosses and wreaths that will be placed on war memorials across the country on Remembrance Sunday in this centenary year, armies of volunteers will sell millions of poppies in the run up to 11th November. The idea behind them remains the same – a non-religious, noncultural symbol of remembrance that helps to raise money for veterans and their families.

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Quirky Britain

Britain’s quirkiest

Bonfire Night Celebrations

November is the month for firework displays, when adults and children gather together on a chilly field to spend half an hour ‘oohing’ and ‘aahing’ as fiery fountains erupt, Catherine wheels spin and rockets light up the night sky.

It’s a fun family event, but our 21st century firework displays seem like pretty tame stuff when compared to the bonfire festivities enjoyed in times gone by.

Fire festivals have been held for thousands of years but the practice of marking 5th November with bonfires and fireworks began as a rowdy celebration to mark the deaths of the conspirators who tried to blow up England’s parliament in 1605, with activities calculated to make any modern-day health and safety officer run for cover.

While it’s no bad thing that firework displays are now controlled and regulated to avoid accidents, some of the devil-may-care spirit that was once the hallmark of November 5th seems to have been lost.

However, there are certain parts of the UK where risk and excitement are an essential part of the enjoyment.

Anarchic fun in Sussex Welcome to Bonfire Night in Lewes, Sussex, where the smell of burnt gunpowder is always accompanied by a faint whiff of anarchy. It’s a night of celebration that promises activities that are – to quote the website lewesbonfirecelebrations.com – “not suitable for very young children … the frail or if you have breathing problems.”

Each year this bonfire event turns the normally sleepy town of Lewes into a heady combination of raucous street bands, rowdy processions, heaving crowds and huge effigies – usually in the form of

hated public figures of the day – made for the sole purpose of being consigned to the flames amidst cheers, jeers and cat-calls.

The town uses Bonfire Night as an opportunity to uphold the traditions of free speech and to remember the dead, particularly the seventeen Protestant martyrs who were burned at the stake in Lewes between 1555 and 1557 under the reign of ‘Bloody Mary’ (Queen Mary I). Their martyrdom is marked annually by a procession of 17 burning crosses.

Tar Barrel Racing in Devon Another place you might prefer to avoid on Bonfire Night if you are of a nervous disposition is Ottery St. Mary, in Devon. This tranquil West Country town changes character on the night of 5th November, becoming the stage for a perilous and fiery race through the streets.

This exhilarating and risky spectacle involves setting light to huge wood and iron barrels soaked in tar.

The barrels are then carried through the town at great speed. Some families have been taking part in the races for many generations and almost 10,000 people turn up each year to cheer them on.

Another quirky and high-spirited bonfire event is Shetland’s Viking fest Up Helly Aa, which takes place at the end of January. These celebrations – tapping into our primitive feelings about fire as something to be loved, feared and respected – are a powerful way of bringing communities together. Although no-one would want to return to the days when members of the public could be injured when activities got out of hand, it’s good to know that some UK communities are still prepared go to such lengths to let their hair down and celebrate together.

By Kate McLelland

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Win 2 tickets to see The Overtones Wed 5th Dec 2018 at Cambridge Corn Exchange

The Overtones are back on the road with a 22 date UK tour starting on November 22nd at Watford Colosseum and ending with a special festive show at London’s Indigo at the O2 on December 20th 2018.

Promising “a night to remember” the group will be joined on stage by their band to perform favourites from their previous Top 10 albums as well as songs from the new record. Tickets for the tour are available from gigsandtours.com with VIP packages from sjm-vip.com.

The group – Lachie Chapman, Mike Crawshaw, Darren Everest and Mark Franks also announced their sixth studio album ‘The Overtones’ October 19th 2018. The first track to be shared, ‘You To Me Are Everything’, - with the group’s signature old-school cool, modern vintage vibe and trademark vocal harmonies - is a perfect teaser for the new album.

“a brilliant night out” Daily Record Since bursting onto the scene in 2010 with their debut ‘Good Ol’ Fashioned Love’, the group has sold over a million records. This self-titled album, however, will be the first release as a four piece following the passing of their bandmate and friend Timmy Matley in April. Teaming up, once again, with producer Julian Hinton and engineer Simon Bloor, the album – a collection of thoughtfully chosen covers and originals - is a tribute to Timmy, a celebration of everything that the group has achieved together, a thank you to their loyal and supportive fans and a statement of intent for the future.

Competition

THE OVERTONES COMPETITION ENTRY

Which Overtone appeared on British comedy drama series on Channel 4 ‘Crashing’?

1. Darren Everest  2. Mike Crawshaw  3. Lachie Chapman  4. Mark Franks 



To enter, answer the question and complete the form below and send to: Overtones Competition, Villager Publications Ltd, 24 Market Square, Potton, Bedfordshire SG19 2NP. Deadline: 16th November 2018.

Name: Tel: Email: Address:

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Win a Spa Day at Champneys Henlow for two Make time for some well-deserved rest and relaxation at Champneys Henlow. Set in 150 acres of beautiful Bedfordshire parkland, Henlow Grange serves as an idyllic countryside spa escape.

Experience the delights of a full day of pampering with a delicious three course buffet lunch to enjoy half way through. Get comfortable in the cosy Champneys robe and flip-flops that you’ll be given for the day and try out the spa facilities, including swimming pool, steam room, sauna, and whirlpool.

It really is the perfect way to unwind.

Henlow in Bedfordshire, offers sumptuous accommodation in elegant surroundings, delicious cuisine, treatments and therapists focusing on both inner health and outer beauty, not to mention the latest fitness trends. Spend a day with us, and you’ll get a feel for how much we have to offer. A Day to Remember.

For more information visit: champneys.com Terms and conditions apply. Valid Monday to Thursday only. Prize must be booked and taken within 6 months from the date of issue, subject to availability. Guests must be 16 years or over, non-refundable and non-transferable.

Travel to the spa is not included. Prize cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.

Competition

To enter, answer the question and complete the form below and send to: Champneys Competition, Villager Publications Ltd, 24 Market Square, Potton, Bedfordshire SG19 2NP. Deadline: 16th October 2018. The winner can choose which date they wish to attend.

Champneys Henlow Grange is set in or how many acres of parkland a) 200  b)150  c) 300 



CHAMPNEYS HENLOW COMPETITION ENTRY

Name: Tel: Email: Address: Please tick this box if you wish to receive further information from Champneys  12

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Food and Drink

Favours of the Levant

The Levant, located in the eastern Mediterranean, has a very long and interesting history. The traditional, flavoursome cuisine of the Levant is enjoyed a lot and widely available in a number of countries in that area, including Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Cyprus, for example.

The Ceru restaurant opened during December 2016, in South Kensington, London and its popularity grew from the outset. The much-anticipated second Ceru restaurant opened in February 2018, within easy walking distance of Oxford Street and Regent Street, in London. Utilising authentic ingredients and cooking methods and cleverly blending spices, Patricia and Barry Hilton, plus their brigade of talented chefs and kitchen personnel have a lot of knowledge and experience of Levantine cuisine. All dishes are freshly prepared and Ceru is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, every day.

The All-Day Menu is available daily, from 12 noon. An array of dips and salads has something for everyone, to start. Pancar (Roasted beetroot, yoghurt, garlic, crushed pistachio) and The Sultan (Ottoman-inspired salad of dried fruits, wholegrain rice, toasted almonds and olives) are popular selections, for many. Mains seafood dishes include Sea Bream, Cod and Prawns. Meat and poultry dishes have perfectly cooked slow-roasted Lamb Shoulder and Beef, plus Chicken variations and gain regular ‘devotees’. Often-selected side orders have Orez Ceru (Arabic scented fried rice, crispy onions, sultanas, parsley) and Spiced Polenta & Feta Fries, with coriander and chilli. If time is pressing, then ‘Express’ (served weekdays 12 noon – 3pm) is no problem. Desserts offer tempting Dark Chocolate Mousse and Flavours of Baklava – good choices – amongst a selection.

The wines/drinks list has something for all and includes superb, high-quality wines, champagnes and craft-brewed beers. All dietary requirements can be catered for, plus parties, celebrations and occasions arranged and accommodated. The Ceru restaurants offer diners the opportunity to ‘explore’ and enjoy very impressive cuisine, with rich, vibrant flavours of the Levant. Booking is advisable, particularly at popular times.

Ceru Soho 11 D’Arblay Street, London W1F 8DT Tel: 44(0)20 3195 3002 Email: soho@cerurestaurants.com www.cerurestaurants.com Ceru South Kensington 7-9 Bute Street, London SW7 3EY Tel: 44(0)20 3195 3001 Email: southken@cerurestaurants.com

As always, Enjoy!

ey Trevor Langl

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Local News

RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch is 40! (26-28 January 2019) Celebrating 40 Years of Counting Garden Birds in Bedfordshire • The RSPB is celebrating 40 years of its’ famous Big Garden Birdwatch.

• Over 8 million hours have been spent watching garden birds since the Birdwatch began in 1979 with more than 130 million birds counted in the UK. • Taking part in the world’s largest garden wildlife survey takes just one hour and provides the RSPB with an annual snapshot into how our wildlife is faring.

• To mark the event, the RSPB is asking participants ‘How will you #BigGardenBirdWatch?’ and share their stories of how they take part.

The RSPB is eagerly anticipating who will be top of the pecking order for a very special anniversary of its’ world famous Big Garden Birdwatch in January.

Just one hour every year, for the last 40 years, has made the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch the largest garden wildlife citizen science project. During that time, hundreds of thousands of people have volunteered their time providing the RSPB with over 8 million hours of monitoring garden birds around the UK. To mark the event, the RSPB is encouraging participants to share their Big Garden Birdwatch stories. How will you #BigGardenBirdWatch? will showcase some of the best examples of how people take part from building their own birdwatching den, baking birdseed cakes and dressing up as Batman to see Robin.

This year’s event takes place on 26, 27 and 28 January 2019. The public is asked to spend just one hour watching and recording the birds in their garden or local green space, then send their results to the RSPB. Close to half-a-million people join in the Birdwatch every year, around 5,000 of whom, are in Bedfordshire.

Over the last 40 years, 130 million birds have been counted giving the RSPB an astonishing amount of insight into how our wildlife is faring.

For four decades, Big Garden Birdwatch has highlighted the winners and losers in the garden bird world. It was first to alert the RSPB to the decline in song thrush numbers. The song thrush was a firm fixture in the top 10 in 1979. By 2009, its numbers were less than half those recorded in 1979, plummeting to 20th in the rankings. In Bedfordshire, the house sparrow was top of the Big Garden Birdwatch rankings in 2018, with starling and woodpigeon rounding off the top three.

Mike Clarke, RSPB Chief Executive, said: “Everyone has a role to play in saving nature and protecting our wildlife. Big Garden Birdwatch participants have made

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Photo: Louise Greenhorn

a significant contribution to monitoring garden bird numbers over the past four decades. Those taking part work together as part of a community with thousands of other Big Garden Birdwatchers to help the RSPB’s work to protect birds, other wildlife and the places they live.

Reaching 40 years is a huge achievement and shows just how passionate people across the UK are about their wildlife. The survey started as a winter activity for our youth members. It’s now the largest garden wildlife survey in the world and appeals to both children and adults because it’s an enjoyable, easy, inclusive activity that anyone can do and a great opportunity to connect with nature.”

The survey has also shown the increases in collared dove and wood pigeon numbers and the alarming declines of the house sparrow and starling. While the overall decline in house sparrow numbers, reported by participants, since the Big Garden Birdwatch began is 57% (1979 – 2018), in the most recent decade (2009-2018) numbers appear to have increased by 17%.

As well as counting birds, the RSPB is once again asking participants to log some of the other wildlife they have seen throughout the year. This year, people are being asked to look out for badger, fox, grey squirrel, red squirrel, muntjac deer, roe deer, frog and toad.

To take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch 2019, watch the birds in your garden or local park for one hour at some point over the three days. Only count the birds that land, not those flying over. Tell us the highest number of each bird species you see at any one time – not the total you see in the hour.

The parallel event, RSPB Big Schools’ Birdwatch takes place during the first half of spring term (2 January – 22 February 2019). More than 60,000 schoolchildren spent an hour in nature counting birds in 2018.

Further information can be found at www.rspb.org. uk/schoolswatch For your FREE 40th anniversary Big Garden Birdwatch pack, which includes a bird identification chart, plus RSPB shop voucher and advice to help you attract wildlife to your garden, text BIRD to 70030 or visit www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch Registration for Big Garden Birdwatch 2019 opens 12 December 2018.

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Local News

Making a Difference

It is within living memory that Polio was the most worrying of all childhood diseases because it caused muscle weakness resulting in permanent disability or death. Many of us can still remember children in leg callipers and the ‘Iron Lung’ which was the machine that enabled a paralysed child to breathe.

Rotary International decided to do something about polio, to eradicate it in the same way that Smallpox had been eradicated from the whole world. Polio vaccine is cheap to produce and easy to administer as a drop by mouth, so in 1979 the first project to vaccinate children began. In 1985 the Rotary Polio Plus programme was launched and in 1988 the World Health Organisation, the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, and UNICEF joined in. At that time Polio was present in 125 countries and it affected 1000 children every day. By 2017 the incidence of Polio had plummeted by 99.99 % to just 22 cases in that year from only 3 remaining countries: Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria, and up to the end of August 2018 there have only been 15 reported cases in the world.

It is very important not to be complacent now that the end is in sight. It would be so easy for Polio to take hold again with global travel and military personnel moving backwards and forwards from Afghanistan.

World Polio day is 24th October every year. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have joined the campaign and now donate £2 for every £1 raised by Rotary, and even when there are no more reported cases the vaccination programme must continue for another 3 years, just to be sure. Purple for Polio was made a slogan because every child vaccinated has their little finger dipped in purple dye as a way of making sure that no child has been missed.

Rotary clubs would welcome your involvement as we need help in any way to finish what was started all those years ago. For more information telephone Pamela on 07817 014865

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 19

House of Colour

Tips on how to work your denim with style Denim suits everyone, it is universal, genderless, ageless and adaptable, but we definitely don’t all suit the same colours, lengths, cut or styles. Add to that that sizes and styles differ hugely from brand to brand, so it is hard to stick to any hard and fast rules. Here are my top tips on how to choose the best denim to suit you.

1. Firstly, don’t expect finding the perfect jeans to be easy. Cropped, ankle grazers, wideleg, low-risers, mid-risers, high-waisted, slim, skinny, super-skinny, straight, boot-cut, relaxed, boyfriend, girlfriend jeans – it is literally a minefield out there. Be prepared to try lots of different jeans on.

2. Don’t just choose whatever seems to be in current vogue, always consider your body shape and flaunt your best assets. Straight, skinny or slim silhouettes will look better on straighter body shapes, whereas, straight, bootcut or wide leg jeans look better on curvy body shapes.

Badly fitted jeans will ruin your entire look.

3. It is essential that you know which colour denim suits you. Spring and Autumns should stick to warmer colours e.g. Spring a brighter blue, and Autumns a warm navy. Summers can wear cooler denim blue such as a French navy or an airforce blue and Winters should opt for a deep cool navy.

Go beyond blue and try coloured jeans from your palette. Be careful with white jeans; they will only look great if they are crisp, clean and well-fitting and for the right body shape and season.

4. You may have a pair of jeans in the right colour and style, but they just never seem quite right.

Sound familiar? The stitching could be the missing link. Spring and Autumns suit warm stitching (yellow) and Winter and Summers suit cool coloured stitching (white or grey). If your jeans have faded into a colour you don’t like you can dye them but bear in mind the stitching will also be dyed and this may change their look.

5. Speaking of washing denim. Always turn denim inside out when popping it in the washing machine to help preserve the colour for as long as possible.

6. It is all in the detail. Ripped or deconstructed denim looks better on naturals whilst classic finishes suit those who like well-cut timeless styles. Dramatic personalities could try shiny or coated textures and gamines can have great fun with coloured jeans from their palette. Ingenues

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7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

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are those who love detail like pretty embellishments, and romantics will like fitted jeans to show off their curves.

Even the pockets, stretch and fastening make a huge difference.

Elastic waist, zipper or buttons all alter the overall look of the jeans. Generally smaller pockets make your bum look rounder and bigger pockets are more slimming.

Choose high, mid or low waists carefully. Get it wrong and you could create a small muffin top but get it right and you could look in perfect proportion.

Make sure you know your inside leg length when choosing a new pair of jeans. There is nothing worse than wearing jeans that are too short or too long for you. Think about what shoes you normally wear with your jeans and try them on together. I can’t stress it enough. The jeans and shoe or boot combination is key. Turn-up jeans add a different dimension to this. If skinny jeans are your thing - pair with knee high boots for style points.

Think beyond the strides! Denim looks fantastic as a shirt, jacket, skirt, shorts, dress or jumpsuit, as long as the look is really YOU. Do you suit hard or soft denim? If soft denim is your thing, stand out from the crowd by sewing on some embellishments to make it more you.

This might also be a great thing for younger children to enjoy doing. Buy some jewels and let them get creative with clothes glue. Harder denim is less versatile but more structured.

If you are fashion forward thinking you might want to try head to toe, double-denim. Keep to the denim shades that suit you and blend denim together rather than two sharply contrasting colours or styles.

By Jennie Billings Style and Colour Consultant at House of Colour www.houseofcolour.co.uk/jenniebillings jennie.billings@houseofcolour.co.uk

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No appointment necessary Wet cut & blow dry........................£10.50 Wash cut & blow dry ....................£13.50 Clipper cuts 1-4 .............................. £8.50 Senior citizens (Over 65 yrs mon-thurs) ................ £8.00 Children (up to 11 yrs).....................£9.50 Beard trim........................................ £3.50 Beard trim (with cut throat shape up)..............£5.00 Shape ups, lines & patterns (from).... £1.00 Skin fades ..................................... £11.50

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Unit 1, St Francis House, Whitehorse Lane, Great Ashby Neighbourhood Centre, Stevenage, SG1 6NH

Tel: 01438 317 482

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Finance

By Ann Haldon

Can you still get a mortgage if you are an older borrower?

Whether you are moving house or remortgaging an existing property, you may find it difficult to secure a mortgage as you get older. Some mortgage lenders are reluctant to take pension income into account, which means you could be refused if you have already retired, or want a mortgage term that continues past your retirement date.

Is there an age limit for getting a mortgage?

Officially there is no upper age limit for a mortgage, but providers use their own in-house criteria when assessing a mortgage application.

They may apply an age limit for older people taking out new mortgages, and another for when the mortgage must be paid off.

These limits are typically 65-70 years of age, and 70-85 years old respectively. This means that if you are aged 60, for example, and looking for a mortgage term of 25 years, your options may be limited.

Is there anything you can do to increase your chances of securing a mortgage?

• Reduce your outgoings By reducing your spending, and paying down debt over six months or so prior to your mortgage application, you stand a better chance of success and may be able to access a wider choice of products that offer better terms.

• Use a mortgage broker Obtaining the services of a mortgage broker who understands this particular market is a good idea. If too many mortgage applications are rejected, it can adversely affect your credit status, which then has a knock-on effect to any future applications you make.

Mortgage affordability checks New regulations introduced following the 2008 recession, known as the Mortgage Market Review rules, mean that lenders must make more stringent affordability checks prior to lending.

As a result, all regular payments leaving your bank account will affect the affordability calculation, and reduce the amount you are able to borrow.

Acknowledging longer life expectancies There has been a trend in recent years for longer life expectancies to be acknowledged, along with the fact that, for a variety of reasons, people need

to borrow money later in life.

The higher cost of housing, helping children onto the property ladder, or late entry into the housing market, can all result in the need for a mortgage after you have reached 50 years of age.

Mortgages for older people It is often smaller building societies that offer flexibility with regard to age, with high street banks remaining steadfast in their cautionary approach to mortgages in retirement.

• The Family Building Society offers mortgage terms of up to 25 years for a 70 year old, and up to a five-year term for someone aged 90 years old.¹ • Aldermore Bank is a specialist mortgage lender that allows repayments to continue up to the age of 99.² According to the Building Societies Association (BSA), some building societies operate with no upper age limit at all for mortgages. These include, but are not limited to, Cumberland, Bath, Chorley, Cambridge, Ipswich, and Buckinghamshire Building Societies.³ ¹ familybuildingsociety.co.uk/Mortgages/Later_Life_ Lending.aspx ² www.aldermore.co.uk/mortgages/later-lifelending-mortgages ³ www.bsa.org.uk/information/consumer-factsheets/ mortgages/building-societies-lending-age-limits

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

23

With a spacious working showroom in the heart of Bedford, P & R Interiors is a local family-run firm that provides inspirational modern design and cost-effective solutions for both kitchens and bathrooms.

A stylish bathroom to suit your current needs….

With our ageing population, an increasing number of us are less mobile. P & R Interiors can design, supply and fit an up-to-the-minute bath or shower room which also discretely incorporates function and practicality for the less able.

The best news is that many of these features are currently right on trend - from flush-to-floor shower trays and wet rooms, to walk-in showers with fixed glass screens – and built using the latest materials.

Managing Director Paul Kynoch, who has decades of experience in the trade, explains: “We believe that simplicity and ease of use are key. Less mobile people may need a higher-level toilet or a lower access bath. Our basins and toilets can be hung at a custom height to suit every need. We have baths with a door, or showers with screens that open outwards to help prevent falls.

“There are 54 working bays in our showroom that are constantly being updated. So, you can come in, see

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exactly what you are buying and experience firsthand how it works. We supply, and can fit, your entire bathroom.”

P & R Interior’s own dedicated installation team can work on the supervised installation of your bathroom while adhering to local authority guidelines. Safety is paramount, and designs incorporate safety glass, thermostatically safe showers and non-slip floors.

Such is the design quality of the bathrooms, that accessories for the less able such as a wall-mounted fold-down shower seat, work seamlessly with the installation to be barely noticeable. Fold-down grab bars beside the toilet and sturdy shower rails that double up as supports all help make daily bathing the hassle-free pleasure it should be. It’s worlds away from the disabled bathrooms found in hospitals and care homes.

It is also now possible to install low level lighting under the bath that comes on automatically when you enter the bathroom at night. Hidden behind a two-way mirror that gives the illusion of flooring stretching beneath a ‘floating’ bath, the effect is as stunning as it is practical. This is the beauty of these safety and mobility features - they are so unobtrusively stylish, no one will notice you need that bit of extra help as they will simply be admiring your bathroom!

Materials have moved on apace since the era of acrylic baths in ‘avocado’. Now there are high quality

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resins that produce super thin shower trays and beautiful ‘tapless’ baths. Towel rails can be colour matched to cabinets for as little as £100 extra.

If you’re not a fan of wall tiles (although P & R Interiors carries a vast range), you can have waterproof panels instead. And if you have a smaller bathroom - as many of us do - then you will find P & R Interior’s wide but shallow depth basin units fit perfectly and provide spaciousness.

…and a kitchen to meet your future ones

Following customer demand, the fitted kitchen displays are now an integral part of the business meaning that when you visit P & R Interiors, you are only a step away from having your dream kitchen.

Top quality German and English-style kitchens are available to suit every budget and the company offers a free 3D software design package that Paul describes as ‘photographic’.

Specialising in high-tech German designed kitchens from Pronorm alongside more traditional-style English kitchens from JJO Plc, far from being out of most people’s pockets, P & R Interiors can often match trade prices and will always work to your budget.

“It’s really unusual for us not be able to come up with

a solution for you” says Andrew Groom who has 20 years’ experience under his belt.

Germany is the industry trendsetter in kitchen colours and design - and high street retailers eventually follow suit. Pronorm epitomises the elegance of a true ‘handleless’ kitchen. With its expansive, sleek cupboard fronts and modern electrically-operated doors - including ‘glass climbers’ that magically fold up like Venetian blinds - their kitchens are state-of-the-art. In years to come, we will all have convenient pull-down shelves and smart, hygienic ceramic or glass inserts on our cupboard fronts, but for now, Pronorm sets the bar.

As with bathrooms, kitchen materials are better and more durable than ever. You can have traditional granite in a gloss or leathered finish, quartz or Corian worktops, and now there are other finishes to choose from including Hi-Macs, and Staron. One of the latest worktop materials is Dekton. Described as ‘bomb proof’, it doesn’t stain or mark, is 100% hygienic, and heat resistant. It has been described as the ‘most scratch resistant surface on the market’.

Finish off your design with mood enhancing, colourchanging lights and you really will have a kitchen of the future.

P & R Bathrooms provides design and full installation or supply only. There is a five-year guarantee on all AEG Premier Partner exclusive products and a 10year guarantee on all kitchens. Both trade and retail are welcome.

P & R Interiors, 9 Lurke Street, Bedford MK40 3HZ Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00 pm Saturdays 10.00am to 4.00pm Tel: 0845 434 8401 Email: sales@pandrbathrooms.co.uk www.pandrinteriors.co.uk To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122

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Garden View

By Rachael Leverton

Leaf Matter.

Leaves Matter!

Oh, those autumn leaves. So pretty on the trees but they can be rather inconvenient in the garden.

If they drift too deep on the lawn the grass underneath will die so there’s nothing to do but rake them up. However, these fallen leaves are a little autumn gift from nature and with them you can create leaf mould. Leaf mould is free garden nourishment, and it’s it’s like feeding your soil with the finest fillet steak. Leaf mould is what’s left when the dead, fallen leaves from deciduous trees and shrubs are heaped up and allowed to rot down. As they slowly decompose, only the toughest bits remain, eventually forming crumbly, dark brown crumbs, a bit like chocolate sprinkles.

Leaf mould is easy to make, a delight to handle, and you can’t possibly overfeed your soil with it.

Micro-organisms are the driving factor, performing an alchemy that gives the finished product an almost magical quality. Its fibrous nature retains moisture and enables free drainage, which means it also makes a great mulch for trilliums or wood anemones, whose natural habitat is woodland.

I adhere to a policy of only collecting leaves where necessary. Where they have fallen and are not obscuring the grass I leave them for the

earthworms to pull into their burrows (I wrote last month about how I think of earthworms as my friends and so do nothing to discourage them).

Simply sweeping leaves off paths and decking or patios will keep the garden looking cared for. I also remove any that have drifted around my herb garden because herbs like to be able to breathe.

These tasks alone give me enough leaves to create plenty of lovely leaf mould.

If you have enough room, create a separate leaf heap rather than simply adding leaves to compost.

It’s quite simple to construct a leaf cage using chicken wire and posts. You can even bag your leaves in punctured black bin bags and put them in an out-of-the-way corner. The puncturing is necessary to allow air to circulate. A leaf heap made this autumn will be ready by next autumn.

While you’re tidying up the leaves it can be tempting to cut down faded perennials. But if you leave them, in a month or so you will find they have turned into wonderful sculptural winter skeletons which look incredibly beautiful in the frosts. It’s all down to personal taste of course, but I often leave perennials standing until February or March simply to provide a bit of interest over the winter.

Happy Gardening

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Pets

Rehoming Appeal Eric

Eric is an 10 year old Jack Russel Terrier but despite being an older dog, he is still very active and enjoys his walks and is house-trained. He is a sweet, gentle dog.

A thorough vet check has shown that Eric has no physical problems and is very healthy for his age. He does, however, have some night-time issues caused by canine cognitive disfunction (often known as Sundowners Syndrome). This means that in the evenings he can begin to pace and become restless, sometimes barking.

Because of this, he follows a night-time routine which involves him being crated with plenty of soft bedding which helps him to feel secure. With the aid of some herbal supplements he will relax and fall asleep.

Eric just wants to be with someone all the time, so is looking perhaps for an older couple who are at home all day or can take him with them when going out.

He loves nothing more than to sit on someone’s lap and be stroked. Eric is not a fan of cats and although he gets on well with other dogs, he prefers the attention he gets being an only dog.

If you could offer this lovely boy a home, please contact Julie on 01763 289827.

Alternatively, please e-mail Philippa at info.rats@gmail.com who will be pleased to forward your enquiry on to the team.

Website: www.rats-animalrescue.co.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/ratscharity

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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

Tel: 01438 725551 / 07535 990 384 Email: liz@smallpaws.biz Web: www.smallpaws.biz

Puppy and Dog Training Classes various locations around Hertfordshire www.dogstrustdogschool.org.uk 07774 374 686 hertsdogschool@dogstrust.org.uk @dogschoolhertfordshire

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SHIRON

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Washing Machines Tumble Dryers Dishwashers Electric Ovens Electric Cookers Microwaves Vacuum Cleaners and all domestic appliances.

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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.

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Three Counties Radio

Guinea Fowl

stuffed with curry leaf butter with corn and coconut puree and chilli popcorn One of the things I love most about my Weekend Kitchen show is the colorful character of my guests.

To put it bluntly, you don’t get to be a top chef by being a shrinking violet. You need charisma, creativity, passion – and eyes wide open to the world around you. Cat Ashton fits this bill. She is originally from Australia and has travelled extensively honing her craft at Michelin starred restaurants. She is also a brilliant character and her vibrant and comforting food reflects her personality. She has just landed in St Albans as the head chef at the new Abbey Restaurant and this fancy looking – but easy to execute – dinner party dish is her creation.

You will need (Serves 4) 4 large Guinea fowl or chicken supremes (skin on) Curry leaf butter 250g butter, softened 1 clove garlic, finely grated 1 tablespoon fried curry leaves ½ teaspoon curry powder 1 teaspoon sea salt 1. Place all the butter ingredients into a food processor. Whip until light and fluffy (note: this recipe makes much more than needed but can last in the fridge for a few weeks and be used for all sorts of dishes).

2. Stuffing the breast: Using your finger, create an air pocket between the skin of the fowl and the breast meat. Evenly pipe about 2 tablespoons worth of butter inside the cavity and place in it the fridge to set for 1 hour.

3. Season the supremes and heat a little oil in a pan.

Cook them skin side down for 2-3 minutes, to get a golden skin. Flip them over and pop them in an oven at 180C/ Gas Mark 4 to finish them off for 6-8 minutes. You want them to feel moist and slightly bouncy, not rock hard.

Corn and coconut puree 1 shallot, diced 1 clove garlic, chopped 25ml olive oil 250g corn kernels (tinned or fresh) 200ml coconut milk 1. Heat the oil in a pan and sweat off the shallots for 2 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and a pinch of salt and continue to cook for a further minute.

2. Add the corn and mix well. Fry for 2 minutes and add the coconut milk. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until softened. Puree in a blender until smooth.

Serve warm Popcorn 50g corn kernels 10ml rapeseed oil Salt Garlic powder Chilli powder 1. Cook the popcorn as per the packet instructions.

Then dust with salt, garlic powder and chilli powder to your desired spice level.

To serve; Serve the puree on the plate, topped with the guinea fowl and finish off with the popcorn around the plate. This goes particularly well with spiralised raw yellow courgette, served just between the meat and the puree. Add a few final corn kernels on the plate for decoration

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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31

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

www.premierpd.co.uk

n i t l ham F e o J Plasterers

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

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Local News

Restoration Project Regenerates Areas of Heathland across Greensand Country A project funded by the Greensand Country Landscape Partnership is working with the RSPB, The Greensand Trust and The Wildlife Trust to create better habitats and improve the chances of colonisation on heathlands across the landscape.

Greensand Country, an area of distinct, beautiful and loved countryside stretching from Leighton Buzzard to Gamlingay, has already seen some exciting results from the landscape partnership’s Living Heathlands project.

Last month, The RSPB announced that, thanks to the restoration of heathland on the reserve, nightjars are breeding at The Lodge in Sandy for the first time in 45 years. In partnership with the Wildlife Trust, the Greensand Country Landscape Partnership is restoring the largest surviving area of heathland in Bedfordshire, at Coopers Hill, by removing scrub, bracken and trees so that underlying heather can thrive. Meanwhile at Rushmere Country Park, The Greensand Trust is introducing grazing cattle to help manage the heath, as well as creating guided walks to help people explore the new heathland.

In addition to the three sites identified for regeneration at the beginning of the project, the Greensand Country Landscape Partnership, has supported The Greensand Trust in acquiring an additional 17acre site, Shire Oak Heath, adjacent to Rushmere Country Park, which has almost reached its £50,000 fundraising target, in order for it to begin restoration work.

Claire Poulton, Programme Manager at the Greensand Country Landscape Partnership explains: “We are thrilled with the huge successes that the Living Heathlands project has seen so far. The objective of this project is to create better habitats for wildlife, which provide sustainable homes for a number of species and improve the chances of retention across Greensand Country.

“This outcome is important nationally as well as on a local level, as our landscape creates a stepping stone between habitats in the south and north of Great Britain.

“As well as continuing to work with partner organisations, we are keen to engage farmers and landowners to create islands and corridors between habitats, in order to establish strong ecological networks that will ensure the long term growth and success of these sites.”

The Greensand Country Landscape Partnership has grants of between £500 to £15,000 to help communities and landowners improve the natural and community heritage of the Greensand Country. We can cover up to 70% of a project’s total cost.

Living Heaths & Working Woodlands Projects could include: • Small woodland/hedgerow planting • Creating wildflower meadows • Creating nature corridors • Restoring heathland or acid grassland • Managing woodlands • Introducing conservation grazing For further information and to apply for a grant email: team@greensandcountry.com with a brief description (no more than 200 words) of your project and location.

To find out more about Greensand Country visit greensandcountry.com, and for regular updates follow @greensandsocial on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The Greensand Country Landscape Partnership is led by the Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity and the Greensand Trust and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. It is made possible by National Lottery players. Without them we couldn’t fund the project.

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33

Crime

By Dr Ken German

Local Tradesmen and Women Targeted by Thieves

Tradesmen and women are currently under attack from criminals who are destroying their vehicles to gain access and steal the tools necessary for them to carry on with their businesses. Our local services including builders, mechanics, engineers and many others who help with house improvements, car repairs, deliveries and emergencies have all been affected at some time many losing all their working tools and equipment and often being left with vehicles so badly damaged that they are subsequently ‘written off’ by their insurance companies.

Every town and city across the country appears to have their own plague of ’tool thieves’ responsible for causing hardship and havoc to van owners with reports posted on social media almost every day of at least 6 tradesmen’s vehicles being damaged with contents stolen often culminating in the demise of sole operators and small businesses being forced into bankruptcy.

Ironically the police who of course are initially blamed on various social media sites for not arresting those responsible or recovering this stolen equipment have rightly responded offering their own pictures depicting large quantities of identical stolen property they have collected from various searches and raids they have conducted all of which they cannot identify and desperately want to restore to their rightful owners.

Indeed as one local officer suggested ‘a suspect who is often unemployed and found in possession of 93 electric drills, saws and hammers, 14 Jet washers, 17 MIG/spot welders, 19 compressors and thousands of tools all stacked in his living room offering no good account to his possession of the items might reasonably expect us to assume he had stolen them. ‘ This ‘Catch 22’ conundrum does appear to have a simple solution however.

Owners must mark their tools and equipment with their own individual identification (Initials/post code) that would establish enough information to allow the police to search crime reports and national databases and identify and restore items to their rightful owners whilst at the same time giving them the opportunity to charge those responsible and obtain a conviction for theft.

The sad irony is that should the police fail to find owners for any of their acquired stolen property they could be forced to return all of it back to the thieves who could boast that it was returned to them by the police having been through their identification process and they are therefore entitled to declare they are legitimate owners.

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

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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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37

n O s ’ t Wha In November 1 November World War I Lecture 11am & 2pm Spirella Ballroom, Bridge Road, Letchworth £7 on the door. Hosted by The Arts Society North Herts in the year of the 100th Anniversary of the end of WW1. Amongst the carnage of war flourished an outpouring of Poetry, Music and Art which is represented by a multimedia lecture on World War I by Denis Moriarty. All visitors welcome.

Email: theartssociety.nh@gmail.com Web: www.theartscocietynorthhert.org.uk 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 November 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 and you’ll receive a very warm welcome.

Tel: Pauline 01767 315553 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 November 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 727 239 Email: roundabouters@live.co.uk Web: www.roundabouters.org.uk 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 November 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 for info Web: www.sapphiresocialsinglesclub.co.uk

2 November Vintage Coffee Morning 10-11.30am Aston Village Hall, Near Stevenage, SG2 7ED Admission £3 Aston Cake Committee holds these events twice a year to raise money for charity. Admission charge includes a huge choice of homemade cakes, unlimited tea and ‘proper’ coffee. There is a mega raffle with a star prize luxury hamper and several craft stalls. In aid of PoHwer, a charity providing advocacy services for the disabled or disadvantaged.

Why not also enjoy a lovely country walk along one of our many local footpaths or simply gaze at our beautiful views of the Beane Valley?

Tel: Margie 01438 880248 2 November ‘Cuckoo, Cheating by Nature’ (Professor Nick Davies) 7.30pm ‘The Settlement’, Nevells Road, Letchworth Garden City RSPB Local Group members free, Visitors £3 Hitchin & Letchworth RSPB Local Group. The sight of a little warbler or pipit feeding an enormous cuckoo chick has astonished human observers for centuries. Field observations and experiments reveal a continuing evolutionary arms race between host defences and cuckoo trickery.

Tel: 01763249459 Email: martinrjspc@hotmail.com 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 November 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 November 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.

See website for full information.

Web: www.rafsignalsmuseum.org.uk

5, 12, 19 & 26 November Staplers Country Dance Club 8-10pm St John’s Community Hall, Hitchin Staplers is a social folk dance club. If you don’t know what that means come along one Monday evening and meet us. 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 the school summer holidays.

Tel. 01462 895567 or 01462 624144 Web: www.staplers.org.uk 5, 12, 19 & 26 November 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 November 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 7 November North Herts Association of the National Trust 7.30pm Christchurch, Bedford Road, Hitchin Non-members £2 on the door David Saunders will talk about his bike ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats. 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: Secretary Mrs Colette House 01462 815585 or 07831 111062 Email: colettehouse@gmail.com

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

What’s on entries to whatson@villagermag.com 38

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n O s ’ t Wha In November

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

8 November Remembered with Pride 7 pm for 7.30pm British Schools Museum, 41/42 Queen Street, Hitchin Tickets £5. Jean Handley talks about her remarkable research project on the former pupils of the Hitchin Boys’ School who lost their lives in the Great War. Web: www.britishschoolsmuseum.org.uk 8 November CRUK Fashion Show 7pm Cancer Research UK, Unit 2 Oaklands Retail Park, London Road, Stevenage Cancer Research Stevenage for Stand up to Cancer Fashion Show. We are having our own volunteer models and are working with the local college students who will also be helping us to raise funds for Research in to Cancer. Tel: 01438 359207 13 & 27 November 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 welcomed.

Tel: Roger Burt 01438 351891 Email: roger@mazda20.plus.com 16 November Unicorn Ceilidh 7.30-11pm St Mary’s Church Hall, Church Street, Baldock Adults £10, Concessions and family tickets available. Unicorn Ceilidh with Random and Nick Walden. 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. Tickets are available on the door but advance purchase is recommended.

Email: enquiries@unicornceilidhs.org.uk Web: www.unicornceilidhs.org.uk Tickets: www.ticketsource.co.uk/unicorn-ceilidhs 17 November Weston Music Society Concert 7.30pm Weston Parish Church, SG4 7DJ Tickets £16. The Fieri Consort of Voices. The Bells of Paradise, an a cappella programme of music celebrating the Christmas story. Tel: 01462 790573 Email: felicitylowe@yahoo.co.uk Web: www.westonmusicsociety.org.uk

17 November North Herts Guild of Singers Fauré: Requiem 7.30pm St. Mary’s Church, Hitchin Tickets £14, FTE £8 Fauré: Cantique de Jean Racine, Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem. Arvo Pärt: Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten. Conductor Stephen Bullamore.

Chameleon Arts Orchestra. Tickets from Hitchin Initiative, David’s Bookshop Letchworth or online.

Financially supported by the Arts Council for North Hertfordshire (Registered Charity No. 299626).

Web: www.nhgs.org.uk 18 November Hitchin & Letchworth Local Group RSPB Coach Trip Coach fare Adults £15.50, Under 18s £7.75 Coach trip to RSPB Old Moor (Joint Trip with RSPB Stevenage Local Group). We make a return visit to this attractive South Yorkshire reserve, located just off the A1, with its wide range of habitats, hides and (of course) birds. Coach pick-up times: Stevenage 7.05am, Hitchin 7.15am and Letchworth 7.30am. Booking essential. Extra fee at RSPB Reserve for non-members.

Tel: 01462 451320 Email: martinrjspc@hotmail.com Web: rspb.org.uk/groups/hitchinandletchworth 20 November Stevenage RSPB Local Group 7.30pm The Friends Meeting House, Cutty’s Lane, Stevenage RSPB Members £3, Non-members £3.50, Under 16s 50p Martin Davies, conservationist and ex-staff member of RSPB, presents a talk entitled Wild Turkey. There will be a Bring-and-Buy Cake stall at this meeting.

22 November Concert of Music for Saint Cecilia’s Day: East Bedfordshire Chamber Choir 7.30pm Elstow Abbey Church Tickets £12.50 on the door Music by Handel, Purcell, Britten, Elgar, Macmillan, Vaughan Williams. Conducted by David Beer with the Element String Quartet, Justin Waters (Organ), Madalina Rusu (Piano) and special guest Eloise Marson (Saxophones).

Tel: Bookings 07710 692534 Web: www.eastbedschamberchoir.co.uk

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29 November Stevenage RSPB Local Group visit to Rye Meads 9.30am A morning visit to this RSPB Reserve in the Lea Valley. Meet in the car park at 9.30am. OS Map Ref: 166/TL389102. Postcode SG12 8JS. Tel: Leader Graham Beevor 01438 232055 1 December Chiltern West Gallery Quire 6.30-8.30pm St Mary’s Church, Kings Walden Tickets £10 Performing in period costume, our singers and instrumentalists specialise in researching local music and will be playing tunes heard in and around Welwyn from 1750-1840, along with some of the Militia marches and dance tunes of the era; music that Jane Austen describes in her novels of that period.

Tel: 01438 833155 Email: scilla.cullen@dsl.pipex.com 1 & 2 December Nativity Crib Festival 11am-5pm St Ippolyts Church Admission £2.50, Children free Now firmly established as a parish tradition, our beautiful Nativity Festival marks the start of the festive season in St Ippolyts. We will be filling the church with as many nativity crib sets as we can possibly cram in – last year we managed nearly 200 from all around the world. Each has its own “story” beside it and learning what makes the cribs special to their owners is the magic of the festival. This year you could become part of a “Living Crib”. Use our dressing up clothes to create your own nativity scene with Mary and Joseph, Angels and Wise Men, take a photo and you could create your own unique Christmas cards.

Tel: Barbara 01462 421647 for more information Email: Barbara.thomas@live.co.uk 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

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October’s Puzzle Solutions and Winners Last Month’s Crossword Winner Mr Paul Hobbs from Godmanchester Easy

Hard

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The Villager Prize Crossword

Prize

ÂŁ25

Across 7. Companies, corporations (13) 8. Thin layer, film (8) 9. Large stringed instrument (4) 10. Places of education (7) 12. Cinders (5) 14. Crustaceans (5) 16. Roads (7) 19. Chemical element, Zn (4) 20. Courteously (8) 22. Relaying of messages (13)

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



16th November 2018 Prize Crossword, Villager Publications Ltd

Down 1. Vacant (4) 2. Strong Asian grass (6) 3. At last (7) 4. Enclosed (5) 5. Desires (6) 6. Most furious (8) 11. Passageway (8) 13. Slanted letters (7) 15. Turn into (6) 17. Manor (6) 18. Unlocks (5) 21. King of the beasts (4)

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GAS SAFE REGISTERED

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Books

Book Review

By Kate Duggan Stuck for the perfect present? Our literary gift guide might help…

For crime lovers Girl On Fire

by Tony Parsons

A terrorist attack on a shopping centre sees DC Max Wolfe on the hunt for the culprits before they can strike again. He also has battles closer to home to deal with in the form of his ex-wife, who wants custody of their daughter. A gripping story with plenty of twists to keep you guessing.

For family saga fans The Distant Hours

by Kate Morton

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

A long-lost letter sets Edie on a quest to uncover more about her mother Meredith’s experiences as an evacuee. Meredith was taken in by the three Blythe sisters, including the enigmatic Juniper. As Edie soon discovers, her mother isn’t the only one who’s been keeping secrets. An enjoyable, atmospheric novel that treads the line between family saga, gothic mystery and historical fiction.

For young readers Alice Dent and the Incredible Germs

by Gwen Lowe

In Alice’s world, cleanliness is crucial, illness is not tolerated and laughter is strictly forbidden. So when Alice gets a cold and a case of the giggles, she’s in big trouble.

She manages to escape the clutches of the Best Minister for Everything Nicely Perfect, but for how long? Alice Dent and the Incredible Germs is very funny and perfect for sharing at bedtime.

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