Henlow April 2022

VILLAGER The

Issue 161 - April 2022

and Town

Life

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

Inside this issue Plant a Tree for the

Jubilee Easter Parades and Traditions

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in our Prize Crossword

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Langford, Henlow, Shefford, Stanford, Hinxworth, Clifton, Radwell, Fairfield Park, Shillington, Pirton, Upper and Lower Stondon, Gravenhurst, ur Holwell, Meppershall, Baldock, Stotfold, Arlesey & Letchworth Yo EE

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Inside this issue...

Firepit Tips and Tricks

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Palermo.................................................................................................... 4 Shuttleworth Season Premiere....................................................... 4 Wines: Choosing a Selection........................................................... 12 Ashwell at Home 2022.......................................................................14 Martial Arts............................................................................................18 Puzzled!................................................................................................... 21 16 Genius Beauty Hacks................................................................... 23 Oxygen Therapy is Rejuvenating!................................................. 24 The Good Buy Guide........................................................................ 27 Medicating for Mental Health.......................................................28 Time to Volunteer..............................................................................30 How to Cope in an Uncertain World...........................................32 The Easter Parade and Other Traditions.................................... 34 Do I Need Life Insurance..................................................................37 Sunshine Gardens - Celebrating 30 Years..................................40 Plant a Tree for the Jubilee............................................................. 42

Bee Nice to Bees!...............................................................................46 Firepit Tips and Tricks.......................................................................50 14 Ways to Help the RSPCA............................................................ 52 Organise Your Utility.........................................................................56 Soft Drinks Come of Age................................................................58 Puzzle Page...........................................................................................60 What’s On in April.............................................................................. 62 Lexus NX Review................................................................................64 A Good Night’s Sleep........................................................................ 67 Villager Prize Crossword.................................................................. 74 Books for Well-Being........................................................................ 77 Useful Numbers.................................................................................. 79

Bee Nice to Bees!

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Get your business off to a flying start this year

Advertise with the Villager Magazine... prices start from just £35.00 +VAT per month Editorial - Solange Hando, Trevor Langley, Tracey Anderson, Kate Duggan, Herts Therapy Centre, Jennie Billings, RSPCA, Kate McCarthy, Caroline Knight, Rachel Leverton, Katherine Sorrell and Samantha Joseph

Advertising Sales/Local Editorial Nigel Frost • Tel 01767 261122 nigel@villagermag.com Front Cover Photography: merc67 Design and Artwork Design 9 - Tel 07762 969460

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Publishers Villager Publications Ltd 24 Market Square, Potton, Bedfordshire SG19 2NP Tel: 01767 261122 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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Travel

Palermo

By Solange Hando

On the north-west coast of Sicily, Palermo nestles around a lovely natural harbour looking out to the Tyrrhenian Sea. In this deep-water bay surrounded by mountains, myriad civilisations came and went, each golden age leaving its mark on the city.

With its palaces and churches, the capital claims several UNESCO sites, starting with the medieval cathedral mirroring the city’s history over the centuries. Now in neo-classical style, the splendid interior can be complemented by a ‘rooftop walk’ with panoramic views. Other must-sees include the Baroque gem of Gesu Church and the Palatin Chapel, famous for Byzantine mosaics, in the Norman Palace. A former residence of Sicilian rulers, this has been beautifully restored and is the seat of Sicily’s Regional Assembly. Also built for royal pleasure were Cuba and Zisa, superb examples of Norman architecture in Eastern style. But most intriguing perhaps is the Chinese Pavilion, designed in 1799 for the future King of the Two Sicilies. Lord Nelson and his mistress were among the guests.

Heritage aside, Palermo has a lot to offer along its tree-lined avenues. There’s luxury shopping in

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the high street but the heart of town is around Politeama, a favourite place to meet family or friends on the spacious piazzas that seem to flow into each other. Visitors gaze at the nearby theatres, Garibaldi with its circular colonnade and triumphal arch and Massimo, the largest opera house in Italy, but the locals just like to sit in the shade and watch the world go by. They call it ‘piazza culture’ and this is the time to sip a cool drink on a café terrace or feast on glorious Sicilian ice cream. Yet the prettiest square, they say, is Piazza Pretoria with its monumental fountain festooned in nude classical statues.

It’s the highlight in the historic district, an enticing maze of lanes leading to the street markets of Vucciria, awash with melons, peaches, tomatoes, aubergines, herbs, walnuts and more, plus delicious orange juice squeezed on the spot. Potted plants pop up along the cobbles, washing hangs from the balconies and here and there a secret chapel might just take your breath away. One of the best is the Oratorio di Santa Cita, dripping in gleaming white stucco with angels and playful cherubs.

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Within walking distance, the Botanical Garden invites you to relax among water features, palms, shrubs and some 12,000 species of plants. Most exciting is the giant fig tree with aerial roots, and you might spot the parrots that escaped from Via Giulia, the city’s oldest park, loved for its marble sundial and alcoves in Moorish style. Now you can almost hear the waves as the promenade beckons along the sea, laced in meandering paths and grassland full of wild flowers. Boats glisten in the marina, rigging tinkles and, in the fishing harbour, men mend their nets on a flotilla of blue boats. Then just out of town you will find turquoise water, tingling sand and fragrant hills with fabulous views.

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Local News

Season Premiere Sunday 1st May sees Shuttleworth play host to its Season Premiere air show – an occasion which is always worth the wait.

From the moment you arrive, you will be transported back to a bygone era, with a plethora of vintage aircraft and vehicles on display.

The Collection’s hangar doors will be thrown open for you to wander around, taking in the sights and smells of vintage aeroplanes, whilst learning about some of the roles they played in their service and racing lives and other stories they can tell.

Inside the hangars, you’ll also find a cornucopia of activities to keep the kids (or even the big kids!) happy, whether it’s pedal planes or an Airfix Make and Paint courtesy of IPMS Brampton – with other educational Discovery Zones dotted around the site, including a large play area.

Outdoors, you’ll also be able to experience the sensations of riding on-board a 1920s bus– whether it’s the sole surviving Charabus or our Wellingborough double-decker.

The buses will take you up to the Arts & Crafts gems in Shuttleworth House, which will be open to tour. You’ll be able to see first-hand the ornate gold-leafed ceilings and panelled walls, the rare Erard grand piano, and hear the stories of the Shuttleworth family who lived there and set up the Trust.

Shuttleworth House is also accessible through the

Shrubbery Walk at the end of which is the Swiss Garden, 9 acres of heritage landscape designed in the popular alpine style almost 200 years ago, with framed views, ponds and several charming miniature structures. It is a rare example of a Regency garden and boasts thirteen listed features, including the charming Swiss Cottage and the domed Grotto & Fernery. The garden is also home to Shuttleworth’s resident peacocks - Snowy and Storm. If you spot them, be sure to take a photo!

In the afternoon, the flying display starts – an aerial ballet in the Bedfordshire skies, consisting of Shuttleworth aircraft and vintage visitors. This year, it is hoped the Consolidated Catalina PBY-5A flying boat will be at the Season Premiere, which will provide a truly awe-inspiring spectacle as the pilots showcase this large aircraft around Old Warden Aerodrome.

If the weather is suitably calm, the Edwardian aircraft – including the world’s oldest flying aeroplane, the 1909 Bleriot – may even be able to take to the skies, capping off what will be a truly memorable day.

From a myriad of ground activities through to a thrilling air display, Shuttleworth’s air shows have something for everyone to enjoy.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, please visit: shuttleworth.org/airshows

Photos: Darren Harbar Photography

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Food & Drink

Wines: Choosing a Selection

When it comes to drinks and alcoholic beverages, everybody has their own preference.

White wines are extremely popular and I located ROERO ARNEIS (13% vol) from Italy. Fresh, and with a crisp sensation, a pleasant bouquet leads to the fruity mouthfeel and palate’s enjoyment, for this production.

FERNAO PIRES (12.5% vol), from South Africa, is a further well-balanced white wine. Refreshing, with floral accents and a good flavour of fruits. If a sparkling white is preferred, then PECORINO (12% vol), from Italy, will not disappoint. Known for its excellent still wine productions, the Pecorino grape is utilised, to great advantage, in this sparkling gem. Fruity, and great for welcoming guests, this is a favourite for many occasions.

If your preference is for a red wine, either light or full-bodied, then some suggestions could be for the following.

CASTELAO (13.5% vol), from Portugal, is very popular and graces many dining occasions, constantly. A good richness and intensity prevailes. Wonderful ripe fruits are most evident on the bouquet and mouthfeel. Very elegant. Staying with red wines, PERRICONE (13.5% vol) has dark fruits in abundance for taste, coming through to a superb mouthfeel and the palate’s sensation, with a long finish, from Italy. Another most popular red wine is PAIS (13.5% vol). This is light-bodied, and with a juicy fruit flavour, makes for a great dining table wine. Chile produces excellent wines and this dates from the 16th century.

For more ‘powerful’ beverages, 1932 PRIMITIVO DI MANDURIA RISERVA (14.5% vol) from Italy, fills this spot.

The vineyards are renowned globally. Old vines, rich soils and more, contribute to the productions of this spectacular red wine. Oak barrels encourage the aging process. Dark fruits are most evident, definitely! HEDONIST ORGANIC SHIRAZ (14% vol), from Australia, has numerous devotees, too. Wonderful to accompany many dishes, also.

For something later, then KOPKE RESERVE TAWNY PORT (19.5% vol), will fit the bill, admirably. This aged Portuguese production satisfies the ‘end of meal’ experience, wonderfully. From the mid 17th century Tawny Ports have evolved and pleased many.

These productions were located in Waitrose. Some are in their ‘Loved and Found’ range. www.waitrose.com

As always, Enjoy!

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ey Trevor Langl

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We are a specialised kitchen company working with Symphony Designs • Supply and Fit or Supply Only • Skilled Tradesmen - Quality Guaranteed • No Job Too Big or Too Small • Showroom in Shefford and Show Homes Locally • Free 3D Software Design

Our new showroom display is now open

Tel: 01462 889649 Email: enquiries@bentleykitchens.co.uk Website: www.bentleykitchens.co.uk To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122

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Local News

Ashwell at Home 2022

A Day of Wellbeing’ - Sunday 8th May 11am-5pm Ashwell at Home is an annual event held in the village of Ashwell in north Herts, when this historic village welcomes visitors from near and far for a whole day of entertainment for all the family.

The theme for 2022 is ‘A Day of Wellbeing’ and there will be a wide range of open gardens, free workshops for adults and children, live music and entertainment around the village, talks, displays and guided walks, lunches & teas and much more.

Highlights this year include 15 open gardens of different sizes and designs, drawing & painting plants and bugs workshop, mini fit club, children’s storytelling, movement workshop, wedding dress and classic car displays, reflexology mini treatments, harp relaxation, children’s magic show, children’s junk boat modelling & racing, adult yoga workshop, adult pop and rock singing workshop, and a wide range of live music and dance all around the village from Tudor dancing and music, Morris Dancing to handbell ringing and ‘Jumba’; musical performances from classical to pop, rock and folk, vocal harmony, Spanish guitar and other accoustic instruments. Add to that a number of walks and talks on the history of Ashwell, a tree trail, basket making, spinning , art & pottery, well dressing and quilting displays - there’s so much to see and do with something for everyone!

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Visit the website to see the full programme and for advance ticket purchase www.ashwellathome.org.uk Entry by programme: £8 adults (under 18s free with accompanying paying adult) - available on the day at the event, or £7 in advance from the website. Parking is free.

This is a community fundraising event with all proceeds to Ashwell Museum, St Mary’s Church and Ashwell Primary School.

Location: Ashwell is in North Hertfordshire, near Junction 10 of the A1(M).

Ashwell, Hertfordshire SG7 5NY Website: www.ashwellathome.org.uk Email: Ashwellathome31@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/AshwellAtHome

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Sport

Try Something New

Martial Arts If you’re looking for a fun way to get fit, why not try martial arts? You’ll improve your coordination and flexibility, it’s a great way to meet people, and it can really boost your confidence. And you’re never too old to learn. Many clubs offer adult or mixed classes.

Which martial art to choose There are several types of martial art to choose from. It’s worth finding out a bit more about all the different ones that are offered in your local area. Are you mainly looking for a way to keep fit or do you want to learn self-defence? Do you want to take part in competitions? Do you want to learn to fight with weapon such as swords or sticks, or would you rather focus on unarmed combat?

Clubs usually offer taster sessions for free or at a reduced rate, so you could try a few types to see which one most appeals.

How to learn You’ll want to join a club that’s registered with a governing body, such as the Tae Kwon-Do Association of Great Britain or The British Karate Association. Make sure that the club is fully insured and check the senior instructor’s credentials.

If you’re hoping to compete, you may want to choose a larger club that has been successful in tournaments. If you’re just looking for a fun activity, you might prefer a smaller club with a family atmosphere.

It’s worth asking for recommendations on social

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media and within your friendship group.

What you’ll need For most martial arts, you’ll need to buy an outfit, such as a dobok (tae kwon-do) or gi (karate, judo, aikido, and jiujitsu). However, clubs will usually let you wear normal sports clothes for your first few sessions.

It’s a good idea to wait to buy the outfit until you’ve spoken to your instructor, as they may need you to wear a uniform that’s branded with the club logo or that’s been approved by their parent association.

Branded outfits tend to cost around £30 to £40, but non-branded gis are often a lot cheaper. You can also pick up second-hand outfits on eBay and dedicated Facebook selling groups.

As you progress, you may need more equipment, such as a sparring kit. Again, these can often be picked up second-hand.

How much it costs Costs vary depending on the type of martial art.

You’ll likely need to pay an annual membership fee of £20 to £40, plus a monthly payment for classes.

Some clubs do offer a ‘pay as you go’ membership, however. Gradings (where you move onto the next level or belt) cost extra, as do tournaments.

If you’re worried about the cost, the best thing to do is speak to the club’s senior instructor. They’ll be able to give you a good idea of how much you can expect to spend over the year.

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Puzzled!

Games

Unless you’ve been living as a hermit in a cave in the Himalayas you will have encountered Wordle, the simple word game, created by Josh Wardle, which took the internet by storm and was sold to the New York Times for a seven-figure sum.

This fun little game has generated a whole host of similar timewasters. Here are some of the best.

Nerdle - A number version of Wordle. Players have to work out a six- to eight-character calculation, for example 7+6/3=9, in six guesses.

There are 17,723 valid solutions for an eight-digit Nerdle. Played in combination with Wordle, it makes for some serious daily brain training.

Worldle - This one is a geography-based puzzle. A silhouette of a country or territory is presented, and users have six chances to work out the answer.

Byrdle - One for Classical musicians. Byrdle uses only composers and musical terms. Other than that, it’s the same as Wordle. It’s also completely fiendish!

Crosswordle - There are several games that go by this name but a particularly good one is the one created by Robert Flack, which requires users to guess two intersecting words.

And it was only a matter of time before Lordle of the Rings and Wizarding Wordle (for Harry Potter fans) appeared.

Finally, there’s Sweardle - Popular among my son’s teenage friends!

By Tracey Anderson It’s pretty self-explanatory. Like Wordle...but naughtier.

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Beauty

16 Genius Beauty Hacks

From make-up tips to haircare advice, these tips could make your life easier 1. When you paint your nails, start from your little finger rather than your thumb. You’ll lower the risk of smudging your freshly painted nails.

2. Matte lipstick is on-trend but very unforgiving.

Before using it, mix a dash of olive oil with half a teaspoon of brown sugar to treat your lips to a DIY lip scrub.

3. Clean your make-up brushes regularly with facial cleanser or a mild shampoo. Rinse thoroughly and leave to air dry.

4. Don’t test foundation on your hand – you won’t get a good colour match. Instead, try it on your jawline.

5. Wrap a small scoop of porridge oats up in a muslin cloth and tie the ends to secure. Drop it in your bath while the water is running. The oat oils work wonders on dry skin.

6. Leave at least a day between shaving/waxing and applying fake tan. Otherwise, you risk causing irritation and ending up with a patchy tan.

7. Not keen on heavily fragranced body oils? Switch to pure almond oil. Add a few drops of essential oil if you want a hint of natural fragrance.

8. Leave your facial cleanser to soak in for a few minutes before wiping it off. It’ll act as a mini face pack. This works particularly well with balm cleansers.

9. Appy eye cream with your ring finger. It’s the weakest so you’re less likely to pull at the skin.

Dab (rather than rub) the cream in.

10. If you often forget to apply SPF in the cooler months, try swapping your foundation for a tinted SPF cream.

11. Hair feeling lank or lacklustre? Try switching to a shampoo that’s free from sulphates and silicones.

Sulphates can strip hair of its natural, healthy oils, while silicones can build up over time and weigh hair down.

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12. Put wet hair in multiple plaits before bed for easy curls the next day. Brush through if you want looser waves.

13. Freshly washed hair is harder to style. So if you have a big night out coming up, wash your hair the day before. It’ll then hold its style better for your evening out.

14. Rather than splashing out on expensive travelsized products (they can be more than double the price per ml), decant your usual products into small reusable containers.

15. Do you subscribe to Birchbox or a similar subscription box? Save the products you don’t fancy throughout the year. By Christmas, you’ll have a stack of cracker prizes and stocking fillers.

You could even use them to fill a personalised advent calendar for a friend.

16. Skin and hair changes as we age, so what worked for you a few years ago may not be as effective today. Embrace the chance to try something new!

By Kate Duggan

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Local News

Oxygen Therapy Is Rejuvenating!

Ground-breaking research confirms that breathing pure oxygen may help to reverse the ageing process.

The study involved 35 healthy adults aged 64 years and over. They breathed in 100% pure oxygen through a mask whilst sitting in a pressurised chamber. That’s exactly how Oxygen Therapy works at Herts MS Therapy Centre in Letchworth.

The people involved gained significant benefits, including the regrowth of telomeres by more than 20%. Telomeres are the protective caps which form part of our DNA structure. As we age, they become shorter. This can lead to illnesses such as cancer, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Study researcher Dr Amir Hadanny, of Tel Aviv’s Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research, said: “In just three months of therapy, we were able to achieve such significant telomere elongation - at rates far beyond any of the current available interventions or lifestyle modifications.”

Dr Hadanny and Professor Shai Efrati conducted the study together. Professor Efrati said their findings prove that “the aging process can in fact be reversed at the basic cellular-molecular level”.

Oxygen Therapy helps people with many long-term conditions, cancer and Long Covid.

Dr Amir Hadanny also pioneered Oxygen Therapy for Fibromyalgia, demonstrating great success in helping people to reduce the symptoms of Fibromyalgia.

We are proud to have the only Oxygen Therapy chamber in Herts. People come to us from Herts, Beds, Northants and even Europe to attend our sessions.

Would you like to know more? Please call our Centre on 01462 684 214.

01462 684 214

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House of Colour

The Good Buy Guide How many of us find an item in a shop, while we’re in a rush and think ‘that’ll do’? It seems to fit, kind of does the job we wanted, and it might even be on sale too. Home it comes and there it stays. Wardrobes are full of those ‘that’ll do’s’ that quite frankly won’t do. They’re the ones that we shove to the back while we continue to wear the 15% of our wardrobe that we actually like and properly seems to fit the bill. It’s costing us though. And I don’t mean in terms of the till price we paid which we won’t necessarily see again but it will cost us to have it sitting doing nothing in our wardrobe. It will be adding to the stress in the morning as we run our eyes frantically through our clothing deciding what to wear, as well as preventing us seeing the items that might in fact be useful!

So have a careful think before you rush to the till with these thoughts: • If you’re in the market for an investment item, higher price like a coat, boots, handbag buy it in a neutral colour or a WOW colour. This will mean it will be able to work with everything else in your wardrobe easily and you are much more likely to get serious wear from it. (Find your WOW colours in a House of Colour colour consultation) • Buy quality. I’ve recently written about it but it’s worth mentioning as clothing will look better for longer.

• Is it going to work with other items in your wardrobe. If it’s in the right colour and right style for you it’s highly likely that it will work with lots of other things. When you buy something new try making it into 10 different outfits as soon as you bring it home.

• Buy less buy better. Be choosy about what you buy. Try and avoid ‘hobby shopping’ and end up buying for the sake of it and avoid shopping with those you know who might pressure you in the wrong direction.

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• Don’t sacrifice on comfort. We wear uncomfortable items about three times before we give up. When trying on clothes sit down in them, really move about. If it’s not working in the changing room it’s going to be worse when you’re out at dinner.

• No more ‘that’ll do’. Does it not only fit you properly, but is it your style? Be honest with yourself and walk away if not. If you feel you aren’t sure enough about what really does work for you, and gives you a real boost then embrace a style session and remove the doubt.

• Do you love it?

Have a wonderful Easter break!

Article by Jennie Billings – House of Colour House of Colour has a network of stylists to help you update your look – find your nearest at houseofcolour.co.uk/find-a-stylist

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Health

Medicating for mental health Given the uncertainty, stress and grief we’ve all experienced in various measures over the last couple of years, it will come as no surprise to hear that mental health issues are on the rise.

Two of the most common mental health disorders in the UK are depression and anxiety. While people suffering from depression may experience low moods, fatigue, insomnia and decreased self-esteem, anxiety manifests itself through feelings of panic, nausea and shortness of breath. It’s possible to be diagnosed with both.

While self-care practices such as exercise, a good diet and counselling can be effective in treating depression and anxiety, you should always speak to a medical professional if your symptoms don’t improve. Whether or not you’re offered medication will depend on your diagnosis, symptoms and how severely they’re affecting your daily life.

These are the key treatments prescribed by doctors in the UK. Antidepressants - Antidepressants are by far the most well-known medicine group for treating mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. Although not fully understood, it’s believed that they work by increasing levels of certain chemicals in your brain that help improve your mood.

There are several different types of antidepressants, each with various potential side effects. Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are believed to have the fewest, while older medicines such as tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and mono-amine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) sit on the opposite end of the scale.

Antipsychotics - Antipsychotic medications are generally used to treat psychotic disorders but can also be prescribed for severe cases of anxiety and

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depression. These block the effect of dopamine, a chemical that carries messages across your brain that’s been known to cause symptoms often associated with mental illness.

There are two types; typical or ‘first-generation’ medications have been used since the 1950s, while atypical or ‘second-generation’ antipsychotics were introduced in the 1990s. Although both can cause changes to your body, first-generation antipsychotics are known to cause more side effects than their successors.

Mood stabilisers - Mood stabilisers are a type of medication that can help with mood swings caused by mania, hypomania and depression. They help to control and ‘even out’ these mood swings.

There are three main types, lithium, anticonvulsants and antipsychotics, and they’re often used to treat depression as part of bipolar disorder. This is because, although antidepressant medications can be effective, using them on someone with bipolar disorder could turn a depressive episode into mania. This risk is lower if the person is also taking a mood stabiliser.

Benzodiazepines - Usually prescribed for more severe cases of anxiety, benzodiazepines – or ‘benzos’ – are a type of sedative. They’re typically prescribed on a short-term basis because they can become addictive if taken for longer than a month.

Benzodiazepines are also used to treat insomnia and alcohol withdrawal. If you suffer from sleep problems, you’re more likely to be prescribed hypnotics, whereas anxiolytics are used to treat those with anxiety.

There is no shame in asking for help. Putting up with prolonged negative feelings and thinking you just need to pull yourself together, is just ignoring the problem.

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Girlguiding

Time To Volunteer

When is the right time to start that adventure, make lifelong friendships, learn new skills and have lots of fun?

Answer - Right Now! Volunteering is enriching, rewarding and life-affirming. To see the smile of a Brownie who has just lit her own fire, to hear the laughter of Rainbows playing outdoor games, watching a Guide overcomes her fears and makes it to the top of a climbing wall and knowing that you have helped them reach these victories, made those smiles and given them everlasting memories.

Join us and explore your talents, take on new challenges and make new friends. In return, we offer you the opportunity to gain new qualifications and experiences, take part in adventures and have loads of fun. Plus best of all, you can give as much or as little time as you have.

Our leaders are mums, teachers, managers, doctors, receptionists, cashiers, accountants, engineers in fact they are you! They come from every walk of life, every background and every culture but they share a common goal, to give girls and young women in Bedfordshire the freedom to learn, create, achieve, explore and express themselves through experiences that will last a lifetime.

There are opportunities with Rainbows (4-7years) in Henlow and Stondon or with Brownies (7-10years) in Meppershall, Shillington and Henlow for you to start your volunteering journey today to make a difference in your community.

In short, the question isn’t Why would you volunteer?

It is - Why wouldn’t you!

Join @Bedsguides as a volunteer today https://bit.ly/ getinvolvedbeds or call Amanda on 07779 810505.

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Well-Being

How to Cope in an Uncertain World Over the past couple of years, we’ve had to cope with a pandemic, political uprisings and now war in the Ukraine. Life is constantly changing so you’d think we’d be better at dealing with uncertainty. But humans crave stability, and we crave it most when life is unpredictable.

This is where coping strategies come in to play. There are unhealthy coping strategies, like alcohol or junk food and there are also healthy coping strategies.

What is coping? Coping is an active process where you pause, appraise the situation, target the problem, and then choose a set of interventions.

Stay grounded - Create a safe space for you and your family. Structure your home so that you and your family feel grounded. Reduce the sadness and stress of uncertainty by keeping News to a minimum. Don’t talk endlessly about sensational stories. Think of your home as a sanctuary from the uncertainty of life.

Use routines - Keep scheduled mealtimes and bedtimes, and daily chores, including the kids’ homework. Also make sure there are regular periods of relaxation and fun, like a family games night or a walk. Routines provide a steady rhythm and research

shows that when your day has an organised framework, you develop a greater tolerance for unpredictability.

Choose information sources carefully - During uncertain times be guardedly curious and try not to accept sensational stories as factual.

Embrace uncertainty - Ultimately we have to live with uncertainty. Cultivating hope and possibility during uncertain times is important. Instead of focusing on sadness or anxiety, shift the focus to wonder or curiosity. Confronting what we don’t know can trigger creative thinking and problem solving and help you and your family feel empowered in the face of the unpredictable.

Practice gratitude - Make time to notice and reflect on the good and meaningful things and people in your life and encourage your children or grandchildren to do the same. Studies show that gratitude generates feel-good neurochemicals serotonin and dopamine in your brain which help to reduce worry.

By Kate McCarthy

Shires

Funeral Directors At Shires we understand that no two lives are the same, which is why every funeral we arrange is completely individual too. Whether you’re making the arrangements for a loved one or prudently planning your own, we’re here for you in every way.

40 Whitehorse Street, Baldock 01462 491 149 1 Howard Park Corner, Letchworth 01462 486 618 Also at Bedford, Dunstable, Luton & Sandy

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Time of Year

The Easter Parade… …and other traditions

The Easter weekend is the principal religious feast of the Christian year, yet most of its traditions have no basis in Christianity at all. In fact, the Jewish festival of Passover, or Pesach which is closely linked to Easter by dates and symbolism was celebrated long before the birth of Jesus. And long before the name ‘Easter’ was used, early Christians celebrated ‘Pascha,’ a word derived from Pesach.

The word ‘Easter’ actually comes from an AngloSaxon fertility goddess called Eostre, who was associated with spring and new beginnings. Both Easter and Passover centre around re-birth, and bond neatly with the Anglo-Saxon festival of ‘Eostremonath’ – Eostre’s month.

Hot cross buns, traditionally eaten on Good Friday, are linked to Passover. Originally they were unleavened bread, an important Passover food.

Nowadays, they are leavened (which makes them light and delicious) and marked with a cross to serve as a reminder of the crucifixion.

The tradition of eating chocolate eggs derives from the fact that during Eostre, eggs were given as gifts to celebrate the end of winter and as a symbol of new life. Once again this ties in with Passover, where a traditional meal is Beitzah, a hardboiled egg. Eventually Christians began decorating the shells with colourful patterns, and later thanks to enterprising chocolatiers in France and Germany delicious chocolate Easter eggs began to appear.

But what about the Easter Bunny? Surely an Easter hen would be more logical. At least a hen lays eggs!

But if we look back at the Goddess Eostre, her scared animal was the hare, and it’s not a huge jump (see what I did there?) from a hare to a rabbit.

The Easter Bunny and egg hunts seem to originate in Germany in the 16th century. Children made nests in

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the garden and, if they were good, the Easter Bunny would leave them coloured hard-boiled eggs to find the next morning. This tradition travelled to America with early German settlers and, like many old traditions, has now returned to Britain substituting chocolate eggs for a sweeter egg hunt.

Egg rolling on Easter Monday is one of the strangest traditions. Some sources say that it represents the rolling away of the stone blocking Jesus’ tomb. It’s also known as Pace-Egging, which derives once again from the word Pesach. It’s centuries old but no-one is entirely sure of the origins, though it might have originated as a way of getting everyone out of the house for some much-needed exercise after a long weekend of feasting!

On Palm Sunday it is said that Jesus was welcomed to Jerusalem by an adoring throng. This and the procession which followed Jesus carrying the cross are often seen as the earliest predecessors of the modern Easter parade.

During the Dark Ages, Christians in Eastern Europe would gather in a designated spot before Easter church services, then walk solemnly to the church.

Afterwards they would retrace their steps while singing songs of praise. Participants usually wore their finest attire to show respect for the occasion.

Eventually the Easter parade transformed into a large American cultural event consisting of a festive strolling procession on Easter Sunday. Participants dress up and there is a particular emphasis on ladies’ hats...the Easter bonnets made famous by the song from the 1948 film Easter Parade.

And speaking of traditions…it’s our family tradition to watch that musical while we tuck into our Easter Eggs.

Happy Easter.

By Tracey Anderson

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Finance

Do I need life insurance?

Life insurance may feel both baffling and daunting, but it’s a key step towards financial security for many people. These are the most important things to know when deciding whether it’s right for you and which policy to choose.

The most important question is what you want the life insurance to achieve. With most forms of insurance, it’s simply a case of covering costs or replacing something that’s lost, stolen or damaged.

With life insurance, you’re commonly looking to replace your income.

That means it matters whether you are the sole ‘breadwinner’ in your household, you share financial responsibilities, or you have no dependents (in which case life insurance usually makes little sense).

It also matters whether you simply want to maintain an income for your family after you die or if you are concerned with specific expenses, such as a mortgage or university costs for your children.

Those factors will help you make the biggest decision: whether to get a whole-of-life policy or a term policy. The former means that, as long as you keep up the payments, the policy pays out when you die.

These policies tend to work out more expensive, both through higher payments and because you’ll be paying in for longer. It’s usually taken out by people who want to be sure to cover funeral costs, or want their heirs to be able to pay an inheritance tax bill without having to sell the family home.

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With term policies you pay premiums and are eligible for payouts during a fixed period. Depending on your financial goals, this could be a set number of years, the remaining term of your mortgage or until your planned retirement date. These policies are usually cheaper that whole-of-life policies. Once the term ends, you stop making payments and the policy will never pay out.

If you go for a term policy, you need to decide how the payout level changes over time. The most basic option is a ‘level’ policy that simply pays a fixed lump sum on your death. A variation of this means the payout amount goes up each year during the term, in line with inflation.

In contrast, a decreasing policy means the payout amount falls each year during the term. That makes premiums lower and is most suitable when you want the life insurance to clear your mortgage if you die.

The falling payout reflects the fact your outstanding mortgage debt will also fall over time.

Whether you get whole-of-life or term insurance, you need to decide whether to get a single or joint policy, for example with your spouse or partner. A single policy is straightforward: the payout goes into your estate and is distributed in line with your will.

With a joint policy, the default set-up is that when (or if) one of the two policyholders dies, the payout goes to the other policyholder. The policy then ends with no further premiums or payouts.

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TEMPLARS CROSS LODGE www.templarscrosslodge.co.uk Close to Baldock town centre in spacious surroundings this motel style Bed & Breakfast offers off road parking.

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CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST LARGE LUXURY EN-SUITE ROOMS FREE WIFI INTERNET ACCESS DIGITAL /SATELLITE TV WITH SPORT & FILMS FRIDGE IN ROOM PRIVATE LOCATION CLOSE TO TRAIN STATION MAJOR CREDIT CARDS TAKEN

Tel: 07970 162753

Email: ami@amcofm.co.uk or sally@amcofm.co.uk North Road, Baldock, Hertfordshire SG7 5DN

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Celebrating 30 Years (And still going strong!)

I cannot believe we have reached our 30th year in maintaining gardens in the North Herts/Beds area. In that time, we have maintained and landscaped 1000’s of gardens, big and small.

It all started in 1992 when my full time Insurance job allowed me plenty of time during the day which helped with childcare for our two children, but still left spare time that I didn’t know how to fill. I loved maintaining our 100ft garden in Baldock, so I thought why not maintain and tidy other gardens too for extra income for my family. Back then we didn’t have internet and google so the only way to put our name out there was placing adverts in the local paper, Yellow Pages and Thompsons Directories.

Although, if you missed the cut off point for the Directories then you had to wait for a whole year to get in!

Our first job came in and off I trotted to quote, it was to dig up a small apple tree stump and roots Easy job!?? (Or so I thought). The quote of £25 was accepted and I went round a day later with all my home DIY tools (How naive was I?). It was June, very hot and 5 hours later I managed to cut away the last of the roots. 5 hours!! I thought it would be a couple of hours at the most - welcome to the real world of professional gardening Dave. It didn’t put me off too much and I soon realised there was more to this gardening lark than I first thought.

The adverts were working and soon had a steady stream of accepted quotes, which was great!

However, after a month or two, it became apparent how many times the customers said, “I’m so glad you have actually turned up.” The gardening and landscaping industry was renowned for letting clients down, I was so shocked, and it dawned on me there was a huge gap in the market for reliable and regular gardeners. I made it my mantra, if I said I was coming to give you a quote, I would turn up and meet you!

(Regardless of what happens) and I have remained steadfast to that ethos.

One of earlier landscaping project was for The Hertfordshire Football Association in Letchworth Garden City. They had built a new stand, changing rooms and clubhouse and wanted their frontage completely landscaped. After planting a new 100ft hawthorn hedge along the perimeter, we commissioned bespoke double metal entry gates.

We finished with a beautiful new lawn, eye-catching shrubs and trees to complete the project. That was 25 years ago and to this day I still get a buzz seeing it every time I go pass.

The years have flown by since those early days and we’ve had some highs and lows on the way, our premises have been broken into three times – it was heart-breaking. We have also met some wonderful customers, some who have now sadly passed away.

We now maintain over 300 client’s gardens/grounds (residential and commercial) on a regular weekly or fortnightly basis. I have a strong team of 7 gardeners who love their job ensuring our customers gardens are looking their best. We also have 2 landscapers who carry out all our fencing, patio, decking and artificial lawn projects and we are fortunate to be fully booked until the end of April 2022.

A YOUNG ME OUTSIDE THE HERTS FA GROUND IN LETCHWORTH AFTER LANDSCAPING THEIR GROUNDS.

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I feel very grateful to be in this situation when other companies have unfortunately suffered during the past 2 years. Of course, it’s not just about the gardening aspect which keeps us successful. We now have a great office team running everything behind the scenes, with Office Manager Stella Piper and Assistant Sarah Henderson, ensuring phones are answered in a timely manner and quotes are sent out within 48 hours of my quotation appointment, along with many other important and vital activities ensuring the business runs smoothly.

Our regular clients receive a bi-annual Newsletter which keeps them informed of their schedule, what work we will be carrying out in the coming seasons amongst other articles. They also receive an automated email two days prior to a planned visit, keeping them informed all the way. Our teams are super friendly and amenable and use only the top of the range commercial machinery to carry out the work.

We also take away all the green waste after the completion of each visit so no need to use brown bins. We invoice once per month and accept a whole range of payment methods including our new automated payments, credit/debit card, cheque, and BACS transfers. We make it as easy as we possibly can.

What do you want from your garden?

You are just one call or email away from sitting back, relaxing and letting us do all your hard work for you, so you can enjoy a lovely looking garden at the weekend. As well as garden maintenance, we also carry out one off tidy-ups, we love tackling garden nightmares and getting your outdoor space back into shape so you can utilise it again. Now is the best time to book your visit in readiness for Spring and Summer. Just Google “Sunshine Gardens Baldock” and see our 50 plus genuine 5-star reviews and testimonials for your peace of mind.

Do you have a garden that needs transforming?

Can we help you with your landscaping project?

We can transform your tired and neglected gardens using our imagination and skills enabling you to enjoy your outdoor space. Book early though as we are already fully booked until the end of April/May 2022. Contact us for a free written quotation which will be sent to you within 48 hours.

We are proud to be one of the most long standing and trusted garden maintenance and landscaping companies in your area.

Dave and his teams are ready and raring to go in 2022. To help celebrate our 30th year in business, we are offering the first 10 new clients 12 months garden maintenance for the price of just 9 months.

Contact us on 01462 262200 office@sunshinegardensbaldock.co.uk PLEASE SEE OUR MAIN ADVERT IN THIS MAGAZINE FOR FURTHER DETAILS ON PAGE 51.

Sunshine Gardens

1992

1995

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2021

2022

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Gardening

Plant a tree for the jubilee: the Queen’s Green Canopy The joys of spring Early spring in the garden is probably the most longed-for time of the year for most. The weather is naturally unpredictable and the wise gardener will be prepared for just about anything. There could be a heatwave, snow, frost, drought and April showers.

Be prepared to protect tender young shoots with a covering of horticultural fleece, which can be used as a warm blanket until the cold snap has passed.

This is the perfect time for pruning a variety of shrubs, depending on the weather. If fairly mild, Hydrangea macrophylla can be pruned down to a pair of buds and old, woody growth can be removed. Buddleja davidii can have a good tidy up, ready for new growth, Lavender can be gently

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trimmed and Cornus, which is grown for winter stem colour, can be pruned hard if you haven’t already done so. Deciduous ornamental grasses should also be cut down to make way for new growth.

Plant a tree for the jubilee Make the most of the coming growing season by planting trees and shrubs as soon as possible so that their roots can romp away as the soil warms.

Her Majesty the Queen has been on the throne for 70 years this year and we are all urged to ‘plant a tree for the jubilee’. This national tree initiative is encouraging everyone to plant trees, whether it’s a single specimen in a garden or an entire woodland.

It is hoped that individuals, community groups, schools, businesses and councils will all take part in a bid to green up the UK. This, of course, will help to fight the climate crisis. Trees, after all, are our friends when it comes to absorbing pollution, storing carbon, producing oxygen, stabilising the soil, helping to prevent flooding, improving biodiversity and providing shelter.

But did you know that some trees are better than others when it comes to eco credentials? Oak, beech, London plane, black walnut, many larger maples and eucalyptus are some of the best when it comes to carbon storage. Larger trees are generally better than smaller varieties, but anything is better than none at all! Broadleaved species have a larger surface area of leaves, which enables them to carry

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www.acs-aggregates.com

Collection & Delivery of Loose Aggregates Building Sand • Sharp Sand • Ballast • MOT Type 1 • 10 & 20mm shingle Top Soil • Granite Dust • Cements • Drainage • EASYjoint • Sleepers

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out photosynthesis. They absorb water, sunlight and carbon dioxide in order to produce oxygen.

When it comes to wildlife, oaks are kings of the habitat providers, but smaller trees, including a wide range of birch, are excellent too. Some of the woodland edge smaller trees and shrubs excel at this particular role, including elder, spindle, blackthorn, wild cherry, crab apple, hawthorn and holly. The key lies in planting a diverse mix of species in order to provide as many benefits as possible to wildlife.

Think in terms of food sources as well as cute, furry and feathery creatures. Insects are just as important when you consider the food chain.

Pests and diseases It is wise to avoid planting a monoculture using just one species of tree. If disease strikes, you are likely to lose the entire group. This applies to street trees as much as it does to garden hedges, copses and woodland. Far better to include a mix of species, which will be less likely to pass on disease to each other. For this reason, it is sensible to extend the range of trees in the UK to include non-native, hardy trees as well as natives. Always source trees from reliable, ‘plant-healthy’ suppliers.

Be aware of the general health of trees, including disease that causes limbs to be lost, thus posing a safety risk in public places.

• Ash dieback is likely to cause the loss of up to 80 per cent of this tree in the UK. Affected trees near public areas should be removed.

• Phytophthora ramorum is an organism that is sometimes called a water mould. It causes

bleeding canker symptoms on trees, including larch and sweet chestnut in addition to conifers such as Douglas fir. It can also cause sudden oak death.

• Phytophthora pluvialis has recently been discovered in western hemlock and Douglas fir in the West Country. It causes needles to turn brown and drop, eventually resulting in dieback.

• Oak processionary moth is an insect pest that is currently present in London and surrounding counties. There are silken nests and processions of caterpillars that defoliate oak trees, thus leaving them vulnerable and unable to carry out photosynthesis.

• A fungal disease called massaria is spreading amongst London plane trees, including those at Buckingham Palace and some of the Royal parks.

It causes lesions on branches, which die back and are eventually shed.

Caroline Knight: Gardendesignideas.co.uk

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Garden View

Bee nice to bees!

Albert Einstein supposedly declared that, “If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left.” There is much debate over whether the great man actually did make such an assertion as he was a physicist after all, not an entomologist, but whether he did or not, it’s a scary thought.

There’s no doubt about it, honey bees and bumble bees are of enormous agricultural importance. It is estimated that more than a third of the world’s crop production relies on these bees. Without them we’re in trouble and they are in decline. Pesticides, loss of habitat and disease are thought to be playing a part.

Bees are fascinating and beautiful creatures and as gardeners we can play our part in their continued survival. It’s simple: bees need flowers for sustenance, flowers need bees for survival and gardeners need flowers to garden!

First it’s important to think ahead and provide flowers for bees throughout their lifecycle, which runs from March to September.

Spring – Bluebells, bugle, flowering cherry, forgetme-not (Myosotis), hellebore and rosemary are all good spring plants.

Summer – Aquilegia, sweet peas, fennel, foxgloves, potentilla, roses, stachys, teasel, thyme and verbascum

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Late summer / early autumn – Aster, buddleia, dahlia, eryngium, fuchsia, heather, lavender and sedum.

Second, unfortunately not all flowers are created equal. Frilly double flowers, for example, are too elaborate. They have so many petals that the bees struggle to get to the nectar and pollen. This is the reason that single dahlias attract lots of bees, whilst double varieties are generally ignored. Single flowered rose varieties are also good, such as the rambler Seagull, with its flat open white blooms, large yellow stamens and heady scent. Any similar rambler grown over a fence or wall will do. Some, like the pale pink Little Rambler, will even repeat flower. Ramblers are terrific roses. They are vigorous, disease resistant and great for covering bare fences, unsightly sheds and walls. Best of all they need next to no pruning!

The main thing is to keep it simple: a few flowers for each part of the bee life cycle and no overly fancy varieties. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t grow double flowered dahlias if that’s what floats your boat, it’s just that Mr Bee would appreciate a few single flowered varieties thrown into the mix. Let’s make this the year we all be nice to bees: our future may depend on it!

By Rachael Leverton

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Firepits

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes Firepit tips and tricks Back when all get-togethers had to be outside, my brother bought me a firepit. I imagined evenings spent under the stars with my friends, toasting marshmallows. The reality was a smoky, eye-watering disaster.

I stuffed it in the shed and forgot about it until the owner of my local hardware store asked if I’d considered buying a firepit. I cut him off and related my story. “Oh, you’re probably doing it wrong!” he smiled. I gawped at him; I mean how many ways are there to use a firepit...come on!? Well dear reader, after a little re-education, I’m now a convert!

Excess fire pit smoke is the most common reason people stop using their firepit. Typically, it results from firewood burning incompletely due to excess moisture in the wood. The pitch or sap in some woods can also be a factor.

The next cause is an improperly constructed fire which causes fuel to smoulder instead of burn, producing more smoke.

So, what’s the solution? First choose the right kind of wood. This should be both adequately dried and not naturally predisposed to smoking excessively when burned. Wood smoke is generated when certain chemicals within the wood burn inefficiently.

In an efficient, well-burning, hot fire, these chemicals are typically burned off quickly before significant smoke forms.

Look for seasoned wood, which has a moisture content of 30% or less, the lower the better.

Seasoned wood has gone through an indoor or outdoor aging process under the right conditions.

You can also buy kiln dried wood, which is more expensive but works incredibly well. Basically, dry wood burns efficiently, and efficient burning means less smoke. On the other hand, fresh cut wood, or older wood which has been allowed to get damp contains more water and burns inefficiently which means smoke.

You can buy properly seasoned wood from your local hardware store, and for most of us who use firepits for a couple of hours at the weekend this is

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By Tracey Anderson

convenient. If you want better value and you have room to store the wood you can buy in bulk from a log merchant. If you want to check moisture levels in wood you’ve cut and dried yourself you can purchase an inexpensive handheld moisture metre.

They generally cost between £40 and £100.

Wood with a maximum of 30% moisture is the baseline but 20% or less is best (that’s the standard with most kiln dried firewood) Other things to watch out for are old, potentially damp ash, embers, and other debris that accumulates in firepits. These can impede the ignition process and result resulting in a fire pit that won’t ‘catch’ properly, and smokes. Empty your firepit after use and store upside down so it doesn’t fill up with rain!

It’s best to avoid pine, because it has a super high sap content, which tends to produce more smoke.

Softwoods in general tend to be mor ‘sap rich’ and can actually be useful in the initial stages of a fire as they burn ‘hot’ for a brief period, so they are good when trying to get the main wood to burn.

Finally, make sure your fire is stacked correctly. You need good airflow. Make a wigwam structure with your wood or use a log-cabin stack (think Jenga without the middle pieces!) to keep air flowing and provide a gap in the middle for tinder and kindling.

Then sit back and bust out the marshmallows!

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Pets

14 Easy Ways to Help The RSPCA We all know there are fabulous RSPCA shops all over the country that we can buy lovely things from and take our unwanted clothes and bric-a-brac to. We also know if we want a new pet we could approach the RSPCA. But how many of the other 12 ways were you already aware of?

Smile Amazon - Amazon have recently set up ‘Smile Amazon’, meaning each time you buy something via Smile Amazon, they donate money to your chosen charity. The ‘Royal Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals Bedfordshire North Branch’ have registered with this scheme so you can select our charity when you are shopping.

Donate Nectar Points - Your Nectar points can now be used to support our charity. If this is something you’d like to do, you will need to link your Nectar account to a Crowdfunder account.

You can then donate converted points via our charity page: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/ rspca-bedsnorthbranch... All money donated will go towards the vet bills and boarding costs of the animals that come into our care.

Enter the Spring Superdraw - Competitions are still very popular and this one is no different. You could win up to £5,000. Simply head over to our website to buy a ticket!

Payroll Giving - Payroll giving (also known as Give As You Earn) is a simple way to make regular donations to the RSPCA straight from your salary. You can donate as much or as little you like and you can stop your donation at any time. Plus, it’s tax free! It is very quick and easy to set up. All you would need to do is fill in an online form.

Legacy Payment - Leaving a gift for the RSPCA in your Will is another way people can support us. Did you know over half of our work is funded by people who have left us a gift in their Will? So, these gifts are extremely important to us. Is it something you have considered?

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Generation Kind - You may recall reading about ‘Generation Kind’ in a previous edition, in essence it is an education program that we have created for schools. Through Generation Kind we’re ramping up our efforts to inspire kindness in the classroom - helping to shape a kinder future for animals. Ask your local school if they are involved.

Adopt/rehome/sponsor/foster - These are the four main ways that you can care for an animal through the RSPCA. All of which are important, valuable and rewarding. Check out our FaceBook page for more details.

Donate online - If you visit the RSPCA website, you can make a one off donation payment or set up a more permanent regular amount. It’s up to you. Your gift helps support long term projects, veterinary care, rehabilitation, and our rescue teams.

You could also visit one of our fabulous charity shops, become a member or why not organise a fundraising. There are now many ways in which you can support your local RSPCA, and we are very grateful and appreciative of it.

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

Lines are open 7 days a week 24/7. info@rspcabedsnorth.org.uk 01234 266965 / 01234 930304

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THE GARDEN ROBIN Complete Garden Design & Landscape Service Driveways, Patios and Paving Porcelain & Natural Stone Paving Wood and Composite Decking Pond Construction & Water Features Artificial Grass, Fencing and Screening Irrigation Systems Installed

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Home Products

Organise your utility

By Katherine Sorrell

The most hard-working room in the house plays a vital role, from storing cleaning kit to doing the laundry. Combine beauty with utility to make it a functional and enjoyable space to use.

Why not add some art and plants to bring personality to your utility room? Light Mineral eggshell, £15 for 1l; Harbor large sideboard, £449; acacia wood concertina airer, £40; Pebble wool rug, from £49; Coastal set of three framed prints, £28; all Dunelm.

Keep everything to hand, including a rolling clothes rack and a laundry basket, to make washing and ironing easier.

Rack, ironing board, basket and iron, all Wayfair.

A large, 76l box with three smaller inserts makes separating and storing recycling easy, while the sturdy wooden lid enables the box to be used as a seat, too. Orthex SmartStore Collect recycling and storage box, £85, Not a Boring Box.

Colourful and hard-wearing, this organic jute basket is practical for all kinds of uses.

Pastel Fairisle utility basket, from £24, The Braided Rug Company.

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Planning the perfect utility room

Folding flat to conserve space, this beech and galvanised steel wall dryer conveniently utilises space on the wall.

Chalford wall dryer, £110, Garden Trading.

With five hooks and a handy shelf this wood-and-metal unit has plenty of room for keeping clutter neat and tidy.

Giro industrial wall shelf with hooks, £79, Cuckooland.

It may only be a utility room, but finishing touches such as knobs, switches and hooks are still important. Cotswold Collection of luxury solid brass hardware in burnished brass finish, from £13.69 for a bun cabinet knob, Armac Martin.

Keep bits and pieces organised in a convenient container with a handle. Tin housekeeping caddy, £6, B&M. STOCKISTS B&M: 0330 838 9000; bmstores.co.uk Cuckooland: 01305 231 231; cuckooland.com Garden Trading: 01993 845 559; gardentrading.co.uk Veo: veo.world

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• Get the basics right with practical flooring and lighting. An easily cleanable floorcovering such as vinyl or ceramic tiles is best for a utility room – though you could add a rug for some softness underfoot (while you’re ironing, for example). Bright lighting is essential, too. Adjustable ceiling spotlights are a good option, as are strip lights mounted below wall units or shelves. Ensure that any wall lights don’t protrude into working areas, and that pendants don’t hang too low.

• A bespoke utility room will have storage built to suit the room and accommodate your every need, from fitted cupboards to open shelves.

However, it is not too difficult to set up a very useful space using wall-mounted shelving, hooks and rails, free-standing shelves and racks, and a range of useful baskets and boxes, carefully chosen to suit the items you need to store.

• Save space by thinking vertically. A tumble dryer can be mounted above a washing machine, while pulleys can be used for a laundry drying rack. Tall, slim shelving is ideal, and all sorts of items can be hung from high hooks or tucked inside stacked boxes.

• In a small room, pale, neutral colours feel calm and help give an impression of light and space. A plain space may appeal if all you want to do is get in and out as quickly as possible. On the other hand, since you have to do household chores, you might as well make the room you’re spending time in as welcoming as possible. It’s easy to add personality with a few small elements, such as framed prints or photographs on the walls and a selection of potted plants (real or artificial). Tuck a reed diffuser in a corner, too, and ensure the space always smells gorgeous.

Armac Martin: 0121 359 2111; armacmartin.co.uk The Braided Rug Company: 01654 767 248; braided-rug.co.uk Dunelm: 0845 165 6565; dunelm.com Not a Boring Box: notaboringbox.com Wayfair: 0800 756 4191; wayfair.co.uk

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Food & Drink

Soft Drinks Come of Age

By Samantha Joseph

If ever you’ve wanted to cut down on alcohol but can’t stomach sickly cordials, coke or fruit juice then try a grown-up non-alcoholic beverage.

Seedlip Spice 94 - This is neither fruity, nor sweet. Seedlip was in fact the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirit. It combines six individually distilled barks, allspice berries & Cardamom. The distillation process is similar to that used for gin. It’s a wonderfully complex flavour and is delicious mixed with tonic over ice.

Double Dutch Pomegranate & Basil - I discovered this when I bought some as a mixer. It was created by Dutch twins Raissa & Joyce de Hass’ and is an award-winning recipe. It’s made with 100 per cent natural ingredients and contains just 66 calories a bottle. The flavours are refreshing basil, with warm undertones of aniseed and sweet but tart pomegranate. It’s so nice on its own poured over ice that I rarely add gin...though it does go amazingly well with Hendricks (shhh...this is supposed to be an alcohol-free article) Daylesford Sparkling Apple & Bilberry Juice – This comes in a chic champagne-style bottle. It’s lightly sparkling and would make the ideal aperitif for non-alcohol drinkers when celebrating with friends. It’s produced in Nantes in northwest France from all organic ingredients. They let the fruits ripen on the trees and bushes for the fullest flavour possible. They are harvested using traditional methods.

Belvoir Ginger Cordial - This is a family favourite. You don’t need much (because it’s quite sweet). I like it mixed with half sparkling and half still water, over lots of ice and fresh mint. It might lack the sophistication of the previous three drinks, but it transports me to an Enid Blyton childhood filled with lashings and lashings of ginger beer! Cheers!

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

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Codeword 1

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ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Easy Sudoku

Hard Sudoku

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

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What's On

WHAT'S ON IN APRIL 1 APRIL Bedford Art Society 7.15 for 7.30pm Putnoe Heights Church, Bedford Members free, visitors £5 Tony Jackson talks about the work of the Glasgow School of Art, the Glasgow Boys and later works produced in Glasgow.

Tel: Jean Paterson 01234 307210 for info Web: www.bedsartsociety.co.uk 1 & 2 APRIL Sweet Charity Doors open 7.15pm for 7.45pm Pirton Village Hall Tickets: Wednesday £10, other days £12 Pirton Players perform the terrific musical Sweet Charity. Tickets available from Pirton Village Shop or online. Bar available.

Web: pirtonplayers.org 1, 8, 22 & 29 APRIL Storytime 10.30-11am Letchworth Library Free - donations welcome Interactive story sessions, perfect for pre-school children. No need to book.

Web: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk 1, 8, 22 & 29 APRIL Bridge Club 1.30-4.30pm Springfield House, Old Stevenage Community Centre Play social cut-in Chicago Bridge.

Play is informal and friendly.

Tel: Richard Bean 01438 221517 2 APRIL The Signals Museum Open Day 10am-4pm RAF Henlow, SG16 6DN The Signals Museum at RAF Henlow is open to the public. Entry is free but official photo ID required to get an entry ticket from the Guardroom. See website for full information. Call on the day if information is needed.

Tel: 07778 837263 Web: www.rafsignalsmuseum.org.uk

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2 APRIL Fairfield Lawn Bowls Club 10am-5pm Kingsley Avenue, Fairfield Park, SG5 4YG Come and try lawn bowls for free. All equipment and coaching provided. All ages. Just bring flat shoes. No obligation to join our friendly club but new members only £15 for the whole year.

2 APRIL Weston Concerts Spring Season 2022 7.30pm. Weston Village Hall Tickets 315, under 19s £5 Clive Carroll - guitar. Pay bar.

Tickets: www.trybooking.co.uk/BLIU Web: www.westonmusicsociety. org.uk 3 APRIL Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire Hardy Plant Society 2pm. Weatherley Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade ‘Derelict Hill Farm to Garden in a year or two or Twenty’ with Derry Watkins., well-known nursery owner. Plants for sale.

Visitors welcome – small charge.

Web: www.hpscambsandbeds.co.uk 4, 7, 11, 14, 21, 25 & 28 APRIL Retired Persons Table Tennis Club Mondays 11am-1.30pm. Thursday 1.30-4pm Memorial Hall, Stotfold The club plays both doubles and singles. Monthly subscription payable. Sadly, we are not a club for beginners at this time, but we do have vacancies for new members.

Please email Terry for further details.

Email: terrygriffiths50@gmail.com 4, 11, 18 & 25 APRIL Branch Out Social Club for Single People 8.30-10.30pm Cromwell Bar, The Sun Hotel, Hitchin Medium-sized social club for single people aged 40 upwards. Meets every Monday night.

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

4, 11 & 25 APRIL Baby Rhyme Time 10.30-11am Letchworth Library Free - donations welcome Fun half hour sessions of songs and rhymes are perfect for helping your child to learn language skills and are an opportunity for you to meet other families too. Booking essential.

Web: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk 6 APRIL Pic-n-Mix Social Group 10.30am-12pm Letchworth Library Meets the first Wednesday of every month. Each session has a theme or activity, and suggestions are made attendees. Drop in for a cuppa, a chat and make some new friends!

6, 13, 20 & 27 APRIL Storytime 10.30-11am Stevenage Library Free - donations welcome Interactive story sessions, perfect for pre-school children. No need to book.

Web: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk 7 APRIL The Arts Society North Herts Doors open 10.15am, 11am-12.15pm Broadway Cinema and Theatre, Eastcheap, Letchworth ‘Bandstands: Decline and Revival’

by Paul Rabbitts. Visitors welcome.

Lift access.

Web: theartssocietynorthherts. org.uk 7, 14, 21 & 28 APRIL Baby Rhyme Time 10.15-10.45am & 11.15-11.45am Hitchin Library Free - donations welcome Fun half hour sessions of songs and rhymes are perfect for helping your child to learn language skills and are an opportunity for you to meet other families too. Booking essential.

Web: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk

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What's On

WHAT'S ON IN APRIL 7, 14, 21 & 28 APRIL Sapphire Social Singles Club 8pm The Orange Tree, Hitchin Meet every Thursday. A friendly social group for single people to meet and make new friends generally 50+ age group.

Tel/text: Ian 07900 890583 for info sapphiresocialsinglesclub.co.uk 8 APRIL Unicorn Ceilidh Doors open 7.30pm St Mary’s Church Hall, Church Street, Baldock With The Tonic, caller Chris Rose and Golden Hare in the interval spot. Ceilidh dances are fun, easy to learn - and addictive! Book online.

Alan Creamer 07946 439095 Web: www.unicornceilidhs.org.uk 11 APRIL Singing, African Drumming and Percussion Workshop 9-11am Benslow Music, Benslow Lane, Hitchin £9 per child. A relaxed children’s music workshop offering an introduction to a diverse range of musical styles including singing, percussion and African drumming.

Parents welcome to join in.

Web: https://benslowmusic.org 13 APRIL Spring Open Day 11am-3pm. Luton Hoo Estate Walled Garden, LU1 4LE Entry £5. Free children’s activities.

Tel: 01582 721443 19 APRIL Stevenage RSPB Local Group 7.30pm The Friends Meeting House, Cutty’s Lane, Stevenage £3, under 18s 50p ‘Where in the World’, the fascinating subject of bird migration with Richard Pople. Please bring your own refreshments. Masks to be worn. COVID-friendly raffle.

Tel: 01438 236310 Email: carole.sparrow@ntlworld.com

21 APRIL Hitchin Friendship Club 2.15-4.15pm. St Michaels Mount Community Centre Speaker from Essex & Herts Air Ambulance. Meets third Thursday of the month. Interesting talks, pub lunches, day trips, coffee mornings, holidays and much more. Email: hfcinfo885@googlemail.com 23 APRIL Annual Quiz. pm for 7.30pm Grange Community Centre, Middlefields, Letchworth £36 per team of 6. Letchworth Arts and Leisure Group’s annual quiz returns in-person! Light-hearted general knowledge quiz hosted

by Ann and Andrew. Bring your own drink and glasses, plus snacks to eat in the interval if you wish.

Individuals or pairs please email to be included in a team.

Email: SocialTeam@lalg.org.uk Web: lalg.org.uk/aprilquiz 24 APRIL Stevenage RSPB Local Group Trip to Lakenheath Reserve Meet 10am. No charge for RSPSB members. All-day car trip to Lakenheath Fen RSPB reserve on the Norfolk/Suffolk border, with the possibility of breeding Cranes, Bitterns and Bearded Tits plus early arriving migrants. Meet in reserve car park just North of Lakenheath level crossing. Postcode IP27 9AD. Grid Ref 143/TL 724 865. Leader Graham Beevor. Tel: 01438 232055 24 APRIL Afternoon Tea 4pm Benslow Music, Benslow Lane, Hitchin £19.95pp/£24.95pp with a glass of Prosecco. Enjoy afternoon tea at Benslow Music complemented with live music. Booking required.

Tel: 01462 459446 Web: https://benslowmusic.org

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

25 APRIL Stevenage Choral Society 7.45pm Stevenage Music Centre, Mobbsbury, Stevenage Meets every Monday during term time. No audition necessary. Meet like-minded people of all ages and abilities. Try out a wide range of music, from the classics to show songs. Tel: 01438 365769 Email: info@stevenagechoral.org.uk Web: www.stevenagechoral.org.uk 27 APRIL Lunchtime Talk 10.30am-12.30pm Shuttleworth, Old Warden Park, Biggleswade Warden Abbey Vineyard. Nestled between the picturesque villages of Old Warden and Cardington, hear the fascinating story of how a vineyard came to be planted on this beautiful Bedfordshire site in medieval times.

Web: shuttleworth.org/talksprogramme 28 APRIL Stevenage RSPB Local Group Trip to Wendover Woods Meet 9.30am No charge for RSPSB members Car trip to Wendover Woods.

Morning visit to large mixed woodland near Tring which holds breeding Firecrests and Crossbills, although they are elusive. Meet in car park off the apparently unnamed lane at grid ref 165/SP 890090. Postcode HP22 5NQ. Car park charge £4.80. Leader Graham Beevor. Tel: 01438 232055 29 APRIL Concert by Consone Quartet 8pm. Benslow Music, Benslow Lane, Hitchin Tickets £20, under 27s free, livestream tickets £10, under 27s free Concert by BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists, Consone Quartet. Pre-concert dining available.

Web: https://benslowmusic.org

63

Motoring

Lexus NX Review

What is it? The new NX is the first time Lexus has offered a plug-in hybrid powertrain (PHEV), and the mid-sized SUV has been made more competitive with rivals such as Volvo and BMW. This is Lexus’ best-selling model in the UK. What’s new? There’s a new-look exterior, new powertrains and a more enjoyable driving experience.

Key changes are the new infotainment system and redesigned interior. The whole car is slightly larger than the old NX and has extra safety and convenience technology.

What’s under the bonnet? The powertrain options are 350h and 450h+, both with a petrol engine paired to electric motors on both axles, giving 241bhp and 305bhp respectively.

The 350h regular hybrid reaches 60mph in 7.7 seconds, compared with 6.3 seconds in the PHEV. The PHEV’s bigger battery gives it a 47-mile electriconly range.

Economy figures were disappointing – although 53 per cent of our journey was on electric-only power, overall consumption was about 36mpg (compared to the pointless official measurements of up to 314mpg). So keep the battery topped up!

What’s it like to drive? Even our test car in F-Sport trim gave good ride quality, with the smooth, silent electric motors making the NX feel refined.

The engine can be quite gruff, but the modern CVT gearbox is no longer a weak link.

How does it look? The firm’s angular design ethos and imposing front grilles make it stand out from the crowd. The spindle grille is more upright, while the chrome frame has been ditched. The rear end is muscular and the car looks fairly compact.

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What’s it like inside?

The cockpit is familiarly Lexus, but without the overly complicated cabins of previous models. The high-resolution touchscreen is a step up, with clear graphics and quick responses.

It has a great driving position, high-quality materials and there is plenty of space for passengers.

What’s the spec like?

Entry-level models are well-equipped – starting at £38,300 for the 350h and £48,800 for the 450h+, this feels like the best-value option.

Standard equipment includes extensive safety equipment, dual-zone climate control, reversing camera, heated front seats, LED headlights and 18-inch alloys. The Premium Pack is standard in the 450h+, adding privacy glass, heated steering wheel, wireless charger and more.

F Sport models start at £47,300 (350h) or £54,800 (450h+) and include adaptive variable sports suspension, an extra drive mode, sports steering wheel, F Sport leather upholstery and 20-inch alloys, plus the Premium Plus pack of LED cornering lights, larger touchscreen display and adaptive high-beam.

These models have an optional Takumi pack, adding a Mark Levinson sound system, head-up display and sunroof (450h+) or panoramic roof (350h).

The top-spec Takumi starts from £51,800 (350h) or £57,800 (450h+) and includes fully automated parking, the stereo upgrade, a ‘card key’, leather upholstery and 20-inch alloys.

Verdict The new NX is a genuine alternative to premium marques like BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Comparing rationally, it’s difficult to recommend the NX over, say, a Volvo XC60 or an Audi Q5, but it won’t disappoint.

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Call Richard on: 01767 317387 or 07968 787496 Email: muscleandmotor@gmail.com www.muscleandmotor.co.uk

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Electrician

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IAN SIMPSON Carpentry and Joinery

Do you find it difficult to get someone to come and do a small job?

All aspects of carpentry work undertaken Kitchens, Bedrooms, Doors, Windows

Fault finding/repairs Extra lights and sockets New fuse boards Electrical testing and certificates Qualified electrician  Fully insured Reliable service  Tidy work Free quote  Satisfaction guaranteed

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Interiors

1

By Katherine Sorrell

A good night’s sleep

Create the perfect restful retreat by combining a great bed with the ideal mattress and sumptuous, stylish linens.

We spend about a third of our lives in bed, so it’s worth investing in the different elements that will help ensure the best possible night’s sleep – from a good-looking bed frame to lovely, layered bedlinen, a well-chosen mattress and a set of quality pillows.

Choosing a bed The most popular choice of bed base is a simple divan frame, which usually sit on castors, but are sometimes elevated on legs. Look for examples with useful side drawers, or ‘ottoman’ divans in which the entire mattress can be lifted up to access storage beneath. The alternative is a bedstead, generally made from wood or metal (though rattan elements are fashionable these days), which may be modern and minimal, but are more often traditional in appearance, such as a four-poster, a ‘sleigh’ bed or Victorian-style cast iron. The choice is largely aesthetic, but do bear in mind that not all mattresses and bases are compatible with each other.

Size matters when it comes to beds. Disturbance from a partner (or children) is one of the most common causes of sleeping complaints, so buy as big

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a bed as you can afford and that will fit comfortably into the room – remembering to leave enough space around it. You will need to allow about 450mm at the foot and sides of a bed in order to be able to make it comfortably, and at least 700mm of floor space between the side of a bed and the wardrobe, if this is where you are going to dress.

All about mattresses If you prefer a sprung mattress, the best are ‘pocket’ sprung, in which a large number of small springs work independently from each other, adjusting to the body and eliminating ‘roll-together’. Look for springs encased in calico pockets, hand nested in a honeycomb pattern and centre tied with linen cord.

Other signs of a high standard are quality ticking (the mattress’s fabric cover), hand side stitching, which keeps the mattress in good condition for longer, and sturdy handles to enable easy turning. Fillings include cotton, wool, coir, foam and horsehair, with added mohair, cashmere and silk at the luxury end of the market. Tufted construction is considered better than quilting, as it prevents loose fillings from

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James Cullip

Painting & Decorating

• interior/exterior - all aspects • wallpaper hanging • coving • general household maintenance • plastering services available • free estimates • fully insured

References available t: 01462 817 122 m: 07899 888 545 e: go_on_james@hotmail.com www.cullippaintinganddecorating.co.uk 10 Mill Lane, Campton, Shefford, Beds

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being dislodged. And, if you and your partner prefer different mattresses, or are very different in weight, zip and link mattresses – two singles that can be attached together – could be the answer.

The relatively new market in non-sprung mattresses includes latex, foam or gel mattresses that can be delivered straight to your door and are often inexpensive. Warmer than sprung mattresses, they mould to the sleeper’s shape and are said to be good for sufferers of allergies and joint pain. Perhaps the ultimate solution is a combination mattress, which offers the support and comfort of springs with a non-sprung top layer. Consider, too, adding a mattress topper, which will add another layer of comfort and should help extend the life of your mattress.

Comfortable pillows If you want to wake up feeling refreshed, you’ll need to choose the right pillow. Down, feather, wool, latex, memory foam, synthetic down and hybrid are all options – as are cooling pillows, antisnoring pillows, sleep apnoea pillows, pregnancy pillows and adjustable pillows. There’s no simple recommendation; it’s a case of personal preference, provided your pillow supports your neck and keeps your spine aligned in a neutral position.

Experts recommend replacing pillows every one to two years. Why? Because over time they start to lose their support – and become less and less hygienic.

Using a good quality pillow protector may help with longevity, and you should launder pillows regularly, following the manufacturer’s instructions.

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

3 Gorgeous bedlinens Quality bed linen feels comfortable next to the skin, and will also wash well and last for years. What type should it be? Pure linen has excellent breathability, a cool, crisp touch and gets softer as it gets older – but does require ironing. Silk is also highly breathable, keeping you warm in winter and cool in summer – it’s even said to reduce wrinkles and keep your hair glossy. It needs gentle handling but can go in the washing machine. Cotton, though, is by far the most popular choice, of which pure Egyptian cotton is generally considered the finest. Look for a thread count of more than 200, and up to 600 for real luxury. And finally there’s easy-care, a 50:50 mix of cotton and polyester, which has obvious advantages.

A set of white bed linen is a classic choice and complements any and every scheme. Even pure white, however, need not be completely plain, as all but the most basic duvet covers and pillows offer interesting design details, from pin tucks, cording and scalloped edging to hemstitch, embroidery and lace.

Add an eye-catching bed cover, perhaps also a throw and some bed cushions, selecting luscious textures and interesting trims, and you have a gorgeous layered style with a comfortable feel and eternally appealing look.

1 Combining sustainably sourced wood and natural rattan, this French-style bed features cabriole legs and hard-carved motifs. Montgomery rattan bed, £2,650, The French Bedroom Company: 01444 415 430; frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk.

2 Grand yet lightweight and modern, this slender canopy bed makes a statement without seeming overbearing.

Luna Canopy king-size bed, £1,195, Cox & Cox: 0330 333 2123; coxandcox.co.uk.

3 This sumptuous upholstered bed features a large hidden storage compartment. Roman ottoman bed frame, £1,399, Furniture Village: 0800 804 8879; furniturevillage. co.uk.

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Call Roy Heathcote or go online for a quote

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Crossword Puzzle Solution from our March Edition Last Month’s Crossword Winner - Fraser Hayden from Gamlingay

March’s Codeword and Sudoku Solutions

Easy

Hard

Advertising in The Villager is easy.

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The Villager Prize Crossword Prize

£25

Across 1 Denied (7) 5 Not ours (5) 8 Amazing (9) 9 Spot (3) 10 Nap (5) 12 Replies (7) 13 Nearly (13) 15 Mum’s mother (7) 17 Healed (5) 19 Lodging house (3) 20 Ethereal (9) 22 Dizzy (5) 23 Convent (7)

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

16th April 2022 Prize Crossword, Villager Publications Ltd 24 Market Square, Potton, Beds SG19 2NP The winner will be drawn at random from the correct completed entries.

Down 1 Disagreements (5) 2 Supporter (3) 3 Used for cleaning (7) 4 Insistence (13) 5 Sailboat (5) 6 Vests, boxers (9) 7 Fulfil (7) 11 Made clear (9) 13 Fishing (7) 14 Sale by bidding (7) 16 Covered with fine powder (5) 18 Hold up (5) 21 Employ (3)

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Books

Books for wellbeing The Comfort Book Matt Haig

Author Matt Haig has been very open about his struggles with depression. His latest book is a collection of sayings, thoughts and recollections that offer comfort when times are hard. Many of us find it difficult to focus when we’re feeling down, anxious or burnt out. With The Comfort Book, you can just flick through and read the quote that catches your eye. That might be a story snippet, a list, music recommendations or a recipe.

Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention Johann Hari

We often berate ourselves for spending too much time scrolling through social media or getting distracted when we should be concentrating.

Johann Hari explains why the inability to focus is not a personal failing – it’s an alltoo-common side effect of modern life. Crucially, he also shares science-backed advice to help you reclaim your ability to focus.

Good Vibes, Good Life Vex King

Stuck in a rut and not sure how to move forward? In Good Vibes, Good Life, Vex King gives practical and inspirational tips for tackling negative thoughts, improving self-esteem and finding the motivation to make positive changes. Ultimately, his goal is to help you to both love yourself for who you are now and to make the changes that will improve your life for the better.

Broken (in the best possible way) Jenny Lawson

We all need a good belly laugh sometimes. Broken gives you that, plus so much more. As the blurb says, it’s a book about ‘living, surviving and thriving with anxiety’. It’s written like a stream of consciousness in parts, as Lawson shares anecdotes and lessons from her life. Raw, honest, relatable.

The Sleep Book Dr Guy Meadows

Anyone who struggles to sleep knows the impact it can have on daily life. The Sleep Book isn’t a recent release, but it’s one of the most wellresearched – Dr Meadows has worked with more than 2,000 insomniacs. The result is a five-week plan to solve insomnia, mainly focusing on mindfulness and ACT (‘act and commitment’) therapy. It’s not a magic cure, but the advice is practical and easy to follow.

Reflections Holly Willoughby

In Reflections, TV presenter Holly Willoughby shares her ‘toolkit’ for living a happier, more connected life. She talks of the rituals, techniques and positive habits that have helped her to reconnect, tackle anxiety and feel more grounded. It’s a deeply personal book – she discusses body image, burnout and other challenges – but it’s not an autobiography. While most of us don’t lead a celebrity lifestyle, there are still many nuggets of wisdom that readers will find useful.

By Kate Duggan

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Classifieds Accountants

Plastering. Painting and Decorating

Dave Mortby Plastering, Painting and Decorating

Free Estimates Given

07722 128189

David.mortby@live.co.uk

Domestic Appliance Repairs

Plastering Services

James Geekie Plastering

Domestic Appliance Repairs Guaranteed Repairs To:

All types of plastering - big or small

Washing Machines • Tumble Dryers Electric Ovens/Cookers • Dishwashers

Interior/Exterior Work Undertaken Re-skim Rooms, Walls, Artex & Ceilings Dry Lining and Screeding

No Call Out Charge!

JB Domestic

Tel: 07792 415356 or 01462 490598 Email: james.geekie@hotmail.co.uk

Tel: 01767 680621 or Mob: 07778 891490

Electrician

Plumbing

Gary’s Plumbing Over 40 years experience No job too small!

Please call Gary on

07530 728091 Painting and Decorating

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Plumbing and Heating

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

Crimestoppers..................................... 0800 555 111 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.....................................................................111 National Rail Enquiries..................... 03457 48 49 50 Non Emergency Police Line.................................101 NSPCC............................................... 0808 800 5000 Pre-bereavement Helpline Support.. 0808 801 0688 Relate................................................. 0845 48 49 50 RSPCA Cruelty Line............................ 0300 1234 999 Samaritans...................................................116 123 Tax Credit Helpline............................ 0345 300 3900 Victim Support................................. 0845 30 30 900 To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122

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

Tel: 01767 261122 Email: nigel@villagermag.com Web: www.villagermag.com 79