Hitchin January 2023

Best destinations in Europe for a walking holiday

Let’s face it, there’s nothing quite like soaking up the views from a mountain summit, or stumbling upon a hidden waterfall when you least expect it – and it’s all the more rewarding when you’ve got there on your own two feet.

Walking holidays are a fantastic opportunity to venture off the beaten track and see a different side to the country you’re visiting. But with so many to choose from, where do you start? From world famous pilgrimages to secluded alpine mountain trails, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best walking holiday destinations in Europe, so you can start planning your next adventure.

Albania

With a rich heritage that can trace its influences back to the Macedonians, the Greeks and the Ottoman Turks, Albania is an often overlooked

corner of Europe that’s perfect for trekkers who want to escape the typical tourist trails. Boasting alpine mountain valleys, emerald-green lakes, rustic highland villages and snow-capped peaks, this is a land of pure, untouched beauty. Mountains make up 70% of Albania’s terrain, so it’s no surprise that they form the basis for most of the walking tours here. Book a tour within the Albanian Alps, the country’s star attraction, to discover towering waterfalls, meadows of wildflowers and charming mountain villages. Or venture into the south to soak up the coastal charms of the ‘Albanian Riviera’ – home to some of the best beaches in Europe.

Amalfi Coast, Italy

If you’re looking for drop-dead gorgeous scenery, a combination of sun, sea and sand, and a seemingly endless number of walking trails to choose from, Italy’s Amalfi Coast is the answer to all your prayers. Covering a stretch of coastline from Punta Campanella to Salerno, taking in the hilltop towns of Positano, Amalfi and Ravello, the trails here are truly out of this world. Carved out by Greek settlers as early as the eighth century BC, the mythical Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods) is perhaps the coastline’s most famous. You’ll truly feel as though you’re walking in the heavens as you explore this skyhigh coastal path, drinking in the far-reaching ocean views. Stretching for five miles from start to finish, the walk culminates in a breathtaking 1,500-step staircase that leads to the village of Arienzo.

Camino de Santiago, Spain

Culminating in a visit to the spectacular Santiago Cathedral, this 155km pilgrimage in northern Spain is a unique journey of holy significance that dates back over 1,000 years.

Travelling through undulating countryside, rural farmland and medieval villages, what makes the Camino de Santiago so popular is its variety. There are at least seven verified routes, running through multiple different countries, but the beauty is that you can walk as much or as little as you like. Spend weeks walking from Le Puy to Santiago, one month walking from St Jean Pied de Port, or just a few days trekking the final stretch. If you commit to walking the last 100km, you’ll even receive your very own Compostela pilgrim certificate.

Madeira, Portugal

Hiking Madeira’s levadas is an experience not to be missed, with thousands of people lacing up their hiking boots here each year. These irrigation canals were built to bring water from the northern slopes to the south side of the island. Although still in use, they now have another purpose, giving hikers a way to explore the island’s secret interior and dramatic landscapes.

With more than 2,000km to explore at heights reaching 1,861m, this Portuguese island has trails to suit all experience levels. Whichever you choose, you can expect spectacular scenery at every turn. If you’re up for a challenge, why not take on the island’s highest peak, Pico Ruivo?

La Gomera, Canary Islands

The Canary Island that time forgot, La Gomera is a hiker’s paradise. This volcanic land is shaped by cloud forests, steep-sided valleys and ancient hiking paths

Albania

Camino de Santiago

– the most famous of which wind their way through the UNESCO-listed Garajonay National Park. Ascend to the summit of Garajonay, the highest point on the island, or follow the island’s network of stunning footpaths and historic mule trails. Around 25% of the flora and fauna found here are endemic to the island, but what makes La Gomera all the more fascinating is its very own whistling language, ‘el silbo gomero’, which dates back over 500 years.

By Solange Hando

Amalfi Coast

Please mention The Villager and Town Life when responding to adverts

Please mention The Villager and Town Life when responding to adverts

Money Saving

How to save money on your mobile

Stick with your existing phone

If you’re coming to the end of a mobile phone contract, don’t keep it going: you can almost certainly save money by switching to a monthto-month SIM-only plan, and you can still keep your existing phone number even if you’re moving to a different network.

Don’t buy more than you need

A deal with 150GB of mobile data every month sounds brilliant, but do you need it? Even if you use mobile data every day of the week you’ll rarely exceed 10GB in a month. You should be able to check how much data you’ve been using in your current provider’s website or app.

Buy a new phone separately

Need a new phone too? Buy it outright and then go shopping for a suitable mobile phone plan to use it with. It does mean having to pay the price of the phone up front, but you’ll be able to get a much better deal by taking out a SIM-only contract.

Please mention The Villager and Town Life when responding to adverts

By Jamie Maxfield

Win While You Save

Do you own any Premium Bonds? More than 21 million of us own at least one, and their history dates back to the 19th century.

By 1861 the British Empire was wealthy but ordinary citizens were not. They had little opportunity to save. A Huddersfield banker called Charles Sikes wanted to change this. He proposed a scheme to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, William Gladstone. Gladstone approved and decided there should be a savings bank within, “...an hour’s walk of every working man’s fireside.”.

The Post Office Savings Bank was established to provide cheap funding to the Government, and the Ordinary Savings Account was born. Because the funds were secured by the Government people felt it was a safe way to invest so the project was a success with 2500 branches opening within two years.

During the First World War, the Government needed to borrow more money, so in 1916 it launched War Savings Certificates in 1916 and followed those with National War Bonds in 1917. These raised £433m (around £24 billion based on today’s values).

During the Second World War there was a similar National Savings campaign and deposits rose from £509m to £1,982m between 1939 and 1946.

After the war the Government wanted to encourage people to save again and on November 1st 1956, Premium Savings Bonds went on sale. These didn’t earn interest, instead each £1 bond received a unique number and had an equal chance to win a prize in a monthly draw. £5 million worth of bonds were sold on the first day (about £121 million today).

So that each £1 bond had an equal chance of winning a prize, the draw needed to be truly random. Because of the complexity of the task, the Government used the team behind the Second World War code breaker, Colossus, to build a piece of Electronic

Random Number Indicator Equipment, dubbed ERNIE. This machine generated bond numbers based on the signal noise created by gas neon diodes. The original ERNIE was the size of a van and took 10 days to complete a draw. Over the past several decades ERNIE has been through several iterations the current machine is ERNIE 5, which was introduced in 2019. ERNIE 5 is powered by quantum technology which uses light rather than thermal noise to generate random numbers and takes just 12 minutes to complete a draw.

Back in 1956 you had to own a bond for six months to be entered into the draw, now it’s one full calendar month. Initially you could only invest £500 maximum, and the biggest prize was £1000. In a time when the average weekly pay was £10 per week, and average house prices were just under £2000, it must have seemed like a huge sum.

Today, you can hold up to £50,000 worth of Premium Bonds, and the maximum prize is £1 million with two chances to win the jackpot each month. There are also many smaller prizes down to a modest £25. 82 billion bonds go into the draw each month so the odds of any individual bond winning a prize (no matter how small) is 24500 to 1. More than £350 000 of bonds from 1956 are still active today and eligible for entry into the monthly draw.

Believe it or not, even in the present economic climate there are currently over 1.6 million prizes worth more than £63 million which have not been claimed. Perhaps now might be a good time to check to see whether you have any old Premium Bonds in your name, which have been forgotten about. You might get lucky!

NOTE: Before making any financial decisions you are advised to consult a professional. financial adviser.

I Want a Divorce

Christmas is often a time when problems already present within a marriage come to a head. January is often when people decide they want to make a break. Divorce is a scary word, but if approached correctly the outcome can be positive for both parties.

What do you want from your settlement?

Think about your children, the house, and any shared finances. Try to remove emotion from the equation and be clear and realistic. Courts are not interested in why a relationship broke down and will try to be fair to both parties regardless. The fact your partner cheated will not mean that you get more money. It’s good to talk.

A divorce will be quicker, cheaper and less destructive if both parties co-operate and behave with maturity. Even if you can’t agree everything, try to remain civil because if you fall out and the divorce become acrimonious and prolonged, savings and any equity in your house will get eaten up very quickly.

Discuss things like who will petition who for the divorce and what grounds they will cite e.g. infidelity, unreasonable behaviour, or separation. Having a

Mediation is not marriage counselling. It is there to help both parties agree on the key issues such as childcare arrangements, what happens to the house, what happens to savings, pensions and investments. If you can agree on these matters than all the lawyers really have to do is draw up the agreements. In this way and the need for an expensive court hearing is avoided.

Mediation works best if both parties commit to find a solution that works best for everyone. It is not always free, but it is much less expensive than legal fees.

clear, uncontested plan will keep costs down. Consider mediation

Caroline Knight: Gardendesignideas.co.uk

Longer days are coming

Beautiful bloomers and bark

The shortest day has passed, so don’t assume that everything in the soil is dormant. Winters are generally warmer than they used to be and you will find glorious snowdrops, winter aconites, crocuses, tiny irises and even early narcissi. These are plants with short stems, protecting their flowers from chilling winds. Look above the ground level and you’ll be delighted to find winter honeysuckle, Viburnum bodnantense and witch hazel with its spidery flowers, all blooming in January. Don’t miss the chance to indulge in a heavenly intake of sweet fragrance.

It’s also the very best time of year to appreciate tree bark. You need look no further than the popular cherry family to find one of the best displays imaginable. Prunus serrula, or the ‘birch-barked cherry’, looks as if it is on fire during winter when its horizontally striped, mahogany-red bark shines like a beacon. Notice, also, beautiful members of the silver birch family with stunning white stems. Betula utilis var. jacquemontii and various cultivars provide ghostly, atmospheric charm. Some people actually wash the bark in order to obtain the best display. Not only are birch trees the source for traditional witches’ brooms, but bark oil can be used to treat skin conditions.

Acer griseum, the paperbark maple, is also showing its true splendour this month. The cinnamoncoloured bark peels, or exfoliates, as it grows. The thin, papery layers shed to reveal smooth, orange bark underneath. This winter interest is highlighted

at a time of year when there is little undergrowth competing for attention.

Protect tender plants

We all know that January weather can bring snow, heavy frosts, rain, strong winds and very low temperatures. Tender garden specimens will therefore benefit from protection. It’s often the chilling winds that do the most damage. If you wrap horticultural fleece around their shivering forms, it will help to prevent serious damage. Shake off snow from limbs of shrubs and trees in order to release the heavy burden. You will notice the shape begins to splay as the boughs bend, and this is the moment to act.

There are few plants than can tolerate vigorous pruning at this point in the year, so leave the matted hydrangeas and fuchsias but turn instead to the tough climbing roses, wisteria and definitely the grape or ornamental vine such as Vitis coignetiae. All new vine growth can be cut back to within two buds of the main woody framework from which it sprouted. You can be pretty ruthless – it will be sprouting again as soon as the sap starts rising.

Longer days

Rumour has it that January 12th is the magical date when the day length becomes noticeably longer and outdoor plants soon recognise the subtle change. Nature’s force is truly remarkable and it seems that however cold above the soil, there are always things happening beneath. Most plants are poised ready for action, their buds just awaiting a silent signal before a new dawn.

Gardening GreenFingers

The Alan Titchmarsh column

He’s a brilliant presenter, accomplished gardener, talented novelist, and all-round horticultural inspiration. This month, Alan Titchmarsh discusses his move to incorporate horticulture into the National Curriculum, and a sidestep into novels. I’ve written three autobiographies and people have expressed surprise that I do sometimes, even now, lack confidence in my work. I always wonder if it stems from my childhood and my parents who were very much realists. I wouldn’t swap them for the world, but in their very blunt Yorkshire way they would say ‘he’s not that bright,’ and I wasn’t then. I suppose it has been a bit of a curse and given my success I probably should have more confidence, but then again it has made me who I am. When you’re not that good when you’re young, there is the fear that you won’t get better, and it came as a kind of revelation when I did.

Even in the 11 novels I’ve penned, I’ve never had faith in my prose; in secondary school I remember doing ‘when composition becomes essays’. I don’t think my English teacher was particularly convinced about my capabilities; I’ve still got my essay book and it’s got some very harsh comments at the bottom in red ink. Yet my English teacher, bless her, I was in touch with her a few years ago and she said she felt she hadn’t

been a particularly good teacher, and I wrote back saying ‘well whatever it is you did, I’ve ended up doing the job I do now, writing pretty much for a living, so you can’t have got it all wrong’. I thought it was terribly generously spirited of her to admit that she was wrong. I think my point here is that I was no more a gardener at school than I was a novelist, and I became both; but I did that through exposure and opportunity, and this is what we need to give our children.

And in my mind, there is no greater exposure to the world than you will find in the garden on a frosty Sunday morning, so get your kids and grandkids out there, and let’s really inspire the next generation! Nurturing a garden can give you a real sense of achievement, and connection to the earth; I always say it is an escape to reality, or a different reality… and for our young people, that’s where real inspiration can emerge.

Winter Scent

By Rachael Leverton

I love a garden planted for winter. There are so many plants with wonderful shape and interesting evergreen foliage. But the thing that draws me out into any garden is scent, and fragrance is particularly uplifting in the depths of winter.

Getting outdoors into natural daylight, even on a cold, dank day is a mood booster. If you need an excuse to don woolly hat and gloves then what better than winter-flowering shrubs. Even better if you can cut a few sprigs to take back indoors.

Chimonanthus praecox, known as Wintersweet is the type of shrub that looks rather unexciting in spring and summer, but in winter once established (which may take a couple of years) the bare branches erupt with lovely waxy yellow flowers which have an intense sweet and spicy scent.#

For a little spot near the front or back door, think about Daphne bholua, a shade-loving, tiny, evergreen shrub which produces delicate pink or white blooms that look like they are made from fondant icing. They have a rich floral, old-fashioned scent.

If space is limited you also try Sarcococca hookeriana. This is also a shade-lover and produced a very powerful jasmine-like scent which carries well on the breeze.

If you have more space and would like something

more robust then plant Viburnum x bodnantense. It produces pom-poms of flowers in pastel pink or white which smell of warm vanilla and lilac. It also has an extremely long flowering season, starting in mid-autumn and going right through until early spring.

All of the above flowers can be cut, and will last for several days in a vase in the house. But January is also the perfect time to enjoy gardening indoors. My teenage son collects cacti and was gifted a striking, ornamental cactus with funky foliage a couple of years ago, called Epiphyllum anguliger. The wavyedge leaves which oscillate along the stem give rise to its more common name, the Fishbone Cactus. As well as looking handsome all year round it has the delightful bonus of producing large creamy white flowers in winter which emit a wonderful scent in the evening, just one bloom can fill a room with a sweet fragrance.

You don’t have to be deprived of scent in the winter months. Make a New Year’s resolution to bring some fragrance into your garden, and your home.

Happy Gardening

Pets

RSPCA Bedforshire North Branch

Ways to support local pets in need

As we enter a new year, especially one of uncertainty as we are facing, as a Branch we want to help where we can during the cost of living crisis. In January last year we started a veterinary help scheme where we would support pet owners facing financial difficulty by paying towards emergency and unexpected vet bills.

Throughout the year requests for help of this nature increased significantly, especially as the cost of living was becoming more of an issue, with September alone accounting for over a third of our annual contributions. In 2023 with the country’s economic state potentially set to worsen, we want to ensure we are still able to offer this lifeline to people who need it most.

Contributing to urgent vet bills alleviates animal suffering, ensuring pets receive urgent treatment they need; keeps much loved pets in family homes; and in turn prevents ever increasing pet neglect and abandonment.

We are a small Branch covering the area of North Bedfordshire who work under the umbrella of the National RSPCA, therefore are run by a small team and almost entirely self funded, so we largely rely on our supporters to continue schemes such as this.

There are many ways to donate to our Branch, the easiest is to donate to our charity shop. The majority of our funding comes from our charity shop located in Bedford Bus Station and although we are very lucky with our donations, we are always in need of more donated goods. The shop accepts anything from unwanted clothes, shoes, handbags, books DVDs, CDs and toys to household goods,

bric-a-brac and even electricals. With Christmas now over and one with, if you have any unwanted gifts or having a new year’s clear out – the shop would be extremely grateful for any donated goods. If you are unsure of anything or have any queries, please give the shop a call on 01234 930304. Another easy way to support our cause is by popping into Biggleswade ASDA throughout January, as we are part of their green token scheme. We will receive a sum of money for coming first second or third in green token votes, which is funding that will go straight towards our veterinary help scheme. We are also part of the same token scheme throughout the Bedford Tesco stores from January until March this year.

Our Branch is also an Amazon Smile charity. This means if Amazon shoppers change their settings to Amazon Smile, when they spend Amazon donates a small percentage to the charity of their choice. A very easy way to fundraise, and you can search for us by our name or charity number – RSPCA Bedfordshire North Branch / 202037. We are always so appreciative of any fundraising support we receive, as its means we can help more animals in our area, stopping any animal from suffering needlessly. For more information or any questions about fundraising, our veterinary help scheme or anything else, please email us info@rspcabedfordshirenorth.org.uk or phone 01234 266965.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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.

What's On WHAT’S ON IN JANUARY

2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 JANUARY

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 50 upwards. Meets every Monday night. Tel: Lorna 01438 233657 Web: www.branch-out.org.uk

3, 6,

10, 13, 17, 20, 24, 27 & 31

JANUARY Bridge Club. 1pm Howgills, South View, Letchworth £3. Tuesdays and Fridays. Play from 1pm but do come earlier. Beginners and improvers welcome – we play very friendly Rubber Bridge. Tel: Gill Cheaney 01462 686806 Email: bridgeclub@lalg.org.uk

3,

10, 17, 24 & 31 JANUARY

Craftea

10.30am-12pm Baldock Library A great way to meet new people, get craft advice, chat and relax. Web: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk

4 JANUARY

Pic-n-Mix Social Group 10.30am-12pm Letchworth Library Meets the first Wednesday of every month. Each session has a theme or activity. Drop in for a cuppa, a chat and make some new friends!

4 JANUARY

Aircraft Enthusiasts’ Group 1pm Shuttleworth

Members Remembers. Meets first Wednesday of every month. Entry to Shuttleworth £19.50 or email to book free entry ticket. Email: 99aegr@gmail.com Web: www.a-e-g.org.uk

4 JANUARY

North Herts Association of the National Trust 7.30pm Christchurch, Bedford Road, Hitchin

Non-members £3 on the door ‘More Lost Palaces’. Tel: Mrs Colette House 07831 111062 Email: colettehouse@gmail.com www.facebook.com/nhertsant/

4, 11, 18 & 25 JANUARY

Hinxworth Art Society 10am-12pm. Hinxworth Village Hall Drawing, painting, coffee and chat. No need to book. Occasional oneday courses and demonstrations. Email: 99aegr@gmail.com

4, 11, 18 & 25 JANUARY

Baby Rhyme Time

10.30am-11am Baldock Library Free - donations welcome Fun session of songs and rhymes to help your child learn language skills.

4, 11, 18 & 25 JANUARY

Storytime 10.30-11am Stevenage Library Free - donations welcome Interactive story sessions. Web: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk

5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26 & 30 JANUARY

Retired Persons Table Tennis Club Mondays 11am-1.30pm, Thursdays 1.30-4pm Memorial Hall, Stotfold The club plays both doubles and singles. Monthly subscription payable. Vacancies for new members (but not beginners). Email: terrygriffiths50@gmail.com

5, 12, 19 & 26 JANUARY

Hitchin Thursday Art Club 9.30am-12pm. St. John’s Community Centre, St. John’s Road, Hitchin We meet every Thursday for painting and drawing, etc. We are a friendly group who enjoy art and chatting. Tel: Mike 07977 347707

5, 12, 19 & 26 JANUARY

Storytime 2.15-2.45pm Baldock Library Free - donations welcome Interactive story sessions for preschool children.

5, 12, 19 & 26 JANUARY

Sapphire Social Singles Club 8pm The Orange Tree, Hitchin Meet every Thursday. A friendly social group for single people to meet and make new friendsgenerally 50+ age group. Tel/text: Ian 07900 890583 for info sapphiresocialsinglesclub.co.uk

6 JANUARY Beds Family History Society 7pm and 7.30pm on Zoom Drama Theatre, Mark Rutherford School, Bedford ‘Foster Hill Cemetery’ with Bob Ricketts. Web: www.bfhs.org.uk

6 JANUARY

Hitchin & Letchworth RSPB Local Group Meeting 7.30pm. The Settlement, 229 Nevells Road, Letchworth Members free, visitors £4 ‘Gough Island Eradication. What now?’ by Andrew Callender, RSPB Head of Global Policy.

6, 13, 20 & 27 JANUARY Storytime 10.30-11am Letchworth Library Free - donations welcome Interactive story sessions. Web: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk

6, 13, 20 & 27 JANUARY 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

6, 13, 20 & 27 JANUARY

Rainmakers International Folk Dance Group 8-10pm. ilbury Hall, Bedford Road, Letchworth New members welcome Tel: Mark 01462 454210 Web: rainmakers.org.uk

9 JANUARY

Icknield Quilters 7.45pm Meets second Monday of the month. Visitors welcome. icknieldquilters.weebly.com/

9, 16, 23 & 30 JANUARY

Monday Painting Group 9am-12pm Letchworth Corner Sports Club, Whitethorn Lane Meets every Monday. Each term we choose a selection of subjects to paint. Tel: Valerie Williams 01462 624439 Email: mondaypainting@lalg.org.uk

WHAT’S ON IN JANUARY

9, 16, 23 & 30 JANUARY

Stevenage Singers 7.30pm for 7.45pm The Music Centre, The Nobel School, Mobbsbury Way, Stevenage Stevenage Singers are ready to welcome new voices! Tel: Heather 01438 365769 Email: Info@stevenagesingers.org.uk Web: www.stevenagesingers.org.uk

9, 16, 23 & 30 JANUARY

Staplers Folk Dance Club 8-10pm St Johns Community Hall, St John’s Road, Hitchin

Members £3, guests £4 Meets Monday evenings. Dance a wide variety of styles. Everyone welcome. Web: www.staplers.org.uk

9, 16, 23 & 30 JANUARY

Stevenage Choral Society 7.45pm Stevenage Music Centre, Mobbsbury, Stevenage

Meets every Monday during term time. No audition necessary. Tel: 01438 365769 Email: info@stevenagechoral.org.uk Web: www.stevenagechoral.org.uk

11 JANUARY

Bedford Local Group of The Wildlife Trust

7.15pm for 7.30pm

Priory Methodist Church Hall, Newnham Avenue, Bedford

An illustrated talk ‘Wildlife Trust Communities Work in Bedfordshire’ by Ruth Sneath. Ample parking. All welcome. No charge but voluntary contributions appreciated. Tel: 01234 266057 wildlifebcn.org

11 JANUARY

Letchworth Music Concert 7.45pm

Howgills, 42 South View, Letchworth

Tickets £15, under 18/students £7.50 Emma Halnan on flute and Jaynne Baley on piano. Tickets available at the door.

15 JANUARY

Not Strictly Jazz 5-7pm

Tickets £20, 10-18 years £10 Fairfield House, Fairfield Road, Biggleswade

Live music performed by exceptional musicians. Tel: 01767 312176 Email: sarahwiggs@hotmail.co.uk

17 JANUARY

Greensands Writers’ Group 7-9pm Free event. Enjoy writing? Join Greensands Writers’ Group for a monthly Zoom meeting. Web: greensandswriters.wixsite. com/website for info

20 JANUARY

Concert by Coull Quartet 8pm. Benslow Music, Benslow Lane, Hitchin

Tickets £20, under 27s free Formed in 1974, the quartet has performed and broadcast extensively throughout the UK, and has made tours of Western Europe, the Americas, Australia, China, India and the Far East. https://benslowmusic.org

22 JANUARY

Hitchin & Letchworth RSPB Local Group coach trip to Fen Drayton and WWT Welney

Various pick-up times. Coach fare £25 per adult, entry fees may apply Morning at Fen Drayton looking for waders, wildfowl and passerines, afternoon at Welney to enjoy the swan spectacular.

Leader Jane Havercroft. Tel: Malcolm 01462 451320

22 JANUARY

Stevenage RSPB Local Group Trip to Rainham Marshes. Meet 10am All-day visit to Rainham Marshes. Meet in the carpark at grid ref 177/ TQ 551790 postcode RM19 1SZ. Leader Graham Beevor. Email: trevorstorey54@gmail.com

26 JANUARY

Stevenage RSPB Local Group Trip to Lemford Springs. Meet 9.30am Morning visit to this H&MWT site which never freezes, for Water Rail, Green Sandpiper and other winter visitors. Meet at reserve gates 166/TL 222123 postcode AL8 7TN. Leader Trevor Storey. Donations requested.

Email: trevorstorey54@gmail.com

27-29 JANUARY AND 3-4 FEBRUARY

The New Adventures of Robinson Crusoe. Meppershall Village Hall Adults £13, Child £8, family of 4 £36 HATS present their annual family panto. Evening and matinée performances. www.ticketsource.co.uk/hats-drama

28 JANUARY Dreamcatchers

10am-4pm Letchworth Library £2 per person

Explore the meaning of dreams and create your own dreamcatcher. Fun drop-in session for the whole family. Under 8s must be accompanied by an adult

UNTIL 16 APRIL

Changing Times: A Century of Modern British Art Exhibition The Higgins, Bedford Free entry

Visitors will find sculpture, paintings and works on paper by some of the best-known and well-loved names in British art.

Web: www.thehigginsbedford.org.uk

EVERY WEEKDAY

Clifton Walking Group

Meets on weekdays at 8.30am and in the afternoon for an hour. A friendly bunch of people of various ages and abilities. Monthly weekend walk of 6-8 miles. Group meets for coffee once a month.

Tel: Suzanne I’ons 07933 709006 Email: ionssuzanne@gmail.com

Winter Thrillers

Cold winter days call for tales of mystery, intrigue and maybe a murder or two…

The Bullet that Missed Richard Osman

The Thursday Murder Club is back. As usual, they’re investigating an unsolved murder. But this time, there’s no body, and the chief suspect is hidden behind a complex paper trail. As they get closer to finding out the truth, Elizabeth’s past comes back to haunt her. Can she commit her own murder to save a friend? Cosy crime at its best.

The Long Call Ann Cleeves

Detective Matthew Venn is estranged from his family and the community he grew up in. But now he’s back to investigate the murder of a man with an albatross tattoo. It’s not surprising that The Long Call got made into a TV series. It’s a slow burner, but well worth sticking with. And once you reach the end, there’s already a second book in the series to order.

The Family Game

Catherine Steadman

Harriet’s fiancé Edward is heir to a small fortune. And with wealth often comes power and entitlement, as Harriet soon discovers when she meets his family. They like to play games. Dangerous games. Games that end up with her lying on the floor bleeding from a head wound. But just how far will they go to protect their secrets?

The Happy Family Jackie Kabler

If psychological thrillers are your thing, The Happy Family deserves a place on your bookshelf. Beth’s mother, Alice, has reappeared after disappearing many years ago. Alice moves in with Beth and her family, but things soon start to go very wrong. It seems someone is out to destroy the new life Beth has made for herself. Fast-paced, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing.

The Favour

Nicci French

Jude grants a small favour to Liam – an old flame. But when Liam turns up dead, Jude finds herself drawn into the murder investigation and entangled in the life Liam had built for himself. As you’d expect from Nicci French, this is a characterdriven plot with plenty of twists to keep you on your toes.

The Thirteen Problems Agatha Christie

Find it hard to fit time in for reading? Try this collection of short stories by queen of crime writing Agatha Christie. A group of friends visit Miss Marple’s house where the conversation soon turns to unsolved crimes. Each guest shares one crime. Each believes they have the upper hand when it comes to solving the crime. But it’s unassuming Miss Marple who hits upon the truth. These stories might have been published 90 years ago, but they feel just as fresh and original today.

By Kate Duggan