VILLAGER The
Issue 140 - April 2018
and Town
Life
LOCAL NEWS • LOCAL PEOPLE • LOCAL SERVICES • LOCAL CHARITIES • LOCAL PRODUCTS
In this issue Win tickets to
Harpenden Blues Liberate your
Wardrobe
Win £25
in our Prize Crossword
Bringing Local Business to Local People
in Biggleswade, Sandy, Potton, Gamlingay and all surrounding villages 16,000 copies delivered to over 30 towns and villages every month To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122
ur Yo EE FRco1py
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Inside this issue... 10
Win Tickets to Classic Ibiza A Memorial to Post................................................................................. 4 Bless You! It’s Hayfever Time again......................................................... 8 Win Tickets to Classic Ibiza................................................................... 10 Win Tickets to Harpenden Blues Festival.............................................. 12 Declutter Your Life................................................................................ 15 Casanova: World’s First Museum & Experience..................................... 16 Through the Pinhole............................................................................ 18 Feeling Stressed Out? Take a Walk with a Llama................................... 23 Cruising Anyone?................................................................................. 25 Managing Your Stress........................................................................... 26 Best Foot Forward................................................................................ 30 Why Colour (& Style) Matters in the Workplace.................................... 32 Fight Fatigue and Pain......................................................................... 34 Liberate Your Wardrobe........................................................................ 37 Spring Clean Your Beauty Routine........................................................ 38 Belgrade.............................................................................................. 40 Is it Worthwhile Taking Out Private Health Insurance........................... 42 Show Clearance Cowboys the Door...................................................... 44 OwnBiz................................................................................................ 47 Plant a Butterfly Garden....................................................................... 48 Rural Ramblings................................................................................... 50
Greensand Country Announces Summer Festival................................. 53 R.A.T.S. Rehoming Appeal.................................................................... 55 Animal Queries..................................................................................... 56 Ask Alan - Potton Vets.......................................................................... 59 Children’s Page..................................................................................... 61 Meet the Teacher.................................................................................. 62 BMW X3: Truly Capable........................................................................ 64 On Your Bike......................................................................................... 66 Nick Coffer’s Weekend Recipe............................................................... 69 Don’t be an April Fool........................................................................... 71 How Eggstraordinary........................................................................... 73 What’s On............................................................................................. 74 Schoolreaders Launches Book Club Quiz Challenge.............................. 76 2018 A Centenary Celebration - The WI................................................ 79 Puzzle Page.......................................................................................... 80 A Day in the Life of Bedfordshire Archives Service................................ 83 Prize Crossword.................................................................................... 86 John Bunyan Boat Team Reveals 2018 Cruise Programme.................... 88 Book Review........................................................................................ 91
Plant a Butterfly Garden
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Get your business off to a flying start this year
Advertise with the Villager Magazine... prices start from just £37.50 +VAT per month Editorial - Catherine Rose, Louise Addison, Tracey Anderson, Trevor Langley, Kirstie Timmins, Alison Runham, Sarah Davey, Jennie Billings, Suzanne Roynon, Kate Duggan, Solange Hando, Kate McLelland, Rachael Leverton, Geoff Wharton, RSPCA, Willow Coby, James Baggott, Nick Coffer and Roberta Snow. Advertising Sales/Local Editorial Nigel Frost • Tel 01767 261122 • nigel@villagermag.com Photography: Elnur Amikishiyev and Darren Harbar Design and Artwork Design 9 • Tel 07762 969460 • www.design9marketing.co.uk
Publishers Villager Publications Ltd 24 Market Square, Potton, Bedfordshire SG19 2NP Tel: 01767 261122 nigel@villagermag.com www.villagermag.com
Disclaimer - All adverts and editorial are printed in good faith, however, Villager Publications Ltd can not take any responsibility for the content of the adverts, the services provided by the advertisers or any statements given in the editorial. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored without the express permission of the publisher.
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History
A Memorial By Catherine Rose
to Post
In the era of email and smartphones, many believe the art of letter writing is declining. So, what of the history of our postal system, once the only way people could communicate across long distances? During medieval times, letters were usually handwritten on velum and sealed with wax (there were no envelopes in those days), after which they were sent via messenger on horseback, or even by trained hawk or carrier pigeon. In 1507, Cardinal Wolsey decided to make post more official and appointed a Master of the Posts (later to become the Postmaster General). His job was to manage a postmaster in each major town who would keep a team of horses and post boys – often a hazardous task for these riders thanks to highway robbers. In 1635, the Royal Mail was founded and the first official post or ‘letter’ offices were set up. By 1660 letters were being inked to show the date they were mailed using a hand-held stamp, also known as a ‘Bishop stamp’ after its inventor, Henry Bishop. The cost of postage wasn’t rationalised, however. There was corruption and widely varying charges applied to different areas and routes, for example over bridges with tolls. As it was the recipient who had to pay, post was often refused on the grounds of cost, resulting in losses and an inefficient system. In 1837, polymath Sir Rowland Hill wrote a pamphlet – Post Office Reform, its Importance and Practicability – which outlined suggestions to revolutionise the postal system. At that time there was a postal charge for distance and an additional one for each sheet of paper sent which resulted in many people writing ‘between the lines’, i.e. turning the paper around 180 degrees and writing the second page in the spaces between the lines of the first. (There is a wonderful example of this in a letter on display at Jane Austen’s House Museum in Alton, Hampshire.) Hill made a case for abolishing the existing complicated and expensive postal tariffs. He
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The Old White Horse • 1 High Street • Biggleswade • SG18 0JE Tel: 01767 314344 www.lolineinteriors.co.uk e: dave@lolineinteriors.co.uk To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122
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suggested introducing a penny post across the board for standard letters of an ounce or less, paid for by the sender, with higher rates of postage for packets and parcels dependent on weight. This idea proved popular with the public and together with the Postmaster General Lord Lichfield, they came up with the idea of using a small label “covered at the back with a glutinous wash” that could be stuck to an envelope to show that the sender had paid the required postage. Named after the original hand stamp method used for postmarking, the postage stamp was born. However, it was perhaps not as novel as it is claimed for similar pieces of paper, attached to documents using lead staples, had already been in use to denote paid taxes for several hundred years. It was decided to place the postage stamp in the top right-hand corner of the envelope to speed up postmarking (also known as cancellation), because postal workers would be using their right hand. In 1839, Hill ran a competition to design the first postage stamp with a prize of £200. There were nearly 3,000 entries. In the end, it was R. A. William Wyon’s depiction of a young Queen Victoria’s profile that was chosen, based on a bust he had modelled of her when she was just fifteen and which was subsequently used for a commemorative medal on her first visit to London as Queen. Another artist, Henry Corbould, drew the head and embellished the background. The whole design was then line engraved for printing. The Penny Black was officially launched in May 1840, followed two days later by the Tuppeny Blue. More than 70 million letters were sent annually over the next two years, a figure that had more
than quadrupled by 1850. Along with the demand for post came the production of folded envelopes. The initial stamps were printed onto sheets of paper and then manually cut using scissors. Perforated sheets to facilitate tearing were introduced in 1854 after Henry Archer invented a perforating machine. The Penny Red was the first to appear with the characteristic edge we now associate with stamps. Other countries soon followed suit with their own postage, but the UK remained the only country that did not geographically identify itself on its stamps, the reigning monarch’s head being deemed sufficient. The explosion in letter sending necessitated another invention – the post box. Surprisingly, it was the Victorian novelist Anthony Trollope who introduced the iconic pillar box in 1853. Initially, it was designed in green to blend with the surroundings, but it soon became clear that people needed to be able to spot it and green was replaced with the now familiar and famous ‘pillar box red’. Postcodes were phased in between 1959 and 1974 to help with the sorting and delivery of letters. It is interesting to note that when looking back prior to Hill’s founding of our modern postal system, rural addresses often only consisted of a number and the name of the village – fine for a messenger on horseback searching through a handful of houses. Today, we can sit at our laptops and send a message in the blink of an eye. And with companies increasingly going ‘paperless’, who knows what the future will be for our postal system?
By Catherine Rose
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Time of Year
By Louise Addison
Bless You!
It’s Hayfever time again Hayfever is on the increase, says the British Allergy Foundation. The most likely explanation for this is that summer is starting earlier and pollution is rising. Pollution traps pollen in the atmosphere and holds it there. As a result we’re all being exposed to many more allergens, particularly those of us who live in towns in cities. No wonder we’re all sneezing. The body’s immune system is a wonderful creation. It responds to nasty substances such as viruses and bacteria by generating special antibodies which help to neutralise them. These helpful antibodies are actually large protein molecules of a category known as IGG. Unfortunately, there is another set of antibodies from a category known as IGE. These are less helpful because they tend to over react to allergens, which are harmless materials such as grass pollen. The problem lies with our mast cells. These are cells choc full of histamine and other substances capable of producing inflammation. The IGE molecules cling to the mast cells and when an allergen enters the body it sticks to the IGEcoated mast cells and triggers them to explode, whereupon they release all their histamine and cause an inflammatory response. Some of us have high levels of IGE in our bodies and some of us don’t. Those with high IGE levels
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are more susceptible to allergies. In the case of hayfever it triggers runny noses and itchy eyes, but it can also trigger asthma if the response occurs in the airways and eczema if it occurs in the skin. Susceptibility does have a genetic basis. However, scientists also know that the immune system develops very early so early exposure to an allergen may affect the development and number of immune cells present, so later in life an allergic response to a particular allergen is more likely. We can’t yet reduce the number of IGE cells in a body but a few years ago scientists discovered that IGG and IGE molecules have different structures and bind differently to mast cells. Thus new medications are now being developed with the ability to disable the IGE and stop it binding to mast cells in the first place. In the future we may be able to relieve the misery of hayfever altogether. Wouldn’t that be lovely? Current Treatments Anti-histamine tablets Impede the body’s immune response so preventing symptoms. Nasal Sprays Work directly on the affected area and leave the rest of the immune system alone. Injections Offer long term protection but are only used in severe cases because of their ongoing nature. REMEMBER - Do not wait until symptoms start. Ideally begin to take medication 3-4 weeks before the start of the hayfever season.
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In association with
Win 2 tickets to Classic Ibiza
with Ministry of Sound at Hatfield House Classic Ibiza with Ministry of Sound is returning to Hertfordshire on 1 September. The concert sees the Urban Soul Orchestra (USO), DJ Goldierocks and a host of live vocalists perform some of dance music’s most iconic tracks in the delightful grounds of Hatfield House. Here’s what to expect: 1. Dance music A-listers: USO have performed with a veritable who’s-who of dance music, including Nightmares On Wax, Groove Armada and Robert Miles. 2. Superstar DJ: Goldierocks has performed exclusively for Kate Moss, Madonna, The Rolling Stones, Giorgio Armani and the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge. 3. Get set to select: The set-list includes some of the biggest dance-tracks dating back to the 90s. At Easter you can vote for your favourite track to be added to the set on Classic Ibiza’s Facebook page (@ClassicIbiza). 4. Family friendly: Classic Ibiza is a concert for all
the family, so whether you’re six or 60 you are assured of having a fantastic evening. 5. Food for thought: You can bring your own picnic and refreshments or take advantage of the local street-food vendors and bars on site. 6. A night of two halves: Classic Ibiza starts with a chill-out set, where you can relax over a glass of bubbly, or dance along as the sun fades. The music gets ramped up in the second half and you’ll be transported to a magical, alfresco celebration, with accompanying lasers.
Visit: www.classicibiza.co.uk or call 01630 674342. Tickets: Adults: £39.50, Children (5 –16): £17.50, Under 5’s: free, Car-parking: free. Simply send or email your entry by 16th April 2018 to: Classic Ibiza Competition, Villager Publications Ltd, 24 Market Square, Potton, Beds SG19 2NP. Email: nigel@villagermag.com The winner will be drawn randomly.
CLASSIC IBIZA TICKET COMPETITION ENTRY
To win 2 free tickets to Classic Ibiza answer the question below and email or post your response by 16th April 2018. Classic Ibiza sees the Urban Soul Orchestra, DJ Goldierocks and a host of live vocalists perform which kind of music? A: France music B: Prance music C: Dance music Name: Address: Tel: Email: 10
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Win 2 tickets to
Harpenden Blues, Rhythm & Rock Festival “Bringing great sounds to Hertfordshire” Showcasing the quality of live music in the UK; with The Pretty Things headlining and five other very different but striking bands in the line-up, this will undoubtedly be another a great festival and an occasion not to miss! No need to worry about searching for food and drinks on the day either, there will be a range of alcoholic/nonalcoholic beverages, real ales available and a varied menu that should meet everyone’s taste! Through their entire career, The Pretty Things have written, performed, and created informed, intelligent, groundbreaking, and original music, enabled by powerful, melodic writing that has kept this incredible band alive for nearly half a century. Sadly, this iconic British band is calling it a day this year and after an incredible career spanning 55 years, they intend to go out with a bang exactly the same way they came in! So don’t miss this opportunity to experience The Pretty Things live one last time and get your tickets now at only £25, by calling 01472 349 222 or online at www.solidentertainments.com/blues/harpenden/ tickets.html. Harpenden Public Halls, Southdown Road, Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 1PD
HARPENDEN BLUES FESTIVAL COMPETITION ENTRY To win 2 free tickets to The Harpenden Blues Festival simply answer the question below and send your entry by 16th April 2018 to the address above. Name The Pretty Things first three singles that appeared in the UK Singles Chart in 1964 and 1965?
Simply send or email your entry by 16th April 2018 to: Harpenden Blues Competition, Villager Publications Ltd, 24 Market Square, Potton, Beds SG19 2NP. The winner will be drawn randomly from the correct entries.
Name: Tel: Address: 12
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For more information or for your free quotation simply call us or complete the form on our website. www.nulookroof.co.uk
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Time of Year
Declutter Your Life It’s that time of year when we get the urge to Spring Clean If you can’t lay your hands on items you need because they’re buried under piles of junk; if you’re constantly moving items from one pile to a new ‘temporary’ pile; if you find yourself thinking, “I can’t throw this away, it might come in useful one day,” you’re probably a clutter-victim. Californian blogger Dave Bruno wrote The 100 Thing Challenge. He set himself a year-long experimental task of reducing his belongings to 100 items. Although it started as a challenge he actually chose to keep living by his new rules afterwards, saying he prefers the simplicity. It would be tough for most of us to emulate Bruno exactly, but he has a point. Most of us probably put far too much time, effort and money into acquiring, keeping and storing possessions, and sometimes it’s good to let go. If you’re ready to de-clutter, then we have a few simple tips. If you feel you need help, there are experts in de-cluttering who will guide you through the process of letting go. De-cluttering Tips Deal with one room at a time the task will seem less daunting. Stick with that room until it’s finished. Choose a nice day - Take the room contents outside. Psychologically it’s easier to sort and let go if you’re one step removed. It’s also less likely that the clutter will make it back inside.
Sort everything into three piles - Label them dump, donate and keep. Be realistic: if the item in question hasn’t been used for over a year it is unlikely you will ever use it. Deal with the dump and donate piles - Do this before anything comes back into the house. It’s much harder to mess up your good work if the stuff is physically gone. Sort and label - Place the remaining items in clearly labelled boxes. Make sure there is one temporary box to house items which really belong in another room. As each room is sorted those items can be replaced, and other misplaced items can be housed there while the de-cluttering process continues. Replace everything that remains - The maxim ‘A place for everything and everything in its place’ is a good one. Keep small items in clear plastic boxes and store them in cupboards or wardrobes. When you’re done instigate a ‘one thing in: one thing out’ rule. It will make you think twice about acquiring something if you know something else must go. Finally, once a week, take two bags and go through your home. One bag is for rubbish, the other for items in the wrong place. When you’ve finished throw the rubbish away and replace the misplaced items. Follow these small steps and you too can declutter your life.
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By Tracey Anderson
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Food and Drink
Casanova: World’s First Museum & Experience Italy is known for producing numerous products of high-quality. Italian designer fashions and cars are very much recognised and sought-after, globally. Many visitors return regularly to Italy, for the enjoyment of beautiful landscapes and coastal areas, plus explorations of Italy’s history and cultural heritage. There are many more attractions and qualities the country has to offer, including very impressive glassware, porcelain, lace and furniture, plus wonderful cuisine and wines, for example. Giacomo Casanova lived during the 18th century. Born 2nd April 1725, in Venice, he lived for 73 years. During his life, the legendary Giacomo Casanova was an adventurer, poet, musician, writer and spy, amongst his many attributes, as well as being renowned for his encounters with females. Entering the University of Padua, at twelve years of age, Casanova graduated at age seventeen with a degree in law and constantly searched to satisfy his desires for love and lust. During the early part of the 21st century Carlo Parodi envisaged the creation of a Museum & Experience, to offer everyone the opportunity to learn and discover about the life of Giacomo Casanova. Carlo Parodi, founder of Giacomo Casanova Limited and the Giacomo Casanova Foundation works tirelessly, along with professionals, that include university professors, plus many other knowledgeable and skilled personnel and has created the Museum & Experience, for all to enjoy. The first Giacomo Casanova Museum is located in Venice. As well as the very interesting memorabilia, which includes paintings and artefacts from Casanova’s life and times, modern technology and multimedia inclusions allow visitors, of all ages, to engage in - and discover – the world of this charismatic man. The romances of Giacomo Casanova, plus the styles and ways of life, of that era, hold much interest and fascination, evoking and satisfying curiosity and intrigue. From Mr Carlo Parodi: “I’ve decided to offer a tribute to Casanova, a man of love, poetry, music and adventure, giving evidence of the educated, cultivated, learned and refined gentleman - Giacomo Casanova.” Other Giacomo Casanova Museum & Experience venues, permanent and temporary, are planned to be located in several cities, including Prague, Saint Petersburg, London, Paris, New York, Tokyo and Beijing. Standard and VIP tickets are available, plus many very memorable additional features, including Romantic Days (and Nights) Packages – Perhaps surprise someone special? For all information and more details, https://igg.me/at/casanovaexperience/x Facebook, Instagram and YouTube: @giacomocasanovafoundation
As always, Enjoy!
ey Trevor Langl
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Authentic Italian Pizza Traditional Pasta Dishes Home-Made Desserts Our dough is made in house daily and proved for 48 hours to obtain a crispy, highly-digestible pizza.
Book a table 01767 683259
pecoro.co.uk Facebook: PECORO 12A Market Square, Sandy
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Time of Year
Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day (WPPD) takes place on Sunday 29th April.
Through the Pinhole! With the advent of the smart phone we have happily turned into a nation of photographers, capturing images wherever and whenever we please. We add filters and create digital art so easily that we’ve almost forgotten a world where this wasn’t possible…where photography was more of a dark art. Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day aims to get us back in touch with that magic. Pinhole photography is photography without a lens. We know that people have been making images using pinholes since the 5th century AD because references to the process have been found in ancient Chinese texts. They knew that objects reflect light in straight lines and that rays from the top of an object, travelling through a pinhole, will appear in the lower half of an image... in other words the image will be upside down. Greek philosophers and Arabian physicists studied the phenomenon. It was used in astronomy to study the movement of planets and solar eclipses while artists used it to help them paint landscapes. Sir David Brewster, a Scottish scientist, was one of the first to make pinhole photographs in the 1850s. Photographs taken with a lens can be rendered very sharp: by contrast pinhole photos are soft. Some photographers liked them because they felt the images were atmospheric, not unlike
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By Louise Addison
the paintings of the Impressionists from the same era. Nowadays the pinhole camera is still popular. It is another tool at a photographer’s disposal. Like any tool it has advantages and limitations. One big advantage is that a pinhole camera is very easy to make. It’s basically a light box, with a tiny hole in one end and film or photographic paper in the other. Designing and building your own camera is great fun and taking pictures with it is a very satisfying and pleasurable experience. There are helpful videos on You Tube and even readymade pinhole camera kits. Pinhole cameras can - and have been - made from almost anything: drinks cans, cereal boxes, biscuit tins, shells and even an old refrigerator. A cardboard kit is probably the best material for a beginner, but the only limit is your imagination. Photographic paper and developing fluids can be purchased very cheaply from camera shops and some good art retailers. Check out the link here to the Worldwide Pinhole Camera Website, where you can find instructions to build your own pinhole camera. You could even upload your efforts to the WPPD web gallery. Have fun. www.pinholeday.org (the WPPD website)
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Market Square, Potton, SG19 2NP
C
01767 260221 www.coachhousepotton.co.uk
EASTER WEEKEND
M
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CM
MY
FRIDAY 30TH
SATURDAY 31ST
SUNDAY 1ST
MONDAY 2ND
BRUNCH 9-11am
BRUNCH 9-11am
LONG LUNCH 12-4.30pm
BIG BREAKFAST 9-11.3am ALL DAY FOOD 12-7pm
CY
CMY
K
You can see all our Easter menus online
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A great place to do business The Eco Hub in Gamlingay is a modern, sustainable community building ideal for meetings, conferences and training days. Our Kier Suite is a light and airy self contained business space with easy disabled access and free parking.
Day rate of £28 per person inc. lunch
• Fast, free wi-fi • Breakout space for training activities • Capacity for 2 – 50 delegates • Support staff on site • Easy access to A1/A14/Cambridge/Bedford • Full IT & AV facilities • Fresh buffet lunches available We offer a professional service with a friendly atmosphere.
manager@gamlingayecohub.org.uk | 01767 651226 Stocks Lane, Gamlingay, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 3JR
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Quirky Britain
Feeling stressed out?
Take a walk with a llama
According to the advertisement strapline for one of the many llama trekking trips available in the UK today: “You feel calmer when you walk with a llama”. Llamas originally came from South America, where local people have used them as pack animals for hundreds of years. Their specially adapted feet padded, like a dog’s - together with their friendly natures made them the perfect companion for long treks across the mountainous Andes region. What happens on a llama trek? Although llamas are able to pull carts and carry up to 25% of their body weight, they are not suitable for riding, so your trekking experience will be limited to leading your llama on a halter as you walk along. At first glance this may not seem like much of an ‘experience’, but trekkers report that leading a llama is a surprisingly relaxing and calming experience. A UK llama trek can involve anything from a half-day trip (ending with a cream tea, of course) to a ramble lasting several days. Brenda Stevens, a member of the British Llama Society and owner of the trekking company UK Llamas, offers visitors the opportunity to halter and groom their llama before leading them into the country lanes and footpaths around the village of Mosterton in Dorset. Llamas are usually
well-behaved but have been known to pause on their route if they find a particularly tasty hedgerow plant. Brenda explains: “Our llamas enjoy nothing more than exploring the village and helping our neighbours by ‘trimming’ their bushes and trees along the way!” What makes llamas so special? Llamas will also stop in the middle of a trekking expedition if they sense the presence of wildlife, helping their human companions spot creatures they might otherwise fail to see on a countryside walk. With their sharp senses and strong protective instincts, they are often used on farms to guard lambs, ducks and chickens from attack by predators. Hardy and undemanding, they are also placed in paddocks to provide companionship for horses and ponies. Perhaps it is this ability to bond with other species that has singled llamas out as ideal travelling companions for humans. In spite of rumours that llamas can spit in spectacular fashion if angered, this rarely happens. In fact, many UK llama owners have become so confident of their animals’ good behaviour that they have started to involve them in animal therapy sessions. Parties and celebrations are another growth area for the ‘llama experience’. James and Suzanne Benson from Nidderdale Llamas even make their animals available for hen parties and weddings. For hen parties the llamas are equipped with pink ‘L’ plates on their tails, while participants can hire sashes to wear as they walk. At weddings, llamas can meet and greet guests and provide a focus for photographs. Suzanne says: “We can arrange for two llamas or one llama and one alpaca to accompany the bride and groom through the ceremony, walk down the aisle, even carry the rings!” Paying to lead an animal on a countryside ramble may seem like a slightly eccentric thing to do, but there’s little doubt that llama trekking is a magical and unforgettable experience for those who take part. To quote one happy customer who reviewed his trekking trip on the TripAdvisor website: “Quite simply one of the BEST days out we have had.”
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Travel
Cruising Anyone? Ready to book your first cruise? Choosing where to go is one of the first steps -- and sometimes trickier than it seems. Here are the top 3 destinations. 1. Caribbean Encompassing ports like San Juan and St. Maarten as well as the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, the Caribbean offers an array of award-winning beaches and friendly, colourful villages. great dining and If you cruise from Barbados, you can do a one week or two-week cruise stopping at an enchanting island every single day! 2. Alaska Revered for its otherworldly scenery, history and abundance of wildlife, Alaska makes it easy to choose your own level of adventure. Big ships provide a scenic sailing experience that typically include a visit to one of the most popular glaciers and tours such as floatplane rides and dog sledding. Small expedition ships visit smaller ports the big ships can’t get to. Whichever route you choose, rest assured you’ll get to see a glacier. And if you don’t see any whales, eagles or bears from the ship, there are plenty of opportunities to get up close and personal with wildlife on the excursions.
3. Mediterranean If you want to explore Europe for the first time and could use some hand-holding, a cruise is a great way to sample the region’s major tourist destinations. From Barcelona and Nice to Florence and Rome, the Mediterranean is full of visitor-friendly cities that offer a taste of the region’s iconic art, history and culture. Whether your heart is set on visiting the Vatican and the Colosseum or pleasing your palate at seaside cafes and local wineries, you’ll enjoy the ease of exploring either with a cruise line excursion or on you own. If you have any questions for our resident travel expert call Kirstie on 01767 654890 or email kirstie@timminstravels.co.uk
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Health
Alison Runham ww.alison.runham.co.uk
World
Managing Your Stress Most of us experience stress at some point, but persistent stress can affect our health and even cause serious illness. So, we need to know how to reduce stress and its effects on our minds and bodies. As the charity MIND points out, confusingly, we use the word stress to refer to two different but related things: • Situations or events that put pressure on us. • Your reaction to being under pressure. Stress can: • Affect your mental health. Stress can cause problems such as anxiety and depression, and exacerbate existing mental health issues, causing increased stress and a vicious circle that can be hard to break. • Affect your physical health. When you feel stressed, you may not sleep or eat properly, and your body releases excess cortisol and adrenaline. This can make you feel unwell and may eventually lead to serious conditions such as heart disease, asthma, stroke, diabetes and some cancers.
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What Causes Stress? • Major changes or events e.g. bereavement, moving home, relocation, a financial crisis, exams, redundancy, retirement, job change, moving away from home, marriage, relationship break-up, illness or injury, pregnancy or parenthood. Supposedly ‘happy’ events, such as the birth of a baby, can put extra pressure on us not to appear stressed. • Continual pressure, e.g. health worries about yourself or others, a stressful job or large workload, relationship difficulties, overwhelming responsibilities. • Feeling out of control and unable to change a situation. • Uncertainty about the future, e.g. the risk of redundancy or awaiting results of medical tests. • Living too quiet a life. This seems counterintuitive, but if your life lacks change, purpose or activity, this can be stressful too. • Clutter and disorganisation. Research shows that the sight of clutter can cause stress, as can
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disorganisation and always running late. Your stress threshold and the amount of stress you feel may depend on: • Your perception of the situation, which can be affected by your positivity (or lack of it) and your past experiences. • Your experience of dealing with this specific type of pressure. • Your mental health and emotional resilience. • The support we receive. The Symptoms of Stress Emotional and behavioural symptoms: • Avoiding the source of your stress. • Irritability/impatience. • Aggression. • Agitation/restlessness. • Racing thoughts. • Depression or anxiety. • An inability to enjoy yourself, laugh, or take an interest in life. • A sense of dread. • Worries about your health. • Feeling neglected, lonely or tearful. • Difficulty making decisions and concentrating. • Poor lifestyle choices: biting your nails, smoking or drinking, eating too much or too little. Physical symptoms: • Shallow breathing or hyperventilating. • Panic attacks. • Insomnia, disturbed sleep or nightmares. • Muscle tension. • Blurred eyesight or sore eyes. • Loss of libido and enjoyment in sex. • Grinding your teeth or clenching your jaw. • Headaches. • Chest pains. • High blood pressure. • Indigestion or heartburn. • Constipation or diarrhoea. • Nausea or dizziness. • Persistent tiredness. Reducing and Coping with Your Stress Changing your routine, reducing your responsibilities and using time-management techniques or organisational techniques can all help to reduce the stress in your lives. Time management tips can be found at www.nhs. uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/timemanagement-tips/ and www.mind.org.uk/ information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/ stress/dealing-with-pressure/, which also has useful strategies for dealing with specific pressures, such as being a student or carer. Trying to reduce or remove the causes of your
stress is important. But sometimes we can’t change the situations causing us stress. However, we can learn to react to them in a healthier way, and there are treatments and lifestyle changes that can help you cope with stress. Self-help strategies include: Complementary and alternative therapies Therapies such as yoga, meditation, aromatherapy, massage and acupuncture may help you relax. Ecotherapy, which involves spending time in nature, may also help. This can include physical exercise or work in green spaces. Lifestyle Changes A healthy diet, regular exercise and ensuring you get enough sleep will help. Spend time with family and friends and talk through your problems with them. Make time for hobbies and relaxation too. Downtime is essential to keep your mind and body healthy; it’s not a luxury. Changing Your Mind You can try to develop a more positive outlook. Try to note down three things every day that make you happy, grateful or relaxed. There is a useful NHS video on replacing negative thinking with positive. Breathing exercises You can find instructions at www.nhs.uk/ conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/waysrelieve-stress/. Stress-busting apps and courses Try Chill Panda apps.beta.nhs.uk/chill-panda/, Silver Cloud apps.beta.nhs.uk/silvercloud/ and the Stress & Anxiety Companion apps.beta. nhs.uk/stress-anxiety-companion/, all from the NHS. If these aren’t working for you, visit your GP, who can talk through your problems and recommend further treatments, including: Talking treatments • Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) helps you understand what your stress triggers are and how you react to them, showing you how to act and react more positively. • Mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) combines mindfulness, meditation and yoga to reduce stress. Medication Medication to help you manage or reduce symptoms, e.g. antidepressants, sleeping pills, irritable bowel syndrome treatments and high blood pressure medication. So, don’t ignore stress... Tackle it now.
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Time of Year
Best Foot Forward London Marathon 22nd April 2018 What do Paula Radcliffe, SpongeBob SquarePants and a man in a diving suit have in common? Answer: They’ve all run, or in the last case walked, the London Marathon. I was thirteen years old in 1981, when the first London Marathon took place. I remember being awestruck at the sheer number of people willing to put themselves through the agony of running twenty-six miles, for charity, for themselves or for their country. I cried when Norwegian Inge Simonsen and Dick Beardsley from the USA linked hands to finish in a dead heat. It is an amazing achievement to run a marathon but why do people do it? The reasons given include:
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• A get fit challenge • The buzz of taking part in a massive organised event • To raise money for a charity close to their heart. • To step out of their ordinary existence and chase a momentous goal. Will Dillard, a professional coach from Atlanta thinks it’s down to instinct. “Our lives have become more comfortable,” he says, “We don’t have to worry about where our next meal is coming from; but something inside of us still wants to know if we can survive if confronted with that kind of challenge: it wants to find out.” The fact that I seem to lack this instinct does not stop me admiring anyone who has a go, so if you’re running on April 22nd, I wish you luck: I am unworthy.
By Sarah Davey
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House of Colour
Why Colour (& Style) Matters in the Workplace
Could the colours and styles you wear help you achieve more in the workplace? Whether we like it or not, how we present ourselves in the workplace can alter how people see you and your company brand. A new boss should aim to exude authority but also be approachable; a manager presenting to a new client needs to look professional and memorable for the right reasons. Given we make up our minds about someone within the first few seconds of meeting them, it follows that our first impressions alone can alter future relationships between client and service provider, boss and employee, or colleagues. However, it’s also never too late to change! The truth is it is harder these days to get a job and progress in your career. We are needing to work harder and smarter, and part of that is by standing out in positive way and being noticed for all the right reasons. When we liaise, present, network and manage we need to look and feel good. Top Tips for Making The Right Impression At Work 1. Wear clothes that fit you. Very baggy shirts and oversized jackets may look slouchy and un-kempt. In the same way, tight fitting dresses, skirts and shirts could give your colleagues and clients the wrong impression. 2. Get to know your red. Red in the workplace is so powerful and can be worked with any seasonal palate. For example, if you are a Winter, opt for deep burgundy and blue based reds. If you are a Summer, try Cherry red variations. Autumns are best in fiery brick reds and Springs in bright and warm Geranium reds. Alternatively keep it subtle
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with just one item of red, like a bold red lip, or a scarf or tie for a man. 3. Pair bold shirts or blouses with neutral jackets or vice versa. Work clothes don’t have to be boring, but you don’t want to dazzle and distract with a rainbow of colours. One impact colour and two neutrals are a good rule of thumb. Add an extra colour with your blouse, belt, scarf, bag or shoes to make your outfit ‘pop’, it will make you more memorable to everyone you meet. 4. Quality speaks loudly, so pay attention to getting good quality shirts, blouses, jackets, accessories etc. for work, that extra investment will send the message that you are worth it! 5. Accessorise! A silk scarf will soften an otherwise harsh tailored suit, or layering necklaces could give an edge to your outfit dependent on your ideal style.
By Jennie Billings www.houseofcolour.co.uk/ jenniebillings jennie.billings@houseofcolour.co.uk
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Local News
Fight Fatigue & Pain – Free Event People who are experiencing exhaustion and chronic pain are invited to a free drop-in event on Saturday 28th April. Between 12pm and 2pm anyone is welcome to find out more about Fighting Fatigue & Pain, a project run by Letchworth charity Herts MS Therapy Centre. Extreme fatigue and chronic pain can result from many conditions, including Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and ME – and many others. The Herts MS Therapy Centre in Letchworth helps anyone with a long term condition, not just Multiple Sclerosis. It offers Physiotherapy, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, APS Pain Reduction Therapy and specialist exercise sessions to help people improve their quality of life. Oxygen Therapy helps some people recover faster after injury, surgery and cancer treatments. It’s also great for increasing energy. Some people find it reduces pain, especially people with Fibromyalgia and CFS.
On 28th April, free test sessions are available. Rachel B says: “Without my Oxygen Treatment in Letchworth I would still be in agony from Fibromyalgia and probably jobless and depressed. I can’t even begin to explain what a difference it has made for me.” Nicki H has MS. She adds: “Also, it’s great to meet other people who have an idea of what you’re going through. It’s nice to have a chat with other people at the Centre.” Mark Boscher, the Chief Executive of Herts MS Therapy Centre added: “If you, or someone you know, lives with long term pain or fatigue – from any condition - maybe we can help them to gain more energy and feel less pain. Please come on Saturday 28th April.” To book your free test session, call Claire on 01462 684214 or email openday@hmstc.net
Fighting Fatigue & Pain: Free Event Saturday 28th April 2018, 12pm – 2pm Visit to find out about:
• Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
(may accelerate healing, boost energy, reduce pain)
• APS Pain Reduction Therapy • Specialist physio and group exercise sessions (tailored to people with medical conditions)
Free test sessions available – book your place now!
Fighting Fatigue & Pain
We’re at Herts MS Therapy Centre, 30 Campus Five, Letchworth, SG6 2JF. Just turn up! For more details call Claire on 01462 684 214. This event is kindly sponsored by Coloplast. Discover continence and urology products for intimate healthcare needs.
www.hertsmstherapy.org.uk
Hertfordshire Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre is Charity 299524 and Company 2215165 Registered Office 30 Campus Five, Letchworth, Herts SG6 2JF
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By Suzanne Roynond
Life Coaching
Liberate your wardrobe Wardrobes can be scary places! They hide clothes you never wear, sale bargains which were unflattering when you got them home and clothes you kept in case you lost weight but in the meantime went out of fashion. These clothes clutter your space and energy. If your wardrobe is crammed then often the clothes you wear regularly end up thrown over a door or stacked on a chair. They get crumpled and spoiled. When you learn to manage clutter, taking care of your clothes and getting dressed in the morning will be significantly easier. So grab a coffee or glass of wine and head for the bedroom. Put all your clothes on the bed and survey them with a critical eye. Anything you adore and wear regularly goes straight back into your wardrobe provided it doesn’t need repairing. (Put it to one side and fix it!) ‘Occasion outfits’, evening dresses or tuxedos get to go back for another year provided you love them and they still fit. If you work on the principle that
you wear 20% of your clothes 80% of the time you now have a significant pile of clothes you don’t wear – perhaps they are the wrong size, remind you of sad times, missing buttons or are tatty. There will also be items you had forgotten you own. Anything you are never going to wear again goes straight into a recycling bag. For clothes you aren’t sure about, try each item on – how does it feel? If it’s unflattering, too large, too small, triggers unhappy thoughts or is damaged, ditch it straightaway. Note: It’s never a good idea to hang onto something in case you drop a dress size. If you lose weight you deserve to celebrate with new clothes. Don’t give these unworthy outfits a second more of your time – they have no place in your life. On the other hand, if you try on the item and it feels amazing, put it in the wardrobe and make a point of showing it off at the first opportunity.
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Follow the same principles with t-shirts, gym gear, underwear, socks, out of season clothes, handbags, make up, jewellery, scarves and coats. Anything baggy, saggy, discoloured, missing a mate, broken or moth-eaten won’t do your appearance or your self esteem any favours – say goodbye to it now. Oh, and that swimsuit – you know the one with the dodgy elastic? Out! Making space in your wardrobe is incredibly liberating. You make better use of the clothes you love to wear and save valuable time and effort every day. Most people choose to bag their clothes and take them straight to the charity shop. The sooner clutter of any kind is out of your house, the better you will feel. If however you have the time and inclination to Ebay your stuff or it’s suitable for a dress exchange then go for it and enjoy the new space you have created in your life. Suzanne Roynon is a personal performance life coach www.yoursuccess.coach
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Health & Beauty
Spring Clean Your Beauty Routine It’s not just homes that benefit from a good ol’ spring clean... Ditch old makeup and skincare products Most of us are guilty of holding onto favourite cosmetics way longer than we should do. While makeup doesn’t have a fixed use-by date as such, it does start to degrade once it’s been exposed to air and sunlight. If you check the packaging of any skincare or cosmetic product, you’ll find the PAO symbol. This shows the ‘period after opening’ that the product needs to be used within. In most cases, it’s six or 12 months. Products that come into direct contact with your skin, such as a lipstick, or a moisturiser that you scoop out of the jar with a finger, are particularly virulent breeding grounds for bacteria. So have a good sort through and ditch anything that’s been open longer than its PAO. It’s also worth having a bit of a declutter at the same time. Are you ever going to wear that lurid purple eyeshadow? If you want products that will last longer, check the PAO before you buy. In general, pump action lotions will last longer than those in jars, as the lotion comes into less contact with oxygen and light. Clean makeup brushes Makeup brushes and cases can get decidedly grubby, so it’s a good idea to give them a gentle clean on a regular basis. Most cosmetic bags can be washed by hand, using a mild detergent. Brushes can be cleaned with face wash, baby shampoo or a mild soap. Soap is probably the easiest. Just swirl the brush gently on wet soap to create lather, use your fingers to massage the bristles, then rinse thoroughly with warm water and leave it to dry. If your old brushes are past the point of revival, the Nellie Make Up Brush Set from Oliver Bonas is worth considering. For £38, you get five different types of brushes and a handy mirror, all housed in a stylish pink case.
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By Kate Duggan www.kateduggan.co.uk
Try something new It’s easy to get stuck in a perfume rut, wearing the same fragrance year after year. Or worse, wearing a fragrance you’ve been given as a gift but aren’t in love with. Fragrance doesn’t have to be expensive. Marks and Spencer’s Island Escape Eau De Toilette is £16 for a 95ml bottle. For £18 you can have the giftset, which includes a full size fragrance and body lotion. Island Escape is a light, citrusy fragrance, with notes of bergamot, pear and rose, mixed with a hint of sea salt, so it’s perfect for spring and summer. Slap on the SPF Ideally, we should protect our skin from the sun every day, rain or shine. The easiest way to take care of your face is by choosing a moisturiser with a high SPF rating. Nspa Expert Daily Rejuvenate Cream has an SPF of 30 and contains active ingredients such as Crocus Chrysanthus Bulb extract, which has been proven to improve the appearance of ageing skin. What’s more, the cream costs just £10 in ASDA. It’s ideal for spring, but come summer you’ll need a sun lotion that you can reapply throughout the day.
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ROAR AHEAD WITH YOUR BUSINESS PRINT & DESIGN • Design / Branding • Brochures / Magazines • Business Stationery • Posters / Flyers • Booklets / Annual Reports • Ncr Duplicate Pads • Signage / Banners • Menus / Pricelists / Invites • Leaflet / Flyer Distribution • Wedding / Funeral Order of Service Booklets and much much more!
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Travel
Belgrade
Whichever way you arrive, the first sight of Belgrade takes your breath away, the ‘White City’ rising like a sphinx above the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. Up on the hill, the iconic spire of St Michael’s, the Orthodox cathedral, dominates the old town but all eyes are set on the citadel spreading along the ridge, 125 metres above the valley. This strategic location fired up battles and invasions for almost 2,000 years, razing the city to the ground 44 times, but in the new independent Serbia peace has come and the old fortress sprinkles towers, turrets and walls in the wonderful oasis of Kalemegdan, the city’s central park. Birds twitter all around and there are statues and flower displays, grand staircases, fountains and gates, a few crenellations, a couple of museums and churches and lots of winding paths and shaded seats where locals come to chat or play chess. Visitors stroll along the beautiful cliff top promenade to enjoy the views, the modern city in the distance, the bridges, the cruising boats anchored along the Sava, the green waters of the Danube flowing around the Big Island’s nature reserve. Excavations have revealed the presence of the Vinca, one of the oldest prehistoric cultures in Europe, the Celts, Romans and many others, but surviving fortifications only date back to the 18th century, rebuilt by Austro-Hungarian and Turkish rulers. The ‘old town’ is even younger, claiming 200 years at the very most, but is stylish and colourful with tree-lined streets, outdoor restaurants and stunning buildings ranging from Romantic or Renaissance style to neo-Baroque, Art Nouveau or early Deco,
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in white or pastel hues. The wide pedestrian street Knez Mihailova is everyone’s favourite, the place to meet friends, enjoy a drink or browse the luxury shops before heading to the vast Republic Square. There you can gaze at the equestrian statue of 19th century ruler Prince Michael, the National Theatre and the National Museum containing some 290,000 exhibits from around the world. Most valuable is the Miroslav’s Gospel, the oldest Cyrillic manuscript of its kind, with 362 illuminated pages dating back to around 1180. Belgrade has myriad churches, including Saint Sava rebuilt in the 20th century and now one of the largest in the world, honouring the country’s medieval patron saint and founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Saint Sava is set on the Vracar plateau but nearer to the town centre is an elegant cluster of former palaces, now turned City Hall and Presidential Seat, enhanced by lawns and flower beds. Look out for the House of the National Assembly across the park, pristine white and fronted by sculptures of ‘Black Horses Playing’. Relaxed and cosmopolitan, easy to walk around, Belgrade is a delightful capital, from the gently buzzing centre and waterways to the lovely Botanical Garden or the secluded Bohemian District around Skadarska Street. Once home to gypsies, this steep cobbled lane is full of old charm, a hideaway for writers, artists and savvy visitors. There are intriguing paintings and trompe l’oeil, antique and ethnic shops, small galleries and inviting flowerdraped terraces serving delicious food and wine at affordable prices. Guitar, harmonica, violin or tamburitza, traditional music sounds in every corner, late into the night but a world away from the throbbing nightclubs and floating restaurants along the Sava. Meanwhile on the cliff-like ridge, all is quiet and the old citadel glows high above the mighty rivers.
By Solange Hando
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Finance
Is it worthwhile taking out private health insurance? Private health insurance generally covers the cost of private consultations, treatments, and immediate aftercare as an inpatient. Some policies also pay for outpatient care, such as physiotherapy. Employers sometimes offer this type of insurance as a benefit to their employees, but if you’re thinking of taking out your own policy, how do you know if it’s going to be worthwhile? Before we look at the benefits and potential drawbacks of private medical insurance, here’s a little more detail on the cover that could be included. What might a health insurance policy cover? The benefits provided by private health insurance vary according to the monthly premiums, with comprehensive policies offering the greatest level of cover. Here’s a general outline of the main benefits: • Private consultations • Anaesthesia • Inpatient stays for investigative tests, surgery, or immediate post-treatment care • Treatments and procedures as a day patient • Outpatient treatments and aftercare physiotherapy or hydrotherapy, for example How does private health insurance work? Private medical insurance is designed to work alongside NHS services, so your GP would need to refer you for a private consultation. Policies are renewed annually, with monetary excesses applying in the same way as with other forms of insurance. The insurer sets a limit on the amount of cover available to you annually. They define the benefits, plus any exclusions that apply - a pre-existing illness, for example - in the policy document. Why might you decide to take out private health insurance? • You need fast access to a consultation, investigative procedure, or treatment • Treatment isn’t available on the NHS • You’re employed, but don’t receive private health insurance as a benefit • You’d like to see a particular consultant, or require a specialist referral
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• You want the comfort of staying in a private room • You don’t want to wait for physiotherapy after surgery What are the potential drawbacks of private medical insurance? • Policies are costly, with premiums increasing every year • Some health conditions are excluded, so a private healthcare policy may not cover all your medical needs • You have to pay an excess each year • You may have ethical concerns about private health care • The insurer sets limits on the amount of cover available for each condition, each type of treatment, and an overall amount in the policy year How much will private health insurance cost? Various factors are taken into account by insurers when setting the price of private healthcare premiums - these include (but are not limited to): • Age • Existing health • Medical history as an individual, and of your family • Lifestyle • Types of cover required It’s advisable to shop around before buying private health insurance - comparison websites are a good way to find out about the cost of various policies. Alternatives to private health insurance There are alternative ways to fund private medical treatment without taking out an insurance policy. If you have residual income or existing savings, for example, you could set aside a sum to cover a proportion of future treatments. Paying only for the initial consultation is also an option if you require an urgent medical opinion. The consultant would then refer you back to the NHS for treatment, if necessary. Healthcare cash plans also exist that help you cover your medical costs. In this case you’re refunded the costs that you pay up front, up to pre-agreed limits.
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Life Begins...
By Kate McLelland
Show clearance cowboys the door Clearing a property after the death of a loved one can be a complex, difficult task. As well as coping with the emotional impact, you’ll need to find a new home for a whole range of household items, from large pieces of furniture to items of clothing. It can feel overwhelming, and that’s why many people employ a house clearance service to remove the lot in one go. However, with a systematic approach and little time, you should be able to tackle the job yourself. What to sell Before you start to sell, it may be helpful to research current fashions in antique and vintage items. Be aware that today’s bidders are more likely to fight over a chipped enamel bread bin or a paint-splashed wooden ladder than a skillfully crafted piece of brown furniture. You can take valuable pieces to an auction house, or sell them online, but remember that you will pay a sellers’ fee with either of these options (10% of the final transaction cost on Ebay or between 8% 20% plus 20% VAT for an auction house). What to give away Charity shops are always happy to receive quality clothing, ceramics, pots and pans and small items of furniture. Some charities, like the British Heart Foundation and DEBRA, will even collect large pieces such as sofas or wardrobes free of charge, but if you are disposing of upholstered furniture you should make sure that it is in good condition and the manufacturer’s fire label is still attached. What to recycle or throw away When everything that is valuable or useful has been eliminated, you will be left with stuff to be recycled or thrown away. Visit recyclenow.com to
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see how much of this can be recycled, and once you have whittled everything down you can simply take the rest to your local tip. When the only way is clearance If the property is rented, or if a sale is going through, you may have no choice but to use a house clearance service. These companies will remove everything from the property, charging fees to dispose of unwanted items and paying an agreed sum for anything of value. Although most clearance companies offer a genuine service, there are cowboy operators out there who will offer little for valuable pieces and may charge for waste disposal when they actually intend to dump your unwanted items in a field. If fly-tipped waste is traced back to you, you will be liable for a hefty fine, so your first step should be to check that the company is registered for the transport and disposal of waste by going to environment.data.gov.uk and simply entering the company name or registration number. The second step is to test whether the company representative is offering you a fair price for saleable items. The online auction site Ebay (ebay. co.uk) can provide a rough idea of each item’s market value. Tick the “sold listings” box that appears on the left of each search results page, as this will show what people have paid for similar pieces. Stripping out a property loaded with a lifetime’s possessions is never easy, but once it has been cleared you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that everything valuable or useful has found a home, while the remainder has been disposed of in a responsible (and environmentally friendly) way.
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Five Counties Legal Services Low Cost Personal Legal Services The alternative to the traditional legal practice in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. • Free initial discussion to assess your demands and needs and how we may be able to help. • Fixed conveyancing fees from £300 • Fixed probate fees from £225 • Home visits at no extra cost • Personal representatives encouraged to hold estate assets rather than professional advisors • All work carried out by a qualified solicitor with over 30 years practical experience in property and private client/probate work • No VAT on fees Call us on 07500 090803 Email: info@fivecountieslegalservices.co.uk Web: www.fivecountieslegalservices.co.uk
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Extensions & newbuilds Design & Planning Approvals Building Regulations Project Management Professional service Fully insured as featured in Channel 4’s The Best Laid Plans
www.rgharchitects.co.uk Tel 01462 790808
RGH Architects QP.indd 1
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OwnBiz
More and more people in our local area are choosing to go self-employed and are enjoying the freedom and rewards that it brings. One of the downsides it that it can be a bit lonely at times especially if you want to share ideas or get a bit of advice. A group of local people have responded by working as self-help group to support each other. OWNBIZ is a local business organisation with no cost or commitment to attend meetings regularly. Just people helping people. There are initiatives in our community to support charities and “not for profits� but businesses are often excluded. OWNBIZ seeks out opportunities for free or low cost promotion of the excellent range of services on offer within the group. No limitations or restrictions; all welcome including those considering launching a new venture and needing a helping hand. Membership is FREE. There are informal monthly meetups, usually at lunch time in local pubs. Admission is free leaving attendees to buy the food and drinks of their choice from the venue. There is no fixed agenda
Local News so we are able to respond to the needs of the members that attend each meeting. We can talk about anything but of course talking business is welcomed! Between meetings members communicate via phone calls and the internet with information or requests for help. No need to wait to contact someone who is interested in your ideas and problems! Also there is lead sharing and genuine business referrals passed between people that know and trust each other. Some members also do joint promotion under the SKILLCIRCLE banner to vouch for each other giving potential clients the confidence to deal with a small business. For more information or to join without obligation go to www.ownbiz.co.uk or call Alan on 01767 310163 for a chat.
Discover the true value of your home. For tips on how to present your home and improvements that may enhance its value, call your local property expert to book your free market appraisal.
Biggleswade: 01767 313256 49 High Street, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 0JH email: biggleswade@satchells.co.uk Lettings, commercial property, mortgages and conveyancing arranged.
www.satchells.com
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Garden View
Plant a
By Rachael Leverton
Butterfly Garden
Fascinating fact…Winston Churchill loved butterflies so much he had a garden designed specifically to attract them. His family home was the beautiful Chartwell, but you really don’t need a grand estate to attract butterflies because they will happily flock to the tiniest plot if the planting is right. When planting for butterflies we need to consider their life-cycle, and of course they start life as caterpillars. Butterflies choose to lay their eggs where there is a good food supply for their hungry offspring. A patch of nettles in a sunny spot is all you need to attract the red admiral, the small tortoiseshell, the painted lady and the peacock. If you want the common blue (though sadly these are not that common now) plant some birdsfoot trefoil, also known as lady’s fingers and properly named lotus corniculatus. A packet of sweet rocket seeds (hesperis matronalis) is a good investment. One pack produces flowers in all shades of lilac. They have a sweet scent, which is more powerful in the evening, and as a bonus they attract the orange tip butterfly. So, having satiated the caterpillars, we need to address the feeding requirements of the adult butterfly. The most famous butterfly-attracting plant is
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probably Buddleia davidii, hence its other name, the butterfly bush. It grows well in most soils but needs to be pruned back hard every year so the flowers, and hence the butterflies, are kept at eye level. Don’t worry too much if you know very little about pruning, Buddleias are hard to kill! Sedum spectabile must be one of the easiest plants ever to grow and even thrives in my poor soil. Its dusky pink flowers are always smothered in butterflies and bees when they open in late summer. Caryopteris clandonensis, or to use its more romantic name, blue mist spirea is also a wonderful butterfly magnet and very easy to grow. You can now buy packets of wild flower seeds and butterfly mixes. Try some among your borders and you’ll be rewarded with fluttering, jewel-like visitors all summer. Butterfly Essentials Sunshine - plant butterfly-attracting plants in the sunniest spots Shelter - the site needs to be out of the wind Roosting spots - Butterflies need somewhere to sleep. They prefer to be high so plant climbers like honeysuckles and clematis. Nettles and wildflowers - if space is at a premium try growing them in pots. It works really well.
Happy Gardening
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Gardening & Wildlife
Rural Ramblings Cheap and Cheerful It will soon be the time when we start to think about brightening up the garden with a bit of colour in our beds and borders. The range of plants (usually half-hardy annuals such as petunias and marigolds) is quite enormous and their colour range is always most impressive. However, planting up a large area can be quite expensive and it may be worth considering alternatives. Some seed companies are now offering seed mixtures of non-native annuals and perennials which are designed so that you can sow them directly where you want them to flower, producing colourful areas in your garden without the formality of expensive bedding schemes. They suggest that these schemes also increase biodiversity and produce a stunning display during Spring and Summer as the plants have a wide range of overlapping flowering times. The soil should be well- prepared in advance and all perennial weeds must be eliminated. If the seed bed is cultivated and left well before actual seeding, it will allow many weed seeds to germinate and they can then be eliminated before sowing. It is advised that the seed is mixed with sand and sown in 20cm rows to enable hoeing of any later germinating weeds. Watering after sowing until the plants become established is a good idea but later irrigation during the growing season is not usually required. Fertilizers will not usually be needed but regular weeding is still necessary (unfortunately!) There are various mixes available and when I tried one last year, I was pleasantly surprised and will be using this system again on large areas which need a bit of brightening up. I have found that areas with a lighter soil have
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been easier to establish as they are more readily cultivated and therefore a fine seed- bed is more easily achieved. Just like bedding plants, the area must be re-seeded every year but as a cheaper alternative, I was impressed. The colour range was varied and the species mix produced flowers of various shapes and sizes, some quite small but nevertheless very interesting. They displayed right up to the first frosts and it was a bit of a shame to clear out the late flowerers. I am looking forward to trying out a different mix this year!
By Geoff Wharton
Geoff Wharton Gardening Services Reliable, experienced, well qualified. General and specialist garden work: Jungle clearing, Pruning, Hedge and grass cutting, Regular maintenance, Licensed waste disposal. Full public liability cover. Geoff Wharton - BSC honours Hort.Science Email:geoffwharton@hotmail.com
Tel: 01767 261727
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BICKERDIKES
J.R. Bibby Turf Supplies Quality Turf with a Quality Service
• Professional Turf Laying Service • Weed Treated & Fertilized • Fast Delivery • Commercial and Domestic • Free Estimates • All Areas Covered • Hard Landscaping Large or Small Jobs Undertaken
For your Free Estimate call Joe on:
01767 - 260 550 Pottons Specialist Welding and Fabricating Company
For further information please call Trevor on Tel: 01767 261845 Mobile: 07941 187689 Email: Gemmaton@hotmail.co.uk Web: www.gemmaton.com
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GARDEN MACHINERY AND TRAILER CENTRE
Personal customer service, collection and delivery available. Assessment of individual requirements. Full after sales backup and parts service. NEW Oregon, the world's only unique battery operated, self-sharpening s In stock. chain saw. Ride-on and pedestrian mowers, chainsaws, strimmers, hedge trimmers, cultivators, estate and equestrian equipment. Trailers - sales, hire, service. Accessories, oils, Aspen fuel, batteries, spares, security locks for garden/ horticultural machinery and trailers. horticultu
Appointed dealers for:
Main dealer for Briggs & Stratton, Honda, Kohler, Kawasaki & Mountfield engines.
Honeydon Road, Colmworth, Bedfordshire MK44 2LY
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Open Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm and Saturday 9am to 12pm
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Local News
Greensand Country
Announces Summer Festival This summer, from 26 May to 3 June, Greensand Country, an island of beautiful countryside, which includes the Greensand Ridge stretching from Leighton Buzzard to Gamlingay, will host the first ever Greensand Country Festival. Taking place across the landscape, the festival will include a number of exciting events, activities, talks, exhibitions and competitions, including guided walks, have-a-go wilderness crafts, family wildlife activities, open air theatre performances and 4x4 adventure challenges. The 9-day festival will be a celebration of everything that people love about Greensand Country, and will showcase our distinctive, beautiful and loved countryside. Claire Poulton, Programme Manager at the Greensand Country Landscape Partnership says: “The Greensand Country Festival is an exciting step forward in promoting the unique history, wildlife and culture of our highly attractive landscape, and will encourage people to visit, enjoy and have a better understanding of Greensand Country. “Working in partnership with businesses and attractions across the landscape, the festival will engage local visitors, people from neighbouring towns and villages, and families who are new to the area, inspiring them to get out into the countryside and explore the many events and activities on offer.”
Clophill Heritage Trust, the local voluntary community charity which runs the Clophill Eco Lodges and St Mary’s Old Church, is running a number of events and activities as part of the Greensand Country Festival. Founder Ali Bradbury explains: “We are delighted to be involved in the first festival, and look forward to welcoming new visitors to Clophill, who are keen to discover more of Greensand Country and its impressive landscape.” For further information about Greensand Country visit greensandcountry.com, Tweet us @greensandsocial or find us on Facebook and Instagram. The Greensand Country Landscape Partnership is led by the Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity and the Greensand Trust and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. It is made possible by National Lottery players. Without them we couldn’t fund the project.
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SURECLEAN DRIVEWAY AND PATIO CLEANING SPECIALISTS ROOF MOSS REMOVAL AND GUTTER CLEANING We use a revolutionary industrial pressure rotary cleaning system to restore exterior hard surfaces to as new condition.
Block Paving, Pathways, Patios Garden Wall and Stone Ornaments Ponds and Pools Also Re-sanding and Sealing Local Company
01767 400127/07870 338074 www.surecleancarpetcleaning.co.uk
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Local News
Rehoming Appeal Dandy
Dandy is a male, long-haired guinea pig, under a year old. He is very quick so needs an experienced home only. He is happy to be handled and groomed and would be suitable for an indoor home. If you could offer Dandy a home, please call Hazel on 01234 357788. Any potential home will be vetted by one of our volunteers. Alternatively, please email Philippa at info.rats@gmail.com who will be pleased to forward your enquiry onto the team. View other small mammals, dogs and cats currently in our care for re-homing on our website: www.rats-animalrescue.co.uk or facebook: www.facebook.com/ratscharity. You can also see photographs and details of the animals in our care in our charity shop in Hitchin Street, Biggleswade SG18 8AX. Open Monday to Saturday from 10.00 am until 4.00 pm.
GILKS FENCING LTD
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01767 650 615
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gilksfencing@hotmail.com
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Pets
Animal Queries Dear RSPCA vet, I have two gorgeous 6-month-old kittens – Stanley and Mabel. My husband says I should get them micro-chipped, but is it really necessary and will it hurt them? Cath, Kempston Dear Cath, Your husband has given you excellent advice. You’ll have discovered by now how adventurous cats can be! Even if your kittens wear a good quality safety collar and tag (which we suggest at all times, ideally with a bell to warn your local birdlife) these can get lost or removed. Microchipping your kittens will give them the best chance of being identified and returned to you if they become lost or stolen. Heartbreakingly, thousands of pets are lost every year, and many are never reunited with their owners. Microchipping can change that. A microchip will give both Stanley and Mabel their own unique code. They can then be scanned and matched to your contact details, which are kept on a database. Make sure you update these details every time you move. Please don’t worry that this will hurt them. If you saw them being carried around by their mother, you’ll have noticed that each kitten has a loose fold of skin on the back of their neck. This is where your vet will inject a tiny microchip. Most animals
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don’t even notice – it’s certainly no worse than an injection that we all expect human babies to have! You obviously love your kittens. For the cost of a few take-away coffees, microchipping is a great investment and the best way of protecting them. It’s also recommended for all other animals and birds. The RSPCA run regular microchipping events – so keep an eye out for one in your area.
ANIMAL QUERIES is one of a series of articles brought to you by the RSPCA Bedfordshire North Branch www.rspca-bedfordshirenorth.org.uk
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Can I go to the Paddocks for my Holiday please?
Paddocks Boarding Cattery Peaceful location. No dogs boarded. Spacious, individual, heated chalets with large covered runs. Inspection welcome. Boarding from ÂŁ7.30/day. Rabbits/guinea pigs also boarded. 64 Meadow Road, Great Gransden
Telephone 01767 677 759 www.catterybedfordshire.co.uk Open all year.
The cattery for caring owners. Comfort and security for your pet. To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122
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Business gone slow? Let us help!
Advertising in The Villager is easy. To find out more call Nigel on 01767 261122 or email nigel@villagermag.com
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Ask Alan
Pets
My cat is very nervous but she purrs when she is at the vets. I thought purring was a happy sound. Cats do not only purr when they are happy, but also when they are distressed or afraid. They use it as a mechanism for self calming, Purring is very important communication tool for cats. Cats in labour purr to relieve discomfort so that low frequency sound is the first thing kittens hear and it is what they use to keep close to their mothers before their eyes open. Not all species of cats can purr. The cats that roar cannot purr and cats that purr, cannot roar as their vocal chords are different It has been shown that the low frequency vibrations caused in the body by purring eases breathing and helps with physical healing and this is thought to be one of the reasons that cat ownership has been proved to be good for your health. Cat owners have lower levels of stress and a lower risk of heart attack. Owners blood pressure is lower after they interact with their cats and cats are said to help “sympathetically heal� by calming and soothing. People report that their migraines ease when they lie next to a purring cat. Cats are wonderful creatures! Best wishes,
Alan
If you have any questions you would like answered, please email them to villager@pottonvets.co.uk For more information visit www.pottonvets.co.uk or pop into the clinic in Potton Market Square.
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Children aged between 0 - 5 years
After School Care and Holiday Club for 5 - 12 year olds
• • • • • • • • • •
OFSTED rating - GOOD Qualified Nursery Practitioners A Sing & Sign nursery All staff paediatric first aid trained Freshly prepared meals by our in-house cook Kitchen hygiene rated '5' Fun French lessons for children Yoga for Babies and Toddlers Close to Sandy mainline station and the A1M A loving, home from home Follow us on Facebook
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54 High St, Sandy Bedfordshire, SG19 1AJ
T: 01767 689688 E: bigexplorers@outlook.com W: www.miniexplorersdaynursery.co.uk
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Education By Willow Coby
Meet the Teacher A secondary school guide to parents’ evening Parents’ evenings - love them or loathe them, they crop up with alarming regularity. They can cause a good deal of stress whether you’re the parent, child or teacher! As a parent this is your chance to speak to the teachers that spend all day with your children and to whom you are entrusting their education. Naturally you want to get the best out of the experience but how exactly do you do that, when you are on what feels like a conveyor belt? And if your child is in Year 7 then you will find this experience very different to what you are used to from their primary school days. The first thing to remember – and this might sound quite harsh – is that your child’s teacher has a lot of parents to see that night, in a relatively short space of time. This does have implications for what you can discuss. The bottom line is, don’t be offended if they end the discussion, or if they suggest making an appointment for another time to come and discuss an issue. It is important to remember that you and the teacher both want your child to do their best and achieve. The teacher will no doubt have points they want to make and they may be good or bad. If there are problems then the teacher will most likely be looking for reassurance that you will support the school in whatever behaviour
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or homework policy they have. They know that students don’t always tell their parents what goes on at school and so parents evening may be their chance to make it clear if they are not meeting expectations. Are there any general dos and don’ts? Do let them know your concerns, but don’t launch in with complaints. Let the teacher explain how they feel your child is doing and respond to that. They will often ask you if you have any other questions. Which leads to another point – don’t ask in Year 7 what the teacher thinks they will get in their GCSE. Learning is not a linear process from point A to B. For most children, it is a meandering journey – let your child enjoy that journey without pressure in those early years of secondary school. Also, don’t ask how they are doing compared to other students. Instead ask if they are where the teacher wants them to be. There is a final point to consider – whether to take your child. Most schools extend the offer to students, but don’t feel compelled to take them. For some children, the experience (and the noise) can be very overwhelming and they may prefer to stay at home. Above all remember that the teacher wants what is best for your child. Put your concerns to them but please listen to what they have to say too.
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Fiddle Daemons Violins, Violas, Cellos, Bass
Contact: Jackie@fiddledaemons.com 01767682693 or 07814970635 Professional repairs, restorations and set ups Quality instruments for sale and hire to suit all ages and experience Part exchanges possible and instruments purchased Free valuations
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Motoring
BMW X3: Truly Capable The wheels are spinning, but the BMW isn’t going anywhere. Every revolution of the alloys sinks the new X3 deeper into the huge blood-orange dunes of the Saharan desert. We’ve been tackling one of the toughest off-road routes I’ve ever experienced – from deep, rolling dunes to sharp, rocky trails – and the fact that only now, close to our final destination, one of my colleagues has managed to half bury a BMW is a testament to the X3’s abilities. Nestled in a lunar landscape, beneath a carpet of stars so bright they look superimposed on the sky, is our camp – a long way from the madness of Marrakesh, where our day began. We set off on our epic drive towards the Atlas Mountains, the roads from the city quickly opening up into out-of-this-world landscapes. Soon we’re crossing the Tizi n Tichka mountain pass, one mighty hairpin after another. Our X30d – with a new 260bhp, 620Nm engine – is the pick of the range, and on these roads it’s swift and enjoyable. At midday we arrive in Ouarzazate, and the famous Atlas Film Studios, where we drive our BMWs through the gates of the Game of Thrones city set.
By dusk we’ve covered nearly 300 miles and have taken in the stunning Anti Atlas Mountains. We pass through M’Hamid, the last conurbation before the desert, in a dusty convoy of 15 brand new BMWs. Our camp is an hour of off-roading away and our X3 drifts and slips its way like a rally car across the challenging terrain, with just the lights of the cars in front illuminating the impenetrable darkness. It’s the blackness that catches out a colleague when approaching the camp, resulting in the BMW being beached in a position that takes seven men and shovels to retrieve it from. The next morning, we’re told today will be tougher than yesterday. Five hours of harsh off-roading will be followed by a dash back across the mountains to the airport. We’re quickly back in the groove, drifting the off-roader around sandy corners and clattering over sharp rocks. As the desert eases, we experience the barren, flat, dry river beds of the Ouef Draa, Iriki Lane and Erg Chigaga, all stages of the famous Dakar Rally.
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On the edge of the desert, a rear tyre loses pressure but BMW chaperones soon change the wheel and we continue. We’re enjoying the X3’s comfy new interior and smart multimedia system when another tyre bursts. It takes an hour for the BMW support car to arrive, and it looks like we’ll miss the flight from Marrakesh. And so begins a rush to the airport, but from screeching hairpin bends to blink-and-you’ll-miss-them overtakes, the BMW takes it all in its stride and we arrive with minutes to spare. Sat, perspiring, exhausted but elated on the plane, we smile – we made it. The BMW X3 may have two new tyres, but it’s been returned unscathed and we’re taking off just 25 minutes after arriving at the airport. All credit to BMW. There aren’t many firms who’d put their cars, or a bunch of journalists, through what we experienced. It’s proven it’s a truly capable car, able to transport you and your family on any adventure – and I for one am certainly looking forward to the next one.
By James Baggott
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Parenting
On Your Bike Learning to ride a bike opens up a whole new world of fun and independence for children. Even babies and toddlers can join in the fun of a family bike ride, with a little help… Babies can start joining you on bike rides from around nine months old, as long as they can hold their head up unsupported. You’ll need to choose between a trailer and a front or rear bike seat. Child bike seats start from around £30. The more expensive ones usually have extra features, such as a five-point safety harness, rather than a three-point one. Some have backs that can be tilted for on-the-go naps. Front-mounted seats sit in front of you and attach to the frame. They sometimes have a shorter back than rear mounted seats, and usually have a lower maximum weight allowance, so they won’t last you quite as long. On the plus side, you’ll be able
to see your child, which makes sharing a ride more fun. Some rear seats fit to a pannier rack, while others fit to the frame. You might find balancing is a little bit easier with a rear seat compared to a front one, and it should last you until your child is around four years old. Whichever type of seat you go for, you’ll need to check that it’s suitable for your bike and the weight of your child. Look for a seat with plenty of padding, a good safety harness and adjustable foot supports. Bike trailers are more expensive than seats, but you can pull older children, and often two at a time (plus picnics or shopping). Trailers usually have a cover, so your child will stay dry if you get caught in the rain, even if you get soaked. You might struggle with a trailer on steep hills though, and you’ll need a garage or shed to store it when it’s not in use.
It’s a good idea to visit your local bike shop to speak to a specialist adviser before you make any decisions. They’ll be able to recommend a trailer or bike seat that’s right for you, your bike and your child. Cycling with young children Once your child is old enough to ride a 16” bike, you might want to progress from a seat or trailer to a Trail Gator or other tow bar. These attach your bike to your child’s, so you can pull your child behind you. They’re handy for when you fancy a longer ride than your child could otherwise manage. Some tow bars can be unclipped and folded down, if your child wants to ride on their own for a while. Your child’s bike might feel a bit wobbly when it’s being pulled, so tow bars aren’t suitable for children under around four. Where to go Lots of roads have designated cycle lanes now, and there are plenty of traffic-free routes to explore too. The National Cycle Network offers 14,000 miles of bike-friendly roads and paths. Visit www.sustrans.org.uk for free printable cycle route maps. Fancy joining other families for a bike ride? www.cyclinguk.org lists hundreds of UK cycling events, including ones that are suitable for families. It’s also worth asking what your local bike club has to offer, as lots of cycling clubs organise volunteer-led rides for beginners and families.
By Kate Duggan www.kateduggan.co.uk 66
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ABOVE ALL Autocentre Unit 1, Sand Road Ind. Est., Great Gransden SG19 3AH www.aboveallautocentre.co.uk
Tel: 01767 679000
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Three Counties Radio
TRADITIONAL HOME-MADE JERK CHICKEN One of my greatest pleasures on the Weekend Kitchen is how the food we feature directly reflects the wonderful diversity of the three counties we broadcast to. We can have British classics, great curries, Turkish and Middle Eastern treats, traditional pastas, fiery stir fries and much much more. Recently I welcomed Sacha Ojo on to the programme. She launched her catering company, Sacha’s Kitchen, in Bedford when it became clear that her friends’ love of her Jamaican cooking suggested she deserved a much wider audience. Jamaican food is all about warmth, generosity and family –three words which describe Sacha perfectly. Obviously she had to give us her Jerk Chicken recipe. Apparently there are more Jerk Chicken recipes than there are days in a lifetime – Sacha’s family recipe is absolutely wonderful. Jerk sauce ingredients: 2 bunches spring onion, chopped 2 tbsp thyme 1 tsp fresh ginger, chopped 4-6 garlic cloves, chopped 1 tsp cinnamon powder 1 tbsp Pimento (Allspice) 1 tbsp coarse black pepper ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg 2 tbsp dark brown sugar 2 tbsp soy sauce 2-4 Scotch Bonnet chillis, chopped (adjust to taste) 6 tbsp water Chopped parsley to serve You can use whatever cuts of chicken you want – leg, thigh or even breast. Allow a couple of pieces per person. This is plenty of marinade to serve four people. It goes without saying that you can also cook this chicken on the barbecue!
1. Place all the sauce ingredients into a food processor and blend until you get a smooth consistency. 2. Adjust for taste and heat, by using more or less chilli. 3. Wash the chicken pieces (skin on), in water mixed with a really good squirt of lemon. 4. Slash small slits onto the chicken. Massage all the marinade into the chicken and leave in the fridge overnight. 5. Place in a tray and cover with foil. Bake at 160C/ Gas Mark 3 for 30 minutes then remove the foil, turn the oven up to 200C/ Gas Mark 5 and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked through and a lovely deep colour. 6. Scatter with the chopped parsley and serve with chips, mash or rice.
Hear wonderful recipes on Nick Coffer’s Weekend Kitchen every Sunday morning on BBC Three Counties radio at 11am. You can also join Nick every weekday afternoon at midday for brilliant local guests with great stories to tell and all the music you want for your early afternoon.
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Technology
Don’t be an April Fool
Keep your stuff safe on PCs and phones It seems like every day there’s a new warning about hackers and dodgy software — and over Christmas we learned that there was a security flaw in almost every modern computer, tablet and phone that could let baddies get our passwords and other private information. So how do we keep our important information safe and secure? There are three important things to consider. They are: loss, where you lose digital things such as photos, home movies or documents you don’t want to lose; malicious software, which is when a program sneaks onto your computer and causes trouble; and hacking, which is when somebody you don’t know gets into your computer to access your personal information and/or demand money. The good news is that they’re all easy to deal with. Let’s talk about loss first. The single best way to prevent loss of valuable personal things such as family photos is to have extra copies. They don’t need to be printed copies — if you take as many photos as we do the cost of getting even some of them
printed is frightening — and if you keep your copies digital then you don’t need to spend too much money to copy your entire photo or video library, or anything else you want to keep a backup of. You can store backups on services such as Google Photos, Flickr and Apple’s iCloud, but for proper peace of mind we’d recommend backing up to an external hard disk: that’s much faster, and doesn’t require you to keep up a membership or pay a monthly subscription as some online services do. You can get a really good external hard disk for less than £40, and you don’t need to pay much for faster, even higher capacity ones: at the time of writing Seagate’s Expansion drive, which offers 1TB of storage and has a super-fast USB 3.0 connection for modern PCs and Macs, is just £45. If you’re backing up really massive libraries, a whopping 4TB of storage is still under £100 — although most of us won’t need anything close to that. External hard disks aren’t the only options. You could burn your own DVD data discs, or use USB flash drives such as SanDisk’s Ultra Flair 32GB (£12.95).
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However, we’re not convinced they’re great options for longterm backups. Drives such as the Patuoxun Portable USB DVD CD RW Writer may be cheap — £17 from Amazon, with discs even cheaper — but DVD and CD discs don’t last forever and many of our ones started to rot after a few years in normal conditions. And if you’ve used many USB sticks you’ll know of their incredible ability to go missing and never be found again. There’s not much point in having a backup if you can’t find it when you need it. The cures for malicious software and hacking are the same: security software. There are plenty of free options such as the excellent AVG Free (www.avg. com), but it’s worth considering spending a little money on a paid-for security suite such as BitDefender Total Security (around £49/£69 for an unlimited-device Family Pack). BitDefender doesn’t just cover your PC: it protects Macs, Android and iPhone/iPads too, and it includes tools to stop bad things getting onto your devices as well as anti-hacking protection for your personal data. It comes highly recommended by the internet’s most trusted review sites.
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How Eggstraordinary!
Time of Year By Roberta Snow
It’s ironic that most of the traditions associated with the principle religious feast of the Christian year have no basis in Christianity at all. The word ‘Easter’ comes from an Anglo-Saxon 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 ‘Eostre-monath’ – Eostre’s month. Hot cross buns, traditionally eaten on Good Friday, are linked to the Jewish festival of Passover. Originally they were made from unleavened bread, an important Passover food. Nowadays they are more palatably leavened and marked with a cross to serve as a reminder of the crucifixion. As an aside you may notice they are more expensive this year due to a global shortage of raisins and sultanas! The tradition of eating chocolate eggs stems from Eostre, when eggs were given as gifts to celebrate the end of winter and as a symbol of new life and fertility. Chocolate was an ingenious German addition much later. The Easter bunny seems to have been a German invention too, though it stems from Eostre again. The original association was the hare but rabbits look similar so they kind of hijacked the show. German children made nests in the garden and good children were left coloured hard-boiled eggs over night as a reward. Egg rolling on Easter Monday is an eccentric British custom. As a child I was told the egg represented the rolling away of the stone blocking Jesus’ tomb, but research shows that the custom predates the arrival of Christianity here. It’s great fun though, whatever the history behind it.
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n O s ’ t Wha In April
Deadline for What’s On entries is the 12th of the previous month. What’s on entries to whatson@villagermag.com
2 April Biggleswade Spring Show Weatherley Centre, Biggleswade Biggleswade Gardening Club’s 38th Spring Show. There will be 29 competitive classes for Daffodils in different colour combinations of red, pink, white, orange and green plus 16 classes for other types of Spring Flowers. 2-15 April Easter Creature Hunt Daily 9am-5pm Jordan’s Mill, Holme Mills, Southill Road, Broom £1.50 per child. Follow our trail around the Mill garden, meadow and woodland, choose one item from each board to create your very own magical Easter creature. Free entry into prize draw for a delicious Easter Chocolate Hamper. Admission includes a chocolate treat at the end! Web: www.jordansmill.com 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 April Branch Out Social Club for Single People 8.30-11pm Cromwell Bar, The Sun Hotel, Hitchin Branch Out meets every Monday night and is a medium-sized Social Club for single people. The club organises regular events, such as dinners, discos, meals, parties, Sunday walks, theatre and concert visits, day and weekend trips and holidays. Tel: Lorna 01438 233657 Web: www.branch-out.org.uk 3 April Hatley Coffee Morning 10am-1pm Hatley Village Hall Come along for a chat, coffee/tea and a slice of cake. All donations split between Hatley Village Hall and Hatley St George Church. First Tuesday of the every month. 3 April Potton Ladies Club 7.30pm Mill Lane Pavilion, Mill Lane, Potton Visitors £5 inc. light refreshments Meets on the first Tuesday of the month. Steve Holdsworth talks about “From rag trade to a Red Coat”. Visitors always welcome. Tel: Sarah Burgoine 01767 631415 Email: sarahjburgoine@gmail.com
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3, 5, 10 & 12 April Children’s Easter Crafts 10.30am-11.45am Jordan’s Mill, Holme Mills, Southill Road, Broom £5 per child. Easter is a great time to encourage creativity and what better way than with our craft activities. Session 1 (3 & 5 April) includes Make Dolly The Sheep, Create your Easter Egg Wreath, Decorate Easter biscuits and colouring in fun. Session 2 (10 & 12 April) Make an Easter Caterpillar, Make a pom pom pet, Decorate Easter biscuits and colouring in fun. Web: www.jordansmill.com
5 April Moo Music Sandy, Biggleswade & Shefford Easter Eggstravaganza 10.30-12 noon Sutton Village Hall £8.50 per child, £6 additional siblings Music, messy play, craft and an Easter Egg hunt with prizes! Booking essential! Email: Heather sandymoo@moo-music.co.uk Web: www.moo-music.co.uk/sbs Facebook: www.facebook.com/moomusicsandy
5 April Cancer Support Group Biggleswade and Area 1-3pm The Weatherley Centre, Eagle Farm 3, 10, 17 & 24 April Road, Biggleswade Phoenix Chorus The group meets on the 1st Thursday of the 7.45-10.15pm Potton Lower School month. Has cancer touched your life? All are Have you loved the a capella singing shows on welcome to attend this support grou. Please TV? Could you be pitch perfect with us? Phoenix note new venue. For additional information or to A Capella Chorus meets every Tuesday. Visitors chat before attending, please call Gina. always welcome. Tel: Sarah 07842 101799 Tel: Gina 07812 796581 Email: pro@phoenixladies.co.uk Web: www.cancersupportgroup.org.uk Web: https://phoenixladies.co.uk 5, 12, 19 & 26 April 3, 10, 17 & 24 April Amici Singers 7.30-9.45pm Biggleswade Ivel Badminton Club Trinity Methodist Church, Shortmead Street, 8-10.30pm Biggleswade Recreation Centre Biggleswade (Stratton Leisure Centre) Membership £15 per term (£45 per year) £3 per night. Seeking competitive badminton The Amici Singers are a non-auditioning female players wishing to play in local leagues. ensemble with a focus on fun! We do lots of Visitors Welcome. Email: IvelBC@hotmail.com tours, rehearse once a week and work hard/play Facebook: Facebook.com/IvelBC hard. No auditions, just come along to a session to hear us, or if you want to join in then your first 4 April session is FREE! We only ask three things, that Gamlingay & District Gardening Club you love to sing, love to make friends and like 7.30pm Kier Suite, Gamlingay new opportunities. Tel: Ann 01767 650630 Visitors £3. Talk by Roger Harvey on ‘The Chelsea Experience with an exhibitors view’. Visitors 6, 13, 20 & 27 April welcome. Lego Club 3.45-5.00pm Potton Library Every Friday afternoon. 4, 11, 18 & 25 April Ivel Bereavement Support Centre 6, 13, 20 & 27 April 10am-12 noon The Community Rooms, Sandy Ukulele Group 7-9pm Baptist Church, 24 London Road, Biggleswade Baptist Chapel Hall, Bedford Road, Sandy Has a loved one died? Are you struggling coming Meets every Friday. Please email for more to terms with it? Perhaps we can help you at our information on joining the group. Visitors drop in centre on Wednesdays. welcome. Tel: Carole or Jill 07704734225 for more Email: sandyukulelegroup1@gmail.com information Web: www.sandyukulelegroup.com
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n O s ’ t Wha In April
This is a small selection of the What’s On for the full listing please go to our website www.villagermag.com
6 & 20 April Craft and Chatter 7.30-10pm St Marys Church Hall, Potton £2.50 inc. refreshments Bring your own project. Cross stitch, sewing, knitting, crochet, embroidery or something else. Web: www.facebook.com/craftandchatter 7 April The Signals Museum Open Day 10am-4pm The Signals Museum at RAF Henlow is open to the public. Entry is free but official photo ID such as a driving licence, passport or over 60s Bus Pass is required to get an entry ticket from the Guardroom. www.rafsignalsmuseum.org.uk 7 April Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire Hardy Plant Society 2pm Weatherley Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade Well-known speaker and Nursery owner, Rosy Hardy, will talk about Early Spring/Summer Plants. Hands-on talk. Plants for sale. Web: www.hpscambsandbeds.co.uk 7, 14, 21 & 28 April KNex Club 1.45-3.30pm Potton Library 9 April Sandy Flower Club 7.30pm Conservative Bowls Club Pavilion (rear of the Conservative Club, Bedford Road) Visitors £5 – on the door. Workshop by Kathleen Ambrose. Raffle and tea and coffee. The Flower Club meets every second Monday in the month. New members always welcome. Tel: Sue Alexander 01767 699729 14 April Showtime with Kieran Sutcliffe 7pm All Saints Church, Southill Tickets £15. The Man with the Golden Voice! BBC Award Winning International Classical Crossover and Musical Theatre Star, Kieran Sutcliffe brings his powerhouse vocals to opera classics and the best West End hits. Email: Nico at rodenburg@btinternet.com for tickets
15 April Biggleswade Antiques Fair 9.30am-4pm The Weatherley Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade Entrance £1.50. This antiques fair offers a diverse range of antiques and collectables. Café serving breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea. Tel: 01480 382432 or 07906 647346 Web: www.madisonevents.co.uk
20 April Potton Playhouse AGM 7.30pm Potton Community Centre The Potton Playhouse Committee invites current and potential members to its AGM, to be held upstairs in the Potton Community Centre. Drinks and nibbles available.
18 April ‘Poetry Table’ Club 8pm The Pembroke Arms, Biggleswade A monthly evening get together on the third Wednesday of the month for any and all locals who wish to share and hear poems in the fabulous Pembroke Arms pub. Tel: Leah 07954 708988 Web: www.tinyletter.com/poetrytable
28 April Sandy Historical Research Group 11am-3pm Beeston Methodist Church Hall Admission £2, Members free Public Exhibition of Historic Sandy including old photos, maps, etc. Feel free to bring interesting memories or photos of Sandy or Beeston to share and discuss. Ample parking.
18 & 25 April Mums and Dads Coffee Morning 9-10am Moggerhanger Church Bring your pre-school children with you. Toys available in the church. Tea/coffee, juice, biscuits are available at 50p per cup.
28 April Element String Quartet 7.30pm St. Swithun’s Church, Sandy Tickets £10, Concessions £7, Under 12s free Element String Quartet presents Stateside Strings including music by Dvorak, Barber and Gershwin. Tickets available by telephone or on the door. Tickets: Available on 07975 520085
21 April Biggleswade, Sandy & District 18 April NCT Nearly-New Sale Astronomy Talk 10.30am-12pm (NCT members from 10.15am) 7.30pm Sandy Conservative Bowls Pavilion Stratton Upper School, Eagle Farm Road, Members £2.50, Visitors £3.50. ‘Story of a Murder’ Biggleswade - a former policeman guides us through the Buy children’s clothes, toys, accessories and process of solving a murder case. Organised by electrical items. Chip & pin available. Sandy Horticultural Association. Meal available afterwards at an additional charge. 24 April Tel: 01767 681457 to book meal Knit & Natter 10am-12 noon Web: www.thesandyshow.org.uk Moggerhanger Church
18 & 25 April Moo Music Sandy, Biggleswade & Shefford 10-10.40am Sandy Methodist Church Moosical fun for your little one! Music & movement classes for 0-5 year olds in Sandy & Sutton. New sessions in Shefford! Come and join in the fun with your little moover. First session free. Email: Heather sandymoo@moo-music.co.uk Web: www.moo-music.co.uk/sbs Facebook: www.facebook.com/moomusicsandy
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29 April Sandy Town Bowling Club Open Day 2.30pm Sandy Village Hall Free entry Try lawn bowls. Equipment and coaching provided. Flat shoes must be worn. Tel: Michael Groom 01767 227523
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Local News Schoolreaders Launches Book Club Quiz Challenge on World Book Day – 1st March 2018 Schoolreaders, the charity aiming to improve literacy amongst primary school children in the UK, is launching the Schoolreaders Book Club Quiz Challenge on the 1st March 2018 to coincide with World Book Day. The Challenge runs until May 24th. Book Clubs across the UK are invited to sign up to the challenge and enjoy a quiz at one of their meetings plus raise important funds for Schoolreaders, which matches and provides volunteers to listen to children read in primary schools. Upon registering for the challenge, Book Club members are sent a pack of materials to host a fun literary-based quiz evening at one of their Book Club meetings. Completed quiz forms can be returned to Schoolreaders and the correct entrants will be entered into a draw to win either a case of Prosecco or book tokens for each member. Jane Whitbread, Founder of Schoolreaders, comments: “One in four children are leaving
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primary school not being able to read to the required standard and this can put limitations on their life chances. On average, it costs Schoolreaders just £15 to provide a child with a weekly one-to-one reading session with a volunteer for a whole academic year, a small sum for a major benefit for each child. We hope that we can encourage lots of Book Clubs to sign up to this fun challenge and join us in reaching more children, helping improve their literacy and increasing their life opportunities.” To register your club for the Schoolreaders Book Club Challenge, please visit www.schoolreaders. org, and you will then be sent the quiz pack along with advice on how to make the most of the challenge.
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PK Cleaning Services Est. since 1988
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Women’s Institute
2018 A Centenary Celebration
May Parker Federation Trustee
By Catherine Rose
Many early leaders of the WI were active in the women’s suffrage movement and to them an important part of the new organisation was to encourage the fuller participation of women in public life. WI’s were considered the rural counterpart of the banding together of women in the urban areas for the common fight for freedom and independence of both thought and action. Suffragist groups existed all over the country and under many different names, their aim being to achieve the right for women to vote through constitutional and peaceful means. As early as 1832, a Suffragist named Mary Smith presented the first women’s suffrage petition to Parliament. As we know, nothing came of that petition or many others which followed, and the blatant lack of consideration to the women’s formal requests for suffrage caused women to believe more pressure was needed to validate their cause, culminating in the Women’s Social & Political Union (WSPU) being formed in 1903 by Emmeline Pankhurst and two of her daughters. However, when WW1 broke out in 1914 she encouraged Suffragettes to help with the war effort so, for a while, their campaigns ceased, but success followed when, in 1918, the Representation of People Act gave (some) women the right to vote. The WI movement was closely linked with the campaign for suffrage, and many of the early members were some of the most resolute women in the country, realising that women working together could effect change. One of those women, WI member Margaret Winteringham, was elected Member of Parliament for Louth in 1921, and she was both the first English born female MP and only the second woman to take up her seat. She worked with the WI on some of its earliest campaigns in raising the age of consent from 13, and ensuring fathers supported their children born out of marriage. The achievement of the women’s movement has seen maternity leave rights, equal pay, and domestic violence legislation.
At the end of the First World War, in 1918, there were 700 WIs and by the end of 1919 there were 1,405. Today the National Federation of Women’s Institutes (NFWI) is the largest women’s organisation in the UK with around 212,000 members in more than 6,000 WI’s across England, Wales and the Islands. 2018 also marks the centenary of the first WI opening in what is now the Huntingdon & Peterborough Federation of WIs, the Federation setting an amazing array of very interesting and exciting events for its members throughout this celebratory year. The Federation consists of a Board of Trustees overseeing all of its WI’s within the Huntingdon & Peterborough area, having WI advisers, health & safety, data protection, finance and property officers, with sub-committees relating to public affairs, creative crafts and cookery, events and leisure and membership. We also have a Denman ambassador - Denman being the WI’s centre for learning for women (and for men), members and non-members, with residential courses including accommodation, set in the picturesque village of Marcham near Oxford. In this year of celebration let us not forget that many rights and privileges we take for granted were fought for through campaigns and petitions by pioneering women of the past.
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ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
Easy Suduko
Hard Suduko
Fill in the grid so that each row, column and 3x3 box, contains the digits 1 through to 9 with no repetition. Use your logic to solve the puzzles. 80
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DRIFTWOOD JOINERY LTD Specialists in Bespoke Joinery
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Local News
A Day in the Life of Bedfordshire Archives Service Bedfordshire Archives & Records Service is the public archive service, or county record office, for Bedfordshire and the internal records management service for the three unitary local authorities of the county. The archive service deals with documents that have been selected to be kept permanently because of the important information they contain. The records management service deals with paper records created by the authorities that need to be kept for the moment to meet business or statutory requirements but that will be destroyed once that requirement ends. That may sound dull but our days are full of variety. It is Monday so the day begins with a short staff meeting so that: everyone has the chance to raise anything that may have an impact on the service, knows what is happening this week, and we can review any feedback and issues. Today we also give ourselves a pat on the back for completing the listing of over 5,000 sales particulars from the 19601990s that we received in December. Then duty staff prepare for today’s researchers – subjects include: Wrest Park paintings, religious houses after the dissolution, Ampthill workhouse, Stotfold schools and Luton airport logs. The rest of us scatter to get on with our tasks including: • Responding to a councillor about celebrating the 150th anniversary of stations on the Midland mainline. • Looking for things required by The Higgins museum for their forthcoming exhibition on Bedfordshire women. • Retrieving material from the Russell collection for the forthcoming display on Humphry Repton at Woburn Abbey. Conservation checking and
packaging it ready for collection by the Woburn Abbey curator. • Responding to the first of the day’s written enquiries – subjects range from: a request for work experience, through a 1930s Biggleswade bicycle theft, to the history of a house in Elstow. • Discovering that those sale particulars we listed have just the answer we need to help a couple about to buy a house. • Preparing for the family and local history workshops and talks being given in Central Bedfordshire libraries. • Authorising timesheets of temporary staff working on externally funded cataloguing projects – one for the collection of Bedfordshire wills 1536-1857, and one for Richardson & Houfe’s architects’ drawings from their Ampthill office, 1913-1978. • Ordering conservation supplies so that we can properly protect our holdings. • Speaking to the job centre about a possible new volunteer. • Adding the descriptions for 250 documents to the online catalogue - each document catalogued has to be: carefully handled, read, numbered, described and properly packaged. • Retrieving 49 documents for customers (and putting them away again) - each document has to be located within our five kilometres of shelving and we may have to climb a ladder to get the box from the shelf before finding the exact document within the box for delivery to the searchroom. On the records management side, there are: Freedom of Information requests and incoming records to process, sending out records required back by departments, authorising payment to our storage contractor… there’s never a dull moment.
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COUNTRY STOVES & SWEEPS STOVE/GAS FIRE INSTALLATION • Wood Burning/Multi Fuel Stove & Gas Fire Installation • Chimney Lining • Twin Wall Flue Systems • Free Survey & Quotation
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March’s Puzzle Solutions and Winners Last Month’s Crossword Winner Mrs Maureen Ratcliffe from Huntingdon Winner of the Blockheads Competition Glen Axford from Biggleswade
Winner of the Twelfth Day Competition Roger Dilley from Henlow
Easy
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W: www.i-glaze.co.uk 85
The Villager Prize Crossword
Prize
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Across 7 Buff up (6) 8 Equality (6) 9 Throw (4) 10 Used by trains (8) 11 Tangled (7) 13 Dizzy (5) 15 Frighten (5) 17 Laughed (7) 20 Fuel (8) 21 Applaud (4) 22 Light wind (6) 23 Hug (6)
Complete the crossword, fill in your details below, cut out this page and send to the address below before

16th April 2018 Prize Crossword, Villager Publications Ltd 24 Market Square, Potton, Beds SG19 2NP
Down 1 Pillar (6) 2 Cash register (4) 3 Agitated (7) 4 Ruin (5) 5 Fighting (8) 6 Remained (6) 12 Revenue (8) 14 Without sound (7) 16 Seats (6) 18 Authorise (6) 19 Repaired (5) 21 Surrender (4)
Name: Tel: Address:
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KEMP GARAGE DOORS SALES • INSTALLATION • REPAIRS • Family Run Business • 25 Years Experience • Up and Over • Sectional and Roller Doors www.kempgaragedoors.co.uk • Security Shutters
• Remote Control Door
SANDY • POTTON • All Major Brands
Supplied and Serviced
BIGGLESWADE • Call for a Free AND SURROUNDING AREAS
Quotation
• OAP Rates Available
01767 260165 Sandy
01480 210410 Eaton Socon To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122
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Local News
Photo by kind permission of Bedford B.I.D. “Love Bedford
John Bunyan Boat Team reveals their 2018 Cruise Programme Following their most successful season in 2017, the John Bunyan Boat Team have now published on their website their cruise programme for the 2018 season. The Public and Special Cruise favourites are included along with some new ones. This year’s public cruises launch on Saturday 7th April with an evening Fish and Chip Supper Cruise from Sovereigns Quay (next to Star Rowing Club, and close to Riverside Bedford,) The first monthly Jazz Cruise of the season sails from The Barns Hotel on Thursday 19th April along with a Motown-Soul Cruise with DJ Keith Stewart on a monthly basis commencing on 10th May. The Afternoon Tea Cruise to The Barns Hotel commences on Wednesday 2nd May and runs throughout the season. Our standard Sunday Afternoon Cruises sail from Priory Marina and Sovereigns Quay from 13th May with the Thursday Afternoon Cruise sailing from Sovereigns Quay from 14th June. The Saturday afternoon Tea Cruises with the Bedford Swan Hotel run from the Swan Steps (at the bottom of Newnham Road) from 2nd
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June whilst the Saturday Evening Sunset Cruises with the Bedford Swan Hotel runs from 26th May. The Anchor Lunch Cruise to The Anchor Inn, Great Barford with return by coach sails from Priory Marina, the first one being 20th June @ 10.00am. A new innovation is a Walkers Special run on Thursdays @ 1.30pm offering a one-way ride from Priory Marina to Sovereigns Quay (in the Town Centre) The passengers are then free to enjoy Bedford Town Centre with a walk back alongside the river to Priory Marina (visiting the cafes etc. on the way!) Another new cruise is “Folk On The Boat” run in association with Mill Race Folk and will feature various folk music artistes. The first of these is on Thursday 14th June from The Barns Hotel. Full details of the cruises, times, prices etc. can be found on our website www.johnbunyanboat.org
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Electrician
www.hertsandbedselectrical.co.uk
phe
proactive heating & environmental services
Do you find it difficult to get someone to come and do a small job? Fault finding/repairs Extra lights and sockets New fuse boards Rewires P.A.T testing Landlord inspections Qualified electrician Fully insured Reliable service Tidy work Free quote Satisfaction guaranteed
Call Nigel on: 01767 834024 / 07941295883
To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122
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Sureclean DOMESTIC & COMMERCIAL CARPET & UPHOLSTERY CLEANING
• Spot stain and odour removal • Anti-stain protection • Leather suites cleaned and reconditioned • Tile and grout cleaning • The very latest equipment used • All work guaranteed • Fully insured • Local company
01767 400127 or 07870 338074
Tel: 01767 261622 Mob: 07947 732883 Email: dialporter01@tiscali.co.uk
T&R Roofing Ltd
Family Business Est. 1985
• Felt Roofing Specialists (10 year & 15 year guarantee on high performance felts) • Tiling, Slating, Guttering • UPVC Facia/Soffits • Chimney Work
All NEW work guaranteed Fully insured for employer & Public Liability Call Tony Simpson for a FREE estimate on:
01767 314847 mob. 07831849847 90
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Books
Book Review By Kate Duggan Be Happy With a Book Whether you love curling up with a psychological thriller or prefer biographies, enjoy flicking through a cookbook or need business advice, we’ve got just the book to keep you and your e-reader happy.
Anything You Do Say by Gillian McAllister
A split second decision has lasting implications for the protagonist in this tense psychological thriller. Late at night, believing that she’s being followed, Joanna lashes out, pushing her pursuer down a set of concrete steps. Does she call an ambulance, or walk away? Both scenarios are then explored. Ingenious, original and fast-paced, this is perfect for fans of Gone Girl and Girl on a Train.
The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
• Wood Burning Stoves • Multi Fuel Stoves • Chimney Lining • Twin Wall Flue Systems • Installation and Supply • Fireplace Renovations • Stove Accessories • Trade sales welcome
It’s 1922, but the roaring twenties have yet to reach the quiet corner of London where Frances and her mother live. Frances has resigned herself to a life spent looking after the family home, but the arrival of lodgers Lilian and Leonard Barber reawakens her life, energy and passions. Paying Guests was published in 2014 and was named ‘Fiction Book of the Year’ by The Sunday Times, for good reason. A modern classic, it’s beautifully written, with believably flawed characters, plot twists and a building tension that’ll keep you reading ‘just one more chapter’ until late into the night.
SHOWROOM NOW OPEN
Monday & Wednesday to Saturday – 10am – 5pm Other Days/Out of hours by prior arrangement
Unit 2 Home Farm Court, The Street, Diddington, St Neots, PE19 5XT
info@cromwellstoves.co.uk 01480 812281
www.cromwellstoves.co.uk To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122
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Classifieds Accountants
Domestic Repairs
Domestic Appliance Repairs Washing Machines • Cookers Fridges • Vacs • Dryers
Bill Tangye
Beds Tel By or appointment only - 4 Stratford Road, Sandy, Mob 01767 650750Tel: 07711 07802 393331 257105
Builders
Domestic Repairs
“YOUNG’S BUILDERS”
JB Domestic
“YOUR LOCAL PROFESSIONAL MASTER BUILDERS” “QUALITY AND VALUE FROM START TO FINISH”
Guaranteed Repairs To: Washing Machines Tumble Dryers Electric Ovens/Cookers Dishwashers
Garage conversions from £5.9K
Extension - Sunrooms
Call 07811 985568 or 01767 261803 www.youngsbuilders.co.uk “Free quotes • Excellent references”
• Extensions & Sunrooms • Garage & Loft Conversions • Walls, Patios & Decking • General Building Work • Property Maintenance
Window Doctor
No Call Out Charge! Tel: 01767 680621 Mobile: 07778 891490
Electricians
Repairs to Windows, Doors & Conservatories • • • • • • •
Misty Units New Locks Draughty Windows Dropped Doors Broken Hinges/Handles Extra Security Installation of New Windows, Doors and Conservatories
Garden Specialist
25 Years Experience Contact Stewart Gyles on T: 0798 444 1638 or
01767 221 057
E: stewy_133@msn.com 92
Hillier Garden Services All general garden maintenance jobs undertaken Over 20 years experience For all your gardening needs call Steve
01767 699252 07901 985123
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Classifieds Handy Man
Plastering Services
Painting Services
Plumbing
M. Philmore (Phil) - General Plumber Now semi retired but still available for general plumbing. 57 Green Acres, Gamlingay, Beds. SG19 3LR Tel: 01767 650619 Mobile: 07870366414
Plumbing and Heating
Pet Services
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Private Car Hire
Pet Services
HOUSE/DOG SITTER CASSIE MARSDEN
Experienced mature reliable house/dog sitter. Leave your dogs happy and calm in their own homes while away. Lots of walks & cuddles. Tel: 01767261670 Mob: 07765116384 Email: cassie@simonmarsden.co.uk
To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122
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Classifieds Property Improvements
Riding School
Property Improvements by
A professional property maintenance service
Gary Hare Carpentry • Kitchens • Bedrooms Decorating • Flooring Bathrooms •Tiling • and more...
Tel: 01767 651821 Mob: 07773 973420
Sutton, Beds - SG19 2ND
Lessons, Hacks - Pony Club Centre Pre-school rides - £12 Schooling livery available 07875 192662 You can also find us on facebook
Roofing
Property Improvements
GB
MANOR FARM RIDING SCHOOL
GARY BERRIDGE Plasterer & General Maintenance Including UPVC Doors and Windows Tiling, Painting and Decorating Free Quotes
T: 01767 316485 M: 07582 485155 E: garyberridge@ymail.com
Tiling
Removals
MUSCLE & MOTOR Jumbo van with up to 3 men. Helpful, efficient and friendly service for all your moving, carrying, and domestic disposal needs, including house and garage clearance.
MARK CURRELL CERAMIC TILER
Call Richard on: 01767 317387 or 07968 787496 Email: muscleandmotor@gmail.com www.muscleandmotor.co.uk
All tiling undertaken Kitchens, Bathrooms and Conservatories Free Quotations • All Areas Covered Telephone: 01767 680081 / 07952 499002 Email: markcurrelltiling@masjcurrell.co.uk
Removals & Storage removals, storage, archive and shipping • House and office moves • Large and small vehicles • Local/long distance and overseas removals • Containerised storage • Extremely high quality customer service Call for a no obligation quotation
01767 313230
enquiries@stephensremovals.com
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From just £35.00 per month plus VAT
Call Nigel on 01767 261122 for more information
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VILLAGER
VILLAGER The
The
and Town
Issue 140 - April 2018
and Town
Life
LOCAL NEWS • LOCAL PEOPLE • LOCAL SERVICES • LOCAL CHARITIES • LOCAL PRODUCTS
In this issue Win tickets to
Harpenden Blues
Liberate your
Wardrobe
Life
Win £25
in our Prize Crossword
Bringing Local Business to Local People
in Biggleswade, Sandy, Potton, Gamlingay and all surrounding villages 16,000 copies delivered to over 30 towns and villages every month To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122
ur Yo EE FRco1py
Bringing Local Business to Local People
Your local full colour A5 monthly magazine delivered free of charge to 1000s of homes and businesses in your local area. The Villager and Town Life is dedicated to promoting local businesses, charities, community groups and everything else in your local area.
For more information or to reserve your space please contact Nigel on:
Tel: 01767 261122
Email: nigel@villagermag.com Web: www.villagermag.com
USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS Alcoholics Anonymous........................0845 769 7555 Anglian Water......................................08457 145 145 Bedford Hospital...................................01234 355122 Lister Hospital.......................................01438 314333 Addenbrooks Hospital..........................01223 245151 Benefits for people with Disabilities.....0800 882 200 Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue...............01234 351081 Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue..............01438 729041
Carers Line............................................0808 808 7777 ChildLine.....................................................0800 1111 Citizens Advice.....................................0844 245 1290 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
To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122
Gas Emergency......................................0800 111 999 NHS Direct...................................................0845 4647 National Rail Enquiries........................03457 48 49 50 Non Emergency Police Line................................... 101 NSPCC.................................................0808 800 50000 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
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BEAUTY ROOM NOW OPEN Special Offer for April Book a Hair and Beauty appointment for the same day and receive 10% off both treatments (Only valid Wed-Fri 9.30am-6pm)
Call us on
01767 682789
Opening Hours: Monday, Tuesday & Friday 9.30am - 6.00pm Wednesday & Thursday 9.30 - 9.00pm, Saturday 8.30 - 4.00pm www.friendsfivestarhairdressing.com facebook.com/friendshair
Friends Five Star Hairdressing 1 Market Square, Sandy, Beds SG19 1HT