Potton April 2020

VILLAGER The

Issue 164 - April 2020

and Town

Life

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

In this issue Easter Origins Understanding

Global Warming Win £25 in our Prize Crossword

Bringing Local Business to Local People Every Month in Biggleswade, Sandy, Potton, Gamlingay and all surrounding villages

ur Yo EE FRco1py

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Inside this issue...

Solutions4Gardens

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Easter Origins..................................................................................... 4 Understanding Global Warming......................................................... 8 Rechargeable Batteries.................................................................... 14 Fun Quiz........................................................................................... 16 Wine: Convenience Matters. The Next Chapter................................. 18 Namib Desert................................................................................... 20 Cambridge Gliding Centre................................................................ 23 Pun-tastic... why the British love corny one-liners........................... 25 Nick Coffer’s Weekend Recipe........................................................... 28 Bring the Gym to you....................................................................... 32 EAAA - Richard’s Story...................................................................... 34 Community Care Matters................................................................. 36 Easy Eco........................................................................................... 39 How to give your wardrobe a make over.......................................... 40 Self Help for Sore Throats................................................................. 42 Do you suffer from Hay Fever?.......................................................... 45 Autism Bedfordshire - Loads of Autistic Fun..................................... 47 National Stop Snoring Week............................................................. 48 How to save money when selling your home................................... 50 How to protect your property from fraud......................................... 53

Crisps!.............................................................................................. 55 Container-Grown Fruit..................................................................... 59 Rural Ramblings............................................................................... 60 Solutions4Gardens........................................................................... 62 Windswept Gardening..................................................................... 64 R.A.T.S. Rehoming Appeal................................................................ 66 Fostering Animals for the RSPCA...................................................... 68 Ask Alan - Potton Vets...................................................................... 70 Children’s Page................................................................................. 73 Easter - A Moveable Feast!............................................................... 74 Cars to look out for in 2020.............................................................. 76 Be Prepared.... but don’t panic!........................................................ 79 Ivel Sprinter..................................................................................... 80 It’s the age of ‘Age Tech’................................................................... 83 Philately will get you anywhere....................................................... 85 What’s On......................................................................................... 86 Room to Play.................................................................................... 88 Puzzle Page...................................................................................... 92 Don’t be an April Fool....................................................................... 97 Prize Crossword.....................................................................100 Keeping children safe online.......................................................... 102 Recycled Confusion........................................................................ 105 Book Review.................................................................................. 107

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Fostering Animals for the RSPCA

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, Nadia Houston, Tracey Anderson, Trevor Langley, Solange Hando, Kate McLelland, Nick Coffer, Kate Duggan, Jennie Billings, Dr Daisy Mae, Louise Addison, Ann Haldon, Leeds Day Solicitors, Rachael Leverton, Geoff Wharton, Pippa Greenwood, Potton Vets, Sarah Davey, Clare Becker and Katherine Sorrell

Publishers Villager Publications Ltd 24 Market Square, Potton, Bedfordshire SG19 2NP Tel: 01767 261122 nigel@villagermag.com www.villagermag.com

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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.

Front Cover Photography - Elena Schweitzer Design and Artwork - Design 9 Tel 07762 969460 • www.design9marketing.co.uk

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History

Easter Origins

By Catherine Rose

Or the reason why bunnies lay eggs

Easter is the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection but its annual tradition of a rabbit leaving chocolate eggs for children seems to be an idea out of the imagination of Lewis Carroll. So how did it come about?

Although eggs have featured symbolically in ceremonies throughout the world for hundreds of years, the tradition of eggs given at Easter seems to have been born in Europe as long ago as the twelfth century.

The Easter Bunny in particular is said to originate in Germany where it was the mystical hare, not a rabbit, who was the giver. This hare was mentioned as early as 1682 in George Franck von Frankenau’s German book About Easter Eggs. And near the turn of last century The Every Women’s Encyclopaedia wrote: “In Germany, it is the timid hare who is supposed to be responsible for the plentiful supply of brightly coloured Easter eggs so eagerly sought for by the children in all manner of hiding places. The hare, therefore, plays a very important part in German Easter observances, and representations of the gentle, long-eared little creature are immensely popular.”

Further afield, in the USA, Dutch immigrants to Pennsylvania in the eighteenth century were

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telling their children about Osterhase or the Easter Hare. By the time it was mentioned in the San Francisco Call, the hare had become a rabbit: “From Germany – rich in weird traditions – comes the quaint conceit that the week before Easter rabbits are endowed with the power to lay eggs.”

But why a hare originally? The hare was once a symbol of the sixteenth century German Lutheran Church because it was believed – perhaps due to its solitary nature – that it could reproduce itself without a mate and was therefore likened to the Virgin Birth.

There is another possibility that the idea of an Easter hare was born from the pagan worship of Eostre, the Saxon goddess of spring, who was said to have the altered shape of a hare.

The origin of the Easter egg is not certain. Some see it as a symbol of new birth and therefore the Resurrection. It can also be linked to the forty day Christian period of Lent, which represents Christ’s time in the wilderness, when people eat up their last eggs and flour as pancakes on Shrove Tuesday in preparation for the fasting that begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts until Easter.

During the Middle Ages eggs were forbidden to be eaten during Lent, which could also be why they

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became central to Easter celebrations. And there would have been plenty of them to use up as hens don’t stop laying because it’s Lent!

However, as spring is the time of new birth in nature generally, it is likely that the idea of giving decorated eggs at this time of year began as a pagan one.

The tradition of egg gifting has long existed throughout Europe but with different twists on the theme. For example, in Italy it was believed that angels would descend from heaven on Easter Sunday and bless the faithful with a basket of eggs, while in Switzerland Tyrolean musicians would go from house to house performing and receiving eggs as payment.

It has long been customary to serve painted or dyed hard-boiled eggs for breakfast on Easter morning. Early dyes would have been natural, made from bark, walnut shells, flowers and onion skins. The eggs were often wrapped in pieces of fabric or decorated with beeswax to provide a ‘resist’ and therefore leave a pattern on the eggshell (a bit like tie-dye).

The wealthy also gifted extravagant eggs to one another – gilded and decorated. At Easter in 1885, the Russian Tsar asked Fabergé to make one of his jewelled eggs to present to the Tsarina and there are examples of beautifully made and expensively decorated artificial eggs throughout history.

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So how did Easter eggs come to be made of chocolate? The Victorians popularised giving a decorated cardboard egg filled with sweets and chocolates at Easter. At the beginning of the twentieth century, chocolate manufacturers such as Fry’s and Cadbury began cashing in on the idea of marrying the two, the former having produced the first commercially available chocolate Easter egg in 1873.

The first eggs were solid but soon they were being manufactured to be hollow so that they could be filled with sweets or toys.

There does not seem to be much in the way of records that show how the Easter egg hunt began but as well as the traditional egg hunt, games with eggs such as egg rolling and egg tapping (a bit like conkers) also feature as community activities at Easter, even today.

And there is no doubt that they provide a lot of fun for children. Even Queen Victoria was partial to an Easter egg hunt, writing in her diary when she was fourteen: “Mama did some pretty painted and ornamented eggs, and we looked for them [in Kensington Palace gardens].” It was a tradition that she carried on with her own children, giving them moss baskets in which to collect the eggs.

There will be many hunts taking place either inside or out this Easter, thanks to the generosity of the Easter Bunny.

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Special Report

Understanding Global Warming

By Nadia Houston

The ten-year anniversary of the volcanic ash cloud is nothing to celebrate. All flights in and out of the UK and several other European countries were suspended while ash from a volcanic eruption in Iceland moved south. Up to 4,000 flights were cancelled with no flights allowed into UK airspace for days amid fears of engine damage. Lives were thrown upside down whilst the volcano continued to spew its ash and people waited with bated breath to see in what direction the wind blew.

Fast forward to this year’s disaster in the southern hemisphere where record-breaking temperatures and months of severe drought have fuelled a series of massive bushfires across Australia and burned their way through New South Wales and Victoria. Bush, forest and parks were decimated and people (including firefighters) lost their lives.

Here we have two situations which have consequences in terms of global warming. Cause or effect? Chicken or egg?

During major explosive eruptions, huge amounts of volcanic gas are injected into the stratosphere and greenhouse gases have the potential to promote global warming. It’s ironic that glaciers act like a protective layer and when the ice melts away from the top of a volcanic mountain, it is then free to erupt.

The Earth’s climate has changed throughout history and in the last 650,000 years there have been seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat, with the abrupt end of the last ice age about 11,700 years ago marking the beginning of human civilisation.

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The evidence is compelling, the current trend having particular significance because most of it is the result of human activity since the mid-20th century. Furthermore it is proceeding at a rate that is unprecedented, roughly ten times faster than the average rate of ice-age recovery.

Ancient evidence plus modern earth-orbiting satellites have enabled scientists to see the big picture on a global scale.

There were once six trillion trees on the planet, yet now there are only three trillion, leading not only to a changing climate but a shrinking habitat for wildlife and harder lives for billions of people.

Now, the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) is hoping to restore a trillion trees by 2050, to reverse these trends and create a world where forests are expanding, not shrinking.

It can be depressing to hear that glaciers are melting, seas are rising and many species are on the move, migrating to higher, cooler areas.

The good news is many of us have become informed. We are travelling responsibly, eating sustainably, reducing our waste, watching what we buy, donating, pledging and volunteering. Our efforts are important.

In the UK, we’re getting more energy than ever from renewable sources. Last year, for the first time since the industrial revolution, more energy was generated from zero-carbon electricity than from fossil fuels. And in summer, we went for more than two weeks without using coal to generate electricity at all – the longest period since 1882.

While there is still much to be done, it just shows what can be achieved.

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Batteries

By Tracey Anderson

Rechargeable Batteries Do you have a laptop and a smartphone? How about cordless power tools, or even an electric car? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then you will be dependent on rechargeable batteries. I was surprised to learn that rechargeables have been around since 1859! French physicist Gaston Plante developed the lead acid cell. This had a lead anode (the positive bit), a lead dioxide cathode (the negative bit) and a sulphuric acid electrolyte (the chemical connector). The Plante battery was actually the precursor to our modern-day car batteries.

Regular non-rechargeable batteries and rechargeables generate current in exactly the same way: through an electrochemical reaction involving the anode, cathode and electrolyte. In a rechargeable battery though the reaction is reversible. So, when electrical energy from an outside source is applied to the battery (i.e. it’s plugged into a charger), the negative-to-positive electron flow that occurs during battery use is reversed, and its charge is restored.

The most common rechargeable batteries on the market today are lithium-ion (Li-ion). Nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) and nickelcadmium (NiCd) batteries are also used.

Nickel-cadmium (NiCd) have been around a long time and are pretty rugged, so they are used where long service life, high discharge current and extreme temperatures are required. They allow very fast charging with

minimal stress so tend to be used in power tools, medical devices, and aviation.

Nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) were developed as a replacement for NiCd. They are used for medical instruments, hybrid cars and industrial applications. NiMH is also available in AA and AAA sized rechargeables for consumer use.

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are being used in applications that were previously served by lead and nickel-based batteries.

Li-ion batteries have a long life, hold a charge better, operate at higher voltages, and can be made smaller and lighter so they are very popular for phones and laptops etc. But Li-ion batteries

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are not currently available in popular standard sizes such as AAA, AA, C or D, and they’re considerably more expensive.

All rechargeable batteries (and the single use variety) contain metals such as cadmium, cobalt and lead that are harmful to the environmental if not disposed of properly. Hence when they reach the end of their life it’s better to keep them out of landfills because these metals can taint the surrounding air, topsoil and groundwater.

Remember, even rechargeable batteries will eventually die, though it may take hundreds of charges before that happens.

Make sure to dispose of them responsibly at a recycling facility.

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Jack & Jill 1. In the 1997 film Titanic, Jack wins a game of what to get him and his friend tickets to travel on the Titanic?

2. How is Mildred Hubble better known in a series of children’s books written and illustrated by Jill Murphy?

3. Who was shot dead by Jack Ruby live on television?

4. In which 1996 video game could you take control of Jill Valentine to fight against zombies?

5. How many people are depicted on artist Jack Vettriano’s painting The Singing Butler, reproductions of which made it the best-selling art print in the UK?

6. The 2011 film Jack And Jill won a record 10 awards at the Golden Raspberry Awards, including both Worst Actor and Worst Actress for which actor, who played both title roles?

7. In which film does the character of Jill Masterson die from skin asphyxiation?

8. In which US state is Jack Daniel’s whisky produced?

9. Which Oscar-winning actress played Rachel’s younger sister, Jill, in the TV show “Friends”?

10. Which three actors have played Jack Ryan in the four films based on books by Tom Clancy?

1. Poker 2. The Worst Witch 3. Lee Harvey Oswald 4. Resident Evil 5. Four (ouple dancing on a beach as a maid and butler hold umbrellas) 6. Adam Sandler 7. Goldfinger (her entire body is painted gold) 8. Tennessee 9. Reese Witherspoon 10. Alec Baldwin (The Hunt for Red October), Harrison Ford (Patriot Games and Clear And Present Danger) and Ben Affleck (The Sum Of All Fears)

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Food and Drink

Wine: Convenience Matters The Next Chapter

Various types and styles of wines are widely available in these modern times. Red, white, something in between, sparkling, dry, medium, sweet, are several of the choices to be considered, when selecting wine.

Also, organic, plus wines suitable for vegetarians and vegans are further available options.

Chile produces splendid wines and I found the Chilean Valle wines to be excellent. Valle De Casablanca Reserva Chardonnay is a white wine pleaser for many occasions. The climate of the Casablanca Valley has cooling breezes, to create perfect conditions for the growing of grapes. This Chardonnay flavour is fresh, with the mouthfeel and palate appreciating a good, balanced production. Pairs perfectly with salmon and other fish dishes, plus chicken and white meats.

Valle De Leyda Reserva Sauvignon Blanc is another white wine which is extremely popular. This is a bright, refreshing wine, tending towards floral in style and wonderful to accompany salads and seafood.

Staying with Valle De Leyda, Reserva Pinot Noir is very popular with red wine lovers. Juicy red fruits on the nose lead enticingly to the mouth’s pleasures, for this smooth, powerful production. Accompanies tuna fish and red meat dishes, particularly well.

Valle Del Maule Reserva Merlot is a further, often-selected, red wine. The Merlot grape produces exceptionally good wines, which are full and rich. Powerful and fabulous with numerous dishes, including casseroles and red meats.

Vine & Bloom offers Pinot Grigio (Italy) vegan wine. Described as ‘crisp and appley’ (agreed) I found this production refreshing and pleasantly light. An excellent white to accompany a lot of cuisine.

Vine & Bloom Merlot (Italy) vegan wine is described as ‘smooth and juicy’ (again, an accurate description, which I agree with).

Dark fruits, on the nose and mouthfeel, continue through to the palate’s sensation and enjoyment. A smooth and very popular red wine to pair with numerous dishes. Other vegan wine productions are available, too.

I located these wines at a Spar store. Founded during 1932, Spar now has shops in over 40 countries. Spar convenience stores stock numerous items, for everyday needs, including alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages to suit all tastes and palates. www.spar.co.uk/wine www.spar.co.uk

As always, Enjoy!

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ey Trevor Langl

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WHAT’S ON AT THE MILL Easter Holiday

EGGSTRAVAGANZA Kids Activity Trail

EASTER WEEKEND

2 COURSE SPRIN TIME SPECIALS G

18th - 25th April

19th - 23rd May

ENGLISH TOURISM one get one FREE WEEK Buy on Mill tours.

GARDEN TALKS

13th - 19th May

VEGETARIAN WEEK Celebrate all things veg with our delicious daily specials.

25th May - 7th June BRITISH TOMATO FORTNIGHT

Tomato plant offers in the Mill Shop and daily specials in the Riverside Cafe.

MAY HALF TERM

E FRIEND OITRYFO TRAIL

For full details of all our events please visit our website, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

KIDS ACTIV

Follow us on: /JORDANSMILL

Marking RHS Chelsea Flower Show, the best tips and advice from our head gardener. Special plant offers in the Mill Shop.

KEEPING OUR FOOD HERITAGE ALIVE @JORDANS.MILL

www.jordansmill.com Jordans Mill, Holme Mills, Southill Road, Broom, Nr Biggleswade SG18 9JY

Travel

Namib Desert

By Solange Hando

West of the Kalahari and the Great Escarpment, the Namib stretches 1,500 km along Namibia’s Atlantic coast and 80 to 160 km inland. This is the oldest desert in the world (some say over 55 million years old), an ‘open space’ that gave its name to Namibia. It’s nature in the raw, a mythical land claiming some of the highest dunes on the planet and laced with river beds, briefly flooded every five or six years but usually bone dry.

Hot and arid, it may seem a desolate place, yet about a hundred days a year the ocean fog drifts in, bringing life-giving moisture to a few acacia trees. Plants pop up here and there: spiky melon, dollar bush – so called for its shape – and the resilient mirabilis with just two very long leaves, which can live for over 2,000 years. Fauna includes small geckos and lizards, white ants found nowhere else on earth, rodents, a few springbok and the amazing desert elephants able to survive four to five days without water. Equally well-adapted is the beautiful Oryx gazelle, often wandering on its own with long straight horns silhouetted against sand and sky.

In the Namib-Naukluft National Park, the ‘Sea of Sand’ is a world heritage site and for nature lovers the most spectacular attraction, just beyond the dramatic canyon of Sesriem. The park opens in time for sunrise and as you start the 60 km drive across the legendary Sossusvlei area the desert takes your breath away, dazzling colours from

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orange and gold to red and pink, spooky shadows, blinding light and clumps of wild sage glowing luminous green. Crowds climb up the iconic Dune 45, seen on every postcard but close to the tarmac and a mere 170 metres high. Number 45 refers to the distance from the park’s entrance, but for real adventurers it all begins at the end of the road.

First it’s a 4x4 safari ride, 5 km or so bouncing on a track, then shuffling through the sand to the base of ‘Big Daddy’, the highest dune in the area beckoning at a whopping 325 metres. Ready to climb? Not easy as you crawl up the narrow ridge, no track, only footprints ahead of you, shifting precariously as you attempt to anchor your heels.

It’s blazing hot but the views are gorgeous all along the crest, even if you don’t get to the top. For without the slightest warning, a mighty sandstorm might arise, forcing you to slide down to safety as fast as you can on the steepest side. You land in the Deadvlei, a long-dried up marsh now a white clay pan, dotted with the skeletons of camelthorn trees, dead for hundreds of years, never decomposed but scorched by the sun.

Yet just as awesome are the mighty dunes rolling along the Skeleton Coast, scattered with shipwrecks and mostly inaccessible – though wonderful views can be enjoyed on a propeller flight, skimming right across the desert in a vast surreal landscape of ever-changing shapes and colours.

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RASOI of Sandy Tel: 01767 680807 Fine Indian Cuisine in stunning surroundings. Free delivery within 5 miles.

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PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS

HOSTED BY DARREN HARBAR

Swiss Garden Photography We are pleased to be running two photography training workshops in the stunning surroundings of the Shuttleworth Swiss Garden. £85.00 per person Available on two dates: Wednesday 20 May 2020 Thursday 20 August 2020

Aviation Photography

This workshop is hosted at the Shuttleworth Collection with its timeless grass airfield providing superb photographic opportunities. £175.00 per person

Available on two dates: Friday 5 June 2020 Friday 17 July 2020

Spitfire Photography

These workshops are themed around the Supermarine Spitfire Mk V (AR501), and you spend the entire day getting up close and personal to this historic airframe. £175.00 per person Available on two dates: Thursday 11 June 2020 Wednesday 5 August 2020

www.shuttleworth.org/photography-workshops Shuttleworth, Old Warden Aerodrome, Biggleswade, SG18 9EP

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01767 627970

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Local News

Cambridge Gliding Centre Cambridge Gliding Club (CGC) was first established in 1935. In previous years it has been based at what is now Cambridge Airport, Duxford airfield before moving to its current home at Gransden Lodge in 1991.

The Club also hosts the Cambridge University Gliding Club and it operates a motor glider for Hertfordshire Scouts and introduces many scouts to the sport of gliding.

The Club is run predominantly by its members which total over 160. In addition, the club runs a Cadet scheme which is open to children aged between 13 and 18, this totals 20 members. With the University membership of 35-45 this bring the total membership to nearly 230 members.

The club operates four two seat training gliders, four single seaters and there are about 70 privately owned gliders on site. Launching is by way of winch and aerotow. We also have a state of the art Simulator used as part of our training programme.

Membership of the club is open to the public and every year we host an Open Day to allow

the public to learn more about the sport, see our facilities including the gliders. There are opportunities to have an Introductory Flight.

Flights will be offered on a first come basis, please see website for conditions, office@camgliding.uk.

There will be club members available to talk about gliding, explaining the training, describing soaring flights and flying cross country. In the summer months it is quite common for our gliders to fly into Wales and back. Flights of over 750 kms have been flown from our site.

We look forward to seeing you on the 3 May.

Gransden Lodge Airfield, Longstowe Road, Little Gransden, Beds, SG19 3EB

OPEN DAY Sunday 3rd May 2020: 10:00–17:30

Discover the joy of gliding, introductory flights available on the day, try our state of the art simulator, refreshments available

For full details see

www.camgliding.uk

CambridgeGlidingCentre Contact the office online at office@camgliding.uk or on 01767 677077 to book an Introductory Lesson.

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Quirky Britain

By Kate McLelland

Pun-tastic… why the British love corny one-liners At last year’s Edinburgh Festival the prize for ‘Dave’s Funniest Joke of The Fringe’ was awarded to a Swedish comedian known as Olaf Falafel, who triumphed with his quip: “I keep randomly shouting out ‘Broccoli’ and ‘Cauliflower’ – I think I might have florets.”

Back in 2017 Chinese comedian Ken Cheng won the award for his gag: “I’m not a fan of the new pound coin, but then again, I hate all change.”

Turn back the clock even further to 2015 and the funniest joke award went to Darren Walsh for the simple but ingenious: “I just deleted all the German names off my phone. It’s Hans-free.”

Whether you love or loathe them, the jokes that have the biggest impact on British audiences are puns.

What is a pun?

A pun is a play on two or more words that sound the same (or almost the same) but have different meanings. In Britain we have a long and distinguished history of punning, with the first recorded use of the term dating back to 1643, but the practice of pun-making is even older than that.

The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle considered puns to be a kind of literary deception because they are open to different meanings.

Although this kind of comic wordplay is undoubtedly popular, puns are often considered to be a low form of humour. We talk about ‘terrible’ puns and ‘bad jokes’, as if puns are a cheap laugh, easily understood by an audience. The reality couldn’t be further from the truth, as brain studies reveal it requires a degree of mental gymnastics to appreciate a pun.

Getting to the punchline Humans organise their knowledge into memory structures known as schemas, so when we see, think or hear of something, the schema containing the relevant stored information is activated. When

we hear Darren Walsh’s joke about deleting German names from his phone, our immediate response is to create a mental picture of a mobile phone with the help of our phone-related schema. But Darren is also talking about German names, so we call on another schema to remember how these names sound.

It may take us a moment to process the difference between ‘Hans-free’ (a phone with no records of people with the name Hans) and ‘hands-free’ (a way of using a phone without having to hold it), but when we do, the surprising and unexpected juxtaposition between these two schemas makes us laugh.

Popular punsters Some of our best known comedians have built their careers on delivering carefully crafted puns.

Described as ‘The King of the One-liner’, Tim Vine’s jokes are legendary. Milton Jones is another high profile comedian who bases much of his comic material on puns. Speaking to The Scotsman newspaper in 2017, he claimed his successful style grew out of the “British tradition of nonsense.”

So next time you hear a pun, don’t groan: consider the comic genius it took to think it up and appreciate the steps your brain goes through to enjoy it. You might also consider how much the humble pun has contributed to British culture, from William Chaucer to today’s celebrated stand-up comedians.

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27

Food & Drink

Quick salmon miso ramen noodles with crunchy vegetables On my Weekend Kitchen show, I often take a microphone into my own kitchen and record myself making recipes at home. They are great ways of showing how you can make lovely home-cooked food in double-quick time. This lovely broth is a great example of that. It can be on the table in barely five minutes and just feels so healthy and good for you. I cheat with the store-bought ingredients, but that makes it all the easier to make.

Ingredients 1 litre vegetable stock (use a good quality cube, powder or pot) 2 tsp Miso paste Garlic and ginger stir-fry oil Chilli sauce (to taste) Japanese soy sauce 1 pack ready cooked noodles 2 x 150g salmon fillets, cut downwards into 1 cm thick squares 1 large leek, sliced 1 pack mange tout, or similar 1. Make up your stock and stir through the miso paste. Check it for taste – you can always add a little more if you like more of the salty, nutty taste that miso paste gives.

2.

Addafewdropsofchillisaucedependingon your taste and spice levels.

Serves 2 3. Keep the stock on a gentle simmer.

4. Prepare two deep large round bowls.

5. Give the noodles a quick blitz in the microwave to heat them and soften them a little. Share them between the two bowls.

6. Heat a pan on a high heat and pour in a good glug of the stir-fry oil. Flash fry the leeks and greens for a minute. They won’t need more as they’ll continue to cook in the broth.

7. Share the veg between the two bowls, on top of the noodles.

8. Add a little oil again and chuck in the salmon.

Cook the pieces quickly on both sides. Drizzle in some soy sauce so they take on a colour.

9. Again, share the salmon between the two bowls and fill each bowl with stock.

10. Serve immediately and enjoy.

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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Once we’ve arranged a free, no obligation visit to your home - at a time that’s convenient for you we will measure up your kitchen.

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31

Fitness

Don’t go to the Gym! Bring the Gym to you!

Every new health or cancer scare that doctors uncover seems to come with the standard, “…keep fit, lose weight and eat healthy foods to minimise the risk…” statement. We know it’s true but finding time to get to the gym is difficult when our lives are so busy.

So why not bring the gym to your home?

If you have an area that’s big enough for you to lie down in, with your arms stretched out to either side, with a few extra inches for good measure you’ve got enough space to do a workout at home. No matter what your initial fitness level, aims and budget are you can start to exercise in the comfort of your own home.

Basic Fitness - If you’re after basic fitness you can try a home HIIT session. All you need is a timer or smartphone app and a workout program - there are loads of videos on YouTube for every fitness level. HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training works on short bursts of exercise, up to about 1 minute, with rests of maybe 30 seconds in between. It gets your heart rate up and gives you a great workout in a very short space of time. Exercises range from simple marching on the spot, squats, and leg raises right through to advanced press-ups and handstands, but all doable in the space we mentioned earlier. An exercise mat might help for any lying-down exercises and a resistance band or small set of weights is a useful addition, but that’s about all you’ll need.

Three, twenty-minute sessions per week and you’ll really start to see some results. Do it in the morning before breakfast for maximum fatburning efficiency, and to set you up for the day.

Strength - Building your strength can also be done at home. Calisthenics is a form of training

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that uses your body weight instead of freestanding weights. Each exercise has a series of progressions from easy to very hard. Take the simple press up as an example. Start doing them whilst standing and leaning against a wall. As you move your feet further from the wall it gets harder.

Eventually you’ll be able to do a full press up on the ground. Then try positioning your hands closer to your waistline so you are leaning forwards as you press up - it’s getting harder now. Then try leaning so far forwards your feet leave the floor and you’re into a planche position - not for the faint hearted!

Other calisthenics exercises need some basic equipment. Dips will need a set of dip bars. Pull ups will need some pull up bars. But all of these are relatively cheap to purchase and take up minimal space when not in use.

What about exercise machines? If you’re starting out my advice is to avoid machines until you know what you like. You’ll probably only have enough space and cash for one, and they are not portable so once you’ve got it you’re stuck with it. Build up your basic fitness and strength first and then decide what you want to do. Once your body starts to show some results you might even be tempted to venture down to the gym to take advantage of a wider range of equipment!

Be sensible - Always be careful with your body.

Seek professional advice before starting any exercise regime. Make sure you’re working safely and within your capabilities. Start easy and work up to the harder progressions. If you have any signs of pain or discomfort, STOP! Rest, recover and assess the situation.

Above all have fun getting fit and staying healthy.

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33

Local News

Richard’s Story The East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) treats almost 2,000 patients a year. In 2018, Richard Woolmer, a young car enthusiast from north Bedfordshire, needed urgent critical care when he suddenly became very unwell.

Richard had been at his local climbing centre when he starting to struggle, felt extremely cold and noticed his joints were aching to the point he had to stop. He started shivering and went home and collapsed in bed, thinking it was the flu. A few hours later his dad went to check on him and found Richard was completely unresponsive.

Richard’s dad called 111 and an ambulance was immediately dispatched. The first responder recorded Richard’s temperature at 42 degrees C. Richard was seriously ill. An additional ambulance was dispatched and the paramedics managed to bring his temperature down slightly, however Richard then became agitated and uncooperative.

He refused to get into the ambulance. The only way to get Richard into a hospital quickly was if a doctor sedated him.

With the situation quickly escalating, the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) was dispatched from Cambridge. Pilots Matt Sandbach and Elliot Haines landed the Anglia Two helicopter in the field next to the family’s car restoration business. Dr Sarah Hazelman and Critical Care Paramedic Neil Flowers immediately recognised that Richard was suffering from some sort of brain injury. They administered antibiotics and an anaesthetic and escorted Richard to Bedford Hospital by road ambulance. His condition was too unstable to be taken by air.

Richard was admitted to the intensive care unit and quickly underwent a CT scan, so that doctors could see what was going on inside, and a lumbar puncture. These tests confirmed that he was

34

suffering from the most severe form of bacterial meningitis.

Without treatment, bacterial meningitis can cause vision, hearing and memory loss, seizures, sepsis, and even death.

Richard needed the highest level of critical care to fight the infection.

Luckily, Richard responded very well to the treatment and was allowed home a week later, once he could prove that he could walk and feed himself.

Initially, he was too weak to even hold a spoon and standing up was incredibly painful, but, with characteristic determination, he soon went home.

It took six months before Richard felt fully recovered.

The near-death experience made him reassess the important things in life and he proposed to Amy a few months later; with an Austin A30 rather than the traditional engagement ring.

Richard has now returned to his beloved racing and both he and Amy believe that the intervention of the EAAA team - in particular the antibiotics Dr Sarah Hazelman administered on scene - made a huge contribution to his very positive outcome. They are both very grateful to EAAA. To read about more patients EAAA have helped with your vital support, go to www.eaaa.org.uk/stories

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Local News

Community Care Matters (Gamlingay) This unique independent service for FAMILIES, in our community, and CARERS, wishing to become self-employed, covers Gamlingay and surrounding towns and villages. The voluntarily run, socially aware company works with a ‘not for profit’ structure in the interest of the community and has been recognised with a County Council grant.

I began this initiative because it was very difficult to find suitable care for my mother to live in her own home. I wanted self-employed carers to provide continuity of care with time for empathetic, quality care and to be assured carers were well remunerated for their valuable services.

After much heartache, but with determination and resilience, I have a magnificent team of dedicated, compassionate and professional selfemployed carers. Now I want to put my experiences to good use.

Our objectives are to: 1) ASSIST CARERS TO BECOME SELF-EMPLOYED - by providing suitable advice we have encouraged highly experienced and dedicated carers to ‘take that next step’ toward • Higher earnings • Control over their work schedule • Time with clients to provide a professional service 2) INTRODUCE FAMILIES TO CARERS IN THEIR COMMUNITY - when a loved one needs support we can • Take some of the stress out of the process at a difficult time • Make it easy to find a choice of professional, experienced Carers • Ensure that the cost is reasonable • Assure you of continuity of care Email: communitycarematters@mail.com OR Phone: 07308646613 for more information

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When the time comes, and you need to look into nursing care for a friend or relative, come and see us at the Park House Nursing Care Centre in Sandy.

With our team of dedicated carers and support staff, we provide specialised 24 hour care to adults of all ages in a homely and friendly atmosphere.

Some of the people in our community may be living with dementia, whilst others may have complex care needs requiring the intervention of our qualified nurses.

And we place a great value on socialising, with a varied programme of activities.

You’ll find visiting very easy with parking on site and a warm welcome from our staff.

Come and see what we are about. You are welcome any time.

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Beauty

By Kate Duggan

Easy Eco

There are plenty of planet-friendly beauty brands to choose from these days, but that certainly wasn’t the case when Weleda launched back in 1921. The brand’s original focus on helping the body to heal itself with plants still holds true today. Ethics are firmly embedded throughout the company. Growers receive a fair wage, all products are at least vegetarian and Weleda’s buildings are powered with renewable energy. Weleda also believes in giving back so supports a range of initiatives, from wellness retreats for cancer patients to wildflower planting schemes. Hero products include its multi-award winning Skin Food and the gorgeously scented Wild Rose range.

See www.weleda.co.uk.

British brand Neal’s Yard Remedies (www. nealsyardremedies.com) has been making and selling sustainable skin and hair care products for almost forty years. Ingredients are organic where possible and all are sustainably sourced. Its factory runs on renewable energy, including from its own solar panels. The company helped to get plastic microbeads banned from cosmetic products. It’s funded the protection of more than one million square metres of tropical forests and the Bee Lovely range raises money for bee-friendly charities. The brand is aiming to have protected fifty million bees by the end of this year.

Eco-cleaning brand Splosh also sells hand wash and shower gel. You get bottles with your first order and refill pouches from then on. The refills are super-concentrated – you pour a small

Trying to do your bit for the planet?

Switching to eco-friendly toiletries is an easy place to start…

amount of the gel into an empty bottle and top it up with water. Once you have eight empty pouches, you can post them back to Splosh for free to be recycled. It’s a great way to save plastic if you prefer liquid wash to bars of soap. As well as saving plastic, you’ll also save money as the refills work out a good bit cheaper than leading eco brands.

(They also perform a lot better in my opinion.)

All Splosh products are cruelty-free, vegan-friendly and designed to be gentle to the environment.

See www.splosh.com.

Green People (www.greenpeople.co.uk) mainly uses organic ingredients, has never tested on animals and will plant a tree for every order over £40 in 2020. All packaging can be recycled, but the company is planning to move all of its products to renewable sugar cane packaging over the next couple of years. The brand donates 10% of its net profit to charity; previous recipients include the Marine Conservation Society and a children’s hospice. Try the award-winning Vita Min Fix 24 Hour Cream, which is packed with nourishing plant and seed oils that your skin will lap up.

One of the easiest ways to buy sustainable toiletries and cosmetics is to head to a shop or website that specialises in them. Holland and Barratt is a good choice if you want a high street shopping experience, or try www.lovelula.com, www.biggreensmile.co.uk, www.naturisimo.com or www.ethicalsuperstore.com.

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39

House of Colour

How to give your wardrobe a make over and a spring clean Is your wardrobe a mess? Lose things? Wear the same things repeatedly because you can’t see what’s there? Spring is the perfect time to have a serious wardrobe sort out and clear out. It has also never been more important to be environmentally conscious about fast fashion and how to take care of our clothes.

1. Know your colours and styles – Ok I would say this but by knowing your seasonal colour palette, what colours truly suit you, and then the styles that work with your body architecture and personality, all of your clothes should work well with each other. It is a waste of money and bad for the environment to have a wardrobe full of colours and styles that you never wear because they feel wrong somehow.

2. Have a clear out, before you go shopping for something new. This means embracing a mindset which appreciates the clothes you already have and only buying key pieces that are missing. Do you already have 19 pairs of navy trousers? Think about making your wardrobe feel inviting and organised, not troubled and cluttered! If you haven’t worn something for a year, rehome or recycle. Be ruthless so you can see what you already have and what you love so you can wear it.

3. Create a capsule wardrobe. This doesn’t mean having only ten items of clothing on rotation.

It means being conscious of every purchase you make and having clothes that coordinate well and can be worn with different separates for different occasions, rather than a top only working with one pair of trousers and only seeing the light of day once a year.

4. Only buy clothes that you really need or you can’t live without. If you need it, AND love it, it makes you feel incredible and you can re-wear it to make a satisfactory cost per wear then buy it! Also only buy it in the sale if you would have bought it at its original price because you love it that much!

5. Get Organised. Store coats in a separate area as they can be bulky and heavy. Use specialist hangers for belts, ties and scarves and recycle any you aren’t going to wear or if you have too many similar ones. If you have room keep similar coloured or type of shoes together so you can make quick choices. Keep dust-bags in special handbags in particular so they keep their shape.

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6. Host a swap party. Organise a party with your friends to swap clothes, scarves and necklaces that you just don’t wear for whatever reason.

Make sure the heating is turned up so people are comfortable to try clothes on, have some delicious bites to eat and some chilled wine and hopefully you too will enjoy picking up a few new pieces for free.

7. Find a tailor! So the colour is right, and the fit seems right but for some reason you never wear that pair of trousers or that dress. Sometimes a piece may just need a small alteration to make them perfect for you such as the length of a hemline, sleeve or neckline. It really can make all the difference and give a lease of life to something you always wanted to wear.

8. Dye clothes and shoes. Dyeing shoes is much easier than it might seem. Canvas and silk type shoes dye particularly well but search online to see if those brown boots can actually be made into lizard grey or whatever suits your colour palette. Just make sure they are as clean as possible before you dye them, so you don’t dye any obvious stains or marks.

9. Buy matching, wooden hangers so your clothes hang evenly, and it will be easier to move around and therefore see what you have.

Hang your trousers full-length from the hem if you have the vertical space using hanger clamps. Keep knitwear folded on shelves, never hang on hangers to avoid the horrible little stretched shoulders they can create.

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

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41

Health

By Dr Daisy Mae, Freelance Health Writer https://healthcarewriterdr.com/

Self Help for Sore Throats We all know that dreaded feeling: you wake up with such a painful throat that it feels like you are swallowing sandpaper. Do you need to see a doctor? Do you need to stay off work? Should you take an antibiotic?

What causes a sore throat?

In adults and in children aged under 5, around 95% of sore throats are caused by viruses.

There are also non-infectious causes of a sore throat; smoking, the effects of passive smoking, snoring, shouting and use of some medicines, such as steroid inhalers.

Two types of sore throat Have a look in the mirror.

- Pharyngitis - Your throat will be generally red and inflamed.

- Tonsillitis - Your tonsils will be swollen and red, covered with a tonsillar fluid, and may contain spots of pus.

The tonsils are two pads of lymphoid tissue, like two pillars, one on either side, at the back of your throat. You can survive without your tonsils, but most experts agree it’s best not to remove them.

Self–care for your sore throat Both pharyngitis and tonsillitis are likely to resolve within 3-4 days but there is plenty you can do to ease your symptoms.

1. Rest is often enough. If you feel you will not be productive at work and may infect other work colleagues, it’s really best to stay away.

2. Drink plenty of fluids.

3. Take paracetamol regularly to help reduce your temperature. Take ibuprofen (provided you haven’t been advised not to) as this will help reduce the pain.

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4. Other treatments such as throat sprays, lozenges and antiseptic mouthwashes may be helpful.

5. Try gargling with saltwater.

6. Try not to smoke – this will make your symptoms worse.

When to see a doctor See the doctor if your symptoms last more than four days, are worsening, if you can’t eat or drink, or if you have large, pus-covered tonsils.

When do you need an antibiotic?

In both pharyngitis and tonsillitis, your throat will hurt and you may have symptoms such as tiredness, fever and difficulty swallowing. A sore throat may also be a symptom of a cold, or an attack of influenza. General symptoms like these will not respond to an antibiotic.

People with tonsillitis tend to be more unwell, with a high fever (temperature of over 38°C), and general malaise. Other symptoms may include a cough, a hoarse voice, sore glands in the neck and bad breath.

Should you have your tonsils removed?

The NHS is concerned that too many children are having unnecessary tonsillectomies. This refusal to operate can be very frustrating for parents whose children are repeatedly ill. However, tonsillectomy carries risks, children do tend to ‘grow out of it’ and there is some evidence that children who have their tonsils out may have an increased risk of asthma and other respiratory problems in later life.

Nevertheless repeated bouts of tonsillitis, particularly in adults, may lead to a recommendation of a tonsillectomy.

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Local News

Do you suffer from Hay Fever?

Hay Fever is an allergic reaction to pollen which affects up to one in five people.

If you suffer from Hay Fever, you know what to expect as the pollen count increases: sneezing, a runny nose and itchy eyes. Many people find they have increased fatigue with Hay Fever.

Hay Fever Treatment There is no current cure for Hay Fever, although symptoms generally improve which age. 10% - 20% of people find that their symptoms completely disappear over time.

In America, Dr Elena Eustache is successfully treating hay fever with Oxygen Therapy. “At the Eustache Institute, we feel it’s important to raise awareness about hyperbaric oxygen treatment for those who have been diagnosed with Hay Fever because it’s the perfect treatment to help relieve symptoms associated with this particular allergy,” says Dr. Eustache.

Oxygen Treatment involves breathing in pure oxygen through a mask under pressure. Many people find that Oxygen Therapy helps them with: • Reduced pain • Increased energy • Faster healing • Decreased inflammation Good news! If you would like to try Oxygen Treatment for your Hay Fever symptoms, you don’t need to travel to America! The Herts MS Therapy Centre is conveniently located Letchworth and welcomes anyone with any long term condition or serious health challenge.

Free Session of Oxygen Therapy Hay Fever sufferers are welcome to try a test session of Oxygen Therapy for free.

For more details or to book your appointment, please contact Claire on 01462 684 214 or email hayfever@hmstc.net.

01462 684 214

Would you like more energy and less pain?

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Local News

Autism Bedfordshire Loads of Autistic Fun Autism Bedfordshire is an independent charity providing support for autistic individuals their parents/carers, families and associated professionals.

Our family group, Loads of Autistic Fun (L.O.A.F), is a Saturday morning activity group which the whole family can attend. It runs fortnightly during term time at Ivel Valley School in Biggleswade and provides a place where autistic children and their families can feel comfortable, accepted and valued. It is a calm, supportive environment that enables the children to feel safe and join in with all kinds of activities including arts and crafts, games, soft play, outside climbing equipment and sensory fun. LOAF allows autistic children time to relax, have fun and ‘be themselves’ with people who understand their complex needs and anxieties.

Parents at the group have commented: “I no longer feel isolated, stuck in my own home. My son smiles as he gets closer to the venue and really loves the time with his 1-1 carer.”

“It’s great to meet other parents that “get it” and share advice and tips.”

“The confidence he has is amazing and it is all down to this group, it is a lifeline.”

“Our son has attended for 8 years and the benefits to him in regards to social progress have been enormous.”

“I really enjoy coming here and seeing everyone.”

“With LOAF group he loves that he is accepted for who he is.”

Autism Bedfordshire are currently recruiting for new paid and voluntary roles at our Biggleswade group.

This is an ideal opportunity to gain valuable experience of supporting and helping autistic children whilst making a real difference to families’ lives.

The roles are part-time on alternate Saturday morning s during term-time. Hourly rates for paid positions (including holiday pay) is £8.62 – £9.20 per hour depending on age and experience.

If you are interested in joining the LOAF team or would like to find out more about Autism Bedfordshire services then please call 01234 214871 or email: recruitment@autismbeds.org or visit www.autismbedfordshire.net to download an application pack.

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Snoring

By Louise Addison

Snoring!

April 20th marks the start of National Stop Snoring Week Snoring is the distinctive sound made by vibrations of the soft palate and other tissue in the mouth, nose and throat. It is caused by turbulence which occurs due to a partial blockage that may be located anywhere from the tip of the nose to the vocal cords.

During waking hours muscle tone keeps the airway in good shape. When we sleep our throat muscles relax and this decrease in tone can cause airways to narrow and vibrate.

Though it can certainly feel like your partner is doing it to annoy you, no-one snores deliberately, and unfortunately it can’t be cured. But it can be controlled. The key to control is to find out the cause of your particular snoring. Snoring can be related to the tongue, nose, mouth, or it can be multi-factorial.

Historically it was considered to be a male problem, but it actually affects males to females in the ratio of 2:1. Women tend to under-report and fail to seek help due to embarrassment because even in the 21st century it’s considered ‘unladylike’ to snore! The risk factors for snoring are similar in women to men: being overweight, smoking, and alcohol are common factors, but women also snore more following the menopause and it’s one of the symptoms of hypothyroidism.

Snoring is often considered a joke, but it can have a devastating effect on people. Sleep deprivation (both the snorer and their partner) is physically and mentally debilitating and can lead to illness as well as relationship breakdown.

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Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is a particularly dangerous side-effect of snoring, defined as the cessation of airflow during sleep, preventing air from entering the lungs caused by an obstruction.

It is considered clinically significant if a person stops breathing for more than 10 seconds each time and if occurs more than 5 times every hour. OSA only happens during sleep. When you experience an episode of apnoea during sleep your brain will automatically wake you up, usually with a very loud snore or snort, in order to breathe again. People with OSA can experience wakening episodes many times during the night and consequently feel very sleepy during the day.

If you are excessively sleepy during the day and feel irritable or restless, you may be suffering from OSA. Your partner may point out that your snoring is loud, often interrupted by pauses and gasps. You might fall asleep at work, whilst driving, or during conversations. You might be forgetful and irritable and suffer with morning headaches. Not everyone who has these symptoms will have sleep apnoea but if you suffer with them a lot, you should seek advice from a medical professional.

The British Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Association (BSSAA) has a very helpful website packed with advice and useful questionnaires and information about all aspects of snoring. They even sell approved anti-snoring devices.

The web address is britishsnoring.co.uk Here’s to a peaceful night’s sleep!

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David Diep HCPC Registered Podiatrist

The Biggleswade Podiatry and Chiropody Clinic provides treatments for all conditions of the lower limb. We are fully equipped to help with any problem which is presented in the clinic.

We offer professional advice and provide specialist treatment for a wide range of common foot problems such as: • • • • • • • • •

Diabetic assessments Biomechanical assessments Sports injuries of the lower limb Custom made Orthotics Verrucas and warts In-growing toe nails surgery Fungal infections of skin and nail Corns and calluses Nail cutting service

Email: info@biggleswadepodiatry.com www.biggleswadepodiatry.com

2, Shortmead Street, Biggleswade, SG18 0AP

Call 01438 318988 for all bookings

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Finance

How to save money when selling your home Selling your home can sometimes entail eyewatering costs that considerably reduce any profit you make from the sale, but saving money throughout the process is possible if you’re prepared and understand the various fee systems involved.

So what fees might you face in your efforts to move up or down the property ladder and how can you save money at each step?

Estate agency fees How do estate agency fees work?

Estate agency fees are typically expressed as a percentage of the final selling price, and this fee is known as commission. ‘No sale, no fee’ is a common method used by ‘traditional’ estate agents to charge commission, whereas online agencies typically charge their fees upfront or by way of a deferred credit agreement.

How to save money on estate agency fees • Negotiate Fee negotiations don’t just have to be downwards, although this is always a good first option. They can also be creative in the sense that they increase the agent’s motivation to achieve a sale.

• Don’t use an agency You can save thousands of pounds if you don’t use an estate agency, but you also need to factor in the time and effort needed to sell your own home Legal fees How do legal fees work?

In a similar way to estate agents, some solicitors and conveyancers base their fees on your home’s value. Others use a fixed fee structure that

provides more certainty to both parties.

The final cost in legal fees when selling your home will depend on the complexity of the transaction.

How to save money on legal fees • Obtain several quotes Shop around for a few quotes or approach those referred to you by trusted friends.

• Buying and selling?

If you’re both buying and selling a property, you can save money on legal fees by using the same solicitor for both transactions.

Removal fees How do removal fees work?

There are many factors that determine a removal firm’s fees, including whether or not you pack your boxes yourself, how many belongings you need to move, the proximity of your moving date and the distance to your new home.

How to save money on removal fees • Book well ahead of moving day You could secure a significant discount by booking a removal firm well in advance of your move, and don’t forget to negotiate them down if appropriate.

• Move yourself If you don’t have many belongings to move, you could hire a van and move yourself. You’ll need to factor in the cost of hiring the van, the fuel needed to travel to and from the properties (potentially several times), insurance for ‘goods in transit’ and the packaging materials.

Planning ahead is key to saving money when selling your home. It’s definitely possible to secure some good deals with removal firms if you approach them early, and if you shop around and negotiate you can even save money with the estate agent and solicitor.

By Ann Haldon

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A FREE WILL for Homeowners Protect your home and legacy for your children • • • • • •

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Prevent the courts from making your financial and healthcare decisions.

If you already have a Will … Is it up to date?

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Leeds Day Solicitors

How to protect your property from fraud Property fraud is on the increase, particularly for empty properties. There are, however, a number of steps that the prudent owner can take to minimise the risk of fraudsters selling or taking out a mortgage against their property. In most cases the safeguards are quick and easy. If your property is not registered then you are more vulnerable to property fraud. The steps outlined below all presuppose that your property is registered. When a property is registered, a victim of fraud who suffers financial loss may be entitled to receive compensation from Land Registry. Applying for voluntary registration of your property makes it easier to buy and sell your property, provides proof of ownership and allows you to use one or more of the options below to protect your property from fraud.

• Check that Land Registry have your current address If you move house the Land Registry will not automatically update the address they have for you, which could mean that they try to contact you at an outdated address. You can update your address using Form COA1.

• Register for the Property Alert Service The Land Registry provides a free property alert service which will automatically email users each time there is any activity or an application is made against one of their properties. There is nothing visible on the register of title, which means that a fraudster or their solicitors will be unaware that you are signed up to the service. You receive an email from the Land

Our offices: Huntingdon Godwin House, George Street, Huntingdon, PE29 3BD T: 01480 454301

Registry advising of any application affecting the property and who made it. If you have not authorised the activity you can contact the Land Registry property fraud line who will investigate further.

• Register a Form RQ restriction against the property This restriction can be entered on the title by the registered owner of a property which they do not live in. It prevents an application being registered by Land Registry until the seller’s conveyancer provides a certificate to say that they are satisfied that the person who executed the transfer document is the same person as the registered proprietor. Entering a Form RQ restriction is free for both individuals and companies.

• Register a Form Q restriction against the property This restriction applies where two or more parties jointly own a property as tenants in common. It prevents a surviving owner from selling the property without the consent of the deceased’s personal representatives.

Protects against possible fraudulent conduct of a co-owner and provides protection against fraudsters assuming the identity of the surviving co-owner in order to sell or remortgage the property.

Implementing one or more of the steps above will make it more difficult for fraudsters to sell or mortgage your property.

For further advice on any of the above, please contact Leeds Day on 0844 567 2222 by email at Claire.clark@leedsday. co.uk or visit our website www.leedsday.co.uk

St. Ives 11 Station Road, St. Ives, Cambridgeshire PE27 5BH T: 01480 464600

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St. Neots Xenus House, Sandpiper Court, Eaton Socon, St. Neots PE19 8EP T: 01480 474661 53

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Crisps!

Food & Drink

By Tracey Anderson

Who doesn’t love a bag of crisps? They are so moreish you can never eat just one. They were reportedly invented by a chef named George Crum who created them in 1853 at Moon’s Lake House near Saratoga Springs, New York. Legend has it that a customer kept sending his fried potatoes back to the kitchen, complaining that they were soggy, and not crunchy enough. Fed up with the constant griping Crum sliced the potatoes as thin as possible, fried them in hot fat, then doused them with salt. The customer loved them and “Saratoga Chips” were born! They quickly became a popular item at the lodge and throughout the whole of New England.

The crisps (or chips as they are called in the US) began to be mass-produced for home consumption. Originally, they were sold in barrels or tins, and quickly went stale. In the 1920s, Laura Scudder invented the airtight bag by ironing together two pieces of waxed paper, thus keeping the crisps fresh longer. Today, they are packaged in plastic or foil bags and come in a variety of flavours though ready salted and salt and vinegar remain the most popular.

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J.R. Bibby Turf Supplies Quality Turf with a Quality Service

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Garden View

By Rachael Leverton

Container-Grown Fruit April is the perfect month for planting containergrown fruit trees and bushes.

Even if your garden space is limited you can still grow fruit trees and bushes. You can even grow them in containers on a balcony.

The trick is to read the label. Look for dwarf varieties that won’t grow too large for your pot or garden. It’s a good idea to buy self-fertile plants too, especially if you don’t live in an area where lots of people grow their own fruit.

Even on a small plot buy the biggest pot you can fit into the available space. Bigger pots hold more compost, so they contain more food, more water and more space for strong root growth.

Make sure the pot has drainage holes and cover the base with drainage material. Handy hint – if wind is a problem on your site use heavy material like broken crockery or stones to add weight, whereas if you will need to be able to move the pot easily use polystyrene chunks, which are very lightweight.

Fill the container with a loam-based potting compost. Remove the tree or shrub from its original pot, spread the roots a little and plant it in the new container to the same depth. Water the compost well initially and then whenever the surface is dry.

If you want to plant your fruit tree in the garden dig a hole as deep as the root system, and about three times the width. Place the plant into the hole and refill it. Then firming the soil with your foot. If the tree is in an exposed area you might need to stake it.

Fruit is very easy to grow, and there are a huge variety of fruit trees or bushes to suit every garden size and aspect, so you’re bound to find the perfect plant for your space.

Try: Dwarf apple trees, which provide interest all year round as well as fruit in the autumn.

Any of the currants. Blackcurrants are particularly nice. They are low maintenance and great in jams and pies. They like a sunny spot and plenty of water.

Raspberries are lovely. They fruit in summer and like a sheltered sunny spot. You buy raspberry canes rather than bushes. Look for a thorn-free variety.

Blueberries grow really well and are great for growing in a container because they like acid soil and in a container, this is easy to provide. Look for ericaceous compost which you should keep moist because like most soft fruits they are quite thirsty plants. Collect rainwater for the purpose as blueberries are not keen on tap water.

I like to grow strawberries in large hanging baskets to make the most of the space. They are easy to grow this way but make sure you keep them well fed with a high potash fertiliser as nutrients leach away from hanging baskets very easily.

I protect all my container-grown soft fruit with netting my garden birds tend to view my patio display as a rolling all-season buffet laid on especially for their benefit.

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Happy Gardening!

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Gardening & Wildlife

Rural Ramblings Choices

By Geoff Wharton

Described as being the fastest growing conifer in the British Isles, the tallest one presently being 40 metres high, striking fear into many a garden owner, it was once one of the biggest selling items in garden centres for use as a hedging plant which would provide rapid screening. However, this rapid growth was also to be it’s eventual weakness because the trees needed regular cutting back and trimming to discourage rampant growth and keep hedges dense and to avoid dead areas due to cutting into dead branches. It will not grow back once the inside has started to die back due to lack of light and then it is too late. These days many people avoid Leylandii and prefer slower growing alternatives such as yew.

The tree is properly called Cupressocyparis x leylandii and because it is a hybrid by crossing two other conifer species, this explains the extra fast growth. It is fine if planted as a specimen tree in a large estate, but as a general garden tree, most people agree that it is far from suitable, as apart from the excessive growth rate, it’s dense foliage will restrict light for anything trying to grow below.

There is little which will naturally restrict it’s growth apart from falling over due to the shallow root system, not exactly helpful in a garden setting!

The comparison between the problems caused by this arboricultual example and the latest dilemma facing the government related to the developmental pressures with Heathrow

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airport seem to me to be relevant.

Here we have a conflict of interest between those who suggest that a third runway will provide economic benefit for the UK and therefore expansion of the airport should be adopted. Others however have a different view maintaining that expansion and growth, especially in air travel, cannot continue as before due to high carbon emissions from burning fuel. It will be interesting to see if the acceptance of the concept of limiting growth and changing behaviour patterns are sufficiently well established to result in physically controlling expansion. Perhaps the tipping point has now been reached. Who knows?

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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SOLUTIONS4GARDENS Last month, landscaping experts Solutions4Gardens gave us an insight into some of the new products that are spearheading contemporary garden design. This month, we look at the latest in decking with the manufacturer and supplier the company swears by.

As an alternative to wood, composite decking has many advantages and one of the best manufacturers of it is Trex. Now, to add to its ever-expanding professional endorsements, Solutions4Gardens has recently become a Trex Pro, that is an accredited installer for Trex’s wide range of decking products.

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Solutions4Gardens has long been an advocate of Trex.

“It doesn’t fade, is very hard wearing and is totally non-porous and non-slip” says Mark Woodman, Solutions4Gardens’ director, designer and chief labourer. “It’s manufactured from recycled material and is an increasingly popular premium product that will last a lifetime.”

It’s also very stylish - in keeping with contemporary spaces - and will retain its good looks with virtually no maintenance.

“Although the initial cost of a Trex deck is higher than a wooden deck, a lot of that investment is reclaimed over the life of the deck in reduced time and expense spent on maintenance” explains Mark. “Trex does not need pressure washing or staining, and it does not become slippery in the wet and in winter.”

With the Transcend range of decking, fixings can be completely hidden using colour coordinated plugs to give a seamless look. There is also a wide colour palette available that can be mixed and matched to have darker borders or patterns within the overall design, even across product ranges.

“The results we can achieve are really stunning” Mark explains. “By using a combination of colours, board directions and even curves, we can create really fabulous spaces. I think decking became a bit passé,

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but we can now build great areas which integrate beautifully into any garden style.”

To complement its decking range, Trex makes a choice of composite, metal or glass railings, the latter looking particularly effective around roof terraces.

Although more expensive than timber decking, Trex now offers a three-tier price band across its ranges to make it more affordable for all budgets. However, Mark makes the point that if you are undertaking a garden makeover or large landscaping project, the impact of using Trex over traditional timber will be relatively small on the overall price.

“As with paving and patios, the finished surface is really only 20% of the cost of the project” Mark says. “To create a solid deck, we usually need to excavate the area, install concrete piers and build the deck frame.

The labour and materials needed to create the essential pieces you don’t see account for most of the project cost. Spending a little more on the decking boards doesn’t significantly impact the overall budget.”

Having recently expanded into the Hitchin and Letchworth area, and in keeping with its ethos of using a reliably local supply chain, Solutions4Gardens obtains its Trex products through Hertfordshire Timber & Building Supplies Ltd. “One consideration when choosing a composite deck is ensuring the supporting framework is comparable with the decking project you are using on top of it” explains Mark. “There is little point installing composite decking,

guaranteed for 10 years, and building it on top of a poorly treated and prepared wooden frame.”

Solutions4Gardens has Hertfordshire Timber & Building Supplies specifically treat all the wood for their decks to a grade designed for outdoor use.

“We only use wood designed to be put outdoors” Mark adds. “But we also go one stage further. Trex Protect is a bitumen tape that we apply to the tops of all the joists.

It protects the wood and the bitumen seals any screw holes as they are made, ensuring water penetration and rot is eliminated.”

For the customer that doesn’t want to have any wood used in their project, Solutions4Gardens can supply an aluminium or composite frame in what Mark describes as a ‘zero wood’ deck. Trex products come with a 10-year guarantee.

There is no doubt that if you are looking for an accredited expert garden design and landscape company that can work on projects from paths and fencing to decking and water features, Solutions4Gardens certainly lives up to its name.

And reassuringly the company has the backing of both top manufacturers and reputable local suppliers.

For more information, please use the details below.

Email: info@solutions4gardens.com Web: www.solutions4gardens.com

Tel: 01767 348 028 To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122

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Gardening

Windswept Gardening

By Pippa Greenwood

Creating a garden in a windswept spot is possible by making it easier for plants to survive, but there are also plants that are tougher than you might think. So what should you do, and what should you grow?

If possible, choose miniature or dwarf varieties of plants – as they are closer to the ground, they enjoy some protection from the prevailing winds and so have the chance to put on a decent show.

Creating a windbreak – such as hedge – gives a great improvement. Native hedging plants including hawthorn, blackthorn, guelder rose, wild rose and some field maple are available for planting bare root at a very reasonable price. It will take a few years for a small, new hedge to get established, so in the meantime erect a man-made barrier such as some hurdles.

If you don’t want a hedge, erect something like a fence, which allows some wind through. Avoid solid windbreaks like walls, as they can cause turbulence and worsen the wind and cold on the garden side of the barrier.

Make the most of those areas of your garden that are less exposed, and don’t ‘waste’ those prized positions on tougher plants.

Many bulbs are hardy or low to the ground, so consider crocus, chinodoxa, anemone, Iris reticulata, cyclamen (hardy forms only) or dwarf narcissus such as Tete-a-Tete and Peeping Tom. A number of rock plants do well in exposed gardens. Try Campanula portenschlagiana (a creeping form of the pretty bellflower), Sempervivum (the rosette-forming house leeks), low-growing hebes, Erigeron daisies,

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Helianthemum and Veronica spicata.

Some annual flowers with delicate colourful blooms are tougher than they look, and many of these are easy and inexpensive to grow from seed.

Consider wallflowers, petunias, evening primrose, Echium, flax, calendulas, sweet William, clarkia, Californian poppies, Lavatera trimestris and candy tuft.

Sow or plant perennials for colour that will return year after year. There are often some bargains to be had at this time of year when small pots of perennials are available from most garden centres for only a few pounds each. The stately hardier form of Yucca filiamentosa (related to the popular houseplant) adds structure and impact; also consider the New Zealand flax (Phormium), Sedum spectabile (the ice plants), Phlomis, Lavatera maritima, Kniphofia caulescens (a form of red-hot poker), Centranthus ruber, Japanese anemones, Eryngium, Agapanthus and Euphorbia characias.

For a little more height and longer-term structure then a few shrubs are a welcome addition to a windy or exposed garden. Many of the delicate flowered Cistus do well: Fuchsia magellanica, Euonymus fortunei, Escallonia, Elaeagnus and the dwarf species of Cotoneaster such as Cotoneaster horizontalis should fit the bill.

At Pippa’s website (www.pippagreenwood.com) you’ll find stylish cloches, practical and pretty plant supports, Nemaslug and other great ‘green’ controls, the fantastic SpeedHoe, gardening tools, Grower Frames, signed books and the ‘Grow Your Own with Pippa’ system. Or book Pippa for a talk at your gardening club.

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Part of The Orange Property Improvement Group

Come & see our

Show Area

at Storage Bedfordshire, Elm Farm, Great North Rd, Biggleswade, Beds SG18 9BE

Contact us Tel: 01767 315800 Mob: 07747736210

Email: admin@orangescape.co.uk

The Orange Property Improvements Group @Orangepropertyimprovementsgroup

Orange Property Improvements @OrangePropertyImprovements

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Pets

Rehoming Appeal Angus and Bon

Angus (black/white) and Bon (all black) are 1 year old brothers.

These big, handsome boys are great cats, very lively and playful and because they are very close to each other, we are looking for a special home where they can stay together.

They need a home without young children, so an adult-only home or with older children would be preferable for them.

They are both neutered, vaccinated and micropchipped.

If you would like to find out more about these fabulous boys, please contact Liz on 01767 681157.

Alternatively, please email Philippa at info.rats@gmail.com who will be pleased to forward your enquiry onto the team.

View other dogs, cats and small mammals currently in our care for re-homing on our website: www.rats-animalrescue.co.uk or facebook: www.facebook.com/ratscharity.

You can also see photographs and details of the animals in our care in our charity shop in Hitchin Street, Biggleswade SG18 8AX. Open Monday to Saturday from 10am until 4pm.

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Pets

Fostering Animals for The RSPCA Being a foster carer is extremely rewarding. The RSPCA are always on the look out for new volunteer foster carers who can provide a safe, calm and loving environment for the cats and dogs our inspectors rescue each year. Fostering an animal can help them recover from neglect, abuse, illness or injury - taking the first steps towards finding a new, loving forever home.

Why do we need foster carers at the RSPCA? The volunteer role of a foster carer is both a crucial and a rewarding one, giving people the opportunity to make a huge difference to animal welfare. Our foster carers aim to help rehabilitate animals which then increases their chances of finding a forever home.

Naturally, we try to rehome our animals as quickly as possible, but if they are involved in a prosecution case we could have them in our care for long periods.

Some animals need one-to-one care or perhaps don’t cope well in an animal centre environment.

This is where our team of fantastic foster carers comes in.

When an animal is fostered space in our centres then become free, so that we can rescue more animals in desperate need.

What does the role involve?

There are two types of fostering roles at the RSPCA: 1) Foster carers for animals ready to be rehomed.

2) Foster carers for case animals whilst the legal proceedings take place.

All carers are responsible for the welfare of the animal in their care and are a crucial part in the rehabilitation of the animal. You would be required to provide the care the animal needs; feeding, exercising, cleaning, socialising, giving medication

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and grooming. Many animals that we take in have either suffered or are not used to the care and affection that they deserved. Living with a foster family helps to provide them with oneto-one care, allowing them to build up their confidence and get used to a normal lifestyle.

You may even be asked to foster an animal that is convalescing following illness or injury while they prepare for the adoption process.

Providing stable futures Did you know that you could also foster a horse or a pony? You can foster a horse or a pony as a companion for your own horse. Or if you don’t currently own one and you are able, you can foster two horses as company for each other. If you fit the criteria for an equine foster carer why not find out more and apply online.

How can I get involved?

If you are interested in the role of an animal fosterer, use our volunteer search on our national website to find opportunities near you.

If there is nothing listed in your area, then it’s always worth checking with your nearest RSPCA branch or animal centre.

The RSPCA is always delighted to hear about people’s positive fostering experiences. Get in touch if you have a story you’d like to share.

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Pets

Ask Alan

Can Potton Vets do home visits?

Yes, this is a popular service we offer. Reasons for requesting a home visit are many and varied. Some reasons are: • Pets (or their owners) who dislike visiting a surgery.

• Pets who get stressed or in pain.

• Multiple pets, where it is easier for us to come to you.

• Owners who find it more convenient to be seen at home.

• Long-term or chronic treatments.

• End of life treatment.

It is usually better to see seriously ill pets or those needing more advanced diagnostics at Potton Vets where we have a team who are fully equipped and trained to deal with these cases. If you are unable to bring your pet in to the surgery, a collect and drop off service can be arranged.

However, pets needing health checks, vaccination or treatment for non-serious conditions can be seen at home.

Even simple diagnostics (e.g. drawing bloods) can be done at home.

Pets are living longer, and these aging pets can be difficult to get to the vet as they are often painful and sometimes confused. Home visits are ideal in these circumstances.

Our home visits are be surprisingly good value when arranged in advance and at a mutually convenient time.

It’s not just the Vets. Routine nurse clinics can also be done at your home by our qualified Vet Nurses.

Wishing you all a happy Easter, and don’t let the pets get hold of the chocolates!

Best wishes 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.

Alan

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Time of Year

Easter - A Moveable Feast!

“Easter is early this year!”

“Ooh isn’t Easter late this year?”

Easter never seems to come on time! In fact, it’s a different time every year. Why is that? We don’t move Christmas or New Year’s Day so what makes Easter so flexible?

This year Easter Sunday falls on April 12th. I suspect that for once it’s actually on time though frankly who knows?

The reason for Easter being something of a moveable (chocolate) feast is because it is celebrated on the first Sunday after the Paschal full moon, which is the first full moon after the spring equinox.

The equinox is the instant of time during a year when the plane of Earth’s equator passes through the centre of the Sun. This occurs twice annually. In the springtime this is around (but not exactly on) 20th March. Full moons occur every 29.5 days so between those two events there is quite a lot of leeway when it comes to dates, but Easter is always somewhere between March 22nd and April 25th. So now you can say with confidence that Easter is early…or late… or possibly right where it should be.

Happy Easter.

By Sarah Davey

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• • • • • •

Swimming Lessons

Private pool - Tadlow ASA qualified teachers Beginners & stroke technique classes 1-3 pupils per class 10 week courses (term time only) Mother and Toddler classes

A flexible day nursery for children from 6 weeks to 5 years with extensive and well resourced grounds. ur o y f f o Excellent links to s onth’ 1st m es the A1, St Neots and fe Sandy railway station.

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76 London Road, Sandy Beds. SG19 1DZ e: info@manorfarm-day-nursery.co.uk w: www.manorfarm-day-nursery.co.uk

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Motoring

These are the cars to look out for

We take a look at the most exciting cars by class due to arrive this year…

in 2020

As attention continues to be focused squarely on electrification, autonomy and tech-heavy cars, there’s a lot of fresh metal arriving on the market. Here, we take a look at the cars in each class that have us most intrigued.

Crossover - Ford Puma This funky-looking machine packs some clever technology under its skin. Mild-hybrid powertrains feature in a bid to improve efficiency, while a ‘MegaBox’ compartment in the boot is on hand to maximise practicality.

Convertible Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet This T-Roc brings a soft-top experience to the car. It remains to be seen if it can carry over the impressive driving dynamics of the vehicle underpinning it, though there is no doubt its canvas roof brings a new element of appeal to the car.

Estate Skoda Superb iV Building on the supremely practical Czech estate, this has a 1.4-litre petrol engine linked up to an 85kW motor, allowing for a claimed electric-only range of 34 miles.

Hatchback Volkswagen Golf Mk8 The MK8 comes to market with a fresh new look and more interior tech. There’s a cleaner, more efficient range of engines, too.

Though we’ve yet to see it in full, expect a go-faster GTI to arrive in 2020 as well.

MPV - Mercedes EQV Moving forward from the EQC SUV, the EQV is an electric van,

likely to be one of a number of electrified Mercedes vehicles due to arrive in 2020.

Pick-up Jeep Gladiator Essentially a five-seater pickup version of the Wrangler, it’s expected that the Gladiator will factor into Jeep’s European strategy during 2020.

Saloon BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe A four-door version of BMW’s two-door 2 Series. Expect a range of petrol and diesel engines, and there’s a chance of a hybrid powertrain too although nothing has been confirmed as yet.

SUV Land Rover Defender The Defender will have a variety of specifications and wheelbase choices, as well as engines.

There’s going to be a hybrid version too – so there’s an option for those people who want the cleanest version of the Defender available.

Van - Volkswagen Caddy Compact, easy to drive and extremely practical, this boasts

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more technology than before without forsaking any of the practicality and spaciousness that the older Caddy was known for.

Performance Car Audi RS6 The new RS6 is more powerful than before while being sharper and more engaging to drive. It’s no less practical, however, and it looks great.

Luxury car Mercedes-Maybach GLS The GLS boasts a plethora of high-end features and materials for the ultimate in comfort. Along with distinctive looks, it brings a powerful V8 engine, a 27-speaker audio setup and reclining rear seats among a plethora of other features to the GLS. Electric car Volkswagen ID.3 This year, Volkswagen will launch a battery-powered vehicle — the ID.3. Similar in size to a Golf, the German hatch will come in a variety of powertrain configurations, the largest of which promises a range of 261 miles between charges.

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Be Prepared

Be Prepared…

but don’t panic!

By Clare Becker

Zombie apocalypse movies are perennially popular.

Human beings love to imagine how we might survive after a global disaster.

Recent flooding and the coronavirus have prompted an interest in ‘prepping’, as in ‘prepping for disaster’.

Preppers have historically been cast alongside conspiracy theorists, and American survivalists, who build bunkers, live ‘off-grid’ and are scarier than any imaginary zombie.

As flooding and extreme weather become ‘normal’ events in the UK, and every year seems to bring a new pandemic threat it’s easy to see why people feel helpless, and why ‘prepping’ becomes seductive.

Should we prepare for imminent disaster?

The answer isn’t a straightforward yes or no. In this country we are fortunate that food is plentiful.

However, food is supplied on a ‘just-in-time’ basis, using predictions based on the public’s past shopping habits. If everyone shops normally, supply and demand remain balanced, but if large numbers of people suddenly panic-buy more than usual to stockpile food, shelves are stripped bare pretty quickly.

It makes sense to be aware of this and to think about how we might manage if there was a temporary hiccup in our own food supply chain, perhaps because poor weather or flooding prevents us from accessing shops, or because we’re confined to our home through illness or quarantine.

It does no harm to plan how we might be more self-reliant for a week or so, and to make sure that we have a basic emergency store cupboard. I would advise against specialist emergency food packs you see advertised. They are expensive, and freeze-dried food tastes like garden mulch. A few extra tins in

your weekly shop is easy for most people to achieve.

Remember, in most instances you will already have food in, which can be used up first.

Useful items for an emergency store cupboard: tinned meats, tinned vegetables, tinned beans, pulses and chickpeas, tinned soups and packet soups, tinned fruit, a large bag of rice, a large bag of porridge oats, cooking oil, salt, honey, long-life milk, long-life orange juice, packs of cereal, cereal and protein bars, dried fruit. If you live in an area where flooding and therefore water contamination is likely allow 2 litres of bottled water per person per day for drinking and cooking.

A simple emergency store cupboard can be built up over a couple of months quite easily by adding a few extras into your weekly shop.

A can opener is essential. Torches, batteries, and a camping stove insure against loss of electricity, and loo roll, bleach, hand sanitiser, paracetamol, ibuprofen, plasters and disinfectant are useful health and medical items.

If you live in a flood zone, make sure your supplies are stored high up. Use a vermin-proof storage box in the coolest place possible, and every so often move items out into your regular cupboards, and replace them, to make sure that nothing goes beyond its sell-by date.

One last thing. We all have important documents filed away such as birth certificates, passports, insurance documents and house deeds. Ideally these should be stored in a fire and waterproof deed box to protect them.

A little thought and preparation goes a long way. No bunker required!

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Local News

Ivel Sprinter The Ivel Sprinter bus started operations in 1991 and is based in Biggleswade serving the surrounding villages. The bus is available for use by residents of all ages and bus passes are accepted as standard. We run scheduled service to various nearby destinations from Mondays to Saturdays and is operated solely by volunteers. Incidentally, we are always looking for more volunteers (male and female!) so that drivers are not required to give of their time too often. If interested and you are able to give a half a day per month please contact us via the web address below.

We are supported by Central Bedfordshire Council and also receive donations from local businesses to help with the purchase of a replacement bus over time.

In addition to running a scheduled timetable the bus can also be booked for private hire with local community groups and not for profit organisations. See website for more information.

Currently, the following services are under used: Monday - to Bedford calling at Blunham, Temspford and Gt Barford.

Tuesday – to Sainsburys, Biggleswade calling at Tempsford, Sandy, Langford and Caldecote.

Friday - to Sainsburys, Biggleswade calling at Tempsford, Sandy, Everton and Potton.

Saturday - to Sainsburys, Biggleswade calling at Tempsford, Sandy, Langford and Caldecote.

So if residents in these villagers would like a trip to Bedford or Sainsburys, Biggleswade please take a look at the timetables and make use of this service.

For details of timetables and more information go to: www.ivelsprinter.org.uk

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Electrician

www.hertsandbedselectrical.co.uk

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 Electrical testing and certificates Qualified electrician  Fully insured Reliable service  Tidy work Free quote  Satisfaction guaranteed

Call Nigel on: 01767 834024 / 07941295883 Email: nigelrooney@hotmail.co.uk To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122

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Life Begins...

By Kate McLelland

It’s the age of ‘Age Tech’ There’s a lot of talk these days about the benefits of ‘Age Tech’ – a term coined to describe technological innovations that are designed to improve health and quality of life for older people. Here are a few ideas that have the potential to transform our lives as we age: Virtual reality A virtual reality (VR) headset can generate realistic images, sounds and sensations that simulate a user’s physical presence, either in a virtual environment or in the real world. Using a VR headset it’s possible to explore almost anywhere on earth, from historic sites to caves, mountains to coastal settings. VR also allows you to play games and simulate everyday activities.

After a recent trial in American nursing homes and hospices, Billy Agnew, chief executive of virtual reality producer Viarama, told Forbes.com: “We’ve had mountain climbers climbing mountains, we’ve had artists with dementia who have had to give up their life’s work, and we let them draw, paint and sculpt in VR.” Wearables Wearable devices such as smart watches have been popular for several years now. These lightweight, portable devices – generally used to monitor personal health and fitness levels – are now employed in medical settings. Last year the NHS announced that British people at risk of type 2 Diabetes (with an average age of 58 years) would be fitted with wearable technology to monitor their exercise levels.

Other wearable tech innovations include blood pressure monitors

and devices that can sense when the wearer has fallen. People with dementia can also benefit from wearing watches fitted with a GPS tracker, so carers can quickly locate them if they have wandered off.

Smart speakers Voice-controlled smart speakers can be connected to almost every appliance in the house, allowing you to dim lights, switch on the oven or play music without getting up from your chair. They can also make calls, check the weather, let you listen to podcasts, create a shopping list and answer essential questions. The smart speaker can also be used to set reminders: prompting the user to take their medicine at the right time, or tune in to a favourite radio broadcast or TV show.

Remote monitoring An aging relative living alone can be a source of worry for many families, particularly if family members don’t have time to check on them every day.

Remote monitoring systems can take away a lot of the stress

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by simply observing normal patterns of behaviour within the elderly person’s home and issuing an alert when something unusual occurs.

These systems operate through a series of remote sensors, picking up the resident’s movements, together with the home’s ambient temperature, without the need for invasive cameras or microphones.

In addition, the system allows family members to see exactly when visitors have called and how long they have stayed.

These clever gadgets may sound futuristic, but they are all available to buy and use now. At a time when the future of social care looks uncertain and many care homes are struggling to survive, the hope is that such innovations can help us live independently and well in our own homes for longer. www.weforum.org/ agenda/2019/07/no-longer-justfor-the-young-70-of-seniors-arenow-online www.ageing-better.org.uk/ news/lets-stop-talking-abouttechnology-older-people

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Local News

Philately Will Get You Anywhere I wonder how many of our readers used to collect British and foreign stamps (the meaning of philately). If we go back 60 or 70 years, for many school boys - yes, and school girls too, stamp collecting was a keen hobby. I wonder if you still have an album in your attic or in the corner of a cupboard? Or for that matter, are you still an active collector whether by country or theme? I know the hobby is not as popular today among the young as it was in .... shall I say “my day”, but it is still alive and well in East Bedfordshire and S. W. Cambridgeshire. To prove the point, there is a monthly Stamp Club held in Potton Library from 10:00 to 12:00 - but you come and leave when you like. It is quite free, and there are no lectures, or buying or selling.

Most folk who attend (and there are ladies as well) bring an album with them for the rest of us to enjoy and encourage each other, along with a cup of tea or coffee as we do so. As we chat together, the conversation is not just about stamps but whatever topic crops up.

Our next meeting is on THURSDAY 23RD APRIL. Why not come along and give it a go? There will be no pressure to come along regularly or to sign up for anything - just come, we’d love to see you.

Interested? If you can’t make the next meeting or would like additional details please contact the Library.

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n O s ’ t Wha 1 April Aircraft Enthusiasts’ Group 1pm Princess Charlotte Room, Shuttleworth Visitors £5 inc. raffle ticket. ‘Confessions of a Commentator’ with Ken Ellis. The group meets on the first Wednesday of every month. Enjoy lunch in the Shuttleworth restaurant before the meeting.

Email: 99aegr@gmail.com Web: www.a-e-g.org.uk

1 April Gamlingay & District Gardening Club 7.30pm The Kier Suite, Eco Hub, Stocks Lane, Gamlingay Visitors £3 inc. refreshments & raffle. Everything you want to know about daylilies with Paula Dyason of Strictly Daylilies of Histon. Bulbs for sale.

1 April Sandy Night Owls Women’s Institute 7.30pm Sandy Conservative Club Visitors £4. Meets on the first Wednesday of each month (except August). ‘Arsenic - Poisoning Victorian Britain at Work and Home’.

Email: sandynightowlswi@gmail.com 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 April Biggleswade Walk 4 Health 10am Meet Dan Albone Car Park, Shortmead Street Regular weekly walks for beginners and those looking to improve. Walks of approx. 30-40mins and 60 mins. No need to book – why not try all the walks? Tel: Janette Sibley 07771 540117 Email: janette@sibley.me.uk 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 April Moo Music Sandy, Biggleswade & Shefford 10-10.40am Sandy Methodist Church Music and movement classes for 0-5 year olds. First session free. Tel: 07981 825654 Email: Heather sandymoo@moo-music.co.uk Web: www.moo-music.co.uk/sbs 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 April Ivel Bereavement Support Centre 10am-12 noon The Community Rooms, Baptist Church, 24 London Road, Biggleswade Has a loved one died? Perhaps we can help you at our drop in centre on Wednesdays.

Tel: Linda 07704734225 for more information

2 April Sandy Astronomical Society Everton Village Hall AGM and general meeting. Telescope workshop.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/ SandyAstronomicalSociety

2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 April Biggleswade Walk 4 Health 10am Meet Stratton School, Eagle Farm Road Regular weekly walks for beginners and those looking to improve. Walks of approx. 30-40mins and 60-mins. Tel: Janette Sibley 07771 540117 Email: janette@sibley.me.uk 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 April Moo Music Sandy, Biggleswade & Shefford 10-10.40am Sutton Village Hall Music and movement classes for 0-5 year olds. First session free. Tel: 07981 825654 Email: Heather sandymoo@moo-music.co.uk Web: www.moo-music.co.uk/sbs Facebook: www.facebook.com/moomusicsandy 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 April Amici Singers 7.30-9.45pm Trinity Methodist Church, Shortmead Street, Biggleswade Membership £15 per term (£45 per year). The Amici Singers, a women’s chorus of 60 voices, meets on Thursday evenings under the Direction of Douglas Coombes MBE. All voices and ages welcome and there aren’t any auditions.

Tel: Carole Lindsay-Douglas 01767 2603661 3, 6, 8, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 27 & 29 April ‘Open Door’ 10-11.30am Potton Salvation Army, Chapel Street Tea/coffee and chat on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. All welcome. Tel: 01767 261138 3 & 17 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. www.facebook.com/craftandchatter

1, 22 & 29 April Mums and Dads Coffee Break 9-10am Moggerhanger Church Toys available in the church for pre-school children.

Tea/coffee, juice, biscuits £1 with fruit juice for children.

3, 17 & 24 April 9.30-10.30am Moggerhanger Village Hall £5. Join Tina as she takes you through a lighthearted sequence with a warm-up, exercises designed to improve muscular fitness, brain co-ordination, balance and general well-being, then a cool-down. Tel: Tony or Judith on 01767 640124

2 April Moggerhanger Walkers 10am Length and route will depend on weather and walking conditions and will be decided on 30/31 March. Please email Linda for further details.

Tel: 01767 640798 Email: lindaheath10@hotmail.com

3, 17 & 24 April Sandy Ukulele Group 7-9pm Baptist Chapel Hall, Bedford Road, Sandy Meets every Friday. Please email for more information on joining the group. Visitors welcome.

Email: sandyukulelegroup1@gmail.com Web: www.sandyukulelegroup.com

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

In April

4 April Coffee Morning 10-11.30am Potton Salvation Army, Chapel Street Coffee, tea, bacon butties, homemade cakes, cards, bric-a-brac, books, jigsaws etc. Coffee Mornings are held on the first Saturday of every month except January. Tel: 01767 261138 for further info 4 April Learn the modern jive 7.30pm Sutton Village Hall Tickets £10 inc. cheese & biscuits (BYOB) Come along to learn the modern jive in a convivial atmosphere. Dance instructors Clive and Dawn will demonstrate this increasingly popular dance and teach the basics. Tel: 07786657029 Web: www.suttonvillagehall.org.uk 4, 11, 18 & 25 April LEGO & K’NEX Club 1.45-3.30pm Potton Library Love LEGO and K’NEX? Come along and get building!

5, 19 & 26 April Hare & Hounds Hash House Harriers 11am H5 are a social running and walking club for mixed abilities, meeting every week in the Bedfordshire area. The trail is set by our hare from a local pub and typically lasts 1 hour covering between 3 and 4 miles. Family and dog friendly. Full details of the trails can be found online or via email.

Email: info@h5hashers.org.uk Web: www.H5hashers.org.uk 6 April Sandy Flower Club 7.30pm Conservative Bowls Club Pavilion (rear of the Conservative Club, Bedford Road) Visitors £5. Meets on the second Monday in the month (excluding Aug. Dec. & Jan). New members and visitors welcome. Raffle and tea/coffee. Call for more information or follow us on Facebook.

Tel: Sue Alexander 01767 699729 6, 20 & 27 April Biggleswade Walk 4 Health 9am Meet by the Beeston Notice Board on Beeston Green, Nr. The Crescent, Beeston Regular weekly walks for beginners and those looking to improve. Walks of approx. 30-40mins.

Tel: Janette Sibley 07771 540117 Email: janette@sibley.me.uk 6, 13, 20 & 27 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

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n O s ’ t Wha 7 April Hatley Coffee Morning 10am-1pm Hatley Village Hall Come along for a chat, coffee/tea and a slice of cake.

Donations on the day. All donations split between Hatley Village Hall and Hatley St George Church. First Tuesday of the every month.

7 April Potton Ladies Club 7.30pm Mill Lane Pavilion, Mill Lane, Potton Tel: Sarah Burgoine 01767 631415 Email: sarahjburgoine@gmail.com 7, 14, 21 & 28 April Walking with Janette 2pm For those looking to do a serious walk of 5 miles plus – walking for approx. 90 mins. Booking essential.

This walk is not part of Walk 4 Health you walk at our own liability/risk. Start points vary.Tel: Janette Sibley 07771 540117 Email: janette@sibley.me.uk 7, 14, 21 & 28 April Biggleswade Board Game Group 7.30-10.30pm George’s Hall, 67 High Street, Biggleswade Meets every Tuesday to play modern board games in a friendly atmosphere. New and experienced players welcome - bring your own games or try something new, there are always plenty available.

Facebook: Biggleswade Board Game Group

11 April Easter Egg Hunt 10am-12 noon Moggerhanger Hosted by the church and Meeting Place. Come along with your little ones to find the eggs (hopefully outside as well as in the church, depending on the weather), enjoy a cup of coffee and hot cross bun. Other activities available.

11 April Coffee Corning 11am-1pm Sutton Village Hall Usually the second Saturday of every other month.

An opportunity for villagers and friends of Sutton Village Hall to meet up, have a chat, and enjoy delicious home-baked cakes and tea or coffee.

Web: www.suttonvillagehall.org.uk 14 April Sutton WI 7.30pm Sutton Village Hall The group meets on the second Tuesday of every month.

16 April Biggleswade & District Camera Club 7.30 for 8pm Sullivan Room, The Weatherley Centre, Orchard Close, Biggleswade Non-members £3. ‘A Photographer’s Journey from the Beginning to Almost the End’, a print presentation by Roy Essery MPAGB. Tel: 01767 316176 Email: secretary@biggleswadecameraclub.co.uk

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

What’s on entries to whatson@villagermag.com

In April

18 April Rod’s Annual Music Quiz 7.30pm for 8pm Old Warden Village Hall £5 per person. Teams of six. Bring your own drink and nibbles. Call or email to book a table.

Tel: Rod 01767 627569 Email: oldwardenvillagehall@gmail.com 20 April Biggleswade Women’s Institute 10am The Weatherley Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade Visitors £4. ‘Bletchley Park, Home of the Code Breakers’ by Nick Cooke. Meets on every third Monday of the month except August. Visitors welcome. Email: biggleswadewi@gmail.com 21 April Sandy Women’s Institute 10am Sandy Conservative Club Meets on the third Tuesday of each month (except August). Lee Chaplin – Travel Man talking about his experiences organising dream holidays. New members welcome. If you would like to give us a try before committing to full membership, visitors are welcome (£4). Tel: Valerie Haygarth 01767 691711 Email: sandywibeds@gmail.com

21 April Potton Writer’s Club 7-9pm Potton Community Centre 7, 14, 21 & 28 April £3. Meets on the third Tuesday of each month. Full Phoenix Chorus programme online. All welcome - please call or 7.45-10.15pm Potton Lower School 16 April email in advance so we know to expect you. Light Have you loved the a capella singing shows on Biggleswade Poetry Table 7.45-9pm refreshments. Tel: Tracey 07778 148030 TV? Could you be pitch perfect with us? Phoenix A The Courtyard Centre, 6 High Street, Biggleswade Email: pottonwriters@gmail.com Capella Chorus meets every Tuesday. Visitors always Grab a drink and join us to share poems. We look Web: www.pottonwrite.weebly.com welcome. Tel: Sarah 07842 101799 forward to hearing any poem you’d like to bring.

Email: pro@phoenixladies.co.uk Email: leah@leahkstewart.com 21 April Web: https://phoenixladies.co.uk Wrestlingworth WI 17 April 7.45pm Wrestlingworth Memorial Hall 7, 14, 21 & 28 April Potton Playhouse AGM ‘Bletchley Park, Home of the Code Breakers’ by Nick Biggleswade Ivel Badminton Club 7.30pm Potton Community Centre (upstairs) Cooke. This should be a very interesting evening.

8-10.30pm Biggleswade Recreation Centre Come and join us, have a drink and meet our Tel: Lesley May 01767 631259 (Stratton Leisure Centre) members. All welcome.

Email: lesleymay@mypostoffice.co.uk £3 per night. Seeking competitive badminton players Facebook: /pottonplayhouse wishing to play in local leagues. Visitors welcome.

25 April Email: IvelBC@hotmail.com 18 April Quiz 7pm Eyeworth Village Hall Facebook: Facebook.com/IvelBC Coffee Extra 10-11.30am Teams of up to 6 people. In aid of All Saints’ & Potton Salvation Army, Chapel Street Eyeworth Village Hall. To book a place for your quiz 8 April Coffee, tea and cake. All welcome. team please contact Wendy. Tel: 01767 631283 Business Buzz Biggleswade Tel: 01767 261138 for further info 10am-12 noon George’s Hall, Biggleswade 27 April £5. Drop-in session on the second Wednesday of the 18 April Trammel Net month for local small businesses from in and around Springtime Quiz Doors open 8pm, curtain up 8.30pm Bedfordshire. No membership, no booking, just pay 7pm Trinity Methodist Church Rooms, Biggleswade on the door.

Broom Village Hall Free entry. Biggleswade Amateur Theatrical Society Tickets £12.50 (BATS) perform a preview of their upcoming Welwyn 9 April The Friends of All Saints Church Southill. Teams of Drama Festival play ‘Trammel Net’. Trammel Net is an Biggleswade Evening Women’s Institute up to six people. Fish and chip supper. Licensed original drama exploring the stories of three modern 7.45pm The Weatherley Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Bar. Please telephone for tickets before the night for families, all seemingly separate but all intricately Biggleswade catering numbers. linked. Play contains adult themes and language so A new group which meets on the second Thursday of Tel: Liz 01767 314669 or Alan 01234 838994 may not be suitable for young children. each month (except August). Guests welcome.

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Interiors

By Katherine Sorrell

Room to Play

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Putting together a child’s play space is a great opportunity for imaginative design.

Children need their own space just as much as adults – perhaps even more so – and, whether you can allocate an entire room or just a corner, it is really beneficial to create a dedicated space in which they can work, play and relax.

Where to begin Start by considering the major factors. Is the room just going to be a playroom, or will it double as a child’s bedroom, family dining room, adult living room or other? How much space do you have and what shape is it?

Who will use it and how often?

What are your child’s likes and dislikes? What is your budget?

Sketching a floor plan on graph paper will help, or you may even consider consulting an architect or interior designer; it’s likely that they could come up with exciting ideas that you would never have considered otherwise.

Design basics The key to designing a playroom is flexibility. Unless money and time are no object, frequent redecorating is impractical, so keep the basics plain and simple – neutral walls, floor and major items of furniture, with the less expensive and more easily changed items (such as blinds, cushions or storage boxes) themed to whatever colour or character will stimulate your child’s imagination.

On the floor The ideal playroom floor would be non-slip, easy to clean, hard-wearing and not too hard underfoot. Wooden or laminate boards plus a soft rug (with an anti-slip mat beneath) is ideal, while vinyl, linoleum, cork or rubber are other good choices.

To add extra fun, look for a play rug with a printed design such as hopscotch or a racetrack.

Soft, wall-to-wall carpet will break any falls, but does run the risk of becoming stained.

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Look for a texture or pattern that won’t show the dirt, and ask for the carpet to be given a stain-resistant treatment before installation.

Off the wall There are plenty of ways to add interest to plain walls, from highlighting your child’s artwork in a series of bright frames to removable decorative stickers or an entire wall of good-looking storage. Blackboard paint or colour-in wallpaper allow for individual expression, or how about covering a wall with maps, flags, cork tiles, pegboard, sheet music, artificial grass, a handpainted mural (if you’re arty) or even a series of LEGO base boards on which to create antigravity constructions?

Furniture and fun Think outside the box and consider what would really inspire your child. In general, leave plenty of space for whizzing around – but how about adding a swing or a slide?

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T&R Roofing Ltd

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Or a tunnel, indoor activity frame or climbing wall?

For quiet play and general lounging, floor cushions and beanbags are probably a better (and less expensive) idea than miniature children’s sofas and chairs, which are quickly outgrown. Built-in bench seating along one wall, with storage incorporated beneath, is a perfect dual-purpose solution. A quiet corner for reading and a special spot for craft activities or homework are other essentials, while adding a den or hideout of some kind is a great idea – perhaps a tipi or Wendy house, a camouflage net or princess-style canopy, or simply a blanket slung over the back of a couple of chairs.

And how about a dressing-up corner? Pop that ever-growing range of fancy dress outfits on some hangers at an easy-to-reach height, with a lowlevel mirror nearby, and they will provide colour and interest in the room as well as fun for your little ones and their friends.

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3 Storage To encourage children to put things away after themselves, storage should be plentiful and easy to access. Try to incorporate it into tucked-away spaces such as the alcoves either side of a chimney or below a window. Low shelving, securely fixed to the wall, plus a variety of boxes or baskets, is ideal; you could add a few higher shelves for items that you would prefer only to be used under supervision. Avoid heavy-lidded, traditional toy chests that could trap tiny fingers, and remember the basic rule of storage: suit the size of the container to the size of its contents. Small, plastic lidded boxes are perfect for LEGO, Playmobil and so on, while a large basket is great for soft toys.

Don’t forget peg rails, hooks and hanging fabric organisers – all of which are useful space savers.

1. Made-to-measure Dinosaurs wallpaper mural by The Tiny Garden, from £32 per square metre, Wallsauce: 01772 284 110; wallsauce.com.

2. This natural canvas tipi tent has generous play space and plenty of room for the imagination, too. Tipi Tent , £159, Beaumonde: 01202 707 770; beaumonde.co.uk.

3. Add organisation to a playroom or bedroom with open shelved, low-level storage. Vox Tuli bookcase toy storage in pastel green, £175, Cuckooland: 01305 231 231; cuckooland.com.

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ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Easy Suduko

Hard Suduko

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

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Extensions New builds Rewires Smoke alarms Landlord certificates Fault finding and repairs Consumer unit replacements Lighting and power (internal & external) Boiler controls Inspection and testing Free quotations Part P approved All types of electrical work undertaken

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C.S Roofing Services Limited 93

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We can professionally clean...

Carpets Upholstery Fascias Soffits Gutters Conservatories Patios Driveways 01767 222 822 07812 335 860 www.pkcleaningservicesltd.co.uk Find us on

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Don’t be an April Fool

Technology

The tech scams to watch out for this spring

We all know the rules around April fools: once the clock strikes noon, the pranks stop.

Unfortunately that isn’t the case for the online villains that try to fool us with fake emails, fake virus warnings and other issues – and some of those scams can leave the victims seriously out of pocket. So how can you keep yourself safe from the scammers?

Step one is to trust nobody. One of the most common kinds of scams is called ‘phishing’, which is when fraudsters create a convincing-looking fake email purportedly from your bank, from PayPal, from eBay and so on. They’re traps: the sites they link to are also fake, and they’re designed to trick you into entering your username and password. If you do, the villains can use those details and start spending your money – and because so many people use the same details on multiple sites, the fraudsters can often access multiple sites too. Many security packages can detect phishing emails, but they’re not 100% reliable so it’s important to stay cynical.

A new and worrying kind of scam

centres around bank transfer payments. Fraudsters pose as genuine tradespeople or service providers and send a convincinglooking invoice with the bank details they want you to transfer money to. According to payment processing firm ShieldPay, in the UK alone such frauds cost UK bank customers a whopping £207.5 million in 2019 – and on average, victims were only able to get back 48% in compensation from their banks. 15% didn’t get any compensation at all because the banks found they hadn’t taken ‘reasonable care’ to avoid being tricked.

Whether it’s fake emails or fake invoices, it’s a good idea to assume that anything unsolicited that appears in your email inbox is a fraud: if in doubt, call your bank or tradesperson on the phone (and don’t use any numbers listed in the suspicious emails – they can be faked too).

Never, ever transfer money if there’s the slightest possibility that the recipient is a scammer.

Some of the oldest scams have been reborn on the internet too: snake oil salesmen selling dodgy products that promise to cure

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all ills; auction scammers who sell fake or broken items without disclosing their status; get-richquick schemes, dodgy lotteries and other dubious supposed moneymakers. If something seems too good to be true, it usually is.

Trying to fool people can be big business. In late 2019, Indian police shut down two call centres that were targeting UK residents by pretending to be Microsoft technical support staff. One victim, retired businessman Richard Varey, lost £4,000 – and City of London Police say they’re contacted by 2,000 people like Richard every month.

The police have made four smart suggestions that can help you prevent being sucked in by such scams. One, don’t assume a cold caller is who they say they are; two, call the organisation back on a published phone number to check whether the call is real; three, don’t trust Caller ID on your phone because it’s easy to fake; and four, never call phone numbers listed on pop-up messages telling you there’s a problem with your computer.

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March’s Puzzle Solutions and Winners Last Month’s Crossword Winner Susan King – Biggleswade

Easy

Hard

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The Villager Prize Crossword

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

16th April 2020 Prize Crossword, Villager Publications Ltd 24 Market Square, Potton, Beds SG19 2NP

Prize

ÂŁ25

Across 1 Not private (6) 4 One belonging to a club (6) 9 Endure (7) 10 Book of maps (5) 11 Surplus (5) 12 Design (7) 13 Discontinued (11) 18 Withdraw (7) 20 Living (5) 22 Concerning (5) 23 Outside light (7) 24 Removing (6) 25 Two wheeled vehicles (6) Down 1 Mailed (6) 2 Destroyed by fire (5) 3 Copy (7) 5 Precise (5) 6 Accept as true (7) 7 Climbing up (6) 8 Frantically (11) 14 Interconnected system (7) 15 Clearly (7) 16 Chicken meat (6) 17 Racket game (6) 19 Consumed (5) 21 Perfect (5)

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

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Parenting

Keeping children safe online

By Kate Duggan www.kateduggan.co.uk While children and teenagers are often far more tech savvy than us parents, their lack of life experience makes them vulnerable. One in eight 12-15 year olds experiences cyber bullying, and a growing number are being groomed online.

Check parental controls Digital devices usually come with parental controls that you can enable. Popular children’s online games, such as Roblox, also tend to give parents a choice of settings. You can prevent your child from accessing certain features, for example. You may want to adjust the settings so that your child can’t chat to strangers, and regularly check your child’s list of friends to make sure they haven’t added people they don’t know in real life.

Talk to your child Ask your child to show you what they do when they’re playing their favourite digital games. You might also want to set up your own account, so you can explore a game to see whether there’s anything that concerns you.

Make sure your child understands that they should never send photos to people they meet online, or give out personal details, such as their real name, email address or school. Talk to your child about how easy it is for people to lie when they’re online.

Above all, make sure your child knows that they can come to you if they experience anything that makes them feel uncomfortable, without you getting cross.

Social media Most social media sites only allow accounts to be

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set up by people aged 13 and up. However, they don’t require proof of age, so it’s down to parents to enforce the rules. Messaging apps and social media are useful for keeping in touch with friends but can be exploited by bullies and predators. Again, talk to your child about how to stay safe. You might want to help your teen set up their privacy controls and discuss what they should do if they’re trolled or contacted by someone they don’t know.

Setting limits Most tablets allow you to set a limit for how many hours they can be used for each day. It’s more difficult to set time limits for older children, however, who may need to use laptops or tablets to do their homework. At the very least, you may want to agree times that your child isn’t allowed to use devices, such as meal times, the hour before bedtime and so on. Try to lead by example. If you’re constantly scrolling through social media feeds, it’s going to be hard to convince your child not to do the same.

Further info For guidance on keeping children safe online, check out www.net-aware.org.uk and www.saferinternet.org.uk. www.internetmatters.org also has a wealth of useful information, including what to do if your child is bullied online.

If you’re not sure how to set up parental controls, or want advice on privacy settings or social media, call the O2/NSPCC’s online safety advice line on 0808 8005002.

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Environment

Recycled Confusion Despite much of our waste bearing the recycle symbol, most councils don’t have the facilities to process everything.

You will correctly believe that items such as glass bottles, cardboard and plastic drinks bottles are processed. But toiletries bottles and aerosols? What about plastic food trays. And broken drinks glasses… admit it, you probably don’t really know.

Paper: In your kerbside collection most paper will be collected and recycled. But this excludes shredded paper, tissues, photographs and gift wrap.

Glass: Bottles and jars are widely recycled and the Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) will usually take panes of glass or mirrors. But normal drinking glasses should just be carefully wrapped and placed in the household waste bin.

Toiletries: Anything bottle-shaped - including empty toiletries bottles and used aerosols – should be fine.

Face-wipes, cotton pads and mixed products like plastic razors go into household waste.

Plastic: Most councils can’t recycle ready meal/takeaway trays or yoghurt pots. There are a number of reasons for this, related both to the way these products are manufactured and the facilities councils have for recycling, but check with your own council.

Tetrapak/drinks cups: containers used for orange juice, non-dairy milks and soup, together with plasticlined cups provided in coffee shops, are not usually acceptable in a kerbside collection. Some councils do have facilities at recycling centres.

Finally, remember that if you put non-recyclables into the wrong bin, it could contaminate the whole lot meaning nothing is recycled. And that would be a waste.

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Classifieds

Book Review

By Kate Duggan

Accountants

Alice

by Christina Henry

If you enjoy twisted fairy tales, this book (and its sequel, Red Queen) needs to be on your reading list. The story begins with Alice, who’s been locked up in an asylum for a decade after encountering the Rabbit. She escapes with her neighbouring cellmate and they set off on a journey that sees them encountering various characters from the beloved children’s tale.

This is definitely not a story for children however; it’s horrifying, gruesome and as dark as they come. .

Three Hours

by Rosamund Lupton

Masked gunmen attack a school in Somerset. They shoot the headmaster but make no demands. Who’s behind the attack; who’s safe; who’s the target? A heart-racingly tense thriller with characters you’ll be desperate to protect. Three Hours will keep you on the edge of your seat and reading ‘just one more page’ long into the night.

On the Up

by Alice O’ Keeffe

Sylvia dreams of a better life, away from her council flat. A home with wisteria around the door, a garden and no noisy neighbours. Meanwhile, her financial situation and the challenges of parenthood are putting a strain on her relationship with her partner, Obe. While Sylvia is desperate to leave her estate behind, when it’s threatened she finds herself ready to defend it. A warm humorous book about family, community and modern life.

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Classifieds Domestic Appliance Repairs

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Classifieds Handy Man

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Classifieds Plumbing and Heating

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USEFUL NUMBERS

VILLAGER The

and Town

Life

Alcoholics Anonymous..............................0845 769 7555 Al-Anon Family Groups..............................0800 008 6811 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...........................................0344 245 1292

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.

Cocaine Anonymous..................................0800 689 4732 Crimestoppers..............................................0800 555 111 Cruse Bereavement Care............................0333 252 9152 Floodline....................................................0845 988 1188 Frank-Drug Advisory....................................0800 776 600 National Debt Line.....................................0808 808 4000 Gas Emergency............................................0800 111 999 NHS Direct.........................................................0845 4647 National Rail Enquiries..............................03457 48 49 50 Non Emergency Police Line.........................................101 NSPCC.........................................................0808 800 5000 Relate..........................................................0845 48 49 50 RSPCA Cruelty Line....................................0300 1234 999 Samaritans............................................................116 123 Tax Credit Helpline.....................................0345 300 3900 Victim Support..........................................0845 30 30 900

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

Tel: 01767 261122

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

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

111

Goo Open 9.30 d Frid am- ay 6pm

FRIENDS FIVE STAR HAIR & BEAUTY WE OFFER...

2 late evenings until 9pm Wednesday & Thursday 4 tier stylist price system 路 All hair stylists have extensive on- going training 200w collagen sunbed with fantastic packages Award winning products Redken & Pureology 路 Certified colourists Shiatsu massage wash units Our own express created menu for express service for colour and hair ups Beauty products include Shellac, Sienna & Katherine Daniels Fantastic loyalty scheme 路 Online booking Private and relaxing beauty treatment room Complimentary refreshments and magazines 路 Unisex salon

NEW CLIENTS 20% OFF WITH THIS ADVERT Check out our Facebook page www.facebook.com/friendshair for all our special offers on hair and beauty

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