Potton Feb 2021

VILLAGER The

Issue 174 - February 2021

and Town

Life

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

Inside this issue

Valentine’s Day Customs From around the World

A Passion for

House Plants 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...

Show them you care this Valentine’s Day

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St Valentine’ Day Customs around the World......................................4 Fat Tuesday! It’s Pancake Day this Month............................................. 8 World Book Day.............................................................................................10 Campling Street Potton.............................................................................. 12 Wines: Choosing a Mix................................................................................ 15 A Lasting Tribute............................................................................................ 17 Beauty Gifts to show you care.................................................................18 A Passion for House Plants.......................................................................20 Hair and Scalp Health................................................................................. 22 Anniversaries in Spring 2021...................................................................... 25 Nick Coffer’s Weekend Recipe................................................................26 Growing in Style...........................................................................................28 How to argue with a conspiracy theorist............................................30 Longer Lasting Clothes................................................................................32 The Rise of Athleisure Wear Fashion.................................................... 34 Oxygen Therapy is Rejuvenating............................................................ 36 Genius Inventions to Help your Baby Sleep.......................................38 Cruising on the River Dart, South Devon.............................................41 EAAA - Meet Dr Jo Stevens....................................................................... 42

Choosing an Engagement Ring................................................................ 45 Reduce your Financial Risk........................................................................46 Show them you care this Valentine’s Day...........................................48 Get Planting..................................................................................................... 51 Rural Ramblings............................................................................................. 52 Heavenly Hellebores................................................................................... 54 Eating Seasonally.......................................................................................... 57 The Dogs that Sniff Out Sickness...........................................................58 R.A.T.S. Rehoming Appeal..........................................................................60 Ask Alan - Potton Vets............................................................................... 63 In-car Technologies that changed the game......................................65 Love Birds: Choosing a Feathered Friend.............................................66 High-tech Hygiene........................................................................................ 71 The Truth about Yawning...........................................................................73 Fun Quiz............................................................................................................73 Baking - Orange and Apricot Loaf.......................................................... 79 Puzzle Page.....................................................................................................80 Children’s Page............................................................................................... 82 Villager Prize Crossword...............................................................86 Short Story - Wash Day.............................................................................88 Books to dip in to........................................................................................90 Useful Numbers............................................................................................95

Get Planting

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Get your business off to a flying start this year

Advertise with the Villager Magazine... prices start from just £37.50 +VAT per month Editorial - Catherine Rose, Sarah Davey, Peter Ibbett, Trevor Langley, Wood Green, Kate Duggan, Katherine Sorrell, Jackie Mitchell, Nick Coffer, Tom Hancock, Jennie Billings, Tracey Anderson, Solange Hando, RSPCA, Pippa Greenwood, Rachael Leverton, Geoff Wharton, Kate McLelland, Potton Vets, Louise Addison and Jackie Brewster

Advertising Sales/Local Editorial Nigel Frost • Tel 01767 261122 nigel@villagermag.com Front Cover Photography - Paul Grecaud Design and Artwork - Design 9 Tel 07762 969460 • www.design9marketing.co.uk

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

Disclaimer - All adverts and editorial are printed in good faith, however, Villager Publications Ltd can not take any responsibility for the content of the adverts, the services provided by the advertisers or any statements given in the editorial. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored without the express permission of the publisher.

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History

By Catherine Rose

St Valentine’s Day Customs

Around the World Valentine’s Day is celebrated across the globe in different ways This month, Valentine’s Day will see us buying our loved ones cards, flowers and gifts and perhaps sharing a romantic meal. Many countries around the world celebrate Valentine’s Day, or an equivalent not necessarily on 14th February.

Always seen as a nation of romantics, it is believed that the first Valentine was sent in France when Charles, Duke of Orleans, wrote love letters to his wife from prison in 1415.

Although Valentine’s Day is celebrated across the country, the French village of Saint-Valentin hosts a special three-day festival from 13th to 15th February, when trees and houses are bedecked with hearts, love letters and red roses. It is traditional for lovers to propose in Le Jardin des Amoreux (The Lovers’ Garden) beneath a decorated willow tree known as Le Saule aux Coeurs (the Willow of Hearts).

One of the precursors to Valentine’s Day was the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia. At this festival, it was customary for women to wear the name of their beloved on their arm. This ritual

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continues in South Africa where women pin paper hearts with the name of their sweetheart onto their sleeves thus letting them know they have a secret admirer. It is possible that this ancient tradition is where the expression ‘wearing your heart on your sleeve’ comes from.

Since the 1930s, women in Japan have presented boxes of fabulously coloured and decorated chocolates on Valentine’s Day. The tradition began there in 1936 when confectioner Morozoff Ltd placed the first advert for Valentine’s Day gifts in an English newspaper aimed at the expatriate community. Over the next forty years Valentine’s Day gained a foothold in Japan, but it is celebrated with a twist because women are the givers.

The chocolate gifts have a definite hierarchy.

Chocolate presented to a lover is honmei-choko, literally meaning ‘favourite’ or ‘sincere’ chocolate, and is sometimes home-made. But women also give chocolate to important men in their life with whom they have no romantic connection, such as their boss. This type of chocolate is called giri-choko or ‘obligation chocolate’. If the woman doesn’t particularly like the recipient but is obliged

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to give them a gift, she might offer the lesser chô-giri choko (very obligatory chocolate). Although the tradition has been for women to give men chocolate, more recently tomo-choko or ‘companion chocolate’ has appeared, in which women also give chocolate boxes to their best girlfriends.

Across some Scandinavian countries, it has become traditional for an admirer to send short love verses known as gaekkbrev on Valentine’s Day. The anonymous poems are signed with dots, each corresponding to a letter in the sender’s name. If the recipient can guess who sent the poem, they will receive an Easter egg from them later in the year.

If they can’t, they have to give an Easter egg to the sender.

In Denmark it is also customary to give pressed flowers, traditionally snowdrops.

Bulgaria celebrates Valentine’s Day with a glass of home-produced wine. Known as San Trifon Zartan, the celebration is literally the ‘Day of Winemakers’.

Valentine’s Day is known as Zdravko in Slovenia and is linked with celebrations of fertility and the land. An old Slovenian proverb goes: “St Valentine’s brings the keys of roots”, as it is the day work usually begins in the fields.

There is a charming belief that it is also the day when birds propose to each other and wed for the season.

Estonians see Valentine’s Day as a festival of love for everyone. Sobrapaev translates as Friendship Day and as such does not have a romantic bias, instead celebrating love between all.

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The Welsh have long had an alternative to Valentine’s Day. There, St Dwynwen’s Day is on 25th January. St Dwywen is the Welsh patron saint of lovers and it was historically the day when men would give their wives, fiancées and girlfriends intricately carved and symbolic wooden Welsh love spoons.

But the award for the most romantic nation must go to South Korea. As well as celebrating Valentine’s Day where (like Japan) women traditionally honour men, the 14th day of every month is reserved for lovers and each celebration has a different name.

14th January is Candle Day and 14th March is known as White Day, when men reciprocate Valentine’s Day and give gifts to women.

No one is left out as April 14th is Black Day and reserved for single people, who mark it by coming together to eat jajangmyeon or black noodles.

May brings the Day of Roses, June the Day of Kisses and July 14th is Silver Day. August’s Green Day refers to an alcoholic beverage known as soju, a spirit made from rice. It is traditional to drink this followed by a romantic walk.

September sees Music Day, October is Wine Day, November Movie Day and December 14th is the Day of Hugs.

That is a lot of celebrations and holidays for lovers!

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Time of Year

By Sarah Davey

Fat Tuesday!

It’s pancake day this month I grew up near Olney, in Buckinghamshire. It’s a pretty little town with lots of lovely independent shops and a strange claim to fame; it is the home of the pancake race.

On Shrove Tuesday, in a 500-year-old tradition, many of the Olney women (and the odd bloke in a dress), don aprons and head coverings, and race through the streets to the church tossing a hot pancake in a frying pan!

It’s an entertaining afternoon, but how did it all come about?

Legend has it that in 1455 a woman cooking pancakes heard the shriving bell summoning her to confession.

In her Christian haste she ran to the church, wearing her apron and still clutching her frying pan, complete with hot pancake, and so the tradition was born.

The reason this 15th Century woman was cooking pancakes in the first place was due to a Christian dictate; that through the 40 days of Lent no person should eat milk, eggs, or butter.

This was a pre-fridge era, which meant that if a housewife had stocks of these foods they would go off before the fast ended on Easter Sunday, so she had to use them up. The solution was to make pancakes and they became a symbol of selfindulgence before the fast. Indeed Mardi Gras, as the ritual is called in France and the USA, literally translates as ‘Fat Tuesday.’

Over the years I’ve tried my pancakes with fruit, maple syrup, and a variety of savoury fillings but

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I keep coming back to fresh lemon juice and a sprinkling of sugar...irresistible.

Here is my own recipe for perfect pancakes.

Ingredients 115g (4oz) plain flour Pinch salt 1 large egg 285ml (half a pint of milk) 115g (4oz) butter, melted Juice from 2 lemons, strained Caster or Demerara sugar to taste.

To make the batter: sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Beat in the egg and a little of the milk until smooth. Gradually beat in the remaining milk and add 4 tablespoons of the melted butter. Cover the bowl and leave to stand for one hour.

In a small non-stick frying pan heat some of the butter until sizzling, but taking care not to let it burn.

Pour enough batter into the pan to coat the base evenly. Cook over a moderate heat until the pancake is light golden-brown underneath and looks dry on top. Flip over (try to do this with style!) and cook the other side until golden. Continue until all the batter is used. The recipe should make 10-12 pancakes.

You can keep the pancakes warm in the oven (Gas mark 1 / 140C) until they are all cooked, but in our house they’re barely out the frying pan before they’re scoffed.

Serve with the lemon juice and sugar...Enjoy!

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Time of Year

By Sarah Davey

World Book Day

Thursday 4th March is WORLD BOOK DAY

and this year the focus is on libraries Every Saturday morning after we’d endured the weekly shop my mother took me and my brother to the library. We’d flop down in the children’s section and skim the titles, our heads tilted at ninety degrees.

Our card limit was three books each and it never seemed enough. My mother was an avid reader and instilled in both of us the love of a good story. It’s why I’m delighted that World Book Day is here again, and that it’s working even more closely with libraries.

For the first time in our lives libraries are seriously under threat. Yet libraries level the playing field for families who can’t afford to buy books. They are gateways to a world of information and imagination.

World Book Day is the annual event supporting books and reading in the UK. Schools, libraries and bookshops will be holding book related events, activities and parties. It’s a great opportunity for everyone to get involved.

The aim of World Book Day is to encourage children to explore the pleasure of reading. Your child will be given a book token which can be exchanged for one of ten specially published World Book Day books.

The theme this year is story-sharing.

Research has proven that keen readers: • Read, write and concentrate better • Process new information more easily • Have many interests and do well in a wide variety of subjects

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• Are more flexible thinkers and are more open to new ideas • Deal with personal problems better without their schoolwork being affected.

• They are also well equipped to deal with the explosion of constantly changing information available through the internet and social media.

TV and computer games take up so much of our children’s leisure time that the simple pleasure of reading can be overlooked. Yet reading is the only entertainment medium which is also a life skill and it’s one of the best gifts you can give to your child.

So let’s all support World Book Day and...celebrate the power of a story.

Share a few of your childhood favourites with your own children. If your memory needs a jog here are a few to start you off…

Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis.

Grandpa’s Great Escape by David Walliams How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell The Gruffalo By Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler Visit www.worldbookday.com

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History

Campling Street Potton New streets are popping up all over the area as the housing boom continues but there is as yet no Campling Street in Potton. When another new street is gouged out of the greensand soil then perhaps there should be, for there have been few Pottonians who have contributed as much to their town as Harbord Campling, who died at 84 in 1951.

His Biggleswade Chronicle obituary tells us that ‘he was born at Potton and at the age of 18 entered the business of ladies’ and gents.’ tailor and outfitter, conducted by his father in a small lock-up shop in the centre of the Square, and at a shop and dwelling house at the corner of Bull Street. Mr. Campling’s life was spent in the service of his fellow townspeople. He served on the Parish Council for an unbroken period of 31 years. As a member of the Potton Charity Trustees he was instrumental, with others, in getting the Technical School in Station Road built. [The plaque over the door still carries his name]. He was at one time an overseer and for many years Managing Director of the old Potton Gas Company. On the formation of the Special Constables during the first World War, he became a member and reached the rank of sergeant. After the 1914-18 war, Mr. Campling assisted in the formation of the Federation of Discharged and Demobilised Sailors and Soldiers which later, with the help of the late Messrs. Fred Banes and G. Mayston, resulted in the formation of the United Services Men’s Club in Royston Street.

He assisted with the formation of the Potton Bowling Club and was for many years its captain. In his earlier years he helped to form the old Potton Town Football Club and at one time was its captain playing at outside right.. He took particular interest

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By Peter Ibbett in cards and was the first man to introduce solo whist to the parish. A widely read man, he was much interested in local history, having a wonderful memory for dates. Much of the historical information he collected has been published in the local Press and elsewhere.’

In his younger days (1890) he mounted a hatted donkey, equipped with his bugle, and led the ‘Skeleton Army’ in their protests at the arrival of the Salvation Army in the town. [This soon settled down and the newcomers became part of the fabric of the town.] The picture of 6 Market Square comes from the Bedfordshire Magazine of 1951 accompanying his article on the history of his native town. The Potton History Society is looking at family history in February. Look up its website to find out more and even contribute your own information about the town’s past tradesfolk and market gardeners. Meanwhile keep your eyes open, for new roads need names!

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Food & Drink

Wines: Choosing a Mix For this quest I searched for a range of wines, with each production having an alcoholic content typical for the type and a bouquet, from delicate to medium level, which entices to the pleasures that follow.

Irresistible Sauvignon Blanc (13% vol), from Chile, is a very popular favourite for many white wine lovers. Crisp and fresh, to the mouth’s delight, I found this to be impressive and perfect to accompany a lot of cuisine, including fish dishes, seafood and salads.

Irresistible Gavi Broglia (13.5% vol), from Italy, brings thoughts - and flavours - of white fruits to mind, for this dry, smooth wine. Again, being crisp and refreshing, a further, popular selection.

For a rosé production I was drawn to Incarnade (11.5% vol). This Pinot Noir wine, by Sainte Marthe, comes from France. Sainte Marthe is to be found on the hillside of an ancient volcano. The terroir, plus much knowledge and expertise, combine to produce this excellent, light and refreshing wine. Great to pair with fish and meat dishes, as well as salads.

Red wines are often chosen and Uruguay produces a splendid Tannat Merlot (12.5% vol). The Finca Traversa production certainly ticks all my boxes, with grapes being grown close to the Atlantic Ocean. Juicy red fruit flavours are in abundance. The superb mouthfeel continues on to a greatly appreciative palate and extended finish. Beef and red meats are regularly paired with this wine.

Spanish red wines are also chosen regularly and Bobal Extreme (14% vol) does not disappoint. The vineyards are at a height of 1100m. This is an ‘extreme’ altitude for grape growing. Dark fruit flavours complement this organic production, wonderfully.

If sparkling wine is a favourite, Italian Pizzolato Organic Prosecco (11% vol) comes through amongst the leaders. This extra dry wine adds something ‘more’ to a dining occasion or event. By itself or to accompany cuisine, this crisp, refreshing production has a very good perlage and memorable finish.

I located these wines amongst excellent ranges at a Co-op store, where I also found knowledgeable advice. If Co-op membership is of interest customers can be rewarded for purchases and products. The Co-op is also committed to supporting Fairtrade. www.coop.co.uk www.infofairtrade.net

As always, Enjoy!

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

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Local News

A lasting tribute to those no longer with us

A new tribute site from Wood Green, The Animals Charity gives pet lovers the opportunity to celebrate the life of a beloved friend, family member or pet by creating a space to come together, share anecdotes and keep the memories of loved ones alive. Giving a gift in someone’s memory is a wonderful way to commemorate their life, whilst also supporting Wood Green’s work to care for thousands of vulnerable pets every year.

Jensen Calleemootoo, from Wood Green’s In-Memory Giving team, said: “Losing someone is never easy and we understand how painful it can be. Although nothing can replace them, we know that many people find a great deal of comfort and purpose by creating a tribute fund in their name, for a cause close to

their heart. By donating or fundraising around key milestones such as birthdays and anniversaries, those loved ones stay with us forever – and help Wood Green be there for even more pets in need.”

For Len, a gift to Wood Green was the perfect way to honour his late wife, Val: “Leaving a lasting tribute to Val means her love for animals lives on through the care Wood Green gives to homeless pets. Supporting a cause which brought her so much joy and happiness gives me comfort. I have something positive to focus on, despite the pain I felt since losing her.”

To find out more about setting up a tribute fund for a loved one, please visit inmemory.woodgreen.org.uk or contact Wood Green’s In-Memory Giving team on 0300 303 9333 option 3.

009011NC0121

Setting up a tribute fund is a wonderful way to commemorate a life whilst making a difference to pets in need.

Wood Green, The Animals Charity, Registered Charity No. 298348

Celebrate the memory of a loved one

Visit www.inmemory.woodgreen. org.uk or call our In-Memory Giving team on 0300 303 9333 option 3 To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122

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Beauty

Beauty gifts to show you care Whether you’re buying for a lover or a best friend, if you need some

By Kate Duggan inspiration just keep reading…

Torn between flowers and make-up? Why not send both? Little Betty’s Gifts create stunning bouquets using artificial flowers interwoven with cosmetics, such as nail varnishes, eye palettes and lipsticks. The bouquet comes in a personalised hatbox and really does have the wow factor. Other bouquets are also available, including ones with scarves, brooches, candles or baby clothes. I’ve bought four as gifts so far, and expect to buy many more in the future. The bouquets cost from £28 plus postage. Search for Little Betty’s Gifts on www. etsy.com.

Perfume tends to be well received, but is usually rather pricey. If you don’t fancy taking out a loan to buy a decent bottle, or picking up a cheap looking one endorsed by a B-list celebrity, try La Librairie’s Neroli Divine.

A 100ml bottle costs just £25 from Boots (www.boots.com), but looks (and most importantly smells) at least three times the price. It’s a fresh, light fragrance with floral jasmine and orange blossom, warmed by vanilla-like tonka beans. Truly divine.

Looking for a small gift for an eco-conscious other half? Nuddy bars are plastic-free, vegan and cruelty-free, but they’re also supermoisturising and come in fun packaging.

According to the twenty-eight-year-old founder, she wants to make soap cool again.

If you’re buying a Nuddy bar as a Valentine’s gift, go for the Coconut Moisturising Soap Bar, £4.95. It smells delicious, leaves skin soft and strokeable and the box should get your message across – ‘Totally coco-NUTS for your body’. See www.nuddy.co.uk.

Want to save money on top brands? Like supporting charity? Beauty and the Breast (www.beautyandthebreast.co.uk) lets you do both. Sign up as a member (from £5 a month) to save up to 40% on brands such as Beauty Lab, Jessica and Mii. 100% of the profits from each membership goes to Breast Cancer Haven. The Spongellé Flowers make cute gifts. They’re a body wash and skin buffer in one – perfect for travelling (remember that?) Each ‘flower’ costs £10 for members or £12.50 for non-members.

Last-minute shopping panic? Just send a digital gift card. It’s valid for a year and can be sent on whatever date you choose. Simples.

If you’re sending a gift to someone who’s going through a challenging situation, try Not Another Bunch of Flowers (www. notanotherbunchofflowers.com). They have gifts for every occasion, from care packages for people with cancer to ‘thinking of you’ gift sets. Choose one of the pre-packaged sets or build your own. You’ll find everything from hospital stay essentials and cancer-friendly beanie hats to bath and shower oils, candles, skin balms and motivational chocolate.

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19

Interiors

By Katherine Sorrell

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A Passion for House Plants Go green in style with our guide to creating a beautiful indoor garden in any room There are many good reasons why we are all falling in love with house plants once again. They look amazing, for starters, adding colour, pattern, texture, interesting forms and a feeling of vibrancy wherever they are placed. They can fill a dull corner, provide soft screening and even help dampen down noise levels. They have proven physical benefits, too. The Royal Horticultural Society reports that indoor plants have been shown to lower blood pressure and reduce fatigue and headaches by up to twenty-five per cent. Intriguingly, patients in hospital rooms containing plants report decreased post-operative pain. This is powerful stuff! And then there are the psychological benefits: the satisfaction of nurturing something, perhaps from a small seedling, and watching it grow into a healthy, thriving, mature plant. There’s the regular pleasure and almost hypnotic task of watering, misting and pruning. There’s the link to the wider environment – perhaps we feel closer to nature through our house plants, even if we live in a busy town or city. The psychological benefits of house plants, says the RHS,

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have been shown to include reduced stress levels, a better mood, increased productivity and, potentially, an improved attention span. Whether it’s a solitary spider plant or a full-on biophilic bonanza, it’s true to say that plants just make us feel good.

What plants to choose?

When selecting house plants, it is wise to focus on those types that are happiest to live in our homes, where the environment is shadier and has greater fluctuations of temperature than in their normal habitat. Some of the most low-maintenance species – which not only have attractive leaves but are also pretty hard to kill – include: the aforementioned spider plant; the Boston fern; several varieties of dracaena, including the corn plant and dragon tree; Sansevieria trifasciata – aka the ‘snake plant’ or ‘mother-in-law’s tongue’; rubber plants (ficus elastica); peace lilies (spathiphyllum); aspidistra; and even good old ivy. Of course there are also succulents and cacti, which come in an enormous range of shapes and sizes, from tiny to towering, and tend to be relatively easy to care for.

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If following fashion is of interest, a quick glance at social media will tell you all you need to know about the most on-trend plants of the moment. The mostdiscussed plants on Reddit in 2020, for example, included the pothos, monstera, philodendron, calathea, hoya and peperomia. On the other hand, the world’s most Instagrammed houseplants include the Swiss cheese plant (monstera deliciosa), fiddle leaf fig (ficus lyrata), Chinese money plant, snake plant and money tree.

Where to put your house plants First, the practicalities. Generally speaking, plants need good light (but not overly bright, direct sunlight), and a position that’s neither too close to a fire or radiator, nor too draughty and cold. For darker rooms, such as bathrooms, make sure your plants can tolerate shade (they will probably love the humidity). A stable and waterproof base is obviously a must and, if there is any question that the plant might be harmful to children or pets, make sure it is

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2 well out of reach. Then it’s all about the aesthetics. A huge, statement plant looks incredible in the corner of a hallway, living room or dining room, or you can achieve a similar effect by grouping several plants together. Smaller plants can get lost on the floor, so try placing them on side tables or raising them up in tall planters. Obvious destinations for a row of small plants would be along a mantelpiece, high shelf or window ledge, or you could dot them among books and vases in a bookcase. Hang them from the ceiling or in front of a window, stage them on steps, or pop them on wall racks. Grouping in odd numbers always looks best, and a range of differing widths and heights looks relaxed – unless you are opting for a very smart, minimal, uniform look, of course.

Think about the colours of the leaves – again, you could opt for varying shades for interest, or try for a more regulated appearance. What always looks nice is contrasting leaf shapes – tall and spiky with round and flat – creating a pleasing, natural variety. How many to use? It’s up to you – but be warned, this is an addictive hobby and you’re likely to end up with not only a green thumb but also an all-consuming plant obsession.

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2 Huge plants make a grand statement in a living room, especially combined with bold colours and architectural fittings. Charlotte Chandelier, £380, with 18cm pendant shades in Posh Pink velvet, £35 each, Pooky.

3 Personalise a home work space with a series of small plants, placed at different heights for variety.

Gerry Floor lamp, £161; Drax desk lamp in black, £137: both Pooky.

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21

Health

Hair and Scalp Health

By Jackie Mitchell Dandruff, an itchy scalp, hair breakage and hair loss are all common hair and scalp problems.

Most of us have experienced dandruff at some point in our lives.

We all know the tell-tale signs, such as white flakes on a black collar. According to Eva Proudman, clinical trichologist and chair of The Institute of Trichologists, dandruff is a mild form of ‘seborrhoeic eczema’. “This is where the natural yeast found on the scalp becomes slightly overactive, causing white or grey loose scaling. Usually the scalp is not inflamed or itchy,” she says.

How do you treat it? Eva recommends a shampoo with active ingredients such as Ketoconazole, Piroctone, Salicylic Acid and Zinc Phyrithone, which can be bought over the counter.

Dandruff is usually a mild condition and will clear up quickly, but there are more severe cases, such as seborrheic dermatitis, which causes scaly patches, discolouration of the skin and stubborn dandruff. The best advice would be to consult your GP. How often should you wash your hair? This is a debatable question and depends on your hair type.

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Stephanie Sey suggests at least once a week, especially if you have thicker curly hair, or every other day if your hair becomes oily.

“Washing hair too much can cause dryness to the scalp and hair,” she adds.

Hair breakage is another common issue and may be caused by overbrushing, colouring, bleaching or overheating the hair. Over time, it weakens the hair structure and it starts breaking.

So what can you do about it?

Stephanie advises a conditioning treatment that you can buy over the counter which is rich in moisture, good oils and emollients, hydrolysed protein and silk amino acids.

If you’ve noticed more hair in your brush or comb, a more prominent parting or a receding hairline, chances are you’re suffering from what is called pattern hair loss, which occurs to men and women.

For many people this can be a shock, but there is help at hand.

What causes male and female pattern hair loss or ‘Androgenetic Alopecia’? Eva Proudman explains it can be inherited or caused by sensitivity to androgens – male

hormones. “Both the inheritance gene and the hormone sensitivity cause the hair to miniaturise and become thinner and thinner, until it is unable to grow,” she says.

Effective treatments include Minoxidil, Finasteride, Serenoa, Low Level Laser Light Therapy and Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy (PRP).

Another condition is excessive hair shedding or ‘telogen efflubrium’, which is caused by stress.

Stephanie Sey says “It can be caused by a stressful incident such as bereavement, redundancy or divorce. The hair shedding occurs three months after the event.”

She advises working with your GP, trichologist or dermatologist to get to the bottom of the problem.

If you notice hair loss, don’t ignore it. Seek expert help as early as possible. As Eva Proudman says, “The sooner we see a condition, the more we can do to treat or manage it. If you lose your hair we can’t magically regrow it, but we can often improve what you have.”

For Further Information: www.stephaniesey.com www.ukhairconsultants.com Institute of Trichologists: trichologists.org.uk

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Special Report

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Food & Drink

Restaurant style Japanese miso noodle soup My favourite recipes are those which look great, taste amazing, and require little or no effort to make. This noodle soup meets all those criteria. It’s healthy, full of goodness and will bring a smile to your table during the darker months. The vegetables are fully interchangeable - feel free to use whatever you can get your hands on. The dish also still works without miso paste, even though it does add a lovely richness to the flavours.

Ingredients 1 litre good quality vegetable stock 1 tbsp miso paste 200g fine dried noodles or similar (I often cheat and just chuck in the precooked ones you find in the fresh aisle in supermarkets) 2 filets of salmon, skinned and sliced diagonally into three pieces 2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped 1 thumb of ginger, peeled and grated Handful sugar snap peas Handful mushrooms finely sliced 1 small leek, finely sliced Vegetable oil Light soy sauce

Serves 2 people

1. Cook the noodles as per the packet instructions then drain and chill them. If you are using pre-cooked noodles, there’s no need to cook them again.

2. Place the noodles in the base of two large round serving bowls.

3. Boil up your vegetable stock and stir through the miso paste.

You want to keep this stock hot and ready to serve.

4. In a hot pan, drizzle in some vegetable oil and quickly fry the vegetables, garlic and ginger. Leave them with a good crunch, you don’t want to overcook them.

5. Add in a few drops of soy sauce, mix the vegetables one last time, and then share the vegetables between the two bowls, placing them on the noodles.

6. Pour a little more oil into the pan and fry off the salmon pieces. Give them a bit of colour but, again, don’t overcook them as they will continue to cook in the serving bowls.

7. Pop the salmon on top of the vegetables and divide up the vegetable stock into both bowls.

8. Leave the bowls sit for a minute, just for the boiling stock to heat through the noodles and serve, accompanied by chilli oil or chilli sauce, for a bit of extra optional kick.

BBC Three Counties Radio presenter and cook, Nick Coffer 26

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Home Products

Growing in Style

Show off your house plants and keep them happy and healthy with these great accessories.

Grow your own indoor kitchen This planter combines two styles of natural rattan. The upper pot includes a waterproof liner, keeping the lower shelf (and

floors) safe and dry. Mayfield plant stand, £75,

Garden Trading.

A pruner helps maintain healthy, happy plant growth.

Burgon & Ball house plant pruner, £12.50, Leaf Envy.

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garden with herbs in recycled planters on a sunny window sill. Seeds and compost from Dobbies.

Made in London out of Jesmonite in collaboration with homeware designer Salt Studios, this handmade propagation station comes with a glass test tube to display your cutting, plus a bookmark with useful instructions.

Propagation station, £35, Leaf Envy.

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Follow a few basic principles and your indoor garden is bound to flourish.

These seagrass baskets are tactile and soft without being floppy. Redford round baskets, from £40 each, Neptune.

• Regular watering is crucial, but choose an indoor watering can that doesn’t take up too much space and looks nice on display. The narrow spout and high handle help when watering hanging pots, plants on high shelves or tabletop terrariums.

Perfect for orchids and succulents, this delicate plant mister makes a pretty addition to a kitchen or bathroom windowsill. Botanicalstyle plant mister, £14, Ella James.

Looking to collect and learn about different plant varieties? Try a plant subscription – you’ll be sent a new plant monthly, with information and care instructions. A Plant Doctor is on hand to help with any problems. Plant & Pot monthly plant subscription, £35, Leaf Envy.

• Check whether your plant will benefit from regular misting.

Leaf curling, yellowing and brown leaf edges are all signs that it needs a bit of extra humidity. Choose a mister with a fine, gentle spray – the aim is not to make the leaves soaking wet, but to keep them clean (it helps them photosynthesise) and change the air quality around them.

Water plants and herbs with a galvanised steel watering can. Garden Trading indoor watering can, £16, Heavenly Homes and Gardens.

Stylish round metal hanging lamp and plant pot in sleek gold and black, £95, Cult Furniture.

• Use pruners to remove spent leaves or take off live stems in order to reshape your plant or encourage bushier, dense growth. Those with stainless steel blades are rust-resistant and easy to keep clean.

STOCKISTS Dobbies: 0131 561 6406; dobbies.com Garden Trading: 01993 845 559; gardentrading.co.uk Leaf Envy: leafenvy.co.uk

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• If you are short on sunlight, try indoor growing lights, which are more intense than ordinary light bulbs. They also have a range of colour spectrums optimised to aid plant growth.

Look for all-in-one kits or separate bulbs or tube lights.

Cult Furniture: 020 8185 6960; cultfurniture.com Ella James: 01572 759 190; ellajames.co.uk Heavenly Homes and Gardens: heavenlyhomesandgardens.co.uk Neptune: 01793 427 450; neptune.com

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How to...

How to……

…argue with a conspiracy theorist We all have one relative or friend who believes everything they read on the internet and is convinced that COVID 19 is a hoax and the Government is using the vaccines to implant us with microchips. How do you talk to someone like that?

First be kind. It’s actually a very human response to look for patterns in events, and to develop and believe in conspiracy theories. We’re primed to be suspicious of things that can’t be easily explained.

Be respectful, even if you think the other person is completely bonkers Almost no-one has ever been ridiculed into changing their mind.

In the same vein, avoid publicly shaming them. Reach out and speak or message privately. This prevents embarrassment and implies a genuine interest in conversation.

Ask ‘What would it take for you to change your mind?’ If they reply, ‘Nothing will ever make me change my mind,’ it’s probably best to take them at their word and change the subject. Sometimes it’s not worth the effort.

Use questions to help others probe their own views. This is often the best way to change someone’s mind. The way to do this is to engage, then gently and politely question, pointing out inconsistencies in their arguments and allowing them to respond, until you hit a dead-end. Research has shown that this tactic prevents people feeling attacked.

Always evaluate your relationship with the person. If it’s a misguided family member who you love dearly, it’s often best to let it go. The relationship is the bigger prize. And even one little conversation might just be enough to get them thinking.

By Tom Hancock

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31

House of Colour

Longer Lasting Clothes Different types of fabric suit different clothing personalities. Some people look fabulous in cable knit jumpers and textured wools while others need smooth refined woollens. They can make a real difference to our look. I can’t get away with creases (yes some people can work that look!) or boucle wools. However we all need to look after our clothes to get the most from them. Now could be the time to put a little care in to ensure some longevity.

A round up of some top tips in clothing care: • Try using a razorblade to take the pilling off jumpers. Those little bobbles instantly age a jumper but with a little care they can look rejuvenated. A ‘comb’ for knitwear also works well just be careful not to use it too vigorously on some delicate wools like cashmere to avoid stretching it.

• Fabric softener can make pilling worse so give it a miss – but be sure to use a delicate detergent on woollens and a delicates wash in your machine.

Pure wool doesn’t actually need a lot of washing (it doesn’t tend to hang on to bacteria or dirt) so if it isn’t obviously dirty don’t rush to wash it.

• Never leave a jumper to dry on a radiator.

Woollens need a flat surface to dry and not direct heat. They may shrink and dye could come off on your radiator!

• Fold woollens flat to store, they stretch on hangers. Avoid the vacuum packing storage bags as they can distort your jumpers. Cedar balls work well when added to drawers and in storage to repel moths.

• Wash trousers inside out to reduce wear and tear while in the wash. Once they’re done take them out as soon as possible and then leave to dry in a warm area folding along their crease lines – this will maintain those lines (down the front) and could avoid them needing a pressing.

• Hard water area – help reduce deposits by using soda crystals in each wash, teaspoon or so will reduce build up (as well as making your detergent go further!) in your machine.

• Hand wash bras – they will have a much shorter shelf life if they go in a machine. The lingerie detergent Soak doesn’t need rinsing which helps to speed up the process.

• Quality hangers are essential – not the wire ones from the dry cleaners, they can distort clothing.

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Faux Fur • Often with a label of dry clean but shhh….you can hand wash it! Short faux fur hand washes well, the longer types of fur can become matted in the process so don’t work as well. Only embark on hand wash if your faux fur item really needs a wash and this is better with lighter colours. Try using a bath to wash it in with lukewarm water and a gentle delicates detergent (doesn’t need much detergent either). It will absorb a huge amount of water in the process. Lay on some old towels (you could need a few with a coat and beware dye running) and press water out, try not to wring it.

Press the item in the towels. Then put it on the spin cycle (on a gentle option) in your machine – if you can put it in a laundry bag or pillow case to protect it and the fibres from your machine. Leave to dry on a hanger if a coat for at least 24 hours, possibly longer until dry. The fur may need a little fluffing up with your hands once it’s dried but then it’s as good as new!

Article by Jennie Billings House of Colour House of Colour has a network of stylists to help you update your look.

Find your nearest at houseofcolour.co.uk/find-a-stylist

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Addiction Anger Anxiety Chronic pain Depression Low mood Event preparation Grief IBS Insomnia

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33

Trends

The Rise of Athleisure Wear Fashion for the COVID Era It’s stating the obvious to say that COVID has changed everything. It’s even changed the way we dress.

With so many of us working from home there has been a surge in demand for comfy clothes, that don’t constrict or constrain, but which still allow us to look professional on Zoom calls and in Team meetings.

Enter athleisure wear Athleisure wear is a combination of sports, urban, and fashion wear, but it’s more than the sum of its parts. It has grown as a trend because it blends the aesthetics from both the sports and fashion industries, with fashion offering credibility to the sports aesthetic, while the sports provides some functionality to the fashion.

Athletic brands are always looking to improve the performance of athletes. This forces them to innovate. Comfort and feel are top priority for most athletes. The goal is to create better fabric and form to improve athletic performance. But parallel to the innovation brands are also looking to get the most out of their investment and being at the front of fashion allows them to reach a wider market.

The sports clothing industry is fiercely competitive.

Athletic brands have to stay ahead of the game by developing high-tech fabrics, with better performance and more comfort. The fashion industry, on the other hand, has always focused more

on trends and less on comfort and functionality.

But who doesn’t want to be comfortable in their clothes? We feel most naturally confident when our clothes are comfortable, and we know we look good.

This is the beauty of athleisure wear – it isn’t just for sport; it can be worn anytime and anywhere. For this reason, it has attracted new fans during the age of COVID and homeworking. We can wear athleisure while lounging, walking the dog, hosting a meeting, or cooking supper. It’s comfortable, durable, odourresistant, and wrinkle-free. It’s becoming so popular it’s beginning to eat into the usually stable denim market: in recent surveys in the UK and the US more people now claim to prefer athleisure aesthetics over denim for their casual wear.

Beyoncé and Rihanna were among the first celebrities to bring athleisure into the mainstream. We’ve all secretly enjoyed seeing ‘behind the scenes’ glimpses into celeb lives during lockdown. COVID has been a great leveller, and we feel that even though they are celebs, they’ve been on the same journey as us, not dressed in their usual sequinned designer gowns or skin-tight jeans and stilettoes but wearing laid-back and comfy athleisure wear. Dressing like our favourite influencers has never been more achievable. So, before your next Zoom meeting pull on those yoga pants and your oh-so-soft bamboo top, add a slick of lip gloss, and channel Beyonce like never before.

By Tracey Anderson

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Local News

Oxygen Therapy Is Rejuvenating!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Would you like more energy and less pain?

Try Oxygen Therapy Visit The Herts MS Therapy Centre in Letchworth WE ARE OPEN EXTRA SAFETY MEASURES ARE IN PLACE

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Company Number 2215165

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07743 172 393 or email: oxygen@hmstc.net

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Air-Co

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Over 18 years of successful hairdressing OUR BOOKING POLICY FOR ANY FUTURE SALON CLOSURES DUE TO GOVERMENT RESTRICTIONS Our telephone line for future appointments will open one week before we have a definite reopen date; We will publish this date on our website, social media and salon window posters; All pre booked appointments will still be valid and any missed appointments due to closure will be contacted to reschedule.

Thank you for your continued support 1 Station Road, Biggleswade, SG18 8AH Tel: 01767 600510 Web: www.lavidahair.co.uk Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for our current offers To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122

37

Parenting

By Kate Duggan

Genius inventions

to help your baby sleep Apparently, babies sleep for fifteen to seventeen hours a day. Try telling that to a sleep-deprived parent. We can’t wave a magic wand to make your baby sleep better, but we can recommend some new innovations that might help you to get a bit more shuteye.

Sneaky nappy changes “Ah 3 am nappy changes. What fun,” said no one ever.

Being wrestled out of an awkward sleepsuit is pretty much guaranteed to turn a half-asleep baby to a wide-awake one. Enter the SnüzPouch. Unlike most baby sleeping bags, this one has a curved zip on the front. Open it up, slip a travel changing mat under your baby’s bottom and get to work changing that nappy. You don’t need to lift your baby out of the cot or battle to prize their legs back into a Babygro.

And zips are a lot easier than poppers.

The SnüzPouch is made from 100% cotton and available in lightweight 0.5 and 1 tog versions for summer and a snuggly 2.5 tog for the rest of the year. There are two sizes available and ten designs to choose from. £29.95, see www.snuz.co.uk.

Baby radio Babies tend to love music. If you’re fed up of listening to the same songs or scrolling through Spotify for something different, try Rockabye Radio (www.rockabyeradio.co.uk). It plays non-stop music around the clock, with tunes chosen to suit the time

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of day. So you’ll hear relaxing, calming lullabies at naptime and bedtime, and upbeat fun melodies to bounce around to at other hours. There’s even a daily disco. The station is the brainchild of Karen and Mike.

Between them, they’ve composed music for the likes of CBeebies, worked on West End Shows like The Lion King, trained music teachers and set up The British Academy of New Music. In other words, they know what they’re talking about.

Good vibrations I wish the NapNap sleep mat had been around when my daughter was a baby. I may have fewer grey hairs and yawn-induced wrinkles. She was a bit of a nightmare sleeper. I don’t think she slept for more than a couple of hours at a time until after her first birthday. It was exhausting.

The NapNap combines gentle vibrations with white noise to comfort and calm a baby. Basically, it’s designed to mimic a womb environment. You can use it in a cot or pram and it rolls up into a bag so is handy for travelling. You can also use it on the floor for tummy time (it might help to ease colic). There are six levels of vibration to choose from, including two that mimic a heartbeat. And it’s waterproof, with a machine washable cotton cover. All in all, it’s a genius idea. At £120 it isn’t cheap, but when I was sleep-deprived I’d have probably sold a kidney to get more shuteye. See www.napnapuk.co.

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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

Call Heather on Tel: 01767 631053 Mob: 07511168499

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39

Memorial Makeovers

1st 80 letters on any new memorial

FREE

Creation & Restoration We are a family run business based in Bedfordshire dedicated to creating the perfect memorial for your loved one.

We offer a range of services including:

New Memorials Memorial Refurbishment Removals and much more We cover Cambs, Beds, Herts, Bucks and London Please contact us to request a brochure or to discuss your requirements

Tel: 07376 986709 Email: info@memorialmakeovers.com www.memorialmakeovers.com www.facebook.com/memorialmakeovers

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

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Travel

Cruising on the River Dart South Devon Sun, sand and sea, Devon is fabulous, but if you feel like a change from the beach, a river cruise is a lovely way to relax away from the crowds. The Dart has its source up on Dartmoor, its east and west branches joining in Dartmeet before flowing into the Channel at Dartmouth.

Among the options is the award-winning Round Robin starting in Paignton, where a steam train takes you along the scenic coast down to the estuary.

The half-hour journey ends in Kingswear on the left bank, then it’s just three minutes on the ferry across to Dartmouth. In this land of deep water and steep valleys there are no bridges until you reach Totnes, about eight miles away at the end of the cruise.

Departures are governed by the tide and passengers may have time to explore Dartmouth, a gorgeous little place where myriad yachts glisten in a coastal inlet. Framed by green hills, as lush as velvet, neat cottages beckon up the lanes festooned in pastel colours and flowering plants. But soon the cruise is ready to go – paddle steamer only on special dates – first downstream if the tide is right for a close-up look at the medieval castles that once guarded the narrow entrance to the estuary. Feel the currents?

Time to turn around and enjoy the most enticing views of Dartmouth, town clinging to the hills, dazzling yachts, the Britannia Royal Naval College, an impressive late Victorian building, and you might just

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spot your nostalgic steam train puffing away through the trees.

Then all is quiet, just the occasional boat sending ripples across the water or the breeze whispering in the trees. The oaks which gave the Dart its Celtic name may be sparse but there’s plenty of greenery along the meandering banks, while up on the hills meadows glow in luminous light. Salmon, trout and more, the river is full of fish, a treat for blackheaded gulls and other birds – here an osprey, there a rare dipper, a lonely heron, a colourful kingfisher and egrets galore. Most exciting in season are the Canadian geese feeding in the shallows and, if you’re lucky, grey seals basking on the rocks or swimming alongside the boat.

In this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a few villages doze along the banks – like Stoke Gabriel, its winding streets gathered around an 800-yearold yew tree, or Dittisham with delightful seafood cafés and a passenger ferry to Greenway across the river. Owned by the National Trust, this was Agatha Christie’s holiday home and inspiration for a few murder mysteries. You’ll need a special trip to visit house and garden, but as you sail past you’re sure to see the elegant Georgian house rising on the hill among the trees. A little further, the Sharpam Estate may also tempt you back with award-winning wines and its own delicious cheese.

Ninety minutes or so after leaving Dartmouth, Totnes greets you like a fairy tale with bohemian lanes, cream teas and panoramic views from its hilltop castle.

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Local News

East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) – Meet Dr Jo Stevens EAAA is still responding to emergencies and providing critical care 24/7 in the region, as well as supporting hospitals with critical care transfers to help manage capacity in intensive care units during the pandemic.

In December, EAAA hit a significant milestone of being tasked 30,000 times since the charity was started, 20 years ago. Although not something to celebrate, as it marks 30,000 times someone’s life has been in danger, and the EAAA teams have been needed, it shows what a significant impact the charity is having on critical care across East Anglia.

For this issue of The Villager, we got to know one of the life-saving team, Dr Jo Stevens.

How long have you been with EAAA and what do you like most about it?

I’ve been with EAAA since February 2020, so coming up for a year now. It has certainly been an interesting introduction to the Helicopter Emergency Medicine Service (HEMS) during the Covid-19 pandemic! But one of the highlights of working for EAAA is working alongside a brilliant and dedicated team, who have, over the last year, taken on the roles of teachers, friends and fellow tea-drinkers. I’m so grateful for the support I’ve received from the crew and pilots as I’ve learnt to do this job during these challenging times. When I’m not working at EAAA I’m a trainee in Emergency Medicine at West Suffolk Hospital.

What do you do in your spare time?

I like being outdoors. The garden is my solace and gives me a chance to be creative and enjoy watching things slowly change, which is a lovely change from this fast-paced job. My husband and I like to camp and have an old 4x4 with roof-top tent that we can

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happily live out of for weeks at a time (as long as there’s a decent supply of wine).

What’s your favourite part of being a doctor?

I once had a lady in her 90s sing to me at 5am in her room in a very busy Emergency Department. It was a minute of peace during a difficult shift. Every so often you are privileged to get an amazing insight into the person you’re treating, and you remember that we’re hopefully a very temporary part of their life, and that our job is to get them back to it.

You can support EAAA by donating online, playing in its weekly lottery from just £1 per play or deciding to leave the charity a gift in your Will. For more info, go online to www.eaaa.org.uk or call 03450 669 999 to speak to one of the team about how you could help keep the yellow EAAA helicopters flying.

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Whether your computer is not working at all or just needs a boost, I can help.

Would you or any of your family/friends

like to volunteer at Wixams Retirement Village?

The ExtraCare Charitable Trust has thousands of volunteers who play an invaluable part within the organisation; they make a real difference by sharing their skills/knowledge and offering their kind support.

We have a wide variety of volunteering opportunities: • • • • • •

Bistro/Coffee Bar/Kitchen Assistant Receptionist Shop Assistant – covering the till in our small on-site shop Maintenance Team - practical tasks/admin Befriender (age 18+) - supporting other residents Bar Assistant

• Fitness/Gym Assistant • Gardening Club • Wellbeing/Enriched Opportunities Programme volunteer (Supporting residents living with dementia & other mental health conditions) …. and many more!

If you would like to volunteer or have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me Paula McCready (Volunteer Co-ordinator) Telephone: 01234 981000 or Email: paula.mccready@extracare.org.uk Core Hours: part-time, Mon-Wed 8.30am-3.30pm (Flexible, subject to change) Wixams Retirement Village, Bedford Road, Wixams, MK42 6EA To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122

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Time of Year

The Ring’s the Thing

Choosing an engagement ring Valentine’s Day - the day of romance. Perhaps you are hoping for a proposal, or maybe you are the one hoping to do the proposing. An engagement is an occasion to be celebrated and usually involves the presentation of a ring to one or both partners.

Engagement rings can be traced back to Ancient Rome and were made from flint or bone. They were worn probably to show that a man owned a woman, so certainly not the romantic gesture it is today. By the Second Century precious metals were being used but rings were still a sign of a business contract and implied commitment and obedience.

The couple were lucky of love featured as part of the deal.

Gold betrothal rings became popular in Pompeii in 79 A.D. thought Roman women often kept the gold ring for when they were out in public, preferring to wear an iron ring while at home.

By 850 A.D., Pope Nicholas I proclaimed that engagement rings signified the intent of a man to marry. At this point gold was the preferred metal but diamonds were not used Then in 1477 Archduke Maximilian of Austria commissioned a ring with a long and narrow diamond in the shape of the letter “M” to propose to Mary of Burgundy. This may be the first documented use of diamonds in an engagement ring. But it was more than 300 years before diamonds started becoming popular. In 1947 the

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British corporation De Beers, which specialised in mining diamonds, launched an ad campaign that featured Hollywood stars and the now-famous slogan, ‘A diamond is forever.’

From that time the engagement ring tradition evolved. Initially rings were a simple solitaires or neat clusters, but modern tastes have expanded to include more extravagant options with the additions of coloured stones and unusual metals.

Grooms often choose to wear ring now too and many couples same sex couples choose to wear contrasting or complementary rings. Some couples choose a custom-made ring, either from scratch or using sentimental gold from the ring of a parent or grandparent. It’s nice to add unexpected accents to personalise a ring and add a pop of personality.

Gone are the days of having no idea where the stones in your jewellery were sourced, and at what human and environmental sacrifice. Quality lab-grown diamonds are 100% real and offer guilt-free sparkle. Another ethical option is moissanite, which costs significantly less than lab-grown diamond. Moissanite stones can have even more brilliance and fire than diamonds, which some people like. They are guaranteed ethical and have minimal environmental impact.

Choosing your engagement ring is exciting and romantic and is a declaration to the world about your feelings for each other. Enjoy the hunt for your perfect design.

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Finance

Reduce your financial risk ‘Risk-free investments’ is a bold claim, but you need to check the definition. Even when savings or investments have a fixed return, you do face a more fundamental risk: that the organisation promising to pay you winds up not doing so, for example if it goes bust. For this reason, investing or saving in a government programme is normally considered extremely low-risk, even more so when you’re dealing with the UK government.

The best known government programmes are operated by National Savings and Investment. These include ISA programmes where the returns are taxfree and saving programmes where the returns are treated as part of your taxable income.

Unfortunately, while you still have security from such programmes, the level of return recently moved from mediocre to miniscule. The Direct ISA product has dropped from paying 0.9% a year to 0.1% a year, while the Direct Saver dropped from 1% to 0.15%. Even the Junior ISA, which lets you save for a child (who can only withdraw the money once they turn eighteen), has dropped from 3.25% to 1.5%.

For those who are willing to have a little less security, it may be worth looking at savings rates from banks, building societies and other institutions. Look for banks and building societies that are registered and regulated in the UK, as normally any savings up to £85,000 are guaranteed by the government.

For those looking for a little excitement without giving up security, Premium Bonds are still worth a look. You can put in anything between £25 and

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£50,000 with the guarantee of getting it back in full at any time. You don’t get any interest, but for each £1 of bonds you own, you have a one in 34,500 chance of winning a prize each month, the highest of which is £1 million. All prizes are tax-free.

Another effectively ‘risk-free’ option is gilts. These work a little like bonds issued by businesses to raise money but are instead issued by the government.

The name is short for ‘gilt-edged security’ from the idea that the UK government repaying investors is as close to a sure thing as it gets.

You get a guaranteed payment every six months for the fixed lifespan of the gilt, then get your money back when it matures. You can also buy or sell the gilt on the open market and get any payments due while you hold it. The market price will vary over time, largely depending on how well other types of investments such as stocks are doing and thus how good the gilt looks in comparison.

With any guaranteed return investment, don’t forget inflation. If you make one per cent return in a year but prices have risen by two per cent, you’ve effectively lost money. Often this is unavoidable in a poor market for savers, but you need to take it into account when weighing up the balance of risk and reward across different investments.

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

Keep your hard-earned wealth within the family Stop your home from being sold to pay for long term Care Fees.

Prevent the courts from making your financial and healthcare decisions.

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

Several thousand outdated wills are legally challenged every year.

Ensure your parents’ home and property is also protected.

DON’T PUT IT OFF – Don’t let your home and money disappear, make sure your estate goes to your family… leaving “what you want” to “who you want”.

CALL 01767 660250 for more information or to book a free meeting with one of our Will and Estate Planners either in your own home or at our offices.

Baystrait Ltd t/a Will & Estate Planning, Baystrait House, Station Road, Biggleswade, SG18 8AL

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Pets

Show Them You Care This

Valentine’s Day Valentine’s Day is traditionally the day when people show their affection for another person or people by sending cards, flowers, or chocolates with messages of love. But what about receiving one from your pet? Or maybe even sending your pet a Valentine’s Day card, to let them know you care?

The card company Moonpig says it has seen a big increase in the number of cards bought for favourite pets.

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So, apart from exchanging cards, how else can you show your treasured pet you really care for them this Valentine’s Day. 1) Make some healthy treats for your much-loved pet. There are a growing number of recipes online, for a range of skill sets. So, don’t worry if you are not a very confident chef. You could even make them into heart shapes to add a personal touch.

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2) Give their bedding a good clean. Some of it may need a bit of a sort out and spring clean. Perhaps make a small list of anything they may need over the next few months. A new blanket perhaps.

3) Locate all of their toys and give them a really good wash in the bath. Leave them to completely dry before returning them. Some fabric toys may even need mending with a handful of stuffing or just few stitches. You could use a spare box or basket to store them in. They could all get arranged neatly inside, as if they were brand new.

4) Buy them a special present. Treat your special friend to something new and personal; collar, lead, toys, treats, bed, coat.

5) Pamper your pup by taking them to a local dog groomer. More and more dog-friendly spas and/ or grooming parlours are opening each year. So why not book Buster in for a bath, shampoo and grooming session. Just the thing for dogs who love to be pampered, they’ll come away looking and feeling fresh and fabulous. Most groomers offer extra services, like a deep conditioning treatment or nail clipping. I’ve yet to meet a cat who enjoys having a bath, so this could be one to skip for your feline family members!

6) If you do not have your own pet to spoil this Valentine’s Day, why not sponsor a dog or cat through the RSPCA, and spoil them instead.

More details can be found on our website or by contacting our Bedford team.

7) Show how much you love animals by becoming a foster carer for the RSPCA. This is such a rewarding role and one that is. More details can be found on our website or by contacting our Bedford team.

So, whatever you choose to do and whoever you choose to spoil, enjoy your Valentine’s Day.

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

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

Lines are open 7 days a week 24/7.

Email: info@rspcabedsnorth.org.uk Tel: 01234 266965 / 01234 930304

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Gardening

By Pippa Greenwood

Get Planting Although autumn is viewed as the best time for planting, trees, shrubs, climbers or herbaceous plants will have enough time to get established if planted now. Plan a shopping trip to fill garden spaces with colour, shape or perfume.

Start by digging or forking the soil over and removing pernicious weeds or debris. Measure the available spaces so that the chosen plant does not outgrow its new home too quickly, and make a note of how sunny or shaded the spot is.

There should be a good selection of shrubs to choose from right now that will provide springtime colour – perhaps a flowering currant with flower trusses in red or pink, a star magnolia, Magnolia stellate, with white or palest pink star-shaped flowers, or, if you have space, an amelanchier, great value because they have tiny, very pretty white flowers with foliage in fiery shades come autumn. On acidic soils or in a goodsized pot of ericaceous compost, camellias perform well and their large flowers in reds, pinks, yellows and white look great. There is also Exochorda macrantha, ‘The Bride’, with delightful arching stems studded with tiny white flowers; the list goes on and on.

Plant your purchases as soon as possible. Dig a goodsized hole for each, making it several inches wider than the root ball all round, and fork the base and sides of the hole over thoroughly, especially in clay – where you should prepare the soil with a fork, as this causes less compaction of the soil than using a spade.

If the soil is either heavy clay or extremely light and sandy, dig a bigger hole, gradually incorporating more

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of the ‘natural’ soil into the compost or planting mix as you near the sides of the hole.

Before planting, remove the pot and firmly tease out the roots – soaking the root ball in a bucket of water for an hour or two helps if they are quite congested and is essential for the plant to get properly established. Prune out any really large, woody roots encircling the root ball to release the remainder of the roots.

The plant should be planted at the same depth that it was in its pot, with just the roots, and no part of the stem, below ground level. Watering in helps settle the soil around the fine roots, even if it is fairly moist.

Finally, stand back and check the stem is upright.

Make a note of the plant’s precise name and details, or remove the label and keep it somewhere safe, so you know how to look after your plant and how big it may grow!

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

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Garden/Wildlife

Rural Ramblings The Not So Lowly Leaf

I find it interesting to see how the manufacturers of cars have changed the names of their cars over time, for example the VW Beetle, the Toyota Mega Cruiser, the Jeep Gladiator and the Ferrari Superfast were names chosen to confer images to prospective owners. As times have changed, we now have the electric powered Nissan Leaf which I suppose was given to confer associations with “greenness� and renewal.

Of course, the ultimate in environmental credentials are the real leaves of trees and other plants. Without photosynthesis and oxygen production combined with carbon dioxide removal, things would be a little different to say the least!

At this time of year, following a magnificent show of autumn colour, which seems to improve every year (or is it just my imagination?), the leaves are building up in wind-blown collections sometimes causing some annoyance. However, I see old leaves as a garden friendly asset which need only a little encouragement to turn into an effective soil conditioner. They may have a low nutrient level as most minerals have been absorbed prior to senescence, but once composted, they will add humus to the soil which results in improved structure. Ease of cultivation is an additional benefit. The only problem is that it takes a lot of decomposable material to make any significant improvements to the soil. Containing the light material can be an issue especially as leaves tend to dry out easily when held behind chicken wire.

Leaves like any other form of organic matter decompose with the help of microbes such as

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bacteria and fungi and then invertebrates such as earthworms.

Most microbes need the oxygen in air together with water and nutrients especially nitrogen in order to do their work. Warmth also encourages their activity.

I have decided this year to keep a pile of leaves in the greenhouse and water them with dilute liquid fertiliser in the hope of producing composted material which can then be incorporated into the greenhouse border soil without the need to move it again.

Of course, I could have just gone to the garden centre in the car, bought some compost in a plastic bag and used that. I thought I would use what nature provided. Hope it works!

By Geoff Wharton

Geoff Wharton Gardening Services Reliable, experienced, well qualified.

General and specialist garden work: Jungle clearing, Pruning, Hedge and grass cutting, Regular maintenance, Licensed waste disposal.

Full public liability cover.

Geoff Wharton - BSC honours Hort.Science Email:geoffwharton@hotmail.com

Tel: 01767 261727

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Garden View

By Rachael Leverton

Heavenly Hellebores I fell in love with Hellebores a few years ago after an early spring visit to the Botanical Gardens in Cambridge where there are some beautiful displays.

They provide a spring garden with elegant colour, and I admit to being quite excited when they appear.

They are poisonous plants so are probably best avoided if you have young children. They have a somewhat magical history. A mythological physician named Melampus was said to have observed the cathartic effect of hellebore on goats who munched on the plants. Melampus allegedly then used the milk of the same goats to cure the daughters of the King of Argos of their madness. The plant was used for its purgative properties into the Middle Ages and beyond. Personally, I would recommend growing them only for their attractiveness!

The original species originated in the northern parts of Greece and Turkey, but they grow incredibly well in British gardens. Having said that, I was disappointed when my first hellebore plants didn’t thrive initially. They seemed to succumb to disease quite easily. I subsequently learned this this was black rot. Then I heard Alan Titchmarsh’s advice to carefully cut the large fingered leaves from the plant at ground level in January, taking care not to damage the buds.

This somewhat brutal treatment has worked a treat and my hellebores are now flourishing.

Hellebores like well-drained soil in sun or dappled

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shade. My clumps are happily increasing in size year-on-year. The stems shoot up to 25-30cm high between late January and February and the flowers appear at the top. Colours tend to be subtle: greentinged white, yellow, oxblood red or dull purple but they glow in the more subdued light at this time of year. They would certainly appear washed-out in the bright sun of late spring and summer. The flowers are rich in nectar so provide food for early bees.

There are many varieties of hellebore, with single or double flowers. Just note that not all of them are easy to grow. I have struggled to get the Christmas Rose Helleborus niger to survive, never mind flower, but I’ve had much more success with the Green hellebore, Helleborus viridis, the pretty pink Lenten rose Helleborus x hybridus, which self-seeds quite nicely, and also the Helleborus x hybridus Ashwood Garden hybrids, which come in a variety of colours but don’t seem to self-seed as freely, at least in my garden.

Dig in plenty of mushroom compost before planting, and mulch after you’ve cut the leaves off. Dust with a blood, bone and fishmeal mix after flowering and mulch again with well-rotted leaf mould or compost.

Dig up any small self-seeded plants and use them as gifts, or to increase your own colony.

Happy Gardening

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Green Tips

Eating seasonally If you rarely think about where your food comes from, you’re not alone, but buying food that’s both in season and locally produced is the most environmentally friendly way to eat. What’s the best way of lessening the environmental impact of our shopping?

Supermarkets usually print their produce’s country of origin, but shopping at a local farm shop or market is the best place to start. By doing so you’ll support local farmers, while also making sure that the food you’re buying hasn’t crossed continents to reach your plate.

Research is paramount to finding out which fruits, vegetables and even meats are in season. Luckily, the internet is filled with information and there are a number of fantastic cookbooks and apps out there that can help you plan your meals. If you’re not used to cooking new dishes, stick to simple recipes like soups and stews to begin with. If you have green fingers you could also try growing your own vegetables. Even if you don’t have a garden,

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many foods like lettuces and herbs can happily grow indoors all year round.

Bananas, avocados and mangoes are just a few examples of foods to avoid or at least cut down on. They always have to be imported and they also need a lot of water and pesticides to grow in industrial quantities. While cutting out all of your favourite foods might be unrealistic, if we all filled our fridges a little more carefully, it really could make a world of difference.

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Animal Tales

By Kate McLelland

The dogs that sniff out sickness We are all accustomed to the idea of police tracker dogs searching for hidden drugs or explosives, sniffing out evidence at a murder scene or following the trail of a missing person. But what if a dog could use its remarkable sense of smell for another purpose, such as detecting disease within the human body? The idea sounds like something out of a science-fiction novel, but for some time dogs have been used to detect and warn against all kinds of medical conditions.

So finely tuned are these dogs’ ultra-sensitive noses that they are capable of picking up trace odours that are the equivalent of dropping a teaspoon of sugar into two Olympic-sized swimming pools. The charity Medical Detection Dogs (MDD), based in Milton Keynes, is at the forefront of research into medical sniffer dogs, and MDD’s researchers already have animals capable of spotting the scent of malaria, cancer and Parkinson’s disease. Since the Covid-19 pandemic began, however, attention has turned to whether the dogs would be able to detect traces of coronavirus on skin and clothing.

Covid detectives “When we have a particular disease or condition our odour changes, and a dog is able to detect this odour and, when trained, to tell us about it,” explained the charity’s Chief Executive Dr Claire Guest, speaking recently to ITV News.

It turns out that the coronavirus that caused the Covid-19 pandemic has its own distinctive chemical signature that can be detected by carefully trained sniffer dogs.

MDD currently has several dogs in Covid training and Dr Guest comments that “The study is

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moving forwards very well and the signs are all really positive.” One dog in particular has shown a remarkable ability to detect the coronavirus odour, unfailingly pointing it out on each test. After eight weeks in the laboratory during the first phase of training, the dogs will move on to use their newly learned skill in real-life situations.

The charity, which has been working with the London School of Tropical Medicine and Durham University, ultimately hopes that the scheme can be expanded. The plan is to station dogs in places such as testing centres and airports, where they will be able to screen up to 250 people per hour.

The secrets of the canine nose Dogs owe their extraordinary sense of smell to the complex structure inside their noses. Whereas a human has around five million scent receptors, dogs have over 300 million. Specialised bones in the dog’s nasal cavity create more space for these scent receptor cells, and the part of the brain that processes scents is particularly large in a dog. This gives them an incredible ability not just to pick out single odours, but to detect subtle differences within a complex group of scents.

This ability, when combined with dogs’ intelligence and willingness to learn, makes them the best biosensors known to man. Clearly there is huge potential to develop this area of medicine and the results speak for themselves: dogs are able to pick out blood samples from people with cancer with almost 97 percent accuracy. Let’s hope that this fascinating field of research continues to receive the funding and support it so richly deserves.

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Matts Gardening & Handyman Services

A range of Gardening and Handyman Services undertaken by a friendly and reliable company

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Gardening Services

Grass cutting (one off or regular cuts) Hedge cutting Planting Weeding & Pruning Pressure washing Leaf clearance

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Pets

Rehoming Appeal

Toby

This is Toby, a 4 year old Jack Russell cross.

He came to us with some behavioural issues which we have been working on. Toby needs an experienced owner, a single person home (no children) and as he loves the outdoor life, a home in the countryside or on a farm would be ideal for him.

If you feel you could possibly offer this boy the right sort of home, and would like to find out more about him, please contact Julie on 01763 289827.

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

View the 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

Pottons Specialist Welding and Fabricating Company

For further information please call Trevor on Tel: 01767 261845 Mobile: 07941 187689 Email: Gemmaton@hotmail.co.uk Web: www.gemmaton.com

ton for a ll yo Wrought iron work, ur w elding needs made to order, including

ma m e G

• stairs • benches • individual beds • furniture

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• • • •

Suppliers of manual and automated gates Security doors and grills Fire escapes All welding projects

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Business gone slow?

Let us help!

Advertising in The Villager is easy. To find out more call Nigel on 01767 261122 or email nigel@villagermag.com To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122

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Pets

Ask Alan

An update on Travel to the EU Pet travel to the EU now that the transition period has ended. This includes Northern Ireland.

The UK, for pet travel, has been granted Part 2 Listed Status. This has important implications for travel with your Pet to the EU. The UK Pet Passport is no longer valid for travel.

A pet passport issued in an EU country is valid for travel but a UK vet cannot update any sections except health check and tapeworm treatment.

All dogs, cats or ferrets which need to travel to the EU must be microchipped and vaccinated for Rabies (after 12 weeks of age) and must then wait a minimum of 21 days before they can travel.

Every time the pet travels to the EU they must get an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) from their vet. It can only be completed more than 21 days after a Rabies vaccination. This is a multi-page, official document that takes the vet about 45-60 minutes to complete and certify. Once completed it is valid for 10 days for travel out of the UK into the EU and for 40 days for ongoing travel in the EU and return to the UK.

Blood tests for Rabies serology is not required.

Tape worm treatment requirements remain unchanged Travel to the EU with your pets is still possibly but has become more time consuming and costly to arrange.

Please always check the requirements, before you travel, on the APHA website. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ pet-travel-to-and-from-greatbritain Best wishes,

Alan If you have any questions you would like answered, please email them to villager@pottonvets.co.uk For more information visit www.pottonvets.co.uk or pop into the clinic in Potton Market Square.

Making life easier

15 15 minute appointments

Call today:

Open until 7pm

Emergency appointments

Helpful printed notes

Family run by Alan & RenĂŠ

01767 260007

Appointments online at: pottonvets.co.uk 9 Market Square, Potton, Bedfordshire SG19 2NP

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Motoring

Six in-car technologies that changed the game

Some technology that we take for granted today was revolutionary when it was introduced.

Nowadays, drivers have access to a wide variety of technologies that make driving safer, easier and more enjoyable than ever before, and we look at some of the most important of those.

Airbags Airbags made a huge difference, protecting occupants from serious injuries caused by hitting their head on hard cabin trim. Although they were developed in the 1950s, they didn’t come to Europe until 1980, when the Mercedes S-Class offered them as an option. It wasn’t until the late 1990s before airbags were offered as an option at the very least on the majority of cars.

Automatic air conditioning Ever suffered the discomfort of driving in the height of summer or a restricted view from a steamed-up windscreen in a car that doesn’t have air conditioning?

That’s why air con is one of the biggest innovations in motoring, making driving comfortable for millions of people. And automatic air con lets you set a cabin temperature that remains constant, a luxury many take for granted in 2020.

Satellite navigation The advent of in-car satnav systems in the 1990s did away with the need to work out a route before travelling and then using the map on your journey to find your way – which is incredibly distracting.

Still considered something of a luxury, it’s an option most people choose. The peace of mind it provides is usually worth the extra cost.

In-car entertainment Providing entertainment while driving has always been a selling point, with early radios replaced by tape decks, CD players, and in modern cars, smartphone connectivity.

Most modern cars now come with Bluetooth, which means drivers can play music and podcasts through their car speakers by hitting play on their phones.

The latest advancement is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which provide simplified versions of each operating system to be used in the car.

Advanced cruise control For some drivers, cruise control – which sees the car maintain a set speed itself – is a controversial subject. Those against it think it allows drivers to concentrate less, while others say it frees brain space to let them concentrate more on their surroundings.

Either way, cruise-control systems have advanced to the point where modern cars are almost considered autonomous. These systems combine different technologies, such as radar-assisted cruise control and lane-keep assist, to maintain a vehicle’s place in traffic without any driver input.

Car-to-smartphone connectivity As well as integrating infotainment systems with smartphones for entertainment purposes, a more recent innovation has seen manufacturers creating apps that let owners control aspects of their car from their phone.

These are particularly popular in electric vehicles, as you can check charging or prime the battery to a good operating temperature before setting off.

But other features, such as checking if the car is locked, setting a cabin temperature remotely or checking the car’s location, work for all vehicle types.

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Pets

Love Birds:

Choosing a feathered friend Whether you choose a songbird or a chatty parrot, birds can make wonderful pets for young and old alike. Each species will have its favoured home environment, so choosing the right bird is an important consideration before you buy.

Consider the other people and pets already in your household. Small children are more interested in a pet they can handle and play with and your dog or cat might also have the same desire! Some birds are fine with being handled, but larger species can be less friendly and that hooked beak can inflict some damage.

The most common bird chosen as a pet is a budgerigar. They are sociable and able to mimic

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some speech and other noises such as whistles. But equally popular are canaries, which are small and of course are known for their beautiful song.

Just like any other pet, birds need daily care. There is the cleaning of their cage, top up of food and water, and some will need to be let out in the house from time to time for exercise.

Remember too that if you go on holiday, they’ll need to be looked after. Many birds don’t like being moved to a different environment, so you may need someone who you can trust to come into your house.

In summary, do your research and consult your vet if you need a final opinion.

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Window Doctor Repairs to Windows, Doors & Conservatories • • • • • • •

Misty Units New Locks Draughty Windows Dropped Doors Broken Hinges/Handles Extra Security Installation of New Windows, Doors and Conservatories

We can professionally clean...

Carpets Upholstery Fascias Soffits Gutters Conservatories Patios Driveways

30 Years Experience

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DRIFTWOOD JOINERY LTD Specialists in Bespoke Joinery

Conservatories • Doors • Windows Staircases Handmade Kitchens Handmade Bedroom Furniture

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Technology

High-tech Hygiene As we’ve become much more conscious of hygiene we’ve discovered new things to worry about – so the phones that are our constant companions could also be harbouring all kinds of unpleasantness now that we’re using them constantly.

You can’t stick a smartphone in the wash, but you can sanitise it with ultraviolet light. Some UV sanitisers can kill bacteria and viruses in just thirty seconds, but even the slowest ones only need a couple of minutes.

Even innocuous items such as soap dispensers can harbour germs, so if that concerns you then you might want to consider a no-touch soap dispenser.

These have sensors that can detect your hand and automatically dispense the right amount of soap, and there are lots of models to choose from. Prices start at around £12.

One of the most effective ways to hygienically clean things is to use a steam cleaner, which has the added advantage of cleaning without harsh chemicals. Steam cleaners usually come in two kinds: ones for floors, which usually resemble mops, and multipurpose ones. The latter are great for cleaning kitchen or bathroom tiles, ovens and surfaces, and some even come with attachments for cleaning upholstery and curtains. Just be careful what you use them on: laminate floors and steam cleaning don’t go well together, as the hot steam can warp the flooring. Steam cleaning is absolutely fine for wooden floors, tiles or linoleum.

In addition to cleaning surfaces you can clean the air too. Air purifiers do a good job of removing allergens and pollutants from the air, which can be particularly helpful for people with asthma and allergies, but be wary of claims that they remove viruses: the filters in home purifiers are rarely fine enough to trap such particles. Think of these devices as a good way to remove dust, pet dander and other things that you or your family may be allergic or intolerant to.

Homedics UV-CLEAN phone sanitiser The Homedics cleaner uses UVC lights, which kill bacteria and germs without damaging your phone or using harsh chemicals. It’ll clean your phone seventy times before you need to recharge it. £79 from John Lewis

Shark Floor & Handheld Steam Cleaner S6005UK This clever steam cleaner offers the best of both worlds: it starts as a mop but you can take the steamer out and use it on tiles, worktops, shower screens and for other tricky tasks. £129 from Sharkclean.co.uk

Honeywell AirGenius 5 Air Purifier Suitable for rooms up to 112 square metres, the Honeywell quietly and effectively removes large particles such as dust and pet dander. The filter is washable and there’s an auto shutoff to help you save energy.

simplehuman Sensor Pump Cheaper automatic soap dispensers can clog and can cause a bit of a mess with drips, but this simplehuman model is easy, efficient and mess-free. Dispensing soap takes just a fifth of a second. £34.95 from simplehuman.com

Sonicscrubber Cleaning Tool The Sonicscrubber is essentially a sonic toothbrush scaled up to be a home cleaner: it’s an electric cleaning brush that makes light work of even the toughest tasks.

It’s particularly good for removing the beginnings of kitchen or bathroom mould. £18.99 from Lakeland

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B urtenshaw D ecorating S ervices All Domestic Work Undertaken Painting, Decorating, Wallpapering Interior and Exterior Work Over 30 years experience Fully Insured Quality Workmanship City and Guilds Qualified Insurance Work

01767 680762 07972 622305 shadbeam@tiscali.co.uk

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Open Wide!

Human Facts

The truth about yawning The average adult yawns 20 times per day, and once you feel one coming on, they are almost impossible to suppress.

Why do we yawn?

There is no scientific consensus on why we yawn.

One theory argues that when humans are tired, we stop taking deep breaths, which causes a build-up of carbon dioxide in the body, and a yawn might be a special kind of respiration, to increase oxygen quickly, while expelling carbon dioxide more efficiently. During a yawn we compress the muscles of the face, and drive oxygen-enriched blood to the brain.

Why are yawns contagious?

We are six times more likely to yawn if we see someone else yawn. This may be related to a phenomenon called social mirroring, where animals imitate the actions of others. Yawning is not the only mirrored behaviour – smiling, scratching, leg

crossing and laughing also fall into this category.

Mirror neurons in the brain match what we sense and feel to the way we move, so if you see someone scratch their nose, you feel what it feels like and may feel compelled to do it too. The most likely reason for mirroring is social bonding. It’s a form of communication and a sign to others that we are empathetic.

Fascinating Fact: Yawning is so contagious that you will probably have yawned at least once while reading this!

By Louise Addison

Broth ers and Sisters 1. Which two comedians played the title roles in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers?

2. Which well known fictional character has a sister called Rose Red? 3. In the video game Super Mario Brothers, what is the name of Mario’s brother?

4. Which two characters from the TV show Friends are brother and sister?

5. Which planet in the solar system is sometimes referred to as “Earth’s sister” due to it being of similar size and mass?

6. What is the surname of the brothers who wrote, produced and directed the 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou?

7. What were the first names of the three Brontë sisters?

8. In a fairy tale first published by the Brothers Grimm, which brother and sister discover a gingerbread house inhabited by a witch who eats children?

9. “He loved Big Brother” is the final line of which famous novel?

10. By what name are identical twin sisters Gabriela and Monica Irimia better known in the music world?

1. John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd 2. Snow White 3. Luigi 4. Ross and Monica 5. Venus 6. Coen (Joel and Ethan) 7. Charlotte, Emily and Anne 8. Hansel and Gretel 9. Nineteen Eighty-Four 10. The Cheeky Girls

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Mark Dilley Electrical Part P Registered Company 22386 Extra sockets - Lighting Extensions - Re-wires Security Lighting - Showers Inspections Electric Vehicle Charging Points

No job too small Free estimates All work to BS7671 regulations City and Guilds qualified

Tel: 01767 261008 Mob: 07990 895430

mark.dilley@btinternet.com To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122

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MUSCLE

RELIABLE ROOFING COMPANY ESTABLISHED FOR OVER 35 YEARS BUILT UP FELT ROOFING SPECIALISTS & GENERAL ROOF REPAIRS • SLATE & TILE • REPLACEMENT FASCIAS/ SOFFITS, UPVC OR TIMBER • GUTTERING MAINTENANCE & REPLACEMENT • GUARANTEED WORKMANSHIP AT REALISTIC PRICES PROPRIETOR R.S. CROW F.I.O.R. • FREE ESTIMATES

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& MOTOR Jumbo van with up to 3 men.

Helpful, efficient and friendly service for all your moving, carrying, and domestic disposal needs, including house and garage clearance.

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

Your Perfect Loft Access and Storage Solution Our services include: Loft Ladders Loft Hatches Insulation Loft Boarding Loft Lighting Balustrades We are a family run business who comply to building regulations, where our fitters are fully insured and all of our work is guaranteed.

Covering Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Essex.

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Call now for a free, no obligation quotation

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Baking

Orange and Apricot Loaf Get the kettle on and enjoy a slice of this delicious fruity loaf cake.

Serves 8 - Ready in 1 hour 30 minutes, plus cooling

Ingredients 175g unsalted butter, softened 175g caster sugar 175g self-raising flour 3 medium eggs Grated zest and juice from 1 small orange, plus extra zest to decorate 75g ground almonds 125g ready-to-eat dried apricots, chopped Icing sugar, to dust 1 Preheat the oven to 170C / fan 150C / gas mark 3.

Grease a 900g (2lb) loaf tin and line the base and two long sides with baking paper.

2 Place the butter, sugar, flour, eggs and the orange rind and juice in a bowl. Beat with an electric whisk until thoroughly combined. Toss together the ground almonds and apricots and fold into the mixture.

3 Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and gently level the surface. Bake for 50 minutes - 1 hour 10 minutes until risen and golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely. Serve dusted with icing sugar and decorated with the extra orange zest.

TIP - If the top of the cake starts to over-brown before the end of the cooking time, cover loosely with a piece of foil.

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Codeword 1

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ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Easy Sudoku

Hard Sudoku

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

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A RELIABLE, QUALITY SERVICE YOU CAN TRUST • Gas Boiler Installation, Servicing and Repairs • Landlord Gas Safety Certificates • Central Heating System Installation and Upgrades • Radiator Flushing • All General Plumbing Based in St. Neots Covering All Surrounding Areas

FREE QUOTES ALL WORK GUARANTEED FULLY INSURED Tel: 07502 253276 Web: www.meltonheating.co.uk Email: info.meltonheating@gmail.com meltonplumbingandheating

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T&R Roofing Ltd Family Business Est. 1985 • Felt Roofing Specialists (10 year & 15 year guarantee on high performance felts) • Tiling, Slating, Guttering • UPVC Fascia/Soffits • Chimney Work All NEW work guaranteed Fully insured for employer & Public Liability Contact Tony Simpson for a FREE estimate on:

T: 01767 314847 M: 07831 849847

E: admin@tandrroofingltd.co.uk

• • • • • • • • • •

Potton Windows is the only Commercial & Domestic local company to be awarded Vertical Sliding Sash Windows the Secured By Design Casement Windows accreditation, to all products Residential & French Doors manufactured at its Potton Factory, this is a Police Patio Doors Preferred specification for ‘A’ Rated Windows greater security.

Misted up double glazed units replaced Discounts for pensioners available on windows FENSA Certification 10 Year Insurance Backed Guarantee

01767 260626 sales@pottonwindows.co.uk www.pottonwindows.co.uk

Unit 2-6 Shannon Place, Potton SG19 2SP To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122

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3 Windows 3 Doors 3 Conservatories 3 Orangeries 3 Bi folds 3 Repairs T: 01767 765440 84

E: sales@i-glaze.co.uk

W: www.i-glaze.co.uk

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Crossword Puzzle Solution from our January Edition Last Month’s Crossword Winner - Cheryl Subocz - Potton

January’s Codeword and Sudoku Solutions

Easy

Hard

Advertising in The Villager is easy.

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Prize The Villager Prize Crossword

ÂŁ25

Across 1 Hint (4) 3 Contrary (8) 9 Error (7) 10 Frolic (5) 11 Eager (12) 13 Informal (6) 15 Titbit (6) 17 Alphabetical reference books (12) 20 Propose (5) 21 Produces lava (7) 22 Vacations (8) 23 Wagers (4)

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

16th February 2021 Prize Crossword, Villager Publications Ltd 24 Market Square, Potton, Beds SG19 2NP The winner will be drawn at random from the correct completed entries.

Down 1 Business (8) 2 Distressed (5) 4 Lyrical (6) 5 From time to time (12) 6 Suggests (7) 7 Acquire (4) 8 Produced (12) 12 Flowers (8) 14 Talented (7) 16 Carry (6) 18 Picture (5) 19 Weapon (4)

Name:

Address:

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

Tel:

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KEMP GARAGE DOORS SALES • INSTALLATION • REPAIRS • Family Run Business • 25 Years Experience • Up and Over • Sectional and Roller Doors www.kempgaragedoors.co.uk • Security Shutters

• Remote Control Door

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Supplied and Serviced

BIGGLESWADE • Call for a Free AND SURROUNDING AREAS

Quotation

• OAP Rates Available

01767 260165 Sandy

01480 210410 Eaton Socon To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122

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Short Story

Wash Day “How are you getting on with that new fella of yours?” Linda had just popped round for coffee at her best friend Debbie’s house.

“Great thanks,” Debbie said, stuffing a basket-load of dirty laundry into the washing machine. “He’s coming round for a Valentine’s Day takeaway later, so I’d better get this lot washed, dried and pressed.”

“Crikey, he’s not got you doing his washing already?”

Linda spluttered. The basket was full of men’s Hawaiian shirts, white chinos and underwear. It all looked brand new and very expensive. “Can’t he do it himself?”

“He’s just come out of hospital,” Debbie said. “So I offered to help.”

“Why, what’s been wrong with him?” Linda frowned.

“He was having a procedure; I didn’t like to ask.”

Debbie mouthed the words, “Men’s business.”

“So what’s all this, then?” Linda said, holding up a pair of Bermuda shorts. “He likes his designer labels doesn’t he?”

“The clothes he had in hospital,” Debbie said. “Yes, he likes his fashion, spends a lot of money on it.”

Linda spotted a pair of Lycra swimming trunks. “Are you telling me he wore those in hospital?”

“He said they had the heating turned right up,” Debbie said. “Was like the tropics, he said.”

Linda frowned. She suspected her friend was being taken for a mug. It sounded more like this new boyfriend had been for a week away in the Mediterranean.

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By Jackie Brewster “And whose is this?” She lifted out a shocking pink boob tube.

“That’s mine,” Linda blushed and snatched the item from Linda. “I’ll hand wash that, don’t want to send the whole load pink.”

“And did you go and visit him in hospital?” Linda asked casually.

“He told me not to. Didn’t want to worry me.”

“I’ll bet.” Linda regarded her friend. Debbie had a big heart, and deserved to be happy, but some no-good bloke was taking her for a ride.

The doorbell rang and Debbie jumped up to answer it.

While she was gone Linda quickly opened the washing machine door, threw in the boob tube and switched the machine on. Let’s see how this charmer liked having all his designer gear turned pink.

“Would you look at this!” Debbie returned with a bouquet of red roses. “Aren’t they beautiful?”

“Stunning,” Linda remarked as she watched the washing machine quickly fill up with dark pink water.

Debbie put the flowers on the draining board and opened a small envelope. “It says ‘Sorry I lied about being in hospital.’”

“I knew it!” Linda slapped the table.

Debbie looked up from the card, her eyes sparkling.

“It says ‘I have a big surprise for you.’ I have to pack my bags because he’s just bought a villa in Spain and we’re flying out tonight.” She stooped to stop the washing machine. “I’d better change this to a quick wash or it’ll never get done in time.”

“Ah yes,” Linda sipped her coffee sheepishly, “about that.”

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®

TRADITIONAL SWEEPING SERVICE NESTS REMOVED CAGES, CAPS AND COWLS FITTED SWEEPING CERTIFICATES ISSUED PROFESSIONAL, CLEAN SERVICE FULLY INSURED POLICE CHECKED

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ROOFING SERVICES LTD

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40 Years Collective Experience 10 Year Guarantee on all work

Tel: 07305 641010 Email: charliesewell@hotmail.co.uk To advertise in The Villager and Town Life please call 01767 261122

C.S Roofing Services Limited 89

Books

Books to dip into Sometimes we just can’t face a whole novel or autobiography. With these books, you can dip in and out whenever you have a spare five minutes.

Toksvig’s Almanac 2021

by Sandi Toksvig

Dear NHS: 100 Stories to Say Thank You

By Adam Kay

Adam Kay brings us a series of essays and musings from a range of household names, from Malala Yousafzai to Dame Julie Walters and Johnny Vegas. Each tale is about how the NHS has stepped in to help the writer.

There’s a story of a suspected heart attack that turned out to be trapped wind, several about household accidents (often involving kitchen knives) and plenty of sentimental stories to boot.

Plus, all profits go to charity.

Encounters: A Photographic Journey

By Levison Wood

Award-winning reportage photographer Levison Wood has travelled to more than 100 countries over the last ten years.

Encounters brings together 140 of his images, along with text about each one. You’ll meet a young shepherd girl in Ethiopia, resourceful teenagers in the Congo, stranded nomads, fishermen in Yemen and families surviving in war-torn regions.

The Repair Shop: Tales from the Workshop of Dreams

If you love the TV series about expert craftspeople restoring much loved family heirlooms, you won’t want to miss the accompanying book. It goes into more detail about some of the most interesting items shown in the series, from a rusty miner’s helmet to a circus performer’s dress. It’s the book version of a mug of tea and hot buttered crumpet.

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By Kate Duggan

Fancy ‘An Eclectic Meander Through the Historical Year’?

The main focus is on women that have been all but forgotten.

There’s Begum Samru – an Indian dancer who led an army of mercenaries, Ida B. Wells – an activist and suffragist who cofounded the largest civil rights organisation in the US, and Annette Kellerman, whose stunts included diving from 60 feet into a pool of crocodiles. There are also poems, trivia and fascinating snippets.

Back to Nature: How to Love Life and Save It

By Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin

Whether you’re an avid nature lover and wondering how to stop the catastrophic decline in biodiversity, or you’re feeling disconnected from the wild and want to reap the benefits of it once again, this is a great book. There are lots of interesting titbits to digest over a coffee and plenty of ideas for how to take action.

Sapiens: A Graphic Novel

By Yuval Noah Harari et al

The original Sapiens is fascinating, but there’s an awful lot of information to take in. If you’re interested in the origin of humans, but want something a little easier to digest, try this instead. It’s the first volume in a graphic-novel adaptation of the global bestseller.

Full-colour illustrations and straightforward text take the reader on a journey from the very birth of humankind. It’s absorbing, suitable for older children as well as adults and has a good spattering of humour throughout.

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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

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Classifieds Aerials and Satellites AERIALS & SATELLITES T/A Broadband Communications Established 1993

Aerials & Satellites • Digital Aerials Freesat & Satellite Installations Commercial IRS Systems All Work Guaranteed • CAI Approved C.1616 Based in Stotfold www.broadbandcommunications.co.uk

Tel: 01462 732 628 • Mob: 07860 436 217

Domestic Appliance Repairs

Solo Appliances Domestic Appliance Repairs • • • •

Washing machines Tumble Dryers Dishwasher Electric Cookers/Ovens

Established over 30 years All work guaranteed

Tel: 07966 229085/01767 261847

Accountants

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Garage conversions from £5.9K

Extension - Sunrooms

Call 07811 985568 or 01767 261803 www.youngsbuilders.co.uk “Free quotes • Excellent references”

• Extensions & Sunrooms • Garage & Loft Conversions • Walls, Patios & Decking • General Building Work • Property Maintenance

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Domestic Appliance Repairs Guaranteed Repairs To:

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From just £35.00 per month plus VAT

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Classifieds Handy Man

Fencing QUO FR TAT EE ION S

Fencing Services, Security Fences, Gates, Garden Fences, Repair & Restoration Call 01767 316901 or 07927 748460 Email: rsfencingservices83@gmail.com Web: www.rsfencingservices.co.uk

Painter & Decorator

Foot Health Practitioner

Adam Staniforth Katie Charles - Foot Health Practitioner - S.A.C. Dip. RFHP Professional footcare in the comfort of your own home Nail Trimming • Corns • Fungal Nail • Athletes Foot Hard Skin/Callus • Verruca Treatment • Thickened Nail Tel: 07841 479120 Email: katiefoothealth@gmail.com

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DECOR LTD Richard Bawden - City and Guilds Qualified Mobile: 07757 013796 Home: 01767 835008 Email: r666baw@gmail.com

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Haberdashery

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Painter & Decorator

14/04/2015 21:23

Alan Porter Painting & Decorating General Maintenance Interior & Exterior

T: 01767 261622 M: 07947 732883

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Classifieds Painting Services

Plumbing and Heating

Plastering Services

Property Improvements Property Improvements by

A professional property maintenance service

Gary Hare Carpentry • Kitchens • Bedrooms Decorating • Flooring Bathrooms •Tiling • and more...

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Wood Suppliers

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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 845000 Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue................... 01438 729041 Carers Line..................................................0808 808 7777 ChildLine...........................................................0800 1111 Citizens Advice...........................................0344 245 1292

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

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A COVID Secure Salon

FRIENDS FIVE STAR HAIRDRESSING

WINNERS OF TWO HAIRDRESSING AWARDS We are ecstatic to have received two Salon awards in our region back in December from the “Salon Awards 2020”, in these difficult times the team has maintained throughout their passion and love for hair and exceptional customer care.

Thank you to our all clients who supported us throughout We remain closed in line with government guidance any enquiries please contact us at

info@friendsfivestarhairdressing@gmail.com