villager - The Villager Magazine

Transcription

VILLAGER
The
Issue 82 - February 2016
and Town
Life
LOCAL NEWS • LOCAL PEOPLE • LOCAL SERVICES • LOCAL CHARITIES • LOCAL PRODUCTS
Inside this issue
Fairtrade Fortnight
Portugal
Cruising on the Douro River
Win £25 in our Prize Crossword
Bringing Local Business to Local People
20,000 copies delivered to Buckden, Brampton, Cambourne,
Godmanchester, The Hemingfords, Eaton Socon, Bourn, Grantchester
and all surrounding villages every month
ur
Yo EE
FRcopy
Before
After
For all your window, door and guardian
roof requirements call Tim or Karl
01480 216677
Tim
Karl
info@eastanglianroofline.co.uk
www.eastanglian-group.com
2
Please mention The Villager and Town Life when responding to adverts
Contents
The Horseshoe
Offord Darcy
40
Street Lighting and Watchmen.............................................................. 4
Why We Celebrate Valentine’s Day.......................................................... 6
For Goodness Sake - Pay By Credit Card!............................................... 10
Fairtrade Fortnight............................................................................... 12
Win Tickets for The Pad - The Selecter + Guests................................... 14
Portugal - Cruising on the Douro River................................................. 16
Chinese New Year................................................................................. 19
Which Pillow?...................................................................................... 20
Look After Winter Feet.......................................................................... 23
Scents Appeal...................................................................................... 24
Age of Plenty....................................................................................... 26
National Yorkshire Pudding Day........................................................... 28
The Language of Flowers..................................................................... 31
Are You a Parent with Children Below the Age of 18?........................... 33
Employment Matters........................................................................... 34
Are Solicitors Boring?........................................................................... 36
Thinking of Others............................................................................... 37
Prenup Blog......................................................................................... 39
VILLAGER
The
and Town
Life
Inside this issue
Fairtrade Fortnight
Portugal
Win £25 in our Prize Crossword
20,000 copies delivered to Buckden, Brampton, Cambourne,
Godmanchester, The Hemingfords, Eaton Socon, Bourn, Grantchester
and all surrounding villages every month
ur
Yo EE
FRcopy
The Horseshoe - Offord Darcy............................................................... 40
Feathered Friends................................................................................ 43
Beer at Home....................................................................................... 44
Golden Years - Memories of 50 Years Ago............................................. 46
Animal Heroes...................................................................................... 49
Children’s Page..................................................................................... 50
Fiat 500................................................................................................ 53
Seasonal Delights................................................................................. 54
Is Buy-To-Let Still a Good Investment................................................... 56
Computer Love..................................................................................... 59
Puzzle Page.......................................................................................... 60
What’s On............................................................................................. 62
Ten Tips to Bring Your Treasures Back to Life......................................... 64
Planning for the Time When Independence Ends................................. 69
The Smallest Room.............................................................................. 70
Prize Crossword.................................................................................... 74
Fun Quiz............................................................................................... 76
Book Review........................................................................................ 78
Feathered Friends
43
20,000 copies delivered free of charge in the following areas:
Hinchingbrooke, Hinchingbrooke Park, Brampton, Buckden, Offord Cluny, Offord D’arcy, Godmanchester, Hemingford Abbots and
Hemingford Grey, Cambourne, Chawston, Croxton, Duloe, Graveley, Great Paxton, Hail Weston, Honeydon, Little Barford, Little Paxton,
Eaton Socon, Bourn, Grantchester, Roxton, Southoe, Staploe, Tempsford, Toseland, Upper Staploe, Wintringham, Wyboston, Yelling.
(Further bulk drops are made to local shops and busineses in Huntingdon, St Neots, Eaton Ford, Eaton Socon and Eynesbury)
Editorial - Peter Ibbett, Sarah Fryer, Jonathan Vernon-Smith,
Debbie Singh-Bhatti, Solange Hando, Kate Duggan, Ted Bruning,
Louise Addison, Centre for Complementary Health, Carol H Scott,
Leeds Day Solicitors, RSPCA, Tony Larkins, Fiona McLeman,
Iain Betson, Kate McLelland, Susan Brookes-Morris,
Pippa Greenwood and Bruce Edwards
Advertising Sales/Local Editorial
Scott - 01767 261122 scott@villagermag.com
Photography - Subbotina
& Darren Harbar Photography
Design and Artwork - Design 9 Tel 07762 969460
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.
To advertise in The Villager and Townlife please call 01767 261122
History
By Peter Ibbett
Street Lighting and Watchmen
Once upon a time, not so long ago, street lighting
was taken for granted. Today a Cambridgeshire
wide project to replace every hamlet, village,
town and city lamp post with state of the art
energy efficiency lighting has left an increasing
number investing in torches to safely navigate
the increased distance between the new lamp
posts with their perceived reduced luminosity. Our
ancestors would display a bemused expression
at our missives to the letters column of the Hunts
Post. ‘We never had street lighting .. hard enough
to see from one side of our cottage room to
t’other with our rush lights.’ The Day column in the
centre of St. Neots Market Square was the modern
lighting technology of its time. Erected by a local
4
brewer to help allay the concerns of ‘proper’ folk
that ‘improper’ locals were up to no good in the
dark corners of the Market Square, an oil lamp
shone forth from its summit in 1822 to cleanse
their fears. As the century progressed to a vigorous
middle age, locally produced gas was piped up
the column to four lights to banish the worries
of even the most nervous of the market square
inhabitants. The local council, mindful of the gas
bills they had to pay, specified that for several days
either side of a full moon the gas would be turned
off as natural light was free.
Reports are circulating that the rationing of
lamp posts has occasioned an increase in private
security night watch people. Again our ancestors
were quite used to contracting out their night time
worries and even accepted it on the rates as the St.
Neots Advertiser in 1899 reminds us:‘It may not be generally known that there still lives
in St Neots one of the ‘watchmen’ who used to act
as preservers of the peace before the institution of
the present police force. Charles Tokins, who has
resided in Day’s Yard, High Street, for 46 years, was
one of the two St Neots night watchmen for seven
years. The town was divided into two sections
and it was their duty to patrol their respective
beats all night, calling out the hour and the state
of the weather at intervals. Each had a watch-box
in which he could retire in stormy weather, and
where a small store of refreshments was generally
kept for consumption during the night. Tokins’ box
stood on the site now occupied by the shop of Mr
G Abraham, Butcher, High street, and the ‘cage’ or
lock-up was next to it. The other watchman’s box
was situated where the Salvation Army Citadel
has been erected. Tokins says he locked up a good
many people in his seven years, but that he was
‘strong as a horse’ and had very little difficulty
with any of them. He was born in St Neots in
1823, and his only experience of railway travelling
is one journey to London. His vocation of night
watchman forcibly impressed on him the severity
of the 1854-5 winter, when he says there were 14
or 15 weeks of frost, and skating took place on the
Ouse on Shrove Tuesday.’
5
History
Roses are red,
Violets are blue…
Why are we celebrating? I don’t have a clue!
Love is in the air this month with Valentine’s Day
around the corner, but how many of us know just
why we are celebrating?
The fact is, there are a number of moments in
history from which the holiday could have come
and no one can say for sure which of them, if any,
could be the definitive original source – most likely
it has been an evolution, with vestiges from more
than one place or time.
It is often most closely associated with the ancient
Roman festival Lupercalia, which itself is not fully
understood. The festival has been connected with
the legendary she-wolf Lupa, who nursed the
founders of Rome – Romulus and Remus – when
they were babes. She also protected the flocks and
herds from wolves. The festival was also associated
with the god Faunus – the god of agriculture.
Lupercalia began with a sacrifice. A goat for
fertility and a dog for purification were slain,
before thongs and whips would be fashioned from
the dead animals skins. The young men would
then use these bloody thongs to softly lash at any
women who came near; the thought was that the
blow would make the woman fertile, and women
welcomed it.
A world away from what we are used to today
perhaps! There were a great many other rituals
as part of the festival that would seem
strange to us in 2016, sacrifice
and a sort of casual semibrutality not being
common place here and
now but to them it was
a necessity. To keep both
the lands and people fertile
and prosperous – so not exactly
lovey-dovey!
Pope Gelasius went some way to
changing things. The catholic church
disagreed with these rituals believing
them to be unchristian. Gelasius
replaced the Pagen festival with the
6
Christian feast day, Saint Valentine’s Day, in the 5th
Century but it is a mystery which St Valentine he
intended to honour, there are at least three by
that name recorded by the catholic
church – all of them apparently
martyred.
Most believe the St. Valentine that
Gelasius intended to pay tribute
to was Father Valentine. Roman
emperor Claudius II, a former army
officer faced many enemies and needed
an army he could count on. His men travelled
many miles from home, away from their families
for long periods of time and Claudius realised
that his men were homesick – and not fighting
as well as they might.
According to legend the way he chose to
solve this problem, was to ban his young soldiers
from marriage in the hope that they would not be
made weak by soft hearts.
Father Valentine paid the emperor little heed,
continuing to marry young people in secret until
he was caught by the Romans and sentenced to
death.
The myth goes on to say that Father Valentine fell
in love with his jailer’s daughter. On 14th February
he managed to pass a letter to his love before he
was executed. The letter was signed “from your
Valentine”.
There are many myths surrounding the man but
one thing that seems to remain constant is that he
was a good man, very brave and an old romantic
at heart.
However, in spite of his romantic soul, it seems
that the first time the link between romance and
Valentine’s Day was recorded, was by Geoffrey
Chaucer in 1383. Chaucer had written a poem to
commemorate the engagement between Richard
II and Anne of Bohemia, a huge 700 line poem that
took him almost a year to finish. It was completed
on 14th February, 1383 and was quite up to
Chaucer’s usual character. Even in old English there
is no disputing the link, Chaucer wrote:
“For this was on seynt Valentynes day,
Whan every foul cometh ther to chese his make,”
Which modernised, reads something like, “For
this was on Saint Valentines day, when every fowl
cometh there to choose his mate.”
‘The Parliament of Fowl’s’ talks of birds’ mating
seasons – believed then to begin on February
14th, the royal engagement and Valentines day –
all linked by love as well as timing.
Over the hundreds of years that have past since
then, Valentine’s day has continued to evolve and
to grow into the commercial success we readily
recognise today, with the addition of Valentine’s
cards and the exchange of gifts having become
8
fairly commonplace here in the UK by the 18th
Century. Perhaps not the mass produced cards
and gifts we know today – cards would have
been handmade, perhaps with lace or ribbon
and Cupid’s face taking the leading role but the
sentiment remains the same. Perhaps we are not
so far removed from out ancestors as we thought?
Since the late 1960’s St Valentine’s has not been
recognised as a holiday within the catholic church
and yet, even without the support of the Vatican
it is estimated that 1 billion valentines cards are
sent worldwide every year, making the lovers day
the second most celebrated holiday of the modern
world, right behind Christmas.
Last year it was estimated that we as a nation
expected to spend 1.6 billion pounds on the
occasion. It’s thought that about 85% of the
valentines sold, are sold to women – so time to up
your game fella’s!
9
Three Counties Radio
By Jonathan Vernon-Smith
For Goodness Sake
Pay By Credit Card!
I’ve been fighting for consumer rights on my radio
programme for many years now, and there’s one message I
have been repeating constantly - PAY BY CREDIT CARD!
Whenever I repeat this mantra, I receive so many calls
and emails of complaint from people saying that I’m
encouraging debt, I lose the will to live. However, I
simply refuse to be silenced.
But why do I get on my high horse? I’ll tell you why. If
you pay for goods or services by credit card you are
protected in so many ways. The woman who paid £1,000
by cheque for a bed that never turned up because the
company went bust, the young man who put down a
£500 deposit in cash for a new car only to find the dealer
had misrepresented the kind of vehicle it was. These
consumers could have received all of their
money back with one phone call if only they’d
paid by credit card. You see under the
Consumer Credit Act of 1974, the credit card
company is equally liable for any breach
of contract or misrepresentation by a
supplier of goods or services on credit.
As long as the product or service costs
between £100 and £30,000, you are
covered for most unfortunate events.
There’s also absolutely no need to
get into debt when paying by credit
card. If you were proposing to pay
by cheque, cash or debit card
then simply pay by credit card
instead and pay the bill off in
full the very next day.
So next time you plan to buy
that new sofa, car, holiday or
conservatory, FOR GOODNESS
SAKE - PAY BY CREDIT CARD!
Jonathan Vernon-Smith not only offers you his consumer advice
here but you can listen to The JVS Show tackling your consumer
problems every weekday morning from 9am.
10
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11
Time of Year
By Debbie Singh-Bhatti
Fairtrade Fortnight
What did you have for breakfast this morning?
Maybe you enjoyed coffee from Kenya , bananas
from Colombia , cocoa from Côte d’Ivoire, tea
from India, sugar from Malawi or juice from
Brazilian oranges.
Millions of farmers and workers in developing
countries work hard every day to grow the food
we take for granted, but ironically they don’t
always earn enough to feed their own families.
In other words, they do not have food security.
Fairtrade is about changing that. Its aim is to
secure better prices, decent working conditions
and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers.
By being paid a fair price, they can have more
control over their lives and less worry about how
they will feed their families. Fairtrade means
many farmers and workers are able to fulfil a
basic human need – to put enough food on the
table for the people they care about, all year
round.
When you buy products with the FAIRTRADE
Mark, it means that the Fairtrade ingredients
they contain have been produced by
small-scale farmer organisations or
plantations that meet Fairtrade
social, economic and
environmental standards.
These standards
include protection of
workers’ rights and
the environment,
payment of
the Fairtrade
Minimum
Price and an
additional
Fairtrade
Premium to
invest in schools,
transport, health
care, sanitation,
an improved
environment and
better business
equipment and practices.
12
There are over 4,500 Fairtrade products available
in the UK: from coffee, tea and chocolate to
beauty products, flowers and gold. One in
three bananas bought is Fairtrade, and British
consumers choosing Fairtrade sugar sent more
than £5 million in Fairtrade premium back to
sugar cane smallholders last year. Choosing to
buy food with the FAIRTRADE Mark really does
make a huge difference to thousands of farmers,
workers and their families.
From 29 February until 13 March 2016 is
Fairtrade Fortnight, during which ordinary
people like you and me are encouraged to
inspire a multitude of Fairtrade breakfasts in
our communities – and wake others up to the
challenges facing farmers and workers.
There are three simple steps to get involved:
• Organise your own Big Fairtrade Breakfast
• Inspire others to host a breakfast (for example,
in a school, workplace, town hall or individuals
at home)
• Register your breakfast on the Big Fairtrade
Breakfast totaliser to make sure it gets
counted.
You can find everything
you need at fairtrade.
org.uk/breakfast.
No one person can
do everything
to tackle the
injustices that
exist in the
world, but
harnessing
the power
of a
Fairtrade
breakfast is
something
we can all do.
So, sit down
for breakfast
and stand up for
farmers!
George&Dragon advert.pdf
1
13/11/2015
07:36
The George & Dragon
Eaton Socon
Food served
Tuesday-Saturday 12-6pm | Sunday 12-3pm
Pizza to eat in or takeaway - Sunday-Friday 6-11pm
Live music on Saturday nights
Karaoke on the first Sunday of every month
Soul/Motown disco on the last Friday of every month
Large Beer Garden with children’s play area
Dogs welcome
01480 211444
george&dragon,eatonsocon
13
N
O
I
T
I
T
E
P
M
O
C
The Pad Presents...
The Selecter + Guests
The Corn Exchange,
St Pauls Square, Bedford
Sat 20th Feb 2016 at 7.30pm
“really positive, really smart energetic
vibrant record”
BBC RADIO 2 JO WHILEY ALBUM REVIEW SHOW
Still knocking out righteous tunes
after all these years”
VIVE LE ROCK
“Long may she reign as the queen of Rude Girls”
LOUDER THAN WAR
“The Soundtrack Of Summer 2015”
THE HUFFINGTON POST
Legendary 2-Tone artists, The Selecter, released
their new studio album SUBCULTURE to critical
acclaim in June 2015 on DMF Records and have just
announced part two of their Subculture tour with
dates around the UK in Spring 2016.
Whenever successful bands from the past reform
they invariably start trading in nostalgia and
become “heritage” acts. No one expects them to
grow artistically or continue to excel at the same
things that brought them popularity in the first
place, but that’s what The Selecter have done in the
past few years. They’ve played at major festivals,
headlined 3 UK tours and recorded three studio
albums, the latest of which, Subculture, is mixed by
UK dub-master Prince Fatty. Music fans may have
caught them on BBC2 on the Jools Holland’s Annual
Hootenanny on New Year’s Eve.
The Selecter is led by their iconic frontwoman
Pauline Black, whose recent series of shows on
BBC6 Music were hugely well received, and whose
book ‘Black By Design’ continues to sell in droves
worldwide, alongside an incredible talented band
of musicians, including Neil Pyzer (Spear Of Destiny)
Will Crewdson (Rachel Stamp) and co-fronted by
original member Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson (who
features extensively on Subculture).
The anarchic passion that fuelled Selecter gigs
during the 2 Tone era, when they toured with the
Specials and Madness at the peak of their early
14
fame is still there, except the pair (Pauline & Gaps)
seem more driven than ever. Their confidence is
sky-high and they’re also writing the best songs of
their career, which is saying something given the
enduring popularity of hits like Three Minute Hero,
Missing Words and On My Radio.
No strangers to Bedford The Selecter have racked up
appearances at Esquires in Bedford numerous times
in the past and were last seen at the Corn Exchange
in 2011 when they lifted the roof of the venue.
Tickets are on sale priced £18 in advance via
Seetickets online, from the venue Box Office in the
Number 13 bar and in person from Planet Boutique
in the Arcade and Mario’s Hair Design in Kempston.
Doors open at 7.30pm, special guests tbc http://
www.seetickets.com/event/the-selecter/bedfordcorn-exchange/924869
The Villager and Town Life has two pairs of tickets
courtesy of The Pad Presents Ltd to give away
for the Selector + Guests Event.
To enter, simply email
editor@villagermag.com
with the heading ‘Selector Competition Entry’
and include your name, address and tel no.
A winner will be picked at random.
Deadline for entries is 15th February 2016
For more information visit www.thepadpresents.com
OPENn
u
Fri to -S4pm
10am
Passionate CHILLI Growers
Edible Kitchen Café
For all you chilli lovers, Edible
Ornamentals would like to welcome
you to the Edible Kitchen Café.
Tours & Tastings*
See how it’s all done!
EdibleOrnamentals.co.uk
or call 01480 405663
Cherwood Nurseries • Bluebells • Roxton Road
Chawston • Beds. • MK44 3BL
Off the Blackcat roundabout, follow signs to Great Barford,
Roxton then turn right into Chawston.
Come along and enjoy our wonderful
home made food, all with a chilli twist at
our Café and enjoy a free drink on us.**
Our New Café!!
**Free tea or coffee available on presentation of this voucher.
One voucher per visit, max 2 people.
www.facebook.com/Edible.Ornamentals
email: info@EdibleOrnamentals.co.uk
* Seasonal opening hours, please check website for details.
EOVILL05
15
Travel
Portugal
By Solange Hando
The Douro has its source in northern Spain but
Portugal claims the only navigable section,
stretching just over 130 km from the estuary in
Porto to the Spanish border. It might take a day or
two to sail upstream but most ships plan a leisurely
return journey, stopping at various mooring spots
and including a number of on-shore excursions.
Either way, there is plenty of excitement: low
bridges when the sundeck roof and even the
captain’s cabin may have to be lowered, and locks,
all five of them, including the Carrapatelo, one of
the deepest in Europe. Passers-by look down in awe
from the top, water thunders on the roof then at
last the gate opens, a mere 12 metres wide, and the
boat gently slips out into the sunlight.
Cruising the Douro is about scenery and wine
with ample opportunities to taste the latter, be it
the light golden ‘Vinho Verde’ and other sparkling
wines or the ubiquitous Port, red or white, which
is produced at no higher than 500 metres. As for
the scenery, it’s simply magic as ships sail in slow
motion along the ever meandering river, now
spreading out like a lake, now peeping into a fjord
with myriad reflections or squeezing through a
narrow gorge between towering cliffs and ochrecoloured rocks. The river depth ranges form 70
metres to 40 cm and it takes all the captain’s skills
to dock and navigate the shallows. Wooded slopes
frame the lower reaches, dotted with red-roofed
villages and chapels, but before long, settlements
thin out and vineyards take over, draping every
rolling hill in luminous green or autumn colours
under the watchful eye of remote wineries. Some
vineyards plunge straight down to the water in neat
16
vertical lines, others cling to horizontal terraces
retained by stone walls. They say that if you put all
the stones end to end, you could build two Great
Walls of China.
It’s a quiet land with few people around, except at
harvest time, and little to disturb the peace but the
occasional greeting of ships passing each other.
Sometimes a train races along the bank, a heron
lands on a tree or a vulture hovers high above the
cliffs. Fish pop out of the water, leaving silvery rings
on the surface, and in Barca d’Alva, martins nesting
under the bridge perform a brilliant aerial dance to
catch insects in the sunset.
Barca d’Alva is the last place in Portugal, looking
across to the border and Terra de Vegon, the final
mooring and a convenient stop for a day trip into
Spain and the world heritage city of Salamanca.
Others drive up to the lovely medieval village
of Castelo Rodrigo, basking in the sun among
olive and almond groves. Then there’s Regua
downstream, just a 30 minute drive from the
pilgrimage shrine of Lamego, and Pinhao with
its riverside promenade lined with palms and
oleander, its steep cobbled lanes, its Roman bridge
and railway station glistening with blue and white
tiles depicting scenes of local life. Not so far away,
the Mateus Palace sits among gardens of fragrant
box and flowering trees while up in the hills,
traditional inns serve Portuguese fare and local
wine. Vineyards, river and hills, it’s all part of the
enticing Douro landscape protected by UNESCO,
and the International Nature Park shared with
neighbouring Spain.
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VISIT OUR SHOWROOM: 87 HIGH STREET, BIGGLESWADE
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Available at lunch and dinner
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House advert.indd
1
To Chop
advertise
in The Villager
and Townlife please call 01767 261122
19/01/2016 17:43
17
Cheq TheListing Feb16 awk.indd 1
12/01/2016 16:03
9 Cross Key mews, Market Square, St Neots, PE19 2AR
T: 01480 216683 | W: www.kleen-eco.co.uk
SHOP OPENING
ON THE
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Kleen eco St Neots 1/2 page.indd Please
1
20/01/2016
13:23
18
mention The Villager and Town Life when responding
to adverts
Time of Year
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year has been celebrated for
thousands of years. No one knows exactly when
the tradition first started, but it is believed to date
from at least the Shang Dynasty (1766 BC - 1122
BC), although it may be much older.
The Chinese calendar is much older than the
Gregorian one we use today, although it has
evolved over time. It follows the lunar cycle, with
each month beginning with the new moon.
Chinese New Year falls between 21st January
and 20th February on the Gregorian calendar.
This year it will be celebrated on 8th February.
Celebrations run from Chinese New Year’s Eve, to
the Lantern Festival 15 days later. It is the Year
of the Monkey, one of twelve animals associated
with Chinese New Year. The others are rooster,
dog, pig, rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake,
horse and sheep.
The colour red is often associated with Chinese
New Year. In Chinese folk lore there was once a
beast called the Nian who roamed the land at the
beginning of each year, terrorising villagers. Red
was found to drive the Nian away, so red clothes
were worn, and red lanterns
and scrolls were hung.
The tale goes that the
Nian was eventually
captured by a
monk, but people
have continued
the traditions. Red
packets containing
money are also often
given to younger
people by married
couples, to bring luck.
Food plays an
important role in
Chinese New Year.
New Year’s Eve
dinner is a day
for families to
gather together to celebrate at home. The type of
food served depends on the country and region.
Some of the most common food traditionally
eaten on or around Chinese New Year include
dumplings, fish and spring rolls. Many of the
ingredients are chosen because their name is
considered auspicious. For example, there is a
vegetarian dish called Buddha’s Delight which is
often eaten at this time of year. Fat choy is usually
included in the dish, due to the last syllables of its
name sounding similar to a Cantonese phrase for
prosperity. The preparation and way of eating the
dishes is also considered very important.
Restaurants across the UK will often hang up
decorations for Chinese New year and hold
their own celebrations, including special
menus and entertainment. Many of the cities
also host Chinese New Year celebrations and
activities, from lantern making and martial arts
demonstrations to parades and firework displays.
The Chinese dragon has become an iconic part
of Chinese New Year. Dragons are said to ward
off evil, and bring prosperity and good luck. The
dragon dance is performed by a group of dancers
carrying a giant, moveable dragon. It is believed
that the longer the dragon, the more good luck it
can bestow, so some can reach over 70 metres!
By Kate Duggan
19
Health & Beauty
Which Pillow?
By Debbie Singh-Bhatti
You might spend hundreds on a comfortable new
bed, but did you know your pillow can impact on
your quality of sleep and your general health and
wellbeing?
A good pillow should hold your head in alignment
with your shoulders and spine to guard against
potential neck or back pain. The correct choice
depends on your body shape and preferred sleeping
position.
If a tummy sleeper, go for a softer, lower pillow. Back
sleepers need a medium thickness pillow and side
sleepers should opt for a medium-high thickness.
You then have a range of fillings to choose from.
Synthetic pillows are cheap and good for allergy
sufferers but they flatten quite quickly and have the
shortest life span.
Feather pillows last longer, are inexpensive, soft
and easy to shape but sometimes the feathers poke
through and they are not good for allergy sufferers.
Down pillows are similar but softer, more luxurious and more expensive!
20
Memory foam pillows retain their shape, offer good
support and are durable, but they can be heavy and
hot.
Latex pillows are cooler and more airy than memory
foam and are also soft and supportive, but they can
be expensive.
Other fillings include micro bead, water, buckwheat
and wool.
So, before you buy your next pillows, shop around
first and explore all the options!
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Jill Dighton
BSc (Hons) MBACP (Accred).,
UKCP Reg.
Counselling
Service
Depressed? Anxious?
Relationship Issues?
Low Self Esteem?
Have you considered Counselling sessions?
Based in Grafham village, I offer a
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to individuals and couples in a secure,
confidential & non-judgemental atmosphere.
Ample parking.
Concessionary rates available.
For further details:
Visit: www.jilldightoncounselling.co.uk
Email: j.dighton@hotmail.co.uk
Tel: 07925 852 985 (Voicemail available)
Acupuncture
FOR WELL-BEING
Judy obtained her Licentiate in Acupuncture, and B.A (Hons)
degree in Traditional Acupuncture, from the College of
Traditional Acupuncture, Warwickshire. Judy is a passionate
believer in the positive benefits, on both physical and
emotional levels, that may be obtained from receiving
acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture originated in China
and other far eastern cultures where it still features in
mainstream healthcare, both as a stand-alone therapy and
in combination with conventional western medicine. Judy
has been trained as a classical Five Element Acupuncturist;
treatment is aimed at the root cause of your condition as
well as your main symptoms. This approach helps with
resolving your problem and enhancing your feelings of
wellbeing. You may notice other niggling problems resolve
as your main health complaint improves. Judy continues
to pursue her belief in excellence of care for her patients in
her role as a dedicated acupuncture practitioner, and is a
member of the British Acupuncture Council.
Please contact Judy for a free 20 minute consultation to
discuss how acupuncture treatment can help you.
22
Complementary Health
Look After Winter Feet
Winter is associated with dampness and the last
thing you want at this time of year is to have foot
problems, this month Katy Noble of the Podiatry/
Chiropody team at the Centre for Complementary
Health shares her advice.
The best thing you can do is by keep feet warm
and moisturised, this sounds easy but not
everyone does it. I have had patients who have
come to see me with no socks on or just wear one
pair of thin tights in the middle of a cold winter!
You wouldn’t go out in freezing conditions with
thin summer tops on or no jacket, so think of your
feet in the same way. Two layers of socks can be a
good idea but you should make sure that there is
room in your boots or shoes for them; you should
be able to wiggle your toes inside your shoes,
otherwise you may be affecting your circulation.
Sometimes, a slightly larger size of boots or shoes
can be helpful in this regard. Wearing socks made
out of the right sort of material can be an issue
too as woollen socks are generally advisable, as
they offer protection and warmth. However, if
you suffer from sweaty feet, wearing a thin pair
of synthetic socks before putting on the woollen
ones will help to absorb excess moisture.
If you suffer from Chilblains and Raynaud’s
disease this is due to an abnormal response of
blood vessels to the cold. When people with
these conditions switch from a warm place to
a cold place, their blood vessels will constrict/
narrow much more quickly and for longer to
preserve their core temperature, but when they
come in from a cold place to a warm place, the
vessels will dilate much more slowly. They will
feel uncomfortable and, in severe cases, are at
risk of skin break down. The best way to prevent
such problems is to keep your feet under a more
constant temperature and avoid exposing your
feet to any extreme temperatures. For instance,
don’t come in from freezing weather outside and
then put your feet straight into a hot bath!
Professionals can help; a podiatrist can give you
a pair of insoles made of plastazote. This insole
material can help thermal regulation inside your
shoes and help keep your feet warm. Your doctors
can also prescribe you various medications such
as Calcium channel blockers (e.g. nifedipine) or
α blockers (e.g. losartan), for example, are good
for peripheral vessel dilation, so do talk to your
doctors if you suffer from any of these conditions
severely.
If you are Diabetic beware of hot water bottles!
Diabetics generally need to have regular foot care
as they are prone to peripheral neuropathy (i.e.
being unable to feel pain), peripheral vascular
diseases (i.e. poor circulation) and compromised
immune systems. As a result of these issues,
they are at an increased risk of developing foot
ulceration and infection. In winter, many people
like to use hot water bottles for warming up,
which are usually safe however, for diabetics with
neuropathy, extra caution is needed as you might
not be able to feel how hot the water bottle is and
end up with a burn so, do be careful.
If you would like more information from Katy or to
see any of the Chiropody/Podiatry team contact
the Centre for advice on 01480 455221 or see
www.CentreForCompHealth.com
More info: Phone: 01480 455221
Website: www.CentreForCompHealth.com
Email: info@CentreForCompHealth.com
23
Health & Beauty
Scents Appeal
By Kate Duggan
Buying perfume for a loved one this Valentine’s, but
don’t have a clue where to start? Read on...
We tend to think of perfume as French, but there
are some fantastic British fragrance houses. Take
Deco London. Launched in 2015, Deco London has
created a select range of six fragrances, three for
her and three for him. Each one is a real delight,
with multiple, complex layers. At £75 a bottle,
they’re pricey, but if you’re looking to splash out this
Valentine’s, they’re well worth it.
Perfume can be split into several ‘types’, although
many fragrances cross categories.
The main types are:
Floral
Feminine and unashamedly romantic,
floral perfumes range from ‘sugar and
spice’ sweetness to grown-up
sophistication. If she likes Beautiful
by Estee Lauder, try Kukui by Connock
London – a delicious, grown-up blend
of gardenia, bergamot and white
flowers, that’s warmed by notes of
sandalwood, vetiver and
white amber. (You may have
guessed that it has pride of
place on my bedside table.)
Citrus
Fresh, vibrant and
invigorating, citrus based
fragrances are fun and
light-hearted. Think
scents of lemon,
grapefruit, mandarin,
and other refreshing
notes. If she likes Happy
by Clinique, she’ll love
Miller Harris’s Citron
Citron.
Fruity
Similar to citrus scents,
fruity fragrances are
uplifting and cheerful.
If she has a bottle of
DKNY’s Be Delicious
at hand, try surprising
her with Jo Malone’s
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English Pear and Freesia cologne.
Oriental
Exotic, sensual scents that demand attention,
oriental fragrances are warm and rich, with notes of
musk, vanilla and amber. They were all the rage in
the 80s, but these days tend to be softened slightly
with other scents, such as floral notes. If she’s a
fan of Angel by Thierry Mugler, try Deco London’s
Constance.
Woody/chypre
Warm and musky, with hints of sandalwood, cedar,
vetiver and moss, these fragrances conjure up
images of walking through a forest
at sunset. If she loves spritzing on
Miss Dior, treat her to Vanilla and
Cedarwood by Kiehl’s.
Oceanic
Invigorating, refreshing and easy to
wear, ‘oceanic’ covers a wide range of
‘clean smelling’ fragrances, from crisp
white linen to ocean spray. If she’s a
fan of Cool Water Woman by
Davidoff , treat her to Inis
by Fragrances of Ireland.
People have been
dabbing on fragrances
for thousands of years.
In Cyprus, evidence has
been unearthed that
perfume was being
manufactured at least
4,000 years ago. It’s
played an important
role in cultures and
religious occasions
across the world, so
it’s no surprise that
one of the gifts the
three wise men
chose was myrrh –
an essential oil used
predominately for
its scent. What gift
will you choose
to bestow this
Valentine’s?
25
Health & Beauty
The Age of Plenty
Grown-up skincare, fragrance
and emergency fixes.
Inspired
by the
1920s, Deco
London
fragrances
are
glamourous
and grownup, with a
fun side;
they’re
aimed at
women,
rather than
girls, but
these are women who know
how to play. Choose from the
floral bohemian Loretta, the
sultry Millicent, or the oriental
Constance. I love all three, but if
I had to choose one it would be
Millicent. It’s floral, but not too
sweet, with scents of bergamot,
mandarin, jasmine and musk
combining to create a sensual,
head turning fragrance. If you’re
looking for a new signature scent,
head to www.deco-london.com.
A massage is a pretty sure fire way
to get in someone’s good books.
There are a lot of massage oils
on the market to choose from,
but personally
I like the
Therapy
Massage
Candle from
Janjira. Once
lit, the oils start
to melt. Blow
the candle
out, pour the
warm oil into
your hand,
and start the
massage. It’s
26
£30, but smells gorgeous, and
the soybean and coconut oil feels
lovely on your skin. Thai brand
Janjira is quite new to the UK, and
specialises in spa quality products
to indulge in at home. See www.
janjira.co.uk.
Another new skincare range
to recently reach our shores is
Swiss brand ananné. Natural
skincare at its
finest, ananné
is organic,
vegan and free
from synthetic
ingredients.
Each product
is the result
of months
(if not years)
of scientific
research, and
is designed to
nourish and
energise the
skin, improving
its health
rather than just
providing a temporary fix. That
being said, it doesn’t take long to
see a visible improvement. Hero
products include the Solacium
Repair Serum, £130, and the
Oculissiumum Eye Balm, £90. See
www.ananne.co.uk.
The night you’ve
been looking
forward to for ages
finally arrives. You
have the perfect
outfit. Your makeup
is pristine. Then
you look in the
mirror and realise
that your roots are
startlingly obvious
and there are grey
hairs standing to
attention all over
the place. If this
scenario sounds
familiar, you might
want to add the
Kazumi Root Vanish
to your emergency
cupboard. Just
brush it on and
blow dry. The effect
is temporary, but
effective, and it
stays put until you
wash it out, so you
don’t need to panic
if you get caught
in the rain. There
are five shades to
choose from and
it’s pretty good
at covering grey
hairs. What’s more,
it’s packed with
botanical extracts,
and is very gentle,
so is great if your hair needs a bit
of a break from bleaching. Root
Vanish costs from £30 and can be
bought from Boots.
Who wouldn’t wish for a fairy
godmother on hand to wave her
wand at times? Well, The English
Mineral Makeup Company’s Fairy
Godmother powder may not be
able to turn your H&M jeans into a
Stella McCartney gown, but it can
help to soften the appearance
of lines and leave skin feeling
smoother and brighter. It also
provides a powerful boost of
antioxidants to nourish skin and
leave it glowing.
Visit englishmineralmakeup.co.uk
to order. englishmineralmakeup.
co.uk to order.
By Kate Duggan
Shires Mobile Footcare
...because feet matter
Treatment of common foot disorders
in the comfort of your own home
Professional treatment includes:
• Callus reduction
• Corn removal
• Toe nail trimming
• Fungal/thickened toe nail treatment
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27
Time of Year
National Yorkshire
Pudding
Day
By Louise Addison
From 2008 the first Sunday in February has been
designated National Yorkshire Pudding Day!
The traditional Yorkshire Pudding first got its name
in 1747 according to local legend, when Hannah
Glasse wrote a cookery book titled The Art of
Cookery Made Plain and Simple. She included a
Yorkshire Pudding recipe; but no-one really knows
how far back the original recipe goes as some form
of batter or dripping pudding, as it was previously
named, has been cooked for centuries.
Early puddings were flatter than today’s version
and were cooked in a tin beneath the meat, which
was roasted on a spit over a fire. The pudding was
positioned to catch all the drippings from the meat.
Dripping was an important part of the diet in those
days because the human body actually needs some
fat to enable it to absorb certain vitamins, but unlike
today sources of fat were more difficult to obtain as
meat was expensive so was only cooked on special
occasions. Extra drippings from any meat added a
welcome and much-needed supplement.
The Yorkshire pudding was usually made in a large
tray, and was often served with gravy before the
main meal as a filler, so less meat was required for
the main course.
The recipe is pretty simple, just eggs, milk and
plain flour. A Yorkshire-born aunty once warned me
never to use self-raising flour, or any kind of raising
agent because doing so will mean your puds will
be spongy and soggy. Also the batter has to be the
right consistency, a little thicker than unwhipped
double cream, and as smooth as possible. To achieve
the best, most crispy Yorkshire puds trickle about
3mm / 1/8 inch of very hot fat in the bottom of the
tin, then heat it up. As the fat begins to smoke, add
the batter. Enjoy!
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28
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29
My Mortgage
Piotr Rudkowski
I offer impartial advice on Mortgages and Protection, with flexible hours and availability and quick access
to me, even working with you exclusively by email and phone if you prefer. I have access to over a hundred
Mortgage products with one to fit every situation including Buy to Let, Self Employed, Large Loans, Self Build,
Remortgage, First Time Buyers, Bridging etc. And should something untoward happen in your life I can help
you to replace an income with excellent products at surprisingly low costs.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
We charge a fee of £300 for mortgage advice.
My Mortgage are credit brokers, not lenders.
Piotr Rudkowski CeMAP
Mortgage & Protection Adviser
My Mortgage, 45 Linton Close, ST Neots, PE198GY
Telephone: 07437 012572
Email: piotr@mymortgage.one, peter@mymortgage.one
Website: www.mymortgage.one
30
The Language
of Flowers
It’s nearly Valentine’s Day and millions will be
rushing out to buy or send flowers. Traditionally
this will be red roses of course. Others may choose
their purchases on the basis of colour, smell or even
price but there’s a whole language and meaning to
flowers too which is called Floriography.
Roses: - Red Roses as most will know symbolise
Love and Desire but changing the colour of the
flower leads to different connotations. For example,
Yellow is for friendship, Pink for perfect happiness
and Orange for fascination. There are different
meanings for specific types of rose too, such as Tea
Roses meaning ‘I’ll remember always’ and Dog Roses
connecting to pain and pleasure. Formations also
have an impact. Thinking back to the traditional
dozen red roses, a bunch of a single bloom, means
I love you or I still love you, whilst an assortment of
colours represents the sentiment ‘you’re everything
to me.’ A dozen red roses has become the norm,
because of the significance of the number twelve
within nature, philosophy and religion. The number
12 often represents a full cycle, so 12 months of the
year, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 hours on a clock for
instance. From ancient times, cultures around the
world have developed calendars based on cycles
Time of Year
of twelve, and there are many mythological and
religious connections to the number also. The use of
12 across the natural and spiritual world means that
12 or a dozen, has taken on a universal quality which
enhances the significance of a dozen roses.
Turning now to other flowers we frequently buy in
the UK:Carnations:- Pink carnations mean ‘I’ll never forget
you,’ whilst red symbolise admiration and yellow
rejection and disappointment, so probably best to
avoid those!
Lilies: - Calla Lilies represent beauty and Tiger Lilies
wealth so the latter is perhaps a good choice if you
are looking to impress.
Tulips: - apparently show love and passion too.
Yellow ones which are my daughter’s favourite,
mean ‘there’s sunshine in your smile,’ whereas red
tulips are a declaration of love and white ones say
‘I’m worthy of you.’
Daffodils: - show regard.
Freesias: - demonstrate trust.
Of course there are many more wonderful flowers
to choose from, so if you really want to be sure of
making the right impression, it’s worth asking your
florist about their meaning.
By Kate Duggan
31
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Whether your computer is not working
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32
Leeds Day Solicitors
Are you a parent with
children below the age of 18?
Why parents need to appoint guardians for their children
We all hope that we will be able to take care
of our children throughout their childhoods
but what if the worst happens? Although most
people appreciate that it is important to make
a Will in order to deal with financial matters, for
the parents of young children it is perhaps even
more important to make a Will as this provides an
opportunity to appoint guardians for them.
In the event of the death of the parents of a child,
it will usually be family members who will step
in to take responsibility. But what if for some
reason those family members are unsuitable or
unwilling to help. Grandparents may feel unable
to assume responsibility full time and other close
relatives may live many miles away. This may
mean children being uprooted and moving to
another part of the country at an already very
distressing time. Family members may also have
responsibilities of their own which would make it
difficult for them to step into the role of guardian.
The choice as to who should take responsibility
for your children, like any other important
decision regarding their welfare, should be made
by you as their parent.
So, who can appoint a guardian? If you have
“parental responsibility” for a child, you can
appoint a guardian for them to act in the
event of your death. Where a child is born to
married parents, both parents will have parental
responsibility. Where parents are unmarried,
Huntingdon
Godwin House,
George Street, Huntingdon,
PE29 3BD
T: 01480 454301
only the mother will automatically have parental
responsibility but a father can acquire parental
responsibility. For example, for births after
December 2003, a father named on the birth
certificate will also have parental responsibility.
Parental responsibility can also be acquired
in other ways such as by entering into a legal
agreement or by Order of a Court.
Where a parent has parental responsibility,
appointing a guardian is quite straightforward
in that a clause can be included in your Will. You
can also consider the appointment of substitute
guardians in the event that your first choice of
guardians is unable to act.
In any event, it is of course important to make a
properly drawn up Will to ensure that whatever
money or assets you leave are available to
provide for your children as they grow up.
Normally money and assets will be held for the
benefit of your children by the executors and
trustees of your Will.
Your children are very precious and with a
little careful planning you can make sure that
if the worst happens you have made suitable
arrangements for their care.
If you have not made a Will before and wish
to do so or if you wish to update your existing
Will please contact us at Leeds Day on 0844
567 2222 or by email at wills@leedsday.co.uk
or visit our website www.leedsday.co.uk
Our offices:
St. Ives
11 Station Road,
St. Ives, Cambridgeshire
PE27 5BH
T: 01480 464600
St. Neots
1A South Street,
St. Neots, Cambridgeshire,
PE19 2BW
T: 01480 474661
33
Employment
Employment Matters
Email and Web Personal
Usage Monitoring at Work
Things You Need To Know
We all read the banner headlines in the media
about every employer’s right to monitor their
employees’ use of the company business IT
systems for personal use, so what do you need to
know?
Why do businesses exist? Every business exists
for a purpose. It may manufacture, sell goods or
services. Businesses must make a profit to exist
and to pay their employees. Employers need
to know they have the right people, doing the
right thing, in the right way and at the right
time. Employers provide premises, systems and
equipment for the sole purpose of running of the
business.
Employees receive payment for working a
specified number of hours of the day to carry out
their role and do the right thing, in the right way at
the right time.
No employer has to allow employees to use the
company phone, email or the web for personal
reasons during working hours because they are
provided for business purposes only - just like the
premises, photocopier and stationery.
Many employers trust their team to make
‘reasonable’ private use of the phone, internet and
email as long as this does not interfere with the
running of the business. The big problem with
this is what each individual considers ‘reasonable’.
For example time surfing the web in work time to
look for a holiday, emailing the options to a friend,
making the decision then booking the holiday can
take up to a couple of hours. Daily browsing EBay,
34
Facebook and other social media sites soon eats
up an hour or more which adds up to a day a week
of time and salary lost to the business.
To avoid any misunderstandings every employer
should have a written IT policy clearly setting out
what is - and isn’t - the accepted company policy
on use of business IT systems for personal use and
a popular approach is to allow access only before/
after official business hours and during lunch
breaks. It should clearly state why the employer is
monitoring email and web use including but not
limited to the reasonable belief that the employee
has been spending an excessive amount of time
viewing websites that are not work-related, or
acted in a way that damages the reputation
of the Company and/or breaches commercial
confidentiality. Many systems automatically
identify unacceptable web usage, flagging up
access to websites which are either on a ‘banned’
list, or judged by an automatic system to be a risk.
If any business doesn’t have a written policy yet
it is time to clarify what is considered reasonable
and will allow – and to discuss this with the
employees. Everyone should be aware that no
email - not even services such as Gmail, Hotmail
or Yahoo Mail - is ever totally secure. The only way
to guarantee safe use email or the web at work
for personal purposes is to know that it is being
done in accordance with the agreed policy of the
employer.
Carol H Scott
HR and Business Consulting Ltd
35
Jeffrey Mills
Are Solicitors Boring?
Not many people choose to go to a solicitor, but
there are times when you need to. This could
include buying a house, arranging a Will, or due
to a divorce.
As depicted in the great circle of life, we will all
die, and having a properly drawn up Will that also
considers how existing pensions and insurance are
set-up, rather than how much can be charged for
extras like Will storage (which should be FREE) is
important.
There are many times when you need a Solicitor,
and I accept there are a number of crusty boring
solicitors who have not adapted and appear to
look down at you, but since acquiring Jeffrey Mills
Solicitors in 2015 my opinion has changed a little.
Our Solicitors are young, and not so young, but all
have empathy and a ‘can do’ attitude.
When Linda Eaton crossed the Market Square to
become Practice Director, she quickly commented
that she was pleasantly surprised by what
she found, not only in the team, but also the
environment.
Jeffrey Mills Solicitors is looking to become the
favourite Solicitor and it will take time for the
36
Tony Larkins
CFP APFS CMgr FCMI
Managing Director / IFA
Chartered and Certified
Financial Planner
message to be heard. However, rather like at
Beacon Wealth Management Ltd, team members
are employed before they are needed which means
service is paramount, along with quality.
In summary, you can obtain the services of highly
skilled individuals who give you time and treat
your need as urgent as you do. So, if you need legal
advice give Jeffrey Mills Solicitors a call. Jeffrey Mills
Solicitors are priced to be competitive and with
their new support team their Solicitors are able to
give you priority.
The connection with Beacon Wealth Management
Ltd means that if a Financial Adviser or Mortgage
Adviser is required, you can be sure of a joined
up approach. For example, one client recently
obtained £50k more on a pension sharing order
above their previous best offer. Do not be put off
by what needs doing and remember that not all
Solicitors are boring.
Should you require legal assistance from a firm with
family values and a fresh approach, contact Jeffrey
Mills Solicitors. If you have a question, e-mail:
enquiries@jeffreymills.co.uk.
Thinking of Others
Christmas and New Year are for many a time of
sadness, as we think of loved ones and friends
who were not there to share it with us. And, just
as Keira Knightley’s character in King Arthur said
“What tomorrow brings we cannot know”. How
true this is.
But, the start of the year is also a time for
celebration, where we put the previous year behind
us, wipe the slate clean and approach the future
with new enthusiasm.
In the world of finance the depressed stock market
and changes to tax and other legislation brought
little cheer to many, but each situation creates
opportunity; be that a chance to save Capital Gains
Tax by switching assets ownership, or structuring
the timing of payments of investments.
Inflation remains low, very few of my clients have
retained cash ISA’s; choosing instead to restructure
into an equity ISA, which has led to either double
or treble their return.
Pension changes have also meant an increase in
clients taking some funds from their pension whilst
keeping most of the fund outside of their estate i.e.
free from Inheritance Tax.
The UK stock market, FTSE, started the year at
Beacon Wealth
Tony Larkins
CFP APFS CMgr FCMI
Managing Director / IFA
Chartered and Certified
Financial Planner
6566, had a high of 7122 and a low of 5768 and
despite a flurry at year end (just in time me for city
broker bonus’s – hush my mouth for thinking there
could be a connection) finished at 6242. January
then opened with a fall. This means an overall
stock market fall for 2015 of 4.92%, which makes
our average portfolio return of plus 6.37% look
very good. Over two years the FTSE has dropped
from 6749 to 6242 (7.5%) whilst our average risk
portfolio has grown 13.9%.
You will be reading this several weeks after I have
put pen to paper, so it will be interesting to see how
markets react in the build up to the tax year end.
Two other major issues to be aware of are reduction
in Pension allowances from April and Stamp Duty
Tax on Buy to Let Properties.
New Year’s resolutions are often broken so why not
start the year positively and see your adviser about
your finances, whilst there is still time to act in this
tax year.
You should always seek qualified advice from
an IFA, preferably a Certified (CFP) Or Chartered
Financial PlannerCM (APFS). If you have a financial
question, e-mail: tlarkins@beaconwealth.co.uk
37
38
Prenup Blog
Got engaged on Valentine’s Day? Congratulations!
Have you thought about a Prenuptial Agreement
or what most people call a Prenup? Here is our Q&A
about Prenups.
What is a Prenup? It is a formal agreement
entered into by a couple before a marriage or civil
partnership setting out who owns what and what
might happen to those assets on divorce.
Are they legal? No, not yet in this country. But
it’s more complicated than that. There have been
recent court cases when a Prenup was upheld by the
English courts.
What’s needed? As a general principle
1. Each party must have legal advice on the Prenup
prior to signing it.
2. Each party should disclose their financial means
to ensure the Prenup is being signed in full
knowledge of the facts.
3. The Prenup must be freely entered into by both
parties. If either party was pressured into signing
it(for example being asked on the eve of the
wedding and being told it would not go ahead
unless they signed) then it’s likely the Prenup
would not be upheld.
4. The terms of the Prenup must be fair and
reasonable taking account of the circumstances
of the case.
Family Law
Do I need one? Statistics tell us that 39% of
people marrying will end in divorce. There can be
a dispute as to what is a fair settlement over the
finances. It could potentially mean that assets that
you had before your marriage may be awarded to
your spouse. Every case is different. If yours is a
first marriage, you and your intended spouse may
have the same financial standing and may envisage
having a family, then a Prenup may not be for you. If
you are a second time spouse, perhaps in your later
years, with grown up children and you have some
assets whereas your future spouse may not, you may
need to think about this.
I want a Prenup – what should I do? Get some
good, sensible and practical legal advice first to help
you decide.
I’m already married! Is there anything I can do?
Yes, you can enter into a post-nuptial agreement.
These work in exactly the same way as pre-nuptial
agreements but are entered into after the marriage
rather than before.
Isn’t a prenup unromantic? Perhaps yes but it
doesn’t mean that they are not a good idea! It
is clearly a good idea to discuss with your future
spouse how you will organize your finances together
and what each of your views are on issues that may
crop up during married life. A conversation about a
prenup may be part of that.
Tel: 07894 095775 www.fmfamilylaw.co.uk
39
The Horseshoe
Offord Darcy
Ten years ago Richard Kennedy became Chef-Patron
of The Horseshoe in Offord Darcy, known locally as
‘The ‘Shoe’. This venue is located on the B1043 just
five miles from St Neots, three from Huntingdon
and one mile from Buckden and the A1.
Since then The ‘Shoe has transitioned from a
village pub to a ‘Destination Restaurant’ that
happens to have two bars.
As they say, it takes years to be an overnight
success, but the reality is that revenues have
increased five fold during these ten years and food
accounts for over 65% of it. ‘The ‘Shoe’ serves up to
300 people on a Sunday, and week day between
50 and 100. Booking ahead really is the best
idea to avoid disappointment, particularly at the
weekends.
Increasingly The ‘Shoe hosts wedding receptions
and a number of anniversary parties and
corporate meetings have taken advantage of the
combination of space, garden, great food and
40
attentive service.
So what’s it like in The ‘Shoe? Entering from the
large car park you are most times met by one of
the front of house staff. Either Charlotte, or maybe
Richard himself who splits his time between the
kitchen and the front of house. When the latter,
Head Chef is Andy Church, who for the last three
years has demonstrated his expertise that clearly
equals and compliments that of Richard.
In the main restaurant the tables go from the front
bar with its low 400 year old beams to the airy rear
half with its vaulted ceilings and garden views.
The lounge bar end offers a real fire in an ‘Ingle
Nook’. Pass through here to the ‘Snug’ bar and
dining room, here another Ingle Nook fireplace,
and tables and seating for up to another thirty five
or so.
Seated at a scrubbed wood table in comfy leather
dining chair the menu shows, in addition to the
traditional dishes, a range of ‘a la carte’ starters
such as Pan Seared Scallops, Kiln Smoked
Salmon Pate, or for
vegetarians Baked
Portabello Mushroom
with Spinach and
Ricotta Served with
Candied Walnuts and
Tarragon Vinaigrette,
or maybe a Baked
Camembert?
Examples of main
courses include the
famous Steaks or try Pan
Seared Loin of Venison or
Braised Lamb Shank with
Morrocan spices, and for
fish lovers the Thyme and
Butter Roasted Halibut
with Lemon Sauce, or
Cod Loin with a Parmesan
and Thyme Crust and for
vegetarians Cinnamon,
Tomato and Caramelised Onion, Chestnut and
Chilli Tarte Tatin with New Potatoes, Italian Hard
Cheese and Crispy Kale. This is an example of a
frequently changing menu. The four chefs are real
‘foodies’. They have great enthusiasm for fresh
seasonal produce and a desire to emphasise great
flavours from these by intelligent cooking.
Food choice and flavour appreciation is a personal
thing, so Tripadvisor shows 250 testimonials
resulting in The ‘Shoe as the number one British
style restaurant out of 73 in the St Neots area. The
‘Shoe also displays three annual certificates of
excellence from TripAdvisor.
At ‘bestof.co.uk/stneots you will find over
a thousand testimonials from recent years
endorsing the food and service as well as the
customers voting The ‘Shoe number One ‘the most
loved’ local business over four years.
The ‘Shoe is ideal for cosy evening meals, early
evening sees a few more families as the ‘early
Come Dine with us
doors’ offers are taken advantage of, and weekends
during the day expect to see some families dining.
Children are offered adult food here in child
sized portions. All good healthy food! From an
impressive quality Valentines night menu through
to the Mothering Sunday themed roast dinner, or
on one of the bank holidays, you can be assured of
a special menu.
In this, the 10th anniversary year Richard plans
a number of events and themes to recognize
the milestone. These include special themed
food days, a beer festival, party nights, oh, and a
big milestone of his own as Richard has his own
wedding here at The ‘Shoe later this year! That will
be one day when the ‘Shoe team of Chefs will not
be cooking! This is going to be a ‘hooley’ of a year
at The ‘Shoe!
The Horseshoe Restaurant
90 High St, Offord D’Arcy,
St Neots, Cambridgeshire PE19 5RH
Tel: 01480 810293
Email: info@theoffordshoe.co.uk
Award winning dining
in The Offords
T: 01480 810293
W: theoffordshoe.co.uk
E: info@theoffordshoe.co.uk

Clip this voucher for 20% off your food bill
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41
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42
Garden
By Pippa Greenwood
www.pippagreenwood.com
Feathered Friends
Watching wild birds in your garden is a real delight,
and as many help to keep pests at bay for much
of the year it makes sense to encourage them in.
You can provide a haven for wild birds as long as
you have a fair number of potential hiding places,
such as a few good sized shrubs or trees - and trees
which provide berries or other fruits are always
going to be welcome.
But what else can you do to encourage your
feathered friends into the garden? A source of water
really is one of the best features, so either buy an
ornamental birdbath or create one from a shallow
dish with sloping sides. The water should be no
deeper than 2” (5 cm) and if you do have a deeper
container then you should fill the lower depths
of it with good sized stones, to reduce the depth.
Ideally the water should be changed every other
day, but at this time of year it is essential to make
sure that the water does not freeze for long periods
of time. Other garden water features, including
ponds with shallow sloping sides, are also perfect
for many birds to feed and bathe in. Providing birds
with additional food materials is worthwhile, but
remember to provide a constant supply or they may
come to rely on something that is not there when
they need it most.
If you have a problem with squirrels, then use a
squirrel proof feeder – they resemble bird cages
and hold a central cylinder of peanuts, though they
can cost up to £40. If squirrels are not a problem,
use a cheaper nut feeder, but position it so it is out
of range of cats.
Save household scraps for the birds too; they enjoy
apples, cooked rice, cheese, old breakfast cereal,
raisins and sultanas and, of course, bread. Buy fat
balls which contain mixed seeds and hang them
from trees or large shrubs where they will provide
a fantastic meal for many birds and, provided you
position them correctly, means that you can also
enjoy watching them. I only buy the net-free fat
balls, as birds’ feet can get trapped in the net.
You can also buy grubs and larvae to feed the birds.
These high protein snacks are particularly useful
once birds start feeding their young in the spring,
and are best distributed on a bird table or even on a
garage roof. They are available by mail order or from
garden centres and pet shops.
If you feel like making or buying a bird table on
which to set out the feasts you are supplying, then
so much the better. Choose one which is not easily
accessible by cats, and position it where you can
watch the birds as they feed and drink. I mainly
feed the birds on top of an old, established hedge.
It is just tall enough for me to reach its flat clipped
top surface and I put out bird food on flat wooden
trays – perfect for me to view and impossible for
cats to get the wrong idea about who is meant to
be eating!
Visit Pippa’s website www.pippagreenwood.
com for ‘Grow Your Own with Pippa Greenwood’ fantastic UK grown vegetable plants of your choice
plus weekly advice and tips emails from Pippa ,
biological controls, fleece, copper tape and lots
more besides.
43
Food & Drink
Beer at Home
By Ted Bruning
established Portobello Brewery for the nutty boys
themselves – and who, even after all these years,
doesn’t love Madness?
Infra Red from another newly-founded craft brewer,
Hardknott of Millom, Cumbria, is a different prospect
altogether. At 6.2% alcohol it has a chill-banishing
warmth to it, along with a mixed bundle or aromas
and flavours of almost baffling complexity. The
brewery says it takes its inspiration from America
and Belgium - but this, being an authentically
hoppy, strong India Pale Ale but with a few buckets
of crystal malt shovelled into for luck, is a one-off.
The appearance is a deep ruby with an oddly strawcoloured foam. The nose is floral but in an
old-lady way – parma violets, lavender,
garden-centre soap. Then the flavour is
intensely, shockingly hoppy but with a hint
of fennel/liquorice sweetness, while the
finish is very, very long and very, very bitter
and carries an intriguing note of... parsnips?!
You’ll like this. Not at once, maybe, but
you’ll like it.
February, of course, is St Valentine’s Day, bookended by a couple of fortnights in which nothing
much happens except that it rains a lot and once
every four years an utterly superfluous day appears
which nobody wants as their birthday.
But if you’re young and in love, the deep mysterious
thrill that comes with opening that anonymous
card more than makes up for the rest of the month’s
dreariness. So here’s a beer for St Valentine’s Day
that’s doubly full of love.
Lovestruck – yes, it’s the name that makes it a beer
for Valentine’s – is a 4.4% alcohol pale ale from the
Madness Brewing Company. Its nose is very fresh,
with that classic new-mown hay aroma that
properly belongs to a good pale ale and an
overtone of summer fruits. The mouth feel
and flavour are almost as light and spritzy
as a prosecco – so right for St Valentine’s!
– while the finish has the merest hint of
hoppy bitterness. But there’s more to love in
Lovestruck than just the label. It’s one of a trio
of beers made by West London’s recently-
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45
History
Golden Years
Memories of 50 years ago
There were glasses raised in jubilation in Moscow
and drained in frustration in Washington on
February 3rd 1966, when the Soviets demonstrated
once again that they were well ahead in the space
race.
They had been ahead from the beginning, of course:
Sputnik 1, the first man-made satellite, blasted off
on October 4th 1957, to be followed by Sputnik 2 a
month later, whereas the Americans couldn’t launch
Explorer 1 until January 31st 1958. On April 12th
1961 Yuri Gagarin pipped Alan Shepherd by only
23 days to be the first man in space, and the Soviets
rubbed it in by being the first to orbit the earth,
having the first woman in space, and completing the
first spacewalk.
Now they were ahead in the race for the Moon,
too, the race that President Kennedy had declared
that America must win within the decade. But
after a flawless launch and three-day flight, Luna 9
touched down gently on the rocky floor of Oceanus
Procellarum, extended its camera array, and started
making a complete panorama of its surroundings.
Even the fact that Jodrell Bank intercepted the
signals and the Daily Express published the pictures
before Pravda could didn’t spoil the party.
It was the first successful rocket-assisted controlled
landing on the Moon, and the extent of the Soviet
lead was only confirmed on February 21st when the
American probe Ranger 8 crashed; but the lead was
less solid than it seemed, and it evaporated for good
on February 26th with America’s first successful
Saturn rocket launch.
Actually, the Americans had had the lead all
along but didn’t know it. After the war they
had more or less kidnapped Germany’s V2
team and its director, Werner von
Braun, but for five years the
Germans were only
allowed to supervise
the completion of
captured V2s and
46
train the Americans in their use. In 1950 the
military sacked von Braun and packed him off to
the Marshall Space Flight Centre in Alabama where
he could dream his intergalactic dreams in peace
while the US Navy worked on its main project, the
Vanguard missile launch vehicle – a task in which it
failed.
Only when Sputnik was launched did Washington
realise that Moscow now had a viable missile
delivery system and it didn’t. Then someone
remembered that rather embarrassing ex-Nazi in
Alabama. Maybe von Braun had something the
military could use? He had. His Redstone rocket was
originally intended as the launcher for Explorer, but
in 1955 Eisenhower had decided to use Vanguard
instead. Now the military turned back to Redstone.
Explorer was hastily adapted to fit its new launcher,
and the US was back in the game.
So was von Braun. Vanguard was scrapped and
the development dollars went his way instead. His
giant Saturn rocket that would take America to the
Moon had its first launch only weeks after Luna 9’s
triumph. Meanwhile the Russians were dividing their
resources between two new launch vehicles, N1
and Proton. But N1’s designer,
Sergei Korolev, died suddenly
in January 1966 and the project
faltered. Proton wasn’t ready
either, and when Apollo 8 became
the first manned lunar orbiter on
Christmas Eve 1968, the heart went
out of the Russian effort and after four
failed attempts to launch N1 they gave
up. The Soviet moon-shot was suspended
in 1974 – two years after the last American
had walked on the Moon – and scrapped
in 1976.
Happy 50th birthdays to Rick Astley (1st), Cindy
Crawford (20th), and Tea Leoni (25th). Cake and
botox to you all!
Cake and botox to you both!
BumbleBee
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After
47
Pet-Positive
Sue Tasker DipCABT
• One-to-one pet training/advice and
behaviour consultations in the comfort
of your own home. Dogs; cats; puppies;
kittens; small furries.
• Puppy classes – small groups “Life Skills
for Puppies” – the right start for the new
member of your family.
• Advice clinic – contact Sue for more details
• Dog life skills classes – aimed at young
dogs and/or recently adopted dogs.
Contact Sue on
01954 212787
info@pet-positive.co.uk
www.pet-positive.co.uk
Happy pets – Happy people
Pet positive.indd 1
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31/05/2015 21:20
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48
Pets
Animal Heroes
Focus on RSPCA inspectors
There are about 417 inspectors and Animal
Welfare Officers who work for the RSPCA. They are
supported by thousands of volunteers. So, what
exactly do the inspectors do?
An inspector’s role involves being a mixture of a
police officer, animal welfare adviser, fundraiser and
PR person. Animal Welfare Officers deal mainly with
animal collections and low-level complaints.
An inspector’s main job is to prevent cruelty to
animals, not to prosecute as many offenders as
possible. They are asked for advice, respond to
phone calls, investigate animal problems, deal with
complaints of animal cruelty and emergencies.
When inspectors are called out, they never know
what they are going to find. They have to think on
their feet and decide quickly what to do.
Most of the cases seen by RSPCA inspectors are
neglect caused by people who do not know
how to look after animals properly. People don’t
understand how much time, effort and money are
needed to care for their pets properly. Shockingly,
some people are also deliberately cruel to animals.
You might be surprised to learn that every 25
seconds, someone somewhere in England and
Wales dials 0300 1234 999 – the RSPCA’s national
cruelty and advice line – for help.
On a local level, the RSPCA Bedfordshire North
branch is a small independent animal charity
working under the guidance of the national
RSPCA. Like other branches, it is self-funding and
raises money locally to support the animal welfare
work it performs.
The branch doesn’t have a rescue centre and relies
largely on the generosity of volunteer foster carers
who provide a safe place for the animals that the
national RSPCA inspectors collect and rescue.
The branch:
• Re-homes over 100 animals each year.
• Runs a trap, neuter and release service for feral
cats.
• Promotes high standards of animal welfare
including neutering and micro-chipping
• Raises funds – via their charity shops and by
staging fund-raising events.
So, the inspectors are our paid heroes, but we also
need on the support of our wonderful volunteers
and the generosity of the general public. Sadly,
there are still too many local animals suffering.
Please be a hero – and consider how can you help.
ANIMAL HEROES is one of a series of articles brought
to you by the RSPCA Bedfordshire North branch
www.rspca-bedfordshirenorth.org.uk
49
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Motoring
By Iain Betson
Fiat 500
Remastering an Icon
Fiat’s whizzy runabout may have
had a facelift but it still has bags of
retro-chic.
I heard it first-hand that some
weeks the 500 is the only car Fiat
dealers sell, and at other times
it outsells all other models in
their range combined. But who’s
surprised really? Since its launch
in 2007, Fiat have made 1.5 million
500s. And the reason is it’s simply a
fun car to drive.
The original reincarnation (‘scuse
the pun) drew entirely on the
original 1960s Cinquecento’s
Italian style. This “re-master”, as
Fiat calls it, is no different. Along
with the BMW Mini and Vauxhall’s
Adam, Fiat has plugged firmly into
the “fashion car” sector, appealing
to those buyers who like their
runabout styled with their own
individual and personal touches,
but are still part of the chic set.
The new version has received both
a facelift and a tummy tuck. The
sporty Abarth version aside, the
500 is now available in three trim
levels, the names of which chime
very well with its aimed-for sector:
the Pop, Pop Star and Lounge.
Three petrol engines provide
the go. The mid-range, but tiny,
900cc turbo-charged two-cylinder
TwinAir 85bhp version recently
secured Fiat the Citycar award
from eco-motoring website Next
Green Car, but the other two are
no gas guzzlers either.
A second 105bhp turbo version
of the 900cc engine is the most
powerful whilst, surprisingly, the
lowest powered of the trio is a
1.2 normally-aspirated 4 cylinder
variant. 5-speed gearboxes
are standard on the two lower
powered engines, while the
105bhp engine has a 6-speed box.
Standard features include LED
running lights, height-adjustable
steering wheel, USB and aux-in
connections on the stereo, central
locking and electric windows. The
top of the range Lounge version
augments this with, amongst
other features, fog lights, rear
parking sensors and a touchscreen
based entertainment system.
Where the facelift and the sector
positioning really show is in the
customisation, where the available
combinations take up about
three-quarters of the glossy sales
catalogue. From wheel size (15”,
16” or 17”) through exterior styling
to interior colours and gadgets,
the list goes on. The options even
extend to the style of 500 badge
on the (optional, of course) side
protection strips and the colour of
the key fob cover!
It’s in the driving that the 500
wins and wins again. With its
small engines you’d think that
the 500 would struggle to beat
a snail - but it’s not so. The 85
horse powers of the mid-spec
engine nip the car along to a very
respectable 107mph and get it to
60 in 11 seconds. It’s frugal too:
none of the three engines gives
a combined cycle of less than
60mpg - figures helped, no doubt,
by being equipped with start/stop
technology, which is ideal for the
mainly city driving seen by most
500s.
I was expecting the engine to be a
little on the shaky side, being that
it has only two cylinders on-board,
but that is not the case - I couldn’t
detect any lumpiness at all.
After nearly 10 years of
production, Fiat have remained
wise and maintained both the
lines and the size of the 500.
Facelifts are sometimes more
than cosmetic and can extend to
lengthening of the wheelbase or
widening of the body. Sure, it’s
getting on for twice the size of the
Cinquecento, but that didn’t come
with airbags and air conditioning.
Keeping the size the same means
the remastered Fiat 500 is still the
fun tippy-toes whizz-about it’s
always been.
Price: from £10,890
Top speed: 107mph
Fuel Economy: 74.3 mpg
(combined cycle)
CO2 emissions: 90g/km
53
Food and Drink
Serves 4
Ready in 3 hours 30 mins
Seasonal Delights
Beef Stew with Horseradish Dumplings
This is a traditional and warming casserole
which is ideal to serve to the family during the
chilly winter months. Serve with steamed green
vegetables such as broccoli, Savoy cabbage or
green beans.
INGREDIENTS
1kg braising steak, cut into chunks
2 tbsp seasoned flour
3 tbsp sunflower oil
2 large onions, peeled and sliced
300ml Guinness
450ml beef stock
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
FOR THE DUMPLINGS
75g self-raising flour
40g shredded suet
1 tsp grated horseradish
1tbsp freshly chopped parsley
1 Preheat the oven to 170C, 325F, Gas 3. Place
the meat and seasoned flour in a large plastic
freezer bag. Seal the bag and shake well, until
the meat is coated in the flour.
2 Heat half the oil in a large frying pan and
brown the meat in small batches, over a high
heat. Add more oil if necessary. Transfer the
54
meat to a large casserole dish.
3 Add the remaining oil to the pan and fry the
onions for 5 minutes. Pour in the Guinness,
stock and Worcestershire sauce and bring to
the boil. Pour the liquid and onions over the
meat and add the carrots, thyme sprigs and
bay leaves. Cover and cook for about 3 hours
until the meat is tender, stirring once.
4 To make the dumplings, place the flour, suet,
horseradish and parsley in a large bowl.
Season with ½ tsp salt and plenty of freshly
ground black pepper, then stir in enough
cold water to mix to a soft dough. Using
lightly floured hands, divide and shape into 8
dumplings.
5 Uncover the stew and gently sit the dumplings
on top of the meat. Cover and cook for a
further 20 minutes until the dumplings are
fluffy and risen. Serve sprinkled with extra
freshly ground black pepper.
TIP
If you don’t want to serve this stew with
dumplings, try topping with sliced potatoes
instead. Arrange 3 large peeled and thinly sliced
potatoes in concentric circles on top of the stew
after 2 hours cooking time. Season well and dot
with butter. Return to the oven, uncovered, and
cook for a further 1- 1¼ hours until both meat
and potatoes are tender.
55
Finance
Is Buy-to-Let
Still a Good Investment?
With no sign of improved interest rates for savers,
and pension changes that offer more freedom, is
buy-to-let still a good option for those wanting to
invest? At first glance, the increase in stamp duty
and reduction in some tax reliefs for landlords
may cast doubt on whether investing in bricksand-mortar is a good idea, but success depends
on many factors, not least of which is your
commitment to maximising returns.
We take a look at what you need to consider when
thinking about property investment. One of the first
items on the list should be to clarify your motivation
for this type of investment, as it will directly impact
on the areas and type of property that you choose.
Do you want rental yield or long-term capital
growth?
Are you considering a long-term investment to
take advantage of capital growth, or focusing on
the potential rental yield of a property? Between
15 and 20 years is a common timescale for
property ownership with capital growth in mind,
which might fit in nicely with your plans for
retirement.
On the other hand, investing in a
multiple-occupancy student let, for
example, could bring in muchneeded monthly income. You
may be able to make a rental
yield of between 5% and 10% if
you find a suitable property in a
good location, and buy it for the
right price.
Focusing on the figures
Buy-to-let can still be a good
investment if you’re prepared to
put in the time and effort to make
it work. This begins with meticulous
research to make sure you get the best
mortgage deal, find suitable locations and the right
style of property for your target market. In other
56
words, you need to make sure as far as possible that
the numbers add up.
Lending restrictions have made it difficult to
find a good mortgage deal in recent years, when
compared with the pre-credit crunch era, but even
when you’ve got a mortgage offer that you’re
happy with, you should be constantly looking for
ways to improve returns by switching suppliers and
cutting costs.
Will you manage the property yourself?
Many professional landlords concentrate purely on
managing their business. They don’t get involved in
the month-to-month management of the property,
or dealing with tenant issues – in fact, many
landlords never even meet their tenants.
It’s purely a numbers game, and taking this
approach means abandoning any personal
preferences with regard to choosing your property.
If you decide to hire a letting agent, they will take a
percentage of the rent by way of payment. This may
seem like a needless expense when you’re willing to
do the work yourself, but when you consider how
much time and energy is saved in not having to
deal with tenant issues it may be money well spent,
particularly if you have more than one property.
Financial benefits of buy-to-let
The beneficial tax reliefs enjoyed on buy-to-let
mortgage interest payments are now being
limited to the basic rate of income tax. This
was previously an attractive part of buy-to-let
investing, but they can still be enjoyed if you form
a limited company for your property investments.
As rates of corporation tax are being reduced to
18% by 2020, for owners of multiple properties
at least, this could help to reduce costs. But
as always, you need to seek the advice of a
professional advisor to maximise the investment
returns and minimise your tax bill.
http://moneyfacts.co.uk/guides/buy-to-let/btlhave-you-considered-the-investment-risks/
57
Plumbing & Heating
Specialists
Boiler
● Servicing
● Repair
● Replacement
● General Plumbing
● Heating
● Bathrooms
We accept debit and credit cards
New Decorations
Interior and Exterior Painting
Wallpapering
Mark Newman
Painting & Decorating
m.a.newman@virgin.net
01954212342
07969650344
164 Limes Road, Hardwick
Cambridge
CB23 7XX
58
Computer Love
Technology
What do you get the gadget fan who has everything?
It’s easy to get Valentine’s Day
wrong: nothing says “I love you”
less than uncomfortable pants
in the wrong size, some wilting
flowers or whatever chocolates
were half price in Tesco. But if
your soul mate is a gadget fan,
it’s very easy to get Valentine’s
Day right.
One of the problems of buying
presents for gadget fans is
that they tend to have the big
things already, so for example
if they fancied an Apple
Watch or a Samsung Galaxy
S6 they’ve almost certainly
bought it for themselves. But
that’s an opportunity rather
than a problem, because there
are stacks of accessories and
add-ons that can enhance what
they’ve already got.
Take the Apple Watch, for
example. There’s a huge range
of straps including tanned and
coloured leather, metal and
fun coloured silicone that can
completely transform its looks.
Apple’s own ones are fairly nice
and predictably expensive, but
you don’t need to pay quite so
much: metal straps from the
likes of Hoco (£48) and leather
ones from Nomad (around £70)
look and feel fantastic, and
having multiple straps means
the Watch fits with any outfit
from ultra-casual to seriously
formal.
It’s a similar story with
smartphone and tablet cases,
where there are some fantastic
designs to choose from. A
woven Ted Baker case for the
iPad Mini is £35, while Pipetto.
co.uk’s clever Origami cases are
around £30. You’ll find all kinds
of household names making
phone and tablet cases including
Radley, Michael Kors and Aspinal
of London, with prices ranging
from around £12.50 for a simple
Radley iPhone case to £250 for
an Aspinal iPad case.
Accessories aren’t just about
fashion. If your beloved has a
smartphone, tablet or laptop
they might appreciate some
Bluetooth accessories, such as
Bluetooth wireless headphones
- around £50 for a set of Jabra
Move headphones, rising to
around £200 for high-end sets
from Bose - or wireless speakers,
which are great for streaming
music from the likes of Spotify
or Apple Music at home, in the
garden or on the beach when
Summer finally returns. We’re big
fans of the Bose Soundlink Mini
(£169), but you needn’t spend
that much to get great sound:
Sony’s SRS-X2 is around £60,
while JBL’s Flip 2 is about £50
and TDK’s tough Trek Flex is £55
- £69 depending on your choice
of colours.
If you’d rather give a more
traditional gift, technology
can still help: the Lastminute.
com, Laterooms.com, Expedia.
co.uk, Kayak and SkyScanner
apps can all help you find the
perfect romantic getaway at
the right price, while the 5pm
and OpenTable apps make it
easy to book a restaurant for a
romantic night out - although if
you’d rather impress by cooking
something spectacular at home,
celebrity chef apps from the
likes of Jamie Oliver and Nigella
Lawson can give you not just
recipes but videos on how to
prepare the perfect Valentine
dinner.
Tech can even help if you don’t
currently have someone to share
Valentine’s day with: online
matchmaking services such as
Match.com have smartphone
and tablet apps to help you
find Miss or Mr Right, while
famous apps such as Tinder (for
everyone) and Grindr (for gay
or bisexual men) use location
awareness to help you find
potential partners near you. If
that sounds a little bit scary,
apps such as Hitch enable
friends to play matchmaker,
limiting the pool of potential
suitors to people your friends
already know.
59
Codeword
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ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
Easy Suduko
Hard Suduko
Fill in the grid so that each row, column and 3x3 box, contains the digits 1
through to 9 with no repetition. Use your logic to solve the puzzles.
60
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n
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Wha In February
Deadline for What’s On
entries is the 12th of the
previous month.
1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 February
Comrades Chess Club 7.30pm
Comrades Club, Godmanchester
Keep your mind active and play chess. Over 18s only
as it’s a licensed premises.
Every Monday except Bank Holidays.
1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 February
Scottish Country Dancing 8-10pm
Queen Elizabeth School, Godmanchester
Mondays from September to May.
Tel: Mrs Pat Crowe 01480 453774
Email pat@patcrowe.plus.com
3 February
March to the Marne Aug-Sept 1914
7pm for 7.30pm
The Comrades Club, Godmanchester
The Cambridgeshire branch of the Western Front
Association is pleased to present a presentation by
Ross Beadle on one of the earliest campaigns of the
First World War. Non WFA members most welcome.
A small donation is encouraged at the door to pay
for the running of the branch.
Web: www.westernfrontassociation.com
3 February
Gamlingay & District Gardening Club
7.30pm WI Hall Waresley Road, Gamlingay
Visitors £2.50 Speaker will be Andrew Sankey on
‘Pot Luck’. Visitors welcome.
3 February
Huntingdon Royal Naval Association 8pm
Falcon Tavern, Market Hill, Huntingdon
The Huntingdon & District branch of the Royal Naval
Association meets on the first Wednesday of the
month. Email: Karl Webb (Secretary)
karl.webb@rna-community.com for further details
3, 10, 17 & 24 February
Hardwick New Mums & Tums Group
11am-12.30pm Portacabin behind St Mary’s
Church, Main Street, Hardwick
A group especially for parents-to-be and parents/
carers of babies up to the age of being mobile. We
meet every Wednesday. Come and have a chat with
other parents and share experiences. Baby play
mats, seats and toys provided. Changing facilities.
Drinks and biscuits - donations welcome.
Tel: Stella 01954 210049 or 07903229296
or stella.ramblers@hotmail.com
6 February
Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire
Hardy Plant Society
2pm Weatherley Centre, Eagle Farm Road,
Biggleswade
Speaker will be Marcus Dancer on ‘Clematis - How
to grow them’. Marcus is a Nursery owner and
specialist clematis grower and Lecturer at the
English School of Gardening. Plants for sale.
Visitors welcome - small charge which includes
refreshments.
6 February
Nearly New Sale 2-4pm
The Priory Centre, St Neots
Admission £1, Children free
Lots of stalls selling excellent quality nearly new
baby and children’s items from birth to 8 years plus
a small selection of unique businesses in the baby
and children’s industry showcasing and selling their
products & services all under one roof!
Tel: Tara 07951 210250
Email: cambridgeshire@babyandchildrensmarket.
co.uk
Web: www.babyandchildrensmarket.co.uk
3 February
Little Paxton Gardening Club
8pm Little Paxton Village Hall
Annual subs £6, Meetings £1, Guests £2 –
refreshments included
Club member John Law will be the guest speaker
offering advice on how to grow fruit in your garden
or on your allotment. For 2016 we have a new and
varied programme, everyone welcome. Why not
join us this year?
6 February
Love and Mercy (12a)
7 for 7.30pm The Mandeville Hall, Kimbolton
Kimbolton Community Cinema presents Love and
Mercy. Biographical drama that focuses on Brian
Wilson of the Beach Boys. Tickets from Watson’s,
Yellow Bird, Bytes Café, on the door if available.
Please note change of day due to pantomime
rehearsals. Tel: 01480 860297
Web: http://e-voice.org.uk/
themandevillehallkimbolton/community-cinema/
3, 10 & 24 February
Little Fishes
10-11.20am
Grafham Village Hall
Stay and Play Tots Session (babies welcome too)
- just turn up. Sessions include free play and craft
activities, bible story and sing along.
Tel: Jean Clark 01480 890033 for more information
Email: robnjeanclark@tiscali.co.uk
6 February
Almost Abba 8pm-midnight
Gamlingay Village College
In advance £10, On the door £12
Covering all Abba hits and many more 70’s and 80’s
disco dance floor fillers.
Licensed bar available. Over 18’s only. Tickets
available from Gamlingay Village College, Woodview
Farm Shop, Londis or call/text 07792 342050.
62
7, 14, 21 & 28 February
Kingfisher Church
10.30am Little Paxton Primary School
Every Sunday - all welcome! Services include
children’s groups and crèche. Refreshments served.
Tel: 01480 476811 www.kingfisherchurch.co.uk
10 February
The Huntingdonshire Local Group of the
Wildlife Trust
7.30pm Brampton Memorial Hall, Thrapston
Road, Brampton
£2.50, Accompanied children free
Illustrated talk entitled ‘Biodiversity: Anglian Water’s
Natural Partner’ by Chris Gerrard who is Anglian
Water’s Climate Change and Biodiversity Manager.
Chris will explain how the company is working
to conserve and enhance wildlife on its land and
how this work impacts the whole region through
the provision of water and water recycling services
to its six million customers. Chris will go on to
discuss the range of projects and initiatives that the
company are involved with, including their enduring
partnership with the Wildlife Trust.
No need to book. Tel: Tim 07941 261346
12 & 26 February
Gamlingay Photographic Society
8-10pm Gamlingay Village College, Station
Road, Gamlingay
Lecture evening. Non-Members welcome free of
charge. Refreshments and optional raffle.
12 Feb DiAV - The Digital Way using ProShow
Producer. Supported by THE PHOTODEX Corporation
with Jim Hartje ARPS DPAGB APAGB EFIAP
(N&EMPF).
26 Feb - On top of the World - Nepal by Motorcycle
with David Steel DPAGB.
Tel: Nick or Jackie 01767 651025
Email: nickbruce7@btinternet.com
13-21 February
Half term Trail 10am-3pm
Ferry Meadows Country Park 50p
Collect a trail sheet from the Visitor Centre then hunt
for clues as you walk around Ferry Meadows. Return
to the Visitor Centre to claim your prize. This event
is on surfaced paths and suitable for all abilities
including wheelchair users and buggies.
Tel: Nene Park Trust 01733 234193
Email: visitor.services@neneparktrust.org.uk
14 February
Let’s go fly a kite
10.30am-12pm & 1.30-3pm
Ferry Meadows Country Park
Come along to Ferry Meadows where our rangers
will help you to make a kite. Then go and fly it on
the meadows. This event takes place indoors and is
suitable for all abilities. Booking essential.
Please
Villager
Town
Life when
responding
adverts
Please mention
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VillagerThe
and
Townand
Life
when
responding
totoadverts
n
O
s
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t
Wha
In February
This is a small selection of
the What’s On for the full
listing please go to our
website
www.villagermag.com
15 February
Gamlingay St Mary’s Church Ladies Guild
7.30pm Gamlingay Church Hall
Speaker is Ken Campbell on Myeloma UK. All ladies
welcome. Tel: 07749 676426 for more details
15-19 February
Half term fun at Paxton Pits 10am-2pm
Paxton Pits Environmental Education Centre,
Little Paxton, St Neots PE19 6ET
Prepare to touch down at Paxton Pits International
Airport this half term! Discover more about the
amazing journeys of birds and take part in fun
activities at the environmental education centre
and grounds - where do birds take off and land? Do
they need their passports stamped? How long do
their flights take? Drop in for self-guided, wildlifethemed family fun Tel: 01480 473161
Email debbie.mckenzie@wildlifebcn.org
16 February
Birds of Prey 11-11.45am & 12.15-1pm £3
Discovery Den, Ferry Meadows Country Park
CJ’s Birds of Prey will be joining us to tell you about
these fascinating birds and giving you a chance to
see the birds up close. This is an indoor event and is
suitable for all abilities. Booking essential.
16 February
Kimbolton Flower Club
7.30pm Mandeville Hall, Kimbolton.
Visitors £6 including light refreshments
Flower arranging demonstration by Dora Mack with
the title ‘A New Start’. Visitors most welcome.
17 February
Carers Coffee Club 2.30-4pm
The White Horse, High Street, Tilbrook
Are you caring for a loved one with a memory loss?
Then come along and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee
whilst chatting with others in a similar situation.
Our informal group meets on every third Wednesday
of the month. No need to book, just turn up.
Tel: Neil Silby 07889 319888 for further details
Email: kimpigfarmer@tiscali.co.uk
17 February
Writing Your Family History
7.30pm
Women’s Institute Centre, Waldon Road,
Huntingdon
Huntingdonshire Family History Society talk by
Bridget Flanagan on ‘Some Eighteenth Century
St Ives Merchants’. Bookstall or helpdesk. Nonmembers most welcome. £1 donation at the door
is appreciated.
19 February
The NHS Retirement Fellowship
10am-12 noon
Partnership Centre (Former Hawthorn Ward),
Hinchingbrooke Hospital
£10 annual membership
If you are retired or coming up to retirement from
the NHS and living in this area, you and your partner
will be made very welcome at our branch. The
Fellowship exists to maintain friendships and to
provide opportunities to make new friends through
a range of social and leisure activities. The group
meets on the 3rd Friday of the month (except
December). Tel: Jill Waddell Secretary 01480 411994
Email: jilli.waddell@gmail.com
Web: www.nhsrf.org.uk
19 February
Forest crafts for kids
10.30am-12pm & 1.30-3pm
Ferry Meadows Country Park £5
Learn how to use some simple tools to make forest
crafts to take home and keep. Meet place to be
confirmed at time of booking. This event includes
walking on uneven ground and/or crossing stiles
and therefore may not be suitable for all abilities.
Booking essential. Tel: Nene Park Trust 01733
234193 for more information & bookings
20 February
St. Mary’s Church Charity Auction
Donations 8.45-9.45am only please
Viewing 10-10.45am,
Auction starts 11am prompt
Buckden Village Hall
Refreshments available.
Tel: Patsy Gray 01480 810041
20 February
Photography Exhibition & Competition
10am-4pm St Mary’s Church, St Neots
Free entry
St Neots & District U3A Photography Group.
Presentation of awards at 3.30pm.
20 February
The Moon - Dark Sky Event 7-9.30pm
The Wildlife Trust Countryside Centre, Ramsey
Heights, Ramsey, PE26 2RJ
With Tim Peake up on the International Space
Station, now’s the time to grab a telescope and
search the night sky; The Wildlife Trust’s Great
Fen reserve received Dark Sky Designation in the
autumn; St Neots Astronomy Association give a talk
on the moon followed by a chance to look through
telescopes and binoculars at this stunning feature
of the night sky.
Tel: Bookings 01487 710420
Email: info@greatfen.org.uk
Web: www.wildlifebcn.org/events/2016/02/20/
moon-dark-skies-event?instance=0
21 February
Biggleswade Antiques Fair 9.30am-4pm
The Weatherley Centre, Eagle Farm Road,
Biggleswade Entrance £1.50
This antiques fair offers a diverse range of antiques
and collectables so whether you are a professional
dealer, an avid collector or just looking for
something special, this monthly fair is the place to
visit. Café serving breakfast, lunch and afternoon
tea. Tel: 01480 382432 or 07906 647346
Web: www.madisonevents.co.uk
23 February
Hemingford Grey Flower Club
10am Hemingford Grey Reading Rooms
Entrance £3 including refreshments
Flower Demonstration by Sandra Jaina.
25 February
St Neots & District Gardening Club 8pm
St. Mary’s Church Hall, Brook Street, St. Neots
Members £2, Non-Members £2.50 including
refreshments and a raffle ticket
‘Gardens in the Age of Chivalry - Medieval Gardens’
by Michael Brown. The presentation will be given in
period costume. Competition is ‘Snowdrops’.
2 March
Gamlingay & District Gardening Club 7.30pm
WI Hall Waresley Road, Gamlingay
Visitors £2.50
Speaker will be Michael Perry (Thompson & Morgan)
on New, Different and Unusual Plants.
3 March
Forest School Level 2
Assistant Leadership Training Course
Forest School Level 3
Leadership Training Course
Ferry Meadows Country Park
Two separate training courses. The NOCN Certificate
of Leading Forest School Level 3 qualification is the
professional standard needed to lead and create
your own Forest School Project.
The Level 2 qualification is for people who wish
to assist a Level 3 Leader at Forest School. This
qualification does not qualify you to lead a Forest
School project. Booking essential.
Tel: Sarah Klaes 07807 620976 for further
information/booking
Email: sarah@wild-learning.com
4 March
Bumpkins Quiz Night
7.30pm
Little Paxton Village Hall
Tickets £6 each including supper
Maximum 6 people per team. Licensed Bar. Closing
date for tickets is 2 March.
Tel: Lee Duncan 079313 15648
Email: lm.duncan@ntlworld.com
63
Hobbies
By Kate McLelland
Ten tips to bring your
treasures back to life
Many years ago in London’s famous Portobello
market, I came across a grimy old box made of
wood. At first glance didn’t look like anything
special, but on closer inspection I saw that some fine
veneer work was visible in places.
“Ten quid. A bit of wire wool and some washing up
liquid straight out of the bottle, and that’ll come up
lovely.”
It sounded unlikely, but I paid the stallholder and
took the box home, where I nervously began to rub
the surface with a steel wool pad. As the dirt melted
away I uncovered an intricate inlaid marquetry
design, and my grimy box eventually emerged as a
beautiful antique that I’ve loved ever since.
Although I was successful, I suspect most experts
hearing of my method would tear out their hair.
Remember these points before starting your own
projects:
• Some antiques are valued for their patina and
certain items – such as old coins – should never be
polished.
• Check very old items for cracks that may break
during cleaning.
• If in any doubt, do some research or ask an expert.
• Avoid using harsh chemicals or abrasive cloths.
Here are ten tips for restoring your vintage
bargains:
• To remove general grime from old prints, gently
roll a piece of doughy, fresh bread over the
surface.
• To remove old, rusted-in screws, first clean around
screw head edges, heat the screw head with a
hot air gun, then the turn screw a little TIGHTER,
before undoing (use caution with heat if the
object has a varnished or painted finish).
• Age marks on porcelain can be removed by
soaking overnight in baby bottle sterilizing liquid.
64
• Use Steradent tablets to get rid of water marks in
old glass vases.
• For a bright shine, polish chrome with baby oil
and cotton wool.
• To clean a gilded object, use a clean white cotton
cloth, cotton balls or Q-tips, and the barest
amount of clean, cool water. After you have
dampened the cleaning material, remove excess
moisture on a dry piece of cloth before you apply
it.
• Rub undiluted household bleach into dirty
hairline cracks in pottery and rinse off, to reduce
the crack’s visibility.
• Use half a lemon and salt to clean brass and
copper items. Apply, rinse off, dry carefully and
clean with impregnated wadding, polishing finally
with a soft cloth.
• To repair a pottery item, clean the pieces with
a mixture of mild dishwashing liquid and warm
water and let them dry completely. Apply clear,
slow-setting two part epoxy glue and hold the
pieces in place with modelling clay so they don’t
fall apart whilst drying.
• Remove dust and dirty marks on old leather by
dipping an artist’s paintbrush in methylated
spirits. Use sparingly, working on a small area at a
time.
Whenever you carry out a restoration project, you
should decide whether you want to keep the item or
sell it on before you get started. If you want to keep
it, you can restore it to your personal taste. If you’re
selling, it’s wise to do some research on the current
market before you start restoration.
Although it may seem strange, some buyers may
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years.
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65
Let us help you get your
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VILLAGER
The
The
V
The
Issue 54 - Octobe
VILLAGER
Y
FR our
co EE
py
and Town
ILL AGEToR
wn Life
LOCAL NEWS • LOCAL PEOPLE
• LOCAL SERVICES • LOCAL
r 2013
Issue 56 - December 2013
and Town
F You
coRE r
py E
Life
Life
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CHARITIES • LOCAL PRODUCT
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LOCAL NEWS • LOCAL PEOPLE
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Our award winning magazines offer a unique local
advertising platform. Printed on high quality paper
we are still able to offer incredible prices along with a
second-to-none service, professional advert design
and a team just waiting to help you.
With over 20,000 copies being delivered door to door
every month can your business wait any longer
to be in The Villager?
Advertising in The Villager and Town Life could not
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Why advertise anywhere else?
66
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All aspects of decoration
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68
Life Begins...
Planning for the time
It’s one of those life-changing
moments. You’ve just received
a phone call telling you that an
elderly relative has been admitted
to hospital with a fall injury or
an illness from which they are
unlikely to fully recover.
There are two options available
to families facing this crucial
moment. Either arrange for
your relative to be admitted to
a residential care home or make
space in your own house so they
can live with you.
But is your home actually
suitable to shelter and care for
a vulnerable older person with
medical problems and/or limited
mobility? Adapting your house
needs careful preparation so your
relative can move around safely
and easily.
Will the stairs be a problem?
The first thing you’ll need to
consider is whether or not your
loved one will be able to use
the stairs. Last year, Age UK
commissioned research into
the cost of installing a stair lift
and found that the price varied
between £4,940 and £5,469
for a straight staircase, with
approximately £500 added for a
curved stair lift.
when independence ends
Sleeping arrangements
If mobility is a problem it’s
important that you provide a
bedroom with an en-suite toilet
(and preferably a shower, too).
Most elderly people need to visit
the bathroom several times in the
night and the further they have to
walk, the greater the chance they
will trip or fall.
Alternatively you could consider
providing a commode for nighttime use, with various models
costing between £25 and £180.
A reasonably-sized bedroom is
essential: at the very least you’ll
need space for a single bed, a
stable armchair with good back
support and a small table, as well
as storage for any equipment
that might be required. Make
sure there are no rugs or other
obstacles on the floor that could
cause trip hazards. It’s particularly
important that the area between
the toilet and the bed is kept clear.
Adapting your furniture
A seat at normal height may be
too low for somebody who has
mobility issues, so you might want
to consider buying raisers (around
£40 for a pack of four) for the items
of furniture they will use. As the
name suggests, raisers simply fit
onto the feet of beds and chairs to
add height.
A wing chair with arms – such
as a classic Queen Anne
fireside chair - is ideal for the
lounge. Alternatively you can
buy a specialist model, made
with anti-bacterial fabric. This
chair, available from www.
nationalofficefurnituresupplies.
co.uk,
is waterproof and stain-resistant
with adjustable handrails and
costs around £250.
If your relative is a wheelchair user
you’ll also need to think about
widening doorways and installing
ramps. Don’t forget that some
mobility devices may be available
through the NHS, either free or at
a reduced cost (although you may
have to wait to obtain them).
If all of this sounds daunting, you’ll
find there are many agencies and
voluntary organisations who can
help. Go online to sites such as
www.myagingparent.com, get in
touch with Age UK (www.ageuk.
org or call 0800 169 2081) or speak
to your GP or local authority.
Finally, if you sense that your
relative is approaching the time
when they will need constant
support, don’t wait until things
reach a crisis point. By putting
sensible plans in place now you
can ease the transition, saving
you both a lot of worry and stress
later on.
69
Home Interiors
The Smallest Room
The loo, we’ve all
got one, so here
are some fun
facts about what
is probably the
smallest room in
your house.
1) The god son
of Queen
Elizabeth
I, James
Harrington,
invented the
toilet in 1596.
Whilst many
associate
Thomas
Crapper with the creation his role was in
increasing its popularity and inventing related
items such as the ball cock.
70
By Susan Brookes-Morris
2) The average person will spend three whole
years of their life sitting on the toilet.
3) A public toilet can host up to 40,000 germs at
any one time.
4) A study by the charity Tearfund found that 8
million people in the UK admitted to using
their mobile phone whilst on the loo.
5) There is a theme park and museum dedicated
to the toilet in South Korea.
6) The majority of people like their toilet paper to
hang over the roll not under.
7) Toilet brushes are manufactured using the
same technology as artificial Christmas trees.
8) The White House has 35 toilets.
9) The world’s fastest toilet goes at 55mph. It
was invented by plumber Colin Furze and is
powered by a motorbike engine.
10) World toilet day is celebrated on 19th
November!
FLOORED
By Ian
Your local supplier of fitted floors in carpet,
vinyl, laminate or Karndean
Free visits to estimate or advise.
Best prices and quality with a friendly service.
Enquiries to 01480 475486
or (Mobile) 07876 238308
71
ROOFLINE
FASCIAS, SOFFITS AND GUTTERING
PROFESSIONAL, RELIABLE, AFFORDABLE
FROM AS LITTLE AS £25 PER METRE FITTED
Tim
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For more information ring Tim or Karl
on 01480 216677
info@eastanglianroofline.co.uk
www.eastanglian-group.com
January’s Puzzle Solutions and Winners
Last Month’s Crossword Winner
Mr P Beckett from Stevenage
Easy
Hard
RICHARD KENYON
MASTER THATCHER
Of Bluntisham, Cambridge
T: 01487 843377 M: 07873 549872
E: richardkenyon_1@hotmail.com
Kenyon
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advertise
in1/2
The
Villager
and1 Townlife please call 01767 261122
08/05/2015 16:12
73
The Villager Prize Crossword
Prize
£25

Across
1 Maybe (7)
5 Bike (5)
8 Cleaning liquid (7)
9 Precise (5)
10 Additional (5)
11 Cooking area (7)
12 Truthful (6)
14 Moves smoothly (6)
17 Dried grapes (7)
19 Aristocratic (5)
22 A small fruit (5)
23 Graceful (7)
24 Countryside (5)
25 Large jug (7)
Complete the crossword, fill in your details below,
cut out this page and send to the address below before
19th February 2016
Prize Crossword, Villager Publications Ltd
24 Market Square, Potton, Beds SG19 2NP
Down
1 Ski run (5)
2 Cook in a hot oven (5)
3 Becomes visible (7)
4 Scares (6)
5 Trunk (5)
6 Collided (7)
7 Makes larger (7)
12 Marina (7)
13 Louder (7)
15 Tolerant (7)
16 Not awake (6)
18 Perfect (5)
20 Overbearing (5)
21 Go into (5)
Name:
Tel:
Address:
74
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Wood Burning Stoves
Multi Fuel Stoves
Chimney Lining
Twin Wall Flue Systems
Installation and Supply
Fireplace Renovations
Stove Accessories
Trade sales welcome
SHOWROOM NOW OPEN
Monday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday – 10am – 5pm
Other Days/Out of hours by prior arrangement
Unit 2 Home Farm Court, The Street, Diddington, St Neots, PE19 5XT
info@cromwellstoves.co.uk | 01480 812281 | 07786 854946
www.cromwellstoves.co.uk
75
Fun Quiz - Gold and Silver
1. In Greek mythology, which king had the ability to turn
everything he touched into gold?
2. Which fictional character would often say “Hi-yo Silver,
away” to his horse?
3. In 1957, the British colony called the Gold Coast became
which independent African country?
4. According to the Gospel of Matthew, Judas Iscariot betrayed
Jesus in exchange for how many silver coins?
5. Which mythical city has a name that means “the golden
one” in Spanish?
6. Which car manufacturer produced a model called the Silver
Ghost between 1906 and 1925, a car they claimed was the
best in the world?
7. If something is described as being 18 carat gold, what
percentage of pure gold is it?
8. Which South American country has a name that is derived
from the Latin word for “silver”?
9. Which title character from a well known fairy tale could spin
straw into gold?
10. Which element is normally used together with silver to
produce the alloy known as sterling silver?
Before
After
1. King Midas 2. The Lone Ranger 3. Ghana 4. 30 5. El Dorado 6. Rolls-Royce 7. 75% (24 carat gold is pure gold)
8. Argentina (from “argentum”) 9. Rumpelstiltskin 10. Copper
76
Sureclean
GDC HEATING
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Tel: 01480 215821
01582 867152
www.gdcheating.com
Email: enquiries@gdcheating.com
Boiler Repairs/Servicing/Installation
Full Heating Installations
Efficiency Upgrades
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30 Years in Business
Reg No. 112425
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01480 495408 OR 07887887319
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8/19/2014 8:31:26 PM
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01480 811629
77
Books
Book
Review
By Bruce Edwards
What Became of You, My Love?
Maeve Haran
Pub: Pan Books p/b £7.99
ISBN: 978-1-4472-9189-3
This is one of those ‘feel
good’ reads, exactly what
you’ll need to counteract
the winter wets. After the
years spent knocking
around the world, singing
his heart out, rocker
Cameron has a yearning to
rediscover his muse, the
naïve teenage girl who
provided inspiration for
a hit song way back in the era of short skirts and
free love - no such thing nowadays according to
modern abuse lawyers - but it happened. And
Stella remembers it well, now a mature sixty
something and filling her days painting poodles or
pugs for money whilst coping with a dull husband
who loves Art Deco. A threat to local historical
architecture (does this sound familiar?) brings her
to espouse the cause of regeneration - and gains
coincident notoriety. Suddenly the world turns
sideways - Cameron’s parked his Airstream on her
driveway, she finds her metier and life is never the
same again. There are grandchildren to educate
in the ways of the world; a spiky daughter to deal
with, best friends to share and Cameron’s manager
Donald’s hidden desires, oh, lots of things
happening while history begins to repeat itself.
Even Cameron’s trio of wives past and present play
their part. The whole performance is full of lighthearted humour and lovable from start to - no,
not a finish but better than that. You’ll never guess
what happens . . .
Suggestion and queries to:
writerselect@gmail.com. We’re always happy
to consider specific titles for review, though
without obligation.
Can’t find a title? E-mail your details and we’ll
try to help.”
78
Classifieds
Clock Repair Specialist
72198 chas crowe BCards
14/3/11
19:36
Page 1
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Visome
its
Garden Machinery Service/Repair
Garden Machinery & Mowers
Expert Service and Repair
LONGCASE CLOCK
REPAIR SPECIALIST
Church End, Ravensden, Bedford
Tel: 01234 771704 & 07976 876234
Email: chas.crowe@btinternet.com
British Horological Institute Associate Member
Electrician
Collection &
delivery available
Unit 12a Whites Farm, Great North Road, Biggleswade SG18 9BE
Tel: 01767 600085 Mob: 07593 553581
Heating and Plumbing Services
Frank Plater Electrical
Extra sockets - Lighting - Extensions - Re-wires
Security Lighting - Showers - Inspections
No job too small. Free estimates
Established 13 years
Tel: 01480 432154
Mob: 07976 797111
Multi Fuel
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See our LIVE
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• Authorised Arada Retailer
• Fireplaces updated & restyled
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www.phestoves.com info@phestoves.com
Italian Tuition
ITALIAN
TUITION
All levels
from holiday Italian to business level
Parliamo Italiano!
Call
Sauro Menchini
01480 810771
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phe
proactive heating & environmental services
Sales & Service: 07772 346 678 Showroom: 01223 207 993
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79
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Dragonfly Beauty Spa Valentines Ad (Villager 131mmx194).indd 1
16/01/2015 21:00

villager - The Villager Magazine

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