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A free community magazine local to the Dunstable area of Bedfordshire. Packed with an engaging variety of articles, news, puzzles, Competitions and local what's on guide. The Vine is also a local business directory, offering affordable and effective advertising to local businesses - "connecting local people to local businesses". 12,000 copies delivered to homes throughout Dunstable and the surrounding villages. www.thevinemagazine.co.uk
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Connecting local people to local businesses
News / What’s On / Local Directory
Inside This Issue
WINTER SUNSpecial
Delivered free to 12,000 homes
Solar PowerAn Essential GuideBy Martin Lewis
October / November 2015 : Issue 67
FREE
I Dunstable I Studham I Kensworth I Whipsnade
Top DestinationsFor This Winter
Halloween Fun New Cinema Releases
Local Pioneer
www.thevinemagazine.co.uk2
CO
NTEM
PO
RA
RY
FREN
CH
CU
ISINE
26 Church Street, Dunstable, Beds. LU5 4RU
Tel: 01582 603310Email: info@chezjerome.co.ukWeb: www.chezjerome.co.uk
New Years Eve£64.95 / £29.95 (under 12 years)
Four Courses plus coffee
Entrée Glass Champagne & Amuse Bouche
1st Course
Terrine of foie gras with red onions Jam & Vintage balsamic
Home cured Salmon Gravlax with a celeriac remoulade
(v) Goats cheese soufflé with sun blushed dressing, chess of carrot& white radish
Steamed Lobster & Royal Prawns wrapped on a green cabbage,coral beurre blanc
Smoked duck & chicken salad with pine nuts, orange& Grand Marnier dressing
2nd Course
Lobster bisque
3rd Course
Roasted filet of line caught turbot with Langoustines, pommechateau & baby vegetables
Pithivier of lamb filet (cooked medium) with tarragon garlic sauce,vegetables & noisette potatoes
(v) Winter wild mushrooms and black truffle risotto, Parmesan froth
Seared Guinea Fowl with white & red grape jus, dauphinoisepotatoes & vegetables
Tournedos of beef filet with smooth cheese Portobello mushroommousse, vintage Porto sauce, dauphinoise & spinach
4th Course
French cheeses from the trolley
Jerome’s Assiette (gateau chocolat, Fruit cheese cake & vanillaCrème Brule)
Coffee & Mints
Festive Novelties
Jerome, Lina and the team
would like to thank you for
your custom during the
past year, we appreciate
your continued support
for the coming year
and wish you a
Merry Christmas
and all the best
for 2010!
Make it aChristmasto remember ...
Chez Jerome
CO
NTEM
PO
RA
RY
FREN
CH
CU
ISINE
26 Church Street, Dunstable, Beds. LU5 4RU
Tel: 01582 603310Email: info@chezjerome.co.ukWeb: www.chezjerome.co.uk
New Years Eve£64.95 / £29.95 (under 12 years)
Four Courses plus coffee
Entrée Glass Champagne & Amuse Bouche
1st Course
Terrine of foie gras with red onions Jam & Vintage balsamic
Home cured Salmon Gravlax with a celeriac remoulade
(v) Goats cheese soufflé with sun blushed dressing, chess of carrot& white radish
Steamed Lobster & Royal Prawns wrapped on a green cabbage,coral beurre blanc
Smoked duck & chicken salad with pine nuts, orange& Grand Marnier dressing
2nd Course
Lobster bisque
3rd Course
Roasted filet of line caught turbot with Langoustines, pommechateau & baby vegetables
Pithivier of lamb filet (cooked medium) with tarragon garlic sauce,vegetables & noisette potatoes
(v) Winter wild mushrooms and black truffle risotto, Parmesan froth
Seared Guinea Fowl with white & red grape jus, dauphinoisepotatoes & vegetables
Tournedos of beef filet with smooth cheese Portobello mushroommousse, vintage Porto sauce, dauphinoise & spinach
4th Course
French cheeses from the trolley
Jerome’s Assiette (gateau chocolat, Fruit cheese cake & vanillaCrème Brule)
Coffee & Mints
Festive Novelties
Jerome, Lina and the team
would like to thank you for
your custom during the
past year, we appreciate
your continued support
for the coming year
and wish you a
Merry Christmas
and all the best
for 2010!
Make it aChristmasto remember ...
Chez Jerome
26 Church Street. Dunstable
Tel: 01582 603310
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * *
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Christmas Party Dinner Menu2 Courses £19.95 (Fri-Sat £23.95)
3 Courses £23.95 (Fri-Sat £26.95)
Starters(GF& V) Leek & Potato Soup
(GF) Smoked mackerel & Prawns with lime and chive cream(V) Deep fried Goat’s cheese on a warm beetroot salad,
glazed with balsamic(GF please ask Goat’s cheese crumble)
(GF) Smoked duck & chicken breast with pomegranate & citrus dressing((GF) Fan of melon with Black forest Ham
Main CourseRoast Turkey with Sage & Onion stuffing, Cocktail Sausage,
Cranberry Sauce, Potatoes & vegetables (GF please ask no stuffing)(GF) Duo of Sea bass & Salmon with cream Pernod sauce,
potatoes & vegetables(GF) Grilled chicken with a Chardonnay & tarragon sauce,
sauté Potatoes & vegetables(GF&V) Creamy Wild mushroom & Chestnuts
with Colcannon potatoes & Salad with parmesan shavings (GF) Braised lamb shank in Bordeaux & onions jus,
potatoes puree & vegetables (GF) Grilled sirloin steak with pepper sauce, pomme frite & vegetables
DessertsWarm apple tart with custard
(GF) Chez Jerome Nougat ice cream (Contains nuts)(GF) Raspberry Jelly with Pear sorbetChristmas pudding with brandy butter
(GF) Vanilla Crème Brule(GF) Chocolate Marquise with cream Anglaise
Cheese & biscuits(GF please ask for GF biscuits)
Chez Jerome •
Christmas Party Lunch Menu1 Courses £12.95 - 2 Courses £14.95
or 3 Courses £17.95
Starters(GF& V) Leek & Potato Soup
(GF) Smoked mackerel with horseradish cream(V) Deep fried Goat’s cheese on a warm beetroot salad,
glazed with balsamic(GF please ask Goat’s cheese crumble)
(GF) Smoked chicken breast with pomegranate & citrus dressing((GF & V) Fan of melon with fruit, raspberry couli
Main CourseRoast Turkey with Sage & Onion stuffing Cocktail Sausage,
Cranberry Sauce, potatoes &vegetables (GF please ask no stuffing )(GF) Seared salmon with cream anis sauce, potatoes & vegetables
(GF) Grilled chicken with a Chardonnay & tarragon sauce, sauté Potatoes & vegetables
(V) Creamy Wild mushroom & Chestnuts with Colcannon potatoes & Salad with parmesan shavings
(GF) Braised lamb shank in Bordeaux & onions jus, potatoes puree & vegetables (sup £3.00)
(GF) Grilled sirloin steak with pepper sauce, pomme frite & vegetables (sup £3.00)
Desserts (GF) Chez Jerome Nougat ice cream (Contains nuts)
(GF) Raspberry Jelly with Pear sorbetChristmas pudding with brandy butter
(GF) Vanilla Crème Brulee(GF) Chocolate Marquise with cream Anglaise
Cheese & biscuits(GF please ask for GF biscuits)
www.chezjerome.co.uk
26 Church Street. Dunstable
Christmas Day Lunch£74.95 per person - children half price
Kir Royal on arrival
1st Course(v) Spinach & ricotta filo pastry with sweet chili sauce.
(GF) Breast of pigeon on a warm bacon, mushroom & walnut salad. (GF) Classical native lobster, crayfish & avocado cocktail.
Foie Gras terrine with a spiced pear chutney. (GF please ask for GF bread)(GF) Melon cocktail with Port.
2nd Course(GF) Lobster bisque or Lemon Sorbet.
3rd Course(GF) Grilled whole sea bass, infused with rosemary and lemon grass
sauce, Sauté & Vegetables. (GF)Tournedos of filet of beef with burgundy truffle sauce, pomme
pont-neuf & vegetables.Turkey served with homemade apricot stuffing,
sautéed chestnut marrow, garlic French sauté and vegetables (GF please ask for no stuffing & a different sauce).
(GF) Lamb cutlets with Normandy sauce, roasted apples, garlic French sauté & vegetables.
(GF & v) Twice baked Gruyere cheese soufflé, sun blushed dressing, with parsnips, sautéed chestnut & potatoes.
4th CourseXmas pudding with brandy & custard sauce.
Selection of Cheeses, fruit & biscuits (GF please ask for GF biscuits).(GF) Assiette gourmande
(Nougat ice, chocolate mousse & Vanilla cream brulee).(GF) Raspberry jelly with fruit
Coffee or Tea.
* * * * * * *
* * *
* * *
* * *
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PLEASE NOTE - For Party Lunch/Dinner bookings a deposit of £5.00/£10.00 per person is required to secure your booking.
For Christmas Day Lunch bookings a deposit of £30.00 per person is required to secure your booking.
We will also require food Pre-orders 2 weeks prior to your booking.GF - Gluten Free. Many GF options available,
please inform us when booking.
www.chezjerome.co.uk
The only times available now to book are 12:00, 12:30 or 12:45
must vacate by 3:00pm
Mention The Vine and pay £70.00 per person.
Issue 67 • October / November 2015 326 Church Street. Dunstable
Christmas Day Lunch£74.95 per person - children half price
Kir Royal on arrival
1st Course(v) Spinach & ricotta filo pastry with sweet chili sauce.
(GF) Breast of pigeon on a warm bacon, mushroom & walnut salad. (GF) Classical native lobster, crayfish & avocado cocktail.
Foie Gras terrine with a spiced pear chutney. (GF please ask for GF bread)(GF) Melon cocktail with Port.
2nd Course(GF) Lobster bisque or Lemon Sorbet.
3rd Course(GF) Grilled whole sea bass, infused with rosemary and lemon grass
sauce, Sauté & Vegetables. (GF)Tournedos of filet of beef with burgundy truffle sauce, pomme
pont-neuf & vegetables.Turkey served with homemade apricot stuffing,
sautéed chestnut marrow, garlic French sauté and vegetables (GF please ask for no stuffing & a different sauce).
(GF) Lamb cutlets with Normandy sauce, roasted apples, garlic French sauté & vegetables.
(GF & v) Twice baked Gruyere cheese soufflé, sun blushed dressing, with parsnips, sautéed chestnut & potatoes.
4th CourseXmas pudding with brandy & custard sauce.
Selection of Cheeses, fruit & biscuits (GF please ask for GF biscuits).(GF) Assiette gourmande
(Nougat ice, chocolate mousse & Vanilla cream brulee).(GF) Raspberry jelly with fruit
Coffee or Tea.
* * * * * * *
* * *
* * *
* * *
* * *
PLEASE NOTE - For Party Lunch/Dinner bookings a deposit of £5.00/£10.00 per person is required to secure your booking.
For Christmas Day Lunch bookings a deposit of £30.00 per person is required to secure your booking.
We will also require food Pre-orders 2 weeks prior to your booking.GF - Gluten Free. Many GF options available,
please inform us when booking.
www.chezjerome.co.uk
The only times available now to book are 12:00, 12:30 or 12:45
must vacate by 3:00pm
Mention The Vine and pay £70.00 per person.
PS Oven Valeting Services We clean ovens the job you hate! Call us today for a free quote All caustic free Eco friendly products only
Small friendly reliable business with over 10 years experience Range ---Aga---Ovens and Hobs Extractor Hoods Microwave Traditional Cookers We clean them all Call Peter or Sheila 01582 521430 psovenvaleting@outlook.com All areas covered
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We clean ovens...
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01582 521430psovenvaleting@outlook.com
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Call us today for a free quote All caustic freeEco friendly products only
• Range • Aga • Ovens and Hobs• Extractor Hoods • Microwave• Traditional Cookers We clean them all
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Small, friendly, reliable business with over 10 years experience
www.thevinemagazine.co.uk
Halloween Disco
Friday 30th October 2015 6 pm to 8 pm
Fancy a spooky boogie?
Put on your scariest Halloween fancy dress and join us for a fun disco. There will be a prize for the best costume, apple-bobbing, hot dogs and refreshments. Suitable for ages 5 – 12 years.
Cost of £10 per child. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
£2 parking fee applies.
For more information contact visitorservices@greensandtrust.org, call 01525 234260 or call into the Visitor Centre . Website http://www.greensandtrust.org/Rushmere.html
Herons View Visitor Centre Rushmere Country Park Linslade Road Heath and Reach LU7 0EB
www.thevinemagazine.co.uk
Editor: Scott Nightingale
Advertising & Editorial: Shelly NesbittTel: 01525 222379 / 07852 453043Email: Mailthevine@yahoo.co.uk
Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the content of advertising and articles published in this magazine are accurate, neither the publisher or its editorial contributors can accept and hereby disclaim any liability to any party to loss or damage caused by errors. Neither do they reflect the opinion of this publication. The Vine does not officially endorse any advertising material included within this publication. No part of this publication may be repro-duced without prior permission.
berryNICe!From leather skirts to stylish
satchels, berry is the new red.
F&F Triple Toggle Top Handle Red £16.00
Rydell Skirt £55.00White Stuff
Boucle Jacket £59.00JD Williams
F&F Burgundy Fedora Hat£14.00
Padston boots £99 - Delphine
saddle bag £59Dune
Berry Brogue £30.00 Evans
M&S Collection Leather Glove£18.00
Get the look
CINEMA
9TH OCTOBER 2015
STEVE JOBSCAST: Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Seth Roge, Jeff Daniels
Set backstage at three iconic product launches and ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac, Steve Jobs takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution to paint an intimate portrait of the brilliant man at its epicenter.Steve Jobs is directed by Academy Award® winner Danny Boyle and written by Academy Award® winner Aaron Sorkin, working from Walter Isaacson’s best-selling biography of the Apple founder. The producers are Mark Gordon, Guymon Casady of Film 360, Scott Rudin and Academy Award® winner Christian Colson.
16TH OCTOBER 2015 CRIMSON PEAKCAST: Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Hunnam and Jim Beaver
When her heart is stolen by a seductive stranger, a young woman is swept away to a house atop a mountain of blood-red clay: a place filled with secrets that will haunt her forever. Between desire and darkness, between mystery and madness, lies the truth behind Crimson Peak.
6TH NOVEMBER 2015
BROOKLYNCAST: Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Emory Cohen, Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters
Brooklyn is the story of a young woman, Eilis (Saoirse Ronan) who moves from small town Ireland to Brooklyn, NY where, unlike home, she has the opportunity for work and for a future - and love, in the form of Italian-American Tony (Emory Cohen).
When a family tragedy brings her back to Ireland, she finds herself absorbed into her old community, but now with eligible Jim (Domhnall Gleeson) courting her. As she repeatedly postpones her return to America, Eilis finds herself confronting a terrible dilemma - a heart-breaking choice between two men and two countries.
13TH NOVEMBER 2015
BY THE SEACAST: Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie Pitt, Mélanie Laurent, Melvil Poupaud, Niels Arestrup and Richard Bohringer
By the Sea follows an American writer named Roland (Pitt) and his wife, Vanessa (Jolie Pitt), who arrive in a tranquil and picturesque seaside resort in 1970s France, their marriage in apparent crisis. As they spend time with fellow travelers, including young newlyweds Lea (Laurent) and François (Poupaud), and village locals Michel (Arestrup) and Patrice (Bohringer), the couple begins to come to terms with unresolved issues in their own lives.In its style, and its treatment of themes of the human experience, By the Sea is inspired by European cinema and theatre of the ‘60s and ‘70s.
Health Beauty Wellbeing&
Brows & Lashes
Internet searches assure me that no matter how over-plucked, over-waxed or over-groomed your eyebrows may be, there is hope still for beautiful, arched, perfectly coiffed speci-mens. The most extreme method might be an eyebrow transplant (yes really!), but there are other less drastic options!
Most of us ladies – and the odd gent too – need to lose a few hairs from the brow line. The easiest solution is tweezing away the stray hairs yourself, but the results are short-lived and the risk of creating the wrong shape is high. Better results can be achieved by a professional, with waxing and thread-ing methods achieving hair removal lasting around 4-6 weeks. Fair or very thin eyebrows may benefit from being tinted. Like hair dye, this changes the colour and lasts 4-6 weeks.
A popular look at the moment is HD (High Definition) Brows which focus on shape and design and promise to give you sleek, stylish brows like those enjoyed by the stars. A seven step process that includes a consul-tation followed by tinting, waxing, threading, tweez-ing, trimming and finishing with a pencil or brush to fill in any gaps, is described as more than just shaping or tidying but actual eyebrow artistry!
With your brows looking beautiful brows it’s time to move on to the eyelashes.
There are numerous mascaras around promising volume, length and thickness, and I can vouch for some of them actually work-ing! My daughter’s naturally
long lashes were taken to another level following the application of a
new mascara. But what else is on offer?
Tinting is an option if your lashes are particu-larly fair, and it’s not just for girls. I remember the difference it made to my friend’s son after his lashes were darkened. Curling makes straight lashes appear longer, and creates the illusion of wider, brighter, more feminine eyes. Lash-perming, which is best carried out by a professional, can make the results can last for six weeks, which is great for holidays or if you have any big events lined up.
Finally, how about having eyelash exten-sions? This is one of the UK’s fastest growing beauty treatments and involves gluing separate synthetic eyelashes to individual natural lashes to give a luscious, natural look. The amount of curl, length or thickness can vary according to your personal preference and the results last for 8-12 weeks depending on your natural lash growth cycle.
I was born with my dad’s eyebrows. Naturally thick, shapeless and unsightly, they looked like two caterpillars stuck to my forehead. At age twelve I followed the fashion of the day and plucked away until they were within a whisper of totally disappearing - and I was on the point of fainting! Today, my eyebrows are thin, shapeless and unsightly and I’m resigned to them looking that way forever. Or rather I was…
Is Berry
Pioneer
Berry Nice
Dunstable Business man fromPC Helpcentrewho changed the face of technology
local
12fashion
Copy deadline for next issue:
November 18th
New ReleasesIncluding
Cinema
the new red?
WinterSunGo-To Destinations this winter
Steve Jobsand the latest from
Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie
Inside This Issue
Issue 10 • August/September 2015
Editor: Scott Nightingale
Advertising & Editorial: Shelly NesbittTel: 01525 222379 / 07852 453043Email: Mailthevine@yahoo.co.uk
Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the content of advertising and articles published in this magazine are accurate, neither the publisher or its editorial contributors can accept and hereby disclaim any liability to any party to loss or damage caused by errors. Neither do they reflect the opinion of this publication. The Vine does not officially endorse any advertising material included within this publication. No part of this publication may be repro-duced without prior permission.
56
and...
Copy deadline for next issue:
November18th
Halloween
Out & About FUN!
Issue 66 • August/September 2015
32
50
8
26
10 Delicious Changes
18 Martin Lewis Money
22 Consumer Clinic
30 Agile Thinking
36 Puzzles
38 A Travellers Tale
42 Pets & Ask The Vet
44 A Pensioners View
46 Auto Biographies
48 Looking Up
60 Out & About
Inside This Issue
Issue 67 • October/November 2015
Issue 67 • October / November 2015 5
01525 611007
AMBER ROSEELECTRICAL LIMITED
Energy Efficient LED Lighting Solutions
www.thevinemagazine.co.uk6
Label 1 is a new television production company within Shiver, part of ITV Studios. They are the team of produc-ers behind some of the country's most popular and successful factual televi-sion, including One Born Every Minute, 24 Hours in A&E and First Dates. Label 1 is developing a new series for Channel 4 (provisionally called) ‘The Interview’ and are looking for charismatic, successful employers who would be interested in featuring in the programme. The producers will be working with top recruitment consultants to prepare a shortlist of candidates – all the employers will have to do is interview them. The shortlisted candidates will have talents and skills that make them suitable for a job at the prospective company. As well as hopefully matchmaking good jobseekers with interesting com-panies, ‘The Interview’ will reveal what really happens behind the closed doors of the interview room. As in the other documentaries that the producers have made, Label 1 is seeking to capture the full spectrum of experiences and emo-tions - across both sides of the table. If this sounds like you, your boss, or someone you know - please get in touch for more information! You can contact us on TheInterview@label1.tv. We look forward to hearing from you!
local NEWS
DEAR BUSINESS OWNER…
What’s the secret to hiring the best people?
Do you pride yourself on your recruiting abilities?
Would you like to take part in a new TV programme that lifts the lid on the interview process?
Producers of Channel 4’s First Dates and
One Born Every Minute would love to hear from you!
For more information contact: TheInterview@Label1.tv
Label 1 is part of Shiver, an ITV company
www.shiver.tv
TV Company Seeks Local Employers for
Recruitment Documentary
With just days to go to the deadline for this year's Dunstable and Houghton Regis Business and Com-munity Awards some great stories are emerging from wonderful local individuals and firms.
The closing date for nominations is October 5th and there are lots of categories to go for in this year's competition, which has a host of sponsors from the local community.Zoe Johnson has been nominated for Role Model of the Year for raising money for cancer research.The person who nominated Zoe wrote: “Zoe has seen many of her friends and family struggle with cancer and has decided to do something about it which is to raise money for Cancer Research.“Her main challenge to achieve a goal and funds was to shave her hair off and then donate the hair to Princess Trust. This will allow a young girl receive a wig to help her come to terms with her cancer also see her smile with lovely locks. She also raised over £1,000 towards the charity, too.“An inspiration and fabulous role model to so many of us!”Sahira Ward has been nominated for Volunteer of the Year for her dedication to her project, Incredible Edible, which, provides an opportunity to knit communities, educate children on food production and foster an ethos of 'work equals reward'.A new business on the Dunstable scene, Jaccs Coffee, has been nominated for Customer Care of the Year.The person who nominated Jaccs wrote: “The costs are so good it means we can have more than one drink if we get chatting. There are so many different people who go in on a regular basis from professions, elderly, mums of young children along with others.”Also nominated for Customer Care of the year is D I Butch-ers. The person who nominated the business wrote: “Great customer service, really look after us old folk. I buy from the butchers every week and they know me well, I always feel I get a lovely friendly welcome and they care about us too.”The awards night will be held in Dunstable on November 12 but the deadline for getting nominations in is October 5, so there is still time to get nominating. The judges will be meeting in mid-October to decide the winners.For more details and to enter the variety of business and community categories online, visit the website www.dunstableawards.co.uk
You can also follow the awards on Twitter @DunRegisAwards or like the Facebook page www.facebook.com/dunstableawards
Dunstable Business Awards
Issue 67 • October / November 2015 7
New Alarms Fitted or Upgrade Existing AlarmsBURGLAR ALARMSWe fit new alarms - Wired or Wirelss Systems*We can service and maintain your existing alarm*
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Contact us:
For a FREE quote and consultation01582 864138 / 01525 567028DON’T BECOME A VICTIM
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Aerobics-Hi/Low Cardio Blast Fitsteps Fusion18:30-20:00 18:15-19:30 18:15-19:30
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The Premier Nutrition & F itness Club in Luton, Dunstable & F litwick.dawnsawyer00@gmail.com | 01582 454939 | 07774 273697
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www.thevinemagazine.co.uk8
Dunstablian Pioneer
Who Changed The Face Of Technology
local People
Those of us who are old enough to have lived through the 1980s will remember not only the big hair and shoulder pads, but also the very beginnings of the technological revolution that has transformed our lives over the past 30 years.
Adrian White, Managing Director of Dunstable business pchelpcentre, was at the heart of that revolution, inventing technologies here in Bedford-shire that are now in use right across the world. “It’s true that the work we did back in the eighties was a bit ahead of its time, but now our technologies are found in global businesses and homes, which is really satisfying,” said Adrian, who runs his business with his daughter and marketing director, Annette.Having begun his career as a programmer, in the days when mainframe computers were literally the size of houses and with enough memory to hold only a couple of pages worth of data, Adrian was always passionate about technology. But he was working for Vauxhall’s in the computer department when he and his wife Mary took the life changing decision to move into the leisure industry. After a spell behind a bar of a friend’s pub one Christmas Eve in the mid seventies, Adrian and Mary decided they wanted to work together and took on their first tenancy, before expanding to manage a string of pubs and eventually a night club.But the fascination with and expertise in IT never left Adrian and in the mid eighties he fused his profes-sional experience in both leisure and technology when he created HandHeld Computers Limited – and invented the first Handheld Computer for the leisure industry and one of the earliest ‘mobile devices’ that are now so commonplace. “I was working for Whitbread at the time and thought it made sense for waiting staff in our restaurants to have a tool that would help them record orders electronically, rather than having to write them down and then key them into a till separately,”
Adrian explained.Unlike the early mobile phones that were more than a little cumbersome, Adrian’s devices were easy to use and soon attracted national attention. They were in fact the prototype to the systems we all see in action when we visit our local pubs and restaurants.This success prompted Adrian to move back into IT and he worked in both the United States and the UK during the following decade, inventing and patent-ing, a number of things including a remote manage-ment system which continues to be incorporated into servers built by companies such as Dell and Hewlett Packard. The key thing was to create the ability to not only diagnose any fault in the system but to be able to fix it, from a remote location.#And in 2004 he opened his High Street South-based business, which offers tailored support ser-vices to individuals and IT-managed services to busi-ness clients. “We are very much a local business, who thrive on servicing and building relationships in our town and community,” said Adrian. “Hasan Kamrul is a Luton University graduate and joined us as our Technical Director and Eric Bradley was himself a Dunstable business man before moving over to work with us.”But the heartbeat of this business comes from Adrian. His knowledge and enthusiasm for his past innovations is matched with his expertise in the lat-est technology. “We specialise in data recovery and provide this service to many local and some inter-national companies. And we offer a local service to help with repairs for everything from Macs to PCs,” said Annette, adding: “Ultimately it is the confi-dence and trust that people have in our business technical skills that is our unique offer – I am both proud and lucky to be able to market that."pchelpcentre is situated at Shop 4 Brittany Court, 140 High Street South in Dunstable. You can con-tact them by phone: 01582 672606, email or via twitter @pchelpcentre and Facebook.
Issue 67 • October / November 2015 9
ACL LOCKSMITHS LTDSafe Engineers
Wentworth House, 83 High Street North, Dunstable, Beds LU6 1JJ
Tel: 01582 606329 Mobile: 07860 770270www.acllocksmiths.co.uk
Over 25 Years ExperienceNo Callout Charge
OAP and Student DiscountLocal, family run business
All types of locks and safes opened, repaired and replaced
Anti snap cylinders supplied and fitted
UPVC specialists
www.thevinemagazine.co.uk10www.thevinemagazine.co.uk
Lorna and Kathryn, both members of local Slimming World groups, have lost over 3 stone each have decided to join up and take the Dunstable area by storm with their heathy eating campaign.
Lorna, a mum of 4, joined her group after being advised by her Midwife, with each pregnancy she gained weight which she never lost, so by the time she reached her 4th pregnancy, she was at the biggest she had ever been. When Lorna had to be weighed at the start of the pregnancy she says “I was shocked by the number on the scales and midwife talked to me about the risks that I faced with being overweight. She explained that gaining extra weight put both my own and my baby’s health at increased risk. She said that I was more likely to experi-ence complications during my pregnancy and birth and for that reason my options at birth would be limited. The midwife saw how upset I was and referred me to join a local group”“Slimming World has changed the way I think about food, and it was wonderful to get the support to know that I was making the best choices to manage my weight healthily throughout my pregnancy. The Food Optimis-ing plan encouraged plenty of fresh foods like fruit and vegetables, chicken, pasta and potatoes while encour-aging extra portions of certain foods such as diary for calcium, to ensure that my baby and I were getting all the necessary vitamins and minerals. It was simple to follow and it was great to be reassured that the Food Optimis-ing eating plan was safe for both of us, plus I could still have treats such as chocolate, I never felt hungry and knew I could manage my cravings whenever they came knocking, plus everyone at home could eat the same meals” says Lorna who had a heathy baby boy, Caden.
Kathryn from Caddington was determined to im-prove her health and self-confidence after suffering
complications during an operation. Kathryn says “I knew I was overweight and was constantly angry with myself but I just did not seem able to make the right food choices. We ate healthy family meals but I constantly snacked in between. I lost my self-confidence and stopped doing any exercise. My doctor had to prescribe medication for my high blood pressure and also warned me about Type 2 diabetes”A work colleague began attending her local group and was full of information and cooking tips every time she went. I decided to give it a try although I was worried about what to expect, my first week I was immediately made welcome with coffee and a smile. By my second week, I was looking forward to attending. I met people in the village I had never spoken to before and found the whole atmosphere very supportive. It was lovely to see people blossoming as they achieved their goals. Kathryn’s blood pressure is back within the normal range and she recently completed a 5k run for charity as well as jogging round the village
Both ladies have been so encouraged by their success that they are now inspired to help others, looking for support with weight loss and healthy eating in the local area.
Lorna will be opening a group at Hadrian Academy, Hadrian Ave from Monday 12th October at 7.30pm and Kathryn will be running the group at The Peter Newton Pavillion, Skimpot Road from Wednesday 14th October at 5.30 and 7.30pm so lots of choice. They have a try before you buy policy so you can just come along on the day.
To find out more information on Slimming World visit www.slimmingworld.co.uk or call them on 01582 653055
Delicious Changes Coming To Dunstable!
Two slimmer’s who transformed their lives by through Heathy Eating are set to take the local people of Dunstable on an exciting new journey towards a healthier, happier lifestyle…
Issue 67 • October / November 2015 11www.thevinemagazine.co.uk
Lorna and Kathryn, both members of local Slimming World groups, have lost over 3 stone each have decided to join up and take the Dunstable area by storm with their heathy eating campaign.
Lorna, a mum of 4, joined her group after being advised by her Midwife, with each pregnancy she gained weight which she never lost, so by the time she reached her 4th pregnancy, she was at the biggest she had ever been. When Lorna had to be weighed at the start of the pregnancy she says “I was shocked by the number on the scales and midwife talked to me about the risks that I faced with being overweight. She explained that gaining extra weight put both my own and my baby’s health at increased risk. She said that I was more likely to experi-ence complications during my pregnancy and birth and for that reason my options at birth would be limited. The midwife saw how upset I was and referred me to join a local group”“Slimming World has changed the way I think about food, and it was wonderful to get the support to know that I was making the best choices to manage my weight healthily throughout my pregnancy. The Food Optimis-ing plan encouraged plenty of fresh foods like fruit and vegetables, chicken, pasta and potatoes while encour-aging extra portions of certain foods such as diary for calcium, to ensure that my baby and I were getting all the necessary vitamins and minerals. It was simple to follow and it was great to be reassured that the Food Optimis-ing eating plan was safe for both of us, plus I could still have treats such as chocolate, I never felt hungry and knew I could manage my cravings whenever they came knocking, plus everyone at home could eat the same meals” says Lorna who had a heathy baby boy, Caden.
Kathryn from Caddington was determined to im-prove her health and self-confidence after suffering
complications during an operation. Kathryn says “I knew I was overweight and was constantly angry with myself but I just did not seem able to make the right food choices. We ate healthy family meals but I constantly snacked in between. I lost my self-confidence and stopped doing any exercise. My doctor had to prescribe medication for my high blood pressure and also warned me about Type 2 diabetes”A work colleague began attending her local group and was full of information and cooking tips every time she went. I decided to give it a try although I was worried about what to expect, my first week I was immediately made welcome with coffee and a smile. By my second week, I was looking forward to attending. I met people in the village I had never spoken to before and found the whole atmosphere very supportive. It was lovely to see people blossoming as they achieved their goals. Kathryn’s blood pressure is back within the normal range and she recently completed a 5k run for charity as well as jogging round the village
Both ladies have been so encouraged by their success that they are now inspired to help others, looking for support with weight loss and healthy eating in the local area.
Lorna will be opening a group at Hadrian Academy, Hadrian Ave from Monday 12th October at 7.30pm and Kathryn will be running the group at The Peter Newton Pavillion, Skimpot Road from Wednesday 14th October at 5.30 and 7.30pm so lots of choice. They have a try before you buy policy so you can just come along on the day.
To find out more information on Slimming World visit www.slimmingworld.co.uk or call them on 01582 653055
Delicious Changes Coming To Dunstable!
Two slimmer’s who transformed their lives by through Heathy Eating are set to take the local people of Dunstable on an exciting new journey towards a healthier, happier lifestyle…
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www.thevinemagazine.co.uk12
There's never been a better time to start playing netball. Young players are entering the game, experienced players returning to the court, players starting again after playing at school or having a family and coaches and umpires making a real difference in our community.
The Luton, Dunstable & District Netball League, sponsored by Pictons Solicitors, is a welcoming and established league dating back to 1956. It was originally founded by the local businesses and has produced national cup winners and international players during its time.If you haven't played since school or taken a break away from the game now is the time to get back to netball. If you want to see more of your mates while getting fit then set up a new team, we are here to help, or join one of the 20 established clubs. The LDDNL has the opportunity for all. Joining the league doesn't have to mean serious competition but is a great way to exercise in a fun, team environment. The League runs from September to May each year and is available to all from 14 to 114 years. If the recent suc-cess of the England team finishing 3rd in the INF World Cup in Sidney or the live coverage of Super League games on Sky Sports has inspired you, then get going and contact us.If you are not sure you are ready to commit to competi-tive netball then try “Back to Netball” running Mondays, 8pm to 9pm starting 7th September for 10 weeks at Inspire; Luton Sports Village. Sessions are £4 and a great way to get going again without the full time com-mitment. How can I play, coach, umpire, be part of a club or start a new team? For answers to any of these questions or for further information on the Luton, Dunstable and District League check out the website pagewww.lddnetball.co.uk or follow us on twitter and Facebook
There's never been a better time to start playing netball. Young players are entering the game, experienced players returning to the court, players starting again after playing at school or having a family and coaches and umpires making a real difference in our community. The Luton, Dunstable & District Netball League, sponsored by Pictons Solicitors, is a welcoming and established league dating back to 1956. It was originally founded by the local businesses and has produced national cup winners and international players during its time. If you haven't played since school or taken a break away from the game now is the time to get back to netball. If you want to see more of your mates while getting fit then set up a new team, we are here to help, or join one of the 20 established clubs. The LDDNL has the opportunity for all. Joining the league doesn't have to mean serious competition but is a great way to exercise in a fun, team environment.
The League runs from September to May each year and is available to all from 14 to 114years. If the recent success of the England team finishing 3rd in the INF World Cup in Sidney or the live coverage of Super League games on Sky Sports has inspired you, then get going and contact us. If you are not sure you are ready to commit to competitive netball then try “Back to Netball” running Mondays, 8pm to 9pm starting
7th September for 10 weeks at Inspire; Luton Sports Village. Sessions are £4 and a great way to get going again without the full time commitment. How can I play, coach, umpire, be part of a club or start a new team? For answers to any of these questions or for further information on the Luton, Dunstable and District League check out the website page www.lddnetball.co.uk or follow us on twitter and Facebook
Get Into
Netball
Groups & Gatherings Sought For Charity Challenges
Every day in Bedfordshire 8 people hear the devastating news they have cancer, more money is needed to ensure that Macmillan is able to support people affected by cancer and help ensure no one faces cancer alone. For this reason, Macmillan is looking to local groups, clubs, organisations and associations to help in any way. Fundraising Manager Jes-sica Wilson is well aware of the importance of local generosity. “We’ve seen some amazing events and fundraising ideas playing out throughout the year so far, and we can’t thank everyone enough for their support,” she acknowledges. “Yet there’s always an inherent challenge in keeping the wheels turning and ensur-ing we’ve got the right funds to allocate to the right places. Donations are literally what keep us going, and we want to continue giving our renowned sup-port to cancer patients across the county. If you’re part of a rotary club, a library, a local parish or any other gathering of likeminded individuals, we’d be thrilled to hear from you.” From parish councils to bowling clubs, schools and colleges to members of the armed forces, raising funds for Macmillan couldn’t be simpler. Summer sports days, barbecues, raffles or more are just three of the countless ways you can get involved. No matter what your group can give, it all contrib-utes in a big way to the lives of cancer patients and their loved ones. Contact your local Fundraising Manager, Jessica Wilson on 07474 920354 or jewilson@macmillan.org.uk please visit www.macmillan.org.uk to find out how you can help. One in three people will be diagnosed with cancer during the course of their lifetime. No one should face cancer alone and with your help no one will.
Issue 67 • October / November 2015 13
www.thevinemagazine.co.uk14
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Hairspray:You can save on buying a strong hold hair-spray as you just want something that does the job well. However, you should splurge on a fine hold hairspray as the ingredients will allow you to brush it out and restyle without leaving any flakes or white marks.
Shampoo, Conditioner & TreatmentsThese are the foundations of your hair styl-ing so you should definitely splurge here. You most definitely get what you pay for – we’ve recently launched a luxury range, Couture Hair, and the ingredients are far superior and have more scientific listing of ingredients. You’ll find more expensive ranges that you won’t need to use as much as they are concentrated so they last longer, often they are multi-tasking too. With an intensive conditioning masque you will only use this once or twice a week so it’s a treat and should leave your hair feeling renewed and rejuvenated so you should definitely splurge on this.
Pastes/GelsYou’re looking for texture and hold with these types of styling products and quite of-ten you’ll find that a cheaper brand perform just as well. You’re using just small amounts so as long as you’re not overloading your hair, you can look at saving on these.
VolumisersNearly all women love volume – you want that natural feel without it feeling weighed down, sticky or too heavy so definitely look at splurging here too. I prefer a spritz style volumiser as you can target specific areas.
HairdryerThis is another splurge I’m afraid! It really does pay to invest in a professional hairdryer – I’m loving the new Collexia that includes a keratin or protein treatment so it’s actually treating your hair as you dry it. Professional hairdryers are initially more expensive but you do cut your drying time down signifi-cantly and this is only a good thing for the condition of your hair.
3938 www.thevinemagazine.co.uk
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Issue 67 • October / November 2015 15
Young people in care need a place to stay and a place in your life.
If you’ve got room to foster, call Foster Care Associates today on 0800 022 4012.
0800 022 4012 fosterwithfca.co.uk
finding room to foster careis...
Young people in care need a place to stay and a place in your life.
If you’ve got room to foster, call Foster Care Associates today on 0800 022 4012.
0800 022 4012 fosterwithfca.co.uk
finding room to foster careis...
Young people in care need a place to stay and a place in your life.
If you’ve got room to foster, call Foster Care Associates today on 0800 022 4012.
0800 022 4012 fosterwithfca.co.uk
finding room to foster careis...
Foster Care Associates (FCA) is supporting parents to develop their parenting skills by providing support in the home of a specially trained foster carer. The aim is to keep the family together and stop the children from going into care.FCA which marks its 21st anniversary of providing care and support to children and young people this year, is appealing for potential carers across the region with the time, dedication and room to care for a parent and their child to consider a move into fostering.A parent and child placement offers the par-ent and child the best opportunity to remain together. A parent may be struggling to care for their child and require extra support, and these placements allow the parent to develop their
parenting skills in a stable and caring environment whilst in the guidance of their foster carer.FCA encourages parent and child placements because they allow the parent to maintain and build upon their relationship with the child, meaning a foster home can play a pivotal role in ensuring the parent and child a happy lifetime together. FCA provide support to those undertaking parent and child placements every step of the way, including training, a financial allowance, access to carer support groups and organised family activities - all contributing factors as to why FCA placements are 22% more stable than the national average.
FCA Appeal For New Carers To Find Room To Foster Young Parents With Their Child
For more information on becoming a foster carer with FCA call 0800 022 4012 or visit www.thefca.co.uk
Young people in care need a place to stay and a place in your life.
If you’ve got room to foster, call Foster Care Associates today on 0800 022 4012.
0800 022 4012 fosterwithfca.co.uk
finding room to foster careis...
www.thevinemagazine.co.uk16
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Issue 67 • October / November 2015 17
Classic Motorcycles Eversholt
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www.thevinemagazine.co.uk18
Money Matters By Martin Lewis
As summer’s rays have faded, the 550,000 Brits with solar panels will stay smiling. Solar panels aren’t just an environmental boon, they cut your electricity bills and pay you for generating energy too.
Solar Power
However, the amount you can earn from them will likely soon drop again, so if you’re mulling it, it’s worth deciding whether it’s right for you soon. Let me take you through it…
How solar panels work
“Solar power? Hang on, we don’t live in California!” may be your first thought. Yet it’s not about the heat, it’s about daylight, so they still generate some electricity on gloomy days – vital in a country with weather as dull as eating rice cakes while waiting in for a delivery.
There are actually two types of panels: thermal which just heat the water, and photovoltaic (PV) which generate electricity, and it’s these that all the fuss is about, though you’ll usually need a reasonable sized, unshaded roof, facing south-ish.
How solar panels make you money
Financially, there are two reasons to do this:
• You save on electricity bills. The Energy Saving Trust (EST) estimates a typical family can knock around £100/year off their bills, as it cuts the amount of electricity you need to buy. This depends on system size, location, whether you’re at home during the day and other factors.
• You get paid for generating. You also get paid a ‘feed-in tariff’ for ALL the energy you generate. Crucially, that’s even if you’re the one using the energy, which once big home storage batteries become commonplace will be even better. The amount you get depends on your
system’s size, but EST estimates typical payments of £500 a year (tax-free).In June the rate dropped from 13.3p/kWh to 12.9p/kWh (in contrast, you pay 9p-13p/kWh for the electricity you use). Yet once panels are installed, the government has said the rate is fixed for 20 years and rises with inflation, so signing up sooner pays more.
Does buying solar panels still add up?
Back in the day, solar panels were a no-brainer. When the Government launched the feed-in scheme, people typically got a gobsmacking £1,100+ per year in pay-ments, not taking into account electricity savings. Then again, a typical system cost £12,000.
Yet now while you earn less, it also costs far less with the price coming down to £5,000-£8,000. For a full detailed analysis and more help, go to www.mse.me/solar, but in a flash...
Here’s some maths based on a typical house in Manchester with a typical 4kWp system:
- Cost of panels: £6,500- Annual generation payment: £515- Annual bill savings: £120- Total: £635- Break even estimate: 10 years- Profit at 20 years: £6,200.
So with savings rates so low, for someone with a bundle of cash these are a good option to look at. And for some they can pay back even sooner.
@moneysavingexpert
Issue 67 • October / November 2015 19
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Money Matters By Martin Lewis Solar Power
The key need-to-knows
To see whether solar panels are worth it for you and whether you can get them, there are some important need-to-knows:
- You need a south-facing roof: Panels need to be on a south-ish facing roof, which isn’t usually shaded.
- You need a grade D Energy Performance Certificate (EPC): An EPC rates a building on its energy efficiency from A - highly efficient - to G. If you haven’t got grade D or above you get a lower feed-in tariff making it not worth it for most. Go to www.gov.uk/find-an-energy-assessor to find an accredited assessor.
- You can still switch supplier: Don’t think this locks you into your energy provider. Your energy supplier doesn’t need to be the same supplier as the one that pays your feed-in tariff, so you’re free to switch. And with many people already overpaying by £250 a year that’s definitely worth doing – do a full comparison via my www.cheapenergyclub.co.uk or any Ofgem.gov.uk confidence code site.
- The further south you live, the more you can make: The Energy Saving Trust estimates that you could earn £720/year in London, £635 in Manchester and £595 in Edinburgh – as the south gets more daylight. To predict the likely return for your home use the calculator at www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/solar.
- Planning permission isn’t usually needed: The big exception is if you’ve a flat roof, your property’s listed or it’s in a conservation area – you may need to get approval from your council’s building team so check with your local authority.
- Ensure your fitter’s a member of the Microgeneration Certification Scheme. You can check at www.microgenerationcertification.org.
Aren’t they an eyesore?
Will it impact the value of my house?
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some people worry that ugly panels plastered all over their roof and the fact that you’re tied in to a contract that remains with the property once you’ve left could push the price of their
house down or put off buyers.And the aesthetics are worth considering, though there are ways to fit panels more discretely. Equally, a more efficient home generating its own energy and paying a feed-in tariff could attract buyers.If you may one day sell the property, I wouldn’t let it put you off. If you’re selling soon, it’s unlikely to be worth doing as you won’t have time to recoup the amount you shell out and it’s unlikely to add a similar amount to your house value.
Don’t some firms advertise free solar panels?
Some companies offer to fit panels free – but do that and they keep the bigger feed-in tariff payments. You just get the £100ish electricity savings, though prices are predicted to rise massively over 20 years. The firms also maintain the panels and pay for insurance.Yet you may not be able to buy out your contract, so bear this in mind – especially if you’re likely to move house – as this could be very unattractive to a future purchaser. I’ve full reviews of the free solar providers at www.mse.me/freesolar.
Trick Amazon into giving you free delivery
The giant e-retailer used to give free delivery on its goods (not its third party Marketplace sellers) if you spent £10, but in May it increased that to £20. Delivery costs anything from £1.50 to £6, but a new tool (developed by a very clever chap called Adam who used to work for me), SuperSaverDelivery.co.uk scours Amazon for filler items.For example, a £19.72 hairdryer comes with a £6.01 delivery charge so £25.74 total. But the tool shows how you can add a 33p Snickers bar so you’d only pay £20.05.
Turn your smartphone into a free holiday sat-nav
If it’s got GPS, you can convert it into a free sat-nav for 28 countries without using any pricey data overseas. Just download the maps before you go – Navmii.com is a free app for iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone. Once you’ve downloaded it to your phone, it doesn’t need any internet data to find routes, search, or access its maps via GPS, as these are stored offline in your phone.
Issue 67 • October / November 2015 21
Money Matters By Martin Lewis Solar Power
The key need-to-knows
To see whether solar panels are worth it for you and whether you can get them, there are some important need-to-knows:
- You need a south-facing roof: Panels need to be on a south-ish facing roof, which isn’t usually shaded.
- You need a grade D Energy Performance Certificate (EPC): An EPC rates a building on its energy efficiency from A - highly efficient - to G. If you haven’t got grade D or above you get a lower feed-in tariff making it not worth it for most. Go to www.gov.uk/find-an-energy-assessor to find an accredited assessor.
- You can still switch supplier: Don’t think this locks you into your energy provider. Your energy supplier doesn’t need to be the same supplier as the one that pays your feed-in tariff, so you’re free to switch. And with many people already overpaying by £250 a year that’s definitely worth doing – do a full comparison via my www.cheapenergyclub.co.uk or any Ofgem.gov.uk confidence code site.
- The further south you live, the more you can make: The Energy Saving Trust estimates that you could earn £720/year in London, £635 in Manchester and £595 in Edinburgh – as the south gets more daylight. To predict the likely return for your home use the calculator at www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/solar.
- Planning permission isn’t usually needed: The big exception is if you’ve a flat roof, your property’s listed or it’s in a conservation area – you may need to get approval from your council’s building team so check with your local authority.
- Ensure your fitter’s a member of the Microgeneration Certification Scheme. You can check at www.microgenerationcertification.org.
Aren’t they an eyesore?
Will it impact the value of my house?
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some people worry that ugly panels plastered all over their roof and the fact that you’re tied in to a contract that remains with the property once you’ve left could push the price of their
house down or put off buyers.And the aesthetics are worth considering, though there are ways to fit panels more discretely. Equally, a more efficient home generating its own energy and paying a feed-in tariff could attract buyers.If you may one day sell the property, I wouldn’t let it put you off. If you’re selling soon, it’s unlikely to be worth doing as you won’t have time to recoup the amount you shell out and it’s unlikely to add a similar amount to your house value.
Don’t some firms advertise free solar panels?
Some companies offer to fit panels free – but do that and they keep the bigger feed-in tariff payments. You just get the £100ish electricity savings, though prices are predicted to rise massively over 20 years. The firms also maintain the panels and pay for insurance.Yet you may not be able to buy out your contract, so bear this in mind – especially if you’re likely to move house – as this could be very unattractive to a future purchaser. I’ve full reviews of the free solar providers at www.mse.me/freesolar.
Trick Amazon into giving you free delivery
The giant e-retailer used to give free delivery on its goods (not its third party Marketplace sellers) if you spent £10, but in May it increased that to £20. Delivery costs anything from £1.50 to £6, but a new tool (developed by a very clever chap called Adam who used to work for me), SuperSaverDelivery.co.uk scours Amazon for filler items.For example, a £19.72 hairdryer comes with a £6.01 delivery charge so £25.74 total. But the tool shows how you can add a 33p Snickers bar so you’d only pay £20.05.
Turn your smartphone into a free holiday sat-nav
If it’s got GPS, you can convert it into a free sat-nav for 28 countries without using any pricey data overseas. Just download the maps before you go – Navmii.com is a free app for iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone. Once you’ve downloaded it to your phone, it doesn’t need any internet data to find routes, search, or access its maps via GPS, as these are stored offline in your phone.
We are looking for caring, dedicated and professional people to join our fantastic team of carers here at Violets.We offer full support and training so experience is not essential, also a competitive petrol contribution per call, competitive rates of pay and an overtime bonus scheme.We are looking for car drivers with full driving licence as the vacancy requires staff to travel from one service users home to another.The post is dependant on a clear enhanced DBS check (Criminal Record Check) and references.We are looking for people with weekend availability, we also have some weekday work and evenings as well.
Carers Required
Violets is a local provider of Domiciliary Care in Dunstable and Houghton Regis.
We provide care and support to service users (adults) in the local community in their own
homes. We are a family run, friendly organisation whose aim is to provide a high standard of care and
support to those who receive our services.
For more information please contact Violets Office on 01582 476044 or email us at info@violetshomecare.co.uk (including your CV).
FOR EXPERT ADVICE CALL
TRADE ACCOUNT & DIY WELCOME
DELIVERY & COLLECTION SERVICE
YOUR LOCAL ONE STOP HIRE SHOP
UNIT 21, APEX BUSINESS CENTRE, BOSCOMBE RD, DUNSTABLE, BEDS, LU5 4SB
HIRE FROM
TRADE ACCOUNT & DIY WELCOMEDELIVERY & COLLECTION SERVICE AVAILABLE
FOR EXPERT ADVICE CALL
01582 477200UNIT 21, APEX BUSINESS CENTRE, BOSCOMBE RD. DUNSTABLE, BEDS, LU5 4SB
YOUR LOCAL ONE STOP HIRE SHOP
www.thevinemagazine.co.uk22
By Jonathan Vernon-Smith
You can listen to The JVS Show every weekday morning from 9am on BBC Three Counties Radio
Employing A Tradesman And NOT A Cowboy!
Sadly over the years I have dealt with far too many cases of consumers who have employed the services of a rogue
tradesman and have paid a heavy price for their mistake. But how do you find a good tradesman to carry out work in
your home or garden? Here are my top tips...
Consumer Clinic
NEVER employ the services of someone who knocks at your door
offering their services. If a builder, roofer or plumber has time to cold call people, then they’re obviously not very busy. Why are they not very busy? BECAUSE THEY’RE PROBABLY NOT VERY GOOD! A good tradesman will be busy with work for weeks in advance. I am always similarly scepti-cal of anybody who tells you on the phone they can do a job for you that day.Always ask your friends and neighbours if they can recommend a good trades-man when you decide you need some work doing. It may sound simple, but the best way I have always found to employ the services of someone good, is to use your trusted contacts. Chances are if they did a good job for your best friend or next door neighbour, they’ll do a good job for you too.Make sure you always get at least 3 quotes from different people
before you decide who to use. Don’t necessarily use the cheapest, but at least if you have a range of quotes you can ensure that you are not overpaying for work to be undertaken. I generally go for the quote in the middle as long as I have a good feeling about the tradesman and feel I can commu-nicate effectively with him/her.
Always ask for references (particularly when you’re using someone to carry out a large job). Don’t be afraid to make contact with their previous customers and ask if you can go and look at the job they did. Ask them if they had any problems and what the tradesman/company was like at resolving those problems.It is very important that you agree
a method of payment before work begins. I personally do not pay for work until it has been completed. If the builder/electrician/plumber needs to buy parts etc for the job, then I am happy to pay for that on the basis of a receipt, however I insist on paying for labour costs on completion of the job. When you’re dealing with a large job
(eg an extension), then I would agree a payment plan in writing. However, you should always ensure a large enough final payment is re-tained to act as an incentive for the job to be completed to your satisfaction.Finally, NEVER agree work
without a written quote. Verbal contracts and quotations are of course legally binding, but trying to prove what was agreed weeks down the line is normally a nightmare.
If you find yourself dealing with
a cowboy, then remember you
can always call my consumer
programme on 01582 637450.
Issue 67 • October / November 2015 23
A complete refurbishment and roofing service.n Flat Roofingn Tiled Roofingn Loft Conversions
n Interior & Exterior Maintenancen EPDM Rubber Membranesn Fascia & Guttering
Tel: 01582 690005 Mob: 07515 361972dean.w.1@hotmail.com www.corr.org.uk
completerefurb&roofing Co
.
A c
FREEQUOTES
“Big on Quality, small enough to care.”
THEWHITEHORSEEATON BRAY
■ Warm and cosy restaurant and bar with character fireplaces
■ Jazz on the first Sunday of every month 4-7pm
■ Beautiful village location with ample parking
See website for our latest offers...www.thewhitehorseeatonbray.co.uk
Market Square, Eaton Bray, LU6 2DGTel: 01525 220 231
Recently Refurbishedextensive wine list,
friendly service and a great atmosphere on your doorstep
midweek lunchtime and evening offers
Book NowFor Christmas
Menu available on requestTH
EW
HIT
EH
OR
SEE
AT
ON
BR
AY
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■Warm
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ith character fireplaces
■Jazz on the first Sunday of every m
onth 4-7pm
■Beautiful village
location with am
ple parking
See website for our latest offers...
ww
w.thew
hitehorseeatonbray.co.ukM
arket Square, Eaton Bray, LU
6 2DG
Tel: 01525 220 231
Decem
ber Christm
as menu
and Christm
as Day m
enu now
availableextensive w
ine list, friendly service and a great atm
osphere on your doorstep
TH
EW
HIT
EH
OR
SEE
AT
ON
BR
AY
■Children’s play area
■Warm
and cosy restaurant and bar w
ith character fireplaces
■Jazz on the first Sunday of every m
onth 4-7pm
■Beautiful village
location with am
ple parking
See website for our latest offers...
ww
w.thew
hitehorseeatonbray.co.ukM
arket Square, Eaton Bray, LU
6 2DG
Tel: 01525 220 231
Decem
ber Christm
as menu
and Christm
as Day m
enu now
availableextensive w
ine list, friendly service and a great atm
osphere on your doorstep
By Jonathan Vernon-Smith
You can listen to The JVS Show every weekday morning from 9am on BBC Three Counties Radio
Employing A Tradesman And NOT A Cowboy!
Sadly over the years I have dealt with far too many cases of consumers who have employed the services of a rogue
tradesman and have paid a heavy price for their mistake. But how do you find a good tradesman to carry out work in
your home or garden? Here are my top tips...
Consumer Clinic
NEVER employ the services of someone who knocks at your door
offering their services. If a builder, roofer or plumber has time to cold call people, then they’re obviously not very busy. Why are they not very busy? BECAUSE THEY’RE PROBABLY NOT VERY GOOD! A good tradesman will be busy with work for weeks in advance. I am always similarly scepti-cal of anybody who tells you on the phone they can do a job for you that day.Always ask your friends and neighbours if they can recommend a good trades-man when you decide you need some work doing. It may sound simple, but the best way I have always found to employ the services of someone good, is to use your trusted contacts. Chances are if they did a good job for your best friend or next door neighbour, they’ll do a good job for you too.Make sure you always get at least 3 quotes from different people
before you decide who to use. Don’t necessarily use the cheapest, but at least if you have a range of quotes you can ensure that you are not overpaying for work to be undertaken. I generally go for the quote in the middle as long as I have a good feeling about the tradesman and feel I can commu-nicate effectively with him/her.
Always ask for references (particularly when you’re using someone to carry out a large job). Don’t be afraid to make contact with their previous customers and ask if you can go and look at the job they did. Ask them if they had any problems and what the tradesman/company was like at resolving those problems.It is very important that you agree
a method of payment before work begins. I personally do not pay for work until it has been completed. If the builder/electrician/plumber needs to buy parts etc for the job, then I am happy to pay for that on the basis of a receipt, however I insist on paying for labour costs on completion of the job. When you’re dealing with a large job
(eg an extension), then I would agree a payment plan in writing. However, you should always ensure a large enough final payment is re-tained to act as an incentive for the job to be completed to your satisfaction.Finally, NEVER agree work
without a written quote. Verbal contracts and quotations are of course legally binding, but trying to prove what was agreed weeks down the line is normally a nightmare.
If you find yourself dealing with
a cowboy, then remember you
can always call my consumer
programme on 01582 637450.
www.thevinemagazine.co.uk24
• polishing • bumper scuffs • alloy wheels • accident repair • insurance work
• from classic cars to modern vehicles
01582 968498 - 07900 247165
Unit C1, Ivinghoe Business Centre, Blackburn Road, Dunstable. LU5 5BQ
we undertake all aspects of
Bodywork & Paintwork
www.panelandpaint.co.uk
Hedges & EdgesLandscaping, fencing, decking, patios,
tree work, hedge trimming, grass cutting, clearance & much more.
Fully insured. Free quotations.Tel: 01582 608684 or 07825 185745Email: richardcronin67@yahoo.co.uk
Cullen & SonPainting & Decorating
AndAll Types Of
General Maintenance WorkNo Job Too Small
Call Sean:07932 62622401582 608547
Tel: 01582 665515Email: info@dormansphoto.com
www.dormansphoto.com
13 Broadwalk, Dunstable,
Beds, LU5 4RH
Digital, Film Developing & Printing & much more...
DORMANSPHOTO IMAGING LTD
T-Shirt Printing & Photo Gifts
Order Prints Online . . .
collect in-storeGet our Free APP for iPhone & iPad...
Search for “Dormans"
in the App Store.
Will Kimberley Garden Services• Hedge cutting - High hedges our speciality• Tree work, pruning, removal• Grass cutting (one-off and regular)• Fencing new and repairs• Garden shed construction and re-felting• General garden tidy up’s• Garden clearance and maintenance• Turf and gravel laying
Contact Will for a free no obligation written estimate
Tel: 01442 255784 or E mail: wkgardenservices@btconnect.com
The Chelsea Flower Show is to gardening what the Paris catwalks are to fashion. Paris fashions may seem outlandish, but they push certain trends, which in a watered-down version end up in high-street shops. Likewise, though many of Chelsea’s show gardens are fantasy pieces which demonstrate outrageous ideas, the horticultural trends on display will find their way into our own more modest plots. For example; did you know that bonsai specimens and topiary gardens were intro-duced at Chelsea in 1913? Rock gardens were introduced in the 1940’s and decking in the eighties. All of these can now be bought in garden centres up and down the land.In 2006 James Dyson even produced a water feature in which the water ran uphill. Actually I’m still waiting for my garden centre to stock one of those! Maybe one day...Chelsea isn’t just about high fashion though; it reflects environmental trends too. In recent years there have been hosepipe bans in the great Pavillion and many of the gardens have showcased drought-tolerant planting schemes.Chelsea draws over 150 000 visitors each year. For the past ten years it’s been held over
five days instead of four, such is its popularity. The sheer quantity and varieties of plants on display to the general public is breathtaking.Chelsea really is window-shopping at its fin-est. It’s like walking through a real-life version of the best garden design catalogue in the world.And if you visit on the last day you don’t have to restrict yourself to window shopping. At 4pm precisely a bell rings and the great Chel-sea sell-off begins.The poor designers, after all their hard work, begin the mammoth task of dismantling their creations. The good news is that the public can buy them. It’s perfectly possible to end up owning a little piece of a prize winning garden. So what should you choose?If it were me I’d want something special; a reminder of my visit. I’d go for a species which I know would grow in my garden, but an unusual variety, not available in my local garden centre. In my case it would probably be an unusual lavender or fuchsia.Choose carefully and you could have a little piece of Chelsea gold adorning your plot for many years to come.
In The Garden
Chelsea Flower Show
19th - 23rd
May 2015The Lawn
3130
DOMESTIC APPLIANCE REPAIRSWashing Machines, Dishwashers,Tumble Driers, Electric Ovens &
Vacuum Cleaners
Contact Leigh Hibon OnDays: 07841 652 496 Eve: 01582 842764
• No Callout Charge• All Makes Repaired
• Honest & Reliable Advice• Full Electrical Safety Tests
• Evening & Weekend Appointments• All Work Guaranteed
DOMESTIC APPLIANCE REPAIRS
Washing Machines, Dishwashers,
Tumble Driers, Electric Ovens &
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*Eve & Weekend Appointments*
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Contact…
Leigh Hibon
On
Days: 07841 652 496 Eve: 01582 842764
DOMESTIC APPLIANCE REPAIRS
Washing Machines, Dishwashers,
Tumble Driers, Electric Ovens &
Vacuum Cleaners…
*No Callout Charges*
*All Makes Repaired*
*Honest & Reliable Advice*
*Full Electrical Safety Tests*
*Eve & Weekend Appointments*
*All Work Guaranteed*
Contact…
Leigh Hibon
On
Days: 07841 652 496 Eve: 01582 842764
Cullen & SonPainting & Decorating
AndAll Types Of
General Maintenance WorkNo Job Too Small
Call Sean:07932 62622401582 608547
Willow Nursery School• Highly Experienced Staff
• Graduate Teachers• Purpose Built Premesis
• Excellent ResourcesIn 2007 & again in 2010,
OFSTED judged our school as OUTSTANDING!
We Offer
Several awards for our work in Literacy & Numeracy15 hrs of government funding for 3 & 4 year olds
Willow Nursery School, Goldstone Crescent, Dunstable
(Off Luton Road)
Tel/Fax: 01582 662 600 Email:willow@cbc.beds.sch.uk
Website: www.willownursery.co.uk
Willow Nursery
School offers:
Highly experienced staff
Graduate teachers
Purpose built premises
Large outdoor area
Excellent resources
Several awards for our work in Literacy and Numeracy
15 hours of government funded provision for three and four year olds
Additional sessions at affordable rates
In 2007 and
again in 2010
,
Ofsted judged
our school as
‘outstanding’
.
“This is an outstanding school which provides the children with a high
quality education”...the quality of the children's care is outstanding
and results in their excellent personal development and behaviour...
the outcomes for children are outstanding”... (Ofsted 2010)
Children’s nam
es can be pla
ced on the sc
hool’s waiting
list
at any time after the child’s first birthday. Visits to the school by
prospective parents are most welcome, by appointment.
Willow Nursery School, Goldstone Crescent, Dunstable (off Luton Rd.)T: 01582 662 600 • E: willow@cbc.beds.sch.uk • www.willownursery.co.uk
Tel: 01582 665515Email: info@dormansphoto.com
www.dormansphoto.com
13 Broadwalk, Dunstable,
Beds, LU5 4RH
Digital, Film Developing & Printing & much more...
DORMANSPHOTO IMAGING LTD
T-Shirt Printing & Photo Gifts
Order Prints Online . . .
collect in-storeGet our Free APP for iPhone & iPad...
Search for “Dormans"
in the App Store.
• polishing • bumper scuffs • alloy wheels • accident repair • insurance work
• from classic cars to modern vehicles
01582 968498 - 07900 247165
Unit C1, Ivinghoe Business Centre, Blackburn Road, Dunstable. LU5 5BBQ
we undertake all aspects of
Bodywork & Paintwork
www.panelandpaint.co.uk
Will Kimberley Garden Services• Hedge cutting - High hedges our speciality• Tree work, pruning, removal• Grass cutting (one-off and regular)• Fencing new and repairs• Garden shed construction and re-felting• General garden tidy up’s• Garden clearance and maintenance• Turf and gravel laying
Contact Will for a free no obligation written estimate
Tel: 01442 255784 or E mail: wkgardenservices@btconnect.com
Hedges & EdgesTree work, hedge trimming,
grass cutting, rotavating, clearance & much more.
Fully insured. Free quotations.Tel: 01582 608684 or 07825 185745Email: richardcronin67@yahoo.co.uk
Issue 67 • October / November 2015 25
MJB Conservatories LtdUnit 3 Westbury CloseTownsend Industrial EstateHoughton RegisBedfordshire LU5 5BL
ANY DOOR
Made To Measure
Also available in Oak/Dark Wood options
High Security
Internal Door and frame colourWhite as standard
Outstanding Thermal Efficiency
£900The New Standard in
Composite DoorsWinkhaus Hook lock
with deadbolt
Anti snap & Anti bump
Dedicated 70mm
composite door outer frame
Fab ‘N’ Fix HandlesFully contoured grip,
Salt spray tested
Fab ‘N’ Fix LetterboxesFull metal surround,
salt spray tested,
full size, internal brushes
Mila Fully Adjustable Hinges
With Active 3D adjustment
Full range of Double or Triple Glazed
decorative glass
Q-Lon GasketsThe world’s best
weatherseal gasket
Hardware Available
In Chrome or Gold
COMPOSITE DOORS
Chiltern Tradeframes DirectFactory address:Unit 3 Westbury CloseTownsend Industrial EstateHoughton RegisBedfordshire LU5 5BL
Tel: 01582 665032 Fax: 01582 667274
ANY DOOR
No Hidden Extras
Also available in Oak/Dark Wood options
Inside and frame White as standard
Fitting service availableIn association with MJB Conservatories
For more styles and glass options please see ourWebsite www.doorstyles.co.uk
£660Inclusive of VAT The New Standard in
Composite DoorsAffinity 4 hook door lock
Smooth and reliable
Secured by Design Accredited
ABS Snap Secure lock
Anti snap & Anti bump
Dedicated 70mm
composite door outer frame
Affinity HandlesFully contoured grip,
Salt spray tested
Affinity LetterboxesFull metal surround,
salt spray tested,
full size, internal brushes
Affinity 3D HingesWith Active 3D adjustment
Full range of Triple Glazed decorative glass
Q-Lon GasketsThe world’s best
weatherseal gasket
COMPOSITE DOORS
Tel: 01582 665032 Fax:01582 667274
Website www.mjbconservatories.co.uk
Supplied&
Fitted
www.thevinemagazine.co.uk26
WinterSunDestinationsBy Danielle Lade
The days were longer, the evenings were lighter, which is lovely! And then Autumn starts to hit and you can feel the days
creeping into their Winter state. With the UK’s weather, one thing we seem to be able to count on is a relatively dreary and gloomy Winter! It’s not quite near enough to the jovialities of the end of the year (a season I won’t mention already in September!) However, a break away in October or November is just the thing to lift the spirits and bridge that gap between Summer and Decembers good cheer!
But where is best to find the heat and sunshine in the Autumn/Winter months? With Australia a bit too far away for a quick break away; which options are slightly closer to home, a bit more affordable and more importantly, going to be bright and sunny?!
To make the most of your leftover sun screen, check out our list of the best most Summer sun destinations...
Southern Cyprus offers temperatures of a perfect pleasing 24 degrees with minimal rain fall levels so a good beach holiday option. You can expect a good 9 hours of sunshine and a flight of 5 hours from a number of UK airports such as Birmingham, Luton, Gatwick, Leeds and Manchester.
For a real variety, Tenerife offers both busy resorts for party goers, posh luxury hotels, historic ports for sightseers and lush green mountains for avid walkers. With a flight time of 4 and a half hours from most major airports and a real range of budgets to suit most, it’s a great option for Winter sun seekers.
WINTER SUN
Issue 67 • October / November 2015 27
WinterSunDestinationsBy Danielle Lade
The days were longer, the evenings were lighter, which is lovely! And then Autumn starts to hit and you can feel the days
creeping into their Winter state. With the UK’s weather, one thing we seem to be able to count on is a relatively dreary and gloomy Winter! It’s not quite near enough to the jovialities of the end of the year (a season I won’t mention already in September!) However, a break away in October or November is just the thing to lift the spirits and bridge that gap between Summer and Decembers good cheer!
But where is best to find the heat and sunshine in the Autumn/Winter months? With Australia a bit too far away for a quick break away; which options are slightly closer to home, a bit more affordable and more importantly, going to be bright and sunny?!
To make the most of your leftover sun screen, check out our list of the best most Summer sun destinations...
Southern Cyprus offers temperatures of a perfect pleasing 24 degrees with minimal rain fall levels so a good beach holiday option. You can expect a good 9 hours of sunshine and a flight of 5 hours from a number of UK airports such as Birmingham, Luton, Gatwick, Leeds and Manchester.
For a real variety, Tenerife offers both busy resorts for party goers, posh luxury hotels, historic ports for sightseers and lush green mountains for avid walkers. With a flight time of 4 and a half hours from most major airports and a real range of budgets to suit most, it’s a great option for Winter sun seekers.
WINTER SUN
www.thevinemagazine.co.uk2828
For your 10% VantagePoint discountQuote Ref: GO10
For your Vine Magazine discount Quote ref DUN1010%
Issue 67 • October / November 2015 29
& FLOORING Start From £10sq.m
Made to Order
6 to 8 weeks delivery
www.thevinemagazine.co.uk30
Issue 67 • October / November 2015 31
LEATHER
CAR SEAT & FURNITURE REPAIRS
Most repairs can be undertaken
in your home by our qualified
leather technicians, or larger jobs
brought into our fully equipped
workshop.
• Rips • Cigarette Burns • Holes • Cat Scratches • Re-colouring• Colour Matching • Cleaning• Cracking • Stain Removal • Re-Padding • Spring Replacement.
Repairing leather is approximately 20% of the cost of re-upholstering
Before After Before After
RESTORATION SERVICE
Unit 26 Acacia Close, Cherrycourt Way, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 4QE
Luton:01582 380 750 Leighton Buzzard:01525 888 250
Website: www.furnitureclinic.co.uk
Airport TravelServices
Luxury Cars &8 Seater Vehicles
Corporate & Business Travel Specialists
00 44 (0)1582 732585Airports, Seaports and Railportswe cover all of your travelling needs
01582 732585 airporttravelexecutive@yahoo.com www.airport-travel-services.co.uk
Family run business for 25 yearsReliability Is Our Strength
Your Local Drainage Specialist No Call Out Fee
For All Your Drainage & Plumbing Needs
01525 222439 Steve 07944 297538
County Drainage & Plumbing Solutions
Free Estimate & Advise High Pressure Water Jetting
CCTV Survey’s Full Drain Repair & Replacement
Drain Relining Specialist All Work Guaranteed
Email - steve@countydrainage.me.uk www.blockeddrainsandplumbing.com
Your Local Drainage Specialist No Call Out Fee
For All Your Drainage & Plumbing Needs
01525 222439 Steve 07944 297538
County Drainage & Plumbing Solutions
Free Estimate & Advise High Pressure Water Jetting
CCTV Survey’s Full Drain Repair & Replacement
Drain Relining Specialist All Work Guaranteed
Email - steve@countydrainage.me.uk www.blockeddrainsandplumbing.com
Lee’s Minor Roof Repairs
• Tile Replacement - Including Ridge Tiles• Gutter/Fascia Cleaning • Gutter Repairs• Moss Removal • Lead Repairs/Repointed
Loves the ladder jobs you hate!Specialist in minor roof repairs
No job too small!Call Lee Daniels07949 579797 lee.daniels50@ntlworld.com
www.thevinemagazine.co.uk32
berryNICe!From leather skirts to stylish satchels, berry is the new red.
F&F Triple Toggle Top Handle Red £16.00
Rydell Skirt £55.00White Stuff
Boucle Jacket £59.00JD Williams
F&F Burgundy Fedora Hat£14.00
Padston boots £99 - Delphine saddle bag £59Dune
Berry Brogue £30.00 Evans
M&S Collection
Leather Glove£18.00
Get the look
Issue 67 • October / November 2015 33
www.thevinemagazine.co.uk34
SHOP THESE GREAT BRANDS AND PRODUCTS GUILTFREE, KNOWING THAT EACH ONE MAKES A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE.
THIS OCTOBER
Breast Cancer Awareness
THINKINK
Bobbi Brown Pretty Pink Ribbon Lipgloss CollectionFrom every collection sold, £5 will be donated to Breast Cancer Research Foundation. £35, bobbibrown.co.uk
GHD Coral Bird of Paradise StylerFor every pair sold, £10 goes straight to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. £129, ghdhair.com
Lee Sta� ord Blow Your Mind Light Weight Dryer 2200w
£1.80 will be donated to the ASDA Tickled Pink Charity. £18 asdadirect.com
Jo Malone Red Roses Cologne£20 from every bottle sold during October will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. £82 for 100ml, jomalone.co.uk
Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II with Pink Ribbon Keychain20 % from every sale in the UK will go to Breast Cancer Research Foundation. £69 for 50ml, esteelauder.co.uk
Evelyn Lauder and Elizabeth Hurley Dream Colour Collection20% from every sale in the UK will go to Breast Cancer Research Foundation £28, selfridges.com
nspa Raspberry Rich Body B
utter £3 20p donation to the ASDA Tickled Pink Charity.
Issue 67 • October / November 2015 35
how much does he actually see?(Unfortunately, he won’t know what he’s missing. Do you?)
Children under 16 are entitled to a free eye examination under the NHS
free eyeexam.
On presentation of this voucher | Cannot be used with any other offer
DUNSTABLE EYE CENTRE
01582 608 449 www.decopticians.co.uk 5 Ashton Square, Dunstable, Bedfordshire LU6 3SN
how much does he actually see?(Unfortunately, he won’t know what he’s missing. Do you?)
Children under 16 are entitled to a free eye examination under the NHS
free eyeexam.
On presentation of this voucher | Cannot be used with any other offer
DUNSTABLE EYE CENTRE
01582 608 449 www.decopticians.co.uk 5 Ashton Square, Dunstable, Bedfordshire LU6 3SN
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SNhow much does he actually see?(Unfortunately, he won’t know what he’s missing. Do you?)
Children under 16 are entitled to a free eye examination under the NHS
free eyeexam.
On presentation of this voucher | Cannot be used with any other offer
DUNSTABLE EYE CENTRE
01582 608 449 www.decopticians.co.uk 5 Ashton Square, Dunstable, Bedfordshire LU6 3SN
how much does he actually see?(Unfortunately, he won’t know what he’s missing. Do you?)
Children under 16 are entitled to a free eye examination under the NHS
free eyeexam.
On presentation of this voucher | Cannot be used with any other offer
DUNSTABLE EYE CENTRE
01582 608 449 www.decopticians.co.uk 5 Ashton Square, Dunstable, Bedfordshire LU6 3SN
how much does he actually see?(Unfortunately, he won’t know what he’s missing. Do you?)
Children under 16 are entitled to a free eye examination under the NHS
free eyeexam.
On presentation of this voucher | Cannot be used with any other offer
DUNSTABLE EYE CENTRE
01582 608 449 www.decopticians.co.uk 5 Ashton Square, Dunstable, Bedfordshire LU6 3SN
how m
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what he’s m
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Children under 16 are entitled to a free eye exam
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free eyeex
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On presentation of this voucher | C
annot be used with any other offer
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how m
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nfortunately, he won’t know
what he’s m
issing. Do you?)
Children under 16 are entitled to a free eye exam
ination under the NH
S
free eyeex
am
.
On presentation of this voucher | C
annot be used with any other offer
DU
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BLE
EYE CEN
TRE
015
82 6
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5 A
shton Squa
re, Dunsta
ble, B
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shire LU6 3
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how much does he actually see?(Unfortunately, he won’t know what he’s missing. Do you?)
Children under 16 are entitled to a free eye examination under the NHS
free eyeexam.
On presentation of this voucher | Cannot be used with any other offer
DUNSTABLE EYE CENTRE
01582 608 449 www.decopticians.co.uk 5 Ashton Square, Dunstable, Bedfordshire LU6 3SN
how much does he actually see?(Unfortunately, he won’t know what he’s missing. Do you?)
Children under 16 are entitled to a free eye examination under the NHS
free eyeexam.
On presentation of this voucher | Cannot be used with any other offer
DUNSTABLE EYE CENTRE
01582 608 449 www.decopticians.co.uk 5 Ashton Square, Dunstable, Bedfordshire LU6 3SN
THE WHITE LIONDunstable
For further information please visit our website:www.whiteliondunstable.co.ukEmail:info@whiteliondunstable.co.uk Tel:01582 663366
Festive Menu - £25.00 - Per PersonCrackers and festive table settings included.
You can book the festive menu for any number of people, for lunch or dinner, every day of the week.
Party Nights - £27.00 - Per PersonDJ Entertainment, crackers and festive table settings
are all included!These take place on Friday’s:
27th November
4th, 11th & 18th December
Festive OfferMonday – Thursday
For every 10 Festive Meals booked, you get one
Festive Meal Free… Wow!
MERRY CHRISTMAS
www.thevinemagazine.co.uk3636
1 26
3 9 7 62 8
4 3 7 2 93
9 2 8 54 6
6 3 7
Sudoku 数独
Each row, column and 3x3 box must contain the numbers 1 to 9 just once. This can be done by applying logic -you don’t have to guess!
www.thevinemagazine.co.uk
Puzzles
Across
7. Mend (6)
8. Harm (6)
10. Loquacious (7)
11. Concur (5)
12. Highway (4)
13. Match (5)
17. Condition (5)
18. Heath (4)
22. Vagrant (5)
23. Strain (7)
24. Downy (6)
25. Robust (6)
Down
1. Valour (7)
2. Hardy (7)
3. Guide (5)
4. Handcuff (7)
5. Worry (5)
6. Cut (5)
9. Lay waste (9)
14. Stun (7)
15. Leaves (7)
16. Hand bomb (7)
19. Cram (5)
20. Indistinct (5)
Crossword
BREAK
GREEN
CROSSWORD Across 7. Mend (6) 8. Harm (6) 10. Loquacious (7) 11. Concur (5) 12. Highway (4) 13. Match (5) 17. Condition (5) 18. Heath (4) 22. Vagrant (5) 23. Strain (7) 24. Downy (6) 25. Robust (6) Down 1. Valour (7) 2. Hardy (7) 3. Guide (5) 4. Handcuff (7) 5. Worry (5) 6. Cut (5) 9. Lay waste (9) 14. Stun (7) 15. Leaves (7) 16. Hand bomb (7) 19. Cram (5) 20. Indistinct (5) 21. Cancel (5)
SUDOKU Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.
Answers on page 62
Issue 67 • October / November 2015 37
Do you want clean carpets?
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Addiction
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Anger
Anxiety
Compulsions
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Take the first step.Call 07970 933 486
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A Travellers
TaleThe Splendours Of India Palaces, Temples & Tigers (?)
Part III
By Paul Heley
Part of one of the temple walls
Some monkey business going on here!
Clearing up after a cremation
Next morning bright and early for another train ride, this time on the Shatabdi Express to Jhansi and then on a bumpy road to Khajuraho with a different driver. He was very
impatient, blew his horn constantly, had to frequently stamp on his brakes, and overtook in impossible places. It really was a "white knuckle" ride and I for one was glad when it was over and we were safely dropped at our hotel.But what is Khajuraho famous for? Correct! Temples!! I must confess that Val and I, along with a few others, were becoming rather "templed out"; so we were less than 100% enthusiastic when taken to the Chandela Dynasty Complex next morning. But these temples are different. VERY different.Understandably, this is another UNESCO World Heritage Site because the carvings are simply mind blowing. The individual temples (25 in all) are covered from top to bottom with elaborate carvings. It must be admitted, however, that much of their popular appeal is due to their depicting scenes from the Karma Sutra and some of them leave very little to the imagination. Definitely not the place for delicate maiden aunts!However, not all the carvings deal with sexual images; most, in fact, depict various Hindu gods, symbols and stories. But, whatever the scene, the craftsmanship regarding the actual carvings was breath taking yet again; and one cannot but marvel at the extreme artistic skill. After lunch, we flew to Varanasi (India's holy city) and, once again, Abhi showed his worth as he sorted out tickets, boarding passes, luggage, porterage, and the coach at Varanasi for transport to the hotel. He helped tremendously. Then it was up before dawn next morning in order to see the sunrise over the Ganges - India's holy river - where we witnessed hundreds of people "bathing away their sins" in the waters. We went for a boat ride and viewed the riverside buildings and the various "ghats" (cremation sites) and dropped little floating candles in the river as some form of spiritual offering.After this we walked back to the coach through a labyrinth of tiny, crowded streets whose every building was a small shop. These little streets were covered in filth and animal droppings; and if this were not enough, there were loads of the small motorbikes which one sees everywhere trying to get through. It was complete mad-ness; but yet another example of "normal" life in India.Returning to the hotel for breakfast, the rest of the day was spent doing our own thing. This meant reading, sleeping, and going out to find an ATM which worked - not easy. It also meant fighting off hordes of tuc-tuc drivers wanting to take us somewhere we didn't want to go; fighting off hordes of trinket sellers trying to sell us stuff we didn't want to buy; and politely refusing the advances of shop owners imploring us to visit their shop and spend some of our unimaginable wealth. It became quite tiring.The evening had been planned for another Ganges river trip to cel-ebrate some astrologically significant full moon Hindu festival tak-ing place around sunset. This particular festival was clearly a great attraction for thousands and thousands of people and our coach was stuck solid for more than half an hour in a monstrous traffic jam. In desperation, we took to the cycle rickshaws again and weaved our way through a dense mass of traffic complete with attendant
noise and blinding lights until we reached the riverside. Here we were again assailed by the usual cluster of trinket sellers, beggars and sadhus - all of whom wanted money, of course. Again we got on a boat but this time there were about a million (!) others and, I'm afraid, we didn't have a ringside seat so didn't see all that was to be seen. However, a few cremations were taking place on the river banks and these, in their morbid way, were interesting and quite colourful!Afterwards, we returned to our hotel and simply col-lapsed - it had been a very long and tiring day. Next day was our penultimate day and in the morning, we went round a silk weaving factory and saw some of the exquisite shawls, covers and other linen for sale. Then it was off to the airport for the flight to Delhi where, un-fortunately, we had to pay excess baggage (since internal Indian airlines aren't so generous as international airlines regarding luggage allowance). This hadn't been the case with the other two internal flights; so had they simply "looked the other way" or had Abhi bribed them? There followed an uneventful flight to Delhi for the final night before the nine hour flight back to LHR next day during which we could reflect on what had been a very different, but rather exhausting type of holiday. Thoughts and images will flood back into the memory for a long time to come: memories of a holiday full of splendour, grandeur, history, chaos, filth, squalor - and infuriating contradictions.
Street scenesI've already given a picture of what one sees all the while in India such as the filthy rubbish scattered everywhere, the animals which just wander about (and leave their resultant "deposits"), and the general squalor in which people live their lives.But there is also the myriad of little shops which line up one after the other (and which sell everything imaginable) together with the roadside "dhabas", ie the eating spots which offer an amazing array of all manner of alluring food with wonderful aromas. However, if tempted to partake, a westerner runs the risk of serious stomach upset - the
dreaded "Delhi Belly" in extreme cases - due to the very suspect hygiene found - or not found - in the preparation. However, it's the traffic scenes which stick in the memory as much as anything. There's an unwritten rule of the road which says "if there's a gap, however small, go for it". This results in rickshaws, motorbikes, carts, cars and even lorries literally millimetres away from each other in a great heap. Vehicles are supposed to drive on the left hand side of the road (as in the UK); but don't let that fool you! Even big lorries can be found driving down the wrong side of a dual carriageway! Nobody takes any notice; they just get out of the way because there's another mantra which says "Might is right".There are absolutely millions of little motorbikes; with the Honda "Hero" taking the lion's share. These are 100cc bikes which cost something like £400 in India. And with fuel at 70p a litre and incredible petrol consumption, this makes driving very cheap (by our standards). Outside of (prosperous) New Delhi, I estimated that there must be at least 10 motorbikes for every car - they are "everyman's" form of transport. Images of scenes which simply would not be allowed in the UK are linked with these little motorbikes. Such as Dad driving, baby on the petrol tank, two children be-hind Dad and then Mum perched on the back somehow - and none of them wearing crash helmets. Or two chaps carrying a full sized floppy mattress between them; or two chaps carrying a huge, circular, highly ornamented and coloured, metal "something". They were wobbling about all over the place, weaving in and out of the rest of the traffic, and looked as though they could come to grief at any moment. Somehow they survived.And then there are the beggars. Not only religious ascet-ics whose life is one of renunciation from the world but also extremely poor people who barely exist. Usually it's a woman - with the obligatory baby - but can also be small children who make a "hand to mouth" gesture. It's very heart wrenching but I've found that if one gives anything, a hundred other beggars (or children) will appear out of the woodwork as if by magic. It's very difficult - and they can be very persistent.
Any chance of a lift, mate?
Begging
Issue 67 • October / November 2015 39
noise and blinding lights until we reached the riverside. Here we were again assailed by the usual cluster of trinket sellers, beggars and sadhus - all of whom wanted money, of course. Again we got on a boat but this time there were about a million (!) others and, I'm afraid, we didn't have a ringside seat so didn't see all that was to be seen. However, a few cremations were taking place on the river banks and these, in their morbid way, were interesting and quite colourful!Afterwards, we returned to our hotel and simply col-lapsed - it had been a very long and tiring day. Next day was our penultimate day and in the morning, we went round a silk weaving factory and saw some of the exquisite shawls, covers and other linen for sale. Then it was off to the airport for the flight to Delhi where, un-fortunately, we had to pay excess baggage (since internal Indian airlines aren't so generous as international airlines regarding luggage allowance). This hadn't been the case with the other two internal flights; so had they simply "looked the other way" or had Abhi bribed them? There followed an uneventful flight to Delhi for the final night before the nine hour flight back to LHR next day during which we could reflect on what had been a very different, but rather exhausting type of holiday. Thoughts and images will flood back into the memory for a long time to come: memories of a holiday full of splendour, grandeur, history, chaos, filth, squalor - and infuriating contradictions.
Street scenesI've already given a picture of what one sees all the while in India such as the filthy rubbish scattered everywhere, the animals which just wander about (and leave their resultant "deposits"), and the general squalor in which people live their lives.But there is also the myriad of little shops which line up one after the other (and which sell everything imaginable) together with the roadside "dhabas", ie the eating spots which offer an amazing array of all manner of alluring food with wonderful aromas. However, if tempted to partake, a westerner runs the risk of serious stomach upset - the
dreaded "Delhi Belly" in extreme cases - due to the very suspect hygiene found - or not found - in the preparation. However, it's the traffic scenes which stick in the memory as much as anything. There's an unwritten rule of the road which says "if there's a gap, however small, go for it". This results in rickshaws, motorbikes, carts, cars and even lorries literally millimetres away from each other in a great heap. Vehicles are supposed to drive on the left hand side of the road (as in the UK); but don't let that fool you! Even big lorries can be found driving down the wrong side of a dual carriageway! Nobody takes any notice; they just get out of the way because there's another mantra which says "Might is right".There are absolutely millions of little motorbikes; with the Honda "Hero" taking the lion's share. These are 100cc bikes which cost something like £400 in India. And with fuel at 70p a litre and incredible petrol consumption, this makes driving very cheap (by our standards). Outside of (prosperous) New Delhi, I estimated that there must be at least 10 motorbikes for every car - they are "everyman's" form of transport. Images of scenes which simply would not be allowed in the UK are linked with these little motorbikes. Such as Dad driving, baby on the petrol tank, two children be-hind Dad and then Mum perched on the back somehow - and none of them wearing crash helmets. Or two chaps carrying a full sized floppy mattress between them; or two chaps carrying a huge, circular, highly ornamented and coloured, metal "something". They were wobbling about all over the place, weaving in and out of the rest of the traffic, and looked as though they could come to grief at any moment. Somehow they survived.And then there are the beggars. Not only religious ascet-ics whose life is one of renunciation from the world but also extremely poor people who barely exist. Usually it's a woman - with the obligatory baby - but can also be small children who make a "hand to mouth" gesture. It's very heart wrenching but I've found that if one gives anything, a hundred other beggars (or children) will appear out of the woodwork as if by magic. It's very difficult - and they can be very persistent.
Any chance of a lift, mate?
Begging
www.thevinemagazine.co.uk4040 www.thevinemagazine.co.uk
Notice Board
FRIENDS OF ARDLEY HILL
After its success last year, FOAH
are starting to organise a second
firework display in November. We
are looking for any local businesses
who would be willing to sponsor the
event or offer support in helping us to raise
money for Ardley Hill Academy.
If you are interested please contact us at:
foah@ardleyhill.org.uk Thank you.
Volunteers Wanted Growing public interest in the history of the town has prompted the Dunstable Tour Guides to seek additional volunteers.Learn fascinating facts, develop your natural communication skills and embark on a journey to entertain and inform groups of all ages with walks and talks.
To find out more pleasee contact Ann Ledger.ann.ledger@btinternet.com or 01525 229476
Halloween FavreTo book a stall contact
01525 758874.Sunday October 25th. Harlington village hall, sundon road, harlington. 1pm - 4pm.Enchanted forest with story teller. Owls. Spooky and unusual stalls. Refresh-ments. Prizes for best adult and child fancy dress. Prizes for best carved pumpkin, adult and child.
SIGHT CONCERN BEDFORDSHIREVOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Sight Concern Bedfordshire is a local charity which aims to enhance the independence and quality of lifeof blind and partially sighted people in Bedford-shire and Luton. Current volunteering opportunities includes: Home visiting and telephone befriending. We offer full training and the chance to become a member of our friendly supportive team.
Contact Joanna Clark 01234 264023Joanna.clark@sightconcern.org.uk
ASHTON ALMSHOUSE CHARITYAshton Almshouse Charity has a newly refurbished one bed-room flat available from the beginning of August.There is a pleasant communal garden and the flat is located in a central position in Bullpond Lane, Dunstable.The flat is suitable for single occupancy for a mature lady.
For further information contact Yvonne Beaumont, Clerk to the Charities. Telephone no. 01582 660008E-mail dunstablecharity@yahoo.com
Kids in Action
children’s charity
We are looking for energetic , fun and out going people to become play or kitchen assistants to help
run our special needs youth clubs on
Saturdays and during school holidays.
If you would like to know more information please call Nicola or Mandy on 01582 477762
Unit 26 Apex Business centre
Boscombe road, Dunstable, LU5 4SB
Games room
Sensory cottage
Coffee shop
Soft play area
Disco Hall
and lots more
TOTTERNHOE QUARRY
VOLUNTEER WORK PARTIES
Would you like to spend a day working
in the fresh air and help look after this
nature reserve?
For more information or to confirm your
attendance please contact
Richard Knock on 07872 418279
richard.knock@wildlifebcn.org
www.wildlifebcn.org
Issue 67 • October / November 2015 4140
Over 25 years experience For all your plumbing and heating needs Specializing in boiler installations
CMHPlumbing and HeatingGas Safe Registered Plumbers
Tel: 01582 477838 07889 194664
The Bedfordshire Area Group
of the Association of 16mm Narrow Gauge Modellers
Presents
Steam in Beds “2015” The show just got bigger and better
Large Scale Narrow Gauge Model Railway Show
Featuring Narrow Gauge Layouts running 16mm
Live Steam Locomotives
Trade Support from Specialist Suppliers
Saturday 28 November
10.00am to 4.30pm - Adults £5.00 Accompanied Children under 16 Free
Venue
Eaton Bray Village Hall including part of
St Mary’s Church
Church Lane, Eaton Bray Nr. Dunstable, LU6 2DJ
Refreshments available all Day
For full details see our web site www.bag16mm.org.uk
Call Rob on 01908 216151or 07977 206403
Guttering Problems?
Gutters CleanedLeaking Gutters repairedNew Gutters FittedAll by friendly local established companyPart of Bradnam Property Maintenance
www.thevinemagazine.co.uk42 www.thevinemagazine.co.uk
Just as we can have more health issues as we get older, so too can our pets and often they
are similar ailments. So what should we be looking out for?
O.A.P’s (Old Aged Pets)Pets
Ask The VetNeed some pet advice?email your questions toaskthevet@pdsa.org.uk
Looking after our pets as they reach their elder years is just as important as giving them a good start in life. It’s quite normal for our old age pets (OAPs!) to start to slow down but still live a happy and healthy life, but it’s also important to keep an eye out for signs that may indicate a serious illness.As with humans, arthritis, dementia and certain cancers are all more prevalent in older pets. A quick check-up at the vet every six months will help detect any illnesses at an early stage, mean-ing there’s a better chance of successful treatment or management of many conditions.It goes without saying though that if you’re worried about your pet’s health at anytime you should take to them to see your vet as soon as possible.
It’s important to remember that many pets live a perfectly healthy older life, and even if your pet is ill, the earlier it’s diagnosed the more treatment options you will have.For more pet care tips log onto www.pdsa.org.uk/pethealth.
Here are a few signs to keep an eye out for which may indicate an illness:
• Weight loss or gain – such as more prominent bones, or a swelling of the abdomen.• Lack of energy or an unusual increase in activity• Finding it difficult to walk or stand up• Loss of appetite• Drinking or going to the toilet more than usual• Toileting in unusual places• Bad breath or one with an unusual scent• Lumps or swellings• Vomiting or diarrhoea• Seeming disorientated or bumping in to things• Becoming restless or making unusual noises at night
Recognising illnessin old age pets
Caring for your pet
Just as we can have more health issues as we get older, so too can our pets and often they are similar ailments. So what should we be looking out for? PDSA Vet Vicki Larkham-Jones explains. Looking after our pets as they reach their elder years is just as important as giving them a good start in life. It’s quite normal for our old age pets (OAPs!) to start to slow down but still live a happy and healthy life, but it’s also important to keep an eye out for signs that may indicate a serious illness. As with humans, arthritis, dementia and certain cancers are all more prevalent in older
pets. A quick check-up at the vet every six months will help detect any illnesses at an early stage, meaning there’s a better chance of successful treatment or management of many conditions.It goes without saying though that if you’re worried about your pet’s health at anytime you should take to them to see your vet as soon as possible. Here are a few signs to keep an eye out for which may indicate an illness:• Weight loss or gain – such as more prominent bones, or a swelling of the abdomen.
• Lack of energy or an unusual increase in activity• Finding it difficult to walk or stand up• Loss of appetite
• Drinking or going to the toilet more than usual• Toileting in unusual places• Bad breath or one with an unusual scent• Lumps or swellings• Vomiting or diarrhoea• Seeming disorientated or bumping in to
things• Becoming restless or making unusual noises at nightIt’s important to remember that many pets live a perfectly healthy older life, and even if your pet is ill, the earlier it’s diagnosed the more treatment options you will have.For more pet care tips log onto www.pdsa.org.uk/pethealth.
Issue 67 • October / November 2015 43
With PDSA Vet Vicki Larkham-Jones
Ask The Vet
Pets
If you have a pet question you’d like to ask Vicki, email
askthevet@pdsa.org.uk
Ask The Vet
Mabel’s News
from Appledown
Hello again! I am Mabel the resident dog at Appledown Rescue and Rehoming Kennels in Eaton Bray.
I need a home!
This is Tor, a lurcher aged 3 years. He is house-trained, good with people and other dogs. He needs owners who will be happy to carry on with his training. This affectionate dog would love to be part of a family, but would not be suitable for a home with children younger than teenagers. If you feel you could offer Tor, or any of our other dogs, a loving and secure home please call in at the kennels any day between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Our staff will be happy to offer ad-vice and information. We have restrictions on rehoming dogs to families with children under 7 years of age, so please ask for details. Check our website for adoption information.
Appledown Rescue and Rehoming Kennels Harling Road, Eaton Bray, Beds LU6 1QY
I need a home!
This is Chipolata, she is a Jack Russell cross aged 4-5 years. She is bigger than the average Jack Russell, but we can’t decide what she might be crossed with! Chipolata is an active little dog and needs a home where she will get plenty of exercise and attention. She could live with a male dog but not a cat. We think she may have lived outside in the past but she loves a cuddle and will enjoy the opportunity to curl up in front of the fire and be part of family life! She cannot live in Luton. If you feel you could offer Chipolata, or any of our other dogs, a loving and secure home please call in at the kennels any day between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Our staff are happy to offer advice and information. Please note that we have restrictions on rehoming dogs to families with children under seven, so please ask for details.
Could you sponsor a kennel to help us care for a dog while it is waiting to find a new home? Please contact us for details.
Call: 01525 220383 Visit our Website: www.appledownrescue.co.uk E-mail: appledown.kennels@btinternet.com Follow us on Facebook!
(Reg. Charity No. 1116848)
Appledown Rescue and Rehoming Kennels, Harling Road, Eaton Bray, Beds LU6 1QY
(Reg. Charity No. 1116848)Call 01525 220383 .
E-mail appledown.kennels@btinternet.com.Visit our Website:
www.appledownrescue.co.ukYou can now follow us on
Facebook and Twitter!
Appledown Rescue’s Dog of the Month
This is Tor, a lurcher aged 3 years. He is house-trained, good with people and other dogs. He needs owners who will be happy to carry on with his training. This affectionate dog would love to be part of a family, but would not be suitable for a home with children younger than teenagers.
If you feel you could offer Tor, or any of our other dogs, a loving and secure home please call in at the kennels any day between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Our staff will be happy to offer advice and information. We
have restrictions on rehoming dogs to families with children under 7 years of age, so please ask for details. Check our website for adoption information. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Appledown Rescue & Rehoming Kennels, Harling Road, Eaton Bray, Beds LU6 1QY. Call: 01525 220383 or e-mail: appledown.kennels@btinternet.com
Website: www.appledownrescue.co.uk (Reg. Charity No. 1116848)
Hello again!I’m Mabel the resident dog at Appledown .This is Edmure Tully, a one year old crossbreed who is smaller than a Labrador. Edmure is a play-ful and affectionate young dog who needs an active home with owners willing to carry on with his training. He is good with other dogs and travels well. He cannot be rehomed in Dacorum.
If you feel you could offer Edmure or any of our other dogs a loving and secure home please call in at the kennels any day between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Our staff are happy to offer advice and informa-tion. Please note that we have restrictions on rehoming dogs to families with children under 7 years of age. Full details of the rehoming process can be found on our website or call the kennels.
Appledown Rescue and Rehoming Kennels Harling Road, Eaton Bray, Beds LU6 1QY
I need a home!
This is Chipolata, she is a Jack Russell cross aged 4-5 years. She is bigger than the average Jack Russell, but we can’t decide what she might be crossed with! Chipolata is an active little dog and needs a home where she will get plenty of exercise and attention. She could live with a male dog but not a cat. We think she may have lived outside in the past but she loves a cuddle and will enjoy the opportunity to curl up in front of the fire and be part of family life! She cannot live in Luton. If you feel you could offer Chipolata, or any of our other dogs, a loving and secure home please call in at the kennels any day between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Our staff are happy to offer advice and information. Please note that we have restrictions on rehoming dogs to families with children under seven, so please ask for details.
Could you sponsor a kennel to help us care for a dog while it is waiting to find a new home? Please contact us for details.
Call: 01525 220383 Visit our Website: www.appledownrescue.co.uk E-mail: appledown.kennels@btinternet.com Follow us on Facebook!
(Reg. Charity No. 1116848)
Appledown Rescue & Rehoming Kennels,
Harling Road, Eaton Bray, Beds. LU6 1QY
Call 01525 220383 . E-mail appledown.kennels@
btinternet.com.
www.appledownrescue.co.ukYou can now follow us on
Facebook and Twitter!(Reg. Charity No. 1116848)
My pet rabbit Flash keeps moulting big chunks of fur when I clean her bedding out.Why is this? Is there any-thing wrong with her? Maria
Moulting is normal, so this may not be anything to worry about. Wild rabbits moult twice a year, but some pet rabbits moult all year round. Regularly brushing your rabbit’s coat will help keep it healthy and prevent fur balls. Use a grooming brush intended for rabbits to brush the coat with gentle strokes in the same direction that the fur grows. You should also regularly check your rabbit’s skin to look for dandruff, especially behind the ears and along the spine as this, together with heavy moulting, can be a sign of mites. To be on the safe side it’s best to get Flash checked over by your vet. My dog Poppy has mated four times and seems to get pregnant a lot. Every time she’s in heat she has a phan-tom pregnancy and we’re worried about her as she gets quite depressed when she’s in heat. What should we do? Michael
I would strongly recommend that your friend has Poppy neutered (called spaying in female dogs). Spaying has many health benefits for dogs, such as preventing pyometra (a
life-threatening womb infection) and reducing the chances of breast cancer. It will also stop Poppy from getting pregnant, having phantom pregnancies and coming in to heat.Your friend should contact her vet to discuss getting Poppy neutered. For more information you can also download PDSA’s leaflet, Neutering, for free at www.pdsa.org.uk. My two rats are about two-years-old, but one of them can’t use her hind legs properly. Is this normal for this age or could there be an underlying problem. Alana
The signs you describe aren’t normal for a rat, whatever their age. There could be an underly-ing problem and you should take your rat to your vet as soon as possible. She may have injured her foot or leg, or she may have a problem with her spinal cord, such as a tumour or infection. Your vet will check her over and discuss appropriate treatment with you.
Appledown Rescue’s Dog of the Month
This is Edmure Tully, a one year old crossbreed who is smaller than a Labrador. Edmure is a playful and affectionate young dog who needs an active home with owners willing to carry on with his training. He is good with other dogs and travels well. He cannot be rehomed in Dacorum. If you feel you could offer Edmure or any of our other dogs a loving and secure home please call in at the kennels any day between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Our staff are happy to offer advice and information. Please note that we have restrictions on rehoming dogs to families with children under 7 years of age. Full details of the rehoming process can be found on our website or call the kennels.
Appledown Rescue and Rehoming Kennels, Harling Road, Eaton Bray, Beds LU6 1QY
01525 220383 e-mail: appledown.kennels@btinternet.com Website: www.appledownrescue.co.uk
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www.thevinemagazine.co.uk44
By Mike Newman
I had never considered this question before until I read an article in ‘The Greater London Pensioner’ magazine. It highlighted the pitfalls that can occur for the driver of such a vehicle on the pedestrian pavement if involved in an accident with a pedestrian, the article as follows.
Mike Newman is a member of The Dunstable And District Senior Citizens Club.
If you have a view on any of the issues raised why not attend one of their monthly
meetings, held on the last Thursday of the month at St Marys Catholic Social Club, West St., Dunstable.
Insuring Motorised Invalid Scooters?
A Pensioners View
Have your say{
An elderly person on a motorised invalid scooter had caused a pedestrian to take a nasty fall which resulted in a broken limb. The driver was sued and
lost the case. The driver then became liable to pay a hefty compensation claim of several thousand pounds. In order to comply with the legal obligations she was obliged to mortgage her home in order to make the compensation payment. A terrible position for an elderly person to find themselves in.
In the Herald & Post, August 6th, a writer states that over a period of five minutes, five cyclist rode along in a no cycle area in the town centre of Luton, a little later a chap on a disabled scooter went riding by faster than most of the cyclists and two of the cyclists were at speed. An accident waiting to happen?
Accidents do happen, so it would seem sensible for owners of such scooter to take out third party insurance. So if you do use a motorized scooter
it may be worth your while to think about insuring against such accidents. It could save a lot of grief. Also it seems only sensible that if you operate such a vehicle then an audible warning device should be fitted. I have seen one scooter on the Luton Road fitted with a bull horn which would be more than satisfactory.
Although speeds are relatively low, they are high enough, when the combined weight of the vehicle and driver are taken into account, to knock a pedestrian over. Elderly pedestrians cannot deal with such falls or impacts, bones become brittle and broken bones in the elderly often lead to more serious conditions.
The police can now arrest you for cycling on the pavement, what of the invalid scooter? I believe that audible warning should be mandatory on motorized invalid scooter and this should be considered by those in authority.
Issue 67 • October / November 2015 45
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www.thevinemagazine.co.uk46
auto Biographies
By Rob Auchterlonie
FAST FACTS
Copyright Wheelwrite
CONSIDER the fact that Audi’s new RS3 Sportback has an engine that is barely longer than your average loaf of bread and you might be left thinking that it’s a slice short of a full wholemeal.But that’s about as far wide of the truth as a claim that the mice are jumping on the traps because mother-in-law is coming to stay.
T he clue’s in the title. RS. Two letters that sum up the importance to Audi of hav-ing products that are the
pinnacle of their product range.So, far from being a measly half stale bap if we carry on the bread anal-ogy, what we have here is a freshly baked and still warm ciabatta. Just begging to be sampled.Which I’m afraid to say will leave anyone doing that wanting consid-erably more. The RS3 Sportback is a highly addictive blend of everyday five door compact practicality with ‘light the blue touch paper and enjoy’ performance.Lots of it. Here is a pleasing on the eye hatchback with its RS styling cues ( bumpers, enlarged air inlets, flared arches, sill extensions, rear roof spoiler and twin oval exhausts) that will scorch past 62mph in just 4.3 seconds and on to a limited top speed of 155mph. If you want more it can be derestricted and romp on to 174mph. But probably only if your name is Herman and there’s a handy
traffic free autobahn at the end of your road.Undoubted pace, poise and a distinct lack of any torque steer as you feed in its 367ps and ensuing 465Nm of torque establish it as the most powerful production five cylinder engine in Audi RS history – a lineage that goes back 21 years.Audi’s technical wizards have in-stilled it with supercar performance, yet it can be sensible at times and return just under 35mpg on the combined cycle and its CO2 figure is a not too high 189g/km.So, an everyday car if you like that will burble around before you unleash the 2.5 litre TFSI’s full potential, at which point the exhaust will spit and crackle and burble and let you know in no uncertain terms that this is a performance car with a capital P.Put another way, supercar perfor-mance from a five door hatchback. In fact its sprintability (Audi word, not mine) is equal to and in some cases better than some supercars. That tells you just how good the 2.5 five cylinder really is. Its mid range performance is noth-ing short of spectacular, with its huge reserves of torque on tap from 1625 to 5550rpm. In fact everything has moved up a gear – the new seven speed S tronic twin clutch gearbox shifts faster than before, directing the grunt to the quattro permanent all heel drive system which is - yes you’ve guessed it - faster reacting than before.And with less weight to push around
than before – the RS3 is 55kgs lighter – the end result is perhaps predictable. Launch control ensures maximum acceleration from a stand-ing start, with minimal wheelspin, which I can vouch for after a couple of runs up the Shelsley Walsh hill climb in Worcestershire, the oldest continually used motorsport venue in the world.Prices start at £39,955, with first UK deliveries in July. Expect the usual high quality cabin with exceptional fit and finish and a pair of very supportive sports seats in fine Nappa leather. And there are plenty of options available, some RS specific and others from the S3 like infortainment, Audi connect systems and assistance systems. Our test car on the UK launch last week had an additional £11,000 worth fitted. Embellishments on top of a very fine car.
Audi RS3 Sportback£39,955five cylinder 2480cc TFSI, 367ps, 465Nm; seven speed S tronic; quattro all wheel drive system;Top speed 155mph (lim-ited), 0-62mph 4.3secsfuel – urban 25.2, extra urban 44.8, combined34.9 (19”x8J wheels); CO2 189g/km.
AUDI RS3 SPORTBACK
Issue 67 • October / November 2015 47
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Looking Up!October & November 2015
By Seb Jay
Discover the Andromeda Galaxy Tonight: Ever seen a distant galaxy beyond our own? Now’s your chance! The Andromeda Galaxy is so far away that light from the stars inside it takes 2.5 million years to cross the void of space to Earth. Yet even at this great distance Andromeda is easy to find with binoculars. Look up high to your south mid-evening for a giant square pattern of stars, and an arc of bright stars running out left. From the square move along this arc by one star and lift your binoculars slightly upwards until you see an oval patch of grey light. This is the glow from a trillion stars that make up the Andromeda Galaxy.
See the ISS from Bedfordshire: Mid-October sees the International Space Station (ISS) sail over Bedfordshire in the evening sky. Look for a con-
stant bright white light travelling west to east. It’ll be brighter than any other star in the sky, and won’t flash. View it from Thursday 8 October to Monday 19 October between 7pm – 8:30pm.
Watch the Orionids and Leonids Meteor Showers: This autumn sees a double peak in meteor activity across Bedfordshire. The first peak is on the night of 21-22 October when up to 30 shooting stars per hour from the Orionids may be seen between midnight and dawn. The night of 17-18 November sees the return of the Leonids. Expect 20+ shooting stars per hour after dark.Image: The Andromeda Galaxy by Torben Bjorn Hansen
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Issue 67 • October / November 2015 4919www.thevinemagazine.com
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Looking Up!October & November 2015
By Seb Jay
Discover the Andromeda Galaxy Tonight: Ever seen a distant galaxy beyond our own? Now’s your chance! The Andromeda Galaxy is so far away that light from the stars inside it takes 2.5 million years to cross the void of space to Earth. Yet even at this great distance Andromeda is easy to find with binoculars. Look up high to your south mid-evening for a giant square pattern of stars, and an arc of bright stars running out left. From the square move along this arc by one star and lift your binoculars slightly upwards until you see an oval patch of grey light. This is the glow from a trillion stars that make up the Andromeda Galaxy.
See the ISS from Bedfordshire: Mid-October sees the International Space Station (ISS) sail over Bedfordshire in the evening sky. Look for a con-
stant bright white light travelling west to east. It’ll be brighter than any other star in the sky, and won’t flash. View it from Thursday 8 October to Monday 19 October between 7pm – 8:30pm.
Watch the Orionids and Leonids Meteor Showers: This autumn sees a double peak in meteor activity across Bedfordshire. The first peak is on the night of 21-22 October when up to 30 shooting stars per hour from the Orionids may be seen between midnight and dawn. The night of 17-18 November sees the return of the Leonids. Expect 20+ shooting stars per hour after dark.Image: The Andromeda Galaxy by Torben Bjorn Hansen
Dark Sky Telescope Hire www.darkskytelescopehire.
seb@darkskytelescopehire.co.uk
Bedfordshire’s Night Sky
www.thevinemagazine.co.uk50
CINEMA
9TH OCTOBER 2015
STEVE JOBSCAST: Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Seth Roge, Jeff Daniels
Set backstage at three iconic product launches and ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac, Steve Jobs takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution to paint an intimate portrait of the brilliant man at its epicenter.Steve Jobs is directed by Academy Award® winner Danny Boyle and written by Academy Award® winner Aaron Sorkin, working from Walter Isaacson’s best-selling biography of the Apple founder. The producers are Mark Gordon, Guymon Casady of Film 360, Scott Rudin and Academy Award® winner Christian Colson.
16TH OCTOBER 2015 CRIMSON PEAKCAST: Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Hunnam and Jim Beaver
When her heart is stolen by a seductive stranger, a young woman is swept away to a house atop a mountain of blood-red clay: a place filled with secrets that will haunt her forever. Between desire and darkness, between mystery and madness, lies the truth behind Crimson Peak.
6TH NOVEMBER 2015
BROOKLYNCAST: Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Emory Cohen, Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters
Brooklyn is the story of a young woman, Eilis (Saoirse Ronan) who moves from small town Ireland to Brooklyn, NY where, unlike home, she has the opportunity for work and for a future - and love, in the form of Italian-American Tony (Emory Cohen).
When a family tragedy brings her back to Ireland, she finds herself absorbed into her old community, but now with eligible Jim (Domhnall Gleeson) courting her. As she repeatedly postpones her return to America, Eilis finds herself confronting a terrible dilemma - a heart-breaking choice between two men and two countries.
13TH NOVEMBER 2015
BY THE SEACAST: Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie Pitt, Mélanie Laurent, Melvil Poupaud, Niels Arestrup and Richard Bohringer
By the Sea follows an American writer named Roland (Pitt) and his wife, Vanessa (Jolie Pitt), who arrive in a tranquil and picturesque seaside resort in 1970s France, their marriage in apparent crisis. As they spend time with fellow travelers, including young newlyweds Lea (Laurent) and François (Poupaud), and village locals Michel (Arestrup) and Patrice (Bohringer), the couple begins to come to terms with unresolved issues in their own lives.In its style, and its treatment of themes of the human experience, By the Sea is inspired by European cinema and theatre of the ‘60s and ‘70s.
Cinema New Releases
Issue 67 • October / November 2015 51
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Issue 67 • October / November 2015 53
Swan Decorating & Handyman Services
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Kids’ Autumn Trail 1st Sept until 31st Oct, £1Take a stroll through the woodland discovering more about autumn time at Ashridge and complete some of the "50 things" to do before you're 11 3/4 on route. Visit the Ashridge Visitor Centre to collect your trail map and follow the trail, answer the questions and return to collect your sticker reward. No need to book, just turn up. Heritage Open Day 12th Sept, FreeThe Bridgewater Monument will be open free of charge all day on Saturday 12th September. Climb the 172 steps for beautiful panoramic views of the entire estate. Open-ing is weather dependant.
Chilterns Countryside and Food Festival 13th Sept, Adult £4, Child £1Come along to our annual festival to celebrate the dif-ferent crafts, industries and wildlife associated with the Chilterns countryside. Enjoy a day of mouth-watering local produce stalls, fascinating craft displays, forestry demonstrations and children's activities in the meadow behind the Visitor Centre. Gentle Stroll15th Sept, 10.30am, £3Part of a series of strolls which provide a chance to discover the wildlife in different parts of the Estate and to look for animal tracks, deer sightings, birds and other items of interest. The strolls take around 2 hours. No need to book, just turn up with sensible walking shoes and warm waterproof clothing just in case! Angela Allaway open studio and work shop 19th /20th SeptLocal artist Angela Allaway will be displaying her beauti-ful pieces of art inspired by Ashridge at the Visitor Cen-tre. You can come and watch her work on her current piece or join her in the afternoon on Monument Green for drop-in workshops. Learn to use chalk and charcoal to create your own piece of natural art. Suitable for all ages. Drop in on the day, no need to book.
Deer Rut Walks 9th/10th/11th/16th/17th/18th Oct, 7am, Adults £15, Child £10Join our rangers at this exciting time of the year to watch wild Fallow deer during the rutting season. On this very popular wildlife walk it is often possible to get close to these majestic animals. Round the morning off with a breakfast roll on us at the Brownlow cafe. Please wear suitable footwear and clothing for walking in woodland and it helps if you can wear natural coloured clothing. Bring along binoculars if you have them.
Angela Allaway open studio and work shop 10 th & 11th OctLocal artist Angela Allaway will be displaying her beauti-ful pieces of art inspired by Ashridge at the Visitor Cen-tre. You can come and watch her work on her current piece or join her in the afternoon on Monument Green for drop-in workshops. Learn to use chalk and charcoal to create your own piece of natural art. Suitable for all ages. Drop in on the day, no need to book. Autumn Colours Walk 24th Oct, 10.30am, £3Join our Rangers for an autumn walk in the woods taking in all of nature's brilliance with stunning autumn colours, fungi and animals to look out for. The walk is 7 miles long and follows a part of the Ashridge boundary trail. This is a mass participation walk with space for up to 100 people. Creepy Crafts and Halloween Trail 26th to 30th Oct, £2 per childJoin us at the Ashridge Estate this half term to create your own spooky bat masks and witches' hats to take home with you! Then head out on our Halloween Trail through the woods.
Ashridge Christmas Trail 14 Nov to 31 Dec, £1Take a stroll through the woodland discovering more about winter and Christmas time at Ashridge. Visit the Ashridge Visitor Centre to collect your trail map and fol-low the trail, answer the questions and return to collect your Christmas reward. No need to book, just turn up.
Issue 67 • October / November 2015 55
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Thursday 5th November
6.30pm - Gates Open7.30pm - Gates Closed
8.00pm - Fireworks Start(Display lasts approx.
20mins)
Fun Fair Rides, Food, Music and Fireman Sam (Meet &
Greet = 6.45pm till 7.30pm)
Entrance is via Brewers Hill School & Creasey Park Drive
Adults £4.00
Children (under 16) £2.00Family
(2 Adults & 2 Children) £10Concessions £2Under 5s Free
Halloween FayreSunday October 25th. Harlington village hall, sundon road, harlington. 1pm - 4pm.Enchanted forest with story teller. Owls. Spooky and unusual stalls. Refreshments. Prizes for best adult and child fancy dress and best carved pumpkin, adult and child.To book a stall contact 01525 758874.
Out & About Halloween & Bonfire Night Fun
Halloween DiscoFriday 30th October - 6 pm to 8 pmFancy a spooky boogie?Put on your scariest Halloween fancy dress and join us for a fun disco. There will be a prize for the best costume, apple-bobbing, hot dogs and refreshments.
Suitable for ages 5 – 12 years.£10 per child. Children must be ac-companied by an adult. £2 parking fee applies. Call 01525 234260 visitorservices@greensandtrust.org, or call into the Visitor Centre .
Pumpkin CarvingOctober 26th to November 2ndCome up and visit us in our spooky hut. Grab a mini pumpkin and carve and decorate it. Please call for prices and avail-ability of times.
Herons View Visitor CentreRushmere Country Park, LU7 0EB
Issue 67 • October / November 2015 57
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SAPHIRE SOCIAL CLUBSapphire Social Club meet every Thursday at The Orange Tree Stevenage Road Hitchin from 8.30 - 11pm. We are a small and friendly group for single people aged 50+ although we have no age bar. Our members organize varied events during the month and we warmly welcome new members to come along and see if we might just fill that gap in your social life. No subs for the first 2 months. For any info call Ian 07900 890583 or Joyce on 07960 440417 or visit our websitewww.sapphiresocialsinglesclub.co.uk
DUNSTABLE CAMERA CLUBDunstable Camera Club, meet 2nd Tuesday of the month, 7.15pm, Conservative Club, High St. Dunstable.Friendly atmosphere. Improve your photography in a social environment.www.dunstablecameraclub.co.uk
DUNSTABLE PROBUS CLUBDunstable PROBUS Club meets on the second Monday of the month and membership is open to retired or semi-retired professional and business men. The Club’s main object is the promotion of good fellowship. Members enjoy a variety of so-cial activities and organized visits throughout the year and at their regular monthly meetings they are entertained by after-lunch speakers. If you are interested in joining the Club, please contact the Secretary Malcolm Partridge 01525 222711
BREATHEASYDo you suffer from a lung condition? Then why not come and join our local Support group - breath-easy - Part of the British lung foundation. We meet on the 2nd Thursday of the month at peter newton pavilion (Behind tesco) 2 - 4pm carers also wel-come As well as supporting each other we have a variety of speakers and also arrange day trips out.New members most welcomeMore info phone michael on 01582 602348
LANGDALE CHURCH‘HATTERS TEA’- informal neighbourhood group meets monthly on a Wednesday pm. Free tea/coffee & home-made cakes, quiz and raffle.Friends and Neighbours- monthly on a Thursday pm. Speakers and free tea/coffee. At Langdale Church.Other groups- table tennis, walking group and drawing for beginnersMake the most of our community activities and meet new people in our community. Tel Colin, Community Worker 01582602980
BREAKOUT SOCIAL CLUBWe are a club for the over forty fives, not a singles club but a social club for people who enjoy going out but are on their own, where they can meet like-minded people, with a varied monthly programme covering Disco’s, Pub lunch’s, walks, parties and much, much more, we meet once a week in the front bar at the Conservative Club, High street North DunstableFor more information please contact Sandy on 07813 262556
NORTHALL TODDLER GROUPNorthall Village Hall, LU6 2EXJoin new mums, dads, grandparents and carers.Every Tuesday 9:30 – 11:30am(including school holidays)For children aged 0-5 years.Tea, coffee, juices and healthy snacksCome join in the fun, games and learning (inside and out)£2.50 during term time (per family)£1 per child during school holidays(Adults go free & older children are welcome)Tel. Stacey 07957 607592 or Sally 07963 506188
Clubs & Groups
58
Issue 67 • October / November 2015 59
DUNSTABLE WIDunstable W.I. meet two evenings a month on the 2nd and 4th thursdays at Watling School Bullpond Lane at 7.30pm. We are a friendly group and like to enjoy ourselves. We have a wide range of speakers with different talents and crafts, and also quiz nights to test our brains. We Welcome new members so join us and make new friends.
8th Oct, John McCombe - Screen22nd Oct, Sue Vought - Life Coach12th Nov, Swishing26th Nov, W.I. Raffle and QuizFor more Info Barbara Fisher 01582 665252
BEDFORDSHIRE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETYTUESDAY 20th OCTOBER, MAULDEN 8pmTalk “Oliver Pike, pioneer photographer-naturalist and BNHS president” by Rory Morrisey, Dragonfly recorder for the society. Oliver Pike was also a wildlife film-maker and author. At Maulden Village Hall, MK45 2DP.
SATURDAY 7th NOVEMBER, ASHRIDGE 10:30amRamble in Ashridge Commons and Woods SSSI looking at trees, commons and chalk grasslands for late Autumn highlights. Meet outside the Brownlow café SP970130, HP4 1LX. Leaders: Sheila Brooke and the Powells.
TUESDAY 17th NOVEMBER, MAULDEN 8pmTalk “Current activities of BSBI and some perspec-tives on orchids” by Ian Denholm, President of the BSBI. A review of some ongoing projects and some current issues relating to the systematics and conservation of our wild orchids. At Maulden Village Hall, MK45 2DP.
ARTS & CRAFTSArt & Craft for adults with learning difficulties every Wednesday 10.30am - 12.30pm & every Sat 11am - 1pm at Arttrend, rear of 440 Dunstable Road.Please see the website www.arttrend.co.uk for all the details or phone 07794987796.
THE BOGTROTTERSThe Bogtrotters (Dunstable and District Walking and Hostelling Group) are a group of about 90 walkers, hikers and hostellers. We run a surpris-ingly diverse range of activities, including half and full day walks, hostelling trips, meals and evening activities.New members are always welcome. Prospec-tive members are invited to get in touch via the website, give us a ring or just turn up to an event or walk. 01582 865966 Sue or JulianEnquiries@dunstablebogtrotters.co.ukwww.dunstablebogtrotters.co.uk
NATIONAL TRUSTAll meetings are held at Salvation Army Centre, Dunstable. Guests are welcome at £3.00As well as outing we also run a holiday once per year. If you would like to join the group, please con-tact, Lynder Power 01582 696193 or Janr Lingham 01582 6068387th October, Talk - Waddesdon Manor by Bob Keating14th October, Outing - Under The Bearskin, A Guided Tour Featuring Royalty & Pageantry.4th November, Talk - The Worl of Coffee by Colin Smith
FRIENDS OF STUDHAM COMMONWe are a friendly,voluntary group whose aim is to conserve,maintain and promote Studham Common as a haven for wildlife and a place for everyone to enjoy.For this purpose we meet as a work party on the third Saturday of each month (except Dec.) The work is not onerous and we enjoy the exercise and the good company –and a picnic lunch is provided! Details from Pam on 01582 872608 pamrumfitt@btinternet.com
www.thevinemagazine.co.uk60
Out & About
Exhibition & Sale Of Art & Craft Saturday 17th October. 10.30am-5pm. Village Hall, Sundon Road, HarlingtonExhibits by local artists/craftspeople include: Canal Ware, Glassware, Greet-ings Cards, Fancy Goods, Jewellery, Needlecraft, Paintings, Photography, Sculpture etc.Botanical artist Karen Bailey will be our guest artist this year. Refreshments, including delicious home-baked cakes. Adults 50p. Children under 12 free.Harlington Society of Art & Craft. 01525 753715
WINTER FAYRE
Sunday 6th December 2015
Get into the Christmas spirit!
Come and enjoy music and carols under cover in the marquee with a variety of stalls selling wonderful gift ideas. There will be Greensand Trust craft activities and a tombola and, of course, seasonal food and drink.
We hope that Father Christmas may even put in an appearance!
£2 parking fee applies.
For more information contact visitorservices@greensandtrust.org, call 01525 234260 or call into the Visitor Centre . Website http://www.greensandtrust.org/Rushmere.html
Herons View Visitor Centre Rushmere Country Park Linslade Road Heath and Reach LU7 0EB
WHAT’S ON for AUTUMN/WINTER 2015 We always seem to get great Septembers in this country, don’t you think? We can’t think of a better time to visit Rushmere, enjoying the last days of warmth and as we head into October, looking out for those sure signs that Autumn is here. We’ve got some great events lined up too – all great reasons to continue to visit right through the autumn and winter! For more details, telephone us on 01525 234260 or email visitorservices@greensandtrust.org. Make a note in your diary, and we’ll see you soon! Wine in the Park After Dark Friday 23rd October 7pm
Come along for an evening of wine tasting with a side helping of cheese of course! 15 delicious wines to sample and learn about with a local expert with over 18 years of experience. Over-18s only. £15 per person. Advance booking essential.
Feed The Birds Sunday 25th October 11am – 3pm
Learn all about feeding our feathered friends. Get messy and make a bird cake, fun craft activities, guided bird walks, RSPB and BTO stalls and bird-ringing demonstrations. Entry is free although there may be a small charge for some activities. £2 parking on exit fee applies.
Pumpkin Carving Monday October 26th to Monday November 2nd
Come up and visit us in our spooky hut. Grab a mini pumpkin and carve and decorate it. Please call for prices and availability of times.
Halloween Disco Friday 30th October, 6pm -8pm
Put on your spookiest costume and join us for a fun disco. Prize for best fancy dress, apple-bobbing, hotdogs and refreshments. £10 per child. Suitable for ages 5 – 12 years. Must be accompanied by an adult.
Woodland Fairies and Pixies Saturday 28th November, 2.30pm – 5pm
Lots of exciting fairy and pixie fun for boys and girls age 6 – 12 years, undercover and outdoors. Craft activities, face-painting, stories in the woods, refreshments. £10 per child. Must be accompanied by an adult. Advance booking essential.
Winter Fayre Sunday 6th December, 11am – 3pm
Get into the Christmas spirit with our winter fayre and enjoy music and carols, a variety of stalls selling wonderful gift items, Greensand Trust craft activities and tombola and of course, seasonal food and drink. If we are all good, maybe Father Christmas will make an appearance. Entry is free although there may be a small charge for some activities. £2 parking on exit fee applies.
Feed The Birds
Sunday 25th October 11 am to 3 pm
Learn all about feeding our feathered friends. Get messy and make a bird cake. Fun craft activities and guided bird walks. RSPB/BTO stalls and bird ringing demonstrations.
Entry is free but there may be a small charge for some activities. Parking fee of £2 applies.
All proceeds reinvested in the park.
For more information contact visitorservices@greensandtrust.org, call 01525 234260 or call into the Visitor Centre . Website http://www.greensandtrust.org/Rushmere.html
Herons View Visitor Centre Rushmere Country Park Linslade Road Heath and Reach LU7 0EB
FESTIVAL OF FAIRIES AND PIXIES
Saturday 28th November 2015. 2.30 pm to 4.45 pm.
Fairy frolic and pixie play.
Loads of magical fun for boys and girls aged 6 – 12 years, both under cover and outdoors. There will
be funky face painting, spellbinding stories in the woods and refreshments.
Cost of £10 per child (3rd child £5). Children must be accompanied by an adult.
£2 parking fee applies.
For more information contact visitorservices@greensandtrust.org, call 01525 234260 or call into the
Visitor Centre . Website http://www.greensandtrust.org/Rushmere.html
Herons View Visitor Centre
Rushmere Country Park
Linslade Road
Heath and Reach
LU7 0EB
THE WILDLIFE TRUST Blows DownsHedgehogs and orchards this Halloween.Sat31st October 10am - 1pm £2 per child, adults freeThe orchard Blows Downs Station Road,LU5 4EYRuth Sneath 01525 874317Hedgehogs are in serious decline and need our help. Join us to find out how you can help our spikey friends whilst enjoying taking part in activities such as apple pressing, making a hedgehog bird feeder and a hedgehog friendly home. There will also be lots of infor-mation for you on wildlife gardening as well as information on how your hedgehog sightings can help combat their decline.There will be warm refreshments avail-able.
Guided Walk of Blows Downs for Dogs and Their OwnersSat 21st November 10am - 11.30am £2.50 per person or £6 per familyFrom Half Moon Lane LU5 4AERuth Sneath - 01525 874317 Join us for a brisk winter walk to enjoy the views. Dog behaviour expert Lesley Oliphant from ‘Dogzaloud’ will be on hand to answer all your doggie ques-tions and give you top tips for you and your dog. Under 18s must be accom-panied by a responsible adult. Outdoor clothing and sturdy footwear required.
Wine In The Park After Dark Friday 23rd October 7pmCome along for an evening of wine tasting with a side helping of cheese of course! 15 delicious wines to sample and learn about with a local expert with over 18 years of experience. Over-18s only. £15 per person. Advance booking essential.
Feed The Birds Sunday 25th October 11am to 3pmLearn all about feeding our feathered friends. Get messy and make a bird cake. Fun craft activities and guided bird walks. RSPB/BTO stalls and bird ringing demonstrations. Entry is free but there may be a small charge for some activities.
Fairy Frolic And Pixie Play Sat 28th November 2.30pm to 4.45pmLoads of magical fun for boys and girls aged 6 – 12 years, both under cover and outdoors. There will be funky face painting, spellbinding stories in the woods and refreshments. Cost of £10 per child (3rd child £5). Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Winter Fayre Sunday 6th DecemberGet into the Christmas spirit!Come and enjoy music and carols under cover in the marquee with a vari-ety of stalls selling wonderful gift ideas. There will be Greensand Trust craft activities and a tombola and, of course, seasonal food and drink.We hope that Father Christmas may even put in an appearance!
For more information or to book call 01525 234260 visitorservices@greensandtrust.org, or call into the Herons View Visitor Centre, Rushmere Country Park, Linslade Road, Heath and Reach, LU7 0EB
Issue 67 • October / November 2015 61
Discover Artists Return To Ivinghoe In NovemberFollowing their hugely successful debut last November, locally based artist group, Discover, are delighted to be returning to the Ivinghoe Old School Community Hub, on November 28th and 29th 2015, for their pre-Christmas Art Fair.The Discover group, who all live and work in the area, are a vibrant, feisty mix of working artists, producing a wide range of high quality work, including fine art, textiles, sculpture, mixed media and print.Visitors will be able to meet the artists, see their latest pieces, and learn more about what inspires them and how create their work - and perhaps even discover the perfect Christmas gift.The Discover Original Art Fair is open from 10am to 3pm on both Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th November - entry is free.
DUNSTABLE LADIES CHOIR CHRISTMAS CONCERTSaturday 12th December 2.30 pm St. Augustine’s Church, Mayfield Road, Dunstable. Tickets £8 on the door, including refresh-ments. Details from Pat Jackson 01582 520302
CHRISTMAS CAROLS & TORCHLIGHT PROCESSIONFriday 4th DecemberAshton Square, 7.00 pmTorchlight procession through Priory House Gardens and carol service. Find out more at:www.dunstable.gov.uk
TOTTERNHOE PLAYERS Attention - Sleuths Wanted!Are you a murder mystery fan? If so, the Totternhoe Players have just the thing for you. A classic whodunit to test your deductive powers Dead of the Past, by Joyce Brown (courtesy of Jasper Publications), will keep you guessing right till the end. Who will be the victim? How was the victim killed? And which one of those guilty looking characters is the murderer? To keep those hard-working little grey cells in tip-top order, there will be a Ploughman’s meal with dessert during the interval, washed down by your favourite drinks –although you do need to bring those yourself! Don’t forget the glasses either!Performances are on Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd October at 7:45pm in Totternhoe. Tickets for the playand meal cost only £9 each and must be paid in ad-vance. Please call 01582 603287 to book your tickets.
WINTER FAYRE
Sunday 6th December 2015
Get into the Christmas spirit!
Come and enjoy music and carols under cover in the marquee with a variety of stalls selling wonderful gift ideas. There will be Greensand Trust craft activities and a tombola and, of course, seasonal food and drink.
We hope that Father Christmas may even put in an appearance!
£2 parking fee applies.
For more information contact visitorservices@greensandtrust.org, call 01525 234260 or call into the Visitor Centre . Website http://www.greensandtrust.org/Rushmere.html
Herons View Visitor Centre Rushmere Country Park Linslade Road Heath and Reach LU7 0EB
CHILTERN GATEWAY 50 Things to do before you’re 11 ¾ WalksFirst Sunday of every month 2pm – 3.30pmJoin our Rangers on the first Sunday of the month to get out in the countryside for a free family exploring session. Make sure you dress for the weather and come prepared for adventure! We’ll be out for about an hour and a half. No booking needed, just meet at the Chilterns Gateway Centre on Dunstable Downs. Dunstable SpooktacularMonday 26th – Friday 30th October 11.00am – 3.00pmWill you have the fright of your life? Join us for a week of Hallowe’en antics and creepy crafts. We’ll be broomstick making on 30th October, so come and get your broomstick license and take part in broomstick races.£2.50 per craft and £3.30 for broomstick activity (booking not required) Spooky Walks on Dunstable DownsFriday 30th and Saturday 31st October 4.30pm – 6.00pmIf you're feeling brave enough, book your place on our spooky walk through the heart of Chute Wood. You'll hear the scary myths and legends of Dunstable and take the chills away with some tasty soup and a creepy cup cake. £10 per person to include supper. Places are limited and go fast, so make sure you book your place by calling 01582 500920 Christmas Wreath MakingFriday 4th and Saturday 5th December 10.00am – 12.00 noonJoin us for our annual gathering to make wreaths with materials sourced from the local area. £25 per person including a hot drink and mince pie. Why not join us for lunch afterwards? This is a very popular annual event and it is essential to book in advance as places are limited. Call the Centre on 01582 500920 to book your place.
You can find out more about Dunstable Downs on our website www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dunstabledowns. You can also join in with our events, and share your photos of this beautiful place on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/NTDunstableDowns
WINTER FAYRE
Sunday 6th December 2015
Get into the Christmas spirit!
Come and enjoy music and carols under cover in the marquee with a variety of stalls selling wonderful gift ideas. There will be Greensand Trust craft activities and a tombola and, of course, seasonal food and drink.
We hope that Father Christmas may even put in an appearance!
£2 parking fee applies.
For more information contact visitorservices@greensandtrust.org, call 01525 234260 or call into the Visitor Centre . Website http://www.greensandtrust.org/Rushmere.html
Herons View Visitor Centre Rushmere Country Park Linslade Road Heath and Reach LU7 0EB
FESTIVAL OF FAIRIES AND PIXIES
Saturday 28th November 2015. 2.30 pm to 4.45 pm.
Fairy frolic and pixie play.
Loads of magical fun for boys and girls aged 6 – 12 years, both under cover and outdoors. There will
be funky face painting, spellbinding stories in the woods and refreshments.
Cost of £10 per child (3rd child £5). Children must be accompanied by an adult.
£2 parking fee applies.
For more information contact visitorservices@greensandtrust.org, call 01525 234260 or call into the
Visitor Centre . Website http://www.greensandtrust.org/Rushmere.html
Herons View Visitor Centre
Rushmere Country Park
Linslade Road
Heath and Reach
LU7 0EB
Out & About
www.thevinemagazine.co.uk62
Step On ItBREAKBREADBREEDCREEDGREEDGREEN
AnswersCrossword
Across: 7 Repair 8 Damage 10 Verbose
11 Agree 12 Road 13 Tally 17 State
18 Moor 22 Tramp 23 Tension 24 Fluffy
25 Rugged
Down: 1 Bravery 2 Spartan 3 Pilot
4 Manacle 5 Harry 6 Sever 9 Devastate
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19 Stuff
If interested, please contactPAUL HELEY on
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Qualified Town Guide & Speakeroffers
Walks & Talks Dealing With Early & Medieval Dunstable
including stories relating to -• The Rise of Dunstable
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Travel accounts etc.twitter.com/pchelpcentre
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PC Help Centre
Issue 67 • October / November 2015 63
• Conservatories • Windows • Doors • Aluminium Seamless Guttering• Garage Doors • Car Ports • GRP Flat Roofing
Visit your local showroom at Leighton Buzzard Garden Centre, Leighton Road, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, LU7 9NX
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