The Vine Villages - October/November 2013 - Issue 10

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October/November 2013 Issue 10

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Editors:Scott NightingaleShelly Nesbitt

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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 mate-rial included within this publication.No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission.

Popup Dunstable 6Town At The Crossroads 10 A Travellers Tale 12Looking Up! 16What’s Best For You - Ebay 20Aged Concerns 24 Allergies 26In The Garden 28Auto-biographies 30Give It Some Welly! 32The Magic Of Fireworks 34The Poppy’s Appeal 40Puzzles 42Out & About 44

Advertising: Shelly Nesbitt01525 22237907852 [email protected]

This Month...

Copy deadline for our next issue - 15th November 2013

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Popup Dunstable 6Town At The Crossroads 10 A Travellers Tale 12Looking Up! 16What’s Best For You - Ebay 20Aged Concerns 24 Allergies 26In The Garden 28Auto-biographies 30Give It Some Welly! 32The Magic Of Fireworks 34The Poppy’s Appeal 40Puzzles 42Out & About 44

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6

Paranormal Investigators come to Priory House, Dunstable - AgainShadow on the stairs…

“APIS (Anglia Para-normal Investigation Society) member PW had taken some photo-graphs up there (in the-attic area) in the dark, and when they were developed a shadow could be seen on the back stairs leading to the attic, it is a small silhouette, and it could just be that of a little child…”The above is an exert taken from “Ghostly Bedford-shire… Reinvestigated by APIS founder Damien O’Dell,and Damien along with other members of APIS are holding an Investigation Evening at Priory House.Would you like to join them? Are you brave enough? Do you fancy taking part in a real ghost hunt? Visit the parts of Priory House that are nor-mally closed off to the public.Tickets for the evening are priced at £30 and the evening runs from 8:30 pm to 1 am in the morning. The price will include a small buffet, and tea and coffee throughout the evening.The book “Ghostly Bedfordshire… Reinvestigated is available priced £9.95 from Priory House Gift Shop

Community Hedge Planting DaySunday 24th November.

Have you ever thought you would like to have a go at helping local wildlife but have not been sure where to start?An opportunity to find out about what’s going on your local nature reserve, meet our friendly team and others in your community. Help plant a wildlife corridor.First session starts 10am. Second session starts 1.30pm. Open finish time. Pack down 4pm.Blows Downs Nature Reserve Dunstable. Meeting point The Paddocks entrance at the end of Half Moon Lane .LU54AEBooking recommended as limited capacity.Adults and children welcome. Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.No previous experience required. Outdoor cloth-ing and sturdy footwear is essential. Please bring gardening gloves if you have them. All equipment provided. This is a free activity!To book or for further information please contact:Ruth Sneath on 01525 874 317or email: [email protected]

Community Hedge Planting Day Sunday 24th November.

Have you ever thought you would like to have a go at helping local wildlife but have not been sure where to start?

An opportunity to find out about what’s going on your local nature reserve, meet our friendly team and others in your

community. Help plant a wildlife corridor.

First session starts 10 am. Second session starts 1.30 pm. Open finish time. Pack down 4pm.

To book or for further information please contact: Ruth Sneath on 01525 874 317 or email: [email protected]

The wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire - The Manor House Broad Street Great Cambourne Cambridge, CB23 6DH Charity Number 1000412

Blows Downs Nature Reserve Dunstable. Meeting point The Paddocks entrance at the

end of Half Moon Lane .LU54AE Booking recommended as limited capacity.

Adults and children welcome. Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult. No previous experience required. Outdoor clothing and sturdy footwear is essential.

Please bring gardening gloves if you have them. All equipment provided.

This is a free activity

Community Hedge Planting Day Sunday 24th November.

Have you ever thought you would like to have a go at helping local wildlife but have not been sure where to start?

An opportunity to find out about what’s going on your local nature reserve, meet our friendly team and others in your

community. Help plant a wildlife corridor.

First session starts 10 am. Second session starts 1.30 pm. Open finish time. Pack down 4pm.

To book or for further information please contact: Ruth Sneath on 01525 874 317 or email: [email protected]

The wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire - The Manor House Broad Street Great Cambourne Cambridge, CB23 6DH Charity Number 1000412

Blows Downs Nature Reserve Dunstable. Meeting point The Paddocks entrance at the

end of Half Moon Lane .LU54AE Booking recommended as limited capacity.

Adults and children welcome. Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult. No previous experience required. Outdoor clothing and sturdy footwear is essential.

Please bring gardening gloves if you have them. All equipment provided.

This is a free activity

Popup Dunstable Announces First Start-Up Retailers

An empty shop in Dunstable has been transformed into a pop-up outlet for Bedfordshire entrepreneurs – and has confirmed one of its first retailers is a nine-year-old schoolboy from Lidlington.Henry Patterson, who runs boutique online confection-ary start-up with help from his mum Becky, will join other local businesses in a bid to rekindle shoppers’ love for Dunstable’s high street scene – as well as generate awareness about his online offering.Not Before Tea offers a range of themed sweetie jars for kids, such as Mud & Worms, Mallow Meadows and Al-iens in Space, which make great gifts and include glass pens to decorate the jars once they’re empty.Henry, who came up with the idea for Not Before Tea based on his Mum’s response when he asked for sweets, also includes handy reward stickers for parents to give their kids to make sure they brush their teeth.He’ll be joined by online jewellery and accessories brand , run by part-time restaurant manager Julie Koch from her home in the Priory area of Dunstable.Julie, who used to run local nightclub Cinderella Rock-afella before it changed hands, runs her online business when she gets home at night and at the weekend – but has always dreamed of growing her business enough to take on her own shop.She said: “I’m really looking forward to creating a buzz in Ashton Square by doing something different. People need to recognise that by supporting local busi-nesses, they are boosting their own local economy. Local businesses employ local people and use local ser-vices, so it’s in everyone’s interest to support what we’re doing at PopUp Dunstable.“I hope to use the experience to build my business towards a more permanent presence on the high street as well as running my online brand.”The pop-up shop opens on October 3 and will run for three months and new start-up retailers will regularly share the space for between two and four weeks. There is still room for more businesses to be part of the initia-tive ahead of the impending Christmas rush.The shop has the capacity to house four start-ups, co-working and co-funding the space at a time. Retailers will range from fashion to home wares, to unique hand-made gifts and chocolates. The shops reflect the trend that more than 70% of busi-nesses are now started and run from home by people with a passion for what they do. According to a recent Government report into business, 95.5% of all British businesses are micro businesses, employing 7.8 million people and contributing 20% of private sector turnover.The day-to-day running of the shop will be the responsi-bility of Dunstable Town Council.Cllr Terry Colbourne Vice Chairman of Dunstable Joint Committee stated “We are still looking for more local entrepreneurs to step forward and get involved in PopUp Dunstable. It’s an exciting opportunity for small busi-nesses that don’t already have a presence on Dunstable’s High Street to give it a go at minimum cost and risk. “Initiatives like this go to the heart of our mission - to work towards developing an economically and socially vibrant community in a sustainable environment.”Local businesses interested in taking part should call 01582 513000

7www.thevinemagazine.co.uk

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POST OFFICE HOURSMon to Fri – 9am to 5.30pm

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9

High Street, Eggington. LU7 9PDTel: (01525) 211814 / 210796Email: [email protected] www.cgrestaurant.co.uk

Open 7 days a week including public holidaysMon - Sat: 5pm - 11pm Sun: 12 Noon - 10.30pm

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10

The Town At The Crossroads - Part IXDunstable

By Paul Heley

Picture: Bedford Castle

Medieval history is littered with “baddies”. It seems that almost anyone who exercised any form of

power was quite prepared to lie and cheat - even to kill - in order to further his, or his family’s, cause.In a previous piece, I mentioned Dun-stable’s very own 12th century baddie - Dun the Robber. Although he’s the “hero” of many a local story, there’s considerable doubt as to whether he actually existed. Is he fact or fiction? Good question. But our other local baddie - Falkes de Breaute - definitely isn’t fiction. He’s fact; and, unfortu-nately for the people of Luton and Dunstable during the early part of the 13th century, he was horribly real.Falkes (or Faux or Vaux - people weren’t very good at spelling in those days) was basically a nasty piece of work who worked as a mercenary soldier for King John (another nasty piece of work). Falkes liked bashing people up - and he was very good at it - as shown by his successful campaign against the Welsh in 1211 and when he captured Bedford Castle in 1215 (for which he became its “keeper”).John, you will recall, was the king who, in 1215, was forced to sign the Magna Carta following earlier skir-mishes with the reforming barons. So it must have seemed that John had lost; and that Magna Carta had become part of English law. But the Pope (bless him!) declared the charter invalid. This was manna from Heaven for John who promptly reneged on every agreement. Fisticuffs broke out once more, but not for long, because John did something really useful in October, 1216, when he died: to be succeeded by his 9 year old son, Henry 3rd. With the king being so young, governance was con-ducted through a Council - of whom Falkes was one.He (Falkes) secured the Lordship of the Manor of Luton in 1216 and when in 1217, he broke a siege on Lincoln Castle, he was appointed Sherriff of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire and five other counties. He was now very powerful and built a castle at Luton and a large house in south Lon-

don known as Faux’s Hall. The area around Faux’s Hall became known as Vauxhall (and when the engineer-ing concern, which had started there, moved to Luton in 1905 to become Vauxhall Motors, one might say that the ghost of Falkes had returned).By 1218, England was peaceful; ie no more work for Falkes and his thugs. So, rather than bash up the king’s opponents, he decided to bash up his own people instead and, basically, became a war lord. To compound matters, there was another shady char-acter who had built himself a “castle” at Eaton (the Bray bit came later) who also enjoyed beating people up. The Dunstable Annals for 1220 record that the town suffered from both camps and was subjected to marauding soldiers demanding food and provisions. Since these soldiers were quite prepared to kill, life in Dunstable was pretty grim.In 1223, the people approached the judiciary and outlined their grievances. Falkes was summoned to appear at Bedford County Assizes; but he refused to attend. He was summoned a second time but, again, refused to attend. On the third time, the king (now 16 or 17 years old) ordered Falkes to attend court at Dunstable Priory. Yet again, he refused. In his absence, he was found guilty on 35 counts which so incensed him, he attempted to kidnap the three judiciars. Fortunately, an early warning enabled two of them to escape but the third wasn’t so lucky and was ambushed, carted off to Bedford Castle and thrown in the dungeons alongside other prisoners.

Henry was furious and ordered Falkes to appear personally before him but Falkes fled, instead, to his friend, the Earl of Chester. Upon this fourth refusal, Henry promptly ordered the

siege of Bedford Castle.Preparation was slow and laborious in assembling all the elaborate equipment and personnel required, eg mangonels (huge, rock throwing machines), batter-ing rams, protective coverings, attack towers and flame throwers; crossbow-men to shoot from these high towers and miners to dig under and therefore to weaken the castle walls. It must be realised that during all this time, the people in the castle were denied access to food and water and had to survive on what they had in store. Starvation, for a siege, was another powerful weapon.But when all was ready, and in recognition of the atrocities suffered by Dunstable at the hands of Falkes, the “Men of Dunstable” were given the (extremely dubious) priviledge of lead-ing the first, and subsequent, assaults. It was a case of “Well done, chaps. You can be the first to die honourably”!!Altogether there were four assaults (with some Dunstable men being killed and others captured) in which each assault inflicted further damage. Finally the castle said “OK Henry, you win”.Upon surrender, all prisoners were released and the women and children allowed to go free. But more than 80 of the male defenders were hung upon the king’s orders (which only proves that, in medieval times, it was even tougher than today being a man!)Falkes was eventually captured and brought to trial and again found guilty on all counts. But, because of past loy-alty to the king’s father (John), his life was spared. However, he was required to forfeit all his castles, lands and possessions - and he was outlawed. Promising to live a pious life - difficult to believe - he went first to Rome, met with the Pope, then set off to join a Crusade starting from southern France. But he died in 1226 at St Ciriac before embarking upon his journey.So the men of Dunstable were instru-mental in conducting a medieval siege in order to remove a local war lord and tyrant. For this, they were allowed last-ing honour and a share in the spoils.

Town At The Crossroads ~ Part VIII By Paul Heley

18 19

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To advertise call: 01525 222379 / 07988 131647

/ E-mail: [email protected] Please mention The Vine when responding to adverts

Medieval history is littered with “baddies”. It seems that almost anyone who exercised any form of

power was quite prepared to lie and cheat - even to kill - in order to further his, or his family’s, cause.In a previous piece, I mentioned Dunstable’s very own 12th century baddie - Dun the Robber. Although he’s the “hero” of many a local story, there’s considerable doubt as to whether he actually existed. Is he fact or fiction? Good question. But our other local baddie - Falkes de Breaute - definitely isn’t fiction. He’s fact; and, unfortunately for the people of Luton and Dun-stable during the early part of the 13th century, he was horribly real.Falkes (or Faux or Vaux - people weren’t very good at spelling in those days) was basically a nasty piece of work who worked as a mercenary soldier for King John (another nasty piece of work). Falkes liked bash-ing people up - and he was very good at it - as shown by his success-ful campaign against the Welsh in 1211 and when he captured Bedford Castle in 1215 (for which he became its “keeper”).John, you will recall, was the king who, in 1215, was forced to sign the Magna Carta following earlier skir-mishes with the reforming barons. So it must have seemed that John had lost; and that Magna Carta had become part of English law. But the Pope (bless him!) declared the charter invalid. This was manna from Heaven for John who promptly reneged on every agreement. Fisticuffs broke out once more, but not for long, because John did something really useful in October, 1216, when he died: to be succeeded by his 9 year old son, Henry 3rd. With the king being so young, governance was conducted through a Council - of whom Falkes was one.He (Falkes) secured the Lordship of the Manor of Lu-ton in 1216 and when in 1217, he broke a siege on Lincoln Castle, he was appointed Sherriff of Bedford-shire and Buckinghamshire and five other counties. He was now very powerful and built a castle at Luton and a large house in south London known as Faux’s Hall. The area around Faux’s Hall became known as

Vauxhall (and when the engineering concern, which had started there, moved to Luton in 1905 to become Vauxhall Motors, one might say that the ghost of Falkes had returned).By 1218, England was peaceful; ie no more work for Falkes and his thugs. So, rather than bash up the king’s opponents, he decided to bash up his own people in-stead and, basically, became a war lord. To compound matters, there was another shady character who had built himself a “castle” at Eaton (the Bray bit came lat-er) who also enjoyed beating people up. The Dunstable Annals for 1220 record that the town suffered from

both camps and was subjected to maraud-ing soldiers demanding food and provisions. Since these soldiers were quite prepared to kill, life in Dunstable was pretty grim.In 1223, the people approached the judici-ary and outlined their grievances. Falkes was summoned to appear at Bedford County As-

sizes; but he refused to attend. He was summoned a second time but, again, refused to attend. On the third time, the king (now 16 or 17 years old) ordered Falkes to attend court at Dunstable Priory. Yet again, he re-fused. In his absence, he was found guilty on 35 counts which so incensed him, he attempted to kidnap the three judiciars. Fortunately, an early warning enabled two of them to escape but the third wasn’t so lucky and was ambushed, carted off to Bedford Castle and thrown in the dungeons alongside other prisoners.Henry was furious and ordered Falkes to appear personally before him but Falkes fled, instead, to his friend, the Earl of Chester. Upon this fourth refusal, Henry promptly ordered the siege of Bedford Castle.Preparation was slow and laborious in assembling all the elaborate equipment and personnel required, eg mangonels (huge, rock throwing machines), battering rams, protective coverings, attack towers and flame throwers; crossbowmen to shoot from these high tow-ers and miners to dig under and therefore to weaken the castle walls. It must be realised that during all this time, the people in the castle were denied access to

Pictured above: Bedford Castle

1110

Sparrow Hall Farm, Edlesborough, LU6 2ESwww.silverarrowarchery.co.uk [email protected] 229374

Silver Arrow provides fun events, coaching, courses, archery

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DUNSTABLE TOWN GUIDESare offering two new walks called 1

-"Medieval Dunstable and its Hidden Priory" and 2 - "Dunstable's Hidden Priory" in celebration of the 800th anniversary of the consecration of the Augustinian Priory on 18th October, 1213.

Referring to both walks, the full Priory was considerably larger than the church which remains today and the walks will demonstrate its original great extent and its everyday conduct. In addition, on Walk 1, there will be a brief explanation as to how, and why, the town came into being in the early 1100s.

Walk 1 will last approximately one hour and Walk 2 slightly less. In both cases the degree of walking difficulty is easy.

Walk 1 will be held at 11am every Saturday morning from June 1st to October 19th starting at Priory House on High Street South, whilst Walk 2 will be held at 11am on the first Sunday in each month from June 2nd to October 6th starting at the Priory Church car park.

There is NO CHARGE for either walk,and anyone who is interested in learning something about the considerable history of Dunstable will be very welcome.

Walk This Way!

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For all your painting & decorating requirementsDomestic and Commercial

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A

Travellers

Tale

Bolting Round The Baltic : Part I

By Paul Heley

This year we thought we'd do what a lot of other people have done for many years and go

on one of the Baltic cruises and see some of the historic cities before they become indistinguishable from each other in the ever increasing drive towards global uniformity.Previous cruises for us have always been to out of the way, often tiny, sce-nic places which insist that the ship be small - really small otherwise they can't get into the little coves, fjords and rivers. But this time, because we were going to large cities instead, we opted for a ship described as "small" but which still carried approximately 600 passengers - absolutely huge in comparison!A definite bonus for us was that the cruise started and finished at Dover which meant that our journeys there and back were no more than 3 hours each way. And since we could park the car only yards from where the ship was berthed, this made things even easier.Our first destination was Copenhagen. Mercifully, the sea was very calm so there were no problems on that front (I'm not a good sailor!). At dinner in the restaurant on the first evening, we found ourselves with a group of four Canadians from Vancouver Island who all knew each other and we feared we might be "guinea pigs". But they immediately invited us into their world so it was all very friendly (and something of a relief!)But the cafeteria (with its amazing selection of food) rather than the restaurant was our usual choice for breakfast and lunch. During the

fortnight we met all manner of in-teresting people from UK, America, Canada, Australia and many other parts of the world and what was so noticeable was the easy going attitude everywhere - most likely because this was an American ship. But having said that, it was not a complete free for all where anything goes and I had to endure three Cap-tain's Dinners where dress was very formal. Personally, I hate this sort of thing - but the ladies love it!Arriving in Copenhagen, the weather was dull and overcast with a hint of rain. However, it cleared as we were taken on a coach trip around the city. We were shown the Little Mermaid - the emphasis is on Little! - and build-ings of civic importance but I'm afraid the Danish capital didn't really set my juices racing. No doubt, it's my fault. Other people found it fascinating.On our return, we went for Afternoon Tea - a trip down Nostalgia Avenue with little fingers in the air, delicate sandwiches, tiny cakes, and scones with strawberry jam and cream. As Oscar Wilde once said "I can resist anything except temptaion" - and we found it very difficult not to succumb at these times.In the evenings there was always a show of some sort given either by a troupe of singers and dancers (who were very slick and well rehearsed) or by solo performers. I was pleased to discover a little jazz duo who played until quite late each evening and caused me to lose a lot of sleep (why is it always assumed that jazz fans are insomniacs?!)After Copenhagen, there followed

three places in quick succession :- Klaipeda (in Lithuania), Riga (Latvia) and Tallinn (Estonia) - the so called Baltic States. Each one greeted us with absolutely wonderful weather with the blue skies and sunshine which lasted throughout the entire trip. We were so lucky.Although Riga and Tallinn are capital cities, Klaipeda is simply a port on the Baltic. But it has a large central square where a local band in regional costume performed Lithuanian folk music. Very enjoyable. There were also lots of small stalls selling amber jewelry and hand made wooden toys. I already knew that the Baltic region is where most amber originates but had always thought it to be purplish brown. But, in fact, it comes in all col-ours with the cream coloured variety (apparently) the more valuable. How-ever, if an insect is trapped inside, this adds further value (amber is fossilised tree resin). Val bought a bracelet from a handsome and persuasive young man who spoke very good English!Riga was very different to Klaipeda. It's a big capital city with impressive buildings to match. We went ashore fairly early in the morning and went round the cathedral. Having seen many Anglican and a goodly number of Catholic cathedrals, I was interested to see how the Lutherans did things.


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14

In essence, they - perhaps not surprising consid-ering the founder of their Church - are far more sparse. One might say that Catholic cathedrals are dripping with elaborately decorated features whilst Anglican cathedrals are examples of soaring Gothic splendour. Lutheran cathedrals, in contrast, exude an elegant simplicity. Riga, a former Hanseatic city, is also famous for its Art Nouveau area where many of the buildings (often foreign embassies) are splendidly embossed. We eventually ricocheted to the particular area of town and were suitably impressed. But having got lost once or twice, our return to the ship became something of a stampede since we had to sail again in the early afternoon destined for Tallinn; where we arrived around 9.30 next morning. Of all the Baltic states, Estonia is the "must see" one because of Tallinn - a definite honeypot. We joined a coach trip and went first to an open air amphi-theatre where Estonians gather in vast numbers to sing their hearts out on special days. We were told about the history of the country - only fairly recently independent - and learnt that, like the other Baltic states, Estonia had been occupied by, and part of, just about every other power in the region at some time (especially Sweden and more latterly Russia). The Estonian language is close to Finnish - which means that it's nothing like any other Baltic lan-guage, or German, or Russian, or Scandinavian. How strange! There is also a large minority of Rus-sian speakers and, reflecting this strong Russian pres-ence, there is the Nevsky Cathedral; a kaleidoscope of icons and colour outdoing even the Catholics.A walking tour around the Old Town - made dif-ficult by the large cobblestones found in each of the Baltic states - showed many medieval buildings complete with sections of the original city walls and defensive towers. It's not surprising that Tallinn is regarded by many as the most interesting of these three countries - it certainly was with me.Sadly, Tallinn had been another quick look since, once again, we sailed out in the late afternoon head-ed for what most people regarded as the highlight of the entire cruise, namely St Petersburg. (To be continued)...

A Travellers

Tale (Continued)

An ideal present for anyone interested in the history

of Dunstable

Early Dunstable in Maps and Pictures

By Barry Horne and Brian Dix.

Illustrated by David Hornby and Vanessa Hornby.

This full-colour publication of 50 A4 pages with 57 illustrations

is essential reading for those with an interest in the early history

and development of Dunstable. Archaeological and

documentary evidence has been combined to produce a

fascinating story of the early years of the planned town that was

founded by Henry I soon after 1100 AD.

It will be of especial interest to those who took part in the

excavations of the town in the 60s, 70s and 80s under the

direction of the charismatic Les Matthews. An explanation for

the mysterious crosses which were found on Friary Field at the

time is provided by Brian Dix, a garden expert, using his

knowledge of Medieval gardens.

Using map and documentary evidence the site of the earliest

windmill in England has been identified as the Beecroft Estate,

Dunstable All profits from the sale of this publication will be donated to the

Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service.

Obtain your copy by sending a cheque for £13.40, payable to

Barry Horne, to Beaumont, Church End, Edlesborough,

Dunstable, Beds. LU6 2EP.

Further information from Barry Horne;

[email protected] Tel No 01525 221219

An ideal present for anyone interested

in the history of Dunstable!

This full-colour publication of 50 A4 pages with 57 illustrations is essential reading for those with an inter-est in the early history and development of Dunstable. Archaeological and documentary evidence has been combined to produce a fascinating story of the early years of the planned town that was founded by Henry I soon after 1100 AD.

It will be of especial interest to those who took part in the excavations of the town in the 60s, 70s and 80s under the direction of the charismatic Les Matthews. An explanation for the mysterious crosses which were found on Friary Field at the time is provided by Brian Dix, a garden expert, using his knowledge of Medieval gardens.

Using map and documentary evidence the site of the earliest windmill in England has been identified as the Beecroft Estate, Dunstable

All profits from the sale of this publication will be donated to the Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and

Records Service.

Obtain your copy by sending a cheque for £13.40, payable to Barry Horne, to:

Beaumont, Church End, Edlesborough, Dunstable, Beds. LU6 2EP.

Further information from Barry [email protected]

Tel No 01525 221219

Early Dunstable in Maps and PicturesBy Barry Horne and Brian Dix.

Illustrated by David Hornby and Vanessa Hornby.

www.thevinemagazine.co.uk15

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By Seb Jay

Looking Up!in October & November 2013

Bedfordshire’s Night Sky

Dark Sky Telescope [email protected]

Galaxy Hunting from the Chilterns: Autumn nights are a great time to go galaxy hunting. All you need is a pair of binoculars or a small tele-scope, and a dark location. Up on the Chilterns, away from town lights, is ideal. The Andromeda Galaxy is on show in the early evenings. At 2,500,000 light years from Earth it is one of our closest neighbouring galaxies. Look for an arc of 3 bright stars high up in the east after dark, just below the ‘W’ of Cassiopeia. The Andromeda Galaxy is located a small distance above the central star in the arc.

Watch the Sky for 3 Meteor Showers: October 7th, October 20th-21st and November 16th-17th are your meteor-watching diary dates this autumn. Of the three showers the Leonids on 16th-17th November could be the surprise package if the 1000+ meteors-per-hour storm of 1966 is repeated!

Good Evening Jupiter: November sees Jupiter climb into the evening sky in the East. At the start of the month it rises by 9pm and is well-placed to view in binoculars or a telescope by 10:30pm. As November progresses so Jupiter rises earlier each evening. By the end of the month it is up above the horizon by 7:30pm. To identify it look for a bright ‘star’ like object in the East in the constellation of Gemini.

Image: Torben Bjorn Hansen

16

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Mabel’s News

from AppledownHello again! I am Mabel the resident dog at Appledown Rescue and Rehoming Kennels in Eaton Bray. I want to tell you about the exciting events we are running over the next couple of months. We hope that you will come along and have fun while helping us raise funds for the many dogs in our care.

Charity Dance NightFriday 6th September

Another of our popular dances at St. John’s Hall, Sundon Park Road, Luton at 7.30pm Favourite dance numbers from the sixties through to the nineties. Tickets £8, includes light supper, available from Appledown.

Sponsored Walk

Sunday 8th September On Dunstable Downs. Register between 10am to 12pm Please contact us for details and a sponsorship form.

Evening Dog WalkThursday 12th September

On Dunstable Downs. Enjoy a gentle guided walk that lasts around 1-1½ hours. Starts 6pm Please contact the kennels for details.

Open Day & Fun Dog ShowSaturday 14th September

At the kennels. Lots of classes, lots of stalls! Something for everyone! Enter on the day. 11am – 4pm (classes start 12pm).

Fun Dog RunSunday 20th October

How fit are you and your dog?! Put it to the test over routes of 5K or 10K on Dunstable Downs. Contact us for more details.

If you feel you can offer a dog 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. Please note that we have restrictions on rehoming dogs to families with children under 7 years of age, so please ask for details.

Appledown Rescue and Rehoming Kennels, Harling Road, Eaton Bray, Beds LU6 1QY

Call 01525 220383 . E-mail [email protected]

Facebook – Appledown Rescue and Rehoming Kennels.(Reg. Charity No. 1116848)

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What ’s Best For You

ebayThe ubiquitous giant online auction site eBay may seem a relatively

simple beast. Yet beneath the shiny shop front there are a host of hidden secrets enabling you to pay less.

By Martin Lewis martin LEWIS Bill Shock By Martin Lewis

business & finance

It’s the financial nightmares you never thought would

happen that really hurt. So here’s how to fight back against

the top 10 hidden bill perils.

1. “My six-year-old spent £3,200 on an iPhone game”.

Letting youngsters sit on your knee while you use your

smartphone or tablet means they’re likely to know your

password which in turn can be pretty expensive.

Recently, England player Sam Vesty got smacked with a

£3,200 bill after his six and eight year olds bought their

virtual farm animals a mountain of food, with real cash at

£70 a pop over three hours. This is just one of the countless

examples I’ve heard of. It’s disgusting that a kids’ game

allows this, but it happens, so protect yourself.

If you’re going to let the kids use your tech, there are tips

to follow. Protect your password—your kids may know it

without you knowing so change it regularly. Plus ensure

your phone’s “app purchases” setting is restricted, so it

needs a password. Most phones let you do this. Also speak

to your network about financial and parental controls.

An alternative with iPhones is to delink your credit/debit

card from your account and buy vouchers instead. Then it’ll

never go over the top. And, finally, if all goes wrong and

you’ve been stung by a massive charge due to the kids, do

call up and explain. Often they’ll wipe it on a ‘one strike

and you’re out’ policy—as they did for the rugby-playing

dad.

2. Avoid paying £150 a month for busting your overdraft

Break your overdraft limit by even £1 and you can face

charges up to £5 a day or, at Clydesdale, up to £35 a

transaction. It’s very easy to get caught out, but extremely

costly, so ensure you stay in the black. If you have been

caught with a hefty amount of bank charges, many of you

will remember a few years ago I was urging people to

reclaim them. Some got thousands back. While a decision

in the Supreme Court put an end to that, rumours of the

death of bank charges reclaiming have been greatly

exaggerated.

If you’ve had charges and they’ve put in financial hardship,

you may still be able to reclaim. Full, step-by-step help at

www.moneysacvingexpert.com/bankcharges.

3. Beware traps offering £15 off your next purchase with

an online discount

Shockingly, even sites like The Trainline and Ticketmaster

have reportedly made an extra 30 pieces of silver by

allowing membership clubs like Shopper Discounts to push

these offers once you’ve bought stuff. Many have been

caught out, as MoneySavingExpert.com forum user

Sweetie27 wrote: Bought a train ticket and must have

clicked a link, as for two years Shopper Discounts has been

taking £10/mth from my account, now totalling “300. I did

not know anything about this and am totally gutted.”

Communications about these have marginally improved

since then but, be very careful—my view is these aren’t

worth signing up to.

4. Beware of debit card stealth charges when abroad.

Santander, NatWest, RBS, Halifax, Lloyds all add up to

£1.50 every time you use them to spend on them overseas.

AVOID! Instead, get a specialist overseas credit card—

Halifax Clarity, Post Office, Saga (over 50s) and for

Nationwide account holders ONLY, its select card. These

have no spending charge, low ATM fees and crucially they

don’t ‘load’ the exchange rate, meaning near perfect rates

worldwide. Yet the golden rule is to set up a direct debit to

repay these cards IN FULL each month to avoid interest.

Full help and full card-by-card breakdown at

www.moneysavingexpert.com/travelcards.

5. Watch TV online? Don’t pay a hidden £5 per film

Web players now pump out programmes with image

quality rivalling Sky and Virgin. Yet this hoovers up data

and many broadband packages have data limits. You can

be charged up to £5 per 5GB (about two HD films) if you’re

over your limit. Consider an unlimited package, normally

only a couple of quid a month more expensive.

6. “I got a £3,000 holiday mobile data bill.”

Many smartphone apps routinely check for updates and

downloads in the background and this can lead to monster

fees when abroad. Watching TV, videos or even streaming

music is worse.

Prices aren’t regulated outside Europe, so turn 3G off. One

of my users got stung with a £3,000 bill just for a few

emails and maps on a trip to India and the USA and leaving

their data roaming on whilst not using it.

7. Don’t ‘nearly’ repay cards in full—you’ll get an

unexpected slap…

Repay credit cards in full and you usually don’t pay any

interest. Yet if you owe £5,000 and repay £4,999 many

cards will still charge you that month’s interest on the

whole £5,000.

8. Beware of mobile voicemail which can be 35p a minute

Voicemail isn’t always free. Many firms charge a hideous

35p a minute if you call it when you’ve used your inclusive

minutes (or from abroad). It’s best to keep track of your

spending, or maybe turn it off whilst you’re on holiday.

9. Fixed your energy price? Watch for pricey ‘go-to’

tariffs.

Once a fixed energy tariff ends, you slide onto providers’

uncompetitive standard tariffs—up to £260/year more

than the cheapest. So diarise when it ends and switch

again or join my new Cheap Energy Club at

www.moneysavingexpert.com/CheapEnegryClub which

will do it for you.

10. Have debts were you bank or save? Beware…

If you have credit cards, loans or mortgages at the SAME

bank where you save then beware. Banks can legally ‘set

off’ or use your cash to repay your debts without asking

you. They tend to do it if you’re struggling to repay.

This has cancelled Christmases and left many in misery.

One proud dad told me he paid £12,000 to his daughters

account for her big day. Two days later, the bank used

£6,000 of it to pay off her credit card debt even through

there was a repayment plan in place. It’s legal. If you’re at

risk, the golden rule is to simply separate them and use

different financial institutions to save and to borrow.

Buy Stolen goods… legally

Police forces use an eBay-style site,

Bumblebeeauctions.co.uk, to sell lost property or goods

seized from criminals when they are unable to find the

rightful owners.

You pick them up in person from local nicks or get them

delivered. Great deals are possible, especially for bikes.

Some of the tasty bargains we found included a high-spec

specialised mountain bike for £50 (similar ones go for

about £200 on eBay) and a Wii drum set for £3.50.

You won’t find every force on the site—police in London,

Scotland and Northern Ireland aren’t there but you can

usually get items delivered anywhere in the UK (not large

items).

Urgent—check your Clubcard account now!

After my team and I pointed out to Tesco that people were

reporting Clubcard vouchers going missing from their

accounts, it asked police to investigate a possible breach of

data. Some people have lost hundreds of pounds worth of

vouchers, so check your online account now! If you notice

vouchers are missing, or your personal account details

have changed, contact Tesco’s Clubcard customer services

team on 0800 591 688.

@MoneySavExp

It all stems from the fact eBay’s a mammoth market-place with millions of goods and hordes of buyers competing for the same items. It’s all too easy to get sucked into bidding wars, with your finger quivering on the mouse, and then just overpaying at the last minute.Yet a host of hidden tools and websites allow you to hone in on hidden uber-deals overlooked by rival bidders. Here are my top eBay buyer’s tricks…

Exploit Speiling Mistakes

Typos and errors on eBay are incredibly common. Of course, that means fewer people searching for things, so the prices you get are rock bottom. A host of mistake spotters, such as www.fatfingers.co.uk, www.goofbid.com and www.bargainchecker.com trawl eBay for all possible spelling mistake combi-nations which have lower prices. While we’re on it, if you’re selling remember to use spell check.

Find Collection Only Bargains Near You

From designer sofas to skis and scooters, sellers often specify items are ‘collection only’. This means fewer competing bidders and serious local bargains.You can’t yet search for this on eBay, but if you go to my eBay Local Deals Mapper tool www.money-savingexpert.com/localebay it finds these bargains for you and maps how close they are. There’s also an Android and iPhone app version. Results can be powerful, such as this from my site user Jen_Jen1985: “Had been looking for a double buggy, but most ended up selling for around £40. I found one via the Local Deals tool and ended up winning it for £1.24!”

Bag No-Bid 99P Items

Often sellers start auctions at 99p or less, hoping a tug of war will break out between buyers. Many items go unspotted and stay at these super-low prices. It’s possible to scour eBay just for these with 99p spotter www.lastminute-auction.com.

Double-check delivery charges, as some sell-ers hope to recoup costs by charging little extra. Though eBay has now set maximum delivery charges for many categories.

Do You Need It?

Before I go to much further with this, just a quick word of warning about not getting carried away with bargains. It’s worth following my money man-tra before you spend cash. If you’re skint, first ask yourself “Do I need it?, Can I afford it? Have I checked whether it’s available cheaper elsewhere?!” If the answer to any of those is no, don’t buy it.

Buy Stolen Goods On The Cheap

Well, nearly, but great headline, you must admit. This one isn’t actually eBay, but is worth checking - it’s legal via police auction site www.bumble-beeauctions.co.uk. Forces in England and Wales use this eBay-style site to sell lost property or goods seized from criminals when they can’t find the rightful owner.It’s cracking for bicycles, among other things—for example a high-spec Specialized bike went for £50 (similar ones were £200 on eBay). Most larger items needs to be collected in person from local nicks. Some smaller items can be delivered, though check postage prices before buying.

Find Auctions Closing In The Dead Of Night

Listings that finish at anti-social times often get few-er bids (a warning for sellers there too). Pick a time slot and a www.baycrazy.com’s Night Time Bargain Searcher cruises for these vampiric bargains.

If you don’t fancy burning the midnight oil, com-bine this trick with auto-bidding tools on the next page, which can bid on your behalf while you’re deep in the land of nod.

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21


ebayThe ubiquitous giant online auction site eBay may seem a relatively

simple beast. Yet beneath the shiny shop front there are a host of hidden secrets enabling you to pay less.

By Martin Lewis martin LEWIS Bill Shock By Martin Lewis

business & finance

It’s the financial nightmares you never thought would

happen that really hurt. So here’s how to fight back against

the top 10 hidden bill perils.

1. “My six-year-old spent £3,200 on an iPhone game”.

Letting youngsters sit on your knee while you use your

smartphone or tablet means they’re likely to know your

password which in turn can be pretty expensive.

Recently, England player Sam Vesty got smacked with a

£3,200 bill after his six and eight year olds bought their

virtual farm animals a mountain of food, with real cash at

£70 a pop over three hours. This is just one of the countless

examples I’ve heard of. It’s disgusting that a kids’ game

allows this, but it happens, so protect yourself.

If you’re going to let the kids use your tech, there are tips

to follow. Protect your password—your kids may know it

without you knowing so change it regularly. Plus ensure

your phone’s “app purchases” setting is restricted, so it

needs a password. Most phones let you do this. Also speak

to your network about financial and parental controls.

An alternative with iPhones is to delink your credit/debit

card from your account and buy vouchers instead. Then it’ll

never go over the top. And, finally, if all goes wrong and

you’ve been stung by a massive charge due to the kids, do

call up and explain. Often they’ll wipe it on a ‘one strike

and you’re out’ policy—as they did for the rugby-playing

dad.

2. Avoid paying £150 a month for busting your overdraft

Break your overdraft limit by even £1 and you can face

charges up to £5 a day or, at Clydesdale, up to £35 a

transaction. It’s very easy to get caught out, but extremely

costly, so ensure you stay in the black. If you have been

caught with a hefty amount of bank charges, many of you

will remember a few years ago I was urging people to

reclaim them. Some got thousands back. While a decision

in the Supreme Court put an end to that, rumours of the

death of bank charges reclaiming have been greatly

exaggerated.

If you’ve had charges and they’ve put in financial hardship,

you may still be able to reclaim. Full, step-by-step help at

www.moneysacvingexpert.com/bankcharges.

3. Beware traps offering £15 off your next purchase with

an online discount

Shockingly, even sites like The Trainline and Ticketmaster

have reportedly made an extra 30 pieces of silver by

allowing membership clubs like Shopper Discounts to push

these offers once you’ve bought stuff. Many have been

caught out, as MoneySavingExpert.com forum user

Sweetie27 wrote: Bought a train ticket and must have

clicked a link, as for two years Shopper Discounts has been

taking £10/mth from my account, now totalling “300. I did

not know anything about this and am totally gutted.”

Communications about these have marginally improved

since then but, be very careful—my view is these aren’t

worth signing up to.

4. Beware of debit card stealth charges when abroad.

Santander, NatWest, RBS, Halifax, Lloyds all add up to

£1.50 every time you use them to spend on them overseas.

AVOID! Instead, get a specialist overseas credit card—

Halifax Clarity, Post Office, Saga (over 50s) and for

Nationwide account holders ONLY, its select card. These

have no spending charge, low ATM fees and crucially they

don’t ‘load’ the exchange rate, meaning near perfect rates

worldwide. Yet the golden rule is to set up a direct debit to

repay these cards IN FULL each month to avoid interest.

Full help and full card-by-card breakdown at

www.moneysavingexpert.com/travelcards.

5. Watch TV online? Don’t pay a hidden £5 per film

Web players now pump out programmes with image

quality rivalling Sky and Virgin. Yet this hoovers up data

and many broadband packages have data limits. You can

be charged up to £5 per 5GB (about two HD films) if you’re

over your limit. Consider an unlimited package, normally

only a couple of quid a month more expensive.

6. “I got a £3,000 holiday mobile data bill.”

Many smartphone apps routinely check for updates and

downloads in the background and this can lead to monster

fees when abroad. Watching TV, videos or even streaming

music is worse.

Prices aren’t regulated outside Europe, so turn 3G off. One

of my users got stung with a £3,000 bill just for a few

emails and maps on a trip to India and the USA and leaving

their data roaming on whilst not using it.

7. Don’t ‘nearly’ repay cards in full—you’ll get an

unexpected slap…

Repay credit cards in full and you usually don’t pay any

interest. Yet if you owe £5,000 and repay £4,999 many

cards will still charge you that month’s interest on the

whole £5,000.

8. Beware of mobile voicemail which can be 35p a minute

Voicemail isn’t always free. Many firms charge a hideous

35p a minute if you call it when you’ve used your inclusive

minutes (or from abroad). It’s best to keep track of your

spending, or maybe turn it off whilst you’re on holiday.

9. Fixed your energy price? Watch for pricey ‘go-to’

tariffs.

Once a fixed energy tariff ends, you slide onto providers’

uncompetitive standard tariffs—up to £260/year more

than the cheapest. So diarise when it ends and switch

again or join my new Cheap Energy Club at

www.moneysavingexpert.com/CheapEnegryClub which

will do it for you.

10. Have debts were you bank or save? Beware…

If you have credit cards, loans or mortgages at the SAME

bank where you save then beware. Banks can legally ‘set

off’ or use your cash to repay your debts without asking

you. They tend to do it if you’re struggling to repay.

This has cancelled Christmases and left many in misery.

One proud dad told me he paid £12,000 to his daughters

account for her big day. Two days later, the bank used

£6,000 of it to pay off her credit card debt even through

there was a repayment plan in place. It’s legal. If you’re at

risk, the golden rule is to simply separate them and use

different financial institutions to save and to borrow.

Buy Stolen goods… legally

Police forces use an eBay-style site,

Bumblebeeauctions.co.uk, to sell lost property or goods

seized from criminals when they are unable to find the

rightful owners.

You pick them up in person from local nicks or get them

delivered. Great deals are possible, especially for bikes.

Some of the tasty bargains we found included a high-spec

specialised mountain bike for £50 (similar ones go for

about £200 on eBay) and a Wii drum set for £3.50.

You won’t find every force on the site—police in London,

Scotland and Northern Ireland aren’t there but you can

usually get items delivered anywhere in the UK (not large

items).

Urgent—check your Clubcard account now!

After my team and I pointed out to Tesco that people were

reporting Clubcard vouchers going missing from their

accounts, it asked police to investigate a possible breach of

data. Some people have lost hundreds of pounds worth of

vouchers, so check your online account now! If you notice

vouchers are missing, or your personal account details

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It all stems from the fact eBay’s a mammoth market-place with millions of goods and hordes of buyers competing for the same items. It’s all too easy to get sucked into bidding wars, with your finger quivering on the mouse, and then just overpaying at the last minute.Yet a host of hidden tools and websites allow you to hone in on hidden uber-deals overlooked by rival bidders. Here are my top eBay buyer’s tricks…

Exploit Speiling Mistakes

Typos and errors on eBay are incredibly common. Of course, that means fewer people searching for things, so the prices you get are rock bottom. A host of mistake spotters, such as www.fatfingers.co.uk, www.goofbid.com and www.bargainchecker.com trawl eBay for all possible spelling mistake combi-nations which have lower prices. While we’re on it, if you’re selling remember to use spell check.

Find Collection Only Bargains Near You

From designer sofas to skis and scooters, sellers often specify items are ‘collection only’. This means fewer competing bidders and serious local bargains.You can’t yet search for this on eBay, but if you go to my eBay Local Deals Mapper tool www.money-savingexpert.com/localebay it finds these bargains for you and maps how close they are. There’s also an Android and iPhone app version. Results can be powerful, such as this from my site user Jen_Jen1985: “Had been looking for a double buggy, but most ended up selling for around £40. I found one via the Local Deals tool and ended up winning it for £1.24!”

Bag No-Bid 99P Items

Often sellers start auctions at 99p or less, hoping a tug of war will break out between buyers. Many items go unspotted and stay at these super-low prices. It’s possible to scour eBay just for these with 99p spotter www.lastminute-auction.com.

Double-check delivery charges, as some sell-ers hope to recoup costs by charging little extra. Though eBay has now set maximum delivery charges for many categories.

Do You Need It?

Before I go to much further with this, just a quick word of warning about not getting carried away with bargains. It’s worth following my money man-tra before you spend cash. If you’re skint, first ask yourself “Do I need it?, Can I afford it? Have I checked whether it’s available cheaper elsewhere?!” If the answer to any of those is no, don’t buy it.

Buy Stolen Goods On The Cheap

Well, nearly, but great headline, you must admit. This one isn’t actually eBay, but is worth checking - it’s legal via police auction site www.bumble-beeauctions.co.uk. Forces in England and Wales use this eBay-style site to sell lost property or goods seized from criminals when they can’t find the rightful owner.It’s cracking for bicycles, among other things—for example a high-spec Specialized bike went for £50 (similar ones were £200 on eBay). Most larger items needs to be collected in person from local nicks. Some smaller items can be delivered, though check postage prices before buying.

Find Auctions Closing In The Dead Of Night

Listings that finish at anti-social times often get few-er bids (a warning for sellers there too). Pick a time slot and a www.baycrazy.com’s Night Time Bargain Searcher cruises for these vampiric bargains.

If you don’t fancy burning the midnight oil, com-bine this trick with auto-bidding tools on the next page, which can bid on your behalf while you’re deep in the land of nod.


Build Amazon 75% bargain basements

Of course, eBay isn’t the only fruit. Amazon’s range and selection is huge, and therefore it is impossible for everyone to see everything. Yet there’s a trick you can use to manipulate its URLs (web addresses) to build section pages organised purely by the big-gest discounts, for example, beauty discounted by more than 75% or TVs by 25%.You can do this by carefully reconstructing its links with a bit of savvy. Easier, I’ve built a tool that does it for you—just go to www.moneysavingexpert.com/amazon, put in what you’re looking for and how big a discount you want and it builds the page instantly.

Be an eBay sniper…

Spotted something you want to buy on eBay? Bid too early and rival buyers bid back, forcing the price upwards. Sniping tools auto-bid for you in the last 10 seconds to seal cheaper deals. Top free auction snipers include Goofbid.com and www.gixen.com.A word of warning though - you need to give sniping sites your eBay password for them to work, which is a security concern. If you do sign up, never use the same password for eBay as you do for other accounts such as banks or email.

Don’t assume it’s cheapest because it’s on eBay

Never assume it’s a bargain until you’ve checked prices elsewhere first. Use shopbots (shopping robots), that whizz to scores of internet retailers to find the cheapest price. My MegaShopBot.com tool auto-searches the best of these for each category.

Reclaim 14 years of lost music

Buy CDs/vinyl from Amazon and its Auto rip servic-es mean you can not get the MP3s for nothing. Yet did you know this works for anything bought since 1999? So you can recover years worth of music from CDs you may have lost or damaged. To check for lost music, just log on to Amazon.co.uk’s Cloud Player to see what music’s in there - you can then stream or download it. In 10 minutes, one member of my team found 150 albums going back 13 years.

Free translation Andriod app for 50 languages

There’s a handy trick to turn an Android smart-phone into translator for free. Just download Google Translate from the Google Play store. Do this in the UK before you go, and you won’t need data to use it overseas. There are 50 languages to choose from, including French, Spanish, Greek and Thai.

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www.thevinemagazine.co.uk24

By Mike Newman

Aged Concerns... A Pensioners View

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.

The

Food banks are not an 'aged concern' be-cause the food banks were formed by the

Trussell Trust for those, who in these hard times, found themselves without a job and quite a long delay before they obtained the credits they were due from the benefits scheme. The original idea was to tide a person, or family, over a lean financial period where, in a lot of cases, the money was not readily available to feed oneself or family. The maximum number of food bank supplies to any one person is three, by then, it was hoped that benefits would be available to take care of the problem of not being able to purchase food without borrowing money to do so.That is how it was, but things have changed over the last seven months since I became a volunteer working in the Dunstable & surrounding area's of Bedfordshire. The rules remain the same but the conditions have worsened as far as claimants are

concerned, due to benefit cuts , the need to pay a por-tion of council tax, where at one time this was not required and other various caps and cuts to the benefits schemes means that ever more are using food banks to help them feed them-selves and their families. When we first started our food bank in the Dunstable Downside area, on some days nobody would come in with a voucher for food, this was back in March this year, at today's session we were working the whole of our opening time. As it is with all such schemes the poorer members of the working class are those who make up the most of our customers.It was ever thus, Look at all our past National financial calamities. It is the poorer members of the public who suffer, ask anyone who was around in the 1930's, may-be your grandparents were the ones who were prom-ised 'A land fit for hero's to live in' found that they were forced to sell their furniture and other household goods

to put food on the table. They relied on charity, the same as we do today.Food banks are a necessity at the present time and will be for a considerable time to come. To feed those with insufficient income to feed themselves or family, then charity is the only answer and the food bank is a charity. It relies on its food supplies from donations from people like you either donating food or money with which to purchase food and there is no doubt that people, local people, do support the food bank principles. Collections are made at the local super markets, you may have seen them in operation, there have been several collections over the last few months. Next time you see one perhaps you would consider buying a couple of extra tins or donate some cash. Or if you want to know more, phone 01582 248410 you will be helping someone, or a family, who because of governments austerity at all costs, cannot help themselves.

Foodbank

www.thevinemagazine.co.uk 25

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The UK is one of the top three countries in the world for the highest incidence of allergy! An estimated 21 million adults in the UK suffer from at least one allergy and an estimated 10 million suffer from more than one.

These are the latest startling figures given by Allergy UK, but you may be surprised to learn that the figure of people affected adversely by food, chemicals and airborne substances may be much higher, as these figures only cover those suffering from a true allergy, when many are actually suffering from a different type of allergic reaction known as ‘intolerance ‘or ‘sensitivity’. This can give a wide variety of symptoms, in-cluding fatigue, joint pain, dark circles under the eyes, night sweats, migraine, digestive symptoms such as bloating or diarrhoea, skin problems such as eczema and many more.

As these symptoms can take up to 72 hours to show themselves, it can sometimes be difficult to work out what is causing your low mood or fuzzy brain, but you could try keeping a food diary. If you find a food you suspect, try leaving it (and everything containing it) out of your diet for at least 2 weeks. If you feel better, then continue to avoid it for at least another 10 weeks to give your body time to forget the reaction it had previously, before reintroducing it slowly. You may find that several foods seem to be a problem and the quantity you eat may also be relevant, so you have to be quite vigilant with this. Supplements such as Vitamin C, Quercetin and Bromelain can act as a very effective natural anti histamine for some people who suffer with this type of reaction and be very helpful, as can tak-ing a good digestive enzyme product from your local health shop, as low natural levels of these chemicals can be a factor in digestive issues.Jacquey O’BrienLibra Health01525 378894/07990 976207

FOOD INTOLERANCE Could It Be Your Problem!

So many people these days suffer from digestive difficulties; issues such as bloating, stomach pain, constipation, diarrhoea and flatulence have almost become commonplace.

The first thing you must do, if you have had any of these symptoms for more than a couple of weeks, or they seem to be getting worse, is to see your GP. If you are then given a diagnosis of IBS and there are no other underlying issues, there are many things you can do for yourself to help the situation, whether or not you are given medication.

Remember that stress is often a major trigger for digestive disturbance, so it’s important to try and minimize, or deal with stressful situations. Often, stress can’t be avoided (we NEED an amount of stress in order to function properly but when we have too much or deal with it ineffectively it can cause problems), so look for a form of relaxation that suits you. meditation, hypnotherapy, massage, floating, or perhaps you need counselling to deal with a specific issue.

Avoid foods to which you are intolerant. Eat regu-larly! Make sure you are eating ‘mindfully’. Meals should be taken in as calm a manner as possible and must be chewed properly. It is recommended that each mouthful is chewed AT LEAST 30 times before swallowing. Try it – you may not always do it, but it will make you aware of just how quickly you (and most of us!) bolt your food down.

Don’t drink water or soft drinks within 30 minutes of your meal – they can dilute your natural digestive juices, giving your body a more difficult job to do.

Natural supplements from a good health food shop may also help. A good probiotic can be useful, as can a digestive enzyme product. We start to make less enzymes naturally from the age of 35 and produc-tion can also be slowed by many things, including stress - THAT word again. (Enzymes must NOT be taken with gastritis or a history of, or current peptic or duodenal ulcer).Jacquey O’Brien, Libra Health 01525 378894 / 07990 976207

Do you have an ‘unhappy tummy?’

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In The Garden A beginners guide to…

Planning For Autumn

Nearly everyone has ac-cess to a digital camera or phone camera, either our own or a helpful family member. If you are lucky enough to have an upstairs room that overlooks your entire garden, take a photograph and print it out as large as possible on normal office paper. If not you can still take a series of pictures and use them for different areas, or draw a rough sketch.

Now use your printout or drawing to mark where there are gaps in your planting, while it is still fresh in your mind from time in your garden during the summer

months. Note where you needed more colour, places where plants are not thriving and parts of the garden that would be better off hidden. You may think you will remember what you had in mind when next Spring comes around but you will thank yourself for this handy reminder. Now think of the colours you would like to see and research the plants to buy in the Spring or you can even buy the seeds now.

This is also the time to plan more ambitious projects such as decking, patios and ponds as well as purchases such as

sheds, statues and water features, gazebos and pergola. With a birds eye view of your garden you can see where these will fit best. If you are planning to make a pond you will need to do this when the ground is still soft before the hard frosts hit otherwise digging can be impos-sible November time is great and March if we are lucky.

Finally don't forget that bright coloured pots and winter flowering pansies can still add splashes of colour in the darker months, plant them before the end of November.

As we creep into Autumn it is a great time to make a plan for next year's garden and you don't need to be a

professional landscaper to do it!

Other jobs to be getting on with...October• Clear up fallen leaves regularly• Cut back perennials• Divide herbaceous perennials for more plants• Move tender plants to green house• Harvest fruit• Prune climbing roses• Give the lawn its last mow

November• Protect outdoor containers with bubble wrap or fleece• Plant tulip bulbs ready for Spring• Put out bird food

Make A Plan!Now is the time to... Good planning and preparation can make this time of year a dra-matic moment in the garden, but if you feel your outside space lacks autumn pizzazz, the work for next year’s spectacle begins right now. You still have time to plant late flowering herbaceous perennials and hardy grasses, both of which have beautiful flowers in bloom right now, but aim to do this at the beginning of October. Experiment with vivid red Helenium such as 'Rubinzwerg' which look fantastic when planted in front of the biscuit coloured flower spikes of Calama-grostis 'Karl Foerster', or try the much lower, but no less dramatic double pink flowers of Colchicum 'Water lily' towards the front of the border.I would challenge anyone who does not favour grasses to find another species which offers colour and texture to match this diverse range of plants. As I sit in the au-tumn garden right now, perched on a cold metal bench, I can admire the wonderful tall arching stems of Stipa gigantea swaying in the gentle breeze. Standing proud since July, this majestic grass will carry on performing until the heavy snow flattens the delicate oat-like flower spikes.If the subtlety of the grassy flowers are not enough to sustain your need for autumn colour, then try Aster 'October Skies' for a splash of late season lilac. The daisy like flowers are produced in abundance over a long period of time, and the great news is that it’s happy growing on dry poor soil in sun or even part shade. It won't get much bigger than 45cm tall so doesn’t need staking and the colours seem to intensify as the light levels fall.As we progress further into the month, the bright yellows, oranges and reds synonymous with Octo-ber, slowly deepen before fading to a muddy brown.


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THIS MOTOR is more budget than bling, but that in itself is no problem.

Max speed: 118 mph 0-62 mph: 10.6 secs Combined mpg: 64.2 Engine: 1568cc 4 cylinder 16 valve turbo diesel Max. power (bhp): 103 at 4400 rpm Max. torque (lb/ft): 184 at 1500 - 2500 rpm CO2: 114 g/km Price: £17,850 on the road

auto Biographies

FAST FACTS

PROS & CONS Economical √ Stacked with kit √ Practical load area √ Less than ’rapid’ performance X Interior plastics X

By Tim Barnes-Claywww.carwriteups.co.uk

The new hatchback from ŠKODA has space for five-up and, in 1.6 TDI guise,

can extract up to 64.2mpg out of a tank. Also, with emissions of just 114g/km, the car is cost-effective to run as a company vehicle.

When it comes to thrills and spills the ŠKODA Rapid isn’t re-ally quite as speedy as its name suggests. The oil-burner under the bonnet of the Czech-made motor powers it from rest to 62mph in 10.6 seconds and upwards to 118mph. It’s fairly slow going, and with only five gears it’s annoyingly easy to crunch the gearstick up into a non-existent sixth cog.

As well as the less than prompt performance the Rapid feels skittish at motorway speeds and the steering is too light to inspire confidence. The plastic trim is disappointing compared with, say, the more executive-focused ŠKODA Superb but, in its favour the flagship ‘Ele-gance’ grade, on test here, does come stacked with kit.

Key features include cruise control; electrically heated door mirrors, multi-function steering wheel controls, Bluetooth and air conditioning. It’s easy to get

comfortable behind the wheel too; the height adjustable seating and adaptable reach/rake steering column makes this possible.

If you opt for the Elegance model you’ll also benefit from 16-inch alloys, cornering front fog lamps, rear electric windows, and chrome interior detailing. But no matter which variant of the Rapid you drive, you’ll find access to the boot easy and the load space square and practical in this, the sev-enth car in ŠKODA’s award-winning range.

Crucially, With Benefit in Kind (BIK) ratings from only 14 percent, the ŠKODA Rapid is expected to provide a shot in the arm to the brand’s rapidly growing fleet sales. On-the-road pricing starts from £12,900 for the Rapid 1.2-li-tre 75PS in entry level S trim, rising to £17,850 for the Rapid 1.6 TDI CR 105PS in flagship Elegance spec.

THIS MOTOR is more budget than bling; but that in itself is no problem. The new hatchback from ŠKODA has space for five-up and, in 1.6 TDI guise, can extract up to 64.2mpg out of a tank. Also, with emissions of just 114g/km, the car is cost-effective to run as a company vehicle. When it comes to thrills and spills the ŠKODA Rapid isn’t really quite as speedy as its name suggests. The oil-burner under the bonnet of the Czech-made motor powers it from rest to 62mph in 10.6 seconds and upwards to 118mph. It’s fairly slow going, and with only five gears it’s annoyingly easy to crunch the gearstick up into a non-existent sixth cog. As well as the less than prompt performance the Rapid feels skittish at motorway speeds and the steering is too light to inspire confidence. The plastic trim is disappointing compared with, say, the more executive-focused ŠKODA Superb but, in its favour the flagship ‘Elegance’ grade, on test here, does come stacked with kit. Key features include cruise control; electrically heated door mirrors, multi-function steering wheel controls, Bluetooth and air conditioning. It’s easy to get comfortable behind the wheel

too; the height adjustable seating and adaptable reach/rake steering column makes this possible. If you opt for the Elegance model you’ll also benefit from 16-inch alloys, cornering front fog lamps, rear electric windows, and chrome interior detailing. But no matter which variant of the Rapid you drive, you’ll find access to the boot easy and the load space square and practical in this, the seventh car in ŠKODA’s award-winning range. Crucially, With Benefit in Kind (BIK) ratings from only 14 percent, the ŠKODA Rapid is expected to provide a shot in the arm to the brand’s rapidly growing fleet sales. On-the-road pricing starts from £12,900 for the Rapid 1.2-litre 75PS in entry level S trim, rising to £17,850 for the Rapid 1.6 TDI CR 105PS in flagship Elegance spec.

auto BIOGRAPHIES ŠKODA Rapid 1.6 TDI Elegance

By Tim Barnes-Clay, Motoring Writer www.carwriteups.co.uk @carwriteups

FAST FACTS Max speed: 118 mph

0-62 mph: 10.6 secs

Combined mpg: 64.2

Engine: 1568 cc 16 value 4 cylinder turbo diesel

Max. power (bhp): 103 at 4400 rpm

Max. torque (lb/ft): 184 at 1500-2500 rpm

CO2: 114 g/km

Price: £17,850 on the road

PROS ‘N’ CONS

Economical √ Stacked with kit √

Practical load area √ Less than ’rapid’

performance X Interior plastics X

ŠKODA Rapid 1.6 TDI Elegance

THIS MOTOR is more budget than bling; but that in itself is no problem. The new hatchback from ŠKODA has space for five-up and, in 1.6 TDI guise, can extract up to 64.2mpg out of a tank. Also, with emissions of just 114g/km, the car is cost-effective to run as a company vehicle. When it comes to thrills and spills the ŠKODA Rapid isn’t really quite as speedy as its name suggests. The oil-burner under the bonnet of the Czech-made motor powers it from rest to 62mph in 10.6 seconds and upwards to 118mph. It’s fairly slow going, and with only five gears it’s annoyingly easy to crunch the gearstick up into a non-existent sixth cog. As well as the less than prompt performance the Rapid feels skittish at motorway speeds and the steering is too light to inspire confidence. The plastic trim is disappointing compared with, say, the more executive-focused ŠKODA Superb but, in its favour the flagship ‘Elegance’ grade, on test here, does come stacked with kit. Key features include cruise control; electrically heated door mirrors, multi-function steering wheel controls, Bluetooth and air conditioning. It’s easy to get comfortable behind the wheel

too; the height adjustable seating and adaptable reach/rake steering column makes this possible. If you opt for the Elegance model you’ll also benefit from 16-inch alloys, cornering front fog lamps, rear electric windows, and chrome interior detailing. But no matter which variant of the Rapid you drive, you’ll find access to the boot easy and the load space square and practical in this, the seventh car in ŠKODA’s award-winning range. Crucially, With Benefit in Kind (BIK) ratings from only 14 percent, the ŠKODA Rapid is expected to provide a shot in the arm to the brand’s rapidly growing fleet sales. On-the-road pricing starts from £12,900 for the Rapid 1.2-litre 75PS in entry level S trim, rising to £17,850 for the Rapid 1.6 TDI CR 105PS in flagship Elegance spec.

auto BIOGRAPHIES ŠKODA Rapid 1.6 TDI Elegance

By Tim Barnes-Clay, Motoring Writer www.carwriteups.co.uk @carwriteups

FAST FACTS Max speed: 118 mph

0-62 mph: 10.6 secs

Combined mpg: 64.2

Engine: 1568 cc 16 value 4 cylinder turbo diesel

Max. power (bhp): 103 at 4400 rpm

Max. torque (lb/ft): 184 at 1500-2500 rpm

CO2: 114 g/km

Price: £17,850 on the road

PROS ‘N’ CONS

Economical √ Stacked with kit √

Practical load area √ Less than ’rapid’

performance X Interior plastics X

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23/03/2012 13:31

THE WHITE LIONDunstable

Watling Street, Dunstable, LU6 1RSTel: 01582 663366Email: [email protected]

Lunch Bites2 meals for £10

or 1 for £6

Bring your friends and family or just come by yourself any

Monday to Saturday lunchtime.

Dinner Menu£5 off a meal for 2

or£10 off a meal for 4

Bring this page/voucher to the pub to redeem this offer.

When each person enjoys a main course meal.

Offer valid Monday to Thursday from 5pm.

Festive Lunch Deal1 Course for £7.50

2 Courses for £11.003 Courses for £15.00Starting from 1st December

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20th December£26.50 per personDJ Entertainment included.

£10.00 deposit per person & balance to be paid on the day.

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32

Celebrity hairdresser, Richard Ward shares his thoughts on

essential hair care that you can save or

splurge on...

HaIRCouture

www.mycouturehair.com

Perfect Finish

richard ward

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For appointments at the Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa, call 020 7730 1222 or visit www.richardward.co.uk.

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

01582 521430

Wintry wet weather has us reaching for our wellies, but how much thought do we give them really? Hard-working wel-lies deserve a bit of TLC now and then.

First things first. A lot of wellies split at the heel seam, and this is because we insist on removing them using a step or our other foot to prise them off. Invest in a proper boot-remover. It will preserve the life of your wel-lies and make them much easier to take-off.CLEAN THEM. Yes - really. How often do you put your boots away still clogged with mud? Take the time to rinse them with clean water then spray them with a boot protec-tor. If your wellies are the sort with a zip, make sure the zip is clean and free-running before storing the boots. Spray the zip with a

silicone spray and they’ll last for years.Store them properly in a cool dry place. Don’t dry kid’s wellies on a radiator as

they will become brittle and perish. Don’t leave them in a freezing greenhouse or shed either. A boot rack is great, because it lets you store them upside down (less chance of spiders or mice taking up residence!) and allows the air to circulate – meaning they won’t smell.Finally, there are some terrific, colourful and fashionable wellies on the market today, so there’s no excuse not to take the kids puddle-jumping. Go on, give it some welly!By Louise Addison

Welly!


offersChlidren of 4 to7 years• Small Class Sizes

• Partnership with parents• Individual learning• Exciting curriculum

Headteacher: Mrs R Heath B.A. (Hons) PGCE NPQH

www.dagnall.bucks.sch.uk

Dagnall School

To book a tour of the school contactMrs Kathy Bovington on 01442 842473 Or email [email protected]

Dagnall School, Main Road South, Dagnall, Berkhamsted, Herts. HP4 1QX

34

Fireworks date back to the 7th century and are thought to have been invented in China. The first

fireworks in England were displayed at the wedding of King Henry VII in 1486. Now, as well as being an integral part of Bonfire Night celebrations, fireworks can often be seen at New Year, Birthday and Wed-ding celebrations and frequently form the finale for major events. Fireworks come in many shapes and sizes and new types are being created all the time. Some of the many varieties are: sparklers, cakes, firecrackers, cherry bombs, rockets, jumping jacks and Catherine wheels. A rocket can reach speeds of 150mph and its shell can reach as high as 200 metres. A sparkler burns at a temperature over 15 times the boiling point of water. The different effects created by fireworks have names such as ring, spider, peony, palm and horsetail. The variety of colours and noises also thrill many of us. There are now a rainbow of colours and sounds that include bangs, crackles, humming and whistles. So what happens within a firework to cause us such excitement? Each firework is a precisely formed assembly of chemicals and fuel, carefully calibrated to produce a particular effect.Fireworks consist of stars, small clay or dough-like lumps or cubes 3 to 4 cm in diameter, packed into cardboard compartments within the firework shell. Stars contain a blend of oxidizing agent, reducing agent, metal salt colouring agent and binders. When ignited, the stars produce both sound and light effects. The power needed to lift each firework into the air is provided by the highly exothermic combustion of black powder. The key to firework success is to trap the heat and gas in the bottom of the shell, which is positioned in a launch tube or mortar, until the trapped gas pressure builds to such a force that when it escapes, it hurls the firework high into the air.A firework is ignited by lighting the main fuse. This simultaneously starts both the fast action fuse, and the time delay fuse. The flight of the firework is powered by a fast burning

wick. Where the wick ends, it meets the high explo-sive components of the firework. In this second stage, there is an instantaneous detonation producing both a loud explosion and a bright flash of colour. The black powder lift-charge is calculated to exhaust itself precisely when the slow-burning, time-delay fuse reaches the first compartment packed with light-producing stars and black powder. The tremendous booms heard are the result of the rapid release of energy into the air, causing the air to expand faster than the speed of sound which pro-duces a shock wave - a sonic boom

The Magic Of

Fireworks

November 5th is synonymous with fireworks, bonfires and effigies of Guy Fawkes. Hot soup and jacket potato teas, scarves and woolly gloves and excited children all want to be part of late night fun. Make sure that you understand the laws, though, surrounding fireworks if you’re planning on do-ing your own rather than going to an organized event.The law says you must not set off, or throw fireworks (including sparklers) in the street or other public places. Fireworks must not be set off between 11pm and 7am. The exceptions are Bonfire Night when the cutoff is midnight; New Year’s Eve, Diwali and Chinese New Year when the cutoff is extended until 1am.You can be fined up to £5,000 and/or imprisoned for 3 months for buying or using fireworks ille-gally, as well as getting an on the spot fine of £80 so check the rules, stay safe and enjoy the fun!

For further information:www.saferfireworks.com/ http://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/fireworks/www.gov.uk/fireworks-the-law

Firework Laws

November

November 5th is synonymous with fireworks, bonfires and effigies of Guy Fawkes. Hot soup and jacket potato teas, scarves and woolly gloves and excited children all want to be part of late night fun. Make sure that you understand the laws, though, surrounding fireworks if you’re planning on doing your own rather than going to an organized event. The law says you must not set off, or throw fireworks (including sparklers) in the street or other public places. Fireworks must not be set off between 11pm and 7am. The exceptions are Bonfire Night when the cutoff is midnight; New Year’s Eve, Diwali and Chinese New Year when the cutoff is extended until 1am. You can be fined up to £5,000 and/or imprisoned for 3 months for buying or using fireworks illegally, as well as getting an on the spot fine of £80 so check the rules, stay safe and enjoy the fun!

FIREWORK LAWS

For further information: www.saferfireworks.com/ http://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/fireworks/ www.gov.uk/fireworks-the-law

35www.thevinemagazine.co.uk34

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Costco Milton KeynesMandeville DriveKingstonMilton KeynesMK10 0DB

T: 01908 285 020E: [email protected]

Central Membership: 01923 830 477www.costco.co.uk

Costco Wholesale is a membership warehouse club, dedicated to bringing ourmembers quality goods and services at the lowest possible prices.

We provide awide selection of merchandise, plus the convenience of specialitydepartmentsandexclusivememberservices,all designed tomakeyourshoppingexperience a pleasurable one.

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TradeMembership*The annual membership fee for Standard Trade Membership is £20 (plus VAT),which includes a complimentary card for your spouse or domestic partner.

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2014 marks the 100th anniversary of the out-break of the First World War. More than nine million soldiers were killed during the four-year conflict. Much of the worst fighting took place in Flanders, the western part of Belgium. The whole area was completely devastated, with homes, farms, roads and trees all completely destroyed. The land became a bleak, muddy graveyard for the thousands of soldiers who fell there.One plant, however, thrived in the disturbed soil and that, of course, was the poppy. Year after year, as the warm weather arrived, the poppies bloomed and turned the bare ground into a sea of red. Nowadays, we are all familiar with the poppy as a symbol of remembrance and a way to raise funds to support veterans. But how did the iconic flower make the journey from the fields to our lapels?It all began with Lieutenant Colonel John Mc-Crae, a Canadian physician who fought in Flan-ders. In May 1915, his friend, a fellow soldier, was killed in action. Looking at the poppies growing alongside his grave moved McCrae to write the poem ‘In Flanders Fields’, which was later published in Punch magazine.The idea to use the poppy as a symbol of re-membrance came from an American professor and YWCA worker, Moina Michael, in 1918. She wrote a poem in reply to McCrae’s called ‘We Shall Keep the Faith’ and started to sell silk poppies. The idea was adopted by the Ameri-

can Legion in 1920 and she became known as ‘The Poppy Lady’. In 1921, Anna E Guerin started making artificial poppies in France and gained the support of Field Marshal Douglas Haig, founder of the Royal British Legion.The first poppy appeal was held on Armistice Day 1921. It was hugely popular and, despite a recommended selling price of threepence per poppy, single petals sold for £5. In all, the appeal raised £106,000 – that’s nearly £30 mil-lion in today’s terms!Some people choose to wear a white poppy, either instead of or alongside a traditional red one. This symbolises pacifism and remem-bers the civilians killed in war, as well as the soldiers. The idea was initially put forward in 1926 by the No More War Movement, and the first white poppies were sold by the Coopera-tive Women’s Guild in 1933. They are now distributed by the Peace Pledge Union, a British pacifist non-governmental organisation that works for a world without war. And finally, did you know that there is also a purple poppy? It commemorates the animals that have been victims of war and raises money for Animal Aid.

How the humble poppy came to symbolise remembrance and raise millions to help war veterans

The Poppy’s Appeal

40


2 Courses £9.953 Courses £11.95Music starts at 1:30pm &finishes at 4:30pm (last orders)To Book a table Tel: 01582 603310

Email: [email protected] www.chezjerome.co.uk

A lunch of high-class entertainment

Cool, Mellow, Swinging & Sophisticated Jazz

We all deserve aSunday Lunch

Chez Jerome26 Church St. Dunstable

On The Good Food Guide 2014

Merry Christmasat

Chez Jerome

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

Book your Christmas Party Now! 26 Church Street,

Dunstable, Beds. LU5 4RU

Tel: 01582 603310Email: [email protected]* * * * * * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * * * * * *

Christmas Party Lunch Menu2 Courses £14.953 Courses £16.95

(Sunday Lunch with live music - John Lee)

Starters(v) Melon & prawns with Marie-rose sauce

(v)Spinach & Ricotta on a filo pastry with sweet chilli sauce(v) Roasted beetroot with goats cheese glazed in balsamic, salad leaves

Chicken liver mousse with orange zest ,garlic toast(V) Roasted butter nut veloute, cream fraîche

Main courseToulouse sausages in red wine and onions, mash potatoes & vegetables

(v) Tomato & mozzarella ravioli in a light cream and tomato sauceRoast Turkey breast with cranberry sauce, all trimmings, potatoes

& VegetablesGrilled Salmon with paprika hollandaise sauce , potatoes & vegetables

Grilled sirloin steak with brandy peppercorn sauce, potatoes & vegetables

(sup £2.00)

DessertsJerome's Vanilla cream brûleSelection of cheese & biscuits

with spiced Pear (gluten free biscuits available)Christmas pudding with brandy sauce

Chocolate trilogies (black, milk & white) (gluten free)Assorted Ice cream & sorbet

Strawberry jelly with fresh fruit (gluten and dairy free)

Christmas Dinner Menu3 Courses £20.95 (Mon-Thu) (Boxing day)

3 Courses £25.95 (Fri-Sat)

Starters(v) Melon with Prawns Rose Mary sauce

(v) Spinach & ricotta on filo pastry with sweet chilli(v) Roasted beetroot with goats cheese glazed in balsamic, salad leaves

Chicken liver mousse with orange zest ,garlic toast(V) Roasted butternut veloute, cream fraîche

Main courseGrilled Fillet of Salmon with paprika hollandaise sauce, potatoes

& vegetablesBraised lamb shank with onions -rosemary jus, potatoes & vegetables

(v) Tomato and mozzarella ravioli in a light cream tomato sauceRoast Turkey breast with cranberry sauce, all trimmings, potatoes

& VegetablesGrilled sirloin steak with brandy peppercorn sauce, potatoes & vegetables

DessertsJerome's Vanilla cream brûleSelection of cheese & biscuits

with spiced Pear (gluten free biscuits available)Christmas pudding with brandy sauce

Chocolate trilogies (black, milk & white) (gluten free)Assorted Ice cream & sorbet

Strawberry jelly with fresh fruit (gluten and dairy free)

Gluten free bread available on request

we are open on Mondays from 1st - 30th December

40

PuzzlesPuzzlesPuzzles

Across 1. Austere, firm (6) 4. Chomper, nibbler (5) 8. Mr. Simpson (5) 9. All the same (7)10. Italian filled pasta (7)11. Wham, bang (4)12. Crusty bread roll (3)14. Blood-sucking insect (4)15. Iridescent gem (4)18. Untruth (3)21. Polite cough! (4)23. Seedless orange (7)25. Branch of mathematics (7)26. Arab state (5)27. Foe (5)28. Sketching tool (6)

Down 1. Hottest desert (6) 2 Eviction (7) 3. Non-commissioned army officer (8) 4. Enticement (4) 5. Molar (5) 6. Cure (6) 7. Loose-fitting top (5)13. Small shop (8)16. Amphibious (7)17. Devastation (6)19. Written work (5)20. Glossy green leaf used in wreaths (6)22. Bird of prey (5)24. Do as you’re told (4)

Crossword




SPOT THE ADVERTWhat advert

Is This? >>>>

Unscramble the letters to find the names of types of car. Each one has an extra letter:

Find something you will find on your car.

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!

S C R A M

B L

E

Unscramble the letters to find types of Car Brands.

Each one has an extra letter. Find something that you will find on your CAR.

WEGODD

XLUSIE

UBSAUNR

SNSADIN

AZWAMD

DUWAI

S C R A M

B L

E

Unscramble the letters to find types of Car Brands.

Each one has an extra letter. Find something that you will find on your CAR.

WEGODD

XLUSIE

UBSAUNR

SNSADIN

AZWAMD

DUWAI

42

Answers on page 46

Open: Tues - Fri 8am - 5pm, Sat 8am - 1pm Telephone orders welcome - 01525 220213 1 Chapel Lane, Totternhoe, Dunstable, LU6 2BZ

F. HORTON & SON

Retail and Catering Supplies

Specialising in: Aberdeen Angus & Hereford BeefHome Dry Cured Bacon & GammonHome Made Sausages, Beef Burgers& Faggots

F. HORTON & SON ~ EST. 1861~High Class Family Run Butchers

Locally Produced Beef, Pork & Lamb

www.thevinemagazine.co.uk 43

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DOMESTIC & COMMERCIALLOCAL 24 HOUR LOCKSMITHS

Over 20 Years ExperienceNo Callout Charge

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•All makes of locks and safes opened, repaired and replaced

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HALL FOR HIRE

St Fremund’s ChurchWestfield Road, Dunstable

HALL FOR HIRE

Ardley Hill School, Lowther Road, Dunstable, each Thursday evening, 7.30 - 9pm. No charge, donations accepted. NFSH contact Pam Hill on 01582 606182. Come for interest or healing.

D.A.W.G. SOCIAL CLUB

THE DUNSTABLE ORBIT CLUB

We are a small and friendly Dunstable based social group meeting once a month with a wide variety of speakers during the winter and outdoor events and visits during the summer. Each year we also arrange two evenings with a meal and professional entertainment.We would welcome new members (couples and singles). For further information and a free visit why not contact Brian on 01525 754189.

Dunstable Garden Club meet on the second Monday evening of each month at 7.30pm at the Salvation Army Community Hall, Bull Pond Lane, Dunstable. The Club has been in existence for many years and maintaining a steady membership. The subscription is only £10 per year which entitles members to attend eight winter meetings with speakers and a selection of summer outings from May onwards to various interesting and well-known garden venues. Visitors are very welcome at £2 each so why not come along and meet some of the members who would love to see fresh faces.

THE HEALING TRUST

Regular slots availableor for family partiesContact: Mrs Nicola Talbot

[email protected]

THE BOGTROTTERS

DUNSTABLE GARDEN CLUB

“The more you put in, the more you get out” is certain-ly true for the members of Dunstable and District Orbit Club. Since its inception over 20 years ago, the club has raised thousands of pounds for local and national charities from events such as quizzes, race nights, stalls at Carnivals etc. However, there is more to Orbit than the comradeship and teamwork involved in organising fundraising events. The emphasis is very much on having fun in all their activities including a wide range of social pursuits such as archery, 10-pin bowling, cinema/theatres, guided walks, progressive meals etc. The club plan events to suit all budgets and many of them are free or at a low cost. Membership is only £10 annually. Meetings are on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at the Dunstable Rugby Club, Bedford Road , Houghton Regis 8pm. You’ll be guaranteed a warm welcome. Contact Mark on 01582 539379, Julie on 01582 535761 www.orbitclub.org.uk/dunstable

We are an independent social club for ex-Rotarians and similarly minded people and have been in existence for nearly 3 years. We are named ‘The Watling Street Club’ as our members form a link along the Watling Street. We meet every Thursday evening at the ‘Old Hunter’s Lodge’ Whipsnade for a meal and speaker.New members are welcome. For more information contact John Stevens 01582 668033

We meet every Monday (except bank holidays) in Chews House in High Street South, Dunstable, from 1pm to 5pm. We would welcome new members of all standards and you do not need a partner. If anyone is interested please call: 01582 664485

DUNSTABLE BRIDGE CLUB

CHILTERN CEILIDHS

WATLING STREET CLUB

Join our friendly guided walk at blows downs dunstable on sunday July 3rd. the walk will be a short 2 miles but undu-lating, at a leisurly pace. on the way we talk about the flora and fauna of this wildlife trust owned nature reserve which will include the area of the chalk pits where the wild orchids should be in abundance.Meet at the far end of Half moon lane , dunstable at 3pm.Tel. for further details, tony bliss 01582 704664.

Chiltern Ceilidhs - a regular ceilidh/barn dance on the 2nd Friday of the month. All ages welcome, no experi-ence required and live music from our house band every month! The dances start at 8pm (doors open at 7.30pm) and tickets are £7 (£5 conc) with under 10s getting in free. Venue: The Polish Club, Albion street, Dunstable, LU6 3AZContact: 01582 475655, email: [email protected] or visit our website: www.chilternceilidhs.info

The Bogtrotters (Dunstable and District Walking and Hos-telling Group) are a group of about 90 walkers, hikers and hostellers. We run a surprisingly diverse range of activities, including half and full day walks, hostelling trips, meals and evening activities.New members are always welcome. Prospective members are invited to get in touch via the website, give us a ring or just turn up to an event or walk.enquiries@dunstablebogtrotters.co.ukwww.dunstablebogtrotters.co.uk01582 865966 Sue or Julian

BLOWS DOWNS CONSERVATION GROUP

ST MARY’S POPPY PROM Saturday 9th November, 7.30pm

One of the musical highlights of the year for Music at St Mary’s is the Poppy Prom, Concert,In aid of St Mary’s, Eaton Bray, and Help for Heroes.The evening combines the solemnity of words and music from The Festival of Remembrancewith the joyful music of The Last Night of the Proms. This year’s musi-cians will be the South Beds Concert Band, St Mary’s Choir and Dagnall Community Choir along with soloists, Min-Min Peaker and Barbara Morton.The programme includes music by Eric Coates, William Walton, Mozart, Handel, Grieg as well as favourites from The Last Night of the Proms by Elgar, Henry Wood, Arne and Parry.It will be a wonderful evening of entertainment and is likely to attract a sell out audience.Hurry to get your tickets, priced £12.50 and £10, from the Box Office, 01525 222283 anddon’t forget to bring your flags.

EXHIBITION & SALE OF ART & CRAFT Village Hall, Sundon Road,

Harlington. 19th October10.30am-5pmAdults 50p. Children free

Local artists and craftspeople will be exhibiting and displaying their work at our Annual Exhibition, many items of which will be for sale – ideal for those looking for something a little different for Birthday/Christmas presents etc. Then relax and chat over a nice cup of tea and slice of homemade cake. Items include paintings, needlework, jewel-lery, woodturning, pottery and card making to name but a few. Our guest artist this year will be contemporary artist Tina Ashton.

1ST TOTTERNHOE BROWNIES Jumble sale

26th October 10am – 1pMKThe Methodist Church

Dunstable Town Centre You can also join our small Brownie Pack ‘only down the hill to Tot-ternhoe’ If you are interested come along for an evening and find out how much fun you can have. Spaces availableTuesday Evening ‘s term time

6.00pm – 7.30pm Ages 7 – 10Tel: Zoe Hurry01582 666942

TOWN FARM ART SHOW IN CHEDDINGTON:

Eight artists showing paintings, tex-tiles, ceramics, sculpture, woodcarv-ing, woodcraft,contemporary basketry and jewellery. Plus mulled wine, mince pies and Christmascake! One weekend only: Friday 22, Saturday 23, Sunday 24 November 2013: 10am –5pm6 Town Farm, Cheddington, Near Tring, LU7 0TTPlease park on High Street – not in Town Farm.Free entry. Donations for refresh-ments in aid of Rennie Grove Hospice Care.

EATON BRAY TAVERNERS BRIDGE CLUB

The club meets every Friday even-ing from 7.30-10.30pm at the Methodist Church, Eaton Bray High St. to play duplicate bridge.£1 for members, £2 for visitors.Tel: 01525 221779

THE BOGTROTTERSThe Bogtrotters (Dunstable and District Walking and Hostelling Group) are a group of about 90 walk-ers, hikers and hostellers. We run a surprisingly diverse range of activities, including half and full day walks, hostelling trips, meals and evening activities.New members are always welcome. Prospective members are invited to get in touch via the website, give us a ring or just turn up to an event or walk.Enquiries@dunstablebogtrotters.co.ukwww.dunstablebogtrotters.co.uk01582 865966 Sue or Julian

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

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 (ex-cept 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

BREATHEASYDo you suffer from a lung condition? Then why not come and join our local Support group - breatheasy - 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 welcomeAs 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

THE HEALING TRUSTArdley Hill School, Lowther Road, Dunstable, each Thursday evening, 7.30 - 9pm. No charge, donations accepted. NFSH contact Pam Hill on 01582 606182. Come for interest or healing.

TODDINGTON HELPING HANDSWe are a group of about 30 volun-teers who provide lifts to the doc-tors, dentists, hospitals, hairdressers etc for the residents of Toddington, Chalgrave, Wingfield and Tebworth.We also carry out the delivery of prescriptions, shopping and general errand running to those who are not able to do so themselves.During the last quarter we com-pleted in excess of 400 jobs in the local community.We now urgently need more volun-teer drivers.Tel: 01525 633660

Out About&• Clubs • Groups • Events• Community

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DUNSTABLE NETBALL CLUBThe Club’s objective is to foster and promote the sport of netball, providing opportunities for recrea-tion and competition.Dunstable Netball Club Junior ses-sion is held at All Saints Academy, Houghton Road, Dunstable, Bed-fordshire LU5 5AB from 6pm till 7.15 on Thursday evenings. Chil-dren are required to wear suitable training shoes, bring a drink and £3.00 subscription fees per week.The adult session is held at All Saints Academy, as above from 7.30 - 9.00 on Thursday evenings. It is open to all ages and abilities and is a great way to get fit, have fun and make new friends. £3.00 subscription fee per weekJunior membership of the Club is open to :Boys in School years 5 & 6Females in School Year 5 to adultChildren aged 8 (school year 4) will be accepted if a Club Coach deems them to have exceptional development qualities and on the agreement of the committee.For further information, find us on Facebook(Dunstable Net-ball Club)

TEA TIME TALESPriory House Heritage Centre

Tel: 01582 890270Local History Talks

with Tea/CoffeeThursday 2.30pm, - 4.00pm

£4.50 per personOctober 3rd

Rembrandt, The man and his artOctober 17th

Jane Austin - 200 yearssince the publication of Pride

and PrejudiceNovember 7th

‘Clothed with the sun - Joanna Southcott,

Religious Prophetess.November 21st

A Walk through Dunstable Priory

DUNSTABLE SENIOR CITIZENSWhat age would you like to live to?Would you like to live it withDignity, Financial peace of mind, With a voice We are a local group fighting the fight for the over 50’sInterested in finding out more?Come to a meetingWe meet the last Thursday of each month at 2pmIn the Social club of The Catholic

Church in West Street DunstableOr call for more information on01582 534357

CHILTERN GATEWAY CENTRE

50 things Activities6th October & 3rd November 2pm - 3pm FREE EVENTBring the kids and join us on the first Sunday of the month get involve with National Trusts 50 thing to do before your 11 and ¾.Each Sunday you’ll get to cross another fantastic activity off you list and get outdoors and discover some-thing new! We’ll be taking the kids to explore outdoors so remember to dress for the weather.

Halloween Happenings 28th October - 29th October 12pm - 2pm All Tickets £2.00Halloween Family Fun at the Chilterns Gateway Centre. Come along and join in the fun. Make a spooky mask, creepy spider or witches hat and much more. Give apple bobbing a try or if you dare try out our feely boxes.

For Information: Chilterns Gateway Centre Shop,

01582 500925,

DUNSTABLE GARDEN CLUBThis lovely summer has been enjoyed by members and friends on four enjoyable and beauti-ful garden outings - with a visit to Waterperry Gardens to come on 17th September. Our Winter meet-ings commence on 9th September with the AGM, plant exchange and refreshments. In October the illustrated talk is ‘A Collection of Iris’ and in November ‘Alpines and Alpine Troughs’. All meetings are held on 2nd Monday of the month in the Salvation Army Hall, Bull Pond Lane, Dunstable and start at 7.30 pm. Visitors welcome at £2 - to join the annual fee is £10.Some members have been actively supporting ‘Dunstable in Bloom’ - helping to plant and maintain the new Physic Garden in Priory Gardens; the ‘Incredible Edible’ project at Katherine Drive where a neglected area is now full of raised vegetable beds to be enjoyed by the local community. The Club is also donating one year’s free membership to the winners of Best Front Garden; Best Allotment; Best Hanging baskets - results to be announced in

September.To follow the wonderful display of flowers in Dunstable this summer, free daffodil bulbs are available to groups to plant now and provide a burst of colour next Spring. Enquiries - Mary Chapman - 01582 603710.

HOMESTARTHave you got just 2 to 3 hours to spare each week to support a local young family who are struggling to cope? The charity Home-Start is looking for caring parents and grand-parents. All training and support is given and expenses paid. It’s a great way to gain new skills, make friends and really make a difference to your community.

KINGSBURY BOWLS CLUB is a small friendly club situated in east Dunstable under the shadow of Blows Downs.The Green is open to the public from Wednesday to Friday until Septem-ber, 2-00pm to 4-00pm and 6-00pm to Dusk – at a reasonable fee. Come and try a new sport – the only dress requirement is flat-soled footwear. Bowls and all other equipment is available at the Green. www.kingsburybowls.weebly.com

DUNSTABLE BRIDGE CLUBWe meet every Monday (except bank holidays) in Chews House in High Street South, Dunstable, from 1pm to 5pm. We would welcome new members of all standards and you do not need a partner. If anyone is interested please call: 01582 664485

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Repairing leather is approximately 20% of the cost of re-upholstering

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Genuine Freehouse Nestled in the Countryside

"CASK TO GLASS ALES…FREE WI-FI"

The Bell In Studham

…FOR FOOD AND GIFTS WE LOVE!

"Good Honest Freshly Prepared Food!"WEEKDAY LUNCHES FROM £5.99 Dunstable Rd, Studham, Beds. LU6 2QG.Tel: 01582 872460www.thebellinstudham.co.uk [email protected]

Functions Catered for! Just let us know how we can help! 5 MIN FROM THE DOWNS-LARGE CARPARK & GARDENS

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Did you know there’s a very special gift shop in Toddington that donates ALL its profits to Charity?

Please support us & visitThe Little Shop is based on the Green in Toddington. We stock a wide range of contemporary & beautiful

gifts & cards for adults & children. Great Prices – many products sold at below the RRP.

Run by volunteeRs, we donate 100% of pRofits to chaRity

GIFTS • CARDS • JEWELLERY • BEAUTY PRODUCTS & MUCH MORE

Open Mon 9-3, Tues/Wed 9-12, Thurs/Fri 9-5, Sat 10-4 • 36 Market Square Toddington

Documents

The Vine Villages - October/November 2013 - Issue 10